Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Patrick and Denise Goggins on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. This July 4th marks a special milestone for this couple and their family, and it is my pleasure to recognize it as such.

Pat and Denise were married on July 4, 1969, but their story begins even four years earlier when they met as high school sweethearts. Their life of love, marriage and family is truly heartwarming and worthy of recognition. From the purchase of their first home through President Johnson's Housing and Urban Development program for first-time homebuyers, to the births of their three daughters (Bridget, Erin, and Molly), and then the gifts of grandchildren, the Goggins exemplify the spirit of hardworking American families across the country.

Marriage is an institution undeniably linked to the fabric of our society. It is a union celebrated not only by the two partners, but by their friends and family alike. The nuptial celebrations of Patrick and Denise were no exception and are certainly still not today. Their marriage will be celebrated by close to 200 people in Cape Cod, Massachusetts this July 4th and will certainly be filled with the same warmth of the original, humble wedding reception of five decades prior. I extend my personal greetings to all those that will gather together that day in celebration of Pat and Denise.

Madam Speaker, once again, it is my pleasure to recognize the milestone of Patrick and Denise Goggins' 50th wedding anniversary. Their commitment to each other and their family is truly uplifting. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors as they continue their wonderful life together for years to come.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Hayden Corporation of West Springfield, Massachusetts on its 100th year of business. Now in its fourth generation of family ownership, the Hayden Corporation represents the robust character and history of economic innovation in western Massachusetts. It is my pleasure to recognize them on this significant milestone.

Hayden Corporation was founded by Charles E. Hayden in 1919. At that time, the company's business was weaving and installing wire cloth used in the paper industry. Hayden Corp. eventually grew to start building, installing, and servicing other paper-making equipment under the leadership of Charles' son, Charles Wesley ``Wes'' Hayden. Wes also developed a patented process for seamlessly welding stainless steel wire cloth. Today, Hayden Corp. still services the paper making industry with field teams working on machinery in mills up and down the east coast of the United States. But the last 100 years has also seen Hayden Corp. diversify and expand to an enviable extent. Retired company president John O. Hayden, as well as his son and current president Daniel C. Hayden, spearheaded the corporation into state-of- the-art coating of parts for the paper and pulp industry, power generation, gas and oil exploration and extraction, military applications, and the plastics industry. One of Hayden Corporation's customers has even been the U.S. Navy, when the company coated a valve on the submarine U.S.S. Springfield and its sister boats. Hayden Corporation's success and longevity is a testament to not only the Hayden family and the company's dedicated employees, but also the city of West Springfield and the overarching American manufacturing story of the entire region.

Once again Madam Speaker, over the course of its 100-year history, Hayden Corporation has demonstrated exemplary leadership and integrity. Those traits are hallmarks of the company's outstanding work in western Massachusetts and beyond, and are certainly worthy of recognition. On the occasion of Hayden Corporation's 100th anniversary, I wish the Hayden family and the individuals who work with them--some for decades--all the best and much continued prosperity.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the life and service of Robert Pear, a longtime reporter for the New York Times, and someone who has been critical to the conversation around health care for more 40 years. Robert Pear was a fixture in the Halls of Congress with his unassuming style, quiet voice and insightful questions. Robert spent countless hours in the Ways and Means Committee room reporting on health care debates of our generation--the Clinton Health Care legislation, Medicare Part D and the Affordable Care Act. Robert's knowledge and expertise were unrivaled. His ability to take complex issues and present them in a clear and concise manner was a testament to his understanding of the policy but also what the American people needed to know.

Robert was born in our nation's capital on June 12, 1949 to Philip and Marion Pear. Growing up in our nation's capital, Robert was immediately fascinated with policy and politics--even leading him to produce ``The Pear Press'' while in high school. He later went on to Harvard University, where he worked on the literary magazine ``The Advocate'' and eventually graduated magna cum laude in 1971. He would then go on to earn his Master of Philosophy from Balliol College in Oxford, and a Master's in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Robert joined The New York Times in 1981. It was here that he was able to communicate the complexity of issues such as health care with remarkable clarity. It was his meticulous, exacting reporting that most recently helped keep the American public informed and engaged on the failed Republican ``repeal-and-replace'' efforts in 2017. Robert made it his life's duty to ensure the American people fully understood the intricacies of Washington. Over his 40 years with the New York Times, he helped produce or support more than 6,700 New York Times articles.

