[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8170-H8179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3843, MERGER FILING FEE
MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2022; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7780,
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS ACT; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S. 3969,
PAVA PROGRAM INCLUSION ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules,
I call up House Resolution 1396 and ask for its immediate
consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 1396
Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be
in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 3843) to
promote antitrust enforcement and protect competition through
adjusting premerger filing fees, and increasing antitrust
enforcement resources. 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 117-66 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 or their respective
designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 2. 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.
7780) to support the behavioral needs of students and youth,
invest in the school-based behavioral health workforce, and
ensure access to mental health and substance use disorder
benefits. 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 one hour equally divided and controlled by
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Education and Labor or their respective designees. After
general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the amendment in the
nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on
Education and Labor now printed in the bill, an amendment in
the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules
Committee Print 117-67 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 the report of the Committee on Rules
accompanying this resolution. 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.
In the case of sundry further amendments reported from the
Committee, the question of their adoption shall be put to the
House en gros and without division of the question. The
previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill
and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening
motion except one motion to recommit.
Sec. 3. During consideration of H.R. 7780, the Chair may
entertain a motion that the Committee rise only if offered by
the chair of the Committee on Education and Labor or his
designee. The Chair may not entertain a motion to strike out
the enacting words of the bill (as described in clause 9 of
rule XVIII).
Sec. 4. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (S. 3969) to amend
the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to explicitly authorize
distribution of grant funds to the voting accessibility
protection and advocacy system of the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands and the system serving the American
Indian consortium, and for other purposes. 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 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
House Administration or their respective designees; and (2)
one motion to commit.
Sec. 5. On any legislative day during the period from
October 3, 2022, through November 11, 2022, the Journal of
the proceedings of the previous day shall be considered as
approved.
Sec. 6. The Speaker may appoint Members to perform the
duties of the Chair for the duration of the period addressed
by section 5 of this resolution as though under clause 8(a)
of rule I.
Sec. 7. Each day during the period addressed by section 5
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. 8. Each day during the period addressed by section 5
of this resolution shall not constitute a legislative day for
purposes of clause 7 of rule XIII.
Sec. 9. Each day during the period addressed by section 5
of this resolution shall not constitute a calendar or
legislative day for purposes of clause 7(c)(1) of rule XXII.
Sec. 10. (a) At any time through the legislative day of
Friday, September 30, 2022, the Speaker may entertain motions
offered by the Majority Leader or a designee that the House
suspend the rules as though under clause 1 of rule XV with
respect to multiple measures described in subsection (b), and
the Chair shall put the question on any such motion without
debate or intervening motion.
(b) A measure referred to in subsection (a) includes any
measure that was the object of a motion to suspend the rules
on the legislative day of September 28, 2022, September 29,
2022, or September 30, 2022, in the form as so offered, on
which the yeas and nays were ordered and further proceedings
postponed pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX.
(c) Upon the offering of a motion pursuant to subsection
(a) concerning multiple measures, the ordering of the yeas
and nays on postponed motions to suspend the rules with
respect to such measures is vacated to the end that all such
motions are considered as withdrawn.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California is recognized
for 1 hour.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield
the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs.
Fischbach), 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
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Rules Committee met and
reported a rule, House Resolution 1396, providing for consideration of
three measures.
First, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7780 under a
structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking minority member of
the Committee on Education and Labor, and makes in order two
amendments, and provides one motion to recommit.
Second, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 3843 under a
closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided
and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on the Judiciary and a motion to recommit.
Third, the rule provides for consideration of S. 3969 under a closed
rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and
controlled by the chair and the ranking minority member of the
Committee on House Administration and a motion to commit.
The rule provides the majority leader or his designee the ability to
en bloc requested roll call votes on suspension bills considered on
September 28 to September 30. This authority lasts through September
30, 2022.
Lastly, the rule provides standard recess instructions from October 3
to November 11.
Mr. Speaker, an average of 18 young Americans took their own lives
every
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day in 2020. When children take their own lives, families and
communities are left broken. This includes the community of Moorhead,
Minnesota, which faced the devastating loss of 13-year old Horizon
Middle School student Jacoby Blake to suicide just last year.
These sad stories happen all over this country in all of our
districts. Mental health disorders, as a whole, are a common cause of
death. It is estimated by CDC that 8 million deaths worldwide, which
represents about 14.3 of total annual deaths, are attributable to
mental disorders.
Even before the pandemic, the unmet mental and behavioral health
needs of young people, students, and teachers, were a serious problem.
In talking with teachers in the district I represent in the East Bay
of the San Francisco Bay area, it is clear that this problem has become
a crisis. Teachers, administrators, and parents, often tell me that
dealing with their students and their children's and their own mental
and behavioral health challenges is among the most difficult things
they deal with every day.
The data, unfortunately, backs up these stories. Teachers are saying,
just last year, almost half of the students experienced persistent
sadness or hopelessness, and nearly 20 percent seriously considered
suicide.
Think of that, Mr. Speaker. Almost one in four American children have
considered suicide in the last 2 years.
At the same time, 27 percent of teachers reported symptoms of
depression, which is significantly higher than average adults, and
those numbers have been growing.
Despite these warning signs, over 60 percent of children experiencing
major depression do not receive any form of mental health treatment,
and only 22 percent of teachers reported receiving emotional support
from their school, their school district, or professional staff.
This is at a time when investments in the National Institute of
Mental Health is discovering exponential information about how our
brains work, how they cognitively develop, and the danger to trauma.
We are not getting this information out to the people who need it the
most. We know that when people get treatment, they succeed. They
overcome their difficulties.
As a Nation, we are underinvesting in the resources our students
need, and our communities, our parents, our teachers, our
administrators, to stay healthy, to succeed in school, and retain
talented teachers and professionals and make sure that future Americans
grow and are ready to carry on the legacy that we have inherited from
former generations.
While the School Social Work Association of America recommends a
ratio of 250 students per social worker, not one single State meets
this recommended ratio. The national average is 2,106 of students per
social worker; 2,106, as opposed to the recommended average of 250.
I am proud this week that the House is advancing my legislation, the
Mental Health Matters Act, to confront this crisis head on, to give
communities and parents and teachers the resources they need.
This bill was drafted with the needs of students, parents, and
teachers in mind and is the product of months of careful consideration
about how Congress can best respond to our Nation's mental health
crisis.
This legislation before us would expand the school-based mental and
behavioral health workforce, promote accessibility for students with
disabilities, provide resources to address trauma in young children,
and strengthen the ability of Americans with employer-sponsored
insurance to access mental health and substance use disorder treatments
they are statutorily entitled to.
From my discussions with mental health professionals over the years
and research that has informed this legislation, it is clear that
failure to address these challenges at a young age can harm performance
at school and work and lead to ever worsening mental and behavioral
health outcomes later in life for individuals and for our country.
