Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Bishop for yielding and for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5788, the amended Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2018. Once signed into law, this legislation will help combat our Nation's growing opioid crisis by preventing the easy importation of synthetic opioids through the United States Postal Service.

Under current law, private shipping companies are required to provide Customs and Border Protection with advance electronic data for packages inbound to the United States. The inclusion of this data makes illegally shipped items easier to track and locate.

This standard is not imposed on our own Postal Service, however, even though the U.S. Postal Service brought more than four times the number of packages into the U.S. than all private carriers like FedEx and UPS did in 2016, combined.

This bill will bring the U.S. Postal Service up to industry standards by requiring advance electronic data for 100 percent of packages by 2020 and a strong goal of 70 percent by the end of this year. Also required is a 2019 study by the GAO assessing the progress made by the Postal Service. By requiring this data of foreign shippers, we can help to keep dangerous synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil off our streets.

The abundance of fentanyl within our borders is leading to an increase in overdoses and overdose-related deaths. A recent study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicated that fentanyl is now the most common fatal overdose drug in the United States. Of the roughly 42,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2016, about 20,000 of those were from fentanyl.

Mr. Speaker, just how dangerous is fentanyl and carfentanil? I can relate to you a recent incident which occurred in our State of New York.

Seizures of fentanyl in the New York area spiked by over 1,000 percent between 2016 and 2017. In 2016, in New York City, where JFK International Airport is a major transshipment point, 62 pounds of fentanyl were seized. In 2017, 1,162 pounds were seized.

Earlier this year, in just one bust, officials seized nearly 100 pounds of fentanyl, which is said to be enough to kill the entire population of New York City and New Jersey, combined.

This bill is a commonsense, bipartisan approach to fix the problem.

I would very much like to thank Chairman Brady, Chairman Reichert, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Pascrell, and Senator Portman for their important leadership on this issue, and I urge all my colleagues to support this vitally significant legislation.

Mr. Speaker, we are passing numerous bills this week dealing with the opioid crisis. Perhaps none is as important as the STOP Act. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Walden for all of his leadership and Ranking Member Pallone for the leadership, on a bipartisan basis, for bringing all these bills to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 5685, the Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act. When enacted, this bill will help to combat the opioid crisis by improving efforts to educate seniors on alternatives to traditional opioid pain medication as they use it through the Medicare part D program.

Nearly one-third of seniors on Medicare part D were prescribed an opioid in 2016--nearly one-third of seniors prescribed an opioid on Medicare part D in 2016. That statistic underlines just how pervasive opioid painkillers are among seniors who are often dealing with issues stemming from chronic pain.

Seniors are given an informational booklet entitled ``Medicare & You'' prior to becoming Medicare eligible that details the services available to them upon enrollment. Currently, the word ``opioid'' actually only appears once in this booklet, and, given the national crisis that we are facing of opioid addiction among all segments of our society, that is really not enough. My bill would substantially improve Medicare opioid education by adding available opioid alternatives and additional education information to this handbook for every senior to see.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Walden for all of his hard work on this important issue and for working with us on bringing this legislation to the floor today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of the founding of Austerlitz, New York. Formerly known as the proprietorship of Spencers Town in the late eighteenth century, the Town of Austerlitz was incorporated in 1818.

For two hundred years, Austerlitz has taken part in the great American experiment, weaving together a diverse community and cultivating a strong civil society. This bucolic town situated in Columbia County has not only celebrated many great triumphs of our nation and witnessed the nascent years of America's existence, but has also persevered through times of hardship. The strength and independence that continues to define this town are a result of strong roots laid and the principles instilled at its founding two centuries ago.

The area which now comprises Austerlitz was initially settled by a deed from the Mohican Indians to seventy-five families from New England to create Spencers Town, a name based on the fact that many of the first settlers were families of Spencers. When a bill was considered in the New York Legislature to formally establish a new town, future President Martin Van Buren, then a State Senator, is said to have insisted that the town be named Austerlitz due to his admiration of Napoleon and annoyance that another town was named Waterloo.

While the area has experienced many changes over the past two hundred years, Austerlitz was built on a foundation of determination and resiliency. These core beliefs continue to guide and distinguish the community today.

