[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 170 (Monday, November 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6073-H6075]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMEMORATING THE 30TH ANNUAL RED MASS
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hunt). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 30th annual
Red Mass of the St. Thomas More Society, which was held in Little Rock
in October.
The St. Thomas More Society is a nonprofit organization of lawyers
and judges dedicated to honoring the life of St. Thomas More, the Lord
High Chancellor of England, who opposed Henry VIII's separation from
the Catholic Church.
The Red Mass brings together lawyers, judges, and government
officials to pray for the holy spirit's guidance over their work.
At this year's mass, Reginald Rogers was honored as the 2024 St.
Thomas More recipient, an award that recognizes Catholics in legal
professions who demonstrate exemplary character.
To my longtime friend from high school, Reggie, what a great
recognition of his wonderful, caring approach to his professional and
civic life.
Recognizing Aircare's Pedestal Humidifier
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Aircare's Pedestal
Humidifier, which was recently named the
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coolest thing made in Arkansas in 2024. Organized through a partnership
between the Arkansas State Chamber and Arkansas Business News, this
contest highlights the most innovative and noteworthy products
manufactured in The Natural State.
Nearly 16,000 votes were cast in a highly competitive final round,
and the Pedestal Humidifier emerged as the champion from a field of 16
products made by companies across our State. This product not only
showcases Aircare's ingenuity but also reflects the broader excellence
of Arkansas' manufacturing sector.
I congratulate Aircare and all the visionary companies that
contribute to our State's growing reputation for high quality,
innovative products. I look forward to seeing more achievements from
Arkansas businesses in the years ahead.
Recognizing Maddox Berry
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a remarkable young
athlete from central Arkansas, Morrilton High School's standout
quarterback, Maddox Berry.
Maddox recently made Arkansas sports history by throwing a State
record 11 touchdown passes in a single game, a feat that speaks to his
skill, dedication, and poise under pressure.
The game itself was an offensive clash, with Morrilton and Farmington
combining for 153 points and 1,519 yards, nearly setting an all-time
State record. Despite Morrilton's narrow 78 to 55 loss, Maddox's
performance stands as one of Arkansas' all-time great athletic
accomplishments.
Maddox made central Arkansas proud, and we are all excited to see
where his talents take him next.
Recognizing Point Remove Brewing Company
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Point Remove Brewing
Company, an outstanding Arkansas business that has become a staple of
our State's craft brewing industry.
Point Removed recently opened a new location in Russellville,
furthering its impact on the local economy and the community. Based in
Morrilton, Point Removed Brewing produced over 24,000 gallons of beer
last year and partnered with Little Rock Central Moon Distributors to
place its products throughout stores in The Natural State.
Point Removed Brewing is more than just a brewery. They are also
ambassadors for The Natural State because the beers that they make are
named after Arkansas landmarks, like Long Pool and Petit Jean State
Park. They proudly celebrate our heritage.
As Point Removed Brewing opens this new location in Russellville, I
hope they will continue to embody the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps
our State growing.
Recognizing Hakeem Jordan
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a really brave,
dedicated Arkansan, Hakeem Jordan.
This extraordinary central Arkansan heroically rescued 26-year-old
Jelani Proctor of North Little Rock following a tragic car accident.
After witnessing the crash on Interstate 630, Hakeem immediately
called 911. He ran to the site of the crash and rescued Jelani from his
burning vehicle. He was treated at a Little Rock hospital, and is in
stable condition.
Unfortunately, Jelani's father, Conrad, did not survive the crash.
Martha and I send our condolences to the entire Proctor family during
this difficult time.
Make no mistake, Hakeem's actions are nothing short of heroic.
Without this incredible display of bravery and selflessness, Jelani
would not be alive today. Central Arkansas stands better off because of
our citizens like Hakeem.
Recognizing John Jumper
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate central Arkansan,
John Jumper.
John recently won the 2024 Noble Prize for chemistry. John graduated
from Pulaski Academy in 2003, and is the youngest chemistry laureate in
over 70 years.
John and his research partners developed an AI model called
AlphaFold2, which can predict the protein structure of nearly 200
million proteins.
Today, over 2 million people in 190 countries have used this
technology to improve their understanding of proteins and their
potential for antibiotic resistance and even decomposing plastic.
John's tremendous scientific success serves as an inspiration to us
all. I am proud of his achievement. What a role model for excellence
for all of our students across our city, district, State, and the
globe. To those chemistry students out there: Study hard.
Concerns From Small Business
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I have heard many concerns from small
businesses across Arkansas and across the country about the Financial
Crimes Enforcement Network, FinCEN's, new detrimental beneficial
ownership reporting rule.
As many of you may know, this rule is required by the Corporate
Transparency Act, a law that I strongly opposed and fought against its
basic design.
As a former entrepreneur and small business owner, I understand the
significance of this substantial new reporting requirement that forces
small businesses to upload an individual ownership interest report into
a new national database maintained at FinCEN, in my view, Mr. Speaker,
potentially endangering the privacy of millions of American citizens.
The worst part is that the Biden-Harris administration has failed to
properly educate and inform small businesses and millions of others
connected to small businesses about this new rule and the harsh
penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and even 2 years in jail for
failure to comply by submitting the form by January 1 of 2025. That is
right, Mr. Speaker. This form is due January 1, 2025.
Now, breaking news: Of the 322 million businesses in America that
Treasury believes should be filing this new form, only 2 million have
filled it out as of the first of October.
Certified public accountants are eligible to help small businesses
make the necessary filings on a company's behalf, but the issue is that
many CPAs are reluctant to make the filings given the high threshold
for accuracy and the potential civil and criminal penalties for a
mistake.
