Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of a commonsense bill that should receive unanimous support in the Chamber today, H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.

Our discussion today is against the backdrop of the atrocious attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists more than 1 year ago, and while nearly 6,000 miles away from our Nation's Capital, seven Americans, three of whom are presumed dead, are still held captive by Hamas.

Mr. Speaker, I know this bill won't bring them home, but it does two critical things to prevent support of terrorists and to provide some relief when our brothers and sisters do arrive back on U.S. soil.

First, it ends the tax-exempt status of organizations that support terrorist groups like Hamas. This is a no-brainer. We shouldn't reward organizations that provide resources to terrorists or other terrorist- supporting organizations. It is unconscionable to think that organizations supporting the savages who are holding Americans hostage would be in the same tax category as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and local churches throughout Kansas.

The United States shouldn't be giving any incentive for organizations to be helpful to terrorists, period.

Second, the bill addresses a lingering issue for survivors and their families when they do return home: harassment from the IRS. The Americans held hostage in Gaza and elsewhere throughout the globe have suffered enough and don't need their own government pursuing back taxes and fines upon their homecoming. Current law prevents the IRS from having the authority to extend relief beyond a single year. This is insufficient.

The policies in this bill are commonsense and bring some measure of relief to our fellow Americans who are suffering under terrorist restraint, and I urge all Members to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Friends University Singing Quakers for a century of vocal excellence.

The Singing Quakers have proven to be a premier choral group that has taken their talents across the country, including our nation's capital, and even around the world. They have entertained Kansans locally with annual home concerts, Christmas candlelight concerts and Symphony of Spring.

The many men and women who have performed with this prestigious group should be commended for their incredible talent, dedication to musical greatness, camaraderie and character. The Friends University Singing Quakers represent their institution and our region well.

I also want to recognize the phenomenal leadership of the Singing Quakers' directors, including current director Dr. Rayvon T.J. Moore, recent director Dr. Mark Bartel and longtime director Dr. Cecil Riney. They have elevated choral music in Kansas and are well-respected far beyond the Sunflower State.

As they gather this weekend to celebrate and perform, I want to thank the alumni and current performers of the Friends University Singing Quakers for providing our region with exceptional choral music for 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Western Cattle Trail. The entrepreneurial cattlemen who blazed this new path across the frontier exemplified the American spirit of adventure and freedom.

In the wake of the Civil War, longhorn cattle were running free in Texas, while cities and towns on the East Coast demanded more beef than ever to feed their growing populations. Young cowboys called drovers rode to gather the wild cattle and move them hundreds of miles across the wilderness to northern railroads to meet the demands. Their destinations were railhead towns such as Newton, Wichita, and Caldwell in my district.

In 1874, these cowboys pioneered a new route. It became known as the Western Trail, located west of the existing Shawnee and Chisholm Trails. Cowboys on horseback moved longhorn cattle along the trail through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and north to Canada. Over the next several decades, millions of heads of cattle were herded up the trail by these enterprising young Americans.

In addition to providing beef for a growing nation, the Western Trail played a crucial role in moving much-needed breeding stock to ranches in the northern plains and carrying essential meat supplies to Native American tribes across the west. The trail's significant impact on the national economy underscores the importance of cattle routes in the development and history of the United States.

In November, the Western Cattle Trail Association, along with the International Chisholm Trail Association, will be commemorating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Western Trail. Historians, authors, artists, and friends of the Western Trail will gather in Kansas to honor and commemorate the cowboys who made those drives and overcame the dangers of the frontier to deliver their herds to the rest of the country. In so doing, these cowboys became recognized worldwide as symbols of American courage, strength, freedom, and independence. I proudly join those honoring them and this historic milestone in our history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Aerospace Week.

For more than a century, American aerospace trailblazers have propelled the United States to the forefront of global innovation in critical sectors--national defense, safe and reliable transportation, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, and space exploration. National Aerospace Week recognizes the vital role that aerospace organizations and workers play in advancing our nation's security, economy, and technological leadership.

