Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that, for 242 years, whenever and wherever America's freedom has been threatened, we called in the Marines.

A Marine Corps infantry platoon is trained to close with and destroy the enemy by firearm and maneuver. That is what we do. That is our purpose. Marines kick in the door and kill the bad guys. Period. I know because that is what I had to do in Iraq. My platoon fought door-to- door against deadly insurgents. For this mission, the Marine Corps issued me an M-16 A4.

The M-16 is a weapon designed with exquisite precision for the singular purpose of killing as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. It is not for deer hunting. It is for killing people.

The original M-16 was relentlessly refined to take enemy lives in combat. But you might know the version available in stores called an AR-15. Republicans and their bosses at the NRA believe almost anyone should be able to carry this weapon of war. That is right. Republicans honestly believe that this killing machine has a place in our communities. They think that a weapon very similar to one I carried in Al Anbar belongs on the streets of Phoenix.

That is idiotic, and I will explain why.

Republicans aren't just ignoring the voices of the thousands of victims. They are also denying basic physics. Because a round from an AR-15 is larger and leaves the muzzle traveling faster, it will impact the body without about three times more energy than a bullet from a handgun.

Surgeons treating the Parkland victims described organs that looked like ``overripe melons smashed by a sledgehammer.'' They talk about exit wounds as big as oranges. They recount opening bodies of these children, hoping to stem the bleeding, and discovering that, as one doctor put it, ``there was nothing left to repair.''

And here is the thing: that is not an unexpected outcome. Delivering fatal wounds that no surgeon can fix is the whole point of these weapons. That is precisely why they were given to us in combat.

The AR-15 also has a standard magazine of 30 rounds. Those 30 rounds are necessary if you are putting down suppressive fire or engaging insurgents. They are not very useful when you are hunting deer.

Mr. Speaker, I can confidently say that if you need more than a handful of shots to put down the deer, you are probably the problem, not the weapon.

In addition, the AR-15 has a significantly faster effective rate of fire than a bolt-action hunting rifle or a handgun. That means you can shoot more people in less time. That means police officers responding to the scene of a shooting will be outgunned and outmatched. That means more children will die in the classrooms before help can arrive.

I went through literally thousands of hours of training to become a marine. It was arduous and grueling. I was taught how to clean and care for my weapon. I had to pass a rigorous marksmanship test. I was only armed after I earned the privilege and responsibility for that weapon.

In contrast, my Republican friends think anyone should be able to walk into a sporting goods store anywhere in America and walk out with an AR-15.

When children are slaughtered in their classrooms, we respond with thoughts and prayers instead of smarter policies or stronger laws. We are asked to simply accept this bloodshed as an unavoidable fact of American life.

Not anymore.

How about this? Let's reform our background check system. Let's ban assault rifles and keep weapons of war out of our communities. Then, if people are truly desperate to fire those types of weapons, they can do what I did: go to www.marines.mil and enlist.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the outstanding contributions made by Arizona PBS and to celebrate its long history of service to the children of the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona.

Arizona PBS is dedicated to supporting students, families and educators with content focused on national, common core and state standards.

Since 2010, the Arizona PBS Educational Outreach team has reached nearly 750,000 families and more than 60,000 teachers and teachers-in- training across the state through large-scale events and special community development workshops.

In addition, Arizona PBS provides educational assets through the Arizona PBS LearningMedia online portal in English, Spanish and Navajo, as well as professional development services to help guide individuals into careers in early childhood education.

I am especially grateful for PBS's efforts to help families from diverse backgrounds to prepare their children to enter kindergarten by providing free online apps and games as well as off-screen activities for early learning.

Last month, Arizona PBS launched a 24/7 children's channel, Arizona PBS KIDS, featuring an array of programming to help young children master important skills, ranging from reading and basic math and science to problem solving and emotional skills. This new channel is available over the air and online to educate, entertain and inspire children of all backgrounds across Arizona.

In closing, I want to recognize an event held in my district on February 17, 2018 in which PBS invited children and families to the heart of downtown to celebrate education, community and exploration.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to once again pay tribute to the outstanding work of Arizona PBS in helping to mold the young minds and future leaders of our great state.

