Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to join with the Sikh community in celebrating Vaisakhi.

The Sikh New Year Festival is a time for 30 million Sikhs around the world to celebrate the solar new year and reflect on the rich history of their religion. Founded in the Punjab region of India by Guru Nanak in the 15th Century CE, Sikhism was founded upon the principles of living an honest and hard-working lifestyle while serving others and treating everyone equally. Despite their beliefs of good-will, Sikhs have been subjected to violence and have fought relentlessly to defend their faith, most notably in 1984 with Sikh genocide during the anti- Sikh riots in India.

In the First Congressional District of Massachusetts, the City of Holyoke declared April 14th National Sikh Day. Every year, the Sikh community of western Massachusetts gathers at Holyoke City Hall to raise the Nishan Sahib flag in celebration of Vaisakhi. The First District is fortunate to have a Sikh community that plays a prominent philanthropic role by giving back to those less fortunate. As we celebrate Sikh Awareness Month in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, let us all embrace the Sikh principles of service and generosity.

Madam Speaker, I would like to wish the World Sikhs Parliament and the Sikh community a happy and prosperous Vaisakhi.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 7108) to suspend normal trade relations treatment for the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am relieved that the Senate has sent this measure back to

us after the House initially advanced the legislation a month ago. We are now considering this important legislation to suspend normal trade relations with Russia.

The facts, the atrocities, and the emotions are all packaged in the American and Congressional response in the coming moments. We will shortly consider this amendment to H.R. 6968 which will suspend Russian oil imports so that both measures may go directly to the President's desk.

We have no time to waste and must immediately further punish Vladimir Putin.

What we have witnessed in Bucha over the course of the last 72 hours alone more than justifies the positions we have taken in the past and to be even more assertive and aggressive going to the future. Innocent people are being slaughtered on the streets of Ukraine even as we meet, and the denial that has taken place from the Russian President is outrageous.

These atrocities that are taking place in Ukraine are unthinkable. The disinformation and the misinformation that has been generated from Russia defies modern logic. But in this modern era, the world can see the devastation in near real time.

President Zelenskyy is an inspiration to the world. People have been bombed out of residential neighborhoods, and refugees have been streaming across the borders to safety. There has occurred indiscriminate killings of civilians and of innocent children. Congress must do whatever we can to end this brutality and support the Ukrainian people.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Brady for his partnership in advancing this legislation to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and its enabler, Belarus.

The legislation to ban the import of Russian energy makes enormous sense today. These actions will further isolate Putin and inflict greater pressure on the Kremlin to end its campaign of terror on Ukraine--and that is exactly what it is: a campaign of terror.

We stand with NATO committed to democracy and to peace on the European continent.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation I know will receive broad support from our colleagues, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman's position was well-stated. I think this legislation is powerful in terms of the message it sends to the world. It reinforces what we have done here over the course of the last 6 weeks.

The House has been consistent on all of these measures from day one. I would ask that there be a very strong and assertive vote today to send a message to a dictator in Russia who is killing innocent women and children in the streets of Ukraine, and at the moment he appears to be still unrestrained.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 6968) to prohibit the importation of energy products of the Russian Federation, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think that what we are doing here is to certainly reassert ourselves on what the Senate has done, which the House did originally. I strongly support the House taking swift action to concur in the Senate amendment before us so that the legislation to suspend energy imports from Russia that we passed a month ago now can move to the President's desk.

We have no time to waste, as Mr. Brady and I have both indicated. We must immediately move to further punish Vladimir Putin, a ruthless dictator hell-bent on destroying an independent nation that he purports to suggest doesn't really exist. That will come as a vast surprise to the civilized nations of the world.

Congress must do what we can to end this brutality and continue to support the Ukrainian people.

I thank Kevin Brady for his partnership in advancing this legislation to ban the import of Russian energy, as well as our intent here to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and its enabler, Belarus.

These actions will further isolate Putin and his regime, and inflict greater pressure on the Kremlin, to end this campaign of terror.

