Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding time to me.

First, I want to start off by thanking all of the members and the staff of the Ways and Means Committee for all of their hard work in putting this bill together. I want to thank them for this.

I want to personally thank one of my predecessors from the Ways and Means Committee, who helped lay the foundation to get us where we are today, and that is Dave Camp. Dave Camp did a lot to help us get to where we are.

I want to, most of all, commend and express my profound admiration to the architect of this measure, Chairman Kevin Brady.

His endless patience and his persistence and his great demeanor have seen this through and gotten us to where we are today.

My colleagues, this is a day I have been looking forward to for a long time. We are about to achieve some really big things, things that the cynics have scoffed at for years, decades even; ideas that have been worked on for so long to help hardworking Americans who have been left behind for too long.

Today--today--we are giving the people of this country their money back. This is their money, after all.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to remind my colleagues and the Speaker that my minute can last for as long as I want it to last.

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, today we are giving the people their money back. The bottom line here is the typical family making the median income in America will get a $2,059 tax cut next year alone. What this is is real relief for families who are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make ends meet.

They hear about the economy getting better. They turn on the TV, and they see the stock market going up, but now we need to make sure that these people in our communities and our country, who are struggling, see their own personal economy getting better, and that is what this is all about.

We have got to understand that times are tough for a lot of people in this country right now. Today, this is about how much better things can be. This is about more jobs, fair taxes. It is about bigger paychecks. It is about faster growth and upward mobility. It is about a strong economy that makes all of us stronger and healthier. Those are the effects, those are the benefits, of tax reform.

Here is the heart of it, and here is why this is so vital that we do this. Here is what it speaks to and what I truly believe is a generational defining moment for this Nation.

Our Tax Code is so broken that it undermines the very thing that makes our Nation exceptional in the first place. It punishes hard work. It discourages our entrepreneurial spirit. It dims freedom and free enterprise. It limits the potential of our own people.

When Americans see good jobs going away, when Americans wake up and they see the companies that they grew up with in their communities going away, they wonder if we have lost something bigger.

The mission that drives us here today is to restore this beautiful American idea. What is that idea? That the condition of your birth does not determine the outcome of your life. You can work hard, play by the rules, get ahead, and make a better life for yourselves and an even better one for your kids.

It is that sense of possibility. We want people to be free to strive to make the most of their lives. We want a country with the resilience to endure and tackle all of its challenges.

Mr. Speaker, economic growth and job creation will not solve all of our problems, but it will help make all of our problems much easier to solve. This is the direction that we are choosing here today because we know exactly where the status quo leads us.

For years, the powers that be have blocked and stonewalled reform under the umbrella of an arrogant, condescending, and paternalistic ideology--an ideology that seeks to limit mobility, to limit aspirations, to accept less in our lives. It is a view of the world that sees life and the economy as a zero-sum game. Your gain comes at my loss; therefore, we can't do it.

Look at where this got us: the worst recovery since World War II, flat wages, and an economy just limping along. Stagnation is a breeding ground for a class-based society where elites predetermine the outcome of our lives. That is not the American idea.

They will tell you this: Just hand over more freedom to the unelected bureaucrats, and they will figure it out, they know more, we will all just be okay. Hand over more of your hard-earned dollars to the IRS, and it will all be okay.

There is your scam right there. We know, given the opportunity, there are no limits to what our people, our fellow citizens, our brothers and sisters can

do. Yet for years now, this Tax Code has been skewed to the well connected, full of special interest carve-outs and loopholes.

Meanwhile, the hardworking family in America has got to jump through all the hoops that the IRS can muster. Reform means we bring rates down at every level. We clear out these loopholes so that people can just keep more of what they earn in the first place, because it is their money in the first place. No special favors, just basic fairness.

Reform means simplification, too. Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans will still be able to do their taxes on the form the size of a postcard. That is amazing.

And given the opportunity, there are no limits to what our workers and our entrepreneurs can do.

Yet while the world has changed, while the world has become more competitive, closer, smaller, our Tax Code has not. Instead of leading, we have been falling behind to the point where we now are the worst in the industrialized world at how we tax our businesses.

We tax our businesses a whole lot more than our foreign competitors tax theirs. They win; we lose. That is not fair.

It is basically open season for our competitors to come in and take our jobs overseas under the current Tax Code. Reform means we go from the back of the pack to the front of the pack.

Instead of the slow growth that we have been slogging through for years, we want to get back to real sustained economic growth. We want to build an opportunity economy where there is more demand for higher paying jobs. That is the whole purpose of all of this. Make sure that people can grow up and reach their potential. Make sure that the jobs are there to give people the careers they want so they can reach their potential, so their families can reach their potential. That is why we are doing this.

This is, without question, the single most important thing we can do to, once again, make America the best place to do business.

There is more than that in this bill. With this bill, were are finally restoring the freedom to make our own healthcare choices. By repealing the individual mandate at the heart of ObamaCare, we are giving back the freedom and the flexibility to buy the healthcare that is right for you and your family.

