Floor Statements

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment No. 156.

Over the past 25 years, infant adoptions have decreased, and only about 1 percent of pregnant women choose adoption. While there are approximately 2 million couples waiting to adopt in the United States, there were only 18,329 domestic infant adoptions in 2014.

Unfortunately, too many women who have encountered unplanned pregnancies report not receiving adequate information about adoption. Everyone facing an unplanned pregnancy should have access to timely, accurate, and noncoercive information about adoption that helps them make their own fully informed decision.

In 2000, Congress authorized the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program. This program awards grants to adoption organizations to train healthcare workers who offer health services to expectant mothers and are trained to provide adoption information and referral.

In the year 2000, the program annually delivered training to an estimated 10,000 healthcare workers nationwide. This program was phased out in 2010.

This bill funds adoption awareness programs at $39.1 million. My amendment designates $5 million of that funding to restart the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program with the goal of ensuring that expectant mothers have access to timely, accurate information about adoptions.

I also support the administration's effort to fund activities to improve hospital-based adoption support services for our expectant mothers. I urge them to continue this hospital-based program to ensure that mothers who wish to make an adoption have access to comprehensive support throughout the entire adoption process.

Adoption is a bipartisan issue, and it is vital that individuals who are providing health services to expectant mothers are trained to properly provide adoption information and referral.

Madam Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman. I do share her concern. That is why we are asking for $5 million of the $39.1 million be used to give expectant mothers the opportunity to learn fully and make a decision based on what they want to do. It is about education. It is about making them fully aware.

But this is about adoption. This is not about anything else. This is not about taking anything away from anybody. This is about giving them the opportunity to understand the options that they do have in an unplanned pregnancy.

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

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman's comments. What this is really about is 2 million couples willing to adopt children in the United States. It is hard for me to stand here today and say that it would be a much different world if people were really given the opportunity to understand what their options are and be able to fulfill the wishes of over 2 million couples in the United States who are looking to adopt a child. I think that is incredibly important, and I don't understand why we couldn't look at something like that and say this is about adoption. That is all it is about.

Now, this is fully endorsed, by the way, by the National Council for Adoption.

At this time, I would also offer my condolences to Ms. DeLauro for the loss of her mother. She is a fine lady, and I am sure that, no matter what, she will look back on the years she spent with her mother and cherish every one of those.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2210. This bill will designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Community Living Center in my hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania, as the Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA Community Living Center.

This is something you have heard already, but I want you to understand something, and if we can look for a minute outside of the people's House into thinking of who we actually are as a people. This is a young guy, 22 years old, at the very beginning of his life. At a time when most of us are looking forward to so many great things happening to us, he put himself in harm's way.

Now, when you think of what Sergeant Kusick did, it is incredible that this young man, on a hillside in Vietnam under heavy Viet Cong fire, and being seriously wounded himself, when asked: Listen, Sergeant, get on the helicopter. We can get you out of there.

He said: ``No, because if I leave, my comrades cannot be saved.'' What an incredible place to put yourself in, a 22-year-old who just a couple of years earlier was in Butler, Pennsylvania, enjoying all that life has to offer, and all of the potential of that life, and putting the welfare of others and the safety of others before himself. That is an incredible position to put yourself in.

We have already talked about the medal that Sergeant Kusick was given, and what it meant to everybody. But there is just so much about Sergeant Kusick, and all of these veterans, and all of these folks who have put themselves in harm's way. The one thing that comes out all the time is, there is no place quite as unique as the United States of America; there is nothing quite as unique as our men and women in uniform; there is nothing quite as unique as people who are willing to put themselves second and put the lives and safety of others first.

That is just not something people normally do. Sergeant Kusick did that on that hillside, seriously wounded, working on the radios. He knew that if he didn't stay, the other people wouldn't get extracted. He stayed there, under heavy enemy fire, and watched what was going on, watched the helicopters come in to extract his teammates.

And I think of it all the time: Where do people like Sergeant Kusick come from? And do you know where they come from? They come from all of these small towns and cities across America. They don't think of themselves as being unique. They don't think of their sacrifice as being exceptional. They don't think of what they have done as being out of the ordinary because it is just who we are as Americans.

As I think about these things, I am called to bring out something that I have read, and this is in a different war at a different time. It is a dedication stone at the Korean War Memorial, not too far from our Nation's steps. At the point of the triangle leading to the American flag is a dedication which reads: ``Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.''

A country they never knew, and a people they never met, and they put their life on the line to defend those lives. That is incredible. I would just suggest to people, you can go around this world and hunt for other people like this, and you will find them, but you will not find them in as great numbers as you find right here in the United States of America.