This bicentennial anniversary marks a great milestone in Austerlitz's history, and serves as an important time for reflection. On behalf of the 19th Congressional District and the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation and congratulations to the town of Austerlitz. As the residents celebrate its 200th birthday, I would like to commend them on the success of their small, thriving community and wish Austerlitz continued prosperity in its next 200 years.

Mr. Speaker, it is with immense respect and great honor that I rise today to recognize Bernice May Hoyt for receiving the Outstanding Contribution by a Senior Citizen Award for Greene County. This designation honors an exceptional senior citizen in Greene County who has demonstrated an unyielding commitment to the betterment of the community.

From volunteering at her local church and assisting her elderly neighbors, to donating her time and services to the Mountain Top Food Pantry, Bernice has given selflessly to provide for her friends and neighbors, and especially for area seniors. Through her actions, Bernice has improved the quality of life for countless individuals and has become a cornerstone of the Greene County community.

I am grateful for Bernice's years of dedication to the Greene County community, to the 19th District, and to New York state. I wish her the best as she continues to serve as an inspiration to all who have the pleasure of crossing paths with her.

Mr. Speaker, it is with profound respect that I rise today to recognize and celebrate Dede Terns-Thorpe of Haines Falls for being named Greene County's 2018 Senior Citizen of the Year. This is a designation reserved for the outstanding individual in Greene County who has continuously and selflessly gone above and beyond to make a positive impact on the community.

From her time working as a nurse and for the U.S. postal service, to her volunteerism delivering meals to her neighbors and gardening, Dede has been dedicated to the Greene County community and has shown compassion and care in all that she does. As the town historian of Hunter, Dede has made great contributions to the history of the area, unearthing the wonders, stories, and heroes of Greene County's past.

I am grateful for Dede's many years of dedicated service to Greene County, to the 19th District, and to New York State. I wish her the best as she continues to preserve the region's history and I am thankful for her many contributions to the community.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment which would require the USDA to comprehensively assess and evaluate the importation of forest pests and to provide options as to how we can best address this issue.

Imported forest pests pose what is among the most grievous threat to forest health in the United States. Over the past century, forest pests have devastated entire species of trees, and threatened agricultural industries, businesses, and recreational opportunities for all Americans.

These destructive pests cost the United States billions of dollars each year in damages and eradication.

By engaging stakeholders, tracking the geographic sources of pests, and assessing the effectiveness of current pest surveillance efforts, my amendment takes important steps toward understanding the scope of the problem and why it is happening, while also giving the ability of the USDA to strengthen its regulatory response.

The problem of forest pests is not isolated to my district in upstate New York, but exists all throughout the Nation. From the laurel wilt in the southeast to the white pine blister rust in the Rockies, all 50 States face a variety of forest pests.

Now, specifically, Mr. Chairman, what our amendment would do, it would require the Department of Agriculture to evaluate the effectiveness of the Federal Government in intercepting the pests in international shipping and on plants for planting.

It would describe the geographic sources of the intercepted pests and the commodities or plant species that are most associated with these infested shipments.

It would require the Agriculture Department to quantify the detection of forest pests in the national surveillance networks, including the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey and the Early Detection and Rapid Response Network of the Forest Service.

We would have the department describe new outbreaks of forest pests in the United States and the spread of existing infestations. This public information is going to be critically important in allowing us to prevent and assess the problems that exist.

The Agriculture Department would help describe how the numbers of such interceptions, detections, and outbreaks, which are described in this amendment, have changed since the beginning of 2018. We would require them to have additional actions to further reduce the arrival of forest pests across the borders of the United States.

Identifying these current challenges with the interception, detecting, and addressing outbreaks of tree and wood pests is a critical part of the mandate of the agency in the Department of Agriculture that is charged with this task.

Mr. Chairman, I urge the passage of this commonsense amendment to protect our environment, to strengthen our trade relations, and to promote our local economies.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I think that the comment that Mr. Conaway, our distinguished chairman, just made, he and I were privileged to tour a border station where the employees of our Federal Government were working very hard to inspect the deliveries of all sorts of materials and commodities across that border. It was actually in Ms. Stefanik's district up on the St. Lawrence River where we went to that border crossing some months ago.

