Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives U.S. Hou

Now we continue our commitment to live gaveltogavel coverage of house of congress. Live coverage on cspan. A communication from the speaker. The clerk the speakers room, washington, d. C. , july 26, 2022. I hereby appoint the honorable Jimmy Panetta to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. Signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore the chair will receive a message. The messenger mr. Speaker, a message from the senate. The secretary mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore madam secretary. The secretary i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has passed without amendment h. R. 3359, an act to provide ford system for reviewing the cases filed, cold case murders, at the instances of certain persons and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of january 10, 2022, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. The chair will alternate recognition between the parties. With time equally allocated between parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited to five minutes. But in no event shall debate continue beyond 1 50 p. M. The chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Joyce, for five minutes. Mr. Joyce mr. Speaker, i rise to address the house and ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Joyce thank you, mr. Speaker. As students prepare to return to classrooms, it is now more clear than ever that the lockdowns of the past two years have dealt a devastating blow to the education of our nations children. Isolation and a lack of hands on learning was detrimental with students falling behind grade level in both reading and math. In fact, new Research Shows that students have only recovered between 15 and 35 of the learning that was lost during school shutdowns. Students are not learning the math, the science, the history, and the english that theyll need to be successful. And over the long term, the consequence of this learning loss could be catastrophic for our young people. Instead of addressing this crisis headon and involving parents directly in their childs education to help get them back on track, the Biden Administration has taken steps to limit parents involvement and federally mandate what our children are taught in classrooms. To take on this problem, im proud to join my republican colleagues as a cosponsor of the parents bill of rights. This important legislation would ensure parents know what their children are being taught in schools and that they have the chance to be heard and to be part of their kids education and not a bystander. This bill would give parents the right to see their School Districts budget and spending, because its time that we have transparency throughout our education system. This would go even mort to give further to give parents the opportunity to protect their students privacy by making sure that a school cannot change their policy on privacy without parental consent. Our students are counting on us. Theyre counting on us to find solutions to the challenges they face every day in school. Its time to increase family involvement, enforce high standards, and make sure were preparing our kids of all ages for success in education. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to celebrate Sigrid Andrew for her role as Medical Center director as James Van Zandt Medical Center in altoona, pennsylvania. Ms. Andrews 26 years of service to the United States department of Veterans Affairs culminated with her time leading the van zandt Medical Centers team to where she has been a leader of support for our veteran community. Her years of experience, not only as a nurse, but as a leader in operational management, led her to find inonovation and solutions to a variety of unique challenges that face our veterans each and every day. On a personal note, Sigrid Andrew has been instrumental in the developmental and deployment of the Homegrown Health Care Initiative, which allows third and fourth year medical students to return to their communities in central pennsylvania to care for patients and build the skills that they will need as young doctors. Doctors who will be trained to address the physical and Mental Health issues of our great veterans. Sigrid andrews tireless work to help address the rural physician shortage has been extraordinary. And without her, the Homegrown Health Care Initiative would not be where it is today. Sigrid andrews persistence, her intelligence, and her dedication to excellence has been an essential tool to support the veteran community throughout pennsylvania. On behalf of the people of pennsylvanias 13th congressional district, i thank Sigrid Andrew for her hard work and her commitment to the veterans of the United States military. I wish her all the best. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from texas, ms. Garcia, for five minutes. Ms. Garcia madam speaker, i rise to recognize President Biden and House Democrats efforts to lower costs for American Families. Because of putins invasion, americans have seen higher costs everywhere, from the gas pump to Grocery Stores to goods across the shelves at local stores. Farmers, ranchers, and consumers have been victims of these price hikes because of putins invasion. President biden, House Democrats arent standing for this. Thats why last month my Democratic House colleagues and i passed the lower food and fuel costs act. This bill will lower costs of goods for hardworking American Families by addressing supply chain risks, lowering the cost of food and gas prices, strengthening the food supply chain, and ensuring robust competition in the meat and poultry sector. This will bring a muchneeded drop in the prices of goods for the American People. Im also glad to report that with President Bidens leadership, gas prices have declined by an average of 65 cents over the last 40 days. Yes, you heard me right, madam speaker. 65 cents in the last 40 days. And to bring savings for the American People, House Democrats passed the Consumer Fuel pricing gouging prevention act to further fight putins price hike. While democrats are determined to deliver results for americans, republicans showed little support on this cost saving bill. While sad on their part, i was not surprised. On the Public Health front, just this year, Pharma Companies have raised drug prices over 1,100 times. 1,100 times. Drastic greedy increases like these have led to insulin in the u. S. Doubling in price since 2012. This really hurts states and congressional districts like mine that have historically struggled with Health Issues like diabetes. In texas, more than 12. 