I don't know if Sergeant Kusick was a Republican or a Democrat. I don't know how he voted. I knew where he grew up, because that is where I grew up. I knew who he was because he is from the same area I am from. The only difference in all of us may be the town we grew up and our last name, but the rest of it is all the same.

The same blood that coursed through Sergeant Kusick's veins is the same blood that courses through all of our veins. And he was so willing, so willing to sacrifice his life for saving others. Well, this didn't happen by chance. I have got to tell you that what we are doing today to honor Sergeant Kusick was due to the work of The American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and especially the tireless effort of the Third Congressional District Military-Veterans Advocacy group, and my friend, Sergeant Art Greathead, who tirelessly did the research on this.

We ran through all of the things we have to run through, and for those folks who don't know, this is not an easy thing to do. This is hard work to get this done, to honor a hero. But that work was done by all of these folks in a way of saying ``thank you'' to one of America's fallen heros; ``thank you'' to one of American's heros who has been long forgotten in some circles, but not back home.

We remember Sergeant Kusick. We honor Sergeant Kusick. We thank him for his sacrifice, and we point to a country that is forever grateful to our women and men in uniform for the great sacrifice that they make. But I want to go back to one other thing: 22 years old. Twenty-two, at a time when life is just starting, never again to be able to celebrate a birthday; never again to celebrate Christmas, or Thanksgiving; never again to celebrate a family reunion, but forever lost--but

lost for a good reason. He gave his life so that others may survive.

The way they were able to identify Sergeant Kusick's remains--by the way, the helicopter he finally got in after everybody else would have been extracted was shot down, went down in flames. There were dog tags on two of the remains that were recovered. The other body that was recovered did not have dog tags on, but do you know what Sergeant Kusick had? He had his radio pack.

To the very end, Sergeant Kusick was doing what he was required to do and what he wanted to do, and he not only gave up his life but gave up his entire future.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, and I can't tell you how much this means to the people of Butler, Pennsylvania, but more than anything else, to Sergeant Kusick for the sacrifice of a life.

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Robinson Fans, Inc. and its celebration of 125 years as a solely owned family business. Small businesses like Robinson Fans, Inc. are important to both the economy and the community of Pennsylvania's third district. This year, the occasion of its 125th Anniversary, is an appropriate time to celebrate the hard work and outstanding achievements of this small business.

Robinson Fans, Inc., founded in Monongahela, Pennsylvania in 1892, has been operating in the town of Zelienople, Pennsylvania for over a century. This business has helped power locomotives, allowed commodity giants to dig the world's deepest mines, and employed numerous members of the community throughout the years. It has enhanced both the community and the economy, providing jobs and economic opportunity for generations of Pennsylvanians.

Robinson Fans has been victorious through some of America's worst hardships, including the Great Depression and several recessions, an economic feat of enormous scale. It has survived and thrived through multiple generations with new management and operation tactics that kept the business successful. Robinson Fans is now on its sixth generation. This is a remarkable accomplishment, considering most companies do not last beyond 20 years and only 3 percent of family- owned businesses make it to the fourth generation, according to the Family Business Institute.

As a supporter of small businesses like Robinson Fans, I am proud of its efforts and achievements in both the community and the economy. I am sure all my colleagues join me in applauding the valiant efforts of this business and other small businesses that continue to offer economic opportunity to our constituents and make our country a better place.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Borough of Saxonburg in honor of their 185th Anniversary. Located in Butler County Pennsylvania and home to approximately 1,500 residents, Saxonburg is a quaint town with a significant history.

Named for the German state of Saxony, Saxonburg was founded in 1832 by immigrant John Roebling, an admirable architect and engineer. Roebling, whose presence can still be seen and felt today, is responsible for designing the town of Saxonburg and creating an agricultural community that offered immigrants a new life in America.

Roebling revolutionized the art of bridge building when he invented the wire rope from his workshop in Saxonburg, which now serves as a museum and historical landmark for tourists. On July 16, 1842, Roebling was granted a patent for his wire rope invention, marking this year as the 175th Anniversary of Roebling's impact on bridge construction and worldwide transportation in general.

Although Saxonburg has seen many improvements and updates, there has also been a collective effort to maintain its original and unique character. There are countless historic landmarks and structures that have been preserved and maintained, telling the story of days gone by. Saxonburg captured the designation of a historic district on the national level in 2004 and on the state level in 2008, which is a testament to the overall importance of this specific area. If you have the privilege to visit Saxonburg, you will gain a solid understanding of its iconic legacy and unique roots.