I know this legislation will receive broad support from our colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge Mr. Brady and the Republican Members of the House who have stood with Democrats in an unyielding position of support for the Ukrainian people. On this occasion, we send another message that civilized people of the world are all Ukrainians at this moment.

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

Madam Speaker, Americans pay too much for insulin. With the price hovering at three times what it was 15 years ago, this vital medication is not just expensive, it can be completely out of reach.

Every day, the more than 37 million Americans living with diabetes must choose between the insulin they need to stay alive and other basic necessities. Just last week, I heard about this issue from a couple who live in my district. Both people have diabetes, but one is forgoing insulin for the time being due to cost. Last year alone, their prescription costs topped $10,000.

This outrageous expense is unacceptable, particularly since Americans pay far more for insulin than patients in similar countries. In some cases, American patients pay as much as 10 times the price of their counterparts in other nations.

Today's legislation finally rights this wrong. Capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month will put the medicine within reach for millions of Americans. And we do this responsibly, by delaying the prior administration's Rebate Rule. Bringing down the cost of insulin will also help to close health inequities that skyrocketing drug costs exacerbated.

This is an important and welcome step in lowering the cost of prescription drugs in this country. More must be done, and that's why in the Build Back Better Act, we empowered the Secretary to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare, capped Medicare Part D out-of- pocket costs, and required drug companies to pay a rebate if their prices outpace inflation. We will not stop until these commonsense reforms are signed into law.

I applaud Ways and Means member, Congressman Dan Kildee, for his work in bringing this legislation to the floor, and I urge all of my colleagues to support the Affordable Insulin Now Act.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent at the outset that debate under clause 1(c) of rule XV on a motion to suspend the rules relating to H.R. 2954 be extended to 80 minutes.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2954) to increase retirement savings, simplify and clarify retirement plan rules, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 2954 will help all Americans successfully save for a secure retirement by expanding coverage and increasing retirement savings, simplifying the current retirement system and protecting Americans' retirement accounts.

Retirement security has consistently been one of my top priorities as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. Too many workers in this Nation reach retirement age without having the savings they need. In fact--and I hope people will listen to this number--it is estimated that up to 50 percent of the individuals in America who go to work every single day do not have enrollment in a qualified retirement plan. That means those households are at risk of not having enough to maintain their living standards in retirement.

We need to do more to encourage workers to begin planning for retirement earlier and we need to make saving considerably easier.

Last Congress, Mr. Brady and I worked together on a bipartisan basis to do that by enacting the SECURE Act, one of the most significant retirement bills to become law in well over a decade.

Thanks to the SECURE Act, 4 million more Americans are now able to save for retirement through their employers, and as many as 700,000 new retirement accounts will be formed.

Last year, we built on this progress with the passage into law, my legislation, the Butch Lewis Act. After years of fighting for a solution to the multiemployer pension crisis, the Butch Lewis Act saved multiemployer pension plans from insolvency and secured the financial future of over a million workers and retirees who have played by the rules and made responsible savings decisions. Think of that and couple it with what we are about to do today with the guarantee of Social Security, and we will help to improve the opportunity for members of American families to have a secure retirement.

Madam Speaker, but more work needs to be done. That is why I am pleased the H.R. 2954, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022, is before us today.

This bipartisan legislation--and by bipartisan, let me thank Mr. Brady again for his good work on this legislation as well--will expand automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans by requiring 401(k), 403(b), and SIMPLE plans to automatically enroll participants upon becoming eligible, with the ability for employees to opt out of coverage--which I think, by the way, is not the best idea, but we do provide that option. Expansion of automatic enrollment will significantly increase participation in retirement savings plans at work.

H.R. 2954 also enhances the start-up credit, making it easier for small businesses to sponsor a retirement plan. And the legislation increases the required minimum distribution age to 75 and indexes the catch-up contribution limit for individual retirement accounts. These changes will make it

easier for American families to prepare for a financially secure retirement.