Many a member or press secretary can recount stories of picking up the phone and hearing Robert's distinctive voice on the other end of the line late at night or early in the morning, working to glean one more insight or critical piece of information for his next article. His follow up questions on both the politics and substance showed he keenly understood the currents swirling well below the surface. While Robert Pear will be missed by all who had the pleasure to get to know him, he will be remembered for his critical work, his persistence, and his lifelong commitment to public service and the American people.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate the Fitzpatrick Family on their 50th anniversary as owners of the iconic Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The Red Lion Inn has been a cultural and historic institution of western Massachusetts for more than two centuries and has continued on as such in the modern era thanks to the Fitzpatrick Family. Our community has benefited immeasurably as a result, and we are incredibly grateful.

The Town of Stockbridge was founded in 1734 and became a popular resort destination during the Gilded Age. It also became home to one of America's greatest 18th century hotels, the Red Lion Inn, which first opened in 1773. The World Wars of the 20th century, however, as well as the Great Depression, took a toll on the region and the Red Lion Inn with it. But 1969 would prove to be a monumental year for Stockbridge and the rest of the Berkshires. As new attractions reenergized the area, the grand reopening of the Red Lion Inn took place on account of Senator Jack Fitzpatrick and his wife, Jane. The Fitzpatricks did more than just save the Red Lion Inn from being razed. They renovated it and preserved most of the art, antiques, furniture, and--thus--charm that are essential to the Inn's character and allure. They also continued to grow their impact on the community by helping local projects thrive and injecting a fresh sense of prosperity to the Berkshires. Still further, they have prided themselves on providing high quality service and hospitality to all of their guests and making them feel right at home in the heart of the Berkshires.

Once again, Madam Speaker, the 50th year of Fitzpatrick Family ownership of the Red Lion Inn is certainly worthy of celebration and recognition. It is a testament to the vibrancy and cultural substance of Stockbridge and the Berkshires. Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick's bountiful legacy lives on through the Fitzpatrick Trust, the Red Lion Inn, and--most importantly--the new generation of family members. I wish the Fitzpatrick Family, including of course Jack and Jane's daughter Nancy, and Nancy's stepdaughter Sarah Eustis, who is the third-generation owner and operator of the Inn, all the best in their future endeavors and at the 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner to be hosted on May 29.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 389, I call up the bill (H.R. 1994) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage retirement savings, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 1994.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1994, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, or the SECURE Act. This is the most substantive promotion of retirement savings in the last 15 years, and we all should be pleased that we are part of it this morning.

One of my priorities since becoming chairman of the Ways and Means Committee has been helping American workers of all ages prepare for a financially secure retirement, so I am particularly pleased to be bringing this legislation to the floor this morning.

I also am very proud of the fact that I was able to collaborate with Ranking

Member Kevin Brady and our Republican colleagues in drafting this legislation. Both Republicans and Democrats have wins in this bill, and I would like to thank Mr. Brady this morning for all of his hard work in helping me to write this legislation.

Unfortunately, currently, Americans face a retirement income crisis with too many people in danger of not having enough in retirement to maintain their standard of living and avoid sliding into poverty.

Social Security benefits are modest; employer-sponsored pensions are disappearing; and too many people find it difficult to save for retirement. According to a recent study, one-third of American workers believe that they will either face a significant financial hardship during retirement or, in fact, will never retire. And the 2018 study found that almost two-thirds of workers have no retirement account assets.

The SECURE Act, which the Ways and Means Committee approved with unanimous, bipartisan votes, goes a long way in addressing this problem by making it easier for Americans to save.

For example, the SECURE Act includes a small employer automatic enrollment credit. Automatic enrollment is shown to increase employee participation and retirement savings opportunities. Our bill creates a new tax credit of up to $500 per year for employers to defray the startup costs for new 401(k) plans that include automatic enrollment.

The SECURE Act also increases the age for required minimum distributions from 70\1/2\ to 72. This age hasn't been adjusted since the 1960s. With Americans working longer, this will encourage them to continue saving.

The SECURE Act also allows long-term, part-time employees to participate in their employer's 401(k) plans. Women are more likely to work part-time than men, so this legislation is particularly important for women.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Murphy for her leadership here.

The bill would also make it easier for small businesses to offer retirement plans to their employees by eliminating outdated barriers to the use of multiple employer plans. As a result of this provision, it is estimated that 600,000 to 700,000 new retirement opportunities will be formed.