It is truly a remarkable process that our Federal employees go through in terms of trying to assess and monitor and inspect these shipments of various commodities into our Nation.

The issue of agricultural pests is something that is truly significant and important for all of us as Americans to make sure that we can protect our forests. This may be not something that the average American thinks about very much, but it is something that those of us on the committee and those who are in the affected industries are very acutely aware of the importance of this issue.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment which would provide the USDA the tools it needs to quantifiably measure conservation outcomes.

These provisions are substantively the same as a bipartisan bill I introduced earlier this year with Representative Marcia Fudge.

If included in the farm bill, my amendment would have the USDA measure, evaluate, and report on various conservation programs across the Nation. This information is necessary to help define, evaluate, and justify taxpayer return on conservation investment programs.

Right now, the USDA can provide information on the impact of our conservation programs in terms of contracts and acres, but they lack the ability to provide the actual impact of these programs on important resource concerns. By ensuring that the USDA has all of the tools necessary to collect this information, we can better protect and preserve these programs into the future.

The USDA's voluntary conservation programs are consistently helping farmers in initiatives that protect natural resources while also increasing farm productivity. This amendment would ensure that the USDA can continue to improve existing conservation programs and practices while also supporting our Nation's farmers.

Mr. Chairman, we will also seek, in response to concerns that have been raised by the Farm Bureau, to, in conference, further refine the privacy provisions relating to the research activities that would take place under this bill to ensure that any personally identifiable information that would be contained within the analysis of conservation programs is further protected by the United States Department of Agriculture.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Chairman, I am encouraged by the support for my amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the impetus behind the gentleman from California's amendment, but I think this amendment, if it were adopted, would threaten to destroy the carefully constructed efforts that we have endeavored to engage in in the committee to create something that was realistic and achievable.

Lowering the age from 6 to 3 will make it much more difficult for many SNAP families to comply with the work requirements, and reducing the ability of a State to have a waiver of up to 15 percent of the population will also make it extremely difficult, by reducing that number down to 5 percent.

So I think what the committee did was have a finely balanced effort to try

to move more able-bodied people into work and into training. While the gentleman's motivations are certainly fine in this regard and he is attempting to get at the right thing, we think that the amendment, if it were adopted, would actually destroy the carefully constructed effort that we have made to try to encourage work and responsibility.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk made in order by the rule.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer my amendment, which would provide States additional flexibility to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

If included in the farm bill, this amendment would provide States the option, not a mandate, to determine the appropriate mix of government staff and service provider staff for all administrative SNAP functions.

It would build on existing SNAP administrator flexibility within employment and training programs as well as technology initiatives like electronic benefits transfer.

This barrier, currently in the SNAP law dating from the 1970s, prevents the implementation of commonsense administrative solutions that include integrated call centers, leveraging investment to modernize programs, and incorporate best practices and the ability to address periodic peaks in enrollment activity that accompany times of economic distress.

Mr. Chairman, I know that at least a dozen Governors sent a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate today saying that States across the country have been calling for administrative flexibility to implement various government programs, and it is time that we provide each State the choice to decide what is best for them in their overall effectiveness in running these programs.

Mr. Chairman, I would also like to thank my partners in this amendment, Representatives Hartzler, Poliquin, Marshall, and Goodlatte, who are supportive of this policy change.

I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this commonsense amendment and provide the States with added flexibility, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, in response to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts' comments, I would simply suggest that what this amendment is trying to do is: number one, give the States the option to utilize modern management techniques in terms of the operation of the SNAP program. It is an option. It is not a mandate.

Number two, I would point out that various programs such as TANF, and such as the Children's Health Insurance Program also have the ability to do precisely what I am suggesting in this amendment. This is not unusual. This is not sending jobs overseas. That is an absurd notion, I believe.

The fact of the matter is, we are trying to make it possible for States to seamlessly run these programs, whether it is TANF, whether it is housing assistance, whether it is the Children's Health Insurance Program, or whether it is Medicaid. Those programs, States already have the option and already have the ability to use social service nonprofit organizations like Catholic Charities to assist them in eligibility determinations, to assist States in assisting recipients in getting into employment and training programs.