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Anxiety and reading disorders co-occur in approximately 25 percent of
students. For individuals whose reading challenges persist into
adulthood, there is a greater likelihood of depression, low self-
esteem, and difficulty in social functioning.
To break this cycle, a provision I authored would help Head Start
agencies implement evidence-based interventions to improve the health
of children and staff.
While investment is needed for greater access to school-based mental
health and behavioral health, individuals and families with employer-
sponsored health insurance must also have robust access to treatment
outside of school.
Some insurers, unfortunately, have placed arbitrary coverage limits
on mental and behavioral health care, making it hard for patients to
access treatment in the same way they would for physical ailments. This
legislation makes great strides in the fight for mental health parity
so that families can focus more on staying healthy and less on battling
insurers for coverage.
Mental health and suicide prevention are deeply personal issues for
me, having lost my own father to suicide almost 34 years ago. In
advancing this bill, it is my hope that we can prevent many families
from having to experience what mine went through several decades ago.
Also included in today's rule is the Merger Filing Fee Modernization
Act. This bipartisan bill would increase the filing fee that large
corporations must pay the Federal Trade Commission in order to conduct
a merger.
A recent surge in merger filings has placed a strain on the FTC's
resources, and updating the fee schedule will help the agency cope with
its many demands.
Finally, we will also consider the PAVA Program Inclusion Act under
the rule. This Senate-passed legislation would help ensure that all
programs designed to help voters with disabilities can access Federal
funds regardless of their location.
Unfortunately, programs designed to help individuals with
disabilities vote who are Native Americans or who live in the Northern
Mariana Islands are not currently able to access the Protection and
Advocacy for Voting Access funds in the same manner as other Federal
programs. The PAVA Program Inclusion Act will fix this injustice, and
passing this bill will send it to President Biden's desk to be signed
into law.
Mr. Speaker, we have a great opportunity this week to make
transformative investments in our Nation's future and our mental health
and pass other commonsense legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California
for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
We are here to debate the rule providing for consideration of three
bills: H.R. 7780, Mental Health Matters Act; H.R. 3843, Merger Filing
Fee Modernization Act; and S. 3969, Protection and Advocacy for Voting
Access, or PAVA, Program Inclusion Act.
H.R. 3843 would increase funding to the Federal Trade Commission
without justification or restrictions on that funding. This is the same
agency that, through its strategic plan for the next 4 years, removed a
longstanding clause that states the agency will not unduly burden
legitimate business activity.
In the coming term, the Supreme Court will hear a case as to whether
the FTC is mission creeping beyond the bounds of its constitutional
authority. The FTC, through its initiatives in antitrust enforcement,
has taken an increasing liberal view of its traditional focus on
protecting consumers from fraud and ensuring businesses have clear
rules to follow and is instead moving toward an interpretation of
reshaping the American economy through enforcement action.
In the Committee on the Judiciary, my colleagues offered amendments
to put limitations on this funding.
Mr. Roy offered an amendment to prohibit appropriated funds from
being used to promote critical race theory and one to require funds to
be used to enforce antitrust laws as defined in the Clayton Act.
Mr. Fitzgerald offered one to prohibit funds from being used for non-
enforcement activities.
Mr. Bishop offered one to limit the scope of the bill to only apply
to mergers involving large technology companies.
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All of these failed on party lines, and I can't understand why,
unless my colleagues on the left want to encourage the FTC to get
involved in issues outside of its purview. The FTC is out of control
under this administration and cannot be trusted with these additional
resources.
H.R. 7780 misses the mark. Republicans are committed to addressing
the mental health crisis facing young people in the country.
Unfortunately, this bill is another one-size-fits-all proposal that
fails to provide local leaders with the flexibility they need to
address the unique problems they face. Republicans support mental
health parity, but this bill will actually do the opposite. It opens
insurers and employers to lawsuits when they voluntarily offer to
provide mental health care benefits.
As with so many bills promoted by the majority this Congress,
provisions of this bill ban arbitration clauses, class action waivers,
and representation waivers, discouraging other means of settling
disputes and pushing creating even more bottlenecks in our judicial
system.
During markup, Republicans offered an alternative bill that
streamlined existing programs, helped the needs on the ground, helped
all students in need regardless of where their school is, and included
important accountability metrics. I wish we were discussing that bill
here today. Unfortunately, this and every other Republican amendment is
effectively blocked from discussion under this rule.
Mr. Speaker, it is for that reason that I oppose the rule and ask
Members to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I appreciate the comments from my friend.
Just on the mental health part, we did have hearings in the
subcommittee I am proud to chair, the Subcommittee on Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions. We have had ongoing discussions with
both the ranking member of that subcommittee and the ranking member of
the full committee, so I think this is to be continued.
I would say on the mental health part of the rule, the urgency is
right now, as I outlined in my opening comments. It is something we
will have to continue to work with and hopefully will in good faith
because all of these issues are on mental health, particularly for
young people. I have agreed in my conversations with my friends, the
ranking members, Ms. Foxx and Mr. Allen, and I look forward to
continuing that. I think there is a real urgency on that.
On the trust, I respectfully disagree. Given the level of inequality
in this country right now, I think it is really important that we
support competition in the marketplace, and the Federal Trade
Commission needs the resources to make sure that that happens.
The PAVA bill obviously has bipartisan support.
On all of these bills, I am anxious to get them off the floor today
as a rule and look forward to seeing the continued debate tomorrow on
the specific bills and the outcome of those bills.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague from
California (Ms. Lofgren).
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, today, I reluctantly rise in opposition to
this rule and will vote ``no.''
I am a supporter of all three bills covered by this rule as they were
originally introduced. I am even the cosponsor of Representative
Neguse's bill to increase filing fees. However, very unfortunately,
this rule advances a modified version of that bill. It tacks on
provisions from Representative Buck's antitrust enforcement venue bill,
and these antitrust venue provisions are unwise public policy.
I vocally opposed them during the Committee on the Judiciary markup
and have dutifully kept my leadership apprised of my opposition to them
since that time.
Despite proponents trying to sell these venue provisions as
noncontroversial, I am far from the only Member with concerns.
Furthermore, in a highly unusual move, the Administrative Office of
the U.S. Courts wrote to Congress outlining their serious concerns with
these venue policy provisions. Opposition also comes in letters from
the Progressive Policy Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Proponents argue that State attorneys general are in favor. Well, I
understand it was sold to them as a noncontroversial provision. Of
course, they would be in favor. It makes life easier for them. It
doesn't address the very serious issues outlined by the Administrative
Office of the Courts, and it doesn't make this good, wise policy.
So, very reluctantly, I will vote ``no.'' I would gladly support
today's rule if these venue provisions were not tacked onto the other
good bills.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the letters from the
Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Progressive
Policy Institute, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Administrative Office of
The United States Courts,
Washington, DC, July 19, 2021.
Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Leader: I write regarding H.R. 3460, the ``State
Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act of 2021,'' which was ordered
reported as amended by the Committee on the Judiciary on June
24, 2021. Neither the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict
Litigation (``Panel'') nor any of the relevant committees of
the Judicial Conference of the United States (``Conference'')
have had the opportunity to analyze this bill thoroughly.
Considering its potential impact on the federal Judiciary and
the efficient administration of justice, I offer for your
consideration the following initial observations. These
comments are neither expressions of support for, nor
opposition to the bill. Nevertheless, I hope they are helpful
and note that pending a more in-depth analysis, by both the
Panel and the relevant Conference committees, additional
comments may be submitted.
Background
Section 1407 was enacted in 1968, in the wake of a large
multidistrict antitrust litigation involving alleged
conspiracies to divide businesses and fix prices in multiple
product lines of electrical equipment. That litigation
encompassed more than a thousand actions in numerous federal
judicial districts brought, in large part, by public
utilities against virtually every manufacturer of electrical
equipment. The sudden influx of civil antitrust actions led
to the creation of ad hoc procedures to coordinate the
litigation before a smaller number of judges to eliminate
duplicative discovery and pretrial proceedings.
Section 1407 was intended to serve as a permanent solution
to the problem that large multidistrict litigations pose to
the federal Judiciary's ability to administer its civil
docket efficiently and justly. The statute created a panel of
seven circuit and district judges, no two of whom shall be
from the same circuit, which is authorized to transfer civil
actions involving one or more common questions of fact and
pending in different districts to a single district for
coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings. See 28
U.S.C. Sec. 1407(a). To distinguish from other forms of
transfer and consolidation, transfer for coordinated or
consolidated pretrial proceedings under Section 1407 is
referred to as ``centralization.'' The Panel may transfer
actions for centralized pretrial proceedings only if it
determines that transfer will be for the convenience of the
parties and witnesses and will promote the just and efficient
conduct of such actions. Id. Civil actions transferred to
multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceedings are remanded by
the Panel at the conclusion of pretrial proceedings to their
transferor districts (i.e., trial is conducted in the
district of original filing), unless the actions were
terminated during the course of pretrial proceedings. Id.
Over the past fifty years, MDLs have encompassed a wide
variety of civil litigation in the federal courts, but
antitrust litigations have always constituted a core category
of cases subject to centralization. Section 1407 contains one
exception with respect to antitrust MDLs--enforcement actions
by the United States arising under the federal antitrust laws
are not subject to transfer under Section 1407. See 28 U.S.C.
Sec. 1407(g). Congress has amended Section 1407 only once. As
part of the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of
1976, Congress added subsection (h), which authorizes the
Panel to consolidate and transfer any action brought under 15
U.S.C. Sec. 15c (i.e., State parens patriae actions) for both
pretrial purposes and trial. See 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1407(h).
Concerns
H.R. 3460 would amend 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1407 to limit the
Panel's ability to centralize civil actions brought by States
under the antitrust laws of the United States and delete the
subsection added by the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust
Improvements Act of 1976. Congress to date has never amended
Section 1407 to restrict the Panel's ability to centralize
civil actions. Doing so in this instance raises several
concerns that merit Congress's consideration.
H.R. 3460 May Negatively Impact the Efficiency and Conduct of
Antitrust MDLs
Restricting the Panel's ability to centralize State
antitrust actions could negatively impact the efficiency and
conduct of
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antitrust MDLs. When the Panel centralizes actions under
Section 1407, it considers whether centralization will
enhance convenience and efficiency with respect to the
parties, witnesses, and the federal Judiciary as a whole--the
Panel does not limit its consideration to the impact on any
one party in isolation. In general, MDL litigation is most
efficient when all related actions are centralized before a
single judge. Doing so minimizes the potential for
duplicative discovery and motion practice, eliminates the
potential for inconsistent pretrial schedules or rulings, and
conserves the resources of the parties, counsel, and the
Judiciary. To the extent there are actions with different
legal issues or concerns, the MDL judge can formulate a
pretrial program that allows pretrial proceedings with
respect to any non-common issues to proceed concurrently with
pretrial proceedings on common issues (for example, by
creating a separate discovery or motion track for certain
actions). This ensures that pretrial proceedings will be
conducted in a streamlined manner leading to a just and
expeditious resolution of all actions to the overall benefit
of the parties.
Excepting State antitrust actions from centralization can
only increase the number of actions (and, hence, the number
of independent parties and courts) outside the ambit of the
MDL. Related actions that cannot be centralized can introduce
case management difficulties into the MDL. Parties and courts
in actions pending outside the MDL may (either actively or
inadvertently) undermine attempts to coordinate and
streamline discovery and pretrial practice in the litigation.
For instance, such actions may be subject to different
pretrial schedules, parties and witnesses might by subject to
duplicative discovery, and the courts might issue
inconsistent pretrial rulings pertaining to the same parties.
It also is possible that substantively inconsistent rulings
could issue--such as with respect to market definition or
which standard of review (per se or rule of reason) applies
to a given case. Given the nationwide scope of these
antitrust litigations, such inconsistent rulings may
complicate proceedings and sow confusion not only among the
courts and parties, but also in the marketplace.
H.R. 3460 May Result in Inefficient Judicial Administration
of Antitrust Litigation
Apart from the general impact on efficiency caused by
increasing the number of actions that cannot be centralized,
there could be particular inefficiencies created by excepting
State antitrust actions from centralization. States are, in
many ways, similar to private antitrust plaintiffs. For
instance, States may sue because they have suffered a direct
antitrust injury (e.g., if the State directly purchased a
product subject to an alleged price fixing conspiracy). Along
with their claims under the federal antitrust laws, States
may also include claims brought under state antitrust law for
``indirect'' antitrust damages not permitted under federal
antitrust law. Both types of claims are substantially similar
to those presented by private plaintiffs asserting antitrust
injury as direct or indirect purchasers. As such, these type
of State antitrust claims will present factual and legal
issues that are similar or identical to those presented by
the claims of the private plaintiffs. These common claims
generally will be most efficiently litigated in a centralized
proceeding. Notably, similar claims by the United States for
civil damages due to injury to the government itself are not
excluded from centralization under Section 1407. See 28
U.S.C. Sec. 1407(g) (stating that the exemption for claims
brought by the United States as a complainant under the
antitrust laws ``shall not include section 4A of the Act of
October 15, 1914, as added July 7, 1955 (69 Stat. 282; 15
U.S.C. 15a)'').
In addition, States may bring federal antitrust claims on
behalf of their citizens who have suffered harm due to the
alleged anticompetitive conduct (parens patriae actions).
Those citizens may be class members in private antitrust
actions. Indeed, Section 4C of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C.
