Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives 11302017 20171130

Automated systems to notify supervisors when the end of an individuals probationary period is imminent. Agencies have these systems. They just need to use them. My amendment requires supervisors to be net fi notified as a series of regular intervals in advance of the expiration of a probationary period. Notifications occur at one year, six months, and three months before the scheduled completion of a probationary period. This will remind supervisors of their responsibilities to observe employees and provide feedback throughout the probationary period. It will also remind supervisors to decide whether the employee is fit for federal service. I urge members to support this amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman reserves. Does any member seek time for opposition . The chair for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition . Mr. Connolly i have no speakers on this side. I do rise in opposition to the amendment. The chair the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Connolly mr. Chairman as the chairman indicated, i appreciate the intent of my friend from montana, but this is a bad bill. We ought to be studying the effect of the existing Pilot Program at the department of defense to see how it works and we ought to be adopting the g. A. O. Recommendation of better training for supervisors who the g. A. O. Found were ill equipped to evaluate employees during one or two year pro beagsary periods. My friend my may agree with this, our committee is the locust for governmentwide initiatives such as this. We have had not had a single hearing on this bill or frankly on the subject. And i think thats a huge mistake. We are putting the cart before the horse. I think we ought to return to a more empiricalbased policy making especially when it is a policy that will affect every future federal employee and those numbers are huge given the baby boom bulge ready to retire. Thats 40 of the work force and has to be replaced. While i appreciate the intent of my friend from montana, it is in that context i rise in opposition, and i yield back. The chair the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from montana. Mr. Gianforte i urge adoption of this amendment and the underlying bill and i yield back. The chair the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is on the amendment as modified offered by the gentleman from montana. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it, the amendment as modified is agreed to. It is now in order to consider amendment number 4 printed in house report 115430. For what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition . Mr. Connolly i have an amendment at the desk. The clerk amendment number 4 printed in house report 115430 offered by mr. Connolly of virginia. The chair the gentleman from virginia, mr. Connolly and a member opposed each will control five minutes. Mr. Connolly i yield myself such time as i may consume. Under h. R. 4182 the pro beagsary period for all federal employees is extended for an additional year. All new employees are punished equally and supervisors are given no new tools to improve their use. In february of 2016 as i have mentioned before, the g. A. O. Report studying the rules to dismiss employees for poor performance suggest that the office of Personnel Management look there are some jobs that could be extended for one year or not. We heard testimony from a number f colleagues who represent areas with big federalized concentrations, such as the Weather Service in oklahoma and c. D. C. With a twoyear probation area period may impede the ability to hire the skilled workers. It is something to be looked into. It does not call for the extension. I filed this amendment to require the g. A. O. To conduct a study on the department of defense that have used this tool, a two year pro beagsary period. A twoyear pro beagsary period was enacted in 2016 and as the largest federal agency, this extension would provide a good case study on the potential impacts, good, bad and indifferent on the legislation before us. Its a study we ought to do before we adopt a bill. Since extending the period has been working out so well, it ought to be extended across the entire federal government. This policy only affected those ho are hired after november 25 15. The former secretary of defense as i mentioned in earlier statements testified before the Armed Services committee that the department has done little to take advantage of that legislation. Thats his testimony. Therefore, there are only a small number of employees who have completed the two year pro beagsary ped and too soon to declare it a success or failure. My amendment would have the g. A. O. Give us guidance, how does it work, has it helped, does it hurt, are there some things we havent anticipated . The study would look into whether the period has the aeffect of an ability to recruit or retain. 40 of the work force is eligible for retirement. And we have to worry about recruitment. Gathering the data is a necessary first step, not a last step or an afterthought before deciding to change a law which has profound impact on federal agencies. This bill, as i said to my friend from kentucky may yet prove to be a good idea, but we dont know. There remain a lot of questions about the efficacy of this proposal. It is risky and could have negative consequences some of which we havent seen. Two weeks ago, this body adopted a policy of evidencebased policy making, so lets put it into implementation with this bill. Lets look for some evidence, empirical evidence to justify the adoption of such a sweeping bill. So i call for the adoption of my amendment. And i reserve the balance of my time. The chair the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. For what purpose does the gentleman from ken ducky seek recognition . Mr. Comer i rise to claim time in opposition to the jeas amendment. Extending the pro beagsary period is not a new idea. Federal managed groups have advocated for an extended pro beagsary period. They conducted a study in february of 2015. In that study, chief Human Capital officers told g. A. O. A longer probationary period could help supervisors to make assessments for those occupations that are particularly complex or difficult to assess. G. A. O. Also recommended considering, quote, extending the supervisory probationary period beyond one year to include one full appraisal cycle. In 2005, the merit Systems Protection Board completed a study and recommended longer probationary periods when an agency deems it necessary to fully evaluate a probationner. It is not necessary to wait for more studies. This amendment strikes the entire bill, meaning the current period would remain the same that the problems at g. A. O. And others have identified would persist. This undermines the entire purpose of the bill which is to allow managers who are time to conduct a assessment of probationary federal employees. I urge members to oppose this amendment. And i reserve. The chair the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from virginia is recognized for his one remaining minute. Mr. Connolly i yield one minute to mr. Raskin. Mr. Raskin thank you, mr. Connellly. And i salute as a champion for those of your quints who work in the federal government and in maryland, we have lots of them. Not just there. 