Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bipartisan amendment, introduced with Representative Gottheimer and Representative Sinema.

This amendment would expand opportunities for Active-Duty military men and women to learn career skills and provide education that would assist them as they transition back to civilian life.

The current United Services Military Apprenticeship Program is an effective program that provides this employer specific training. But, that program is only offered to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, which is less than half of our uniformed services personnel.

This amendment expands the program to offer it to any member of U.S. uniformed services--Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Public Health Service.

We should make it easier for these brave men and women who have served to transition to civilian life with a steady job, and, at the same time, infuse our workforce with the strong leadership skills that the military can provide.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a student from my district who has achieved something truly remarkable.

More than half a million students from around the world participated in this year's National History Day contest, each one making a film, exhibit, website, or other presentation on this year's theme, which was ``Taking a Stand in History.''

Joanna Harlacher, a graduate of Donegal High School, took first place for her website. Her website focused on someone we all know and love: fellow Pennsylvanian Fred Rogers. Joanna used to watch reruns of his PBS show and wanted to showcase his impact on Americans during his life and his career.

I would also like to recognize retired Donegal teacher Elizabeth Lewis, who helped Joanna create the award-winning website.

Mr. Speaker, I couldn't be prouder to represent this exceptional young woman and thousands of students across my district who impress us each and every day.

Congratulations, Joanna Harlacher, her family, Mrs. Lewis, and Donegal High School on this globally recognized accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Donegal women's softball team on their PIAA State softball title. They beat Cedar Cliff 9-7, but it wasn't an easy victory.

Donegal trailed 7-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, but never gave up. They scored six runs that inning to take a 9-7 lead, and they never gave that up the rest of the game.

This team has been to the State tournament the last 4 years, but, obviously, this one was special. Donegal head coach Wayne Emenheiser said of the season: ``This was our dream since we lost last year in the semifinals. We wanted to get back here. It was a magical season.''

A victory like this is a display of years of dedication and hard work. So today I want to congratulate the Donegal players, coaches, and staff on this remarkable achievement and let them know how proud we are of them.

I would also like to recognize the families, students, faculty, and fans that supported them along the way.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2353. This bill will reform our career and technical education system, and strengthen the programs in my district in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, there are jobs available in my district right now, but there aren't enough trained workers. This bill will help businesses and schools partner to prepare students for jobs in today's in-demand industries.

We need to accommodate the needs of many different types of students like Steve Nunemaker from Ephrata, Pennsylvania, who, at the age of 47, graduated from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology with a degree in engineering computer-aided drafting.

CTE programs are vital to training workers for new careers. The jobs that are available are good, family-sustaining jobs. So many people in this country are ready to learn and eager to work.

I would like to thank again Representatives Thompson and Krishnamoorthi for their leadership, and I rise to urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of and to ask my colleagues' support for H.R. 2866, the Reducing Unnecessary Barriers for Relative Foster Parents Act.

I would like to first thank my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania for his leadership and sponsorship of this bill. I would like to thank the chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Representative Brady, and members of the Ways and Means Committee for bringing this bill to the floor, and I would like to thank my cointroducer of the bill, Representative Sewell from Alabama, as well, for the work that she has done in regards to foster care issues over the years.

Every child, Mr. Speaker, deserves a loving home; but when a child's home is no longer safe, often because of abuse, neglect, or behavioral issues, children are placed in foster homes. In fact, in 2015, more than 670,000 American children--16,000 in Pennsylvania, the State, including in my district, more than 16,000 there have spent time in foster care.

Countless families across the country are willing and eager to accept foster children into their homes, and research shows that placement with relatives is better for the child. Therefore, Federal policy should make it easier for foster children to be placed with family members.

Our bill is being considered today on the floor, and again, I ask for my colleagues' support. When it comes to finding loving homes for children, this is a bipartisan issue. There are no Republicans or Democrats, just mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, and sons and daughters who believe each child should have a bed to be tucked into at night in a loving home.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to also note that the following organizations have expressed support for H.R. 2866: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Child Welfare League of America, First Focus, March of Dimes, and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

Again, I would like to thank Representative Sewell from Alabama for her work on foster care issues and for her leadership on this bill. We really appreciate her work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Avon Grove Red Devils men's lacrosse team on their State championship victory.

