Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I was unable to vote on Roll Call 38. I would have voted ``Nay'' on Roll Call 38 had I been there.

Mr. Speaker, I want to read part of a letter from Charles from Vermont:

I am a Marine Corps veteran and have spent the last 15

years guarding the national borders as a CPB officer. The

government shutdown is unacceptable. January in Vermont is

pretty cold. As a furloughed government worker, I have to

choose whether to pay for fuel oil to heat my home or to make

child support payments to support my ex-wife and my children.

And without work and without pay, I am unable to do that.

He is one of 1,300 Vermont employees of the Federal Government who is working without pay. These include 900 employees at the Department of Homeland Security, 300 employees at the Department of Agriculture, and 100 employees of the Interior Department.

Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, I went to the shift change at the Burlington International Airport and met with our TSA personnel. They asked me a question. They had missed a paycheck. They had been showing up for work every single day. They had been doing, in their professional and cheerful way, processing all of us through security, keeping us safe, and they are very proud of their work. But they asked me a question that I couldn't answer: Do you know of any other situation where an employer can require a person to work even when the employer has told that employee you are not getting paid?

That is what is happening. That happens nowhere. Where in your experience can an employer, whatever kind, tell the worker to show up, but we are not going to pay you?

That is what is going on, and it is having a ripple effect throughout our economy. It is the Federal workers, but it is also everyday citizens who depend on routine functioning of government in order to meet their obligations.

Let me read a letter from Karle, a small business owner from the Northeast Kingdom. He talks about how this government shutdown has affected his business.

As the owner of Kingdom Construction, we employ nearly 30

full-time, year-round construction workers.

They were recently awarded a $2 million construction contract, but they can't get the permits signed because the permit signers are on furlough. Those folks are not going to work. That is real and unacceptable and inevitable when we have this government shutdown.

Now, every one of us has these stories, whether it is somebody who has a microbrewery and can't get the FDA inspection, it is that construction company where they can't get the sign-off on the permit, or it is a closing that can't occur because the paperwork won't be signed. This is going on, costing our economy about a billion dollars a week, and it is all because we are having this dispute that is quite resolvable.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the issue of border security is incredibly important and we all know that, but at the eleventh hour, because we have a dispute about one element of it, is that a reason to shut down the government, when not only does it do collateral damage to lots of innocent people, but it makes it more difficult for us to resolve the underlying issue about border security?

Mr. Speaker, my suggestion is it is time for us to have a cooling-off period. Turn the lights back on in government. We can have a temporary, short-term extension of the Homeland Security bill, get people paid, and then convene all of the relevant parties to have a negotiation about border security and about all of our immigration policies, including the Dreamers, including undocumented workers, and including the challenge we have about legal immigration and having people who can come here vetted to our country and contribute to our economy.

There is a price that is paid by individual workers not getting a paycheck; there is a price that is paid by individuals who are not getting the functioning of government; but there is also a price that we are paying in the trust that is required to sustain a democracy.

We have to make off-limits the tactic of shutting down government in order to get your way. Our democracy depends on mutual trust; it depends on accepting certain norms that, as vigorous as we will be in advocating our point of view, we will not cause collateral damage to others to get our way.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I rise today in support of the farm bill conference report.

It is absolutely no secret that rural America, our farming communities, from Franklin County and Addison County in Vermont to the plains of Kansas and Iowa, to the Central Valley in California, are facing a crisis. This conference report contains a number of positive changes that will help in Vermont.

First, nutrition: Thankfully, we are acceding to the Senate position. We have an economy where profits are up, record incomes for many people, and increased poverty and nutrition challenges for children. This makes certain that our kids are going to get the nutrition they need.

Second, dairy: This farm bill revamps the existing dairy insurance program, known as Margin Protection, for a more effective and affordable insurance tool that is going to help our family farmers hang on. I still believe we need supply management. It is the only sustainable way to go, but this will help, and no one in Vermont needs more help and is deserving of more help than our dairy farmers who have done so much for our State.

Third, maple: Maple syrup is really an important component, including for our dairy farmers. This bill halts a misguided FDA effort to require an ``added sugar'' label to pure maple syrup. This is a pretty stupid FDA regulation. It is now dead, gone forever, and it is really helpful to our maple industry.

