[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

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                             HON. TOM EMMER

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 14, 2019

  Mr. EMMER. Madam Speaker, on May 9th and 10th, I attended my son's 
graduation from Naval Academy Preparatory School and was therefore 
unable to cast my vote on several pieces of legislation. If present, I 
would have voted NAY on ordering the previous question to H. Res. 357 
(Roll Call No. 189) and NAY on agreeing to H. Res. 357 (Roll Call No. 
190).
  I would have also voted on amendments to H.R. 986, the Protecting 
Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, in the following way: YEA on 
the Brown Amendment (Roll Call No. 191); YEA on the Holding Amendment 
(Roll Call No. 192); NAY on the Malinowski Amendment (Roll Call No. 
193); and NAY on the Wild Amendment (Roll Call No. 194). I would have 
voted YEA to recommit H.R. 986 (Roll Call No. 195) and voted NAY on 
passage (Roll Call No. 196). Despite its title, H.R. 986 does nothing 
to protect preexisting conditions. Instead, I would have supported my 
colleague Representative Greg Walden's bill, H.R. 692, the Pre-existing 
Conditions Protection Act, if it were brought before the House for 
consideration.
  Furthermore, I would have voted on amendments to H.R. 2157, the 
Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019, in the following way: NAY on 
the Perlmutter amendment (Roll Call No. 197); NAY on the Sablan 
amendment (Roll Call No. 198); NAY on the Huffman amendment (Roll Call 
No. 199); and YEA on the Fletcher amendment (Roll Call No. 200). I 
would have voted YEA to recommit H.R. 2157 (Roll Call No. 201) and NAY 
on passage of H.R. 2157 (Roll Call No. 202). While I support targeted 
funding to help communities recover from flooding, especially in 
Minnesota, this bill carelessly adds to our growing national debt. 
Future generations will be forced to confront the over $22 trillion in 
debt unless Washington can find a way to reform the appropriations 
process to address unchecked federal spending.

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