The Red Devils finished the season with a 23-2 record, beating Philadelphia area powerhouse Conestoga in the PIAA Class 3A title game with a thrilling 5-4 victory.

Sophomore Zach Augustine was one of the heroes, scoring the game- winning goal in double overtime, a moment that he described as ``unbelievable.''

This redeeming victory for them comes 3 years after a heartbreaking loss for the Red Devils in the 2014 State title game. Senior midfielder Doug Jones, a freshman on that 2014 team, said: ``I remember as a freshman saying to myself that I wanted to get back here. We knew we had one goal: to win this. It means the absolute world to us.''

I applaud the commitment displayed by these young men, both to each other and to their community. Congratulations to the Avon Grove Red Devils team, the coaches, their families, and the faculty, staff, and students that made this championship so special.

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

Mr. Chairman, I start by thanking Chairman Hensarling and the committee and the staff for all the hard work that they have done on this very important bill.

Mr. Chairman, protecting the personal information of Americans is critical to maintaining financial stability. Many of our families, friends, neighbors, and constituents have suffered from the threat of their personal information. While private industry works hard to implement strong protections for our online information, I believe that Congress has the responsibility to stay informed on the threats facing constituents in order to help protect those we represent from identity theft and IRS fraud.

As you are aware, over the past few years, consumer reporting agencies have experienced numerous breaches of information. High- profile data breaches occurred in 2017, 2015, 2013, and 2011, among others.

A recent cyber attack on a CRA subsidiary allowed thieves to access taxpayer W-2s, giving them the ability to file fraudulent tax returns. Another attack exposed the Social Security numbers of an estimated 200 million Americans.

Protecting consumers and the constituents I serve in Pennsylvania's 16th District is my duty in Congress, and this includes cyber activity.

In 2015, the IRS paid out $5.8 billion in fraudulent refunds to identity thieves. While it is important to clarify that that is not attributable fully to the hacks that I have already referenced, we should work to improve consumer protections and help stop the wasteful abuse of taxpayer dollars.

Our constituents rely on consumer reporting agencies to monitor their credit for theft or nefarious activities. My amendment simply encourages these agencies collecting our highly sensitive financial information to do everything they deem feasible to adequately protect our constituents from identity fraud that can wreak havoc on their financial stability and personal matters.

CRAs collect large amounts of personal, confidential data. The facts show these companies are under constant attack by cyber thieves. Therefore, this language merely encourages them to use the strongest protection for consumer data.

H.R. 10 takes critical steps to improving our consumer protections while improving our economic and regulatory environment. My amendment is about signaling our shared desire to protect our constituents and their data.

Again, I would like to thank Chairman Hensarling for his work on this bill and for his support of this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).

Mr. Chair, I thank both chairmen.

This does not, obviously, replace any work that they are doing. This is a very, very important issue. This is a sense of Congress simply saying that we are very concerned about the security of the data of our constituents, and we are asking that to be looked at. But certainly there is a lot of work to be done, and I look forward to working with both the chairmen on this issue.

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

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

Madam Speaker, tonight I am honored to lead a bipartisan Special Order on career and technical education. We have several Members joining us here this evening to highlight CTE programs in their districts and the upcoming reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.

I would like to start the order by yielding to my colleague and colead, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, who has been working hard with my Pennsylvania colleague, Congressman Thompson, on H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Krishnamoorthi for his leadership on this issue. The Congressman is a fellow member of the freshman class. I really appreciate the opportunity to work with him, particularly on this very important topic.

Madam Speaker, I yield to Congressman Thompson, the sponsor of H.R. 2353, who, for many years, has been leading the charge here in the House to strengthen career technical education.

Madam Speaker, I would like to again thank the Congressman for his leadership on this very important issue. I very much enjoyed, in the 5 months I have been here, working with Congressman Thompson, a fellow member of the Pennsylvania delegation, but I have seen his passion for this issue. So, again, I look forward to continuing to work with you on this and really appreciate your leadership.

You mentioned the critical need of businesses to fill spots that are available today. We see the unemployment rate today. We know this is a problem today and will continue to be a problem.

My background is in construction. We owned a construction firm. We had about 150 employees. Our biggest problem always was finding qualified people to fill the spots that are available. At the same time, I saw the opportunities that were available to people who decided to take up a career in construction. It is not, as many people think, neither construction nor manufacturing nor many jobs that require technical trade skills today. Construction uses technology, and it is not a dirty job that people once thought it was. The manufacturing is the same way. At the same time, there are great-paying jobs, family- sustaining jobs available in these fields.

I think we need to do a better job of enlightening, essentially, the opportunities and talking about the opportunities that are available through career and technical education.

To your point again, Congressman, there is no better way to help people out of poverty than to connect them with a good-paying job and the self-worth that is achieved from finding a job. We know those jobs are available today. What career and technical education does is prepare people for great-paying jobs that are available.

Again, thank you so much for your leadership on this.

Now I would like to yield to another freshman colleague of mine on the Education and Workforce Committee, Mr. Mitchell, who has an extensive background in higher education and brings that expertise to the committee.

I thank Representative Mitchell for his comments. Again, I appreciate not only his passion for this issue, but the wealth of experience in this field that he brings to the table, and I look forward as well to continuing to work with him on this issue.

I now would like to yield to, once again, another freshman Member of the class who I very much enjoy working with, Mr. Ferguson.

I thank Mr. Ferguson for his comments. As he mentioned, this is about family-sustaining jobs. Mr. Ferguson has a lot of experience bringing jobs to his town of West Point in Georgia, where he was mayor, creating thousands of new jobs there through innovative policies. I look forward to continuing to work with him on this as well.

Now I yield to another colleague on the Education and Workforce Committee who has been a leading voice as well on CTE, Mr. Wilson.

I thank Mr. Wilson for his comments.

I am happy to say that I am one of those who supports the economy in South Carolina by buying those Bridgestone and Firestone tires for my vehicles.

Mr. Wilson has been a strong advocate, obviously, for the people of his

district, the people of his State, and has been a leader in regards to CTE. I look forward to working with him on this bill as well.

I think I will have one more speaker, who is on the way. As I wait for him, Mr. Wilson talked about some of the schools in his area that have been doing a great job in connecting people, training people, educating people for the kind of jobs that are available in our workforces.

Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District is home to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, and it is an incredible story and similar to stories of many of the other institutions that are providing career and technical education.

There was a job fair recently at Thaddeus Stevens College, and for just a few hundred graduates, there were about 450 companies essentially competing for those individuals, competing to fill spots they had. So it goes without saying that the placement rate at many of these schools--I know certainly at Thaddeus Stevens College--is almost 100 percent placement rate. They have a problem, in fact, sometimes keeping people until graduation because students are offered jobs even before they graduate, and they are hired away.

Some of the students coming out of Thaddeus Stevens College are earning, on average, $45,000 annually. We have the Marcellus shale drilling in our area, welders, some of them are earning up to six figures, $100,000 or more in the first or second year of employment. So, again, the kind of jobs that we are talking about here are great- paying, family-sustaining jobs.

My district is also home to Reading Area Community College and the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences, both of which offer CTE programs. We have spoken with, as a part of leading up to this bill being introduced, their faculty, students, and staff about how some of these programs can be improved.

Harrisburg Area Community College has a campus in my district in Lancaster. They do something that I think we will be seeing more of and should be seeing more of: they run an innovative apprenticeship program. They brought together private businesses that work with the school to help prepare skilled workers to fill available jobs. It is a very innovative program. The program has been very, very successful.

Future initiatives there include expanding the program into our local high schools to ensure that graduates are college or career ready. It is an opportunity that I think we have across the country.

If you look at some other models, some of the European countries--for instance, I just had a long, extensive conversation with the Swiss Ambassador about the apprenticeship program in Switzerland.

Here, we often think of apprenticeship in what we may refer to as blue-collar workers, construction and manufacturing. In Switzerland, I was told that they have apprenticeship programs in up to 230 careers. So it is bankers and insurers. Many, many different companies are taking advantage of the apprenticeship program there.

It gets to the student debt problem that we hear so much about. Here, students are earning a degree. In an apprenticeship program, students are earning a degree while earning dollars, so it sort of does away with that, if you think about it. You are earning dollars as you are learning. So it is a great model that I hope to see more of here.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Langevin. His points are very good. We appreciate his leadership as co-chair of the CTE Caucus and for the work that he has done in bringing this bill to the point where it is now.

He is right. It was passed unanimously out of the Education and the Workforce Committee. We thank the chair of the committee for making that a priority. We hope it passes the floor of the House--it did, of course, last session--and then we hope it becomes a priority for the Senate as well. It is important.

He has mentioned some of the schools, the institutions, in his district. I have talked about some in mine. I have heard from all of them. Not only have they given input into the bill itself and how we can improve the entire system across the country, but they have also talked about the importance of the grants that are provided to them through the Perkins Act. Reauthorization will be very beneficial in keeping those grants going, in providing the help that we can from the Federal level. So I thank him.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude with my remarks, I would first, again, like to thank all of my colleagues who have participated in this bipartisan Special Order. It is really, as we have seen, a bipartisan issue here.

I thank Congressman Krishnamoorthi for helping to colead this and for cosponsoring the bill, along with Congressman Thompson.

In my own background, I was someone with a nontraditional education. I recognize the importance of providing our constituents with educational pathways that provide them the skills necessary to launch successful careers. In my experience, I know firsthand what it is like to work a full-time job while attending school, and I believe that it is important that we accommodate the needs of many different types of students that are ready to learn and willing to work.

So, again, I am excited and very happy to cosponsor and support the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. This bill empowers State and local community leaders. It improves alignment with in-demand jobs, those jobs that we have been talking about. It increases transparency and accountability, and it ensures a limited Federal role, putting the decisionmaking where it should be.

Madam Speaker, I mentioned before, but, in closing, I thank my Pennsylvania colleague, Representative G.T. Thompson, for his leadership on this critically important legislation. The level of support for strengthening career and technical education among my colleagues in the House and on a bipartisan basis is absolutely outstanding, and I am very eager to continue finding new ways in which we can grow CTE and apprenticeship programs and expand access for Pennsylvania's working people to allow them to help achieve the American Dream.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Judge Poe for the work that he is doing this evening to bring attention to a critical problem that desperately needs our attention and needs our solutions, that of human trafficking.

The three largest international crime industries are drug trafficking, arms trafficking, and human trafficking. It is uncomfortable to talk about, but we can't shy away from talking about the fact that in the world today, young boys and girls are being sold across the globe for an average price of $90. It is not just in remote parts of the globe. More than 14,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year. It is happening all across America, and in Lancaster, Berks, and Chester Counties, the district that I represent in Pennsylvania.

Four out of five people trafficked in the world today are trafficked for sexual exploitation. Eighty percent are female and half are children.

Antitrafficking groups gather in our churches, restaurants, and schools all across Pennsylvania and across the country. Those individuals, and the victims of trafficking, should know that they have allies in Congress.

My office has been in contact with organizations in my district like Safe Berks, the Chester County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, and law enforcement officials to discuss ways that we can work together to help victims.

I am also very pleased to cosponsor the bipartisan Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, introduced by my colleague Ann Wagner, who was here with us this evening, from Missouri, a leader on this issue.

Victims of trafficking are forced to commit crimes like prostitution, drug dealing, and money laundering. We cannot punish these victims for crimes committed because of coercion and under the threat of violence or death.

We must ensure that we are doing all we can to help victims recover from these unthinkable experiences. This legislation will help to do that by providing more judicial discretion for victims to clear their names of any wrongdoing.

I am proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation that helps end this barbaric practice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember those who fought and died for our freedom, to thank the brave men and women who today defend our freedom, and to recognize the sacrifice of all their families.

Pennsylvania has produced some of the greatest examples of valor and bravery the world has ever seen. It is home to pivotal moments in American history, like Gettysburg, Valley Forge, and the Battle of Lake Erie. Pennsylvania's sons have stormed the beaches of Normandy. They have liberated the oppressed from fascism and communism, and they have sought out terror in the depths of Afghanistan and Iraq in order to protect our way of life.

