Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of Dana Kervin and her 25 years of service to the Houston Association of Realtors. Over the past quarter of a century, Dana has spent countless hours serving and improving our community.

Though not a native Texan, Dana made her way to Houston as soon as possible. Dana grew up in Rayville, Louisiana, and later attended University of Louisiana at Monroe, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management. After graduation, Dana moved to Houston to embark on a career in public affairs. In the Harris County Attorney's Office, she served as the Executive Assistant to the late Mike Driscoll for 12 dedicated years. In 1994, Dana transitioned to a new career with the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), where she currently serves as the Chief Political Strategist.

During her 25 years at the HAR, Dana has served the group in a variety of ways, holding diverse positions such as the Director of Products and Services and Government Affairs Director. In each position she held, Dana led HAR with bold forethought and keen leadership. As all who had the privilege of working with her can attest, her tenure at HAR has made the organization the best it can be.

Outside her work with HAR, Dana has been a prominent figure in the Greater Houston community. She was the Founding Board Chair of the Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce and also served as the President of the River Oaks Place Home Owners Association. As a Mayoral appointee, Dana currently serves as Director on the Houston Housing Finance Corporation, a position that combines her passion for public service and her deep knowledge of real estate finance.

Dana was awarded the Governmental Affairs Outstanding Achievement Award in 2015 by the Texas Association of Realtors--an award that is truly well-deserved. Dana was also named one of the 50 most influential women in Houston in the Houston Woman Magazine, a title no doubt reflective of her years of professional success and personal public service.

Dana's genuine love of her peers and dedication to making a difference has touched not only her colleagues, friends, and family, but our entire community. I thank you for your years of friendship and dedication to the Greater Houston area, and I wish you all the best as I have no doubt you will find new ways to be at service to the community.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston. For the last half-century, this group has contributed greatly to the construction and advancement of the Greater Houston Area and I thank them for their work in growing our community.

Founded in 1969, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Greater Houston provides leadership development and craft training for both the commercial and industrial construction industries. The Greater Houston Chapter of ABC is comprised of over 450 locally owned construction and assembly firms, representing thousands of skilled professionals in the Greater Houston Area.

The mission of ABC of Greater Houston is to defend and represent its members' right to work, as well as protecting free enterprise within the construction industry. ABC of Greater Houston is also committed to promoting safe work environments and occupational practices, and leads the country in members active in the Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) program--a unique initiative started in 1989 to dramatically improve safety performance in the construction industry.

ABC of Greater Houston is committed to tackling our nation's workforce problem through the Construction and Maintenance Education Foundation (CMEF). This exceptional foundation formulates partnerships between industrial leaders and contractors to tackle the shortage of skilled workers in the construction sector.

Today, the American economy is booming, in no small part because of leadership from outstanding organizations like ABC of Greater Houston. Through their innovative programs that enhance industry partnerships and promote free enterprise, ABC has provided opportunities for economic and educational growth among members, workers, and industry professionals.

This year marks 50 incredible years of industry advancement by ABC of Greater Houston. I am proud to join everyone in our community in celebrating their 50th Anniversary, and thanking them for the work they do for builders and contractors in the Houston area, across Texas, and throughout the country. I am sure their next 50 years will be even more successful.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of The Woodlands Christian Academy.

Established in 1993, The Woodlands Christian Academy (TWCA) is one of our community's most impressive academic institutions. A nondenominational college preparatory school located in The Woodlands, Texas, TWCA aims to integrate classroom learning with Biblical faith. TWCA provides programs for over 600 students PreK-12th grade, and pushes them to reach their highest spiritual, academic, and social potential. The caliber of their students is matched only by the quality of their faculty, whose dedicated commitment to teaching has shaped countless students and inspired thousands of young learners.

TWCA has a strong history of preparing its students for success after graduation, with student ACT and SAT scores continuing to rise above the local, state, and national average. Students of TWCA often go on to receive prized competitive scholarships--with an average of $103,000 per student being awarded in merit-based college scholarships in 2017 alone.

Students at TWCA are notable not only for their academic achievements, but also for their proven ability to be remarkable leaders in their respective industries and communities.

Through service opportunities and educational experiences in and outside of the classroom, TWCA encourages its students to engage in responsible citizenship and critical thinking, and to develop a life- long appreciation for learning. TWCA understands the importance of investing in our students, and therefore investing in our future.

