Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, there are few places that encapsulate all our country has to offer more than my home city of Chicago. The strengths of the Nation can be seen in every corner of my district, where we celebrate diversity, passion, and resilience. This includes our immigrant communities, and I am proud to represent one of the most welcoming cities to those seeking a better life in America.

That is why it is ridiculous to hear the President continue his bizarre barrage of attacks against our great city with his newest and most misguided claim yet, that elevated gun violence in Chicago stems from undocumented immigrants. Not only do his comments do nothing to address the gun violence problem in Chicago, but they are just plain wrong.

Like most major cities, we struggle with violence and encourage constructive assistance. But studies have shown that immigration has no effect on crime rates. In fact, researchers have found immigrants generally have the strongest incentives to avoid activity that will put them in contact with the criminal justice system.

The President should stop attacking the most vulnerable members of our society and, instead, look for pragmatic, commonsense policies to support comprehensive immigration reform and gun violence prevention.

Mr. Speaker, just hours after the President's misguided, counterproductive, and objectively anti-American Muslim ban was signed, we saw the effects. Chaos erupted at airports around the country, including in my own district at Chicago O'Hare. Green card holders were held in legal limbo. Refugees fleeing violence and persecution were sent away before boarding U.S.-bound flights, even after enduring years of thorough screening and vetting.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have turned away innocent people seeking safety in our country. In 1939, the German ocean liner St. Louis Manifest and its 937 Jewish passengers, almost all Jewish refugees, were turned away from the Port of Miami and sent back to Europe. Of those passengers, 254 were murdered in the Holocaust.

We all bear a responsibility to learn from the evils of history so that we will never make the same mistakes again. It is our turn to step up and fight to protect the values of our Nation and ensure that we are on the right side of history. Because who can possibly forget the photo of Alan Kurdi, the 3-year-old Syrian boy who was washed up on a Turkish beach. Or Omran Daqneesh, the 5-year-old Syrian boy covered in blood as he waited for emergency care after being rescued from a building in Aleppo hit by an airstrike. These devastating images have become symbols of the refugee crisis. We cannot let them symbolize our inaction, too.

The President's executive order creating this Muslim ban undermines the foundational ideas of this country, a Nation founded by immigrants with the intention of providing freedom, opportunity, and a better life to all who seek it. Making good on one of his most extreme campaign promises, the President signed this order with little or no input from his own national security advisers nor from specialists at the State Department, Homeland Security, or the Justice Department, once again signaling his strong and continued dismissal of facts, evidence, and advice from seasoned experts.

Contrary to the President's misguided belief, Islam is not the issue, and his decision to go after Muslims instead of terrorists only fuels our enemies' propaganda. The President's Muslim ban undermines our national security goals and is counterproductive in the fight against terrorism. The ban jeopardizes our strategic partnerships with allies in the Middle East who are on the very front lines in the fight against ISIS. Asylum seekers and foreign nationals have provided invaluable assistance to our military and diplomats in a variety of roles overseas. I agree with Senators McCain and Graham, who said this ban will become ``a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism.'' Ultimately, this order is more likely to increase terrorist recruitment than to deter it.

Outrage over this ban extends far beyond national security and counterterrorism experts. For example, we are seeing sharp criticism from business leaders across the country, including CEOs of companies like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Airbnb. They recognize that immigrants play a huge role in fostering our Nation's entrepreneurial spirit, advancing new technology, creating startups, all which spur innovation and economic activity across the country.

Universities and academics across the country are also grappling with what the President's restrictions mean for their students and for scholarship and academia more broadly. Students benefit from the inclusion of all world views, which provide us with a deeper understanding of science, the arts, economic policy, national security, and all other aspects of our society.

Let's be clear. My own city of Chicago has been and will continue to be home to an immigrant and refugee community from all around the world, and we are forever enriched and grateful for the contributions that make this country great. I, along with the majority of American people who took to the streets to make their opposition heard loud and clear, demand that the administration rescind this shameful order before even more grave and lasting damage is done.

Let's call a spade a spade. Despite the White House's insistence that this is not a Muslim ban, the policy laid out by the President will almost exclusively impact Muslims. In fact, the President went so far as to point out that this administration will prioritize the admittance for Christian refugees. If this is not a religious test, then what is?

Refugees of all faiths, creeds, race, and national origins have looked to America as a beacon of freedom. So long as this ban is in effect, that light shines less brightly. We will not etch a new inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Instead, her golden lamp will continue to welcome those who are tired, poor, and yearning to be free, just as it always has.