Present day citizens of Saxonburg are justifiably proud of their past, especially as they reach these type of momentous milestones. Therefore, as the people of Saxonburg celebrate the anniversary of their founding, I congratulate them on the past 185 years of experiences and accomplishments and wish them continued happiness and success moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my amendment to H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, to prohibit Federal funds from being used to implement the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty unless the Senate first ratifies the treaty.

This language is identical to the version of my amendment that was enacted into law in last year's NDAA and reflects the consistent will of the American people and the unified position of Congress in opposition to this misguided and dangerous treaty.

The U.N. ATT is a deeply flawed agreement signed by the Obama administration in 2013. It would undermine our national sovereignty, harm our most vulnerable allies, and threaten the Second Amendment rights of every single American. Turning over our arms trade policy to the United Nations is just wrongheaded.

The U.N. ATT would force the United States, the world's most important defender of liberty and democracy, onto equal footing with the world's worst dictatorships and terror sponsors. It would be readily politicized by bad actors around the world to try to stop America from providing arms to our friends and allies, including Israel, South Korea, and others.

In short, just like gun control, it would stop the good from doing good without stopping the bad from doing bad.

Congress has stood strong for the past 6 years on this issue. Together, we were successful at stopping the Obama administration from ever implementing this treaty or using hardworking American taxpayer dollars to promote it.

Nevertheless, our work is not over. One of former President Obama's parting shots as he left office was to submit the U.N. ATT to our colleagues in the Senate for ratification, even though he knew it was dead on arrival.

Regardless of who is seated in the Oval Office, renewing this ban is important because no Presidency is permanent. A future administration may well try even harder to put this treaty into effect.

Fortunately, in Donald Trump, we now have a President who believes in protecting our sovereignty in every possible way. America should never cede its sovereignty to the United Nations to determine its arms trade policies.

Therefore, in addition to supporting this amendment, I strongly urge President Trump and Secretary Tillerson to take the final step and officially withdraw the United States from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty once and for all. It is time to tear it up.

I urge my colleagues to stand with me in support of the Second Amendment and our Nation's sovereignty and vote in support of my amendment.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor and pleasure that we welcome President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to our nation's Capital on his first official overseas visit. The United States shares a special relationship with the Republic of Korea forged during the Korean War and solidified by the greater global struggle for freedom in the 20th century. The U.S.-Korea alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a special alliance built upon the sacrifice of brave individuals who stood strong against the adversaries of liberty and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, as the co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, I am proud to welcome President Moon Jae-in today. Our alliance will surely be tested, but our faith and determination will never falter or waiver. I thank him for his commitment to our common values, and I look forward to the work we will do together to strengthen the alliance even more in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2866) to review and improve licensing standards for placement in a relative foster family home, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extent their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2866, currently under consideration.

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

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on H.R. 2866, the Reducing Unnecessary Barriers for Relative Foster Parents Act, introduced by my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker).

Introducing this legislation, Congressman Smucker was joined by our Ways and Means colleague, Congresswoman Terri Sewell from across the aisle. The bill has strong bipartisan support, including mine. I am a cosponsor. And the Child Welfare League of America has strongly endorsed this legislation.

So what does this bill do? Well, in short, the bill will reduce the bureaucratic process for placing children in foster care with relatives, when possible, and is in the best interest of the child.

Now, this just makes common sense. Last year alone, there were almost a half million children in foster care, more than 16,000 children in my home State of Pennsylvania alone. Now, there are countless family members of these foster children who are not only willing, but they are ready to have these children placed in their homes when one of their relatives can't take care of them.

As a matter of good public policy, we should be making the placement process much easier for family members, not more difficult, because it is often in the best interest of the child.

Studies show that placing foster children with relatives solves many of the problems children face when being placed into foster care; moreover, it improves the outcomes for these children. Children are more likely to succeed when they can stay with a family member of their own and someone they are already familiar with and know. Children placed with relatives tend to spend less time in foster care and also experience much more stability.

The problem is that, while current law allows States to waive certain licensing standards when placing children with relatives, many States have been slow to implement the law. One of the purported reasons is that caseworkers are slow or they simply don't know how to place children with relatives because of a lack of training on their part.

Today, caseworkers may not be adequately trained regarding their ability to waive certain standards when licensing relatives. This has resulted in delays in placing children with relatives.

And when these children are already facing a tremendous amount of turmoil and uncertainty in their lives, we shouldn't be tying them up in bureaucratic red tape. We need to do more to place these children with a loving family member whenever possible.

Now, how do we do that? Well, Representative Smucker's bill, H.R. 2866, will help remedy this problem by making our foster care system more family

friendly, by ensuring States take proactive steps to speed up the licensing process for relatives.