Finally, we are doing something truly to put America in the lead. We are doing something historic to develop our own energy resources. Some people have been working here since I was in the second grade on this project. After decades and decades in this Chamber, we are opening up a small, nonwilderness area of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for responsible development. It is the most ambitious step we have taken in years to secure our own energy future.

This is one of those times to just take a step back. Let's just take a minute, collect ourselves, and step away from the noise.

We talk a lot in this job about turning points. There is no doubt that we are at one of those turning points right now. This one will determine the kind of country we are going to have this century.

But too often, we have seen before how doubt creeps in, how the tyranny of short-term thinking takes over, and history--history--fails to turn.

There is, after all, a reason that this has not been done in 31 years. This really is a generational defining moment. And let's let this generational defining moment be defined by optimism, not by fear; by the rising aspirations of our people and not the doom and gloom of managed decline that we have become too familiar with.

This is our chance. This is our moment. Let's turn at this turning point. Let's reclaim the principles that have guided us for generations. Let's recapture our destiny for generations to come so this beautiful story of the American idea is repeated and repeated and passed on to the next generation, a nation more united, more confident, more prosperous, and, Mr. Speaker, more free. Pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, first, I love this 1 minute, and I try not to abuse it too much, but I am going to right now.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by thanking Chairman Kevin Brady and all of the members of the House Ways and Means Committee for this job well done.

Mr. Speaker, we are in a generational defining moment for our country, and what we are doing here--what we are doing here--is not just determining the kind of Tax Code we are going to have, what we are doing here is determining the kind of country we are going to have.

Right now, because of this anemic economic recovery--don't forget, we had the worst recession in our lifetimes in 2008, and ever since then this economy has been flat. This economy has been way under its potential. This economy has been growing at a limp 1 to 2 percent.

Do you know what that means for hardworking taxpayers? Do you know what that means for Americans? Nobody gets a wage increase. Living standards are stagnant. Economic anxiety is high.

Seventy-eight percent of our workers in this country today are living paycheck to paycheck. Most Americans say that they don't even have $500 in their bank account for an unexpected emergency or an expense. This is the economic anxiety that is for real in this country today. Instead of thinking about getting ahead, families are just struggling to get by.

Think about all the moms and the dads and the hardworking taxpayers going to bed tonight and not sleeping, worried about what comes next week. This is not how it should be. This is not how it is in this country traditionally.

We need to restore growth. We need to restore opportunity. We need to restore this beautiful thing we affectionately call the American idea. Passing this bill is the single biggest thing we can do to grow the economy, to restore opportunity, and to help these middle-income families who are struggling.

People always ask: Well, what is in it for me? How do I benefit from this?

I am a chart guy.

Why is this important? What this shows you, under this plan, the average family at every income level gets a tax cut, a tax cut at every average level.

What this chart shows you, the people here who are struggling, the people here who are in middle-income brackets, the people here in low income trying to become middle income, they get the biggest tax cuts.

This plan is good for people in all walks of life all across the country, and the bigger relief goes to those who need it most.

Let's put it into numbers.

A typical household of four people, they make $59,000 in this country. That family of four gets an $1,182 tax cut the first year alone.

The median family income, Mom, Dad, two kids, the median family income in America today is $87,000. That family will get a $1,941 tax cut right away, year one. If you are one of those 57 percent of Americans who say you don't even have $500 to go through an emergency, this really helps you.

Let's talk about those people who itemize their taxes, who live in high-tax States. Let's talk about a couple making $1115,000, living a high-tax State. Let's say they have $8,400 in a mortgage interest payment and $6,900 in property taxes for the year. They can still write all of those off under this plan, and they will still see a tax cut of $1,130; if they have kids, an even larger tax cut.

Not only do people get to keep more of their own money in their own pocket, but we dramatically simplify the tax system. We make it more fair.

Today, 7 out of 10 Americans don't itemize their deductions. That means 70 percent of Americans take what we call the standard deduction for their taxes. It is just that. It is standard. It is straightforward. You are not taxed on that income.

But over the years, Washington has piled on special interest loophole after special interest loophole after special interest loophole. These loopholes are skewed to the people who are wealthy, who are well connected, who can afford all the tax lawyers and all the accountants to navigate the Tax Code so they can get a good deal. But if you are not in that group, if you don't have the lawyers and the accountants and you are just scraping away with your middle income, you don't get those deals.

What we want to do is take those loopholes away, make it fair for everybody, lower tax rates, and make it easy.

Here is how easy this gets. We are going to make it so easy that, by doubling the standard deduction, 90 percent of Americans, 9 out of 10 Americans, will be able to fill out their taxes on a form the size of a postcard. What this means is, for a single person, you don't pay taxes on your first $12,000 of income. For a married couple, you don't pay taxes on your first $24,000 of income.

Here is the basic philosophy. Instead of jumping through all the hoops that the IRS puts in front of you, instead of doing what the special interest groups say you need to do in order to get some of your money back, we basically say: Keep your money in the first place. It is your money. Do what you want with it.