Mr. Speaker, a strong, safe, reliable, and efficient infrastructure system is vital for robust and sustained economic growth. Comprehensive infrastructure reform is all-inclusive and requires an ongoing investment by the Federal Government in not just our roads and bridges but in all of the vital systems that support our way of life.

Currently, the United States needs around $3.6 trillion in infrastructure investment by 2020, just to keep our country in a state of good repair. By contrast, China, perhaps our greatest international rival, spends nearly four times of its GDP on infrastructure than we do and announced nearly a trillion dollars more infrastructure spending just last year.

Put simply, our national infrastructure system is an embarrassment, earning a D-plus grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. It is a threat to our economy, to American jobs, to our national security, and to our environment.

We need a public transportation system that gets people where they need to be, keeps our roads clear, and makes our cities better places to live. We need a freight system that moves products and raw materials quickly, safely, and efficiently. We need airways that reliably move people and cargo around the country and the world in a timely manner. We need river locks and ports that allow American farmers to ship their products to market, no matter where that is. We need water pipes and sewers that transport safe, clean water to every American. And we need to close the broadband gap so that every American can take advantage of the opportunities the Internet provides.

Investing in America's infrastructure is good politics, good economics, and the right thing to do. Each year, Americans take around 11 billion trips on public transportation systems like buses, commuter rail, and light rail, contributing to the $58 billion industry that employs nearly half a million people. And yet, almost half of our Nation's buses and a quarter of our rail assets are in marginal or poor condition.

My city of Chicago is the crossroads for the Nation's freight system, and each day more than 54 million tons of freight is moved across the U.S., and nearly a quarter of it passes through the Chicago city limits--at times, very slowly.

We stand to lose $1 trillion a year in lost sales in 2020, if we fail to build out our freight infrastructure to keep pace with future growth.

Congestion is also an issue at our Nation's airports. Ground delays are becoming a greater challenge as more and more people fly regularly. These delays can have a very serious consequence, resulting in passengers being late to their destinations, lost productivity from cargo sitting on runways, and increased pollution due to needlessly burning jet fuel.

In addition to air and ground, we must also talk about our waterways. Each year millions of tons of material traverse inland waterways like the Mississippi River and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. But, according to the Army Corps of Engineers, there is a billion dollar maintenance backlog that threatens to keep our waterways from maintaining adequate levels of performance.

There are problems in our water and sewer systems, too. The 240,000 water main breaks that occur in this country each year cost us more than $2.6 billion; not to mention the lost productivity caused by closed roads, lost water, and other indirect impacts. Nearly all of the U.S. underground water pipes will reach or surpass their useful lifespans in the next decade. The longer we wait, the higher the price tag will become.

Finally, we can use our infrastructure system to promote economic growth and economic equality, and one great way to do that is to close the broadband gap and increase access to high-speed Internet. As many as 50 million Americans live in areas without the ability to get high- quality and useful Internet access. Extending the ability to get online benefits businesses, employees, students, and everyone else without this vital utility, all while spurring economic activities that ripple throughout the economy.

The benefits of smart investment and infrastructure are massive. Every billion spent in infrastructure creates 13,000 jobs, in addition to improving the efficiency of the system. And every dollar invested generates almost $3 in economic activity.

Conversely, the consequences of failing to act are dire. Each American household stands to lose $3,400 per year in disposable income thanks to infrastructure deficiencies. That is money taken directly from our constituents' pockets, money they would use to support themselves and their families, not to mention the economy as a whole, which could lose more than $4 trillion in GDP and more than 2.5 million jobs by 2025.

We owe it to each other and every one of our constituents to act. I urge the 115th Congress to prioritize infrastructure spending and pass a comprehensive package that addresses all aspects of the connected infrastructure system.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Mary and her son, two of my constituents from the Lakeview community of Chicago. Mary wrote to me on her son's behalf, expressing their deep appreciation for the Affordable Care Act and what the law has meant for their family.

In 2001, Mary's son was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Addison's disease. It occurs when your body produces insufficient amounts of certain hormones produced by your adrenal glands. When left untreated, Addison's disease can be life-threatening.

At the time of his diagnosis, Mary's son was fully insured through his employer. Then, in 2011, Mary's son left his employer to pursue the American Dream of entrepreneurship and start a small business on his own. Leaving his employer to bravely chase the American Dream meant leaving behind his insurance coverage, too. He did not anticipate being denied coverage due to a preexisting condition.