Specifically, the bill would require Health and Human Services to identify reputable model standards for licensing foster family homes by October 1, 2018. States, subsequently, would need to do their part by submitting their plans to be in compliance with model standards for family foster care placement. Additionally, States would need to explain how caseworkers in their respective States are being trained.

This commonsense bill is at absolutely no cost to taxpayers, but it would pay tremendous dividends for our Nation's children. Every child deserves to be raised in a loving home. The Smucker-Sewell bill will ensure that many more children can live safely and happily with loving family members when they cannot stay in their own home with their nuclear family.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important legislation. Passing this legislation is the very least we can do for these children.

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

Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

My feeling is the National Association for Regulatory Administration's Model Foster Home Licensing Standards would be a prime example of what HHS should consider.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), the sponsor of this important legislation, from my home State and a key member of the Keystone Coalition.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I just want to take a minute because I think today is one of those days where the American people look to the people's House and say: Isn't it something that they can actually agree? Isn't it something that they actually think with their hearts? Isn't it actually something that they can come together on an issue that is so basic, so simple, and so easy to understand?

We are talking about our most precious asset and the country's best hope for the future: our children.

As I heard Ms. Sewell talk and Ms. Bass talk, I know in their hearts how they feel about this. I know this is not something they just thought about today or this week or thought this would be a good piece of legislation; they think it is good because it is good for American people.

Mr. Smucker joined with Ms. Sewell to have this legislation come forward. It is a breath of fresh air for the people's House. This is legislation that protects children, legislation that puts children with their families in case they can't be taken care of in their own homes, and it is an incredible effort by both sides.

I want to tell you what a great privilege it is to serve with you today and to be on the floor with you. Mr. Davis is eloquent. Ms. Bass, Ms. Sewell, and Mr. Smucker of Pennsylvania are good friends of mine. So it is good to be here today.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a chart that I am going to put up here in a minute, but there is something that I think we all need to realize: Our positions here not only are as representatives but also stewards of taxpayer money.

Now, a lot of people sometimes become confused as to whose money it is that we are talking about, and what we are talking about is hardworking American taxpayers.

The definition of a steward is pretty simple: It is someone who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

The oath we take makes us responsible for every single penny that we spend or allocate because it came out of the pocket of a hardworking American taxpayer.

So it just seems to me that Mr. Barletta's idea makes sense: this idea that somehow actually making sure that people qualify for a subsidy is somehow being mean-hearted and not being actually a steward of these dollars.

I just wanted to point this out. This is H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It was the final vote on March 21, 2010. And I would just tell some of my colleagues: Take a look because some of your names are very prominent there--and you can see it. The piece that we are talking about is the piece that was included in the Affordable Care Act. This isn't something that we dreamed up overnight; this is something that was actually part of the Affordable Care Act.

And now we are saying: My goodness, we are allowing these subsidies to be out there. And then what we are saying is: Well, we are going to presume that whoever it is who applied for these subsidies actually is entitled to them.

Now, that only works in Washington, D.C. In the private sector, you usually have to verify before you do anything, as opposed to saying: Well, do you know what, somebody said that they were entitled to this, so we ought to just go ahead and pass this on.

I have got to tell you: It is a lot easier when it doesn't come out of your pocket. But, when it comes out of hardworking American taxpayers' pockets, I think it is incumbent upon us, as elected representatives, to say that there is something that doesn't make sense here.

When over half a million people receive over $750 million in subsidies, somebody, somewhere, should be saying: How did this happen?

I think it is interesting that neither HHS or the IRS has any method in place to actually go out and recoup these dollars that were wrongfully awarded. This just doesn't make sense. Mr. Barletta is doing something that is common sense.

And I know that when the act was passed, the most famous quote of all is: We have to pass it to find out what is in it.

Well, we did pass it. I wasn't here. I was in the private sector. But these are all of the folks who passed it. This is actually your policy. This is Lou Barletta's policy. This isn't a Republican policy. This is a policy that was part of the Affordable Care Act.

Why in the world would we ever, as taxpayers, expect people to verify this type of activity?

We should just say: Listen, they seem like pretty good folks, and they are going to eventually get back to us.

We have no way of recouping this money.

Now, we can rail about people not having hearts; we can rail about people who don't like immigrants; and we can rail about taking this out on hardworking families and making it difficult for them to get by.

I would just say this: We are trying to protect taxpayer money. We are trying to protect something that is so basic. We are trying to protect something that is actually part of the law that was passed as part of the Affordable Care Act. This isn't a foreign idea. This just makes sense.

So I would just ask my friends: Listen, please go to H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and go to section 1411-- this is your language, by the way. As I said, I wasn't here at the time. I did read it, and I am still scratching my head to say: Do you know what, this is probably a good policy; you should probably read it before you pass it.