Sec. 15c, imposes on State parens patriae actions notice and
opt out requirements akin to those for private class actions
under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. Courts also are
statutorily obligated to exclude from any award in a parens
patriae action any amounts that duplicate awards in private
actions. See 15 U.S.C. Sec. 15c(a)(1). A single MDL judge
usually will be best positioned to coordinate state and
private litigations.
H.R. 3460 Could Adversely Affect the Interest of States
Excluding State antitrust actions from MDL proceedings
could adversely affect the interests of the States. While
States might gain greater autonomy with respect to their
individual actions, they would lose much of their ability to
participate in and influence the centralized proceedings.
Collaboration between private plaintiffs and State Attorneys
General also may be reduced, particularly if the States
retain outside counsel to prosecute their antitrust claims.
Such counsel may have attorneys' fees or other incentives
inconsistent with close coordination with the MDL. This could
result (absent coordination between the different courts) in
competing pretrial schedules and inconsistent orders that
complicate the management and adjudication of both the State
antitrust action and the MDL.
H.R. 3460 Could Undermine the Panel's Efforts to Enhance
Coordination with Federal Antitrust Litigation
Excluding State antitrust actions from centralization could
undermine the Panel's efforts to facilitate coordination and
cooperation between private antitrust litigation and
antitrust actions brought by the United States. Where there
is a federal enforcement action or investigation that cannot
be included in a given antitrust MDL, the Panel often will
centralize the MDL in the court where the federal antitrust
action or grand jury proceedings are pending to facilitate
any appropriate and necessary coordination with the private
actions. By multiplying the number of actions excluded from
centralization under Section 1407, the proposed legislation
might eliminate this alternative means of facilitating
coordination with respect to litigations involving both
federal and state antitrust actions.
Conclusion
Thank you for considering these comments. We request that
the Committees of the Judicial Conference and the Panel have
the opportunity to conduct more in-depth analysis of the
legislation before any further consideration by Congress.
Sincerely,
Roslynn R. Mauskopf,
Director.
____
Progressive Policy Institute (PPI)
September 26, 2022.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Steny Hoyer,
Majority Leader, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
Minority Leader, House of Representatives
Washington, DC.
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Hoyer:
State enforcement of antitrust law plays a key role in
protecting consumer welfare in the face of corporate
monopolies. However, the national nature of our economy means
that, in many cases, consumers across state lines are buying
the same products and services. H.R. 3460, the State
Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act, retreats from the national
nature of many markets by attempting to refocus antitrust law
on a state-by-state basis. It makes this shift by preventing
venue transfers for antitrust cases brought by state
attorneys general in favor of a system where states can bring
antitrust claims against companies with more control over the
venue in which these cases are carried out. A major change
such as this will have unforeseen consequences in a variety
of antitrust situations. It is for this and the following
reasons we urge you to oppose H.R. 3460, which is
incorporated in the House Rules Committee notice hearing for
the modified version of H.R. 3843, the Merger Filing Fee
Modernization Act.
A July 2021 letter from the Director of the Administrative
Office of the U.S. Courts explains the ways in which the bill
would reduce efficiency in the American judicial system. It
highlights that currently under 28 U.S. Code Sec. 1407
similar civil cases in different districts are consolidated
by the Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation, which
then transfers the case to a single district. This can be
requested by the defendant and the intent is to minimize
duplicative processes and prevent inconsistent rulings.
By discarding this means for centralization through the
passage of H.R. 3460, the processes through which states
approach antitrust cases is fundamentally changed. As is
pointed out by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts,
efficiency is compromised, as courts will need to separately
engage in similar discovery and pretrial proceedings in
different venues, even in cases where it would conserve the
time of the court and taxpayer money to carry out in a single
district.
Additional concerns lie in the potential for politically
motivated judicial consequences associated with the bill. The
bill's elimination of the consolidation process for antitrust
cases brought under 15 U.S.C. Sec. 15c will give rise to a
reality where different states could simultaneously pursue
their own separate antitrust actions against the same
companies across various federal courts. As such, state
attorneys generals may harass companies that are politically
unpopular in a particular state or region.
Creating a fragmented and inefficient antitrust system is
not the optimal remedy for potential corporate antitrust
violations. We urge you to oppose H.R. 3460, the State
Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act, and avoid the unintended
consequences that may come with it.
Sincerely,
Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), Center for New
Liberalism (CNL), Computer & Communications Industry
Association (CCIA), Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce,
South Shore Chamber of Commerce, Council Bluffs Chamber of
Commerce, Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York, Florida State
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
____
U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
Government Affairs,
Washington, DC, September 27, 2022.
To the Members of the House of Representatives: The U.S.
Chamber of Commerce strongly opposes in its current form H.R.
3843, the ``Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022,''
because it would stymie legitimate business transactions
across sectors and industries, create needless new
bureaucracy, and spur unwarranted litigation. The
[[Page H8174]]
Chamber will consider including votes related to this
legislation in our ``How They Voted'' scorecard.
The egregious provisions of the bill include:
Venue. While no longer retroactive as it was in previous
drafts of the bill, the Multi District Litigation (MDL)
provisions could force firms into simultaneously defending
against private litigants, the federal government, and
various states in dozens of different courtrooms around the
country. The Administrative Office of the United States
Courts indicates that such legislation could harm MDL
participants more generally by harming judicial efficiency
and administration and hamper coordination of state and
federal enforcement actions with MDLs. Moreover, these
problems would be compounded when states employ private,
outside contingency fee attorneys to maximize profits through
litigation, rather than to protect consumers or competition.
Transparency and Fees. Only a handful of the thousands of
mergers filed each year present potential competition
concerns. Yet, the agencies have refused to meet the
statutory deadlines for process and accountability under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act. Rather, regulators issue notice
letters to firms that essentially dare companies to close
mergers at the risk of future action. It is unacceptable to
engage in abusive procedural gimmicks. Congress should not
raise merger fees while the agencies are currently engaging
in process violations.
Foreign Subsidy Notification Provision. Despite efforts to
improve the subsidy notification provisions, they remain un-
administrable. The legislation provides no clear definition
as to what constitutes a subsidy, there is no definition as
to what qualifies as a ``country of concern,'' and the
disclosure of subsidies has zero bearing on merger review and
the merger standard under the law. Subsidies involved in how
a deal is financed are not a concern under the antitrust
laws, and concerns tied to subsidies the merging parties have
received will not result in the government successfully
blocking the merger as a remedy to predatory pricing
concerns.
The Chamber urges you to oppose this legislation.
Sincerely,
Evan Jenkins,
Senior Vice President,
U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I always say that I respect and admire
my friend from the San Francisco Bay Area. Sometimes, we disagree.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Buck).
Mr. BUCK. Mr. Speaker, Big Tech is crushing competition and crushing
conservative speech. H.R. 3843 contains three important measures that
will help America with Big Tech.