The aerospace industry continues to surge to new heights. In 2023 alone, American aerospace and defense generated an astounding $955 billion in total sales across the value chain--from small mom-and-pop businesses to the largest equipment manufacturers. These businesses support more than 2.2 million highly skilled workers across the country, with nearly half of these jobs coming from the supply chain sector. And Americans want to work in aerospace and defense. Not just because the average income is 50 percent above the national average, but because they identify and connect with the industry's mission and its contributions to the United States. With a footprint in every single state, including in my state of Kansas--home to the Air Capital of the World--the aerospace and defense workforce is the backbone of our economy, contributing $425 billion to the U.S. GDP last year.

The importance of aerospace and defense cannot be overstated. As a close partner with the U.S. military, the industry is a cornerstone of our national security and a critical component of our asymmetric advantage over our adversaries. It is a key tenet of our national defense strategy, equipping our courageous men and women in uniform with the most advanced and effective systems in the world to deter and, if necessary, fight and win wars. Because of the ingenuity and resilience of American innovators, our military is the best in the world.

We are also the global leader in new technologies in aerospace and air transport--technoiogies that are highly sought-after across the globe. This includes the fastest, safest, most efficient jets; new technologies like advanced air mobility that will enable Americans to get to wherever they want to go--including, eventually, space; and sustainable innovations that will help us be good stewards of our natural resources for generations to come.

The diverse and innovative nature of the businesses that make up the A&D supply chain keeps America on the cutting edge of an ever-evolving global market. Simply put, the world wants what American aerospace is innovating--we are the gold standard.

As we celebrate National Aerospace Week, let us look to the future, where this industry continues to inspire and drive change that will shape the world for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Colonel Garrett Fisher, who will assume command of the United States Air Force 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Fisher grew up in Burrton, Kansas, before accepting an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in 1997 from former 4th District Congressman Todd Tiahrt He graduated in 2001 and was commissioned as a C-17 pilot. Since then, he has achieved over 4,000 flight hours in the T-37B, T-1A, T-6A, C-37A, and C-17A aircraft.

Throughout Colonel Fisher's career, he has demonstrated the importance of a strong character and work ethic, laudable core values, and commitment to his country. He has selflessly served across the United States and world, from Hawaii to Washington D.C. to Europe and the Middle East. Colonel Fisher's schooling has taken him across the country as well, furthering his education at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, St. Louis University, the Air Force Research Institute, and most recently, the National War College. He is the recipient of several major awards and decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and more.

I am grateful to Colonel Fisher for his service and sacrifices and look forward to seeing this Kansan excel as Commander of the 15th Wing. The 15th Wing has a long history in service to the United States, dating back to World War II and the war in the Pacific. Today, the 15th Wing is a critical component to projecting combat power across the United States Indo-Pacific Command. While this assignment comes with great responsibility, I am confident Colonel Fisher will gracefully step into this new role and make Kansas and our country proud.

Again, congratulations to Colonel Garrett Fisher as he assumes command of the 15th Wing.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following Roll Call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call No. 177. On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass as Amended, H.R. 719, The Information Quality Assurance Act, I would have voted YEA; and

Roll Call No. 178. On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 7525, the Special District Grant Accessibility Act, I would have voted

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for his tireless work on this tax package that we are about to pass. American families and small businesses are in desperate need of economic relief. High costs of goods and services and burdensome regulations have strained pocketbooks and the economy, and Americans need a break.

The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act provides the win we need. This bill includes a provision that I have been advocating for--the immediate R&D expensing. Without this, we have seen the growth rate of R&D spending slow, and since three-quarters of R&D spending is on wages and salaries, R&D amortization is primarily a jobs issue.

Countless Kansas small businesses expressed their grave concern about this expired provision. I am glad we are taking a positive step to restore immediate R&D expenses.