Fourth, organics: This farm bill doubles funding for Federal research into organic protection methods, improves oversight of the global organic trade, and funds the organic certification cost-share program. More organics, better nutrition, more local agriculture, that is a very good thing.

Fifth, hemp: This legislation legalizes industrial hemp production.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation legalizes industrial hemp production, something that Vermonters have been advocating for for decades. This is going to be a boost for local agriculture in Vermont and other parts of our country.

And beyond these, there are a number of additional positive changes contained in the bill. While no one got everything they wanted and many of the urgent reforms that are needed on the commodity side are not part of this, this will be a positive contribution to the well-being of Vermont agriculture.

Mr. Speaker, I extend my congratulations as well to Mr. Barton. It has been a pleasure working with you, sir. Thank you. Also, to Mr. Green, thank you very much for all your service. What an incredible career both of you have had.

My colleagues have talked about the underlying bill, and I am in agreement with what everyone has said.

I wanted to focus attention on an aspect of the bill that was sponsored by my colleague Kurt Schrader and me, and that is a provision that addresses abusive practices of drug manufacturers who intentionally misrepresent their brand drugs as a generic in order to avoid providing a larger discount to the Medicaid program.

My colleagues, whatever our position on the best way to deliver healthcare, one thing we know is the case: It is too expensive. Whether it is taxpayers footing the bill, consumers, or employer-sponsored healthcare plans, it is too expensive. And one of the reasons is rip- off pharma practices.

This is a situation where, oftentimes, brand-name drugs try to keep generics off the market. But this is a case where a brand name tried to pretend they were a generic in order to get a lower price.

I will give an example. In 2016, Mylan misclassified the EpiPen as a generic drug instead of a brand drug, and that allowed them to charge Medicaid a higher price for the drug. Mylan ended up paying $465 million in a settlement to Health and Human Services, but the estimated malfeasance cost Medicaid--which is to say, taxpayers--more than $1 billion.

Simultaneously, Mylan was raising its list price on EpiPen, which parents have to have for their kids who have an allergic reaction, from $103 to $608 over 7 years, a 500 percent increase.

Mylan is not alone. This practice of unrelenting drug price hikes is tried and true for manufacturers.

So I am very pleased that we have included in this bill an end to this abusive practice. We have to make healthcare affordable.

Representative Schrader and I, with this provision, are taking a small step. With the help of our Congress and the passage of this very good bill, we will be taking one more step in dealing with the cost crisis in our healthcare system.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

We know what is going on in Yemen, so none of us can escape the responsibility we have to either endorse or ignore the suffering that is occurring there. Thousands of victims in Yemen--hundreds of thousands--are dying of starvation.

It is happening, in some cases, quickly. People living in their homes under a bomb die instantly. In other cases, the suffering is prolonged--badly injured and no medical help to ease the suffering, let alone save the life. But in the case of most, it is prolonged through starvation.

Children do not have access to their mother's milk, do not have access to the aid that is in the port but is getting bombed and can't be delivered. That is happening every single day.

The U.N. report said that, of the 28 million people in Yemen, about 20 million are in danger of humanitarian disaster. That is happening. There is no dispute that it is happening.

Here is the question: Right now, that is being done with the authority of the executive branch of the United States Government. It means that that suffering that is avoidable and hardly inevitable is being done in your name and in mine.

Mr. Khanna has brought forth a resolution that allows us to have a debate on this floor as to whether we will condone the continuation of that policy of inflicting the loss of innocent life: women, children, and citizens of Yemen. This rule prohibits us from accepting responsibility as to whether we will condone or condemn or oppose that policy.

We have no justification for failing to do our job. Let us debate.

This policy of Saudi Arabia of inflicting massive civilian casualty and suffering is for what? What national interest of this country is at stake by allowing that to continue?

Some, including me, may say that this threatens our national interest because our national interest is to defend innocent life; it is not to kill innocent life. It is to stand with allies who are going to be honest and transparent with us as well as their own citizens.

This blank check that our administration has given to Saudi Arabia for massive killing that is occurring in Yemen or individual assassination that is occurring in Turkey is wrong.

