Steve Stockman

Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit today important information regarding the proposed trade deal between the United States and the European Union. The following article was written for Roll Call by my Legislative Assistant Zachary Leshin. During his time as my Legislative Assistant, Mr. Leshin has conveyed a profound understanding of the issue at hand, and has been an important asset to my office.

[From Roll Call, Oct. 22, 2014]

(By Zachary Leshin)

Should Congress Reconsider TTIP?--Commentary

Recently there has been discussion over whether the United

States should enter into a free trade agreement with the

European Union known as the Transatlantic Trade and

Investment Partnership. There are several major issues with

TTIP that make it not in the interest of the United States to

enter into the agreement.

One major issue is non-tariff barriers to free trade that

are not addressed by TTIP. In the European Union there are

certain classes of product known as Protected Designation of

Origin and Protected Geographical Indication. One example of

a PDO is Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, which legally can be

made only in a certain region of northern Italy. Currently,

American dairy farmers are not allowed to sell Parmesan

cheese in the European Union because the name sounds too

similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano. In all of the European

Union's trade agreements, PDO and PGI protection has been

extended to include the products in the other countries who

are party to such agreement and the European Union has stated

its intent to include that in TTIP under the guise of

``intellectual property rights.''

There are many examples of how arbitrary and nonsensical

the designation process is. Newcastle Ale had to request that

its PDO status be revoked so it could move its factory just

across a river. Stilton cheese is not allowed to be made in

the English village of Stilton from which it derives its

name, but only in three neighboring villages. Feta cheese is

allowed to be produced only in Greece, but not in Cyprus or

other areas where ethnic Greeks may be living.

Another major issue with TTIP is that automatically having

a free trade agreement with the United States would provide a

major incentive for more countries to join the European

Union. The European Union has increasingly become more of a

centralized government over its member states, especially

since the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009. In some

areas (such as rules regarding the standardization of driving

licenses) the European Union government has more control over

its member states than the United States federal government

has over US states.

Encouraging further expansion of the European Union is bad

for the people of Europe, as the European Union has been

eroding the sovereignty of its member states. The European

Union has been imposing many absurd and burdensome

regulations. One regulation requires all projects that

receive funding from the European Regional Development Fund

to fly the flag of the European Union. Another regulation

states that prepackaged products are allowed to be sold only

in certain sized packages, and packages that deviate from the

proscribed size dimensions are prohibited from sale.

What also needs to be considered is not only what these

regulations are, but how they are established. In the United

States, the heads of the federal executive agencies, which

are responsible for establishing regulatory policies, are

nominated by an elected president and confirmed by elected

senators. The European Union has no such accountability

mechanism.

Another issue that needs to be considered is discriminatory

trade policies imposed by the European Union. In May 2014,

the European Union put in place a ban on the import of

poultry and eggs raised by Jews in Judea and Samaria, but

still permits import of poultry and eggs raised by Arabs in

that same region. The European Union has also been

considering implementation of discriminatory meat labeling

policies where meat products slaughtered using religious

methods are required to label the method, but meat products

slaughtered using other methods are not.

Supporting TTIP may impact the proposed referendum on

United Kingdom membership of the European Union that is

planned for 2015, skewing the outcome in favor of maintaining

membership in the European Union. Instead, the United States

should seek to establish a free trade agreement with a free

and independent Britain. This will encourage other European

Union member states to leave the European Union as well and

will hopefully serve as a catalyst for the dissolution of the

European Union. It is not in the strategic interests of the

United States, nor in the interests of the people of Europe,

for the European Union to become a more centralized

institution.

Mr. Speaker, hypnosis may be a useful tool in the field of mental and physical health as well as combatting against those who wish to kick the habit of smoking and substance abuse.

FoxNews Health recently published a column noting the effectiveness of ``hypnosis as therapy for anxiety, stress,'' wherein it noted that ``Hypnosis was birthed from the brains of psychologists and researchers, and . . . it's now making its way back into the mainstream.'' It recommended the National Guild of Hypnotists (the NGH) as one of two national organizations from which to seek referrals. The following is a news report profiling the organization.

Merrimack, NH.--(Marketwired--Jan. 21, 2014)--Change is

stressful, even when change comes in the form of beneficial

technology and social transformation. Too often, the stress

of change manifests as overeating and obesity, smoking,

substance abuse, aggression and other negative behaviors.

