Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Can the Chair tell us when the House may muster the courage to take up the issue of gun violence?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Andrew J. Nicks upon the occasion of being named Napa and Solano County Medical Society's Physician of the Year. Dr. Nicks is a renowned radiologist who has dedicated his life to the study of medicine and community service.

Dr. Andrew J. Nicks grew up in the state of Wisconsin where he attended the University of Wisconsin and received a bachelor's degree in zoology. He then graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin and began an internship at the Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he met his wife, Nancy. There he began an impressive medical career in the military, serving as a U.S. Navy flight surgeon, a medical resident and later Chief of Diagnostic Radiology at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco, California.

After retiring from the military, Dr. Nicks was Chief of Radiology at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California. He introduced several technologies that increased the quality of care, including CT, MRI, Nuclear Cardiac Scans, Radiation Oncology, and other forms of digital imaging. He also sat on the Board of Trustees and chaired several committees.

Throughout his career, Dr. Nicks has been repeatedly recognized for his outstanding work in the medical field. He was named as a Fellow of the American College of Radiology, an honor that is given to only 10 percent of radiologists based on service to profession, teaching and the community. He served as the President of the Radiology Medical Group and co-founded Radiation Oncology Centers throughout Northern California. His commitment to service extends beyond hospital walls. He served on the Boards of Directors of the Napa Valley Country Club, Collabria Hospice and Adult Day Care, Vintage Bank and Napa Valley Bancorp.

Dr. Nicks believes in the importance of dedication and diligence. His consistent application of these principles throughout his life, accompanied by his quick wit, sense of humor, loyalty, high level of professionalism and exemplary leadership has resulted in nearly 50 years of professional excellence.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Andrew J. Nicks is well deserving of the honor of Physician of the Year. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Dorothy ``Dottie'' Jeanette Shea, an active member of our community and a devoted mother and grandmother who passed away at the age of 82.

A native of Hopland, California, Dottie graduated from Analy High School in Sebastopol and attended Santa Rosa Junior College. While working as a legal secretary in Santa Rosa, Dottie met her husband, local attorney John ``Jack'' Shea, in 1964.

Dottie cared deeply about Sonoma County and spent her life dedicated to community service. She was not only active in local politics, but she also hosted countless gatherings in her home to discuss local issues, charity efforts and community needs. From these diverse gatherings came many of the innovative ideas that helped Santa Rosa grow from a rural, agrarian community into the large city it is today.

Dottie was also an enthusiastic member of the Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival, which celebrates the start of the Salmon fishing season. And, she enjoyed sharing with her grandchildren and her community all things that Sonoma County had to offer.

Mr. Speaker, Dottie Shea was my friend, a loving mother, a proud native Californian and emblematic of community service. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor her and extend our condolences to her family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Oxbow Public Market of Napa, California, which is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its opening.

Real estate developer and specialty-food consultant Steve Carlin opened the Oxbow Public Market in 2007. Home to more than two dozen specialty merchants, including a distillery, ice cream shop and bookstore, Oxbow remains one of the most popular places in Napa to find great food and wine.

Thanks to their exceptional quality and variety of products, the Oxbow Public Market has earned praise from numerous news outlets and food magazines. In September of 2017, Tasting Table, an online magazine devoted to America's best food and drink, recognized the Oxbow Market as home to ``the world's best English Muffins.'' The magazine praised Oxbow for its numerous homemade, local offerings, and cited testimony from Oprah Winfrey, who regularly flies Oxbow's English muffins to her home and described them as ``crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and scrumptious all over.''

The Oxbow Public Market proudly sells sustainably-produced local crops, and supports organic farming practices, owner-operated businesses, local food producers and the agricultural community of the Napa Valley and surrounding areas. By supporting local producers and promoting sustainable practices, Oxbow not only offers area residents a reliable source of world-class products, but provides a showcase for the innovative people and practices that make Napa's agricultural community so special.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the Oxbow Public Market for creating a place in our community where people can gather to enjoy the best local produce and wind of the Napa Valley. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor them here today

Mr. Speaker, this year has been the worst fire season in California history. The October fires included 21 major fires that were fought by over 11,000 firefighters.

