Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Frank Rewold and Son, as this year marks the business' 100th anniversary in my hometown of Rochester, Michigan.

In 1918, the widow of John Frances Dodge, of Dodge Motor Car Company, a co-founder of Oakland University, hired an established carpenter by the name of Frank Rewold. This marked the beginning of decades of building,

fixing, and problem solving by this incredible family. Frank Rewold passed the legacy onto his apprentice and son Roy Rewold.

Over the last 100 years, generations of Rewolds have designed and built countless structures in our community--everything from higher education buildings to manufacturing facilities. I'm proud of the heritage and reputation this company has maintained since 1918--their integrity, relationship focused, and honest outlook have resulted in historical connections that span generations.

In their 4th generation of leadership, Frank Rewold and Son has continued to be family owned and operated business. I'm grateful to have the incredible Frank Rewold and Son team investing and thriving in our community for the last 100 years.

Again--congratulations to Frank Rewold and Son on achieving this enormous milestone. I wish them continued success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6 which will make great strides toward ending the opioid crisis once and for all.

I am pleased this package includes my bill, the STOP Act, which is targeted legislation to help stop synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil from entering our country through the international mail system.

I want to make sure I thank all the parents, educators, law enforcement, emergency response personnel, healthcare professionals, victims, and those suffering from addiction who have been working with me to ensure this legislation gets signed into law. Your hard work has made a real difference.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank my colleagues for their support, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the underlying bill, H.R. 6.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, October 10, Taiwan will celebrate its 107th National Day--also known as Double Ten Day. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my best wishes to the people of Taiwan in advance of this occasion.

Taiwan is a friend, an ally, and an important economic and security partner of the United States. Trade ties between the U.S. and Taiwan have grown rapidly over the last 30 years and Taiwan is now our 11th largest trading partner. But U.S.-Taiwan relations are much broader than just trade. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the Six Assurances are the cornerstones of U.S.-Taiwan relations and are a key to sustaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

I am pleased that the United States and Taiwan remain close allies, and I would like to again wish the people of Taiwan a Happy Double Ten Day.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. Cole of Oklahoma, Mr. Messer of Indiana, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, and Mr. Vela of Texas be removed as cosponsors of H.R. 6774.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of my legislation, H R. 6020, a bill to rename the Howell Post Office after a local, and really a national, hero: Sergeant Donald Burgett.

Mr. Donald Burgett was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 25, 1925. On his 18th birthday he followed in his brother's footsteps and joined the Army. He joined the newly formed paratroop company and became a member of the famous 101st Airborne. Assigned to A Company, he fought in battles throughout the European Theatre.

His story is quite simply amazing. He dropped over 12 miles away from his drop zone at just after one in the morning. He fought in the battle at Ravenoville in a little village along the coast of Normandy, where he was among the group of Americans that liberated the first village in Europe--and this was all before sunrise that day. From there, he fought in battles all down the coastline, being attacked by the Germans at every turn and even being attacked by Russian cavalry at one point on his way to Carentan where he was wounded twice in action.

After surviving Normandy, Mr. Burgett went on to fight in Operation Market-Graden in Holland and survive the bitterly cold siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. Sergeant Burgett returned to the States on January 1, 1946--at the age of just 20 years old. After the war, Sergeant Burgett picked up flying, became a pilot and visited all the states in his own plane. He married his wife in 1953, and they had 5 children which they raised in Howell, MI.

He was a very active member of his community, including extensive service with the VFW, American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans. He authored four books which gave firsthand accounts of the paratroopers' experience in WWII. The first of that series was ``Currahee!: A Screaming Eagle at Normandy'', which was endorsed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He also wrote ``The Road to Arnhem: A Screaming Eagle in Holland'', ``Seven Roads to Hell: A Screaming Eagle at Bastogne'', and ``Beyond the Rhine: A Screaming Eagle in Germany''.