Madam Speaker, in June, seven American heroes died on a dark night when a ship collided with an American destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald. Among the dead were immigrants from Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as sons of workers who journeyed north from Guatemala.

As one of the sailors who survived explained: You are crammed in with all sorts of cultures on the ship, but when you are on the Fitzgerald, you are family.

Just like the Fitzgerald, my unit in Iraq included men of many races and religions. We were a family, too, and it made us stronger.

Madam Speaker, what is true of our military is also true of our country. Lots of nations have democratic institutions, plenty of countries have good schools, and all too many, as we know, wield powerful weapons; but what makes America great, what makes America powerful, and what makes America America is that, since our founding, we have thrown our doors open to the world, and we have kept them open to the strivers and the dreamers from every corner of the globe.

We didn't become the greatest, most powerful country in the world because we let in a certain group of people and then slammed the door behind them. No, Madam Speaker, we built this country by making America the only country in the world where anyone from anywhere can accomplish anything.

President Reagan may have summed it up best when he explained that:

You can go to Japan to live but you cannot become Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a

Frenchman. Anyone can come to America to live and become an American.

Unfortunately, our current President and his friends in Congress want to turn their backs on what made America great. Their anti-immigrant agenda will lead to the deportation of millions and drastic cuts in legal immigration.

The last time Congress restricted immigration in this way was almost 100 years ago. Back then, conservatives were worried that there were too many Italians and Jews who were arriving on our shores. Now, they are concerned about Mexican, Nigerian, and Chinese immigrants. The rhetoric may have shifted, the targets may have changed, but it is the same kind of backward, un-American thinking that existed then.

The American people are too smart for this. We don't fear people who don't speak like us or look like us or even pray the way we do. Time and time again, we have rejected the racists and the nativists of this country. We have done it before, and we will do it again.

Madam Speaker, I don't have to look at the polls to tell you that there are a lot more Americans like Aaron Chamberlin from Phoenix than like Donald Trump.

Aaron is a restaurant owner in Phoenix. When he learned that a young prep chef named Suny Santana was undocumented, Aaron said Suny could stay as long as he found a way to fix his undocumented status.

Thankfully, Suny qualified for DACA. He worked hard and thrived. In fact, he did so well that Aaron offered to partner with him in opening his very own new restaurant in downtown Phoenix. But then, cruelly and without warning, President Trump terminated DACA and stripped away Suny's status, throwing his entire life into limbo.

Democrats are fighting for Dreamers like Suny and for businessowners like Aaron who believe in them.

We are also fighting for veterans like Miguel Perez of Chicago. Miguel has lived in this country since he was 8 years old. He served two tours in Afghanistan and suffers from PTSD as a result of his service. Unfortunately, as is too often the case with us, this led to problems with addiction. Miguel deserves our support. Instead, he is facing deportation.

As I speak, Miguel is currently sitting in an ICE detention center in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which happens to be in the district of our Speaker, Paul Ryan.

Miguel isn't alone. Hundreds of immigrants who served our country in uniform could now be deported at the behest of a President who has never served one day in service to this country. These are men and women who took an oath to protect and defend this Nation. They have earned the right to call this country home. They have earned the right to call themselves Americans. To deport these brave men and women after they have fought under our flag dishonors the service of all of us who risked our lives for this country.

We must find a way to protect Dreamers and immigrant families, including brave immigrants who served in uniform. The American people are on our side. They know that Trump's fearful vision for our future is incompatible with who we are as Americans. They are proud to live in a country that attracts the brightest minds and the hardest workers from all around the world. They understand that exclusion and hate are the exact opposite of what makes America America.

This Nation did not become great by kicking out immigrants who fight hard like Miguel or who dream big like Suny. Unlike every other country on Earth, we aren't defined by where we come from, but we are defined by what we believe.

Donald Trump may not understand that, but the American people do.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and work of Bishop Alexis Thomas, who passed away on January 18, 2018.

Bishop Alexis Thomas was many things to many people. He was a pastor, a leader, and a friend. He was a father, a son and a brother. He was a dynamic and passionate leader not just at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, but throughout our community in Phoenix.