But it says exactly what it is that you expect people receiving these subsidies to go through.

It is amazing me today that, all of a sudden, this is Potomac amnesia: I don't remember that part of the law.

So, look, there could be nothing more sensible--commonsensical--than making sure that before we issue subsidies, that are funded by hardworking American taxpayers, that we actually verify who it is that is getting them; rather than going ahead and putting it out there and then saying: Do you know what, maybe they don't qualify.

Well, how do you get the money back?

This pay-and-chase idea, to me, would never work in the private sector because we actually have to be responsible for what we do.

Now, I don't want you to get all wrapped around the axle and think that somehow we are coming after people in a way that doesn't make sense.

Here is what I want you to think about: I want you to think about the people who actually pay the tab, the people who actually pick up the check, the people who actually pay taxes, the people to who we are the most responsible.

And to somehow come up with an idea that it is mean-hearted to verify who is getting these subsidies, to me, is tomfoolery. If you want to do something, and you want to make it hard for people to understand what we are doing, do this: I would love to go back home and tell people what you folks just don't understand. You sent the money to us, we decided how we are going to spend it, we decided that we can give it to anybody we want, and, by the way, if they don't qualify, that shouldn't bother you.

Now, let's just do something that makes sense.

Well, you know what? I really don't need a full minute to talk about something that is common sense, but I have been here now a little bit over 6 years, and it is hard for me to believe that this act was passed back on March 21, 2010, and the language we are talking about today is the actual language that was in the bill that we had to pass before we could find out what was in it.

Maybe at that time somebody should have read this, and it was a good idea to actually verify these things. That would have saved a whole lot of time, a whole lot of money, and a whole lot of irresponsible spending.

Again, whether you want to agree with the study or not agree with the study, when half a million people receive over $750 million in hardworking American taxpayer money, and then we are told: Geez, I can't believe you are that mean that you want to go back and recoup money from people who didn't deserve it--no. What we are saying is let's verify first. Let's make sure of every single penny that goes out of this House--the people's House, by the way--and let's do what is the responsible thing to do as stewards of every single taxpayer penny.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize one of my constituents from Western Pennsylvania, Mr. Ralph Pontillo. Following nearly 30 years of service, Ralph recently retired as president of the Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA), a professional trade organization that represents more than 3,000 member companies in the tri-state region.

Ralph is a veteran of the United States Air Force and a native of Erie County, where he graduated from Strong Vincent High School and Gannon University, earning a baccalaureate degree in political science. Ralph joined the MBA in 1987 and served as manager of member services until he was named president on April 1, 1990. Ralph maintained his role as president for the following three decades, creating a legacy built on advocating for the business community.

Throughout his tenure, Ralph was instrumental in much of the MBA's success, including the facility relocation to its present headquarters and the construction of the MBA's Conference Center. These two projects allowed the MBA to expand and offer additional programs and services, enabling the MBA to become one of the largest regional employer associations of its kind.

Ralph is credited with spearheading one of the MBA's most visible community outreach programs, the annual Roar on the Shore  charitable motorcycle rally. Roar on the Shore  is one of the fastest-growing charitable motorcycle rallies in the United States, attracting approximately 165,000 visitors to the Erie area annually, creating an economic boost of more than $25 million. Over the past ten years, the rally has raised more than $800,000 for local charities.

Ralph has actively participated in a number of local, state and national boards, voluntarily dedicating his time and effort in order to support various initiatives. Ralph is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and for more than 20 years has maintained the status of a Certified Association Executive, a professional designation that recognizes the highest level of achievement and excellence in the profession. Ralph's expertise has been an absolute asset to the various boards and organizations with which he has been involved.

Ralph is an admirable professional who has created a praiseworthy legacy built on advocacy and service. He took advantage of his role as President of the MBA, continuously striving for greatness in all that he did. Ralph has made lasting contributions and the Erie community will reap the benefits of his efforts long after his retirement. Ralph will be remembered as a catalyst for improvement and a longtime champion for the business community

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the United States Merchant Mariners and their vital contributions to the victory of the Allies in World War II. This year, 72 years after our victory in that war, is a fitting time to recognize the contributions of our merchant mariners to the war effort.

There were more than 250,000 men serving in the Merchant Marine during WWII, all volunteers. They had the distinction of being the only non-segregated service. The Merchant Marine was critical to the mission of our military service members around the world during the war.