All of this is about tax relief. It is about fairness. It is about simplicity. It is about easing the stress and anxiety that is in this country.

What we really need to do is we need better jobs, more jobs, faster economic growth, higher wages.

This brings us to the way we tax ourselves as businesses. This brings us to what do we do to make America the most competitive place in the world.

Here is the real problem we have got when it comes to the way we tax our businesses. We are the worst in the world at it. We, right now, tax our businesses at the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world.

What does that do? Well, let me give you an example of where I come from.

In Wisconsin, the example is Johnson Controls. Johnson Controls is a company with a history dating back, in our State, to the 1880s. It was the biggest company we had headquartered in Wisconsin. Not anymore, because Johnson Controls is an Irish company, and their Irish tax rate is 12\1/2\ percent.

This is happening all over the country. Companies, just to stay competitive, are becoming foreign companies. And when the headquarters of that company leaves your hometown, when the headquarters of that business and that employer leaves your State and goes to another country, there goes the United Way Campaign. There goes the white- collar jobs. There goes the manufacturing. There goes the research and development. There goes America's competitiveness.

What is worse is all these foreign companies are buying U.S. companies because it is cheaper because of taxes.

Here is what we do. Instead of being the worst in the pack, we leapfrog ourselves by bringing that tax rate down

to 20 percent. Because, guess what. When you tax your businesses at much, much higher tax rates than our foreign competitors tax theirs, they win and we lose. We have got to stop losing. We have got to start winning. That is what this does.

What is even more impressive about this is it lowers taxes for those small businesses, those mom-and-pops even more. We have got to make sure that our businesses, the job creators of America, have every incentive to stay here, have every incentive to build here, have every incentive to hire here.

What is more, we are finding that by doing this, we are going to get faster economic growth. We are going to get more jobs. We are going to get higher wages, better take-home pay.

Let me just break it down in simple numbers.

The Tax Foundation ran the numbers. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation said, with this bill, we will get faster growth, about 3\1/2\ percent faster economic growth. We will get about 890,000 new jobs. They estimate that in New York State alone, 57,834 new jobs; In Wisconsin, 17,999 new jobs; in California, 101,422 new jobs; in Texas, 74,037 new jobs. You get these new jobs when you grow this economy. You pass this bill, you grow this economy.

So why do we do all of this? Because it is about giving people more take-home pay. It is about raising wages. It is about helping families that are struggling to get ahead. It is about getting Washington out of the business of picking winners and losers and giving the American people the kind of economy they deserve, the kind of economy we can have.

This just shows you that across every income scale across the board, wages will go up because we are going to grow the economy. Most of the wage growth goes to the people who need it most, people who are in the middle, people who are struggling. That is why we are here.

Right now, we are in the middle of a long day where people are working tooth and nail in their jobs. We are right here in the middle of a day where America's workers are trying to figure out how they are going to make ends meet, how they are going to keep up with everything.

Those people, the hardworking taxpayers of this country that we represent, that is why we are here. This is why we are doing this. They are the foundation of this country. We are here today for them.

The special interest groups are trying to protect their piece of the pie. All the negativity you see out there, there is probably a special interest group back there trying to keep their special niche in the Tax Code.

It is high time we root that out, we don't settle for the status quo, and we give people the kind of Tax Code that they need and they deserve. It has been 31 years since we last did this, and it is finally time that we get the general interests of this country to prevail over the special interests in Washington.

We know that this brings more fairness. We know that this increases take-home pay, bigger paychecks, and we know that this grows the economy and creates more opportunities.

Faster economic growth is not going to fix every problem America has, but faster economic growth is going to help us solve every problem America has.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues today to raise their gaze and do something bold, to see the forest through the trees, to think about the people we are here to actually represent, to think about the people who are struggling, who are going to go to bed tonight and probably not sleep because they are worried about what is going to happen tomorrow. That is what this is. This is one of the most historic and the biggest things that we will ever do.

And the reason is because this is one of the biggest things we can do to improve people's lives, to revitalize that beautiful American idea, to spread liberty and freedom. This is something that is going to refresh our confidence in ourselves and our confidence in each other.

Enough settling. Enough giving in. Let's start to reclaim our future right here in this moment, in this Chamber. In this moment, let's pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act.

First, I want to thank the sponsors of the bill. I want to thank Mr. Farenthold. I want to thank Mr. Kilmer. I want to thank Chairman Gowdy.

Blake Farenthold and Derek Kilmer were the key drivers of this measure, and they made it stronger by incorporating their OPEN Government Data Act.

Trey Gowdy and his staff--I don't know where he is. He is probably working on his hair. Trey Gowdy and his staff--especially Katy Rother-- spent countless hours working with our team--especially Ted McCann--and others to turn the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking's vision into legislation. All the members of this Commission did incredible work.

I want to especially thank Senator Patty Murray for her willingness to

work together on this issue. We may be on different sides of the aisle, but there is one thing that we passionately agree on, and that is what the government does, it should do it well. The taxpayer's money should always be protected, and that is exactly why we came together to write this bipartisan legislation.

