Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding student from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am pleased to announce that David Mulligan of Sylvania, Ohio has been offered an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

David's offer of appointment permits him to attend the United States Air Force Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2022. Attending one of our nation's military academies not only offers the opportunity to serve our country, but also guarantees a world-class education while undertaking one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of a lifetime.

David brings a tremendous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2022. While attending Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio, David served as secretary for the National Honors Society, and was active in leadership academy and LINK Crew.

Throughout high school, David participated in recreational basketball, and was senior captain for both varsity cross country and varsity baseball. David is also involved with church youth group and the NASA Student Launch Team. I am confident that David will carry the lessons of his student and athletic leadership to the Air Force Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating David Mulligan on his offer of appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I am positive that David will excel during his career at the Air Force Academy, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to him as he begins his service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding student from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am pleased to announce that Cole Ragan of Whitehouse, Ohio has been offered an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Cole's offer of appointment permits him to attend the United States Air Force Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2022. Attending one of our nation's military academies not only offers the opportunity to serve our country, but also guarantees a world-class education while undertaking one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of a lifetime.

Cole brings a tremendous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2022. While attending Anthony Wayne High School in Whitehouse, Ohio, Cole was a member of the National Honor Society and 4.0 honor roll, as well as an academic letter winner.

Throughout high school, Cole participated in football, wrestling, and track and field, earning many honors and serving as captain of the football team. I am confident that Cole will carry the lessons of his student and athletic leadership to the Air Force Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Cole Ragan on the offer of his appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I

am positive that Cole will excel during his career at the Air Force Academy, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to him as he begins his service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding student from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am pleased to announce that Thomas Hilt of Whitehouse, Ohio has been offered an appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Thomas' offer of appointment permits him to attend the United States Military Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2022. Attending one of our nation's military academies not only offers the opportunity to serve our country, but also guarantees a world-class education while undertaking one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of a lifetime.

Thomas brings a tremendous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2022. While attending Anthony Wayne High School in Whitehouse, Ohio, Thomas was a member of the National Honor Society, received the school's academic award, and participated in DECA and German Club.

Throughout high school, Thomas participated in rowing, where he served as team captain and received his varsity letter and coaches award. I am confident that Thomas will carry the lessons of his student and athletic leadership to the Military Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Thomas Hilt on his offer of appointment to the United States Military Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I am positive that Thomas will excel during his career at West Point, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to him as he begins his service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding student from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am pleased to announce that Jenna Kill of Sylvania, Ohio has been offered an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Jenna's offer of appointment permits her to attend the United States Air Force Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2022. Attending one of our nation's military academies not only offers the opportunity to serve our country, but also guarantees a world-class education while undertaking one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of a lifetime.

Jenna brings a tremendous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2022. While attending Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio, Jenna was a member of the National Honor Society and was ranked in the top five percent of her class.

Throughout high school, Jenna participated in soccer, and was captain for both the cross country and track and field teams, earning varsity letters in all three sports. Jenna also served as a co-leader for the NASA Student Launch Team, was involved in leadership academy, and participated in competitions such as Team America Rocketry Contest, and S4 Satellite Rocketry Team. I am confident that Jenna will carry the lessons of her student and athletic leadership to the Air Force Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Jenna Kill on her offer of appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I am positive that Jenna will excel during her career at the Air Force Academy, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to her as she begins her service to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Genoa High School Wrestling Team for winning the Ohio School Athletic Association Division III Individual Tournament Team State Championship. The title completes the double as Genoa won the Dual Team Championship this season as well.

The Comets posted a scored of 113.5 led by Junior Dylan D'Emilio who won an individual state title and finished the season 52-0.

Wrestling tests the mettle of its competitors, and it takes grit, determination, and toughness to compete at a high level. These competitors deserve our recognition. The Genoa community should be proud of the team's accomplishments.

Once again, congratulations to Coach Bob Bergman and the Comets on the state championship. Great job Genoa wrestling.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act.

This bipartisan legislation requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to assess the activities the Department is undertaking to combat the threat of vehicular terrorism and submit a strategy to Congress on its findings and recommendations.

Over the past several years, I have been alarmed with the increased frequency that terrorists in Europe and around the world have used vehicles--oftentimes, rental vans or trucks--to commit heinous acts of violence. From Paris to Barcelona and Jerusalem to London, at least 138 people have been killed and countless others injured because of these attacks.

With the October attack in New York City showing that these extremist groups will not hesitate to carry out the same attack on American soil, it is critical that the Department of Homeland Security is doing their due diligence regarding this threat.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation would specifically require DHS to assess the activities the Department is undertaking to support emergency response providers and the private sector to prevent, mitigate, and respond to the threat of vehicular terrorism.