Many of the important contributions of the Merchant Marine are not well known, including the fact that they had the highest rate of casualties in the Armed Services. More than 700 merchant ships were sunk and more than 8,000 U.S. merchant mariners were killed during the war. The losses suffered are even more remarkable given that the U.S. Merchant Marine was not considered a military branch and was composed of volunteers classified by the government as civilians. Every invasion during the war involved the Merchant Marine. They suffered tremendous casualties during the Battle of the Atlantic, the Murmansk Run, D-Day, and as an integral part of every island invasion in the Pacific Theater. As we come close to Memorial Day, it is fitting to pause and remember their heroism and sacrifice.

The United States built nearly 6,000 merchant vessels and naval auxiliaries in 16 shipyards with over 650,000 workers. This was an economic and military feat of enormous scale. As part of a government effort to encourage more American participation in the war effort, ships were named after famous American counties and cities. 150 colleges and universities also had victory class merchant ships named for them. Many of these institutions of higher education supported important military training programs on their campuses. I am proud that 13 of these victory class ships were named for institutions in Pennsylvania, including three in the third district: Allegheny College, Grove City College, and Westminster College.

I am sure all my colleagues join me in taking great pride in the history of the United States Merchant Marine and the special place in our nation's history associated with their ships and the men who sailed them. They have helped preserve our freedom and they deserve our gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand today in support of this bill. I have been told that this is a rookie mistake. I understand that. We have been working 7 years to undo that rookie's mistake. That is why we are here today. A rookie who didn't know what he was doing, but lectured to us, told us: This is what you have to do; and if you do this, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your health plan, you can just stay on board, and we are going to insure millions of you.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The big thing was you are going to save $2,300 on your premiums. He forgot to tell everybody but the people who were actually in that business. Incredible. Incredible.

Now, this isn't about me, and it is not about you. This is about people. We are in the people's House. Let me just read to you a couple letters from the people who I represent back home. By the way, out of the seven counties I represent, five have one insurer, and the rest of them got out because they couldn't stand to try and work under this onerous law.

Let me tell you what Amanda says: I am very happy to hear that you are working to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I just got an up-close- and-personal look at how dysfunctional it is while trying to shop for my own plan. It is hard enough to start a business in this country due to so many rules, regulations, and confounding taxes. This law makes it even harder. And I don't think the government should make me buy coverages I simply don't need. I know my situation, and I should be able to buy whatever I want without incurring four-figure tax penalties.

Jason says to me: Dear Mike, I am a self-employed father of four feeling the hurtful effects of ObamaCare. For years there has been so much talk from Republicans about repealing ObamaCare. I am paying yet more money for less coverage. We are really feeling the effects of this in my family in our budget. My kids are going to bed hungry after dinner. We desperately need relief and now, not next year. I enthusiastically pulled the lever for Donald Trump and for you, and we are counting on you to make some real change in D.C. Please keep up the fight, and do it quickly.

So this is not about Mike, it is not about John, it is not about any of us. What it is about is taking care of the people that we were sent here to represent. They are Republicans and they are Democrats, who some people could care less about any of us, but they expected us to do something for them. We are sitting here today because this law

is so bad. If it was so good, we wouldn't have to worry, but it is bad, with a capital B.

Now, I have got to tell you, growing up, as a young kid, as it got toward Christmas--and I say this to my friends, by the way, on our side--I used to make a list right before Christmas. I put on that list everything I wanted. You know what, Mr. Speaker? Come Christmas morning, I never got everything I wanted, but I was so thankful for everything I got.

We have to deliver today. We have to keep a promise today to the American people. We have to backtrack on a rookie mistake 7 years ago and make it better for the American people, not just for Republicans, not just for Democrats, not just for those who vote blue or red, but for those who expect us to do what we are supposed to do in the people's House. This is not the Republican House or the Democrat House, this is the people's House.

Isn't it time for all of us to come together to get this done?

We have a marvelous opportunity, but we could lose it. I ask you all and I urge you all to please vote for this act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman. I brought with me today a picture of Master Sergeant Abraham. Now, I never knew him when he looked like this. I knew him when he was much older. I have got to tell you that to know Master Sergeant Abraham, you would never have known what he had gone through in his life because all of these folks from that time period just did what they had to do. When you ask them, ``Why did you do it?'' they said, ``It wasn't an option. It wasn't an option. We had to do it.'' There is just certain times in our history that people rise up and they do things that are incredible, ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Just being around Mr. Abraham for a long time--I never called him Abie, by the way. I did not call him Abie. I always called him sergeant or Mr. Abraham--I was just always so impressed with him. It is such an honor and a privilege to be able to stand here in the people's House to talk about a true American hero, somebody who was not just a patriot, but was compassionate, somebody who never stopped serving his country in so many different ways.

When I first read ``The Ghost of Bataan,'' I went back and I talked to Mr. Abraham. I said: You never told me about these things.

He said: Oh, don't worry about that. Those were just things we had to do.