Millions are searching for a non-pharmaceutical solution that

is effective, long lasting and causes no side effects. The

National Guild of Hypnotists has demonstrated through its

longevity and documented results that hypnosis provides

proven alternatives for reducing and eliminating many of the

negative responses to today's stressful world.

The National Guild of Hypnotists, NGH, is the oldest,

largest and most respected professional association of

hypnotists in the world. The National Guild of Hypnotists,

under the leadership of Dr. Dwight Damon, has been

instrumental in raising conscious awareness of consulting

hypnotism as a separate and distinct profession. Hypnosis now

is recognized in the medical and scientific mainstream and

its use and acceptance continue to grow.

Founded in Boston in 1950 and now based in Merrimack, NH.

with over 14,000 members worldwide, the National Guild of

Hypnotists includes trained, certified hypnotists, doctors,

dentists and other health professionals and educators from

many fields. An international organization serving members in

80 countries, the National Guild of Hypnotists established a

strong universal code of ethics for the profession. In 1994,

the National Guild of Hypnotists chartered the rapidly

growing National Federation of Hypnotists, Local 104, a Union

affiliated with the OPEIU, AFL-CIO, CLC. Those knowledgeable

of non-clinical hypnosis universally acknowledge Dr. Damon as

``The Father of Consulting Hypnotism as a Separate and

Distinct Profession.''

The National Guild of Hypnotists established and maintains

a rigorous certification program based on a standardized

curriculum. Annually, the National Guild of Hypnotists

conducts educational seminars around the country and an

international convention and educational conference, held in

Marlborough, MA, that attracts over a thousand hypnotists.

Under the guidance of Convention Director Elsom Eldridge Jr.,

the convention is the leading and largest venue for the

sharing of best practices within the profession. Each year's

convention provides a platform for teaching advanced hypnotic

techniques and sharing new information and practical

developments from leading members of the profession and

legislative and legal updates. The most prestigious awards in

the profession are presented during the event. The adjunct

faculty, recruited from around the world, provides a

distinguished nexus for what Dr. Damon describes as, ``an

open forum for a free exchange of ideas concerning

hypnotism.''

Dr. Damon says, ``As members of the National Guild of

Hypnotists, we have accepted the invitation and have risen to

the challenge that the actions we have taken over the years,

lay the groundwork for our profession to soar beyond all that

has been accomplished and even beyond all we can conceive. We

rise to the invitation to leave a legacy of excellence.''

Respectful of licensed health care professionals, the

National Guild of Hypnotists encourages its members to make

their services widely available as a complementary adjunct to

medical, dental and other licensed health professions. The

organization's vision is of a time when a visit to a

Consulting Hypnotist will be as routine as a trip to the

dentist. Consistent efforts by the National Guild of

Hypnotists in fostering professionalism has been the decisive

factor in bringing about the recognition of hypnosis as a

separate and distinct profession.

The non-profit association publishes The Journal of

Hypnotism and the Hypno-Gram quarterly, as informative

publications for practitioners and recently introduced

Hypnosis Today, an annual magazine created for all readers.

Mr. Speaker, as the 113th Congress comes to a close, it is my pleasure to note all of the legislative actions that I have taken in my tenure in this Congress.

In the 113th Congress, I introduced the following legislation:

H.R. 4587--Fifth Amendment Restoration Act. This bill sought to stop the Federal Government from stealing people's property by abolishing the use of civil asset forfeiture.

H.R. 5777--Cryptocurrency Protocol Protection and Moratorium Act. This bill sought to protect cryptocurrencies by imposing a five year moratorium on new cryptocurrency regulations.

H.R. 5755--Safer American Streets Act. This bill sought to withhold certain highway funds from a State that uses an automated traffic enforcement system on a Federal-aid highway.

H.R. 5756--Heller Public Firearms Range Act of 2014. This bill sought to restore a public firearms range to the District of Columbia.

H.R. 5757--Honoring Workers' Rights Act. This bill sought to rename the headquarters of the Department of Labor in honor of right to work activist Reed Larson.

H.R. 5734--Right of Return Act. This bill sought to establish a lasting peace in the Middle East by defunding UNRWA, defunding the Palestinian Authority, and directing the Secretary of State to call for Israel to extend sovereignty of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza with the Arab population residing in those territories to be given a right of return to the countries who controlled those territories from 1949 to 1967.

H.R. 5726--Freedom From Foreign Influence Act. This bill sought to direct the Secretary of the Interior to issue promptly permits allowing energy resources exploration and extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

H.R. 5718--Stockman Effect Act. This bill sought to direct the National Science Foundation to commission a study on the potential impact of a polar magnetic shift on the weather.

