Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the month of June as Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month and to highlight the need for continued investment, innovation, research, and lifesaving cures for diseases like Alzheimer's that affect every family and every neighborhood in America.

Right now, more than 5 million Americans are living with this terrible disease, with someone new developing symptoms every 66 seconds. Studies have shown that number could rise as high as 16 million people by 2020.

This year, the cost of treating Alzheimer's and other dementias will cost Americans nearly $260 billion. By 2050, estimates are that those costs will rise to more than $1.1 trillion. To put that in perspective, as a nation, we are only spending slightly more than $30 billion, total, in researching cures for not only Alzheimer's, but cancer, heart disease, Parkinson's, diabetes--literally, all other diseases combined.

So this month serves not only to raise awareness about Alzheimer's, but also for us to renew our commitment to research. Mr. Speaker, we must find a cure for the millions of Americans struggling with Alzheimer's, and it is up to us to provide the resources to do it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight Congress' making more important strides on behalf of our Nation's veterans.

The last few years, we have all heard stories about employees at the VA who failed in their duty to serve and protect our Nation's heroes. It is true that most VA employees are hardworking and dedicated, but as we have come to find out, there are bad actors who must be held accountable. Our veterans deserve nothing less.

Strangely, as the VA has tried to discipline these bad actors, the existing bureaucracy and red tape has stymied the Secretary's ability to do so. That is why the House today will pass the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, to create a more efficient and effective system to remove, demote, or suspend any VA employee for poor performance or misconduct.

Our bill still ensures due process and actually expands protections for whistleblowers, but, importantly, it will let the VA Secretary do his job and clean up the Department and protect our Nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, protecting those veterans isn't a political issue; it is a cause we must all champion. I encourage a bipartisan vote on today's bill.

Mr. Speaker, today the House will take up and consider an important bill that will help create opportunity for all Americans: the Financial CHOICE Act.

The Financial CHOICE Act repeals the most harmful aspects of the Dodd-Frank legislation that halted the flow of capital to our constituents, destroyed small community banks, frustrated small businesses, and generally made life harder for Americans. The Financial CHOICE Act provides relief to Main Street businesses that had nothing to do with the 2008 financial crisis, but were slammed with onerous and unnecessary regulations anyway.

Mr. Speaker, we need smart regulations that protect consumers and make our markets less risky. In many cases, Dodd-Frank did the opposite, and this has been a wet blanket on the economy, destroying jobs and opportunities for millions of Americans.

Importantly, Mr. Speaker, the bill also ends government bailouts for large banks considered too big to fail once and for all. It will cut our deficits by $25 billion and finally subject the Federal Reserve to a proper audit.

Mr. Speaker, above all, our bill promotes economic growth so that all Americans can have the freedom and ability to get the job they want, create the small business they have always dreamed of, and secure their family's future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends and allies in Great Britain, who have suffered three horrific terror attacks in a period of less than 3 months.

These attacks at the hands of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria are barbaric, evil, and must be condemned by the entire world. These cowards have used vehicles, knives, and bombs to rein terror down on London and Manchester, even targeting innocent young girls at a concert hall.

Radical Islamic extremism is a vile ideology that must be stamped out at every corner of the world. This is a time for unity of purpose and strong leadership.

The United States, our NATO allies, and our allies in the Middle East must chart a unified course towards complete destruction of ISIS. As we begin to succeed in the fight, their resolve to attack us will only grow stronger, but we cannot be deterred.

Mr. Speaker, freedom and liberty must win over hatred and extremism. We must defeat this enemy, and this Congress stands ready to support this administration in its efforts to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today ahead of Memorial Day next week to honor the heroes of our Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice and service to our Nation and to thank their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who were blessed to make it back home to their loved ones.

From the Revolutionary War through the war on terror, more than 1.3 million Americans have given their lives protecting our freedoms. Today, Congress is honoring those lost by passing several bills to help protect our surviving veterans and ensure they are treated with the dignity and respect they have earned. Our bills will ensure that the VA medical centers are meeting compliance requirements, help veterans have better access to nursing home care, increase the rates for veterans' compensation for service-connected disabilities, and more.

Mr. Speaker, I can think of no better way to celebrate Memorial Day and honor the memory of those lost than by helping our Nation's veterans, who have sacrificed so much to help keep America safe. I urge all of my colleagues to support these measures today and our veterans each and every day.

Mr. Speaker, this is a special week in the United States, here in our Capital, and across the country. This is National Police Week, and so I rise to honor our men and women in service across our country who wear the uniform every day: our first responders who are police officers who rush to trouble, as opposed to running from, and who put themselves in harm's way to keep us safe. Every day, they get up and keep our families safe and our communities safe. They are our heroes.