Mr. Burgett passed away on March 23, 2017, at the age of 91. As a lifelong Michigander, Mr. Burgett was truly a member of the ``Greatest Generation'' and he spent a great deal of time making sure the efforts of his comrades would be known and remembered. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring his life and his service to the country by making sure his name and legacy lives on in his community.

The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable constituent from Rochester Hills, Michigan, Rosaria ``Sara'' Martinico.

She joined so many other brave women to help the war efforts during World War II as one of the original Rosie the Riveters. She served the country by working on B-17 bombers for a good portion of the war.

Last Sunday, Mrs. Martinico reached a milestone. Born in 1910, during the William Howard Taft Presidency, she celebrated her 108th birthday in Rochester Hills alongside her 2 daughters, 8 grandkids, 18 great- grandkids, and 12 great-great-grandchildren. That is five generations of family.

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to represent such an outstanding and honorable person, and I would like to wish Mrs. Martinico a very happy 108th birthday and thank her for her outstanding service as the original Rosie the Riveter.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6084) to amend title VII of the Social Security Act to provide for a single point of contact at the Social Security Administration for individuals who are victims of identity theft, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 6084, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today and pleased that we are considering this bipartisan legislation that I introduced with a friend of mine from Connecticut, Ranking Member Larson, H.R. 6084, the Improving Social Security's Service to Victims of Identity Theft Act.

This is an issue that is important to all of us in all of our districts. As you well know, Mr. Speaker, identity theft is a crime that is growing at very alarming rates around the country. Supporting victims of identity theft is something I have long championed. As a former local prosecutor and advocate for victims, I gained a real understanding of the plight of many Americans and what they face in recovering from identity theft and from other forms of exploitation.

In response, I spent a large part of my legislative career working on victim's rights and ensuring justice. I am pleased that we are considering H.R. 6084 today.

Mr. Speaker, Americans who are victims of identity theft often face an uphill battle when they contact the Social Security Administration for help. All too often, these individuals find themselves being bounced around in phone trees from recording to recording, person to person, only to start all over again with each new person with whom they speak.

In many cases, an individual will speak to multiple people at the Social Security Administration by phone, only then to be told that they need to go to a field office to resolve the situation.

Mr. Speaker, I just think that is wrong. These are victims of identity theft who urgently need assistance from the Social Security Administration so that they can get their lives back on track. But too many of these victims are being revictimized by the Social Security Administration's cumbersome and disorganized system. It is high time that the Social Security Administration improves its customer service to victims of identity theft.

That is why I introduced H.R. 6084, the bipartisan legislation which will require the Social Security Administration to provide a single point of contact at the agency to an individual who needs to resolve a problem with the Social Security Administration because of the misuse of his or her Social Security number.

This important bill will help Americans get the assistance they need from the Social Security Administration by implementing a customer- focused process. I am pleased to have the support of AARP, the National Council of Social Security Management Associations, and the Association of Mature American Citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record statements of support for my bill from those groups.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), one of the great leaders of this body.

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

Mr. Speaker, as today's debate on this legislation has shown, victims of identity theft in this country are facing an uphill battle in getting assistance from the Social Security Administration. Simply put, the current disconnected structure at the Social Security Administration isn't working for the American people. In response, my bill would require the Social Security Administration to assign a single point of contact at the agency to those who need to solve a problem with the Social Security Administration because of the misuse of his or her Social Security number.

This simply put but important reform will bring an added level of comfort to victims of identity theft and will ensure that they are receiving the quality care that they deserve.

In closing, I thank Ranking Member Larson for assisting in this bill and joining me in offering the bill. I also thank Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Neal, and my fellow Ways and Means members for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concern regarding the security of our world.

Recently, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included my amendment urging our NATO allies to step up and participate in the cost of their own defense. President Trump was correct to raise this issue at the NATO summit in Brussels.

America's commitment to our NATO allies is absolutely ironclad--it always has been--but for too long, the United States has shared an unequal financial burden in contributing to the global and regional security that NATO provides.