Memorial Day is coming up this weekend. We will all enjoy time with our families and friends, but we must always remember that is only possible because of the brave men and women who gave what Abraham Lincoln called the ``last full measure of devotion,'' and those who protect us today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Reading High School men's basketball team on their first State championship in school history. The Red Knights finished their historic season with a 30-3 record, and beat Pine-Richland 64-60 in the Class 6A Boys Final to bring a championship to the city of Reading.

This is a group of outstanding young men led by senior guard and McDonald's All-American Lonnie Walker. This team is a staple in the Berks County community.

Lonnie may have said it best himself after the championship victory: ``What we did wasn't even about Reading High basketball. It was about the city of Reading. It was about the community, all the schools, the young kids we inspired. This is for them.''

I couldn't be more proud today to represent these young men. I look forward to the continued success of this team, and I look forward to watching Lonnie continue his basketball career at the University of Miami.

Congratulations to the Reading Red Knights team, the coaches, their families, the faculty, staff, and students that made this championship possible.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent the people of Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District and to serve the community in which I grew up.

I was very pleased a few months ago to come to Washington and join the new Member orientation. It was a great opportunity for all of us to meet our new colleagues on both sides of the aisle; and I must say, as has already been mentioned, I was impressed.

As we got to know one another and talk about our vision for this upcoming Congress, we all agreed we wanted to work together as much as possible. We decided we wanted to work to find common ground.

Today, across Pennsylvania and across America, finding common ground between Republicans and Democrats looks and sounds nearly impossible. We here in Congress may disagree on the issues, we may disagree on the solutions, but that is good. That is good because the purpose of this Chamber is to be a deliberative body. It is good because, collectively, we represent a wide range of issues across the political spectrum--we are supposed to--and, in fact, we are even expected to disagree, but we must always do so in a civil and respectful manner.

We must understand that, while we may disagree on the issues and solutions, we share, all of us, the common goal of serving our constituents and of improving their lives. We must understand that just because we may disagree with one another, that doesn't mean the other side is un-American or out to get us.

Arthur Brooks, President of the American Enterprise Institute, calls this ``political motive asymmetry.'' Brooks says: ``A majority of people in our country today who are politically active believe that they are motivated by love but the other side is motivated by hate.''

Now, I know I might disagree with some of my colleagues, but I can tell you, they are not motivated by hate. If we are to be successful in this Chamber and in discussions in our communities across the country, we must rid our discourse of this political motive asymmetry. Then we will be able, together, to find solutions more easily to the problems that we face.

I am hopeful that our freshman class, along with the rest of our colleagues on

both sides of the aisle, will be able to do what is stated in our commitment to civility: ``make the government work more efficiently and more effectively, help build consensus and restore public trust, and, ultimately, serve as a positive influence on society at large.''

We here in Congress are charged with an enormous task. In today's divisive and heated public discourse, we must be an example to our constituents by showing respect for one another at all times.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this resolution, which will be the first step to repealing ObamaCare.

I, like so many of my colleagues, have heard from citizens all across my district in regard to the impact of this system on them. I want to share a conversation I had recently with a constituent.

Tim Hollinger called me. Tim and his wife, Phyllis, are residents of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, in my home county of Lancaster. Tim is on Medicare, but Phyllis, who is self-employed, has a healthcare plan that she obtained through the ObamaCare marketplace.

Tim and Phyllis' annual income is $53,000 per year. Phyllis' healthcare premium is over $1,000 a month and carries a $2,700 deductible. Let me repeat that. Phyllis' healthcare premium is over $1,000 per month. That is 23 percent of their combined annual income.

Mr. Chair, now Phyllis receives a Federal subsidy that covers 35 percent of that monthly cost. She takes pride in the fact that she has never taken a government handout in her life.

Now that she is on ObamaCare, the American taxpayers have to subsidize her health care. To Phyllis, that is not right. To Phyllis, this is about her pride. She is not asking for a lot. She is simply asking that she have access to affordable health care that doesn't require the American taxpayers to help her pay for it.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to fix our Nation's failed healthcare system.