TWCA would not be where it is today without their fearless leader, Julie Ambler. Julie has been a hardworking member of the faculty since 2006, and now serves as Head of School. Under her outstanding leadership and direction, TWCA was named the corporate Hometown Hero of The Woodlands by Interfaith in 2017--a well-deserved award for someone whose vision and guidance has impacted this community so much.

This year, we celebrate TWCA's quarter-of-a-century mark. I thank them for the outstanding impact that the faculty and administration have made on young people of our community, and I am proud to join those across The Woodlands in celebration of their Anniversary. Congratulations on 25 years, I know that the next 25 will be just as successful.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Burgess for his leadership on healthcare in so many ways.

Madam Speaker, embarrassingly designed and hastily written by our Democratic colleagues, the Affordable Care Act, from day one, has come under legal and public scrutiny, and for obvious reasons. This disastrous healthcare experiment, written behind closed doors and stuffed with special

interest giveaways, has driven up healthcare costs for millions of working families so high that more Americans eligible for the Affordable Care Act have rejected it than have chosen it.

Now, as ObamaCare's ever-increasing failures continue to find their way into our courts, Democrats are asking us to condemn the Justice Department's handling of this process.

No matter how Democrats try to frame this stunt, the left is misleading the American people with this political and partisan move. The continuation, regrettably, of falsehoods that Democrats continue to elevate in order to protect this unconstitutional law is really a disservice to the Americans and the patients who hope to have affordable care. We can and must do better as we work to protect patients and lower healthcare costs.

Madam Speaker, the truth is Republicans, creators of the children's healthcare program; creators of part D, the Medicare prescription drugs for seniors; creators of Medicare Advantage, are committed to improving our healthcare system.

If the Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, Republicans will act to protect those with preexisting conditions. We will work to make healthcare more affordable, guaranteeing that folks can see local doctors or go to their local hospitals, and we will preserve other important provisions, such as no lifetime limits and allowing kids to stay on their parents' plans till age 26. These are shared priorities that patients and families deserve to have secured.

If our Democratic colleagues who drafted this flawed law want to join Republicans, why not start fresh, this time, both parties working together to pass a law that is truly constitutional, that actually lowers costs and that will actually protect patients? We welcome that conversation with open arms.

So I am proud to join with my colleague, the Republican leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Greg Walden, to introduce a resolution that calls for this Congress to work together to do just that, because one thing is crystal clear: Republicans won't let the courts take away preexisting protections or let Democrats take away your health plan at work.

I strongly urge all my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this political stunt so that we can actually start working together toward making our healthcare system more convenient and more affordable for families across this country.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Jeff Shellebarger on his retirement of 38 years of service with Chevron Corporation.

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's and a master's in geology, Jeff Shellebarger began his Chevron career in 1980 as an exploration geologist in New Orleans. Throughout the 1980s, Jeff continued to earn assignments of increasing responsibility at Chevron. He established himself as a highly respected, effective leader, and by 1990 was named division geologist of Western Gulf of Mexico.

Jeff's career continued to accelerate. Not only did his work in managerial and development roles take him to Houston, San Francisco, and Bakersfield, but also overseas to Angola and Indonesia. Regardless of location, Jeff earned the trust and respect of his colleagues and the surrounding community.

In his last and most recent role, Jeff served as President of Chevron North America Exploration & Production Company. He worked to reshape and reposition the company, leading to record-setting production, increased revenue, and stronger, more competitive performance.

Jeff's focus on the Permian Basin strengthened Chevron's North American portfolio, and as production continues to soar, will play a vital role in America's energy renaissance.

Over his 38-year career, Jeff has led with ethics, integrity, and a commitment to community. During his tenure as President, Jeff worked to advance Houston's standing as a world-class city. He served as a Vice Chairman of the Houston Super Bowl LI host committee, Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership, and Chairman of the 23rd World Petroleum Congress Houston Organizing Committee. Over the years he has also served on the American Petroleum Institute's Upstream Committee, the Board of the United Way of Greater Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Kinder Institute.

In retirement, Jeff and his wife Sydney look forward to having more time to read, travel, attend University of Georgia sporting events, and of course, spend time with their grandchildren.

I am proud to join Jeff's family, friends, and colleagues to congratulate Jeff on his retirement and thank him for his diligent service to our community. I wish him all the best that his well-earned retirement has to offer.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the memory of JD Lambright, a larger-than-life Texan and dedicated leader in Montgomery County. He leaves behind a legacy of outstanding service to the great State of Texas and I know our entire community will miss his presence dearly.

