Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 767) to establish the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Training pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care system, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 767, the Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond to Health and Wellness Act of 2018, introduced by our colleague, Representative Steve Cohen from Tennessee.

This bill will help in the fight against human trafficking. Worldwide, nearly 21 million people are victims of human trafficking, forced labor, or exploitation. This bipartisan initiative expands and further codifies the Department of Health and Human Services' Stop, Observe, Ask, and Respond program, which enhances the healthcare system's response to human trafficking by requiring the program to provide grants to healthcare sites, to work with stakeholders to develop flexible training modules, and to provide technical assistance to health education programs. This legislation will teach health professionals to identify and to respond to victims of human trafficking.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger), a valuable member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and, in fact, the vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Mr. Speaker, this is a worthwhile bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 880) to amend the Public Health Service Act to facilitate assignment of military trauma care providers to civilian trauma centers in order to maintain military trauma readiness and to support such centers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, 40 years ago I was an intern and resident at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Any intern or resident will tell you the month of July is significant in the life of an intern or resident. You were last week's medical student, and you are this week's intern managing the emergency room; or you were last year's intern, and you are this week's house officer managing perhaps a busy practice, perhaps a busy emergency room. As such, every intern and resident remembers the end of that first week of their internship or residency. It is just something that you do. You got through the first week of what was a very trying time. So I remember well July 7 of my internship, July 7 of my residency.

Mr. Speaker, in 2016, July 7 also took on additional significance in Dallas, Texas. Five police officers were killed and 9 more were injured during a shooting in downtown Dallas. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, area hospitals sprang into action and activated their disaster plans. I am proud to say that the staff at Parkland Hospital, the staff at Baylor University Hospital, and other medical professionals provided excellent emergency care to the victims of the attack.

Mr. Speaker, it is critical that we have people who are able to respond when called. Now, additionally, I have long believed that the American military is the arsenal of democracy and that it is critical for upholding freedom in the world. Each member of the United States Armed Forces has an important role in a collective team effort. This is especially true in a combat zone, where trauma surgeons are some of the most crucial members of the Armed Forces. These medical professionals are trained to save the lives of soldiers who sustain traumatic injuries on the battlefield, and they are some of the best in the business.

However, as wars wind down and our soldiers come home, the experience that military trauma surgeons have gained overseas may be diminished or lost unless these surgeons continue to train and to prepare for their next possible deployment. To let this expertise and skill drift away would be a significant loss to trauma patients, both at home and abroad. Trauma, Mr. Speaker, is not limited to the battlefields and active conflicts. Unfortunately, no community is immune from the threat of traumatic injury, and community doctors must be prepared to give lifesaving care to trauma victims.

However, there is a way that we can ensure trained combat surgeons' skills are utilized to help American patients here in the homeland who need it. The MISSION ZERO Act seeks to connect American patients with battle-tested trauma care through the craft of military trauma care providers. The bill provides grants to allow military trauma care providers and teams to offer care in our Nation's leading trauma centers and systems.

Here is the bottom line: the MISSION ZERO Act is a win for both civilian patients and military trauma doctors.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that this bipartisan legislation has finally come

to the floor. Along with my fellow Texan, Mr. Gene Green, I introduced this bill in 2016 following that particularly traumatic incident that struck so close to home.

Texas is not unique in its need for this expertise. Over the last few months alone, our Nation has witnessed a need for trauma care hospitals across the country. One such incident was the Amtrak derailment near Dupont, Washington, on December 18, 2017. That incident resulted in 3 passenger fatalities and 70 injuries over a busy freeway.

As we have seen, having access to experienced trauma care can become the difference between life and death for a critically injured patient. There is no doubt that integrating military physicians into the trauma and disaster system is beneficial not only for American patients, but also for American soldiers.

I am encouraged by the bipartisan effort to support both our servicemen and our Nation's trauma system, and I thank the cosponsors from both sides of the aisle for their support of this important legislation.

Quite simply, the MISSION ZERO Act is common sense, and I urge Members to join me in supporting this lifesaving legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1222) to amend the Public Health Service Act to coordinate Federal congenital heart disease research efforts and to improve public education and awareness of congenital heart disease, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1222, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act, introduced by my Energy and Commerce colleague, Representative Gus Bilirakis from Florida.

