Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the nonprofit Youth Entrepreneurs for their commitment to preparing our students to meet the demands of today's workforce. This program provides a taste of the workforce in a variety of career paths for our emerging leaders.

Youth Entrepreneurs was started in 1991, in Wichita, Kansas, with the goal to give young adults a foundation of knowledge, skills, and values for today's workplace. High school students who participate in the Youth Entrepreneurship Program receive a preparation course that covers the ins-and-outs of a variety of career fields and business etiquette.

After students complete the class, they are sent to work at a business that matches their interest. The students are able to apply their learning from the classroom at the company they are paired with.

For 26 years, this nonprofit has been dedicated to education and the success of our youth. Today, I want to make sure they know that their hard work has not gone unnoticed. Personally, I have seen and heard the success stories from these young adults, including my own godson, Patrick, who has participated in this organization.

The program has expanded to 10 other States and graduated thousands of students. More than 80 percent of the participants say they want to attend college, and 60 percent of the students who have completed the requirements have either started their own business or desire to one day.

I am proud of programs like Youth Entrepreneurs that are working to give our young adults a pathway for success. Even with unemployment at an all-time record low in Kansas, there are still 50,000 open jobs in our State. It is important that our students have access to organizations like Youth Entrepreneurs so that we can prepare Kansans to meet these high employment demands.

Kansas Meeting STEM Demands

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an industry that presents endless opportunities for America's workforce. As our Nation continues to advance technologically, it is imperative that our youth have the skills necessary to remain competitive in the workforce.

Kansas is experiencing record employment across the State; however, one industry faces an increasingly high demand for skilled workers. Today, Kansas has more than 2,500 open computer science jobs, which is two times higher than the average State's demand. This year alone, the United States Department of Labor predicts employers will be unable to fill nearly 2.5 million job openings in STEM-related--or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math--professions.

Last week, I met with the students from the North Central Kansas Technical College. NCKTC is ranked third in the Nation in job placement in tech-related fields. I am so proud to see colleges throughout my district working

hard to meet the challenges that our labor force is facing today by offering more STEM-based curricula.

Northwest Kansas Technical College offers programs and certification courses in computer science and coding, while Hutchinson Community College's Business and Industry Institute, also in my district, incorporates computer and science technology into their training programs.

Emporia State University recognizes our future by offering STEM- concentration classes for kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers. This program for teachers ensures that our youth will get a greater understanding of these technical skills at a younger age and ultimately be better equipped for future jobs in the STEM industry.

It is important that we recognize these colleges' efforts and their computer science initiatives that will prepare students for success in these growing career fields.

As a Member of Congress, I always strive to create opportunities for my constituents back home, but we must also take advantage of the opportunities at our doorstep. It is imperative that we continue to place a focus on STEM education. As computer science becomes a skill utilized in almost every industry, we must ensure our children are well prepared to meet these demands.

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to believe that it has been 30 years since it was my first night alone as an OB/GYN resident at Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg, Florida. As fate would have it, I was called about 2 in the morning, stat, to the OB floor.

When I got there, I went into a patient's room and reviewed a lady that I had never met before. I quickly looked at her and determined that she might be 24 weeks pregnant. But more alarmingly, she had blood oozing from the bed, soaking into the cloth beneath the

bed, filling buckets of blood, and I knew I had seconds or minutes to make a decision whether to do a C-section on this lady.

As we rushed her back to the OR and quickly did a C-section, I was calling in neonatologists, anesthesiologists, anybody I could. And you can't imagine, when I reached in there to pull the first baby out, that there was a second baby. We did everything we could to save those babies' lives.

But what I can't really believe, Mr. Speaker, is that an abortion clinic across town where botched abortions occur and babies born this same gestational age are executed in inhumane fashion.

Mr. Speaker, we have a chance Friday to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and I look forward to passing that legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a very troubling issue, but also to tell the story of one of my high school classmates who is trying to make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, every day, 22 veterans in the United States take their own lives. At this pace, veterans are committing suicide at a rate of 19 percent higher than the general adult population. We, in Congress, will not turn a blind eye to these servicemembers in need of our support. This issue is a top clinical priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as for this Congress.

In a unanimous vote, the House passed legislation that works for the VA to examine the effectiveness of the Veterans Crisis Line. I am also a proud cosponsor of the Oath of Exit Act written by my close friend and colleague, Congressman Brian Mast from Florida. This legislation will require all individuals retiring or separating from the Armed Forces to take a pledge not to harm themselves. But these actions alone are not enough, and more must be done to protect our servicemembers.

To help our veterans with this mental health battle, we are now turning to our four-legged friends. Therapy dogs have a proven success record for helping our veterans tackle the physical and mental challenges that they face in their transitions back to civilian life.

As I stand before the House today, I want to bring awareness to one organization that I am especially proud of, K94Heroes. This nonprofit group provides therapy dogs to our servicemen and -women who are in desperate need of compassion and support. I am overjoyed to see members of the community empowering our veterans and I am honored to say that this organization was founded in my home State, in my hometown, by one of my high school classmates, John ``Big Daddy'' Lipscomb.

John founded the K94Heroes program after connecting with one of our other classmates, an elementary classmate, who specializes in service dog training for veterans. In 2015, John and his daughter established K94Heroes and raised private funds to mitigate training costs. Together, they work tirelessly to ensure every veteran who deserves a service dog receives one.

We owe it to those who protected us abroad the assurance of protection here at home. With upstanding citizens like John ``Big Daddy'' Lipscomb and with continued action on the Federal level, we will be able to better protect our veterans who sacrifice so much for this country. Still, this Congress must make continued efforts toward veteran suicide prevention, and I commend the efforts of organizations such as K94Heroes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate what I believe to be the most significant legislation of the 21st century. Of course, I am referring to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Mr. Speaker, as I travel my State of Kansas and across the country, people invariably share with me what they feel their priorities should be for this Federal Government.

Number one, almost everyone will say within 5 or 10 minutes that they think national security is very, very important.

Next, people typically talk to me about how important they feel education is.

Thirdly, people will talk about how important they feel infrastructure is: roads, bridges, railroads, high speed internet, and those types of things.

Mr. Speaker, no matter what your priorities are as an American, none of those will happen unless we have a strong, healthy economy; and that is what I believe the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act does. It helps to continue the strong economy that we have created.

Mr. Speaker, we are so fortunate this year. We are about to celebrate our third quarter in a row of GDP growth over 3 percent. It seems like just January and I was coming here as a rookie Congressman. All the experts and all the press said this country will never see GDP growth again, yet we are about to have our third quarter in a row of it. It just amazes me to hear people continually tell me what we can and cannot do.

I took a second to look at that. Why do we have this strong economy? Why is GDP growth going so well?

I think it is very simple. We have rolled back regulations and slowed that down.

So many people I have talked to have been sitting on the sidelines for the last 8 years, waiting for some certainty. This new President has given them the certainty to invest in this economy. Now it is time to pass this tax reform bill and make this economy even stronger.

From day one, from the first day we got here, we talked about common visions and goals for what tax reform would look like.

Number one, we wanted to make sure that we gave relief to hardworking Americans so that they would be able to keep more of the money they have earned through their labors.

Number two, we wanted a simpler process.

Number three, we wanted to grow a healthier economy that would create more jobs and pay higher wages.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be here this week and say that we have delivered for the American people.

Let's take a look at this bill.

Number one, it gives relief to hardworking Americans. In Kansas, with the House bill, the average hardworking couple with two children is going to keep $1,400 more of their money.

But as we continue this process, we tried to make each rendition of this bill better and better. Now, the average Kansas family will be able to keep up to $2,000 more of their hard-earned money.

But more than that, there are another 5 million Americans who will get another $2,000 bonus this next year. Those are the people who paid for the ObamaCare health insurance penalty that they refused to take because the insurance was not worth anything.

Many hardworking Americans will keep up to $4,000 more of their money.

Next, it is simpler. Ninety percent of Americans will be able to do their taxes on the back of a postcard.

Is that not simpler?

Of course, it is. I don't think anybody can argue those first two points.

Thirdly, the goal was to figure out how we grow the economy, how we grow jobs, how we increase wages for people. That is what we have done. We have lowered taxes on small businesses, which will be the main job creators of this economy. By lowering those taxes, they are going to invest more in their people, in labor, and in capital items. Those will all lead to growing this economy.

This is a very easy bill to support, Mr. Speaker. I don't have a Ph.D. in

economy, but I come from the school of hard knocks and hard work. Having ran several companies myself, I think the job pattern that we have going on will keep growing.

We have a 16-year high in consumer confidence, a 16-year low in unemployment. That is mostly due to rolling back regulations. But as we go forward with this tax reform, we are going to grow more jobs and have more opportunities for Americans.

This is the start of a new year with the greatest tax reform, the most important legislation of the 21st century, and I am so proud to be part of this process.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say thanks to our Active Duty military men and women who serve our country and protect our freedoms; and a special thanks to those soldiers from my home State of Kansas, the soldiers from Fort Riley who represent the Big Red One, the First Infantry Division, whose lapel pin I proudly wear today; and to say thanks to the soldiers of Fort Riley and the airmen and -women at McConnell Air Force Base who so proudly serve this country.

As we approach the holiday season, many of us will be surrounded by loved ones. But we must not forget those in uniform who sacrifice time with their families during the holidays for the safety of our Nation.

Keeping our troops in our thoughts is not enough, however. Congress must move past the brinksmanship and procrastination that leave our government funding moving from one continuing resolution to the next. Failure to provide funding for a full fiscal year not only creates self-imposed crises and uncertainties about paychecks, but it robs our national defense agencies of the ability to plan, to make smart funding decisions, and to ensure our warfighters are being sent to battle with every advantage at their disposal.

Fiscal reductions and budgetary uncertainties have eroded the readiness of our military. Defense Secretary Mattis stated that the sequestration has done more to harm our troops' readiness than any enemy abroad. As threats continue to expand across the globe, it is imperative that our troops have the resources needed to complete their mission successfully and return home safely.

As the holiday season approaches, I want to urge those at home to remember the sacrifices being made by our soldiers to ensure we celebrate the holidays safely. I also urge my colleagues to address these crises by passing a full-year spending bill for the military, to raise the defense spending caps, and to give our troops the raise they deserve. While our troops have performed exceptionally under an uncertain budget and limited resources, it is past time Congress does its part.

Mr. Speaker, when I say the term ``CPR,'' everybody in the room knows what I am talking about; but when I mention ``Stop the Bleed,'' few of us know what it is.

This past summer, I had the opportunity to take part in a Stop the Bleed training program offered for my good friends and fellow physicians at the American College of Surgeons. This simple training teaches individuals how to treat bleeding injuries and help save a life.

Every year, almost 200,000 Americans die from traumatic injuries sustained as a result of events, including vehicle crashes, falls, industrial and farm accidents, shootings, and natural disasters. The most common preventable cause of these deaths is losing too much blood in the minutes before trained responders can arrive. This is something we need to change.

The ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and the ability to intervene effectively can save a life. Whether the injury was the result of a car crash, home accident, or farm accident, one person who is there at the right time and has the right skills can make all the difference.

Just like CPR training, a civilian familiar with basic bleeding control techniques is better equipped to save a life. The effort to make this training available to the public is driven by the goal to reduce or eliminate preventable death from bleeding.

The American College of Surgeons, working in partnership with many other organizations, has now made the training needed to address such incidents available to the public. Through nationwide advocacy efforts, the American College of Surgeons will work to ensure that all people have access to training opportunities.

I would implore and encourage folks like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Red Cross, and other organizations that teach CPR to add this very simple course on Stop the Bleed to that training course program. It is a very simple concept of putting pressure where the bleeding is occurring or how to make a quick tourniquet out of a belt or a piece of clothing.

Today, I also take this opportunity to encourage fellow congressional Members of Congress to get trained in Stop the Bleed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome the more than 40 volunteers from 26 States representing Ducks Unlimited who are on the Hill today.

As an avid outdoorsman and waterfowler myself, as well as a member of Ducks Unlimited for over 25 years, I have seen the wonderful firsthand benefits this group provides. Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres of land in its 80-year history, 25,000 of which are in my home State of Kansas. I send a big thank-you for all those folks up north of us who have done such a great job raising these ducks.

Work like this is vital to ensuring that the natural resources of our land are protected and monitored so that our children and grandchildren can come someday to rural Kansas, from Cheyenne Bottoms to the Quivira Wildlife Refuge, and enjoy those great outdoor moments.

I thank the folks at Ducks Unlimited for their work, and I welcome them to Capitol Hill.

Mr. Speaker, as a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist for 25 years, I certainly had a very unique perspective of many of the unique challenges faced by women in the workplace.

For many women, I would see them once a year and, in a very casual greeting, ask them how they were and what was new. Once in a while, a woman would have a new job, and I would ask her: ``Wow. You had a great job. Why did you leave that?'' Too often, the answer was because of sexual harassment.

Now, as a United States Congressman, I think it is important that I do more than just listen to these constituents of mine. I was sent here to be their voice, to be a strong voice for all of my constituents, and especially to draw upon my experiences as an obstetrician and gynecologist to be an advocate for women.

With the strongest and most unequivocal terms I can voice, Mr. Speaker, I rise to condemn sexual harassment and assault and those cowards who perpetrate it.

Mr. Speaker, I am also here to salute those brave women who are speaking out about their past experiences here on Capitol Hill. These women are the victims. They should be treated as very courageous folks who are sharing their story to help protect others. In doing so, they are not only helping to identify another predator, but they are helping the thousands of women who will come after them and work in these hallowed Halls.

By bringing these dark, disgusting secrets to light, they make the workplace across America that much of a safer environment for all women, something we must not stop working toward, and something we must all take responsibility to foster.

In the plainest terms, I want to make sure all men know that it is unacceptable behavior, to not allow your coworkers to perpetrate it, and that those who assault or harass women should receive the harshest punishment. There is no place in America for this behavior, and we must all take responsibility for ensuring it has no place in our offices.

I would offer up this advice that was given to me many years ago, that all men treat every woman as though they were your mother, your sister, or your daughter, and let that be your creed when you are choosing your words and your actions.

Let us all take responsibility and use this incredible social moment to make a lasting impact for my daughter, our granddaughters behind them, and for future generations. It certainly starts with me in my office, my sons, my grandsons, the people who work with me, and the people I choose to surround myself with. We can all be that shining example, and I pray that my colleagues will join me in making this so.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about nutrition and, more specifically, malnutrition. My family and I have traveled across the country doing mission work, from the poorest country in this Western Hemisphere, Haiti; to the plains of Kenya; across Mexico; and throughout Central America.

On those trips, I went there as a physician thinking that I could help people, but what I quickly discovered was that, despite how many antibiotics or bottles of IV fluids that I had, without proper nutrition, without proper water and sewage treatment, I was simply running into a headwind in a war that I could never win.

Unfortunately, across the globe, there are almost 1 billion people who suffer from malnutrition, and it is a problem that doesn't exist just across the world. It also exists in my own district, in my own communities. We think that actually about 12 percent of the United States households have food insecurity issues, and, in households with children, the number goes up to 16 percent of food insecurity issues.

It would be my opinion, without this hierarchy of needs being met, the hierarchy of the needs of proper water, proper sewage, and proper nutrition, that you will never have a healthy community. Without a healthy community, you will never see economic growth.

This battle against malnutrition is long running. In recent years, many in the hunger community have recognized the value of fighting malnutrition in targeted ways. One way was popularized by Roger Thurow in his book, ``The First 1,000 Days: A Crucial Time for Mothers and Children--And the World.''

Research shows that good nutrition actually begins before conception. Good nutrition starts before conception, continues throughout the woman's pregnancy, and, especially, those first 2 years after a child's birth are very important.

As a practicing obstetrician for 25 years, I see over and over the impact of proper nutrition. Proper nutrition in those first 1,000 days starts with a well-balanced diet and adequate calories. Additionally, we always try to start our prenatal vitamins at least 3 months before conception.

You might ask: Why is that important? What we have found is that if there is adequate folic acid in a woman's body, along with adequate iron, it decreases birth defects, and it decreases premature birth and low birth weights. Specifically, folic acid decreases neural tube defects. So those two vitamins are particularly important that we continue in these diets preconceptually, during the pregnancy, then after for at least the first 2 years.

A child that receives the proper 1,000 days of nutrition has a lower chance of obesity, heart disease, and chronic illnesses. The child is 10 times more likely to overcome serious childhood illnesses and is more likely to fulfill their full God-given potential.

What we know and understand is that the most vulnerable will succumb to viruses, whether it is the elderly or the infants, if they don't have proper nutrition. An investment during this critical time period, these first 1,000 days, not only impacts the development of the child, but results in a higher likelihood of healthiness in generations to

follow, allowing the benefits of adequate nutrition to compound over time.

As we in Congress begin to consider the reauthorization of the new farm bill, we have been reviewing many programs targeting hunger and malnourishment. These programs allow our State governments and nonprofits to promote nutrition and assist in providing food for women and children, both here at home and around the globe. I am especially proud of the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program, but what we, of course, call in Kansas the Dole-McGovern International Food for Education program.

This program has provided over 44 million people in low-income, food- deficient countries across the world with a meal during the school time to help those kids do better in school. This is made possible by donations from the U.S. agricultural products and the kindness of Americans.

Food for Peace is another lifesaving food assistance program that, for more than 60 years, has helped tens of millions of people get enough to eat through emergency development and nutritional support programs.

Not only do these programs provide the food necessary to help these countries provide good nutrition for women and children, they benefit U.S. national security and foster goodwill.

Lending a helping hand to those around the globe is a classic American value, but assisting those here at home is an absolute priority. This is being achieved through the special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, the WIC program as most of us have called it. I have got such great, firsthand experience in seeing how important this WIC program is to pregnant women and breastfeeding women. It is not only the vitamins that we give them, but it is the extra education that we give them to help raise their children in a healthy environment.

So we need to provide Federal grants to these States through the WIC program that are used to provide food supplements and nutritional education to low-income mothers and babies. Nutrition is so critical for these first 1,000 days, it goes far beyond anything that I can say or any statistics I can quote. As we continue to strive for improved national global health, the importance of these first 1,000 days should not be underemphasized.

The United States has an opportunity to make a global statement in advancing this initiative. No matter where you are in the world, you can be assured that community health, economic growth, and quality of life begins with good nutrition.

Mr. Speaker, growing up in Kansas, I had many opportunities to visit the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home.

Some of my greatest memories go back to visiting Ike: on my 10th birthday, my entire family drove up to Abilene, Kansas, to visit the museum, and,

later on, in Rotary, multiple opportunities to go to the museum and to his library and honor Ike.

But, perhaps, the greatest memory I had was when my father was allowed to represent Kansas in Ike's color guard during his funeral procession from Washington, D.C., to Abilene, Kansas.

Like many fellow Kansans, I found Ike's devotion to public service, his leadership, and his integrity to be inspiring, both in his role as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II and during his time as the 34th President of the United States.

In October of 1999, this Congress recognized the significance of General Eisenhower to the United States and passed legislation directing the construction of a national memorial in his honor. This week, this very week, this Friday, the Eisenhower Memorial Commission will finally break ground on the construction of this memorial to commemorate the favorite son of Kansas here in our Nation's Capital.

I want to congratulate and thank several other Kansan legends who are a part of this commission--Senator Bob Dole, Senator Pat Roberts, and Senator Nancy Kassebaum--for their work on achieving this milestone, and we look forward to sharing Ike's legacy with generations to come.

Prematurity Awareness Month

Mr. Speaker, November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and I rise today to discuss the fight to prevent premature births.

I remember my very first night alone at Bayfront Medical Center as a second year OB/GYN resident when I was summoned to the labor and delivery unit at 2 in the morning. There, I found a young lady who never had prenatal care, who literally was bleeding to death as her placenta was tearing away from her uterus. As we rushed her back to the operating room, I did a quick sonogram to figure out if these babies were viable. Just glancing at her, she looked like she was 22 or 23 weeks along. I quickly saw that not only was there one baby in this uterus, but there were two babies. Though we got the babies out in less than 30 seconds, both of those babies perished from their extreme prematurity.

That has been 25 or 30 years ago, Mr. Speaker, and to this day prematurity is still the number one cause of death for infants. One out of ten babies are still born premature, and one out of three of those still die. Though we have done a great job in treating these premature babies, we have done very little to lower the incidence of premature births.

That is why I rise today: to recognize this problem, and to tell everyone that the most important step you can do to prevent premature birth is early prenatal care. That is why, wherever I have been, whether it was a residency in St. Petersburg, Florida, or delivering babies in Great Bend, Kansas, I made sure that every patient, regardless of their ability to pay, had early access to prenatal care early on in their pregnancy that hopefully identified the risk that might lead to premature birth.

National Veterans Small Business Week

Mr. Speaker, this week is National Veterans Small Business Week, so I rise today to acknowledge the contribution that these folks have given not only in their service to our country, but also to their communities and businesses.

Veterans bring a unique perspective to entrepreneurship, taking the leadership skills that they developed during their military careers and applying it to starting and growing a business. Nearly 1 in every 10 businesses in this country is owned by a veteran, creating annual sales of over $1 trillion each year and employing over 5 million Americans across the country.

Veteran-owned businesses are a pillar of our economy. I applaud the success of these veteran entrepreneurs, both in Kansas and across the country, and ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating National Veterans Small Business Week.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many veteran businesses I can honor today, but here are just a few of them listed from our own Fort Riley area, Junction City: Tim's Auto Sales, Godfrey's Shooting Range, Coyotes Saloon, Disabled American Veterans Engraving Service, Donnerson Mobile Gaming, Mastercut Lawn and Landscape, Rainbow International, The Veteran Woman, JC CrossFit, 360 Kayaking, Fitzgerald's Gunsmithing, and Studio Pink Candy Boutique.

Mr. Speaker, those are just but a few of the veteran-led businesses in my own district, and we are so proud of them and salute them on this week.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Co-op Month and the many co-ops of the big First District of Kansas.

With a history spanning back to the 18th century, co-ops shaped the way American producers and consumers do business, and in doing so, these ventures have become an invaluable part of business in our own Nation.

From a personal standpoint, I remember my first adventure to a co-op as a 6- or 7-year-old boy on a wheat farm in Kansas. My uncles would let me tag along, riding in our 1952 Chevy truck, and take that wheat to the Burns Co-op. When I was there, I got to taste my first Orange Crush pop. It was the biggest treat of the whole harvest for me, getting to go to that co-op and getting a little bottle of pop.

Over time, though, co-ops have grown far beyond agriculture. We now have co-ops across our district working in broadband, our electric and gas service, housing needs, and so much more.

Run by the people who run and use them, these co-ops, from Kansas to Kentucky, from Alabama to Arkansas to Alaska, are voluntary and self- directed organizations. The benefits are apparent.

Take, for example, MKC, one of the fastest growing co-ops in my State, which has donated more than $500,000 to our local communities in the last 5 years. The benefits of user-based economic control are growing each year.

National Co-op Month brings to mind the hard work and dedication that goes into providing you and me with items and services that we take for granted every day.

Going forward, I urge my colleagues and fellow Members to continue to work and support our farmers and ranchers, our co-ops and their vital work for all America.

Recognition of Importance of Trade to Kansas Manufacturing Industry

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of trade to the Kansas manufacturing industry.

I recently had the opportunity to tour a number of local manufacturing companies as part of my Manufacturing Day tour in Kansas and was able to hear how these companies are working to meet both local and global demands for our products.

These companies in Hutchinson, Kansas; McPherson, Kansas; and Moundridge, Kansas, showed me how they partnered with local community colleges to recruit and train employees as well as innovate to improve their own processes. They repeatedly emphasized how important trade is to manufacturing in Kansas.

When it comes to trade, NAFTA remains of critical importance to the Kansas economy. Nearly 40 percent of the manufacturing exports produced in Kansas go to Canada and Mexico. Let me say that again: 40 percent of the goods manufactured in Kansas go to Canada and Mexico, at a value of nearly $3 billion each year.

As we work through the process of updating and modernizing our free trade agreements, our goal must be to expand and open new markets for American exporters so we can grow our economies and put American-made products at the forefront of the global marketplace.

Mr. Speaker, as an OB/GYN and now a U.S. Congressman, I want to continue to highlight October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

One out of eight women will develop breast cancer. Let me say that again, Mr. Speaker. One out of eight women will develop breast cancer.

If you are a woman over the age of 35, you should ask your physician if you need a mammogram; and certainly if you are over the age of 50, every woman needs a mammogram every year.

A mammogram is quick, it is easy, and the great thing about mammograms is how easy it can be to catch breast cancer at its very early stages and give us a great chance to treat the problem.

Over my career as a physician, we have helped hundreds of women who have successfully fought this dreaded disease. There are great treatments out there and ways we can save lives, so I encourage every woman over the age of 35 to talk to their physician about a mammogram. It is one thing to be aware of breast cancer, but it is another thing to do something about it.

National Women's Small Business Month

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the National Women's Business Council in recognizing October as National Women's Small Business Month.

Women bring unique and invaluable skills and experiences to the workplace. Across the country, there are over 9 million women-owned small businesses, and they contribute over a trillion dollars to our national economy.

In Kansas alone, there are more than 73 businesses owned by women, representing industries such as accounting, veterinary medicine, and management consulting.

As I have toured Kansas, I have met with women entrepreneurs in towns like Ellsworth and Emporia learning about how their businesses are growing local economies and the positive impact these businesses have on their communities. It is inspiring to see what these women have achieved and to hear their perspective on the challenges that small- business owners face.

I ask my colleagues to join me now in celebrating these women during National Women's Small Business Month.

Recognizing the Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative

Mr. Speaker, though mostly known as the top basketball program in the country, I want to acknowledge and salute the University of Kansas and our innovative work through the Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative.

The collaborative has worked diligently over the past 3 years to establish a new model and standard for how to efficiently treat the care of heart disease and strokes in rural areas. They provide better care in a way that saves overall costs and is truly a win-win.

Fifty-three counties in Kansas, with more than 90 hospitals, clinics, and offices, now are represented in the collaborative care model. Not only do they better the lives of patients in rural Kansas, they do so based on a model that is a poster child for other conservative-style demonstration projects.

In 2014, the University of Kansas partnered with Hays Medical Center and received a $12 million, 3-year innovation grant. Now that 3-year window is closing, and I am pleased to say that the collaborative will continue as a self-sustaining entity.

Let me say that again. This will continue as a self-sustaining entity, continue to provide efficient care, and, literally, save thousands of rural Americans' lives and give them more meaningful life after their stroke or heart attack.

As a physician in rural Kansas for three decades, this is one of the greatest success stories I have ever seen, and it will always hold a special place in my heart, as I have seen it unfold right before my eyes.

The Kansas Heart and Stroke Collaborative provides hope and direction for rural healthcare in Kansas and beyond, and it should be looked at by other States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute and say thanks during Pastor Appreciation Month. This one is particularly special, as one of my own church's pastors gave the opening prayer to this body just moments ago.

From baptisms to weddings to funerals, pastors give us encouragement to meet the demands of life. They give spiritual balance to a material world and are spiritual leaders for a nation deemed ``one Nation under God.''

I thank my current pastor, Pastor Josh Leu; his wife, Ashley; his lovely daughters, Karys and Khora. I also want to thank my pastor of 20 years, Pastor Bill Johnson, and his wife, Lois.

Thanks for all you have done for us, for my family, for my community, and for my church.

Like Pastor Bill always used to say: Have a good day, if you want to.

Mr. Speaker, let's all reach out to pastors and their families to tell them thanks for all they do for us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support designating the first Friday in October as Manufacturing Day.

Across our country, manufacturing provides over 12 million jobs and contributes over $2 trillion to our economy. In Kansas, manufacturing accounts for nearly one-fifth of the State's economy and directly employs over 160,000 people.

The industry has a long and successful history in Kansas, and this Friday, I plan to help a small manufacturing company, Superior Boiler Works in Hutchinson, Kansas, celebrate 100 years of being in business, as part of our Manufacturing Day tour.

These small businesses have a substantial impact on local communities by providing good-paying jobs in places like Atwood, Sharon Springs, and Hutchinson, Kansas.

I look forward to celebrating National Manufacturing Day in Kansas this Friday and ask my colleagues to support designating the first Friday in October as National Manufacturing Day.

Mr. Speaker, the first week of October marks the celebration of an organization very near and dear to my parents' hearts, as well as many friends. It is National 4-H Week. It is a time to reflect on the importance of youth development and mentoring within our communities. 4-H was founded to be focused on youth within rural and agricultural areas. It teaches essential skills and the importance of community service.

Today, 4-H has evolved into a global network covering over 50 countries. As the Nation's largest youth leadership organization, 4-H exemplifies the kind of learning, engagement, and leadership that is needed in our country. Their many programs focus on health, science, agriculture, and citizenship in a positive mentoring environment. The experience teaches young people leadership lessons, as well as the value of practical skills and hands-on learning.