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 subject of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, it is a new year, and the House is already busy tackling issues important to Americans. Something that should be high on our list is advancing legislation that will benefit our economy, U.S. innovators, and American workers--and that is immediate R&D expensing.

Tonight my colleagues and I want to talk about how this critical provision encourages research and development in the United States, and, in turn, helps fuel job growth and keeps manufacturing inside our borders.

Recognizing this, for nearly 70 years the tax code allowed businesses to fully deduct their R&D expenses in the same year in which they were incurred. However, since the beginning of 2022, businesses have been required to spread out, or amortize, R&D expenses over 5 years for domestic R&D or 15 years for foreign R&D.

As you can see on this graph, since amortization took place, the growth rate of R&D spending has slowed dramatically from 6.6 percent on average over the previous 6 years to less than one half of 1 percent over the last 12 months.

This slump in U.S. R&D investment is hurting the American economy at a time when rising inflation is hurting workers and holding back job creators.

As companies spend far less on R&D, the sector is down by more than 14,000 jobs. Three-quarters of research and development spending is on salaries and wages, making R&D amortization primarily a jobs issue.

On the other hand, our main competitor, China, has seen its R&D investment increase by 400 percent in just two decades. While the United States' share of global R&D investment in 2019 had dropped to 30 percent, China's share had moved up to 24 percent--in fact, up from 15 percent in 2009, a jump of nearly 10 percentage points in 10 years.

They achieved this impressive growth by implementing the deduction of 200 percent on eligible R&D investments. Without action, the United States will fall even further behind.

But we have the solution, and it is backed by Members in 43 States and from both sides of the aisle.

On tax day of this year, I reintroduced H.R. 2673, the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act. This bipartisan bill corrects the R&D amortization issue and will spur homegrown research and development. And we know that where R&D occurs, jobs and economic opportunities follow.

Mr. Speaker, the American Innovation and R&D Competitive Business Act has 212 cosponsors in addition to myself and a lead Democrat. Those are nearly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. It is the 17th most cosponsored piece of legislation in this Congress. Tonight, my colleagues are going to help me share the decisive difference it would make for workers and innovators in each of their districts.

As I wrote in an op-ed in December, the best time to address R&D amortization was at the end of 2021. The best next time is now. We need to pass R&D immediate expensing for the American people and our U.S. economy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington), the chair of the Budget Committee and my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Arrington has obviously delved into this issue and particularly focused on economic growth and what the impact is in terms of the value for not just the economy and workers across the country but also the tax revenue to help make sure we can fund the operations here in government.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Hern), the chair of the Republican Study Committee, a fellow member of the Ways and Means Committee, and my friend and neighbor to the south.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Hern highlighted that it is so important for us to have a strong America. It means we need to have a strong economy and good-paying jobs for workers, which means we need to have these provisions that make things work and make the economy grow.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller), a member of the Ways and Means Committee and a good friend of mine.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad Mrs. Miller highlighted the impact on small businesses because that is one of the things that sometimes we think about, business provisions that affect large businesses, but small businesses are greatly affected as well by some of these provisions just because of being able to manage their cash flow.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff), another good friend of mine who is also on the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Kustoff. It is so important, as he highlighted, to have innovation and to support that so that we can have good economic growth. That is a key thing that has always helped America over the long term.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore), the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference and a fellow member serving on the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore). It is important to talk about these very important issues.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Yakym), who has shown great interest in being engaged in this issue of how do we actually reinstate the R&D immediate expensing.

I thank the gentleman. It is so important that the gentleman has taken such an active interest.

I now recognize for 2 minutes the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Strong), a friend of mine, and a good guy.

I thank the gentleman for speaking about some of the important impacts on businesses within his district.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. De La Cruz).

Mr. Speaker, it is great that we have so many people from so many different districts talking about issues that are important to them and seeing the wide impact across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize for 2 minutes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran), another member of the Texas delegation, and a good friend of mine.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman participating and highlighting how important it is in the Congressman's district and the impact on that part of the country in Texas.

