Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Poliquin of Maine, Ms. Tsongas of Massachusetts, and Ms. Frankel of Florida to celebrate the christening of the USS Thomas Hudner, DDG-116. This destroyer is named in honor of Captain Thomas J. Hudner Jr., a retired officer of the United States Navy and a former naval aviator.

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Hudner attended the United States Naval Academy after graduating from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. On December 4, 1950, Hudner and his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, were patrolling near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea when Brown's Corsair was struck by ground fire. Hudner intentionally crash-landed his own aircraft on a snowy mountain to help Brown. Brown died of his injuries and Hudner was forced to evacuate.

Hudner received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman and received numerous military decorations including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal. Following the incident, Hudner held positions aboard several U.S. Navy ships and with a number of aviation units, including a brief stint as Executive Officer of the USS Kitty Hawk during a tour in the Vietnam War. He retired from active duty in 1973. Since then, he has worked for various veterans' organizations throughout the United States.

In May 2012, the Secretary of the Navy announced that an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer will be named USS Thomas Hudner. On Saturday, April 1, the Hudner family, the Brown family, veterans from across all branches, elected officials and the community of Phillips Academy will gather for the joyous occasion of the christening of the ship. It is a ship that embodies the spirit of Captain Hudner's school--non sibi, or not for self. He leads his life in that spirit from Fall River, to Andover, to the Chosin Reservoir and on to his continued service to the veterans community.

Together with Ms. Pingree, Mr. Poliquin, Ms. Tsongas, and Ms. Frankel, we wish our very best to the Hudner and Brown families, and to the Philips Academy community in the days to come.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to remind the gentleman from Ohio that the latest poll put the will of the American people at 17 percent in favor of this bill.

I would like to read a message from my Republican constituent:

``The American Health Care Act would strain the fiscal resources necessary to support the Commonwealth's

continued commitment to universal health coverage.''

This constituent is the Republican Governor of Massachusetts, who knows that TrumpCare destroys our ability to ensure access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage.

Another Republican in my State, Governor Mitt Romney, worked with the Democratic legislature to create the Nation's first system to provide affordable, comprehensive health care. RomneyCare wasn't perfect, but Republicans and Democrats worked together to improve it, and they created a system with higher approval ratings than TrumpCare or even ObamaCare.

We can do this. Health care should not be partisan. It should be about investing in our people, in our families, and in our future so that Americans can live healthy, productive lives. But that is not what this Republican TrumpCare bill does.

Michael is a constituent from Gloucester, the old fishing city. He was prescribed OxyContin by his doctors, and then became addicted. But he was able to enter a treatment program through Medicaid, the kind of program that will be cut by TrumpCare. He is now back at work as an electrician, and he says that the Affordable Care Act saved his life.

I am a veteran, and I get my health care at the VA. Sometimes it takes me weeks to get an appointment. If this Republican bill passes, it will throw 8 million veterans off private health care, forcing them into the VA, and creating even longer wait times. That is no way to treat those who have put their lives on the line for our country.

Perhaps it's no surprise that this bill is being jammed down the throats of Congress and the American people like a dead fish.

Nobody wants it and it will make a lot of people sick.

What we should be doing here in Washington is coming together as Republicans and Democrats to have an open, honest debate, and improve the health care system.

Everyone says Congress doesn't work--don't prove them right.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this terrible bill and to instead come to the table like we did in Massachusetts.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from California for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 274, the Modernizing Government Travel Act. This legislation is a bipartisan effort that demonstrates a consensus amongst all of us that the Federal Government has failed to keep pace with the technological advances and innovation that have come to define the 21st century.

Despite the emergence of new technologies designed to improve the way we travel, today, some Federal employees are unable to be reimbursed for using more cost-effective, innovative modes of transportation when traveling on official business.

Innovative ridesharing services supported by mobile apps have dramatically changed how we get from one place to another. Now, with just a few taps on a phone, we can access a variety of new transportation options like rideshare, carshare, and bikeshare that complement rapid transit, take more cars off our congested roads, and reduce fuel emissions. According to a recent study, 52 percent of people using transit for work-related travel chose to use ride-hailing services and other innovative technologies.

While the General Services Administration allows agencies to authorize the use of these transportation options by Federal employees, it has not nor is it required by law to issue comprehensive guidance across the Federal Government.

H.R. 274 would require the General Services Administration to implement regulations to allow Federal employees to use transportation options like rideshare and bikeshare for official travel. The GSA Administrator would be required to submit annual reports to Congress on the implementation of these regulations and the resulting amount of government savings.

I want to thank my friend and colleague, Representative Hurd, for working with me on this legislation, as well as Representatives Swalwell, Issa, Meadows, and Bustos for their support. This is truly a bipartisan effort that will increase the Federal Government's engagement in the sharing economy while saving taxpayer dollars.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Madam Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended.

From Paris to Boston, New York to London, we have seen in recent weeks and years that the threat of terrorism in our world remains constant. All Americans must remain vigilant, and this Congress must do everything in its power to prevent another terrorist attack.

History shows that leveraging America's economic strength is one of our Nation's best tools to combat the scourge of terrorism. We have forced rogue regimes like Iran to the negotiating table with strong economic sanctions. We have punished bad actors in Russia and North Korea by cutting off their access to global financial markets. And we ought to ensure that no one convicted of aiding and abetting terrorists, or state sponsors of terror, can take advantage of our financial system.

That is what my amendment does. It simply makes clear that no one who has been convicted of providing assistance, either directly or indirectly, to a terrorist organization or a state sponsor of terrorism can make use of the exemptions in the underlying bill.

The bill before us today is complex. It is a complex piece of legislation that includes measures that previously passed this House with large bipartisan support as well as other more controversial provisions.

The American people did not send us to Congress to find areas where we disagree. Our constituents sent us to Congress to get things done for all Americans. We could have moved forward today with a legislative package that includes commonsense reforms that protect consumers and create the conditions for economic growth. Reasonable people may disagree on the merits of this bill, but we should all be able to agree that those who support terrorists and state sponsors of terrorism should never use our financial system to their benefit. My amendment prevents this from happening.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.