So what does this bill actually do? It protects privacy. It improves transparency. It ensures that Federal agencies are protecting the data collected by the government.

The American people deserve to know and they deserve to understand exactly what data the government is actually collecting. They deserve to know that the strictest safeguards are placed on that data.

The driving purpose of this legislation is very simple: we are requiring Federal agencies to prioritize evidence when they are measuring a program's success.

Go figure.

Here is what we are talking about. Let's just take poverty, for example. Instead of measuring success based on inputs, instead of measuring success based on how many programs we have created, how much money we are spending, how many people are on those programs, let's measure success based on results: Is it working? Are people getting out of poverty? Are the goals and objectives of these bills and these laws actually being achieved or not?

By directing agencies to do this, no longer will ``we don't know'' be an acceptable answer when asked if a program is actually working.

It is really just kind of crazy, but so much of what government does, government doesn't actually see whether or not it is actually succeeding at doing it. So we have got to get off of this input effort- based system, this 20th century relic, and on to clearly identifiable, evidence-based terms, conditions, data, results, outcomes.

With this bill, we are asking the Federal bureaucracy to step up its game. We are asking ourselves: How can we improve the lives of our fellow citizens by better understanding the programs that we put in place? How can we make sure that the money that is being spent on behalf of the hardworking taxpayers, who send the money here in the first place, is being spent wisely, efficiently, effectively?

We need results, not just effort. This is just good, commonsense policy, and it is going to mean a real sea change in how we solve problems and how government actually works.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill, and I thank the sponsors for all of their hard work.

Mr. Speaker, it is my absolute privilege and honor to welcome Pastor Jeff Williams, who just led us in the opening prayer. He is the head pastor at Faith Community Church in Janesville, Wisconsin.

Jeff is the son of a Swedish immigrant. Pastor Jeff began in the ministry at his home church in Rockford, Illinois, where he was born and raised.

In 1989, he and his wife, Brenda, moved about 30 minutes north up I- 90 to begin Faith Community Church in Janesville. ``We had nothing but a vision,'' he said. ``No people, no equipment, and no place to meet. Just a vision and the Lord. And that was enough.''

Over the years, Pastor Jeff has turned that vision into a beautiful house of worship and fellowship at the heart of our community. I have been there many times. It is really an impressive place.

Pastor Jeff has been a very good friend to me and to our family for many years. I will note, however, that he is a Bears fan, and we can forgive him for that one.

But it is an absolute honor and privilege of mine to honor and to welcome Pastor Jeff here, and I want to thank him for offering today's prayer.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to urge the whole House to support this Republican budget, H. Con. Res. 71.

Let me just say a few things.

First, this is a budget that reflects our first principles: freedom, freedom enterprise, a government accountable to the people it serves.

It is a budget that will help grow our economy, and it is a budget that will help rein in our debt. It strengthens our national defense. It supports our men and women in uniform. It eliminate mindless, endless spending, and it maximizes American's tax dollars. It reforms Medicaid. It strengthens Medicare.

This is a budget that keeps our responsibilities to our children and our grandchildren. Remember, we have a responsibility here, each and every generation, each and every Member: leave the country better off so your kids and your grandkids can prosper.

That American legacy is seriously at risk because of our growing deteriorating budget situation, because of the coming debt crisis. This budget tackles that.

There is one more thing that this budget does that is so important. It paves the way for historic tax reform. It unlocks the reconciliation process. We need to pass this budget so that we can deliver real relief for middle-income families across this country. We need to pass this budget for the people who are living paycheck to paycheck in America, who are trying to juggle it all. They are looking to get under a hopelessly broken Tax Code.

We haven't reformed this tax system since 1986. We need to pass this budget so that we can help bring more jobs, fairer taxes, and bigger paychecks for people across this country. The time for this is now, and the opportunity is right in front of us.

I want to especially commend Chairman Black for her commitment to this vision. I want to especially commend the members of the Budget Committee for their steadfast commitment to this vision. We would not be in a position today to pass this budget without her tireless leadership and the leadership of her members of the committee.

It is so encouraging that the Senate has passed their budget out of committee. They are on the track, too. That means we look forward to working with the Senate to take the next step.

We have an opportunity to make right by our fellow countrymen. We have an opportunity to make right by the people we represent. We have an opportunity to actually restore prosperity in this country.

We haven't seen that kind of economic potential in this country in at least a decade. We can fix that this year.

We know a debt crisis is coming. We know if we do nothing, the next generation will be worse off. We can stop that, fix this, and make them better off.

That is what this budget paves the way for, and that is why I urge all of my colleagues to support this budget.

I thank the chair for her steadfast support. I thank the Members for getting us to where we are today, and I really look forward to the day where we can look at this moment as when we got the country on the right track.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank her for her leadership.

I would also say to the last speaker, this affects that 1 percent that she was referring to.

Madam Speaker, life is precious. We are reminded of this in ways wonderful; we are reminded of this in ways difficult. Today, I rise in support of life. I rise in support of Micah's Law. I rise in recognition that advancements in technology today both reveal more about the stages of life as well as show us the promise for preserving it.