They were driven by powerful winds that reached speeds of over 80 miles an hour, and these fires moved, at times, as fast as 200 feet per second. That is 40 football fields in a minute. They burned nearly 300,000 acres.

They forced over 100,000 people to evacuate their homes, and they destroyed over 9,000 homes and structures. And, most tragically, 44 people lost their lives.

Our communities have been devastated, Mr. Speaker, but they have also come together and supported each other in inspiring ways, and now they begin the very long road to recovery.

I am pleased to see this supplemental funding package will deliver much-needed funds for fire recovery. I want to specifically thank Congressmen Calvert, McCarthy, and Pelosi, who came out and saw this devastation and have been working with us to make sure we get the funds that we need. I want to thank the appropriators and the appropriations staff for all their help as well.

With the support of the entire California House delegation, the State of California has requested $4.4 billion for fire-related disaster relief. These funds will be vital to helping families rebuild their homes and their lives and to supporting our community as they rebuild critical infrastructure and restore essential services.

It is critical that the Federal Government steps up and does its part to support our long-term recovery. This funding package is an important first step in that effort.

I have a picture of one of the devastated areas. This is over 3,000 homes in one swath that were just burned to the ground. Folks in California who experienced this terrible disaster need our help.

I ask for an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, this is one of the most important bills that any of us will ever vote on--no hearings, no expert witnesses--and now we get 30 seconds on the floor to debate it.

So let me just use my 30 seconds to say that this is a bad bill for working families. It is going to cause middle class working families to pay more in taxes. It is going to strap our citizens with $2.3 trillion more of national debt. I ask for a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, this tax bill is bait and switch.

Republicans said the tax bill would simplify the tax system and help working people, not the rich. Well, that is out the window. With this Republican bill, 86 million middle class households will see their taxes go up.

Remember when the Republicans said we would be filing our taxes on a postcard?

The postcard is now gone. Instead of making our Tax Code simpler, Republicans have made it more complicated. They have even added an additional bracket.

Their claim that this is not a tax bill that favors the rich and the corporations, some of which ship jobs overseas, is malarkey. While there are some tax cuts for the middle class, they are all temporary. But the breaks for corporations are permanent. That is leaving too many people behind.

Let's not forget about the State and local tax provision. Because of the changes the Republicans are making, some home values in some States are projected to drop by 10 percent.

The richest of the rich are getting a break. The top bracket is dropping from 39.6 percent to 37 percent. Those folks are not your working, middle class families. To add insult to injury, it raises our debt by $2.3 trillion.

It is a bad bill. Please vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark B. Ihde, who served as Sheriff of Sonoma County for seven years and worked as the Chief Operating Officer of the local chapter of Goodwill Industries until he passed away on November 14, 2017 at the age of 69.

Mark was born in Santa Rosa, California to Maurice and Louise Ihde. He had tremendous respect and admiration for his parents. He inherited his optimism and leadership style from his father. Mark was a loving husband to Barbara and a proud father, grandfather and great- grandfather.

A graduate of Mt. Whitney High School, in Visalia, California, Mark was a track and field athlete and a tuba player in the marching band. He earned his Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from the College of the Sequoias and studied Law Enforcement Administration at Sacramento State University. He was an FBI Academy graduate in Executive Development and Leadership.

Mark had a successful 27-year career with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, where he served as Sheriff from 1990 to 1997. As Sheriff, Mark restored public trust in the department, adopted a community policing model and improved collaboration with local police departments.

Mark worked as a consultant and served on many boards, including the local chapter of Goodwill Industries. The board drafted him to become their Chief Executive Officer in 2017. Following his prostate cancer diagnosis, he continued to work for Goodwill, organizing work meetings in his home within a week of his passing. He led Goodwill to become a thriving local business, more than doubling the number of stores.

Mr. Speaker, Mark B. Ihde had a passion for life, adventure and community. He was a loving, generous and kind man, known for his great smile and quick wit. It is fitting and proper that we remember him here today.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and also for her leadership in regard to gun violence prevention and all the work that she has done and all of the effort she has put forward to try and bring some common sense to this issue.