In 2014, each member country agreed to spend a minimum of 2 percent of their GDP on defense, but currently, only 5 of 29 member countries meet this threshold. With new challenges from an increasingly belligerent Russian state, instability across the Middle East and North Africa, and emerging cybersecurity threats around the world, it is time for our allies to honor their commitments.

As negotiators continue to finalize the NDAA conference report, I urge the inclusion of my amendment that passed the House to ensure our allies pull their own weight in support of our collective defense, which will strengthen NATO and help achieve peace through our collective commitment.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Brady for his steadfast leadership in finding a solution to this crisis.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. I am pleased that we are voting on this legislation today, which includes important reforms to Medicare and Medicaid policies, to help combat the opioid crisis in our country.

Mr. Chairman, the opioid crisis has affected every segment of our Nation's population. Every Member of this Chamber has a community in crisis. Each and every day, 115 Americans die from opioid overdoses. We are talking about valued members of our communities: mothers, fathers, and, especially, so many young children who have left us way too early because of the tragedy of opioids.

As I travel across my district in Michigan, I hear frequently from constituents about this crisis at townhall meetings and roundtables I have hosted. I have heard personal stories from constituents about the devastating impact this crisis is having in southeast Michigan.

I have also been meeting with elected officials across the district on this crisis, including firefighters, police officers, emergency responders, and medical professionals. They all want me to do something, do it urgently, and for Congress to be involved.

While there is no silver bullet to address this issue, I am pleased that over the past several weeks the House has passed over 70 bills to address the opioid crisis. It includes the legislation that I authored, the STOP Act, to stop the flow of synthetic opioids into the country.

H.R. 6 will do more than that. It will expand the Medicare coverage for opioid treatment services, like substance abuse counseling, individual and group therapy, and medication-assisted treatment. These reforms will empower our Americans to overcome addiction and once again become productive members of our society.

Mr. Chairman, again, I thank Chairman Brady and Chairman Walden for

their leadership in crafting this legislation, and for their steadfast leadership to address the opioid crisis.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 5788, the STOP Act.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is focused on stopping synthetic opioids like fentanyl and carfentanil from entering our country through the international mail system.

These synthetic opioids can be 50 to 500 times more potent than a regular street dose of heroin, and it is the ever-growing presence of these synthetic opiates in our country that is causing overdose deaths to skyrocket. In fact, today, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are over 115 deaths each and every day from opioid overdose.

To address this crisis, I have been traveling across my district in Michigan hosting townhalls and roundtables, where I have heard, firsthand, the devastating impact this crisis is having in our communities.

I have also met with a wide range of officials in my district who are on the front lines of this crisis, including police and fire personnel, emergency response personnel, educators, medical

professionals, and others, all of whom are pleading for commonsense solutions at the Federal level to address this crisis, just like the bill we are voting on today.

I want to be candid; I agree. Currently, our government is not doing enough to stop the flow of synthetic opiates coming through the international mail system.

I was astounded to find out that current law treats packages coming in through private carriers like FedEx and UPS differently than it does shipments through the international mail system. Private carriers are required to provide what is known as advance electronic data, or AED, on all inbound packages, while the same is not true for shipments handled by the United States Postal Service in the international mail system.

This advance electronic data includes three primary pieces of information: where a package is from, where it is going to, and what is in it. This is actionable data that enables the CBP to target high-risk shipments for inspection and seizure.

Officials at the CBP will tell you this is all about finding a needle in a haystack. This AED information provides law enforcement the tools they need, the information they need to interdict and seize these illegal packages.

So here, specifically, is what my bill would do: H.R. 5788 would require the United States Postal Service to obtain AED on all international mail shipments by 2020 so that the United States Customs and Border Protection can target suspicious packages for synthetic opioids and other dangerous shipments. It also requires USPS to ramp up 70 percent AED compliance by the end of this year. The legislation would also require the United States Postal Service to refuse shipment of any foreign package that does not have AED after 2020.