Wichita, where I am from, is known as the Air Capital of the World for its pioneering role in the early days in American aviation. Today, in south central Kansas, it is brimming with companies continuing to push the limits of the aerospace industry, including in general and commercial aviation, but also space, defense, and unmanned aircraft systems.

All of these new advances in Kansas that developers, engineers, and manufacturers want require technology, and they require research and development, but these innovators tell me that the incentive just isn't there. Knowing that they have to amortize their R&D costs prohibits them from pursuing these technological advances. Let's change that by restoring immediate R&D expensing.

As I mentioned earlier, R&D expensing is primarily a jobs issue, and, without an incentive for home-grown R&D, the U.S. loses out on creating new jobs. As the R&D Coalition says, for every $1 billion of U.S. R&D spending, 17,000 jobs earning $1.4 billion are supported in the United States.

They also note that, if the R&D amortization policy is not reversed, the United States stands to lose 410,000 jobs, $57.5 billion in labor income, and $71 billion in R&D spending over the next year, and it is going to make America less competitive on the world stage.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Members who shared their experiences and what we have heard from districts all across the country on this very important issue. As we have discussed here tonight, R&D expensing legislation is critical for our job creators, innovators, and everyday Americans. The health of our economy depends on us passing this bipartisan, commonsense legislation.

The legislation has broad support from Members in 43 States and both parties. As I said in my opening remarks and in the op-ed last month, the time to address R&D amortization may have been at the end of 2021, but with the start of the new tax-filing season a few weeks away, the next best time is now.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Mid-Kansas Cooperative being honored as the Agricultural Retailers Association Retailer of the Year. I am incredibly proud that MKC's commitment to their customers and dedication to their community is being recognized.

MKC is a full-service farm cooperative offering a complete line of products, programs, and services for farm and urban customers throughout Kansas. The cooperative has more than 11,000 members and 8,000 customers, and their connection to my district and constituents is deep and stretches back decades. MKC has several large-scale facilities serving the farmers and customers of the 4th district, including their recently opened executive leadership office in Wichita. MKC's continued investment in the district provides good jobs and new markets for the world-class agricultural products grown in Kansas.

The Agricultural Retailers Association's Retailer of the Year award is given to the agricultural retailer who goes above and beyond in environmental stewardship, community leadership, customer engagement and employee relations. MKC works tirelessly to ensure that it gives the highest level of service in all of

these categories. I want to congratulate the MKC team for all their hard work and wish them continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Nestor R. Weigand, Jr. who passed away on November 1, 2023. He was a pillar of the Wichita business community, a strong advocate for Kansas values, a devout Catholic, and a dedicated father. He will be missed dearly by those who knew him.

Nestor was born and raised in Wichita, calling the city home for most of his life. After serving honorably in the Army Reserve, he joined the family real estate business, J.P. Weigand & Sons, in 1961. In 1983, he became President and CEO of the company and for the next forty years he built one of the most respected businesses in the state of Kansas. Friends, customers, and even competitors recognized his devotion to his businesses and the real estate profession. In 1978, he was elected by his peers the president of the Kansas Association of Realtors. Ten years later he would go on to become president of the National Association of Realtors where he advised President Ronald Reagan and worked to strengthen fair housing laws across the country.

Nestor was proud to be a lifelong Wichita resident and made it a priority to give back to his community. He served in leadership roles at the Institute of Logopedics (now Heartspring), the Kansas Health Foundation, the Kansas Highway Commission, Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Kansas Policy Institute. One of his passionate roles was serving on the board of Wesley Hospital, where he served both as a member and as Chairman for over forty years.

Nestor's contributions to his business, his community, and his country cannot be understated. I send my deepest condolences to his family and friends as they say goodbye to their beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and companion.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following Roll Call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on Roll Call vote No. 599, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass as Amended H.R. 1607, To clarify jurisdiction with respect to certain Bureau of Reclamation pumped storage development, and for other purposes, I would have voted YEA; and on Roll Call vote No. 600, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 359, the Fort San Geronimo Preservation Act, I would have voted YEA.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for the following Roll Call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows:

Roll Call No. 514, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2379, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 616 East Main Street in St. Charles, Illinois, as the ``Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post Office'', I would have voted YEA.