All of these are important, commonsense proposals that will improve our retirement system.

I also note that this bill has tremendous support from a diverse group of stakeholders: AARP, SEIU, the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, Church Alliance, the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I want to highlight a provision that fixes an urgent problem affecting children of our fallen troops and first responders. Due to changes included in the Republicans' tax law, the amount of tax imposed on survivor benefits for children of veterans, Active Duty servicemembers, and emergency personnel increased significantly.

This bill eliminates that tax increase by repealing those changes. It also makes sure that all similar payments, like Tribal government payments to children, payments out of the Alaska Permanent Fund, and certain scholarships and fellowship grants will not be subject to this unexpected and unfair tax treatment.

These fixes could not have been accomplished without Mrs. Luria's leadership on behalf of our troops, along with many Members on both sides of the aisle who supported her efforts.

We should recognize Ms. Moore's leadership on Tribal payments and Mr. Horsford's leadership on the scholarship issue.

I am very proud that we were able to put together a bill that will help American families prepare for a financially secure retirement, and that it was done on a bipartisan basis, which we will acknowledge as the morning moves on, with significant stakeholder support.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1994, the SECURE Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Church Alliance.

Church Alliance,

April 1, 2019.

Hon. Richard Neal,

Chairman, House Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC.

Hon. Kevin Brady,

Ranking Member, House Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Ron Kind,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Mike Kelly,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Neal, Ranking Member Brady, Congressman Kind

and Congressman Kelly: The Church Alliance expresses our deep

gratitude for inclusion of a provision to clarify that all

church-affiliated organizations are able to participate in

church 403(b)(9) retirement plans in the recently introduced

Setting Every Community up for Retirement Enhancement

(SECURE) Act of 2019 (H.R. 1994). We are grateful for the

tremendous bipartisan work that has been done over the past

several years on retirement reform, and are hopeful Congress

will swiftly pass this legislation to ensure retirement

security for clergy, lay workers and their families across

the United States.

The Church Alliance is a coalition of the chief executive

officers of 37 church benefits boards which are affiliated

with mainline and evangelical Protestant denominations, three

Jewish groups, and some Catholic schools and institutions.

Church Alliance members provide employee benefits to

approximately one million clergy, lay workers, and their

families, serving over 155,000 churches, synagogues, and

affiliated organizations such as schools, colleges and

universities, nursing homes, children's homes, homeless

shelters, food banks, and other ministries.

Section 110 of the SECURE Act seeks to clarify a recent

positron by the Treasury Department and IRS to disregard more

than 30 years of practice, precedent, and clear statutory

language to bar employees of certain church-affiliated

organizations from participating in retirement income account

plans offered under section 403(b)(9) of the Tax Code. As a

result, employees of church-related nursing homes, daycare

centers, summer camps, preschools, colleges, universities,

hospitals, and other social service organizations stand to

lose access to the unique plan features they have come to

depend upon. In addition, the Treasury and IRS position would

cause church 403(b)(9) plans to incur significant transition

costs, which would unfortunately siphon resources away from

our core mission of supporting clergy and church lay workers

and lead to higher costs for these plan participants.

We are encouraged by the introduction of the SECURE Act and

its upcoming markup on April 2. We hope the House votes on

passage of this important legislation as soon as possible. On

behalf of the Church Alliance, thank you for your

consideration of and attention to this important matter. We

look forward to continuing to work with you to promote the

retirement security of people of faith nationwide.

Sincerely,

James F. (Jim) Sanft,

Chair of the Church Alliance.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures.

Madam Speaker, that is one of those moments when I didn't mind the gentleman's time running over.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support from diverse coalitions across the country, including the Girl Scouts, the Jewish Federation, the Boy Scouts of America, the Christian Schools International, The Rural Broadband Association, and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

April 1, 2019.

Charities & Co-ops Endorse ``SECURE Act'' Retirement Package--Stops

PBGC From Grossly Overcharging Our Pension Plans

We endorse the bipartisan ``SECURE Act'' retirement package

introduced by Ways & Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA),

Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX), and Reps. Ron Kind (D-WI)

and Mike Kelly (R-PA). The ``SECURE Act'' stops the Pension

Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) from grossly overcharging

``Cooperative and Small Employer Charity'' defined benefit

pension plans, i.e., plans covering multiple charities or

rural cooperatives (``CSEC Plans'') by including critical

provisions of H.R. 1007, the ``Retirement Enhancement and

Savings Act'' and H.R. 1993, the ``Providing Retirement

Security to Workers in Small Businesses, Cooperatives, and

Service Organizations Act'' championed by Reps. Kind and

Kelly.