As unpleasant as it may be, technology reveals something to us about suffering. It now shows us that the unborn can feel pain inside the womb.

The science is in and the science is real. At 20 weeks old, ultrasound images reveal that unborn babies respond to unwanted stimuli--to pain--the same exact way adults do: they recoil; they contract.

In cases of abortion, these unborn babies are feeling pain. They suffer. That is really hard to hear, and it is really hard to say. But now that we are seeing scientific evidence and proof that these babies are in pain, the question is: What do we do about it?

We can't claim ignorance. Their pain is no longer invisible to us, and we cannot say, as a society, with a good and upright conscience, that we can just continue to ignore it.

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, sponsored by our colleague Trent Franks, protects these babies by restricting abortion to 20 weeks after fertilization occurs, the point at which science has proven a baby can feel pain.

It is easy to turn a blind eye to the pain of others. For a moment, you think that if we just ignore it, it will go away and it doesn't exist. But our hearts and our minds are always going to remind us.

We cannot stop the pain of the world by turning away from it. We must not turn away from the pain of the most vulnerable among us, the ones who have nowhere to run to.

Madam Speaker, our humanity shines brightest when we stand up for those who are suffering, when we protect people from pain. I simply ask my colleagues, I implore my fellow Americans, let's be moved by this suffering. Let's also be inspired by life.

I have never spoken on this mike before, so I am going to give it a try. This is literally the first time I have spoken from this one.

Hey, Donna, how are you doing? Good to see you guys.

Greetings. Good to have you. Not much happening around here, pretty easy going, you know, slow moving, nothing controversial whatsoever. It is an interesting time, I can tell you that, one of these deals.

I came here in 1998 with many of you. I see so many familiar faces.

Good to see you, Dan.

And I would say what has changed this place in the 19 years I have been here is the internet. The internet has changed society. It has also changed the way Congress works--some good, some bad, and some in between. You are basically out there seeing that.

All I would ask you to do is, in your walks of life, in your spheres of influence, just help explain to the country how this place really, actually works. Because you hear sort of the cartoon version of it when you turn on TV. It is actually a place where people care, where people work hard, where people think, where people study, where people interact, and where they get along more often than not and we actually get things done.

At a time where faith in civil society and in our government is not very high, we could use a few more ambassadors helping express to the country that the foundation here is solid, it is strong, it is enduring, and it is going to persist.

When these microphones are turned off or when the TVs are turned off, we all actually get along pretty well. About 80 percent of the things that we pass here, just like when you were here, are bipartisan. Now, clearly, we are going to have partisanship; clearly, we are going to have different viewpoints and passion. But at the end of the day, the system is strong; the system is going to work; the institutions are here; and the separation of powers is as valid and as potent as it ever was before.

I would just say: Welcome. It is great to see all these familiar faces. You look a whole lot happier than you probably did when you were here. Whenever I see Members of Congress after they have left, they look like they have de-aged like 5 or 10 years, and I think that goes for a lot of you.

I would say this: Help us be ambassadors for this institution, for this branch of government, to revive sort of civil respect for what we do here. I think we could all use a little bit of that, and it is just really nice to see you.

God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, it is not often that I say this, but I rise today to agree wholeheartedly with the Democratic leader.

I know that what we do in this Chamber is often portrayed as just nothing but bitterly partisan. But in reality, making this place work, making this institution work, it really actually does depend on cooperation across the aisle every day: between our leaders, between our floor teams, and especially between our chiefs of staff.

I can tell you that Nadeam has always been first class. He can be as formidable as they come, but he is always fair, and he is always straightforward. His word is good, and that really is everything. It sets a tone of civility as we go about trying to address the big pressing issues of the day.

Mr. Speaker, I would say, especially to the staff, the example that Nadeam sets goes far beyond being the chief of staff. Here is a guy who started in the mailroom in the United States Senate and rose to one of the top positions in all of Congress. It is an incredible rise.

To put 25 years here certainly takes a deep commitment to public service. It takes a willingness to be in the arena and take everything that comes with that. It takes passing over endless great opportunities, even as you watch people around you move on. And, most of all, it takes the love and support of a beautiful family. Stacy, thank you for being here today. None of us would be here without the sacrifices that our loved ones make so we can serve and do good.

Nadeam, I just want you to know, from this side of the aisle, you will leave here with the respect of your colleagues, you will leave here with the respect of the Members, and, what is most impressive, you will leave here even with respect from the media.

On behalf of the whole House, I want to congratulate you and thank you for your 25 years to the Congress. You have devoted yourself to making this institution, and this country, better. Thank you so much, and we wish you every bit of success in the future. Thank you, Nadeam.

Mr. Speaker, there are very strong emotions throughout this House today. We are all horrified by this dreadful attack on our friends and colleagues, and those who serve and protect this Capitol.

We are all praying for those who were attacked and for their families: Steve Scalise, Zachary Barth, Matt Mika, Special Agent David Bailey, Special Agent Crystal Griner.