H.R. 5717--Report the Costs Act. This bill sought to require annual reports from agencies detailing the cost of multilingual services, to end speculation about the cost of multilingual services provided by the Federal Government, and for other purposes.

H.R. 5473--James Boulet National Language Act of 2014. This bill sought to make English the official language of the United States, require that official U.S. government functions be conducted in English, and require the U.S. government to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States.

H.R. 5472--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service currently located at 16281 U.S. Highway 59 in Moscow, Texas, as the ``Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya Memorial Post Office''. This bill sought to name the post office in Moscow, Texas in honor of Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya, an American journalist who was assassinated in Moscow, Russia as a result of her coverage of the human rights abuses committed by the regime of Vladimir Putin.

H.R. 5433--Stop Funding Terrorism Act. This bill sought to prohibit any direct U.S. assistance, loan guarantee, or debt relief to the Palestinian Authority.

H.R. 5316--Safely Exacting Cautious Useful Rules for Immigration This Year (SECURITY) Act. This bill sought to secure the border between the United States and Mexico.

H.R. 5202--Personal Information Notification Act. This bill sought to require notification when personally identifying information is disclosed by a Government agency.

H. Amdt. 1033. This amendment to H.R. 4923, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015, sought to prohibit funds made available by this Act from being used for the Department of Energy's Loan Program Office.

H. Res. 664--Providing for the arrest of Lois G. Lerner to answer the charge of contempt of Congress.

H. Res. 649, 648, 647, 646, and 645. This series of resolutions sought to direct various federal agencies to disclose emails transmitted by Lois Lerner.

H. Amdt. 941. This amendment to H.R. 4870, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015, sought to prohibit the use of funds for any activity that would grant de jure or de facto support of territorial, maritime, or airspace claims made by the People's Republic of China on the international waters or territories of other sovereign nations in the South China, East China, and Yellow Seas.

H. Amdt. 940. This amendment to H.R. 4870, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015, sought to prohibit the use of

funds for the procurement of weapons systems that contain rare earth materials, metals, magnets, parts, or components that are produced in Cuba, North Korea, the People's Republic of China, or Venezuela.

H. Amdt. 939. This amendment to H.R. 4870, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015, sought to prohibit the use of funds to destroy Department of Defense equipment or ammunition in Afghanistan without such equipment or ammunition first being offered to independent states of the former Soviet Union and major non-NATO allies that are willing to pay for transportation of such equipment or ammunition to such states or allies.

H. Res. 635--Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must allow taxpayers the same lame excuses for missing documentation that the IRS itself is currently proffering.

H.R. 4883--National Rare-Earth Cooperative Act of 2014. This bill sought to provide for the establishment of a National Rare-Earth Refinery Cooperative.

H. Res. 612--Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Government of Mexico should forthwith repatriate Sgt. Andrew Paul Tahmooressi from Mexican prison(s) and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President of the United States should take actions to impose sanctions on Mexico until such time as Sgt. Tahmooressi is released.

H.R. 4774--Veterans' Health Accountability Act. This bill sought to improve the quality of care offered by the Veterans Health Administration.

H. Res. 602--Recognizing the 96th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan.

H.R. 4651--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 West Baker Road in Baytown, Texas as the ``Specialist Keith Erin Grace Jr. Memorial Post Office''. This bill sought to name a post office in Baytown, Texas in honor of Keith Erin Grace Jr.

H.R. 4650--European Union Religious Freedom Act. This bill sought to recognize the prohibition of homeschooling, religious methods of meat production, circumcision, or wearing of religious garb as being infringements on religious freedom.

H.R. 4602--Virtual Currency Tax Reform Act. This bill sought to change the status of virtual currencies from property to foreign currency.

H.R. 4581--Prohibiting Discrimination Against Israel Act. This bill sought to prohibit federal funds from going towards international projects that discriminate against Judea and Samaria.

H.R. 4520--Aircraft Positioning Modernization Act. This bill sought to require passenger aircraft to transmit GPS location data.

H.R. 4518--Parental Protection Act. This bill sought to protect the constitutional rights of parents and children.

H.R. 4380--Gun Confiscation and Registration Prevention Act. This bill sought to prohibit gun confiscation and registration.

H.R. 4381--Biometric Information Privacy Act. This bill sought to prohibit firms from selling personal biometric information to third parties.