Having received his license to preach the gospel at the young age of seven, it is perhaps unsurprising that Bishop Thomas was destined for a life in service of God and his community. Before he was ordained as the Bishop of the State of Arizona in 2003, Bishop Thomas served for eighteen years as the Senior Pastor of Pilgrim Rest, which grew by leaps and bounds under his compassionate leadership.

Bishop Thomas' service extended well beyond Pilgrim West Baptist Church. Not only did he serve on the Board of Directors of the Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce, but he also founded the African American Christian Clergy Coalition in 2001 and co-founded the African American Strategic Alliance Coalition in Phoenix.

I want to take this opportunity not only to remember and celebrate Bishop Thomas' many accomplishments, but also to share my sincere condolences with Bishop Thomas' family and friends, as well as with the broader Phoenix community mourning his loss.

I was fortunate enough to work alongside Bishop Thomas on issues of social justice. We served together as a part of My Brother's Keeper, and I witnessed firsthand his boundless determination to make our community--and our world--a better place. Bishop Thomas will be recalled fondly by many as a counselor, friend and mentor. He will also be remembered as a man with a sincere and remarkable vision for change. Through our work together in support of the Congressional Black Caucus, I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to witness Bishop Thomas' inspiring leadership firsthand.

Bishop Thomas worked miracles large and small every day. He touched more lives than perhaps we will ever know.

Mr. Speaker, while we are devastated by his loss, we know that Bishop Thomas' legacy of service and love will live on forever in our community.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained in my congressional district and was not present for two roll call votes on Monday, January 29, 2018. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: Roll Call Vote No. 45--S. 534, Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, as amended--YES; and Roll Call Vote No. 46--H.R. 1457, To establish requirements for use of a driver's license or personal identification card by certain financial institutions for opening an account or obtaining a financial product or service, and for other purposes, as amended--YES.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Bishop Alexis Thomas, who passed away on January 18, 2018.

Bishop Thomas was many things to many people. He was an inspiring pastor. He was a father, a son, and a brother. He was a dynamic and passionate leader not just at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, but throughout our community in Phoenix. Under his careful stewardship, Pilgrim Rest grew by leaps and bounds.

However, Bishop Thomas' service extended well beyond the church. Bishop Thomas founded the African American Christian Clergy Coalition and cofounded the African American Strategic Alliance Coalition in Phoenix. Thanks to these endeavors and many others, Bishop Thomas will be remembered as a man with a remarkable vision for change who was taken from us way too soon.

Mr. Speaker, I was proud to call Bishop Thomas my friend. I can personally attest that he worked miracles, large and small, every day in Phoenix and in Arizona. He touched more lives than we will ever know. And though we are devastated by his loss, we know that his legacy of service and love will live forever in our community.

Mr. Speaker, there they go again. Donald Trump and Paul Ryan are dusting off a familiar Republican playbook.

I will break it down for you:

Step one, slash taxes for millionaires and billionaires;

Step two, explode the deficit;

Step three, use rising deficits to justify cuts to Medicare and Medicaid;

Step four, accuse Democrats of being irresponsible for opposing said cuts;

Step five, repeat. Repeat as the rich get richer, repeat as the deficit grows larger, repeat as working families struggle, and repeat as the social safety net disintegrates.

We saw it a decade ago under President Bush, and we are seeing it again right now.

But you don't have to take my word for it, Mr. Speaker. The Republican tax bill will add $1.5 trillion to our national debt over the next decade, yet Paul Ryan is already claiming that we need to cut entitlements to get America's finances under control.

Last week, Ryan warned: ``We're going to have to get back next year at entitlement reform. . . . Frankly, it's the healthcare entitlements that are the big drivers of our debt . . . that's really where the problem lies.''

Not true, Mr. Speaker.

Our problem doesn't lie with lifesaving healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Our problem lies with this monstrosity of a tax bill.

What if we tried a different approach?

What if, instead of slashing Medicare to pay for tax cuts for Trump's cronies, we said no to this scam of a tax bill?

What if we said no to raising taxes on middle class families?

What if we said no to hurting students to help the largest companies in the world?