Up to this point, because of treatment covered by his insurance plan, he had been able to work to provide for himself and to live independently. As he got his new business off the ground, he went uninsured and, as a result, encountered several crises with his health. He avoided going to the doctor due to high costs and eventually ended up in the emergency room. As we all know, preventable emergency visits are a major contributor to the overall high healthcare costs that harm the entire system.

Thanks to the President and Congress passing the Affordable Care Act, Mary's son was finally able to obtain affordable care when the health insurance marketplace first opened in October 2013.

Mary wrote me to share her son's story. He is one of tens of millions of Americans who have directly benefited from the ACA's improvements to coverage, consumer protections, costs, and quality. Today, Mary is fearful of what the repeal of ACA will mean for her son.

Unfortunately, despite having 7 years to produce an alternative, the majority has failed to offer a true replacement. And what about the parts of the ACA that share bipartisan popularity?

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the President-elect insist they will craft a plan that maintains popular parts of the law, while rejecting the less popular components. Of course, that sounds great, but there is one real problem: they have offered absolutely no way to pay for any of it.

In reality, repeal and replace is more simply repeal and go back to before--tearing down a much-needed house before a new one is built, back to a time when 47 million Americans--nearly 18 percent of the population--were uninsured. Mary's son and countless others like him cannot afford to go back in time. Repealing ACA will leave 20 million Americans, including her son, without affordable health insurance, effectively disrupting their care and potentially putting their lives at risk.

To remind us all of the high stakes riding on the ACA repeal, Mary wrote, saying: ``As a former Republican and now an Independent voter, I am speaking from my heart. The 2016 election result has me truly frightened for the health of my son and for my husband and me.''

Repealing the Affordable Care Act will create a chaotic situation that will put real lives in danger. We all share in the responsibility to protect the health care of all Americans. Empty rhetoric of repealing the ACA is dangerous, but when transformed into real legislative action, it can be catastrophic for the constituents that elected us to serve and represent them in this body.

On behalf of Mary's son and other Americans in districts across the country, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to abandon their efforts to strip health care from those who need it and, instead, work with us to make our country a healthier place for all.

Mr. Speaker, 7 score and 12 years ago, another gentleman from Illinois went to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to dedicate the 4- month-old, still unfinished Union cemetery at the site of one of the bloodiest battles in American history. There he would give one of our Nation's defining speeches. Amazingly, President Lincoln's address was not even the main event of that day. Edward Everett, the former president of Harvard, was the event's main speaker, spending 2 hours lecturing about ancient Greece and how that society honored their fallen soldiers.

Everett later wrote:

I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as

near to the central idea of the occasion in 2 hours as

President Lincoln did in 2 minutes.

In the 2\1/2\ minutes Lincoln spoke, he did more than honor our fallen soldiers. In 272 eloquent words, he reminded us that we live in a nation dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. He asked whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.

In his address, the President also issued a challenge to his contemporaries and to generations of Americans thereafter, saying:

It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to

the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far

so nobly advanced.

He concluded:

Our Nation shall have a new birth of freedom and that a

government of the people, by the people, and for the people

shall not perish from this Earth.

In his address, I believe, President Lincoln was asking the question: What do we as Americans mean when we say all of us ``are created equal''?

In the over 150 years since the Gettysburg Address, we have had our struggles, but we have also had our successes.

We have suffered the Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, but we also experienced the redemption of Brown v. Board of Education. We allowed the women of this Nation to remain disenfranchised for more than a century, but we also passed the 19th Amendment, which affirmed women's right to vote.

We lived through the travesties of Jim Crow, but we also celebrated the passage of the Civil Rights Act. We watched Truman's executive action desegregate our military. We passed Don't Ask, Don't Tell--and repealed it--and DOMA, but we also have witnessed the legalization of same-sex marriage in 37 States and the District of Columbia.

All of these examples serve as reminders of the difficulties in ensuring equality for all, but they also demonstrate a nation that has responded to challenge and has been reborn. Each time, we have come a little closer to living up to the ideal that all of us are created equal.

To paraphrase Dr. King, the moral arc of our Nation may be long, but as history shows us, it bends towards justice, equality, and freedom.

In times of dissonance, inequality, and injustice, great leaders like Lincoln have reminded us of our Nation's true purpose: equality.