A product of the Texas Panhandle, JD was born and raised in the town of Pampa, Texas. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Electrical Engineering at Texas Tech University, and remained a proud Raider for all his life. Law was another passion of his, and JD later went on to earn his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas.

JD made good use of his Master's and worked as a geophysicist and electrical engineer for Shell Oil Company and Shell E&P Technology Company in Houston. Following his successful career in the energy industry, he started his own private law practice in Conroe, where he focused on a variety of family, criminal, and civil law issues.

First elected to the Montgomery County Attorney's office in 2012, JD later became the chief legal advisor for Montgomery County. He not only possessed a shrewd legal mind, but a warm and caring heart. Those who were lucky enough to work with him remember most his genuine affection for his co-workers, and he was twice awarded Montgomery County's ``Boss of the Year.''

JD was an inspirational leader who used his positions of power for the good of the entire community. During his time at the County Attorney's Office, he was responsible for the passage of the first Code of Ethics in Montgomery County. He worked tirelessly to make this public office more accessible to those who needed it most--the residents. Under his leadership, the office kept more cases in-house, saved hundreds of thousands of tax-payer dollars, and brought in a new normal of government transparency across the Montgomery County area.

Though I could spend hours listing the many positions held by JD and professional honors he accumulated, I know he considered his greatest accomplishment to be his family. He married his high school sweetheart, Belinda Cates, herself a prominent figure in the Montgomery County area, and they were married for forty-two wonderful years.

There is no doubt that JD left a positive professional impact on Montgomery County and the state of Texas, but what I will miss most about him is his old-fashioned friendship, his love for his community, and his infectioustly positive outlook on life. I join JD's family, friends, and the entire Eighth District of Texas in mourning. JD will be greatly missed.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Steve Sanders of The Woodlands, Texas in recognition of his dedication and service to our community and the State of Texas.

This marks the 25th year that Steve has worked with The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, Steve has labored tirelessly to promote the local businesses of The Woodlands and developed leadership projects within the community.

In addition to his distinguished service to the Chamber of Commerce, Steve has dedicated his life to the well-being of others through his work as a healthcare professional. For 32 years, Steve worked with the Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS) to strengthen the medical community's commitment to and treatment of patients. 20 of those years were spent serving as CEO of the Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, where he was recognized for his exceptional leadership in generating grassroots activity and was presented the Grassroots Champion Award for Texas.

Steve has also served on several non-profit boards in our community and has spearheaded many successful charity events. In recognition of his efforts, Steve has been the recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award, the Martin Luther King Drum Major Award, the Home Town Hero of The Woodlands Award, and the Interfaith of The Woodlands Service of Excellence Award for Health--all prestigious and distinguished honors that demonstrate his commitment to his community.

During his years spent in the medical field, Steve developed a deep understanding of the challenges faced by cancer survivors--both in our community and across the nation. This inspired him to cultivate ``The Canopy'', the foremost cancer survivorship center in the Houston area. This development offers a wide variety of programs and services designed specifically for cancer survivors and their families to address their emotional, physical, and social needs. The Canopy is a revolutionary, innovative center that offers free services to those in need while educating the public on the signs of cancer and how to reduce its risks--all of this simply would not have been possible without Steve's passion, vision, and guidance.

Steve Sanders is someone The Woodlands is incredibly proud to call one of our own. Though his career has been a long and successful one, what I most admire in Steve is his deep passion for helping others and empowering those in and around any community with whom he is associated. On behalf of the Eighth Congressional District of Texas, I want to thank Steve for all he does for our community and for our country.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the memory of Andrew and Ila Martinez of Huntsville, Texas.

Andrew and Ila, beloved parents and lifelong Texans, spent their lives in service to others, and today, we remember all that they stood for. Andrew ``Andy'' Martinez was born in Galveston, Texas and later became a proud member of the Huntsville community. His multifaceted career path included time spent as a proud small business owner of Martinez Tire and Supply, a construction safety supervisor for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), and as an ordained minister. A faithful and steadfast Christian, Andy served as the interim pastor of Faith Memorial Baptist Church, and was an active member of several other churches in the Huntsville area.