The speaker before me said that she will never forget what happened at Sandy Hook and where she was when that tragedy took place. I don't think there are any of us who know what Sandy Hook was or were in Congress when Sandy Hook happened or care about this issue who will ever forget where we were.

For me, I was in my home State of California, in the Sacramento Valley, in a duck blind. I was duck hunting. Yes, I am a hunter. I am a gun owner. I carried a weapon in Vietnam during the Vietnam war. I strongly support the Second Amendment.

But I truly and passionately believe that, as a responsible gun owner, I have a responsibility, as does every responsible gun owner in the United States of America, to speak out to make sure that everyone who handles and owns a firearm does it safely and responsibly and that we do everything we can to make sure that people who shouldn't get their hands on firearms don't.

I know you can't stop everybody, but we should be doing everything we can to minimize the likelihood that someone who shouldn't have a firearm--a criminal, a domestic abuser, someone who is dangerously mentally ill--doesn't get their hands on firearms.

Last week, families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook massacre came here to Capitol Hill to share their grief and to call for action to deal with this terrible, terrible thing we call gun violence. This was a day after the House passed the dangerous Concealed Carry Reciprocity bill that would let criminals convicted of violent crimes carry loaded concealed guns in virtually every State in the country.

Instead of honoring the 20 precious little children and the 6 brave and dedicated educators who were slaughtered at Sandy Hook, the Republican leadership put the gun lobby ahead of State laws and ahead of gun violence prevention.

We have had 40 moments of silence since Sandy Hook. Forty moments of silence. Meanwhile, there have been 1,500 mass shootings since that awful day in December, 5 years ago.

64,000 people in the United States of America have been killed by someone using a gun. Last week, the families of those victims asked us one thing. They asked us to honor their loved ones with action, stop the gun lobby's reckless and profit-driven agenda, and stand up

for communities all across this country.

As I have said before, I am a gun owner. I have owned and used guns all of my life. I support the Second Amendment.

I am here tonight to call on the Republican leadership to come to the table. Let's move commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will keep us safe, keep our communities safe, and still honor the Second Amendment.

I care about the people in my district, as I know all of you care about the people in your districts. I have a son who is a deputy sheriff. I certainly don't want him to go out on a call and meet up with somebody who shouldn't have a gun. I have got grandchildren in my community. I certainly don't want them exposed to people who shouldn't have guns.

I am here tonight to call on the Republican leadership to do something about this. Let's move this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. We can start by expanding background checks to make it harder for criminals and the dangerously mentally ill to get their hands on guns. This should be the first line of defense. Congress should make that happen.

Ninety-two percent of the American people believe we should expand background checks. What is the harm in checking to ensure that someone is not a criminal or to ensure that someone is not dangerously mentally ill before we allow them to buy a gun and take it off into the community where they can possibly do some harm?

We put these ideas up before this leadership and there has been silence. No hearings on the bill, no votes on the bill.

Well, if the Republican leadership doesn't like our ideas about how to curb gun violence, then how about putting together a select committee of both Democrats and Republicans? Charge that select committee with working on the issue of gun violence prevention and to come up with some ideas that will keep our communities safe.

We owe it to the families of Sandy Hook and to all those who have lost someone to gun violence. We dishonor their memory when we do nothing, and that is what is happening under this leadership: we are doing nothing. That is shameful. We need to make sure that we do everything we can to help prevent gun violence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the great contributions of Ducks Unlimited.

For 80 years, Ducks Unlimited has played an important role in the wetland conservation process in our country by fighting for critical conservation policies in our national and State capitols and conducting outreach and education to bring the next generation of sportsmen and - women into play.

They have raised billions of dollars to conserve more than 14 million acres, and they have biologists on the ground working with local partners to bring these projects across the finish line.

Ducks Unlimited has had great success in making critical habitat improvements to wetlands that support healthy flyway populations, clean air and water, and strong local economies.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this dangerous bill. I asked my local law enforcement what they thought of folks from out of State who don't meet our local requirements coming into our communities with loaded concealed firearms. These are the folks who are on the front lines of fighting gun violence, and we should listen to what they have to say.

Our Sonoma County sheriff opposes this bill and says it would negatively affect our community and put citizens and his deputies in greater danger.