On a related note, I think it is important to highlight that U.S. defined contribution plans have created a unique reservoir of capital in the innovation economy. Retirement plans are investing in areas such as tech, financial services, digital commerce, and biotech. That means that workers' retirement assets are directly tying middle-class workers to our national innovation economy. That certainly is a win-win for all of us.

Madam Speaker, I am really pleased that Ranking Member Brady and I were able to come together on a bipartisan basis to develop this important legislation. Once again, it passed the Committee on Ways and Means unanimously. Our efforts have resulted in an excellent product that has broad support from organizations representing diverse interests, including retirees, charitable organizations, financial services providers, police officers, small businesses, and employers. The list of specific supporters is too long to read but we can start with the American Red Cross, AARP, and many others, which we will submit for the Record. Hundreds of groups have endorsed this plan.

Let's work together to expand retirement savings in America.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), a real champion of retirement savings.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), a real champion of retirement savings, including all things Social Security.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), another real champion of retirement savings.

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

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), another real champion of retirement savings.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), another real champion of Social Security and retirement.

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

Madam Speaker, might I inquire of the ranking member how many more speakers he might have.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we are waiting on one more speaker. If Mr. Brady has anybody else he wants to thank, that would be great.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter that has been signed by 50 different charities in support of this legislation.

March 27, 2022.

Hon. Richard Neal,

Chair, Ways and Means Committee,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Bobby Scott,

Chair, Education & Labor Committee,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Kevin Brady,

Ranking Member, Ways and Means Committee,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Virginia Foxx,

Ranking Member, Education & Labor Committee,

House of Representatives.

Dear Chairmen Neal and Scott and Ranking Members Brady and

Foxx: On behalf of the undersigned nonprofits, including

charities and faith-based organizations, we want to express

our strong support for the inclusion of the Legacy IRA Act in

the bipartisan Securing a Strong Retirement Act (H.R. 2954,

section 310). The Legacy IRA Act was originally introduced as

H.R. 2909 by Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08) and Mike

Kelly (R-PA-16).

We appreciate you placing a priority on families in America

who are saving for retirement and simplifying the retirement

system through the broader Securing a Strong Retirement Act.

Specifically, the Legacy IRA provision will encourage more

charitable giving by enabling seniors to make tax-free

contributions from their traditional IRAs to charities

through life-income plans. It is an important piece of

broader efforts to increase charitable giving to enable

nonprofits to continue to provide critical services in local

communities such as health research and patient education,

food assistance, domestic violence services, childcare, youth

homeless shelters, and cultural and arts programming.

Many of our organizations are dependent on private

philanthropy, including gift planning. We believe the Legacy

IRA provision simply offers seniors another philanthropic

option and would incentivize more giving to help charities

while helping middle-income seniors who need a lifetime

income.

We strongly support the inclusion of the Legacy IRA Act in

the Securing a Strong Retirement Act and urge the House of

Representatives to approve this measure. America is stronger

when everyone has the opportunity to give, to get involved,

and to strengthen their communities.

Sincerely,

ALS Association, Alternate ROOTS, Alzheimer's Association,

American Alliance of Museums, American Cancer Society Cancer

Action Network, American Council on Gift Annuities, American

Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Red

Cross, Americans for the Arts, Arab Community Center for

Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), Association of Art

Museum Directors, Association of Fundraising Professionals,

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of

America, Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, Council

for Advancement and Support of Education, Council for

Christian Colleges & Universities, Council on Foundations,

Covenant House International, DANCE/USA, Florida

Philanthropic Network, Girl Scouts of the USA, Girls Inc.,

Goodwill Industries International, Inc., Grantmakers in the

Arts, Habitat for Humanity International, Hemophilia

Federation of America.

Independent Sector, JDRF, Jewish Federations of North

America, Leadership 18, League of American Orchestras,

Lutheran Services in America, March of Dimes, Mental Health

America, Momentum Nonprofit Partners, National Alliance on

Mental Illness, National Association of Charitable Gift

Planners, National Community Action Partnership, National MS

Society, New York Funders Alliance, OPERA America, Performing

Arts Alliance, Philanthropy Ohio, Philanthropy Southeast,

Providence, Social Current, The Nonprofit Alliance, The

Salvation Army USA, Theatre Communications Group, UNICEF USA,

United Philanthropy Forum, Volunteers of America, Wabash

College, YMCA of the USA, YWCA USA.