We are all giving our thoughts to those currently being treated for their injuries at this moment.

And we are united. We are united in our shock. We are united in our anguish. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.

I know we want to give our thanks to the first responders and to the Alexandria Police Department, who were on the scene in minutes. And I know this House wants to state, unequivocally, that we are, as ever, awed by the tremendous bravery of the Capitol Police.

I spoke with Special Agent Bailey and Special Agent Griner this morning. One was being treated, and one was about to go into surgery. I expressed our profound gratitude to them. It is clear to me, based on various eyewitness accounts, that without these two heroes, Agent Bailey and Agent Griner, many lives would have been lost.

I know that we all want to learn as much as we can about what happened. We just received a briefing from the Sergeant at Arms. I have complete confidence in the investigation that is being conducted by the Capitol Police and the FBI, who are also working with local law enforcement.

I know we want to extend our gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received from throughout the Capitol and from around the country.

And now, knowing Steve Scalise as we all do, he is likely really frustrated that he is not going to be able to play in the baseball game. I also know that Steve wants all of us to commend the bravery of those who came to the aid of the wounded. In the coming days, we will hear their stories, and we will have a chance to hold up their heroism.

My colleagues, there are so many memories from this day that we will want to forget, and there are so many images that we will not want to see again. But there is one image in particular that this House should keep, and that is a photo I saw this morning of our Democratic colleagues gathered in prayer this morning after hearing the news.

You know, every day we come here to test and to challenge each other. We feel so deeply about the things that we fight for and the things that we believe in. At times, our emotions can clearly get the best of us. We are all imperfect, but we do not shed our humanity when we enter this Chamber.

For all the noise and all the fury, we are one family. These were our brothers and sisters in the line of fire. These were our brothers and sisters who ran into danger and saved countless lives.

So before this House returns to its business, let's just slow down and reflect to think about how we are all being tested right now, because we are being tested right now.

I ask each of you to join me to resolve to come together, to lift each other up, and to show the country, to show the world, that we are one House, the people's House, united in our humanity. It is that humanity which will win the day, and it always will.

God bless.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Brian C. Cooper, who is retiring from the Office of the Parliamentarian after 35 years on Capitol Hill.

Brian is the son of Dolores and Ellsworth Cooper, and the youngest of seven children. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and has lived in the city (in the same house he grew up in) for his entire life. Brian is a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School, whose notable alumni include the Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Brian received a scholarship to the Community College of Baltimore (now Baltimore City Community College), where he received his degree in commercial and graphic arts.

Brian's first job on Capitol Hill came in September of 1982, when he was hired in the stock room of the Longworth Building, working in Publication and Distribution Services. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Brian held a variety of positions on Capitol Hill, including work at the House Post Office and Document Room, before moving up to become staff assistant for the Small Business Committee and later the Government Operations Committee. In these roles, Brian learned the intricacies of the legislative process and the inner workings of House operations--skills that would serve him well when, in 1995, he was hired as an Assistant Clerk to the Parliamentarian.

Brian would spend the next 22 years in the House Parliamentarian's Office, and became Chief Clerk to the Parliamentarian in 2009. For over two decades, Brian has been a fixture at the House rostrum, dutifully assisting the presiding officer in timekeeping, recognizing Members on the floor, and preparing and reviewing reams of legislative paperwork for the House. Brian has also prepared the House for joint meetings to receive foreign dignitaries and other guests, and joint sessions of the House, including state of the Union addresses. As clerk, Brian also supervised House ``documentarian'' pages, and created the first computer network for the Parliamentarian.

An accomplished artist, Brian remains active in his artistic endeavors, which run the gamut from pencil drawings, watercolors, and oils, to photography, and architectural design. His retirement will offer new opportunities to continue these pursuits. His other retirement plans include travel and spending more time with family-- including his numerous nieces and nephews. A devoted Baltimore sports fan, Brian will surely find his way to Camden Yards many times in the upcoming years to cheer on his beloved Orioles.

A consummate professional, Brian has spent his career on Capitol Hill committed to assisting with an orderly and accurate legislative process, observed in a fair and nonpartisan manner. Brian is a quintessential institutionalist, always striving to continue the traditions and customs of the House, and to pass on his institutional knowledge to others. The House of Representatives has known few individuals more dedicated to its proper functioning and legacy than Brian Cooper.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand before the House today to recognize National Police Week.

Every year at this time, law enforcement officials from around the country gather here to pay tribute to their fallen brethren and to stand with their families. It is yet another measure of their commitment to protect and serve.

Over just this last year, four of Wisconsin's finest have lost their lives in the line of duty: Trooper Anthony Borostowski of the Wisconsin State Patrol; Deputy Dan Glaze of the Rusk County Sheriff's Office; Officer Michael Venture of the Town of Salem's Department of Public Safety; Detective Jason Weiland of the Everest Metropolitan Police Department.

Earlier this year, Detective Weiland was killed establishing a perimeter during a standoff with a shooter who took the lives of three people. Jason left behind a wife and two children.