4 of the people or nearly three Million People have diabetes. And in the houston area where i live, almost 14 of the residents have diabetes. And madam speaker, even in my own family, and you recall im one of 10, six of us have been struck with diabetes and i have one brother thats already under dialysis treatment. Shockingly, reports show that one in four diabetics have rationed insulin in texas due to high costs. Many residents have died because of needing to ration this lifesaving medicine. This is simply appalling and unconscionable. No one in our great nation should gamble with their life because of high costs. Thats because House Democrats passed the affordable insulin now act, to cap the price of insulin at 35 per month. Because no one, and i mean no one, should have to ration insulin in america. So while republicans remain focused on placing their pleasing their Political Base and stripping women of their rights, democrats remain laser focused on lowering costs for hardworking americans across our nation and standing with families. Democrats are the party who put people above politics. We stand with the American People. Together, were building a better america for generations to come and for the future of our children. Thank you, madam speaker. And with that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. Rose, for five minutes. Mr. Rose madam speaker, on thursday, the bureau of Economic Analysis will release its Second Quarter Gross Domestic Product numbers. An overall measure of our countrys economic output from april through june. For decades, a rescission has been recession has been defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. Therefore, if thursdays Second Quarter g. D. P. Number is in the negative, then by definition the United States economy will be in a recession. However, that wont stop the white house from doing everything it can to deny the obvious. In fact, the White House Council of economic advisors is actively trying to change the definition of the word recession. In a blog posted published on july 21 titled, quote, how do economists determine whether the economy is in a recession, closed quote, the white house argues that it is unlikely that the decline in g. D. P. In the First Quarter of this year, even if followed by another g. D. P. Decline in the Second Quarter indicates a recession, closed quote. I hope those students who will be taking economics 101 in the fall are taking notes, because the Biden Administration is attempting to change the decadesold answers to the test questions for purely political purposes. Instead of President Biden and his administration attempting to bait and switch the public on the definition of a recession, they should change course on their policies that are crushing our economy and creating significant pain for millions of americans. President bidens disastrous economic policies are having a Ripple Effect on the housing market, on gas and food prices, real wages, and, of course, overall inflation. Now well find out on thursday whether, by definition, were in a recession. Madam speaker, it didnt have to be this way. We didnt have to borrow and spend ourselves into this mess. The president didnt need to cancel the keystone pipeline. He didnt need to restrict new oil and gas it leases on public lands. He didnt need to create new regulations on every sector of the economy through the securities and Exchange Commission and other bureaucratic government agencies. Thankfully, the days of complete Democratic Party rule in washington are likely coming to an end. The American People are fed up with their leftwing economic policies and will reject them soundly at the voting booth in november. Until then, republicans, like me, who stand for fiscal conservatism, will continue to call them out and hope for more accountability. At the end of the day, the president is responsible for this economic mess he created. He must do better. But if he cant, republicans will. Thank you, madam speaker, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands, ms. Plaskett, for five minutes. Ms. Plaskett thank you, madam speaker. I ask unanimous consent to address the house for five minutes and to revise and extend my remarks. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Plaskett thank you. Madam speaker, 57 years ago this week, president lyndon b. Johnson signed into law the medicare and medicaid act. By increasing health care across access for elderly and lowincome americans, this act was a giant leap forward in building a more perfect union. Today, nearly 64 million americans are enrolled in medicare, and over 83 million americans receive assistance from medicaid. We know that these programs are highly effective. Extensive Research Shows that medicaid coverage is associated with a range of positive health outcomes. Medicare and medicaid saves lives. Medicare and medicaid also have considerable economic benefits. Medicaid significantly helps reduce poverty and has been tied to economic mobility across generations and higher educational attainment, income, and taxes paid. Despite the benefits of medicare and medicaid, my republican colleagues are trying to dismantle these programs. In 2018, a House Republican Budget Proposal slashing 50 537 million from medicare over a decade. Yet, while House Republicans tried to gut medicare and medicaid, House Democrats are working to expand these programs t to more americans. Im fighting to improve medicare and medicaid in my district of the Virgin Islands of the United States and to the other u. S. Territories which have long suffered health care inequities. Before 2017, in the Virgin Islands, nearly 30 of residents didnt have health insurance. This is a rate hire than the National Average of 9 . As of 2021, 34,000 individuals in the Virgin Islands, over a third of our population, relied on medicaid and chip. However the Virgin Islands has historically been denied the same medicare and medicaid benefits available to the states. Unlike the states, federal medicaid funding to the Virgin Islands is capped. Before the storms of 2017, the federal government covered just 55 of medicaid costs of the Virgin Islands, which is substantially lower than the 83 that would have been covered if the Virgin Islands retreated were treated as a state. In addition the Virgin Islands and u. S. Territories are exc excluded from receiving lowincome subsidies under the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit and exclude interested dish, the disproportionate share of Hospital Program under both medicaid and medicare. Through recent legislation i worked to temporarily increase the federal share of medicaid funding to the Virgin Islands from 55 to 83 . An increase federal medicaid funding to the Virgin Islands by hundreds of millions of dollars. This has allowed 20,000 of our most vulnerable virgin islanders to retain ak its to Health Care Access to health care. Unfortunately these provisions are only temporarily and a permanent solution is needed to ensure the people of the Virgin Islands have access to Affordable Health care. Thats why i introduced h. R. 3434 with representatives from the other territories. This bill would eliminate the unfair medicaid funding limits for u. S. Territories. Increase medicare reimbursement to hospitals in the u. S. Territories, and allow residents of the u. S. Territories to be eligible for lowincome subsidies under the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit. Permit the dish payments to u. S. Territories, and take other measures to improve access to health insurance. Im calling on the senate to address the medicaid issue for the Virgin Islands, for puerto rico, guam, northern marianas, American Samoa to help almost hundreds of thousands of americans. Im calling on the senate to address this in any Health Care Reconciliation bill with what was passed for the territories here in the house. When president johnson signed the medicare and medicaid act into law, he promised no longer will Older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. No longer will young families see their incomes and their hopes eaten away simply because they are carrying out their deep moral obligations to their parents, to their uncles, and to their aunts. Unfortunately this promise has yet to be fulfilled to residents of the Virgin Islands and the u. S. Territori