The chief of police from my hometown in St. Helena said: As a lifelong proponent of the ability to own, possess, and carry firearms within the provisions of the law, I am wholeheartedly against H.R. 38.

Like many of us, he asks: How long will it take before someone who can't meet the legal requirements to concealed carry in California goes to some other State with little or no standards and gets a permit from that State?

Our chief of police in Martinez opposes this bill and says that it is a race to the bottom.

Overwhelmingly, law enforcement in my district strongly oppose this bill. Moreover, there is a reason no major law enforcement organizations have come out in support of this bill. It is dangerous, and it is unnecessary.

I think my colleagues should stand with law enforcement--the people that keep us and our families safe--and oppose this bill. Every example that was given from my friends across the aisle doesn't pertain to this bill. They talk about, in their States, concealed carry. Texas was the last one. In Texas, there is a standard you have to meet to get a concealed carry permit.

If this bill passes, you erase that standard. Somebody from out of State who is a violent criminal can come in with a loaded concealed firearm in the State of Texas. Someone who is a criminal in the State of Texas, where there are rules, can go to another State, get a concealed carry permit, and bring that loaded, concealed firearm into the State of Texas. This is bad policy, and it should be opposed.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill nor send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, next week will be the fifth anniversary of the hideous mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary, where 20 kids and six educators were slaughtered in their classroom.

This year, we have witnessed two of the worst mass shootings in recent American history: in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Every day more than 30 people are killed by someone using a gun. This should be a call to action for everyone to work together to help prevent gun violence. That is why 90 percent of Americans support strengthening our gun laws, not weakening them.

Let's be clear about what this Congress is going to do today. Instead of taking serious action on bump stocks or expanding background checks, the majority party is undermining the very laws that work to prevent gun violence.

For example, some States allow people who have been convicted of some violent crimes to carry a loaded, concealed firearm.

Thirty States and the District of Columbia currently deny permits to people convicted of those violent crimes, such as assault and battery, threatening, or crimes committed with a weapon. So if you are from any of these States--Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana,

Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia--a vote for this underlying bill is a vote to undermine your own State gun violence prevention policy, because this bill says that, even if your State prohibits its own residents who have been convicted of certain violent crimes, you can't prohibit someone from another State with the same criminal record from carrying a loaded, concealed firearm if their State allows it.

This motion to recommit would state that a person who has been convicted of a violent crime within the preceding 3 years may not possess or carry a concealed handgun in a State that prohibits a person from doing so on the basis of a conviction for that very same offense. This would be people convicted of crimes such as resisting arrest, assault, permitting sexual abuse of a minor, aggravated assault, or violation of a criminal sexual assault protection order--all violent crimes.

An ``aye'' vote on this motion to recommit is a pro-States' rights, pro-Second Amendment, and anticriminal vote.

I am a gun owner. I have been all of my life. I am not opposed to concealed carry, but I am opposed to violent criminals having guns, and Members should be, too.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this motion to recommit; and if they vote against it, they are voting to allow violent criminals, convicted criminals, to carry loaded, concealed firearms in their community, in their State, and in their district. That is wrong. We should prohibit that from happening.

It is a real easy fix. It could have been fixed in committee. It could have been fixed in committee. They could have taken care of the concerns that they have with the restrictions on concealed carry, and they could have stopped criminals, convicted criminals, from carrying loaded, concealed firearms. But the committee didn't do it.

We have a chance now. It is the last chance to do it before this bill comes to a vote. I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to vote for this motion to recommit.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this motion.

The underlying bill raises taxes on millions of middle class working Americans; it adds over $2.3 trillion to our national debt; and if the Senate has its way, 13 million people will lose their healthcare.

This bill was written behind closed doors by a handful of Republicans to give massive permanent tax breaks to corporations at the cost of our middle class working Americans. Not one legislative hearing was held in the House on this bill. The Senate bill was passed in the dark hours of the night with scribbles in the margins.

Every single person in our country should know how their Member of Congress voted on this, because you and your children will be paying for it for decades to come.

This is a bad bill. I hope this will be a serious conference to improve this reckless piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize W. Terry Lindley for being honored as a distinguished community leader by Santa Rosa Junior College at their 2017 AgStravaganza.