I said: No, but what you did was incredible: to survive the Bataan Death March, to be in a Japanese prison camp for 3\1/2\ years, to be stabbed, to be shot, to be beaten, to survive malaria and starvation. Did you ever think of trying to get away?

He said: Yeah, Mike, I did, but here was the thing: if one of us were to escape, the Japanese soldiers would shoot 10 of the prisoners who were still in the camp; so we didn't want to do that to any of our colleagues. I watched them die. I held them as they died. We tried to get them through the darkest times that we could.

I said: How did you endure?

He said: My faith. My faith.

That is how we all get through the darkest time, on both knees, believing that God is there for us no matter what. But when you read his books and you understand who this man was--and

I think the second book was the one that was incredible. Let me read this because I just thought if there was anything that somebody did out of love, it was Mr. Abraham.

His second book was ``Oh, God, Where Are You?'' I want you to think of this as a prisoner of war who survived the Bataan Death March, who watched his colleagues killed along the way, and if they fell down, they got shot. Toward the end, when they fell down and they couldn't move anymore, they were put into open graves, and they were told to go ahead and cover the graves. He refused to do it. He said: They are still moving.

So we come to today and we think about what it is that we as Americans can do. What is it we can do? What is in our hearts? What is in our memory? What about all those who came before us and what they went through?

Mr. Abraham, as a child, went to school barefoot. His family didn't have money to even buy him shoes, but he had a love for our Nation. He had a love for his fellow man. He had a love for veterans that was just incredible. But imagine the despair of being in that prison camp and not knowing what was going on in the outside war.

I asked him: What did you do? How did you keep people's spirits up?

He said: I made up stories. I would tell them that I just heard there was a rumor going through camp that our armies are close and they are going to rescue us.

Think about that. They were clinging to a made-up story from this man because he knew that is how he could keep their spirits up in the darkest of times. He kind of smiled about it.

I said: That is incredible.

He said: Well, sometimes you have to do things a little different just to get people's spirits up.

I want you to fast forward to who this man was. I watched him walk with a cane as he got into his later years, in his eighties and nineties, going to VA Butler Healthcare Center every single day to help fellow veterans. His sole purpose in life was to help other American citizens, to help other veterans, to bring a little light into their life, to bring a little happiness into their life; 40,000 hours of service in a VA center. He could have spent his time doing other things, but he didn't. He chose to stay with those he loved. He chose to serve those he loved. He chose to continue to serve even in his retirement this Nation that he loved so much.

I can't tell you how much it means to be able to look at that new health center going up and knowing that Mr. Abraham, from his new post, is looking down and is so thankful to a grateful nation that we are taking time to take care of those who have given everything they can to make sure our Nation remains free.

This is an incredible time in our history. This has nothing to do with parties. It has nothing to do with who you vote for. It has to do with who we are, the fact that every single one of us has a role. I would just ask people to please look into Abie Abraham. Go online and see about Mr. Abraham. Go and see what Master Sergeant Abraham did, and say: If I could just be a little bit like Abie Abraham, the world would be a better place. For all those who have died in the service of our country, they will rest easier.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5, and let's get back to what we are talking about. We are talking about overregulation right now. We are not talking about the Red army or any other type of a red threat that is coming in here. The real threat is red tape. We are not talking about scotch tape or duct tape, we are talking about red tape. There is $2 trillion worth of red tape that the American consumers have to pay for every year. That is trillion with a ``T.'' Every single regulation that goes into effect, not by elected officials but by unelected bureaucrats, I am not saying they are not well intended, I am just saying they are not well thought out. And we really don't know who is going to pay for all of these. The burden is on the American consumers, the American taxpayers.

So if we are talking about creating jobs and if we are talking about getting our economy back on track, let's get the heavy regulatory boot of the American government off of the throat of American job creators. Why don't we make it easier for people to be profitable. Why don't we make it easier for people to start a new business. Why don't we make the prices cheaper on the shelves, and all of the services that are out there cheaper for the American people to buy and purchase.

We get caught up in debate about things that don't make sense to everyday Americans. They elect us to come and represent them. They don't elect us to preach to them. They don't elect us to say: You, poor, stupid people, you don't understand, we are trying to help you.

The Congress has oversight of this. This is our job. Why would we turn it over to unelected bureaucrats. How about this: In 2015, we passed 114 laws. Meanwhile, there were 3,410 rules that were put into effect. Is there a little bit of a problem with the balance there? Is there a little bit of a problem with the people who sent us to represent them telling them: you don't understand, that rule, that regulation, I never had a chance to weigh in on it?

They are asking: Then why the heck did we send you?