What if we said no to a tax bill written by high-paid lobbyists for wealthy donors behind closed doors?

What if, just once, the Republican majority actually passed a bill to make life easier for Americans living paycheck to paycheck?

It is a crazy idea, right?

But if Republicans come to their senses and want to work on real tax reform for working Americans, they know where to find us, but I won't hold my breath.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I cast a vote in error. On the Roll Call Vote No. 598, I had intended to vote in the following manner: Roll Call Vote No. 598--Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017-- No.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Republican tax plan is a massive, unconscionable giveaway to millionaires and billionaires. We know that it will blow up the deficit and do nothing to raise wages or create solid middle class jobs.

What we don't know, Mr. Speaker, is how much the GOP tax proposal will personally benefit Donald Trump. That is because, unlike every other American President, Donald Trump has refused to disclose his tax returns.

Trump claimed that he couldn't release his returns throughout the campaign because he was ``under audit.'' But, Mr. Speaker, he never provided any concrete proof. More importantly, the IRS confirmed that being under audit in no way prohibits someone from making their returns public. In fact, President Nixon did just that while he was in office.

More recently, when The Economist magazine asked Trump about releasing his returns, he said: ``I don't know. That's a very interesting question. I doubt it. I doubt it . . . Nobody cares about my tax return except for the reporters. Oh, at some point I'll release them. Maybe I'll release them after I'm finished. . . .''

That is right, Mr. Speaker, we will have to wait until Trump leaves office just to find out just how much money he made thanks to his own tax reform bill. And my Republican friends are apparently just fine with that. There is a shocker. They don't care that Donald Trump is using his office to enrich himself. They don't care that we can't even say with any certainty exactly how much richer he is going to get. They don't care about the debt. They don't care about the deficit. They don't care about making our tax system fairer. Literally, the only thing they care about and that truly matters to House Republicans is that they get to cut taxes for the richest Americans, the people who need a tax cut least of all.

Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump does not need a tax cut, neither does Secretary Mnuchin or Secretary DeVos or Secretary Tillerson or Paris Hilton, but they are going to get one if Republicans have their way.

In 2012, Paul Ryan said: ``We have a debt crisis right in front of us, and what brings down great empires, past and future, is debt.''

In 2013, Paul Ryan said: ``Our debt is the biggest threat to this country. We have to tackle this problem before it tackles us.''

In 2016, Donald Trump said: ``I am the king of debt. I love debt.''

It certainly seems like Speaker Ryan has come around to President Trump's way of thinking. Republicans are planning to add $1.5 trillion to our national debt, and they couldn't be happier about it.

Here is the simple reality, Mr. Speaker. Republicans only care about deficits when they want to cut spending on programs for the poor or for veterans or for the elderly or for our children. Republicans only care about debt when they want to slash Social Security and Medicare. Mr. Speaker, Republicans only care about debt and are only fiscally responsible when there is a Democrat in the White House.

The American people are now seeing right through this hypocrisy, just like they see right through Donald Trump's excuses about his tax returns. They want us to reject this Republican tax plan, and it is about time we started listening to them.

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of ``Profiles in Courage.'' John F. Kennedy's famous volume tells the stories of eight American leaders who put country before party and patriotism before politics, men for whom personal integrity was more important than personal popularity or power.

Unfortunately, the kind of political and moral courage that is described in Kennedy's book is in tragically short supply within the modern Republican Party.

Faced by a President intent on undermining the values and norms that sustain our democracy, frighteningly few Republicans have been willing to do more than wring their hands and roll their eyes. While Senator Corker and Senator Flake have been boldly denouncing Donald Trump, they are exceptions to a well-established rule.

Indeed, when a new ``Profiles in Courage'' is written for the 21st century, we can be certain that no one from the current House Republican leadership is going to be featured in its pages.

When questioned about Trump's attacks on women, minorities, the disabled, and Gold Star families, Speaker Ryan has been equivocal and evasive.

When called upon to condemn Trump's outrageous embrace of the White nationalists, Speaker Ryan has deferred and deflected.

When asked to defend Trump's reckless rhetoric on North Korea, Speaker Ryan has done so enthusiastically.

Earlier this week, on the Senate floor, Senator Flake complained that ``reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced.''

Mr. Speaker, Paul Ryan and the GOP leadership are the very people who are doing that excusing. They are normalizing and condoning actions that should shock us as Americans and shame us as a body.

But don't take my word for it, Mr. Speaker. With the help of my good friend, Congressman Lieu of California, we will now read for you, in chronological order, Speaker Ryan's responses to Donald Trump's most outrageous and abusive behavior.

Congressman Lieu, let's get started.

Speaker Ryan's response: Trump ``acted and that's what a President should do.'' Real profile in courage there.

The Speaker's response: Trump's ``new to government, and so he probably wasn't steeped in the long-running protocols that establish the relationships between DOJ, FBI, and the White Houses. He's just new to this.''

The response from Ryan's office is, ``The Speaker hopes for a full explanation of the facts from the administration,'' an explanation that the American people are still waiting for, by the way, 5 months later. There has been no explanation, and I am pretty sure there was no follow-up.

Speaker Ryan was then asked whether he would have taken a meeting with a Russian official who offered opposition research on a political opponent. His evasive answer, of course, is: ``I am not going into hypotheticals.''

And to respond, and I will riff a little, the cost is minimal in terms of the medical costs. It is just an excuse for the President to be homophobic.

But Speaker Ryan's condemnation of this, or renouncement, did not exist. He responded by pleading for more time, and said: ``The DOD is reviewing this with the White House. I want to see what it is that they actually produce.''

And, of course, that is another nonanswer.

Speaker Ryan's response, in regard to a potential nuclear war: ``I think the President, in my own view of it, he likes the unpredictability side of this.''

That is right. Speaker Ryan thinks our Commander-in-Chief enjoys the unpredictability of bringing the world to the brink of a nuclear war.

Speaker Ryan's response: ``I do believe that he messed up in his comments on Tuesday . . . he has since then cleared that up.''

But Trump never clears up anything. He certainly did not in this case.

Before that decision was made, Ryan had said: ``Actually, I don't think he should do that.''

However, after the announcement was said, Ryan pulled an embarrassing U-turn so fast it would cause whiplash, saying: ``President Obama was wrong to do it in the first place. . . . So President Trump was right in his decision. He made the right call.''

Shameless.

Speaker Ryan's response: President Trump ``has tremendous compassion.''

You can see the compassion.

``He is flying to these emergencies as soon as he can . . . it shows me that the people who are suffering from these tragedies are in his mind, front and center.''

I am pretty sure the millions in Puerto Rico who still lack electricity and running water do not feel that way. They don't feel that way about Trump, and they don't feel that he has any compassion for them. And they definitely aren't ``front and center'' for this President or his incompetent administration.

So what was Speaker Ryan's response? Actually, we are still waiting to hear from him. He hasn't commented or issued a statement. When Trump repeatedly denigrates the personal integrity of a Member of this body, Speaker Ryan says nothing.

When Trump demeans a grieving widow whose husband has made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation, Speaker Ryan stays silent. Frankly, it is embarrassing.

Congressman Lieu, what do you think these responses from Speaker Ryan say about the House Republican leadership and the state of the Republican Party?

Our Founding Fathers knew that there was danger in putting so much power in one person. They knew that giving too much power to one person, an irresponsible and immature leader, could use that to both effect democracy or enrich themselves.

There is a reason why we have what we call the checks and balances. But one of those checks needs to be the U.S. House of Representatives. Under that, the person who is in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives is Speaker Ryan. He is not providing that check. He is only helping this administration carry on with their abuse and with the destruction of what we understand are the norms of this democracy.

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

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, as millions in Puerto Rico trudged through squalor and sewage in search of food, as hospitals ran low on power and medicine, as homes lay in ruins and businesses remained swamped under feet of water, our Commander in Chief went golfing. As our brothers and sisters on the island suffered, our President sank putts and hit drives.

As the gross inadequacy of his administration's response was revealed to a worldwide audience, the leader of the free world patted himself on the back. ``We have done a great job with an almost impossible situation,'' Trump tweeted.

Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump has it backwards. He is not doing a great job despite an impossible situation; the Puerto Rican people are.

Yesterday, on a belated visit to the island, Trump could have apologized. He could have promised a vast expansion of the Federal relief effort to match the vast and growing needs of the Puerto Rican people. Instead, he offered only blame and condescension. ``I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico,'' he says, ``but you are throwing our budget out of whack,'' said Trump.

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, but our President is dead wrong. He is the one who is throwing our budget out of whack with his tax cuts for the rich. He is the one who is throwing our government out of whack with his early-morning tweets and his childish temper tantrums. He is the one who is throwing our country out of whack with attacks on immigrants and people of color and the disabled and veterans and Gold Star parents, and on and on, and now, most recently, on the courageous leaders of Puerto Rico and the people of Puerto Rico. Such poor leadership, he says, of the ability of the mayor of San Juan and others in Puerto Rico.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure Donald Trump understands the meaning of the word ``leadership,'' especially in the wake of a natural disaster. Real leadership is about having the courage to do what is right and the compassion to do what is necessary to help others. It is about self- sacrifice, not self-promotion. It is about putting our country first and your own ego second.

Instead, yesterday we were treated to the bizarre spectacle of the President of the United States throwing rolls of paper towels into a crowd.

Despite the millions in Puerto Rico wanting for electricity or basic necessities, he called his administration's response ``unbelievable'' and ``incredible.''

Donald Trump even had the gall to congratulate Puerto Rico on not losing hundreds of lives like in a real catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina. Frankly, it is hard to recall a more callous statement from an American leader in my lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, the outrageously poor response to the devastation in Puerto Rico is the best illustration yet that President Trump only cares about people who look like him or vote for him or make the kind of money that he makes.

The American people, especially the 3.5 million U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico, deserve a President who is capable of common human decency, a President more concerned about his conduct in office than his coverage in the media, a President who understands that his base is every single one of us.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to close with a few words in Spanish for the brave people of Puerto Rico.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

The Puerto Rican people are stronger than Donald Trump thinks.

And they will come out of this crisis and prosper again.

We can't wait any longer.

We are with you.

Los puertorriquenos son mas fuertes de lo que Donald Trump cree.

Y ellos saldran de esta crisis y prosperaran de nuevo. No podemos esperar mas.

Le debemos a la gente de la isla nuestro apoyo completo. Estamos con ustedes.

Mr. Speaker, is Donald Trump running a Cabinet or a country club?

Because every day it is getting harder to tell. Not only is the President spending vast sums to ferry himself to and from his various golf courses, but now it turns out that top leaders in his administration have developed a special fondness for traveling by private jet.

The Treasury Secretary used a taxpayer-funded plane to hop down to Fort Knox to see the eclipse, for example, and he has also asked to use one for his honeymoon in Europe.

Trump's EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, spent another $58,000 on private jets. But the worst offender is HHS Secretary Price, who, in his brief time in office, has already chalked up an astonishing 400 grand in flights on private aircraft. He flew down to Tennessee for all of 6 hours, much of which was spent having lunch with his son. That is nice. He also jetted off to an island off the coast of Georgia for a trip that apparently featured far more recreation than government business. Clearly, when it comes to travel on the taxpayers' dime, the price does not matter to Tom Price. Ethics and personal responsibility doesn't matter to Tom Price. Doing what is right doesn't matter to Tom Price, and that is why he needs to resign immediately.

Now, don't take my word for it. Here is what President George W. Bush's top ethics official, Richard Painter, said about Price's travel habits: ``To use a charter flight on something that combines personal and government business, I think, is highly unprofessional and really inappropriate.'' Those are strong words.

But, Mr. Speaker, you know who summed up best how terrible it is for someone to use private jets? Tom Price, himself. Let's see what Tom Price said. In 2009, he described government officials taking private planes as ``just another example of fiscal irresponsibility run amok.'' I couldn't agree more, Mr. Speaker.

Price spent nearly $25,000 to fly from D.C. to Philadelphia and back for one single day. He could have spent, at last minute, $725 to get there on United Airlines, or $133 to get there on Amtrak.

