[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2583-2584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RAUL RUIZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 25, 2015

  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, due to a death in my immediate family I was 
unable to be present for votes on the House floor the week of February 
9, 2015. Below is an explanation of how I would have voted and why.
  I would have voted for H.R. 719, the TSA Office of Inspection 
Accountability Act of 2015 because the bill requires Transportation 
Security Administration Criminal Investigators to spend at least half 
of their time investigating individuals suspected of committing a 
crime.
  I would have voted for H.R. 720, the Gerardo Hernandez Airport 
Security Act of 2015 to ensure the Transportation Security 
Administration has adequate emergency plans in place to handle a 
shooting attack at an airport.
  I would have voted for H.R. 431, to award a Congressional Gold Medal 
to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround 
Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in March 
of 1965, which served as a catalyst for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 
I am a cosponsor of the bill.
  I would have voted against S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval 
Act because the bill allows a Canadian company to be exempt from paying 
its fair share into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which could 
leave taxpayers on the hook for an expensive clean-up in the event of 
an oil spill. Furthermore, the current planned route for the pipeline 
runs directly over the Ogallala aquifer, putting at risk a critical 
freshwater supply.
  I would have voted for H.R. 644, the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 
2015 to encourage donations to charitable organizations. The bill would 
expand tax deductions for food donations, property conservation 
donations, and charitable foundations.
  I would have voted for H.R. 636, the America's Small Business Tax 
Relief Act of 2015 because the bill is designed to help small 
businesses grow and create new jobs. This bill would facilitate 
investment in new equipment, new property, and technology upgrades for 
small businesses. Providing tax relief will help level the playing 
field for small businesses, which will stimulate economic growth and 
create jobs across the country.

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