Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Anthracite Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air- Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) as it celebrates National Engineers Week. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers was originally formed in 1894 as American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers. With its international membership of over 56,000, ASHRAE works to make sustainable advancements in technology for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration.

Since 1951, National Engineers Week has celebrated the countless contributions engineers have made to our country. National Engineers Week is formally recognized by a coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, with over fifty corporations and government agencies dedicated to raising public awareness on the effect engineering has on daily life. National Engineers Week honors also the parents, teachers, and mentors who instill the importance of math, science, and technological literacy in students and motivate them to pursue careers in engineering.

Many of the major challenges of our time have been resolved by modern engineering. From designing efficient building systems to rebuilding towns devastated by natural disasters, the efforts of engineers contribute to our nation's well-being and quality of life. It is a great privilege to recognize these honorable men and women, who are committed to using their scientific skills and specialized knowledge to create and innovative ways to fulfill society'S needs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Charlie Spano, who has been named the UNICAN of the Year by the Scranton Chapter of UNICO National for their 59th annual charity ball on February 24, 2018.

Before his retirement in 2005, Charlie Spano taught elementary students in the Scranton School District. He received a Master of Science in elementary administration with certification from the University of Scranton and a Bachelor of Science in education and history from Wilkes University. He also served as director of the Bureau of Community and Student Services for the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Charlie is an active member of his community and has served his neighbors in many capacities throughout the years. He has served as the Deputy Director of voter education for Lackawanna County, assisting in outreach providing information on voting systems; Assistant Manager for Recruiting for the U.S. Census Bureau in Scranton; Chairman of Scranton City Cable Consumer Advisory Commission; a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission of Lackawanna County; a member of the 9-11 Memorial Committee in Lackawanna County; Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Anthracite Heritage Museum

and Iron Furnaces Association; a member of the Heritage Valley Task Force Advocacy/Education Committee; President of the Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County; President of the Phi Delta Kappa Education Fraternity, University of Scranton Chapter; a South Scranton Lions Club member; Vice Chairman of the Scranton City Planning Commission; and Director of the Lackawanna River Corridor Association, among other positions spanning three decades of outstanding community service.

It is an honor to recognize Charlie Spano as he accepts the UNICAN of the Year Award. I am very grateful for the wide range of work he has done on behalf of the people of Lackawanna County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Helen Mackes, who will celebrate her retirement in January from her position as tax collector for Kunkletown, Pennsylvania. Helen has been a life-long resident of Kunkletown, Eldred Township, Pennsylvania.

Helen Mackes was a realtor, an elected tax collector, and the go-to person for information and assistance in her community for close to thirty years, and she was the recording secretary for a local political association for three decades as well. In addition to her service in government, Helen has always been very involved in her community in civic organizations, helping to preserve local history and important historic sites. As head of the Eldred Township Historical Society, she led the effort to secure a grant from the Commonwealth Finance Authority to renovate and restore the Kunkletown post office on Kunkletown Road.

In is an honor to recognize Helen Mackes for all the years of service she has given to the people of Kunkletown. I am grateful for both what she has done and what she has meant to this unique community. I wish her all of the best as she looks forward to an enjoyable and fulfilling retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bill Nalevanko, who will retire from the National Park Service on January 3, 2018. Bill spent twenty-seven years in federal service, twenty of which were with the National Park Service at the Steamtown, a national historic site dedicated to Scranton's industrial heritage and steam railroad transportation.

Bill began his tenure with the National Park Service as Volunteer-in- Park in 1996, shortly after Steamtown's grand opening in 1995. He worked his way up the ranks, becoming a seasonal employee and eventually a Public Information Officer and Webmaster for the historic site. For two decades, Bill has helped thousands of park visitors discover the wealth of history featured at the Steamtown National Historic Site.

It is an honor to recognize Bill as he enters a well-deserved retirement. I am grateful to him for his career of service helping to preserve the history of America's railroads. His twenty-seven years on the job is a credit to his community devotion, and I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Walton, Jr., President of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2809. John will retire from the Social Security Administration after 35 years of federal service on December 9, 2017.

A veteran of the of the United States Army, John served for 15 years before retiring with the rank of Staff Sergeant, E-6. After leaving the military, he began his career at the Social Security Administration. In 2003, while working for the Social Security Administration, John joined his local branch of the American Federation of Government Employees.

