[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13891]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S OVERTIME RULE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 6094, the Regulatory Relief for Some Businesses, Schools, and 
Nonprofits Act.
  This bipartisan legislation offers a responsible solution to the U.S. 
Department of Labor's overtime rule that would jeopardize the ability 
for small businesses, nonprofits, and colleges to maintain current 
operations and good-paying career jobs.
  H.R. 6094, which I have cosponsored, would require a 6-month delay in 
the effective date of the DOL overtime rule. No, this isn't the 
outright repeal of the overtime rule that I, along with many others, 
have called for, but it is a practical step towards helping those 
organizations take steps to mitigate the impact of this regulation.
  Without passage of H.R. 6094, the overtime rule will take effect in 2 
months. This is simply not enough time to allow affected employers and 
employees an opportunity to adjust and prepare for the adverse economic 
consequences.
  Over 10 million workers, including many in my home State of 
Pennsylvania, will be impacted. Companies will be forced to shift 
employees from salary to hourly pay, nonprofits will have to cut back 
on critical services, employees may lose the opportunity to work 
remotely, while seeing fewer opportunities for career development.
  Our employers need fewer administrative costs and compliance burdens, 
not more. Employees deserve flexibility and autonomy and the 
opportunity to build successful careers. However, these regulations, no 
matter how well intended, would drain our economy and hurt the very 
people they are attempting to help.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6094.


                         Don't Punish Taxpayers

  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 954, the CO-OP Consumer Protection Act, which would provide 
temporary relief from ObamaCare's individual mandate for Americans 
directly impacted by failed ObamaCare CO-OPs.
  At the outset of this law, 23 CO-OPs provided insurance options for 
enrollees in 25 States. However, nearly 2 years later, we have learned 
that a majority--17 of them--have failed. The reason for the failure 
has been painfully obvious. The ACA manipulated insurance markets and 
created CO-OPs as a means to establish government-managed competition.
  The cost of this ill-fated attempt at market manipulation has been 
borne by the American public. Over $1 billion of hard-earned taxpayer 
dollars were sunk into failed CO-OPs. Worse, for American consumers who 
enrolled in a failed CO-OP, they did not just lose their health 
coverage, but due to another glitch in the law, these individuals may 
be forced to pay the IRS a tax penalty for failing to have adequate 
health coverage under the individual mandate.
  Mr. Speaker, these individuals should not be penalized for the 
failings of the law. That is why I rise to explain my support of H.R. 
954. This is a commonsense solution to provide temporary relief to 
those individuals affected by the failed CO-OPs.
  This legislation states simply that if you lose your health coverage 
midterm due to a failed CO-OP, then you should not be forced to pay a 
2016 tax penalty for lacking health coverage. Put simply, to allow this 
law to harm those individuals who lost their health coverage at no 
fault of their own is unacceptable.
  I thank my colleagues for their action on this bill.


                    Supporting Water Infrastructure

  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 5303, the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA for short. I 
supported this legislation in the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee in May, as it would authorize infrastructure projects 
important to my district, Pennsylvania's Sixth Congressional District, 
as well as across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and, indeed, across 
the country.
  If passed, WRDA would include a review of projects to enhance 
ecosystem restoration and water supply along the Delaware River Basin, 
including at the Blue Marsh Lake. Locks and dams in Pennsylvania would 
also be eligible for reconstruction. Finally, WRDA would authorize an 
expedited study for a navigation project along the upper Ohio River in 
Pennsylvania.
  Projects included in WRDA support jobs and keep businesses and homes 
protected by providing critical oversight of our water infrastructure 
so that our country remains safe, productive, and competitive.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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