Additionally, this bill includes strong enforcement and accountability provisions that will impose civil penalties against the United States Postal Service if they accept packages without AED after 2020.

Lastly, and I think most importantly, this bill gives Congress strong oversight authority, which includes biannual reporting to Congress and reporting by the GAO to update us on the agency's progress. In the end, it is the responsibility of Congress to ensure agencies are complying with the law.

I would like to, if I could, quickly thank Chairman Brady, Chairman Reichert, Ranking Member Neal, Congressman Pascrell, Congressmen Faso and Kelly, and all my colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee for their support. I would also like to thank Senators Hatch, Wyden, and Portman for all their constructive input in this process.

Mr. Speaker, this is about stopping dangerous opioids from entering our country. Too many Americans have died from the opioid crisis, and it is high time we take action to put a stop to the inflow of foreign synthetic opioids.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Faso).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Harris).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Mr. Pascrell. I would like to thank the staff as well for all of their hard work in this process.

This is an epidemic. This is an issue that is not a Republican issue. This is not a Democrat issue. This is our issue. It is happening every day. Mr. Speaker, 115 Americans are dying each and every day due to opioid overdose. We are talking about mothers, fathers, children--too many children in our communities.

We know the current system is failing Americans. We are allowing these foreign criminals and drug dealers to exploit a very obvious loophole in the law. That is why this bill is so important. That is why it is important for Members of Congress to come together and get something done.

This bill sets hard deadlines that will require all packages coming into our country to have this actionable data that will enable the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to interdict and seize shipments of these dangerous packages and keep them off the streets, the American streets.

In closing, I just would like to say to all those here today: I know that we all have a story. I want to reiterate that we all have a story, and we have now a moral obligation to close this obvious loophole. I call upon my colleagues to support this important bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support my bill, H.R. 5445, the 21st Century IRS Act, a bill that will improve cybersecurity and taxpayer identity protection, as well as modernize the information technology system at the IRS. I am grateful today for the bipartisan support. This is a very important issue.

One of the most common, heartbreaking issues I have had to deal with on a recurring basis since I have been elected a member of elected government is identity theft. That is why I wrote the Michigan Identity Theft Protection Act while serving in the Michigan Senate.

I am disheartened to say, however, that since coming to Congress, those stories of identity theft have only become more frequent and are often compounded by problems in dealing with the IRS, many of which center around the delays due to their outdated technology.

Take, for instance, my constituent, Lance. Lance filed his 2015 Federal return in March of 2016. In May of that year, he was notified that his refund was being held until the IRS could verify certain items. Over the next 8 months, Lance tried multiple times to get additional information from the IRS. Finally, in January, they told him that his case had been closed, yet he had not received his refund.

Over the next 6 months, his case was reopened and went from being flagged for identity theft, then cleared, only to be flagged again. Finally, after 18 months of back and forth with the IRS, Lance received his refund of tens of thousands of dollars.

While we want to be vigilant in protecting taxpayers' identities, these unnecessary delays are bad for everyone. I know I am not alone in this Chamber. Most of us, if not all of the Members of this body, have heard a distressed story from a constituent about how they had their tax refund stolen.

That is why my legislation will codify a current public-private partnership, whereby the IRS engages with States and industry to find ways to reduce identity theft tax refund fraud. This will provide them with additional tools to proactively identify trends and schemes as they come about. By heading off ID theft at the beginning of the process, we can eliminate the need for the IRS to chase down fraudulently paid refunds and reduce the burden on the unfortunate taxpayers who have had their identities stolen.

Mr. Speaker, another source of delay at the IRS and angst for our constituents comes from the severely outdated IT systems at the IRS. Take, for instance, another constituent of mine, Tom from Oakland County. Tom had a return audited, and the auditor mistakenly entered his income by misplacing a decimal point by two spaces and recorded Tom's income as being 100 times its actual amount. This resulted in the IRS telling Tom that he owed a tax bill 18 times his income for that year.