Roll Call No. 515 On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 4502, Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act, I would have voted YEA.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Wichita State Emeritus Professor Melvin Kahn, who sadly passed away this month at the age of 92.

For over 5 decades, Professor Kahn served as one of Wichita State's most highly acclaimed political science professors. Along with authoring 2 books on complex case studies in political science, Professor Kahn received many accolades and honors throughout his academic career. He received the Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, the WSU Mortar Board Teaching Recognition Award in 2012, the WSU Academy of Excellence Teaching Award in 2007, Carnegie Foundation Kansas Professor of the Year in 1989, and the Regents' Award for Excellence in Teaching, WSU, in 1982. Further, Professor Kahn and his wife Joan also founded the Joan & Melvin Kahn Native American Indian Scholarship, which is given to a Native American student who exhibits a successful high school performance, college potential, leadership qualities, and financial need.

Beyond the awards and recognition he received, Professor Kahn's legacy is also the hundreds of students he inspired to pursue careers in public service. Through the Robert J. Dole Internship Program, Professor Kahn assisted students in finding meaningful internships and enhancing their education by serving their community at the federal, state, and local levels. I am proud to have had the privilege of employing several of these bright young Kansans in my office.

Professor Kahn firmly believed that, in the words of Aristotle, ``the mind is a fire to be lit and not a vessel to be filled,'' and the true measure of a teacher is challenging students' minds and encouraging them to go out and see the world on their own. He will be missed by all who knew him, and his memory will go on in those he inspired.

Mr. Speaker, today I'd like to recognize Friends University as they celebrate their 125th anniversary.

Friends opened its doors in September of 1898. In his opening address, President Edmund Stanley said, ``The purpose of this school shall be to give to the world and to give our country a class of citizens that will be in every sense loyal citizens.'' He went on to say, ``Loyalty means that mental training and discipline which makes the child think--the development which makes him strong in mind and body; strong in his moral nature; a full man in that intelligence which should direct the efforts of all men for conscientious, honorable and successful private life and citizenship.''

And that is just what they have done--for the past 125 years Friends has provided Kansas, our country and the world, with men and women who are honorable citizens wherever they go after graduation, bringing value to their communities. Being a Friends University Falcon is a respected recognition and the reach of Friends touches many industries and states in the country.

The University offers a distinguished liberal arts education with majors ranging from Accounting to Zoo Science and enrolls traditional and adult students seeking associate, bachelor's and master's degrees.

I'm so pleased to help Friends University celebrate this milestone anniversary and offer my sincere congratulations on 125 years of success, and I look forward to another century and a quarter of equipping students under the iconic clock tower in the heart of the Sunflower State. Happy 125th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, the United States has long been a global pioneer in aviation, defense and space, and the aerospace industry and workforce have made innumerable contributions to our country and the world.

I proudly represent Wichita, Kansas--the Air Capital of the World. For more than a century, Wichita has been a leader in aerospace innovation and manufacturing. In 1928, just 25 years after the Wright Brothers' first flight, Wichita was already home to 16 airplane manufacturers, 6 engine factories and numerous suppliers.

Today, Wichita is home to world-class research, engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance capabilities.

But aerospace is not just in Kansas--the industry supports jobs in all 50 states. Across the country, aerospace--and the people who power it--provides a critical foundation that supports our Nation's economy and national security.

That's why I relaunched the House Aerospace Caucus this year. With my co-chair Rep. Salud Carbajal, we're committed to maintaining America's global leadership in aerospace by supporting the industry and working to address the legislative issues impacting it.

This National Aerospace Week, I want to recognize and celebrate the American aviation, defense and space industries and thank the hardworking men and women powering this industry.