So this week, Mr. Speaker, Congress has welcomed many of these policemen and -women and their families to D.C. to recognize them for their heroism and to remember those whom we have lost.

In Kansas, we are all too aware of the sacrifices that law enforcement makes to keep us safe. Brad Lancaster, Dave Melton, and Brandon Collins all made the ultimate sacrifice over the last year in my district alone, and they are on my mind this week and each and every day along with the other fallen officers across our country.

Mr. Speaker, let us never forget the selflessness and bravery of police officers around the country who work tirelessly each and every day to enforce our laws, protect our communities, and save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight some of the important provisions in this bipartisan omnibus legislation.

I want to specifically touch on the needed investments in medical research, education, and for our soldiers. It matches last year's $2 billion increase in research funding at the National Institutes of Health, the largest increase since 2003, renewing our commitment to science with a 13 percent

increase in research funding over these last 2 years.

It improves access to education by increasing funding for Head Start programs and restores year-round Pell grants.

It invests $25 billion to rebuild our military for the 21st century and gives our troops the largest paying raise in 6 years.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, I am proud that our bill continues 13 percent reductions in spending on Congress since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2011 and denies a pay increase for Members of Congress, showing the American people we are leading by example when it comes to fiscal responsibility.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life and legacy of a Kansas pioneer woman. Last week I joined my family in Yoder, Kansas, to celebrate the life and legacy of my grandma, Edna Yoder, who recently passed at the age of 105 years old.

I was very close to my grandma, as many of us are to our grandparents. She was a sweet and kind woman who could tell a good story, never met a stranger, and had an infectious laugh. I spent much of my childhood listening to her hum church hymns while cooking a country meal or quilting another masterpiece.

As one of 14 children, born in 1911, she grew up in another era, attending school in a one-room schoolhouse, a time without cell phones or television or even electricity and the other modern conveniences we take for granted today. Yet somehow she survived and had a remarkable life. She saw hard times from the Dust Bowl to the Great Depression to countless world events over the past century.

When she was born, women didn't have the right to vote in America; but even well past turning 100 years old, she was voting in local elections, even for President of the United States. She saw a lot of Presidents come and go--19, as a matter of fact.

She saw America progress from a country really still recovering from the deep wounds of our Civil War to the world's most indispensable, vital, and vibrant nation. She saw us defeat Hitler in Nazi Germany. She saw us bring freedom and peace around the globe to men, women, and children who had never experienced it before.

She was born less than 10 years after Orville and Wilbur Wright took off on their first flight at Kitty Hawk, and yet she would watch Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon while she was just in her fifties. But as the world changed around her, she quietly lived her entire life near Yoder, Kansas, where she raised her children on the same farm that I grew up on.

She worked tirelessly on that farm, milking cows at dawn and bringing in the Kansas wheat harvest in the hot sun. She didn't ask for much: food on the table, a roof over her head, and a better life for her children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, we like to call them the Greatest Generation. She was a living embodiment of the values that help make America the greatest country in the world. She was guided every day by her faith in God, and she was truly blessed with more than a century of good health and good spirits in return. She loved her family and deeply believed in hard work and self-determination.

She and her husband, Orie, were married for 49 years, and together they raised their four children and nine grandchildren, and they even watched one of them make it all the way from that farm in Yoder, Kansas, to the United States House of Representatives here in Washington, D.C. Family always came first for her.

In her later years, she passed the time reading her Bible, playing in the bell choir, and, of course, quilting and playing lots of games. In fact, the last time I saw her recently, we played bingo together, and we wiped out the competition at her retirement home one last time. She was sharp into her final hours.

She was born into a home that did not have a telephone, but in her final days, we were also able to communicate from Kansas to Washington via FaceTime so I would have a chance to speak with her.

We recently had her services at the Yoder Mennonite Church, built just

after she born. This was the church she was raised in, was baptized in, was married in, and the church in which we laid her to eternal rest.

From 1911 to 2017, what a ride, what a remarkable life and unforgettable woman. Through it all, she stayed true to what was important to her and what makes America such a strong nation: her faith, her family, and her Kansas prairie values.

Grandma, we were so blessed to have so many years with you. You lived an amazing 105 years. I think if we look closely and we listen closely, you gave us a roadmap for a long and happy life. As you pass on to eternal life, please know that you are an inspiration to all of us every day. May you rest in peace, Grandma.

Mr. Speaker, may you and my colleagues in this body join me in keeping her in your prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present on March 27, 2017 due to the death of my 105 year old Grandmother, Edna Yoder. Had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call vote Number 195. On Roll Call Number 196, I would have voted Yea.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on a recent eight- alarm fire in my district and to thank the firefighters and other first responders for making sure that no one was seriously hurt.

The fire on Monday destroyed an apartment complex and 22 neighboring homes. Amazingly though, no one was killed or seriously injured. Three firefighters were treated for their injuries while fighting the fire, and we wish them a speedy recovery.

It is a reminder of the risks that our first responders take every day, not knowing when they will have to answer the call, placing their lives on the line to protect us and our community.

We pray for the families who are displaced right now, who came home from work on Monday to find their homes

gone. We also thank the Christ Lutheran Church and many other community organizations and partners that have come together to assist these families who have lost so much so unexpectedly.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, thank you to Overland Park Fire Department Chief Bryan Dehner and all of the firefighters in Kansas who came together to contain the largest fire in Overland Park history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a few of my constituents who are struggling under the weight of ObamaCare. Like many Americans who are self-employed, Kim and Randall are two Kansans who obtain health insurance under the Affordable Care Act's marketplace.

Kim's premiums have more than doubled from $188 to $392 per month; but, worse, her deductible has actually gone from about $700 to $6,500. Randall's premiums are even worse, coming in at around $700 per month, with a deductible of $6,800.

I reference these two examples because they highlight one of the primary problems of the Affordable Care Act: coverage with deductibles approaching $7,000 really isn't coverage at all. It is health insurance in name only.

This week House Republicans have rolled out the initial draft of our plan to repeal and replace the ACA. We are doing it thoughtfully and carefully through the open committee process as we speak. The bill and summaries are available online at readthebill.gop.

Mr. Speaker, ObamaCare is collapsing. Let's work together as Democrats and Republicans to repair our broken healthcare system and truly give the American people access to affordable care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight, heartbroken, with my friends and colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to honor the life and memory of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was shot and killed last week in my district, as well as in support for Alok Madasani, who was injured, and Ian Grillot, whose heroism prevented this senseless tragedy from being much worse.

I ask that my colleagues in the Chamber please join me for a moment of silence.

Mr. Speaker, the man who perpetrated the attack in my district last week was filled with hate. He does not represent anything we believe in as Kansans and as Americans. Last night, our community sent the strong message that love will overcome hate.

Thousands of concerned citizens in my district came together to support one another and our growing and vibrant Indian community in this time of great tragedy. We showed the world that our diverse political and religious views are what make our community and our country great.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to this moment of silence, let us renew our commitment to treating each other with respect and embracing civility in our public discourse.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the many veterans and the work that Congress is doing to support and represent them on the House floor this week. These are the heroes who keep us safe and secure each and every day.

This week, this body passed a few important bills to streamline access to care for veterans as well as provide new and better opportunities for veteran-owned businesses and veterans seeking employment.

Last month, the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans increased to 6.3 percent, marking the fourth time in the last 7 months that group's percentage has been higher than the overall veteran unemployment rate. That means that about 211,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are still looking for work. That is 211,000 too many.

That is why one of the bills we passed this week establishes a Federal program recognizing private businesses that employ veterans and engage in community service to help our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, helping our Nation's veterans who have sacrificed so much for us is a critical priority and remains one of the most important objectives of this Congress. I will continue to use my time and effort to fight for every opportunity to support them when they return home to give them the hero's welcome they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 387) to amend title 18, United States Code, to update the privacy protections for electronic communications information that is stored by third-party service providers in order to protect consumer privacy interests while meeting law enforcement needs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 387, currently under consideration.

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

Thank you for this opportunity to have this very important debate on a critical piece of legislation that has been a long time in the coming. I thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Representative Goodlatte, and Ranking Member Conyers for their work and leadership in shepherding this bill through the process and getting us to this moment on the floor today. I thank my colleague, Mr. Polis, for cosponsoring this legislation and working so tirelessly over the past few years.

I think we originally introduced this bill back in 2013, and it takes a while sometimes for a good idea to reach this point in Congress, Mr. Speaker, and this is an idea whose time has come. So I rise today to support these long overdue, bipartisan ideas in this legislation that will bring our digital privacy laws into the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, the year was 1986. We can all try to think back where we were in 1986. I am sure Kentucky had a good basketball team back then. I know Kansas did. I was 10 years old, hoping to get a new Nintendo game console for Christmas so I could play Super Mario Brothers. You could buy a ticket to see Top Gun for $2.75. In the tech world, 1986 marked the debut of the first laptop computer. It was 12 pounds. A mobile phone was the size of a small pet.