After my office and the Taxpayer Advocate's Office got involved, the IRS fixed the issue but told Tom that he might still receive collection letters until the computer system was able to update with the correct information. This uncertainty coming from the IRS is simply unacceptable. The outdated technology at the IRS is not the fault of the taxpayer.

Now, to address this issue, this legislation includes an important provision that my colleague, Mrs. Walorski, has worked on for a very long time. It provides much needed accountability by setting forth clear guidelines, processes, and responsibilities for the IRS officials who are responsible for maintaining and modernizing the IRS IT.

It also includes a provision put forward by Mr. Renacci, which would allow businesses to file their 1099 information through a taxpayer- friendly internet portal. This will ease the compliance burden for taxpayers and businesses and allow the IRS to get tax information in a timely manner, which will improve the quality and accuracy of the security checks.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, we live in a world of constantly emerging threats and sophisticated criminals who are probing and trying to gain access to the IRS, and, ultimately, the taxpayer's information. The 21st Century IRS Act will help move the IRS in the right direction with meaningful and bipartisan solutions.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following proclamation:

Whereas, the 8th Congressional District of Michigan joins in celebration as we commemorate Martrell Jackson as he is recognized with the Youth on the Move Award by the Greater Lansing Area Club.

Whereas, Mr. Jackson has dedicated his time to developing himself as a businessman and helping others in our community. At age 12 he began working to maintain lawns in his community and used the profits of his work to invest in a snow blower that he could use to expand his services. He also helps our community by volunteering with the Men Making a Difference Program and assisting his church by teaching the younger children. He has shared his passion with those around him, inspired other with his kind heart and charisma, and dedicated himself to the ideals that advance our community.

Let it be known, that the Member of the United States Congress, the Honorable Michael D. Bishop of the 8th Congressional District of the State of Michigan, hereby recognizes Martrell Jackson for his outstanding achievements. Therefore, this document is signed and dedicated to honor this milestone. May others know of my warmest wishes and continued support in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation:

Whereas, the 8th Congressional District of Michigan joins in celebration as we commemorate BreAnna I. Nixon as she is recognized with the Youth on the Move Award by the Greater Lansing Area Club.

Whereas, Ms. Nixon has dedicated her time to developing as an entrepreneur and an athlete. She has taken the initiative to create a yard business where she shovels snow, mows lawns and rakes leaves for regular clients throughout the year. Like others in her family, BreAnna is active in sports as a member of track, volleyball and basketball teams. In 2017 she placed second in the citywide shotput tournament with a throw of 24.8 feet. She has shared her passions with those around her and dedicated herself to the ideals that advance our community.

Let it be known, that the Member of the United States Congress, the Honorable Michael D. Bishop of the 8th Congressional District of the State of Michigan, hereby recognizes BreAnna Nixon for her outstanding achievements. Therefore, this document is signed and dedicated to honor this milestone. May others know of my warmest wishes and continued support in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation:

Whereas, the 8th Congressional District of Michigan joins in celebration as we commemorate Wayne Lynn as he is recognized with the Community Service Award by the Greater Lansing Area Club.

Whereas, Mr. Lynn dedicated his career to helping men and women develop themselves and their faith. Mr. Lynn is the Chairman of the Deacon's Ministry at Union Missionary where he teaches a Men's Bible Study. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of directors for the Turning Point of Lansing where he leads a mentoring program for the growth of young men into adults. He has shared his knowledge and passion with those around him and dedicated himself to the ideals that advance our community.

Let it be known, that the Member of the United States Congress, the Honorable Michael D. Bishop of the 8th Congressional District of the State of Michigan, hereby recognizes Wayne Lynn for his outstanding achievements. Therefore, this document is signed and dedicated to honor this milestone. May others know of my warmest wishes and continued support in the future.