[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H10033-H10043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3, LOWER DRUG COSTS NOW ACT OF 
    2019; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5038, FARM WORKFORCE 
   MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2019; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE 
CONFERENCE REPORT TO ACCOMPANY S. 1790, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION 
                        ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020

  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 758 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 758

       Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this 
     resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule 
     XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the 
     Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of 
     the bill (H.R. 3) to establish a fair price negotiation 
     program, protect the Medicare program from excessive price 
     increases, and establish an out-of-pocket maximum for 
     Medicare part D enrollees, and for other purposes. The first 
     reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of 
     order against consideration of the bill are waived. General 
     debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed 
     four hours, with three hours equally divided among and 
     controlled by the respective chairs and ranking minority 
     members of the Committees on Education and Labor, Energy and 
     Commerce, and Ways and Means, and one hour equally divided 
     and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader 
     or their respective designees. After general debate the bill 
     shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. 
     In lieu of the amendments in the nature of a substitute 
     recommended by the Committees on Education and Labor, Energy 
     and Commerce, and Ways and Means

[[Page H10034]]

     now printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 
     116-41, modified by the amendment printed in part A of the 
     report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this 
     resolution, shall be considered as adopted in the House and 
     in the Committee of the Whole. The bill, as amended, shall be 
     considered as the original bill for the purpose of further 
     amendment under the five-minute rule and shall be considered 
     as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, 
     as amended, are waived. No further amendment to the bill, as 
     amended, shall be in order except those printed in part B of 
     the report of the Committee on Rules. Each such further 
     amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the 
     report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the 
     report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 
     the time specified in the report equally divided and 
     controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be 
     subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand 
     for division of the question in the House or in the Committee 
     of the Whole. All points of order against such further 
     amendments are waived. At the conclusion of consideration of 
     the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report 
     the bill, as amended, to the House with such further 
     amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question 
     shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and 
     on any further amendment thereto to final passage without 
     intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or 
     without instructions.
       Sec. 2.  Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in 
     order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 5038) to amend 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for terms and 
     conditions for nonimmigrant workers performing agricultural 
     labor or services, and for other purposes. All points of 
     order against consideration of the bill are waived. In lieu 
     of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by 
     the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, an 
     amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the 
     text of Rules Committee Print 116-42, modified by the 
     amendment printed in part C of the report of the Committee on 
     Rules accompanying this resolution, shall be considered as 
     adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. 
     All points of order against provisions in the bill, as 
     amended, are waived. The previous question shall be 
     considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any 
     further amendment thereto, to final passage without 
     intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally 
     divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority 
     member of the Committee on the Judiciary; and (2) one motion 
     to recommit with or without instructions.
       Sec. 3.  Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in 
     order to consider the conference report to accompany the bill 
     (S. 1790) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2020 
     for military activities of the Department of Defense, for 
     military construction, and for defense activities of the 
     Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
     strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. All 
     points of order against the conference report and against its 
     consideration are waived. The conference report shall be 
     considered as read. The previous question shall be considered 
     as ordered on the conference report to its adoption without 
     intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate; and (2) 
     one motion to recommit if applicable.
       Sec. 4.  The chair of the Permanent Select Committee on 
     Intelligence may insert in the Congressional Record not later 
     than December 13, 2019, such material as he may deem 
     explanatory of intelligence authorization measures for the 
     fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020.
       Sec. 5.  It shall be in order at any time through the 
     legislative day of December 20, 2019, for the Speaker to 
     entertain motions that the House suspend the rules as though 
     under clause 1 of rule XV. The Speaker or her designee shall 
     consult with the Minority Leader or his designee on the 
     designation of any matter for consideration pursuant to this 
     section.
       Sec. 6.  The requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII for a 
     two-thirds vote to consider a report from the Committee on 
     Rules on the same day it is presented to the House is waived 
     with respect to any resolution reported through the 
     legislative day of December 20, 2019.
       Sec. 7.  On any legislative day of the first session of the 
     One Hundred Sixteenth Congress after December 12, 2019--
        (a) the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day 
     shall be considered as approved; and
       (b) the Chair may at any time declare the House adjourned 
     to meet at a date and time, within the limits of clause 4, 
     section 5, article I of the Constitution, to be announced by 
     the Chair in declaring the adjournment.
       Sec. 8.  On any legislative day of the second session of 
     the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress before January 7, 2020--
        (a) the Speaker may dispense with organizational and 
     legislative business;
       (b) the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day 
     shall be considered as approved if applicable; and
       (c) the Chair may at any time declare the House adjourned 
     to meet at a date and time, within the limits of clause 4, 
     section 5, article I of the Constitution, to be announced by 
     the Chair in declaring the adjournment.
       Sec. 9.  The Speaker may appoint Members to perform the 
     duties of the Chair for the duration of the periods addressed 
     by sections 7 and 8 of this resolution as though under clause 
     8(a) of rule I.
       Sec. 10.  Each day during the periods addressed by sections 
     7 and 8 of this resolution shall not constitute a calendar 
     day for purposes of section 7 of the War Powers Resolution 
     (50 U.S.C. 1546).
       Sec. 11.  Each day during the periods addressed by sections 
     7 and 8 of this resolution shall not constitute a legislative 
     day for purposes of clause 7 of rule XIII.
       Sec. 12.  Each day during the periods addressed by sections 
     7 and 8 of this resolution shall not constitute a legislative 
     day for purposes of clause 7 of rule XV.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized 
for 1 hour.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, pending which I yield 
myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this 
resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.


                             General Leave

  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Rules Committee met and 
reported a rule, House Resolution 758, providing for the consideration 
of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; H.R. 5038, 
the Farm Workforce Modernization Act; and the conference report to 
accompany S. 1790, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2020.
  The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3 under a structured rule 
and makes in order 12 amendments, including the Republican substitute.
  The rule provides 4 hours of general debate, with 3 hours equally 
divided among and controlled by the chairs and the ranking minority 
members of the Committees on Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, 
and Ways and Means, and 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the 
majority leader and minority leader. The rule also provides a motion to 
recommit.
  The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5038 under a closed rule, 
with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and 
the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. It also provides for a 
motion to recommit.
  The rule further provides for consideration of the conference report 
to accompany S. 1790 with 1 hour of debate and a motion to recommit, if 
applicable.
  The rule also authorizes the chair of the Intelligence Committee to 
insert in the Congressional Record explanatory statements as he deems 
necessary.
  Finally, the rule provides housekeeping items to close out the first 
session of this Congress, such as same-day authority, suspension 
authority, district work period instructions, and language to convene 
the Second Session of the 116th Congress on January 7.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bills in this 
rule.
  Mr. Speaker, only a few times in our history has Congress come 
together to pass legislation to dramatically improve the life of every 
American--Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health 
Insurance Program, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Medicare's drug 
benefit, and, of course, the Affordable Care Act. We change lives. We 
save lives.
  Now, we continue that work with H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower 
Drug Costs Now Act. The passage of this bill will take this legislation 
forward to join those momentous commitments to the health and security 
of all Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, we pay more for our prescription drugs than any other 
country on Earth. We have made incredible advances in medical science 
and developed cures not only for our own people but also for the rest 
of the world. Yet, even when our own researchers and scientists have 
dedicated their lives to creating lifesaving drugs, too many of our 
fellow Americans can't afford to benefit from their brilliance.
  In the United States today, a disease or a chronic condition can 
force you into bankruptcy or require you to choose between paying for 
medicine or paying for food or rent.

[[Page H10035]]

  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3 makes fundamental reforms to reduce drug prices 
to keep the cost hikes to no more than inflation and to limit out-of-
pocket costs for those on Medicare, employer plans, and private health 
insurance.
  To help secure these patient protections, we will require our 
government to negotiate prices directly with drug companies.
  Mr. Speaker, I served as Secretary of Health and Human Services for 8 
years in the Clinton administration. I repeatedly asked for the ability 
to negotiate with drug companies.
  Only drug companies get to come to Medicare and set their own prices.