Our core missions are to provide food, electricity,

broadband, and other necessities of life, educate and empower

children, care for the most vulnerable, and promote the

sustainable development of the communities in which our

millions of members, volunteers and beneficiaries live.

However, current PBGC rules designed for large ``single-

employer'' for-profit companies inappropriately require us to

divert scarce resources from our core missions. These bills

fix this inequity permanently.

The same facts that led Congress to adjust funding rules

for CSEC Plans in 2014 strongly support adjusting PBGC

premiums charged to CSEC Plans today. (See Cooperative and

Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act of 2014 (Pub.

L. No. 113-97). It does not make sense for CSEC Plans to be

subject to premiums designed for large ``single-employer''

for-profit companies.

It's time to stop forcing charities and not-for-profit

cooperatives to subsidize the PBGC premiums of large

``single-employer'' companies. PBGC's own data supports

reducing premiums for CSEC Plans; in fact, PBGC projects

making more than a 3,000 percent return on CSEC plans for the

2014-2018 period.

Congress should include these provisions in any retirement

package sent to the President's desk.

Girl Scouts of the USA; UJA--Federation of New York, Inc.;

National Rural Electric Cooperative Assoc.; Boy Scouts of

America; United Benefits Group; NTCA--The Rural Broadband

Association; The Jewish Federations of North America;

Christian Schools International; Jewish United Fund/Jewish

Federation of Metropolitan Chicago; Hawkeye Insurance

Association; National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

Madam Speaker, I acknowledge the good work that Mr. Kelly and Mr. Kind did on one very important amendment on this as well.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez), who was very instrumental in the provisions that will simplify the Form 5500 filing process for small business.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support for the SECURE Act from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

National Association of

Insurance Commissioners,

May 7, 2019.

Hon. Richard E. Neal,

Chairman, Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Kevin Brady,

Ranking Member, Ways and Means Committee, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Neal and Ranking Member Brady: On behalf of

the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC),

we would like to express our support for H.R. 1994, the

Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement

(SECURE) Act. Recognizing the retirement savings crisis that

exists in the United States, state insurance regulators have

worked to make improvements to regulation and guidance

impacting product delivery, compliance, and innovation of

insurance products designed to help mitigate this crisis

under the NAIC Retirement Security Initiative. Given the

unique products and features of our sector, state insurance

regulators have embraced a broader public policy

responsibility to not only ensure consumers remain protected

by a solvent industry, but to help foster an environment

where they have greater flexibility and more options to take

informed steps to secure their retirement. The SECURE Act is

aligned with the goals of this initiative as it seeks to

provide greater consumer options for retirement plans.

Several of the provisions contained in the SECURE Act also

complement our own consumer financial literacy and disclosure

efforts and will make it easier for consumers to save for

retirement. First, the legislation makes it easier for

consumers to engage in a tax-free rollover of an annuity to

another employer-sponsored retirement plan or IRA and avoid

surrender charges and fees, making these products more

portable and providing consumers more flexibility. Second,

the bill would encourage plan participants to think in terms

of lifetime income by requiring benefit statements to break

down the total account balance into estimates of monthly

annuity income at least once a year. Third, the legislation

makes it easier for ERISA plan sponsors to select companies

to offer annuity products by creating a safe harbor that

relies on the conservative solvency regime of the state

insurance regulatory system, which is specifically designed

to ensure that an insurance company's obligations will be met

both today and many years into the future.

We applaud your leadership in this effort to assist savers

in making more-informed decisions to prepare for their

retirement and allowing defined contribution plans to become

a more effective vehicle for providing lifetime income.

Sincerely,

Eric A. Cioppa,

NAIC President, Superintendent, Maine Bureau of Insurance.

David Altmaier,

NAIC Vice President, Commissioner, Florida Office of

Insurance Regulation.

Michael F. Consedine,

Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Insurance

Commissioners.

Raymond G. Farmer,

NAIC President-Elect, Director, South Carolina Department

of Insurance.