Mr. Speaker, I just checked, on my phone, that an Uber to Philly right now, back and forth, would have cost Mr. Price about $450 round trip. That means that, for the price of his private jet, he could have ordered individual cars for himself and his 54 staff members. Every American who works and pays taxes should find this totally appalling.

Amtrak was good enough for the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, but, somehow, it is beneath the Treasury Secretary and HHS Secretary to ride the train. Riding the train is apparently even beneath the EPA Administrator.

Here is a good rule of thumb, Mr. Speaker: If you are spending more on private jets than most American families make in 1 year, you are spending too much on private jets.

Tom Price has plenty of time to go jetting around the country, but not enough time, for example, to ensure that millions of kids won't lose their coverage when CHIP expires soon.

There is apparently plenty of money at HHS for private jets, but very little to help people sign up for health insurance. That is completely unacceptable.

Secretary Price says he needs to fly around on his jet to connect with ordinary citizens. I am not kidding. His press secretary told reporters that these outrageous junkets were about ``getting outside of D.C., making sure he is connected with the real American people.''

Mr. Speaker, here is how you really connect with your fellow Americans: don't take a private plane; fly a middle seat in coach.

Of course, we should have seen this coming. News reports earlier this year revealed that, when he was a Member of Congress, Price was guilty of introducing legislation to benefit his own personal investments. Even more egregious, he traded more than $300,000 in healthcare industry stocks based on insider information.

There is no question Secretary Price needs to resign right now, and, if he doesn't, President Trump needs to fire him.

Donald Trump claims that he loves firing people. He once said: I love doing it if someone really, really, really deserves it.

Mr. Speaker, Secretary Price really, really, really deserves it.

Then again, we all know Trump won't actually do anything. We are all familiar with the Trump way of doing business with its bad deals and bankruptcies.

Here's the Trump way of doing government.

Number one, hire people proven to be corrupt.

Number two, create an environment in which corruption and bad behavior are encouraged.

Number three, do absolutely nothing when the corruption and bad behavior is exposed.

This administration talks about putting America first. This administration talks about draining the swamp, but its Cabinet officials are more interested in traveling first class.

This administration talks about making America great again, but they are really only concerned about never ever having to wait at another airport gate again.

This administration talks about fighting for working families, but its top leaders are only concerned about lining their own pockets with taxpayers' hard-earned money.

I am fed up, and so are the American people. Let's bring back government to the people, for the people, instead of government for the powerful friends of Donald Trump.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend from California (Mr. Ted Lieu).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the good gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).

Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?

Representative Lieu, how often do you fly back, and where do you fly back to?

How long is your flight?

You and I have been Members of Congress since 2015. At any point in any of your flights to and from your work--I am sorry-- from here to your home, have you ever used a charter plane?

Would you even be able to, by law, use a charter plane according to the funds we are allowed to expense?

So what makes Mr. Price think that he is somehow above the law, that he is allowed to do this, considering that he knew, as a Member of Congress, that was not allowed and that somehow he can just take advantage of the situation now that he has suddenly moved up after only just a few months of being in Congress, to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services?

While you were talking about that actual regulation, and to see how well and easy it is not to violate the regulation, I literally just typed into Google, ``flights to Philadelphia.'' And there is a flight leaving in 46 minutes. And the cheapest I found right now--well, no, I found one for $441. I found another one for $447. If you want to connect to Philadelphia--which I don't know why you would-- but if you want to do that, JetBlue will take you there for $264.

So in Secretary Price's effort to live an extravagant lifestyle and basically void himself of all commonsense, he also violated ethics violations. And this is something that we consistently see within this Trump administration.

On the other flip of that, we consistently see a Republican-led Congress that is not doing their duty by the Constitution of oversight on the executive. Not one, not one movement has been done by any Republican, especially Republican leadership, to push back on this egregious waste of taxpayer money.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Representative Lieu.

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

Mr. Speaker, President Trump's decision to end DACA was one of the most callous and cruel acts of his Presidency so far--and that is saying something.