Madam Speaker, I also include in the Record a letter from the AARP supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Oftentimes in this Chamber, you will hear the phrase ``transformative.'' Sometimes it is hyperbolic, but on this occasion, this is transformative legislation.

We have fundamentally changed the opportunities for retirement for the American family, for millions and millions of people. I want to acknowledge the work of the ranking member on this, Mr. Brady, because his input has been invaluable in helping to get to this moment.

We are proud of this work. We are helping Americans prepare for a secure retirement. The catch-up provisions alone are startling in this legislation.

Remember, there are a lot of people in America who are trying to simultaneously educate their children and save for retirement. It is a real challenge.

The catch-up provisions here mean that if people wish to work longer or begin to set aside more prescribed dollars for retirement because they couldn't do it during certain years of paying college expenses, we provide that opportunity.

This has been meaningful for Members on both sides. I have heard Members on the Republican side point out their contributions to it, and they are entirely correct.

We, on our side, have also included Mr. Davis' legislation that ensures workers with student loans don't miss out on 401(k) matching contributions. Representative Murphy's legislation to increase the required minimum distribution age to 75 is here as well.

We created a higher catch-up contribution amount for those years just before retirement, a provision particularly important for pilots who have a mandatory retirement age. That was a priority of Representatives Sanchez and Pascrell.

Mr. Kind's bills have been included. His legislation fixing a problem with startup credits and multiple employer plans is here as well.

SECURE 2.0 contains Representative Chu's legislation that would enhance the saver's credit, which was also a priority for Representative Sewell.

We have included Representative Panetta's legislation that provides 403(b) custodial accounts that are permitted to invest in collective investment trusts, as well as his legislation reforming family attribution rules.

We have included Representative Sewell's legislation to reduce by 1 year the period of service requirement for long-term part-time workers to participate in 401(k) plans. This provision is particularly important for women who tend to work part-time more frequently than men.

Mr. Suozzi contributed legislation that would direct Treasury to issue regulations addressing a glitch with respect to insurance- dedicated exchange-traded funds.

Mr. Beyer's legislation is included. That was important to the charitable community and would, among other things, index the inflation rate for annual IRA charitable distribution limits.

The bill includes Representative Moore's legislation that would provide penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans for individuals in case of domestic abuse.

We have included Representative Evans' legislation directing the Labor Department to update its disclosure rules to allow better comparisons amongst investments to aid participant decisionmaking.

Finally, we have included Representative Pascrell's legislation that would allow first responders to exclude service-connected disability pension plans and payments from their gross income after they reach retirement age. That also touches upon Representative Higgins' ESOP Fairness Act.

Mr. Brady noted earlier, and let me reinforce, the exceptional work of the Ways and Means Committee staff on this occasion. As I have said many times before, we are blessed with amongst the brightest, smartest, and hardest working staff members in Congress. Let me thank MaiLan Rodgers for her work and Kara Getz, who has been integral to the development of not only this legislation but also the SECURE Act and the Butch Lewis Act, both of which became law.

The SECURE Act was one of the most significant retirement opportunities, and this legislation will become law, I hope, in the near future. Let's not wait another decade to enact the important provisions of this legislation. This bill goes a long way in addressing this country's retirement crisis.

I want to point out something I said earlier. Half the people who get up and go to work every day in America are not in a qualified retirement plan. We need to continue to address that issue.

This is important legislation. I know it will pass. I think the last time this legislation came to the floor, all but four Members of this Chamber voted for this legislation.

I thank Mr. Brady, again, for his good work and the good work of his staff.

Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), and I ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to control the remainder of the time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts and the gentleman from Pennsylvania, both friends of ours, for their words.