The first gives State attorneys general the ability to file their
lawsuits and keep those lawsuits in their States. The 48 State
attorneys general have asked Congress to move this bill forward. It
received broad bipartisan support in the Committee on the Judiciary.
The second is a bill that Senator Hawley and our colleague,
Congressman Fitzgerald, have supported. It basically prohibits China
from buying small high-tech companies so that they can steal our
innovation.
The third bill that is combined with H.R. 3843 raises filing fees.
Make no mistake, there are controls on these filing fees. They have to
be appropriated for the FTC by the Appropriations Committee. That is a
control. The Appropriations Committee, I hope, will be under Republican
control in the next Congress, and it will be controlled so that nobody
in the FTC is using these funds in an inappropriate way, other than
reviewing the mergers at issue.
Mr. Speaker, my friend Senator Cruz has said it absolutely correctly:
The greatest threat to democracy in this country is Big Tech.
Senator Lee, Senator Cotton, and Senator Grassley support the House
version of this bill because it is a conservative bill, a bipartisan
bill, and a bill that will help America deal with Big Tech. I hope my
colleagues will support H.R. 3843.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the names and
correspondence of several organizations I will mention just briefly.
These are 40 different organizations that have written to Congress in
support of H.R. 3843, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act.
Amongst them are Accountable Tech, American Trust Institute, American
Family Voices, Artist Rights Alliance, Center for Democracy and
Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Common Sense Media, Consumer
Action, Consumer Reports, Free Press Action, Open Markets Institute,
Our Revolution, the Service Employees International Union, the
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and the Writers Guild of
America West, amongst others. We have covered a broad group here.
These organizations include:
Accountable Tech, American Antitrust Institute, American
Economic Liberties Project, American Family Voices, Artist
Rights Alliance, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-
CIO, Athena, Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment,
Center for Democracy & Technology, Center for Digital
Democracy, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Common
Sense Media, Consumer Action.
Consumer Reports, Demand Progress, Demos, Economic Security
Project Action, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC),
Farm Action Fund, Fight for the Future, Free Press Action,
Future of Music Coalition, Institute for Local Self-Reliance,
International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National Grocers
Association, New York Communities for Change.
Open Markets Institute, Our Revolution, P Street/
Progressive Change Campaign Committee, People's Parity
Project, Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, Revolving Door
Project, Service Employees International Union, The
Democratic Coalition, The Tech Oversight Project, UltraViolet
Action, Writers Guild of America West (WGAW).
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question,
Republicans will offer an amendment to the rule allowing for the
immediate consideration of H.R. 6184, the HALT Fentanyl Act.
I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into 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
gentlewoman from Minnesota?
There was no objection.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, over 100,000 people died from fentanyl
overdoses in a 1-year span, according to the CDC. That is a 30 percent
increase from the year before.
Fentanyl is now the number one cause of death for Americans ages 18
to 45. I think we can all agree that something must be done to put a
stop to this heartbreaking epidemic.
{time} 1815
Fentanyl has been temporarily classified as a schedule I substance.
This classification strengthens law enforcement's ability to prosecute
fentanyl traffickers, and DEA reports that it has acted as an effective
deterrent.
The HALT Fentanyl Act would make the schedule I classification
permanent and would also promote research by removing regulations and
streamlining the research process. We should do everything we possibly
can to put an end to the devastation caused by fentanyl in this
country, and the HALT Fentanyl Act is one piece of the puzzle that
could make a real difference.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Griffith) to speak further on the amendment.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so
that we can immediately consider my bill, H.R. 6184, the Halt All
Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act.
Every Member of this body knows someone who has been affected by the
drug overdose epidemic plaguing our country.
Recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention indicates that during 2021 there were more than 107,000
overdose deaths that occurred in the United States, an increase of
nearly 15 percent from the previous year.
These record numbers are due in large part to the increasing presence
of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, which are approximately 100 times
more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.
Because fentanyl has a proven medical use, it is considered a
schedule II narcotic. But illicit derivatives of fentanyl, also called
fentanyl analogues or fentanyl-related substances, do not often
demonstrate a medical value. Right now they are considered schedule I
substances, but only because of a temporary scheduling order which
expires on December 31.
My bill aims to curb overdose deaths by permanently scheduling
fentanyl analogues as schedule I substances. This will strengthen law
enforcement's ability to prosecute fentanyl traffickers and act as a
deterrent.
[[Page H8175]]
The HALT Fentanyl Act also promotes research by removing barriers to
that research. In the Energy and Commerce Committee, we heard there are
as many as 4,800 analogues. Our experts at the NIH, the FDA, and other
agencies have studied roughly 30 of these 4,800 analogues.
By encouraging research of schedule I substances like fentanyl
analogues, we can better understand how these substances work and how
we can prevent potentially harmful impacts in the future.
The problem is that if this law expires and doesn't become permanent,
those 4,800 analogues are arguably legal--I would submit they are
legal--and we have to pass a law on each one of them. The HALT Fentanyl
Act makes it so we don't have to do that.
Should we discover that one of those 4,800 or maybe two have a
legitimate medical purpose, then we can come back in and consider that,
but it is a whole lot easier to figure out what we have already done
research on when we have done research on 30 of 4,800 analogues than it
is to say, wait a minute, we are going to make all of these legal, and
then figure out which ones of them are the most dangerous to the
American public. I would submit they are all dangerous and that
Congress must pass the HALT Fentanyl Act now.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Burgess).
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on and urge defeat of the
previous question so that we can immediately take up H.R. 6184, the
HALT Fentanyl Act.
Mr. Speaker, there is a crisis on our southern border greater than we
have ever seen due to the policies put in place by the Biden
administration. Almost 2\1/2\ million migrants have crossed our
southern border in fiscal year 2022. In 2021 alone, border officials
encountered nearly 2 million illegal immigrants and seized over 11,000
pounds of fentanyl. This is a public health crisis that demands
immediate attention.
H.R. 6184, the HALT Fentanyl Act, places fentanyl-related analogues
into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and establishes a new
registration process for schedule I research funding by the Department
of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The move to permanently schedule fentanyl as schedule I is a
necessary tool for the Drug Enforcement Administration to work with
other agencies and law enforcement officials to address the threat of
illicit fentanyl.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl
is now the number one cause of death for Americans 18 to 45, surpassing
suicide, COVID-19, and car accidents.
Mr. Speaker, we have all heard stories about how drug dealers are
using social media and apps, like Snapchat, to infiltrate chats with
teens or young kids and sell them these illicit drugs. We have no idea
what they are selling and whether or not the drug is laced with
fentanyl.
Two Congresses ago, the Energy and Commerce Committee worked hard on
the SUPPORT Act to deal with what at the time was called an opiate
crisis, but we have moved on from that, and now we have a fentanyl
crisis.
This is a different disease. It demands attention at the southern
border, it demands attention to the analogues being shipped to Mexico
from China, and it demands that our Drug Enforcement Administration
have the tools it needs to interrupt this deadly epidemic of drug
overdose deaths. One death is too many, and we need to equip our
communities to address this issue from the source.
If it has changed so much in 4 years, imagine what it will look like
in 10 years if nothing is done now. I urge Members to defeat the
previous question so we can immediately take up this important bill.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the
previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 6184, the
HALT Fentanyl Act, and stop the deadly flow of fentanyl into our
communities.
The failure of the Biden administration to control the southern
border has resulted in record levels of deadly synthetic drugs, like
fentanyl, pouring directly into American communities. So far this
fiscal year, over 10,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the
southern border, with even more slipping through into our country. That
is enough fentanyl to kill every American eight times over.
There is little doubt that the surge of drug seizures at our border
is closely connected to the surge of drug overdose deaths in the United
States. In fact, every 7\1/2\ minutes, someone in the United States
dies from fentanyl poisoning. Every 7\1/2\ minutes. There is an
opportunity here for us to work together to help stem the flow of
deadly fentanyl and its analogues into our country.
In my home State of Georgia, fentanyl overdose deaths in teens are up
800 percent. 800 percent. Tragic overdoses like this are happening
every day all over the country.
Even the CDC reports that fentanyl is now the leading cause of death
in the U.S. for adults ages 18 to 45. How can anyone seriously argue
that a drug 50 times more potent than heroin that almost always proves
to be fatal when ingested should ever be legal?
Despite this crisis, the President did not request a single
additional penny for the border crisis or the fentanyl crisis in the
funding request for the CR. That is despicable.
Again, these products are manufactured illegally and are largely
brought to the United States through the southern border. To save
lives, we must secure the border and halt the flow of fentanyl.
I have visited the border several times to see this crisis firsthand.
Unfortunately, our President has never visited our southern border.
Never been there. Not even once.
With a record-high number of illegal immigrants, smugglers and
cartels are using this as an opportunity to traffic more fentanyl
substances.
Unfortunately, President Biden and his administration have elected to
leave our border wide open, inviting drug traffickers to bring fentanyl
substances into the country and distribute it in our streets.
This should not be a partisan issue. Fentanyl does not discriminate.
It doesn't care if you are a Republican or a Democrat.
The individuals manufacturing and distributing fentanyl and its
analogues are criminal, and they are killing us. This is not an issue
that is going away. It is only getting worse every day.
If the President would visit the border, he would be able to talk to
the agents firsthand and see for himself just how serious the issue is.
Our communities are at risk, and our loved ones are dying. President
Biden has ignored this public health crisis for far too long.
It is past time to make this scheduling classification permanent, and
I am proud to support the HALT Fentanyl Act to do just that.
Mr. Speaker, let's pass this bill, secure the border, stem the tide
of the growing fentanyl crisis, and save lives.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record The Washington
Post article titled: ``U.S. arrests along Mexico border top 2 million a
year for first time.''
[From the Washington Post, Sept. 19, 2022]
U.S. Arrests Along Mexico Border Top 2 Million a Year for First Time
(By Nick Miroff)
U.S. authorities made more than 2 million immigration
arrests along the southern border during the past 11 months,
marking the first time annual enforcement statistics have
exceeded that threshold, according to figures provided by
senior Biden administration officials Monday.
In August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained
203,598 migrants crossing from Mexico, the latest figures
show, putting authorities on pace to tally more than 2.3
million arrests during the government's 2022 fiscal year,
which ends Sept. 30. The total, which includes some people
apprehended more than once, far exceeds last year's record of
more than 1.7 million arrests.
The historic migration wave this year has been driven by
soaring numbers of border-crossers from outside Mexico and
Central America, the two largest traditional sources of
illegal entries. Migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba
accounted for more than one-third of those taken into custody
along the southern border last month, according to Customs
and Border Protection, a 175 percent increase over August
2021.
[[Page H8176]]
Biden administration officials blamed the governments of
those countries, whose strained relations with Washington
severely limit the ability of authorities to send them
deportees. Many of the migrants apply for humanitarian
protection in the United States and tend to have strong
asylum claims.
``Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and
Cuba are driving a new wave of migration across the Western
Hemisphere, including the recent increase in encounters at
the southwest U.S. border,'' Customs and Border Protection
Commissioner Chris Magnus, said in a statement. ``Those
fleeing repressive regimes pose significant challenges for
processing and removal,'' he said, using the official term
for deportations.
Biden administration officials continue to insist they are
building a ``safe, orderly and humane'' immigration system
while blaming the Trump administration for ``dismantling''
channels for legal migration.
Critics say Biden administration officials have fallen far
short of meeting their refugee admission goals, and the
number of migrants who have died this year attempting to
cross into the United States is at an all-time high. Scores
have drowned in the Rio Grande in recent months, and 53 were
killed in June when smugglers in Texas packed migrants into a
sweltering tractor trailer with a failing cooling system.
Republican lawmakers blame the record number of crossings
on President Biden's reversal of Trump administration border
policies. Over the past several months, the Republican
governors of Texas and Arizona have sent more than 10,000
migrants on buses to Washington, New York and other northern
destinations to put pressure on Democrats by straining relief
services in their jurisdictions.
Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) shipped a
planeload of Venezuelans to Martha's Vineyard in
Massachusetts, transporting them to a wealthy island enclave
with limited services for migrants.
Biden administration officials also say the high border
numbers are distorted by repeat crossing attempts by migrants
who have been previously arrested. Last month, 22 percent of
those taken into custody had a prior arrest in the previous
12 months, the latest figures show.
One factor Biden administration officials blame for the
repeat crossings is the Title 42 emergency public health
policy, implemented at the start of the pandemic, that allows
U.S. agents to rapidly ''expel'' some migrants back to
Mexico. The Biden administration's attempt to phase out Title
42 was blocked in federal court last spring.
The latest figures show the percentage of border-crossers
expelled under Title 42 has been falling and remains far
lower under Biden than President Donald Trump. About 36
percent of the 203,598 migrant ``encounters'' resulted in an
expulsion last month, down from 83 percent when Biden took
office.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), said Monday that the strain on
Democratic-run cities will force the administration to see
the border surge as a crisis. ``Maybe, just maybe, they'll
see that what's happening along our border every day is
dangerous, unsustainable, and a problem that we need to work
on together to address,'' he said.
Biden officials defending the administration's border
record pointed to a decline in the number of Mexican and
Central American migrants arrested over the past three months
as a sign their enforcement policies are having some success,
including efforts to target smuggling organizations in Latin
America.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, the numbers don't lie. If the annual
number of apprehensions at the border is set to break records, that
means fewer migrants are making it into the country. The notion that
Biden is doing nothing is just absolutely not true.