Mr. Speaker, the question for us is: Will we accept the minimal responsibility that we have in our job to have a debate and say no more, no more will this be done in our name?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Sarah Carpenter of Burlington, Vermont for her distinguished career in affordable housing and her tireless dedication to improving the lives of Vermonters.

At the end of 2018, Sarah will retire as Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) after 20 years of leading that organization. Sarah's extraordinary career has created opportunities for thousands of Vermonters to achieve their dream of owning a home. Since its inception in 1974, VHFA's main goal has been to finance low- cost and flexible mortgages to individuals seeking affordable housing. VHFA has helped over 29,000 Vermonters and their families to purchase primary residences. Sarah leads a team of 38 employees that provides diverse and innovative services. They finance mortgages, coordinate rental housing programs, analyze housing market data, and inform state housing policy. During Sarah's tenure, the volume of VHFA mortgages provided to Vermonters grew by $1.3 billion.

Sarah and VHFA's leadership has influence far beyond Vermont's borders. In 2000, VHFA successfully campaigned for Congress to increase the caps on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and private activity bonds. Additionally, she advocated for state tax credit programs that supplement the federal funds due to Vermont's dire need for a greater supply of affordable rental housing.

Sarah's contributions to the housing community began long before her time at VHFA. From 1983 to 1998, she served as the Executive Director of Cathedral Square Corporation, an organization that has become a national model in providing service-enriched housing for older adults and people with special needs.

Sarah has also served in leadership roles on numerous boards including Leading Age, the National Council of State Housing Agencies, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and Fletcher Allen Healthcare (now the University of Vermont Medical Center).

It comes as no surprise that Sarah has been the recipient of a number of awards including the Government Service Award from NeighborWorks America and the Vermont YWCA Susan B. Anthony A ward for Woman of the Year.

Sarah is a native of Burlington, Vermont, and a graduate of University of Vermont and Harvard University.

We are in the midst of a housing crisis across this country. Chronic homelessness is alarmingly high, people are paying an ever-increasing portion of their paychecks on housing, and homeownership is out of reach for many. Despite the challenges, Sarah Carpenter and her colleagues throughout the state of Vermont have continued to make progress through innovative approaches and deep collaboration. Sarah has left her mark on the housing community in Vermont and the lives of many who have benefited from her good work.

Mr. Speaker, Sarah's exceptional work on behalf of Vermont communities will surely be missed, and I wish her well in her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Energy Efficiency Day and recognize the great economic and environmental benefits the United States has realized since the first energy efficiency policies were enacted more than 40 years ago. On Friday, October 5, Americans from every corner of our country will join together to raise awareness of energy efficiency, celebrate the prosperity and innovation these policies have helped foster, and appreciate the work--past and present--of leaders in business, the non-profit sector, and government that has doubled the energy productivity of our economy since 1980. I am proud to count myself among them as a committed advocate for national energy efficiency policy.

Since the first energy efficiency policies were enacted in the 1970s, improvements in technologies and practices have resulted in energy savings worth more than 60 quadrillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) (quads) and avoided costs worth more than $800 million annually. Today, the energy efficiency sector boasts a workforce of about 2.25 million Americans (including about 11,000 Vermonters). And the federal government--the largest energy user on the planet--has worked with private-sector partners on investments that have lowered the energy intensity of government facilities by over 47 percent. These savings are real, and without the gains in energy efficiency we would waste more energy, generate more harmful emissions, release more pollutants into the environment, rely more on foreign oil, and spend more on costly power plants and transmission lines. Any way you look at it, energy efficiency is a wise investment and a worthwhile policy goal of the United States.

As many of my colleagues know, energy efficiency has a storied history of bipartisan support in Congress. Since the Energy Policy and Conservation Act was passed in 1975, Congress has provided sweeping updates to federal energy efficiency policy six times and approved smaller measures many times. The last stand-alone energy efficiency legislation enacted, I am proud to say, was one I worked on with my colleague and good friend David McKinley of West Virginia, who sponsored the bill.