Andy's faithfulness, generosity, and love for those around him was not only evident on Sundays--it was visible every day of his life. Andy served the Huntsville community in a variety of public roles. He was an elected member of the Huntsville City Council, the Director for Trinity River Authority's Walker County Area, a member of the Board of Trustees for Huntsville lSD, and Chairman of the Republican Party of Walker County. Andy also acted as a Prison Ministry Volunteer in Huntsville--a position he held for over 30 remarkable years. Those who knew Andy will attest to his sincere selflessness. He always worked towards leaving the Huntsville community better than he found it.

Ila Martinez was Andy's wonderful wife of over 63 years and was not only a devoted partner to him, but was a loving mother and active in the community as well. A leading member of the Republican Party of Walker County, Ila was involved in the Red Hat Ladies and the Calendar Girls, a group of friends from Conroe High School that would meet once a month at lunchtime. Ila had a great love for volunteering and was often working with the Walker County Republican women or at her church library. Ila was a doting grandmother and her greatest pleasure was teaching her beloved granddaughters how to sew and bake.

Andy and Ila had two daughters, Andrea Scott and the late Debbie Martinez, and a son, Russell Martinez. Andy and Ila are survived by Andrea and her husband Wayne; their son, Russell; two beautiful grandchildren, Angela Stacks and husband Jared; Mika Spears and her husband Neal; and three great-grandchildren: Draper Stacks, Megan Anthony, and Trent Spears.

The legacy of Andy and Ila will always be a part of the Huntsville community, kept alive in the hearts of those who knew and loved them. Both were selfless servants dedicated to bettering the lives of those around them, and they will be greatly missed.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in recognition of an inspiring member of our community and graduate of Texas' first African American Women's College, Johnnie Mae Brooks-Dale Thompson.

This Texas trailblazer was born in Houston on September 17, 1925, and graduated high school at the young age of 14. Johnnie Mae then enrolled in Mary Allen Jr. College--the first black women's college in the state of Texas. During her time at Mary Allen, Johnnie Mae was a strong academic student and her skills in mathematics allowed her to become a member of the prestigious Kappa Epsilon Honor Society. Outside of the classroom, Johnnie Mae was able to foster her love of music--which was developed early on in her childhood--by taking advantage of Mary Allen's music program and singing in the college choir. While working in the school library, Johnnie Mae discovered a deep passion for education that propelled her to earn her master's degree from Texas Southern University in 1951.

Johnnie Mae was able to combine her passions of education and music as a fifth-grade music teacher in Navasota, Texas--a job that gave her ample opportunity to spread her love of music to new generations.

It comes as no surprise to those who know her best that Johnnie Mae's professional career was defined by her commitment to living a service- oriented life. No matter what she was doing, be it teaching music to children, volunteering in her local church, or educating the future generations of Texans--Johnnie Mae did it with an infectious attitude of positivity and joy. Whether it's through her involvement in the church or her rigorous social schedule, Johnnie Mae continues to be a prominent figure in her community, even now at the age of 93.

Johnnie Mae Brooks-Dale Thompson has led a life of selfless service and spiritual devotion--always embodying her adage: ``Before you do something that is nice or negative, think how you would feel if someone did this to you.'' Let us celebrate not only institutions like Mary Allen College, but also individuals like Johnnie Mae. I know I join her family, friends, and the entire Eighth District of Texas

in honoring all she has accomplished thus far in her extraordinary life.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Fortieth Anniversary of one of my community's finest service organizations, Yes to Youth--Montgomery County Youth Services.

Established on February 2, 1979, Yes to Youth (Y2Y) has faithfully served the Montgomery County community for four decades. Their noble mission is to empower teens and their families by building up their existing strengths, expanding their access to opportunities, and overall, enhancing their lives. Their selfless service, hard work, and dedicated commitment to this mission has inspired and positively affected countless lives in our community.

Y2Y first began providing services to teens facing crises through the launch of their crisis hotline. As the organization expanded over the years, so too did the scope of the services offered to those in need. Today, the organization offers a wide variety of resources and initiatives to serve teens and their families. To name just a few, Y2Y offers group and family mental health counseling, school presentations on crisis situations, suicide prevention, emergency youth shelter, outreach program from homeless teens, and a support program for young adults.

These services have not only saved countless lives, but they have made Montgomery County a better place to call home. The qualities that Y2Y and its volunteers embody represent the best in our society, and today is about making sure they know the tireless work they do to improve our community does not go unnoticed.