Just secondarily, my good friend and co-chair of the Cancer Survivors
Caucus from Georgia, we have a wonderful relationship. On this I agree,
but I disagree on the process. As somebody who has spent a lot of time
on opioid abuse, and we know that in our experience with people like
myself who survived cancer, particularly more painful ones, that is a
product when used properly that can bring relief to people, but we know
about the abuse. As you said, a lot of that led to fentanyl.
We are against illegal drugs hurting Americans. We want to support
effective remedies to that. I would say that one of the most effective
things we can do--having had a long experience personally and
professionally in behavioral health--is to invest in the kind of bill
we have in front of us--with all due respect, with my name on it--to
get upstream, so we make sure that people have the resources, evidence-
based resources. So it is not as subjective to get the services they
need to protect themselves in an, unfortunately, far-too-free market
when it comes to the abuse of both legal and illegal drugs.
With all due respect, again, I am happy to work with the gentleman,
but I really think, from my perspective, it is an argument to engage in
the investment in behavioral health and mental health services. I will
still work with the gentleman to make sure people aren't bringing these
awful products across our border.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the previous
question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 6184, the HALT
Fentanyl Act.
Before I begin, I have to address something that was said just now. I
am the wife of a first responder. My husband sees these overdoses every
single day.
In my community, in just this year, we have apprehended bricks of
fentanyl stamped with border cartels' stamps on them. We know it is
coming from the border. We know it is being trafficked across, both in
trucks at ports of entry but also illegally. We know this to be a fact,
and if we do not secure the border this will continue to happen.
I will say, as the wife of a first responder, someone whose husband
has continually responded to these calls and is reviving people who
have been poisoned by fentanyl, it is not a matter of if he, himself,
overdoses, it is when. And that is going to be a very bad day because I
think that Members of this Chamber need to be held responsible for the
open border policies that this administration continues to allow. But I
digress.
Mr. Speaker, 108,000. That is the number of Americans who died from
drug overdoses last year. Of those, more than 80,000 were connected to
opioids. The lion's share of those opioid deaths were linked to
fentanyl.
Now, it is important that we remember that these numbers are actually
people. They are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters,
aunts, uncles. They are people. Not statistics. They are humans. They
represent millions of families who will never see their son, daughter,
husband, wife, brother, sister, father ever again. Millions of people
whose families have been shattered and feel helpless, broken, and angry
as these horrific substances destroyed their communities and their
family.
These thousands of victims represent communities crushed by this
epidemic, swept away by the flood of lethal substances that are ripping
apart the fabric of our society. These thousands of people lost lay
bare the denial, the weakness, and the lack of compassion that this
administration and my colleagues across the aisle have shown through
their ambivalence toward border security, our Nation's security, as
literally tons of fentanyl is trucked and walked across the southern
border and into our communities.
A few months ago, a mother from my district cried in my office as she
talked about her beautiful daughter, Mackenzie, who died from fentanyl
poisoning, not overdosing, poisoning, after taking what she thought was
a Xanax. She was 28 years old.
Now, unfortunately, Mackenzie's story is not unique. It is not rare.
Her mother, Rebecca, is now dedicating her life to saving mothers
across the country from the pain that she has endured from a
preventable loss and their daughters from Mackenzie's fate.
{time} 1830
To my colleagues on the left, you control this Chamber, so it is up
to you to decide. How many more Mackenzies have to die before you will
take action?
You can pretend that there is no crisis at the border. We see that.
That is evidenced in your remarks. But we know that is a lie. You visit
any community in this country, and you will see that it has been
ravaged by the death and destruction wrought by fentanyl. You cannot
deny it. Your constituents know it. The American people know it.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for our colleagues across the aisle to wake
up. So I stand here once again, as I did back in March, fighting
against the horrors of the opioid epidemic that have a stranglehold on
our communities. We once again have an opportunity to take a stand
today, not as Republicans or Democrats but as Americans and concerned
citizens, for those that have lost their lives, but also for those
potentially in the future. The families of those who lost deserve this.
Today is an opportunity to act. Today is an opportunity to put people
above politics. I commend my friend,
[[Page H8177]]
the gentleman from Virginia, for his great work and for sticking with
this bill and seeing it across the finish line.
I urge my colleagues, please, think with your hearts, perhaps in vain
but with hope, to defeat the previous question so that we can
immediately consider this bill, the HALT Fentanyl Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. McCollum). Members are reminded to
direct their remarks to the Chair.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I would say in brief response that I have great respect,
obviously, for our emergency responders. I appreciate what the
gentlewoman's husband does for a living and what they have to go
through. We all agree that we have to support thoughtful oversight to
stop these drugs from getting into the hands of people who it can do
great damage.
I have been to the border multiple times, both as a Member of
Congress and as a member of the California State Legislature. We have a
problem, and it has been a problem through Republican administrations
and Democratic administrations, both in State houses in the border
States and here in Washington, D.C.
We are not for open borders. We want to stop people being harmed by
illicit drugs. So the idea that we are not, I would respectfully say
that is not accurate.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield
myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, while I want to be in favor of these bills,
Republicans are in agreement that the underlying problems these bills
seek to solve are valid and warrant our attention. There are serious
flaws with these bills as written that must be considered first. H.R.
7780 is a one-size-fits-all strategy that will not help the people on
the ground. What a school in Minneapolis needs is not likely what a
school in my rural district needs. Furthermore, it pushes people in the
courts to settle disputes and discourages other methods of resolution.
H.R. 3843 trusts the FTC with no-strings-attached funding, even
though the FTC is becoming increasingly partisan and cannot be trusted
with more resources.
Madam Speaker, I oppose the rule, and I encourage other Members to do
the same.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I will read a few numbers, particularly on the part of the rule that
is the Mental Health Matters Act, which I am proud to be the author of
with Chairman Scott.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages of Americans 10
to 24; second for 12 to 18.
For adolescents, depression, substance abuse, and suicide are
extremely important concerns--an epidemic, I would say--among
adolescents age 12 to 17.
In 2018 to 2019, 15.1 percent of young Americans had major depressive
episodes; 36.7 had persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness; 4.1
had a substance abuse disorder; 18 percent seriously considered
attempting suicide; 16 percent made a suicide plan; and 10 percent
attempted suicide.
Madam Speaker, 10 percent of America's young people have attempted
suicide; 2.5 percent made suicide attempts requiring medical treatment.
For all those reasons, the part of the rule that is the Mental Health
Matters Act is extremely important to this country. Is it perfect? Of
course not, from every perspective of 535 Members of Congress and 435
Members of the House. But the need is too urgent, in my view, to wait.
That is why it is so important that not just this rule passes but the
bill is passed.
We need to put resources in the FTC with the most income inequality
and consolidation of wealth through mergers. Not always in our best
interest. It is important that the FTC has the resources it needs to
actually enforce the statutes as they currently have.