On this very important day, St. Patrick's Day, we are acknowledging a very important anniversary. Anybody who knows much about Irish history knows that anniversaries are very important. The acknowledgment of certain events that occurred throughout the sometimes perilous history of this small country of 6 million people, north and south, are reminded of just how grim Bloody Sunday was.

I knew those families. I recall when the former Prime Minister of the U.K., David Cameron, acknowledged years after in a public statement, in a speech that he made on the floor of the House of Commons, the then- Prime Minister acknowledged that Bloody Sunday had victimized innocent bystanders.

For a long time, the argument had been made that these were paramilitaries on both sides. It was only the test of history that fully acknowledged the truth of what happened on that day.

Their civil rights movement in the north was modeled, in some measure, upon the civil rights movement here in America. I knew John Hume very well. He was a great man at a great moment. I have known Gerry Adams and others who participated in these very difficult events. But out of this tumultuous time came something else, and that was the Good Friday Agreement.

We are now coming upon the 25th anniversary of that agreement. America is a guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement. Successive Presidents of the United States, Democrat and Republican, have all embraced the Good Friday Agreement as the way forward, the path, understanding as well that the success of the Good Friday Agreement came about because everybody had to give up something.

The Republic of Ireland gave up Articles 2 and 3 of its Constitution, which laid claim to the six counties of the north, and the United Kingdom gave up the border, which was a huge issue. Strand 2 of the Good Friday Agreement reinforced the idea of a growing relationship between Dublin and Belfast.

Let me lay this out in perspective, in the time I have remaining.

Thirty years ago, in the north of Ireland, there were 30,000 British soldiers in an area geographically the size of the State of Connecticut. You couldn't go anyplace. It was a militarized zone. The Friends of Ireland, which is 40 years old--always Democrat and Republican, we made sure of it--the success of the Good Friday Agreement came about because of the goodwill of the men and women who live on that island.

We should be celebrating the outcome of the Good Friday Agreement. But part of it is also acknowledging these perilous moments in Irish history. I suspect that we will be discussing for years to come Americans' dimension to bringing about the Good Friday Agreement.

Just think of it: Two generations of children have now grown up in this small, six-county area not knowing anything about the violence.

It was the reach and the role of the United States, an honest broker, that helped bring about that agreement, which, even with bumps, people have fully acknowledged it has worked. So the template is there.

As we celebrate the ancient culture of St. Patrick's Day, there is something else for people of subjugation, occupation, An Gorta Mor, as the Great Famine is known, or civil wars, risings, and revolutions, that indomitable spirit on that tiny island, which we just celebrated, Republican and Democrat, with the President of the United States, last evening with the Taoiseach, the Prime Minister of Ireland, talking about the lasting bond between the two countries.

I hope that people will use the example of what the gentleman from Massachusetts and the gentleman from Pennsylvania have done today, because they have acknowledged this very important moment.

What happened on Bloody Sunday, the world had a chance to witness, and it helped shape world opinion. Thank you both for doing this today. There is not a better way to honor St. Patrick than what you two have laid out today.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7108) to suspend normal trade relations treatment for the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, yesterday morning, Congress heard directly from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. He showed us the absolute horrors that Russia is inflicting on the Ukrainian people in full view of the world, and he pleaded for us to do more.

With the legislation that stands before us at this hour, we intend to answer his call. Ranking Member Brady and I have been united in our desire to end permanent normal trade relations with Russia. And I must say that Mr. Brady has been very consistent as we have discussed this legislation.

With the House passage of H.R. 7108 today, we will take that impactful step and place even greater economic pressure on Putin and his brutal regime. We must do everything in our power to hold Russia accountable for the atrocities it is committing hourly in the nation of Ukraine.

This is an unprovoked horror that the world is seeing. Our partners and allies are joining with us in this effort, taking similar steps to further isolate Putin and his regime from the rest of the civilized world.

I urge every single one of our colleagues today to support the Ukrainian people, punish Russia for its ruthless aggression, and vote to advance this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), the chairman of the Trade Subcommittee who has been a real leader on this issue.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), who has been a real leader on this issue as well.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), who has had a longstanding interest in human rights.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), a champion of human rights everywhere.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), whose entire career has been consistently based on the advancement of human rights everywhere.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), who has had a long history as a champion of human rights.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee ) who has been a consistent champion of human rights.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) whose work on human rights is well known.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our distinguished majority leader who, again, has been a consistent champion of human rights.

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

Madam Speaker, as I close, I thank Mr. Brady for his partnership in this effort to hold Putin accountable and for his support for the Ukrainian people.

I also was moved by the gentlewoman from Indiana's testimony just a few minutes ago about Ukraine when she said this is not normal behavior. This is not the regularization, we hope, of normal behavior, a return to the old Soviet empire.

Madam Speaker, I applaud the terrific work of the Committee on Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee staff, particularly Alexandra Whittaker, Katie White, and Sofia Ferber. Their expertise and dedication made this legislation possible, and I thank them for their contributions.

Madam Speaker, I think in the many years that I have been in this House, one of the most moving moments occurred yesterday when we heard the President of Ukraine, Zelenskyy--duly elected, incidentally--talk about the pain and anguish but also the courage of the Ukrainian people. To witness the bombardment and the murder and killing of innocent children by this Russian dictator, I hope all the world, like this Congress today, will abhor that.

Madam Speaker, it is not enough just to applaud and to talk about the challenges that Russia has presented to the civilized world. We have to do something about it.

Coming on the heels of the oil embargo, I believe this will also receive broad bipartisan support today, and it will swiftly move from Congress to President Biden's desk. There is no time to waste.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7108, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 973, I call up the bill (H.R. 6968) to prohibit the importation of energy products of the Russian Federation, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration before us.

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

Madam Speaker, I stand here today in a moment of great sorrow as the Ukrainian people continue to endure the brutal and unprovoked assault by Russia upon their independence.

We have all witnessed the heartbreaking footage of this war's innocent victims. We heard the harrowing stories of families who have been torn apart and forced to leave their country. We have watched with admiration as the Ukrainian people have courageously defended their homeland.

Madam Speaker, tonight, we are all Ukrainians. This unprovoked, unjustified invasion is a horrific stain on humanity. This evening, we here in this Congress will firmly condemn Putin's aggression with the legislation that is before us. Inaction is not an option.

I am very pleased, once again, that the Committee on Ways and Means, in a bipartisan manner, has led the development of this package that will take decisive action to exact economic pain on Putin and his regime.

The Russian regime relies on energy sales to fund many of its offenses. This bill will cut off some of the revenue with a ban on the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States. The more economic pain we inflict on Putin, the more pressure he will feel to finally end this brutal campaign of terror on the Ukrainian people. I don't think tonight the people of Ukraine think that Vladimir Putin is a genius.

Madam Speaker, this legislation also takes steps to review Russia's participation in the World Trade Organization. This is an international organization comprised of 150 nations. Membership is a privilege that comes with responsibilities, and bad actors who destabilize global security should not enjoy the economic benefits of belonging to that body.

Madam Speaker, I am committed to providing and punishing Russia at the WTO as we proceed. Broad bipartisan support exists in this Congress for these meaningful actions to hold Putin accountable and full support for the Ukrainian people. With this legislation, we reaffirm our commitment to peace and to democracy.

Madam Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support this consequential moment and act accordingly, and I look forward to its swift passage into law.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I just want to reassure the gentleman that I remain committed to the position he has offered as it relates to the World Trade Organization and a suspension of Russia's partnership in WTO. Making sure that we do that in the right procedure I think is the challenge before us, but I agree with the point that the gentleman has made.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), who represents 50,000 Ukrainian Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

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

This evening's debate is about holding Putin accountable for his unprovoked attack on the Ukrainian people. What we are talking about here is responsible use of trade policy as a powerful tool not only to condemn

Putin's aggression and pursue peace but to act.

I hope in this moment, when we are in such a dire state, we would not use the opportunity just for partisan argument but try to focus very hard on the real task at hand, which is holding Putin accountable.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, our trade policy is a powerful tool, and this evening we will have an opportunity not only to condemn Putin's aggression, but just as importantly, to act upon it.

This legislation to ban the import of Russian energy products and evaluate Russia's access to the WTO will help to hold this brutal dictator accountable. We can and will do more.

I will continue to explore, as Mr. Brady noted, how we can utilize the full jurisdiction of the committee to stand up to Putin and to protect the Ukrainian people.

Let me, however, take a moment to congratulate Joe Biden for the manner in which he has assembled a multilateral alliance across the globe to condemn and to combat this dictator. When you consider that not only have our traditional allies in NATO--which was condemned at one time--we now can understand why it has been so enduring.

Just as importantly, beyond Western Europe and NATO, the Swiss, the Finns, the Swedes, the Japanese, the Kenyans, like most of the rest of the civilized world, have stood with us in this moment of challenge. Tonight, let us all stand with the Ukrainian people and support this legislation.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my condolences to the family and friends of Karen Ferguson, the President of the Pension Rights Center, and recognize her as a true champion for the rights of pensioners. Karen was a leader on an issue that is of particular importance to me; namely, the retirement security of workers, retirees, and their families. For over 45 years, Karen was significantly involved in protecting pensioners rights through the development of pension legislation in Congress, and recently I witnessed her tireless advocacy first-hand as we worked to enact the Butch Lewis Act.

An alum of Harvard Law School and Bryn Mawr College, Karen founded the Pension Rights Center. The Pension Rights Center, with Karen as president and leader, has been instrumental in advocating for and drafting new regulations and laws, including the Retirement Equity Act of 1984, the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and the Butch Lewis Act of 2021.

Karen was widely known and respected on Capitol Hill and testified at many congressional and regulatory hearings. She will be remembered for her passion and depth of knowledge.

I join the millions of pensioners around the country in expressing gratitude for Karen's tenacity. She will be deeply missed. I send my deepest sympathies to all who loved her, the Ferguson family, her friends, and her colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the America COMPETES Act. This legislation will transport our Nation into the future, it will strengthen supply chains, advance manufacturing, and create millions of jobs. Ways and Means members assertively made their contributions to this package, including a strong provision for Trade Adjustment Assistance.

To the previous speaker, I know he was sincere in what he said. There will be a final package, it will be bicameral in nature, bipartisan in nature, it is just too important to get done. The rhythms of legislative life will dictate that outcome. This is a full effort of the House, and to say that there are no provisions in here that Republicans will favor is simply untrue.

The Trade Subcommittee chairman, Earl Blumenauer, has been a very important leader in developing this legislation, along with our colleague, Tim Ryan, who has not stopped telling me of just how important this is to Ohio to fund the Nation's newest semiconductor factory. This is a good, bold proposal.

I am going to remain standing Madam Speaker, so that I might yield the balance of my time to the Trade Subcommittee chair, Mr. Blumenauer.

I yield to the gentleman from Oregon.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor Holly Jarek, a leader in the field of providing compassionate care to children and young adults who are severely developmentally delayed and with complex medical needs. Holly recently retired, and I would like to take a moment to highlight just a few of her accomplishments.

After graduating from Cathedral High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, Holly went on to attend Boston University's School of Nursing, where she received a B.S. and M.S. in Child Health Nursing. From there, she received her Doctorate from the University of Alabama in Health Services Administration. Her doctoral work explored the administrative challenges facing pediatric long-term care administrators.

Holly's experience includes a decade working with the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in a variety of leadership and educational roles. She was also a full-time faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Nursing School during this time, specializing in pediatrics and technology-based care. After leaving UMass Medical, she spent ten years in the private sector, where she established home care programs for medically fragile children throughout the United States and Canada in her capacity as a National Program Manager with Olsten Health Services. From there, she returned to the non-profit sector with the Franciscan Children's Hospital. She served as Vice President of Seven Hills Foundation and Administrator at Seven Hills Pediatric Centers in Groton and Hopedale, Massachusetts.

I had the pleasure of meeting Holly on several occasions in Washington during her time as Chair of the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Committee of the American Health Care Association. She was a strong advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable in our society, and her leadership will be truly missed.

Madam Speaker, in light of Holly's many accomplishments in her field, I would like to thank her for her steadfast service, and offer my personal best wishes for a long, happy, and healthy retirement.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warmest congratulations to Tom Bernard, a devoted public servant, for all that he has accomplished during his tenure as Mayor of the City of North Adams, Massachusetts.

Mayor Bernard has invigorated the City of North Adams by expanding economic opportunities and fostering modern, future-oriented growth. His administration has focused on increasing green initiatives, with the integration of electric vehicles in the city's fleet, strategic action to decrease North Adams' carbon footprint, and launching the North Adams Tree Initiative. In addition, Mayor Bernard has been a staunch advocate for the marginalized in his community, working actively to increase diversity and inclusion initiatives within the city's government. Recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day in North Adams came largely as a product of Mayor Bernard's advocacy on these matters.

Mayor Bernard has put significant effort in updating critical infrastructure in the city of North Adams despite the many challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Bernard successfully replaced all the non-functioning and malfunctioning hydrants, while simultaneously overseeing a full reevaluation of the city's 60-year-old zoning laws, creating an avenue for much needed commerce in the city.

Madam Speaker, in light of Mayor Tom Bernard's many achievements and remarkable contributions to the City of North Adams and the western Massachusetts community, I wish to congratulate him once again on his successful tenure as Mayor of North Adams. He has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in shaping the development of North Adams for years to come, and I am delighted to join with his family, friends, and the entire North Adams community in thanking him for his dedicated service.

Madam Speaker, our Ways and Means family mourns the passing of Joseph K. Dowley. Joe was the Committee's Chief Counsel during the 1980s, who left us an important legacy in the Tax Reform Act of 1986, for which he did so much to enact into law.

Joe became Ways and Means Chief Counsel in 1984 after earning undergraduate and law degrees from Georgetown University, Army service in Vietnam, and employment as administrative assistant to my friend, former Chairman Dan Rostenkowski. He was a deft tax technician who not only knew what was broken, but also how to fix it. He never forgot that lawmaking is the art of the possible, and was ready when Chairman Rostenkowski accepted President Ronald Reagan's challenge to undertake comprehensive tax reform. His patient but relentless pursuit of that lofty goal helped create the political alchemy that made an initially improbable goal inevitable.

Success didn't come quickly or easily. As with any major piece of legislation, the process was a combination of the tense and the tedious. My colleagues writing the act recall it as a challenging time when long hours sometimes resulted in short tempers. But Joe's calm combination of competence and confidence kept the legislative train moving toward the inevitable compromises that signal success.

As the current Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, I now more deeply appreciate the role he played as an exemplary staffer, enabling those of us elected to enact legislation to do so by drawing the map that translated an idea into a legislative proposal that could become a workable law.

After leaving Capitol Hill, Joe continued to be an active member of Washington's tax community. His service to Congress wasn't easy, and there are few who have done it as well. He remains a role model for doing serious business in a humane way, and we will miss him. We join his wife Carol and his entire family in mourning his passing.

Madam Speaker, is the gentleman prepared to close? I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 45 seconds.

Madam Speaker, this debate has gone on now for 3 months in the Committee on Ways and Means. Sixty amendments from the opposition were offered. This was fully vetted over 4 days of public scrutiny, and all maintained in daylight. I made sure of that, on purpose.

And this, as I indicated last night, as I quoted a son of Massachusetts, Mr. Webster, I said rhetorically he asked, ``Did we do something worthwhile in our time?'' Today, we are going to answer that question. I am sorry that last evening when I quoted Webster it triggered an outburst from the Republican leader because we quoted an individual who was devoted to the Constitution of the United States and the premise that everybody in America gets a chance.

Now, it is an honor for me to yield to the Speaker of the House, secure in her caucus, secure in her beliefs, and secure knowing what we are doing today in but a few minutes.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

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