Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1448, the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. As a Major General in the Ohio National Guard and a Congressman who represents 43,000 veterans in my district, I know the struggle of the invisible wounds of war.

I have met with a Vietnam veteran who was unable to leave his house for decades, a soldier who was deployed to Iraq who, when he returned, was addicted to heroin for 7 years, and another who was under my command in Operation Iraqi Freedom. His only goal was to take his fiancee out to dinner.

Unfortunately, these three stories are not unique, but these three have happy endings. By working with service dogs, these veterans got their lives back. Under the status quo, veterans aren't able to access this lifesaving treatment that these three veterans have gotten. We have a chance today to change that by passing this bill.

The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act would establish a pilot program. This is not even a permanent program; it is a pilot program at the VA to provide grants to local service dog training organizations so the veterans can benefit

from work-therapy by learning the art and science of training a dog for service. After graduation, the veteran can adopt their canine partner if the veteran and/or his VA health provider agree that that veteran will benefit from continuing courses of treatment from that therapy dog.

I have seen the peer-reviewed information from Kaiser-Permanente and Purdue University that shows that these programs work. They reduce the amount of psychotropic drugs that these veterans are on. They reduce suicide. They improve overall mental health.

Today, we lose 22 veteran and Active Duty members a day to suicide. We can't let that go on. This can help that effort. It is a small price to pay. We can't afford to wait any longer.

I am, today, calling for us to pass this bill today, take it to the Senate, get it hotlined and signed and on the President's desk by Memorial Day.

I do want to thank the bipartisan folks who have helped on this: Chairman Takano; Ranking Member Bost; Representative Rice, our lead cosponsor; now-Governor Tim Walz, who was the sponsor in the last Congress; the floor leader Steny Hoyer; now-Governor DeSantis; Sheriff Rutherford; Dr. Dunn; Representative Slotkin; and Representative Sherrill. They have all played a very important role.

I want to thank the staff on Mr. Bost's team, Samantha Gonzalez, Christine Hill, Maria Tripplaar; on Mr. Takano's staff, Matt Reel and Heather O'Beirne Kelly. Lastly, I want to thank my legislative director, Mimi Bair, for all her hard work, and my chief of staff, Nick, for his hard work on this as well.

I know this is asking for a parting gift, but I would ask you all vote ``yea'' on this bill. I look forward to seeing this signed soon. I want to thank my colleagues for their bipartisan effort on this and earnest work to help our veterans.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters of endorsement for H.R. 1996, the SAFE Banking Act of 2021.

Due Process Institute.

Washington, DC.

Support H.R. 1996--SAFE Banking Act

Due Process Institute supports the SAFE Banking Act, H.R.

1996, and urges you to vote in support of this bipartisan

bill when it comes to the House floor this evening.

Nearly every state has legalized a form of marijuana,

including medical marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD). Seventeen

states and the District of Columbia have either

decriminalized marijuana or legalized recreational use for

adults. The cannabis industry is growing. The American

cannabis industry saw $17.5 billion in sales in 2020, a 46

percent increase over the previous year. The industry, which

already supports 250,000 jobs, is expected to continue to

grow, particularly as more states legalize marijuana.

Although nearly every state has taken some step to

liberalize marijuana laws, Congress has not yet taken action

to support their self-governance, which creates a problem for

businesses operating legally under state law. Because of the

federal treatment of marijuana, the owners or employees of

legitimate cannabis-related state businesses are forced to

make cash-only sales rather than doing business with

federally regulated banks. Additionally, proceeds from any

legitimate state cannabis-related business can currently be

considered unlawful ``proceeds'' from a crime and subject to

federal anti-money laundering and forfeiture laws.

The SAFE Banking Act provides safe harbor and other

protections for financial institutions--banks and credit

unions--that transact with legitimate cannabis-related and

hemp-related businesses. (Hemp was federally legalized in

2018.) The bill also protects ancillary business entities

that transact with legitimate cannabis-related legitimate

businesses and creates a regulatory framework.

The legislative history of the SAFE Banking Act shows broad

bipartisan support. In the 116th Congress, the SAFE Banking

Act passed with 229 Democrats and 91 Republicans voting for

the bill. The SAFE Banking Act the House will vote on this

evening has 168 co-sponsors, boasting diverse support from

across the ideological spectrum.

Due Process Institute encourages Members to vote YES on the

SAFE Banking Act, H.R.1996.