85 of the work force lives outside of the washington, mad and virginia area. Kentucky and california and south california. This would apply to all new employees, millions of people coming into the work force would be added doubling the probationary period. Imagine if you were trying to hire for your Small Business and tell people they were going to be on probation for two years with none of the rights that you had vested than if you had gotten hired and been part of the work force. They are willing in this bill to give people a whole extra year and not willing to wait a year for the g. A. O. To do a proper study so we use evidencebased policy making as the gentleman says. That is the very least we can do. The good the gentleman from kentucky said there was a study done 10 years ago the chair the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from kentucky is recognized. Mr. Comer i urge members to vote no on this amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. The chair the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from virginia. Those in favor say aye. In the opinion of the chair, the noes have it mr. Connolly i request a recorded vote. The chair pursuant to clause 6, rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from virginia will be postponed. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, proceedings will now resume on those amendments printed in house report 115430 on which further proceedings were postponed in the following order. Amendment number 1, amendment number 4 by mr. Connellly of virginia. The chair will reduce two minutes after the first vote in this series. The request for a recorded vote on amendment number 1 printed in house report 115430 by the gentleman from florida, mr. Hastings on which further proceedings were postponed and the ayes prevailed. The clerk amendment number 1 printed in house report 115430 offered by mr. Hastings of florida. The chair a recorded vote has been requested. Those in support of a recorded vote will rise and be counted. A sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. Members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a 15minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the chair on this vote, the yeas are 195 and the nays are 221. The amendment is not adopted. The Unfinished Business is request for a recorded vote on amendment number 4 printed in house report 115430 on which the noes prevailed by voice vote. The clerk amendment number 4 printed in house report number 115430, offered by mr. Connelly of virginia. The chair a recorded has been requested. Those in support of the request for a recorded vote will rise. A sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. Members will record their votes by electronic device. This will be a twominute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] chris on this vote the nays the chair on this vote the nays are 193. The nays are 223. The amendment is not adopted. Under the rule the committee rises. Mr. Speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union has had under consideration h. R. 4182, and pursuant to House Resolution 685 i report the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. The speaker pro tempore the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the Union Reports that the committee has had under consideration the bill h. R. 4132 and pursuant to House Resolution 635 reports the bill back to the house with an amendment adopted in the committee of the whole. The question is on adoption of the amendment. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it and the amendment is adopted. The question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it. Third reading. Probationary period with respect to positions within the Competitive Service and the Senior Executive service and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore the question is on passage of the bill. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. For what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition . Mr. Connolly on this matter id ask for a recorded vote. The speaker pro tempore a recorded vote is requested. Those favoring a recorded vote will rise. A sufficient number having arisen, a recorded vote is ordered. Members will record their votes y electronic device. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, this fiveminute vote on passage of h. R. 4182 will be followed by a fiveminute vote 3017. Sage of h. R. This is a fiveminute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker pro tempore on this vote the yeas are 213. The nays are 204. The bill is passed. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The Unfinished Business is the vote on passage of h. R. 3017 on which the yeas and nays were ordered. The clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk Union Calendar number 298. H. R. 3017, a bill to amend the comprehensive Environmental Response compensation and Liability Act of 1980 to reauthorize and improve the Brownfield Program and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore the question is on passage of the bill. Members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a fiveminute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker pro tempore on this vote the yeas are 409, the nays are eight. Without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid on the table. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition . Mr. Speaker, by direction of the democratic caucus, i offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration by the chamber. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the resolution. The clerk House Resolution resolved that otherwise provided by the house the authority of the ranking minority member on the committee of the judiciary shall be exercised by the minority member of the committee who, prior to the adoption of this resolution, ranks immediately below the ranking minority member. The speaker pro tempore without objection, the resolution is freed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Mr. Crowley i thank you, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the chair will now entertain requests for oneminute peeches. He house will come to order. The chair will now entertain requests for oneminute speeches. For what purpose does the entleman from new york rise . To address the house for one minute, to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection. He house will be in order. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, it is with Great Respect and sorrow that i rise today to announce the passing of our former colleague, congressman Maurice Hinchey. Mr. Hinchey passed away in november 22, just before thanksgiving, at the age of 79 in new york. Mr. Faso leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that was marked by fervent patriotism, political courage and forwardthinking leadership. During his 20 years of service in the house of representatives, Maurice Hinchey represented a broad swath of new york state in the Hudson Valley and the cat skills over in the Southern Tier as well. Many of those areas make up what is todays 19th Congressional District, which i currently represent. I also had the honor of working alongside mr. Hinchey for six years in the new York State Assembly. There he developed and honed his legislative skills as chairman of the assemblys Environmental Conservation committee. We proudly note the service of Maurice Hinchey to the nation and im glad to be joined here by my colleagues from the new york delegation and the dean of the delegation, ms. Slaughter, to extend our heartfelt condolences to Maurice Hincheys widow, and to the entire hinchey family. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i would like to ask ms. Slaughter to address the house. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Slaughter mr. Speaker, i ask permission to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Slaughter i rise today to celebrate the life of Maurice Hinchey. He was an extraordinary friend who had courage to take on all of the tough issues. We served four years together in the new York State Assembly and 20 years together in congress. I watched him do what he did best, defend the constituents and the land that he represented. Hes remembered as an environmental hero, for his promotion of Renewable Energy and for signing the alarm on the risk of hydraulic fracturing. Maurice did more to support the Natural Resources of the cat skill mountains and Hudson Valley than anyone else. From his efforts to clean up the hudson river, to the establishment of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage area, his legacy will endure. To the millions of visitors who enjoy the catskill mountains or explore the Hudson Valley, you have a champion to thank. His name was Maurice Hinchey. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. The gentleman from pennsylvania. For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania ise . For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . Mr. Thompson mr. Speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Thompson mr. Speaker, i rise today to congratulate the grand canyon f. F. A. For bringing home the gold at a recent national competition. The wells bro High School Team of 10th graders recently traveled to the national f. F. A. Convention in indianapolis. The team competed in the conduct of meeting event that is focused on parliamentarian procedure. As part of the competition, Team Performs meeting demonstration, includes an Opening Ceremony and a surprise issue to debate. They make motions and resolve the issue within 13 minutes. Each team member has to answer oral questions and take a knowledge exam. Mr. Speaker, im incredibly proud of the grand canyon f. F. A. Team for advancing to the gold level round and placing sixth overall in the nation. Its clear that the f. F. A. Is making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their leadership skills, personal growth and career success through agriculture education. I congratulate members of the grand canyon f. F. A. Team, kiley ryan and nina cool age, pierce, mckenzie, kateryna and taylor on a job well done. Thank you, mr. Speaker. And i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition . Without objection. I rise today to talk about tax reform. Tax reform should be all about helping those who are in need. Mrs. Beatty working families, veterans, seniors, Small Business owners, just to name a few. Unfortunately the plan that the Congressional Republicans are currently ramming through the senate with a vote that could happen just in a few short hours does exactly the opposite. The plan would overwhelmingly benefit the superrich, the well connected and at the expense of the middle class, Small Business, not to mention veterans, seniors struggling to make ends meet. The middle class and Small Businesses, we can do better by them. Instead of giving us a budgetbusting half trillion dollar tax cut to the wealthiest americans, lets provide greater tax relief to working families, lets keep our promise to the veterans, lets strengthen medicare, Social Security and medicaid, lets help aspiring entrepreneurs pursue their passion, lets ensure better wages, better jobs, better opportunities and a Better Future for all americans. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. For what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition . Request one minute to address the house, revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Speaker, i rise today in recognition of officer jamie cox, a fallen hero from my district who was killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop on november 5, 2017. Jamie cox, a rockford native, served our community and country proudly. After graduating high school, he served in the United States Army National guard. He was deployed to afghanistan in 2008 and was honorably discharged in 2010. He went on to attend Northern Illinois university and graduated in 2014. Mr. Kinzinger for his military service, he received the combat infantryman badge, Army Achievement medal and the Army Commendation medal and he also won the Illinois National guard Abraham Lincoln medal of freedom ribbon. He joined the Law Enforcement division at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources before coming home to serve as an officer in the Rockford Police department. Mr. Speaker, jamie cox spent his life dedicated to serving and protecting others. On a daily by a circumstances he risks his life to help others and he gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting our community. On behalf of the 16th Congressional District of illinois, we honor his service, mourn his sacrifice, and pay tribute to our fallen hero, jamie cox. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. For what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition . Without objection. Mr. Langevin mr. Speaker, i want to talk about the importance of preserving Net Neutrality. As many of my colleagues are aware, cybersecurity is a top priority of mine and as i believe its the national and Economic Security challenge of the 21st century. As cochair of the congressional sirpe security caucus, i fought for years to help reduce security risks while preserving the amazing benefits of an open, interoperable internet. The internet was not designed with security in mind. So i havent been surprised by the work needed to better protect our networks and data. But the internet was designed to be free and open. Thats why, mr. Speaker, i have been stunned by the federal communication commissions recent proposal to end Net Neutrality and allow a small group of Large Companies to control what we see online. This is absolutely outrageous. Ive heard from countless constituents back home in rhode island about this misguided effort and i join them in calling for the f. C. C. To reject it. Mr. Speaker, we do need to better protect ourselves on the internet. But we better make sure its still a free and other theres still a free and open internet to protect. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . Without objection. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Every day our Law Enforcement officers and First Responders place their lives at risk to protect our enableds and our families our neighborhoods and our families. They deserve our respect, our admiration and support. That support can come in many different forms. But important component an important component to supporting our Law Enforcement officers is to provide them the resources they need for mental wellness. Mr. Smucker Law Enforcement officers have stressful jobs. Theyre exposed to higher levels of violence and death than the average american. One in five officers has ptsd. One in four officers have thought about suicide at one point during their career. And the suicide rate for Police Officers is four times higher than the rate for firefighters. We can do more, mr. Speaker. Thats why im glad the house passed the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act earlier this week. This legislation will provide Law Enforcement agencies with the resources they need to address Mental Health issues faced by officers. It will make grants available to departments across the country and will study the effectiveness of regular Mental Health checks and crises hot lines. Ive had numerous conversations with Law Enforcement leaders and Police Officers in my district and this is a priority for them. Its supported by the fraternal order of police, the national Law Enforcement officers association, and the National Association of Police Officers. Im glad, mr. Speaker, that the house is working to improve the Mental Health of those we are charged with those who are charged with protecting us and i thank the men and women who put on the blue uniform each day to keep us safe. Thank you. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. For what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition . Thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise to address the house for up to one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to recognize prematurity Awareness Month. Today we think of infant mortality as a problem of the past. But according to the world health organization, complications of preterm birth now outrank all other causes as the worlds number one killer of children under the age of 5. Mr. Boyle prematurity is a serious global problem. Affecting families from every nation and every facet of society. Even here in the most developed nation in the world. In the 2017 march of dimes premature birth report card, the United States was awarded a c grade due to the persistence of high preterm birth rates. However, up to 75 of all deaths due to preterm birth can be prevented through relatively low cost interventions. We have the resources to address this problem, but we must also have the will. So lets recognize november as prematurity Awareness Month by supporting efforts at home and abroad to reduce the impact of preterm births, honor those working on this issue around the globe, and promote policies that will prevent preterm births and improve outcomes for affected infants. My resolution, h. R. 625, i believe would do just that. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. For what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition . Mr. Carter i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Carter mr. Speaker, i rise today to remember the life of mr. Gary lewis who passed away on november 20 at 65 years of age. Mr. Lewis was wellknown in georgia for serving his community with his dentistry practice. For years he served all corners with quality dental care and after his retirement dr. Armstrong continued his legacy of dentistry. His dedication to his community is icksemple find with his work of a mobile dental program. In this program, mr. Lewis would go into schools and use his expertise as a dentist free of charge to serve students whose parents may not have the funds, the time or the ability to regularly take their child to a dentist. Outside of dentistry, mr. Lewis enjoyed hunting, fishing, and was an active member of the baptist church. I know the entire community will miss mr. Lewis, his bright spirit and helping hand. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition . I ask permission to address the house for one minute and i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. R. Nadler mr. Speaker, i rise today to remember a great to remember a great champion of the people who passed away last week at the age of 79. Maurice hinchey was indeed a great champion of the people, a great patriot and a great leader. I served with him in the Assembly State assembly in new york for 16 years, and here in the congress for 20 years. He was perhaps one of the far most environmentalist of his generation. He led the fight, successful fight to get General Electric to clean up the p. C. B. s in the hudson river, to clean up that river and make it not quite drinkable yet but make it environmentally safe. He led every environmental battle. Hes one of those people that made it easier to serve in congress because you could always check and say, did i do the right thing on an environmental vote by looking to see how maurice voted. Maurice was a liberal in a conservative area and everyone loved him because he knew how a wonderful man he was, how he loved his constituents and the country and it didnt matter if he was liberal or conservative, everyone loved him. We all did, we all do. We regret his passing. May he rest in peace. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition . I ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Speaker, november is National Adoption month which is an opportunity to remember the more than 400,000 children across the country that are waiting for a family to provide them with a loving home. Mr. Paulsen the backbone of American Society is the family and children deserve the love and want of a supportive family. Promoting awareness of adoption and children waiting to shown support by adoptive families. The best way to help children grow up to be good citizens, hold jobs, discover cures for diseases and role models for their children is to provide them with leadership, love and support as they grow up. Mr. Speaker, adoption brings so much joy to so many children as well as their new families. During National Adoption month, lets continue to devote resources to ensure we can continue spreading this joy. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition . Mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise to honor a giant of the Hudson Valley, former congressman Maurice Hinchey. Mr. Hinchey passed away last week but 21 years ago i had the opportunity to be a Young Volunteer on his campaign for congress. A few days ago i attended his wake with hundreds of my neighbors in the Hudson Valley. Mr. Maloney you met first and foremost a real live flesh and blood human being who was strong and principled and passionate and that person became a real hero to many of us in the Hudson Valley. We celebrate his life of service in the navy, new York Assembly and of course here in the congress. Im blessed to represent a district that includes many of the same communities that Maurice Hinchey represented. When i took office i heard the same thing again and again. If you want to succeed, just do what maurice hinchy did. Well, that advice is easier said than done. But ive tried. He was one of a kind, a leader, a fighter, a gentleman, a statesman. He was a tireless advocate for the hudson river and for the larger environment. We are all blessed to have been served by his and he will be sorely missed. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition . I seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Speaker, the Jerusalem Embassy act rears the embassy in israel to be moved to jerusalem. It allows the president to waive the act every 90 days which has happened ever since. This friday President Trump must decide to sign another waiver or to honor our friend and ally israel. Mr. Gaetz i rise to call on President Trump to move the u. S. Embassy to jerusalem. Jerusalem is the eternal undivided capitol of israel. Yet, our embassy is in tel aviv. This is disrespectful, dismissive and wrong. It sends the message that israel cannot designate its own capital city. Some claim moving the embassy threatens peace. But the Palestinian Authority does far more to jeopardize peace than the location of our embassy. They name schools after terrorists and nazis. Teach children that the murder of jews is noble and they pay the salaries of terrorists. Moving our embassy will tell the Palestinian Authority that their days of denial israels existence are over and that they must become a partner in peace. Mr. Speaker, the time is now. It is time to honor our promise to israel and to move the American Embassy to jerusalem. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition . Mrs. Lowey i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mrs. Lowey mr. Speaker, i rise today to honor the life of my longtime friend and colleague, Maurice Hinchey, who passed away this month at the age of 79. A lifelong public servant, congressman hinchey was a steadfast champion for new yorks Hudson Valley and never waivered in his commitment to the people he served. The communities he represented, and the causes in which he believed. Over his 20 years in the congress, congressman hinchey helped shape the course of his Environmental Movement and record and as a Senior Member of the House Appropriations committee, always put the Hudson Valley and new york state first, ensuring our priorities were reflected in the nations spending policies and securing excuse me new yorks fair share of federal resources. Congressman hinchey inspired and influenced not only a generation of Public Servants and Community Leaders but those of us who had the good fortune to serve alongside him in this body. We will miss him deeply. My thoughts are with congressman hincheys wife, eileen, his children, michelle, reece, and joseph and the countless people in the Hudson Valley and beyond whose lives he enriched, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition in recognition . Ms. Jackson lee to address the house and to revise and extend. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Jackson lee certainly my deepest sympathies as well to the hinchey family, but i rise today because i come from an ea that saw the greatest cat catastrophic flooding in the history of the continental United States. And someone asked me i havent heard anything from your state, and i said to them, we are still hurting. We do have 120,000 to 130,000 homes still underwater. Shelters living in and i am not selfish. I know whats going on in puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands and florida. We begged the administration to give us the amount of money in their request for what was needed, and we got 44 billion for every victim from the u. S. Virgin islands to puerto rico to florida to texas. I cant stand for that, for the desperate people who are in need. I asked the president to reevaluate his submission and to submit to us a reasoned response to the devastation of this state and the other states , and i ask the appropriators who i know are very concerned, to come together, to give us the emergency supplemental that homes can be rebuilt, that homes can be bought out or that in fact the infrastructure that is crumbling and caused the major flooding, that reservoir pools that flooded whole developments can be fixed, that we can save lives. The people of the floods beg of you, and we will be in the fight. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition im sorry, texas, seek recognition . I ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Speaker, the tax bill that this chamber voted on two weeks ago was bad enough. Added 1. 5 trillion to the debt, 36 million middle class households would see their taxes go up and 50 of those tax cuts will go to the wealthiest 1 in this country. Mr. Orourke but the senate bill thats being debated on the other side of this capitol right now is even worse. In addition to what i just described, we will see 13 million americans lose their ability to see a doctor, to stay healthy, to take care of themselves and even to live their lives. For those lucky enough to have health care, their premiums in texas, for example, will go up on average 1,700 a year. We will see one million of our fellow texans lose their Health Insurance if this bill passes. Now, many people have called our office to ask what they can do to help. The number for the capitol 2022243121. It will be the public pressure that will help to form the political will for our colleagues in the senate to do the right thing and to vote no on this tax bill. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition . Mr. Speaker, i rise to pay tribute to the life of a friend the speaker pro tempore does the gentleman request to address the house for one minute . Without objection. Mr. Tanko i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. Mr. Tonko i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. I rise to pay tribute to Maurice Hinchey, a beloved friend and awesome colleague. I entered into the state assembly when he was environment and conservation chair for the new York State Assembly. Witnessed his fight to expose toxic contamination of the love canal, where he worked against illegal waste dumping for organized crime. I watched as he worked so hard to protect the catskills and the adirondacks from acid rain. It was there that i witnessed his integrity, his intellect, his compassion, his passion to make a difference, and then he came to washington to serve this nation. He worked hard to establish the Hudson River Valley greenway. He worked hard to fight against p. C. B. Contamination of the hudson river. He made certain that hydrofracking would not destroy our environment. He made certain that he spoke out against the yirke war, spoke out iraq war, spoke out against nafta and the damage it could do to american jobs. This was a person who was principled. He acted with those principles with every fiber of his being. And today i want to recognize that person, our voice for the environment, a principled individual that the late governor mario cuomo called the environmental conscience of new york state. I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, children. I know that in the last year of his life maurice and his family worked to raise awareness for frontal temporal degeneration. Im hoping their fight will continue so that others impacted with this disease will be able to conquer that disease. Maurice, rest in peace. You are a champion. We dont live in a perfect world. Perhaps we never will. But those who are disadvantaged, those in need will need a champion and that champion was Maurice Hinchey and he will continue to inspire. With that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition . To address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Thank you, mr. Speaker, i, too, rise to mourn the loss of our great colleague, Maurice Hinchey. Mr. Engel i knew maurice for more than 30 years. We served together in the new York Assembly and then he came to congress. In the assembly in albany, in new york state, he was known as one of the champions of the environment. He chaired that committee in albany, and when he came to washington he also, as my colleagues have said, championed green things and championed to make sure the environment was safe for all of us and for generations to come. But the thing that i really remember about Maurice Hinchey was what a nice person he was. Soft spoken but sharp, tenlt, honest. Hes the intelligent, honest, hes the kind of person who is in Public Service for all the right reasons and really is a modeled member of congress for so many of us. Whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him, he listened to you and he was a tenacious fighter and a real smart individual, really, really knew his subject. So the thing that i remember about maurice was what a nice guy he was, soft spoken he was, how caring he was. He didnt enter public life to get the accolades. He entered it because he really believed that government should make a difference and could make a difference. Maurice, you did make a difference. You made a difference to those in america, made a difference to those in new york state, made a difference of those who served with you, in the new York Assembly in albany and in the United States congress here in washington. Rest in peace, maurice. We will miss you but we will never forget you. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. For what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition . Without objection. I join my colleagues today in honoring the memory and the legacy and Public Office of Maurice Hinchey. Mo and i were elected in the same election, in 1974. And met during freshman orientation that december on a cold albany day. Serser from then on we were friend mr. Serrano from then on we were friends. I came from the south bronx. So i knew about the issues of the environment. But i didnt know the intricacies of how they should be approached legislatively. And he taught me all about it. As he did our whole freshman class. From day one he was that person who spoke about saving this earth, saving this country, saving this land that has been loaned to us. In addition, maurice was, as has been said here, one of the nicest guys you could imagine. And he was a unique elected official. He was a liberal in a conservative district who was loved by his constituents. Early in my assembly career, the first year, i visited his district. And i saw how he cared for the people and how they cared for him. And he took me all around and it was wonderful how he loved his community and he taught us that there were places outside of new york, he took a group of people from new york city, and i always remember maurice would say to me, i got to go to new york city once a month. I said, why . He says, just to charge my batteries and then, you know, get the big city life. Then i come back. He was just a special human being. He could play softball and swing a bat like no one else. I will miss you, my brother. I will miss you. Youre special and the people will miss you forever. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. For what purpose does the gentlelady from new york seek recognition . Without objection. Mrs. Maloney mr. Speaker, last week we lost one of the finest people ever to serve the people of new york state and the country when congressman Maurice Hinchey passed away. I would lirke to i would like to express my deepest condolences to his wife, eileen, his sons reece and joseph, his daughter, michelle, and the entire hinchey family. Maurice leaves behind a legacy of service that is second to none. During his 18 years in the new York State Assembly, he became what former governor mario cuomo called, and i quote, the environmental conscience of new york state, end quote, for his groundbreaking investigations into polluters and landmark environmental laws. When he came to congress in 1993, he continued that work, creating the Hudson River Valley National Heritage area, preserving wild public lands, and doing Everything Possible to clean and protect his beloved hudson river. Maurice and i came to congress in the same class and we became fast friends. I already miss him dearly, but i know that his work and his legacy will be remembered for generations to come. To know him was to love him. Rest in peace, my dear friend. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition . Mr. Cicilline mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Cicilline mr. Speaker, millions of americans will lie awake in bed at night this evening worried about their ability to take care of their families because they simply dont make enough money. And are struggling with the daily needs of life. What is the Republican Party working to do to make it even worse . To pass a tax cut for the richest people in this country, the most powerful corporations, that will result in raising taxes on 82 million families, will provide a 1. 5 trillion debt on the next generation, which will make deep cuts to medicare, medicaid, pell grants, infrastructure, all the things that are necessary to grow and strengthen the middle class of this country. Which will be a huge boone to the richest people in america. And the Senate Version will also remove 13 Million People from having access to Affordable Health care. The republicans in the senate are doing this right now. The American People need to be certain that their voices are being heard, to stop this proposal. Its a scam that will impose tremendous costs on working people in this country, will provide tremendous benefits to the very poufrl, the very wealthy, pourgful powerful, the very wealthy. Will ship jobs overseas. The American People deserve a better deal. They deserve better wages, better jobs and a Better Future. They deserve a much better deal than this raw deal that the republicans are giving in this tax scam. With that, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition . I ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Id like to take a moment to provide every american with a plot summary of the g. O. P. Tax scam. Step one, cut taxes for powerful billionaires and millionaires. Step two, grow a giant 2. 5 trillion debt. Mr. Soto part of that is also to grow the deficit. So we can get to step three. Use that to justify cuts to medicare and Social Security for our seniors. Our ability to protect our environment for the future. Education. Infrastructure. Research and development. Our homeland security. And our military. All will see cuts if this goes through. If youre worried about income inequality, this puts that disparity on steroids. By charging the credit card and getting rid of popular deductions to boot. And it will ship jobs overseas by lowering the abroad tax rate. But dont take my word for it. While main street continues to suffer, wall street is throwing a party with record stock increases today. So its time to take a stand against the g. O. P. Tax scam. And with that, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. Under the speakers announced policy of january 3, 2017, the gentleman from maryland, mr. Raskin, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. Mr. Raskin mr. Speaker, thank you very much. Delighted to be here this evening on behalf of the progressive caucus in congress which is in strong opposition to both the house and Senate Versions of the tax scam that is speeding through the United States congress this week. And we have several members who would like to participate in this. And im going to yield first to my good friend from rhode island, david cicilline, who is a passionate representative of the people of rhode island. And a real champion of the american middle class. Mr. Cicilline. Mr. Cicilline i thank my friend, the gentleman from maryland, for yielding. And i want to just quote congressman raskin, who has said before, and i think it actually accurately captures whats happening. The republicans are moving at the speed of light in the dark of night. To jam through this proposal which will visit so much harm upon our economy and upon the American People and particularly onto working families. I think its important to say at the outset that the process that has been produced this piece of legislation that is now under consideration in the senate, their own version of the same proposal, is an important thing to understand. The last time that we did comprehensive tax reform, and it was before i arrived in congress, but there were hundreds of people who testified. There were hearings to really understand the implications of these propose also. Our economy is complicated, tax policy is complicated. You want to be sure that youre making the right decisions based on good information, good evidence, and really the guide avens experts guidance of experts. This proposal in the house and similarly in the senate happened with no hearings. Not a single witness testified. In fact, it was drafted even without the participation of some of the republican members of congress. It was presented as a finished product and then brought to the floor for a vote. And one of the reasons i would say, mr. Speaker, that my republican colleagues are trying to get this done so quickly is because the more the American People learn about this proposal, the more they realize that its not something they support and undermines the longterm health and prosperity of our country. What does it do . It provides a huge, a gigantic tax cut for the people at the very top. About 50 of the proposal goes to the top 1 . It creates greater economic incentives to ship american jobs overseas. Think about that. Creates better incentives to send good jobs overseas. T raises taxes on 82 million families. Middle class families. It imposes a 1. 