On Lincoln's birthday, let's rededicate ourselves to our Nation's unfinished work. Let's ensure that women get equal pay for equal work. Let's recognize all love as equal and extend marriage rights to all of our citizens once and for all. Let's strengthen the Voting Rights Act to guarantee that no one is disenfranchised and all Americans have access to this fundamental right.

Let's finish the work the Senate started and pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Let's pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act so that no American can be fired simply because of who they love or who they are. Let's allow our neighbors and friends who put in a full day's work, whether in the mailroom or the boardroom, to provide their families with a living wage.

Lincoln modestly believed that ``no one would long remember'' his address that day at Gettysburg, but we do remember and strive to honor all those who have sacrificed and struggled--and continue to struggle-- for equality because we believe, as Dr. King spoke of on the steps of Lincoln's own sacred memorial, ``that one day this Nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.''

Mr. Speaker, infrastructure investment is key to growing our economy and creating jobs which is why President Obama committed to a 40 percent increase in infrastructure funding in his budget released this week.

Despite the fact that every billion dollars invested in infrastructure creates 30,000 jobs, over the past 50 years, our investment in infrastructure has shrunk by half. Meanwhile, China is investing four times as much as we do in transportation.

We need these investments in Chicago where we have got a century-old transit system that needs updates to keep up with increased capacity. By the way, the Chicago Transit Authority carries more people in a month than Amtrak does in a year. We also need 1,000 miles of roads to be repaired, and 675 bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

Our crumbling infrastructure is slowing economic growth, and without serious long-term investments, we simply will not be able to compete in today's global economy.

The President outlined his 21st century infrastructure plan this week. Now, it is time for Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together on the long-term transportation bill the American people are asking for.

Madam Speaker, the Chicago Cubs, baseball, and all sports has lost a legend. Ernie Banks, ``Mr. Cub,'' passed away last Friday.

From humble beginnings, Ernie won two MVPs as a power-hitting shortstop and became an All-Star and a Hall of Famer. But perhaps more importantly, he overcame the racism he faced to become an amazing ambassador for the Cubs, his beloved Wrigley Field, and the game itself.

You could not have met a more decent, kinder, happier soul on any field of endeavor. It was for these roles that he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Ernie, thanks for reminding us that baseball is a game that should be watched and played for fun. Indeed, let's play two. You will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, a new Congress, but the sights are familiar: the same rhetoric with no regard for the truth.

Ahead of another ill-advised vote to approve the Keystone pipeline, the same myths are being spread pitting environmental protection against job creation.

Winston Churchill once said:

The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it,

ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

Let us separate myths from reality. It is time to decide: truth or scare. Approval of the Keystone pipeline will have very little impact in the way of job creation but a detrimental impact on the environment and hinder our promise of a clean energy future. That is the truth.

My question is: Why are we ignoring these facts and voting once again to approve the Keystone pipeline, which would carry one of the dirtiest energy sources on the planet? Perhaps it has something to do with the many myths associated with this project. Pipeline proponents are quick to point to the creation of jobs as the primary reason for the project's approval; however, the facts don't match up.

According to the only independent analysis by Cornell University's Global Labor Institute, these claims are not accurate. TransCanada's job claims are complete fabrications. The Cornell report concludes that Keystone will not be a major source of jobs, nor will it play any substantial role at all in putting Americans back to work.

The State Department says Keystone would only create 35 permanent jobs and 1,950 construction jobs for 2 years. Most of those jobs created by this project will be nonlocal and temporary.

In reality, we can and should be creating jobs by improving our existing infrastructure and investing in clean energy, education, and research. In fact, Keystone would make it much harder for the United States to invest in clean energy jobs and address global climate change. Our best bet at a clean energy economy lies far, far away from tar sands. That is the truth.

Proponents of the pipeline claim that Keystone will bring down gas prices for Americans, but in reality, prices at Midwestern pumps could actually increase. According to its own documents, TransCanada expects the pipeline to increase gas prices in the Midwest up to 15 cents per gallon.

Currently, a surplus of gas in the region means that our prices stay stable. If the pipeline is built, oil companies will be able to send their product to the gulf coast for export, which will reduce the surplus and drive up costs for Midwestern consumers. That is the truth.

On top of all this, let's not forget TransCanada is the same company that operates the existing Keystone pipeline which spilled a dozen times in the first year of operation. The twelfth spill released 21,000 gallons of oil in North Dakota, contaminating the soil and water.