Due Process Institute is a bipartisan nonprofit that works

to honor, preserve, and restore principles of fairness in the

criminal legal system.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Perlmutter for his hard work on this. I am an unlikely person to support this bill because I am opposed to recreational marijuana, but I came to this because a company that is just outside my district that sells nutrients now finds themselves in the situation where 25 percent of their profits come from selling to legal marijuana businesses, and they are being threatened, a Fortune 500 company, with losing their bank accounts.

We can't let that happen. We have got to make sure that we stand up for safety and stand up for common sense. That is what this bill does.

Three points about this bill. Number one, it encourages safety because money that is in a bank account can be frozen and can be tracked.

By the way, this bill also increases suspicious activity reports, so this idea about money laundering doesn't work because there are suspicious activity reports that are expanded under the bill, and you can freeze and track the money, which is really important. That is why a lot of folks in law enforcement like this bill.

The final thing is, this bill includes provisions to stop Operation Choke Point that Republicans couldn't even get passed when we had the presidency, the Senate, and the House, and we got that negotiated into this bill. It helps in a big way to make sure that there's not an Operation Choke Point in the future, so nobody can choke off legal businesses from their bank accounts and from access to the payments system. That is a big deal. I want to thank Congressman Perlmutter for allowing that.

Finally, before my time is up, I want to acknowledge Congressman Warren Davidson, who isn't going to be able to fly in in time for this. Congressman Davidson has been working on this bill with me for almost 2 years with Congressman Perlmutter. Warren Davidson has done an amazing job. I just want to acknowledge his hard work, all his efforts. We wouldn't be here today but for Congressman Warren Davidson.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1996.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of the 15th Congressional District of Ohio to express sincere gratitude to the dedicated men and women of the Ohio National Guard for their exemplary commitment to service and to our great State.

Since the creation of the force in 1788, these extraordinary individuals have prioritized the health and safety of communities from Wilmington to McConnelsville, from Hilliard to McArthur. But in the past year, the citizen-soldiers of the Buckeye State have truly embraced their role as a ``trusted team of soldiers, airmen, and civilians,'' serving through ``agility, collaboration, excellence, and leadership.''

Through a once-in-a-generation pandemic, the Ohio National Guard provided invaluable support. From manning food banks and managing COVID-19 testing locations at the onset of the pandemic, to now administering vaccines to their fellow Ohioans, our State is incredibly grateful for their service.

As the coronavirus raged, our nation saw a period of social unrest unlike anything in recent decades. Once again, the Ohio National Guard answered the call. Whether it was the Statehouse in Columbus, or the Capitol in Washington, our soldiers were willing to put their own safety in jeopardy in order to ensure the wellbeing of their fellow citizens.

Perhaps at no point in recent history has more been asked of our National Guard, and at no point have they answered with more conviction. They worked diligently day-in and day-out, never failing to embody the motto, ``Always Ready. Always There.''

As a Major General, and as a Member of Congress, I am filled with pride and gratitude of these men and women and of the sacrifices that they have made. It is an honor to recognize their hard work, and I ask my fellow colleagues to join me in expressing thanks for all that they have done, and all that they will do, for Ohio and our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating my good friend and colleague, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, for advancing the Housing Financial Literacy Act, H.R. 2162. It is an effort she has championed for years. As co-chair of the Financial Literacy Caucus, I am proud to cosponsor this legislation with her.

Mr. Speaker, for many folks across this country, owning a home is quintessential to the American Dream. While not everyone will always be able to afford a single-family home, we should work to encourage the American Dream of homeownership and make sure that we help people along the way. It is good for individuals, and it is good for communities. Not only does it help individuals build equity over time, but reducing the disparities in homeownership by race has the potential to reduce the racial wealth gap in this country.

However, we must work to ensure consumers are informed and encourage responsible homeownership, and the Housing Financial Literacy Act does just that. By providing a discount of 25 basis points on the upfront FHA insurance premiums for borrowers who complete HUD-approved prepurchase financial counseling, what we are doing is

making those homes more affordable; we are empowering those people with knowledge; and we are helping build the dream of homeownership.

This financial counseling is so important for first-time buyers. It helps them understand the costs associated with homeownership, like taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs. It also helps them factor in household budgeting and recognize high-risk financial products to make sure they can make informed decisions.

For people across this country, including in my district, having a place to raise their family is the American Dream, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill to help make homeownership a reality for more people.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to acknowledge my colleague, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, for her incredible leadership on H.R. 2162, the Housing Financial Literacy Act. I encourage all of my colleagues to support the bill.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendments thereto, and concur with the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and it could be sent to the President for his signature today.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. We have a crisis on our southern border, and H.R. 3401 with the Senate amendments gets resources to give humanitarian assistance to those seeking asylum.