This important initiative will enhance current Federal efforts addressing congenital heart disease, which is the most common birth defect and leading cause of mortality in infants. This bipartisan legislation enhances research and surveillance at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, awards grants to further study congenital heart disease, and directs the National Institutes of Health to report on their current research efforts in this space.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the principal author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter).

Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2410) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a sickle cell disease prevention and treatment demonstration program and to provide for sickle cell disease research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2410, the Sickle Cell Disease Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2017, introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis). This reauthorizes the sickle cell disease prevention and treatment demonstration program.

Sickle cell disease causes blockages of small vessels leading to various health complications. By improving research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment, along with enhancing collaboration with community-based entities focussing on sickle cell disease, this important legislation will help improve outcomes in patients suffering from this inherited blood disorder, which currently affects 1 in 500 African-American births.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was surprised to learn at the legislative hearing that we had on this bill--and it has been now several months ago--that there had not been a new FDA-approved treatment for sickle cell in 40 year's time. Now, my understanding is that may have changed recently, but that is way too long. We do need to improve research, surveillance, prevention, and treatment, and really take care of those patients who are suffering with this disease.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I thank Mr. Davis for bringing it to our attention.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2422) to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve essential oral health care for low-income and other underserved individuals by breaking down barriers to care, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2422, the Action for Dental Health Act of 2017, introduced by Representative Robin Kelly.

The bill reauthorizes the oral health promotion and disease prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and permits the CDC to award grants or enter into contracts with stakeholders to develop projects to improve oral health education and dental disease prevention. This bill also reauthorizes HRSA's Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities and permits States to establish dental homes, mobile or portable dental clinics, initiatives to reduce the use of emergency departments by patients seeking dental services, and initiatives to provide dental care to nursing home residents.

Good oral health is an important component of good overall health, and this bill takes important steps to help improve the dental care in underserved communities.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I urge passage.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 443) recognizing the importance and effectiveness of trauma-informed care, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of Representative Mike Gallagher's H. Res. 443, which recognizes the importance and effectiveness of trauma-informed care.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, trauma results from an event or a series of events that cause intense physical and psychological stress reactions. The individual's functioning and emotional, physical, social, and spiritual health can be severely affected. It is important that health providers understand the nature and impact of trauma when caring for their patients.

H. Res. 443 highlights the work of States in trauma-informed care and encourages the Federal Government to build on the States' momentum by identifying opportunities to embed this approach to care within current Federal health operations.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher), the principal author of this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

This is an important resolution. I urge its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

1986 was the last time our Tax Code was refined. I had been practicing medicine for 5 years. Now, some 31 years later and after 15 years in Congress, the reformation of our Tax Code has made a profound difference in our country.

Mr. Speaker, it is not lost on me that the rhetoric prior to the vote on the conference report on the tax bill was pretty negative. The idea was to sow doubt in the minds of people who would be affected by the tax bill, to sow doubt in the minds of people who would otherwise be wanting to vote for tax relief for tax improvement.

And I will have to tell you something: after that vote--and Mr. Mitchell referenced Southwest Airlines and American Airlines--I cannot remember having ever had the positive feedback for a vote that I have taken here in this Congress like there was for this tax vote.

In my own Walmart, the week after Christmas, people were coming up to me saying, ``I work for American Airlines,'' or ``I work for Southwest Airlines.'' I have a lot of families in the 26th District of Texas who work for American Airlines or Southwest Airlines, and they all got $1,000 bonuses because of the tax relief that we had provided. Again, I cannot ever remember having that much positive reinforcement on a bill that, quite honestly, the rhetoric going into it was pretty negative.

The benefits have been immediate, as indicated by the increases in salaries and bonuses paid to employees. And Southwest Airlines, in addition to the bonuses to their employees, donated $5 million to charity, as well as made some capital improvements.

FedEx, which, of course, employs people all over the country, but has a big hub in the district that I represent, is going to spend $133 million increasing hourly wages, as well as $67 million on programs for salaried employees, and, get this, $3 billion on their pension plan and capital improvements. That is a pretty big turnaround.