We have made great progress over these four decades, but Energy Efficiency Day should be a reminder of our commitment to continue pressing on for our collective benefit. We must do more, achieve more, and save more--all while using less. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating Energy Efficiency Day and working across the aisle and across the Capitol to craft the next set of policies we need to remain energy-efficient and productive in the 21st Century.

Mr. Speaker, it is with some sadness that I have to say I believe this is an absolutely terrible tax bill.

The economy is growing. That has been a claim that has been made by proponents of this tax policy. But it is growing for the few. It is not growing for the many.

We have the lowest unemployment rate we have had in years. We have had the highest profits in corporations that we have had since before the Great Depression. Yet, right now, in this country, childhood poverty is increasing relentlessly. Relentlessly.

How does that happen when we have such a great so-called economy?

It happens because we have created the hydraulic system that is transferring money from the low income and middle class to the very wealthy. That is what this Congress has done. And there are consequences to the children who are now in poverty and will be in poverty, but also to those everyday families who aren't on the right side of the digital divide and whose wages for the past 20 years have been stagnant or declining, even as the things they need--college education for their kids, prescription medication for their families-- those prices are exploding.

And by the way, Pharma gets a huge giveaway. They have got the highest profits they have ever had, and we are passing a tax bill that gives them more. We are shoveling money to them when they are sticking price increases to all of us.

This doesn't happen by accident. This has nothing to do with the so- called entrepreneurial economy. This has to do with a Congress that has no conscience, that doesn't stand up for everyday people and say: We want policies that let you have a chance.

Mr. Speaker, defeat this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. James Baker of Arlington, Vermont for his distinguished career in law enforcement and his deep and abiding commitment to improving the lives of Vermonters.

Jim's exemplary career spanned 40 years. As commander of the Vermont State Police and director of the Vermont Police Academy, he put to good use his strong leadership skills and his noble commitment to public service. He worked hard to ensure the fair delivery of justice and an end to discrimination and misconduct whenever it arose.

Shortly after retiring from the Vermont Police Academy in 2009, Jim was recruited to fill important positions in communities in need of new law enforcement leadership. He served as acting police chief in Manchester, then took the helm of the Rutland Police Department.

In Rutland, Jim worked countless hours to tackle the opioid epidemic that hit the city hard. He played a major role in the creation of Project VISION, an effective grassroots community collaborative that coordinates local efforts to combat addiction and crime. He also transformed the culture of the police department, while identifying and rooting out the causes of crime and addiction. Jim's lasting legacy is a coalition of hundreds of residents, active to this day, who address community challenges head-on to improve the quality of life in Rutland.

Jim's tenure yielded positive results for Rutland. Calls for police service dropped and the city experienced a double-digit decline in burglaries and property crimes. Resident surveys demonstrated remarkably higher satisfaction with their neighborhoods.

Most recently, Jim returned to Arlington to help revitalize his hometown, working with volunteers to ensure that no one falls through the cracks.

Jim Baker has earned his reputation as the ``Mr. Fix-It'' of the Vermont law enforcement community. Countless Vermonters have benefitted from his tireless work, and our state is better off because of it.

And now, as he battles cancer, Jim is doing so with the characteristic grit, grace, determination, and sense of humor that all of us who have had the good fortune to work with him will recognize.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me today in sending James Baker of Arlington, Vermont our best wishes and thanking him for his lifetime of service to Vermont.

Mr. Speaker, on August 12, 2018 the Town of Norwich, Vermont lost a longtime member of the community, John F. Girard. He was revered for his service to the town, its school and especially its children.

I would like to include in the Record the eulogy delivered by Dan Fraser, a former student and lifelong friend.

In Memory of John F. Girard--Aug. 25, 2018.

It has been a rough few weeks for all of us, especially the

Girard, Adams, Capps and Culverhouse families.

Mr. G. was a man I knew extremely well. The family asked me

to speak some about the time when his children were growing

up. The Girard and Fraser families go back almost 50 years!

The first four Girards and Frasers are all the same age--

Johnny--sorry John--you will always be Johnny to me and my

brother John, Lauren and I, Mikey--Mike and Rob, Linsey and

Mat--something in the water that year? Linsey spelled with no

D and Mat spelled with only 1 T. Then my sister Jen completed

out the team.