H.R. 4343--Write the Laws Act. This bill sought to end the unconstitutional delegation of legislative power which was exclusively vested in the Senate and House of Representatives by article I, section 1 of the United States Constitution, and to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to issue a report to Congress detailing the extent of the problem of unconstitutional delegation to the end that such delegations can be phased out, thereby restoring the constitutional principle of separation of powers set forth in the first sections of the United States Constitution.

H.R. 3199--Safe Military Bases Act. This bill sought to safeguard military and civilian personnel on military bases by repealing bans on military personnel carrying firearms, and for other purposes.

H.R. 3156--Responsible Implementation of Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2013. This bill sought to reform the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 to responsibly protect homeownership.

H. Res. 333--Expressing the firm conviction of the House of Representatives that any continuing resolution or debt ceiling increase it may approve for the duration of the 113th Congress shall affirmatively include a provision specifically prohibiting the expenditure of any federal funds in support of or in implementation or effectuation or enforcement of any provision of the Affordable Care Act (``ObamaCare'').

H. Amdt. 397. This amendment to H.R. 2397, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2014, sought to prohibit funds appropriated or made available in this Act from being used for United States military exercises which include any participation by the People's Republic of China.

H.R. 2764--Sanctity of Life Act of 2013. This bill sought to declare that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.

H. Res. 306--Providing for the consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 36) establishing a select committee to investigate and report on the attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

H.R. 2625--Student Protection Act. This bill sought to prohibit the use of appropriated funds for any educational institution which punishes a child for brandishing food which is partially consumed in such a way that the remnant resembles a gun; possessing a toy gun two inches or less in length or made of plastic snap together building blocks; using a finger or hand to simulate a gun; vocalizing imaginary firearms or munitions; wearing a T-shirt that supports Second Amendment rights; drawing a picture of, or possessing an image of, a firearm; or using a writing utensil to simulate a firearm.

H.R. 2606--Stabilization and Reconstruction Integration Act of 2013. This bill sought to establish the United States Office for Contingency Operations.

H.R. 1815--Union Coercion Prevention Act. This bill sought to protect workers from the corrupt and coercive ``Card Check'' system of organizing labor unions.

H.R. 1144--Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Equal and Fair Opportunity Settlement Act. This bill sought to restore an opportunity for tribal economic development on terms that are equal and fair.

H.R. 1143--Federal Correctional Workers Safety Act of 2013. This bill sought to amend the federal criminal code to require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to ensure that each prison facility provides a secure firearms storage area for use by all employees who are authorized to carry a firearm, or allow such employees to store their firearm in a Bureau-approved vehicle lockbox.

H.R. 577--Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. This bill sought to prohibit, in any case arising out of the administration of laws and benefits by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, considering any person who is mentally incapacitated, deemed mentally incompetent, or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness from being considered adjudicated as a mental defective for purposes of the right to receive or transport firearms without the order or finding of a judicial authority of competent jurisdiction that such person is a danger to himself or herself or others.

H.R. 576--Save Endangered Species Act of 2013. This bill sought to require the Secretary of the Interior to allow for the taking, export or reimport, delivery, receipt, carrying, and transport, shipment, or sale in interstate or foreign commerce, in the course of a commercial activity, of U.S. captive-bred live scimitar-horned oryx, addax, or dama gazelle, including embryos, gametes, and sport-hunted trophies, as long as certain criteria are met, including that the purpose of such activity is associated with the management or transfer of live wildlife or sport hunting in a manner that contributes to increasing or sustaining captive numbers or to potential reintroduction to range countries.

H.R. 575--Second Amendment Protection Act of 2013. This bill sought to prohibit the United States from providing any funding to the United Nations (U.N.) for a fiscal year unless the President certifies to Congress that the U.N. has not taken action to infringe on the rights of individuals in the United States to possess a firearm or ammunition, or abridge any of the other constitutionally protected rights of U.S. citizens.

H.R. 410--Restore the Constitution Act of 2013. This bill sought to provide that any executive action infringing on the Second Amendment has no force or effect, and to prohibit the use of funds for certain purposes.

H.R. 35--Safe Schools Act of 2013. This bill sought to amend the federal criminal code to repeal provisions making it unlawful to possess or discharge a firearm in a school zone.

H.R. 33--Audit The Fed Act of 2013. This bill sought to repeal the authority of the Comptroller General (GAO) to carry out an onsite examination of an open insured bank or bank holding company only if the appropriate federal regulatory agency has consented in writing.