Madam Speaker, we need to help Americans, and specifically teachers
and students, get back to doing what they do best, teaching and
learning.
The legislation before us on the rule will help provide the resources
to improve mental health outcomes and educational attainment.
Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous
question.
The material previously referred to by Mrs. Fischbach is as follows:
Amendment to House Resolution 1396
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 11. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the
bill (H.R. 6184) to amend the Controlled Substances Act with
respect to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, and
for other purposes. 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 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 Energy and Commerce; and
(2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 13. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the
consideration of H.R. 6184.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Madam 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 on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Madam 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 suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3482.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 220,
nays 208, not voting 4, as follows:
[Roll No. 455]
YEAS--220
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bourdeaux
Bowman
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brown (MD)
Brown (OH)
Brownley
Bush
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel, Lois
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jacobs (CA)
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Jones
Kahele
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Leger Fernandez
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lieu
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moulton
Mrvan
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newman
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Peltola
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Ross
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (NY)
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NAYS--208
Aderholt
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
[[Page H8178]]
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bentz
Bergman
Bice (OK)
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brady
Brooks
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cawthorn
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Comer
Conway
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duncan
Dunn
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flood
Flores
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia (CA)
Gibbs
Gimenez
Gohmert
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez (OH)
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Harris
Harshbarger
Hartzler
Hern
Herrell
Herrera Beutler
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Issa
Jackson
Jacobs (NY)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Katko
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
LaTurner
Lesko
Letlow
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meijer
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Mullin
Murphy (NC)
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Obernolte
Owens
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sempolinski
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Taylor
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Wagner
Walberg
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
NOT VOTING--4
Donalds
Kinzinger
Mace
Zeldin
{time} 1911
Mr. McHENRY, Ms. CHENEY, and Mr. KATKO changed their votes from
``yea'' to ``nay.''
So the previous question was ordered.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Stated against:
Mr. DONALDS. Madam Speaker, Metal Detectors stopped me. Had I been
present, I would have voted ``NAY'' on rollcall No. 455.
Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress
Bacon (Stauber)
Bilirakis (Fleischmann)
Bowman (Tlaib)
Brown (MD) (Trone)
Buchanan (Bucshon)
Carter (TX) (Weber (TX))
Cawthorn (Nehls)
Chu (Beyer)
Conway (LaMalfa)
Curtis (Moore (UT))
DeFazio (Pallone)
Demings (Dean)
Deutch
(Wasserman Schultz)
Diaz-Balart
(Reschenthaler)
Dunn (Cammack)
Fletcher (Pallone)
Gimenez (Malliotakis)
Gonzalez, Vicente (Garcia (TX))
Gosar (Weber (TX))
Herrera Beutler (Valadao)
Jacobs (CA) (Garamendi)
Jacobs (NY) (Sempolinski)
Jayapal (Cicilline)
Johnson (TX) (Stevens)
Khanna (Garcia (TX))
Kirkpatrick (Pallone)
LaHood (Wenstrup)
Lawson (FL) (Evans)
Maloney, Sean (Jeffries)
Mast (Waltz)
Mfume (Evans)
Murphy (FL) (Peters)
Newman (Beyer)
Ocasio-Cortez (Neguse)
Palazzo (Fleischmann)
Pfluger (Ellzey)
Porter (Neguse)
Rice (NY) (Morelle)
Rice (SC) (Meijer)
Ryan (OH) (Dean)
Salazar (Waltz)
Sherman (Garamendi)
Soto
(Wasserman Schultz)
Speier (Garcia (TX))
Steel (Obernolte)
Steube
(Reschenthaler)
Swalwell (Gomez)
Titus (Pallone)
Torres (NY) (Correa)
Upton (Meijer)
Vargas (Garamendi)
Wagner (Barr)
Wilson (FL) (Cicilline)
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 217,
nays 212, not voting 3, as follows:
[Roll No. 456]
YEAS--217
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bourdeaux
Bowman
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brown (MD)
Brown (OH)
Brownley
Bush
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel, Lois
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jacobs (CA)
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Jones
Kahele
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Leger Fernandez
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lieu
Lowenthal
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moulton
Mrvan
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newman
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Peltola
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Ross
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (NY)
Ryan (OH)
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NAYS--212
Aderholt
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bentz
Bergman
Bice (OK)
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brady
Brooks
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cawthorn
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Comer
Conway
Correa
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duncan
Dunn
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flood
Flores
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia (CA)
Gibbs
Gimenez
Gohmert
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez (OH)
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Harris
Harshbarger
Hartzler
Hern
Herrell
Herrera Beutler
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Issa
Jackson
Jacobs (NY)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Katko
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
LaTurner
Lesko
Letlow
Lofgren
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meijer
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Mullin
Murphy (NC)
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Obernolte
Owens
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sempolinski
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Taylor
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Wagner
Walberg
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
NOT VOTING--3
Kinzinger
Swalwell
Zeldin
{time} 1925
Ms. BARRAGAN changed her vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
[[Page H8179]]
So the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress
Bacon (Stauber)
Bilirakis (Fleischmann)
Bowman (Tlaib)
Brown (MD) (Trone)
Buchanan (Bucshon)
Carter (TX) (Weber (TX))
Cawthorn (Nehls)
Chu (Beyer)
Conway (LaMalfa)
Curtis (Moore (UT))
DeFazio (Pallone)
Demings (Dean)
Deutch
(Wasserman Schultz)
Diaz-Balart
(Reschenthaler)
Dunn (Cammack)
Fletcher (Pallone)
Gimenez (Malliotakis)
Gonzalez, Vicente (Garcia (TX))
Gosar (Weber (TX))
Herrera Beutler (Valadao)
Jacobs (CA) (Garamendi)
Jacobs (NY) (Sempolinski)
Jayapal (Cicilline)
Johnson (TX) (Stevens)
Khanna (Garcia (TX))
Kirkpatrick (Pallone)
LaHood (Wenstrup)
Lawson (FL) (Evans)
Mace (Wilson (SC))
Maloney, Sean (Jeffries)
Mast (Waltz)
Mfume (Evans)
Murphy (FL) (Peters)
Newman (Beyer)
Ocasio-Cortez (Neguse)
Palazzo (Fleischmann)
Pfluger (Ellzey)
Porter (Neguse)
Rice (NY) (Morelle)
Rice (SC) (Meijer)
Ryan (OH) (Dean)
Salazar (Waltz)
Sherman (Garamendi)
Soto
(Wasserman Schultz)
Speier (Garcia (TX))
Steel (Obernolte)
Steube
(Reschenthaler)
Titus (Pallone)
Torres (NY) (Correa)
Upton (Meijer)
Vargas (Garamendi)
Wagner (Barr)
Wilson (FL) (Cicilline)
____________________