Mr. Speaker, ending the DACA program means betraying our Nation's promise to protect 800,000 young people who are in America right now and American in every way except on paper, including many thousands who have served in the military. It means exposing them to deportation from the only home they have ever known and robbing our Nation of their exceptional talent, work ethic, and patriotism.

We cannot allow this President to play politics with so many young lives. Congress must pass the Dream Act now and as soon as possible to protect these outstanding young people, offer them the chance to become citizens, and empower them to give back to the country they know and love.

Vote ``no'' on the previous question so that we can end this Republican obstructionism and bring this critical bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect DREAMers like Vasthy, who attends Arizona State University and aspires to become a science teacher.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in favor of the Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act. This act will initiate the process for constructing a memorial to the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who have fought and, too often, died for this country in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

As a veteran of the Iraq war, I am extremely proud to be on the floor today as we memorialize the bravest and best of Americans: the ones who volunteered to put themselves in harm's way and did not come back.

I want to commend my fellow Marines, Mr. Moulton and Mr. Gallagher, for sponsoring this act. As you know, Mr. Speaker, it takes a lot for an enlisted marine like me to speak very highly of any officer, let alone Marine Corps officers, but there are always exceptions.

Mr. Speaker, as we consider this legislation, I hope every Member of this body will take a quiet moment today to think about the courageous men and women we have lost over the past 16 years. When I cast my vote today, I know I will be thinking about my close friends, including Corporal Andre Williams and Lance Corporal Christopher Lyons, who died 12 years ago today in Cykla, Iraq.

This memorial will honor thousands of our countrymen who have been killed and wounded in Iraq and around the world. It will memorialize the service of those who have survived the battle only to fall victim to the mental and emotional demons of post-traumatic stress. And it will represent a token of thanks to the family and friends who have served by supporting their loved ones in uniform.

For as long as this memorial stands, it will continue the proud tradition of America honoring its sons and daughters who have given their last full measure of devotion.

I look forward to commencing design and to the day when the memorial passes from an idea on a piece of paper to a landmark on the National Mall.

I thank Congressman Moulton and Congressman Gallagher for their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta). To show our bipartisan nature, we are going to allow somebody from the Army to speak also on this bill.

That is worse.

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

Again, I thank Congressman Gallagher, Congressman Moulton, and all of the veterans who have sponsored this bill in remembrance of our brothers and sisters from the global war on terrorism.

I would like to speak a couple more minutes just because I rarely have the opportunity to speak about the guys that I served with. It was a group called Lima 325 out of Ohio. It was one of the best groups of men who I probably have ever met. We were nice young men from New Mexico that were suddenly added to these country boys and city boys from Ohio and sent to the middle of nowhere, Iraq. And from there, we saw a lot of combat. We lost a lot of friends.

In section 60, many of us veterans have this tradition where we go and we put our quarters on the headstones of the men we served with. And I, unfortunately, have to put down a lot of quarters.

But one of the things that I will always remember is that this unit, Lima 325, really brought people from all walks of life in America. You had African Americans, you had country boys from Ohio, you had Navajo from the Navajo Nation and other parts of our Tribal Nations, you had Latinos.

We even taught some of the Ohio boys how to cook since they don't really have good taste. We introduced them to the idea of green chili, which I have heard has now taken off in Oliver, Ohio. And we lived together for 7 months, going from house to house, from hole to hole. And even today, though many of us cannot see each other, we still live with each other in our spirits and in our souls.

These types of memorials matter. For many of us, this generation is not the generation that served together on a base. Many of us actually served from different parts of the world. We dropped our jobs and what we were doing, our school sometimes, to join in, leave our families, leave the comfort and safety of the United States to go and defend what we believed was important to this country and to honor our commitment.

Sometimes it is these types of memorials that are the only thing that actually bring us together. I recently was lucky enough to have my 10- year reunion with the guys from Lima Company, and that is the first time I had seen many men that I had lived with for so long. It was a very inspiring as well as moving, and really consoling thing for me.

I believe that having a memorial of this nature would be extremely important for many men and women to be able to see, to be able to come and maybe not necessarily physically meet with their partners, with their comrades, but to at least be able to spiritually have a place to meet with their comrades, with the people that they served with in arms.

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.