It also adds judges and judge teams to hear the claims of asylum. Many people have to wait up to 3 years to get their hearing. That is too long. I have twice in the last 2 weeks attempted to offer an amendment to add judge teams. Both times, the Rules Committee has failed to include it.

My amendment this week would have included the amount that was in the Senate bill, but it is now in the bill because we have the Senate bill sitting at the Speaker's desk.

I urge my colleagues to take up the bill with the Senate amendments that include judge teams. That is the only way to solve this real crisis: adjudicate the claims of these people who want asylum, reunite families, and stop people from being held in detention as long.

Mr. Gonzalez from Texas and I have worked together on this. It is a bipartisan effort. This is a no-brainer. We need to add judges. The Senate bill does that.

Madam Speaker, I hope we can take up the Senate bill and make it happen.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment that the Rules Committee did not make in order a bipartisan amendment from the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez) and I that would have added 100 immigration judge teams to address the backlog at the Executive Office of Immigration Review.

With the record number of individuals and families seeking asylum,

there is a backlog of approximately 730,000 people who are waiting on hearings. They are waiting, on average, almost 2 years.

Justice delayed is justice denied. It costs all of us, and it has many social prices, including things like separation of families and children and people held in detention centers. We need to do more.

I commend the Appropriations Committee for adding some additional funding in the base text, but these 100 judges would have made a big difference. There are only 450 judge teams, as we sit here today.

As we think about immigration, it is a very thorny issue. It becomes shirts and skins pretty quickly. There are very few things, Madam Speaker, that we agree on. One of them that Republicans and Democrats agree on is providing more judge teams so that we can process these claims faster.

I hope to work with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez). I know he is committed to it, and I am committed to it, as are the leaders of the Rules and Appropriations Committees, as we move through the process to enacting something that funds our government for this year.

I hope that when we get to the final resolution, we will have more judge teams than are in the base text of this bill. I pledge to work with folks.

This is a very important issue. It is one of the few issues that Republicans and Democrats agree on. It is one of the few issues that will make a big difference.

I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts and the entire Rules Committee for making in order another amendment that will speed the hiring process for these judge teams that Mr. Gonzalez and I also offered. That is a start, but we need more resources.

In closing, I commit to working with Republicans and Democrats to get a solution that funds more judges to clear this backlog.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of Ohio's 15th Congressional District to honor and commemorate a husband, a father, a brother, a son, and a hero. United States Army Sergeant Joseph P. Collette, of Lancaster, gave his life in the service of our nation on March 22, 2019.

At age 29, Sergeant Collette was fulfilling a goal he had held for over a decade: to deploy with the United States Army. As his wife, Caela, tells it, following the tragedy of September 11, her husband felt the call to serve. As his time with the 242nd Ordnance Battalion, 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group was coming to an end, he desperately wanted to go on deployment.

It is that level of bravery, selflessness, and commitment for which Sergeant Collette will be remembered by both his loved ones and community. He was a genuine, laid back, funny young man who was beloved by many.

A man of many special talents, he loved sharing his passion for cooking for others and challenging his friends in paintball matches and Pokemon battles. He loved spending time outdoors including running, snowboarding, and four-wheeling. But his priority in life was spending time with his friends and family.

Like a pebble dropped in a pond, the ripples created by Sergeant Collette's life and work are far-reaching. His legacy will live on in the memories of those who knew him and loved him: his wife, Caela; his children; Blair and Cody Collette; step-children Lena and Aria Scott; his parents, Theresa Mecionis and Joe and Cindy Collette; his siblings; Anthony, Camille, and Nicholas; and the rest of his extended family and loved ones.

As a Brigadier General in the Ohio Army National Guard, I have had the distinct privilege to serve alongside outstanding men and women like Sergeant Collette. I can say with absolute certainty that Lancaster, Ohio is undeniably a better place because of Sergeant Collette, and our nation is a safer place because of his service. I am honored to celebrate his legacy, and I encourage my colleagues in the House of Representatives to

join in extending deepest condolences to his family, and in honoring his supreme sacrifice.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding constituent of the 15th Congressional District, Mr. Bill Dunlap, as he retires from his role as deputy director of the Athens-Hocking-Vinton 317 Board.

Madam Speaker, it is not news that we are facing a drug epidemic in this country. Families from Ohio to Oregon are torn apart by addiction, and we can't hope to overcome this crisis without outstanding individuals on the ground in each of those communities, without people who are compassionate and dedicated to their neighbors, without people like Bill Dunlap.

I have had a chance to see Mr. Dunlap's work firsthand over the years. We have collaborated on drug task forces, and other community initiatives, and I can't say enough about his dedication and commitment to combating the drug crisis.