Within 6 months of the bill's enactment, the Department must complete this assessment and submit to Congress a strategy that includes an examination of the current threat of vehicular terrorism, methods to improve information-sharing activities with emergency first responders and the private sector, and training activities the Department can undertake to prevent and prepare to respond to these attacks. The Secretary must also include any additional activities that DHS recommends to address the threat of vehicular terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson, Representative Donovan, and the entire House Homeland Security Committee for their work in advancing this bill to the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join with me in taking the next step to addressing this dangerous threat by passing H.R. 4227.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Findlay, Ohio for being named the 2018 Top Micropolitan Community in the United States. Awarded by Site Selection magazine, Findlay has now received this recognition as the top city for business for four straight years.

To qualify, a micropolitan city must have a population ranging from 10,000 to 50,000. Site Selection judged 575 of these cities on business growth and sustainable success. In totality, Findlay listed 21 projects that met Site Selection's criteria leading to its fourth straight first-place finish.

It is a team effort top to bottom that has led the way to Findlay's consistent success. I commend Mayor Lydia Mihalik, the Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development office, the Hancock County Commissioners, and the entire community for everything they've done to top the charts once again.

Mr. Speaker, the `Findlay Formula' has an established track record that meant to cultivate growth and prosperity for the community. With their business-friendly environment, I have no doubt that Findlay will be at the top again next year.

Congratulations once again to Findlay for being named the country's No. 1 Micropolitan Community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Genoa High School Comets for winning the Ohio School Athletic Association Division III Team Wrestling Championship. This title was the first team state championship of any kind in the school's history.

Having placed runner-up at last year's championships, the number one seeded Comets defeated Massillon Tuslaw 40-20 in the final to secure the state title and cap off an undefeated season.

These student-athletes gave it their all, and their community should be proud of them. Wrestling is a technical sport that requires attention to detail, endurance, and toughness. It's a testament to the dedication and hard work of the Genoa team and the coaching staff that they were able to achieve this success.

Once again, congratulations to Coach Bob Bergman and the Comets on the state championship. Great job Genoa wrestling.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II Team Wrestling State Champion Wauseon Indians. After finishing runner up in 2016 and 2017, Wauseon topped Mentor Lake Catholic in the championship to capture the first team title of any sport in school history.

Wauseon has a rich tradition in wrestling, winning the Northwest Ohio Athletic League twelve times. Under the tutelage of coach Mike Ritter, Wauseon was able to win the title by first going through Washington Court House and Canfield High School on the way to the finals.

These student-athletes gave it their all, and the Wauseon community should be proud of them. Wrestling tests the mettle of its competitors, and it takes grit, determination, and toughness to compete at a high level. In addition to practice, student-athletes are asked to meet certain academic standards and exceed them as well. These competitors deserve our recognition.

Once again, congratulations to Coach Mike Ritter and the rest of the Wauseon wrestling team on a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Ray Baum. I thank the chairman for having this tonight because I think it is very, very important to honor his life.

I was recently asked when I was back home what I liked best about being a Member of Congress. It is always one of those questions I think people think about, well, you are going to think about all the things you do down here. It is not really about being a Member of Congress down here. It is about the people you get to know, the people you get to know at home, and it is also about the people you get to know here.

There are a lot of times that you don't always get to meet someone like Ray, somebody who has that great public service instilled in him. You meet these thousands of people, but you always had some people that stand out; and that is Ray.

If I could, I would like to quote what the chairman said in his release when Ray passed: ``Ray dedicated his life to public service, first as an elected official and then as an adviser on Capitol Hill.

Our committee, the people of Oregon, and our country are better off because of Ray's selfless service. Ray will be deeply missed, but he will not be forgotten. The Energy and Commerce Committee will strive to honor Ray's legacy of decency and kindness through our work, and, more importantly, by following the example Ray set through the graciousness and honor he showed every day.''

You heard Chairman Shimkus say the same thing.

You have to get things done around this place, and if you are always going to sit in one corner and fold your arms and say, ``I am not going to listen to anybody else,'' it is not going to get done.

But that was not Ray. He reached out, as the chairman mentioned and as Chairman Shimkus also mentioned, that it is important to reach out to work with people. I think that it was demonstrated by the pieces of legislation that we got out.

Last year, he was an instrumental part of working with me and getting out the SELF DRIVE Act. We have a lot of pieces of legislation that come through, but the staff kept track. They said that we had over 300 meetings with staff and with Members in getting that bill out. It was a bill that wasn't a Republican bill, and i wasn't a Democrat bill. It was a bill that everyone worked together on.

I think it was important because Ray had a big hand in that. I sat through a lot of meetings, and the staff sat through a lot more than I did when you think about those 300. He was a guiding hand and a very calm hand to get that bill out.

When you think about a piece of legislation of that magnitude, when that bill came up for a committee vote, and not only for the chairman's work, that bill went out 54-0, which is amazing for a bill of that size and that magnitude and what it meant.

He was instrumental, I know when we sat down with our friends over in the Senate in an early meeting talking about what they would be doing, but he was very, very involved in it. But he was a very calming voice.

I wasn't privileged to know Ray when he began his long and distinguished public career service out in Oregon, but, again, I got to know him through his work on the committee. One of the things that I think I can say is he was an incredible person to work with. He was a gentleman, and he took time to listen and to analyze a problem. Around this place, that doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes you jump out there first, and then you think: What am I going to say? But Ray was one of those individuals who really made sure that he was always prepared. He was ready to go forward, and he was willing to listen.

I will never forget, years ago, I had a professor in college who said: You always remember that God gave you two ears and one mouth; if I have to explain that to you, you are going to have a hard time understanding what you have to do more of. But that was listening, and Ray listened.

He always gave you a straight answer. That is always important because it is tough when you are working on legislation and you are working on something, and you have to get an answer from somebody, and they say: Well, let me think about that.

But Ray wasn't that way. He would sit down with you. He would work with you. He would be up in my office; I would be down in his office. He was always there to listen. He was always giving a recommendation, and the end result was he was somebody who you could trust.

I also know this, he had the respect of the Energy and Commerce Committee members. He also had the respect of the staff, Republicans and Democrats alike.

He was kind, and he was thoughtful, too. Sometimes you hear staff say that there are folks around here who don't treat them very well. He wasn't one of those individuals.

He is going to be missed; and it is not often that you are privileged to meet someone like him or to work with someone like him of his caliber and one who always believed in putting public service above self.

To his wife and family, you are in my prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Walden for this opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3524.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer a commonsense amendment that prevents the Federal Government from infringing on the Second Amendment rights of sportsmen and sportswomen in Ohio and from around the country.

Under the Obama administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives--the ATFE--proposed a new framework for interpreting a Gun Control Act and for determining which projectiles should qualify for the sporting purpose exemption. This framework would have withdrawn the exemptions for certain 5.56-millimeter ammunition, including the M855, because the ATFE felt that they should be classified as armor-piercing ammunition. The M855 is one of the most commonly used ammunitions in the United States and is widely used by target shooters and hunters. Ultimately, due to overwhelming public opposition, the ATFE withdrew their proposal.

In order to guard against new attempts to ban this popular and commonly used ammunition, I am offering this amendment, which prohibits the ATFE from using funds to reclassify M855 ammunition. Again, this amendment is codifying the ATFE's own stance.

As a lifetime hunter and competitor at the National Rifle and Pistol Championship matches at Camp Perry in Ohio, I fully support our Second Amendment right to bear arms, and I oppose any efforts to intrude on these rights. I believe that is what the ATFE attempted to do in 2015.

I also thank the chairman from Texas for his work on this issue in the previous Congress. I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this amendment to protect the rights of sportsmen and sportswomen.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.

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

Mr. Chairman, again, the ATF received over 80,000 comments on their proposal. In their own words: ``The vast majority of the comments received were critical of the framework and include issues that deserve further study.''

Again, this amendment is only codifying the ATFE's own stance. Again, I ask my colleagues to protect the rights of our sportsmen and sportswomen, and to support the amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bob McLimans, a staple of the radio airwaves in Northwest Ohio for more than four decades. Bob has spent 44 years on the air and will be retiring on September 8. In addition to his on-air role, Bob has also served as the General Manager of the Napoleon-Defiance area for IHeart Media for the past 17 years.

In addition to these two jobs, Bob has served as Chair of the Napoleon City Planning Commission for years and is active in his church.

Bob's discussions on-air serve his local community and help bring important information to listeners. In fact, he was selected to the Henry County Ag Hall of Fame for his commitment to agriculture on the radio. He also introduced President Reagan when he campaigned in Deshler during the 1980's.

Every weekday morning, from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. on 103.1 in Napoleon, you could listen to Bob discuss the local news, weather, sports, and more.

Mr. Speaker, Northwest Ohio has been fortunate to have someone like Bob McLimans on the airwaves and serving our local communities for the past 44 years. I'd like to congratulate Bob on his retirement and wish him all the best in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3388) to provide for information on highly automated driving systems to be made available to prospective buyers, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), who is the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I would like to thank him for all the work he has done on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, first, let me just thank the gentlewoman from Illinois, the ranking member on the subcommittee, for her hard work on the legislation. I really appreciate it.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 3388, the SELF DRIVE Act, which we advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 54-0 in July. This compromise legislation aims to improve consumer safety by reducing traffic-related fatalities and injuries, clarify the Federal and State roles, and stimulate job growth and economic opportunities.

Many of you have heard these roadway safety statistics, but they again bear repeating. Each year, approximately 6 million Americans are involved in car accidents resulting in nearly 2 million injuries. Ninety-four percent of the accidents are attributed to human errors or decisions. In 2016 approximately 40,000 people lost their lives on U.S. highways. Sadly, in my home State of Ohio, traffic deaths have been on the rise over the last few years.

We have an opportunity today to support and promote the safe testing and deploying of this life-saving technology. U.S. companies are investing major resources in the research and development of this technology and should not be held up by regulatory barriers that were created when self-driving cars were science fiction. We must act, and we must act now.

The SELF DRIVE Act establishes a streamlined path for the testing, development, and deployment of self-driving cars in the United States. While this technology is currently being tested in certain parts of the country, there are limits to who can test and what technology can be used in cars today. Federal motor vehicle safety standards need to be updated because self-driving cars may not have the traditional steering wheels and brake pedals that all cars have today.

Additionally, this legislation maximizes opportunities for research and development here in the United States to create jobs and grow economic opportunities so that the United States can remain a global leader in this industry. With this legislation, innovation can flourish without the heavy hand of government.

Finally, this legislation will enhance the ability of our senior citizens, the disability community, and individuals in underserved communities enjoy more mobility and live more independently.

This legislation is the first of its kind, focused on the car of the future that is more of a supercomputer on wheels. This issue started with our good friend and colleague, Dr. Burgess, who held the first disrupter series hearing on self-driving cars last Congress.

Again, we would also not be where we are today if it weren't for the leadership of Chairperson Walden and the great working relationship and cooperation of Ranking Member Pallone, Ranking Member Schakowsky, and Ranking Member Dingell, as well as our many cosponsors. I appreciate their comments, suggestions, and input.

We have held multiple hearings, technology showcases, and real-life demonstrations for our committee's members to learn about the opportunities and challenges presented by self-driving cars.

I also want to acknowledge the stakeholders who have been willing to work with us. The automotive industry is a competitive and vibrant marketplace and touches every congressional district in the country.

In the process of drafting and marking up this legislation, we had over 300 meetings with automakers, tech companies, suppliers, trade associations, the disability community, senior State transportation leaders, and, last but not least, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safety should and always will be our number one priority. We have said and will continue to say: Safety first, safety last, safety always. I truly believe this bill will make a real difference for everyday Americans.

In closing, I want to thank our great staff for their hard work late nights and weekends to get us where we are to this historic vote.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), chairman of the Health Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper), vice chairman of the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Mimi Walters).

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentlewoman, the ranking member on the subcommittee, for all of her hard work on this legislation. Again, we wouldn't be here without the bipartisanship that we had on this piece of legislation.

Also, again, I want to thank our staff. There were a lot of weekends and nights that they put in to make sure that we got this bill to where we are today.

But, again, as has been mentioned today, we have been talking about what this legislation is going to do. We have been looking at safety, cybersecurity, privacy, making sure that some folks in the community right now who aren't able to get out, some of our senior population, and those with disabilities, have the ability to be able to get around to go to jobs and go to the grocery store.

The legislation has been a culmination of a lot of work over two sessions. Again, I want to thank Dr. Burgess for his hard work that he did in the last Congress as the chairman of the subcommittee.

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

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

The amendment I am offering today highlights a critical security concern that must be addressed in order to keep the American people safe. Over the past several years, terrorists in Europe and around the world have added vehicular attacks to their deadly arsenal. From Paris to Barcelona and Jerusalem to London, terrorists have rented trucks and vans to commit horrible attacks, leaving hundreds dead and countless seriously injured.

While the United States has yet to experience an attack on the scale of those that have occurred in Europe, we must do everything in our power to make sure that the individuals who do us harm do not eventually slip through the cracks.

I believe the U.S. Department of Homeland Security should have the discretion to use its funds to explore partnerships with van and truck rental companies so that background checks may be conducted for individuals attempting to procure these vehicles. This amendment is a first step towards recognizing and addressing the potential vulnerability of American citizens to these terrible attacks.

It is my hope that I continue to work with the chairman as well as the Committee on Homeland Security to pursue legislative measures that will address the vehicular attacks and actions so that we can guard against them.

I thank the chairman, the ranking member, and my colleagues for their support.