Dean L. Cameron,

NAIC Secretary-Treasurer, Director, Idaho Department of

Insurance.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), who was very instrumental in provisions which will help small businesses sponsor retirement plans, including multiple-employer plans.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), chairman of the Trade Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. DelBene), who was very instrumental in the provisions providing pension funding relief for community newspapers and home healthcare workers as they attempt to maintain their retirement plans.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), who was a leader on the kiddie tax issue addressing Tribal distributions.

Will the gentlewoman yield?

Madam Chair, I yield myself 30 seconds.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) for her support of the bill before us and her leadership on addressing the unfair tax that has plagued Tribes making taxable distributions to their children and young adults.

The kiddie tax was enacted to prevent wealthy families from shifting family income to minor children.

The rationale for this new law does not apply to funds distributed by Indian Tribal governments because Indian Tribes are not taxable entities and their distributions could never be intended for the purpose of a tax deduction.

The Ways and Means Committee will work to address this problem, with the goal of excluding such Tribal government distributions from the kiddie tax provisions.

Madam Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Madam Speaker, how much time is remaining on both sides?

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider), who is very knowledgeable about retirement issues.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) and thank the gentleman for his valuable work on the kiddie tax issue that affects the children of fallen first responders.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Murphy), who was instrumental on a provision allowing long-term, part-time workers to participate in 401(k) plans.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), who was very instrumental on a provision related to benefits to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott). Chairman Bobby Scott is responsible for a number of very important provisions in this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Luria) and thank her particularly for her critical leadership in preventing an unfair and unexpected tax burden from being imposed on the children of our fallen soldiers.

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Virginia an additional 1 minute.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

As I close, I want to take a moment to celebrate this truly bipartisan process that brought this legislation to the floor today.

First, I want to thank the Democratic members and Republican members of the Committee on Ways and Means, and, in particular, I want to thank Mr. Brady for his good work along the way.

I also want to acknowledge that there is more work to be done in the leadership space in terms of retirement savings, and I am hopeful that we will be able to do that as well.

Let me acknowledge Mr. Roe, Mrs. Trahan, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Banks, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Budd, Mrs. Luria, and Mr. Bacon.

Certainly, as I come down the home stretch in closing, I want to acknowledge much of the good work that has taken place by staff members on both sides as well. But let me cite on the Democratic side, if I could--this was a pretty big bill, and it required a team effort. The Democratic staff, including Kara Getz, Andrew Grossman, Beth Bell, Aruna Kalyanam, Mary Petrovic, and Lee Slater all did yeomen and

yeowomen's work in making sure that we would get to this day.

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

Madam Speaker, I claim time in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, the gentleman really gave away his argument in the opening sentence, when he said: You know the drill on the MTR.

Yes, we know the drill on MTRs, how they are being used to heap scorn on complicated arguments, the demagogue arguments that should be taken up in a separate space.

But you know what else this is about? For those of us who came through the wards and precincts of American politics, there is a difference in politics between being cute and being clever. This is cute. This is not clever.

So let me just bring to your attention the following:

We have before us today the most important and substantive advance in retirement savings in the last 15 years in America. Understanding today that the average Social Security benefit in America--``average,'' meaning that half the American people who receive the benefit are below $16,000. We have a chance to augment retirement savings and open up more opportunities for people to save for a retirement that we all know comes pretty quickly.

This has been well met in a bipartisan manner. It was marked up in the committee. And one Member said at the Rules Committee the other night: There is one sentence here, Mr. Chairman, over which we disagree.

Have we gotten to this point, in this institution, where now one sentence stops us from advancing good legislation? I certainly hope not.

There is another provision in this legislation, as we proceed to the Memorial Day recess, that ought to be critical in all of our minds. We fixed an egregious error in the tax bill. We have straightened out that issue, where families will not be taxed at the highest marginal rate of the parents, but, instead, we will recede to a previous provision that made sure that the survivors of those who were killed in military conflict would receive a benefit. That was important.

Let me just say to the new Members on our side: This is a safe provision. For years, I wore a bracelet for the refuseniks who wished from Russia to emigrate to Israel. There is no weakness on our part in support of the State of Israel on this side of the aisle.

You have a chance to stand up right now for retirement savings for those who have lost loved ones in military conflict, to stand up for Tribal interests, to stand up for those who receive scholarships, and to continue help for those families who are in financial distress because they lost a loved one in a military conflict.