I can say without a doubt, Athens, Hocking and Vinton Counties--and truly, all of southeastern Ohio--are better and healthier places as a result of his efforts.

Madam Speaker, I am incredibly grateful for Bill's service and his leadership. I wish him the best in his next chapter.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 389, the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Rewards Act, and I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) as well as the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Budd) for their hard work on this important piece of bipartisan legislation.

H.R. 389 would authorize the Treasury Department to offer rewards for information leading to the recovery of assets stolen through foreign government corruption.

Mr. Speaker, in the past, the United States has focused on fighting such corruption with traditional tools such as sanctions, technical assistance, and oversight of international financial institutions, but the bill gives Treasury an additional tool to expose corrupt foreign officials.

I, again, would like to thank my colleagues across the aisle, especially Chairwoman Waters, for her hard work on this bill and allowing us to work together in a bipartisan fashion to refine this legislation as it made its way to the floor.

One piece of the bill that has gotten better that I still think could use an additional tweak is the bill does not allow anyone to receive a payment if they are part of the corrupt activity, but it does not require Treasury to fully investigate every potential claimant to make sure that they are not. So while that has gotten better--there is better language in the bill now--I think that, hopefully, this can continue to be perfected as we move forward. I support the bill, but I do think that provision could get better.

The minority did make several proposals to strengthen the bill, which were accepted by the majority. I am grateful to the gentleman from Massachusetts for partnering with us, as well as the gentleman from North Carolina, and for their hard work on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to voting for H.R. 389. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. Speaker, H.R. 389 will give the Treasury an additional tool to fight corrupt foreign governments. There has been a lot of work done on this bill. It is a good bill. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1060, the BUILD Act. This bipartisan legislation addresses an unintended consequence of the Know Before You Owe disclosure rule, better known as TRID.

The BUILD Act is a straightforward solution, and it allows bona fide nonprofits making zero percent interest loans to use whichever Truth in Lending form they feel is better. They can use the Truth in Lending, Good Faith Estimate, and the HUD-1 form instead of the TRID forms, or they can choose the TRID forms.

Currently, organizations making five or fewer mortgage loans are exempt from using the TRID forms. This extends that exemption to charities making zero percent interest loans, regardless of how many loans they make per year.

The costs and complexities associated with TRID have left charities like Habitat for Humanity struggling to provide mortgages. These nonprofits have limited resources. In fact, many of their 1,200 community-based affiliates have little or no full-time staff.

Despite their size, these organizations play a pivotal role in our communities. Today, the House will play a small part in helping them continue to serve our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman). They have worked together diligently on this legislation for several years and should be commended for their efforts.

I want to thank the chairwoman, Ms. Waters of California, for her efforts on this.

Mr. Speaker, I urge this legislation to be supported, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk). He is not only an Air Force veteran, but his wife came up with the acronym for this bill.

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

I would close by saying that the gentleman from Georgia and the gentleman from California have worked very hard on a bill that passed our committee unanimously and that helps nonprofits accomplish their mission of building capacity in housing, and I urge adoption.

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

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

I want to express my strong support for H.R. 1037, the Banking Transparency for Sanctioned Persons Act. The bill includes important provisions to strengthen our national security, and it passed unanimously last year in the full House.

I am pleased to see this legislation come to the floor under a new sponsor, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Riggleman). Although he is in his first term, Congressman Riggleman has already made significant contributions to the committee's work. His leadership on this bill is a case in point.

The gentleman's legislation would require the Treasury Department to provide Congress with a copy of licenses that authorize financial services for state sponsors of terrorism. These licenses are essentially waivers, and while sanctions laws often require congressional notification when formal waivers are issued, licenses can fall through the cracks.

To be clear, some licenses may be desirable, such as those allowing humanitarian relief or allowing for tailoring of sanctions in order to better advance our policy goals. In other cases, however, Congress may have legitimate concerns that a sanctioned entity is being licensed to carry out transactions with U.S. persons, including our country's financial institutions.

This bill simply ensures that Congress knows whether a license has been issued, which will allow us to have better oversight of the sanctions program.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, this bill requires Treasury to send Congress semiannual reports that show which foreign financial institutions are providing support for sanctioned terrorists, corrupt officials, and human rights abusers. Although these bad actors are cut off from American banks, we should know whether they are evading our measures through the use of foreign entities. If Congress is made aware of these relationships, we can work to close those loopholes.