Further, in some States, filing such a form is considered the
practice of law and therefore not covered by a CPA's liability
insurance. This burdensome reporting requirement is due, as I noted, in
just a few short weeks. That is why I am fighting against it in this
House on this floor by using my position as vice chairman of the House
Financial Services Committee to delay this new beneficial ownership
reporting requirement, the penalties, and the due date.
In August, I supported the Protect Small Business From Excessive
Paperwork Act, which would extend the filing deadline by a full year to
January 1 of 2026, buying small businesses more time to even understand
this is a new rule they are required to follow, much less be educated
about it and figure out what the least costly way is to comply with it.
I also introduced my own bill, the Financial Privacy Act, to rein in
the massive amount of personal financial information that FinCEN
collects in the name of its anti-money laundering mission. That is an
important mission, but this is a flawed methodology for fighting it.
I stand tonight on the floor to create awareness about FinCEN's
reporting requirement to the American people and deliver this crucial
message that time is running out.
Please know that the concerns of small business owners across the
country are valid, they are heard, and I will continue to do everything
I can, along with my colleagues here in the House, to push back against
FinCEN's reporting requirement and that fast approaching deadline of
January 1.
Tigran Gambaryan's Wrongful Detainment
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, after almost a year of being wrongfully
detained by the Nigerian Government, Tigran Gambaryan is now home here
in America with his family in Georgia where he should have been all
along.
Last February, Nigeria took Tigran into detention on money laundering
and tax charges as leverage in Nigeria's goal of pressing Tigran's
employer, Binance, into a relationship, a negotiation, a satisfaction
of concerns that Nigeria had about Binance.
{time} 1930
This deserves repeating, Mr. Speaker.
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Nigeria arrested an American citizen with an American passport in
Abuja on business and charged this American citizen with money
laundering and tax evasion because the Government of Nigeria has a
dispute with an international company, a crypto finance company called
Binance.
While I was traveling to west Africa over the summer with the House
Intelligence Committee, I visited Tigran in Kuje prison where I saw
firsthand his deteriorating health condition.
Kuje prison, Mr. Speaker, is a tough place. It is where the Boko
Haram terrorists were locked up and where there was a major Boko Haram
attack and prison break. It is a tough place.
During his detainment in Nigeria, Mr. Gambaryan suffered malaria,
double pneumonia, and had a herniated disc.
Mr. Speaker, Nigeria is considered a friend of the United States, yet
their government's treatment of Tigran, who devoted his professional
life to fighting money laundering and tax evasion as an agent of the
U.S. IRS for over a decade, in my view, that treatment was unacceptable
and shameful and not commiserate with a Nation that is on friendly
partnership terms with our country.
It was well past time for the Nigerians to drop the trumped-up
charges of tax evasion and money laundering against Tigran Gambaryan
personally, which they finally did, Mr. Speaker, last month. Let me be
clear: Tigran should have never been wrongfully detained by the
Nigerian Government in the first place.
I thank my friends and colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, particularly Chairman Mike McCaul and Representative Rich
McCormick who worked with me and led efforts to bring Tigran Gambaryan
home to his wife and children for the holidays.
I am thrilled to report to this House floor that he is home safely
with his family in Georgia, in Representative McCormick's district, and
he is on the road to health recovery.
Mr. Speaker, let Tigran's case be heard, and let it be a clear
example to the incoming Trump administration about how not to handle an
American citizen who is wrongfully detained by our allies and friends.
Chevron Deference Reversal
Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, recently, in recent months, the Federal courts
have taken decisions that are rolling back what is termed the ``Chevron
deference.'' This dates back to the 1980s and the 1984 Supreme Court
case that basically said that if an independent Federal agency issued a
rulemaking and published it in the Federal register and put it in final
form, that in effect it had the rule of law, that it was in compliance
effectively with our statutes here in the House; in other words, that
it is deferring to the agency that it is in compliance with the Article
I power here in the House.
Recently, in recent years, several important cases of the Supreme
Court are rolling that deference of 40 years ago back.
In a post-Chevron deference world, I believe balance must be
restored, primacy must be restored to the Article I powers given to
this body and the Senate under the Constitution and end the activist
regulatory agencies that have grown too large, too out of control, and
been, in this administration, weaponized against the American people.
This Chevron reversal did not automatically turn off the power of
that administrative state, and it did not instantly empower Congress to
be more directive of agency and Cabinet rulemakings.
Mr. Speaker, while various interest groups must continue to bring
lawsuits in this area where they believe congressional intent is not
being followed, Congress must be proactive in identifying areas where
we can tighten statutory language and make congressional intent crystal
clear.
I believe Congress needs to look at three big areas in this post-
Chevron deference universe. First, we need to strengthen the role of
Congress and consider changes to the Administrative Procedures Act and
the Congressional Review Act to require more collaboration between
Congress and even the administration about making sure that they are
clear that we have the authority to approve or disapprove regulations.
In fact, Mr. Speaker, I think it would be good if the incoming Trump
administration modeled good behavior here by actually, in every Federal
rulemaking that a Cabinet agency or independent agency puts forward,
they say they are in compliance with the intent of Congress, that they
are following the statute and the statutory intent of Congress in
designing that rulemaking.
I believe agencies should do regular reviews of all of their
regulations to ensure they are not outdated, they are necessary, and
that they ensure that they are tailored to limit their compliance
impact, cost, liability risk, and other burdens.
I would encourage the Trump administration to work with Congress to
where we can have the right kind of cost-benefit analysis on evaluating
the true cost, both marginal and cumulative cost, of regulatory
rulemakings.
We must increase the transparency of how agency rulemakings are made.
We must tailor specific statutes so that it is clear that Congress,
Article I power, is in charge, our intent is clear, and that we are
seeing that the Cabinet agencies and the independent agencies are
following that intent.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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