It is my absolute honor to congratulate the Y2Y team today as they celebrate four decades of extraordinary service. I know I speak for the entire Eighth Congressional District of Texas when I say, thank you. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Y2Y's Fortieth Anniversary and their positive impact on the Montgomery County community.

Madam Speaker, I rise this afternoon, first, to thank the gentleman, my friend from the Sixth District of North Carolina, Congressman Mark Walker, for his leadership in our Republican House Conference, for his leadership in helping improve the lives of not just North Carolinians, but every American, and, tonight, for organizing today's Special Order, ``The People's Night,'' #witthepeople, on a night we had hoped our President would be here, as tradition requires, to give the State of the Union.

I want to thank those who are here tonight. We heard from Mr. Johnson and my colleagues who are speaking tonight on the issues that are so important to the American people. Whether it is jobs, better wages, a stronger economy, more affordable and accessible healthcare, supporting resources for our troops and veterans, securing our border, standing with Israel,

or, as Mr. Johnson pointed out, protecting the lives of the innocent unborn, I am proud to join you in this fight.

Let's talk about the economy and jobs. We have seen such dramatic difference the last 2 years. Remember, before that, the economy had struggled for more than a decade. Every expert in Washington was telling the American people: Just get used to that. Get used to your paychecks being flat. Get used to jobs moving overseas. Get used to your kids coming out of school with fair to low opportunities. That is the new normal.

Well, Republicans and President Trump believed there was a better future, a brighter future for America, so we went to work. As a result, because of our commitment to lifting red tape off of our local small businesses and delivering the first overhaul of our Tax Code in more than 30 years, America is back, and the American people are doing better because of it: wages are rising the fastest in a decade; America's economy is growing the fastest in more than a decade; and unemployment is at one of the lowest levels in decades.

We did this by working with President Trump to lift more than $33 billion in red tape off our local businesses so they can hire again, so they can grow again.

Then we tackled this terrible Tax Code that had been placed, and put in place one that lowers taxes for all Americans, that helps small businesses grow and invest, that doubles the child tax credit, that doubles the standard deductions and changes the dynamics so that jobs investment comes back to America rather than just being stranded overseas. And, boy, what a difference it is making.

Due to the Republican pro-growth policies and President Trump's tax cuts, our economy exceeded 3 percent growth over the past year. That never happened under our previous President. So much for that new normal of slow growth.

More than 5 million jobs have been created since President Trump was elected, including more than 2.5 million since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law. Last week, our unemployment jobless claims were at a 50-year low. That is a 50-year best for that.

The unemployment rate for African Americans fell to the lowest rate ever on record. For Asian and Hispanic Americans, their unemployment rates are the best we have seen in decades.

For those who are disabled, for those coming out of prison, for those without high school educations, for those who are teenagers, the job opportunities are the best they have seen in decades. The unemployment rate, in some cases, is the best since we have started recording it.

And the group I watched the most, sort of the underdogs in every community, are those who didn't even get a chance to finish high school or get a GED, that are always the first to be laid off, always the last to be rehired. Well, under this new economy, the unemployment for those without a high school degree is the best since America started recording it.

So our brothers and sisters in our communities and neighborhoods have more job opportunities than they have seen in a long time, and their paychecks are going up as well, the fastest in more than a decade.

It had been stuck flat for so many Americans for so long, it just was hard for families to make ends meet. But now, with higher paychecks and a tax cut for over 90 percent of American workers, families now have a budget that goes a little farther each week, where they can invest in themselves and their American Dream rather than in Washington's dream.

Consumer confidence has soared. American manufacturing is back. In fact, the National Association of Manufacturers, their index has the highest annual growth in jobs in history, over the past year. In fact, last year, manufacturing in America added almost 290,000 new jobs.

Finally, small business optimism is through the roof. They are investing and hiring and growing again on Main Streets all across America.

This didn't happen by accident. Republicans working closely with President Trump decided there was a brighter future for America. We could get out of the doldrums. We could give people opportunities. We could boost their paycheck, and we could bring jobs back from overseas. That is the difference the last 2 years has made for America.

And when the State of the Union is held, President Trump, from the dais behind me, can talk about the huge difference he has made in the American economy and what it means for working families and small businesses along Main Street.

Madam Speaker, I again thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) for his leadership and for organizing the People's Night, and I am proud to be part of it.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize and honor the life of an amazing member of our community, Milbra Dolores Walters Mathias, who passed away on January 3, 2019 in Conroe, Texas.