Again, the unanimous support these policies have garnered previously underscores their commonsense nature. Congressman Riggleman has spent much of his career before Congress devoted to protecting our national security, and his work on this bill, H.R. 1037, deserves our support.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Riggleman), the sponsor of the bill. He has done great work here, and I will give him as much time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bipartisan bill that passed unanimously in committee and in the House last year.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of Dave Blom as he retires after 17 years of service as president and CEO of OhioHealth this July.

While his leadership in the industry is unparalleled, as a veteran, I want to focus on what strikes me about Dave the most, and that is his commitment to improving access to healthcare for those who have served our Nation.

In 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs was facing rising numbers nationally, and, unfortunately, many veterans were not receiving the good care that they deserved. As a result, the Congressional Commission on Care was formed, a 15-person task force that would make recommendations about how to best serve our Nation's veterans with healthcare.

I knew Dave's knowledge of healthcare and longstanding commitment to our Nation's heroes made him an outstanding candidate for that Commission, and I was proud to work with my colleagues, Representative Beatty and Representative Tiberi, at the time, to secure him an appointment from Speaker Boehner.

In 2015, Dave Blom and the Commission got to work. After over 10 months

of effort, they ultimately produced 18 reforms for the VA and Congress, including the VA Mission Act, which gives veterans access to local providers outside the VA system and guarantees timely access to care.

Dave was a vital contributor to these reforms, and I know he counts his time on the Commission among the most rewarding experiences of his life.

It is impossible to quantify the impact that he has had on the lives of millions of veterans and their families across this country, but it is certain to resonate with veterans far into the future.

I am incredibly grateful for Dave's service and his leadership, and I wish him all the best in his next chapter of life. I am confident that he will remain involved in central Ohio and its communities for a long time to come. I am also fortunate to call him a friend. He is a great leader in healthcare, and he has been a great leader for our country.

I thank Dave Blom for his service to our veterans, and I congratulate him on an incredible career in healthcare.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of Ohio's 15th Congressional District to recognize the contributions of international students and scholars.

At a time when nations around the globe are increasing their efforts and deploying new strategies to attract international talent, enrollment in American institutions is on a decline. Ohio's 15th Congressional District, and the nation, benefit from these students, and we are at risk of losing this valuable talent.

In addition to bringing diverse perspectives and new ideas to our classrooms, international students have an economic impact. They create jobs and stimulate our economies. In fact, it is estimated that in the 2017-2018 school year, in the 15th District alone, international students contributed over $48 million to our economies and created over 500 jobs.

But the economic value that they contribute to this country is not in dollars and jobs alone. In fact, individual current and former international students contribute their talents in our communities each and every day across this great nation.

I'm proud to have international students contributing in a significant way in my own congressional district. To cite just one example, Rebin Muhammed is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Mathematics at Ohio University in Athens. His area of focus is Ring Theory, which is key in the design of codes that facilitate space travel, digital communications, and high-fidelity music recording. Originally from Iraq, he is helping inspire the next generation of mathematicians by volunteering with the Southeast Ohio Math Teachers' Circle and The Math League of Southeast Ohio, which coordinates math-related activities for diverse groups of middle and high school age kids.

It is students like Rebin who deserve an immigration system that works. Perhaps most importantly, we should continue to attract students by creating a path to green cards for the most talented. We should not educate future leaders and innovators, only to force them out of our country when they are on the verge of the next breakthrough.

With tomorrow, May 1, as ``Decision Day'' for students to commit to colleges across the country, I want prospective international students to know their contributions are valued, and they are welcome here. I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the contributions of international students and in working to make sure the United States is the destination of choice for the best and brightest across the globe.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the citizens of Ohio's 15th Congressional District to commemorate the National Week of Conversation, a week that seeks to encourage all individuals to have meaningful conversations with one another, and to respect differing opinions.

There are 300 million people in our country who are struggling with a tumultuous time and how to communicate with each other when they disagree. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: ``We must live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.'' It is that example of compassion and respect that Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) and I strive to demonstrate as Founders and Co-Chairs of the Civility and Respect Caucus.

We created our caucus not to change people's opinions, beliefs, or political affiliation, but to show that by coming together, we can find solutions that lead to better policy. From combatting youth homelessness and human trafficking, to supporting our veterans and promoting financial literacy--every issue that we have collaborated on begins with a conversation.

That is why I am honored to commemorate the National Week of Conversation. Vilifying one another or attacking another's motives will not solve problems, but conversation and discussion alone can make us better. As Dr. King also said, ``people fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they do not know each other, and the do not know each other because they have not communicated with each other.

In the spirit of the National Week of Conversation, I would encourage everyone to have a conversation with someone new, and to show that it is possible to disagree without being disagreeable.