During his time with AFGE, John has been an active member of the union. He is the former Steward of AFGE Local 2809. Currently, he serves as the President for Local 2809. Under John's leadership, AFGE Local 2809 has been a prominent voice in the community advocating for the protection of labor rights and supporting the needs of working families.

It is an honor to recognize John as he enters a well-deserved retirement. I am grateful to him for a lifetime of devotion and for serving his country with distinction. His 35 years at Social Security are an impressive accomplishment, and I know he helped countless Americans with his service. I wish him all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Northampton Community College (NCC) as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. It was founded in 1965 by twelve Northampton County school directors who were committed to providing an affordable, comprehensive community college education where adults could develop critical skills for a shifting regional economy. In 1967, it opened its doors to 404 students. What started as a singular campus with trailers for laboratories has since expanded into two beautiful campuses with state-of-the-art facilities.

Today, NCC offers degrees to over 14,000 students. An additional 17,000 students enroll in workforce training, adult literacy, and youth classes. Alumni have gone on to further their education through partnerships with colleges and universities. Many alumni have become known as masters in their trade with some recognized as Pulitzer Prize winners and Academy Award winning directors.

Northampton Community College remains committed to providing a quality college experience regardless of socioeconomic status. Federal grants have supported this good work, including a $10 million grant from the Department of Labor in 2014. The College's innovation and drive will continue to produce talented graduates and contribute to the region's economy. I ask my fellow Members to join me in recognizing Northampton Community College for 50 years of excellence and service to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Phoenix Fire Company No. 2 of Pottsville, Pennsylvania. The fire company will be celebrating its 150th anniversary on November 25.

The Phoenix Fire Company No. 2 originated from the Schuylkill Hydraulian Fire Company, which organized in April 1829 and was officially recognized the following year. This early company purchased a hand engine and was housed in Pottsville's original borough building. In 1861, a few days after the attack on Fort Sumter, the Schuylkill Hydraulian Company reformed into a military company called the Union Guards of Pottsville. They left for Harrisburg on April 24, 1861 and were greeted by Governor Andrew Curtin when they arrived.

Management of Pottsville's fire apparatus was then left to the borough council. The Phoenix Fire Engine Company was established during reorganization meeting in September 1867. A hose carriage was purchased, and the company was headquartered at the corner of Centre and Norwegian Streets. In 1885, a cornerstone was set for a new fire house on East Norwegian Street, and this very house continues to serve as the station for the Phoenix Fire Company No. 2 today.

The company operated with horse-drawn equipment until summer 1919. In July that year, an American La France truck with a seventy-five-foot aerial ladder was purchased for $18,000 and shipped to Pottsville. That truck saw extensive damage in 1925 when Phoenix Company responded to a major fire in Mechanicsville. After a six-month repair process, however, the engine was restored to working condition and served Pottsville well until 1939.

It is an honor to recognize such a historic and distinguished fire company. I am grateful for the Phoenix Fire Company's 150 years of outstanding service to our community, and you can count me as a strong supporter for a successful future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to tell you a true story from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

When Matty Loftus got out of the Army in 1970, he went to work for the TV tube plant in Dunmore, Pennsylvania, just north of Scranton. At the time, it was owned by RCA and later became Thompson Consumer Electronics.

Matty Loftus was 19 years old, and this was a great job, manufacturing picture tubes where a lot of great people worked, as many as 1,600 men and women. The pay was good; the benefits were excellent. They were union jobs, and the picture tubes they put together were so good, this company was able to sell them to Sony in Japan.

The people working at this plant were a community. They had wonderful company picnics. They had a softball league. They organized holiday parties for the kids and fishing derbies. Matty Loftus worked there for 30 years. He was able to raise four children on his salary alone.

Chuck Lampman is the same age as Matty Loftus, and they are friends. Chuck went to work for the RCA plant in 1972 when he was 21. He started in production, and he loved that job, too. He says: We were making the Cadillac of American televisions. By the year 2000, we were already starting to make the first generation of flat screen TV panels.

Around that time, Thompson won a worldwide award for making the best 27-inch TVs in the world, and everybody at the plant was so proud. Chuck says: That wasn't just a job; that was a way of life.

