Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Washington and the sheriff.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our communities.

In 2016, two brave Arizona officers died as they responded to calls: David Van Glasser, Phoenix Police Department; and Darrin Reed, Show Low Police Department, which is in my district. Both of those men left behind family and loved ones.

As a former police officer and homicide investigator, National Police Week has a special meaning to me. I have lost friends, partners, brothers, and sisters in the line of duty. I have grieved with their families during the most difficult times, and I have experienced firsthand the real sacrifices they make.

Each of the 135 officers from across the country who died in the line of duty in 2016 worked to keep our neighborhoods safe. While we can never repay the debts we owe them and their families, we will forever remember their service.

As we look to the future, it is important to highlight the work being done in cities and towns across the country to not only better protect our families, but also the lives of our law enforcement officers. In Arizona, successful community policing programs in Flagstaff, Phoenix, and countless other cities and towns have improved relationships.

I am proud to join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle on the House Law Enforcement Caucus. I look

forward to continuing the bipartisan work we are doing to identify and solve the challenges facing our law enforcement community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the so- called American Health Care Act. I am alarmed at the real consequences this bill will have on rural Arizona and rural America.

These communities will be disproportionately harmed by this bill. In Coconino County, a 40-year-old making $30,000 a year will go from a $2,400 payment to a $6,000 payment.

Getting away from my script for a second, I spent many years on the west side of Chicago looking at what the core side of poverty looks like night after night, family after family, in our cities and our towns in this wonderful America. I know a little bit about math, and I know that 20 million people insured is better than 24 million people uninsured.

Please vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of a young boy who lives in my district named Cameron. Cameron was born with a congenital heart defect, but a successful surgery at 5 weeks of age has given him a shot at a vibrant life.

He is like most 8-year-olds, fearless, curious, and full of life, but Cameron will live with this for the rest of his life.

His parents shared this story with me recently and expressed their concerns, not just about Cameron, but about the children of America who are under this type of a process. They have affordable

coverage under the Affordable Care Act, despite Cameron's preexisting conditions.

But, Mr. Speaker, they are concerned that future coverage will be unaffordable and unattainable as he grows up under the American Health Care Act, also known as TrumpCare.

I share these concerns. I cannot support legislation that will drastically raise premiums for families like Cameron's and disproportionately impact rural communities in my district.

It is my hope that, moving forward, Congress can work on a bipartisan solution to improve the health and well-being of Americans and their children and protect those who need it most. We cannot continue to play partisan politics with the lives of our constituents, our children, our small businesses, and the people of America.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member with whom I look forward to serving on the Agriculture Committee on behalf of the people of Arizona.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my deep opposition to H.R. 238. I am troubled by the way this legislation, the Commodity End-User Relief Act, has been brought to the floor. This bill was only introduced last week. It is being rushed to a vote.

I am especially bothered by the attempt to bring this bill to the floor outside the rules of regular order. There were no committee hearings. There were no markups held by the committee, and the Members of the Agriculture Committee have been denied the opportunity to discuss the merits of this legislation.

As a freshman member of the 115th Congress, I am especially bothered that this bill has been brought to the floor before the Agriculture Committee has even been fully organized. As a new member of the Ag Committee, I am troubled that my colleagues think they can bypass the important feedback provided during the committee process. I represent over 80 communities in my district with a wide range of opinions and interests. Hearing from my constituents and getting feedback is critical to my duties as their Representative in Congress. We should include their voices in the policymaking process, not just special interests that have the resources to keep lobbyists here in Washington.

The committee process allows members to gather critical information, have a positive discussion, and make necessary changes to the legislation. As everyone on this floor knows, the committee process is essential to ensuring that the interests of the American people are truly represented in the legislation and brought to the floor. I understand that this bill was brought up in the 114th Congress where it was reviewed by the committee. It is only right that we maintain our democratic principles and ensure that H.R. 238 fully undergoes committee review in this Congress.

Mr. Chairman, this is not a partisan concept. These are the values I held as a Republican State legislator, as a police officer working in the community, and as a community leader.

Mr. Chairman, I ask: If this legislation was sent through the committee in the last Congress, is it not going to the committee again?

This process subverts the rules of this Congress, which, I might add, were established only last week. Bypassing the normal rules of order marginalizes the voice of the American people in the legislative process and forces a vote on legislation that is not complete.

I encourage my colleagues to make sure that the voice of the American people is heard and this legislation is brought up under the rules of regular order. For this reason, I ask my colleagues to join me in opposing this legislation before us.