So what this amendment is seeking to do is to eliminate the exclusion of that ability that is now only in the SNAP program. Mr. Chairman, it is only in the SNAP program that we exclude the opportunity for States to have these kind of abilities, to have these services performed by nonprofit organizations and by other providers that can efficiently and seamlessly coordinate the benefits and eligibility that exists for TANF, that exists for children's health insurance, that exists for a whole panoply of social services programs.

Mr. Chairman, I regret the gentleman from Massachusetts' opposition to the amendment. I hope he would reconsider, given the fact that CHIP and all of these other programs--which the gentleman supports already-- permit doing precisely what I am suggesting here, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, to close on the amendment, let me reiterate. This amendment simply seeks to treat States' flexibility for SNAP the same

as it does, as current law does, for TANF, for a host of other social services programs, and for CHIP.

I would also point out, in response to the gentleman from Massachusetts' concern, the States that do this for CHIP and use nonprofit organizations to assist them in eligibility and other determinations, explicitly prohibit the outsourcing of these jobs to foreign countries, and many even prohibit the outsourcing of any job out of State. So the gentleman raises a red herring that is not appropriate in this context, and should not be considered.

This simply gives the States the flexibility to seamlessly manage the SNAP program and coordinate the benefits as they might have for home heating assistance, or they might have for CHIP, or they might have for

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Anthony Michael ``Mike'' Bucci Jr., who will be honored as Person of the Year by the Columbia County Association in the City of New York on May 10, 2018.

Born and raised in Hudson, NY, Mike was an honors graduate of Hudson High School, where he was-a three-sport letterman. He went on to graduate cum laude from Villanova University in 1983, where he was the captain of the intercollegiate bowling team. Upon graduation, Mike was immediately hired to work for the accounting firm Ernst and Whinney. During his time with the firm, he was responsible for audit and consulting services for more than 100 different audit and tax clients.

1988 brought a new adventure for Mike, as he became the Audit Director and Controller for the NYS Bridge Authority in Highland, NY. In that capacity, he was responsible for a $10 million annual budget that handled the implementation, maintenance, and adequacy of the Authority's financial and management accounting and reporting systems.

In 1998, Mike became a partner at the prestigious accounting firm of Pattinson, Koskey, & Rath P.C. In a short three years, Mike was named Treasurer and equity owner in the firm. During that time, the firm voted to be renamed Pattison, Koskey, Howe and Bucci, CPAs, P.C. Under his leadership as Managing Shareholder, the firm amassed ten partners, eighteen CPAs, and six offices in the Hudson Valley.

Mike is also a dedicated and active member of his community who is always willing to lend a hand. He has served on several local boards including the Twin County Vikings, the Hudson Little League, and the Hudson Boys and Girls Club. Currently, Mike is a member of the Columbia County Sons and Daughters of Italy No. 659, serving as a trustee and was named its ``Positive Image Award'' recipient in 2005.

Mike's service to Columbia County is greatly appreciated, and I congratulate him for being honored as Person of the Year by the Columbia County Association in the City of New York.

Mr. Speaker, as May marks Lyme Disease Awareness Month, I rise today to recognize the countless individuals currently living with Lyme and to honor the medical experts and advocates combating this epidemic throughout the Nation.

In upstate New York, where I reside, we are aware of the real and continuing threat that Lyme and related tick-borne diseases pose. With an estimated 300,000 new cases each year, the Lyme crisis is spreading. It is found in about half of all U.S. counties and in nearly 80 countries worldwide. Transmitted by tick bites, Lyme disease has no known cure, is difficult to diagnose, and can attack the nervous system, even sometimes leading to death if left untreated.

There is no silver bullet to combat this devastating disease, but better public education and more Federal research can lead to significant advancements. The medical and public health communities urge you to check yourself and your loved ones, especially children, each day for ticks and to seek out the best information on best practices for preventing tick bites and Lyme disease.

I look forward to continuing to work with members of the upstate New York community, Lyme disease advocates throughout America, and my colleagues here in Congress on both sides of the aisle to increase awareness and to find a cure, finally, for this devastating disease.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Oklahoma, and my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois, as well, for their fine comments in relation to this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer support for H.R. 4722, a bill to designate the postal facility at 111 Market Street in Saugerties, New York, as the Maurice D. Hinchey Post Office Building.