And I appreciate the fact that Federal employees need to be appreciated. Being one of those employees, I do appreciate that. When I go home, I love when people tell me: you know what, we really appreciate that you are standing up for us. We really appreciate that you are watching where our tax dollars are going. We really appreciate the fact that you are trying to make it easier for us to breathe, make

it easier for us to succeed, make it easier for us to supply all this revenue.

Every single penny that this government needs to run on is not supplied by the Congress, it is supplied by hardworking American taxpayers. And you know what, we can't even collect enough money from them to cover our bills. We have to go out and borrow more. But they are responsible for it. We sign their name on every single debt that we make.

It is time to wake up and smell the coffee. This is not about some other debate. This is about what we are doing to hardworking American taxpayers and hardworking Americans every single day.

Then some say: you don't understand, you poor, stupid people, we are trying to make the air clean and the water drinkable. Yes, I understand that. That is what we are doing. Why do you try to change it into something that doesn't even make sense? Please go back into your communities and talk to these folks that are saddled with these expenses and look them in the eye and tell them you are just not smart enough to know how government works. The one thing they know is we are $20 trillion in the red.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two of my constituents from Western Pennsylvania, Martin and Martha Johnson. The Johnson's are the founders and directors of Downtown Ministries INC. as well as several other groups serving under its umbrella including Fresh Grounds Coffeehouse, Sans MOCO Gallery, His Work--His Way, Keystone Bibles and Community Health Ministry.

Created in 1994, Downtown Ministries is a charitable organization that serves as an avenue for Christians to connect, socialize and minister. Downtown Ministries strives to provide opportunity and vision to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our community.

In April 2010, Downtown Ministries established the Fresh Grounds Coffeehouse to connect with even more people in our community and positively impact our community. Fresh

Grounds Coffeehouse is the face of Downtown Ministries and has been designated as Greenville, Pennsylvania's latest landmark. Fresh Grounds Coffeehouse is not just a meeting place but, more importantly, it is a ministry. The main objective of Fresh Grounds Coffeehouse is to honor and glorify God and create a special place where God's presence is felt and embraced. While it's not a traditional church ministry, Fresh Grounds Coffeehouse creates countless opportunities for Christian growth and allows customers to engage one another in nurturing relationships, which Martin and Martha Johnson have strived for over the years.

Martin Johnson had a vision, which ultimately became a reality, with the help of countless friends, volunteers, local businesses and churches. The unwavering dedication exhibited by Martin and Martha Johnson, as well as all volunteers involved, is heartwarming and speaks volumes about the giving spirit of the Greenville community.

As a unique ministry, the main focus of Downtown Ministries, and all groups that fall under its organizational umbrella, is to bring individuals to come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In serving God, the community, and all those in need of God's Grace, Martin and Martha Johnson are inspirations to us all. Their compassion and generosity have clearly influenced the lives of so many and will continue to do so for years to come. Therefore, on behalf of the Third Congressional District of Pennsylvania, I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation of Martin and Martha Johnson, they are true Community Champions.

Mr. Chairman, I come from the private sector; so when I come to the House and I listen to the debate going back and forth, I almost feel like I am somebody not from a different planet, but from a different galaxy.

When we talk about overregulation, when we talk about the effects of unelected bureaucrats leveling on the American people $2 trillion and an impact to the economy, then somebody ought to sit up and listen.

All we are talking about is scrutiny, scrutiny of any piece of legislation, any executive order that comes out that is going to have an impact of $100 million or more on the economy. Around here, $100 million sounds like nothing. From where I am from, it is unbelievable that we would even think that $100 million should be the point that we look at.

What could be more common sense than to look at the heavy burden we are putting on everyday Americans and saying that, somehow, unelected bureaucrats who have never walked in their shoes, who have never done their job, who have never worried about meeting a payroll, who have never had to worry about regulation and taxation that make it impossible for them to compete, these poor, stupid folks just don't get it?

705,687 people in your districts are who you represent. Whether they voted for you or not is not the point. The point is we represent them. Why in the world would Congress cede its power to the executive branch and to unelected bureaucrats to determine what the American people are going to be burdened with? It is just common sense. Why can't we not see what is right in front of us right now?

I invite you to please go home to your districts, walk in those shops, walk in those little towns, talk to those people and find out the two things that really inhibit them from being successful are overtaxation and overregulation. We can handle both those things right here in the people's House.

This is not a Democratic House. This is not a Republican House. This is America's House. We should be looking at things that benefit the American people.

If we truly want to act in a bipartisan way, then let's stop this back-and-forth debate about what Republicans want, what Democrats want, and let's talk about what is good for the American people. That is who sent us. That is whose responsibility we have on our shoulders. If we can't do that, we ought to go home.