                              {time}  1245

  Hospitals don't get to do that; doctors don't get to do that; home 
healthcare agencies don't get to do that; and medical equipment 
providers don't get to do that.
  Negotiation is the hallmark of good governance and a standard feature 
of government policy.
  Mr. Speaker, we negotiate for everything, including military 
equipment and work with contractors. If we can negotiate for big ships, 
then we can negotiate for little pills. It is only drug companies that 
are able to write themselves a blank check from our taxpayers. Our 
legislation ends that practice.
  Now is the time to join every other country on Earth in allowing our 
government to bargain for better prices and to put a cap on our out-of-
pocket costs.
  As citizens, we have always been willing to subsidize poorer 
countries. But subsidizing England, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, 
Japan, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark is not our responsibility. We are 
not their deep pockets.
  Mr. Speaker, we should not pay substantially more for the same 
medicines than people in those countries. The current broken system is 
costing our families and businesses hundreds of billions of dollars. We 
must not accept this waste or this unfairness any longer.
  Our bill is a solid plan to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs for 
every American, and it will create a huge savings for taxpayers.
  These savings will allow us to make significant investments in the 
extraordinary biomedical science institutions that foster innovation, 
such as the National Institutes of Health and our great research 
universities.
  These savings will allow us to modernize Medicare hearing and vision 
benefits and dental coverage.
  This bill will expand our capacity for innovation and make drug 
companies more efficient. H.R. 3 is a historic step forward, and it 
will make all of our lives better.
  Mr. Speaker, this rule also contains the Farm Workforce Modernization 
Act of 2019. This bill empowers families to build lives in the United 
States without the constant fear of being uprooted. It prioritizes the 
well-being of immigrant families, many of whom provide essential 
support for our Nation's agricultural sector. This bill is an important 
step forward in improving our immigration system, in helping to make 
sure that we treat everyone with compassion and dignity.
  Finally, this rule also allows for consideration of the National 
Defense Authorization Act conference report. The first NDAA under our 
new Democratic majority fulfills one of Congress' crucial 
constitutional duties: providing for the common defense of our Nation.
  The final conference report delivers a wide-ranging list of 
priorities the American people strongly support, such as paid parental 
leave, the end of the widow's tax, better services for our men and 
women in uniform, and protections for Dreamers.
  This report is the product of months of hard work by Chairman Smith 
and members of the committee and will undoubtedly keep our country 
safe.
  Mr. Speaker, I proudly support these historic steps forward. Let's 
pass this rule and these bills.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I thank Ms. Shalala for yielding me the customary 30 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, today we are considering a bill that does a lot of 
things, and, if nothing else, this should be an object lesson on why 
you don't leave everything to the last minute because, indeed, that is 
what we have done in this year, this session of Congress. So we have 
got a rule that has three fairly different bills contained.
  We are considering a bill to reform the H-2A guest worker programs, 
the National Defense Authorization Act conference report, and H.R. 3, a 
bill that will limit American patients from treatments and cures of 
tomorrow.
  H.R. 5038, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, allows aliens who 
have worked in the United States for 180 days, are deportable, and have 
been continually present to be granted certified agricultural work 
status. The status may also be extended to a recipient's spouse and 
children. Certified workers can then apply for a green card path to 
citizenship, and they are not counted toward the statutory cap.
  In addition, the bill would subject H-2A users to a private right of 
action and will not provide long-term wage relief. While the H-2A guest 
worker visa program arguably needs reform, this bill expands the 
ability to obtain legal status without adequate requirements, 
documentation, or protections for the H-2A program users.
  Second, the National Defense Authorization Act is a bipartisan 
agreement to provide for a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops, reform 
privatized military housing, continue rebuilding readiness, provide 
security assistance to our allies, and hold the Pentagon accountable 
through reports on auditability.
  The bill also protects the homeland by including my language 
requiring an effort to identify hostile International Mobile Subscriber 
Identity catchers, known as stingrays, which are used to locate and spy 
on Americans.
  Last, the NDAA repeals the widow's tax and prohibits the use of a 
chemical compound known as PFAS in firefighting foam after October 
2024.
  I am pleased that we were able to reach an agreement to maintain the 
strongest military in the world.
  Now, let's turn to H.R. 3, the third bill that is being contained in 
this rather wide-ranging rule. This bill attempts to address the high 
cost of drugs, a goal of which I am supportive, but this bill severely 
limits patient access to potentially new lifesaving drugs.
  Republicans have offered a substitute bill, H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, 
More Cures Act of 2019, that includes bipartisan policies to lower drug 
costs for Americans.
  There are a lot of reasons that Members should support H.R. 19, which 
will now be our amendment in the nature of a substitute. Since it is 
H.R. 19, let me limit myself to 19 reasons.
  One, H.R. 19 will lower drug costs for American patients, while 
protecting access to new treatments and cures.

  Two, H.R. 19 is bipartisan, including more than 40 drug pricing 
policies that have passed through House and Senate committees this 
year.
  Three, H.R. 19 would pass--could pass--both Chambers of Congress and 
be signed into law in calendar year 2019.
  Four, H.R. 19 will cap out-of-pocket costs in Medicare part D for 
seniors at $3,100 per year, ensuring protection from the high cost 
encountered with prescription drugs.
  Five, H.R. 19 saves money for patients and their families rather than 
saving money just for the government.
  Six, H.R. 19 includes policies such as the CREATES Act and pay-for-
delay to prevent pharmaceutical companies from gaming the system.
  Seven, H.R. 19 promotes healthy competition for lower cost generics.
  Eight, H.R. 19 corrects for the increased threshold it takes to reach 
catastrophic coverage in part D, which is not yet fixed for plan year 
2020. This bill will provide seniors with a refund in 2020 for costs 
they should never have had to incur in the first place.
  Nine, H.R. 19 strengthens transparency and accountability in the 
existing drug pricing system.
  Ten, H.R. 19 lowers the cost of insulin by capping the costs for 
seniors in Medicare part D at $50 per month and adds additional 
incentives for insurance to cover their fair share of insulin costs.
  Eleven, H.R. 19 lowers the cost of drug administration by not paying 
drastically more for the same service, whether it is provided in a 
hospital or

[[Page H10036]]

other more traditionally expensive environments, the so-called site-
neutral provision.
  Twelve, H.R. 19 establishes a new negotiator at the United States 
Trade Representative to ensure that America is not subsidizing the 
world's drug costs.
  Thirteen, H.R. 19 makes permanent a threshold of 7.5 percent of the 
adjusted gross income for purposes of the medical expense tax deduction 
in the Internal Revenue Code. Recall that, under the Affordable Care 
Act, this threshold was increased to 10 percent, which many seniors 
found onerous. It was reduced in the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs 
Act of 2017 to the threshold of 7.5 percent, but that threshold then 
expires, and it goes and reverts back to the 10 percent threshold at 
the end of this year. This would make that permanent.
  Fourteen, H.R. 19 requires pricing information in direct-to-consumer 
advertisements.
  Fifteen, H.R. 19 cracks down on pharmacy benefit managers by 
requiring more transparency in the reporting of aggregate rebates, 
discounts, and other price concessions.
  Sixteen, H.R. 19 helps access to prescription drugs in rural areas by 
reforming direct and indirect remuneration fees, the so-called dreaded 
DIR fee clawback that every community pharmacist dislikes so intensely.
  Seventeen, H.R. 19 increases transparency into patient listings so 
that manufacturers of generics and biosimilars will have adequate 
information to enter the market.
  Eighteen, H.R. 19 removes uncertainty at the pharmacy counter by 
requiring insurance companies to provide pricing information to doctors 
so that patients and their doctors can have discussions about what 
medicine is best for them and what the cost will be.
  Finally, number 19, H.R. 19 allows biomedical innovation to continue 
to thrive. It does not abandon the success of the 21st Century Cures 
bill. It lowers drug costs for Americans, while maintaining access to 
drugs that exist now and ensuring that that access is sustained in the 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, there are many more than three reasons to oppose H.R. 3, 
but let's limit ourselves to three reasons so compelling that, really, 
you shouldn't need to go into any more.
  Number one, the Congressional Budget Office, the Council of Economic 
Advisers, and the California Life Sciences Association have found that 
H.R. 3 will result in fewer drugs for Americans. There is no way to 
predict what could be included in this fewer drugs. It could be the 
cure for Alzheimer's; it could be the cure for ALS; or it could be the 
cure for pancreatic cancer.
  There is some disparity in the number of cures that would be lost 
with the passage of this bill, but here is the central thesis: Every 
organization that has looked at this has said that there will be fewer 
drugs introduced after the passage of this bill.

                              {time}  1300

  In addition, access to drugs that help or cure or maintain a healthy 
life will be at risk. The six-referenced countries in H.R. 3 have 30 to 
60 percent fewer new medications than the United States of America. 
This is what is at stake today.
  Number 2, H.R. 3 claims to negotiate drug prices, but with a 95 
percent excise tax for manufacturers who fail to reach a price 
agreement with the government, it is more akin to a hostage-taking and 
then shooting the hostage.
  There are concerns that this is unconstitutional under the Takings 
Clause of the Constitution. This takeover of the entire drug industry 
in the United States is not only bad policy but may be constitutionally 
perilous.
  Interestingly enough, when this bill was marked up in our committee, 
one of our Members on the Republican side spoke to this issue, tried to 
offer an amendment that would have provided severability, so that if 
the law was found to be unconstitutional, that the part that was 
unconstitutional could be struck down and the rest could stand. But for 
whatever reason, the majority rejected that amendment and it was 
defeated on a party line vote.
  Number three, and this is critically important, H.R. 3 will never 
become law. The majority leader of the other body has said that H.R. 3 
is dead-on-arrival in the Senate. And President Trump has related how 
H.R. 3 is not good for Americans.
  I think it is important that we fight for a world where research into 
life-threatening illnesses never ceases, no matter how many failures 
occur before a cure is found.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge opposition to the rule, opposition to the 
underlying bill, H.R. 3, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Burgess).
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Lofgren), the distinguished chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on 
Immigration and Citizenship.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am here to speak in support of the Farm 
Workforce Modernization Act, an event that should be a cause of joy for 
Members on both sides of the aisle and for America.
  We have tried and failed for dozens of years to deal with the issue 
of the farm workforce. We have never been able to get a majority vote 
on the floor of this House. So this year, we tried a different 
approach.
  Starting last March, we had stakeholders, the United Farm Workers 
Union, the growers and the farmers sit down together, listen to each 
other, understand each other and what their needs were. They were 
joined by a bipartisan group of members who cared about this issue, and 
we came up with this bill, a compromise that does this:
  It secures the status of the million or so farm workers who don't 
have their proper documentation by allowing them to get a certified 
agriculture worker visa that is renewable, and ultimately, if they 
wish, after a significant period of time, to apply for legal permanent 
residence. It streamlines the H-2A program, so it works better for 
employers and actually works better for workers.
  We stabilized the wages. We allowed the dairy industry to get access 
to the H-2A program. We increased the availability of farmworker 
housing while lowering the cost to employers.
  And, finally, once this whole thing is implemented, we have always 
believed that if you have a workable immigration system, you ought to 
enforce it. And so we will implement E-Verify after full 
implementation, but only for the Ag sector.
  I would note that the Farm Labor Organizing Committee of the AFL-CIO, 
UFW, Farmworker Justice, the Catholic Bishops--over 300 agricultural 
organizations have asked that we pass this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter in support of the Farm 
Workforce Modernization Act.
                                                November 18, 2019.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Speaker, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy: The 
     undersigned groups, representing a broad cross-section of 
     agriculture and its allies, urge you to advance the Farm 
     Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038) through the House to 
     address the labor crisis facing American agriculture. A 
     stable, legal workforce is needed to ensure farmers and 
     ranchers have the ability to continue producing an abundant, 
     safe, and affordable food supply.
       The effects of agriculture's critical shortage of labor 
     reach far beyond the farm gate, negatively impacting our 
     economic competitiveness, local economies, and jobs. 
     Economists have found that every farm worker engaged in high-
     value, labor-intensive crop and livestock production sustains 
     two to three off-farm jobs. As foreign producers take 
     advantage of our labor shortage and gain market share, 
     America will export not only our food production but also 
     thousands of these farm-dependent jobs. Securing a reliable 
     and skilled workforce is essential, not only for the 
     agricultural industry but for the U.S. economy as a whole.
       The House must pass legislation that preserves 
     agriculture's experienced workforce by allowing current farm 
     workers to earn legal status. For future needs, legislation 
     must include an agricultural worker visa program that 
     provides access to a legal and reliable workforce moving 
     forward. This visa program needs to be more accessible, 
     predictable, and flexible to meet the needs of producers, 
     including those with year-round labor needs, such as dairy 
     and livestock which currently do not have meaningful access 
     to any program.
       While the bill does include a few provisions that raise 
     significant concerns for the agricultural community, we are 
     committed to working together throughout the legislative 
     process to fully address these issues. It is vital to move 
     the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 5038) through the 
     House as a significant step in working to meet the

[[Page H10037]]

     labor needs of agriculture, both now and in the future.
           Sincerely,
       African-American Farmers of California; AgCountry Farm 
     Credit Services; AgriBank FCB; Agribusiness Henderson County 
     (AgHC); Agricultural Council of California Agri-Mark, Inc.; 
     Alabama Farmers Cooperative; Alabama Nursery & Landscape 
     Association; Almond Alliance of California; Amalgamated Sugar 
     Company LLC; American AgCredit; American Agri-Women; American 
     Beekeeping Federation; American Mushroom Institute; American 
     Pistachio Growers; American Seed Trade Association 
     AmericanHort.
       Arizona Cattle Feeders' Association; Arizona Landscape 
     Contractors Association; Arizona Nursery Association; 
     Arkansas Rice Growers Association; Associated Milk Producers 
     Inc.; Association of Virginia Potato and Vegetable Growers; 
     Aurora Organic Dairy; AZ Farm & Ranch Group; Battlefield 
     Farms, Inc.; Bipartisan Policy Center Action; Bongards' 
     Creameries; Butte County Farm Bureau; California Ag 
     Irrigation Association; California Alfalfa and Forage 
     Association; California Apple Commission.
       California Avocado Commission; California Bean Shippers 
     Association; California Blueberry Commission; California 
     Canning Peach Association; California Cherry Growers and 
     Industry Association; California Citrus Mutual; California 
     Dairies, Inc.; California Farm Bureau Federation; California 
     Fig Advisory Board; California Fresh Fruit Association; 
     California Grain and Feed Association; California League of 
     Food Producers; California Pear Growers; California Prune 
     Board; California Seed Association; California State 
     Beekeepers Association.
       California State Floral Association; California Sweet 
     Potato Council; California Tomato Growers Association; 
     California Walnut Commission; California Warehouse 
     Association; California Wheat Growers Association; California 
     Women for Agriculture; Cayuga Milk Ingredients; Central 
     Valley Ag; Cherry Marketing Institute; Chobani; Clif Bar & 
     Company; CoBank; Colorado Dairy Farmers; Colorado Nursery & 
     Greenhouse Association.
       Colorado Potato Legislative Association; Compeer Financial; 
     Cooperative Milk Producers Association; Cooperative Network 
     Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.; Dairy Producers of New 
     Mexico; Dairy Producers of Utah; Del Mar Food Products, 
     Corp.; Driscoll's; Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative; Ellsworth 
     Cooperative Creamery; Empire State Potato Growers; Far West 
     Agribusiness Association; Farm Credit East; Farm Credit 
     Illinois.
       Farm Credit Services of America; Farm Credit West; 
     FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative; First District Association; 
     Florida Agri-Women; Florida Blueberry Growers Association; 
     Florida Citrus Mutual; Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; 
     Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association; Florida 
     Strawberry Growers Association; Florida Tomato Exchange; Food 
     Northwest; Food Producers of Idaho; Foremost Farms USA; 
     Fresno County Farm Bureau.
       Frontier Farm Credit; Fruit Growers Marketing Association; 
     Fruit Growers Supply; Georgia Green Industry Association; 
     Glanbia Nutritionals; Grapeman Farms; GreenStone Farm Credit 
     Services; Grower-Shipper Association of Central California; 
     GROWMARK; Gulf Citrus Growers Association; Hop Growers of 
     Washington; Idaho Alfalfa & Clover Seed Commission; Idaho 
     Alfalfa & Clover Seed Growers Association; Idaho Apple 
     Commission; Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry.
       Idaho Association of Highway Districts; Idaho Association 
     of Soil Conservation Districts; Idaho Bankers Association; 
     Idaho Cattleman's Association; Idaho Chamber Alliance; Idaho 
     Dairymen's Association; Idaho Eastern Oregon Seed 
     Association; Idaho Grain Producers Association; Idaho Grower 
     Shipper Association; Idaho Hop Growers; Idaho Milk Products; 
     Idaho Mint Growers Association; Idaho Noxious Weed Control 
     Association; Idaho Nursery & Landscape Association; Idaho 
     Onion Growers Association.
       Idaho Potato Commission; Idaho State Grange; Idaho 
     Sugarbeet Growers Association; Idaho Water Users Association; 
     Idaho Wool Growers; Idahoan Foods LLC; Idaho-Oregon Fruit and 
     Vegetable Association; Illinois Green Industry 
     Association; International Dairy Food Association; Iowa 
     Institute for Cooperatives; Iowa State Dairy Association; 
     J.R. Simplot Company; Kansas Cooperative Council; Kansas 
     Dairy Association; Kanza Cooperative Association; Kings 
     County Farm Bureau.
       Land O'Lakes, Inc.; Lone Star Milk Producers; Madera County 
     Farm Bureau; Maine Landscape and Nursery Association; Maine 
     Potato Board; Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative 
     Association; Maryland Nursery, Landscape, & Greenhouse 
     Association; Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, 
     Inc.; MBG Marketing; Mendocino County Farm Bureau; Merced 
     County Farm Bureau; Michigan Agri-Business Association; 
     Michigan Apple Association; Michigan Asparagus Advisory 
     Board.
       Michigan Bean Shippers; Michigan Cider Association; 
     Michigan Greenhouse Grower Council; Michigan Milk Producers 
     Association; Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association; 
     Michigan State Horticultural Society; Midwest Dairy 
     Coalition; Mid-West Dairymen's Company; Milk Producers 
     Council; Milk Producers of Idaho; Minnesota Area II Potato 
     Council; Minnesota Milk Producers Association; Minnesota 
     Nursery & Landscape Association; Missouri Rice Research and 
     Merchandising Council; Montana Nursery & Landscape 
     Association.
       Monterey County (CA) Farm Bureau; Mount Joy Farmers 
     Cooperative Association; Napa County Farm Bureau; National 
     All-Jersey; National Association of Produce Market Managers; 
     National Council of Agricultural Employers; National Council 
     of Farmer Cooperatives; National Farmers Union; National 
     Grange; National Immigration Forum; National Milk Producers 
     Federation; National Onion Association; National Potato 
     Council; National Watermelon Association; Nebraska State 
     Dairy Association.
       New American Economy; New England Apple Council; New 
     England Farmers Union; New York Apple Association; New York 
     Farm Bureau Federation; New York State Berry Growers 
     Association; New York State Flower Industries; New York State 
     Vegetable Growers Association; Nezperce Prairie Grass Growers 
     Association; Nisei Farmers League; North American Blueberry 
     Council; North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association; 
     North Carolina Potato Association; Northeast Dairy Farmers 
     Cooperatives.
        Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc.; Northeast Dairy 
     Producers Association; Northern Plains Potato Growers 
     Association; Northern Virginia Nursery & Landscape 
     Association; Northwest Ag Co-op Council; Northwest Dairy 
     Association/Darigold; Northwest Farm Credit Services; 
     Northwest Horticultural Council; Ohio Apple Marketing 
     Program; Ohio Dairy Producers Association; Ohio Nursery & 
     Landscape Association; Olive Growers Council of California; 
     Oneida-Madison Milk Producers Cooperative Association; Orange 
     County Farm Bureau; Oregon Association of Nurseries.
       Oregon Dairy Farmers Association; Oregon Potato Commission; 
     Pacific Coast Producers; Pacific Egg and Poultry Association; 
     Pacific Seed Association; Pennsylvania Co-operative Potato 
     Growers; Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association; Plant 
     California Alliance; POM Wonderful; Porterville Citrus; 
     Potato Growers of America; Potato Growers of Idaho; Potato 
     Growers of Michigan; Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc.; Premier Milk 
     Inc.
       Produce Marketing Association; Professional Dairy Managers 
     of Pennsylvania; RBI Packing LLC; Reiter Affiliated 
     Companies; Richard Bagdasarian, Inc.; Riverside County Farm 
     Bureau; Rocky Mountain Farmers Union; San Diego County Farm 
     Bureau; San Mateo County Farm Bureau; Santa Clara County Farm 
     Bureau; Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau; Scioto Cooperative 
     Milk Producers' Association; Select Milk Producers, Inc.; 
     Seneca Foods Corporation; Sierra Citrus Association.
       Snake River Sugar Company; Solano County Farm Bureau; 
     Sonoma County Farm Bureau; South Dakota Association of 
     Cooperatives; South Dakota Dairy Producers; South East Dairy 
     Farmers Association; Southeast Milk Inc.; Southern States 
     Cooperative; St. Albans Cooperative Creamery, Inc.; 
     Stanislaus County Farm Bureau; State Horticultural 
     Association of Pennsylvania; Summer Prize Frozen Foods; 
     Sunkist Growers; Sun-Maid Growers of California; Sunsweet 
     Growers, Inc.
       Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association; Texas 
     Agricultural Cooperative Council; Texas Association of 
     Dairymen; Texas Citrus Mutual; Texas International Produce 
     Association; Texas Nursery & Landscape Association; The 
     National Association of State Departments of Agriculture; The 
     SF Market and San Francisco Produce Association; Tillamook 
     County Creamery Association; Tree Top, Inc.; Tulare County 
     Farm Bureau; U.S. Apple Association; U.S. Rice Producers 
     Association; United Ag; United Dairymen of Arizona; United 
     Egg Producers; United Fresh Produce Association.
       United Onions, USA; United Potato Growers of America; 
     Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc.; Utah Farmers Union; Utah 
     Horticulture Society; Valley Fig Growers; Ventura County 
     Agricultural Association; Ventura Pacific; Vermont Dairy 
     Producers Alliance; Virginia Apple Growers Association; 
     Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association; Virginia State 
     Dairymen's Association; Visalia Citrus Packing Group, Inc.; 
     WA Wine Institute; Washington Growers League; Washington 
     State Dairy Federation.
       Washington State Nursery & Landscape Association; 
     Washington State Potato Commission; Washington State Tree 
     Fruit Association; Wawona Frozen Foods; West Virginia Nursery 
     & Landscape Association; Western Growers Association; Western 
     States Dairy Producers Association; Western United Dairies; 
     Wine Institute; WineAmerica; Wisconsin Dairy Business 
     Association; Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers 
     Association; Wonderful Citrus; Wonderful Orchards; Yuma Fresh 
     Vegetable Association.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the 
gentlewoman.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleagues, Mr. 
Newhouse, Mr. Simpson, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Panetta, Mr. 
Costa, Mr. Correa, Ms. Escobar, Mr. Peterson--I am going to get in 
trouble because there are more people than I can mention in the 15 
seconds, but this has been a very large bipartisan effort.

[[Page H10038]]

It should be a model on how we can legislate and get something done for 
the American people.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart), a valuable member of the Committee on 
Appropriations.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
underlying bill, the Agriculture Workforce Modernization Act.
  Now, when you read the title, maybe folks will think that this is 
only an agriculture bill. But in reality, this bill also helps to deal 
with a vital national security issue: A stable supply of agricultural 
goods produced here in the United States of America. Not by a foreign 
power who does not have our interests in mind, and could use our food 
security as a weapon, but, no, agricultural products grown here by 
patriotic American farmers.
  And this issue will not happen by itself. The H-2A system that our 
farmers now use to get their workforce--frankly, when they are not able 
to find American workers--is absolutely broken. It is antiquated, and 
it is just not responsive to the changing needs of the patriotic 
American farmer.
  That is why Members from both sides of the aisle have come together 
with over 300 farming organizations to draft a bill that ensures that 
in the United States of America those who grow our food will be able to 
continue to grow our food and have the adequate workforce that they 
need.
  No bill is perfect, and this one isn't perfect either. But, again, 
this bill, if it moves forward and gets to the President's desk--and 
this bill, if it moves forward, can be changed and tweaked to make sure 
that it gets to the President's desk--and if we don't do that, we will 
be, frankly, letting down our farmers, letting them down one more time, 
and, again, opening up the door to a national security threat that we 
do not need to allow to happen.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the underlying bill.
  But before I yield back, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank a few 
people. Some have already been thanked: Mike Carlton from Florida Fruit 
& Vegetable Association, for his work to ensure that Florida's 
agricultural interests were represented in the negotiations.
  I also would like to thank a few staffers: I thank David Shahoulian 
from the Committee on the Judiciary who has been amazing over these 
years; Carrie Meadows from Representative Newhouse's staff; and also 
Cesar Gonzalez, my chief of staff, who has been invaluable, by the way, 
in years of working to try to have solutions to an issue that we all 
know needs to take place.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Diaz-Balart), my colleague for representing Florida in the negotiations 
so well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Hampshire 
(Mr. Pappas).
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, when I travel around New Hampshire asking 
constituents what is on their minds, there is no topic more urgent or 
more personal than combatting the skyrocketing cost of prescription 
drugs.
  I have heard from a senior who is unable to retire because his life 
is dependent on drugs that cost $3,000 out-of-pocket.
  I have heard from a mother who shares a painful chronic condition 
with her daughter and has to decide every month whose prescription to 
fill because she can't fill both on her fixed income.
  Americans can no longer afford Big Pharma's runaway costs. That is 
why I am proud to support H.R. 3, which makes historic reforms to drive 
down the cost of prescription drugs while expanding and strengthening 
Medicare. This package also includes my Advancing Enrollment and 
Reducing Drug Costs Act, which makes prescription drugs more accessible 
for seniors.
  My provision assists low-income seniors by automatically enrolling 
them in Medicare Part D's subsidy program, ensuring they receive this 
benefit without jumping through bureaucratic hoops.
  It is time to deliver transformational change and pass H.R. 3 to 
ensure the health and well-being of the American people.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 3, runs the risk of quickly stifling 
innovation in the new drug space. A preliminary Congressional Budget 
Office analysis of this bill has stated that it would result in 15 
fewer new drugs coming on the market over the next 10 years, and we all 
know drugs are in the pipeline for much longer than that. The actual 
pipeline to deliver new product is 14 years, so it is that second 10 
years where the real risk of this bill becomes apparent.
  The cure for Alzheimer's may be one of those ones that is included in 
that list of drugs that are never developed in the first place. That is 
why we need to defeat H.R. 3.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Vermont (Mr. Welch).
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, today, the House is going to have an 
opportunity to do something that has long-needed to be done and will 
benefit every single American in every single business that is 
providing health insurance for their valued employees. We have a chance 
to pass the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act.

  Here is what is significant about it, but first a word about Elijah:
  In April of 2017, Elijah and I went to the White House and met with 
President Trump, who said all the right things:
  ``Why are we getting ripped off by Pharma?''
  ``Why can't we import safe medications?''
  ``Why can't we lower costs?''
  Today, President Trump, we are going to do it.
  Two things are finally being done:
  First, the House of Representatives, on behalf of all consumers, is 
going to allow the Health and Human Services secretary to negotiate 
prices, not just pay the rip-off prices demanded.
  Second, we are adopting an idea that President Trump had: ``Put a 
cap, 120 percent.'' We will not pay more than that, what other 
countries pay for the same medication.
  President Trump put it in his blunt way: ``We are being suckers.''
  We are putting a cap on that price. This will lower the cost of 
prescription drugs over 10 years by a half a trillion dollars.
  Finally, our government is standing up on behalf of consumers in not 
protecting Pharma against unlimited price gouging.
  And second, what is inspiring to me about this is the benefits go to 
everyone. Employers in Vermont, they want their employees to have 
healthcare, but those premiums keep going up and up and they have to 
trade healthcare benefits for wages and salary increases.
  So that means our employers are going to get the benefit of lower 
premiums; our individuals are going to get the benefit of lower 
premiums; and seniors, who have been hammered with co-pays and 
deductibles, are going to get lower costs as well.
  Individual drugs, too, you won't be getting killed on those, folks 
with insulin and others. So let's pass this for Elijah.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Washington State (Mr. Newhouse), previous member of the Rules Committee 
and a valuable member of the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Texas for 
yielding. I rise today in strong support of the underlying legislation, 
H.R. 5083, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.
  This is a critical piece of legislation for my constituents, 
certainly in Central Washington, but for farmers and ranchers across 
the country in need of a stable and legal workforce.
  I am grateful for my friend, Representative Lofgren, for including 
Republicans in these negotiations and bringing together a diverse 
bipartisan group of Members of Congress, agricultural stakeholders, 
farmers and producers, labor unions and farmworker associations to 
write a piece of legislation that will go a long way toward

[[Page H10039]]

providing certainty for our Ag industry.
  The House has failed to address Ag labor reform since 1986. For the 
last 30 years, the crisis facing farmers has only been exacerbated, and 
the need for fixes has become even more clear.
  Today, we have an opportunity to continue this process and bring 
relief to farmers and ranchers, not just those I represent, but dairy 
farmers in the Midwest, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and 
Northeast, New York and Maine; the famous peach orchards of Georgia and 
South Carolina; and certainly the orange groves in Texas and the salad 
bowl of California and Arizona--all across the country.
  Like past efforts, this bill may not be the perfect solution, but it 
is a significant improvement over the status quo. This legislation 
stabilizes our current workforce by implementing the first of its kind, 
merit-based immigration program for agricultural workers who have spent 
decades in our fields.
  The bill streamlines our current H-2A program and reduces the 
bureaucratic red tape for farmers. It addresses rising costs of guest 
worker wages and implements E-Verify for the Ag industry, something 
Republicans have been asking for since the rollout of the program.
  Despite the progress this legislation makes, there is still work to 
do. It does not address every sector of our Nation's Ag industry. We 
still have to find a solution for our processors. We need to improve 
the equitable housing options. There are many other aspects of our 
broken immigration system we must work together to fix.

                              {time}  1315

  A ``yes'' vote today on this bill is a vote to continue the process 
and get this bill to the Senate.
  I want to thank the staff, certainly Travis Martinez and Carrie 
Meadows, but also David Shahoulian and Betsy Lawrence on Ms. Lofgren's 
staff. Many people have put a lot of time into this effort.
  Our farmers and ranchers desperately need relief. Men and women who 
contribute to our ag industry need certainty. This bill is the first 
step.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for the underlying legislation and 
encourage their input as we continue to perfect the bill and send it to 
the President's desk.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Doggett).
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, for those insured who rely on insulin or 
who are fortunate enough to win the lottery to have their drugs 
selected to be negotiated, this is a valuable piece of legislation. But 
for 30 million Americans who are uninsured, they are denied any 
guarantee of lower prices.
  Inexplicably, this rule rejects a proposal by me and 28 of our 
colleagues to provide relief for the uninsured. It bars all of my 
amendments to improve H.R. 3, including those that addressed outrageous 
new drug launch prices; price spike protection, which price spikes are 
occurring at an alarming rate, by the thousands; and ensuring 
negotiation for those drugs where the taxpayers are actually picking up 
the tab to finance the research that produces the drug.
  Of all of these, the most troubling concerns the uninsured. USA Today 
just published a powerful op-ed by Nicole Smith-Holt. It is entitled: 
``My Son Died From Rationing Insulin. Democrats' Drug Pricing Plan 
Still Wouldn't Help Him.'' She writes of her son, age 26, who aged out 
of his parents' insurance and had a job with no benefits.
  She expresses the same concern that a group of Michigan high 
schoolers recently wrote me in a compelling letter that they are 
raising money to help those who lack insurance buy their drugs, saying: 
``Drug manufacturers should not be able to determine who does and who 
does not get better. Everyone deserves to be healthy . . . .`'
  And everyone deserves to be helped by our legislation, but some are 
left out. My goal has never been to turn this bill to the right or to 
the left, but to deal with those and provide assurances to those who 
have been left out by it.
  Under this legislation, it will still remain illegal, a violation of 
Federal law, to negotiate lower drug prices on two-thirds of the 
drugs----
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. DOGGETT. It remains illegal to negotiate on two-thirds of the 
drugs that are covered by Medicare. Prescription drug price gouging, 
enabled by government-approved monopolies without any restraint, is not 
limited to one disease or one class of drugs.
  The perfect should certainly not get in the way of the good in 
drafting such legislation, but we should be doing more to deliver the 
good we promised.
  I reluctantly oppose this rule.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to share a letter that I received. This is from a 
woman who had lost her daughter to suicide following an episode of 
severe postpartum depression. She writes:

       After many long years of research and development, on 3/19, 
     calendar year 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved 
     Zulresso, the first medicine to successfully treat moderate 
     to severe postpartum depression worldwide. It is a 60-hour IV 
     treatment, administered in a certified hospital setting. It 
     is effective in as little as 20 hours. Had this medicine been 
     available, I feel that my daughter would be alive today.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Castor).
  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from 
Florida (Ms. Shalala) for yielding time and, also, for her leadership 
throughout the years in fighting to keep drug costs low. It really 
matters to families all across this country.
  I feel like shouting this from the top of the Capitol dome: We are 
going to pass a bill that will allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices 
in America.

  This is kind of an all-American concept, isn't it, negotiate fair 
prices?
  But for too long, Big Pharma, these drug companies, have gouged 
American families and consumers, and they have taken advantage of it, 
haven't they? I mean, these prices are astronomical.
  Families across America are often paying 4, 5, 10 times more the 
amount for their prescriptions than families in other countries. That 
is not right, and it is especially not right in this country where it 
is the U.S. taxpayer who is often providing the funding for the basic 
research to develop these drugs.
  So let's all shout it from the Capitol dome, the very top: We are 
going to allow--we are going to direct Medicare to negotiate prices to 
bring the cost of prescription drugs down.
  We are going to not just contain that in Medicare, but make sure that 
it is spread, and those cost savings are realized for all of the 
families who rely on private insurance.
  And then, with the billions of dollars in savings, we are going to 
improve Medicare. For a long time, Medicare has not provided 
comprehensive benefits for vision, for hearing, for dental care. These 
are fundamental health services.
  So what a winning proposition for American families. And I am so 
proud that it is the Democrats and our new majority that can deliver on 
this promise for the people.
  Lower drug costs now.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as may consume.
  If we defeat the previous question, Republicans will amend the rule 
immediately to consider H.R. 2207, the Protect Medical Innovation Act 
of 2019. This bill, which now has 256 bipartisan cosponsors, will 
repeal the excise tax on medical devices that is set to go into effect 
January 1, 2020.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of this 
amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately 
prior to the vote on the previous question.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), my good friend, a valuable member of the Energy 
and Commerce Committee.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous 
question, we can move to pass H.R. 2207.
  Why is it so important that we repeal this disastrous medical device 
tax? Since 2013, when I came to Congress, my colleagues and I across 
the aisle

[[Page H10040]]

have worked in a bipartisan way to delay and, ultimately, defeat this 
disastrous tax.
  And why is that so important? It is not just about the economics of a 
tax; it is about patients. This is about innovation for patients, and 
higher taxes mean fewer innovations will be developed for patients. 
Fewer lives will be saved because, when we tax this critical industry, 
it will make it harder for them to come up with and fund the next 
lifesaving technology.
  Tell that to the over a million people a year, worldwide, who receive 
implants like pacemakers. These folks rely on these lifesaving devices. 
So many of the innovations will not come to market.
  Medical devices allow patients to undergo fewer intensive procedures, 
with shorter hospitalizations and rehabilitation time, which ultimately 
lowers the overall cost of patient care.
  Beyond patient care, this is an amazing industry; and if we tax these 
businesses, jobs will be lost. We already know that, when the tax was 
in place, 29,000 jobs were lost in this industry. These are high-paying 
jobs in States across the country.
  Indiana is one of the top States in the country to have these types 
of medical device jobs. These pay 30 percent higher. The degree of 
expertise and the skill of these workers, particularly in the area of 
research and development and manufacturing, is unbelievable. And these 
people work day in and day out to provide better medical devices to 
consumers, not just here in this country, but around the globe.
  So reinstating this medical device tax, which will take place on 
January 1 of 2020, will hurt the success not just of these businesses, 
but it will roll back innovations and stifle R&D of these lifesaving 
and life-altering medical advances.
  We have a chance, with 256 cosponsors, to stand together and repeal 
this tax. I urge this body to pass the repeal of the medical device 
tax.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan).
  Mrs. TRAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Florida 
for yielding.
  Today, the House considers historic legislation to lower prescription 
drug prices and deliver a transformational expansion to Medicare under 
H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019.
  The namesake of this bill inspired many Members of this body, myself 
included, to act boldly on behalf of working families like the one I 
grew up in. It is time to flip the status quo on a system that has 
pocketed billions off the backs of patients like my dad who suffer from 
chronic diseases like MS.
  I am proud to have championed a provision which added a critical 
lever of transparency and accountability by requiring a GAO study on 
the negotiation program, essentially ensuring that there is no unfair 
manipulation or gaming at play. While I regret that my amendment to 
support baseline knowledge of addiction among prescribers was not made 
in order, I look forward to supporting this important bill.
  I am grateful to leadership, my colleagues, and the committees of 
jurisdiction for bringing us all here to this point today.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Baird) to speak on the amendment as part of the 
defeat of the previous question.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 60,000 direct and 
indirect jobs that the medical device industry brings to my home State.
  The last 4 years, Congress has worked together to continually suspend 
the medical device tax because they know that it doesn't make sense. 
This tax is a bane to innovation; it damages our manufacturing sector; 
it raises healthcare prices; and it hurts high-paying jobs.
  What our medical device industry needs more than anything is 
certainty. There has been enough upheaval in our healthcare system over 
the last decade to last us a lifetime.
  Let's show our support for the hardworking Americans, the good jobs, 
the patients, and the employers and permanently repeal this tax.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Correa).
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Farm 
Workforce Modernization Act of 2019.
  I want to thank Representative Lofgren for her leadership, as well as 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle, for making this vote today 
happen. It will be a historical vote.
  California, my home State, is our Nation's bread basket; yet, over 40 
percent of California's farms don't have the workforce they need to 
feed our population. The same is true for many farms across the country 
that depend on skilled immigrant farmworkers.
  These men and women work in our fields to plant, care, and harvest 
our produce that feeds our families, both in the U.S. and 
internationally. They do good work, good honest work, but live in an 
uncertain situation.
  Farm owners and farmworkers agree that this reform is desperately 
needed. This bill offers a stable workforce for our farmers, who need 
to compete in the global food markets, and provides an earned legal 
status for farmworkers.
  I urge passage of H.R. 5038.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Bucshon) to continue our speakers on the defeat of the 
previous question and in support of their amendment.
  Mr. BUCSHON. Mr. Speaker, there are over 150 medical device companies 
in the State of Indiana representing more than 20,000 jobs. These are 
high-paying, stable jobs, with more than $1 billion in Indiana 
payrolls. But, more importantly, they provide lifesaving products for 
the American consumer.
  As a physician, I know the importance of the innovation and the 
technological advances these companies provide, and the medical device 
tax is an onerous tax that is helping to stymie this innovation and 
technology.

                              {time}  1330

  By defeating the previous question, we can bring up H.R. 2207, the 
Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2019, and finally repeal permanently 
the onerous excise tax on the sale of medical devices in our country. 
This will allow for more treatments, and this will allow for more 
cures.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lofgren).
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I want to make a few additional comments on 
the Farm Workforce Modernization Act since the gentlewoman from Florida 
had a little bit of time to provide.
  There have been some who have criticized, I think incorrectly, the 
bill, that it does not actually stabilize wages in the H-2A program. 
That is incorrect.
  The bargain that was made by the United Farm Workers union and the 
various employer groups was to: first, freeze wages for 1 year; second, 
to limit how fast wages could rise to 3.25 percent or how low to 1.5 
percent; and also, to preclude changes in the middle of a contract, so 
there would be stability.
  I just wanted to get that issue on the table. People who 
misunderstand it will be relieved to know that that is not correct.
  I want to address another issue, which has to do with the 
legalization provision. We have several million farmworkers in the 
United States today. Half of them don't have their proper papers. They 
are living in a state of fear.
  I was out in the Central Valley recently. These are hardworking 
people who have been here for decades in some cases. There is no line 
for them to get into to get legal. They are so afraid that they are 
afraid to go to mass.
  This bill allows them to apply for a temporary visa, an agricultural 
worker visa that is renewable. It allows them to go back and forth if 
they need to go to a funeral in their country of birth. It allows them 
to work legally.
  After an extended period of time, if they want, they can apply to 
become legal permanent residents of the United States, or they can just 
stay on their temporary visas. Their families are included because we 
should not be in the position of breaking up hardworking families.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from California.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that this bill is the 
product of a lot of time. It was introduced

[[Page H10041]]

in October. It was marked up in the Judiciary Committee before 
Thanksgiving, and here we are today, not that far from Christmas, 
finally, hopefully, passing it.
  We have been in discussions with various Senators. There is nothing 
ever for sure with the United States Senate, but I will say there is a 
recognition and an interest that doing nothing is not acceptable for 
farmers or for farmworkers.
  I hope we can pass this bill today.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Pence) to continue to speak on the amendment that we will 
offer if we defeat the previous question,
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. As 
ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, 
I thank my colleague, Dr. Burgess, for his steadfast leadership on this 
issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join 255 of my colleagues as a cosponsor 
of H.R. 2207, the Protect Medical Innovation Act. I rise today to 
remind my fellow Members that time is running out. We must repeal the 
medical device tax before it goes into effect on January 1, 2020.
  This bill has broad bipartisan support from Members in both Chambers 
who recognize the detrimental impact this tax has on constituents who 
rely on lifesaving medical devices or are employed by the industry.
  If Congress fails to act this year, the seemingly small 2.3 percent 
excise tax would have a significant impact on patients and the 
healthcare industry.
  The medical device industry employs 400,000 hardworking Americans, 
including 20,000 Hoosiers. When the medical device tax was in effect, 
nearly 20,000 industry jobs were lost nationwide.
  Eighty percent of these medical manufacturing companies are small 
businesses that need certainty. They need certainty in order to 
continue their research and investment in critical lifesaving medical 
innovations.
  This is a tax on innovation and competitiveness, a tax on patients, 
and a tax on working families. It is time to end this job-killing tax 
once and for all.
  I urge my fellow Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question so 
we can support H.R. 2207.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has 5\1/2\ minutes. 
The gentlewoman from Florida has 6\3/4\ minutes.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, we have been hearing from our colleagues from Indiana 
about the excise tax on medical devices and how important it is to 
repeal that excise tax on medical devices.
  That tax has been delayed several times but does go into effect 
January 1. It is a 2.8 percent excise tax on gross receipts. We are 
talking in H.R. 3 about a 95 percent excise tax. They are talking about 
the number of jobs that have been killed with a 2.8 percent Federal 
excise tax. How many jobs are going to be lost with a 95 percent excise 
tax?
  Again, as I said earlier, this is not a good faith negotiation with 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. This is akin to a hostage 
situation because the threat of a 95 percent excise tax hangs over that 
discussion.
  We have heard a lot about innovation. Let me share with you an 
excerpt from a letter that I received from a constituent after the 
introduction of H.R. 3. The letter says: ``I started taking 
antidepressants when I was 15. Since then, I have been hospitalized 
three different times for attempts at suicide. Now I am at a place 
where I have found the medication that works for me; it is literally 
lifesaving. This medication is only possible through years of careful 
research and investment and in good supply because of a free market.

  ``If we had allowed a bill like H.R. 3 to pass into law previously, 
then the medications that have helped me might not exist. I cannot 
imagine a world where people just like me might go without the proper 
medication due to government overreach.''
  The story is repeated over and over again. Mr. Speaker, Congress 
passed at the end of the session in calendar year 2016 the last bill 
signed into law by President Obama, the 21st Century Cures Act.
  Mr. Speaker, since the time that bill was signed into law, it really 
has been impressive the number of new things that are coming onto the 
market and those new things that are just over the horizon.
  This bill, H.R. 3, strips the ability for the 21st Century Cures Act 
to deliver on the promise. But here is the good news. The Rules 
Committee, in its wisdom, made available an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute.
  I have discussed H.R. 19 in some detail. The amendment in the nature 
of a substitute will be the text of H.R. 19 so Members will have an 
opportunity to vote for bipartisan consensus agreements that will lower 
drug prices now, that will protect innovation in the future, and that, 
most importantly, could be signed into law before the end of the year.
  Think about it. This is a deliverable that we have within our power 
to bring to the American people. We should not give up on that chance.
  I have been speaking against H.R. 3. The NDAA, which is also included 
in this legislation, I do support. I cannot support the guest worker 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question. Let's 
take up the amendment about the excise tax on medical devices, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, we have heard doomsday predictions from my colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle that our Nation's drug innovation will be 
decimated by this bill. Mr. Speaker, if I thought this bill would slow 
down or eliminate our brilliant biomedical research and development 
enterprise, I would not support it.
  Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that much of 
our drug innovation starts with our own government-funded research paid 
for by the taxpayers either at the National Institutes of Health or at 
our great research universities, two of which I have led.
  This bill provides critical additional investments in NIH. $10 
billion will extend research investments in projects like Cancer 
Moonshot to accelerate cancer research and make more therapies 
available to more patients. It will also help fund innovation and 
research for rare diseases and fighting antimicrobial resistance, which 
currently kills 35,000 Americans per year.
  This bill also makes explicit that pharmaceutical companies should be 
able to recoup the costs of research and development and still make a 
profit. Nine out of 10 Big Pharma companies spend more on marketing, 
sales, and overhead than research. Maybe they won't be making as big of 
a profit as they currently do because they will no longer be able to 
take the American people to the cleaners, but they will make a 
substantial profit.
  Medicare will continue to cover all the drugs they cover today so 
that patients' choices will not be limited. Rather, patients' choices 
will be expanded. Patients will no longer be leaving drugs behind at 
the pharmacy counter because they can't afford them.
  It is time to end sky-high drug prices. It is also time to reform 
Medicare benefits for the 21st century. This bill does exactly that by 
finally adding vision, dental, and hearing benefits to the Medicare 
program.
  Seniors have been asking for this for a long time, and the quality of 
life of millions of Medicare beneficiaries will improve with access to 
these benefits.
  I also look forward to the passage of the Farm Workforce 
Modernization Act and the conference report for the NDAA. These are 
bipartisan pieces of legislation that will improve our national 
security and the lives of families and workers across this Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous 
question.
  The material previously referred to by Mr. Burgess is as follows:

                   Amendment to House Resolution 758

       At the end of the resolution, add the following:
       Sec. 13. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the 
     House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the 
     bill (H.R. 2207) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
     to repeal the excise tax on medical devices. All points of 
     order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill 
     shall be considered as read. All points of order against 
     provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question 
     shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any 
     amendment

[[Page H10042]]

     thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: 
     (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the 
     chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways 
     and Means; and (2) one motion to recommit.
       Sec. 14. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the 
     consideration of H.R. 2207.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I 
move the previous question on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous 
question.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, this 15-
minute vote on ordering the previous question will be followed by 5-
minute votes on:
  Adoption of the resolution, if ordered; and
  The motion to table the motion to reconsider H.R. 729.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 227, 
nays 189, not voting 14, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 668]

                               YEAS--227

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Allred
     Axne
     Bass
     Beatty
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop (GA)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brindisi
     Brown (MD)
     Brownley (CA)
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Carson (IN)
     Cartwright
     Case
     Casten (IL)
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Cisneros
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly
     Cooper
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Cox (CA)
     Craig
     Crist
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Cunningham
     Davids (KS)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny K.
     Dean
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Delgado
     Demings
     DeSaulnier
     Deutch
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Engel
     Escobar
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Evans
     Finkenauer
     Fletcher
     Foster
     Frankel
     Fudge
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Golden
     Gomez
     Gonzalez (TX)
     Gottheimer
     Green, Al (TX)
     Grijalva
     Haaland
     Harder (CA)
     Hastings
     Hayes
     Heck
     Higgins (NY)
     Himes
     Horn, Kendra S.
     Horsford
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Huffman
     Jackson Lee
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (TX)
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy
     Khanna
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kim
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster (NH)
     Lamb
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NV)
     Levin (CA)
     Levin (MI)
     Lewis
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lujan
     Luria
     Lynch
     Malinowski
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Matsui
     McAdams
     McBath
     McCollum
     McEachin
     McGovern
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meng
     Moore
     Morelle
     Moulton
     Mucarsel-Powell
     Murphy (FL)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Norcross
     O'Halleran
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Omar
     Pallone
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Peterson
     Phillips
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Pressley
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Rice (NY)
     Richmond
     Rose (NY)
     Rouda
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan
     Sanchez
     Sarbanes
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schrier
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Sewell (AL)
     Shalala
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Simpson
     Sires
     Slotkin
     Smith (WA)
     Soto
     Spanberger
     Speier
     Stanton
     Stevens
     Suozzi
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres Small (NM)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Underwood
     Van Drew
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Welch
     Wild
     Wilson (FL)
     Yarmuth

                               NAYS--189

     Abraham
     Allen
     Amash
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Banks
     Barr
     Bergman
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (NC)
     Bishop (UT)
     Bost
     Brady
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budd
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Chabot
     Cheney
     Cline
     Cloud
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Comer
     Conaway
     Cook
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Curtis
     Davidson (OH)
     Davis, Rodney
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Emmer
     Estes
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foxx (NC)
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gianforte
     Gibbs
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez (OH)
     Gooden
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hagedorn
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hern, Kevin
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice (GA)
     Higgins (LA)
     Hill (AR)
     Holding
     Hollingsworth
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hurd (TX)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Joyce (PA)
     Katko
     Keller
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger
     Kustoff (TN)
     LaHood
     Lamborn
     Latta
     Lesko
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Marchant
     Marshall
     Massie
     Mast
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McHenry
     McKinley
     Meadows
     Meuser
     Miller
     Mitchell
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Mullin
     Murphy (NC)
     Nunes
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Palmer
     Pence
     Perry
     Posey
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reschenthaler
     Rice (SC)
     Riggleman
     Roby
     Rodgers (WA)
     Roe, David P.
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rose, John W.
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Rutherford
     Scalise
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Sensenbrenner
     Shimkus
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smucker
     Spano
     Stauber
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Steube
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Taylor
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Timmons
     Tipton
     Turner
     Upton
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walorski
     Waltz
     Watkins
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Wright
     Yoho
     Young
     Zeldin

                             NOT VOTING--14

     Aderholt
     Barragan
     Gabbard
     Gosar
     Hunter
     LaMalfa
     Lieu, Ted
     Newhouse
     Norman
     Porter
     Rooney (FL)
     Serrano
     Walker
     Wexton

                              {time}  1412

  Mr. ARRINGTON changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
  Mr. ROSE of New York changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the previous question was ordered.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.


                          personal explanation

  Ms. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I was present but my vote did not register 
on rollcall No. 668 on December 11, 2019 due to a machine malfunction. 
I voted by inserting my machine card into the machine with several 
minutes remaining. The system apparently did not record my ``yea'' 
vote. I was present on the House floor for the duration of the vote. 
Had my vote been recorded, it would have been recorded as ``yea.''
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Panetta). The question is on the 
resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 222, 
nays 190, not voting 18, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 669]

                               YEAS--222

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Allred
     Axne
     Bass
     Beatty
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop (GA)
     Blumenauer
     Blunt Rochester
     Bonamici
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brindisi
     Brown (MD)
     Brownley (CA)
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Carbajal
     Cardenas
     Cartwright
     Case
     Casten (IL)
     Castor (FL)
     Castro (TX)
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Cisneros
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly
     Cooper
     Correa
     Costa
     Courtney
     Cox (CA)
     Craig
     Crist
     Crow
     Cuellar
     Cunningham
     Davids (KS)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny K.
     Dean
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Delgado
     Demings
     DeSaulnier
     Deutch
     Dingell
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Engel
     Escobar
     Eshoo
     Espaillat
     Evans
     Finkenauer
     Fletcher
     Foster
     Frankel
     Fudge
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garcia (IL)
     Garcia (TX)
     Golden
     Gomez
     Gonzalez (TX)
     Gottheimer
     Green, Al (TX)
     Grijalva
     Haaland
     Harder (CA)
     Hastings
     Hayes
     Heck
     Higgins (NY)
     Himes
     Horn, Kendra S.
     Horsford
     Houlahan
     Hoyer
     Huffman
     Jackson Lee
     Jayapal
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (TX)
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kim
     Kind
     Kirkpatrick
     Krishnamoorthi
     Kuster (NH)
     Lamb
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Lawrence
     Lawson (FL)
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NV)
     Levin (CA)
     Levin (MI)
     Lewis
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lujan
     Luria
     Lynch
     Malinowski
     Maloney, Carolyn B.
     Maloney, Sean
     Matsui
     McBath
     McCollum
     McEachin
     McGovern
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meng
     Moore
     Morelle
     Moulton
     Mucarsel-Powell
     Murphy (FL)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neguse
     Norcross
     O'Halleran
     Omar
     Pallone
     Panetta
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Payne
     Perlmutter
     Peterson
     Phillips
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Porter
     Pressley
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Raskin
     Rice (NY)
     Richmond
     Rose (NY)
     Rouda

[[Page H10043]]


     Roybal-Allard
     Ruiz
     Rush
     Ryan
     Sanchez
     Sarbanes
     Scanlon
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schneider
     Schrader
     Schrier
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Sewell (AL)
     Shalala
     Sherman
     Sherrill
     Simpson
     Sires
     Slotkin
     Smith (WA)
     Soto
     Spanberger
     Speier
     Stanton
     Stevens
     Suozzi
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Titus
     Tlaib
     Tonko
     Torres (CA)
     Torres Small (NM)
     Trahan
     Trone
     Underwood
     Van Drew
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson Coleman
     Welch
     Wexton
     Wild
     Wilson (FL)
     Yarmuth

                               NAYS--190

     Abraham
     Allen
     Amash
     Amodei
     Armstrong
     Arrington
     Babin
     Bacon
     Baird
     Balderson
     Banks
     Barr
     Bergman
     Biggs
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (NC)
     Bishop (UT)
     Bost
     Brady
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Budd
     Burchett
     Burgess
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Chabot
     Cline
     Cloud
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Comer
     Conaway
     Cook
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Curtis
     Davidson (OH)
     Davis, Rodney
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Doggett
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Emmer
     Estes
     Ferguson
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foxx (NC)
     Fulcher
     Gaetz
     Gallagher
     Gianforte
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez (OH)
     Gooden
     Gosar
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Green (TN)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guest
     Guthrie
     Hagedorn
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hern, Kevin
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice (GA)
     Higgins (LA)
     Holding
     Hollingsworth
     Hudson
     Huizenga
     Hurd (TX)
     Johnson (LA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson (SD)
     Jordan
     Joyce (OH)
     Katko
     Keller
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Khanna
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger
     Kustoff (TN)
     LaHood
     Lamborn
     Latta
     Lesko
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Marchant
     Marshall
     Massie
     Mast
     McAdams
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McHenry
     McKinley
     Meadows
     Meuser
     Miller
     Mitchell
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Mullin
     Murphy (NC)
     Nunes
     Ocasio-Cortez
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Palmer
     Pence
     Perry
     Peters
     Posey
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reschenthaler
     Rice (SC)
     Riggleman
     Roby
     Rodgers (WA)
     Roe, David P.
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rose, John W.
     Rouzer
     Roy
     Scalise
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Sensenbrenner
     Shimkus
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smucker
     Spano
     Stauber
     Stefanik
     Steil
     Steube
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Taylor
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Timmons
     Tipton
     Turner
     Upton
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Waltz
     Watkins
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Wright
     Yoho
     Young
     Zeldin

                             NOT VOTING--18

     Aderholt
     Barragan
     Carson (IN)
     Cheney
     Gabbard
     Gibbs
     Hill (AR)
     Hunter
     Joyce (PA)
     King (IA)
     LaMalfa
     Lieu, Ted
     Newhouse
     Norman
     Rooney (FL)
     Ruppersberger
     Rutherford
     Serrano

                              {time}  1418

  So the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  Stated against:
  Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. 
Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 669.
  Ms. CHENEY. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been 
present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 669.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, a motion to reconsider is 
laid on the table.
  Mr. HARRIS. I object.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Objection is heard.

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