Across the country, about 3.2 million gallons of oil spill from pipelines every year. These spills pose a great threat to American drinking water, especially when you consider the proposed project route would cross 1,073 surface water bodies and affect 383 acres of wetlands.

Most Americans understand that oil spills in the past have had severe environmental impacts, but any Keystone spill would be truly catastrophic. That is the truth.

In the end, Keystone brings a whole lot of environmental risk and very little reward. It is time we stopped perpetuating the myths. It is time we heed the warnings. It is time we decide: truth or scare.

Mr. Speaker, one of my greatest privileges as a Congressman has been spending time with some of our country's wounded veterans through the USA Warriors Ice Hockey program. USA Warriors provides education, training, motivation, and encouragement for U.S. military members who have been injured while serving.

The same qualities that made them successful in the military-- teamwork, perseverance, and determination--make them inspiring competitors on the ice.

Recently, I played with the Warriors and the Chicago Blackhawks at a practice at Nationals Park before the Winter Classic. Last week was particularly moving because the Warriors paid tribute to Clint Reif, Chicago Blackhawks' assistant equipment manager, who passed away on December 21st, by wearing ``CR'' stickers on their helmets.

Clint was responsible for getting the Warriors new equipment when they skated with the Blackhawks last season at Soldier Field, and many of the Warriors considered Clint an extended member of their team. This simple gesture was a fitting tribute to Clint and an extraordinary testament to these veterans who have given us all so much.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Reif family and the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization during these difficult times.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of an important and respected member of the Chicago community.

On December 21st, we lost a vital asset and key individual to the Chicago Blackhawks team, with the passing of Clint Reif.

In his ninth season with the Blackhawks and sixth as assistant equipment manager, Clint ensured that his team was suited up and ready to play to the best of their ability day in and day out.

Arriving early and leaving late, Clint had one of the all-important duties of maintaining and repairing equipment. And we all know how gentle hockey players are on their equipment. Because of Clint's attention to detail and professionalism, no Blackhawks player was ever left on the ice without exactly what he needed.

But beyond that, he was a family man, with four charming children-- Florence, C.J., Aislynn and Colette--and his loving wife, Kelly. He was also devoted to his community, spearheading the team's initiative to outfit the Wounded Warriors hockey team with brand new equipment this past March. The Wounded Warriors Project (WWP) aims to raise awareness and enlist the public's generosity for the needs of injured service members. Clint respected and admired those brave men and women who fought to ensure our freedoms and gave back in true Clint fashion--with hockey equipment.

Another great sports influence in the city of Chicago, Phil Jackson, once said, ``The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.'' With the passing of Clint, the Chicago Blackhawks lost an irreplaceable individual from their team, one that helped lead them to two Stanley Cup Championships.

A one of a kind guy, Clint will be greatly missed by the Blackhawks, the City of Chicago and the entire hockey community.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating his life.

Mr. Speaker, since the Clean Air Act was enacted into law more than 40 years ago, we have seen tremendous progress in cleaning up our air and in protecting thousands of communities around the country.

Unfortunately, many Americans are still living in communities where poor air quality puts them and their loved ones' health at risk. That is why I am proud to support the EPA's new standard for ground level ozone pollution.

Whether we work outdoors or simply want our children to be able to play outside, the EPA's recent national ozone pollution standards bring us one step closer to cleaner, healthier communities for everyone to enjoy. This proposal would lower the current standard of 75 parts per billion to a standard in the range of 65 to 70 parts per billion, while taking public comments on a level as low as 60.

Despite what many of my colleagues seem to believe, successful public health protection depends on the latest scientific data, and as many Members have been so eager to point out, we are not scientists. All we can do is rely on the best data out there from experts in the field, and in this case the data is quite clear.

A significantly expanded body of scientific evidence, including more than 1,000 new studies since the last review of the standards, show that ozone can cause harmful effects to health and the environment. Health experts, epidemiologists, and numerous medical organizations have clearly stated that the existing EPA smog standard of 75 parts per billion is not adequate to protect public health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, outdoor workers, and those with chronic medical conditions like asthma. In all, 147 million people in the U.S., almost half of the country, are breathing unhealthy air.

Earlier this year the American Lung Association's State of the Air 2014 ranked Chicago as the 14th most polluted city in the Nation for short-term particle pollution. The city also ranked 20th for most ozone-polluted and for year-round particle pollution. In fact, nearly half of all Americans live in counties where ozone or particle pollution levels make the air unhealthy to breathe.