Set aside the demagoguery, and turn down this motion to recommit.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill, H.R. 1994, the Clerk be authorized to make technical corrections and conforming changes.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate Liberty Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. This milestone is a testament to the school's faculty, staff, and students who have not only undoubtedly shaped the community of Springfield and beyond for decades, but continue to do so every day.

Liberty Elementary School first opened its doors to young students in Springfield in November 1918. It has now been nearly a full century since that day, and the city has been better for it ever since. For generations, Liberty School's teachers and administrators have dedicated themselves to the education of near countless children. These young individuals have of course gone on to great things in their own right. As a former history teacher in Springfield myself, and current lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I know firsthand the value of a good education. Our country's next leaders, thinkers, movers and shakers depend on it. As the great Benjamin Franklin once said, ``An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.'' Liberty Elementary School certainly exemplifies this wisdom. The school's multifaceted curriculum and passion for learning sets students up for future success in college, in their careers, and in their life.

Once again, Madam Speaker, I would like to offer my sincere well- wishes to the Liberty Elementary School community as they celebrate 100 years since the school first opened. Liberty School has truly been essential to the fabric of Springfield for generations and will be for generations to come.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the students and advisors of Easthampton High School's `We The People' team for their hard work, dedication, and outstanding achievement. These individuals prevailed over a number of highly skilled competitors to earn first-place honors in the Massachusetts `We The People' academic contest for the second year in a row. They have accordingly earned the distinction of representing the Commonwealth in the 32nd `We The People' national finals this month in Washington, D.C.

The annual `We The People' tournament is a wonderful opportunity that brings bright young people together to learn about and debate issues of great importance in today's world. The students of Easthampton High School's team not only displayed exceptional commitment, ability, and character in preparing for and winning the statewide competition this winter, but they have also worked even harder this spring as they have looked forward to competing in the national competition. They have been preparing to testify at mock congressional hearings, demonstrate their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, issue statements on a variety of topics related to our country's political and historical heritage, and field complex questions from a panel of expert judges. There is no doubt in my mind that they will find this whole experience uniquely valuable for years to come.

This year's Easthampton High School `We The People' team have been led by their teachers Kelley Brown and Taylor Dadmun who have provided crucial guidance and instrumental mentorship. The outstanding work performed by this group is a testament to the value of quality teachers in the Massachusetts public school system. The victorious students are Kerissa Bilski, Joseph Brough, Kunden Chumego, Samuel Colenback, Benjamin Dameworth, Sophia Fiordalice, Corinne Gawle, Joseph Hwang, Madeline Kleeberg, Kassidy Marowitz, Abigail McMahon, Jaquelline Perez, Madison Rinker, Madison Rodriguez, Trevor Waldron, Hanna Wauczinski, Christopher Williams, and Mohamed Zabir. The team's student coaches include Lucas Patton, Vinnie Catalano, and Fernando Tenesaca.

Madam Speaker, I would like to once again acknowledge Easthampton High School's `We The People' academic team for their superb achievements. Strong civic education is the foundation of our democracy and these inspiring students have exemplified the finest qualities of informed citizenship. I am proud of this group, and I wish them all the best in their upcoming national competition as well as all their other future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Herbert Francis Collins, a giant in the affordable housing industry and champion for a cause that would become his enduring professional legacy. Herb passed away at the age of 89 on March 30, 2019, in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Born on March 17, 1930, Herb was raised in Medford, Massachusetts in a single-parent household with his mother and three siblings. He worked numerous jobs to help support his family, but still excelled in school. He played football and ran track at Medford High School, earning a track and field athletic scholarship to Harvard University, where he graduated in 1955. While living in Cambridge, Herb met Sheila Sellew, the love of his life and future wife of 57 years. Following graduation, Herb served in the Marine Corps, and then returned to Massachusetts with his young family to settle in Sheila's hometown of Gloucester.

Early on, Herb held a variety of sales and marketing positions in the defense and electronics industry. At age 44, Herb entered into a new industry co-founding Boston Capital, Inc. in 1974. From the humble beginnings of a one-room operation, Herb and his partner Jack Manning built Boston Capital into one of the nation's top real estate firms focused on providing affordable housing.

Herb strongly believed access to safe and affordable housing would provide benefits far beyond simply providing shelter, including facilitating employment opportunities and greater economic mobility for low-income residents. In 1986, Herb was a tireless advocate in passing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program--he also championed making it permanent in 1993.

Above all, Herb was most proud of and derived the greatest joy from his family. He was a steadfast source of support for his children and grandchildren, and instilled in them the value of hard work, kindness, and humility.

Herb was and will forever be an inspiration to his family, colleagues, and the countless number of families that, through Herb's vision and leadership, live in quality affordable housing.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate J. David Keaney on receiving career recognition by the National Electrical Contractors Association (``NECA'') and his retirement as Executive Manager of the Western Massachusetts and Central Massachusetts Chapters of NECA.

Dave Keaney grew up in Western Massachusetts. He graduated from Cathedral High School and attended American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts obtaining a bachelor's degree in 1961 and master's degree in 1965. He went on to attend Western New England College Law School and was a member of the class of 1970. He was subsequently admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1972. His political relationship with Western Massachusetts began with the friendship of Mayor William Sullivan and culminated as General Counsel for Sheriff Michael Ashe of Hampden County. This relationship would serve him well, leading him to work for the Second Congressional District and the Hon. Edward Patrick Boland, Jr. beginning on December 1, 1968. Dave would serve Congressman Boland for twenty years. He would go on to serve in my Congressional office for the next twelve years offering me unwavering advice on all matters affecting the constituency of the district. His counsel in these areas was uncompromising and steadfast.

Over Mr. Keaney's 46 years of service to NECA he has been essential to the harmony of labor relations between electrical contractors and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (``IBEW'') in both Western and Central Massachusetts. Dave has negotiated dozens of labor agreements and resolved labor disputes with the local IBEW unions, both in Massachusetts and in Washington, D.C., always in a professional manner aimed at furthering the industry for the benefit of all.

Mr. Keaney has also chaired and served on numerous committees focused on improving the health and welfare of workers, pension funds, and the training and education of electricians. He has assisted with the implementation of joint apprenticeship and training programs in Springfield and Worcester, established to educate and train members of the IBEW to become superior electricians and leaders in the industry.

Madam Speaker, through his counsel, leadership, and collegiality, Dave Keaney has assisted contractors and electricians to bring power, light, and communications technology to Western and Central Massachusetts communities; always leaving customers satisfied with the work provided. Dave's advice and counsel to generations of electrical contractors has enhanced the chapter's market share, provided impacted workplace safety and productivity, and created mutually beneficial working conditions for electrical contractors and

workers alike. I wish my friend all the best in his future endeavors and thank him for his public service and his contribution to the industry.

Mr. Speaker, 1988 was a good year.

Mr. Speaker, today we vote on H.J. Res. 30 to disapprove the President's proposal to terminate sanctions on Russian companies, including United Company RUSAL. My colleagues and I have serious concerns about many of the questions that, to this date, remain unanswered from the Trump administration.

Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska is a sanctioned individual known as a bad actor with close ties to the Putin administration. The agreement reached between the Department of the Treasury and these entities seems to allow Deripaska to maintain considerable control and influence of Russian energy holding companies.

A week ago, I asked the Treasury Department to delay the lifting of these sanctions to allow for Congress to conduct meaningful oversight. My staff informs me that the Treasury Department has confirmed receipt of my letter, but to this moment, we have not received any word from Treasury on their intentions. Given an expiration date of tomorrow, it is unlikely that we will.

As Members of this Congress, our duty to the American people is to exercise the oversight that ensures that the administration's actions are, indeed, legitimate. We have a duty to ensure that this administration takes a firm stand on bad behavior by the Russian Government.

I think some of the more important elements of this consideration could be taken care of with just a few months of delay while we exercise our constitutional responsibilities.

The Russian Government has, time and again, prevented us from doing what I have just described. We intend here to proceed, even in the aftermath of this decision today and what the Senate did yesterday, to consider and to take a look at this act that we believe today violates the intention of our congressional responsibilities.

The malicious cyberinterference that has attempted to subvert Western democracies, including ours, needs to be fully examined. I urge my colleagues to vote for this joint resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Quigley for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H.R. 264. This bill appropriates desperately needed funds for the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service.

As the shutdown persists, the financial and emotional drain on employees and taxpayers continues. There are tens of thousands of furloughed Treasury employees who want to work and proudly would do so, but they cannot. They also cannot pay bills, cannot afford medical care, and, like us, cannot understand any of this. Every day that passes and every minute the shutdown continues it is too long and too costly. Reopen the government and begin to negotiate.