The good folks at Peterbilt trucks, located in the 26th District of Texas, received over $170 million in tax benefits in the fourth quarter of 2017, as a direct result of this tax bill. Peterbilt also estimates that its 2018 effective global tax rate will be reduced by up to 8 percent and that the lower corporate tax rate and accelerated depreciation will, indeed, stimulate capital investment.

The increased prosperity of these and other companies will subsequently improve the financial situation of their employees. Coupled with a nearly doubled standard deduction, income for most individuals and families will, in fact, increase.

Chairman Brady mentioned filing taxes on a postcard. Mr. Speaker, when I first came to Congress, I really wanted us to enact a flat tax. I still do. But I will take the improvement that we have gotten, the gift of time, back to, what, 85 to 90 percent of tax filers who no longer are going to have to keep up with that shoebox full of receipts and spend quality time with their accountants every March and April as they prepare their Federal tax return. We are going to allow people to pay for necessities, without having to worry about other discretionary items and services, often provided by small businesses.

Local improvements in economic condition will not only benefit Main Street business owners, but I like to say it is going to benefit Elm Street business owners. That is the small business off of Main Street. It is going to allow people to spend money across State lines. Increased financial mobility will inject capital into the market and continue the growth of our economy.

Look, we are right on the verge of some pretty significant and profound economic changes that are going to be beneficial, I predict, to all Americans. This is an important time in this country, time for us to get to work and deliver for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our colleague and my fellow Texan, Sam Johnson. This week marks 45 years since he returned to freedom after enduring nearly 7 years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Each February, we are reminded of the heroism, perseverance, and leadership that Sam Johnson displayed during his time as a prisoner of war. We are also reminded of the persistence of Sam's family and their joy and the joy of our north Texas community and the American people when Sam returned home to Texas in 1973.

Sam Johnson has served our country selflessly--first through his distinguished Air Force career, and then here in the House of Representatives. Since he was elected to the House in 1991, he has been an advocate for our Armed Forces, our veterans, and American freedom.

Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago, I gave my first floor speech, marking 30 years since Mr. Johnson returned home. Today it is a distinct privilege to honor my friend and mentor on his 45th ``returniversary.''

Sam Johnson, welcome home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Shirley Spellerberg, former Mayor of Corinth, Texas as she prepares to relocate to North Carolina after almost three decades of service to her home State.

Born and educated in Waco, Texas, Shirley married her late husband, USAF pilot Herman R. Spellerberg while he was on leave from PanAm Airlines. When Herman came home from his tour of duty in Korea and returned to PanAm, he and Shirley resided in Pasadena and Miami for several years each. During this period, Shirley honed her speaking and leadership skills as a passionate conservative activist, hosting a conservative talk radio program ``Speak Out Miami'' and on television as a conservative counterpoint to her liberal feminist co-host on the weekly show ``To The Point.''

Shirley and Herman returned to Texas in 1979 when Herman retired from PanAm. A Life Member of the NRA and active with the Eagle Forum, Shirley soon reengaged as a conservative activist in Denton County, quickly joining several local Republican Party organizations and serving from 1998 to 2006 as part of the statewide party as SREC.

Shirley is also known for her steadfast leadership to the City of Corinth. Except for a break between 1989 and 1990, she served the City as Mayor from 1983 to 2001. Shirley's leadership shaped the City as its population grew tenfold from approximately 1,200 to 12,000 during her terms as Mayor. It was also during this period that Shirley influenced the long-term direction and economic development of the community with the adoption of the City's Home Rule Charter in 1999 and the 2000 opening of North Central Texas College's Corinth campus.

Shirley Spellerberg is a Denton County institution. I have appreciated her counsel and opinions provided throughout my service in Congress and I have sought-out and appreciated her wisdom and experience when facing particularly thorny legislative decisions. While we have not always been in agreement, I have always respected her faith, commitment to community service and her dedication to conservative principles. On behalf of the 26th Congressional District, I wish her much happiness in the support of family and I value our shared commitment in leaving a strong, proud and stable country as a legacy for our grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we all teach our kids. We teach them how to stay safe and how to respond in an emergency. They learn things like stop, drop, and roll for fires; don't talk to strangers; look both ways before you cross the street; and dial 911 in emergencies.