John O'Hearn got out of high school in 1975. He got a job at the TV plant right away. He worked production at first, but then he got bumped up into the machine shop. He made lifelong friends at that factory.

In 1994, NAFTA went into effect. Matty, Chuck, and John, they knew about it, but they didn't think too much about it. John remembers people in the machine shop who were interested in politics arguing over the effects of NAFTA.

Through the nineties, these men and women were working the factory 24/7 in three shifts, putting out over 2 million picture tubes a year. They used to say: They will never close us down. We make this company too much money.

And then it came, May of 2001. Management called everybody into the plant and gave them the news. The plant was closing in August, 3 months from then, because they were moving to Mexico.

People were shocked. Nobody saw this coming. They tried to negotiate with the company, and Matty and Chuck remember the answer. It was: Are you willing to take a $13-an-hour pay cut and work for $3.25 an hour?

Matty remembers the pride that these people had at the plant working the last few months, the pride that they did their jobs with. There was no vandalism. There were no work stoppages, no slowdowns. They finished out their jobs showing the pride in the work that they had had for a generation. He remembers the tears on that last day and how people passed out lists of names and phone numbers so they could all stay in touch.

Chuck remembers on the last day how that trophy for the best 27-inch TV tube was still in the company lobby.

All three of them remember the aftermath. They remember the divorces. They remember the suicides.

Matty still had two daughters in public school. He went through his family savings, and he had to cash in some of his retirement money, take the penalty. Now he works as a security guard making $10 an hour. He is 66, and he can't afford to retire.

Chuck was out of work for years, and eventually he found a job making half the money. He is also 66, and he can't retire.

John can't forget having to tell his daughter, Lindsey, in May 2001 he was losing his job. She was in tears. She was graduating high school the next month. She wanted to go to college.

When Chuck found out the current Republican tax plan is to drop corporate tax to 20 percent for companies doing business in America but to 10 percent for American companies doing business overseas, this is what he said: Haven't we lost enough already under NAFTA? Now you are going to reward companies for shipping more jobs overseas?

Mr. Speaker, this tax bill will ship more jobs overseas. This bill stinks, and I won't vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Richard Kern for his 50 years of service in the East Bangor Fire Department. His accomplishments were celebrated by his peers on the evening of Saturday, November 11.

As a resident of Bangor, Pennsylvania, Richard has been a constant steward of public safety in my District for a half-century. Richard led the department as Fire Chief from 1993 to 1995. During his service he inspired confidence and put his own life at risk to ensure the safety of others. Today, he remains an active member of the fire department as Safety Officer. His dedication to helping others extends beyond the East Bangor Fire Department. Richard is also a life member of the Blue Valley Rescue Squad, an organization founded in 1973 to provide emergency services to the Slate Belt region.

I ask my fellow Members to join me in recognizing Richard Kern for life of service and commitment to the well-being of his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Superintendent John J. Donahue. After a 38-year tenure with the National Park Service, Mr. Donahue has announced he will retire on December 3, 2017.

Long before he advanced to his current position at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in 2003, Mr. Donahue began his federal career as a gardener at Cape Cod National Seashore. From there he advanced through the ranks, serving in a variety of roles that took him across the continental U.S. After many years, a man who had started his career as a gardener became the Superintendent of some of our country's most beautiful sites in Florida, Virginia, and Maryland.

As a dedicated leader, Mr. Donahue oversaw critical projects and built relationships with elected officials, business partners, and local Native American tribes. Due to a recent stewardship land acquisition program, there are now hundreds of acres of connected open space stretching across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. However, this is just a singular testament to his commitment and drive. During his tenure, Mr. Donahue has written legislation, regulations, policies, an numerous articles.

The impact of Mr. Donahue's work extends beyond our country's borders. Recently, he led an American and international delegation to China on behalf of the National Park Service. He also attended the World Parks Conference in Australia and served on a 1999 delegation to Haitian national parks in order to spur tourism and economic development.

Mr. Donahue's dedication to his country leaves behind a legacy which will inspire future leaders and public servants. I ask my fellow Members to join me in recognizing Superintendent John Donahue and his 38 years of service.

Mr. Speaker, with Veterans Day approaching rapidly, I find it particularly fitting that we raise this important issue today, an issue affecting our veterans that should concern all of us here in the Congress.

As Americans, we enter into a moral covenant with our armed services, with the men and women warfighters that we send into harm's way. It is a covenant that says: you do this for us, and we will take care of you when the time comes, when you need us. It is a covenant that our honoring is of paramount importance, and there is no one here in the people's House who wants to turn his or her back on that covenant.

As part of this enduring covenant and commitment to those who have served our Nation, the VA provides, as has been mentioned, a modest Aid and Attendance benefit to low-income veterans in need of our support. It is a benefit that helps pay for assisted living and in-home personal care for veterans who qualify for VA pension and are homebound or require the aid and assistance of another person.

Unfortunately, as Dr. Roe mentioned, a number of unscrupulous scam artists are out there taking advantage of this commitment and this benefit provided to our veterans. They abuse the VA system by deliberately misleading our veterans into thinking they have to pay application fees, into creating damaging irrevocable trusts, into paying extra fees for so-called expediting these applications when no such expediting is available, and for paying any fees at all when, as has been mentioned, the veterans service organizations do it for free.

Practices such as these leave vulnerable, elderly veterans with few choices outside of draining their own remaining assets. My bill, the Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2017, is a bipartisan, commonsense approach that will direct Federal agencies to work with the States and outside experts to establish standards that will prevent this kind of exploitation of our veterans and protect them from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices relating to the A&A benefit, and it will require a report from the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and report to Congress on how better to protect veterans from these scam artists.

Mr. Speaker, we owe our veterans, who have made great sacrifices for all of us, the protection and benefits that they deserve, and, as such, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

I want to thank the chairman of the VA committee, Dr. Roe from Tennessee; its ranking member, Mr. Walz from Minnesota; and the entire Veterans' Affairs Committee for taking up this bill. And I would also like to thank, over in the Senate, Senator Warren, for her hard work on this bill in the Senate as well.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that would create an exception in the legislation for consent decrees or settlement agreements entered into pursuant to the Meese policy.

For those unfamiliar, the Meese policy prohibits the Department of Justice from undertaking a regulatory action through a settlement. More specifically, the Meese policy directs departments and agencies not to enter into a consent decree if it would act as a so-called end run, around the regular rulemaking process or constrain an agency head from exercising its discretionary authority in the future.

Any departure from these rules must be approved by the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, or the Associate Attorney General beforehand.

Edwin Meese, the former Attorney General for the Reagan administration, wrote a memo articulating this policy in 1986, out of a concern for the abuse of settlements by agencies. Now, the Department of Justice later codified it in 1991, in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Simply put, there is a law already on the books that prevents the Department of Justice or other agencies from abusing consent decrees and settlement agreements used by Federal agencies, and it is working.

In February of this year, the Government Accountability Office, the GAO, determined that Department officials negotiating settlement terms are covered by the Meese policy. The GAO's report noted that any settlement would only include a commitment to perform an action already mandated by law.

So if you are scoring along at home, what I am saying is this: there is a needless overlap between this bill that we are considering, H.R. 469, and the Meese policy in regard to the scope of settlements. There is also redundancy with existing laws in terms of protecting the interests of third parties.

If I may be so bold, I would like to say that persons with only a nodding acquaintance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure already know that Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24 allows affected parties to intervene in litigation if they feel their interests are not properly represented in the case.

Moreover, even if a rule was promulgated by a settlement agreement, the Administrative Procedure Act would still mandate notice-and-comment procedures for the rule. Simply put, this is a bill that is a solution in search of a problem, and my amendment underscores that fact.

If I may be so bold, I would like to say that here in America we have actual real problems that merit our attention here in this House, such as why we haven't had an infrastructure bill leading to high-paying American jobs. We need actual solutions to actual problems, not theoretical ones like in this bill. That is why I have offered this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, to conclude, H.R. 469's proponents offer no evidence that there actually is a sue and settle problem or that agencies are not currently complying with the Meese memo. The GAO has already said they are. My amendment simply makes clear that this bill is unnecessary, and, as such, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Trinity United Church of Christ, Tamaqua which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. For a century and a half, Trinity has served as a place of worship and community for the residents of Tamaqua, from the early German settlers of the region to modern congregants from diverse backgrounds.

In 1835, Trinity's parent church, St. John's Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Church, was founded by the German population of Tamaqua. In 1867, twelve men and their families left the congregation of St. John's to form Trinity Church under the guidance of Reverend Levi K. Derr. One of the original twelve, Daniel Shepp donated land to build the church at the comer of Lafayette and Washington Streets. In September 1868, Reverend I.E. Graeff became the first full-time pastor, serving until March 1873.

In 1961, the present church was dedicated and, over the following decades, improvements were made to the building and grounds. The church's distinctive exterior is marked by the Trinity chime, a landmark in Tamaqua. Additionally, Trinity is unique in that it is one of the very few churches that have its own hymn. In 1942, Rev. Dr. Henry A. W. Shaeffer wrote the words, and Mrs. Gertrude Wagner wrote the music to the signature piece.

Today, Trinity, under the leadership of Pastor Darry Kensinger, celebrates a diverse, vibrant congregation dedicated to serving Tamaqua and the surrounding community in the tradition of the United Church of Christ, known for being open minded, inclusive, and welcoming.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Luzerne County Community College, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. LCCC was founded in 1966 by the Luzerne County Board of Commissioners as a public, two-year college to provide affordable, accessible education for residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania and first began educating students in 1967.

When the College opened in 1967, Northeastern Pennsylvania was facing a pivotal moment in its history as the regional economy shifted away from coal industry jobs. The College responded to the demand for qualified, educated individuals to meet the needs of the area's rapidly changing industrial framework. From a two-building location in Wilkes- Barre, LCCC moved to its permanent, 122-acre location in Nanticoke in 1974. In the early 2000s, LCCC began expanding its reach beyond its Nanticoke Campus to include Hazelton, Berwick, Elk Lake, and its newest location in downtown Scranton.

Today, Luzerne County Community College offers associate degree, certificate, and diploma programs to over 5,000 students annually. The community college option provides affordable college education to a diverse student body from recent high school graduates to adult learners who are returning to the classroom for the first time since high school. LCCC offers programs in Nursing, Criminal Justice, Business Administration, and Computer Information Systems.

For many students, their education does not end with Luzerne County Community College. Many choose to continue their education at one of over 40 baccalaureate degree-awarding institutions with which LCCC has matriculation or transfer agreements. Many students in Northeastern Pennsylvania are set on a pathway toward success that begins with a strong educational groundwork from LCCC.

The College is committed to remaining at the forefront in affordable, accessible education in the Wyoming Valley and continues to adapt and respond to meet the needs of the area's growing and changing educational, economic, and industrial needs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Kenneth Bianchi, who will be recognized as the Italian Man of the Year by the Lackawanna Columbus Day Association as they celebrate the 525th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America.

Born and raised in West Scranton to Deno and Frances Ranakoski Bianchi, Ken received his Bachelor's Degree in Education from Mansfield University and continued postgraduate studies at Penn State University. While at Mansfield, Ken played varsity basketball and spent one year as team captain.

In 1967, Ken began his teaching career in the Line Mountain School District in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. He returned to Scranton a year later to teach history and physical education at Cathedral High School, where he served as Athletic Director. Ken went on to teach for the Scranton School District, where he remained until his retirement in 2004.

Ken was head boys basketball coach at Scranton Technical High School from 1976 to 1991. In 1997, he became the head coach for boys basketball at Abington Heights High School. During his coaching career, Ken has lead his teams to victory 747 times, and they made the ELITE 8 in the state three times, with last year's squad ending up one of the Final Four teams in Pennsylvania. Ken's teams have won 22 straight District II playoff games and have won the District II Championship the past six years.

In 1985, Ken received a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives when his Scranton Tech team won the Lackawanna League Southern Division Championship for the first time in twenty years. In 2005, the Scranton Times-Tribune recognized Ken as one of Northeastern Pennsylvania's top twenty-five coaches of all time. In 2006, he was inducted into the Northeast Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame. The Times-Tribune also honored Ken by naming him Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2016. He also received The Joseph M. Butler Memorial Award in 2016 in recognition of his contribution to Scholastic athletics.

It is an honor to recognize Ken for his outstanding career as an educator and coach. I am grateful for all the work he's done to shape young minds throughout his lifetime.