Norwich was not as large as it is today, there was no

internet--some families only had one car--like both the

Girards and the Frasers. We grew up in a time without daycare

and Mrs. G and my Mom stayed home raising all of us kids and

I would say they did a pretty darn good job!

The Girards moved here in 1966 from Somerville, MA, when

Mr. G was hired to teach at the Marion Cross School. My dad

returned from Vietnam in 1972. Ironically enough, it was at

St. Francis of Assisi Church where our families first met--

right over there behind us. Mrs. G noticed my mom as a new

comer at church and that was the beginning of a lifelong

friendship that continues on among our families today. Every

first communion, every confirmation, every wedding and

birth--our families gathered to celebrate. In addition, every

Christmas Eve--the tradition was that we went to mass and

then back to the Girards for dinner and an evening of fun.

All of us kids would wonder what gifts we might get in the

morning. Mrs. G's famous homemade eggnog, spinach squares,

shrimp, and lasagna were enjoyed by all. Mr. G would

entertain us all or we would sit and watch a Boston sports

team play on TV--he could never contain his excitement.

When there were not holidays or celebrations, it still

meant we would go to the Girards to hang out or they would

come to our house. In the winter, it was sledding and

building snowmen outside. During the summer it was riding our

Green Machine big wheels for hours on end tormenting the old

ladies around Jones Circle with all the noise they made.

Green Machines--the gift from last Christmas--Mr. G put

together 4 of them for us to all share. And we rode bikes on

the trails--in the wooded lot behind the Girard's house

before Mascoma Bank put in their parking lot and paved it. Of

course there were Lou's donuts on special occasions, with 9

kids we could polish off 3 dozen pretty quick. The Girards--

are simply the best--as all of us here today already know.

Calendar squares--here in this envelope are calendar

squares from the 2019 calendar. If there are not enough--just

pick a date sometime next year. We are all here to pay

tribute and honor Mr. G. We need this tribute to carry on so

on your date--you do something for some member of his family.

Send a card, flowers, make a phone call, drop off a dessert,

a meal, or pay a visit and share a story. All year long the

Girards will be reminded of how amazing Mr. G was and he will

always be remembered.

Lauren--this one is for you: Now what about the jars of

peanut butter and jelly and boxes of crackers. Mr. G's

favorite snack--peanut butter and jelly on crackers. Thank

you to everyone who brought one of these items--Lauren they

are here, as you wished--enough for all the various Girard

families to take home and any extra will be donated to The

Haven in his honor.

As I look out across this field, I see a crowd, some old,

some young, some locals and some with roots here who traveled

from great distances. Mr. G the impact you have had on so

many, the footprint you have left, the learning and life

skills you so enthusiastically shared will last for

generations.

How do you honor a man like Mr. G--A legend in his own time

who in his lifetime already has a scoreboard in Tracy Hall,

the Marion Cross School gym and a road named after him. He

was the first Citizen of the Year, and here we sit at Girard

field.

It is often said that it takes a village. Well Mr. G, you

for over 52 years, you have been here for our village--

Norwich. Today, is payback! The village of Norwich is here

for you and the Girard family. I am so proud of how Norwich

has really rallied on this one. Thank you all who helped make

this happen.

We are going to start backward with the youngest first:

Linsey--as a special tribute for you and your family to

honor your father: on May 8, 2019 there will be a wine

tasting to support The John Girard Fund established by you

and your siblings at The Norwich Rec. Dept. This will be an

annual Event.

Mike--as a special tribute to you and your family to honor

your father, and to tie in with your work in education as a

teacher, Marion Cross School has declared Nov. 4th to be John

F. Girard Day and he will be honored each year on this date.

This date was not chosen at random, but we know this date has

a double significance to your family.

Lauren--as the most local, as a special tribute to you and

your family to honor your father--it seems fitting that Dan &

Whit's will have an ice cream cone day for Mr. G. We will

donate 100% of sales today to the John Girard Fund at the

Norwich Rec. Dept. established by you and your siblings in

his honor. A wonderful Norwich couple will match all funds

raised today. Please be sure to stop after this event to

support the effort. This will be a yearly event, in the

future it will be held on Aug. 12, the day of his passing so

that his memory lives on forever.