Unfortunately, there is no lesson explaining that on some phones you must dial 9 to get an outside line before you dial 911. Other phones even have additional numbers, and they are not the same for every phone system.

Multiline phone systems like those found in offices--our offices, hotels, and hospitals--make our lives easier by condensing multiple lines into a single phone. One feature of multiline phone systems is that, in order to get outside of the internal lines, you must dial a specific code or set of digits. It doesn't seem like a big deal or even necessarily life threatening, but to this young girl trying to save her mother, that is exactly what a multiline phone system in Marshall, Texas, became.

We have heard the story. In 2013, Kari Dunn was stabbed by her estranged husband while her daughter attempted to dial 911 multiple times. She knew the number to call to save her mother's life, but she didn't know to dial 9 to get an outside line. She didn't realize what a multiphone system represented. The emergency personnel subsequently were not getting notified in time.

The Energy and Commerce Committee marked up this bill in a previous Congress and supported its passage into law. I was grateful to support the bill back then. I am grateful to Mr. Gohmert for continuing to press this issue. I look forward to voting for this again.

This tragedy occurred in Texas, but it could have happened anywhere. In emergencies, every minute counts. We must remove obstacles to emergency response, and this bill does just that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce as it marks 30 years of service to the North Texas community.

Formed in 1986 as the Roanoke Business Association, this organization has enjoyed significant growth, expanding service to include Argyle, Haslet, Justin, Northlake, Trophy Club, and Westlake. In its 30 years of service, the Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce has also grown from eight founding members to more than 420. These members--past and present--have worked diligently to create, promote, and enhance growth for the business community.

Since its inception, the Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce has sought to positively impact leadership, stewardship, and business relationships for the benefit of all six of the communities it represents in the Northwest Metroport region.

There is no doubt that the Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce leaders and members have made meaningful contributions to their communities and the North Texas region, and I am grateful for their steadfast service.

Mr. Speaker, we are here today considering a continuing resolution that will provide dollars for the Federal Government and our national defense, but it also will finally accomplish reauthorization of funding for several important healthcare programs. These extensions are long overdue, and I urge Members to support this legislation so that our Nation's healthcare providers will have stability to continue their normal operations.

The House passed many of these provisions last November. That is when we passed the Championing Healthy Kids Act. However, since House passage, the legislation has been stalled without action in the Senate. Fortunately, the Children's Health Insurance Program was reauthorized in the last continuing resolution. It seems like a long time ago, but it was only 3 weeks ago. However, we did not complete the public health or Medicare extenders. The continuing resolution that we are debating today includes funding for other important healthcare programs, such as community health centers, the National Health Service Corps, and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education, all of which expired at the end of September.

The continuing resolution provides a 2-year extension of funding for federally qualified health centers. One in 13 individuals nationwide relies upon a community health center to receive necessary healthcare services. The Community Health Center Fund plays an important role in supplementing the services that the federally qualified health centers are able to deliver to underserved communities by providing care to all Americans, regardless of their income or their ability to pay.

The legislation we are considering also includes a 2-year extension of other important public health programs, including funding for the National Health Service Corps, the Family-to-Family Information Centers, the Personal Responsibility Education Program, the Special Diabetes Program for Type 1 Diabetes, and the Special Diabetes Program for American Indians.

The package also delays the $5 billion in cuts to many hospitals in many of our districts across the country from the Affordable Care Act- mandated Medicaid disproportionate share hospital reductions for the fiscal years 2018 and 2019. I am certain that other Members have heard from their hospitals, as have I; hospitals in our districts whose ability to remain open and operational and continue to provide care could be jeopardized by these cuts in the so-called DSH payments.

This delays but does not fix a problem that ObamaCare created for safety net hospitals that provide care to citizens of our country who most need this care. The committee is committed to continuing to work on this, but this 2-year extension is important.

The bill also includes important Medicare extenders. The extension of the ground ambulance services and cost reporting requirements will allow our emergency responders in urban, rural, and superrural areas another 5 years of certainty in receiving their add-on payments.

Similarly, home health providers will receive a 5-year extension of their rural add-on Medicare payments, and certain low-volume hospitals will continue to receive the payment adjustment for an additional 2 years.