I spoke to the Treasury Secretary yesterday, along with the IRS Commissioner as well, regarding the impact of the partial shutdown on the IRS and the tax-filing season. I was informed that the IRS will release its contingency plan for the tax-filing season in the next few hours, or, certainly, within the next day and issuing refunds in coming days, apparently, an effort will be made to reach that goal, but it will also require a significant number of IRS employees to return to work without pay.

These developments are no substitute for fully funding the government and reopening the agency. Reminder: The average refund is just under $3,000. That helps out a lot of middle-class individuals who will use it to pay down Christmas debt, perhaps. They depend upon that as part of regular cash flow.

Mr. Speaker, we do not know the full damage and cost of the shutdown, but we knew going into it that somebody was going to get hurt. So we should end it today before any more damage is done.

If a taxpayer calls the IRS right now for assistance, they will hear the following: ``Live telephone assistance is not available at this time. Normal operations will resume as soon as possible.'' But they are expected to go into work as well to help process those tax forms.

The time is now to reopen the government, and as I noted, negotiate.

The time has come for our colleagues on both sides to stand up and vote ``yes'' and fully reopen these agencies.

Madam Speaker, I thank Secretary Shalala for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I feel like I have a preexisting condition. It is arguing about the Affordable Care Act. For 10 years we have argued about the Affordable Care Act. A campaign is part of forming a government, and no issue resonated with the American people in the last election like the issue of preexisting conditions.

My friend, the gentleman from California, previously said he didn't understand why people had to buy something that they didn't want. Well, we require people to buy automobile insurance. And, by the way, you don't buy automobile insurance the day after you have been in an automobile accident. And we probably don't want to buy homeowners insurance, but, guess what; we don't buy it the day after our house is burned down. We buy it because the genius of insurance is the spreading of risk.

So I ask the following rhetorical question, and that is, why should the rest of us annually put $1,000 into our premiums for health insurance to take care of those who don't want to buy health insurance?

So what this discussion and argument is really about, for the moment, is the following: The child who is born with diabetes is then told, under the old system, that they can never buy health insurance, or, if they do, it has to be rated--back to the old actuarial argument about how do we spread risk.

The protections that were built into the Affordable Care Act, which I helped

to write, were based upon the idea of using the best principles of the marketplace while simultaneously using the ability of the Federal Government to prod certain behaviors, and those behaviors included a ban on preexisting conditions as an option for people who didn't want to buy health insurance.

So what did the other side do? They filed the lawsuit. Now, they generally lecture us on activist judges. They decided that they would challenge what has become okay with the American people, the Affordable Care Act. They would challenge it in the Federal courts and really didn't want to bring down the entire Affordable Care Act. Instead, they wanted to disassemble piece by piece parts of the Affordable Care Act that really, in a lot of ways, have made for its success.

There is no argument with the following statistic that, today, between 17 and 20 million Americans have health insurance that didn't have it before the Affordable Care Act.

And back to those people who, by the way, their system of healthcare was the emergency room. So, in the emergency room, we all know, it is a pretty poor way to get health insurance because it really doesn't emphasize preventive care.

So all of these options that we built into the Affordable Care Act, including making sure that people that had preexisting conditions couldn't be exploited in the marketplace with undue costs, this argument that we continue to have, Madam Speaker, here about the Affordable Care Act could be rectified in short order by both sides just working together to improve the Affordable Care Act.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc. on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. Established in 1918, Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc. is one of the largest and most experienced mechanical contractors in America. For four generations, the family-owned firm has remained focused on solving complex problems, and has built a robust reputation based on exemplary professionalism and customer care.

For 100 years, Grodsky has prioritized family and safety in every aspect of its work. The group has continued to build strong relationships with repeat customers, suppliers, and subcontractors on the way to becoming an integral part of the economy of western Massachusetts and beyond. Across the board, Grodsky has proven its commitment to quality and integrity with every project. The firm has played an active role throughout New England over the years and the communities of the region have undoubtedly benefitted from major projects carried out by Grodsky, including those at top hospitals, universities, and large financial and manufacturing facilities.

Once again Madam Speaker, over the course of its history, Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc. has demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, and integrity. Those traits are hallmarks of the group's long and admirable tradition of service in western Massachusetts and beyond, and are certainly worthy of recognition. On the occasion of Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc.'s 100th anniversary, I wish the Grodsky family and the dedicated individuals who work with them, all the best and much continued prosperity.