Born on January 16, 1923 in Ace, Texas, Dolores lived a determined life. Prior to retiring in Montgomery, Texas, Dolores spent time in the banking industry and later ran a dry cleaning business with her husband in Houston, Texas. Beyond her professional endeavors, she also led a service-oriented life with the goal of improving the community around her. One of her greatest joys was the community she found at the Montgomery United Methodist Church, where Dolores was a longtime and active member.

To those who knew Dolores, it comes as no surprise that she spent much of her retirement serving those in need. Dolores took genuine pleasure in being around people, and she found great satisfaction in helping others. She served in the Volunteer Auxiliary of Conroe Regional Hospital for several years and later as a Veterans Administration Volunteer at the Conroe VA Clinic. Here, Dolores dedicated over 9,500 volunteer hours to our veterans--a remarkable accomplishment, and one Dolores was extremely proud of. In recognition of her kindness, selflessness, and thoughtfulness, she was rightfully awarded the President's Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious award highlights those like Dolores who go above and beyond to give back to their community.

She is survived by her nieces, Patsy Jackson, Betty Vanya and Charlotte Henner; nephew, Harold Stegall; and great nephews, Larence Jackson and Lynn Stegall; daughter-in-law, Joan Mathias; granddaughters, Nicole Panneton and Renee Mathias; and great grandchildren, Cooper and Ava.

While we mourn with her family, we also celebrate Dolores' life and her remarkable legacy of service. She was truly a joy to all who had the privilege of meeting her, and I know I join her family, friends, and the entire Eighth District of Texas in honoring her extraordinary life and her unwavering devotion to our veterans, her community, her friends, and her family. Dolores will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1181, I call up the bill (H.R. 88) to modify the boundary of the Shiloh National Military Park located in Tennessee and Mississippi, to establish Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill that is currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important tax and oversight legislation. This bill has key timely components, each of which will help our economy continue moving in the right direction and provide help to families and communities damaged by disaster.

First, I think it is simply irresponsible to wait until next year to deliver crucial tax relief for families in 14 States and territories who are struggling today to recover from this year's devastating wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, and other severe storms. California alone, 17,000 structures destroyed; nearly 90 lives lost throughout the Carolinas; throughout these other States, so many families waiting to hear from Congress that they will receive relief now and not next year.

Both parties need to come together to help these communities rebuild, and rebuild today. This bill allows disaster victims to immediately access funds from their retirement accounts to begin their home rebuilding. It ensures losses from these disasters are immediately deductible and helps small businesses keep their workers on the payroll, even when their operations have been interrupted by these severe storms and wildfires.

Together, we can, we will, and we should help these communities rebuild today.

Secondly, working with the Senate, we have reached common ground on important retirement savings reforms. The House version of this bill already passed with many Democrats' votes. These reforms will help families save more throughout their lives, start saving earlier, while also helping our small businesses offer retirement plans to their valued workers.

This bill includes bold redesigns and restructuring of the Internal Revenue Service, the first bipartisan reforms to that agency in nearly two decades. Working together, Republicans and Democrats in the House passed this redesign package 414-0 earlier this year.

It is time now to send these reforms to the President's desk to ensure that the IRS is an agency truly focused on quality taxpayer service.

We are also offering bipartisan tax relief from some of ObamaCare's most damaging, harmful, and egregious taxes. Specifically, this bill provides relief from the Cadillac tax that punishes companies that provide good healthcare to their workers, the medical device tax that has chased thousands of jobs overseas, and relief from the health insurance tax and the tanning tax. These harmful taxes stifle innovation, reduce jobs, and increase the cost of families' health insurance.

This package also makes good progress on two temporary tax provisions that expired at the beginning of this year. Temporary tax policy is hardly ever good tax policy. We have an opportunity here to set a new tone for how we treat these temporary tax extenders moving forward.

Additionally, in this bill, we proactively eliminate any potential uncertainty for our churches and community groups so nothing distracts them from their core mission.

We have included a small number of straightforward, time-sensitive technical corrections to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Technical corrections, as we know, are normal and traditional with any big piece of legislation, especially with rewriting the Tax Code. These small tweaks are important and will ensure our new Tax Code works as intended, to grow the economy and increase wages for middle-class families.