5 trillion Additional Debt on the next generation. And to pay for all of this it imposes deep cuts on things that are so important to the economy and important to working families. Medicare, medicaid. And well see more cuts in infrastructure, education, all the things that are necessary to build and strengthen our economy. This is a gigantic giveaway to the biggest corporations and the wealthiest people in this country. And its paid for by the middle class. Paid for by hardworking americans. There are, as i said just a moment ago, millions of people who lie awake at night worrying about whether or not they can make ends meet, take care of their families, pay their bills. Because theyre just not making enough money. But instead of addressing that, with a real tax reform proposal that provides real tax relief to middle class families, and incentivizes the creation of good paying jobs, this does just the opposite. It makes the situation worse. And in fact what this bill does is although its name is something about job creation, it does just the opposite. Because its premised on this economic theory called trickledown economics. That if you just let people at the very top hold onto more of their money, keep more of what they make, that it will somehow just trickle down to the rest of us. And we know thats an economic theory that doesnt work. And it doesnt work because what you really need to create jobs and to grow the economy is for people in the middle class to have a good paying job, to have money in their pocket, so they can buy the goods and Services Business produces. Thats how you grow the economy. You go to any Small Business in my state and you ask them, what do you need to create another job, to add to your number of employees, and theyll tell you, i need customers. I need people to buy the things i make and sell. And thats why having a tax policy that invests in rebuilding the middle class, that provides tax relief to middle class families and doesnt rely on this trickledown economics is the way that you grow the economy. This does just the opposite. And so in addition to that proposal on the senate side, theyve inserted another proposal that will strip away health care from 13 million americans. Now, think about this. Just when you thought this bill couldnt get any worse or this approach, the Senate Republicans have done that. We had a rally today with folks from all across this country who are standing up to say, this is not fair. This makes our tax code worse, this provides no relief for the people who need it, it doesnt help Small Businesses, and instead its a reflection of what a swamp washington is. Because all those folks who have a lot of political power, who spend a lot of money on elections, have allowed or have demanded that a tax bill go forward that benefits them. Shame on my colleagues. This is a disgrace. What this is going to do to our economy and to working families is something that everyone who votes for this will be responsible for. We are still hoping that we can defeat this proposal in the senate. And move forward in a bipartisan way for serious tax reform that will grow the economy, that will provide relief to middle class families. That will help raise peoples wages. And not be a huge giveaway for the richest people in this country, the most powerful corporations that will incentivize shipping american jobs overseas and then give the bill to the next generation and to working families in this country. This is dead wrong. We have to defeat it. I thank my friend, the gentleman from maryland, for organizing this special order hour so we can continue to bring attention to this horrible piece of legislation, which by the way ill end with this, is not tax reform. This is a scam being visited upon the American People. We need to do everything we can to stop it. And i thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Raskin mr. Cicilliney, thank you for your strong leadership, for the people of mr. Cicilline, thank you for your strong leadership for the people of rhode island, and to your dedication for the middle class of america which is besieged, understand its under attack today in washington, d. C. The secretary, the former secretary of the treasury, robert ruben, came and said this is the worst piece of tax legislation hed seen ever in the history of the United States of america. Now the good news is that the American People have taken a look and they dont like it, by more than two to one the American People in Public Opinion polls are rejecting this plan. The one poll found that American Voters are rejecting the plan by more than two to one with 52 disapproving and only 25 approving. And every day the more people find out about it, the more that they hate the guts of this bill. Whats inside of the tax plan. Were in a situation of beat the clock now. Can we get the information out to the people, mr. Speaker, about whats in this bill before it is rammed through the United States congress . So lets start with this. 82 million middleclass households are going to see their taxes go up over the next decade. Theyre going to completely obliterate the state and local Tax Deduction, which states like mine, maryland, new jersey, connecticut, california, illinois are going to be killed by because if you make investments in your educational infrastructure, if you make investments in the transportation infrastructure, now they want to abolish the state and local Tax Deduction and make you pay twice for the same money that you have earned while driving pressure down on the states to eliminate investment in the people who live in the states. Well, so theyre going to raise taxes on millions of middleclass families. Why . So they can slash taxes for the wealthiest corporations and the wealthiest people in the country. They want to slash the Corporate Tax rate from 35 to 20 . At a time of record corporate profits in america. And they say everybodys going to get wage increases by that, but weve already got record corporate profits and weve seen wage growth be stagnant under the policies that are being propounded by the g. O. P. In congress. If you want to increase peoples wages, increase the minimum wage. Have some courage. Have some honesty. Lets increase the minimum wage. Lets give america a raise. That will work, not just showering billions of dollars more on the richest people in the country. And by the way, its not just the richest people in the country, 1 3 of corporate ownership in america goes to foreign investors. Thats right. 1. 5 e decide to give trillion to investors in america with a Corporate Tax break, a third of that money is going to leave america immediately and go to china or saudi arabia or wherever the rich Corporate Investors are. The purpose of this bill isnt even just to enrich the wealthiest people in america, its to enrich the wealthiest people on earth, because the money is going to be flying overseas as soon as we incity tuitt that Corporate Institute this Corporate Tax cut and then they build up record deficits. 1. 5 trillion to 2 trillion in deficits on these two plans, the house and senate plans which are twiddle dumb and twiddle dumber. 1. 5 trillion to 2 trillion that the children and grandchildren and great grandchildren of the middle class are going to be paying back for decades so there can be a party on wall street, so there can be a party among the 1 , so the Donald Trumps family, according to the New York Times can collect up to 1 trillion in tax relief. How are they doing it . Well, for example, they want to abolish the estate tax which right now applies to only two of the 1,000 richest two of the richest of 1,000 families in america. You take 1,000 families, only two of them are even paying the estate tax because it applies only to the wealthiest people in the country and they want to abolish that. Totally in contradiction to the design of the founders of america who did not want to see the transmission of millions, much less hundreds of millions, billions of dollars from one generation to the next because they understood that the intergenerational transmission of that kind of wealth is a threat to democracy. At a certain point people have enough houses, they have enough yachts, they have enough helicopters. Now do they want to buy . They want to buy a governorship, they want to buy a senate seat or a whole institution like the house of representatives or the u. S. Senate. Thats not democracy, and the founders knew it. Thats plue to be rasii. Plutocracy. So what they want to cement into place with this bill is a direct threat to the Democratic Values of the country, the Democratic Values of the founders of america. They want to elimb nat the eliminate the student Loan Interest deduction and lifetime learning credits, a direct assault on middleclass upward mobility. They want to make it much more expensive for young people to go to college and then to pay their loans back. They want to eliminate the medical expense deduction, which millions of families have used in order to take care of a loved one who has a serious longterm illness or is in longterm care, and they just want to get rid of the medical expense deduction. You should read the letters and emails im getting from families that are saying this will bankrupt us. If youre spending more than 10 of your income on medical expenses you can start to deduct it. They want to get rid of that. Oh, and guess who else that hits as Collateral Damage in the war against the middle class . Families with children with special needs. Right now families with children with special needs can go to a private school and they can deduct the tuition and expenses of that education as part of the medical expense deduction. Well, the g. O. P. Wants to get rid of that too. Because i suppose life is just not hard enough on families in america who have kids with autism or kids with muscular dystrophy or kids who face any other manner of physical or neurological or mental or emotional problems. We should be on the side of the families who are struggling with special needs children. We should be on their side and we should be on the side of the state and local governments that are trying heroically to address it, but instead, this legislation will pull the rug out from beneath families with special needs. They want to impose dramatic new limits on the mortgage Interest Deduction which, again, has been essential for the middle class to be able to partake ofership which has been so much a part of building of homeownership which has been so much a part of building the middle class of this country. Now, because the public is rebelling against this terrible tax plan, the way the public rebelled against their terrible a. C. A. Repeal plan, which would have stripped 30 million americans of their health care and by the way, the senate plan now has smuggled into it a provision which would go back to the discredited a. C. A. Repeal plan by trying to throw millions of people off of their health care by overturning the individual mandate. Well, the public is has figured this out, and here in washington its a race against the clock. Will the tidal wave of Public Opinion reach washington in time to stop them from passing a special interest tax scam which appeals only to the top 1 of the country . Or will they be able to get it through in time . But i appeal to my colleagues across the aisle, appeal to them, beseech of them, i beg them to revisit the whole thing. This is not how we accomplish successful tax policy in the United States of america. We did it in 1986. The democrats and republicans came together to do it, and you know how we did it . With more than 2 1 2 years of hearings, discussion, policy debates, town Hall Meetings all over america. We invited the best ideas to come from all sides, and it passed overwhelmingly in the house of representatives. It passed overwhelmingly in the u. S. Senate. The tax reform proposal at the end had been vetted so much, it had been debated so much everybody that contributed to it, it was so uncontroversial that it passed the house on a voice vote overwhelmingly. Maybe unanimously. Nobody even asked for a roll call vote. The Senate Passed its version by a near unanimous vote of 973. You see, thats how you do real tax reform. You bring the parties together to do it. There were more than 250 witnesses who appeared in the house ways and means committee, who appeared before the Senate Finance committee, and sure there were some knockdown dragout fights and, sure, the democrats and republicans were fighting like cats and dogs, but we were committed to coming up with a consensus product that would work for america. And we did it. What were seeing in washington today is the exact opposite. The determination is to pass a mpletely partisan piece of with the majority running over the piece with the majority running all over the minority. America is a democracy. Taxation is a way we support our government, the projects we develop together. And so in taxation of all fields, we need to make sure that were getting the best ideas from all sides. And you cant ram it through and you cant crush the opposition. And what were going to end up with, if they do manage to power this through with every manner of back room deal and sweetheart contract and special interest strings attached, if they do manage to get it through, what youre going to have is a plan thats going to bankrupt the middle class the way that donald trump bankrupted four or five businesses. The difference is if you bankrupt a hotel, you bankrupt a casino, you bankrupt a corporation, well, there are laws that allow you to get back on your feet. And donald trump used them handsomely. He got back on his feet through the bankruptcy laws. But what happens if you bankrupt the middle class of america . What happens if you bankrupt the government of the United States . This is irresponsible. This is not responsible governance thats taking place to be advancing a plan that a recent secretary of the treasury has called the worst tax plan ever ventured forth in the history of the United States of america. We ask the majority in the house and the senate to pull the plug on this terrible assault on the middle class, pull the plug on the tax scam, and lets go back to the hearing rooms and lets have some real hearings and lets have experts come in and lets look at how to relieve the tax burden on hardworking middleclass taxpayers, relieve the tax burden on families that have special needs children, relieve the tax burden on people struggling to go to college and graduate school. Why dont we try to bolster and strengthen the charitable sector and colleges and universities and schools across the land instead of trying to undermine them in order to occasion a dramatic shift of income and wealth up the ladder in the country . Lets get back to Work Together , because if you are able to muscle this plan through the house and the senate using every trick in the book except for negotiation and compromise and cooperation, if youre able to get it through, it will be a disaster for the American People. And it will come back, not only to haunt the political careers of people who ascented to it and participated in it, but it will come back to haunt the entire country because the deficits and the debt will be out of control, and we know hat from every nonpartisan budget estimate and economists that looked at it, every single one across the spectrum. Ven the ones who are using the g. O. P. s preferred method of dynamic scoring are saying it is going to be hell in terms of deficits and in terms of the debt. So were going to end up having to cut medicare. Were going to have to end up having to cut medicaid and Social Security. Thats what theyre going to target next. Whatever happened to the budget hawks . Are they an extinct species now . They are certainly an endangered species. Or have they becom