Mr. Lindley was born and raised on a family ranch in Humboldt County. He graduated from Ferndale High School in 1976 and Santa Rosa Junior College in 1974. He retired earlier this year from American AgCredit where he was chief marketing officer and senior vice president. Mr. Lindley lives in Healdsburg, California with his wife, Misty. They have four children, Lily, Quincy, Abbi and Jake.

During his 40-year career at American AgCredit, Mr. Lindley became a respected leader in Sonoma County agriculture, business and education. Through his leadership and support, he has helped grow our agriculture education, advocacy and farm youth programs. Mr. Lindley has served many years on the board of trustees for Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) and is a longtime director of the SRJC Ag Trust Foundation, which raises money to enhance the college's agricultural program and the 365 acre Shone Farm, where students gain hands-on experience in such fields as viticulture, livestock production and sustainable crop farming.

Mr. Lindley was instrumental in building the Saralee and Richard's Bam at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. The three million dollar ``barn'' is an agricultural center where students learn about the source of their food and Sonoma County's diverse agricultural community. Mr. Lindley is a major supporter of the 4-H, Future Farmers of America (FFA) and the Sonoma County Fair. He has provided scholarships to deserving agriculture students and is a major buyer of 4-H and FFA animals at the fair's Junior Livestock Auction.

Mr. Speaker, Terry Lindley has a strong work ethic and is a leader in our agriculture, business and educational communities. It is fitting and proper that we recognize him here today for his achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Delphine Metcalf-Foster, upon the occasion of her selection as the National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Ms. Metcalf-Foster is the daughter of a U.S. Army veteran and a graduate of Vallejo High School, Solano Community College and Sonoma State University. She served with the U.S. Army Reserve, 689th Quartermaster Unit, 6253rd Hospital Unit, 6211th Transportation Unit and at Letterman Army Medical Center. Ms. Metcalf-Foster was injured during her service in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in January 1991. She retired after 21 years of dedicated service.

As the new National Commander of the DAV, Ms. Metcalf-Foster will represent nearly 1.3 million disabled veterans. Her duties include traveling around the country to speak at conferences, meeting public officials and advocating for our veterans. She will serve in this position for one year. She has already visited the Sam Houston Training center for medical personnel in Texas, where she was stationed in 1996. She lives by the DAV motto, ``I'm here to serve my fellow veterans.'' Ms. Metcalf-Foster is the first woman and first African-American woman to serve as National Commander.

In addition to her new duties, Ms. Metcalf-Foster will continue to volunteer with the VA Clinic on Mare Island. Vallejo, California Mayor Bob Sampayan has proclaimed November 18, 2017 ``Delphine Metcalf-Foster Day.''

Mr. Speaker, the Disabled American Veterans have selected Delphine Metcalf-Foster as their National Commander. As a disabled combat veteran, myself, I am proud to represent a constituent who works hard to serve our veterans. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor her here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Timothy J. Farley upon the occasion of being recognized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education with their annual leadership award.

Mr. Farley was born on a military base in Europe and was raised in Martinez, California. He earned his associate's degree from Diablo Valley College and his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Davis. He was elected to the Martinez City Council in 1990 and reelected in 1994. He is currently the Director of Community and Government Relations for Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recognizes two individuals from across the country for their outstanding advocacy work on behalf of educational institutions. CASE is honoring Mr. Farley for his work and leadership in elevating the profile of Saint Mary's College among California legislators and staff. Mr. Farley's colleagues praise him for having excellent communication skills and for building first class partnerships and an effective community relations program.

In addition, to his work at St. Mary's College, Mr. Farley is dedicated to community service. In 1978, the Martinez Chamber of Commerce honored Mr. Farley as Young Man of the Year for ``Outstanding Contribution to the Community.'' He was appointed to the United States Electoral College in 1996. He has written a public affairs column for the Martinez-Pleasant Hill Record. He is the founder of the Luncheon Society, a public affairs roundtable. Mr. Farley is a longtime advocate for veterans and nontraditional students.

Mr. Speaker, Timothy J. Farley is very deserving of this recognition by virtue of his leadership, commitment, and passion for service. I am proud to have such a man working and living in our community, and I'm honored to call him my friend. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.