Congressman Hinchey was a lifelong New Yorker and a true public servant. He passed away in his home in Saugerties, New York, on November 22, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Ilene Marder, and his three adult children.

He is fondly remembered as a staunch advocate for what he believed, including care for our military veterans and the environment through his support of the Clean Air Act and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, among many other accomplishments.

The week of his passing, I took to the House floor with the entire New York delegation to mourn the death of our colleague. Today, I stand here with this legislation as a token of remembrance for a father, a husband, a veteran, and a distinguished Member of this House who was dedicated to his constituents and all the people of our Nation.

Mr. Hinchey served 3 years in the U.S. Navy, 18 years in the New York State Assembly, and 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, during which time he represented a broad swath of New York State from the Hudson Valley and the Catskill Mountains over to the southern tier of our State as well.

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to have served 6 years in the New York State Assembly with Mr. Hinchey, and I am also honored to represent many of the same areas of upstate New York here in Congress as Maurice Hinchey did. I am joined by 27 bipartisan cosponsors, including the entire New York congressional delegation, to offer this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I especially want to thank Liam Fitzsimmons, who served on the staff of Congressman Hinchey as well as on the staff of the late Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. Congresswoman Slaughter assisted and was a colead on this legislation, and I know she would be pleased by the House passage today of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with profound respect to recognize and celebrate the career of Ms. Diane McCord on the occasion of her retirement. Ms. McCord has retired from the Town of Esopus, New York after forty dedicated years of service.

For the past four decades, Ms. McCord has served Esopus in many different capacities as Town Clerk, Town Councilperson, and Town Supervisor, making herself a cornerstone of the community. Ms. McCord's many years of dedication to the town has improved the quality of life of her friends and neighbors, and as the President of the Senior Citizens organization, has enhanced the lives of many seniors.

I respect the commitment of those distinct individuals who have tirelessly devoted themselves to their community. Ms. McCord's legacy of hard work and commitment to the Town of Esopus is a source of inspiration, instilling the values of determination, conviction, and loyalty in her community.

Mrs. McCord has been an esteemed leader, and I thank her for her commitment to her community. I wish her every happiness as she embarks on this new chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Cannon Free Library in Delhi, New York.

Libraries play an important role in our upstate communities, cultivating a love of learning and reading, and fostering a profound sense of fellowship among residents. For 100 years, the Cannon Free Library has enriched the lives and minds of the citizens of Delhi by encouraging imagination and serving as a place of gathering. Through its many program offerings, youth services, and wide selection of books, the library is a cornerstone of the community.

On behalf of the 19th Congressional District and the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation and congratulations to the Cannon Free Library. As the library celebrates its 100th birthday, I would like to commend the staff, the Cannon Family, and the residents of Delhi on this achievement and wish them continued success in its next 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend the happiest of birthday wishes to Mr. Edwin Millard Ford of Kingston, New York who is celebrating his 100th birthday. Mr. Ford has lived a life characterized by hard work and an unyielding selflessness, making him a pillar of his community.

Mr. Ford has served as the Kingston City Historian since 1984, actively conserving, interpreting, and presenting the city's history in unique and engaging ways. He has unearthed the wonders and stories of Kingston's past and preserved them for future generations. Mr. Ford is a man of family, community, and faith. His legacy of dedicated service and participation is a source of inspiration, and has made him a cornerstone of the Kingston community.

Mr. Ford's zeal for life has made him a great role model for the people of the 19th Congressional District. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I am grateful for his commitment to Kingston and the state of New York. Mr. Speaker, I wish Mr. Ford a very happy and healthy 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel.

The United States was the first nation to recognize Israel as an independent nation in 1948. Since then, our nations have cultivated a significant and enduring relationship, one built on a shared commitment to democracy, peace in the Middle East, and economic prosperity.

Israel is among the United States' most important allies in the international community. Since its independence, the Jewish state has resolved to maintain a free and democratic society, despite being surrounded by powers committed to its destruction.

I extend my sincerest congratulations to the citizens of Israel on 70 years of independence. I wish the Jewish state continued prosperity in the next 70 years, and I look forward to our two nations continuing to strengthen our alliance.