Mr. Speaker, it was also the year in which Congress passed the Electronic Communication Privacy Act. Now, this law, at the time, there were only 10 million email users worldwide. Most of us probably didn't have email at that time. Most Americans didn't for sure. Now, today, 232 million Americans send an email at least once per month. The first text message wouldn't be sent for another 6 years, and now Americans send more than a billion texts each year.

Mr. Speaker, the times and technologies have changed, but the laws have not kept pace. Federal laws regarding how we treat and protect the privacy of digital communications have been unchanged since 1986 and, because of it, our digital content is not afforded the same Fourth Amendment protections as our paper documents on our desks in our home.

Now, the Fourth Amendment protects the ``right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures.'' Yet when it comes to what is on Americans' cell phones, their home computers, what might be in the cloud, or on their business computer, whatever it is, our laws allow Federal agencies like the IRS, the SEC, or law enforcement to kick down their virtual doors and search an innocent American's private communications and data storage without a warrant, without probable cause or any type of due process.

Now, many Americans take great precautions to protect and store their digital communications on services

like Dropbox, for example, or an iCloud. Yet our Federal laws perversely treat that data storage as if somehow that data has been abandoned by its owner and, therefore, that data loses its constitutional protection.

Well, in 1986, Mr. Speaker, lawmakers believed within reason that individuals and families wouldn't store mass amounts of data online. They wouldn't leave their Gmail stored online. They might have their own servers, or they would delete the emails or delete the data.

Therefore, if an individual actually left information on a third- party storage, it was akin to that person leaving their documents in a garbage can at the end of their driveway, therefore, voiding its Fourth Amendment protections. Thus, that individual had no reasonable expectation of privacy in regards to that email under the Fourth Amendment.

As we all know, virtually everyone now stores millions of emails and tons of gigabytes of data and other personal items on third-party servers. Those emails contain pictures and videos of our kids, our business transactions, our most sensitive information that the government shouldn't have access to without a warrant, without due process as required by the Constitution of the United States.

Establishing these privacy protections are critical for both ensuring that American's rights are protected, but also, Mr. Speaker, ensuring that companies that do business in America know that they can ensure their customers that if they store with them, they can protect it; that that information won't be intruded upon or searched and seized without due process of law, without their permission, without the government proving that they have a need for that information and protecting individuals' rights.

We ensure that cloud computer services are covered by the same warranty for content requirements and that all data is treated as if it is paper documents given our law modernization that is desperately needed.

In addition to updating our constitutional rights, these privacy protections do create business certainty, making sure consumers will be happy to continue to use cloud storage services.

Mr. Speaker, fundamentally, these changes in my bill codify the Sixth Circuit's decision in U.S. v. Warshak, which held that email content is protected by the Fourth Amendment. A decision which, while important, needs to be enshrined in law as it only currently applies in the Sixth Circuit. It must be applied nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, today we can cast a unifying vote in these divided times. We so desperately want to find points of bipartisanship and collegiality and to tell the American people that this Congress, this government is doing great things to help protect Americans' rights and to help modernize our laws in a way that is consistent with how we communicate today.

I thank my colleagues on the left side of the aisle for their strong work and strong support. This is a unifying bill. It passed the House last year 419-0. So it is the type of thing that is great policy coming out of the Judiciary Committee. I look forward to seeing it pass again on the floor later today.

So, Mr. Speaker, we can send a unifying vote and a unifying message to the American people today. We can dispel the myth that Congress doesn't work together, and we can send a strong message to the American people that their privacy matters.

I urge passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the safety and security of our citizens here on American soil must remain our top priority, and our borders must always be secure against anyone who would enter our country legally or illegally to cause us harm, especially those who wish to exploit our Nation's generosity and compassion. However, compassion and security are not conflicting ideals, and we must continue our Nation's legacy of being a beacon of hope and freedom around the world.

The idea of reform, though, and oversight of our Nation's vetting system is not in conflict with our longstanding value of accepting refugees, and it is not new. The Obama administration and the Trump administration, alike, have now both paused refugee settlements into our Nation.

President Trump should have our Nation's support to carry out his mission to protect our Nation's borders, but he must do so without unnecessarily burdening lawful entrance into the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I stand ready to work with you and my colleagues in Congress to come up with clear procedures to ensure that our refugee program can continue in the safest possible manner, and together we can live in a nation that is both secure and charitable.