Studies have linked breathing ozone to an increased risk of premature deaths and difficulty breathing, as well as other serious illnesses. In the U.S. today, one child in 10 already suffers from asthma, and ozone pollution only makes things worse.

When asked what steps need to be taken to reduce the air pollution, the American Lung Association said that Federal action, including the EPA setting strong, health-based standards to limit ozone pollution, is one of the most important action steps we can take.

When we update our national ozone pollution standards, we are not only cleaning up our air but also protecting those most at risk. These changes would have a lasting and positive impact on my home State of Illinois, where 1.2 million adults and 13 percent of children suffer from smog-related asthma, well above the national average.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, ``In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.'' Knowing the tremendous impact ozone pollution has on our environment and community health, the decision to do nothing is not a viable option.

Per usual, there are those here attacking this new proposal with claims of job loss and economic harm. According to science deniers and special interests, this proposal will cause the sky to fall. The facts, however, state otherwise.

Since 1970 we have cut harmful air pollution by almost 70 percent while the U.S. economy has more than tripled. An ozone standard in the proposed range of 65 to 70 parts per billion has public health benefits worth billions of dollars. Reducing ozone and particle pollution nationwide will avoid countless premature deaths and thousands of asthma-related emergency room visits, not to mention fewer missed school and work days.

The impact of ozone on agricultural workers is also important in its own

right. A reduction in the ozone standard would translate into an annual cost savings of approximately $1 billion in labor expenditure.

We have countless scientific studies that clearly display the negative health risks associated with unregulated ozone pollution. Nevertheless, critics continue to play a dangerous role in denouncing the science and the law EPA has used for more than 40 years.

The science cannot be ignored. Now is the time to protect the most vulnerable among us. Now is the time to fight for better air quality across the country. Now is the time for action to protect American health and the environment.

We cannot afford to wait. Clean air is essential to a healthy community and a strong economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of funding for Alzheimer's disease research.

Alzheimer's is a particularly devastating disease both for the patients and their families. Families watch their loved ones effectively disappear before their eyes. There are currently more than 5 million Americans suffering from this disease, with one American being diagnosed every 67 seconds.

We must take preventive actions to address the growing population of Alzheimer's patients in this country. In the fiscal year 2015 appropriations process, I urge my colleagues to support increased funding for this research. This research will help find ways to prevent, treat, and even slow the progression of the disease, helping to ease the burden on patients, caregivers, and the Medicare system.

Congress must continue its commitment to fight against Alzheimer's by providing this crucial funding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the life of an important and respected member of the Chicago community. Last week, we lost an advocate for the middle class, Terry Allen, when he lost his battle with cancer.

Serving for decades as a dedicated leader, he represented thousands of Chicagoland workers with great distinction. Terry embodied the heart of our city and strived to improve the lives of workers, even when his own health was failing. His contributions to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW Local 134, and middle class workers changed countless lives and will continue to do so in his memory.

Terry Allen was an inspiration to all who knew him. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his legacy, celebrating his life, and remembering his illustrious contributions to the city of Chicago.

Mr. Speaker, as it stands today, the 113th Congress will go down in history as the Congress of abandoned authority.

With little exception, this Congress has failed to address the issues the American people sent us here to take on: tax reform, immigration, transportation infrastructure, climate change. This Congress has shown little progress, and in so doing, we have ceded more and more of our power as a legislature to the executive. Nowhere has our abandoned authority inflicted greater harm on Congress as an institution than our abdication of leadership in the fight against ISIS.

The Constitution gives Congress, and Congress alone, the power to declare war. But while unilateral Executive action on every other issue has been met

with partisan attacks, this Congress seems content with allowing the President to call the shots on military engagement with ISIS.

Mr. Speaker, this abandoned authority must end. Before the end of the 113th Congress, we must restore our constitutional authority over the Nation's war powers. We must commit to a full, open, and honest debate on an authorization for use of military force in the fight against

Mr. Speaker, my esteemed colleagues, please join me in recognizing Miss Jessica Rivka Cherry and Mr. Daniel Joseph Chavin, as they celebrate their dedication to each other and to their future together.

Jessica and Daniel celebrated their commitment to each other on Sunday, November 16, 2014, in the greatest city in America, my hometown, Chicago, IL.

It is with great excitement and anticipation that both families share in the happiness of this union. Their commitment to each other is one to be celebrated and commended and one in which I offer my congratulations and wish them the best as they begin their new life together.