Anna, his daughter, almost 11 years old, spoke at the funeral: ``Our dad was an amazing man that saved lives every day,'' she said. ``We all know he is always and will be forever in our hearts. He'll be looking down on us, laughing and crying.''

Looking down that day, Anna's dad saw some remarkable things: He saw thousands of people, many of whom he had never met, lined up to pay their respects; he saw cops in uniform from all over the country, from New York, Chicago, Oregon, and Canada; he saw mourners and even pallbearers in green and gold to honor his love of the Green Bay Packers; and he saw blue ribbons everywhere.

In a time when law enforcement is targeted and too often politicized, we must never take for granted the dangers that they face. Every day and every night, they leave their homes and their families to protect ours. They put their lives on the line to protect ours.

For their loved ones, all they hope for, all they pray for, is to hear the car pull into the driveway and see that familiar face come through the door.

And when the unspeakable happens, when their watch is cut short, ours is only beginning. The support that we give to their families, the respect and the appreciation we show for their fellow officers--it is the least we can do as citizens, and must do, this week and every week.

Today I ask the whole House to join me in expressing our profound gratitude to law enforcement officers here in the Capital and across the Nation.

First off, there are a few people I would like to thank. I would like to thank the committee chairs. I would like to thank Chairman Walden, Chairman Brady, Chairman Black, Chairman Sessions.

I want to thank the members of those committees: Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Budget, and Rules.

I want to thank all the Members who made constructive contributions throughout this entire deliberative, bottom-up organic process.

I want to thank the President of the United States for his steadfast leadership.

Mr. Speaker, in his address in this Chamber, he called on Congress to act; and today we take the next step to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

I want to thank Vice President Pence, Secretary Price, Director Mulvaney, and all of their teams.

Mr. Speaker, there is a fundamental and urgent choice at the heart of this debate. We can continue with the status quo under ObamaCare, and we know what this looks like. It means even higher premiums, even fewer choices, even more insurance companies pulling out, even more uncertainty, and even more chaos.

Look at what has happened in Iowa this week. As is the case in so many areas in this country, Iowa is down to one insurer. That, of course, is not a choice. But now that one insurer is saying that it will have to pull out of 94 of the 99 counties in Iowa. This is happening right now. So tens of thousands of Iowans will go from having one option to no options. That is not a choice. This is a crisis, and it is happening right now.

What protection is ObamaCare if there is no healthcare plan to purchase in your State?

This is the direction ObamaCare is rapidly heading. So we can continue with this status quo or we can put this collapsing law behind us and end this failed experiment. Let's make it easier for people to afford their health insurance. Let's give people more choices and more control over their care. Let's make insurance companies come in and compete for your business. Let's return power from Washington to the States. Let's help give people peace of mind. Let's put the patient, not bureaucrats, at the center of this system. This bill does all of those things. This bill delivers the promises that we have made to the American people.

A lot of us have been waiting 7 years to cast this vote. Many of us are here because we pledged to cast this very vote to repeal and replace ObamaCare, to rescue people from this collapsing law.

Are we going to meet this test? Are we going to be men and women of our word? Are we going to keep the promises that we made? Or are we going to falter?

No. After all of this--after seeing what is happening in Iowa and around the country, after seeing this law collapsing while we witness it across the country and knowing all this turmoil that is coming, we will not falter. We will replace; and today is the day that we are going to do this.

Today this House has the opportunity to do more than just fulfill a promise. We have the opportunity to raise our gaze and set a bold course for our country. We have the opportunity to show that we have got the resolve to tackle the big challenges in this country before they tackle us; to stop the drift of arrogant, Big Government policies in our lives, and to begin a new era of reform based on liberty and self-determination, giving people choices and letting them control their own destinies.

That is the day that is before us right here. So let us pass this bill to take the next step to put ObamaCare behind us; let us pass this bill to build a better healthcare system for American families; and let us pass this bill to leave this country better than we found it because that is why we are here.

That is what is at stake today. That is why I am going to be so proud to cast my vote for this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because this is Lydia Strunk's last week working on the House floor.

Before I talk about Lydia, I want to talk about the work that she and all the people here on the floor do for us, for the people's House, on both sides of the aisle. They are the ones who keep the floor running on time on a day-to-day basis. They make sure that the votes are counted and conducted impartially. They make sure that every Member, majority and minority, is treated fairly. And though the hours are long and unpredictable, they always set a fantastic tone of decorum.

No one better exemplifies this professionalism than Lydia Strunk. She has been a part of this institution since 2008, when she started out in the Republican Cloakroom. We all knew her so well then and enjoyed watching her rise to these great responsibilities that she now holds.

For more than 4 years now, Lydia has served as the Speaker's deputy floor director. As it turns out, she accepted this job on the night of her wedding. How is that for commitment?

Lydia's quiet dedication to the people's House comes through in almost everything that she does; and because she does her job so well, almost no one ever notices. Think about it. If you ever wondered how a joint meeting with a foreign leader or a State of the Union goes off without a hitch, it is because of Lydia's doing.