John--as a tribute to you and your family to honor your

father--Mascoma Bank has donated a $2,500.00 Scholarship in

honor of Mr. G. This will be awarded to a graduating Hanover

High School Athlete or athletes. This individual must have

attended Marion Cross School.

You all know for me, it is about keeping it local--so for

the extended Girard family--as a tribute to you all, the

businesses in the Norwich community have also been impacted

by Mr. G and the Girard Family. Aug. 12, will be Mr. Girard

Day in Norwich--the following businesses will contribute and

make a donation based on sales in his honor to The John

Girard Fund established by his children at The Norwich Rec.

Dept.

The Norwich Inn, Carpenter and Main Restaurant, Diane's

Casual Cuts, the Norwich Bookstore, Dan & Whits. I have not

had a chance to reach out to all Norwich businesses, so we

welcome all businesses from any town to join us and

participate. The intent of this day is only intended to

increase the funds in John Girard Norwich Rec Dept. account,

the fund established by his children--please do not turn it

into anything more than the business community supporting

this effort. Please reach out to me for details. This will be

an annual event.

Now for the Matriarch of this wonderful family: Mrs. Cathy

Girard--Mrs. G--as a special tribute to you and honor your

husband--this speech will be offered to the Norwich

Historical Society and more importantly read on the floor of

Congress and entered into the Congressional Record in

Washington, DC. Mr. G will be eternally honored at the

national level. Nothing could be more fitting. Special thanks

to Norwich resident and Representative Peter Welch for making

this happen.

Mr. G I know you hated being in the spotlight but look at

what you have created. Mr. G you changed lives. Mr. G you may

have left us, but your spirit will live on with us forever.

Godspeed Mr. G.

Thank you,

Dan Fraser

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Wayside Restaurant in Berlin, Vermont. This year marks the Wayside's 100th anniversary of serving up exceptional and affordable home-style food to customers from central Vermont and beyond.

A century ago, founder Effie Ballou first started serving soups, snacks and meals out of a shack straddling the border between Berlin and Montpelier. She prepared the food at her small house just up the hill.

Today, the Wayside--with a lot more seats than in 1918--is still serving up some of the

best home-cooked food around. Its website proudly and accurately proclaims, ``Yankee Cooking at its Best Since 1918.'' On the occasion of this important milestone, the restaurant joins an eclectic group of some 240 American restaurants that have achieved centennial status.

Mr. Speaker, I'm warning you. Take just a glance at the Wayside's diverse menu and your mouth will water: old-fashioned country breakfast, chicken pie, country fried steak, meatloaf, casseroles, fresh muffins and home-made pies.

But the Wayside is so much more than a good restaurant. For the thousands of Vermonters and visitors who walk through its doors every year, it provides comfort, fellowship and a sense of community rivaled by few. While dining on good food, customers catch up with friends and neighbors, trade gossip, and debate current events.

Owners Brian and Karen Zecchinelli have been at the helm for over 20 years. The restaurant has been in Karen's family for over 50 years. Their employees are familiar and friendly faces. Many have been on the job for ten years or more. And in a tribute to their good service, the aprons of retired employees hang proudly in the rafters.

The Wayside Restaurant has been part of the fabric of Vermont for 100 years. It is a shining example of a small business committed to good service, quality products, and socially responsible operations. I urge all Members of the House of Representatives to stop by the Wayside if you find yourself navigating the hills of central Vermont. But be careful--you won't want to leave.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the Quigley amendment to restore funds to prevent Russian interference in our elections.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we have a carbon tax. It is invisible, it is relentless, it is punitive, and it is entirely avoidable.

According to NOAA, in 2017, the U.S. had 16 disasters with damage exceeding a billion dollars each. With three devastating hurricanes, extreme wildfires, hail, flooding, tornados, and drought, the United States tallied a record high bill for weather-related disasters, $306 billion. That is a carbon tax.

Western wildfires, fanned by hot, dry conditions, racked up $18 billion in damage, triple the previous U.S. wildfire record. That is a carbon tax.

The U.S. has sustained, between 1980 and 2017, we had an average billion-dollar events of six a year; in the last 5 years, it has been close to 12.

In the coming decade, economic losses from extreme weather, combined with the health cost of air pollution, spiral upwards to at least $360 billion every single year. That is a carbon tax.

The second thing I want to say is this: A confident nation faces its challenges. It doesn't deny them. If we acknowledge that we have a climate crisis, we can create jobs by solving it. Energy efficiency, renewable energy, storage batteries, all of these things that are being embraced by Vermont entrepreneurs are resulting in the biggest growth of jobs in our State, which is in the renewable energy sector. So we can make a better economy by acknowledging our problem.

And, third, I want to speak to Mr. Jenkins because he represents some of the hardest working, best people in this country, and those are the West Virginia coal miners. They kept the lights on in Vermont for us for a century, and I thank them. And it is why I worked with Mr. McKinley to make certain those coal miners got their healthcare benefits and why I am continuing to fight so that those coal miners get their pensions.

But we can help them with a carbon tax that returns all of whatever it is they contributed back to them and their communities so they can have a future.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, Lake Champlain is one of the natural wonders of New England and, indeed, an international treasure. It is a watershed that includes New York, Vermont, and the Province of Quebec.

To protect this unique natural and economic resource, Congress enacted legislation in 1990 under the bipartisan leadership of Democrat Patrick Leahy and Republican Jim Jeffords that led to the creation of the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

Over the years, the basin program has worked with private organizations, local communities, and individuals on both sides of the border to coordinate and fund efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin's water quality, fisheries, wetlands, and wildlife recreation. It has been a great example of a locally driven program working from the ground up with the help of a Federal partner.

It has been a tremendous success, and the purpose of this amendment is to maintain the funding at the level that it was at before. I have joined 28 years later after Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy and Republican Jim Jeffords with my Republican colleague from across the lake, Representative Stefanik, in this amendment. It is important to both sides of the lake and the Province of Quebec, who is not here represented, but here in heart.

So I ask for the support of this amendment, and I want to say to my colleague, Elise Stefanik, from across Lake Champlain, that we think the view of New York is beautiful, and we share a commitment to maintaining the beauty of that lake.

Mr. Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik).

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman as a good partner, as well, and I thank Mr. Calvert for his consideration.

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

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, across the country, an invasive beetle known as the emerald ash borer has been wreaking havoc on ash trees. It was first discovered in 2002 in Michigan, but since then, it has spread to 33 States, killing millions of trees, inflicting severe harm on the forest products industry, and costing municipalities and property owners millions of dollars.

Ash trees infested with the emerald ash borer suffer nearly 100 percent fatality rates over a 3- to 5-year period. At this point, there is no known effective treatment.

Earlier this year, the emerald ash borer was discovered in Vermont. While the discovery was not a surprise, the news is devastating.

Forests are a central part of our economy, our landscape, and our way of life. It is going to be difficult to eradicate the pest, but there are steps we can take to contain its spread.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Carter, and Ms. McCollum for acknowledging the threat this invasive species poses.

The report language accompanying the bill recommends a $19.5 million increase to forest health management under the State and private forestry account for addressing high-priority invasive species, pests, and diseases, including the emerald ash borer. I support that increase.

My amendment specifies that, of this amendment, at least $5 million should be used to help mitigate the spread of and eradicate the emerald ash borer.

Ultimately, a successful response will require a strong partnership between Federal, State, and private sector stakeholders. This amendment is a good first step to ensure the Federal Government is doing its part.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Carter, I thank Ms. McCollum, and I thank the Appropriations Committee for their support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment would increase funding for the Department of Defense health programs by $1 million to improve coordination between DOD and the VA on research and findings related to toxic exposure to burn pits.

As you know, burn pits were commonly used on U.S. military sites during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to burn all types of waste from chemicals, paint, and medical and human waste to munitions, petroleum, plastics, and rubber. But, also, as you know, many members of the military, who were exposed to burn pits, are beginning to experience negative health effects from the toxic smoke that they inhaled while on duty.

That is why I am offering this amendment: to increase cross-agency communication and research so that the Departments can assist those suffering more aggressively and quickly.

On May 7, I met in Vermont with a group of National Guard members, led by Pat Cram, who have been impacted by burn pit exposure. Pat is the wife of Sergeant Major Mike Cram of the Vermont National Guard, who died this past December from prostate cancer, believed to be a direct result of his exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he did several tours.

Sergeant Major Cram first deployed to Iraq in 2004 with a group of MPs from the 42nd Infantry Division of the Vermont National Guard. They joined up with the 278th Tennessee National Guard Calvary in Iraq. All 21 soldiers from this group, who deployed together for 18 months, returned home safely, thank God.

But since their safe return, that same group has lost two members from prostate cancer, and another has been treated for it. They believe, and some of the medical professionals believe, that the explanation is that it occurred as a result of exposure to burn pits.

This funding would provide some resources necessary for the VA and Pentagon to work on the issue together effectively so that we can address the direct relationship between burn pits and severe health conditions.

This amendment idea aligns with a June 2018 GAO recommendation that highlighted the need for these Departments to work together to solve this issue. This is reminiscent, potentially, of the Agent Orange situation where, for many years, people were trying to figure out what the cause of the cancers were, and it turned out, after a lot of investigation, that it was directly related to Agent Orange.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Granger, who, on occasion, I have traveled with and whose service I have really respected, and Ranking Member Visclosky, for their attention to this issue and willingness to help.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the great group of Members who worked with me on this amendment, including Representatives Soto, Bilirakis, Gabbard, Wenstrup, Ruiz, and Rosen.

Mr. Chairman, I urge support for my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Gray Family and their 4 Corners Farm in South Newbury, Vermont for a remarkable 40 years of growing quality food for Vermonters.

For owners Bob and Kim Gray, July 1, 2018 also marks their 40th wedding anniversary. Like many farming partnerships, theirs is a tested one based on mutual admiration and respect, a major factor in their collective success in growing food, a farm, and a family.

Their story is unique. Both Bob and Kim are former members of the U.S. Ski Team. Bob represented the United States in cross country skiing at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. Kim

was a competitive World Cup downhill ski racer. Both Vermonters, they met in 1975 while training. Their mutual dream of running a farm took root. Kim studied agriculture at Vermont Technical College. In 1978 they got married and decided to channel their athletic energy and skill into farming the land in Vermont's Connecticut River Valley.

They started growing produce in Hartland's Four Corners where they rented a 40-acre plot and sold produce at the farmers' market in Norwich. By the fall of 1981, they had saved up enough money to make a down payment on an old farmhouse in South Newbury. The following year, they moved the farm there, started a family, and have been farming ever since.

Today, the 4 Corners Farm is a family affair. Bob and Kim's sons, Peter and Charlie, together with Peter's partner Marie, all help manage the farm. Peter returned home to Vermont after receiving a degree from Montana State University and Charlie came home after serving in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps. Their daughter, Molly, a Vermont-educated lawyer, recently returned home to help with the farm's administration. Their step-children, Betsy and Travis, have also helped over the years.

As life can sometimes do, Kim was thrown a curve ball about 20 years ago when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Despite the infinite daily obstacles, she continues to manage and operate the farm with sheer tenacity and an indomitable spirit.

Mr. Speaker, there are no words to adequately describe the beauty of this farm and the great pride the Gray family takes in producing high quality food for Vermonters. They grow fruits and vegetables on roughly 50 acres including a pick your own strawberry operation. For over 20 years, Kim has also managed the farm's jersey cow operation. Their market overflows with the freshest garden vegetables, fruits, milk, cheese, and meat all grown and raised in their fields. They still maintain a stand at the Norwich Farmers' Market and deliver to coops and restaurants in the area. Their motto, ``All we sell is our own,'' says it all.

What perhaps is most remarkable is the Gray family's 40 years of stewardship of the land and community. They continue to nurture and reinvest in the land and the farm to ensure it can produce food for future generations. Over the years, they have employed and mentored hundreds of employees, sharing their knowledge and promoting a farming way of life.

For Vermont's farmers, marketing their products can be tough. If not for the state's commitment to and support for its farms and farming families, 4 Corners Farm, and many others, would not be around today. The 4 Corners Farm is a product of community-supported agriculture and of a loyal and local following equally invested in good stewardship of the land and the production of local food.