I urge all my colleagues to support these measures so we can send this important legislation to the Senate soon.

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

Mr. Speaker, I know everyone in Congress is eager to get back to a full week of Christmas shopping, but I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Rice) who represents a community devastated by disasters in 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), a key member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), the leader of the retirement and savings portion of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I recognize, under a Democrat majority, every American will be taller and smarter and better looking.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Holding), who helped lead legislation dealing with disaster relief.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), an outstanding key member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast).

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes).

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

Mr. Speaker, today, what we have heard is: our feelings are hurt. They are really, really hurt. This didn't go through regular order, and so our feelings are really hurt.

Those who oppose that say: Look, we are trying to help families that are damaged by our disasters, thousands of them. I imagine those families who are looking at their homes that are charred and burned, and families who are living on the second floor of their home because it has been wiped out, I bet they would like some regular order to their life. I bet they would like things to go back to normal. I bet they would like to spend the holidays in that home, not safe and warm up here in Congress, coming up with excuses on how not to help them.

We are told it is shameless to help those who are victims of disaster, in Alabama, California, Florida, and Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, and North Carolina. It is shameless to help you. We can't be bothered, is what opponents are saying today. In South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, we are busy, opponents are saying: We have got holidays. We can't help.

I believe we ought to help. Every one of us, Republicans, Democrats, ought to provide this key disaster tax relief that those families and communities need.

We are told it is reckless to help families and small businesses save more earlier in life, but we know we are not a Nation of savers. We have got to do more to help them. We used to do that in a bipartisan way. We can do that today.

We are told we never heard of a bill that reins in the IRS, redesigns them to become a taxpayer first agency and protects our personal data. Yet, that bill passed this House 414-0 because we had leaders like Lynn Jenkins from Kansas and John Lewis from Georgia, who worked together along with the Senate to do really thoughtful work together. Both parties gave, and took, and found a good solution. That is in this bill.

We are told that we ought not delay these ObamaCare taxes, but Republicans and Democrats, together, have worked to do this in the past, and President Obama signed them as well.

And then we are finally told that there is an attack on women's reproductive rights. Here is what it is: in this bill we allow, when you find out you are pregnant and you want to get a little head start to start saving for your child's education, like preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, get a head start on saving for trade school or for college, we are told that somehow that is an attack on reproductive rights.

It is a head start just for families that want to save a little more, get one more year. Because today, you have to actually open an account in someone else's name and transfer it later. We are just saying, look, get a head start. If you want to start saving, we are with you. Do your very best for your child. We think that is important.

At the end of the day, I think we ought to put aside this temper tantrum and come together to help a lot of families in our country who need this help.

My guess is, if our Democrat friends get their way and manage to obstruct, they will take all of these elements right back up at the beginning of the year. It will be their idea and their credit. I will give them credit right now for it. I just think we ought to help people today, and that we ought not break for any holidays until we have really done the work that these people deserve.

As long as we are talking about people who deserve our appreciation, I want to thank our chief tax counsel Barbara Angus, who has done just a remarkable job leading an amazing Tax Policy Subcommittee, and staff who have done such remarkable work for the American people and for us here over the past 3 years.

I want to thank the staff director of our Oversight Subcommittee, Rachel Kaldahl--the whole team--who have done remarkable work in a bipartisan way, reforming the IRS; Stephanie Parks in the Health Subcommittee area, on these ACA taxes; and, Machalagh Carr, our general counsel, who shepherded us to the work today.

The bottom line is I think there are lots of ways we can work together to help the American people, especially those in need right now. This has bipartisan work, bipartisan thought. Let's join together and help the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Thomas G. Hungar for his dedicated service to the House of Representatives and specifically to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. Hungar had a storied legal career before becoming General Counsel to the House in 2016. He quickly became a trusted advisor to House Members, Officers, and staff on a variety of legal issues, and he has vigorously defended the institutional prerogatives of the House.

Of special importance to the Committee on Ways and Means, Mr. Hungar greatly assisted our Members and staff in fulfilling the Committee's important constitutional oversight role. His expertise and guidance in connection with the Committee's investigative and oversight activities, as well as its interactions with the Executive Branch, have been invaluable.

The Committee has benefited greatly from Mr. Hungar's counsel and litigation expertise. Mr. Hungar served the House with distinction, and he will be greatly missed. On behalf of the many Members of the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee staff, I say thank you. We extend to him our very best wishes.

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