[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11796-11797]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CARING FOR OUR VETERANS HERE AT HOME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Emmer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize 
John Enstrom of Elk River and the Disabled Veterans of America 
organization for all the incredible work they have done and continue to 
do for our Nation's veterans.
  On August 5, John is hosting a charity fishing event in Ramsey, 
Minnesota. He is hosting the event for disabled American veterans. 
Along with friends and volunteers, John plans to bring 150 wounded 
veterans to a private lake for a great day of fishing, games, and 
simply enjoying the great Minnesota outdoors.
  Our veterans have stood for our country's freedom and individual 
liberty, all the while putting their lives on the line. Disabled 
veterans have sacrificed in order to protect and serve our great 
Nation.
  It is an extraordinary kind of person who cares for others so deeply. 
I would like to thank John and the Disabled Veterans of America not 
only for all the work they have done for this event, but for also 
recognizing that veterans need and deserve to be cared for once they 
return home.


                    Small Community Banks Harmed by
                               Dodd-Frank

  Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the fifth 
anniversary of Dodd-Frank to share a story from a small community bank 
that has three locations in my district. This bank is struggling due to 
the additional regulation that Dodd-Frank has imposed on them.
  They were forced to hire a full-time compliance director in addition 
to retaining two outside compliance firms. This has cost the bank 
nearly $100,000 more a year. In addition, numerous other staff members 
now have to take time away from revenue-generating activities to 
satisfy the compliance regulations of Dodd-Frank.
  They told me: ``Compliance has always been a cost that is just a part 
of our business. However, since Dodd-Frank, this cost has expanded 
greatly. Unfortunately, since there is no offsetting revenue for the 
expanding cost, we are forced to consider passing on costs to our 
customers with additional fees.''
  Mr. Speaker, I wish I could say this is an isolated occurrence, but a 
recent study shows that Dodd-Frank has added 61 million hours of 
paperwork and more than $24 billion in final rule costs for the 
financial industry in this country. Nationwide, we have lost 
approximately 1500 community banks already.
  The 5 years since Dodd-Frank was signed into law have been marked 
with 5 years of failure.


          Undefeated Season Ends with State Championship Title

  Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and 
congratulate the Anoka-Hennepin Mustangs for being named the 2015 
Minnesota State champions in physically impaired adapted softball.
  Comprised of students from Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Champlin Park, and 
Coon Rapids, these players were a force to be reckoned with at this 
year's State championship tournament. Having earned the number one 
seed, the Mustangs went into the tournament boasting 11 wins, with more 
than 167 runs scored during this season.
  With the momentum of an undefeated season, the Mustangs cruised to 
victory at the recent State championship. After scoring nearly a dozen 
runs and completing a few notable double plays, the Mustangs won the 
championship game with an 11-8 victory over the Rochester Raiders. Even 
more impressive, the Mustang championship win ended a 6-year winning 
streak for the previous defending champions.
  I ask that this body join me in congratulating these tremendous 
athletes.
  Well done.


                      Siding with American Farmers

  Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support 
of the House Agriculture and the Energy and Commerce Committees' 
actions on the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, of which I 
am a cosponsor.
  Biotechnology is nothing new. Norman Borlaug, a researcher and legend 
in my home State, was the ``father of the Green Revolution'' while at 
the University of Minnesota due to his groundbreaking work on high-
yield crops that have fed billions of people around the globe.
  American farmers already deal with heavy compliance regulations to 
ensure that our food is safe to eat. Families must know that Borlaug's 
incredible accomplishment and the hard work of the American farmer is 
not in vain.

[[Page 11797]]

  It is no surprise that I am not a fan of the Federal bureaucracy, but 
on this issue we must stand with American farmers on the health and 
safety of our food. We should move in the right direction, and the 
House should pass this bipartisan legislation that will create a 
voluntary label that supports farmers and American families.

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