This health extenders package permanently repeals a provision in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. This provision sought to cap Medicare- covered outpatient therapy services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. The cap was never fully put into effect, but repealing the therapy caps will allow for certainty and stability for Medicare beneficiaries and providers of these services. Many of us have heard about the importance of repealing the cap.

One of my priorities as chairman of the Health Subcommittee has been to improve the value of our electronic health records for doctors and for patients. Electronic health records have promise to streamline the sharing of data amongst patients and their doctors, but they have not yet fully lived up to this promise.

Adoption of electronic health records is growing, but the meaningful use program, as established in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, has burdened providers with stringent requirements. In an effort to reduce that burden, this bill we are considering today removes the mandate that the Secretary of Health and Human Services make the meaningful use standards more stringent over time.

I believe we have squeezed all the blood we can out of this turnip, and it is time to let our doctors be doctors. This will permit the Department to evaluate in other ways.

Lastly, this package contains important provisions that aim to improve care for individuals suffering from chronic diseases. The Senate has already passed these provisions in their CHRONIC Care Act.

One of the most important pieces of this package is the extension of the Independence At Home Medical Practice Demonstration Program, which allows participating high-need Medicare beneficiaries who have multiple chronic conditions to receive Medicare coverage for home-based primary care. This program is currently in its fifth year and has been found to save Medicare dollars, but Medicare needs more time to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program.

This health extenders package has responsible offsets. One of these offsets would allow for Medicare reimbursement of outpatient physical therapy or occupational therapy services provided by a therapy assistant. These providers are reimbursed at 85 percent of the physician rate, and therapy assistants must have a State license and abide by Medicare supervision requirements.

Additionally, lottery winnings and other lump sum income of over $80,000 would count toward income eligibility under Medicaid's modified adjusted gross income rules. In certain cases, individuals could remain eligible if being ineligible would lead to undue medical or financial hardship.

Similar to the Championing Healthy Kids Act, this bill modifies the level of funding in the Prevention and Public

Health Fund. By law, this fund is required to receive $2.5 billion in annual appropriations, which must be used for prevention, wellness, and public health initiatives administered by the Department of Health and Human Services.

If Congress does not direct the funds toward specific efforts, the Secretary of Health and Human Services has the authority to spend the dollars however he or she deems fit. While we are redirecting these taxpayer dollars, the overarching purpose of the fund is still there to improve the health and wellness of Americans through existing mechanisms, and community health centers will do just that. With this spending offset, we are using the Prevention and Public Health Fund for what is intended: investing in America's well-being.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce as it marks 60 years of service to the North Texas community.

The Northeast Tarrant Chamber works diligently to connect area business leaders, local city administrators, Tarrant County representatives, elected government officials and area non-profits to aid the growth and advancement of economic development in Northeast Tarrant County.

Established in 1957 as the Haltom Richland Chamber, this organization has enjoyed significant growth in the span of its service. The Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce has a rich legacy of dedication to its members. In fact, eight of its members have been a part of the Chamber for more than 50 years. Just last month, it reached a milestone of 1,000 members.

Over the last 60 years, the Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce has achieved a long list of accomplishments. For example, the Chamber has honored more than 500 local Hometown Heroes from area non-profit and community organizations who give their time and efforts to serve their Northeast Tarrant County neighbors. Additionally, it has awarded more than 200 annual scholarships to area high school seniors totaling over $200,000 in scholarship money distributed to deserving students, and has educated and graduated over 500 Leadership Northeast participants.

There is no doubt that the Northeast Tarrant Chamber of Commerce leaders and members have made meaningful contributions to their communities and the North Texas region, and I am grateful for their steadfast service.

Mr. Speaker, today the House of Representatives will vote on a continuing resolution to reopen the federal government and fully fund the Children's Health Insurance Program. I will be unable to be present for the vote in order to attend the funeral of my wife's mother. It is important that I be with my wife at this critical time.

Although I will not cast a vote, my support for this legislation is clear. I voted for the continuing resolution on January 18, 2018, and have voted in support of Children's Health Insurance Program funding on four separate occasions. After a senseless government shutdown, I will be grateful that a conclusion will be reached and funding for our military, vulnerable children, and essential government services will be restored.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 44.

Stated against: