Is from a female standpoint. Host tony in oceanside, set ornia, calling on this of open phones. That does it for todays program, house representative the next washington journal comes your way at 7 00 tomorrow, well see you then. The eaker o t hosell be rder e cha efor house a couniciom the speaker. Ingto c. He earoms, november4 2017. Rebyapin hable odyis to act aspear pro temre ohis da si paul d. Ryanspeake of the house of rives. Thker temp rsuatoherderthe ujua 3 201 e chrilw coe emrsrom sts bmitteby in nevllmin bate contueond 50 a. Eaember other an th jority aoriters lit to fiv minutes. The chr recogn t gentlefrom man mr. Yer, for five. He geleman isecogniz mr. Y mr. Spe i s he ecrats and republican camegether to enact b taform in 86. Wed for ou t oveha and nence d future genationso fooe presidt trsaid ijuly at refos, and i quotoingto bsy ilty mit s like t gvernment hat whe ev i19 main hndght appe to ha been easy. It wasnt. It was difficult because it required compromise. It was difficult because it required trust. And it was difficult because it required both parties to make share the es and burden of taking responsibility along with the benefit of claiming vicktry. Somewhere along the way victory. Somewhere along the way, mr. Speaker, it seems many in the Republican Party lost sight of this truth. First on health care and now on taxes, they have decided that it would be far easier not to work share the burden of taking responsibility along with with democrats at al so they have chosen a partisan path where the only one was whom they have to compromise are themselves. Its going to be easy. They said. And the result . This floor a on bill so dangerous and so reprehensible to the taxpayers of this country that nearly every Major Organization representing taxpayers, small businesses, workers, farmers, seniors, home builders, realtors, teachers, and i could go on this floor a oppose this there are more Serious Problems with the republican tax bill than time to address them on this floor. So i want to highlight the three that make it so utterly dangerous to our economy and to the middle class. First, most of the benefits of the tax cuts republicans are proposing will benefit only 1 , the the very top 99 left behind, according to the Nonpartisan Tax Policy Center latest analysis, under the republican plan, 47 of the tax cuts will benefit that top 1 . Households. Lion making more than 900,000 a year. Let me repeat. He top 1 will get nearly half of all the tax cuts in this bill. And 50 for the 99 . Second, the republican plan raises taxes on 36 million middle class families. Thats not what the speaker said it was going to do. He said it would give everybody a tax cut. That was not true and is not true. 36 million middle class american households will see their taxes go up over the next 10 years as a result of this republican plan. And third, the republican plan will explode the debt by more than 1. 7 trillion over the next decade. This bill is the granddaddy of all debt creators. This means that those tax cuts, more than half of which benefit only the top 1 1 2 percent, will be paid for by a huge tax increase on our children and on our grandchildren. The late senator russell long of louisiana liked to say an old diddy about who gets stuck with the pain of tax increase. He said dont tax you. Dont tax me. Tax that fellow behind the free tree. Meaning of course that none of the voters want a tax increase. If you raise taxes, make sure its someone else who is out of sight and out of mind. In this case, sadly, mr. Speaker, that fellow behind the tree is a child. This is a tax increase on all those children. Its a child who cant vote and doesnt have a voice in this debate. The republican plan asks members to pile 1. 7 trillion or more of debt on to our children and grandchildren and put the fiscal sustainability of our country at further risk. When confronted with this fact, we hear only the same arguments we hear in 2001 and 2003 before the last major republican effort to cut taxes precipitated the worst recession in our memory. And a period of severe budget tightening that led to disinvestment in our country under the threat of sequestration. And that argument, flawed and false, is that these tax cuts will grow the economy so much that the ensuing growth will magically erase all the deficits we know their plan will accrue. So easy, mr. Speaker. So easy. The cuts will simply pay for themselves, were told. We have been told that before, of course. The cycle repeats, republican promises that tax cuts will pay for themselves followed by massive deficits. 189 increase in the deficit under ronald reagan. Followed by republicans insisting that we respond with austere cuts to investments in. Ur people and in opportunity so easily they forget. But middle class americans will not forget who is responsible when their taxes go up. When their tax increases pay for tax cuts for the top 1 . And when in the years ahead more and more investments need to be cut to pay the interest on the debt under which this plan will bury the children and grandchildren of america. And all because my colleagues across the aisle wanted to skip out on doing what they knew would be hard, just as they did former ways and Means Committee chairman, dave camp, introduced his comprehensive tax reform that was responsibly but they dismissed it. It out of hand would have required hashing out a difficult compromise. But easy is no sin come synonym for successful. President kennedy told us we do these things we choose these things, that is, tackling our greatest challenges, not because they are easy but because they are hard. So i ask my republican friends, no, i urge them, setaside this dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible bill. Instead, lets choose the hard path that involves hard choices and trust and all of those things that make tax reform successful in 1986. Which are the missing elements in this flawed bill. Mr. Speaker, democrats are ready to sit down with you and work on this challenge. Together. It wont be easy. Mr. Speaker, democrats thats a promise. But if we do it together, if we do it in a way that doesnt balloon the debt or raise taxes on the middle class, we have a chance to do it right. Lets take that chance. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Thompson, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week is Rural Health Week in the commonwealth of pennsylvania. Its a time to promote awareness of the full range of issues that impact rural health throughout the state and the Health Status of rural pennsylvanians. Nationally pennsylvania ranks as one of the states with the highest number of rural 23 of s with pennsylvanians residing in rural areas. Rural communities also face health care concerns. Lack of providers. Accessibility issues the, particularly in terms of transportation and technology. Lack of providers. Accessibility issues the, particularly in terms of transportation and technology. And affordability issues as a result of larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens and greater outofpocket health costs. Mr. Speaker, before i was house to serve in the of representatives, i spent nearly house of representatives, i spent nearly 30 years in a Nonprofit Health care field assisting those with life changing diseases and disability. Im acutely aware of the challenges many face when it comes to obtaining reasonably priced health care. Its especially critical for Rural America like much of the fifth Congressional District of pennsylvania. Were facing a Health Care Crisis in our nations rural areas. These often disadvantaged populations are still struggling to access affordable, quality care. Many remain on shore. Most remain insured. Most are underinsured. Even when people gain access to health insurance, it doesnt equal access to care. Rural hospitals across the country are closing, leaving patients without access to their Emergency Rooms and longterm health care facilities. 80 rural hospitals in the United States have closed since 010. One in three rural hospitals are financially vulnerable. At the current closure rate, more than 25 of rural hospitals will close in less than a decade. In addition to hospital closures, a Work Force Shortage plagues Rural America. 77 of more than 2,000 Rural Counties in the United States are designated as having a shortage of health care professionals. Recruitment, retention of experienced professionals including primary care physicians is an ongoing challenge. Furthermore, the Opioid Crisis that is sweeping the nation has ravaged our rural communities, leaving even more of the population in need of Crucial Health services. Adolescence and young adults living in laurel areas rural areas are more vulnerable to opioid abuse. The overdoses has skyrocketed in rural areas. High unemployment and greater rate of the types of injuries that result in prescriptions for opioid medications have contributed to this. Where there are ways town crease treatment options, last week the house approved a bill introduced that would expand Health Care Access for our veterans through telly medicine telemedicine. It allows v. A. Health care providers to Practice Medicine across state lines. Our veterans should receive the best care possible no matter where they are located. With advances in technology, we see new opportunities for veterans to obtain coverage through telemedicine, especially in some of our most rural areas. As we celebrate National Rural health day, this thursday, it is my hope that we continue to strive for 21st Century Health care system that works for everyone in america. With technology today, we have the opportunity to expand services regardless of where one resides. Particularly for those in Rural Regions where the need is great and the services are scarce. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Quigley, for five minutes. Mr. Quigley thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week the president visited asia for the first time as commander in ief and took the opportunity while on foreign soil to reiterate his America First doctrine. I rise today because an american first doctrine and the mentality will not lead to success for the United States or the world this. Way of thinking is an outdated, obsolete, and dangerous form of isolationism. It will not keep us safe. It will not make us stronger economically. Ironically this phrase paints a picture that is blatantly unamerican. America first sends a signal to the Global Community that the United States no longer wants to carry the torch of freedom nd democracy, which shines brighter through inclusion and collaboration. On the National Security front, the United States is the strong less on the National Security front, the United States is the strong less military the world has known. For decades, allies have counted on the u. S. To step up to the plate to work with them to protect the shared values we hold dear. As we face Numerous International challenges, both old and new, we need to put more faith and investment in our international and diplomatic institutions, not weaken them. The United States did not earn as leader of the free world by standing back and allowing darker forces to prevail. As a oppressive as leader regim russia seek to undermine democracies, including our own, americas commitment to democracy must be stronger than ever. The president s threats to nato antiu. N. Have caused our trusted allies to question our commitments to collective defense. We know when countries work in concert, a chance of conflict decreases. Despite its challenges, globalization has led to one of the most peaceful and productive times in world history. Adopting protectionist policies which stifle this progress and certainly wont put America First. Our efforts to address difficult domestic and International Challenges are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can and should happen simultaneously. We defeated communism in part by showing the world that a commitment to democracy and expanding Economic Opportunity and peoples lives better nations more secure, meaning our commitments overseas also makes us stronger and safer here at home. Standing up against the isolationist tide sweeping the globe is critical to preserving our leadership role. By abandoning our partnership with every other country in the world, the president has put our credibility and our earth at risk. We are now the only nation not participating in this historic climate path. We must lead by example. This includes recalling lessons earned from earlier periods of isolationism. Relinquishing ground in this area creates a vacuum where less democratic actors are prepared and capable to fulfill. And indicating global leadership, praising authoritarian regimes and belittling allies has been a hallmark of this presidency. This does not put america or our interests first. Our u. N. And nato partnerships should be strengthened. We are serious about taking on terrorism, cybersecurity threats and other dangers that jeopardize the peace of our planet. Instead of distinguishing between winners and losers and sewing division where it need not exist, we must acknowledge our shared goals and values with our allies around the world. Because our commitment to democracy and diplomacy is what has always made our nation great. Thank you and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from louisiana, mr. Abraham, for five minutes. Mr. Abraham thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise today to thank the emergency contribution of the civil air patrol. In the near future, i hope to also talk about two other primary mission to the c. A. P. , Youth Development and aerospace and stem education. Literally every day they respond to lifethreatening emergencies, Homeland Security requests and a wide range of missions for states and the federal government with over 500 single engine aircraft in every state and in puerto rico. As an active member since 2004, i had the privilege of flying many of these missions, so i speak from personal experience. Over the past 15 months, c. A. P. Has responded to four hurricanes, major wildfires in the west, dozens of other emergencies, including search and rescues in addition to vital military missions on a daily basis. The high operational tempo has helped ensure that c. A. P. For a second year in a rojas flown over 100,000 hours row has flown over 100,000 hours. One considers these missions are flown by volunteer professionals who pays dues to belong to c. A. P. And they must take time from their work, use their vacation times to actually fly these missions. Vital for many communities in every state are c. A. P. Operations. C. A. P. s massive volunteer response to the three recent rapid fire hurricanes, harvey, irma and maria, that made u. S. Landfall from texas to the virgin islands. While additional flight hours are still expected, 2,800 hours have already been flown and nearly half a million photographs have been taken for fema, texas, louisiana, florida, puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands. These photos are being used to assess damage and to focus on recovery efforts. To do this, c. A. P. Has used 118 aircraft and over 1,000 personnel from 44 wings. Theres a wing for every state and puerto rico and d. C. , and headquarters across the nation. For every largescale operation, hurricane support for c. A. P. Often depends on the assistance of these adjacent wings in different states and different regions of the country. I was able to view up close and personal hurricane recovery operations when i flew several sorties during hurricane harvey. On one mission i was responsible for taking full motion video of three dams along the texaslouisiana border to help establish that they were in Good Condition and safe for those living in the surrounding area, and those assessments could mean the difference of life and death in many communities. In california, where fastmoving wildfires destroyed over 8,900 homes, c. A. P. Continues to fly missions for them. 13,586 photos were taken. These fote rest are being used to help photos are being used to help to analyze the damage and assess the assistance needed by those whose homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed. In addition to conventional photographer, c. A. P. s california operations have included testing a new imagery system which helps elimination distortion in photos, making it easier for fema to analyze the data and making them a more effective tool for damages assessment. C. A. P. Is pleased to be part of this test program and it is supposed to improve wildfire damage assessment. Operational missions for the air force and other Government Agencies occur daily and without fanfare. These include among others, being a target for air force interceptors, helping train combat ground forces, escorting military aircraft for training, air combat commands First Air Force provides operational and coordination for these c. A. P. Missions which compromise about 80 of the First Air Force weekly operational flying. I was privileged recently to fly with the c. A. P. s congressional squadron on a fertile key note mission. This mission is unusual as it provides c. A. P. Airc