One of her jobs, of course, is to keep us on schedule. So I will make one last point before she tells me to wrap this up, because I assume that is what she will be doing in a minute.

I want to thank Lydia's family. I want to thank Lydia's husband, Jeff, and I want to thank, in particular, her children.

Graham and Evie, I want you to know that your mother is an incredible public servant. She has done so much for us, for this country and this institution, and we are grateful to you for sharing your mom--and your wife--with us. This whole House is in her debt.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the chairman, I want to thank the ranking member, the ranking members, the chairmen of the subcommittees, and all the staff for their very hard work in putting this big body of work together.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this package. I want to explain why. Many of our priorities--not all, but many of our priorities are advanced in this, and that is because this is a bipartisan piece of legislation. So each side doesn't get everything they want, but we are able to come together and find a package that advances many of our important goals.

For me, I think it is important because it turns the page on the last administration, on the Obama years. It completes the unfinished business of the previous administration. Remember, we came to December, we had a continuing resolution. We are halfway through the fiscal year now, we have got to do the job of actually getting the government specifically funded, meeting more of our priorities. This does that. This marks the beginning of a new era.

No longer will the needs of our military be held hostage by the demands for more domestic spending. In my mind, that is what is most important here. Having negotiated a couple of the budget agreements in the prior administration, this, to me, is paramount and first among all things.

The rule we lived under under the previous administration basically says: You want more money for the men and women in the field who are in our military who need more resources to do their jobs? Okay, but we are going to need more money for Washington programs; and not just more money for Washington programs, but the same exact amount of money.

So no matter whether we need more money for our troops--we might need more ships, more bullets, more gas, and more planes--we had to have the exact same dollar amount, whether it was needed or not, for domestic spending.

That is the old formula we had under the prior administration, and that is not in here. That is really important. I think that is one of the most important game-changing accomplishments that is in here because we really believe our military needs help. We believe our military has been hollowed out in so many areas, and this bill helps fix this. So that dollar-for-dollar parity rule is a rule no more.

With this bill, we do not have that arbitrary standard--the standard that has contributed, in my opinion, to hollowing out our military and declining our readiness. While we have a lot more work to do to fully rebuild our military, this is a critical first step. With this bill, we will spend $25 billion more this year than last year on defense so that we can begin to rebuild our military readiness and our preparedness. We will do this without a corresponding increase in domestic spending. That, to me, is a new day under this new administration that we have with President Trump.

Of course, this legislation also addresses many other priorities for Republicans and for this administration. For starters, there is a big and solid down payment on securing our border. In fact, it is the biggest increase in border security in a decade. Funding for the D.C. Scholarship Opportunity Program, which reverses the Obama-era crusade against school choice, that is in here; national resources to fight the opioid epidemic, which is something that is ravishing communities across America; no new money for ObamaCare and no bailouts for insurance companies. This bill protects life.

This bill is a bipartisan compromise, as I mentioned, but it is, indeed, a good one for conservatives. That is why I urge my colleagues to support this bill. We all must agree that funding the government at all like this--and this is the last point I want to make--is not a process we want to continue. Yes, we are finishing unfinished business from last year, but let's all work together and endeavor to do these appropriation bills one at a time. That is the system that we are supposed to have, and that is the system that I think we all agree-- Republicans and Democrats--that we need to have.

So let's work together to make sure that we don't just do one big bill, that we do this individually so that individual debate can occur, so that individual priorities can be met, and so that we can get back to regular order and we can better guarantee and maintain our Article I powers as the legislative branch of government exercising the power of the purse. I challenge every one of us to commit to that process.

In the meantime, let's bank these wins. Let's get this done. Let's turn this page on this last year, and let's make sure that we give the troops the support that they so desperately need. With that, I ask everyone to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Robert H. Michel, former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, died on February 17, 2017. On that day, I issued the following statement:

``On November 29, 1994, an extraordinary thing happened on the House floor. Outgoing House Speaker Tom Foley, a Democrat from the Pacific Northwest, asked outgoing Minority Leader Bob Michel, a Republican from central Illinois, to take the gavel and preside over the House. More than a symbolic gesture, it was a fitting sendoff for a happy warrior revered for his decency and commitment to what's right.

``A half-century earlier, as a combat infantryman, Bob Michel was in the Battle of the Bulge. He was at Normandy too. For his service in World War II, he received two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart.

``I did not have the privilege to serve with Leader Michel. But I do have the honor of working every day in the office in the Capitol that bears his name. What a name and legacy it is. What a life well-lived by this great and gracious man. Today the members of the House--past and present--mourn with the family and friends of our former colleague and leader.''

The House took several steps to honor Mr. Michel. The flags of the U.S. Capitol were lowered to halfstaff in honor of his passing. A book of condolences was made available for the remembrances of friends and colleagues. On February 27, 2017, the House adopted House Resolution 151, honoring the life of former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Robert Henry ``Bob'' Michel. A memorial service was held in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol on March 9, 2017. The following is a transcript of those proceedings: