[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Issue]
[Pages 15771-15928]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  


[[Page 15771]]

 
                      VOLUME 162--PART 12


                    SENATE--Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Vol. 162, Pt. 12

  The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was called to order by the President 
pro tempore (Mr. Hatch).

                          ____________________




                                 PRAYER

  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Today's opening prayer will be offered by 
T.F. Tenney, bishop emeritus of the United Pentecostal Church 
International in Alexandria, LA.
  The guest Chaplain offered the following prayer:
  Mr. President, Members of the Senate, may the Lord be with you. Let 
us bow our heads in reverence to His presence.
  God, our help in ages past, be our comfort still. Thank You for this 
great, great Nation and its foundation of ``one Nation under God, 
indivisible.'' Thank you, Lord, that we can emphasize ``indivisible.''
  Thank You for the liberty, justice, and freedoms that we enjoy. We 
pray for all who walk these hallowed Halls where life-changing and 
world-changing decisions are made.
  Bless this austere gathering of men and women chosen by You and the 
American people to serve us all. Give them wisdom to acknowledge You 
first in all they do.
  Give them grace, as has been extended to them. Guide them, O Holy 
Spirit. Guide them, O Holy Spirit. Fill them and this Chamber with Your 
presence and fill these Halls with Your glory.
  When they leave today, may they say we have not just been in the 
presence of men, but we have been in the presence of God.
  Now, in the Name of the One I trust, Jesus Christ, my Lord and 
Savior, fill this place, Holy Spirit. Amen.

                          ____________________




                          PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

  The President pro tempore led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows:

       I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of 
     America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation 
     under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Perdue). The Senator from Louisiana.

                          ____________________




                      WELCOMING THE GUEST CHAPLAIN

  Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, may I briefly acknowledge and thank 
Pastor and Bishop Tenney for being here.
  Today is his 83rd birthday. As he told me, he has been pushing 80, 
but now he pulls it. He has blessed many people. He is an anointed man 
of God whom many others have looked toward for guidance, as a man who 
by his life and by his words guides them to a deeper relationship with 
God.
  On behalf of our entire Senate, I extend our thanks to Bishop Tenney 
for being here today. Thank you.
  I yield back.

                          ____________________




                   RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.

                          ____________________




                     LEGISLATION BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate voted 
overwhelmingly to take the next step in the 21st Century Cures Act, 
bipartisan legislation to bolster medical innovation.
  This legislation promotes critical investments in research and 
treatment development. It helps cut through unnecessary regulations 
that would hinder the development of cures while also protecting 
safety. It builds upon the progress of innovative therapies and 
regenerative medicine.
  This legislation puts patients first, it helps strengthen the kind of 
research and treatments needed to cure the most devastating diseases, 
and it includes provisions to help enhance mental health programs and 
to provide funding to help fight opioid abuse.
  I have heard from health professionals across my State who have 
expressed the impact this legislation can make, from the Kentucky 
Hospital Association to the University of Kentucky, our State's largest 
research university.
  This bill, the U.K. president says, reflects the ``growing support 
from Congress for increased investment in research that addresses the 
compelling questions of our day.'' I will be pleased to welcome U.K. 
President Capilouto to the Capitol this morning. He says Cures is one 
example of how the university will be better equipped ``to improve the 
lives of those in our Commonwealth.''
  We know this bill wouldn't have been possible without Chairman 
Alexander's ceaseless efforts, alongside Ranking Member Murray, to 
drive it forward.
  We thank them both, as well as Members such as Senator Cornyn, 
Senator Hatch, and Senator Cassidy, who have all endeavored to make the 
bill the strongest it could be.
  I also recognize my friend Vice President Biden--who joined us 
yesterday--for his efforts to include his Cancer Moonshot issue in the 
package. This is an issue that hits close to home for the Vice 
President, as we all know. He has been a leading voice in supporting 
efforts to strengthen cancer research and to find a cure. I am pleased 
we will pass this legislation soon so we can begin to put its 
provisions to work on behalf of American families.
  On the other important issues before the Senate, I have spoken with 
the Speaker on a number of occasions about an issue facing coal miner 
retirees, such as those I represent in Kentucky, and have insisted that 
the CR include a provision to address that issue so these retirees 
don't lose their health care benefits at the end of the year. We hope 
to have a final bill to share with Members soon, and we look forward to 
turning to it as soon as possible after House action. I will have more 
on that later.
  We are also working to wrap up a number of conference reports, 
including for the Defense authorization bill and the Water Resources 
Development Act.
  Last night I took the next step on the Defense conference report so 
we can pass it this week. This legislation will provide more of the 
tools servicemembers need to take on national security challenges, help 
strengthen our military posture, and support our men

[[Page 15772]]

and women in uniform with the benefits and pay raises they have earned.
  I hope the Senate will also take the next step soon on the Water 
Resources Development Act conference report. This water resources 
conference report will invest in our Nation's waterways infrastructure, 
enhance commerce, and support safe and reliable water sources to 
prevent future situations, such as the one we saw in Flint, MI. To that 
point, this bill also includes assistance for families such as those in 
Flint who have already been impacted by lead poisoning.

                          ____________________




                          TRIBUTE TO DAN COATS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we all remember where we were on 
September 11, 2001. The man we honor today certainly does. He was in 
Berlin. He had only just begun his second day as Ambassador to Germany, 
and then everything changed.
  Planes smashed into the World Trade Center. Terrorists attacked the 
Pentagon, where his son-in-law worked. Thankfully, his family emerged 
unbroken that day. Others were not so fortunate.
  Ambassador Coats found himself thrown into a role he couldn't have 
foreseen a day earlier, a role in which he would excel but one that 
would forever change him. Those who know Dan Coats say that day in 
September affected him profoundly. It shook him as a father, it 
sharpened him as a policymaker, and it clarified the stakes and his 
sense of responsibility.
  He may not have known it then, but he would feel the tug of that 
responsibility many years later and answer the call.
  Senator Coats had enjoyed a successful congressional career when he 
decided to retire in 1998. He earned a reputation for working hard, 
getting things accomplished, becoming an indispensable member of his 
conference. In fact, after Dan announced his decision not to seek 
reelection, then-Majority Leader Trent Lott rang him up and said: ``You 
can't leave,'' Lott recalled saying. ``I can't go forward in the Senate 
without you.''
  Dan's success was no accident. He learned the legislative ropes 
working for an up-and-coming Congressman named Dan Quayle. He applied 
that knowledge as he progressed from Quayle's staffer to Quayle's 
successor, first in the House, then in the Senate.
  This was evident whether Dan was refocused on rebuilding the military 
after the Cold War, bringing opportunity to low-income families and 
children, even dissecting the finer points of American garbage policy--
yes, garbage policy.
  Toward the beginning of Dan's time in the Senate, Hoosier landfills 
were filling with New Jersey trash, and Hoosiers were fed up. So in 
came Dan with a war cry--``Don't dump on us!''--and just the right 
blend of determination, legislative know-how, and humor to capture the 
attention of colleagues and the hearts of constituents.
  Some were unamused in DC or Trenton, but back in Indiana, Hoosiers 
were over the Moon. For many, their first introduction to this plucky 
new Senator came through his famous Senate trash ad, the Coats for 
Senate commercial, which featured a cigar-chomping garbageman from 
Jersey, earned Dan a place in the hallowed halls of campaign legend--
and perhaps a ticket back to the Senate.
  While Senator Lott may not have been able to persuade Dan to run for 
reelection 8 years later, he did offer this prophetic statement as he 
bid him farewell:

       [Dan Coats] is leaving the Senate, but he is not leaving 
     us.
       I have a feeling that he is going to have a real influence 
     in many ways for the rest of his life, and he is going to 
     stay close to all of us.

  How right he was.
  Fast forward to just over a decade later, former Senator Coats looked 
out and saw a country in crisis, adrift on the world stage, stagnant at 
home, and sliding into despair. Dan was deeply unsettled. He shared his 
concerns with his wife Marsha. He realized he had two choices. He could 
sit back and watch or he could do something.
  Dan Coats chose to do something. His election was hardly a sure 
thing. He pulled through anyway. When he returned to the Capitol, he 
put his head down and he got right to work. Dan can be a man of few 
words. He doesn't always feel the need to speak up, but when he does, 
people pay attention. It is a true mark of distinction in a body such 
as this with its big egos and sharp elbows.
  People listen to this former Ambassador when he explains the ins and 
outs of foreign policy. People listen to this veteran of previous 
health care debates when he dissects the problems of ObamaCare.
  When this fiscal expert shares his waste of the week, people pay 
attention. It is how we learned taxpayer dollars were being spent on 
Swedish massages for bunny rabbits. It is how we discovered taxpayer 
money was being wasted to determine whether ``hanger,'' that is 
``hunger'' plus ``anger,'' is a real thing.
  Senator Coats knew he wasn't going to solve all of our Nation's 
problems as one Senator in one term, but he understood the important 
contributions he could make. He also recognized his responsibility to 
make them. In the process, he cemented a legacy that will long outlast 
him in the Senate. It will certainly continue on in my office. My own 
chief of staff, Sharon Soderstrom, is a Coats alum. Speaker Ryan's 
chief of staff, Dave Hoppe, is another Coats alum. The list of Coats 
staffers who have gone on to achieve great things--from former White 
House chief speechwriter Michael Gerson to incoming Indiana Governor 
Eric Holcomb--is as long as it is impressive.
  I know Dan is looking forward to spending more time at Wrigley Field 
after he retires. Here is the tweet Dan sent out last month: ``A 
century in the making, we finally made it. What a great day to be a 
Cubs fan.''
  It is hard to overstate the importance of the moment for him. I mean, 
this is a guy who spent part of his honeymoon--his honeymoon--at 
Wrigley Field. So I wonder if maybe, just maybe, he was able to see a 
little of himself in his favorite team--maybe in a guy like fellow 
Indiana University Hoosier Kyle Schwarber--a standout player who 
stepped away from the game for a season and then came back and picked 
right up where he left off without a hitch, knocking it out of the park 
just when his team needed him most.
  Dan promises he is not coming back a third time. We will see. It is 
obvious Dan never needed the office or the title--not the first time, 
not the second time, not a third time.
  That said, I know Dan isn't going to stop caring. I know he isn't 
going to stop working. So we are going to keep the Dan Coats ``bat 
signal'' plugged in. Should the people call out for a hero yet again, I 
hope our friend will suit up one more time because, if nothing else, we 
are really going to miss him.
  So let us recognize and congratulate Senator Coats for his many years 
of service. Let us wish him well in his latest retirement, and let me 
personally thank him for his wise counsel and trusted friendship.
  I will miss you, my friend.

                          ____________________




                          TRIBUTE TO MARK KIRK

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Senator Mark Kirk has never been one to 
be intimidated by a challenge. He is willing to work hard even when the 
going gets tough. He never shies away from a tough debate, and he 
always comes prepared. He has been defying the odds for a long time and 
inspiring others along the way.
  Nearly 5 years ago, Senator Kirk suffered a debilitating stroke--one 
that threatened to end his Senate service nearly as soon as it had 
begun. In the blink of an eye, Kirk went from juggling constituent 
meetings and committee hearings to lying in a hospital bed wondering if 
he would ever walk again or talk again or read again.
  If Senator Kirk had decided to just quit the Senate and focus on his 
recovery, no one would have blamed him. But he didn't do that. He never 
lost hope. He never gave up. He set his sights on getting back to work 
for the people of Illinois and the Nation. That is exactly what he did.

[[Page 15773]]

  We were there to witness his triumph several months later. Cane in 
hand, a smile on his face, Joe Manchin to one side, Joe Biden to the 
other, one foot in front of the other, Senator Mark Kirk climbed and 
climbed and climbed. He ascended each of those 45 Capitol steps to the 
top of this Chamber as we all cheered him on.
  Mark could rest assured no one was going to let him fall that day. 
And Senator Manchin could rest assured that he wouldn't have to go 
another day waiting for his buddy to return.
  Days after Mark's stroke, Senator Manchin hopped on a flight to 
Chicago to check on his friend in person. He saw firsthand the many 
challenges Kirk had to overcome in recovery. But he never doubted 
Mark's will, determination, or desire to get back to work.
  Kirk, he said, is like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and 
going and going.
  Manchin and Kirk might seem like an unconventional pair. One is a 
Democrat, the other a Republican. The West Virginian is an outdoorsman, 
the Illinois Senator is a gamer. Senator Manchin is a mountaineer, and 
Senator Kirk ascends skyscrapers.
  But as the senior Senator from West Virginia put it, they ``just 
clicked from day one'' and quickly became the best of friends. Now they 
go boating together. They meet for lunch nearly every Thursday. And 
they support each other. The support of good friends like Senator 
Manchin has been critical to Senator Kirk's dramatic recovery.
  He has found support in other places, too, including the mailbox. A 
few weeks after his stroke, Jackson, a 9-year-old fellow stroke 
survivor from Illinois, wrote Senator Kirk to share his own story and 
some words of encouragement. ``Do not give up on yourself,'' Jackson 
wrote. ``All the hard work is worth it.''
  ``P.S.,'' he said, ``I think kids should get paid to go to school.''
  The pair quickly became pen pals and even picked up a new joint sport 
of tower climbing in their rehabilitation.
  Senator Kirk calls Jackson his personal hero. Last year, he invited 
him to visit Washington and be his guest at the State of the Union. To 
hear Kirk tell it, he may have never made it back for that address at 
all without Jackson's support and kind words.
  I know the support he received from his fellow home State Senator 
didn't go unnoticed either. After Mark's stroke, Senator Durbin visited 
Kirk's staff, offering to help out however he could.
  Senator Kirk's story reminds us that the Senate can be more than just 
a place of work, it can actually be a family. In his own words, ``The 
things that divide us in politics are infinitesimal compared with the 
dignity of our common humanity.'' It is a powerful message, and I think 
it is one we can all learn from.
  Senator Kirk said that America's men and women in uniform represent 
``the greatest force for human dignity on Earth.'' He is right. And the 
work he has done to help us meet the obligation our Nation has to 
military families and our veterans will endure beyond his term.
  Mark Kirk, a veteran himself, understands the sacrifices our 
servicemembers and their families make each day on our behalf. He knows 
they deserve our full support, not only when they are on Active Duty 
but also after their tours are complete.
  That is why he has worked to help guarantee the quality of health 
care that our heroes are counting on. It is why he has worked to help 
eliminate corruption within the VA so that our veterans receive timely 
care as well.
  He has proven himself as a leader on national security issues too. He 
understands the value of our alliances and worked to strengthen them, 
especially with Israel.
  He has a clear-eyed view of our adversaries too and has never been 
afraid to speak out or take action, from North Korea to Iran. When it 
comes to Iran specifically, Senator Kirk was the tip of the spear on 
this issue, bringing attention to the threat of Iran's aggressive 
behavior and pushing for legislation to help hold Tehran accountable.
  He has long been an advocate for critical Iran sanctions like those 
extended just this past week, even when the administration pushed back 
and even when Democratic colleagues pushed back too. He doesn't back 
down, and thanks to efforts like his, we were able to see the 
legislation through.
  So, yes, Senator Kirk may be leaving the Senate, but he has cast a 
long shadow here. And he is not done yet. We know he will not stop 
looking out for our country. We know he will not stop advocating for 
stroke survivors. We know he is not going to stop. He will just keep 
going and going and going as he always has.
  Senator Kirk reminds each of us that it is possible to persevere 
through even the most difficult of obstacles life presents. So, today, 
we thank him for the impact he has made on this body, for the 
inspiration he has been to so many, and for the years he has dedicated 
to serving the people of Illinois.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip is recognized.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, has the Chair announced the business of 
the Senate?

                          ____________________




                       RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the leadership time 
is reserved.

                          ____________________




          TSUNAMI WARNING, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH ACT OF 2015

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 34, which 
the clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       House message to accompany H.R. 34, an act to authorize and 
     strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, 
     research, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.

  Pending:

       McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to 
     the amendment of the Senate to the bill.
       McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to 
     the amendment of the Senate to the bill, with McConnell 
     amendment No. 5117, to change the enactment date.
       McConnell amendment No. 5118 (to amendment No. 5117), of a 
     perfecting nature.

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Departing Senators

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, let me say at the outset that I took the 
floor last week and said a few words in tribute and friendship to my 
colleague, Senator Kirk. I am glad to hear the majority leader's 
statement this morning. It was spot-on, and it captured his public 
spirit, as well as his personal strength, that has brought him to this 
moment in history. I have been honored to serve with him for the last 6 
years.
  I would say to my colleague Senator Coats from Indiana: We served 
together in the House, in the Senate, and I actually visited him when 
he was an ambassador representing the United States in Germany. It is 
an amazing public career on his part, and I wish him the very best for 
whatever the future holds for him.


                                  DACA

  Mr. President, I wish to tell a story about an extraordinary young 
woman whom some of you may know. Her name is Laura Alvarado. When she 
was 8 years old, Laura was brought to the United States from Mexico. 
She grew up in Chicago in my home State of Illinois.
  In high school, she was an extraordinary student and was involved in 
extracurricular and volunteer activities. She was a member of the 
National Honor Society. She played soccer, tennis, basketball, and was 
a member of student government, the school newspaper, the chess club, 
the yearbook club, and many more. She decided to go to Northeastern 
Illinois University. She worked two jobs while she was going to school 
because she didn't qualify for any Federal assistance to go to college.

[[Page 15774]]

  In 2006, she graduated with honors from Northeastern. Her major was 
justice studies. But then she was stuck again. Her ambition in life was 
to become a lawyer, but she couldn't pursue her dream. It took her 6 
years. In 2012, President Obama established DACA, an Executive action 
which said to Laura and thousands just like her: You are in a special 
category. You were undocumented in America, but you were brought here 
as a child. You didn't make the decision to come to this country; your 
family did. So we are going to give young people like Laura a chance, 
on a temporary basis, if they will pay a filing fee of almost $500, 
submit themselves to a criminal background check to make certain they 
are no threat to anyone in this country, we will give them a 2-year 
status where they cannot be deported and they can work in America.
  Laura applied. There were people who were cautioning her: Be careful. 
If you identify yourself as undocumented to this government, somebody 
might use it against you someday. But Laura, who aspired to be a 
lawyer, decided to follow the law, register, pay her fee, go through 
the background check, and try to get the status of DACA. She received 
it. And because of it, she was allowed to apply and be accepted at 
Southern Illinois University School of Law at Carbondale.
  In law school, she was an outstanding student again. She won the moot 
court competition. She was selected for the Order of Barristers, a 
legal honor society.
  This spring, 10 years after she graduated from college, Laura 
received her law degree. Over the summer she passed her bar exam, and 
just last month she received her Illinois law license, which she is 
holding here proudly.
  Laura never gave up on her dream of becoming a lawyer, but it is a 
dream that never would have happened were it not for President Obama's 
Executive action, the Executive action that didn't give her a free pass 
to law school--just the opposite. It said to her: If you are accepted 
into law school, the government will not pay you a penny to help with 
your education. You have to go out and work for it. She did.
  Now we face a question with a new President coming in who says he 
wants to abolish the DACA that made Laura eligible to go to law school. 
He wants to abolish the status where these young people, brought as 
babies, toddlers, into this country are not subject to deportation and 
can work for a living. If that is abolished, then Laura, despite all of 
her hard work, all of her education, all of her achievements in life, 
faces deportation from this country.
  Laura said she wants to use her law degree to help people who don't 
have a fighting chance without lawyers who are more focused on service 
than on money. We are better if Laura is here as a lawyer practicing in 
America. We are certainly better in Illinois to have someone with a law 
license willing to give back to our State.
  Now the choice is up to Congress. Are we going to step in and give 
Laura the chance she asked for to prove herself again as she has so 
many times in her young life? I am glad to say that Lindsey Graham, the 
Senator from South Carolina, and I are joining in an effort to draw up 
legislation to achieve that goal and at least to give these DACA-
eligibles a temporary reprieve so that if there is an elimination of 
this Executive action, we don't eliminate the protection that keeps 
them here in the United States and where they cannot be deported and 
they have a chance to work. That is something we need to do--not just 
for Laura but for 744,000 other young people as well who grew up in 
this country and just deserve a chance to make this a better nation.


                      Tribute to Barbara Mikulski

  Mr. President, I join my colleagues in saluting the public life of 
Senator Barbara Mikulski. Before I do that, I want to thank a woman who 
is not here. She was a Catholic nun and the debate coach for Senator 
Mikulski when she was in high school at the Institute of Notre Dame, an 
all-girls Catholic high school in Baltimore, the same school Nancy 
Pelosi graduated from.
  As a young Barbara Mikulski was preparing to debate a particularly 
tough opponent, this nun, her debate coach, told her: ``You can do it, 
Barb--get out there and roll those Jesuit boys!''
  I went to a Jesuit college and law school, and I am proud and 
relieved to report that I never had to face Barbara Mikulski in that 
kind of debate. I have rarely found anybody who can stand up to her in 
a debate. She can still ``roll those Jesuit boys,'' or anyone else who 
tries to stand in the way of helping women, children, seniors, or 
advancing fairness.
  Barbara Mikulski has been my colleague for 20 years, my friend, the 
chairwoman of my Appropriations Committee and the ranking member, and 
so many times an inspiration.
  As most of my colleagues know, my first job was working in the Senate 
as an intern, myself, in the office of Senator Paul Douglas of 
Illinois. Like Barbara Mikulski, Paul Douglas was a champion for the 
underdog, and he was a pit bull when it came to protecting the American 
taxpayers.
  Every year, the University of Illinois chooses a leader of uncommon 
decency and courage to receive the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in 
Government. This year, I was honored to present that award on behalf of 
the University of Illinois and in the name of Paul Douglas to Barbara 
Mikulski of Maryland. I know Senator Douglas would have been thrilled 
that she is carrying on that same public service tradition.
  Some day--and I hope and trust I will live to see it--the ultimate 
glass ceiling will break, and there will be a woman elected President 
of this country. When that historic day comes, we can be sure that 
Senator Barbara Mikulski will have had a hand in bringing it about.
  Many of my colleagues have spoken about the long list of times she 
has already broken glass ceilings herself: Barbara Mikulski, first 
woman ever elected statewide in her beloved State of Maryland; Barbara 
Mikulski, first Democrat elected to both the U.S. House and the U.S. 
Senate; Barbara Mikulski, first woman to ever serve as head of the 
powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
  But as Barbara, very self-deprecating, has often said: She has never 
been interested in simply being the first. She wants to be ``the first 
of many,'' and she has been.
  When Maryland voters sent Barbara Mikulski to this Senate in 1986, 
there were two women in the entire body: Nancy Landon Kassebaum of 
Kansas, a Republican, and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, a Democrat--two 
women in this Chamber out of 100 Senators. Today, there are 20 women 
Senators, and after they are sworn in on January 3, there will be 21. 
That is great progress, but not nearly enough by Barbara Mikulski's 
standards.
  Senator Mikulski also had the brainchild of making sure the women in 
the Senate became an even more powerful force. Her bipartisan, women 
Senators-only dinners were a rare display of bipartisanship in an 
institution too often divided. The discoveries of common cause, common 
trust, and common purpose resulting from those dinners have made a big 
difference on the floor of the Senate.
  Barbara Ann Mikulski is the proud granddaughter of Polish immigrants. 
Her parents owned a small grocery store in Baltimore. She, her parents, 
and her two younger sisters lived across the street in one of the 
famous Baltimore row houses. As a young girl, Barbara thought about 
becoming a Catholic nun. She changed her mind because, as she put it, 
``that vow of obedience kind of slowed me down a bit.'' So she found 
other ways to practice the social gospel of justice.
  She was a driving force behind the first bill signed by President 
Barack Obama, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. I was there that day. 
The President signed the bill, and he took the first pen from the first 
bill he was signing and handed it to Barbara Mikulski because he knew 
that she had been a champion for equality in the workplace for women 
throughout her career.

[[Page 15775]]

  There are two stories that I always think of when I think of Senator 
Mikulski.
  In October 2002, the Senate voted on whether to authorize the war in 
Iraq. Only 23 of the 100 Senators then serving voted against the Iraq 
war resolution. Of those 23 Senators, only 8 still remain in the Senate 
today: Barbara Boxer, who is leaving at the end of this Congress, 
Patrick Leahy, Patty Murray, Jack Reed, Debbie Stabenow, Ron Wyden, 
Barbara Mikulski, and myself. This is a woman who has always been 
willing to risk her career to follow her conscience.
  One of her great heroes is Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic 
Worker Movement. The reason, Barbara Mikulski says, is that Dorothy Day 
was always ``trying to find the hopes of people,'' rather than preying 
on people's fear and anger.
  I saw Barbara Mikulski's instinctive appeal to hope on that infamous 
sad day--September 11, 2001. As dust was settling on that heart-
wrenching, heartbreaking day, most of the Members of the Senate 
gathered on the steps of the Capitol. The hope was that there would be 
a demonstration by Members of both parties to the Nation and to the 
world of solidarity. Suddenly--unplanned, unscripted--Barbara Mikulski 
started singing ``God Bless America.'' Everyone joined in. In one of 
America's darkest hours, Barbara Mikulski brought us together. That is 
what a real leader does.
  I and so many in the Chamber and so many untold millions of Americans 
are going to miss her presence in the Senate. We take consolation in 
knowing that, while she is leaving the Senate, she is not leaving the 
fight. She will never leave the fight.
  Those of us who are returning in the next Congress have learned from 
Senator Mikulski, and we will continue to fight the good fight to 
invest in lifesaving, job-creating medical breakthroughs at the 
National Institutes of Health--or, as Barbara Mikulski calls it, the 
``National Institutes of Hope.'' We will continue the good fight she 
has fought with such pithiness and passion to make our Nation safer and 
make our economy fairer for all Americans. I know that she will 
continue that fight as well.
  Barbara Mikulski may be leaving the Senate, but no one ever has, and 
I doubt anyone ever will, think of Baltimore's Barbara Mikulski as 
``retiring.''
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


      Honoring Nebraska's Soldiers Who Lost Their Lives in Combat

  Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise today to continue my tribute to 
this generation of Nebraska heroes. They are the men and women who have 
given their lives defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each 
one has a different story, and each Gold Star Family has the same 
request: that we remember the sacrifice of their loved one. By telling 
these stories of their service here on the Senate floor, we can honor 
that family's request.


                        Sergeant Germaine Debro

  Mr. President, today I honor the life and service of Germaine Debro, 
a man who seemed destined for military service. Germaine's father, 
Alvin Debro, was a career Air Force technical sergeant. At a young age, 
Germaine even picked up a nickname: ``G.I. Joe Maine.'' Even then, 
family and friends saw qualities that would make Germaine a great 
soldier. Because of his military service, Alvin and his wife Priscilla 
and their three boys moved often.
  Germaine attended Benson High School in Omaha, NE, for a year before 
his family moved to Arkansas. There, Germaine graduated high school in 
1991. Later, he and his family returned to Nebraska. For a time, 
Germaine worked as a manager at the local Burger King.
  In 1994, G.I. Joe Maine followed his calling and he enlisted in the 
Army. In 1997, he joined the Nebraska National Guard. During those 
years, Germaine became known for his genuine personality and for 
developing a great camaraderie with his fellow soldiers. According to 
SPC Shawn O'Neil, Germaine was the ``nicest guy you could ever meet.'' 
He would walk into a room and it would light up. To his battle buddies, 
SPC Germaine Debro was affectionately known as DB. His dedication to 
his fellow soldiers was obvious. Being single, Germaine volunteered for 
assignments so that married soldiers might remain at home with their 
families.
  Germaine deployed to Kuwait in 2001 and to Bosnia in 2002. In 2005, 
he learned that his unit, the 1st of the 167th Cavalry of the Nebraska 
Army National Guard, would deploy to Iraq. Germaine would be assigned 
to Troop B. Germaine's family was anxious about him deploying again, 
but Germaine would not let his Army brothers go without him. In the 
end, his family supported his decision.
  In explaining how his fellow soldiers felt about Germaine, SGT Josh 
Graft put it simply: ``He was like a Dad to all of us.''
  After a year of training, the 1st of the 167th Cavalry arrived in 
Iraq in early 2006. That is when the Sunni-Shia civil war erupted. In 
February, the al-Askari mosque was bombed and Iraq was plunged ever 
deeper into sectarian violence. American forces had come to enforce 
peace; they found themselves engaged in intense wartime operations. 
Germaine's unit was right in the thick of it. Enemy attacks were 
frequent. Tensions were high.
  On September 4, 2006, a 20-truck convoy headed out from a site 30 
miles north of Baghdad. In the United States, Americans were 
celebrating Labor Day with barbecues, sporting events, and family 
gatherings. In Iraq, Germaine was driving a humvee, providing advanced 
security for the convoy. Thirty miles outside of Baghdad, Germaine's 
humvee struck an improvised explosive device. The vehicle was spun 
several times before erupting into flames. SGT Josiah Warren, riding in 
the right seat, tried unsuccessfully to pull Germaine free. Germaine 
Debro died on September 4, 2006.
  At Iraq's Camp Anaconda, members of the Nebraska Army National Guard 
assembled to honor the man who had cared so deeply for them.
  On September 18, 2006, the Morning Star Baptist Church near downtown 
Omaha was filled with people paying a final tribute to Germaine Debro. 
Outside, 110 patriot riders stood guard.
  Germaine's brother, Maurice, read from a letter Germaine had written 
to him. In it, his brother offered some advice: ``If you don't take a 
risk, then you'll never know what happened.''
  ``That was my brother,'' said Maurice. ``He was a loving, caring 
person.''
  Germaine Debro was promoted posthumously to the rank of sergeant. His 
military decorations included a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. SGT 
Germaine Debro is survived by his father Alvin, his mother Priscilla, 
and his brothers, Alvin, Jr., and Maurice. He is a true Nebraska hero. 
I am honored to tell his story.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Flake). The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 
up to 20 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                             Climate Change

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I rise today for my 151st ``Time to 
Wake Up'' speech on climate change. I have covered many topics during 
these speeches--from pulling back the veil on the fossil fuel 
industry's web of denial to sharing my visits to States from New 
Hampshire to Florida to Utah to see the effects of climate change there 
firsthand. But one recurring theme of my speeches and in the scientific 
literature has been the warning that the effects of climate change will 
hit home first and hardest along our coasts.
  The oceans have soaked up more than 90 percent of the excess heat 
that has been trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gasses. That is a 
lot of

[[Page 15776]]

heat. The Associated Press has compared the ocean heat we have added 
since 1997 to a, ``Hiroshima-style bomb being exploded every second in 
the ocean for 75 straight years.''
  That excess energy is warming our oceans at alarming rates, and by 
the principle of thermal expansion, we know that when water warms it 
expands. That, coupled with the melting ice sheets, is driving up sea 
levels worldwide. For my Ocean State that is a big deal. Warming and 
rising seas carry real consequences for coastal economies.
  New England is being hit particularly hard on this front. The Gulf of 
Maine is warming faster than almost any other part of the ocean in the 
world. Narragansett Bay, in my home state of Rhode Island, has already 
seen a nearly 4-degree Fahrenheit increase in winter water temperatures 
since the 1960s. Since measurements started in 1930, sea level is up 
nearly 10 inches at the tide gauge at Naval Station Newport.
  Now, 10 inches may not sound like an enormous amount, but if you do a 
little mathematics and take that 10 inches and you multiply it by the 
147 square miles that Narragansett Bay occupies, that adds nearly 100 
million cubic meters of water offshore--throw weight for when the next 
storm comes.
  Now, we don't model storm surge very well yet. But there is a lot of 
potential harm for Rhode Island. If you look not just at Narragansett 
Bay but at Rhode Island State waters, it is more than 500 million cubic 
meters, which is more than 500 million metric tons of potential storm 
surge.
  Earlier this year, researchers published in Nature an updated 
estimate of global sea level rise. With new estimates of how melting 
Antarctic sea ice will contribute to sea level rise, the scientists 
were able to paint a more accurate picture of what lies ahead. It is 
not good news.
  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had previously 
estimated sea level rise to reach between 1.7 and 3.2 feet by 2100. The 
new study doubles that estimate, putting global sea level rise over 6 
feet by the end of this century.
  To complicate matters more, as Antarctica loses ice and consequently 
mass, it will actually also affect the gravitational pull of the 
Antarctic on the oceans. With Antarctica's gravitational pull reduced, 
other continents will proportionately carry more gravitational clout, 
drawing even more ocean water away from the South Pole to their coasts.
  Ben Strauss, the director of Climate Central's sea level rise 
program, recently told the Washington Post:

       [T]he 22nd century would be the century of hell. There 
     would really be an unthinkable level of sea rise. It would 
     erase many major cities and some nations from the map.

  A study published in the ``Proceedings of the National Academy of 
Sciences'' last month looked at the effects of rising seas on more than 
100 coastal cities around the world. The study predicts that we will 
hit 2 degrees Celsius of average global warming, which scientists say 
brings catastrophic and irreversible climate effects, sometime between 
2040 and 2050.
  When that happens, over 90 percent of the world's coastal areas will 
experience almost 8 inches of further sea level rise. On the Atlantic 
coast of the United States, it is estimated to be more than 15 inches. 
If we continue emissions unabated and hit 5 degrees Celsius warming by 
2100, New York City could see over 3\1/2\ feet of seawater swamping its 
streets.
  The year 2040 is not that far away. If you buy a house on the coast 
today, 2040 would fall well within your typical 30-year mortgage. As 
you might imagine, the real estate business is starting to take notice. 
Zillow, the online real estate marketplace, has looked at how 6 feet of 
sea level rise by 2100 would affect over 100 million U.S. homes in its 
database. Around 1 in 50 homes in the United States, or just under 2 
million properties, would find their ground floors underwater by 2100.
  Thirty-six U.S. cities would be considered completely lost, and 
another 300 cities would lose at least half of their homes. Florida 
fared the worst in the study, losing more than 12 percent of the 
State's housing to sea level rise. Hawaii is not far behind, with over 
9 percent of its homes expected to go underwater. Though New Jersey's 
overall housing situation fares somewhat better, with a loss expected 
at just over 7 percent, the value of those homes well exceeds any other 
State. New Jersey alone accounts for over 10 percent of the 
$882,000,000,000 worth of potentially underwater properties.
  Miami Beach would be the hardest hit city, losing over 37,000 homes, 
worth over $33 billion. Those numbers just count residential 
properties, not expected losses to commercial or public properties. The 
insurance industry uses the term ``100-year flood'' to describe a flood 
that has a 1-percent chance of occurring in a given year. According to 
a 2013 study commissioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
the area in the United States susceptible to 100-year floods will grow 
by 45 percent by the end of the century. Our Government Accountability 
Office says Federal flood insurance premiums are not keeping pace with 
that growing risk.
  From 2002 through 2013 already, taxpayers bailed out insured 
properties to the tune of $18 to $25 billion. Government-backed 
mortgage giant Freddie Mac is preparing itself for broad losses from 
climate-driven flooding. ``The economic losses and social disruption 
may happen gradually,'' says its Web site, ``but they are likely to be 
greater in total than those experienced in the housing crisis and the 
Great Recession.''
  Let me say that again: ``They are likely to be greater in total than 
those experienced in the housing crisis and Great Recession.'' Some of 
the effects of climate change, it says, may not even by insurable. 
Unlike the 2008 housing crash, owners of homes that are subsumed by 
rising seas would have little expectation of their home's value ever 
recovering. Therefore, they would have little incentive to make their 
mortgage payments, which would add to steep losses for lenders and 
insurers.
  We don't, of course, have to wait until 2100 to see the effects of 
sea level rise on coastal cities like Miami, Charleston, Norfolk, or 
Newport, RI. So-called sunny day flooding is increasing in coastal 
communities. As sea levels rise, regular high tides can be all that is 
needed to flood streets, sidewalks and basements. NOAA estimates that 
non-storm-related nuisance flooding, just from tides and sea level 
rise, has increased somewhere between 300 to 925 percent along the 
United States' three coastlines since the 1960s.
  This past October's King Tides--the year's highest tides--brought 
around 2 feet of water to Boston's waterfront. Last month's Super Moon 
pulled water into the streets of Charleston and the parking lots of New 
Hampshire. This wayward octopus--I don't know if you can see it 
clearly, but there is a fairly good-sized octopus here--ended up 
swimming through a Miami parking garage.
  These extreme high tides give a preview of what may be the new normal 
in this century. Higher seas plus stronger storms forebode real 
catastrophe for coastal communities. The Great New England Hurricane of 
1938 is the worst in Rhode Island's history. A storm surge of 12 to 15 
feet hit Narragansett Bay, engulfing downtown Providence. You can see 
old photographs of the streetcars with just their roofs showing over 
the water.
  If that storm hit again today, it would have a big head start, riding 
to shore on 10 more inches of sea with that potentially 500 million 
metric tons of water available for storm surge. Again, we don't know 
how much of it becomes storm surge, but it certainly raises the 
potential.
  This picture is from historic Newport after Superstorm Sandy gave us 
a glancing blow in Rhode Island in 2012. It brought a storm surge of 
over 9 feet to Providence, and over 4 feet to the south coast of the 
State. This is downtown Newport and Seamen's Church Institute right 
here, and somebody is kayaking through downtown.
  According to the most recent report from the National Ocean Economics 
Program, more than 134 million people lived in U.S. coastal zone 
counties in 2014. Those counties accounted for nearly half of the total 
U.S. GDP and

[[Page 15777]]

more than 40 percent of total U.S. employment. In my State of Rhode 
Island, the coastal economy accounts for $55 billion of the State's GDP 
and employed over 400,000 people in 2014.
  This productivity is at risk if those communities and their 
businesses cannot protect themselves from the consequences of our 
changing environment. A lot of places are taking this threat seriously. 
Although partisans in the State government make the phrase ``climate 
change'' a taboo in Florida, local policymakers, particularly in South 
Florida, are making climate change adaptation a priority, forming a 
regional bipartisan compact on climate resiliency, hiring resiliency 
and sustainability staff, building seawalls, installing pumps, updating 
building codes, and in Miami Beach's case--just in that one city--
making $400 million in storm water management upgrades.
  In New Hampshire, the Coastal Risks and Hazards Commission has 
advised cities to prepare infrastructure and buildings for rising seas. 
Louisiana rewrote its Coastal Master Plan to accept the dark 
predictions of land loss and sea level rise facing that lowland State 
and to include around 200 projects designed to protect Southern 
Louisiana's marshes and limit the effects of storm surge.
  In Alaska, Native villages are seeking financial support to relocate 
their traditional coastal homesteads to higher ground. In Rhode Island, 
under the leadership of Grover Fugate at our Coastal Resources 
Management Council and in cooperation with the leading experts at the 
University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Sea Grant, and Rhode Island 
Geological Survey, we are well aware of what climate change, sea level 
rise, and storm surge mean for our coastal communities.
  STORMTOOLS, a free public online tool developed through this 
collaboration, is providing our city planners and concerned citizens 
with a visualization of the effects of various levels of sea level rise 
and storm surge on their properties. The Coastal Risk Environmental 
Index, which is shown here, will add even more specificity to the 
models working in STORMTOOLS. Users can actually navigate Google Earth 
to see what flood damage from sea level rise and storm surge will look 
like on a building-by-building basis. The city of Warwick, RI, featured 
here, is already using its maps in its future planning and emergency 
planning.
  The rising tide calls for increased investment in coastal resiliency 
around the country. Senators Merkley, Menendez, and I asked the 
Government Accountability Office to review the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration's support for coastal States' resilience 
efforts. Among its findings, the GAO report said that the Regional 
Coastal Resilience Grants Program ``received 132 qualified applications 
requesting a total of $105 million during its first application period 
in fiscal year 2015.'' Well, guess how much money was available to meet 
that $105 million approved or qualified need. Only $4.5 million. NOAA 
was able to support less than 5 percent of the coastal States' demand.
  Climate change doesn't care whether you believe the science or the 
propaganda and nonsense pumped out by the fossil fuel lobby--shoreside 
homes' basements will flood either way. It is not a matter of belief, 
it is a matter of physics.
  For all the denial and diversion, you will notice that the fossil 
fuel industry's web of denial groups don't talk much about the effects 
we are seeing in our oceans and along our coasts. Their business is 
denial and, through calculated misinformation, creating phony doubt. 
That is their mission. If that is your mission, it is hard to deny 
water levels that are measured essentially on a glorified yardstick at 
tide gauges. It is hard to deny measurements from a Ph test that high 
schoolers do in their science classes. It is hard to deny readings from 
thermometers.
  Here in the Senate, our choice is clear: We can take action or 
continue to sleepwalk through history. But we should remember Pope 
Francis's warning. Pope Francis said: ``God always forgives, we men 
forgive sometimes, but nature never forgives. If you give her a slap, 
she will give you one.'' And we have a big slap coming.
  If we do nothing, what will we tell the millions of Americans who 
live by the sea and rely on it for their livelihoods? What should we 
tell them when they can't get insured for the next hurricane or when 
their mortgages are underwater in a literal sense? If we refuse to help 
our own citizens, who then will help the millions of others in 
developing countries around the world suffering the same fate and 
looking to our country for leadership? We have a moral obligation to 
pluck our heads from the sand and get to work. The oceans warn; it is 
time we woke up and listened.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip.


                  Justice For All Reauthorization Bill

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, it is my honor to come to the floor with 
the senior Senator from Vermont, my friend Mr. Leahy, to talk about 
bipartisan legislation that will soon help victims of crime restore 
their lives. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act passed the House 
last week, and the Senate followed suit with unanimous support. Now it 
is on its way to the President's desk so it can become the law of the 
land.
  When I served as the attorney general of Texas a few years ago, I 
felt that one of my most important jobs was to protect crime victims. I 
know that all Members of the Senate feel the same way. The Justice for 
All Reauthorization Act is first and foremost a bill that will help 
victims. It includes a number of provisions to help them get the 
justice they deserve. It will improve victims' rights by increasing 
access to restitution, reauthorize programs that support them in court, 
and increase resources for forensic labs to reduce the rape kit 
backlog.
  I have spoken about the rape kit backlog before, and it is a big 
problem. At one point, it was estimated that there were as many as 
400,000 untested rape kits in America, and this was due primarily to a 
lack of resources and lack of focus in making this a priority. This is 
evidence which has proven to be enormously powerful to help convict the 
guilty and exonerate the innocent.
  This legislation will also give law enforcement more resources to 
keep violent offenders off the street and fairly prosecute crimes.
  I know sometimes people must think Senator Leahy and I are the odd 
couple of the Senate. We worked together not only on this legislation 
but also on reforms of the Freedom of Information Act. We share a 
passion for that topic as well. I am enormously grateful to him for his 
partnership on this important legislation. I also wish to thank Senator 
Grassley for his leadership in helping to shepherd this bipartisan bill 
through the Judiciary Committee.
  I am looking forward to the Justice for All Reauthorization Act 
becoming law soon so we can help more victims restore their lives.
  I yield to the senior Senator from Vermont.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished senior Senator 
from Texas. Senator Cornyn and I have had the privilege of being 
prosecutors, he as an attorney general and I served as the State's 
attorney. I think you get a special view of what is needed. I have 
enjoyed working with the Senator because we do not have to paint a 
great picture for each other; we both understand the mistakes that can 
be made and why we do not want them.
  For more than 6 years, I have championed the reauthorization of the 
Justice for All Act. I want to ensure that our criminal justice system 
lives up to our national pledge of liberty and justice for all. Having 
served as a prosecutor--and most former prosecutors--I am committed to 
ensuring that our criminal justice system has the integrity and 
confidence of the public it serves. I should not just say former 
prosecutors; current prosecutors feel that way.
  From my time on the frontlines as a State's attorney in Chittenden 
County, VT, to the more than 15 years I have served as either chairman 
or ranking

[[Page 15778]]

member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, it has become clear to me 
that our system is deeply flawed. There is not always justice for all. 
I have met many innocent people wrongly convicted of crimes they did 
not commit.
  I shared the story of Kirk Bloodsworth. He was falsely convicted. He 
was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl--a 
horrible crime, but he maintained his innocence. In 1993, he became the 
first death row inmate to be exonerated by DNA, and they were finally 
able to charge the man who did commit the horrible crime. The irony 
there is that some have said: Boy, don't they look alike? That is what 
happened.
  We know our system gets it wrong. We have a responsibility to improve 
our criminal justice system. That is why I joined with Kirk Bloodsworth 
years ago to introduce and enact the Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant 
Program. It was originally part of the Innocence Protection Act, which 
was enacted in 2004. It gives defendants like Kirk a chance to prove 
their innocence.
  To ensure our justice system gets it right from the beginning, the 
bill provides a means to improve the quality of indigent defense. 
Ensuring good representation for those accused of crimes means fewer 
innocent people will be behind bars. It is an outrage if an innocent 
person is wrongly punished, but then that injustice is exacerbated 
because it means the person who committed the crime is still out there, 
and oftentimes, as my friend from Texas knows, they will commit the 
crime again. The American people deserve a system that gets it right 
the first time.
  Many Senators in this Chamber know the story of my friend Debbie 
Smith, also a friend of the senior Senator from Texas. She has become a 
champion for victims of sexual assault. She waited 6 years after being 
attacked before her rape kit was tested and a culprit was caught. Think 
about that. During those 6 years, she had to live in terror that the 
person who did this heinous crime might come back and do it again. No 
one should have to live in fear while an attacker remains free to 
victimize someone else or them.
  This legislation not only provides important resources to improve the 
quality and efficiency of forensic testing, but it also expands it to 
underserved populations, such as those in rural areas, which is much of 
my State. Actually, every one of us has rural areas in our States.
  I have worked with Senators on both sides of the aisle to craft 
solutions to some of the most significant issues of our time. That is 
why I am proud to partner with Senator Cornyn on this important 
legislation.
  I hope we will continue to work together in the next Congress. We 
have to continue to protect all victims. We have to create fairness in 
our criminal justice system. We have to make sure we get it right the 
first time.
  I call on those who have worked with me on this important legislation 
to continue to support our efforts. We can correct costly mistakes in 
our criminal justice system; we will be a better country for it. We 
will have a lot more respect for our criminal justice system, and we 
will do what the best of our prosecutors and police want to do--get it 
right.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I again wish to express my gratitude to 
the senior Senator from Vermont, Senator Leahy, for his critical role 
in making sure this legislation becomes law, and I look forward to 
continuing to work with him on similar topics in the future.


                     Legislation Before the Senate

  Mr. President, we are about a week into the lameduck session, and we 
have already tackled some pretty significant legislation.
  Last week, I was proud to see two bills that I introduced pass the 
Chamber. The first was the Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act, a bill 
that will help staffing, safety, and efficiency at our ports of entry, 
and it passed the Senate unanimously.
  In Texas, as the Presiding Officer knows in Arizona, this is not a 
new concern. Some of our border communities have seen the 
infrastructure and the staffing prove to be inadequate at our 
legitimate ports of entry, with a negative impact not only on the 
environment, as cars stack up to cross the border, but it also provides 
an unnecessary drag on legitimate trade and commerce.
  Through the use of innovative public-private partnerships, we have 
seen that we can increase staffing, improve the infrastructure, and 
basically end up filling the gap left by the Federal Government not 
doing its job by dealing--as it, of necessity, must--with our 
international borders and making sure they work as they should. This is 
a good step in the right direction, and I am hopeful we can get the 
legislation to the President's desk in the coming days so that more 
ports of entry throughout the country can take advantage of its 
benefits.
  Senator Leahy and I just spoke about the Justice for All 
Reauthorization Act, and then last night this Chamber voted to move the 
21st Century Cures bill forward with--incredibly--85 Senators voting in 
favor of it. It passed the House overwhelmingly last week, and I look 
forward to getting it through the Chamber and to the President's desk 
as soon as possible. This legislation will play an important role in 
supporting our scientists and researchers working to find cures for 
diseases like cancer, and that includes resources that will support the 
Cancer Moonshot Program, which will help those studying and researching 
to actually find a way to end cancer. That means cancer centers like 
the MD Anderson hospital will have more support to carry out their 
mission to make cancer history.
  The Cures legislation will support research for Alzheimer's and help 
fight the opioid addiction that is running rampant through many parts 
of our country. In other words, this legislation is critically 
important to the health of our country now and for generations to come.
  Significantly, the 21st Century Cures bill includes reforms to our 
mental health delivery system, in part, based on legislation I 
introduced in the Senate called the Mental Health and Safe Communities 
Act. As a result of the deinstitutionalization and treatment of people 
with mental illness in the 1990s, the safety net that was supposed to 
be there to catch people so they didn't fall through the cracks never 
came into being. So many people suffering from mental illness simply 
live on our streets as homeless individuals or they are frequently 
fliers, so to speak, in our criminal justice system and in many 
instances never had their mental illness diagnosed, much less treated, 
so they can actually have a chance at a better life. The mental health 
provisions included in the Cures bill is one way to correct that 
course. It would also help families with a mentally ill loved one find 
a path to treatment and a way forward, including assisted outpatient 
treatment programs.
  One of the biggest challenges families have when they have a mentally 
ill family member--particularly when they are an adult--is getting them 
to comply with their doctor's orders and take their medication. Due to 
the miracle of modern pharmacology, many people with mental illnesses, 
if they are compliant with their medication, can lead very productive 
lives. Often there are additional tools that need to be available to 
family members when they find their loved one is getting sicker and 
sicker and not being compliant with their medication, potentially 
becoming a danger to themselves or to the community at large.
  This legislation will equip State and local governments with better 
tools to assess individual health care needs so those suffering from 
mental illness in the criminal justice system can begin to recover and 
get the help they need, instead of getting sicker.
  This bill also encourages the creation of crisis intervention teams 
so our law enforcement officers and first responders can know how to 
deescalate a dangerous confrontation. If a police officer comes to the 
scene of a call only to confront a mentally ill person, if they are 
untrained and don't know how to deescalate the situation, they may find

[[Page 15779]]

themselves in danger, both the first responder as well as the 
individual person with mental illness. This is about finding ways to 
help the mentally ill individual get help while keeping the community 
safe at the same time.
  Mr. President, the last bit of business we have is to fund the 
government. I said many times the best way to do that is to take the 
appropriations bills up one at a time so we can properly vet them, 
discuss them, and pass them. Our friends across the aisle had a 
different view this year and blocked the passage of individual 
appropriations bills. While it is not my preference, it is where we 
are. Right now, we are looking forward to passing a continuing 
resolution soon as we fulfill our important responsibilities to the 
American people.
  I am glad to see we are making some progress on other pieces of 
legislation, including the Water Resources Development Act, a bill that 
will help us strengthen our waterways to account for growing trade and 
provide help for drought and flood protection.
  Finally, we are working to finish the national defense authorization 
bill that will make sure Congress provides the resources for our 
military men and women so they can accomplish their missions and keep 
America safe.
  We have quite a bit of work left to do and not much time left to do 
it in before the holidays, but with a little cooperation, I am sure we 
will get it all done.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I am here, along with a number of my 
colleagues, to applaud the 21st Century Cures Act as a major milestone 
and a long-overdue initial investment in combating the opioid epidemic. 
In particular, I applaud the inclusion of $1 billion in funding over 2 
years that will address this crisis. For treatment providers on the 
frontlines of the epidemic, I am pleased to say help is on its way with 
this bill when it is passed by the Senate--and I believe it will be.
  Make no mistake, these resources are badly needed. This remains an 
uncontrolled epidemic and unfortunately is still gaining strength. A 
staggering 47,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2014--more 
Americans than died in car accidents. Sadly, in New Hampshire, we are a 
bull's-eye for the highest percentage of drug overdoses per populace of 
any State in the country so I am pleased this bill includes language to 
prioritize the allocation of these new resources to the most heavily 
affected States, and I intend to work with the current and incoming 
administration to get this funding out to States as quickly as 
possible.
  More than a year ago, I introduced legislation to help stem the tide 
of the opioid crisis by providing emergency funding to States, first 
responders, and treatment providers. I joined with other Senators in 
working to include funding in the Cures Act to provide at least an 
initial infusion of funding to fight the opioid epidemic. I am relieved 
these efforts have led to the bipartisan agreement we will soon vote 
on.
  Last month, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a 
landmark report and an urgent call to action. He said 21 million 
Americans have a substance use disorder--far more Americans than have 
cancer--yet only 1 in 10 is receiving any kind of treatment.
  My State of New Hampshire, and New England overall, has been 
especially hard hit, but make no mistake, this is a nationwide 
epidemic, and it doesn't discriminate. It is impacting young and old, 
urban and rural, rich and poor, White and minority, Democrats, 
Republicans, and Independents.
  This fall I met with Susan Messinger of Holderness, NH. Her son Carl 
experimented with heroin at a party and quickly became addicted. He got 
treatment, was in recovery, and was doing great, but he came down with 
a respiratory infection and was prescribed medicine that unknown to 
him, included an opioid--just simple cherry cough medicine. Carl 
relapsed, and he died of a fentanyl overdose days before his 25th 
birthday.
  This chart entitled ``Drug Overdose Deaths Across America'' shows 
very vividly the extent of the problem. It was compiled by the National 
Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention. It shows the inexorable spread of the opioid crisis and the 
disease it causes from 2003, here where we don't see as much bright 
red, to 2008, where it is growing, to 2014, where it is almost the 
entire country. We can see that in the Presiding Officer's section of 
the country, in the Southwest, it is particularly challenging, as well 
as in the Appalachian region of the East. According to the CDC, 
mortality trends in the opioid epidemic are now similar to the trends 
in the HIV epidemic at its peak in the late 1980s and 1990s.
  The second chart shows drug overdose deaths across New Hampshire. It 
shows a parallel spread of the opioid epidemic in New Hampshire, with 
especially devastating effects in the northern part of the State--what 
we call the north country. In 2003, we see no orange and no red. In 
2007, we are beginning to see patches of orange. In 2011, they have 
turned red, and by 2014, it is particularly affecting the entire State, 
and here--the northern part of New Hampshire--is where it is hardest 
hit.
  In his landmark report last month, the U.S. Surgeon General said: 
``It is time to change how we view addiction--not as a moral failing 
but as a chronic illness that must be treated with skill, urgency and 
compassion.'' Yet what we are seeing in New Hampshire and across the 
country is that treatment centers are completely overwhelmed.
  Certainly, the new funding in the Cures Act will be welcome news to 
Friendship House in Bethlehem, NH, which is a treatment center I 
visited on Friday. It is up here in the northern part of the State in 
New Hampshire's north country, which has one of the highest overdose 
rates per capita in New Hampshire. Friendship House is the only 
treatment center within a radius of 65 miles.
  Back in April, Kaiser Health News reported on the case of Eddie 
Sawyer. Eddie overdosed and died while he was waiting for his turn to 
be admitted to Friendship House. When police found Mr. Sawyer, on the 
table next to his bed was a list of treatment facilities. There were 
checkmarks next to the name of each facility. Mr. Sawyer had called 
every place on the list, and he had not found one that could take him 
for treatment.
  The Surgeon General's new report states that nearly 9 out of 10 
people with substance use disorders do not receive treatment. They are 
being turned away. They are being denied treatment due to a chronic 
lack of resources. Hopefully, this legislation is going to help that 
because over the last year, I visited treatment centers in every part 
of the Granite State. These centers are staffed by skilled, dedicated 
treatment professionals. They are saving lives every day, but they tell 
me that for every life they save, others are being lost for lack of 
treatment capacity, facilities, and funding. When people with substance 
use disorders are turned away, this means they remain on the streets, 
desperate, often committing crimes to support their addiction and at 
constant risk of a lethal overdose.
  Last year, a promising young woman named Molly Alice Parks died of a 
heroin overdose in Manchester, NH--New Hampshire's largest city. Her 
father wrote her obituary which appeared in the Union Leader newspaper. 
He wrote openly about Molly's addiction, and the obituary included this 
plea to readers: ``If you have any loved ones who are fighting 
addiction, Molly's family asks that you do everything possible to be 
supportive, and guide them to rehabilitation before it is too late.''
  I admire the courage of Molly's father, his willingness to warn other 
families, and talk openly about his daughter's addiction, but what if a 
family persuades a son or daughter to seek treatment and no treatment 
is available? Sadly, that is the case in so many communities across 
America where treatment centers are overwhelmed.
  That is why the additional resources in the Cures Act are so 
important. This new funding will make a real difference for treatment 
providers in each of our

[[Page 15780]]

States. Make no mistake, this legislation will save lives. The funding 
in the Cures Act is a welcome initial investment in combating the 
opioid epidemic. President-Elect Trump, during dozens of visits to New 
Hampshire over the last year, pledged aggressive action to fight the 
opioid epidemic. When the new Congress convenes in January, we must 
come together with our new President, on a bipartisan basis, to address 
the opioid crisis in a comprehensive fashion, including continuing 
resources for policing, prevention, treatment, and recovery. As Surgeon 
General Murphy says, ``How we respond to this crisis is a test for 
America.'' With so many lives at stake, it is a test we must not fail.
  With the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress is providing urgent new 
funding for treatment on the frontlines--professionals who have been 
doing truly heroic, lifesaving work. Our message in passing this 
legislation is: Help is on the way. I urge my colleagues to give strong 
bipartisan support to this important bill.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


              Coal Miner Health Care Benefits and Pensions

  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I rise to explain what is happening for 
all of my colleagues and my friends on both sides of the aisle.
  I have been here for 6 years as a Senator. I have always fought to 
make the body work, and for the people of West Virginia and for our 
country. I have never believed partisan gridlock is a way to accomplish 
our policy goals, so I haven't come to this decision easily. I have 
never used the procedure that I am using today, and I will use, to 
basically stop all UCs, a lot of good pieces of legislation, a lot of 
good friends who have worked diligently on this. I want to be able to 
work with them.
  My reason for doing this is that over 2 years ago we promised the 
retired coal miners of America--we promised them--mostly their 
families, and there are a lot of widows now; we promised them they 
would have their health care benefits that were guaranteed to them and 
their pensions. We have been working toward that.
  We knew this day would come. As of December 31, the end of this 
month--less than 4 weeks away--there are going to be 16,500 retired 
families, retired miners who are losing their health care benefits. 
There will be another 4,000 the first of next year.
  So I am using this procedure, which I do reluctantly and I never 
thought I would have to, because we are fighting for those people whom 
we promised, fighting for those we believe in, to thank them for the 
power they have provided to this Nation. Now we are turning our backs 
on them.
  We have pay-fors for this. We have a way to move forward. These are 
the health care benefits for our retired miners. It is something they 
have worked for, they have earned, they deserve, and we are the country 
we are because of the hard work they have done.
  So I wanted my colleagues to know why this procedure is going to be a 
little bit more laborious than they would have liked, why we might not 
be leaving here when they would have liked to go home. If we don't 
stand for the people who have made our country as great as it is, we 
stand for nothing.
  So with that, I hope my colleagues understand where I am coming from 
and why I hope they will be with me on this for the sake of all of 
these families and all of these widows and all of these miners who have 
given to much to our country.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I wish to start by expressing my 
appreciation to all of my colleagues who have worked so hard on the 
priorities in the 21st Century Cures bill, including investing in 
tackling our hardest to treat diseases, confronting the opioid 
epidemic, strengthening mental health care, and advancing medical 
innovation.
  The legislation that we will be voting on either really late tonight 
or tomorrow morning takes important steps to improve the care that 
patients receive.
  I am very grateful to every Senator and Member of Congress who worked 
across the aisle to make this legislation the best it could be for 
those whom we serve. In particular, I want to express my heartfelt 
thanks to Vice President Joe Biden. Not everyone has the strength to 
respond to profound personal tragedy by doing even more to protect and 
help others, but that is exactly what he has done. I know we are all 
grateful for and inspired by his leadership, and I am confident it has 
given a lot of families hope, knowing that Joe Biden is fighting for 
them and their loved ones.
  Of course, I want to acknowledge and thank the chairman of the HELP 
Committee, Senator Alexander, for his work and leadership on this bill, 
as well as the Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, Ranking Member 
Frank Pallone, and Congresswoman Diana DeGette.
  I am proud of our country's history of lifesaving public health 
initiatives and world-changing medical innovation. From eradicating 
smallpox to mapping the human genome, we have risen to challenges and 
found ways to combat seemingly unbeatable diseases and public health 
threats. There is no question we are a strong country for that.
  The bill we are talking about today, while far from perfect, gives us 
the chance to build on that tradition of leadership and respond to some 
urgent health challenges we face right now. One of those is the opioid 
epidemic. Like many of my colleagues, I have heard from far too many 
families and local leaders in my home State about the ways that opioid 
use disorders are ruining lives and tearing families apart. My 
constituent Penny LeGate, whose daughter Marah died of an overdose at 
the age of 19, said that this crisis can happen anywhere and it is 
everywhere. That is the same thing I have heard from worried parents 
and sheriffs and community leaders across Washington State.
  I was glad that earlier this year, the Senate passed the 
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act to strengthen and improve 
programs that address opioid addiction. But, as Democrats made clear, 
improving policy wasn't enough. Tackling this crisis head-on requires 
putting new investments into these efforts as quickly as possible, and 
that is what this bill will do. It dedicates $1 billion over 2 years, 
above and beyond the budget caps, to help States and communities fight 
back. And critically, we were able to secure changes that ensure this 
money will go to States based on where it is needed the most.
  Many of my colleagues were closely involved with this effort, but in 
particular I wish to recognize Senators Whitehouse, Shaheen, Baldwin, 
Markey, Donnelly, and Manchin.
  I have also heard from people across Washington State and the country 
about what a broken mental health system means for them and their 
families. One constituent whose experience has really stuck with me is 
Jenny. Jenny is from Olympia, WA, and she was pregnant when her husband 
began having severe psychotic episodes. Jenny told me that she 
remembered how striking the differences were between the coordinated, 
thoughtful care she received as an expectant mother and the confusing 
patchwork that she and her husband had to navigate to try to help him 
get better. Jenny's husband cycled in and out of the hospital without 
effective treatment, and tragically he took his own life while Jenny 
was in the NICU with their newborn baby.
  Jenny's story is unfortunately one of many about families struggling 
to find quality mental health care for loved ones with mental illness. 
I am confident that everyone here today has heard these stories, and we 
know we have to do better.

[[Page 15781]]

  Our legislation will help expand access to quality care for mental 
illness and substance use disorders by making it easier for patients to 
get in touch with providers. It will strengthen coordination between 
local agencies that are engaged in crisis intervention, and it will 
make sure that resources are available to strengthen the mental health 
workforce.
  While we weren't able to resolve the IMD exclusion, which is a policy 
that makes it extremely difficult for States to provide inpatient care 
to those with mental illness and substance abuse disorders, this bill 
does change policy so that Federal funding will fully support the 
physical needs of children in psychiatric facilities.
  It also puts in place measures to strengthen our mental health parity 
law to make sure that health insurance will cover mental health and 
addiction services when it is needed. Chairman Alexander and I worked 
with Senators Murphy and Cassidy to move this legislation through our 
committee this year, and I wish to recognize their commitment and 
leadership on this issue in particular.
  In addition to investing in and tackling the opioid epidemic and 
putting in place desperately needed reforms to our mental health care 
system, this legislation makes real investments in tackling the hardest 
to treat diseases. According to the National Cancer Institute at NIH, 
40 percent of men and women in the United States will be diagnosed with 
some form of cancer in their lives. Right now, more than 5 million 
people are living with Alzheimer's. These are truly staggering 
statistics, and they represent enormous hardship and suffering and loss 
in nearly every family and community.
  Now we have made enormous progress in understanding and treating 
cancer, and we know more about how the brain works and what diseases 
like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and traumatic injuries do to human 
minds, but we can and must do more, and that is exactly what the 
investments in NIH in this bill will mean.
  While this is not the mandatory funding we had hoped for, I want to 
be very clear: This is real funding. So $4.8 billion is paid for within 
this bill, targeted to specific NIH initiatives, and available to 
appropriators above and beyond the budget caps. That means, as a result 
of this legislation--and thanks, in particular, to the leadership and 
vision of Vice President Biden--we will be able to invest billions 
right away in better understanding, preventing, and treating diseases 
that have impacted so many families.
  This bill also ensures that those investments in research will 
benefit all Americans, including women and children, LGBT individuals, 
and racial and ethnic minorities.
  This bill also puts $500 million above and beyond the budget cap 
toward helping the FDA meet the same high standards of patient and 
consumer safety in the face of increasing demands on the agency and new 
responsibilities under this legislation. As Democrats have made clear 
throughout this process, upholding the gold standard of FDA approval 
that patients and families across the country trust is a top priority.
  In light of the antibiotic-resistant infections linked to 
contaminated medical devices called duodenoscopes in Seattle and across 
the country, it was particularly important to me to make sure that this 
bill strengthened the FDA's authority to require that medical device 
manufacturers ensure their products will remain safe after they have 
gone into repeated uses at our hospitals.
  We also fought hard to move many of the other FDA reform policies 
that are included in this bill in the direction of greater patient and 
consumer safety. In particular, I was pleased that we were able to take 
out legislation that would have watered down transparency around drug 
and device industry payments to doctors, and I appreciate my colleagues 
on the other side of the aisle who were ultimately willing to work with 
us to make those changes.
  Now, looking ahead to next year, I plan to monitor implementation of 
this bill extremely closely, with a focus on making sure the incoming 
administration adheres to the policies laid out in this bill and 
upholds the FDA's responsibility to patients and families to ensure our 
medicines and treatments are safe and effective. This standard has been 
critical to fueling biomedical innovation in America for over half a 
century. And while I am disappointed that Republicans were unwilling to 
take action on this legislation to tackle the high cost of prescription 
drugs, I am very glad we were able to remove expensive provisions that 
could have driven up costs for consumers even more.
  While this bill is not what I would have written on my own, it is 
certainly not what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would 
have written on their own, either. It locks in critical advancements 
ahead of the incoming administration and the partisan approach they are 
signaling they will take on health care, and it will make a real 
difference for patients and families across the country now and for 
years into the future.
  Before I wrap up, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary time and 
effort put in by all of our staffs. There have been a lot of late 
nights and weekends for our staffs, not just this year but last year as 
well on this bill, and I want to take just a minute to recognize their 
extra effort and sacrifice.
  On Senator Alexander's staff, I want to particularly acknowledge and 
thank his staff director, David Cleary, as well as Mary-Sumpter 
Lapinski and Grace Stuntz, his health and FDA policy leads, who worked 
very closely with my staff over many months. I also want to acknowledge 
and thank Margaret Coulter, Brett Meeks, Laura Pence, Melissa Pfaff, 
Kara Townshend, and Elizabeth Wroe for their efforts on this bill.
  In the House, I want to recognize and thank the staff of Congressman 
Pallone, including his staff director, Jeff Carroll, along with Tiffany 
Guarascio, his health policy lead. I thank the staff of Chairman Upton, 
particularly his staff director, Gary Andres, and Paul Edattel, his 
health policy lead.
  In addition, I thank the staff of my members on the HELP Committee, 
who worked so closely with my staff to make this a reality. In 
particular, I thank David Bonine and Joe Dunn with Senator Murphy.
  I want to acknowledge the assistance of Amy Rosenbaum, Jeanne 
Lambrew, Kate Mevis, and Dr. Francis Collins, among many others within 
the administration who helped make today possible.
  Finally, I want to close by thanking my staff. I can't say enough 
about my incredible staff, who have put their time and talents into 
this bill from the word ``go.'' In particular, I thank my staff 
director, Evan Schatz, and my health policy director, Nick Bath, for 
their extraordinary efforts on this legislation. Thank you.
  I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of Remy Brim, Julie 
Tierney, Andi Fristedt, Colin Goldfinch, Melanie Rainer, Madeleine 
Pannell, Megan Howard, Elizabeth Wagner, Wade Ackerman, Kalah 
Auchincloss, Jane Bigham, Helen Hare, Eli Zupnick, John Righter, Nick 
McLane, and my chief of staff, Mike Spahn. I want you to know that I 
noticed their long hours and unwavering commitment on this legislation. 
It means a lot.
  I urge my colleagues to join the House when we vote on this, which 
voted overwhelmingly in support of this bill--392 to 26--and to join us 
in sending this legislation to President Obama's desk.
  Thank you.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cruz). The Senator from Mississippi.
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, before the distinguished Senator from 
Washington moves on to her other duties, I want to commend her and 
Senator Alexander for the outstanding job they have done and for the 
long hours she and her colleagues on the HELP Committee have put in to 
making the Cures Act the reality that it will be in a few days.
  I know the distinguished Senator is on her way to other meetings. I 
have a few things to say about it, but I want to express that before 
she leaves the Chamber.

[[Page 15782]]

  Truly, as Senator Murray said, the 21st Century Cures Act is a world-
changing piece of legislation. It seems rather quiet and unremarkable 
today, but I actually believe we are taking a major step toward disease 
cure and health care research that rivals the legislation which 
actually founded the National Institutes of Health some decades ago. So 
we are about important business here at Christmastime as we near the 
end of this lameduck session.
  Senator Blunt and I and perhaps other Senators were over in the 
Chamber of the other body last Wednesday afternoon when the House of 
Representatives passed the 21st Century Cures Act by an overwhelming 
bipartisan vote, 392 to 26. I appreciated the work House leaders did 
from top to bottom and on both sides of the aisle on this important 
legislation.
  Of course, I am always pleased to visit my colleagues over there. A 
number of our House colleagues were over here last night when the 
Senate invoked cloture on the Cures Act by an overwhelming vote of 85 
to 13. We will get to the vote either this afternoon or early tomorrow, 
and I have every confidence that there will be a strong vote on final 
passage.
  The 21st Century Cures Act is the product of several years of 
bipartisan work in both Houses. My friend from Washington State gave a 
comprehensive overview of the legislation, which is indeed 
breathtaking. I wish to come behind her and mention what an 
accomplishment this is in three areas--first, in Alzheimer's research; 
second, in pediatric research; and finally, in the drug approval 
process.
  I appreciate my friend from Washington and 62 others agreeing to take 
into this legislation the EUREKA Act, which I was happy to sponsor and 
which 62 of my colleagues cosponsored. EUREKA would and will initiate 
prize competitions in the fight against some of our Nation's most 
terrible diseases, including Alzheimer's. These prizes would pay only 
for success, and they would complement current funding that is and will 
be ongoing, according to the legislation. So this will be over and 
above what we are already doing for Alzheimer's. The Senator from 
Washington is correct about how costly Alzheimer's is. It will top $1 
trillion in taxpayer cost by the year 2050 unless we get a cure or 
unless we achieve major goals with regard to stopping Alzheimer's. So 
it is an expensive disease--the most expensive disease in the history 
of this country--but it is also terribly expensive in terms of human 
suffering. I know many Americans, including my family, have been 
touched in a very terrible and dramatic way by Alzheimer's.
  I am pleased that the EUREKA prizes are part of this legislation. I 
want to thank everyone who helped us in this regard.
  I am thankful for the advice we got from the XPRIZE Foundation and 
from all of the Alzheimer's groups, including the Alzheimer's 
Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer's.
  Thanks should also go to Dr. Francis Collins and the entire team at 
the National Institutes of Health for making this legislation work and 
for listening to a different idea--the concept of prizes for health 
care research--and giving it an attentive ear and being willing to 
agree that, in addition to the funding, we would attack these diseases 
with a prize competition.
  The NIH funding in Cures includes additional dollars for the BRAIN 
Initiative, and these EUREKA prizes will ensure that our researchers 
have the tools they need.
  Secondly, another important part of the NIH section of the Cures Act 
is the National Pediatric Research Network, inspired by the Pediatric 
Research Improvement Act that I was happy to cosponsor with Senator 
Brown earlier this year. Senator Brown and I have been working together 
tirelessly to see NIH implement the National Pediatric Research 
Network, and I am glad to see this provision in the bill. Very simply, 
the goal is to expand access to clinical trials and treatments for 
children, especially those with rare diseases. That is a second aspect 
of this Cures bill that I am so pleased to see the leadership of this 
committee being attentive to.
  Thirdly, this bill makes major breakthroughs in the way we approve 
drugs in this country. I am pleased that language from another bill I 
cosponsored, the Patient-Focused Impact Assessment Act, was included in 
the bill. This section of the Cures bill would ensure that patients 
understand the way FDA considers the patient experience and the way FDA 
considers data in the drug approval process. So for patients like those 
living with Duchenne and their families, for people who are interested 
in the drug approval process, and for the parents of children, this is 
a truly bipartisan achievement.
  I am happy that Senator Murray was here so I could congratulate her 
in person. Certainly Senator Lamar Alexander, chairman of our HELP 
Committee, deserves high praise from both sides of the aisle for his 
leadership in this regard, as well as the bipartisan leadership of the 
House of Representatives.
  As we enter this holiday season, patients, advocates, and providers 
have an extra reason to rejoice as this bill heads to the President's 
desk.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.


                            Order for Recess

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
stand in recess, following the remarks of Senator Casey, until 2:15 
p.m. today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                     Tributes to Departing Senators

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, in the interest of time, I will limit my 
remarks.
  I rise this afternoon to commend and salute three Senators from the 
Democratic caucus who are leaving the Senate this year. I will have 
longer written statements for the Record to appropriately pay tribute 
to their service. In alphabetical order, Senator Boxer of California, 
Senator Mikulski of Maryland, and Senator Reid of Nevada.


                   Barbara Boxer and Barbara Mikulski

  I will offer some specific remarks about Leader Reid, in the interest 
of time, but I do want to commend and salute Senator Boxer for her 
service to the people of California and to our Nation, as well Senator 
Mikulski for her great work--two great advocates, two individuals whom 
we are going to miss terribly here in the Senate. As I said, I will put 
longer statements in the Record.


                               Harry Reid

  With regard to Senator Reid, I can't help taking the time to say a 
few words about him in the remaining minutes we have before we break 
for the caucus lunches.
  Mr. President, as many people know, Senator Harry Reid is a son of 
Searchlight, a small community in the State of Nevada, and he comes 
from humble beginnings. It is probably best to read his words about his 
beginnings rather than trying to describe or encapsulate them. Among 
many things he said about his background and his family, he said this, 
in short fashion, about his background:

       My dad was a hard rock miner. My mom took in wash. I grew 
     up around people of strong values.

  That is a direct quotation from Harry Reid about his background. I 
think those values have helped him his whole life. Those values, that 
work ethic, and that strength of character allowed him to go from 
Searchlight to rise up to become a leader in his home State of Nevada 
in many positions in State government, to be a Member of the United 
States House of Representatives, later to be elected to the United 
States Senate in 1986, and then, of course, to become the Democratic 
leader--and he remains so until the end of this Congress--but, of 
course, the pinnacle was his service as majority leader, one of the 
longest serving majority leaders in our history. That is kind of a 
summary of his positions in government, important though they are, 
leading a large and diverse caucus. It is a

[[Page 15783]]

difficult job whether you are leading that caucus in the majority or 
leading it as the minority party. So we salute and commend his service 
to his home State of Nevada and to the people of the United States.
  But maybe more important than just talking about positions he held is 
to talk for just a minute about who he is--a fighter. No person has 
fought harder for workers and for their families than Harry Reid. No 
Senator, no person I know in public life, has made that such a central 
part of who they are and a central part of their priorities, also, at 
the same time, being a fighter for those who often don't have a voice 
here--people who don't have power ever in their lives or often don't 
have power on a regular basis. They always had a friend in Harry Reid--
someone who would go to the end of the Earth fighting on behalf of 
them.
  Over and over in our caucus, he would say: We have to work on this 
issue, or we have to get this or that done for people who are hurting. 
There are so many different examples of that, which we don't have time 
to enumerate them today.
  I am recalling today a great line from a great Democratic leader, 
William Jennings Bryan, who talked about the power of one individual to 
make a difference and the power of an issue or set of issues to drive 
that person's success in public life or even beyond public life, as a 
citizen. William Jennings Bryan once said: ``The humblest citizen in 
all the land, when clad in the armor of a righteous cause, is stronger 
than all the hosts of error.'' So said William Jennings Bryan about one 
citizen clad in the armor of a righteous cause.
  Harry Reid is a Senator and he has been a leader, but he is also a 
very humble man at his core. His righteous cause wasn't just one issue, 
but if you had to encapsulate it or summarize it, the righteous cause 
for Harry Reid was fighting on behalf of those workers, fighting on 
behalf of those people who did not ever have power in their lives.
  His ability to not just articulate their concerns and their struggles 
but literally their hopes and their dreams was one of the reasons why 
so many of us have such a high regard for him. We commend and salute 
his service. We appreciate his commitment to strong values, but we 
especially appreciate his steadfast support for those who needed his 
voice, who needed his work, who needed his votes, and needed his 
leadership.
  To Senator Reid, we say thank you for your service, thank you for 
what you did for your home State of Nevada, and thank you for what you 
did for the United States of America.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________




                                 RECESS

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate stands in 
recess until 2:15 p.m.
  Thereupon, the Senate, at 12:33 p.m., recessed until 2:15 p.m. and 
reassembled when called to order by the Presiding Officer (Mr. 
Roberts).

                          ____________________




    TSUNAMI WARNING, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH ACT OF 2015--Continued

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Vermont is 
recognized.


                             Voting Rights

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Presiding 
Officer, the Senator from Kansas.
  An editorial this morning in the New York Times is entitled: ``Why 
Does Donald Trump Lie About Voting Fraud?'' This is the editorial of 
which I speak. That is a question that many of us who have been 
fighting for the right to vote have been asking for decades. In a 
bipartisan fashion, this Congress reauthorized the Voting Rights Act 10 
years ago. During the course of many, many, many Senate and House 
Judiciary Committee hearings, we fought against the false narrative 
that in-person voting fraud was at all common in our country. The 
evidence clearly and irrefutably shows that it is not, but, of course, 
the evidence does not stop those who are determined to make it harder 
for Americans to cast their votes.
  Right after five Justices on the Supreme Court gutted the core 
protection of the bipartisan Voting Rights Act, several States led by 
Republican majorities enacted voting restrictions that made it harder 
for many Americans to vote.
  It is most troubling that our President-elect has decided to make an 
unfounded charge of widespread voting fraud. I can imagine that he is 
disappointed in the fact that he got 2.5 million less votes than his 
opponent and did not win the support of a majority of Americans who 
voted last month. We should all hope that when our next President is 
presented with unfavorable realities, he will not resort to spreading 
information that has no basis in fact. That cannot and should never be 
the standard of American leadership.
  In an article published in the Valley News of West Lebanon, NH, and 
reprinted this morning in VTDigger, researchers at Dartmouth explored 
President-Elect Trump's allegation of widespread voting fraud, and they 
found nothing to support his claim, noting ``voter fraud concerns 
fomented and espoused by the Trump campaign are not grounded in any 
observable features of the 2016 Presidential election.'' Many other 
analyses have also made this crystal clear.
  In a report to Congress, the Government Accountability Office 
concluded that ``no apparent cases of in-person voter impersonation 
[were] charged by DOJ's Criminal Division or by U.S. Attorney's offices 
anywhere in the United States from 2004 through July 3, 2014.'' That is 
the reality. The President-elect should not continue to peddle lies 
about voter fraud.
  I say that because this year we have seen a dangerous uptick in what 
some call ``fake news.'' These articles have no basis of reality or 
factual evidence, but they are broadly circulated because they affirm a 
particular ideology or because they are a proven way to make a quick 
buck by drawing the attention of unsuspecting online readers. Fake news 
stories get attention and clicks. We saw what happened when a man walks 
into a pizza place in the District of Columbia where children often 
congregate and fires a rifle because of one of these fake news stories 
he had read.
  Some consider this despicable propaganda to be harmless, but it is 
certainly not without its victims. We know that the spread of lies 
through fake news can have real-world consequences, even for the 
public's faith in the Republic itself. There is no doubt that this is 
the way Russia sees it.
  In conclusion, it should not be too much to ask our elected officials 
to operate on facts and reality. We will have many debates over policy 
in the years to come, as we should, but Americans deserve leaders who 
refuse to peddle in lies for political gain.
  I call on leaders from both sides of the political aisle to no longer 
defend the indefensible.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the New York Times 
editorial be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the New York Times, Dec. 5, 2016]

              Why Does Donald Trump Lie About Voter Fraud?

                        (By the Editorial Board)

       The long-running Republican war against the right to vote 
     has now gone national at the instigation of President-elect 
     Donald Trump, who has promoted the lie that millions of 
     illegal votes were cast in the presidential election.
       There is not a scintilla of evidence for this claim, and 
     Mr. Trump's own lawyers have admitted as much, stating in a 
     court filing opposing a recount in Michigan that ``all 
     available evidence suggests that the 2016 general election 
     was not tainted by fraud or mistake.''

[[Page 15784]]

       Yet one after the next, leading Republicans are spreading 
     this slander of American democracy, smoothing the way to 
     restrict voting rights across the country.
       On Sunday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence told ABC's 
     George Stephanopoulos that it was Mr. Trump's ``right to 
     express his opinion as president-elect.'' When pushed to 
     admit that the illegal-voting claim was not true, Mr. Pence 
     shifted the burden of proof away from Mr. Trump, even though 
     Mr. Trump has accused millions of Americans of committing a 
     crime. ``Look,'' Mr. Pence said, ``I don't know that that's a 
     false statement, George, and neither do you.''
       Paul Ryan, speaker of the House, told CBS's ``60 Minutes,'' 
     ``I have no knowledge of such things,'' before defending Mr. 
     Trump's claims as ``giving voice to a lot of people who have 
     felt that they were voiceless.'' (As recently as October, Mr. 
     Ryan's spokeswoman noted that ``our democracy relies on 
     confidence in election results'' and that Mr. Ryan was 
     ``fully confident the states will carry out this election 
     with integrity.'')
       Reince Priebus, currently the chairman of the Republican 
     National Committee and Mr. Trump's pick for chief of staff, 
     told CBS's John Dickerson that ``no one really knows'' if 
     millions of people voted illegally. ``It's possible.'' It's 
     equally true that no one really knows for sure that Reince 
     Priebus wasn't snatched away and replaced with a doppelgonger 
     hatched by aliens--it's possible, isn't it?
       This is how voter suppression efforts start. First come the 
     unverified tales of fraud; then come the urgent calls to 
     tighten voter registration rules and increase ``ballot 
     security,'' which translate into laws that disenfranchise 
     tens or hundreds of thousands of qualified voters.
       That's already happened in Wisconsin and North Carolina, in 
     Ohio and Texas, where Republican lawmakers pushed through 
     bills requiring voter IDs or proof of citizenship; 
     eliminating early-voting days and same-day registration; and 
     imposing other measures. Virtually all these laws aimed at 
     making voting harder for citizens who happen to be members of 
     groups that tend to support Democrats.
       While federal courts have struck down some of these laws, 
     more keep popping up. In Michigan, lawmakers are pushing to 
     fast-track a voter-ID requirement even though there was no 
     evidence of voter impersonation there. In New Hampshire, the 
     incoming governor, Chris Sununu, wants to do away with same-
     day registration, also despite the lack of any evidence that 
     it resulted in fraud.
       Reality is beside the point. Dallas Woodhouse, the 
     executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party, 
     recently told The New Republic, ``Whether there's widespread 
     voter fraud or not, the people believe there is.'' It doesn't 
     seem to matter to G.O.P. leaders that election officials 
     around the country of both parties have confirmed that there 
     was no fraud on Election Day. What matters to them, as 
     strategists have long known, is that Republicans do better 
     when fewer people vote.
       Under a Trump administration, anti-voter efforts could 
     become national in scope--through congressional legislation, 
     a hostile Justice Department or a Supreme Court nominee with 
     little regard for voting rights.
       Undermining the integrity of the electoral process and 
     making it harder to vote is threatening to all Americans, 
     regardless of party. The cynical Republicans now in power 
     figure that all they have to do is fool the public long 
     enough to win the next election. It's outrageous, but it's 
     hard to see why they would stop when lying has gotten them 
     this far.

  Mr. LEAHY. I yield the floor and thank my colleague.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Portman). The Senator from Kansas.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I have some good news. Today we have 
before us a legislative package that reflects 2 years of work for the 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
  When we first embarked on this process, the goal was to find ways to 
spur innovation and reduce the time it takes for new therapies and 
treatments to get from the research bench to the bedside for patients. 
The bill is the 21st Century Cures Act, which includes--I am going to 
repeat this several times--true bipartisan victories for patients in 
our health care system.
  Throughout my time in Congress, I have been a consistent supporter of 
funding for the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, to fulfill our 
commitment to prioritizing biomedical research and innovation. NIH 
research returns priceless benefits, giving health care providers new 
tools and drugs to heal and give hope to individuals. The benefits of 
this research investment to Kansans back home have been direct and 
personal. Back in 2012, the University of Kansas Cancer Center received 
a National Cancer Institute designation, or an NCI designation. These 
centers are major players in research and development for cancer 
treatment and prevention.
  The legislation we will be voting on today or tomorrow--or at the 
very least next week--does commit an additional $1.8 billion for Vice 
President Biden's Cancer Moonshot. This will not only help the 
University of Kansas as they continue to push toward a comprehensive 
cancer center designation, but it will help all Americans who stand to 
benefit as we work to end the fight against cancer.
  In addition to research funding, this bill includes some provisions I 
authored along with Senator Klobuchar to improve and increase 
transparency in the review and approval of processes for medical 
devices. Specifically, the bill does this. It encourages the FDA, or 
the Food and Drug Administration, to accept international consensus 
standards to provide more predictability for innovators. Second, it 
makes improvements to the advisory committee selection process in an 
effort to provide more transparency. It provides a technical correction 
to establish a process by which the Food and Drug Administration may 
remove certain products from the class I device reserve list if they 
think a premarket review is no longer necessary to prove reasonable 
assurances of safety and effectiveness. Senators Isakson, Casey, and 
Roberts' priorities seek to provide more certainty for FDA review of 
combination products and therapies that do not fit neatly into simply a 
drug or device.
  The legislation also includes important reforms to our mental health 
system based largely on a bill the HELP Committee passed earlier this 
year. With this section of the bill, we seek to clarify and improve our 
mental health parity laws. We reauthorized the substance abuse and 
mental health block grants. We promote evidence-based practices to 
ensure we are utilizing our scarce resources on programs that work and 
not continuing to fund what doesn't work. We reauthorized the Garrett 
Lee Smith Memorial Act for suicide prevention and intervention and the 
National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative.
  There is a lot more work to be done, obviously, to address the 
deficiencies in our current system, but this bipartisan bill is 
certainly a good step in the right direction toward improving access to 
mental health services and eliminating the stigma of seeking treatment.
  Finally, the 21st Century Cures Act includes numerous priorities that 
my colleagues on the Finance Committee and I have been working on for 
several years. One provision I was proud to support in committee 
extends the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program for another 
5 years. As our rural hospitals continue to try and make ends meet, 
this program helps what we call ``tweener'' hospitals survive. 
Hospitals that do not qualify as critical access hospitals would not 
survive under the current Medicare payment system. It is a critical 
program that benefits Kansans in Junction City, Ulysses, and Fort Scott 
by keeping their hospital and access care open.
  There is more rural relief. Senators Thune, Crapo, and I have 
championed a provision to protect rural access to durable medical 
equipment under the Competitive Bidding Program. We would have liked to 
have seen a more permanent solution. However, this bill delays applying 
competitively bid prices of rural areas and requires the Department of 
Health and Human Services to take into account stakeholder input as 
well as average travel distance, volume of items, services furnished, 
and the number of suppliers in these areas when determining adjustments 
in setting bid prices.
  I have the privilege of being the cochairman of the Senate Rural 
Health Caucus. I know how critically important these and other pieces 
of the package are for our beleaguered rural health care system. There 
is no question that we have many challenges ahead. While this package 
may not be a silver bullet to ensure cures for all that ails us, it 
sets priorities in research, cancer, cancer precision medicine, 
regenerative medicine, and heartbreaking diseases like Alzheimer's

[[Page 15785]]

through the BRAIN Initiative. We all know someone affected by these 
dreaded diseases. It also makes significant changes in how these new 
therapies are evaluated, hopefully approved, and delivered to patients, 
providing more tools in the medicine cabinet that will improve many 
lives. Advances in medical research benefit us all, and this bill does 
just that.
  I wish to make a comment with regard to previous discussions of this 
bill on the floor of the Senate. Unfortunately, a very small minority 
of my colleagues want to criticize and even villainize this legislation 
and those who worked so hard on it, which is terribly disappointing to 
me. With the passage of this bill, both Republicans and Democrats can 
take pride in putting together and working toward a bipartisan bill 
that lives up to its name--the 21st Century Cures Act. I regret the 
tone of the debate that took place with regard to this bill and the 
personal comments that were made.
  I will remind my colleagues that there is a rule XIX that the 
distinguished Presiding Officer can invoke at any time and any Senator 
can ask that a Senator's words be taken down under rule XIX. I only say 
it so that we can look upon a bipartisan bill like this and say: Look 
at what we have done. Let's be proud of it and certainly not get into 
the mud with regard to any personal comments.
  I urge my colleagues to advance research, advance the development 
treatments, and support this bill. It is a good bill. It is a 
bipartisan bill that we should all be proud of.
  I thank the Presiding Officer and yield back.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I wish to support the 21st Century 
Cures Act, the bill currently before us that, if all goes well, will be 
approved by the Senate very shortly.
  This important legislation represents the hard work of Members from 
both parties and from both sides of the Capitol. It has support across 
the economic and ideological spectrum and promises to do quite a bit of 
good for a number of people.
  Put simply--or as simply as one can for a measure of this size--the 
21st Century Cures Act represents a significant investment in improving 
our ability to discover and develop new treatments and medicines and 
ensure that patients have access to them.
  To accomplish this goal, this legislation, among many other things, 
provides a much-needed expansion of funding for the National Institutes 
of Health, improvements to the approval process at the Food and Drug 
Administration, resources to respond to the growing opioid abuse 
crisis, and an updated government framework for addressing mental 
health needs.
  Thanks to this bill, universities across Utah will be able to access 
the funding streams from the Precision Medicine Initiative, the BRAIN 
Initiative, and the Cancer Moonshot. Utah is known for its ability to 
leverage significant public-private partnerships to work towards 
cutting-edge health and innovation. I am proud to represent a State 
where complex technologies are being utilized to help patients find the 
best treatments and avoid interventions that would be costly, invasive, 
and ineffective.
  Over the past several months, I have had several meaningful 
experiences working to improve health care for the people of Utah and 
for all Americans. For example, I had the pleasure of welcoming Vice 
President Biden to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah as part of his 
Cancer Research Center tour.
  The Vice President and I had an insightful discussion about a number 
of promising therapies being developed in Utah. This legislation will 
provide an infusion of funding for these types of projects that will 
improve lives for individuals and families across our country and 
around the world.
  Among the many noteworthy provisions in this bill are several items 
advocated by members of the Senate Finance Committee, which I chair. 
Throughout the 114th Congress, the Finance Committee has worked 
tirelessly to advance a number of bipartisan legislative efforts and 
address the concerns of our Members' constituents.
  We have reported more bills out of the committee in this Congress 
than really in any other Congress in modern history, all of them--every 
single one--with bipartisan support. The long list includes bills in 
virtually every area of the Finance Committee's jurisdiction, including 
health care policy.
  Some of these priorities--and many others--have been included in the 
Cures Act.
  All told, the current version of the bill includes at least 22 
separate provisions that reflect the hard work of Finance Committee 
members. These include modifications and updates to Medicare, Medicaid, 
and SCHIP, along with other important changes to the law.
  I want to collectively thank the members of the Finance Committee for 
the work they have done on these measures and on everything else we 
have been able to accomplish over the last two years.
  A number of measures that I personally worked on as a member of the 
Senate HELP Committee have also been included in the bill. All told, 
about 37 provisions in this bill are ones that I either drafted or 
helped draft at some point during my years in the Senate.
  For now, I want to focus on my work to help those in the rare disease 
community. Millions of Americans suffer from unexplainable illnesses 
that leave them feeling abandoned and alone. And, if we do not address 
the dry pipeline for drugs that end up treating just a few hundred 
patients, we are making a national decision that these people do not 
matter.
  None of us should accept that.
  To address these concerns, I worked to include specific measures in 
the Cures Act that improve pediatric care and expedite the drug 
approval process for rare diseases, ensuring that thousands of patients 
get the treatments they need when they need them.
  With this bill, Congress will make significant steps in helping 
Americans with rare diseases, but our work will be far from over. 
Families affected by rare diseases have united around the country to 
speak with a growing voice, and we need to do all we can to make sure 
their pleas do not fall on deaf ears.
  As you can see, there are a number of good things to say about the 
21st Century Cures Act. However, I don't want to leave the impression 
that the bill is perfect from my point of view. While I support the 
bill and plan to vote in favor of passage, I do want to make note of 
what are, in my view, some of the bill's shortcomings.
  As this legislation was being developed, I noted that I had concerns 
with some of the pay-fors that were being thrown around. I have always 
supported the goals of this legislation and believed it was important 
that we try to move it forward. However, I do not believe we should be 
setting undesirable precedents when it comes to funding these types of 
endeavors.
  Early on in this process, some publicly expressed their belief that 
the spending in this bill could be paid for by making alterations to 
federal health entitlement programs, namely Medicare and Medicaid.
  I will spare my colleagues a lecture on the budget process today. 
Instead, I will just note that, while there are a number of areas where 
we can responsibly find savings in these programs, we have almost 
always tried to avoid diverting funds from these programs--which 
constitute mandatory spending--to pay for discretionary spending 
programs.
  And, put simply, I believe we need to continue following what has 
generally been a brightline rule in that regard. If we start casually 
commingling mandatory and discretionary funds, we run the risk of 
greatly expanding discretionary spending programs while simultaneously 
weakening our entitlement programs that are already on the brink of 
fiscal crisis.
  Fortunately, the main proponents of the Cures Act have been willing 
to work with me, and they have scaled back their initial efforts to use 
the mandatory spending sources to pay for the bill. While those pay-
fors haven't been entirely purged from the bill, I do not intend to 
vote against the legislation on that basis.

[[Page 15786]]

  That said, I do want to make clear that this shouldn't become a 
legislative template or be considered a precedent for how Congress will 
pay for new spending in the future. And, as the chairman of the 
committee that has jurisdiction over most of the relevant mandatory 
spending programs, I intend to do all I can to make sure we avoid this 
practice going forward.
  In addition, I want to say that I was disappointed that the bill 
before us does not include provisions from the Family First Prevention 
Services Act, which Senator Wyden and I, along with our counterparts in 
the House, introduced earlier this year.
  This is commonsense legislation that, in my view, would be a good fit 
for this vehicle. It has broad support from Members of both parties and 
in both Chambers, and we all worked to get it included in this package. 
Unfortunately, we weren't able to complete this task. So all of us will 
have to keep looking for any reasonable vehicle or opportunity to move 
this important bill in the near future.
  Still, even with these concerns I have about this final version of 
the 21st Century Cures Act, I am strongly supportive of the bill, and I 
want to commend those who worked so hard to get it this far, including 
Chairmen Brady and Upton and Speaker Ryan over in the House, and 
Chairman Alexander, Leader McConnell, and his leadership team here in 
the Senate.
  They have all done good work, and I congratulate them on this 
success.
  Now, we just have to pass the bill.
  Once again, I intend to vote in favor of the 21st Century Cures Act, 
and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, first, we got a little out of order on 
the speaking schedule as to how it should have started this afternoon.
  I ask unanimous consent that Senator Nelson go immediately after me. 
He has been courteous enough to allow me to speak, and I ask unanimous 
consent that he speak after I am done speaking.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I wish to congratulate everyone who has 
worked on the Cures bill. There are many areas that I have concerns 
about, and there are many positive things. I am looking forward to 
coming back as well and working with colleagues on how we complete the 
job on mental health by providing full funding for community mental 
health care across the country, which is not in the bill. But there are 
some positive steps forward on health care.


                                Medicare

  I think it is very important, as we are coming to the end of this 
session in the next week or two, that we talk about the fact that when 
we come back, there will be incredibly important debates on health 
care, and one of them is what will happen to Medicare for tens of 
millions of seniors and people with disabilities going forward in our 
country. I want to take a moment to speak to that.
  First of all, Medicare and Social Security are great American success 
stories. Those two programs have lifted a generation of seniors out of 
poverty and created a quality of life for them and a guarantee, after 
paying in all their lives, that health care and some basic economic 
security will be there.
  I am particularly concerned right now, though, about the comments we 
are hearing about proposals to fundamentally change Medicare and 
undermine Medicare. We are hearing every day now that Medicare, as we 
know it, is in jeopardy of being dismantled, taking away the security 
and the peace of mind of tens of millions of Americans and their 
families across the country who are currently on Medicare--the health 
care guarantee of Medicare--or those who care for others or those who 
within the next few years will be on Medicare or who are concerned 
about their children.
  Why are we expressing this now? First of all, the Speaker of the 
House said on Sunday that Medicare is burning through the budget. He 
has consistently said Medicare is on the verge of bankruptcy, which is 
not true. It appears the goal is to scare people by telling us Medicare 
will not be there for our children. It will not be there only if we 
don't keep our commitments to Medicare and the people of this country.
  I think I have heard almost every single day since the 1980s that if 
we want to save Medicare, we have to destroy it as a guaranteed health 
care system somehow. Now, we know there was a huge difference of 
opinion and a partisan split back when Medicare was created between 
Democrats and Republicans, and I am proud as a Democrat that we created 
Medicare and have been able to expand prescription drug coverage and 
other quality measures and other coverage that is so critical, but it 
seems like we are constantly going back in some way redebating whether 
Medicare should exist as we know it. So we hear that to save Medicare, 
we have to destroy it as a guaranteed health care system--which I 
completely reject, as do my Democratic colleagues.
  We are hearing we have to cut Medicare, we have to change it from a 
guarantee into a ``maybe.'' We also hear all kinds of different names 
used, whether it is a voucher system, where you get a certain amount of 
money in a voucher and you go to the private sector and try to buy 
coverage, and whatever is not covered by the voucher, you have to make 
up the difference. I would remind people that Medicare came into being 
because the private sector was not providing affordable health care for 
seniors and people with disabilities so we have absolutely no reason to 
believe that would not be the case today.
  We hear about eligibility changes, premium support, means testing, 
and all kinds of other things that go to the very essence of what 
Medicare is all about. Again, Medicare is a great American success 
story that Americans of all ages want to see continue and be expanded 
upon. Regardless of what kinds of names are used, the end result is 
still the same. These plans are plans to take away the benefits 
Americans have worked their entire lives for, a system they pay into 
that lets them know that as we all get older, we will have the health 
care we need for ourselves and our families.
  What is also not mentioned is the fact that Medicare is solvent 
through 2028, thanks to the Affordable Care Act which extended the 
fiscal sovereignty of Medicare. The Affordable Care Act also closed the 
gap in coverage--what has been called the doughnut hole--for 
prescription drug coverage. By the way, if the ACA is repealed, there 
will be another hole in that coverage and seniors' Medicare 
prescription drug costs are going to go back up. We have seen that 
Medicare, in fact, is solvent to 2028. It now actually costs less for a 
prescription drug today than it used to cost, and we are seeing quality 
efforts going on every day, preventive efforts, to continue to extend 
sovereignty and bring down costs.
  I am all for improving Medicare. I have supported efforts to bring 
additional accountability and credibility into Medicare. We will 
continue to do that. We want to make sure it continues to be more and 
more effective. We want to strengthen Medicare. Cutting it, taking it 
from a guarantee to a maybe, is not the way to do that. In fact, it is 
not--despite the Speaker's own hashtag--a better way. It is not a 
better way.
  Why am I concerned at this point? Why do we think Republicans are 
serious about trying to undermine Medicare as well as Medicaid, of 
which 80 percent of the spending goes to long-term care for senior 
citizens? There are two things that are deeply concerning to me. First, 
in every House Republican budget since 2011, everyone has effectively 
turned Medicare into a voucher for people eligible after 2023, 6 years 
from now. It would raise the costs. It would take away the certainty 
and the guarantee of Medicare. It would reopen the gap in prescription 
drug coverage. For millions of people across Michigan and across 
America, you don't need to make health care harder. It needs to be 
easier.
  In addition to comments from the Speaker of the House about changing

[[Page 15787]]

Medicare and making it a priority in the budget, creating payoffs in 
the system, taking away the universal guarantee, we now have the 
President-elect nominating Dr. Tom Price, a current House Member, for 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, who has supported that budget 
privatizing Medicare, block granting, and cutting Medicaid and long-
term care for seniors in nursing homes and so on. We are told by the 
nominee that he expects Republicans in Congress to move quickly on this 
legislation in the new year, even though President-Elect Donald Trump 
promised throughout his campaign that Medicare would be safe on his 
watch. He made that promise to the people I represent--the people we 
all represent--and I can assure you, I am going to be doing everything 
possible to make sure that promise is kept.
  The only thing gutting Medicare is going to do is create chaos for 
tens of millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and for the 
health care system in general. Seniors and people with disabilities--
all Americans--deserve better than this. As we enter the new year, 
Democrats will fight tooth and nail to protect Medicare, to make sure 
Medicaid and long-term care is available for our seniors, to make sure 
the health care guarantee that has been there for a generation of 
retirees and people with disabilities is continued. Medicare is a great 
American success story, and we are ready to do everything possible to 
protect it and strengthen it as a guarantee for Americans in the 
future.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.


                                DREAMers

  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I want to speak about DREAMers. These are 
children who are brought to this country in an illegal status because 
they are brought by their parents who are undocumented. These children 
often do not know that in fact they are undocumented.
  There are threats in the new administration to completely reverse 
President Obama's Executive order that allows these children to stay in 
the United States and continue their education. I want to tell you 
about one such DREAMer. This is Elisha Dawkins. Elisha came from the 
Bahamas in an undocumented status with his mother at the age of 6 
months. Elisha's mother was deported shortly thereafter, and he was 
raised by family in Florida.
  He always thought he was an American citizen. After high school, he 
joined the Army. This photo shows when he served a tour in Iraq. He 
came back and was mustered out of the Army with an honorable discharge 
after having been awarded the Iraqi Service Medal. He was assigned to a 
very sensitive position as a photographer.
  Promptly after coming back and starting his studies, he decided to 
join the Navy Reserves and was given a top secret clearance. He 
performed photography at a very sensitive location, Guantanamo, with 
all of the detainees.
  So Elisha, coming off his Reserve duty, resumed his studies at the 
University of North Florida. At one point, he had started to fill out a 
passport application but did not go through with that application and 
never turned it in. Later on, filling out a passport application, he 
was asked if he had ever applied for a passport and he checked the box 
``no'' because he hadn't. The U.S. attorney's office came in and 
arrested him, threw him in the clink, and in the process, found out he 
was undocumented because of the circumstances I just told you. A 
veteran of Iraq and Guantanamo--Army in Iraq, Navy in Guantanamo--is in 
a detention center awaiting trial.
  Fortunately, Elisha Dawkins' situation came to my attention and I 
started raising some cain about this. As a matter of fact, in a further 
hearing in front of a Federal judge, the Federal judge, in essence, 
dressed down in court the assistant U.S. attorney who had pursued this 
case and, fortunately, the charges were dropped. That enabled Elisha to 
go on and to continue his studies. In the process, since he had no 
conviction, he was allowed to apply for U.S. citizenship. His military 
service justified him to do that. This past week, he is now graduating 
from the University of North Florida.
  Because a child came here in an undocumented status through no fault 
of their own, it is not right that children, such as Elisha Dawkins, 
who grow up to be great assets for the United States would be penalized 
and threatened with deportation.
  Obviously, we have to attend to the national security implications, 
in his case of potential passport fraud, which was not the case, but 
this was a man who had not committed that fraud and who had served his 
country honorably.
  As this case has resolved itself into a happy ending, just think of 
all the other stories of DREAMers who are out there and who share 
Elisha's commitment to and love of country, commitment to the ideals 
that all these DREAMers share of growing up in the only country they 
have ever known, and they had always thought they were a member of that 
country.
  I have said it before, and I will say it again. The DREAMers are our 
neighbors, they are our friends, they are our high school 
valedictorians, and they are our veterans.
  They were brought to this country before they ever even knew of the 
significance of their trip, and they have benefited our communities 
greatly. It is clear that America is stronger for a person like Elisha 
Dawkins.
  As this Congress comes to a close, I remind all of us and urge us to 
remember--next year, when there is an attempt to turn around that White 
House Executive order, I want us to remember the faces of people such 
as Elisha Dawkins. I want us to come together and acknowledge their 
many contributions to this great country.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Ernst). The Senator from Oregon.


                     Treasury Department Nomination

  Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, colleagues, we are now 4 weeks out from 
a Presidential election in which millions of American voters indicated 
they wanted a change.
  Donald Trump, our President-elect, campaigned and was elected on a 
platform he called draining the swamp. Getting rid of entrenched 
special interests sounds good. Fighting on behalf of middle-class 
Americans sounds good. Taking on Wall Street's powerful special 
interests sounds good.
  In fact, month after month, our President-elect attacked Secretary 
Clinton, saying she was too close to the Wall Street banks. He said 
things such as ``Hillary will never reform Wall Street.'' He said, ``I 
know the guys at Goldman Sachs. They have total control'' over his 
opponent.
  These are pretty harsh words. With months of hammering Wall Street 
and hammering his opponent, it came as a big surprise to many last 
week, when President-Elect Trump announced that he would be naming 
Steve Mnuchin, a darling of Wall Street, a 17-year veteran of Goldman 
Sachs, a career in the financial industry, to run the Treasury 
Department--the single most important post in our economy to be run by 
Wall Street.
  Instead of draining the swamp in Washington, it looks as if our 
President-elect is turning our government intended to be of, by, and 
for the people into a government of, by, and for Wall Street. 
Appointing a 17-year Goldman Sachs executive to oversee financial 
regulation is the definition of the fox guarding the hen house. It has 
the potential to undo all the progress and recovery we have made since 
shutting down the Wall Street casino, which dragged our country into 
the Great Recession. Furthermore, wouldn't it be great to have someone 
at the helm of our economy who fought to put people into homes, instead 
of fighting to kick people out of their homes and onto the street, as 
he has done.
  One of the great things about America is the resiliency of the 
American people. They come upon a challenge, sometimes a catastrophe, 
and they work to put the pieces back together again. We have made our 
way through the Great Depression. We made it through two world wars, we 
made it through the September 11 terrorist attacks, and we have worked 
to recover from the Great Recession.
  That crisis saw 8.7 million jobs lost, trillions of dollars of lost 
family

[[Page 15788]]

wealth, and more than 2 million businesses shuttered. It was a 
financial crisis that cost about 4 million Americans their homes. It 
wiped out the hard-earned retirement savings of millions more families.
  The American people are working to rebuild, but they haven't 
forgotten. They haven't forgotten foreclosed homes. They haven't 
forgotten the lost jobs. They haven't forgotten the retirement savings. 
They haven't forgotten the shuttered businesses across our great land, 
and they definitely haven't forgotten the recklessness of Wall Street 
that made it all happen.
  It seems that perhaps President-Elect Donald Trump has already 
forgotten not just the driving force behind the Great Recession of 2008 
that caused these calamities for millions of American families and 
businesses, but he has also forgotten his campaign vow to take on Wall 
Street. Instead, Mr. Trump is planning to put Wall Street in charge of 
the Treasury Department--again, the most powerful economic position in 
the United States of America.
  Where does Wall Street stand on these issues? Wall Street hates the 
provisions that Congress adopted to end predatory lending practices in 
mortgages and consumer laws. They hate those provisions, and they want 
to get rid of them. They want to get rid of the watchdog that makes 
sure those provisions don't return. Wall Street hates the provisions 
that we adopted to shut down the Wall Street casino, where Wall Street 
firms made huge bets with the deposits of American savers to terrible 
consequences.
  Bloomberg News reported that Trump's nominee, Steve Mnuchin, was 
front and center during these operations of the Wall Street casino. 
Have no doubt that he plans to do what he can to restore that casino. 
While being interviewed right after his nomination, he promised to 
``strip back parts of Dodd-Frank'' and went on to suggest that the 
Volcker rule, which is the provision that shut down the Wall Street 
casino, should be weakened or eliminated. It is not speculation; it is 
straight from his own testimony to the American public, after he was 
nominated, that he wants to restore the Wall Street casino.
  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is another target. That 
protection bureau is a watchdog on the beat against predatory financial 
practices. It is a pretty good thing when you have an organization that 
has returned nearly $12 billion to 27 million American citizens harmed 
by illegal and predatory practices in the lending business. 
Furthermore, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has saved far 
more by preventing these practices in the first place on current 
lending--$12 billion returned, but who knows how much they saved 
consumers on the front end. Maybe it is $50 billion, maybe it is $100 
billion, maybe it is more. But the fact is, our citizens are getting a 
better foundation for our financial success.
  If you believe in the success of American families, you want to block 
predatory practices designed to undermine them. That is what we did in 
Congress, and that is what is at risk.
  We did a lot of powerful things to rectify the excesses that led to 
the disaster of 2008 under the Bush administration. We created stress 
tests to ensure the strength and security of our largest banks--that 
they had sufficient reserves to withstand periods of economic 
challenge. That makes sense. We put procedures in place to unwind 
megacorporations when they fail so they can be unwound and not take the 
rest of the economy, the financial system, down with them. That makes 
sense.
  We established a cop on the beat to make sure people aren't scammed 
by credit card companies. It makes sense. We made sure we had an 
organization to which people could appeal when they thought there was a 
predatory practice, to have it rectified and have the funds returned to 
them if they were right. That makes sense. All of this makes sense. It 
makes what type of sense? It makes common sense.
  Isn't it just common understanding that when a predator damages a 
family, our entire community suffers and when a family loses its home, 
our entire community suffers? Don't we understand that when people are 
thrown out into the street--as Steve Mnuchin's banks specialized in--
the families are hurt, the children are deeply hurt? But now we have a 
nominee who specialized in Wall Street and specialized in foreclosures. 
I say again, wouldn't it be great to have a nominee to head our economy 
who worked to put people into homes, who worked to make families 
successful, not someone who specialized in throwing them out of their 
homes and onto the street?
  In 2009, in the depths of the financial crisis, Steve Mnuchin 
purchased the fourth largest failed bank, IndyMac, when it collapsed in 
July of 2008. After buying IndyMac, he renamed it OneWest and took over 
as the CEO.
  Under Mnuchin's leadership, OneWest became what housing advocates in 
California called a foreclosure machine. Why did they call it a 
foreclosure machine? Because in the midst of the Great Recession, it 
pushed forward 36,000 homeowners into foreclosure, using tactics that 
were certainly off limits, such as robo-signing, fake signing--let me 
put it directly, fake signing of documents. His bank was responsible 
for more than one-third of all reverse mortgage foreclosures, which 
disproportionately were targeted at America's seniors.
  Let me tell you the story of Ossie Lofton. Ossie Lofton, a 90-year-
old woman from Lakeland, FL, took out a reverse mortgage on her home. 
This is a type of loan that allows an elderly individual to draw up the 
equity of their home to help them meet their basic monthly expenses. 
The beauty of this is that once you have that have reverse mortgage, 
assuming it is not designed with predatory features, it can supply to a 
senior some steady supply, and they don't have to write a steady 
mortgage check to anyone. Instead, they get income to help meet those 
basic expenses, so it is hard to imagine how you would end in default 
in this situation. But individuals are still responsible for paying 
property taxes and homeowners insurance.
  In Ossie Lofton's case, there was confusion over her homeowners 
insurance coverage. The bank sent her a bill for $423.30. Ossie looked 
at that. She thought she had it right, and so she sent the insurance 
company a check for $423, overlooking the 30-cent payment.
  Well, they sent her back another bill for 30 cents. Again, she 
misread it. She thought they were asking for 3 cents, and she mailed 
them 3 cents--27 cents shy.
  What did OneWest do under Steve Mnuchin's leadership? They foreclosed 
on Ossie for 27 cents.
  In my hand I have 30 cents, a dime and four nickels. Why would a bank 
foreclose on a woman who owed them a few cents? Why would they do that?
  Well, if you followed these predatory practices, some banks looked at 
it this way. They said if we can find a technicality to grab someone's 
home, we can resell it for far more than we are owed. That is a huge 
profit.
  So for that 27 cents, she lost her home. She and thousands of others 
lost their homes so this bank could profit rather than work out a 
mortgage modification. That is really a crime against an American 
citizen, a specialty of this bank, a specialty through which Steve 
Mnuchin profited millions and millions of dollars. Millions of dollars 
of income was accumulated based on the suffering inflicted on thousands 
and thousands of American homeowners.
  We could look at another story. Leslie Parks took out a subprime 
adjustable rate mortgage to pay for repairs. She faced some hard times 
and was falling behind, but under very constructive negotiations with 
One West to stay in the home, you will recall we had this program 
called the Home Affordable Mortgage Program--the HAMP program--wherein 
a bank could rework it. They were saying to her that we are reworking 
it, all is good, but, meanwhile, they were pursuing foreclosure. The 
result was, thinking she was working out a modification, she came back 
to her home in the middle of a blizzard and found herself locked out.
  This is an example of the widely publicized two-track policy in which 
banks

[[Page 15789]]

would pretend to work out a modification while aggressively pursuing 
foreclosure. That is not a good practice. It is not fair to the 
homeowner.
  Let's look at another story. Gregg and Diane Horoski. They refinanced 
in 2004. They paid off their original mortgage with a loan from 
Deutsche Bank and used the rest of the money to cover health care 
costs, but it is one of those loans with an exploding interest rate, 
and the loan interest soared to 12.375 percent. Then Gregg Horoski 
started having health problems so they were having trouble keeping up 
with those high interest payments. So they asked the bank to work with 
them. What bank? One West. They asked One West to work with them to 
modify the loan, but the bank turned them down, misled them about how 
much they owed, lied to them about how much was at stake.
  The Horoskis felt betrayed by the misrepresentations and they took 
One West to court and Judge Jeffrey Spinner said the following about 
the bank's behavior. Which bank? One West, the bank that Steve Mnuchin 
was heading. He called the bank's behavior ``harsh, repugnant, shocking 
and repulsive.'' He also added, ``unequitable, unconscionable, 
vexatious and opprobrious.'' He pretty much summoned every word in the 
English dictionary to say how wrong the bank's action was as they dealt 
with this couple.
  Now, the bank lost that case, but they were aggressively pursuing 
everything so they took it to appeal. They spent a lot of money and had 
a lot of lawyers take on this couple and eventually the bank won. They 
won no grace period, no compromise, no home for this couple. The bank 
won and the Horoskis lost, as did thousands and thousands and thousands 
of individuals and couples who owned homes who lost them to these very 
aggressive foreclosure strategies.
  That is not all. Mr. Mnuchin and his bank didn't just prey on hard-
working Americans, they also had an operation that has a record of 
discriminating against minority home buyers and minority neighborhoods. 
Fair housing applicants have filed legal complaint after legal 
complaint against their practices.
  Here is an example. According to the California Reinvestment 
Coalition and Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California, the bank's 
Southern California branches made a total of only two mortgage loans to 
African-American home buyers during 2014 and 2015. That is one per 
year; two loans over 24 months in one of the country's most diverse 
communities--a community that includes Los Angeles, where African 
Americans make up more than 9 percent of the population. This practice 
is known as redlining. It is an egregious practice. What is more, of 
the 35,877 homes that One West foreclosed on just in California between 
April 2009 and April 2015, 68 percent were majority non-White areas.
  Looking at this record, it is pretty clear that Mnuchin has not used 
his skills in life to put people into homes; he has used his skills to 
kick people out of their homes and into the street.
  Instead of fighting for homeowners, he has made a living--the life of 
a mega-multimillionaire--off the suffering of low-income and middle-
income Americans.
  Our President-elect bashed his opponent for being too cozy with Wall 
Street banks. He told Iowans: ``I am not going to let Wall Street get 
away with murder,'' but then he nominates an individual with this 
record of predatory practices, of private profit over the suffering of 
thousands of families, to lead our economy in the years ahead. This is 
just 4 weeks after his election, just 4 weeks after we heard the cries 
that he would stand up to Wall Street, and now he is putting Wall 
Street in charge.
  There is more. He is not appointing just one but two former Goldman 
Sachs executives to key positions of power and influence. One is Steve 
Bannon, assigned to be his Chief Strategist. That is right--Goldman 
Sachs--Chief Strategist for our President-Elect. Now we have an 
economist in chief, the Treasury Secretary, also coming from the same 
direction. It sounds like instead of ``draining the swamp,'' our 
President-elect is helping Wall Street restore the predatory practices 
that destroyed the living and the lives of millions of American 
homeowners. This is wrong.
  I call on President-Elect Trump to reverse course, to fight for 
government of, by, and for the people--not government of, by, and for 
Wall Street.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.


                        Congressional Priorities

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, the business of the 114th Congress is 
drawing to a close to wrap up a few final bills. One of the most 
important bills that we will be passing this week is the National 
Defense Authorization Act. In fact, this is one of the most important 
bills that we pass each year.
  The National Defense Authorization Act is one of two bills that 
ensures that our military men and women have the tools and resources 
they need to defend our country. It is the bill that authorizes funding 
for the body armor our troops wear and the weapons they carry into 
battle. It is the bill that authorizes funding for the advanced 
technology our military needs to be successful on today's battlefield 
and the bill that authorizes true pay increases which help us retain an 
All-Volunteer Force. Making sure our troops have what they need to 
defend our country is pretty much our most important responsibility as 
Members of Congress; first, of course, because the security of our 
country depends on it and, second, because we owe our men and women in 
uniform nothing less.
  This year's National Defense Authorization Act authorizes the largest 
troop pay increase in 6 years. It modernizes the military health care 
system to improve quality of care for our troops and their families. It 
reduces Pentagon bureaucracy to focus resources on our Nation's 
warfighters, and it supports our allies amid growing threats.
  It also addresses the dangerous underfunding of the military that has 
occurred under President Obama. It stops troop reductions for the Army 
and Marine Corps and authorizes additional funds to address readiness 
shortfalls.
  Members of our military should not have to be salvaging spare parts 
from retired aircraft to keep their planes in the air. Over the next 
few years, the Republican majorities in Congress will work with 
President-Elect Trump to rebuild our Nation's military and ensure that 
we have the strongest fighting force in the world.
  This bill is an important start.
  As we finish the work of the 114th Congress, we are also looking 
forward to the 115th. Republicans will move quickly to take up a number 
of important measures. Two big issues it will tackle right at the 
beginning are repealing ObamaCare and confirming a Supreme Court 
nominee.
  I don't need to tell anyone that ObamaCare is a failure. A Gallup 
poll released last week found that 80 percent of Americans want major 
changes to ObamaCare or want the law repealed and replaced. That 
shouldn't come as any surprise.
  The President promised lower premiums and affordable care, but 
ObamaCare has meant exactly the opposite. Premium costs have soared and 
soared again. Deductibles have increased, and health care choices have 
been sharply reduced.
  One constituent contacted me and said:

       My ObamaCare premium went up from $1,080 per month to 
     $1,775 per month, a 64-percent increase. That is $21,300 a 
     year for health insurance.

  Another constituent wrote to say: ``My ObamaCare premium doubles next 
year.'' It will double. I don't know too many Americans who can afford 
to have their health insurance premiums double.
  Still another constituent wrote to tell me that ``today I received a 
new premium notice for my ObamaCare insurance. My policy rate for 
myself, my wife, and my teenage son has increased by 357 percent''--357 
percent.
  ObamaCare is on the brink of collapse. We know what millions of 
Americans already know; that is, that the status quo is unsustainable. 
It is time

[[Page 15790]]

to repeal this law and replace it with something that works, and that 
is precisely what we are going to do.
  We are going to get started on repeal as soon as the 115th Congress 
convenes, and then we are going to work step-by-step to replace 
ObamaCare with real health care reform--health care reform that focuses 
on the States rather than having the Federal Government running 
everything, health care that gives more control to patients and doctors 
when it comes to health care choices and decisions, health care that 
provides choices and is patient-centered so there are more options out 
there, more choices, more competition in the marketplace, and a health 
care system that allows flexibility for our small businesses on which 
much of the responsibility for providing health care for their 
employees falls.
  Another thing we are going to get started on right away in January is 
confirming the President's nominees, including his nominee for the 
Supreme Court. My Democratic colleagues have spent a lot of time 
talking about the importance of confirming a ninth Justice to the 
Supreme Court. I trust they will bring that same eagerness with them in 
January. I look forward to working with them during the confirmation 
process.
  After Justice Scalia's death, I came to the floor to honor him. Like 
others who spoke at the time, I mentioned his keen mind, his gift for 
language and, most of all, his absolute commitment to the law. For 
Justice Scalia, the Constitution truly was the supreme law of the land. 
He didn't let anything interfere with that. His politics, his personal 
opinions, his feelings about a case, none of those things were allowed 
to play a role in his decisions. That is the key right there.
  We all know Justice Scalia had personal opinions, but when it came 
down to deciding cases, he ignored them. He looked at the law and the 
Constitution, which is the supreme law, and he judged accordingly.
  It is wonderful to have strong opinions. It is wonderful to have 
sympathy for causes or organizations. It is wonderful to have plans for 
fixing society's problems, but none of those things have any business 
influencing your ruling when you sit on the Supreme Court. There only 
two things that should influence a Supreme Court Justice's ruling: the 
law and the Constitution. The minute something else comes into play, 
whether it is a Justice's personal feelings or a political philosophy, 
you have done away with the rule of law and replaced it with the rule 
of personal opinion. We have gone through a lot in this country to 
ensure that we will be governed by the law and not by someone's 
personal opinions.
  Justice Scalia will be a hard Justice to replace, but I am confident 
that President-Elect Trump will nominate a Justice with a similar 
respect for the rule of law, and I look forward to working with my 
colleagues to get a qualified nominee confirmed.
  Repealing ObamaCare and confirming a Supreme Court nominee are two 
important things we are going to do next year, but they are just the 
beginning. Republicans are going to spend the 115th Congress fighting 
for the American people's priorities, from growing our economy and 
creating better paying jobs to securing our borders and protecting our 
Nation. We have a chance to do big things for the American people in 
2017, and we can't wait to get started.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


             Mine Worker Health Care Benefits and Pensions

  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, it strikes me as pretty unbelievable that 
we are in the process of voting--debating a continuing resolution, and 
yet nobody has read it and nobody understands what is in it. We hear 
news reports, but nobody who I know here--at least on our side--has 
been in the negotiations even though we have a Democratic President and 
the Senate is 45, 46 percent Democrats, even though more people voted 
for Democratic Senators than Republican Senators in this election and 
most of the last several elections. Even with all that, that shouldn't 
matter, but Senator McConnell and the Republican leadership are asking 
us to vote on something this complicated with this many add-on 
amendments that we have not even read yet. What kind of way to run the 
Senate is that? We do know, though, from the reports I can get, what 
they have told us is that Majority Leader McConnell's response to the 
mine workers has been pretty pathetic.
  Today I met with Senator Hatch in his office. Today I met with 
Senator Wyden in his office. One of the things we did in the Finance 
Committee on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis, joined by my 
Republican colleague from Ohio, Senator Portman, and other coal State 
Democrats and Republicans--Senator Capito, Senator Manchin, Senator 
Warner, Senator Kaine, Senator Casey, Senator Toomey--all of us in this 
committee supported a bipartisan fix for mine worker pensions and 
health care. Yet the continuing resolution at best--at best, we 
understand; again, we haven't read it yet because they won't show it to 
us yet even though they want us to vote on it--at best, it has some 4 
months of health care and nothing for pensions.
  This is not a taxpayer bailout; this is moving money--unused money--
from the abandoned mine fund in to fund the pensions and health care 
for mine workers and mine worker widows. Keep in mind--I know the 
Presiding Officer doesn't represent coal States. She may not know a lot 
of miners, as I and some of my colleagues do, but she knows about 
mining. Understand, there are more miner widows than there are likely 
to be insurance salesmen widows or realtor widowers or whatever. Mine-
working is a dangerous job. Mine workers too often get injured and 
killed on the job. Their lives are shortened from injury. Their lives 
are shortened from illnesses, black lung and other illnesses. So mine 
workers who marry at 20 or 25 are likely--their spouses are likely to 
outlive them by a number of years. That is the other reason we should 
do this.
  The third reason we should do this is that almost 70 years ago, 
President Truman made a commitment that we have lived up to until now. 
The reason we aren't living up to it now is because the majority leader 
of the Senate said no. I don't know exactly why he said no. I know he 
is not a big fan of the United Mine Workers union. I support the United 
Mine Workers union. I care about unions. I know unions helped create 
the middle class in this country. But that is not the point. My caring 
about this is--there are 12,000 mine workers in my part of the country, 
more than 1,000 in Ohio, for which this will be a very, very bad 
Christmas because they have already gotten notice, as Senator Manchin 
said, that their health care is going to be cut off. If we do a 4-month 
fix, then they will get another notice in January that their health 
care is going to get cut off. How do you treat people that way? I mean, 
we dress well. We are all well paid. We have good health care. We have 
good pensions. We are telling these mine workers: Yeah, you may have 
earned this under the old rules, but, sorry, we can't take care of you.
  My friends over there could bail out the banks--that is OK--and then 
banker compensation keeps going up and up, but they can't take care of 
mine workers with a relatively small pension and health care. They 
can't take care of them.
  We passed a bipartisan mine worker pension and health care bill. We 
passed it out of committee. We did it the way Senator McConnell, the 
majority leader, wanted us to. We went through the process. Now he is 
not willing to honor that. It is pretty outrageous. At the same time, 
they are doing something special in this bill for Wyoming. Nothing 
against Wyoming. I like Senator Enzi. I like Senator Barrasso. I want 
to help them help their State.

[[Page 15791]]

But this is a part of the country. It is Pennsylvania, Ohio, West 
Virginia, Virginia. These are States that have thousands of mine 
workers, and this Senate is betraying them. If my colleagues think we 
should go home for Christmas starting next week without doing this, 
that is morally reprehensible.
  Senator Manchin and I were talking today and Senator Casey and 
Senator Kaine and Senator Warren and I were talking today about how we 
are willing to stay until Christmas, we are willing to stay until 
December 25--literally, to Christmas--to get this done because it is 
morally reprehensible and it is outrageous that we would leave here 
without taking care of these mine workers.
  I know some of them. I know Norm Skinner. I know Dave Dilley. I have 
known Babe Erdos for 35 years. These are people who worked very hard in 
the mines under dangerous conditions. They are the reason we are able 
to have so much manufacturing in Ohio. The coal they mine helps to 
produce the electricity that makes our standard of living so much 
higher than it would be without it.
  I spoke at the rally. Thousands of mine workers were here late this 
summer--I think in July. I am not sure what month it was; maybe in 
September they were here. It was a very hot day. I remember the 
president of the International Mine Workers, Cecil Roberts, asked the 
question: How many of you are veterans? A huge number of people waved 
their hands. They were all standing at this rally. How many of you had 
fathers or mothers who were veterans? It seemed as if it was the whole 
crowd. These are people who served their country, they make our 
communities work, and we are going to betray them, we are going to 
forget them because one Senator, who happens to be the majority leader, 
for whatever reason doesn't like the United Mine Workers. That is 
fundamentally what it is. I don't ever want to embarrass anybody, I 
don't want to call people out, but there are 12,000 mine workers who 
are going to have a bad Christmas. Their lives will be shortened if we 
don't take care of them. The stress they are under--they have already 
gotten one notification. If we do this for another 4 months, they will 
get another notification in January saying: Sorry, I know we gave you 
health care again for a while, but we are cutting it off again because 
Congress can't get its act together.
  The President wants to do this. Even the House of Representatives 
wants to do it--the House of Representatives that took out of a bill 
this week ``Buy American'' provisions for steel and aluminum. That is a 
whole other issue; I don't understand why they would do that. The fact 
is, the House did it, the President wants to do it, and a strong 
majority of the Finance Committee wants to do it. If we brought this to 
a vote on the Senate floor, there is no question it would pass. It 
doesn't cost the taxpayer money. It is not a bailout. It is honoring a 
pledge that Harry Truman made, that we made in the 1950s and 1960s and 
1970s and 1980s and 1990s and 2000, and all of a sudden we are not 
honoring that pledge. It is outrageous. We can fix this. We know how 
the Senate should do it.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                  National Defense Authorization Bill

  Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, as we send troops into harm's way--and as 
you personally well know--it is our job to ensure that they have the 
tools and the resources they need to carry out the mission they are 
asked to carry out. We never want Americans to be involved in a fair 
fight. We always want them be involved in an unfair fight where they 
have every possible advantage. It doesn't always work out that way, but 
it should always be our goal. That is what the Defense authorization 
bill is designed to do.
  This will be the 55th consecutive year that the Congress has passed 
and the Senate has passed the National Defense Authorization Act. The 
leadership of Chairman McCain and Ranking Member Jack Reed makes it 
possible for us to be here one more time, emphasizing that the No. 1 
priority of the Federal Government is to defend the country. It is hard 
to find a bill that we pass every year for more than half a century, 
but this critical piece of legislation provides the vision and the 
authorization necessary for the military to move forward and to do that 
No. 1 job of defending America.
  There has been--and I think today we will see that again in the vote 
on this bill--the strong, bipartisan support that this bill always 
receives. Although there is sometimes a discussion about when it should 
be passed, we have not failed to pass it in a long time. It includes a 
lot of provisions that I think will make a big difference. One is a pay 
raise for our troops, which they deserve. It is the largest pay 
increase in the last 6 years, and it begins to fulfill our commitment 
to those who currently serve. As well, we need to fulfill our 
commitment to those who have served.
  I am also glad that there is a vital project for the Nation that 
happens to be located in my State, in St. Louis, MO. The final version 
of this bill includes authorization for the land acquisition for the 
National Geospatial movement from the south part of St. Louis, where it 
has been for seven decades, to a new location that allows them to build 
a facility, as it is right now, that is fully backing up the only other 
facility in the world that does the level of geospatial work that this 
one does. When something happens in Springfield, VA, where that 
location isn't monitoring the world as it usually does, all of that 
work goes to St. Louis, where on every other day they share the 
responsibility for geospatial.
  There is a provision in here, at a fundamental level of safety, to 
build a fire station at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Everything from 
building a fire station to creating a $1.7 billion facility that allows 
us to further keep an eye on the world as we do now is a good thing. It 
also addresses the issue that was raised earlier this year concerning 
members of the National Guard--men and women who were given a bonus and 
then wrongfully asked to return that bonus. It was not their error. 
That money in most families long ago has been spent. It was thought to 
be appropriately handed over to them, and they shouldn't be penalized 
because other people made a mistake when that distribution was made. 
With this bill, they will not be penalized.
  I think there is an increase here in end strength. It is in the 
conference report. I certainly supported Senator Moran's efforts on 
this issue and commend him for the hard work he put forward to be sure 
that we don't lose any more ground on the strength we have and the 
ability we have to be ready. Making down payments on our readiness 
issues, stabilizing our force at a time when we really face more 
challenges around the world--not less--was a minimum thing for us to 
do, but the bill does that. Senator Moran's leadership was important in 
accomplishing that as well.
  Once again, this bill puts Congress on record against the President's 
plan to move terrorist detainees held at Guantanamo Bay to any location 
on U.S. soil. I, along with a majority of Americans, oppose the idea 
that we bring these terrorists here. The President made a campaign 
pledge a decade ago now, and 10 years later, not only has that campaign 
pledge not been able to be fulfilled but the Congress once again today 
asserts our view that it should not be fulfilled.
  The administration admitted earlier this year that Americans have 
been killed by terrorists released from Guantanamo, and they made that 
admission, by the way, days before they approved another dozen inmates 
to transfer somewhere else in the world, where I don't think they can 
be kept count of and track of like they need to be. We don't need to 
close this facility. We don't need to abandon the facility, and I am 
glad that there are strict prohibitions here that don't allow that to 
happen.

[[Page 15792]]

  This bill also makes important steps toward enhancing the quality of 
life for our servicemembers and their families. GEN Ray Odierno, 
recently retired, Chief of Staff of the Army, said that the strength of 
the military is in military families, and we need to do a better job 
recognizing that. I hope we are able to advance an effort that was in 
the Senate bill that didn't get into the final bill--the Military 
Family Stability Act--next year. This is an action that will allow 
military families to stay longer at a location or to move earlier than 
the individual in the military does if there is a professional reason 
or an educational reason for that to happen.
  The investment that military families have made in the country and 
the investment they have made in what the person serving has learned in 
a very complicated defense world don't need to be unnecessarily 
complicated by whether someone gets to finish a year in elementary 
school or gets to stay another 3 months so they can graduate from high 
school, particularly if the person in the military is willing to go on 
ahead and bear their own expense until the family, with the family 
assistance that families get or the living assistance, moves later.
  This was determined by everybody that looked at it, except the 
Pentagon, to have no cost. I asked every senior officer who came before 
the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee about this concept of making it 
a little easier for people to stay, for a spouse who needed to go ahead 
and move a little early to start that teaching year at a new school, to 
get a job that was available at a hospital, or to do whatever that 
spouse could do to continue to have their professional career. I asked 
officer after officer: What do you think about this?
  One after another, they all said: This is exactly the kind of 
investment we need to make. We didn't quite get there in this bill, and 
I am grateful that Senator McCain has pledged to work further to study 
why the Pentagon itself--or at least the Department of Defense at the 
highest levels--is the only place that thinks this would cost anything 
or would be too much trouble. It wouldn't be too much trouble. I hope 
to see it in the bill next year.
  Someone who has really helped in my ability to look at this bill, 
with the work that I do as a member of the Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee and with the work that we do with great military 
facilities in our State, is here on the floor today, MAJ Andy Anderson. 
He has been a great resource to our office, and we have benefited for 
some time now of having military fellows come in and spend a year with 
us. I continue to hear from them that it is also a great benefit to 
them to see how this part of the process of preparing to do what is 
necessary to help them defend the country works.
  The knowledge and experience that Major Anderson has gained as an 
Army officer helped in discussions we had both in the State and in the 
Nation. I have been particularly appreciative of his willingness to go 
beyond what might be considered the typical duties of a military fellow 
in a Senate office. For instance, he has taken personal interest and 
has been instrumental in assisting a Missouri family in getting their 
father's remains returned home from Laos after having been shot down 
over Laos during the Vietnam war. He has devoted a lot of time to 
gathering and analyzing data on legislative history and actions that 
will continue to be critical to the office moving forward. I want to 
also thank his family and wish him the best as he and his wife Audra 
and their sons Reid and Joel go to what military assignment they have 
next.
  This bill renews the Iran Sanctions Act, and the Iran Sanctions Act 
would have expired at the end of the year. I am hopeful that the 
administration understands that this act is really a foundational 
element of the regime that they entered into. It was an agreement that 
I didn't support. I still don't support it, but extending the Iran 
Sanctions Act is perfectly consistent with what the Iran nuclear 
agreement purports to do. If the Iran Sanctions Act is a problem, the 
Iran nuclear agreement is just as bad as I thought it was.
  When that agreement was completed, the administration repeatedly 
promised that U.S. sanctions on Iran for its support of terrorism would 
remain in place under the agreement. For example, the day the agreement 
was announced, President Obama himself said that we will maintain our 
own sanctions related to Iran's support of terrorism.
  The administration continues to recognize the Iranian state as the 
leading state sponsor of terrorism. This Iran Sanctions Act extension 
sends another message to Iran that the Congress and the country of the 
United States are paying attention. It gives the next administration a 
powerful tool to hold Iran responsible, and I certainly urge the 
President to sign this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote for it.
  In conclusion, once again, for 55 years in a row, the Congress of the 
United States is going to make the point that the No. 1 obligation of 
the Federal Government is to defend the country, and this bill helps to 
allow that to happen.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I rise in strong opposition to this 
legislation, the so-called 21st Century Cures Act. While I appreciate 
the work Senator Murray, Senator Alexander, and others have done on 
this legislation, I cannot in good conscience vote on it in its current 
form.
  It goes without saying that everybody, whether Republican, Democrat, 
or Independent, wants to find cures to the terrible diseases that are 
impacting the lives of millions of people, such as cancer, Alzheimer's, 
diabetes, and the terrible illnesses that strike children. We all want 
to find cures for those illnesses, but that is not really what this 
debate is about. The debate we are having on this bill is simple: Do we 
continue to cave in to the demands of the pharmaceutical industry--an 
industry that is making recordbreaking profits by charging the American 
people, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription 
drugs--or do we have the courage to stand up to the CEOs of big drug 
companies whose prices are so high that one out of five Americans who 
gets a prescription from a doctor is unable to afford to fill that 
prescription? Let's be clear. If you cannot afford to fill that 
prescription, you will likely get sicker, and in some cases, you are 
going to die.
  It is incomprehensible to me that we have a major bill dealing with 
prescription drugs, and yet we are running away from the most important 
issue that impacts millions of people and that the American people feel 
very strongly about, and that is the greed of the pharmaceutical 
industry and the outrageously high prices our people are being forced 
to pay. That is the issue on which we must focus.
  If we were really serious about finding cures for life-threatening 
illnesses and diseases, maybe--just maybe--we would adequately fund the 
National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. 
Over the last 12 years, medical research has been cut by over 20 
percent after adjusting for inflation. Even if this bill passes, 
funding for NIH will still be roughly $7 billion less this year than 
what it was in 2004. Meanwhile, over the same time period--just to put 
this in context--the top 1 percent has received over $1 trillion in tax 
breaks. In other words, we cannot fund the agencies that are trying to 
find cures for diseases, but we can give unbelievably significant tax 
breaks to the 1 percent.
  Let me very briefly give a few major reasons this bill should be 
defeated.
  No. 1, as I said a moment ago, the most important prescription drug-
related crisis facing our country right now is the skyrocketing price 
of prescription drugs. This bill does not even deal with that issue. 
How can we talk about a bill dealing with the pharmaceutical industry 
without addressing the elephant in the room, which is the

[[Page 15793]]

fact that we pay the highest prices in the world for medicine? And in 
many cases, those costs are soaring.
  In America today, one out of five people between the ages of 19 and 
64 cannot afford to fill their prescriptions. Hundreds of thousands of 
seniors are forced to cut their pills in half because the medicine they 
need is just too expensive. Let me give just a few examples.
  Since 2007, Mylan has raised the price of a package of EpiPens by 461 
percent while rewarding its CEO with a 671-percent increase in 
compensation. Maybe, just maybe, we might want to address that issue.
  Last year, Turing Pharmaceuticals increased the price of Daraprim by 
5,000 percent overnight. It went from $13.50 to $750 for just one pill.
  While thousands of children in Flint have been poisoned by lead, 
Valeant increased the price of the drug to treat this disease 2,700 
percent in a single year--from $7,100 to about $27,000.
  Meanwhile, at a time when 35 million Americans cannot afford the 
medicine they need, the drug companies are making enormous profits and 
providing extremely generous compensation packages to their executives. 
Last year, fellow Americans, while you were paying more and more for 
prescription drugs you desperately needed, the 5 major drug companies 
made over $50 billion in profit--$50 billion in profit, 5 drug 
companies--while the top 10 pharmaceutical executives received over 
$320 million in compensation. In fact, the prescription drug companies 
literally have money to burn. This year, the pharmaceutical industry 
spent $131 million to defeat Proposition 61, a ballot initiative in 
California that would have lowered average drug prices by at least 24 
percent for millions of people. They spent $131 million in California 
to defeat a proposal that would have lowered drug prices.
  How does it happen that the pharmaceutical companies can charge any 
price they want for prescription drugs? The answer is clear: The 
prescription drug industry, along with Wall Street, is the most 
powerful political force in America. I have been fighting the greed of 
the prescription drug industry for decades, and as far as I can tell, 
the pharmaceutical industry always win. They never lose. They win, but 
the American people lose.
  Since 1998, the pharmaceutical industry has spent more than $3 
billion in lobbying all over this place. There are hundreds and 
hundreds of lobbyists telling Members of Congress what the 
pharmaceutical industry wants, and they have made hundreds of millions 
of dollars in campaign contributions. They currently have over 1,200 
lobbyists on their payrolls here in Washington, including former 
leaders of the Democratic and Republican Parties. That is why the 
pharmaceutical industry makes huge profits while the American people 
cannot afford the medicine they need.
  It would be one thing if these outrageous price increases were 
happening in other major countries. Are these price increases taking 
place all over the world? The answer is, they are not. In 2013, we 
spent nearly 40 percent more per person on prescription drugs than 
Canada and five times as much as in Denmark. How is it that the cost of 
prescription drugs in Denmark, Canada, the UK, and France is 
significantly lower than it is in the United States? That is an issue, 
and it is high time we begin discussing it. For example, it costs $730 
for a 90-day supply of Crestor--which is used to treat high 
cholesterol--in the United States but just $160 in Canada. Americans 
with heartburn pay $736 for a 90-day supply of Nexium, but that same 
product costs $214 in Canada. Americans with arthritis are forced to 
pay $895 for Celebrex, but it costs just $280 in Canada.
  During this recent campaign, President-Elect Donald Trump promised, 
among many other things, to lower the prices of prescription drugs. 
That is what Mr. Trump said. He promised that he would ``allow 
consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas 
to bring more options to consumers.'' He also promised to require 
Medicare to negotiate with the drug companies for lower prices--
something that is banned by law today.
  Here is what President-Elect Trump said while on the campaign trail:

       We are not allowed to negotiate drug prices. Can you 
     believe it? We pay about $300 billion more than we are 
     supposed to, than if we negotiated the price. So there's $300 
     billion on day one we solve.

  Since President-Elect Trump supports requiring Medicare to negotiate 
with drug companies to lower prices, which is an idea that many people 
in this body also support, and since Mr. Trump believes we should be 
able to reimport low-cost medicines from Canada and other countries, I 
am quite confident that all of my Republican colleagues will support an 
amendment in my hands that will do exactly what Mr. Trump said he would 
accomplish as President. Think about what you can do to pave the way 
for Mr. Trump when he comes into office. You will have already 
satisfied one of his major campaign pledges.
  Therefore, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending 
motion to concur with an amendment be set aside, and I ask unanimous 
consent for the immediate consideration of a motion to concur in the 
House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 34 with a further 
amendment that I send to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, reserving the right to object, one way to 
be sure of not getting the work done we are doing today is to add 
another topic. I think the work we are doing today is important.
  My friend from Vermont mentioned some statistics that were right a 
couple of years ago about the decline in health care research money. We 
are not where we should be, but we are not where we were 2 years ago, 
either. When my side took control of the majority, I got a chance to 
chair the appropriating committee for Health and Human Services, and 
for the first time in 12 years, we had an almost 7-percent increase. 
The Senator is absolutely right--at that moment, we were 22 percent 
behind in research buying dollars from where we were 12 years earlier. 
But if everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. So we did what 
the government should do and what people want the government to do: We 
went through the process of prioritizing. We eliminated 18 programs 
last year--zeroed them out for either being duplicative or not doing 
what they were designed to do--so we could prioritize exactly the 
important health care research this bill talks about and my friend from 
Vermont mentioned, a 7-percent increase last year and another 6.5-
percent increase this year. Another $2 billion came out of our 
committee, came out of the full appropriating committee, and has been 
on the desk ready for the minority to let us take up for months now. 
That would be an almost 14-percent increase in 2 years. Fourteen 
percent of the 22 percent would have been eliminated if we could have 
taken up the bill that I still wish we were voting on today. The bill 
we are voting on today does some of what that baseline increase would 
do.
  Why do we want to increase health care research? Obviously for 
individuals and their families who might be able to better deal with or 
totally avoid a health care crisis they would otherwise have.
  From the point of view of taxpayers, on Alzheimer's, which was 
mentioned here today, we are spending $250 billion a year right now. 
The NIH projection for 2050 is that we will be spending $1.1 trillion 
that year in today's dollars, which is twice the defense budget. Now, 
$1.1 trillion sounds like a lot and $250 billion sounds like a lot to 
me. In fact, pretty small numbers sound like a lot to me. But when I 
think about spending twice the defense budget on Alzheimer's alone--and 
that is just tax dollars, that is not what families would be spending 
if we don't invest in research now. It makes a big difference.
  So from Alzheimer's--there is an inducement here that I would like to 
see be even more specific, and when we get back to the regular 
appropriating process, I will work to do that again. There is a prize 
inducement, the Beau Biden cancer research fund. There is money that 
could go to autism. Everything

[[Page 15794]]

from Alzheimer's to autism benefits when we focus on health care 
research.
  There is also money in this bill to further enhance the ability to 
get drugs to the marketplace quicker so that people have an opportunity 
that they don't currently have to work with their doctor and decide 
they want to try that new advancement.
  This bill matters. I think in some ways it is better to let NIH--the 
real researchers--prioritize spending and let us prioritize research as 
a topic.
  I think this bill should pass. I think it should pass today. I was on 
the House floor last week when they overwhelmingly voted for it to 
pass. The sure way for this bill not to pass in this Congress is to do 
something now that changes the subject.
  I am particularly glad that my longtime friend from both the House 
and Senate is really interested in President Trump fulfilling his 
campaign pledges, and I am particularly pleased to see him agree with 
at least that one pledge, but that won't happen until next year. 
Today's work is to pass the 21st Century Cures bill. I look forward to 
the vote that will do that before we leave this week.
  Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lankford). Objection heard.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, two points. First of all, let me 
reiterate that is for inflation-adjusted dollars, not nominal dollars. 
The funding for the National Institutes of Health this year will still 
be roughly $7 billion less than what it received in 2004. That is point 
No. 1.
  Point No. 2--and I will yield briefly to my friend from Missouri--did 
I hear him say that he is supportive of reimportation and having the 
Federal Government--Medicare--negotiate prescription drug prices with 
the pharmaceutical industry? That is what I thought I heard him say.
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. BLUNT. I thank my friend for yielding.
  In terms of the money available for research, we have taken that 22 
percent of buying power and changed it to about 15 percent. If we 
doubled our bill this year, we would change it from 15 to about 7 or 8 
percent. We need to get back to where we were 12 years ago and then not 
stop in real buying power. I want to do that.
  I think what I said about the overall discussion of reimportation and 
other things was that I was delighted to hear my friend from Vermont so 
supportive of the next President's program.
  Mr. SANDERS. I am very supportive, he is dead right. But I was 
wondering if my friend--when he said we are going to get to it next 
year, what does that mean? Does that mean you will be pushing the 
ability of Americans and pharmacists and distributors to be able to 
benefit from unfettered free trade and buy low-cost medicines and some 
of the same drugs sold in Canada and the UK? And will you also, as Mr. 
Trump made the point, allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prices? Is 
that something on which we can expect our Republican friends to support 
the President-elect?
  Mr. BLUNT. If my friend would yield, I would say we have passed this 
bill in the Congress--that bill--several times over the last few years. 
On each occasion, often with Democratic administrations, the only 
obstacle has been for the administration to certify that reimportation 
could be safely done.
  Mr. SANDERS. Exactly right.
  Mr. BLUNT. And none of them have ever been willing to do that.
  Mr. SANDERS. My friend is exactly right. Neither a Republican nor a 
Democratic administration will have the guts to stand up to the 
pharmaceutical industry.
  Today, if you have a salad, it is likely you are going to get your 
salad with tomatoes and lettuce that are from Mexico or some other 
country with very poorly inspected farms. That is no problem, but 
somehow or another, we are led to believe that it is impossible to 
bring in brand-name medicine from Canada or the United Kingdom or 
France, that it just cannot be done. It is beyond belief that anybody 
with a straight face believes that to be true. Clearly, this is what 
the pharmaceutical industry wants us to believe, but I hope that my 
friend from Missouri will not accept what the pharmaceutical industry 
tells us and understands that the next Secretary of HHS should certify 
that with proper procedures, we can reimport medicine.
  I yield to my friend.
  Mr. BLUNT. I thank my friend for yielding. I would just say that if 
the Secretary of HHS can certify that, that is a good thing, and I 
voted for that in the past. But I know what a tomato looks like. I 
don't know what is inside a capsule, and that has always been the 
obstacle for the people we have asked to look at this and certify the 
safety.
  If people can figure out how to do that so we know what is inside of 
that pill--the worst thing you can do health-wise is believe you are 
taking a pill that isn't the pill you believe you are taking.
  Mr. SANDERS. I know what a tomato looks like, too, but you don't know 
what kind of pesticide was used or how that tomato was grown. The idea 
that we cannot get a product from across the border safely really 
doesn't pass the laugh test, frankly. This is one of the things the 
pharmaceutical industry has been pushing. We have unfettered free trade 
for fish, for vegetables, for meat from all over the world, but 
somehow, from Canada or the UK or France--we cannot safely bring 
medicine into this country at a fraction of the price our pharmacists 
are now paying. Frankly, I would say to the Senator from Missouri, that 
does not pass the laugh test, and I hope we can work together. Clearly, 
we want the medicine to come in safely, but I think we can do that, and 
I look forward to doing that.
  I yield.
  Mr. BLUNT. I would say that the one thing we will accomplish before 
the week is out is passing this bill, but I hope this bill doesn't 
become something that we continue to refer back to and say we have 
already done that. This bill is a step in the right direction, but in 
health care research, it does not get us to where I would like to be or 
where we were 12 years ago. We need the kind of research dollars that 
encourage young researchers to stay in the research business, the kind 
of research dollars that encourage them to find solutions, the kind of 
research dollars that ensure that every family who can avoid a crisis 
or be ready to deal with it in a better way is able to do that. So I 
look forward to the bill being passed as we finish the week.
  I yield back.
  Mr. SANDERS. I agree with the last statement the Senator from 
Missouri made.
  Let me give another reason why I am opposed to this bill. Incredibly, 
this legislation makes it easier for prescription drug companies to get 
away with fraud. Fraud is something the major drug companies have been 
perpetuating on the American people for a number of years.
  It is not widely known, but it should be known that since 1991, drug 
companies have paid over $35 billion in fines or resettlements for 
fraud and misconduct--$35 billion--but instead of cracking down on 
pharmaceutical company fraud, this bill actually legalizes the 
fraudulent behavior of some of the big drug companies.
  Specifically, under this bill, pharmaceutical companies would be 
allowed to promote unapproved uses of drugs to insurance companies--a 
practice which is currently illegal. Why would we allow the 
pharmaceutical industry the opportunity to market drugs to insurance 
companies for uses that haven't been approved by the FDA? This is a 
major problem. Let me give a few examples.
  In 2013, the Justice Department ordered Johnson & Johnson, one of the 
major pharmaceutical companies in the country, to pay $2.2 billion in 
fines for ``recklessly promoting drugs for uses that have not been 
proven to be safe and effective.'' According to the U.S. attorney 
handling the case, Johnson & Johnson's ``promotion of Risperdal for 
unapproved uses threatened the most vulnerable populations of our 
society: children, the elderly, and those with developmental 
disabilities. Congress rightfully determined that this is unacceptable 
and made it

[[Page 15795]]

illegal, but under this bill, it could become legal. That is wrong.
  In 2010, AstraZeneca pharmaceuticals paid $520 million to resolve 
allegations that it illegally marketed the antipsychotic drug Seroquel 
for uses not approved as safe and effective by the FDA.
  In 2009, Eli Lilly was fined over $1.4 billion for its off-label 
promotion of another antipsychotic drug known as Zyprexa. According to 
Federal investigators, Eli Lily's illegal activities increased 
patients' costs, threatened their safety, and negatively affected the 
delivery of health care services to over 9 million military members, 
retirees, and their families who rely on health care.
  We need to make it harder for the pharmaceutical industry to commit 
fraud, but instead this bill allows the pharmaceutical industry to, in 
fact, commit even more fraud. That is unacceptable.
  Third, let's be clear: This bill would cut Medicare and Medicaid by a 
billion dollars. Millions of senior citizens are in desperate need of 
Medicare and Medicaid.
  Thanks to Medicare, today more than 48 million seniors and 9 million 
people with disabilities have health insurance coverage through 
Medicare, and over 73 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid. The 
last thing we should be doing today is cutting Medicare and Medicaid. 
We need to make health care more affordable to senior citizens, the 
disabled, and low-income families with children--not more expensive.
  Finally, this bill--and this is quite significant--cuts $3.5 billion 
from the Affordable Care Act's prevention fund to prevent Alzheimer's, 
diabetes, suicide, heart disease, and lead poisoning.
  Instead of cutting Medicare and Medicaid, instead of cutting funds 
for health care programs, we should be demanding that the wealthiest 
people in this country and the largest corporations start paying their 
fair share of taxes. We should not be cutting life-and-death programs 
for the most vulnerable people in this country.
  I say to my colleagues, if you want to lower the outrageous cost of 
prescription drugs, vote against this bill. If you are opposed to 
legalizing pharmaceutical fraud that can endanger the lives of many 
Americans, please vote against this bill. If you are opposed to cutting 
Medicare and Medicaid, vote against this bill. If you want to prevent 
cuts to programs that would prevent Alzheimer's disease and many other 
diseases, vote against this bill.
  It is time to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry and stand with 
the American people who are tired of being ripped off by this extremely 
greedy industry.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak about the 
fires and tornadoes in Tennessee, but I would observe beforehand that 
by tomorrow we will be voting on the 21st Century Cures and the mental 
health bill.
  I have a little different view of it than the Senator from Vermont. 
For example, using the money in the prevention fund, which was a part 
of the Affordable Care Act, I would say is a pretty good use of it to 
support the President's Precision Medicine Initiative and to support 
the Vice President's Cancer Moonshot and to support the BRAIN 
Initiative at the National Institutes of Health. This is what we do in 
the bill, with $1.4 billion for precision medicine, $1.8 billion for 
Cancer Moonshot, and $1.5 billion for the BRAIN Initiative. If we are 
interested in reducing grief and reducing spending in this country, 
accelerating the arrival of medicines that will identify Alzheimer's 
before its symptoms and other medicines that will retard the 
progression of Alzheimer's would be a magnificent thing to do. It would 
be a miracle for many families. It is not just a miracle; it is 
something that Dr. Francis Collins, a renowned scientist who is head of 
the National Institutes of Health--the ``National Institutes of Hope'' 
is what he calls it--predicts will happen in the next 10 years, along 
with a vaccine for Zika, a vaccine for HIV-AIDS, a vaccine for 
universal flu, which killed 30,000 people last year, and advances in 
regenerative medicine that would put a physician like our former 
majority leader, Dr. Bill Frist of Nashville, out of business.
  Bill Frist was at one time a heart transplant surgeon. I think he 
transplanted more hearts than anybody in the world--or nearly anybody. 
But Dr. Collins believes that with advances in using our own adult 
cells, we will restore hearts. We will not have to transplant them. We 
may be able to restore eyesight. These are the kinds of miracles this 
legislation will encourage that could affect nearly every American 
family.
  The other part of the legislation, equally important to money, is 
that it would make reforms in the Food and Drug Administration and in 
the National Institutes of Health that will move research for those 
treatments and cures through the regulatory and investment process more 
rapidly, at lower costs, into the medicine cabinets, and into the 
doctors' offices, where they can help virtually every family in this 
country.
  That is why 85 Senators yesterday voted to end debate on this floor, 
and I suspect more will vote tomorrow to send it to the President. That 
is why, in the House of Representatives, 392 of them voted for this 
bill. Only six Democratic Members of the House of Representatives voted 
against it. They are not persuaded that there is some evil force in 
there. They like what they see, and not only them. The President of the 
United States says that this is ``an opportunity we just can't miss.''
  The Vice President of the United States, talking about his Cancer 
Moonshot, says that this is a big and important step forward.
  The Republican Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, turned a couple of 
somersaults trying to figure out the way to do the funding on this 
because it is an important part of his own agenda for our Nation's 
health care future.
  I have heard the majority leader of the Senate, Senator McConnell, 
say in private meetings and in public that this is the most important 
piece of legislation we will pass this year.
  Add to it the mental health legislation that Senator Cassidy, Senator 
Murphy, and Senator Cornyn worked so hard on over here, and you can get 
something we can be very proud of, which is why it received such a big 
vote yesterday.
  I want the American people to know that is what we are doing. I think 
that is what they want us to do. We could do something in a partisan 
way, we could do something by Executive order, or we could take 2 
years, as we literally did in this bill, with multiple hearings, 
multiple consultations, many differences of opinion, all of them 
resolved though in a bipartisan way, and produce a lasting result.
  It will not be like ObamaCare, where the next day one party is trying 
to repeal it and the next party is defending it. It will not be like 
some other partisan legislation. This will last. Nobody is going to be 
trying to repeal it because almost everybody voted for it. The money 
will come just as the legislation says, year after year.
  I am proud of the Senate, and I am happy for the American people, and 
I look forward to tomorrow.


                           Sevier County Fire

  Mr. President, on a more somber note, a week ago last Wednesday, on a 
mountaintop called the Chimney Tops in the Great Smoky Mountains 
National Park, someone spotted a fire and called the National Park 
Service about 5:20 pm in the afternoon. I have been up on Chimney Tops 
many times--more times when I was younger than when I have been older--
but it is a peak with rocks at the top. We are not like the West where 
they have a lot of rocky mountains. We don't have many of those. We 
have an average of 83 inches of rainfall a year, unlike Southern 
California or Phoenix, places like that, where they only get a few 
inches of rain a year. We almost have rain forests. When the fall 
comes, there are lots of leaves on the ground.
  But the fire started up on the Chimney Tops. I can tell you there 
wouldn't have been anyone within 100 miles who would have imagined that 
somehow the

[[Page 15796]]

next Monday, wind would have swept that fire into Gatlinburg, TN, 
killing 14 people, injuring another 134, causing an evacuation of 
14,000 people, wrecking lives and wrecking homes.
  There have been some people wondering a little bit: Well, how could 
this have happened? Look, we have had fires all over East Tennessee 
this year. We are not used to that. It is because we have had a drought 
for a long time.
  I have an article by Bob Hodge about Greg Ward of Sevier County. This 
is the county where Gatlinburg is. Greg Ward spent his 53 years roaming 
around the woods and waters of Sevier County, according to Bob Hodge, a 
writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel.
  The long and short of it is, those who know the woods and the waters 
in East Tennessee know that this drought has been with us for a while. 
Trout stocking programs wouldn't work because the water was so low that 
the streams wouldn't handle the trout, and the water was too warm for 
them to survive.
  In some places the creeks were flowing at 10 percent of normal. We 
may have seen that once before in someone's memory back in the 1970s, 
but for the last 3 months, there has been very little rain. According 
to Bob Hodge's article, we have had a drought since 2015.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
this article by Bob Hodge of the Knoxville News Sentinel following my 
remarks.
  On Friday, Governor Haslam of Tennessee, Senator Corker, and I went 
to Gatlinburg. The only thing I could think to say to the people 
assembled there were two things. One was that your character is 
measured not so much by how you handle things when things are going 
well, but how you handle adversity. If that is the measure of 
character, the character of the people of Gatlinburg in Sevier County 
are through the roof because they are not complaining.
  The mayor of Gatlinburg, Mike Werner, had his home burn down in 15 
minutes. He was at the press conference worried about other people, not 
himself.
  Cindy Ogle, the city manager of Gatlinburg for a long time, had her 
home burn down. She was there, not complaining, and worrying about the 
other people of Gatlinburg and Sevier County.
  Mike Werner's business was also burned down. He is staying in the 
apartment of a friend nearby.
  That story is happening over and over and over in Sevier County. 
There have been extraordinary gestures by people to help.
  At one point, shortly after the fire started, there were 140 fire 
trucks from all over Tennessee and more than 400 volunteers. The fires 
kept going and going because this wind came up on Monday night after 
the fire had already started 10 miles away on the top of this rocky 
mountain, and a 90-mile-an-hour wind blew the fire all the way into 
Gatlinburg. The wind knocked down transformers and started other fires, 
and people were racing for their lives.
  On the floor, I mentioned stories of firefighters having to get back 
in their trucks to get away from the bears that were running toward 
them escaping the fire, of people driving through fire to escape, of 
windshield wipers melting as they drove down the mountain. It was a 
terrifying experience. In the West they may be used to this. Nobody 
ever gets used to it, I guess, but we don't see that where we are from, 
typically with 83 inches of rain in a year.
  I salute the people of Sevier County and Gatlinburg for their 
courage, their character, and their compassion for one another. I know 
it is going to take a long time for many to get back on their feet. We 
are doing what we can to help.
  I salute the Governor of Tennessee. He was there the next day. So 
were many of their agencies, working seamlessly together. As I have 
said, last Friday we went there together with him. Through the State, 
we have arranged for Federal assistance, which will pay for 75 percent 
of the cost of fighting the fires.
  Then that same day we went to some other counties in Tennessee that 
had experienced tornadoes about the same time. We went into McMinn 
County. No one was killed there, but several were hurt.
  We went to Polk County where we talked with a lady named Mrs. Stoker, 
who wasn't hurt, but a trailer next to where she lived had been blown 
across the road, and her daughter and her daughter's husband had been 
killed. We talked to her for a while, and the Governor and Senator 
Corker and I were very impressed with her. We doubted that we would 
have the strength she does.
  As we left, she said to us: You fellows go back on up there, do your 
job, and we will take care of it here.
  I am sure she will, but I am awfully impressed with Mrs. Stoker.
  I have told the people of Sevier County that many Senators had said 
something to me about the fire. For example, Senator Feinstein called 
because of her experience in California.
  I am here only to say those two things, first that the people of 
Sevier County, in Gatlinburg, the area of Polk County and McMinn 
County, if their character is measured by how they handled adversity, 
their character is over the top.
  Secondly, I thank all of those who have tried to help.
  One last example: In McMinn County, a young woman had a baby during 
the tornado. Her home was damaged. She went to the hospital. When she 
came back the next day, the neighbors had found another home for her. 
They had clean sheets and everything that she needed.
  There are wonderful stories that came out of a terrifying series of 
instances. I wanted to come to the floor and say that we are proud of 
the people of East Tennessee.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

              [From the Knox News Sentinel, Dec. 3, 2016]

              Gatlinburg Fire Was Set in Motion Months Ago

                         (Op-ed by: Bob Hodge)

       Greg Ward has spent his entire 53 years roaming around the 
     woods and waters of Sevier County, many of them as one of the 
     best known hunting and fishing guides in the state. When a 
     lot of those woods starting burning he knew things could get 
     bad.
       Then again, he had suspected things were going to get bad 
     for months.
       The fire that has destroyed over 17,000 acres inside and 
     outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, destroyed 
     hundreds of buildings and cost at least 13 people their lives 
     has left Ward wondering what, if anything, could have been 
     done. He's lived his life and earned his living listening to 
     what the mountains tell him.
       ``Everybody talks about the drought we've had this year, 
     but the drought started in 2015,'' said Ward, owner of Rocky 
     Top Outfitters in Pigeon Forge. ``This year it just got a 
     whole, whole lot worse.''
       Back in the summer, the drought which would lead to the out 
     of control fires that would destroy so much was already 
     wreaking havoc on the mountain fisheries. Trout stocking 
     programs were curtailed in June because there was too little 
     water in the creeks and rivers and what was there was too 
     warm for stocked trout to survive. In July, Ward said he and 
     his guides started noticing species hardier than trout, like 
     stonerollers, were beginning to die off.
       Water flows and volume are measured in cubic feet per 
     second or CFS. During the summer Ward said the CFS numbers in 
     many of the rivers and streams in the mountains in and out of 
     the park were about 10% of normal. That was bad for his 
     fishing business, but he thought it was just bad business, 
     period.
       ``You would hear numbers about us being 8 or 10 inches 
     below normal when it came to rainfall, but it was a lot worse 
     than that in the French Broad Watershed,'' Ward said. 
     ``Whatever number they were saying it was probably double 
     that.
       ``It's happened before back in the 1970s. We were in a 
     drought cycle then and this was just like that.''
       It was so bad he had even thought that, maybe, it would be 
     a good idea to delay the opening of hunting season in Sevier 
     and other counties in the mountains. Fewer people in the 
     woods would mean fewer opportunities for an accident to 
     happen.
       ``There's a lot of hindsight people can have right now,'' 
     Ward said.
       Fast forward to Monday night and about 8 p.m. a knock came 
     on the door at his home in Pigeon Forge near the base of Iron 
     Mountain. It was the authorities telling Ward and his wife 
     Diane to evacuate. They were ahead of the game, having 
     already packed up papers and pictures and things that 
     couldn't be replaced if lost.

[[Page 15797]]

       After getting his wife to safety, Ward--this isn't too 
     surprising to the people that know him--then drove up Pine 
     Mountain to see what he could see.
       It was devastating.
       ``There's nobody that knew anything like this was going to 
     happen . . . but because of the drought you knew it could 
     happen,'' he said. ``From up on top (of Pine Mountain) you 
     could see fire just about everywhere and you could see it 
     moving because of the wind.''
       The stay wasn't a long one because even though the area 
     where Ward was at was safely out of harm's way, he could see 
     that what was not being threatened by the fire one minute was 
     ablaze the next. He and a friend had packed chainsaws to cut 
     through any trees that were blown down by the wind, and it 
     turned out they needed them.
       ``I wasn't going to die on that mountain,'' he said. 
     ``We've had fires before. I've seen a lot of fires before, 
     but there was so much fuel and so much wind . . .''
       Eventually the fire would come within a few hundred yards 
     of his house. But when he and his wife went back the next day 
     it was no worse for wear.
       ``I have a house today because they made a stand at 
     Dollywood.''
       Perseverance is the standard for the people that have been 
     impacted by the fire.
       Ward said he doesn't know what if anything, could have been 
     done differently. All he knows is the fires that burned so 
     much on Monday were set in motion months and months ago.
       ``It's been so god awful dry . . . it was that way two 
     months ago,'' he said. ``You had the drought and then this 
     summer all the heat that just made it worse. We were just in 
     an awful situation.''

  Mr. ALEXANDER. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Ayotte). The Senator from Indiana.


                         Farewell to the Senate

  Mr. COATS. Madam President, today I rise for the second time on the 
Senate floor to deliver a farewell speech. It doesn't seem like that 
long ago, back in 1998, that I delivered my first Senate farewell 
speech. I spoke then about making the transition from Senator to 
citizen, and I reflected on the end of 24 years of public service.
  Standing here today in 2016, 24 years has now become 34 years, as the 
call for additional public service has brought me back to the U.S. 
Senate. Now, as I begin today, I want to assure my family, some of whom 
are in the Gallery; my colleagues, some of whom I am pleased to see 
have come to hear me speak; my campaign contributors, and even the 
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee that I will not be back for a 
third farewell address.
  Through it all--the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, the 
successes and the failures--I have felt nothing but gratitude for the 
incredible privilege of serving. Serving in the military, working as a 
congressional staffer to then-Congressman Dan Quayle, serving in the 
House of Representatives, representing my home State, and as a U.S. 
Senator, and representing our country overseas as U.S. Ambassador to 
Germany--all of this together has been the adventure of a lifetime, and 
I am so very grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded. 
Participating in the process of governing, being in the arena fighting 
for the principles and values in which I believe--these experiences 
have all been a privilege almost beyond description.
  It is time to express a few thanks. My good friend and fellow Senator 
from Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, who is sitting here today, who has a 
good habit of speaking words of wisdom, has said: When you are driving 
down a country road and see a turtle on the top of a fence post, 
chances are that turtle didn't get there on its own. I didn't get here 
on my own. Throughout my career, I have been blessed to have the 
support of so many talented and wonderful people who provided 
invaluable help along the way. First and foremost, though, I want to 
thank God for His providence, guiding my steps along the way. I want to 
thank my family, including my wife Marsha for her unwavering support 
and wise counsel, our three wonderful children, and our 10 
grandchildren, for their love, their support, and their patience that 
allowed me to engage in the consuming job of an elected official.
  I thank my former Senator and Vice President Dan Quayle, a mentor, 
friend, and the person who first encouraged me to consider public 
service. I want to express gratitude to former Indiana Governor Robert 
Orr, who chose me to fill the Senate seat vacated by then-Vice 
President Quayle.
  I thank President George W. Bush, who gave me the opportunity to 
serve as our Nation's Ambassador to Germany, and Colin Powell, who led 
the Department of State during my time as Ambassador.
  I thank the exceptional staff I have been blessed to have support me 
over the years--some who are here today and many who have served 
through the years and gone on to achieve great success in their own 
careers. I specifically want to thank the five chiefs of staff I have 
had as a Senator who have put the team together to support me in such 
exceptional ways: David Hoppe; Dave Gribbin, now deceased; Sharon 
Soderstrom; Dean Hingson; and Viraj Mirani. All have led our team with 
exceptional leadership.
  I thank my colleagues for their friendship and encouragement over the 
past 6 years. This is a demanding job, and we all work hard, but it is 
also a job that allows each of us the opportunity to spend a lot of 
time interacting together. The friendships I have had and now have with 
the talented men and women who serve in this distinguished body is what 
I will miss most in leaving the Senate.
  Last, but certainly not least, I thank the citizens of Indiana. 
Hoosiers have given me the honor of representing them in the world's 
greatest deliberative body. Hoosiers, thank you from the bottom of my 
heart.
  Now, I am not here today to offer deep reflections about the health 
of this institution or to advise my fellow Senators on how to govern in 
the years ahead. It is clear that at this time in our history, in our 
great Nation, we are a divided country with two very different visions 
for America's future. The Senate is not immune to those divisions, but 
I firmly believe that all of us, Republicans and Democrats, are trying 
to do what we think is in the best interests of our country and its 
posterity. We are all united in the common cause of making our country 
a better place, a safer place, and a more prosperous place, even if our 
means of getting there differ.
  With that spirit in mind, I know there are many topics of significant 
importance that the Senate will consider when I am gone, but I want to 
briefly discuss two transcendent issues that I believe jeopardize 
America's continued existence as the world's leading Nation. These are 
issues I have repeatedly expressed deep concern about on this Senate 
floor.
  From a practical standpoint, our country simply cannot keep borrowing 
money we don't have. Today our national debt exceeds $19.5 trillion and 
continues to grow by the second. Meanwhile, programs that millions of 
Americans depend on--Social Security and Medicare are two--are creeping 
ever closer to insolvency. America's looming fiscal storm is bearing 
down upon us, and the alarms are sounding louder each day. One day, if 
not addressed, this debt bomb will explode and have a devastating 
effect on our country's economy and on our children's future.
  My second great concern is what I call the terrorist bomb--the threat 
posed by terrorists or rogue state actors who can successfully conduct 
an attack with weapons of mass destruction. We must ensure that the 
world's most dangerous weapons stay out of the hands of its most 
dangerous people, and we must also adapt to the new threats we face, 
such as a cyber attack, that could shut down our financial systems or 
electric grid. These challenges require all those who have governed to 
rise above the political consequences that may occur in making the hard 
decisions needed to make our country stronger and more secure for 
future generations.
  In conclusion, I would like to say this. My congressional career 
began during the Reagan administration. I would like to conclude my 
comments with a reflection on remarks President Ronald Reagan made 
during a memorial service in 1987 for the fallen sailors of the USS 
Stark. Allow me to quote a few of the words President Reagan shared 
that day:

       Yes, they were ordinary men who did extraordinary things. 
     Yes, they were heroes.

[[Page 15798]]

     And because they were heroes, let us not forget this: That 
     for all the lovely spring and summer days we will never share 
     with them again, for every Thanksgiving and Christmas that 
     will seem empty without them, there will be moments when we 
     see the light of discovery in young eyes, eyes that see for 
     the first time the world around them and wonder, ``Why is 
     there such a place as America, and how is it that such a 
     precious gift is mine?''

  As citizens of this great country, we have been given a precious 
gift--the gift of freedom. America has been a beacon of freedom that 
has burned bright before a world that cries out for liberty, but we 
should never forget that we have been able to preserve this precious 
gift throughout our history because men and women have heard the call 
and then said: ``I will stand in defense of freedom and I will 
sacrifice for future generations.''
  In looking back on my life of public service, I have experienced 
moments when I also have seen that light of discovery of this precious 
gift of America and asked myself: How is it this precious gift is mine? 
I have seen the light of discovery at Veterans Day ceremonies as we 
remind ourselves that this gift has been earned and preserved by those 
who have fought in defense of our freedoms and especially those who 
have paid the ultimate sacrifice. I have seen it in the eyes of wives 
and young children who rush into the arms of dads arriving home from 
the frontlines of battle. I have seen it in the tears of joy as our 
Olympic athletes stand while the ``Star-Spangled Banner'' is played 
before the eyes and ears of the world. I have seen it in the 
naturalization ceremonies, where immigrants like my mom expressed pure 
joy in becoming an American citizen.
  Do we not then--those of us who have been given this privilege and 
the challenge of serving in this body as U.S. Senators--do we not then 
have an obligation and a solemn duty to carry on the task of ensuring 
that the young eyes of future generations can see this light of 
discovery and continue to wonder how it is that such a precious gift is 
theirs?
  So, my colleagues and friends, with gratitude to the Almighty, love 
in my heart for each of you, and bright hopes for the future of our 
beloved country, I bid farewell.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.


                         Tributes to Dan Coats

  Mr. DONNELLY. Madam President, I rise as we bid farewell to my good 
friend, my colleague, my captain, the senior Senator from Indiana, Dan 
Coats, who has served his State of Indiana and our country so well and 
with such honor and such dedication for more than 35 years.
  I also note how grateful I am to be serving with the Presiding 
Officer, for what an extraordinary Senator you have been, what a good 
friend. Someday I hope to come see the White Mountains of New Hampshire 
and visit and see your family. We have been very lucky to have been 
touched and blessed by you.
  As many of us know, my friend Dan's service to his country started 
long before he was elected to this body. After graduating from Wheaton 
College in Illinois--and he has not often told folks he was a soccer 
star there--he joined the U.S. Army, where he served from 1966 until 
1968 and earned the rank of staff sergeant.
  After coming to Indiana to earn a law degree at Indiana University's 
McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, Dan moved to Fort Wayne, where 
he continued his public service as a staff member for then-U.S. 
Congressman Dan Quayle.
  In 1980, Dan Coats was elected to represent the Fourth Congressional 
District of Indiana--a wonderful area which he served so well--and it 
was an office he held for 8 years. Then, in 1988, as Senator Quayle was 
elected to serve as Vice President, Senator Coats was appointed to the 
U.S. Senate, and he successfully won reelection in 1990 and in 1992. 
For 10 years, Dan continued his legacy of service to our beloved State.
  As I mentioned, Dan is the senior Senator, and I am the junior 
Senator, so whenever we have football discussions, Dan wins every time.
  Through his work on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the 
Intelligence Committee, he ensured our country was more secure and more 
prosperous for the future.
  In 1999, Dan retired from the Senate. He was soon called back, 
though, when President Bush asked him to serve our country again--this 
time, as U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
  Then-Ambassador Coats arrived in Germany ready for his duties on 
September 8, 2001. We know how much our world changed 3 days later and 
how important his job became in ensuring the United States continued 
its constructive relationship with our German allies and in keeping all 
of us safe back here at home. He not only forged a strong relationship 
with then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder and Angela Merkel, but he 
also played a key role in the establishment of a new U.S. embassy in 
the heart of Berlin. It is hard to stress how critical Dan Coats' 
leadership was for our country at that time, as he used American 
diplomacy to help maintain American security.
  In 2011, Dan made his return to the Senate, eager once again to serve 
the people of Indiana. Over the last 6 years, he has produced steadfast 
leadership on the Finance Committee, the Intelligence Committee, and 
the Joint Economic Committee.
  On a more personal note, I have always been able to count on him as a 
partner and a thoughtful friend, willing to work together to address 
the many issues impacting Hoosiers and our whole country--because, when 
it comes down to it, we are Americans, and we are all in this together.
  Dan always has been ready to roll up his sleeves and work in a 
bipartisan manner, whether it was on an issue impacting our veterans, 
protecting our national security, advocating for fiscal responsibility, 
or even the finer issues of government, such as making sure the 
Government Printing Office could change their style guide. As the rest 
of us all know, Dan was able to make it clear that we are not 
Indianians; we are Hoosiers, and it should be appropriately discussed 
as such.
  Dan, it has been an honor to serve with you.
  He has been a true gentleman and a great teammate in our work to 
improve the lives of the hardworking Hoosier families we represent. I 
am proud of the work we have done together.
  As Dan leaves the Senate, I wish my friend and partner--my senior 
Senator--the best. He will be remembered for his extraordinary service, 
his love of country, his love of our State, and his love of his family. 
I hope he will be able to spend a lot of time with his wonderful wife 
Marsha, their 3 children, and their 10 grandchildren. Dan has been 
blessed to have a wonderful family, and we have been blessed that we 
could be a part of his life.
  May God bless Senator Coats and his family, may God bless Indiana, 
and may God bless America.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, as I have listened to the eloquent 
farewell remarks of my friend and colleague, Senator Dan Coats of 
Indiana, I could not help but think that he sounded happy, contented, 
serene, and at peace with the decision he has made. But he leaves the 
rest of us feeling bereft and sad and knowing that we will miss him as 
a friend and as an esteemed colleague.
  As the 114th Congress draws to a close, many words of affection and 
gratitude will be offered in tribute to our friend and colleague Dan 
Coats as he leaves this Chamber. But there is no word that better 
defines this outstanding leader than the one word that has guided his 
entire life, and that word is ``service.''
  As we have heard from his colleague from Indiana, the junior Senator, 
in 1966, at the height of the Vietnam war, Dan Coats enlisted in the 
U.S. Army, achieving the rank of staff sergeant. In 1980, he was 
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's Fourth 
Congressional District, and he joined the Senate 8 years later. He 
quickly became widely known and deeply respected as a strong voice for

[[Page 15799]]

fiscal discipline and national security and as an expert in our 
intelligence agencies and foreign affairs.
  Dan Coats left the Senate in 1999 and was named as U.S. Ambassador to 
Germany 2 years later. He arrived at his post in Berlin just 3 days 
before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I cannot help but 
think how fortunate our country was to have him in that key position at 
a time of such turmoil, anxiety, and fear for our country and all the 
world. He played a central role in strengthening the relationship 
between our Nation and Germany during that critical time.
  After his tenure as Ambassador had ended, Senator Coats continued his 
service. He became the president of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of 
America and offered his talents to many other civic and volunteer 
organizations, including the Center for Jewish and Christian Values, 
which he chaired with another dear friend of mine, Senator Joe 
Lieberman. With his wife Marsha, he founded the Foundation for American 
Renewal to advance faith-based solutions and initiatives to help 
resolve our Nation's many social problems.
  When Dan Coats returned to the Senate in 2012, he pledged to the 
people of Indiana and to our Nation that he would focus his tremendous 
energy and extraordinary intellect on cutting wasteful spending, 
reducing our national debt, promoting pro-growth, job-creating 
policies, and strengthening our national security in an era where we 
face numerous threats from every possible place. He has kept those 
promises. As a father and a grandfather--two roles that I know he 
cherishes--Senator Coats has taken to heart our obligation to ensure a 
sound economic future for the next generation.
  It has been a particular honor to work side by side with Dan Coats on 
the Intelligence Committee. His public service through that committee 
will never be fully known to the public, but I can share with you that 
Senator Coats has almost an instinctual ability to get to the heart of 
an issue, no matter how complex or difficult the topic. That, of 
course, is also a tribute to the fact that he has thought so deeply 
about the issues that confront our country and the threats posed by 
rogue states and terrorist groups. He was one of the first Members of 
the Senate to recognize the crisis that would emerge due to this 
administration's failed policy and incoherent strategy toward Syria.
  His strong and effective advocacy for improved cyber security, a 
passion that we share, is another example of his deep commitment to the 
safety and security of our Nation and its people. For years, Senator 
Coats has worked to protect our Nation's most critical infrastructure 
from devastating cyber attacks. Senator Coats has warned us that it is 
not a matter of if but of when such attacks occur right here in our 
country. He did so--he led the way--knowing of the political pressure 
that would be brought to bear to accept the status quo of cyber 
insecurity that exists within our country's most important 
infrastructure.
  Senator Dan Coats is an inspiring role model to all of us who seek to 
serve. He epitomizes dedication, effective service, and an untiring 
commitment to making America--already the greatest country in the 
world--an even better place to live. Our Nation is truly grateful to 
this great man, and I am so grateful for his friendship.
  I wish Senator Coats and his family all the best in the years to 
come.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I speak today as a neighbor of Dan 
Coats. I am his neighbor here on the Senate floor, and I am his 
neighbor back home. I represent the State of Ohio, and he represents 
Indiana. I also was involved in Dan Coats' early political career 
because I was asked to interview him when I was a young lawyer for his 
potential move from the House to the Senate. There was no way to be 
involved in that process without acquiring great respect and admiration 
for this man.
  I got to know about his family and his background. He is literally 
and figuratively a Boy Scout in every way. He is also a guy who we will 
miss here greatly. He has become the voice of reason, the voice of 
wisdom, and the voice of knowledge here in the Senate. In our 
conference meetings, he is the person who, when he stands up to speak, 
others stop their conversations and actually listen, which is a rare 
trait for people in public office sometimes. But that is because Dan is 
always sincere, he is to the point, and, again, he has the experience 
and knowledge to be able to speak intelligently on a whole range of 
issues--some which we heard about today on the national security front. 
But also, he is an advocate for economic growth. He is the leader here 
on tax reform proposals. He is the guy who continually reminds us of 
our solemn duty here to represent all the people.
  So, Dan, we will miss you greatly. I know Marsha is happy to have you 
around a little more. You are going to have a great time with your 
grandkids, as we have talked about. But we know that there will be a 
great loss here when you move on. I have to find a new neighbor.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, I have one story I want to tell about 
Senator Coats.
  We have been able to serve together on the Intel Committee. We sit 
near each other on that committee. We work together on other things.
  I came to the Senate when Senator Coats came back to the Senate. It 
has already been established here that he served and then served in 
another capacity as Ambassador. Then in 2010, when the Presiding 
Officer and I came to the Senate, he came with us. In almost everything 
in the Senate, there is some element of seniority in how everything is 
done.
  As the only person in our class with prior Senate service, Dan Coats 
is the ranking member of our class. He was 88th in seniority in the 
Senate the day he started his second term of the Senate. For 
circumstances, I turned out to be 89th.
  In the process of going through and selecting offices, when they got 
to 88, Dan Coats called me, standing in the hallway of the Russell 
Senate Office Building, and he said: I am standing here in front of an 
office that says it was Harry Truman's office when he was in the 
Senate. You choose after me; don't you?
  I said: Yes, I choose after you.
  He said: If I don't take this office, will you take it?
  It was the best of the 12 offices still left. That wouldn't have been 
the reason I would take it, but I said: Yes, I will take that office. 
It would be great for me to be in an office in which Harry Truman had 
spent 10 years while in the Senate, and I later found out he also spent 
82 days as Vice President in that office.
  I said: I will stay there if I take that office.
  I am actually the only Member who--every year when the question comes 
around ``Do you want to look at another office?'' I check the ``no'' 
box and send it right back. Almost everybody else checks the ``yes'' 
box because they want to see the real estate in the building that is 
available.
  I said: I will stay there if I take it.
  He said: Well, I am going to find an office somewhere else.
  I have chaired the Rules Committee in the last couple of years. I 
deal with lots of Members about lots of requests. I don't actually know 
of very many similar circumstances. In fact, I don't know of any 
exactly like that one where Senator Coats said: I want you to have the 
office.
  I mentioned it to him again the other day, and he said: You know, the 
reason for that was, it was the right thing to do.
  If there is any part of Dan Coats' character that comes through time

[[Page 15800]]

after time, it is that part. It is that part of who he is that always 
wants to do the right thing. He is a man of great conscience, of great 
courage, of great willingness to serve. He is a good friend, and it has 
been one of the honors of my life in elected office that I have gotten 
to spend 6 years working in the Senate with him.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, first, I notice that Senator Coats is 
still on the floor. I want to add my personal congratulations to 
Senator Coats for an incredible career of public service, not only here 
in the Senate but serving our country in a very important diplomatic 
role.
  Senator Coats has added such dignity to this body. He is a person of 
incredible integrity and a person who always listens and tries to do 
what is right not only for the people of his State but for our Nation. 
It has been a real honor to serve with Senator Coats in the U.S. 
Senate, and I wish him only the best going forward. I know he will 
continue to find ways to help our country.
  Madam President, I rise today to comment on a provision in the 21st 
Century Cures Act that I have strong concerns about that would affect 
thousands of patients receiving home infusion therapy. As many of my 
colleagues know, home infusion therapy is important because it provides 
patients with a higher quality of life. Patients are able to receive 
this treatment in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by their 
family. Furthermore, home infusion therapy eliminates unnecessary 
emergency room visits and travel to and from hospitals.
  A provision in the Cures Act reduces the payment for infusion drugs 
without including a payment for home infusion services until January 1, 
2021. As a result, home infusion suppliers will not be paid to 
administer infusion therapy until 4 years after the change in 
reimbursement. Without a service payment, it will be economically 
difficult for home infusion suppliers to provide patients with home 
infusion therapy. Many patients will be unable to receive care in the 
comfort of their home and will have to go to hospitals and long-term 
care facilities to receive treatment. This provision in 21st Century 
Cures Act could affect over 20,000 people with congestive heart 
failure, neurological disorders, and immune deficiency problems who 
receive home infusion therapy.
  Patients' lives are at stake. That is why I prepared an amendment to 
the 21st Century Cures Act that delays the reimbursement change for 
infusion drugs by 1 year. I hope that this amendment could be included 
in the 21st Century Cures Act or the end of session continuing 
resolution. Instead of going into effect on January 1, 2017, the 
overpayment reduction would go into effect on January 1, 2018, under my 
amendment. This is only a 1-year delay, but it would allow 20,000 
patients to continue receiving infusion therapy at home. I think this 
is reasonable and fair and I urge my colleagues to support the 
amendment.
  The 21st Century Cures Act includes many very important provisions 
that should be enacted, so I hope this issue can be corrected.


                     Tribute to Barbara A. Mikulski

  Madam President, this is a bittersweet moment as I rise to pay 
tribute to my esteemed colleague, dear friend, and fellow Senator, 
Barbara A. Mikulski, the longest serving woman in the history of the 
United States Congress.
  Senator Barb has been more than a dedicated champion for the State of 
Maryland; she has fought tirelessly for the welfare of all Americans 
across the country but especially the disadvantaged--equal pay for 
equal work, funding for childcare for working families, quality health 
care for all Americans, an ambitious space exploration program, robust 
homeland security programs, and fire protection grants. These are but a 
few of the causes Senator Barb has worked on for more than four decades 
as an outstanding public servant and legislator.
  She is rooted in the city we both call home, Baltimore, where her 
father ran a grocery store in Highlandtown. She earned her bachelor of 
science degree in sociology from Mount Saint Agnes College and a master 
of social work degree from the University of Maryland School of Social 
Work. She became a social worker and then demonstrated her formidable 
organizational skills and resolve when she led the successful 
opposition to a 16-lane highway that was going to cut through the Fells 
Point neighborhood in Baltimore. Throughout her 40 years of 
congressional service, she has returned to Baltimore almost every 
night.
  She ran for the city council in 1971, where she served for 5 years 
before she was elected to the House of Representatives to represent 
Maryland's Third District--a seat she held for 10 years. I was proud to 
succeed her in the House when she was elected to the Senate in 1986 and 
became the first female Democratic Senator elected in her own right. 
Here in the Halls of the Senate, she opened doors that had previously 
been closed to women. She refused to accept second-class treatment 
because of her gender and fought to be recognized as an equal. 
Generations of young women who chose to participate in public life or 
who dreamed of joining the U.S. Senate have benefited from Senator 
Barb's trailblazing legacy.
  From affordable housing and education to childcare, health benefits, 
and pensions, she has left an indelible imprint on the Nation's social 
policies as a senior member of the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions. It is fitting that she authored the Lilly 
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009--the first major bill to be signed into 
law by the first African-American President. I know one of her proudest 
accomplishments is strengthening the social safety net for seniors by 
passing the Spousal Anti-Impoverishment Act, which helps keep seniors 
from going into bankruptcy while paying for a spouse's nursing home 
care.
  Senator Barb said, ``We work on macro issues and macaroni and cheese 
issues. . . . Our national debate reflects the needs and dreams of 
American families.''
  In 2012, she became the first woman and the first Marylander to chair 
the Senate Appropriations Committee. She has worked well with Senator 
Cochran and other Republicans on the committee to produce annual 
appropriations bills under difficult budget constraints. I think she 
has shown how the Senate can work in a productive, bipartisan fashion.
  Senator Mikulski has served as the dean of the women Senators from 
both parties, promoting collegiality, civility, and consensus-building. 
In this capacity, again, she has been one of the leaders of this 
institution with respect to making it work better.
  Senator Barb has always had her feet planted firmly on the ground, 
but she has reached for the stars. No one has been a stronger advocate 
for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA; the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA; the National 
Science Foundation, NSF; and for researching and understanding the 
universe to make life better here on Earth than Senator Barbara 
Mikulski.
  Not only has she reached for the stars, she is a star. NASA named a 
supernova after her in 2012--Supernova Mikulski--discovered, fittingly, 
by the Hubble Space Telescope on January 25, 2012. The supernova is 7.5 
billion light-years away and the remnants of a star more than eight 
times as massive as our own Sun.
  Senator Mikulski has so much political energy per square inch of 
height that she has reached her own orbit in space. Even though her 
realm includes the entire universe, Senator Barb always kept the needs 
of Marylanders close to her heart during her tenure. Whether it is 
fighting for funding to restore the Chesapeake Bay, supporting mass 
transit improvements in Baltimore, standing up for Federal employees 
and retirees who work and live in our State, or posting the world's 
best recipe for crabcakes on her Web site, I know I speak on behalf of 
each and every Marylander when I say how much we will miss her 
outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to our State.

[[Page 15801]]

  I am privileged to have worked with Senator Barb for 10 years in the 
Senate and for 20 years before that when I was in the House of 
Representatives. I am proud to have stood alongside her as two members 
of Team Maryland.
  On a personal basis, I have a very close friend and my service in the 
Senate is much more productive, much more enjoyable, and much more 
rewarding because of Senator Barbara Mikulski.
  The United States Congress, the State of Maryland, the United States, 
and, indeed, the world are better places because of Senator Mikulski's 
public service. She may not be the tallest Senator, but she certainly 
leaves the biggest shoes to fill. I will miss her, but I will remain 
internally inspired by her shining example of public service at its 
best.


                        Tribute to Barbara Boxer

  Madam President, for the 10 years I have been in the Senate, I have 
been privileged and have had the pleasure to serve alongside the 
Senator from California, Barbara Boxer, on the Committee on Environment 
and Public Works and on the Committee on Foreign Relations. She is the 
ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and 
previously chaired the committee, the first woman to do so.
  Senator Boxer has spent the last 40 years in elective office--24 
years here in the Senate, 10 years before in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and 6 years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. 
She was the board's first woman president. Earlier, she worked as a 
stockbroker while her husband Stewart, whom she met at Brooklyn 
College, attended law school. Senator Boxer has been a journalist and 
is the author of two books.
  The first time Senator Boxer ran for the Sixth Congressional District 
seat, in 1982, her campaign slogan was ``Barbara Boxer gives a damn.'' 
Her constituents have agreed. She ran for reelection four times and 
never received less than 67 percent of the vote. In 2004, when she was 
running for a third term in the Senate, she received 6.96 million 
votes--the most votes any candidate has ever received in the history of 
the U.S. Senate.
  Oscar Madison and Felix Unger may have been the original odd couple, 
but Senator Boxer and the Senator from Oklahoma, Senator Inhofe, have 
been the Senate's odd couple. An unabashed liberal and unabashed 
conservative working together to pass some of the most important 
legislation of the last quarter century--our periodic surface 
transportation bills and the Water Resources Development Act 
reauthorizations. These bills have put millions of Americans to work 
and made our economy more efficient.
  Senator Boxer understands the importance of building, and she also 
understands the importance of preserving. She has helped to set aside 
more than 1 million acres of Federal land in California as wilderness. 
The omnibus public lands package, which became law in 2009, includes 
three Boxer bills to protect 57,000 acres in Big Sur and the Los Padres 
Forest and another 273,000 acres of California coast as wilderness. She 
wrote the Senate bill that elevated Pinnacles National Monument into 
America's 59th national park. She helped champion the creation of the 
Fort Ord National Monument and Cesar Chavez National Monument and was 
instrumental in expanding the Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank 
National Marine Sanctuaries. She also authored the California Missions 
Preservation Act to protect and restore California's 21 historic 
missions and led the effort in the Senate to create the Manzanar 
National Historic Site.
  Senator Boxer's concern for the environment hasn't been just a 
parochial interest; no one has fought harder to defend and improve our 
Nation's landmark environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the 
Clean Water Act. She fought to remove arsenic from drinking water. The 
air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat are better 
because of Senator Boxer.
  Senator Boxer's environmental bona fides are well known, but she has 
been a superbly effective legislator on so many other issues. She is a 
champion for women. In 1991, she led a group of women Members to the 
Judiciary Committee to demand that the committee, which was all-male 
and all-White at the time, take Anita Hill's charges seriously. Senator 
Boxer has defended women's reproductive health choices and privacy. She 
was involved in passing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act 
and the Violence Against Women's Act. She is a senior member of the 
Foreign Relations Committee, where she chairs the first committee to 
focus on global women's issues.
  In a business meeting earlier today, the members of the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee unanimously passed a resolution honoring 
Senator Boxer's work on that committee and her work in the U.S. Senate. 
At that time, we noted that she was the ranking member on the 
subcommittee that provided help for women and girls globally, and her 
work in Afghanistan was most notable. She has made a difference around 
the world for young women.
  Senator Boxer authored the first ever specific authorization for 
afterschool programs, a bipartisan bill that then-President George W. 
Bush signed into law in 2002. Today's afterschool programs are funded 
at $1.15 billion, allowing them to serve 1.6 million children. She was 
the author of another bipartisan bill to accelerate America's 
contribution to combat global HIV-AIDS and tuberculosis.
  Senator Boxer wrote two laws to enhance economic and security 
cooperation with Israel. In 2012, she worked with the Senator from 
Georgia, Mr. Isakson, on the United States-Israel Enhanced Security 
Cooperation Act, which extended loan guarantees to Israel, increased 
the U.S. military stockpile in Israel, and encouraged NATO-Israel 
cooperation. In 2014, she worked with the Senator from Missouri, Mr. 
Blunt, on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014, further 
strengthening economic and security cooperation between the two 
countries.
  Senator Boxer has strong principles. She can be outspoken when the 
need arises, but she is also a consummate legislator, able to work 
across the aisle and across the Hill to get important things done. We 
are going to miss her skills and her leadership. I know we will 
continue to hear from her because she is not the retiring type, but she 
certainly has earned the right to spend more time with her husband 
Stewart, their children Doug and Nicole, and four grandchildren.
  We wish her well, and we will miss her in the Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.


                           Free Speech Rights

  Mr. LEE. Madam President, over the weekend, syndicated columnist 
George Will wrote about a disturbing ruling in a French court. The 
court ruled that a video called ``Dear Future Mom,'' produced by the 
Global Down Syndrome Foundation, must be banned from television. It 
cannot be viewed on television anywhere in France. What, you might ask, 
triggered this draconian act of censorship? Was it speech inciting 
violence? No. Was it a hate speech? No. Was it discrimination? In fact, 
it is the opposite, as it turns out. I will let Mr. Will tell the story 
as I read the words from his column.
  The column is entitled ``The `right' to be spared from guilt.''

       The word ``inappropriate'' is increasingly used 
     inappropriately. It is useful to describe departures from 
     good manners and other social norms, such as wearing white 
     after Labor Day and using the salad fork with the entree.
       But the adjective has become a splatter of verbal fudge, a 
     weasel word falsely suggesting measured seriousness. Its 
     misty imprecision does not disguise, but advertises the 
     user's moral obtuseness.
       A French court has demonstrated how ``inappropriate'' can 
     be an all-purpose device of intellectual evasion and moral 
     cowardice. The court said it is inappropriate to do something 
     that might disturb people who killed their unborn babies for 
     reasons that were, shall we say, inappropriate.
       Prenatal genetic testing enables pregnant women to be 
     apprised of a variety of problems with their unborn babies, 
     including Down syndrome. It is a congenital condition 
     resulting from a chromosomal defect that causes varying 
     degrees of mental disability

[[Page 15802]]

     and some physical abnormalities, such as low muscle tone, 
     small stature, flatness of the back of the head, and an 
     upward slant to the eyes. Within living memory, Down syndrome 
     people were called Mongoloids. Now they are included in the 
     category called ``special needs'' people. What they most need 
     is nothing special. It is for people to understand their 
     aptitudes, and to therefore quit killing them in utero.
       Down syndrome, although not common, is among the most 
     common anomalies at 49.7 percent per 100,000 births. In 
     approximately 90 percent of instances when prenatal genetic 
     testing reveals Down syndrome, the baby is aborted. Cleft 
     lips or palates, which occur in 72.6 percent per 100,000 
     births, also can be diagnosed in utero and sometimes are the 
     reason a baby is aborted.
       In 2014, in conjunction with World Down Syndrome Day (March 
     21), the Global Down Syndrome Foundation prepared a two-
     minute video titled ``Dear Future Mom'' to assuage the 
     anxieties of pregnant women who have learned that they are 
     carrying a Down syndrome baby.
       More than 7 million people have seen the video online in 
     which one such woman says, ``I'm scared: What kind of life 
     will my child have?'' Down syndrome children from many 
     nations tell the woman that her child will hug, speak, go to 
     school, tell you he loves you and ``can be happy, just like I 
     am--and you'll be happy too.''
       The French state is not happy about this. The court has 
     ruled that the video is--wait for it--``inappropriate'' for 
     French television. The court upheld the ruling in which the 
     French Broadcasting Council had banned the video as a 
     commercial.
       The court said the video's depiction of happy Down syndrome 
     children was ``likely to disturb the conscience of women who 
     had lawfully made different choices.''
       So, what happens on campuses does not stay on campuses. 
     There, in many nations, sensitivity bureaucracies have been 
     enforcing the relatively new entitlement to be shielded from 
     what might disturb, even inappropriate jokes.
       And now this rapidly metastasizing right has come to this:
       A video that accurately communicates a truthful 
     proposition--that Down syndrome people can be happy and give 
     happiness--should be suppressed because some people might 
     become ambivalent, or morally queasy about having chosen to 
     extinguish such lives because . . .
       This is why the video giving facts about Down syndrome 
     people is so subversive of the flaccid consensus among those 
     who say aborting a baby is of no moral significance than 
     removing a tumor from a stomach. Pictures persuade.
       Today's improved prenatal sonograms make graphic the fact 
     that the moving fingers and beating heart are not mere 
     ``fetal material.'' They are a baby. Toymaker Fisher-Price, 
     children's apparel manufacturer OshKosh, McDonald's and 
     Target have featured Down syndrome children in ads that the 
     French court would probably ban from television.
       The court has said, in effect, that the lives of Down 
     syndrome people--and by inescapable implication, the lives of 
     many other disabled people--matter less than the serenity of 
     people who have acted on one or more of three vicious 
     principles:
       That the lives of the disabled are not worth living. Or the 
     lives of the disabled are of negligible value next to the 
     desire of parents to have a child who has no special, meaning 
     inconvenient, needs. Or that government should suppress the 
     voices of Down syndrome children in order to guarantee other 
     people's right not to be disturbed by reminders that they 
     have made lethal choices on the basis of one or both of the 
     first two inappropriate principles.

  That is the end of Mr. Will's column, which I just read in its 
entirety.
  As Americans enter yet another era of change in our politics, it is 
my sincere hope, and indeed my prayer, that it can also be a season of 
change in our hearts. Here in the United States, the free speech rights 
of groups like the Global Down Syndrome Foundation to produce videos 
like ``Dear Future Mom,'' which I highly recommend, are protected by 
the First Amendment, but the rights of actual Americans with Down 
syndrome, both born and unborn, can only be protected by their fellow 
citizens, not just in our laws but in our communities, our families, 
and our culture.
  This time of year, we would all do well to remember the life-changing 
joy that can come from a single, unexpected, and special child, and 
also remember the courage of their mothers and fathers who chose life--
the heroes who chose to make room at the inn.
  I know I speak for all of my colleagues when I wish all of them a 
very merry Christmas.
  I thank the Presiding Officer and yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                         Miners Protection Act

  Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I rise to join my colleague who spoke 
earlier today, the Senator from Ohio, and here shortly, the Senator 
from Pennsylvania. I wish to also thank my friend, the Senator from 
West Virginia. Without his tireless efforts, this cause we are fighting 
for might not still have a chance, and I want to commend him for the 
countless hours and the amazing amount of work he has done on an issue 
we have been here time and again on; that is, begging this body to take 
meaningful action on the Miners Protection Act before the end of this 
year.
  For over a year and a half, we have been coming to the floor to tell 
our colleagues that if we do nothing, retired coal miners and their 
families--for the most part we are talking about widows because most of 
the miners have passed away--will lose their health care at the end of 
this year. Well, the end of the year is upon us. It is literally days 
away, and we have taken every procedural step to ensure a vote on the 
Miners Protection Act.
  Under the leadership of the Senator from West Virginia, we were asked 
to go through regular order. We were asked to have a hearing. Those of 
us on the Finance Committee--the Senator from Pennsylvania and I--were 
asked to have a committee markup. We had the committee markup. We 
reported the bill out with strong bipartisan support. Yet here we are, 
days away from the supposed end of the session, and we still have not 
had that vote. We have a long-term bipartisan solution, but instead we 
are being told the CR that might simply fund the government for a few 
months may have some kind of stop-gap effort--a stop-gap effort that 
would barely provide enough time, for those who were already threatened 
with losing their health care at the end of the year--barely have 
enough time to even reschedule a doctor's appointment.
  These miners--many of them have faced devastating illnesses as a 
result of their time in the mines--will be given absolutely no 
certainty that they will receive the medical care they need if we 
simply were to extend this bill to the time of the CR. And what would 
happen after May 1? And that has nothing to say to the more than 
100,000 miners across the country--thousands of them in my State of 
Virginia--who lose not only health care but also future pension 
benefits that are threatened by the approaching insolvency of the 
United Mine Workers 1974 pension fund.
  Madam President, you may not know this--as a matter of fact, even my 
colleague from West Virginia didn't realize this--but today, December 
6, is actually National Miners Day. Each year on December 6, we set 
aside a day to honor the mine workers of today and yesterday and 
reflect on their contributions to our Nation and rededicate ourselves 
to doing everything we can to protect their lives and health. Think 
about that. Today is actually National Miners Day. What better day to 
take the long awaited action to make sure that for those miners--and 
particularly, more often than not, for their widows--we honor the 
commitment that was made back in 1947 to make sure that their health 
care and pension benefits--at least their health care benefits--are 
guaranteed. The reality is that even with stronger safety standards, 
coal mining remains a dangerous and difficult profession. The truth is 
that nobody can really understand what it is like to be in a mine 
unless you have been underground. I have had that opportunity a number 
of times in my career. So many of the miners I worked with and 
supported when I was Governor and now as I am a Senator have seen all 
the changes that have come about by the changing nature of the 
industry, by globalization and by technology. Now many of those 
communities are on hard times. If we

[[Page 15803]]

produce one more hit to these communities--a hit whereby the Federal 
Government doesn't honor the commitment they made to those miners in 
terms of protecting the health care of the miners and their families--
then, quite honestly, we are not doing our job.
  We have come together and worked in a bipartisan fashion. We have a 
solution. We have a solution that wouldn't add to the debt or the 
deficit. I hope that those who are holding up this long-term solution--
and it is not simply one side. We have complete support on this side of 
the aisle and from a number of our colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle. Again, we ask: Let's make sure these miners, their widows, and 
their families don't lose their health care come the end of this year. 
We can ensure that happens, and I look forward to working with my 
colleagues to make sure that promise becomes a reality.
  With that, I yield the floor to my colleague from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. MANCHIN. We are close. It is West Virginia.
  I yield the floor to my dear friend and colleague, the Senator from 
Georgia.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gardner). The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, it was my understanding that I was going 
to follow the Senator from Connecticut on the VA bill, and I am happy 
to accommodate the Senator from West Virginia or the Senator from 
Pennsylvania or the Senator from Connecticut, whomever knows what order 
we should be in.
  Mr. MANCHIN. Sir, that is so kind of you. If we could do that, since 
the Senator is not here, then we can be very brief on ours, if you 
don't mind.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Will I yield to the Senator from West Virginia?
  Mr. MANCHIN. Yes.
  Mr. ISAKSON. And then would you yield to the Senator from 
Connecticut?
  Mr. MANCHIN. Let's let you do yours now. Go ahead. The Senator from 
Connecticut can go ahead.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to recognize the 
Senator from Connecticut, the Senator from Georgia, and then the 
Senator from Pennsylvania.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues who are 
very gracious for yielding to me, and I thank the Presiding Officer for 
recognizing me.


             Veterans Health Care and Benefits Legislation

  Mr. President, there is welcome news today, which is that the Senate 
has received from the House H.R. 6416, a bipartisan comprehensive 
measure that keeps faith with our veterans and makes sure that we 
continue our progress toward leaving no veteran behind.
  I want to emphasize at the very start that this measure is a down 
payment. It is far from a final or even fully acceptable solution to 
many of the problems that it addresses. It has more than 70 provisions. 
It is broad and comprehensive in scope and scale. More vets, many at 
risk and homeless, will receive the care and benefits they need and 
deserve. VA hospitals will have better management and more mental 
health caregivers and emergency room doctors. Families of veterans will 
be helped by extending critical education benefits to surviving members 
of those families. Work will finally begin to help descendants of 
veterans exposed to toxic substances. But again, on those issues and so 
many more, we are only taking another step in what must be a journey 
toward helping our veterans with services that they need, deserve, and 
have earned.
  One example that is long awaited is a landmark move that will 
commence research on descendants of veterans who have been exposed to 
toxic substances and address the painful residual wounds. It is all the 
more important today because we know the modern field of combat is 
ridden with nerve gas and other toxic and poisonous substances that all 
too often may endanger not only the brave men and women engaged on the 
battlefield but also their descendants. This measure expands the 
definition of homeless veterans to include individuals--perhaps women 
fleeing domestic violence--and it broadens the eligibility for critical 
homeless prevention programs. Many of those women fleeing brutality and 
violence deserve this kind of help.
  Under this legislation, the Veterans Health Administration will be 
given the flexibility it needs in scheduling physician workloads to 
bring them in line with the common practice that prevails in most 
medical centers. It is past time that we adjust the 1950s schedules, 
practices, and policies to work regulations within the VA hospitals and 
the need of today's veterans.
  One extraordinarily important provision relates to mental health, 
long a priority for me. We will make it easier to hire mental health 
counselors and access mental health treatment, significantly 
overhauling VA construction practices and authorize major medical 
construction projects in Reno, NV, and Long Beach, CA.
  On the issue of accountability that is so critically important and 
needs so much work, a provision in this measure would limit the ability 
of the VA to place an employee who is under investigation for 
misconduct on paid administrative leave for more than 14 days. This 
limitation would end the current practice of placing problematic 
employees on long periods of paid administrative leave and the 
provision would force the VA leaders to address issues when they arise 
to impose accountability.
  I want to thank my colleague Senator Isakson for his leadership, his 
dedication, his attention to detail, and his flexibility in the best 
traditions of this body. He clearly has put veterans first by sharing 
their ideas. They have come to us from many of the veterans service 
organizations, and I want to acknowledge all of them as well because 
they have been such a positive force.
  I want to thank my staff on the Veterans' Affairs Committee for their 
work on this bill and others that we passed, such as the Clay Hunt 
Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which I did in 
partnership with Senator Kaine and Senator Isakson.
  We need to do more to help veterans cope with opioid addiction, 
combat homelessness, protect veterans against identity theft, and make 
sure that our health care system for veterans continues to improve. It 
is still clearly a work in progress and still fails to meet the demands 
of access for thousands and tens of thousands of our veterans, even as 
it provides quality health care to many others.
  Many of the current challenges faced by veterans are directly 
attributable to management failures, and that is why accountability 
needs to improve. I want to thank Senators Burr and Tester for their 
bipartisan agreement to move forward on these challenges, and, 
hopefully, we will continue their work in the next session. Likewise, I 
have worked with Senator Moran and Chairman Isakson on numerous 
accountability reforms in the Veterans First Act, which was before this 
Chamber, again, providing goals and measures that we must achieve in 
the next Congress.
  Our bipartisan efforts to pass, hopefully within the next few days, 
H.R. 6416 is a crucial test of whether there is the necessary will and 
determination in this body to move ahead on the enormous challenges yet 
unmet and the enormous obligations that we have.
  Just as critical as the health care challenges, so too are the 
chronic problems in providing veterans the benefits they have earned--
benefits that are denied them in decisions they appeal. Today, over 
450,000 veterans' appeals await a decision. That is why I introduced 
the Department of Veterans Affairs Appeals Modernization Act of 2016. 
The present veterans' appeals process is a travesty. It is a mockery of 
justice. It must be reformed. It must be given the resources to make it 
effective. Even when veterans earn benefits, there are too many 
examples of unequal application. I joined Senator Murray in her efforts 
to ensure that

[[Page 15804]]

all caregivers for severely wounded and disabled veterans, regardless 
of when the veterans have served, have access to caregiver support 
services. These caregivers are moms and dads, spouses, and children who 
provide care day after day after day at great expense and burden to 
them with very little support from the Nation that should be as 
grateful to them as to the veterans themselves.
  Simply put, veterans deserve better, and they deserve more. Even when 
they have grievances, often they are denied a day in court. They are 
forced into arbitration agreements concerning their reemployment rights 
and workplace protections. That is why I introduced the Justice for 
Servicemembers Act in June--to clarify that servicemembers cannot be 
denied access to the courthouse and forced into arbitration and that 
servicemembers cannot be forced to sacrifice those rights as a 
condition of future or continued employment. It is about basic American 
justice. Who deserves that justice more than our veterans who fought 
for it and died for it and should never be denied it?
  I want to thank again all of my colleagues who have worked with me 
over these past 2 years. We owe every veteran--regardless of the war or 
the conflict, regardless of the era--the basic guarantee that they will 
never be left behind, that this Nation will keep faith with them. This 
body owes them the obligation to summon the political will to cross 
partisan lines to make sure that we keep faith with them.
  As I yield the floor today, I want to express my gratitude again to 
Chairman Isakson and say that I yield the floor today but none of us 
should ever yield in the fight to help our veterans.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Connecticut for 
his recognition. I want to take this moment on the floor to praise him 
for the contribution he has made to the committee over the last 2 
years.
  I want to tell you a story. Richard became ranking member in the same 
year and at the same time that I became chairman. We met, we made a 
commitment to one another that we were going to move forward as a 
united Veterans' Affairs Committee, address the problems of our 
veterans, and do it in a bipartisan fashion. To set the tone for that, 
we introduced the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans 
Act, which Richard Blumenthal introduced, and passed it unanimously in 
the committee and 99 to zero on the floor of the Senate in the first 
weeks of this Congress. We did so to set the table that whatever the 
problems are, we should never let our pettiness, our politics, and our 
partisanship stop us from helping a veteran. Because of Richard 
Blumenthal on suicide prevention and our commitment to make it 
bipartisan, we passed that unanimously early on in the session and 
since that time have addressed other issues as well.
  The bill we discussed today, which is named in part for Richard 
Blumenthal, is, as he said a minute ago, a down payment on the 
continuing debt we owe to our veterans who have served us well. On the 
first day in the committee when I took over as chairman, I said: You 
know, there are no Republican veterans and no Democratic veterans; 
there are only American veterans. They are the Americans who fought for 
our flag, fought for our Constitution, fought for our liberty, and 
fought for each of us.
  I am proud to have fought with Richard for our veterans in the 
foxhole of the Senate.
  There is much left to be done. With the passage of this act today, 
which is named after Senator Blumenthal and Congressman Jeff Miller, 
who is retiring from the House, we are making another down payment on 
what we owe our veterans.
  There are other payments soon to come. I met earlier today with John 
McCain. We have made a commitment to make sure Veterans Choice is made 
permanent for our veterans and work to see that veterans have the best 
choice they can have, not to privatize the VA but to optimize the 
exposure of veterans to health care services wherever they need them.
  Last night I met with Jon Tester, our colleague from Montana, who 
will replace Richard as the new ranking member of the committee. He is 
equally committed with us to see to it that we move beyond the current 
sunset of the Veterans Choice Program, to solve the Veterans Choice 
Program as well as the other problems that confront our veterans.
  We are a team of Americans, not Republican Americans or Democratic 
Americans but Americans committed to see our veterans get what they 
were promised.
  As Senator Blumenthal said, this bill addresses homelessness, it 
addresses women's health care issues, it addresses the possible passage 
of exposure to toxic waste in a hereditary fashion to the surviving 
children and grandchildren of our veterans, an obligation we owe to see 
to it that if there is any transfer of the exposure of those toxic 
substances, the VA benefits that go to the veteran also can be passed 
down to the child who is a victim of heredity through no fault of their 
own.
  We do a lot on the court and the appeals. As Senator Blumenthal said, 
we have a backlog of 450,000 appeals. We are adding two judges in the 
appeals process. We need to do more to expedite the appeals process.
  This year I was personally disappointed that as close as we got to 
dealing with the administration and finding a solution, we still failed 
to say to our veterans: We are going to solve your problem of waiting 
in line.
  Two weeks ago, I had the sad duty of breaking into tears in the 
living room of a home of a veteran in Marietta, GA. This is a veteran 
who has been trying for 3 years to get an appeal responded to and can't 
get it. He is a veteran whose life is about to end without ever getting 
an answer as to whether his appeal is justified. That is just not 
right.
  We can find a way in this country to get the manpower and womanpower 
necessary, make the moral commitment that is imperative, and see that 
our veterans who have an appeal get an expeditious answer. Our veterans 
need to cooperate in that process by giving us all the backup data as 
fast as possible for every appeal they ask for. But it is not right for 
an appeal to last as long as the one that is before us in the U.S. 
Veterans Administration today, which is 25 years old. That's right, the 
oldest appeal in the Veterans Administration is 25 years old.
  I am committed--and I make the commitment on the floor of the Senate 
today--to work with Richard, Jon Tester, the members of our committee, 
and everybody in this body to see to it that we say to the 450,000 
veterans who are waiting on an appeal: We are going to get you an 
answer, and we are going to get it faster.
  To those sons and daughters today who are signing up for the U.S. 
military, if you have a need for an appeal, we will see you get an 
expeditious answer. They deserve the very best. They deserve no less 
than a thorough answer in response to the appeal they have made.
  The last 2 years, it has been a privilege and a pleasure for me for 
to work as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. It has been a 
pleasure to work with Richard Blumenthal, and I commend him on the 
contributions he has made. It has been equally great to work with his 
staff, who have worked closely with us to see that we brought the best 
legislation possible to the floor of the Senate.
  I particularly thank Tom Bowman, my chief of staff, who has made a 
lot of magic things happen during these last 2 years. But things have 
just begun in the Veterans' Committee of the Senate. We are going to 
work together to reach the dreams we all have to see to it that our 
veterans have seamless services and that we pay back to them what we 
owe them, equally what they have sacrificed and pledged for us--their 
lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
  I thank Senator Blumenthal for his support and ask each of our 
Members in the Senate today to help us pass this downpayment on the 
promise and the debt we owe to the veterans of the United States of 
America.

[[Page 15805]]

  I yield to the Senator from Pennsylvania.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                         Miners Protection Act

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise to speak tonight about the Miners 
Protection Act.
  First, I commend and salute the work that has been done in this 
Chamber. I especially highlight the Senators on the Democratic side who 
have been working. I know this will not cover everyone, but I thank 
Senator Manchin, the senior Senator from West Virginia, Senator Brown 
of Ohio, Senator Warner of Virginia, and others, including the 
Democratic leadership, for working on this. I know we have bipartisan 
support on this issue. I thank our Republican colleagues who have 
worked on this.
  Unfortunately, just today we are told that in the negotiations, in 
the back-and-forth on the continuing resolution, which we should be 
voting on this week--we are told that Majority Leader McConnell is not 
going to include the Miners Protection Act in the continuing 
resolution. That is very bad news, especially when we consider how we 
arrived at this point in terms of bipartisan support. I will get to 
that in a moment.
  Instead, apparently the proposal--or I guess at this point it might 
be beyond a proposal because it might be in a draft of the continuing 
resolution. Be that as it may, what has been proposed is 4 months of 
health care for miners and their families instead of a lifetime 
guarantee. In a word, that is unacceptable. I will not dwell on that 
because I want to get to the rest of our arguments on why this is a 
proposal we cannot accept.
  A long time ago, before the turn of the last century, Stephen Crane, 
known mostly for the ``Red Badge of Courage,'' a great novel, died at 
the age of 28 or 29. But prior to his death, in addition to all that he 
wrote in a great novel, he wrote for McClure's magazine an essay about 
a coal mine near my hometown of Scranton in Lackawanna County. I come 
from a county that had of what they used to call hard coal, anthracite 
coal. It heated homes across the Nation and across the world, for not 
just years but generations.
  Stephen Crane described how dangerous it was to work in a coal mine. 
He did it with such beauty and such skill, but there were so many 
horrible images. I, of course, will not read the entire essay, but at 
one place he described the coal mine as a place of ``inscrutable 
darkness, a soundless place of tangible loneliness.''
  Then he described all the ways a miner could die in the mines. That 
was in the 1890s. Of course, coal mining today is safer, but still very 
dangerous. But no matter what the danger level, no matter what the 
circumstances of today, we owe these miners their health care, their 
pensions, and we owe their families.
  What they don't want to hear, what we should not engage in, is the 
usual horse trading and kind of back-and-forth of Washington. They 
deserve the Miners Protection Act. It is not some theory, and it is not 
some idea; it is legislation that was introduced, debated, and then 
voted on by the Finance Committee, 18 to 8, a bipartisan vote in a 
place that sometimes cannot agree on the time of day, let alone 
something as substantive and as important as health care and pension 
benefits for those who earned them. This isn't some extra thing we are 
giving, not some gift we are giving; they earned it, in many cases not 
just for years but for decades they earned this. OK. We owe them this. 
This country owes them this. This Chamber owes this to these miners.
  It was a promise a long time ago, in the late 1940s. These miners 
kept their promise. They went to work every day, year after year and 
decade after decade, and their families depended upon that promise. 
Some of them served in wars, including Vietnam, as just one example. 
They served in Vietnam and then worked in the mines again and worked 
and worked. So they kept their promise. They kept their promise to 
their family, they kept their promise to their country, and they kept 
their promise to their company.
  Yet here we are once again, and the only ones left out are the 
miners. The companies will figure out a way to do OK. The country will 
move forward, the Senate will be just fine, but once again we stand at 
the precipice or at the threshold of a new time period. People are 
wanting to get out of here for the holidays, yet coal miners are not 
asking us to do anything other than keep a promise.
  We should keep our promise, and the Republican majority leader should 
keep that promise. It is outrageous that anyone would think it is 
appropriate to propose temporarily saving benefits when, in practice, 
these recipients would be notified almost simultaneously that they are 
both eligible for benefits--temporarily--and that their benefits will 
terminate. That is not just wrong; that is an insult. It is an insult 
to them and to their families.
  Just imagine the stress of this. We cannot imagine it. I will answer 
my own question: We cannot imagine it. Probably no one in this building 
could imagine the stress on these individuals and their families. It is 
completely unnecessary.
  I know we are limited on time tonight, but I wish to highlight 
portions of letters that I have received. I know the Senator from West 
Virginia has received even more because of his great advocacy, his 
work, and the substantial impact that the mining industry has had on 
his great State and the work that is done by great miners to this day.
  To protect people in case we haven't received their permission, I 
will not use full names. This letter is from Waynesburg, PA, 
Southwestern Pennsylvania. I will limit it to a son talking about his 
mom. He said: ``I am writing to you for my mother.'' He is asking us to 
vote on this bill. In the letter he says his mom is a widow. ``She now 
lives on a fixed income. Her life depends on this passing,'' meaning, 
the bill passing. ``She has cancer and will need surgery.''
  Her life depends on this bill passing. OK. This isn't just another 
bill about some far-off issue. That is a son writing to us from 
Waynesburg, PA, about his mom.
  This is another letter from a son writing about both his parents, and 
I will provide just an excerpt. He writes that it would be ``very 
comforting'' to know his parents could ``continue their current UMWA 
benefits until they can turn 65.'' He is worried about the fact that 
two parents are going to turn 65 in 2017, and he wants to make sure 
that they are protected.
  The third and last letter I will read an excerpt from is from a miner 
himself from Johnstown, PA. It is a town I know pretty well in Cambria 
County. There has been a lot of mining there over many years. He is 
talking about working the mines for 21 years. He said: ``When you make 
a promise it should be kept.''
  That is what a miner from Johnstown, who worked in the mines for 21 
years, reminds us. It is just what I said: ``A promise should be 
kept.'' It continues, ``This insurance has gotten me and my wife 
through many health concerns including breast cancer in which my wife 
still fights today.''
  Then he talks about how this would dramatically change their access 
to doctors and medical care.
  So we are not talking about some budget number here; we are talking 
about a family telling us the life of their mother depends upon it; 
another family member whose mom has breast cancer, her life--or at 
least her health care at this point--depends upon it. So this isn't 
theory.
  This legislation, which passed the Finance Committee, as I said, 18 
to 8--all we have to do is have the majority leader stand up and say 
that we are going to attach this to the continuing resolution and have 
the House Speaker say the same because they have control. That is all 
they have to do--attach it to the continuing resolution--and we will 
finally have kept our promise.

[[Page 15806]]

  Temporary relief is not only insufficient, it is an insult. It is not 
just insufficient, it is dead wrong.
  No one here should be playing games with people's ability to pay for 
medication, pay for their oxygen. That shouldn't be the subject of 
games or horse trading.
  We delivered in both parties. We delivered to Majority Leader 
McConnell everything he asked for--committee consideration, debate and 
vote in the committee--and now it has come to the floor of the U.S. 
Senate. It is time for all of us to keep our promise to coal miners and 
to make the Miners Protection Act permanent law and to keep our promise 
to those miners and their families.
  I again commend and salute the Senator from West Virginia, and I 
yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
  Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I wish to thank my dear friend from 
Pennsylvania, my neighbor State, for his commitment to the hard-working 
people who made this country what it is today.
  There are a lot of people who don't know the history of how we are 
the superpower of the world, how we won two world wars, how we 
energized the whole industrial age, and how we built the middle class. 
It came because of the domestic energy that we basically extracted 
right here in America and it was done by mine workers. My grandfather 
came to this country as a young child in the early 1900s, and his 
family came here to find a better life. On both sides--I had one set of 
grandparents who came from Czechoslovakia and the other set came from 
Italy, and both sides ended up in the coal mines, as well as all of my 
uncles and cousins. We had these little coal camps all over the area 
where I grew up in Farmington, WV.
  I was so proud of my heritage. I will never forget my Boy Scout 
leader was Pat Keener. He was a coal miner. When the coal mines 
automated in 1959, he had to go and find a job in Ohio in the auto 
industry. My Little League coach was a coal miner--everybody I knew. 
The hunting and fishing clubs were all coal miners who took all of us 
and showed us how to do things and enjoy the outdoors.
  It is just an unbelievable network of people, and most all of them 
were military. Most all of them were veterans. They continued to serve 
their country when they left the mines and went to the military and 
came back to the mines.
  So I rise with a heavy heart because I thought we had this fixed. I 
thought this was something we had done--and Senator Casey laid it out 
so well. We have done everything we can. This day has been coming for 
quite some time. I warned everybody 2 years ago that this finite time 
would come December 31 of this year. We started working in earnest 
quite a while ago. We were told to go through the regular order, as 
Senator Casey said, to do the things we were supposed to do. It got its 
full purview, if you will, and it passed bipartisanly. Everyone is 
sympathetic. Everyone knows the hard work that is done and how 
dangerous it is.
  My uncle on my mom's side got killed in the 1968 mine explosion in 
Farmington. I lost a lot of kids I went to school with, classmates, so 
it has been very near and dear to me.
  As Governor of West Virginia, the Sago Mine disaster, I lost 12 
miners there. We had the Logan Mine disaster, and I lost two people 
there, and then we had the UBB, and we lost 29 people. So I have been 
through it. I know how dangerous and tough this business is, but I know 
the country depends on them. We can't run without them.
  I want to make sure everyone understands that this was never intended 
for the government or the taxpayers to pay. It never was. It wasn't set 
up that way. In 1946, John L. Lewis basically said we are going to go 
on strike. We are pulling everybody out. This was after World War II. 
The economy had been ramped up because it was 100 percent employment. 
We were producing and consuming because of the war effort. When that 
happened, the economy started heading down. He said: Oh, no. We have to 
keep this economy going. We can't let this tail off. They said: Listen, 
from the beginning of the 20th century until 1946--46 years--these 
miners have done back-breaking work. We have heard the old adage ``I 
owe my soul to the company store.'' My grandfather told me that when he 
worked in the mines in the early 1920s, he had four children and was 
expecting his fifth child, and he said at the end of the day, he had no 
money. All the script was at the company store. He had to borrow 
everything there, and at the end of the month, he owed them for 
working, trying to make it. He had no health care. There was a doctor 
who helped them a little bit. They had no pension or retirement. They 
worked until they died, and that was the way it was.
  In 1946, they said: Enough is enough. You shouldn't work this hard 
and so many people benefit. You helped build a country and you get 
nothing. So they said from that day forward--and that was the Krug 
amendment that was signed--and by the blessings of the U.S. President, 
Harry S. Truman. Then they said, from that day forward: All the coal 
that we mine, a percentage of that coal or the money on that percentage 
of coal, would go into a black lung fund and then it would go into the 
AML fund and then it would go into basically the miners health care and 
retirement--a portion of that.
  So it wasn't coming from taxpayers; it was coming from the work they 
were producing. That is where this came from.
  So everything is going fine. Then, basically, Congress passed 
bankruptcy laws that allowed companies to go and declare bankruptcy and 
basically divest themselves of all of their responsibilities to the 
people who worked for them. This was done to them. We had the 74 plant 
and the 92 plant.
  So we dealt with something that was not their making. These people 
negotiated contracts in good faith by bargaining, and they would give 
away salary or money that could have been in their pocket because they 
knew they were going to get guaranteed health care, and now here we 
stand basically saying: I am sorry. That is not going to happen. You 
are going to lose your pension and health care.
  We have over 16,000 who will lose their health care benefits by the 
end of this year, less than 4 weeks away--16,000. Senator Casey read 
some letters, and I am going to read some letters as well.
  What we are doing here is we are holding up--and I know it affects 
everybody's hard work. This is something that is not easy for me. I 
have never done this. I have been here 6 years. I have never used this 
procedure, but I have never felt so committed and so beholden to people 
who have given so much. We are talking 60-, 70-, and 80-year-old women. 
Most of the husbands have died; they are still depending on this. The 
little clinics we have in the coal communities around West Virginia and 
southwestern Pennsylvania, those coal communities and coal camps and 
basically those little clinics will not survive. This has a ripple 
effect.
  Now, I understand they are going to give us a 4-month extension--4 
months. Let me tell my colleagues what these people are going through. 
They were told the 1st of October they will lose their benefits of 
health care; 16,000 were sent letters telling them they will lose them 
by the end of this year. Now, what we are about to do--which I believe 
is totally inhumane--we are about to now send them another letter, if 
passed the way it is going to be presented to us in the CR, that says: 
I am sorry, Mrs. Smith. I know we told you that you are going to lose 
your health care on December 1, but now we are going to tell you that 
in January we will send you another letter and tell you, you are going 
to lose it in April.
  Now, you tell me if there is anything fair about that. You tell me 
how you face people who have given everything, and now we are just 
going to extend it for another 4 months with no certainty that anything 
will continue from there.
  We are asking for a permanent fix. We have a pay-for for that 
permanent fix. It is the excess we have, surplus in the AML money, but 
everybody has other plans for that. Well, guess what.

[[Page 15807]]

The people who need it have plans also, to try to keep themselves 
alive. That is the plan they have, and that is what they are asking 
for.
  I haven't ever used this tactic before, but I feel so compelled that 
I said we are going to do whatever we can to keep this promise. We have 
asked for the health care--this had a health care and pension 
provision. It has only the health care provision right now because we 
understand that we worked and we negotiated and we said this is 
something we felt we needed now because they had a finite time--at the 
end of this month. We will work on the pensions next year, too, to make 
sure they are going to be preserved.
  That being said, I have gotten letters, the same as everybody else in 
coal country where we come from. Here is one: Dear Senator Manchin, 
without action I, along with thousands of other coal miners and widows 
of coal miners, will lose our health care on December 31. My husband 
died in 2012 of pancreatic cancer. He also had black lung. He loved his 
job even though it was so dangerous. He worked to ensure that we had 
good health benefits not just for me but for him and our family. I am 
asking Congress to please do the right thing and don't let us lose our 
health care benefits.
  I have another letter. This is from Carol Turek. Carol writes: My 
husband worked in the mines with blockages in his brain until he had 
enough time. He worked even though he was that ill so that I would have 
insurance if something happened to him, knowing that he was very ill. 
He retired in 2009 and he passed away in 2011. He was a good worker. He 
stayed over and worked days off when needed and this is how they thank 
him in return. How is an older person supposed to live when they take 
away your retirement, take away your insurance, and never give you 
raises in Social Security? Everything raises and medical is outrageous. 
I guess when you are old, they expect you to crawl into a corner and 
die. Well, I pray every day that God gives me another day, and I am 
praying that they pass this health care provision so that others and 
myself can live just a little bit longer.
  I have another one. She says: Dear Senator Manchin and all of you who 
are trying to help us. My husband Charles passed away on October 12 
from cancer. Patriot Coal filed bankruptcy before Charles passed away. 
He told me that if they took his medical coverage, that he would not go 
to the doctor because he didn't want to leave me in debt if he didn't 
get medical coverage, so he didn't want to go to the doctor. My income 
was cut almost 75 percent when Charles passed away. Charles was 
promised these benefits for us both. He worked all of those years in 
coal dust to help supply this country with the energy that it needed. I 
pray that our government will pass this bill to help the thousands that 
will be affected by not having health care. Some people will choose to 
buy medicine instead of food. This is so sad and coal miners worked in 
the mines and risked their lives for so long. Some people that have 
never worked can get help under the new health care law, so why not 
help the ones who have worked and paid for it? Why can't they get what 
they are supposed to get? I am proud to be an American and daughter, 
sister, wife, and mother of coal miners.
  I have one here that explains it very well. She says: Dear Senator. I 
have dedicated my life to a career in nursing in Boone County, WV. My 
husband developed kidney disease and heart disease at an early age. He 
did not smoke, drink, nor do drugs. Doing his work he developed an 
autoimmune. He worked very sick for 30 years underground in the coal 
industry as an electrician in the mines and maintenance worker. He was 
an educated man but he loved working with his hands. After coming out 
of the U.S. Air Force when he worked in the World Communication Agency 
as a cryptographic specialist in the White House, he chose to go into 
the mines as a career because of the reliable future, retirement, and 
health benefits that it assured for his family. Rick worked hard every 
day and during the last 15 years that he worked he would sometimes 
travel over 45 minutes away and take chemotherapy treatments to treat 
his kidney disease while he was still working. He had heart disease as 
a result of those treatments. So many heart studies, the stent, and the 
bypass surgery followed along with the continued renal disease. All of 
those years he worked in the mines to provide electricity to so many 
who worked other jobs, were comfortable in their homes, sitting at 
their desks, not risking life or limb for the luxuries afforded them by 
the coal miners who had been promised health and retirement benefits if 
they took less pay, did not strike for same, and continued providing 
the valuable coal resources this country needed.
  Continuing: After educating me to beyond my Master's level; putting a 
girl through medical school, and another daughter to Master's level in 
teacher education--we depleted many of our financial resources to do 
this, knowing we had ``secure retirement and health'' planned for 
through his union. During the last 1\1/2\ years of his life, after 
retirement, Rick died of leukemia that developed from many years of 
chemical treatments for his autoimmune kidney disease. Meanwhile, I 
worked 26 years as a school nurse plus additional years as a registered 
nurse, planning to utilize my husband's percentage of retirement and 
health benefits to secure my own retirement.
  Continuing: When the courts of this land allowed bankrupting 
companies to fold on their commitments to our miners, that has become a 
frightening and impossible situation for myself, a widow, and many more 
in my same situation. Devastation is the only word that can be used to 
describe the trickle down effect it will have on so many other 
businesses and health agencies, if this congressional action does not 
carry through to secure our union miners, retirees, and widows. You are 
not only destroying the 12,000 plus miners and widows involved, you are 
destroying huge infrastructures and businesses that depend upon the 
income and health benefits where these individuals are served. Please 
note, only the ``union'' miners contributed to these funds, not the 
nonunion miners who chose much higher wages opposed to the union wages 
and structure. Please consider this so we can go into Christmas knowing 
we have the security of the fund being stabilized. Some will have no 
way out; some individuals will literally not survive without the needed 
health care and pensions they worked and sacrificed their health to 
obtain. Thank you, Sue Peros, Wife of Bert Ricky Peros, South 
Charleston, WV.
  We have many more.
  The thing I want to emphasize is that these are real people. This is 
not just something we are fabricating. These are people who work every 
day. These are people still living, still contributing, still taking 
care of their families, still depending on health care. The ripple 
effect is unbelievable. To sit here and say we are going to pass a CR 
because we want to go home for Christmas or to say we have the comfort 
of being home and we have 16,000 miners, retired--we have their widows 
and families depending on health care, and they have been told they are 
going to lose it December 31, but we are in a hurry to leave. We just 
can't wait to leave. We have got to get out of here. Well, I am sorry, 
that is not the way we do it back home. That is not how we treat our 
friends and neighbors and especially not how we treat our miners.
  I am asking all of you to work with us to make sure we get a 
permanent fix. That is all I am asking for. We have a way to do this 
with the surplus AML funds to pay for that, money that was made for 
mining the coal to be used for this. That is what we are asking for. 
That is what we promised them. That is what we owe them.
  I thank all of my colleagues, each and every one, for being so 
considerate. We have bipartisan support.
  I will say this: If this were a standalone bill on this floor, it 
would pass. This bill on this floor would pass, with Democrats and 
Republicans working together. It would also pass in the House. But that 
is not the case. We can't get a standalone bill. We have what we have. 
We are asking for the compassion of our leaders on both sides

[[Page 15808]]

of the aisle here to give us a clean, long-term fix for health care for 
the retired miners as promised.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor to my dear friend from Ohio.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I thank Senator Manchin for driving this 
issue. It was done better with him than without him. I thank him for 
making a world of difference and Senator Casey for his impassioned 
pleas and reading the letters from mine workers, retired mine workers, 
widows, retired mine workers in Western Pennsylvania and all over West 
Virginia and Southeast Ohio. We are all getting letters in our offices 
that are heartfelt and just make me wonder, why aren't we doing 
something?
  I want to share a letter from a lady in Gallipolis, OH, a village. I 
was just there in the community of Rio Grande earlier this week. She 
wrote a letter to Mitch McConnell, who is, frankly, the single person 
standing in the way of doing this.

       Dear Leader Mitch McConnell:
       Just to inform you as a member of UMWA that it is vitally 
     important that we keep our insurance.
       My Husband (Larry) worked 35 years as a miner. He has had 
     bypass surgery this last Aug 8, 2016, also has black lung--
     COPD--chronic idiopathic gout, acute bron-
     chitis . . .

  And other things.

       I have history of cardiomyopathy and congestive heart 
     failure. . . . We need members of all Congress to consider 
     all that the Coal Miners has contribution to the welfare of 
     this country. Now we ask that they remember commitments made 
     to the Coal Miners. Please keep that promise made to the Coal 
     Miners.

  Over and over: Please keep that promise made to the coal miners. But 
instead we hear all kinds of excuses. Again, one man--the majority 
leader of the Senate, the Republican Senator from Kentucky--one man 
standing in the way.
  Senator Manchin just said that if this came to a vote right now on 
the Senate floor, it would easily have enough votes to pass, but one 
man has blocked this in the continuing resolution. He has kind of 
distributed--dropped a few crumbs to a few miners for a few weeks on 
health care but not pensions. But it is one man standing in the way.
  When I look at the other Senators--the two Senators from 
Pennsylvania, one Democrat, one Republican; two Senators from West 
Virginia, one Democrat, one Republican; two Senators from Ohio, one 
Democrat, one Republican; two Senators from Virginia, both Democrats--
all of them want to move on this, but we keep hearing excuses from one 
man, the majority leader of the Senate, from Kentucky.
  We were told by the majority leader we need bipartisan support. Well, 
we got it, the bill cosponsored by Republicans and Democrats. As 
Senator Manchin said, if it were brought up to a vote, we could pass it 
tonight.
  Then we were told the bill needs to go through regular order, which 
is a way, in Washington-speak, of simply saying: Send it to a 
committee, examine it, debate it, bring a couple witnesses in, bring in 
experts, talk about it. We did that.
  Senators Warner and Casey and I also, on the Finance Committee, 
helped get this bill through with a bipartisan vote of 18 to 8--not 
even close. Again, the Republican Senators from Pennsylvania and Ohio 
joined the Democratic Senators from those two States. Eighteen to 
eight.
  Then we were told by the majority leader--the one man who is stopping 
this--find a pay-for. Find a way to pay for it. We did. The bill is 
fully offset. As Senator Manchin said, as Senator Casey said, as a 
number have said, this does not cost taxpayers a dime. This isn't a 
bank bailout that cost real dollars. This isn't even the auto rescue, 
which was so important to my State. That cost real dollars, although 
the money was paid back. This won't cost taxpayers anything. The 
Congressional Budget Office estimates it would reduce the Federal 
deficit by $67 million over 10 years because they would get the right 
kind of health care rather than having to rely on other kinds of 
government programs.
  These miners--again, we keep saying this over and over. They have 
done everything we have asked them to do.
  Almost seven decades ago, President Truman made this commitment. We 
have lived up to this commitment through Presidents of both parties, 
including this President, Barack Obama, but one person--again, one 
person--has stood in the way. The miners in my State can't afford to 
have this reduced to political gamesmanship. They are hard-working 
people. They spent their careers doing dignified work.
  I remember when we spoke at the rally on a really hot day earlier 
this year. There were thousands of miners there. I remember Cecil 
Roberts, the president of the United Mine Workers, stood up and said: 
Put your hand up if you are a veteran.
  Hundreds of hands went up.
  He said: Put your hand up if your father or mother was a veteran.
  Again, hundreds more hands went up.
  These are people who served their country. And those who weren't off 
to war were producing the coal to produce the electricity to power the 
war machine, whether it was World War II or Korea or Vietnam or 
anything since.
  Not taking up the mine workers protection act is violating the 
promise made by President Truman, violating the promise we all made. 
The bill should ride on the continuing resolution. The majority party 
has the ability to make that happen right now.
  I was talking a moment ago quietly, privately, with Senator Casey. We 
were talking about--unlike the spouses of insurance agents or realtors 
or teachers or Senators or bankers, mine workers are much more likely 
to die at a younger age. When you talk about so many, by any cross 
section, by any analysis of who is most in need of this kind of help, 
mine workers--there are a lot more mine worker widows than there are in 
other professions because of the danger of the work. There is a much 
greater likelihood of dying on the job, much greater likelihood of 
getting hurt on the job, much greater likelihood in later years of 
developing brown lung and developing various kinds of heart ailments 
and bronchial ailments because they worked in the mines. That makes it 
an even more fundamental moral question, that we do something about 
this.
  How many mine workers are sick and need health care? How many need 
these pensions? How many mine workers die and their widows need this 
help? And we sit here doing nothing.
  I just say again to Leader McConnell: Get out of the way. Just let 
this come to an up-or-down--however you want to do this, however you 
want to schedule this, however you want to move this through the 
Senate, we should be doing it now. We shouldn't go home for our 
Christmas break until we take care of these miners. It is the right, 
moral thing to do. It is the right thing for our country. It is a 
promise we made, a pledge we made. We should honor it, starting this 
evening.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Daines). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


                     Montenegro Membership in NATO

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today the Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee approved the resolution to allow Montenegro to become a 
member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. I am here this 
afternoon to urge that the full Senate take up this issue and give a 
prompt vote to the accession before we bring the 114th Congress to a 
close.
  A top priority of the historic NATO summit that happened in Warsaw in 
July was bolstering the alliance's resolve and capacity to deter 
Russian aggression against the Baltic States and the rest of NATO's 
eastern flank. Also at the Warsaw summit, NATO formally invited 
Montenegro to become its 29th member nation. All 28 member states must 
now ratify the accession protocol according to our own procedures. In

[[Page 15809]]

the United States, that means the Senate must ratify the protocol.
  In the decades since the end of the Cold War, NATO has been a 
tremendous force for stability, democratization, and freedom in Europe. 
That is exactly why more countries, including those created by the 
breakup of Yugoslavia, are eager to join.
  Montenegro has worked hard to prove its commitment to NATO, including 
by strengthening its democracy, making significant progress in fighting 
corruption, and improving its defense capabilities. Montenegro's 
membership in NATO would have significant impact, including completing 
the alliance's unbroken control of the Adriatic coast. It will serve to 
further anchor the Balkan region in the security framework of NATO.
  It speaks volumes that Vladimir Putin has fiercely opposed 
Montenegro's accession to NATO. During Montenegro's general election in 
October, authorities arrested 20 people suspected of plotting, with 
support from Russia, to overthrow the Cabinet and assassinate 
Montenegro's Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic. While NATO is purely a 
defensive alliance, Russia has warned Montenegro of retaliation if the 
country continues to pursue NATO membership. By quickly approving the 
resolution on accession, the Senate can demonstrate that it stands 
firmly with Montenegro and that we will not allow Putin to bully 
European states with impunity.
  Montenegro's membership would reaffirm that NATO's door remains open 
to aspirant nations that share the values of all NATO members and stand 
ready to contribute to NATO operations. NATO must stand firm on the 
principle that the decision to seek membership in the alliance cannot 
be blocked by a third party.
  NATO is the most ambitious and successful alliance in history. Across 
nearly seven decades, it has risen to every challenge: deterring the 
Soviet Union during the Cold War; integrating former Soviet bloc 
countries into a Europe whole and free; restoring peace in the Balkans 
after Yugoslavia's breakup; invoking article 5 in defense of the United 
States after September 11; and most recently, taking the fight to the 
Islamic State terrorist group in Syria and Iraq.
  Montenegro is a small nation with big strategic importance. Its 
accession to NATO would strengthen the alliance. In turn, membership in 
NATO would bolster Montenegro's democracy and independence.
  As I said, today the Foreign Relations Committee approved the 
resolution of accession. I hope the full Senate will bring the 
resolution to the floor for a prompt, favorable vote. The United States 
has always stood strong for freedom and democracy in Europe, and it is 
time to stand strong for freedom and democracy in Montenegro.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                   Unanimous Consent Request--S. 3084

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I am pleased to come to the floor tonight 
to talk about a bill, S. 3084, the American Innovation and 
Competitiveness Act. This is a piece of legislation that has taken 
several years of patience, perseverance, a lot of hard work, and 
testimony from both sides of the aisle.
  I am pleased that Senator Peters from Michigan and I have finally 
been able to come up with a product that has the strongest bipartisan 
support in both the Senate and the House. This is an effort that builds 
on the America COMPETES legislation. America COMPETES was first passed 
over a decade ago as an effort to make the United States more 
competitive economically, an effort to make sure we had the skills and 
our workers, the STEM force education to compete with nations around 
the world as global competition increases, as other nations try to gain 
an advantage over the United States in their manufacturing processes 
and in their innovation processes.
  The America COMPETES legislation arose from a report that was put 
together by a group of individuals--very smart business leaders, 
scientists--known as the ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' report, 
the ``RAGS'' report, the idea being, how are we going to make sure the 
United States remains competitive and how do we make sure we have the 
education programs we need in this country to gear the next-generation 
workforce for a more competitive environment? So we put together this 
bill, a bipartisan bill, passing it out of the Commerce Committee for 
the first time in a decade--the America COMPETES legislation--to renew 
this policy effort.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of Calendar No. 695, S. 3084. I further ask 
that the committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; the 
Gardner substitute amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be 
considered read a third time and passed; and that the motions to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, this 
legislation sounds pretty good. It is bipartisan, but I also know that 
in my State there are more than 1,000 retired mine workers and their 
widows. We know that people who have worked in the mines for 30, 35, or 
40 years are more likely to be sick and die younger. These 1,000-plus 
mine workers have been denied their pensions. Their pensions and health 
care have been threatened. Many of them are widows of mine workers. 
Yet, we have bipartisan support. It passed out of the Finance Committee 
16 to 8, and Senator McConnell--one person in this body--has blocked 
the mine workers pension and health care legislation for weeks and 
weeks and months and months.
  I would be very happy to support and help Senator Gardner in this 
legislation, the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act. I hope he 
will speak to the Republican leader and ask him to do the right thing 
to help these pensioners, widows, and mine workers whose pensions are 
threatened and whose health care is about to be cut off.
  Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, again, I want to reiterate that this 
legislation, the America COMPETES bill, is a bipartisan product. We 
have spent countless hours working with people from around the country 
to come up with a bill that focuses on giving workers and employees the 
skills they need to succeed.
  I understand the objection of the Senator from Ohio, which is based 
on the need to move forward with the legislation they are talking 
about, but it is my understanding that there is at least an effort to 
work on that legislation, which would provide some time to come up with 
a longer term solution providing an extension of the health care 
coverage they have been seeking for some time, although not the entire 
benefit package they were hoping would be extended under the 
legislation they were also talking about.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I can't exactly speak for my colleagues, 
but I know a number of Senators on this side of the aisle will be 
pleased to work with the Senator on this legislation, and I am hopeful 
we can do both in the days ahead.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Ohio.
  One of the challenges we have, of course, is the calendar, as this 
reaches toward the end. Again, I am committed to stay here as long as 
we can to fix this and make this work. I do worry about our colleagues 
across the hallway and their calendar and making sure that they are 
finding the time to process this legislation, along with the 
legislation that the Senator from Ohio is concerned about.

[[Page 15810]]

  Again, I think this is something that we ought to be able to move on 
as we address the concerns of the Senator from Ohio--and the concerns 
that I think, at least to some degree, will be addressed in the 
continuing resolution--and to continue to work on legislation that is 
truly bipartisan and beneficial from a standpoint of providing more 
resources for manufacturing partnerships, more resources for 
commercialization efforts, additional resources for STEM education, and 
having more underrepresented minority community members involved in 
STEM education fields. These are things I think we can work on, and 
this place has to have the ability to work together on efforts that the 
Senator from Ohio is so concerned about and also the efforts that we 
have through the America COMPETES legislation. I believe we can do 
both.
  I understand the objection, and I appreciate the offer and 
willingness to work together. But I know when you have a House and a 
Senate that work under two different calendars, one of which is under 
our control--again, let's stay here until we get this done. There is 
one calendar that is out of our control, and I just hope we can move 
forward on this because all 50 States do benefit from the bipartisan 
work we have been able to put forward on the American Innovation and 
Competitiveness Act.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I appreciate those words. I also recognize 
that we have not seen a continuing resolution yet. There is a rumor 
that it has 4 months of health care but it doesn't have any pension 
assistance, and there is nothing about fully funding their pension and 
continuing with their health care. They have already gotten a notice 
saying their health care will be terminated. If we continue this for 4 
months, they will get another notice in January. That is all hearsay 
because we still have not seen the bill.
  I know we are working on separate calendars. I understand that, and 
maybe the House is going to take the ball and go home, showing a real 
maturity in its leadership. The fact is we need to stay here. I don't 
know why we need to get out and go home for Christmas tomorrow or even 
Friday. I think we should stay here until we finish. We have been here 
until December 24 before. I am fine with that. I want to be home. I 
have a wife whom I love and kids and grandchildren, and I want to see 
them all, but I want to take care of these miners.
  Show us a bill. Let's talk about it, negotiate this, and follow 
regular order. I believe we had an 18-to-8 vote on taking care of this 
health care for miners. We can honor what Senator Gardner, the Senator 
from Colorado, wants to do. I am fine with doing that, but we are not 
going to do any of those things until we take care of the miners. We 
have an obligation to them that President Truman had begun with a 
pledge. It is morally reprehensible to betray that commitment to 12,000 
retired miners and their widows in the country.
  I want to do all of that, and I know Senator Gardner does too. It is 
up to my colleagues to push the majority leader, who, for whatever 
reason, is blocking this and is continuing to block our ability to do 
this. We should stay here until it is finished.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak 
therein for up to 10 minutes each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________




                          TRIBUTE TO JAMES R. 
                              CLAPPER, JR.

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to a true 
leader in every sense of the word. James R. Clapper, Jr., has had a 
defining impact on the U.S. Intelligence Community over his past half-
century of service. As of today, he has served 2,190 days as the 
Director of National Intelligence, DNI, which makes him the longest 
serving DNI, surpassing the combined time of all the Directors who 
served before him. Director Clapper has dedicated his life to the field 
of intelligence, and his contributions to the Nation are significant.
  Jim Clapper began his distinguished career as a rifleman in the U.S. 
Marine Corps Reserve, before becoming a commissioned officer in the 
U.S. Air Force in 1963. For 31 years, he served this Nation in various 
intelligence capacities, commanding signals intelligence operations 
both inside the United States and overseas. From 1991-1995, he served 
as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, retiring with the 
rank of lieutenant general. After 6 years in the private sector, he 
took over the reins of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency in 2001 
and spearheaded its transformation into today's National Geospatial-
Intelligence Agency.
  In 2007, President George W. Bush nominated General Clapper to serve 
as the Department of Defense's chief intelligence officer as the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, where he served in both the Bush 
and Obama administrations. President Obama nominated Jim Clapper to 
serve as the Director of National Intelligence in 2010, only the fourth 
person to serve in that position since its creation in the Intelligence 
Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.
  As the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I was 
initially concerned that General Clapper's military background would be 
inappropriate to lead a mostly civilian intelligence enterprise. He 
made clear his intent to lead objectively and in the best interest of 
intelligence, and he did. He brought important stability to this 
position. During the next 6 years, he and I talked frequently and 
discussed many topics of critical importance to this Nation. We also 
discussed changes he sought to implement to improve the operations of 
the intelligence community. These changes had, and will continue to 
have, a positive and lasting impact on the intelligence community.
  During his tenure as DNI, Director Clapper focused relentlessly on 
intelligence integration, with a definitive focus on mission. He made 
important changes in how the Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence operated, including creating National Intelligence 
Managers, who oversaw the integration efforts across the intelligence 
community for specific mission areas. He put in place a planning, 
programming, budgeting, and evaluation system that set priorities, 
managed resources, and evaluated effectiveness of each taxpayer dollar 
being spent. He also began the ambitious goal of creating a common 
information technology infrastructure, known as the Intelligence 
Community Information Technology Enterprise, IC ITE, that will 
dramatically serve to improve intelligence integration. In addition, 
Director Clapper brought increased transparency to the intelligence 
community so that the public can have greater confidence in our 
intelligence capabilities and their appropriate use. His 
accomplishments are too many to enumerate here, but suffice it to say 
that his positive legacy within the intelligence community will 
continue for years to come.
  Part of Director Clapper's strength as the Director of National 
Intelligence has been his deep understanding of this Nation's 
intelligence activities and his extensive network of colleagues with 
whom he worked across the intelligence enterprise to help serve the 
users of intelligence, be they policymakers, warfighters, law 
enforcement, or national security officials. His commitment to 
advancing women and minorities in the field of intelligence is 
particularly noteworthy. He selected the first woman to lead a major 
intelligence agency, naming Betty Sapp to be Director of the National 
Reconnaissance Office. He also named Tricia Long to be Director of the 
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and recruited Stephanie 
O'Sullivan to be Principal Deputy Director for National Intelligence as 
his partner in creating and instituting change in the intelligence 
community.
  While Jim Clapper portrays a somewhat gruff exterior, his concern for 
his

[[Page 15811]]

employees and quiet sensitivities are well known to the countless staff 
who have received hand-written notes from him extolling exemplary work, 
congratulations on births and weddings, or heartfelt condolences for 
the loss of a loved one.
  Today I want to congratulate him on his remarkable career and offer 
my gratitude for his decades of commitment and sacrifices to this 
Nation. I also thank his wife, Susan, who herself was an NSA employee, 
for her unfailing support over their 51-year marriage that allowed for 
the successes that Jim has achieved. The Nation owes this patriot a 
debt of gratitude.

                          ____________________




  RECOGNIZING THE JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I would like to honor the Jewish War 
Veterans of the United States of America, JWV, as they celebrate their 
120th anniversary. Their service has not only benefitted the Jewish and 
veterans communities, but this Nation as a whole.
  Since 1896, the JWV has been the Nation's leading organization 
representing those of Jewish faith who have served overseas in the 
military. The Jewish community has served in every war and conflict 
that this great country has fought, beginning with the Revolutionary 
War, including the Civil War, and with our current military engagements 
in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 1933, the JWV protested against Nazi 
Germany's policies towards Jews. JWV continued its legacy in advocacy 
in 1963, as the only veterans organization that joined Martin Luther 
King, Jr.'s March on Washington for civil rights.
  The JWV continues its mission to preserve the Jewish American 
military legacy, protect veterans rights, and promote community with 
250 posts across the Nation and in Israel. The JWV provides numerous 
contributions to society, including partnering with Boy Scouts of 
America and Girl Scouts of the USA; working with JROTC, ROTC, and other 
military college programs; providing disaster relief services to 
victims of natural disasters; and speaking out against anti-Semitism. 
The JWV has proven that Jews have been and continue to be a vital 
element in the preservation of American doctrine and the defense and 
maintenance of American security.
  I congratulate and commend the JWV for their hard work and dedication 
in defending our free institutions, fighting against bigotry and 
prejudice, and honoring Jewish servicemembers, veterans and their 
families who have made great sacrifices for our country.

                          ____________________




                      HONORING OFFICER COLLIN ROSE

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Officer Collin 
Rose who tragically lost his life while serving as an officer for the 
Wayne State University Police Department in Detroit, MI.
  Officer Rose was born on April 1, 1987, to parents Randy and Karen 
Rose in Pittsburgh, PA. Moving to Michigan, he attended Gull Lake High 
School in Richland, where he excelled in baseball and was a standout 
football player.
  Always interested in law enforcement, Officer Rose continued his 
education at Ferris State University's Criminal Justice and Law 
Enforcement Academy. He was an active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon 
fraternity, eventually becoming president of his chapter and modeling 
the fraternity's principles of virtue, diligence, and brotherly love. 
He graduated from Ferris State University in 2010 and continued to live 
by the principles set forth by Sigma Phi Epsilon as he embarked upon 
his law enforcement career.
  After graduating from Ferris, Officer Rose interned for the 
Springfield Police Department. He served as a cadet at the New 
Baltimore Police Department and held his first position as a police 
officer for the Village of Richland, home of his high school alma 
mater.
  Officer Rose began working for the Wayne State University Police 
Department in 2011, where he was dually sworn in as a Detroit police 
officer. As a 5-year veteran of the department, he patrolled Wayne 
State University's campus, as well as a greater portion of the midtown 
Detroit area. He was also working to complete his master's degree at 
Wayne State University.
  His greatest passion was working with canines; he was a proud member 
of the Metro Detroit Schutzhund Club. He also served as the K9 unit 
trainer for the Wayne State University Police Department. Officer Rose 
and his trained canines were often called upon by other law enforcement 
agencies, such as the FBI, ATF, Secret Service, the Detroit police, and 
Detroit public schools, to assist in searches for suspects, narcotics, 
and explosives.
  Officer Rose was very much engaged with the community he served. He 
would go to nearby schools to give demonstrations and speak to 
students. Since 2013, he has been a memorial bicyclist for the Police 
Unity Tour to raise funds and honor fallen officers.
  The tragedy that took his life occurred on November 22, 2016, while 
Officer Rose was responding to reports of burglaries in the area. While 
investigating, he questioned a person on a bicycle who opened fire on 
Officer Rose, leaving him critically wounded. On November 23, 2016, 
Officer Rose succumbed to his injuries and passed away at Detroit 
Receiving Hospital. He is the first fallen officer of the Wayne State 
University Police Department.
  Again, today I wish to ask my colleagues to join me in tribute to a 
courageous young man, who undauntedly served his community, as well as 
the State of Michigan. Officer Rose and his family are owed a debt of 
gratitude for his tremendous sacrifice.

                          ____________________




                          TRIBUTE TO BOB PROUD

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Clermont County 
commissioner Bob Proud on a distinguished career serving the residents 
of Clermont County and southern Ohio.
  A seven-term Clermont County, OH, commissioner, Bob is a lifelong 
Clermont County resident. He grew up on a small farm in Batavia 
Township and graduated from Amelia High School. After Bob graduated 
from Cumberland College, he began his career in public service working 
for Clermont Senior Services.
  Bob is a champion of the community and a committed public servant to 
Clermont County, serving in a number of capacities, from the 
construction of a new Clermont County animal shelter in 2002, the 
reclamation of the former Ford transmission plant on State Route 32, to 
his service for senior citizens as a Meals on Wheels volunteer and his 
work on the Coalition for a Drug-Free Clermont County. For the last 25 
years, Bob has served as chairman of the Ohio Valley Regional 
Development Commission, OVRDC, a public regional planning commission 
that serves 12 southern Ohio counties. Bob has and continues to serve 
Clermont County with integrity and distinction.
  Bob is also a champion for our troops, veterans, and their families. 
He has been nationally recognized for his work on behalf of our 
military, as he founded the ``Whole In My Heart'' military family 
support group. As he prepares to retire from this position, I commend 
him for his hard work and leadership to make southern Ohio a better 
place to live and work.

                          ____________________




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                 TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM ``BILL'' A. BAXTER

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize an 
Arkansan who has made a profound impact on the agriculture industry in 
my home State of Arkansas and the Nation.
  William ``Bill'' A. Baxter earned his bachelor of science degree from 
the University of Arkansas in 1949. Since then, Bill has been a leader 
on agricultural issues and has served in various roles to advance the 
interests of the farming community.
  As president of both Baxter Land Company and Camp Nine Company, Bill 
is the head of two family corporations that own 20,000 acres of land in 
southeast Arkansas and produce cotton, rice, soybeans, corn, wheat, 
grain,

[[Page 15812]]

sorghum, timber, and catfish. He was also an organizer and partner in 
several cotton production organizations and is a past president of the 
Agricultural Council of Arkansas. He has been a director and chairman 
of the Cotton Board, a member and delegate of the National Cotton 
Council, and a board member of Cotton Council International.
  Baxter has also received the ``Arkansas Cotton Achievement Award,'' 
which recognized his many accomplishments within the agricultural 
community. He was inducted into the Arkansas Agricultural Hall of Fame 
in 1999.
  In addition to being a promoter and political voice for cotton and 
agriculture in Arkansas and the United States, over the course of his 
life, Baxter has been an avid outdoorsman and conservationist. Bill's 
advocacy on behalf of Arkansas agriculture has made a significant 
impact on an industry that plays a vitally important role in our 
State's economy and culture.
  This December, Bill is being inducted into the Cotton Research and 
Promotion Hall of Fame. This program recognizes U.S. cotton industry 
leaders who have made substantial contributions to the cotton industry.
  I congratulate Bill on receiving yet another award acknowledging his 
support for and contribution to agriculture in Arkansas and throughout 
the country. This is a well-deserved honor, and I appreciate Bill's 
years of dedication to this industry.

                          ____________________




                       TRIBUTE TO LARRY K. JAMES

 Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize 
University of Central Arkansas Police Chief Larry K. James for more 
than 40 years of service in law enforcement. Chief James began his 
service at the University of Central Arkansas in 1993 and is retiring 
in January 2017.
  Prior to taking his position at the head of UCA's police department, 
James served as deputy chief of police at San Jose State University, as 
well director of public safety for the Portland Community College 
District. He has committed his career to strengthening public safety on 
college campuses by cultivating professional law enforcement practices 
that have made campus communities safer.
  Chief James has also represented Arkansas and the law enforcement 
community incredibly well. He is past president of the Arkansas 
Association of Chiefs of Police, which represents more than 200 chief 
law enforcement executives throughout the State. Additionally, he has 
served as governmental affairs representative and consultant-evaluator 
with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement 
Administrators.
  James has implemented community-oriented policing programs by 
bringing together various groups and organizations to resolve crime-
related problems and enhance safety on the campuses he has been apart 
of. He is a proven and steadfast leader.
  When a shooting occurred on the campus of UCA on October 26, 2008, 
James's work in preparing his department and the university community 
to respond to a threatening event was put to the test. Training to 
respond to this type of incident, directed by Chief James, resulted in 
the suspects being quickly apprehended before further loss of life 
could occur.
  Chief Larry James has dedicated his entire career to public safety 
and protecting his community. I want to thank Chief James for his 
tireless dedication and wish him well in his retirement. I hope others 
in the law enforcement community will look to his record as an example 
of how rewarding and meaningful a career in public service can 
be.

                          ____________________




                   TRIBUTE TO MOREY AND SONDRA MYERS

 Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, today it gives me great pleasure to 
congratulate Morey and Sondra Myers of Scranton, PA, on their 60th 
wedding anniversary. Morey and Sondra have dedicated their lives to 
each other and their family, inspiring all of us through six decades of 
devotion to one another and have established themselves as true 
citizens dedicated to philanthropy. I congratulate Morey and Sondra on 
this anniversary of their lives together. I have had the honor to know 
both of them for 40 years, and I have benefited greatly from their 
loyal friendship. Sondra and Morey have come to embody the spirit of 
public service, and I have no doubt that Pennsylvania and the Nation 
are better places due to their hard work, dedication, and passion.
  Sondra and Morey served the people of Pennsylvania during my father's 
time as Governor of Pennsylvania. Sondra was cultural adviser to the 
Governor and Morey served as general counsel. The Commonwealth 
benefited greatly from their hard work and exemplary service.
  Sondra Myers is currently a senior fellow for international, civic, 
and cultural projects at the University of Scranton and the director of 
the Schemel Forum. She has made it her life's work to bring about the 
integration of culture into public policy and to strengthen the culture 
of democracy worldwide. She has served as the chair of the Pennsylvania 
Humanities Council, president of the Federation of State Humanities 
Councils, and was the founding president of Citizens for the Arts in 
Pennsylvania and the State Arts Advocacy League of America. Her work 
ethic and passion were called upon in 1980 when President Jimmy Carter 
appointed her to serve on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and again in 
2011 when President Barack Obama appointed her to serve on the 
Commission on Presidential Scholars. A frequent contributor to the 
Scranton Times-Tribune's opinion page and the author and editor of 
several books, Sondra has worked hard to eloquently spread her message 
of the central role that citizens play in a successful democracy and 
the crucial role of higher education in preparing an engaged citizenry. 
Sondra has traveled throughout the world to present programs on 
democracy and civil society, and through her numerous published works, 
symposia, lectures, and personal relationships, she has spread her 
influence to a wide array of countries, cultures, and people.
  Morey Myers is one of the most respected lawyers in Pennsylvania, 
with decades of legal experience which began with his graduation from 
the Yale University School of Law. His career continued to grow through 
his time as general counsel and remains active today as a partner in 
the Scranton law firm of Myers, Brier & Kelly LLP, which he helped to 
found. He has served as adviser and counsel to businesses and 
governments, leaving his indelible mark on countless lives and causes. 
His dedication to the rule of law and social justice were forged in the 
1960s when, during the Civil Rights movement, he travelled to the South 
to provide legal services for those taking on the forces of segregation 
and racism. He has served as consultant to the President's Commission 
on Campus Unrest, Pennsylvania assistant attorney general, chief 
counsel to Pennsylvania's Milk Control Commission, and he currently 
serves as a fellow for the American Bar Association. He has remained 
active in academia as a visiting lecturer at Yale University, Rutgers 
University, the University of Scranton, Haverford College, Hamilton 
College, the University of Wyoming, Lafayette College, and Temple 
University.
  This brief overview of the lives of Sondra and Morey Myers cannot 
fully encompass all they have accomplished, nor adequately describe the 
depth of their compassion, dedication, and love of community. As a 
Scrantonian who represents the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I am proud 
to call them neighbors and friends. I would like to once again extend 
my congratulations to Sondra and Morey on 60 years of marriage and to 
commend them for their decades of public service. I wish them continued 
happiness in the years ahead.

                          ____________________




                      MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT

  Messages from the President of the United States were communicated to 
the Senate by Mr. Pate, one of his secretaries.

[[Page 15813]]



                          ____________________




                      EXECUTIVE MESSAGES REFERRED

  As in executive session the Presiding Officer laid before the Senate 
messages from the President of the United States submitting sundry 
nominations which were referred to the appropriate committees.
  (The messages received today are printed at the end of the Senate 
proceedings.)

                          ____________________




                        MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE


                          Enrolled Bill Signed

  At 12:03 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered 
by Mr. Novotny, one of its reading clerks, announced that the Speaker 
has signed the following enrolled bill:

       S. 2577. An act to protect crime victims' rights, to 
     eliminate the substantial backlog of DNA and other forensic 
     evidence samples to improve and expand the forensic science 
     testing capacity of Federal, State, and local crime 
     laboratories, to increase research and development of new 
     testing technologies, to develop new training programs 
     regarding the collection and use of forensic evidence, to 
     provide post-conviction testing of DNA evidence to exonerate 
     the innocent, to support accreditation efforts of forensic 
     science laboratories and medical examiner officers, to 
     address training and equipment needs, to improve the 
     performance of counsel in State capital cases, and for other 
     purposes.

  The enrolled bill was subsequently signed by the President pro 
tempore (Mr. Hatch).
                                  ____

  At 2:44 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered 
by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has 
passed the following bills, without amendment:

       S. 795. An act to enhance whistleblower protection for 
     contractor and grantee employees.
       S. 3395. An act to require limitations on prescribed burns.

  The message also announced that the House has passed the following 
bills, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate:

       H.R. 2726. An act to require the Secretary of the Treasury 
     to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the 50th 
     anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon.
       H.R. 5015. An act to restore amounts improperly withheld 
     for tax purposes from severance payments to individuals who 
     retired or separated from service in the Armed Forces for 
     combat-related injuries, and for other purposes.
       H.R. 6415. An act to provide for the appointment of members 
     of the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance to 
     replace members whose terms expire during 2017, and for other 
     purposes.
       H.R. 6427. An act to improve the operation of United States 
     capital markets, and for other purposes.

  The message further announced that the House has agreed to the 
following concurrent resolution, in which it requests the concurrence 
of the Senate:

       H. Con Res. 179. Concurrent resolution directing the 
     Secretary of the Senate to make certain corrections in the 
     enrollment of S. 2943.

  The message also announced that the House passed the following bill, 
with an amendment, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate:

       S. 1635. An act to authorize the Department of State for 
     fiscal year 2016, and for other purposes.

                          ____________________




                           MEASURES REFERRED

  The following concurrent resolution was read, and referred as 
indicated:

       H. Con. Res. 40. Concurrent resolution encouraging reunions 
     of divided Korean American families; to the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations.

                          ____________________




                         REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

  The following reports of committees were submitted:

       By Mr. THUNE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation, with an amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute:
       S. 2997. A bill to direct the Federal Communications 
     Commission to commence proceedings related to the resiliency 
     of critical telecommunications networks during times of 
     emergency, and for other purposes (Rept. No. 114-392).
       S. 3097. A bill to establish the SelectUSA program, and for 
     other purposes (Rept. No. 114-393).
       By Mr. GRASSLEY, from the Committee on the Judiciary:
       Report to accompany S. 2763, a bill to provide the victims 
     of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair 
     opportunity to recover works of art confiscated or 
     misappropriated by the Nazis (Rept. No. 114-394).
       By Mr. THUNE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation, with an amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute:
       S. 421. A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to 
     provide for greater transparency and efficiency in the 
     procedures followed by the Federal Communications Commission, 
     and for other purposes.
       By Mr. THUNE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation, without amendment:
       S. 1685. A bill to direct the Federal Communications 
     Commission to extend to private land use restrictions its 
     rule relating to reasonable accommodation of amateur service 
     communications.
       By Mr. THUNE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation, with an amendment in the nature of a 
     substitute:
       S. 2283. A bill to ensure that small business providers of 
     broadband Internet access service can devote resources to 
     broadband deployment rather than compliance with cumbersome 
     regulatory requirements.
       By Mr. THUNE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation, without amendment:
       S. 2508. A bill to reduce sports-related concussions in 
     youth, and for other purposes.

                          ____________________




                     EXECUTIVE REPORTS OF COMMITTEE

  The following executive reports of nominations were submitted:

       By Mr. CORKER for the Committee on Foreign Relations.
       *Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, of Connecticut, a Career Member of 
     the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be 
     Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United 
     States of America to Malaysia.
       Nominee: Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir.
       Post: Ambassador to Malaysia.
       (The following is a list of all members of my immediate 
     family and their spouses. I have asked each of these persons 
     to inform me of the pertinent contributions made by them. To 
     the best of my knowledge, the information contained in this 
     report is complete and accurate.)
       Contributions, amount, date, and donee:
       1. Self: None.
       2. Spouse: N/A.
       3. Children and Spouses Names: N/A.
       4. Parents: Ann Hallan Lakhdhir (Mother): $60.00, March 
     2015, Democratic National Committee (DNC); $50.00, March 
     2015, Democratic Congressional Campaign; $38.00, January 
     2015, Emily's List; $40.00, January 2015, Democratic National 
     Committee (DNC); $40.00, March 2014, Democratic National 
     Committee (DNC); $38.00, January 2014, Emily's List; $25.00, 
     June 2013, Democratic National Committee (DNC); $50.00, 
     January 2013, Democratic Congressional Campaign; $25.00, 
     January 2012, Democratic Congressional Campaign.
       5. Grandparents: Deceased.
       6. Brothers and Spouses: David K. Lakhdhir (Brother): 
     $1,000, March 2016, Katie McGinty for Senate; $300, November 
     2015, Tim Kaine via Kaine for Virginia; $1,600, November 
     2015, Common Ground PAC; $1,000, October 2015, Charles 
     Schumer via Friends of Schumer; $2,000, October 2015, Kaine 
     for Common Ground; $1,037.95, October 2015, Democratic Hope 
     Fund; $1,037.95, October 2015, Democratic Hope Fund; 
     $1,037.95, October 2015, Democratic Hope Fund; $2,700, June 
     2015, Hillary Clinton via Hillary for America; $1,000, May 
     2015, Charles Schumer via Friends of Schumer; $1,000, April 
     2015, Kamala Harris via Kamala Harris for Senate; $1,000, 
     July 2014, Mark Begich via Alaskans for Begich 2014; $1,500, 
     April 2014, Ready PAC; $2,400, February 2014, Timothy Kaine 
     via Kaine for Virginia; $2,600, February 2014, Timothy Kaine 
     via Kaine for Virginia; $2,600, July 2013, Cory Booker via 
     Cory Booker for Senate; $1,750, October 2012, Democratic 
     Party of Virginia; $2,916.73, September 2012, Democratic 
     Executive Committee of Florida; $20,000, September 2012, 
     Obama Victory Fund 2012; $2,500, September 2012, Elizabeth 
     Warren via Elizabeth for MA INC; $2,500, September 2012, 
     Elizabeth Esty via Friends of Elizabeth Esty; $1,361.15, 
     September 2012, Colorado Democratic Party; $2,333, September 
     2012, Democratic Party of Wisconsin; $1,944.42, September 
     2012, Iowa Democratic Party; $1,944.42, September 2012, 
     Nevada State Democratic Party; $583.31, September 2012, New 
     Hampshire Democratic Party; $2,500, September 2012, Obama/
     Biden via Obama for America; $4,666.72, September 2012, Ohio 
     Democratic Party; $1,000, June 2012, Shelley Adler via 
     Shelley Adler for Congress; $1,000, June 2012, Elizabeth Esty 
     via Friends of Elizabeth; $2,500, March 2012, Esty Elizabeth 
     Esty via Friends of Elizabeth Esty.
       Linda B. Lakhdhir (Sister-in-law): $2,700, June 2015, 
     Hillary Clinton via Hillary for America; $2,600, July 2013, 
     Cory Booker via Cory Booker for Senate; $500, April 2013, 
     Americans for Responsible Solutions-PAC; $5,000, January 
     2013, Off the Sidelines PAC; $2,500, October 2012, Obama 
     Victory Fund 2012; $2,500, October 2012, Obama/Biden via 
     Obama for America; $1,000, July 2012, Carolyn Maloney via 
     Maloney for Congress;

[[Page 15814]]

     $1,000, June 2012, Timothy Kaine via Kaine for Virginia; 
     $2,000, February 2012, Democratic Party Committee Abroad; 
     $2,500, February 2012, Shelley Adler via Shelley Adler for 
     Congress; $2,500, February 2012, Shelley Adler via Shelley 
     Adler for Congress; $373, January 2012, Obama Victory Fund 
     2012;
       7. Sisters and Spouses: N/A.

  Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, for the Committee on Foreign Relations I 
report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in 
the Records on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save 
the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these 
nominations lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of 
Senators.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

       *Foreign Service nominations beginning with Marva Michelle 
     Butler and ending with Adonis Mariano Matos de Mello, which 
     nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the 
     Congressional Record on November 15, 2016.
       *Foreign Service nominations beginning with Stephen Donald 
     Mull and ending with Victoria Jane Nuland, which nominations 
     were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record on November 29, 2016.
       *Foreign Service nominations beginning with Robert L. Adams 
     and ending with Laura Ann Griesmer, which nominations were 
     received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record on November 29, 2016.
       *Foreign Service nominations beginning with Robert Stephen 
     Beecroft and ending with Marie L. Yovanovitch, which 
     nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the 
     Congressional Record on November 29, 2016.
       *Foreign Service nominations beginning with Tristan J. 
     Allen and ending with William F. Zeman, which nominations 
     were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record on November 29, 2016.
       *Foreign Service nominations beginning with Anthony Abba 
     and ending with Michael David Zgoda, which nominations were 
     received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional 
     Record on November 29, 2016.

  *Nomination was reported with recommendation that it be confirmed 
subject to the nominee's commitment to respond to requests to appear 
and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate.

                          ____________________




              INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

  The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the 
first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated:

           By Mr. RUBIO:
       S. 3503. A bill to decrease the cost of hiring, and 
     increase the take-home pay of, Puerto Rican workers; to the 
     Committee on Finance.
           By Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Isakson, and 
             Mr. Warner):
       S. 3504. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security 
     Act to implement Medicare payment policies designed to 
     improve management of chronic disease, streamline care 
     coordination, and improve quality outcomes without adding to 
     the deficit; to the Committee on Finance.
           By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
             Whitehouse, and Mr. Blumenthal):
       S. 3505. A bill to require analysis of various bankruptcy 
     proposals in order to determine whether those proposals would 
     reduce systemic risk and moral hazard, and for other 
     purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
           By Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mr. Wyden):
       S. 3506. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
     to make technical corrections, and for other purposes; to the 
     Committee on Finance.
           By Mr. CORNYN:
       S. 3507. A bill to extend the waiver of limitations with 
     respect to excluding from gross income amounts received by 
     wrongfully incarcerated individuals; to the Committee on 
     Finance.
           By Mr. LANKFORD:
       S. 3508. A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Energy and the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from 
     considering the social cost of carbon, the social cost of 
     methane, the social cost of nitrous oxide, or the social cost 
     of any other greenhouse gas in taking any action, and for 
     other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works.
           By Mr. RUBIO:
       S. 3509. A bill to impose sanctions with respect to the 
     People's Republic of China in relation to activities in the 
     South China Sea and the East China Sea, and for other 
     purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
           By Mr. FLAKE:
       S. 3510. A bill to facilitate the creation of American jobs 
     by immigrant entrepreneurs; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                          ____________________




            SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND SENATE RESOLUTIONS

  The following concurrent resolutions and Senate resolutions were 
read, and referred (or acted upon), as indicated:

           By Mr. PETERS (for himself and Ms. Stabenow):
       S. Res. 631. A resolution celebrating the history of the 
     Detroit River with the 15-year commemoration of the 
     International Underground Railroad Memorial Monument, 
     comprised of the Gateway to Freedom Monument in Detroit, 
     Michigan, and the Tower of Freedom Monument in Windsor, 
     Ontario, Canada; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
     Resources.

                          ____________________




                         ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS


                                 S. 299

  At the request of Mr. Flake, the name of the Senator from Idaho (Mr. 
Crapo) was added as a cosponsor of S. 299, a bill to allow travel 
between the United States and Cuba.


                                 S. 440

  At the request of Mr. Crapo, the name of the Senator from Indiana 
(Mr. Donnelly) was added as a cosponsor of S. 440, a bill to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for an exclusion for 
assistance provided to participants in certain veterinary student loan 
repayment or forgiveness.


                                S. 1473

  At the request of Mr. Markey, the name of the Senator from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Casey) was added as a cosponsor of S. 1473, a bill to 
authorize the appropriation of funds to the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety 
or gun violence prevention.


                                S. 1605

  At the request of Mr. Cardin, the name of the Senator from Michigan 
(Mr. Peters) was added as a cosponsor of S. 1605, a bill to amend the 
Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 to authorize concurrent compacts for 
purposes of regional economic integration and cross-border 
collaborations, and for other purposes.


                                S. 1831

  At the request of Mr. Toomey, the name of the Senator from Michigan 
(Ms. Stabenow) was added as a cosponsor of S. 1831, a bill to revise 
section 48 of title 18, United States Code, and for other purposes.


                                S. 1911

  At the request of Ms. Collins, the names of the Senator from 
Washington (Ms. Cantwell), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson), the 
Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) and the Senator from Michigan 
(Mr. Peters) were added as cosponsors of S. 1911, a bill to implement 
policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths 
globally.


                                S. 2085

  At the request of Mr. Portman, the name of the Senator from Arkansas 
(Mr. Boozman) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2085, a bill to clarify 
that nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity may accept 
donated mortgage appraisals, and for other purposes.


                                S. 2268

  At the request of Mr. Cornyn, the name of the Senator from Alaska 
(Ms. Murkowski) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2268, a bill to award a 
Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dust Off crews of 
the Vietnam War, collectively, in recognition of their extraordinary 
heroism and life-saving actions in Vietnam.


                                S. 2628

  At the request of Mr. Coons, the name of the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2628, a bill 
to authorize the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial 
Foundation to establish a commemorative work in the District of 
Columbia and its environs, and for other purposes.


                                S. 2649

  At the request of Mr. Rounds, the name of the Senator from Indiana 
(Mr. Donnelly) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2649, a bill to modify 
the treatment of the costs of health care furnished under section 101 
of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of

[[Page 15815]]

2014 to veterans covered by health-plan contracts.


                                S. 2763

  At the request of Mr. Cornyn, the name of the Senator from New York 
(Mrs. Gillibrand) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2763, a bill to 
provide the victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs a fair 
opportunity to recover works of art confiscated or misappropriated by 
the Nazis.


                                S. 2858

  At the request of Mr. Franken, the name of the Senator from New York 
(Mrs. Gillibrand) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2858, a bill to amend 
part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower prices 
for Medicare prescription drugs.


                                S. 2957

  At the request of Mr. Nelson, the names of the Senator from Missouri 
(Mr. Blunt), the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. Franken), the Senator from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Casey), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), 
the Senator from Maine (Mr. King), the Senator from Washington (Ms. 
Cantwell), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), the Senator from 
New York (Mrs. Gillibrand), the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Kaine), the 
Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Oregon (Mr. 
Wyden), the Senator from California (Mrs. Boxer), the Senator from 
Maine (Ms. Collins), the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse), 
the Senator from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono), the Senator from New Hampshire 
(Mrs. Shaheen), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich), the Senator 
from Delaware (Mr. Carper), the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), the 
Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Michigan (Ms. 
Stabenow) and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe) were added as 
cosponsors of S. 2957, a bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury 
to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the 50th anniversary of 
the first manned landing on the Moon.


                                S. 2989

  At the request of Ms. Murkowski, the names of the Senator from 
Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Roberts), the 
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Florida (Mr. 
Rubio), the Senator from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito), the Senator from 
Maryland (Ms. Mikulski), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich), 
the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and the Senator from Maine (Mr. King) were 
added as cosponsors of S. 2989, a bill to award a Congressional Gold 
Medal, collectively, to the United States merchant mariners of World 
War II, in recognition of their dedicated and vital service during 
World War II.


                                S. 3065

  At the request of Mr. Wyden, the names of the Senator from Delaware 
(Mr. Carper) and the Senator from Washington (Ms. Cantwell) were added 
as cosponsors of S. 3065, a bill to amend parts B and E of title IV of 
the Social Security Act to invest in funding prevention and family 
services to help keep children safe and supported at home, to ensure 
that children in foster care are placed in the least restrictive, most 
family-like, and appropriate settings, and for other purposes.


                                S. 3142

  At the request of Ms. Baldwin, the name of the Senator from Michigan 
(Mr. Peters) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3142, a bill to require 
reporting on acts of certain foreign countries on Holocaust era assets 
and related issues.


                                S. 3237

  At the request of Mr. Hatch, the names of the Senator from Nevada 
(Mr. Heller) and the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker) were added as 
cosponsors of S. 3237, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to reform the low-income housing credit, and for other purposes.


                                S. 3256

  At the request of Mr. Durbin, the names of the Senator from 
Washington (Mrs. Murray), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker) and 
the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) were added as cosponsors of S. 
3256, a bill to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide 
assistance for developing countries to promote quality basic education 
and to establish the goal of all children in school and learning as an 
objective of the United States foreign assistance policy, and for other 
purposes.


                                S. 3328

  At the request of Mr. Blumenthal, the name of the Senator from 
Delaware (Mr. Coons) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3328, a bill to 
amend title 38, United States Code, to reform the rights and processes 
relating to appeals of decisions regarding claims for benefits under 
the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for 
other purposes.


                                S. 3353

  At the request of Mr. Scott, the name of the Senator from Virginia 
(Mr. Warner) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3353, a bill to amend title 
31, United States Code, to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from 
carrying out seizures relating to a structuring transaction unless the 
property to be seized derived from an illegal source or the funds were 
structured for the purpose of concealing the violation of another 
criminal law or regulation, to require notice and a post-seizure 
hearing for such seizures, and for other purposes.


                                S. 3447

  At the request of Mr. Sullivan, the names of the Senator from 
Michigan (Mr. Peters) and the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn) were 
added as cosponsors of S. 3447, a bill to direct the Secretary of the 
Army to place in Arlington National Cemetery a memorial honoring the 
helicopter pilots and crew members of the Vietnam era, and for other 
purposes.


                                S. 3486

  At the request of Mr. Warner, the name of the Senator from Maine (Mr. 
King) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3486, a bill to amend chapter 31 
of title 5, United States Code, to establish in statute the 
Presidential Innovation Fellows Program.


                              S.J. RES. 40

  At the request of Mr. Boozman, the name of the Senator from Michigan 
(Mr. Peters) was added as a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 40, a joint 
resolution approving the location of a memorial to commemorate and 
honor the members of the Armed Forces that served on active duty in 
support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield.


                              S. RES. 615

  At the request of Mr. Casey, the name of the Senator from Connecticut 
(Mr. Murphy) was added as a cosponsor of S. Res. 615, a resolution 
expressing support for the designation of November 16, 2016, as 
``American Special Hockey Day''.


                           AMENDMENT NO. 5130

  At the request of Mr. Manchin, the names of the Senator from Virginia 
(Mr. Warner) and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Casey) were added 
as cosponsors of amendment No. 5130 intended to be proposed to H.R. 34, 
a bill to authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, 
warning, research, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.

                          ____________________




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Whitehouse, 
        and Mr. Blumenthal):
  S. 3505. A bill to require analysis of various bankruptcy proposals 
in order to determine whether those proposals would reduce systemic 
risk and moral hazard, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Bankruptcy 
Fairness Act, with the goals of bolstering financial stability in the 
United States and requiring the necessary analysis to assess the 
consequences of potential changes we might make in the future to the 
Bankruptcy Code.
  One of the many lessons that we learned from the financial crisis is 
that reckless Wall Street behavior can have devastating consequences on 
middle

[[Page 15816]]

class Americans, too many of whom lost their jobs, their nest eggs, and 
their homes. Statistics bear this out. Nationally, over 750,000 jobs 
per month were lost between January and April 2009. In Rhode Island, 
over 1,800 jobs per month were lost during this same period. The Dow 
Jones Industrial Average dropped from an average of 13,677.89 in July 
2007 to an average of 7,235.47 in March 2009, resulting in a 47.1 
percent loss for many families who for years had set aside hard earned 
paychecks for emergencies, college tuitions, and retirements. 
Nationwide, there were nearly 7.5 million home foreclosures and short 
sales between July 2007 and November 2014. Unfortunately, the impacts 
remain to this day for some of our neighbors in Rhode Island and 
throughout the country as they continue to look for a decent paying job 
or are faced with gut-wrenching financial decisions like whether to 
turn the heat off or to skip feeding the family another day just to 
make ends meet.
  That lesson of how many of our neighbors suffered due to the sins of 
the rich and powerful seems to be fading for some of my colleagues. 
Indeed, there appears to be an effort to further rig the system in 
favor of elites, this time through the Bankruptcy code. We must stop 
this effort cold in its tracks. Before we make changes to the 
Bankruptcy code, we should ensure that a thorough analysis is conducted 
so we have facts at hand. If anything, we should be seeking to restore 
fairness and balance to the Bankruptcy code, and this is what my 
legislation strives for.
  Specifically, my bill directs the Financial Stability Oversight 
Council and the Office of Financial Research to do two things: work 
hand in hand with the Administrative Office of the United States Courts 
and the Executive Office for United States Trustees to ensure that 
bankruptcy judges have, on an ongoing basis, the necessary financial 
expertise to oversee the orderly resolution of a failed mega bank; and 
update the Administrative Office of the United States Courts' post-
crisis review of the Bankruptcy Code's ability to resolve complex 
financial institutions and make recommendations to Congress regarding 
changes that would strengthen financial stability in the United States.
  Second, my legislation permits the federal agencies that supervise 
large complex financial institutions to offer their advice and 
expertise to the bankruptcy court whenever a mega bank files for 
bankruptcy. This is important because these Federal agencies can assist 
the court in deciphering complex financial products while also 
providing the court with an independent assessment of how the court's 
decisions could affect financial stability in the United States.
  Lastly, my legislation directs our financial regulators and experts 
to do the necessary homework to justify proposed changes to the 
Bankruptcy Code. Some proposed changes have drawn praise, and others 
have drawn concern. For example, should Wall Street banks still be able 
to cut to the front of the line and take more than their fair share, 
while ordinary creditors, such as employees and customers, have to wait 
in the back of the line? When a jumbo bank gets in trouble, why should 
those customers who place the riskiest bets, such as large Wall Street 
hedge funds, get paid back in full while ordinary customers may not get 
paid back at all? Should shareholders be prevented from holding the 
mega bank's board of directors accountable for most actions, when a 
mega bank files for bankruptcy? Is it really possible for a trillion-
dollar jumbo bank to be processed through bankruptcy safely in just 48 
hours without hurting our economy? Is it fair that ordinary creditors, 
such as small businesses, who are owed their hard earned dollars, would 
be given virtually no notice of a mega bank's bankruptcy, making it 
nearly impossible for them to fight for their rights?
  These are important, incredibly complex, questions that need thorough 
answers. Many of my colleagues have called for greater deliberation and 
analysis before enacting legislation. My legislation heeds this call. 
Let's take a moment to ensure that we've really done our homework so 
that we can all be confident that we're really accomplishing what we're 
aiming to do: making our financial system safer and restoring fairness 
and balance to the Bankruptcy Code, especially for hardworking ordinary 
Americans.
  I thank Senator Brown, Senator Merkley, Senator Whitehouse, and 
Senator Blumenthal for joining me in introducing the Bankruptcy 
Fairness Act. I also thank the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 
Americans for Financial Reform, Harvard Law School Professor Mark Roe, 
Delaware Law School Professor Bruce Grohsgal, and MIT Professor Simon 
Johnson for their support. I urge our colleagues to join us in pressing 
for action on this legislation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mr. Wyden):
  S. 3506. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make 
technical corrections, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, the Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2016 
makes tax technical corrections and other corrections including 
clerical and deadwood-related corrections. The bill revises and updates 
S. 2775, the Technical Corrections Act of 2016, which was introduced on 
April 11, 2016. Ranking Member Wyden and I have asked the nonpartisan 
Joint Committee on Taxation to make available to the public a technical 
explanation of the bill, JCX-91-16. The technical explanation expresses 
the Committee's understanding and legislative intent behind this 
important legislation. It is available on the Joint Committee's website 
at www.jct.gov.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. CORNYN:
  S. 3507. A bill to extend the waiver of limitations with respect to 
excluding from gross income amounts received by wrongfully incarcerated 
individuals; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3507

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF WAIVER OF LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO 
                   EXCLUDING FROM GROSS INCOME AMOUNTS RECEIVED BY 
                   WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

       (a) In General.--Section 304(d) of the Protecting Americans 
     from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 is amended by striking ``1-year'' 
     and inserting ``2-year''.
       (b) Technical Correction.--Section 304(d) of such Act is 
     amended by striking ``application of this Act'' and inserting 
     ``application of this section''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect as if included in section 304 of the 
     Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015.

                          ____________________




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

  SENATE RESOLUTION 631--CELEBRATING THE HISTORY OF THE DETROIT RIVER 
    WITH THE 15-YEAR COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND 
    RAILROAD MEMORIAL MONUMENT, COMPRISED OF THE GATEWAY TO FREEDOM 
  MONUMENT IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND THE TOWER OF FREEDOM MONUMENT IN 
                        WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA

  Mr. PETERS (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources:

                              S. Res. 631

       Whereas millions of Africans and their descendants were 
     enslaved in the United States and the American colonies from 
     1619 through 1865;
       Whereas Africans forced into slavery were torn from their 
     families and loved ones and stripped of their names and 
     heritage;
       Whereas the faith and strength of character demonstrated by 
     former slaves and the descendants of former slaves are an 
     example for all people of the United States, regardless of 
     background, religion, or race;
       Whereas tens of thousands of people of African descent 
     bravely and silently escaped their chains to follow the 
     perilous Underground Railroad northward towards freedom in 
     Canada;

[[Page 15817]]

       Whereas the Detroit River played a central role for these 
     passengers of the Underground Railroad on their way to 
     freedom;
       Whereas in October 2001, the City of Detroit, Michigan, 
     joined with Windsor and Essex Counties in Ontario, Canada, to 
     memorialize the courage of these freedom seekers with an 
     international memorial to the Underground Railroad, comprised 
     of the Tower of Freedom Monument in Windsor, Ontario, and the 
     Gateway to Freedom Monument in Detroit, Michigan;
       Whereas the deep roots that slaves, refugees, and 
     immigrants who reached Canada from the United States created 
     in Canadian society are a tribute to the determination of the 
     descendants of those slaves, refugees, and immigrants to 
     safeguard the history of the struggles and endurance of their 
     forebears;
       Whereas the observance of the 15-year commemoration of the 
     International Underground Railroad Memorial Monument was 
     celebrated during the month of October 2016;
       Whereas the International Underground Railroad Memorial 
     Monument represents a cooperative international partnership 
     dedicated to education and research with the goal of 
     promoting cross-border understanding, economic development, 
     and cultural heritage tourism;
       Whereas over the course of history, the United States has 
     become a symbol of democracy and freedom around the world; 
     and
       Whereas the legacy of African-Americans and their fight for 
     freedom is interwoven with the fabric of democracy and 
     freedom in the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the history of the Detroit River with a 15-
     year commemoration of the International Underground Railroad 
     Memorial Monument, comprised of the Gateway to Freedom 
     Monument in Detroit, Michigan, and the Tower of Freedom 
     Monument in Windsor, Ontario, Canada; and
       (2) supports the official recognition, by national and 
     international entities, of the Detroit River as an area of 
     historic importance to the history of the Underground 
     Railroad and the fight for freedom in North America.

                          ____________________




                   AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED AND PROPOSED

  SA 5138. Mr. SANDERS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill H.R. 34, to authorize and strengthen the tsunami 
detection, forecast, warning, research, and mitigation program of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table.

                          ____________________




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 5138. Mr. SANDERS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill H.R. 34, to authorize and strengthen the tsunami 
detection, forecast, warning, research, and mitigation program of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in division A, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. ___. NEGOTIATION OF LOWER COVERED PART D DRUG PRICES ON 
                   BEHALF OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.

       (a) Negotiation by Secretary.--Section 1860D-11 of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-111) is amended by 
     striking subsection (i) (relating to noninterference) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(i) Negotiation of Lower Drug Prices.--
       ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, the Secretary shall negotiate with pharmaceutical 
     manufacturers the prices (including discounts, rebates, and 
     other price concessions) that may be charged to PDP sponsors 
     and MA organizations for covered part D drugs for part D 
     eligible individuals who are enrolled under a prescription 
     drug plan or under an MA-PD plan.
       ``(2) No change in rules for formularies.--
       ``(A) In general.--Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be 
     construed to authorize the Secretary to establish or require 
     a particular formulary.
       ``(B) Construction.--Subparagraph (A) shall not be 
     construed as affecting the Secretary's authority to ensure 
     appropriate and adequate access to covered part D drugs under 
     prescription drug plans and under MA-PD plans, including 
     compliance of such plans with formulary requirements under 
     section 1860D-4(b)(3).
       ``(3) Construction.--Nothing in this subsection shall be 
     construed as preventing the sponsor of a prescription drug 
     plan, or an organization offering an MA-PD plan, from 
     obtaining a discount or reduction of the price for a covered 
     part D drug below the price negotiated under paragraph 
     (1).''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act 
     and shall first apply to negotiations and prices for plan 
     years beginning on January 1, 2017.

     SEC. __. PRESCRIPTION DRUG IMPORTATION.

       (a) Importation by Pharmacists and Wholesalers.--Section 
     804(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
     384(b)) is amended by striking ``The Secretary,'' and 
     inserting ``The Secretary, not later than January 1, 2017,''.
       (b) Importation by Individuals.--
       (1) In general.--Section 804 of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
     Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 384) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (f), by striking ``within Canada'';
       (B) in subsection (j)--
       (i) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by inserting ``from countries other than Canada'' after 
     ``devices''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (3)--

       (I) in the heading, by striking ``from canada'' and 
     inserting ``from countries other than canada''; and
       (II) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``from Canada,''; and

       (C) by striking subsection (l) and inserting the following:
       ``(l) Importation of Prescription Drugs From Canada.--
     Individuals may import from Canada any prescription drug that 
     meets the requirements of subparagraphs (A) through (F) of 
     subsection (j)(3).''.
       (2) Regulations.--Not later than January 1, 2017, the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services shall promulgate 
     regulations with respect to subsection (l) of section 804 of 
     the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 384) (as 
     amended by paragraph (1)(B)).
       (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
     shall take effect on the effective date of the final 
     regulations promulgated in accordance with paragraph (2).
       (c) FDASIA Amendment.--Subsection (c) of section 708 of the 
     Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act 
     (Public Law 112-144; 126 Stat. 1068) is amended by striking 
     ``The amendment made by'' and all that follows through the 
     period at the end and inserting ``The amendment made by 
     subsection (a) and the regulations promulgated under 
     subsection (b) shall apply beginning on the effective date of 
     the regulations promulgated under section 804(b) of the 
     Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 384(b)) and 
     the amendments made by section 201(b) of the 21st Century 
     Cures Act.''.

                          ____________________




                    AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I have four requests for committees to 
meet during today's session of the Senate. They have approval of the 
Majority and Minority leaders.
  Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's 
session of the Senate:


                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

  The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the 
session of the Senate on December 6, 2016, at 9:30 a.m.


                     COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

  The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the 
session of the Senate on December 6, 2016, at 2:30 p.m.


                    SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE

  The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the 
session of the Senate on December 6, 2016, at 2:30 p.m. in room SH-219 
of the Hart Senate Office Building.


                  SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIME AND TERRORISM

  The Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism 
is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on December 6, 
2016, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office 
Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Ensuring Independence: Are 
Additional Firewalls Needed to Protect Congressional Oversight Staff 
from Retaliatory Criminal Referrals?''

                          ____________________




                        PRIVILEGES OF THE FLOOR

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Megan 
Howard, a fellow with Senator Murray's HELP Committee staff, be granted 
floor privileges for the remainder of the 114th Congress.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that my intern, 
Emma Peterson, be granted privileges of the floor for the balance of 
the day.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page 15818]]


  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the military 
fellow from our office, MAJ Andy Anderson, be given floor privileges 
for the consideration of H.R. 34.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________




                              APPOINTMENTS

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair announces, on behalf of the majority 
leader, pursuant to the provisions of Public Law 106-398, as amended by 
Public Law 108-7, and in consultation with the chairmen of the Senate 
Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Finance, the 
reappointment of the following individual to serve as a member of the 
United States-China Economic Security Review Commission: Robin 
Cleveland of Virginia, for a term beginning January 1, 2017, and 
expiring December 31, 2018.
  The Chair announces, on behalf of the majority leader, pursuant to 
the provisions of Public Law 114-224, the appointment of the following 
individuals to serve as members of the Virgin Islands of the United 
States Centennial Commission: the Honorable Lisa Murkowski of Alaska 
and the Honorable Marco Rubio of Florida.

                          ____________________




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
notwithstanding rule XXII, postcloture time with respect to the motion 
to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 34 
expire at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7; further, I ask that if 
cloture is invoked on the conference report to accompany S. 2943, that 
the postcloture time be counted as if cloture had been invoked at 1 
a.m. on Wednesday, December 7.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________




                 ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2016

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the 
Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., 
Wednesday, December 7; that following the prayer and pledge, the 
morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved 
to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use 
later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate 
resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 34 
postcloture; finally, that the time from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. tomorrow 
be reserved for tributes to the President of the Senate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, Senators should expect votes in relation 
to the 21st Century Cures legislation as well as the conference report 
to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act beginning at 2 p.m. 
tomorrow.

                          ____________________




                  ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:30 A.M. TOMORROW

  Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come 
before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned 
under the previous order.
  There being no objection, the Senate, at 6:54 p.m., adjourned until 
Wednesday, December 7, 2016, at 9:30 a.m.

                          ____________________




                              NOMINATIONS

  Executive nominations received by the Senate:


               METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

       RICHARD A. KENNEDY, OF PENNSYLVANIA, TO BE A MEMBER OF THE 
     BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS 
     AUTHORITY FOR A TERM EXPIRING MAY 30, 2022. (REAPPOINTMENT)


                       LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

       REBECCA EMILY RAPP, OF WISCONSIN, TO BE A MEMBER OF THE 
     BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION FOR A 
     TERM EXPIRING JULY 13, 2019, VICE SHARON L. BROWNE, RESIGNED.


                     DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

       THOMAS J. MURPHY, OF COLORADO, TO BE UNDER SECRETARY FOR 
     BENEFITS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, VICE ALLISON 
     A. HICKEY, RESIGNED.


                            IN THE AIR FORCE

       THE FOLLOWING AIR NATIONAL GUARD OF THE UNITED STATES 
     OFFICERS FOR APPOINTMENT IN THE RESERVE OF THE AIR FORCE TO 
     THE GRADE INDICATED UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., SECTIONS 12203 
     AND 12212:

                        To be brigadier general

COL. JEFFERY D. AEBISCHER
COL. NATHAN B. ALHOLINNA
COL. BORIS R. ARMSTRONG
COL. KIMBERLY A. BAUMANN
COL. ROBERT L. BELL
COL. DONALD R. BEVIS, JR.
COL. SHAWN N. BRATTON
COL. JEFFREY L. BUTLER
COL. MICHAEL E. CALLAHAN
COL. KEVIN J. CAMPBELL
COL. THOMAS S. CAUTHEN
COL. LAWRENCE L. CHRISTENSEN
COL. SHAWN A. CLOUTHIER
COL. GERALD K. COLMER, JR.
COL. DARWIN L. CRAIG
COL. ROBERT C. DESKO
COL. JOHN R. DIDONNA, JR.
COL. KEVIN M. DONOVAN
COL. BOBBI J. DOORENBOS
COL. DAVID M. DZIOBKOWSKI
COL. RANDAL K. EFFERSON
COL. HOWARD L. EISSLER III
COL. SHAWN D. FORD
COL. JED J. FRENCH
COL. DANIEL E. GABRIELLI
COL. MARK P. GAUL
COL. RAINER G. GOMEZ
COL. PATRICK M. GUINEE
COL. PENNY C. HODGES-GOETZ
COL. JEREMY C. HORN
COL. CASSANDRA D. HOWARD
COL. PAUL D. JOHNSON
COL. EDWARD S. JONES
COL. GARY W. KIRK
COL. HEIDI L. KJOS
COL. MEAGHAN Q. LECLERC
COL. GREGOR J. LEIST
COL. SUZANNE B. LIPCAMAN
COL. PAUL S. LYMAN
COL. KEITH G. MACDONALD
COL. ROLF E. MAMMEN
COL. GERALD E. MCDONALD
COL. CHRISTOPHER G. MCGRAW
COL. MICHAEL R. MORGAN
COL. REBECCA L. O'CONNOR
COL. JEFFREY L. RYAN
COL. JON S. SAFSTROM
COL. WILLIAM L. SPARROW
COL. JAMES R. STEVENSON, JR.
COL. JEFFREY D. STOREY
COL. BRYAN J. TEFF
COL. EDWARD L. VAUGHAN IV
COL. APRIL D. VOGEL
COL. CHARLES M. WALKER
COL. CHRISTOPHER S. WALKER
COL. DAVID B. WALKER
COL. DAVID A. WEISHAAR
COL. WENDY B. WENKE
COL. GREGORY T. WHITE
COL. JEFFREY J. WIEGAND
COL. BRENT W. WRIGHT
COL. WILLIAM T. YATES
COL. DANIEL S. YENCHESKY


                              IN THE ARMY

       THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE GRADE 
     INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY NURSE CORPS UNDER TITLE 
     10, U.S.C., SECTIONS 624 AND 3064:

                              To be major

CHRISTOPHER K. BERTHOLD
       THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE GRADE 
     INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., 
     SECTION 624:

                              To be major

SETH C. LYDEM
       THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE GRADE 
     INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., 
     SECTION 624:

                              To be major

JAMES ROBINSON, JR.
       THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE GRADE 
     INDICATED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C. 
     SECTION 624:

                             To be colonel

CHRISTOPHER C. OSTBY
       THE FOLLOWING NAMED OFFICER FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE GRADE 
     INDICATED IN THE RESERVE OF THE ARMY UNDER TITLE 10, U.S.C., 
     SECTION 12203:

                             To be colonel

CALVIN E. FISH







[[Page 15819]]


           HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES--Tuesday, December 6, 2016



  The House met at 10 a.m. and was called to order by the Speaker pro 
tempore (Mr. Valadao).

                          ____________________




                   DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following 
communication from the Speaker:

                                               Washington, DC,

                                                 December 6, 2016.
       I hereby appoint the Honorable David G. Valadao to act as 
     Speaker pro tempore on this day.
                                                     Paul D. Ryan,
     Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                          ____________________




                          MORNING-HOUR DEBATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 5, 2016, the Chair will now recognize Members from lists 
submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning-hour debate.
  The Chair will alternate recognition between the parties, with each 
party limited to 1 hour and each Member other than the majority and 
minority leaders and the minority whip limited to 5 minutes, but in no 
event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m.

                          ____________________




              HARDY MYERS: AN EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC SERVANT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, Oregon lost an extraordinary statesman 
last week with the passing of Hardy Myers. He was the epitome of a 
public servant.
  Hardy's public service career had an auspicious beginning as 
president of the Portland City Planning Commission in 1973, where he 
guided the development and approval of the downtown plan that didn't 
just win awards, it set Portland on a path to a revitalized central 
city.
  He was elected to the State legislature in 1974, where I was 
privileged to work with him for two sessions. We served on the revenue 
committee together, and I was on the judiciary committee which he 
chaired with remarkable precision and productivity. The same skill and 
civility that was his hallmark led to his being elected for two terms 
as speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, providing steady, 
thoughtful leadership during trying times for our State. Leaving the 
legislature, Hardy was not content to merely continue his legal 
practice at Stoel Rives, where he was for over 30 years.
  The list of his volunteer boards and commissions that he combined 
with his work and elected service is too extensive to mention in full. 
His contributions, usually in a leadership role, included criminal 
justice, sentencing guidelines, transportation, and government reform.
  Hardy capped off his career by serving 12 years as Oregon's attorney 
general, with a side trip as elected member of Portland's metropolitan, 
popularly elected regional government. As attorney general, he held the 
office with distinction, serving with great skill and commanding the 
respect and admiration of the State's lawyers. He gained national 
recognition from his fellow attorneys general for distinguished 
leadership.
  I had the pleasure to hear Hardy argue and win a case before the 
United States Supreme Court. During his tenure as attorney general, 
Oregon won all six cases it brought to our Nation's highest court. He 
was a superb legislator and legal scholar who successfully ran for 
office and won nine tough campaigns.
  Hardy never really got the attention his work warranted due to his 
thoughtful, understated service and personality, but all who served and 
worked with him were profoundly impressed with his professionalism, 
intellect, temperament, and quality of service.
  This, of course, was just the public side of Hardy. He was gracious, 
warm, funny, and deeply and passionately committed to his family, his 
church, and his community. I only wish that I could be there in person 
Wednesday morning as friends, family, and admirers gather at All Saints 
Church--a place that played a central role in the Myers family--to pay 
tribute to this remarkable man.
  Our hearts and sympathy go out to Mary Ann; his three sons, Hardy 
III, Chris, and Jon; his 10 grandchildren; and his great grandchild. We 
thank them for sharing this remarkable citizen with all Oregonians.
  Our State is better as a result of his extraordinary service as were 
all of us who were privileged to know him as friend.

                          ____________________




         RECOGNIZING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF RUTH JOHNSON COLVIN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Katko) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the tremendous 
legacy of Ruth Johnson Colvin, a pioneer in the adult literacy movement 
from my district who is celebrating her 100th birthday this month.
  Known as the mother of the adult literacy movement, Ruth Colvin has 
had an immeasurable impact on our community and our Nation.
  In the 1960s, upon discovering that 11,000 people in her hometown of 
Syracuse, New York, could not read, Ruth Colvin launched Literacy 
Volunteers of America. That organization, now known as ProLiteracy, is 
still based in Syracuse, New York.
  Ruth Colvin has dedicated her entire life to teaching, assisting, and 
empowering adult learners. She has taught thousands of people to read, 
trained literacy tutors in 26 countries, and developed and published 
effective programs to teach basic literacy and English as a second 
language.
  Because of her efforts, hundreds of thousands of adults have learned 
to read both locally in central New York and around the globe. Over 
more than four decades, Ruth Colvin has published nine books, visited 
or worked in more than 60 countries, and received nine honorary 
doctorate degrees. She was awarded the President's Volunteer Action 
Award from President Ronald Reagan, received the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom from President George W. Bush, and was inducted into the 
National Women's Hall of Fame.
  Ruth Colvin has given so many the gift of literacy. On December 16 of 
this year, she will turn 100 years old.
  Please join me in honoring her tremendous life's work and her legacy 
as we celebrate this milestone. Happy birthday, Ruth, and many, many 
more.

                          ____________________




                          ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about what is going 
on in Israel, and I think it has implications both for U.S. foreign 
policy, for domestic policy, and for our own ally, Israel.
  As the rightwing government of Netanyahu consolidates power and 
becomes, in many ways, the one-party

[[Page 15820]]

rulers of Israel, a number of things are changing that should be of 
concern to all Americans. Specifically, the increasing dominance of the 
Likud Party as the one-party in Israel jeopardizes the two-state 
solution that I and many others in the United States and Israel feel is 
the only way to achieve long-term peace in the Middle East.
  There is a retrenchment of hardline policies--aimed at solidifying 
alliances with smaller religious and hardline parties that keep Likud 
in power--that will make it harder for Israelis, their allies in 
America, and anyone who seeks a lasting peace to maintain progress 
towards a two-state solution.
  Right now, the Knesset is considering legislation to legalize all 
Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory on the West Bank, even 
those constructed on private Palestinian land. Boom--400,000 people in 
settlements across the West Bank. It is all legal because they say it 
is legal, but it is not.
  Israel is destroying Palestinian homes at a pace faster than we have 
ever seen before. It is provocative, sweeping, and designed to make it 
harder to ever reach an agreement with the Palestinians. The plan to 
restrict the Muslim call to prayer in Jerusalem has been revived, again 
to placate hardline religious constituents by Prime Minister Netanyahu. 
There is no statement clearer to people of the Islamic faith that they 
do not matter, that they do not belong, and that they will not be 
tolerated than to restrict the Muslim call to prayer in Jerusalem--a 
city that has heard the Muslim call to prayer for thousands of years.
  I think what is going on in Israel with Prime Minister Netanyahu 
presents a cautionary tale about the consequences of following a 
political strongman. The strongman has to keep proving that he is a 
strongman over and over. Like other strongmen who ride fear into 
leadership--when you base your political career on injecting fear and 
resentment into political affairs, when you use the backdrop of 
terrorism and the understandable fear of the Israeli people as a 
political tool for years and decades--this is the kind of policy that 
results.
  There is an appetite for constant escalation of what you are doing to 
stand up to the enemy you have constructed--an enemy based on but not 
the same as the enemies that fight against the State of Israel, 
tolerance, and peace in real life. Strongmen construct a foil--in this 
case based on the Palestinians, but sometimes exaggerated beyond 
recognition--and they need to feed the thirst for more and more action 
to attack the caricature that they have constructed.
  But strongman politics in Israel has the impact of making a long-
lasting solution that brings peace to the Middle East even harder to 
achieve. The fundamental rights of Palestinians to have their own 
state--a state alongside the Israeli state where they have the same 
basic rights and dignity to govern themselves and raise their families 
in peace--that is what most Israelis, Palestinians, and people around 
the world have been fighting for.
  If we are ever going to achieve the permanent peace that allows 
Israel to exist without fear and Palestine to exist without occupation 
then we must continue to fight for the two-state solution.
  When I was just a freshman, almost 25 years ago, we celebrated the 
accomplishments of Rabin, Arafat, and President Clinton to build 
towards a peace that recognizes the rights and dignity of the Israelis 
and the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. For decades, the 
United States--under different leaders in different parties from Carter 
to Reagan to Bush to Obama--has recognized that peace will only come 
with mutual respect and tolerance. That is what we have based our 
foreign policy on and should continue to base our foreign policy on. 
Having talked with average people and with leaders on both sides of the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict, I am convinced that is the only way 
forward toward peace.
  America has been a catalyst--a constructive influence from outside, a 
nation based on religious freedom and democracy that has served as a 
model for both Palestinians and Israelis--and we have worked towards 
helping parties continue to move in the direction of two separate but 
mutually respectful countries, two nations that are not at war with 
each other or subservient to one another.
  I fear, Mr. Speaker, that Israel herself is moving away from the two-
state solution as a goal and that we, as her closest ally, must remind 
her, and ourselves, of what is at stake if we lose sight of this 
important goal.

                          ____________________




                   PROTECTING PENSIONS OF COAL MINERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Mooney) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge swift 
passage of H.R. 2403, the Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act. 
This important legislation protects the pensions of coal workers who 
have spent their lives producing affordable, reliable energy for our 
country.
  These miners were promised a pension when they signed up for the job, 
and, ever since the Truman administration, Congress has made sure that 
the commitment is honored. It is our duty to continue to uphold this 
promise made to our miners.
  Without help from Congress this year, the United Mine Workers of 
America pension fund will be insolvent in 2017, resulting in massive 
cuts to benefits for 22,000 West Virginia mine workers and their 
families. The Coal Healthcare and Pensions Protection Act provides 
relief funding for these pensions without increasing spending of 
taxpayer dollars. Our country's hardworking coal miners are responsible 
for fueling and shaping our economy over the last 250 years. Retired 
coal miners and their widows deserve our respect, appreciation, and, 
above all else, the benefits that they were promised.
  With 47 Republican and 40 Democrat cosponsors in the House, this bill 
is strongly supported by Members on both sides of the aisle. Again, I 
urge our leadership to bring H.R. 2403, the Coal Healthcare and 
Pensions Protection Act, to a vote immediately.


                      Congratulating Dr. Tom Price

  Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
congratulate my colleague and Budget Committee chairman, Dr. Tom Price, 
on President-elect Trump's recent appointment as the new Secretary for 
the Department of Health and Human Services. Chairman Price has become 
a friend to me over the past 2 years and will continue to do great 
things in his new job in the Trump administration.
  When I was first elected to serve West Virginia's Second 
Congressional District in 2014, I promised my constituents that I would 
fight to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare. My 
first month in office on February 3, 2015, House Republicans 
successfully voted to repeal ObamaCare. In December of that same year, 
the Senate passed our legislation to repeal ObamaCare. President Obama 
vetoed it at that time. But we will have a new President next year.
  Healthcare costs are on the rise because of ObamaCare. ObamaCare adds 
burdensome taxes, regulations, and mandates onto American consumers. 
The limited choice in health insurance plans is harming families and 
their budgets.
  ObamaCare has killed 2.9 million jobs a year, has continued to raise 
health insurance costs, and has also placed the Federal Government in 
between patients and their doctors. Who are these 2.9 million 
Americans? They are disproportionately low-wage workers earning well 
below the average annual wage for all workers, which is less than 
$46,000 a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The 
people who are hurt the most by ObamaCare are the ones that ObamaCare 
is supposed to help the most.
  Research done by the National Center for Policy Analysis found that 
the average monthly premium costs in every demographic rose 
substantially after ObamaCare was implemented.

[[Page 15821]]



                              {time}  1015

  West Virginians who get their health insurance through employer-
sponsored programs are paying some of the highest rates in the United 
States. In West Virginia, premiums through employer-sponsored health 
insurance programs have climbed at a steady rate of about 6.4 percent 
annually since 2010, and it keeps getting worse. The 33,421 West 
Virginians who are currently enrolled in the Affordable Care Act do not 
need to see their rates hiked up again.
  As a Republican in Congress, I want to ensure that everyone has 
access to health care, but it will be quality health care that people 
choose for themselves. That is why House Republicans have come up with 
a plan we call A Better Way. Our plan recognizes that people deserve 
more patient-centered care, not more bureaucracy. That means more 
choices, not more mandates.
  A Better Way plan offers many improvements that will help West 
Virginia's Second Congressional District, including commonsense reforms 
to allow health insurance sales across State lines. You should have the 
freedom and flexibility to choose the care that is best for you. 
Insurers should compete for your business and treat you fair. You and 
your family should have access to the best lifesaving treatment in the 
world.
  Under Chairman Tom Price's leadership, I believe that our healthcare 
system in America will thrive. Again, I would like to extend my sincere 
thanks to my friend, Dr. Tom Price.

                          ____________________




                       HONORING VIRGINIA STRATTON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa 
(Mr. Loebsack) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LOEBSACK. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor today to honor 
one of my longtime district staffers, Virginia Stratton, who retired 
recently.
  Virginia had been with my office, serving the people of Iowa, since I 
first came into office in January 2007. Since then, she has handled 
more than 3,300 cases for Iowans having issues with the Department of 
Defense, the Department of Labor, and the Postal Service; but, by far, 
the largest portion of her cases involved the Veterans Administration.
  As I travel across my district, all 24 counties, meeting with 
veterans, it never fails that one of the first things I hear is about 
how hard Virginia fought on their behalf or on behalf of their loved 
ones to cut through the redtape at the VA.
  Whether it was securing medals for veterans who served but didn't 
receive their proper recognition, or helping expedite a disability 
appeal, there was nothing--and I say nothing--Virginia would not do to 
ensure our veterans received the assistance that they needed. I always 
knew that if Virginia was on the case, there would be no stone left 
unturned and no question left unasked. She worked every day for the 
past 10 years to ensure our veterans received the care they earned and 
rightly deserved.
  As a military parent myself, I believe we have no greater 
responsibility as a nation than to ensure our veterans are treated with 
the same dignity and honor with which they served our country. There is 
no one--no one, folks--who epitomizes that sentiment more than 
Virginia. She has been one of the greatest champions for veterans, and 
there was no issue that was too small or too great for her to take on.
  In the nearly 10 years that Virginia worked for my office, she 
literally personally affected the lives of thousands of Iowans. 
Virginia's retirement is a loss for the people of Iowa, but the efforts 
and hours she invested in working on behalf of our veterans will never 
be forgotten. On behalf of the people of Iowa and all of the veterans 
of America, my wife Terry and I wish Virginia the best in the next 
chapter of her life.

                          ____________________




                     TRIBUTE TO CHAIRMAN HAL ROGERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Jenkins) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JENKINS of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to a dear colleague, mentor, and friend as he is concluding his 
6 years as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
  I have had the honor and pleasure of serving with Chairman Hal Rogers 
for the last 2 years. Since day one of his chairmanship, he has been 
the driving force to revive the appropriations process. Anyone who 
knows Chairman Rogers, knows his top priority is regular order.
  During his chairmanship, he has managed 140 appropriations bills on 
the floor, and managed more than 600 important oversight and budget 
hearings and markups. He has worked every day to ensure that the 
taxpayers' dollars are being used wisely and responsibly.
  He has stopped wasteful spending, saving the country billions of 
dollars. He has also invested in higher priority programs, those that 
help keep our Nation on the right track, keep us safe, keep us secure, 
fight against drug abuse, and promote critical rural infrastructure 
needs. He has never lost sight of his home in Kentucky and the people 
he represents in Congress. Their priorities are his priorities.
  I know this well because my district is right next door. We are only 
separated by the Tug Fork River, a small, narrow body of water that 
goes through the hills of Appalachia. Chairman Rogers and I share the 
good people of Appalachia. We know the greatness of our people. We know 
how hardworking they are. It is the coal miners, it is the farmers, it 
is the factory workers, it is the teachers, it is the backbone of 
America we both have the honor of representing.
  I have been able to see firsthand Chairman Rogers' commitment to the 
people of Kentucky, his fight for the coal miners and retirees, his 
fight of the opioid crisis that is devastating communities throughout 
our region and this country, his support for education, and his 
leadership in creating the SOAR program, shaping our Appalachian 
region.
  Chairman Rogers has left an indelible mark as chairman of the House 
Appropriations Committee. We thank him for his leadership in that role 
over these past 6 years. We have a better Appropriations Committee 
because of it and a better institution here in the House of 
Representatives, thanks to the leadership of Chairman Hal Rogers.
  I ask my fellow Members to join me in thanking him for his service as 
chairman. I am honored to look forward to working with him in his 
continuing capacity here in the House of Representatives.
  Thank you, Chairman Rogers.

                          ____________________




              COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF LEONARD ROTHSTEIN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New York (Ms. Meng) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of my 
constituent Leonard Rothstein, who passed away on September 16, 2016.
  Mr. Rothstein bravely served in the Korean war as a private first 
class, contributing to the war effort as a radioman. Mr. Rothstein was 
honorably discharged from the Army on October 23, 1953. He received a 
National Defense Service Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the United 
Nations Service Medal, and the Korean Service Medal, with two Bronze 
Stars for his service. Mr. Rothstein took great pride in his service to 
our country and requested to be buried with his military medals. He 
received a military funeral at the Sinai Chapel in Fresh Meadows, 
Queens.
  After being discharged from the war, Mr. Rothstein brought his work 
ethic to Local Union 3 IBEW and the New York Hotel Trades Council as an 
electrician. Anyone would be proud to know someone as dedicated to 
their community as Leonard.
  Mr. Rothstein has been described as an unassuming, kindhearted person 
who rarely had a bad thing to say about anyone. He traveled with his 
wife, Gus, to every State in the Nation by bus, train, or plane since 
they didn't drive. Mr. Rothstein was beloved by his family, and is 
survived by his wife, his

[[Page 15822]]

sister, his two sons, his five grandchildren, and great grandson.
  I am happy to stand here today as Mr. Rothstein's representative to 
express my gratitude for his bravery in service and his hard work as a 
union member. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing one of our 
Nation's veterans, and offering condolences to his family during this 
time.

                          ____________________




                        CONGRATULATING GENERAL 
                               JIM MATTIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that 
President-elect Donald Trump has made another excellent appointment in 
selecting General Jim Mattis to serve as Secretary of Defense to 
rebuild our military.
  A recent article in The Wall Street Journal notes, ``General Mattis 
has seen the cost of wars enough to want to deter them, but he also 
knows that if you fight them you need to do so with the force and will 
to win.''
  President-elect Trump stated that General Jim Mattis is ``the closest 
thing to General George Patton that we have.''
  The recent service of General Mattis in the Middle East makes him 
uniquely qualified to address threats to servicemembers overseas and 
American families here at home. With General Mattis serving as 
Secretary of Defense, our military will continue to be the best 
fighting force in the world, our men and women in uniform will be 
supported, and our military families will be protected. As a 31-year 
veteran and the grateful dad of four sons who have served overseas in 
the global war on terrorism, I am confident that our goal of peace 
through strength will be achieved under the leadership of General Jim 
Mattis.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and may the President, by his 
actions, never forget September the 11th in the global war on 
terrorism.

                          ____________________




        THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS STILL BARACK OBAMA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I just got a call from a reporter about a 
tweet, which the President-elect has made, canceling the contract with 
The Boeing Company and the Federal Government to build Air Force One. 
Now, the last time I looked, I think that the President of the United 
States is still Barack Obama. He will be President of this country 
until the 20th of January.
  What we have right now is a President-elect running around the world 
with his tweet bar making statements that are disruptive and 
distractive for the American public. He calls Taiwan and raises 
questions about our relationship with China as though he were the 
Secretary of State, but he has not even found anyone to do that job. He 
should be in the transition office figuring out how he makes a smooth 
transition of the American Government from the efficiently run 
government of Mr. Obama to his administration, not making the decisions 
himself and going out and announcing them through his tweet at 3 a.m. 
because he can't sleep.
  This kind of operation is the operation of somebody who is used to 
running a big business. When he is president of Trump casino or Trump 
Tower, he can act like that. He can come in and say: Do this, do that, 
do this, do that.
  I don't know if he understands, Mr. Speaker, that you and the House 
of Representatives are the ones who made the contract and appropriated 
the money for that plane. That is the democratic process of this 
country. It is not done by the President getting up in the morning and 
tweeting out 147 characters and ending a contract with hundreds of jobs 
at risk of people in my district, good hardworking Americans.
  He will go down to Indianapolis, Indiana, and walk around and say: I 
have saved 1,000 jobs.
  We still haven't seen the contract. We don't know what the deal is, 
how long the jobs have to last, or how many of them have to last. We 
don't know anything. We just know that a tweet went out that: We have. 
And then he went and did a big rally down there and did a victory lap, 
but there is no piece of paper.
  Mr. Speaker, if I were to make a recommendation to the people in 
Indianapolis, it would be: Talk to the Indians, to the Native 
Americans, about the treaties that have been made with the United 
States of America and how good they are and how hard you have to fight 
to make those treaties work.

                              {time}  1030

  He made a treaty with Carrier, which will get $7 million from 
Indiana. Vice President Pence will give $7 million from Indiana to 
Carrier, and then maybe there will be some kind of--no one knows what 
is going on, but the President-elect should spend his time in the 
transition office and decide who is going to hold the jobs that will 
make this country run. This is not going to be run by one man in the 
White House who makes pronouncements and thinks that all the world is 
going to throw itself down on the ground and worship him.
  We have a democratic process, and the burden on the House of 
Representatives, as I leave it--I mean, in some ways, I am sorry to be 
leaving because I think it is going to be a very tough session--is to 
help the new President understand how a democracy actually works. It is 
not a big business; it is a business of the people. The 435 Members of 
this House take the money that comes in in taxes, and they appropriate 
it out as they see fit for the country. The President doesn't do that. 
When the Congress is done, it passes the bill to him, and then he 
spends the money as the Congress has decided it should be spent.
  If you look at the Constitution--I am sure the President-elect has 
looked at the Constitution--the first Article is the Congress. We are 
the preeminent body in this government because we are elected by the 
people, and we have the power.
  Stop tweeting, Mr. President-elect.

                          ____________________




                           21ST CENTURY CURES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Curbelo) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 21st 
Century Cures Act, a bill that recently passed the House with 
overwhelming bipartisan support.
  I am proud that the package includes provisions for robust medical 
research, funding to combat opioid abuse, and support for individuals 
who struggle with mental illness and who are trapped in the criminal 
justice system. Reforming and modernizing our Nation's mental health 
system has been one of my top priorities. It is imperative that we help 
those who are struggling with mental illness get the help they need. 
Many tragedies can be prevented if the proper support structure is in 
place.
  As part of the reform efforts, I was proud that legislation authored 
by Representative Tim Murphy, the Helping Families in Mental Health 
Crisis Act, which I strongly supported, was incorporated into 21st 
Century Cures. I had the opportunity to host a roundtable earlier this 
year in south Florida, with my friend from Pennsylvania and local 
stakeholders, to discuss mental health and the benefits of this 
important legislation.
  The passage of 21st Century Cures also represents an important step 
toward the discovery and development of new treatments for many 
diseases, like cancer and Alzheimer's, in addition to empowering 
individuals, families, and employers across the country with more 
healthcare options.
  I was proud to have supported this pioneering legislation, and I look 
forward to its swiftly being signed into law.


                             WIIN and CEPP

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 
Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, or the WIIN Act. 
Included in this package, which is expected to be

[[Page 15823]]

considered in the House later in the week, is the Central Everglades 
Planning Project, which is of critical importance to the ecological 
health of the State of Florida. This project will significantly 
increase freshwater flows from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades 
and down into Florida Bay, providing critical relief to our water 
reservoirs and to a stressed ecosystem in the bay.
  The health of Florida Bay is a moral and an environmental cause. It 
is also vital to south Florida's multibillion-dollar tourism industry, 
making Everglades restoration an important local issue as well as a 
major national priority. Long-term restoration will be achieved 
primarily by constructing projects for the conveyance, treatment, and 
storage of water and, ultimately, the restoration of freshwater flow 
from north to south. CEPP contributes to all of these goals.
  I thank Chairman Shuster for working with me to include $1.9 billion 
for the Everglades Restoration Program in the WIIN Act. I am proud 
that, through bipartisan efforts, we were able to include this much-
needed funding for Everglades restoration, and I look forward to 
getting this bill signed into law.


                       FY 2017 NDAA and SPOC Act

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud the House's 
passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2017.
  This bipartisan legislation strongly supports our servicemembers by 
providing a much-deserved 2.1 percent pay raise and improves access to 
health care for them and for their families. It prohibits the 
administration from transferring our naval base in Guantanamo Bay, 
Cuba, to the Castro dictatorship. It also protects victims who report 
sexual assault from personal and professional retaliation by making 
``retaliation'' a separate offense under the Uniform Code of Military 
Justice.
  In addition, I am grateful that my bill, the Service Provider 
Opportunity Clarification Act, was included in the final package. Any 
large business that receives a contract for more than $650,000 must 
show the Federal Government how it will use small businesses as 
subcontractors.
  Subcontracting is an important entry point for new Federal 
contractors. Without a robust and wide base of subcontractors, we will 
have fewer prime contractors tomorrow--meaning fewer suppliers, 
manufacturers, and innovators--and this will all result in increased 
costs to American taxpayers.
  I thank Chairman Thornberry and Chairman Chabot for including my bill 
and for their hard work in moving the NDAA forward. Their efforts serve 
as an excellent example of Congress' working together on behalf of the 
brave men and women who are tasked with keeping our country safe. I 
look forward to the legislation being signed into law.


              Congratulating Southridge Spartans Football

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the 
Southridge Spartans football team on their first trip to the State 
finals since 1999.
  After a 2-2 start to the season, the Spartans' defense stepped up and 
shut out all future opponents from scoring a touchdown. The Spartans 
outscored their final five opponents by a whopping 151-0, finishing the 
season with a 7-2 record and earning a spot in the Florida State 
playoffs.
  After defeating Coral Gables in the quarterfinals, Southridge faced 
off against Deerfield Beach in the semifinals. The Spartans overcame 
six turnovers, five of which came in their own territory, to defeat 
Deerfield Beach 26-7 and to clinch their rightful place in the 
championship game this Saturday in Orlando v. Dr. Phillips High School.
  I congratulate head coach Billy Rolle and principal Miret, along with 
the players, students, faculty, and alumni of Miami Southridge High 
School, for their amazing season thus far.
  Good luck. Bring the championship home.

                          ____________________




                            VIETNAM VETERANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Veterans Day last month, I 
introduce Louisiana House Concurrent Resolution 43 into the United 
States Congressional Record.
  This resolution recognizes November 13, 2013, through November 11, 
2025, as the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. 
It is important that we recognize our Nation's heroes who served with 
valor and honor through this long war, which in many ways defined an 
entire generation of Americans. By the end of the Vietnam war, nearly 3 
million American servicemen and servicewomen had served within the 
borders of Vietnam in some capacity in that conflict. We would like to 
take this time to honor all Vietnam veterans and, especially, the more 
than 58,000 patriots who paid the ultimate sacrifice during this 
difficult and painful period of war.
  Of the millions of Vietnam veterans who served our country, over 
106,000 reside in my home State of Louisiana. Though we remain thankful 
for all of those who served our great Nation, we would like to take 
this time to remember the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. It is 
important that we honor our veterans while they are still alive so that 
they can take honor for the sacrifices and know that they do not go 
unnoticed.

                          ____________________




                   HELP AND HOPE FOR THE MENTALLY ILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today is a day of joy, and 
it was, indeed, a long time in coming, but here we are.
  My time in Congress was redefined 4 years ago, on December 14, 2012, 
when 26 innocent lives were taken at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 
Newtown, Connecticut. Now, it is neither my district nor my State, but 
when it comes to children, all of us represent all children. 
Afterwards, when I met with the families, they gave me pictures of 
their children and spouses whom they lost that day, and I made a 
promise--the promise that we would not continue to watch passively or 
just offer moments of silence as these tragedies continue, that we 
should deliver, instead, treatment before tragedy.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I say thanks to the Members of Congress who 
changed the course with me--who teamed up to finally change the way the 
United States treats the mentally ill. We set our eyes on one goal: to 
fix our Nation's broken mental health system. Since then, we have come 
together to work towards protecting millions of Americans who suffer 
from mental illness. We traveled to every corner of this Nation and 
listened to doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists, experts and 
advocates--most importantly, to patients, consumers, and their 
families.
  Through congressional hearings and investigations, we have discovered 
the abhorrent and sometimes fatal disconnect between the 112 Federal 
agencies that were assigned to treat the mentally ill. We exposed $130 
billion spending in a system that has done little but to watch the 
rates of homelessness, incarceration, suicide, and drug overdose deaths 
soar. We came together across party lines and went to work. We passed 
legislation that will save lives.
  I thank Fred Upton for his leadership on our Committee on Energy and 
Commerce with regard to H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental 
Health Crisis Act, and for his tremendous medical innovation bill, the 
21st Century Cures Act.
  I thank Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas for her conviction and 
determination and for applying her experience as a psychiatric nurse to 
champion the cause that someone in crisis should be able to get 
treatment in a hospital and not just be locked up in a jail cell.
  I thank Speaker Ryan, who, in his very first days as Speaker of the 
House, pledged his support and determination to ensure that we would 
take action in the way that we treat the mentally ill in this Nation.

[[Page 15824]]

  To all of my colleagues in the House who spoke up, stepped up, and 
teamed up in our efforts to end the mental health crisis in America, 
thank you.
  I thank our colleagues in the Senate as well--Senator Chris Murphy, 
Dr. Bill Cassidy, and Senators Cornyn and Alexander--for their 
leadership in bringing this bill to a vote before the Senate. As the 
Senate takes up the bill today, I ask them all to cast their votes 
while being mindful of the millions of American lives it will save.
  Most importantly, I close by thanking the millions who had the 
courage to come forward and share their stories of pain and suffering 
under this broken system--those who have lost a loved one, those who 
have a loved one who is sitting in a jail cell or who is homeless in 
the streets.
  To those who have been the last, the least, the lost, and the lonely, 
know that we will continue to listen. In the final version of the 
Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, we did not get everything 
we needed, but we needed everything we got, and we will continue to 
work together.
  When we began this journey 4 years ago, I challenged us all to 
realize the sad reality of, where there is no help, there is no hope. 
Know now that, as we pass and enact this bill, we will finally be able 
to say there is help and, most assuredly, there is hope.

                          ____________________




                                 RECESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 12(a) of rule I, the 
Chair declares the House in recess until noon today.
  Accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 43 minutes a.m.), the House stood in 
recess.

                          ____________________




                              {time}  1200
                              AFTER RECESS

  The recess having expired, the House was called to order by the 
Speaker at noon.

                          ____________________




                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, offered the following 
prayer:
  Gracious God, we give You thanks for giving us another day.
  Throughout history, You have been ever present to all believers. In 
times of darkness, we readily turn on lights. Millions of Americans in 
this season have variously turned to the celebration of the Christmas 
season, with its trees and lights, and Hanukkah, the Festival of 
Lights.
  Even so, in our political world, there remains the reality of 
considerable disagreement and contention. Where there is darkness here, 
send forth a spark of inspiration and grace to enlighten minds and warm 
hearts to respond to Your love for Your people.
  Eternal Father of us all, fill Your children with the delight that 
comes from light. May we walk no longer in the darkness of distrust, 
but join together in mutual understanding and peace toward the common 
well-being of our Nation.
  May all that is done this day be for Your greater honor and glory.
  Amen.

                          ____________________




                              THE JOURNAL

  The SPEAKER. The Chair has examined the Journal of the last day's 
proceedings and announces to the House his approval thereof.
  Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

                          ____________________




                          PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

  The SPEAKER. Will the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster) 
come forward and lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance.
  Ms. KUSTER led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows:

       I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of 
     America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation 
     under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

                          ____________________




                      ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER

  The SPEAKER. The Chair will entertain up to 15 requests for 1-minute 
speeches on each side of the aisle.

                          ____________________




                               NICARAGUA

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, days leading up to the November 30 and 
December 1 protest in Nicaragua against the Ortega regime's proposed 
interoceanic canal and a corrupt election, the National Police, 
instructed by Daniel Ortega, sent heavy machinery, created checkpoints, 
and used barricades to block farmers and indigenous communities from 
attending the protests. Nicaraguans were severely beaten. Some were 
even shot. But Ortega's repression did not stop the Nicaraguan people 
who yearn for freedom and prosperity from participating in the protest.
  Mr. Speaker, in September of this year, this legislative body passed 
the NICA Act--legislation I authored, along with my colleague, Albio 
Sires, from New Jersey, which calls for free elections, respect for the 
rule of law, and freedom of expression. The Ortega regime seems eager 
to neglect these basic important conditions and is doubling down on its 
tyrannical tactics. We must hold Ortega accountable with the NICA Act 
and tell him we will not ignore his terrible tactics.

                          ____________________




                    REBUILD AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, how does America, the strongest economy in 
the history of the world, accept a world ranking of 23rd behind Spain 
and Chile in the quality of our roads and bridges--American 
infrastructure? Let's look at the facts.
  In 2005, Congress passed a roads bill that was 35 percent smaller 
than what was needed just to bring our roads and bridges to a state of 
good repair. In 2009, Congress passed an economic stimulus bill, 
directed just 7 percent to our transportation and infrastructure, and, 
last year, we passed a transportation bill that provided less than half 
of what was needed to reverse the decline of our roads and bridges. 
This is not only weak, it is pathetically weak.
  Standard & Poor's reports that for every $1.3 billion invested in 
roads and bridges, it creates 29,000 jobs--American jobs--produces $2 
billion in economic growth, and reduces the Federal deficit by $200 
million.
  Both Presidential candidates talked about a large investment in 
American infrastructure, but I am concerned that the President-elect's 
program may be comprised of tax cuts for already-planned projects. This 
would be selling the American people and the American economy short. 
You just spent $105 billion rebuilding the roads and bridges of 
Afghanistan. You just spent $76 billion rebuilding the roads and 
bridges of Iraq. It is time the Nation built here at home and in 
America.

                          ____________________




                         CONGRATULATING COACH 
                             JAMES FRANKLIN

  (Mr. PERRY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach James 
Franklin and his football team from my alma mater, Penn State, on 
winning the Big Ten Championship on Saturday over the Wisconsin 
Badgers.
  Many counted out the Nittany Lions in the second quarter after 
Wisconsin took a commanding 28-7 lead. As expected, Penn State turned 
things around quickly with their lethal passing attack and always 
formidable defense.
  Quarterback Trace McSorley set a Big Ten Championship game record 
with 384 passing yards and 4 touchdowns, as number 7 Penn State 
clinched one of the most impressive Big Ten titles of all time, with a 
38-31 victory over number 6 Wisconsin.
  Pennsylvania and the Nittany nation are very proud of you. We are.

[[Page 15825]]



                          ____________________




                     PASS LEGISLATION TO FIND CURES

  (Ms. KUSTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge the Senate to pass and 
President Obama to sign into law the 21st Century Cures Act.
  This bipartisan legislation represents a comprehensive strategy to 
improve medical innovation, access lifesaving medicine, and improve 
mental health services. The bill includes funding for President Obama's 
Precision Medicine Initiative, for Vice President Biden's Cancer 
Moonshot, and a new program to improve our understanding for brain 
diseases, like Alzheimer's disease.
  But most importantly, Congress has decided to address one of the 
worst public health crises of the 21st century. Sadly, last year, in my 
home State of New Hampshire, we had the third highest opioid overdose 
rate per capita in the entire country. But this crisis is not unique to 
my State. Across America, communities and families are shaken from the 
deaths of loved ones due to overdose. Opioid addiction is truly a 
national public health crisis.
  As founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the 
Heroin Epidemic, I urge the Senate to promptly pass this important 
bill.

                          ____________________




              HONORING OHIO STATE REPRESENTATIVE JIM BUCHY

  (Mr. DAVIDSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DAVIDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and pay tribute to Ohio 
State Representative Jim Buchy.
  Representative Jim Buchy will retire from the State House at the end 
of the year. In fact, this week will likely mark the last time on the 
floor for Jim Buchy as a representative, having served for more than 20 
years in that role.
  I am thankful to know Jim. I respect him tremendously because he has 
been characterized more by his deeds than by his words. He is a strong 
Christian, a solid conservative, and an articulate Republican. He has 
championed the cause of freedom with great ideals, but a genuine 
passion to represent the people in his district and their common values 
in public service. He is a good man.
  Jim lives in Greenville, Ohio. He has raised a beautiful family, 
built and exited a very successful business, served the community--in 
his church, on the board of education, with 4-H, economic development, 
and in many ways. He has been a genuine leader in the Ohio pro-life 
movement.
  He is passionate about improving education with local control. He has 
spent his career promoting traditional, value-based education and 
important programs like FFA and 4-H.
  Jim Buchy's role in the legislature will be missed, but he will live 
on through his reputation and the great example he set.
  Thank you for your service, Jim, and thanks for living your faith 
boldly, for loving your community dearly, and for giving so much of 
yourself in service to make sure the next generation is better off than 
they would have been without your leadership and service. God bless 
you.

                          ____________________




                 SURGEON GENERAL'S REPORT ON ADDICTION

  (Mr. QUIGLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Surgeon 
General's new report titled ``Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon 
General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.''
  In 2015, over 27 million Americans reported current use of illicit 
drugs or misuse of prescription drugs. That means that more people use 
prescription opioids than use tobacco, and there are more people 
struggling with substance abuse disorders than people with cancer.
  Substance abuse, misuse, and substance use disorders cost the U.S. 
more than $442 billion annually in crime, health care, and lost 
productivity--almost twice as high as the costs associated with 
diabetes. We in Congress have a responsibility to utilize this report 
and mobilize around its deeply scientific and evidence-based findings 
to find the best policy solutions that affect all of our constituents 
in districts across the country.
  Addiction does not discriminate. It affects Americans from every walk 
of life, regardless of race, class, gender, religion, or geographic 
location. Now is the time to face the addiction crisis head on.

                          ____________________




                         HONORING LEO DAUGHTRY

  (Mr. ROUZER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. ROUZER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend, North 
Carolina Representative Leo Daughtry, as his tenure in the State House 
officially comes to a close.
  Leo has served as a strong voice for the fine citizens of Johnston 
County and commonsense conservative principles since first being 
elected to the State Senate in 1988. During his tenure in the State 
legislature, Leo has stood tall and fought tirelessly for the taxpayer 
and common sense in government. His guardianship of the judicial branch 
is well known, and I am honored to have had the privilege to work 
alongside him during my two terms in the State legislature.
  Leo has served our great State of North Carolina for nearly 3 decades 
in Raleigh, and he will be sorely missed. He leaves a great and 
distinguished legacy--one that every North Carolinian can be especially 
proud.
  On behalf of the countless citizens whose lives Leo has touched, I 
wish him and his wonderful wife, Helen, much happiness as they enter 
their next chapter in life.

                          ____________________




                   WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

  (Mr. BILIRAKIS asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, later this week, the House will vote on 
the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, also known as 
the WIIN Act.
  This legislation includes a number of great provisions for Florida 
and my district, including promoting public-private partnerships for 
dredging projects. Allowing these partnerships will help clear the 
backlog of Army Corps projects, at or below cost, all while adhering to 
Federal maintenance standards.
  This means that there will be more opportunities for projects to be 
completed in a reasonable timeframe, such as the federally authorized 
Anclote River dredging project in my district. Dredging the Anclote 
River would promote relief for local residents from chronic flooding 
and bring commerce back to the Tarpon Springs area.

                          ____________________




              CONGRATULATING ROCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL ROCKETS

  (Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
and congratulate the Rochester High School Rockets on winning the 
Illinois class 4A State football championship.
  The Rochester Rockets, who finished the season with a 13-1 record, 
defeated Johnsburg 38-14 on November 25 to secure the sixth State 
championship in football in the school's history. That is 6 out of the 
last 7 years.
  On their way to the State title, the Rockets exceeded the national 
average in receiving yards, total touchdowns, tackles, sacks, and 
interceptions. The Rockets are setting a standard for athletic 
excellence in Illinois. Both girls' and boys' sports in Rochester have 
been thriving, including the girls' soccer team winning its second 
straight title in 2016.
  Congratulations to this group of student athletes and their coach, 
and my

[[Page 15826]]

friend, Derek Leonard, on another championship season.

                          ____________________




                              {time}  1215
                           21ST CENTURY CURES

  (Mr. ALLEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank my colleagues for passing the 
21st Century Cures Act.
  This legislation speaks for itself. It will bring healthcare research 
and infrastructure into the 21st century.
  During my time here in Congress, I have met with countless groups 
across Georgia 12, like the Alzheimer's Association, who have told me 
how this legislation can and will change lives. In fact, more than 5 
million Americans currently live with this disease. In a recent op-ed, 
the association noted that, if nothing is done to change the trajectory 
of Alzheimer's, as many as 16 million Americans will have the disease 
by 2050, which will drain every dollar from our healthcare system.
  These staggering statistics go to show that the Cures Act will touch 
everyone's life. By equipping researchers, the 21st Century Cures Act 
is the answer to unleashing the barriers so the medical community can 
develop and deliver lifesaving treatments to Americans who are battling 
diseases like Alzheimer's.
  I was proud to vote in favor of this historic 21st Century Cures and 
see it pass with overwhelming bipartisan support, and I am excited to 
see this legislation bring hope to Americans and their loved ones.

                          ____________________




                     MEDIA SHOULD REPORT THE FACTS

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Americans are frustrated because 
they know that many of the news stories they read are actually opinion 
pieces. If the facts do not fit the liberal world view, dissent is 
silenced, and the result is one-sided and often misleading.
  The Pew Research Center found that a majority of Americans--59 
percent--reject the idea that reporters should add their own opinions 
to their news stories. Americans believe that the media's 
responsibility is to present the facts, not ignore them. The media has 
work to do to repair the self-inflicted damage to its credibility over 
the last few months. Distrust of the national media will continue until 
the media provides the American people with the facts instead of 
telling them what to think.

                          ____________________




            GVSU WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

  (Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the 
Grand Valley State University women's cross country team for yet 
another NCAA Division II national championship.
  With their victory last month, the Lakers have won their fourth 
national title in 5 years and their fifth in school history--further 
cementing their status as a running dynasty. In addition to the 
national titles, four Lakers claimed All-American honors. Among them, 
senior Kendra Foley won her second national championship in 3 years and 
her fourth straight All-American honor.
  Let us commend these runners, their parents, and their coaches for 
the years of dedicated training and the countless sacrifices that were 
necessary to accomplish such a feat. These athletes demonstrated just 
how competitive west Michigan is on the national stage.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating these talented women, 
their coaches, and the rest of Grand Valley State University.
  Anchor up, and go Lakers.

                          ____________________




                         SHERIFF FRANK DENNING

  (Mr. YODER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize one of the most dedicated 
public servants to Johnson County, Sheriff Frank Denning. Frank 
dedicated his more than 42-year career to helping keep Kansas 
communities safe.
  That career began back in 1969 as a reserve police officer for the 
Great Bend Police Department, and for the past 33 years, he has proudly 
served the citizens of Johnson County. Frank served with the Great 
Bend, Larned, and Garden City Police Departments before joining the 
Johnson County Sheriff's Office in 1978.
  Over the years, I have gotten to know Frank well, and I consider him 
to be a great friend and an even better public servant. His leadership 
in the sheriff's office has made Johnson County a leader in reducing 
recidivism rates through the Second Chance and Reentry Programs. We 
have worked hand in hand on several Federal issues that are important 
to the Third District of Kansas, most notably the Kelsey Smith Act.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Frank on his retirement 
and in wishing him and his wife, Robin, all the best in the years to 
come.

                          ____________________




               COMMUNICATION FROM THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Byrne) laid before the House the 
following communication from the Clerk of the House of Representatives:

                                              Office of the Clerk,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, December 6, 2016.
     Hon. Paul D. Ryan,
     The Speaker, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Speaker: Pursuant to the permission granted in 
     Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of 
     Representatives, the Clerk received the following message 
     from the Secretary of the Senate on December 6, 2016, at 
     11:29 a.m.:
       That the Senate passed with an amendment H. Con. Res. 174.
       With best wishes, I am,
           Sincerely,
     Karen L. Haas.

                          ____________________




                ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair 
will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules 
on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or on which 
the vote incurs objection under clause 6 of rule XX.
  Record votes on postponed questions will be taken later.

                          ____________________




         STREAMLINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR SCHOOLS ACT OF 2015

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 756) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide 
for the dissemination of information regarding available Federal 
programs relating to energy efficiency projects for schools, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 756

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Streamlining Energy 
     Efficiency for Schools Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF ENERGY RETROFITTING ASSISTANCE FOR 
                   SCHOOLS.

       Section 392 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 
     U.S.C. 6371a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Coordination of Energy Retrofitting Assistance for 
     Schools.--
       ``(1) Definition of school.--Notwithstanding section 
     391(6), for the purposes of this subsection, the term 
     `school' means--
       ``(A) an elementary school or secondary school (as defined 
     in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801));
       ``(B) an institution of higher education (as defined in 
     section 102(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1002(a)));
       ``(C) a school of the defense dependents' education system 
     under the Defense Dependents' Education Act of 1978 (20 
     U.S.C. 921 et

[[Page 15827]]

     seq.) or established under section 2164 of title 10, United 
     States Code;
       ``(D) a school operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
       ``(E) a tribally controlled school (as defined in section 
     5212 of the Tribally Controlled Schools Act of 1988 (25 
     U.S.C. 2511)); and
       ``(F) a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 
     316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1059c(b))).
       ``(2) Establishment of clearinghouse.--The Secretary, 
     acting through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
     Energy, shall establish a clearinghouse to disseminate 
     information regarding available Federal programs and 
     financing mechanisms that may be used to help initiate, 
     develop, and finance energy efficiency, distributed 
     generation, and energy retrofitting projects for schools.
       ``(3) Requirements.--In carrying out paragraph (2), the 
     Secretary shall--
       ``(A) consult with appropriate Federal agencies to develop 
     a list of Federal programs and financing mechanisms that are, 
     or may be, used for the purposes described in paragraph (2); 
     and
       ``(B) coordinate with appropriate Federal agencies to 
     develop a collaborative education and outreach effort to 
     streamline communications and promote available Federal 
     programs and financing mechanisms described in subparagraph 
     (A), which may include the development and maintenance of a 
     single online resource that includes contact information for 
     relevant technical assistance in the Office of Energy 
     Efficiency and Renewable Energy that States, local education 
     agencies, and schools may use to effectively access and use 
     such Federal programs and financing mechanisms.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Olson) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 756, the Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act, is an 
important bill that would help the Nation's schools make use of 
existing Federal programs to reduce their energy use.
  There are currently a number of such programs that help schools 
undertake projects that improve energy efficiency. Unfortunately, 
school districts don't always have the know-how to navigate the 
complexities of the Federal system and take full advantage of these 
programs. This bill creates a simple, one-stop shop to get all the 
needed information and help the school districts participate more fully 
in these programs. The bottom line is that the Nation's schools will 
reduce their energy costs.
  As it is, energy use in American K-12 schools totals $6 billion a 
year, and reducing this figure can save taxpayer dollars or free up 
funds that schools can use on things other than on energy bills. H.R. 
756 has no cost since it merely sets up a system under which existing 
school energy efficiency programs can work better.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 756.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank my colleague from Texas.
  This bill is important. I am here with my colleague Mr. Cartwright, 
who will be speaking on this in a few minutes and who played a major 
role in the passage of this legislation. Even though he is not a member 
of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he is very much concerned about 
the opportunities that occur when we make our energy use more 
efficient.
  Across the country, K-12 school districts spend literally billions of 
dollars on their energy bills each year while an estimated 14 million 
American children attend deteriorating public schools. According to a 
Department of Education survey, 43 percent of schools indicated that 
the poor condition of their facilities interferes with the delivery of 
instruction, and those are probably schools in my district and in all 
of our colleagues'. By upgrading these systems, we can increase 
efficiency and get better educational outcomes.
  It is not good for kids to be cold or too hot when they are trying to 
study and learn. There are numbers of Federal initiatives already 
available to schools to help them become more energy efficient, but the 
problem is these programs are spread across the entire Federal 
Government, making it difficult for a small school, particularly in a 
rural district, to know where to look and how to take full advantage of 
these programs.
  That is where this legislation comes in. As I mentioned, introduced 
by Congressman Cartwright and with my strong support, this Streamlining 
Energy Efficiency for Schools Act will provide a coordinating structure 
for schools to help them better navigate available Federal programs and 
financing options.
  At this point, Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright).
  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I thank the gentleman from Vermont.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership for taking this bill up under 
suspension today.
  I remain hopeful that a compromise energy package can still be agreed 
upon this Congress, and I am glad this bill was included in both the 
House and Senate versions of that energy package. Nonetheless, I am 
pleased that commonsense ideas, such as this one, may still become law 
even if the larger package proves too large a lift in the last days of 
this Congress.
  I thank Congressman Peter Welch for his leadership on this bill. It 
is no secret that he is one of the great champions in the House of 
Representatives on the issue of energy efficiency, and it has been my 
pleasure to work with him on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, so many schools across the country are in need of 
upgrades and improvements to their facilities. In its last Report Card 
for America's Infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers 
gave the condition of our Nation's schools a grade of D. As school 
administrators undertake badly needed improvements, they have an 
opportunity here to substantially increase their facilities' energy 
efficiency, producing benefits for both the environment and the 
economy. In reducing their energy bills, schools can put the savings to 
use in other educational priorities.
  K-12 school districts currently spend billions on their energy bills 
every year--in fact, according to ENERGY STAR, approximately $6 billion 
every year--second only to personnel costs and way ahead of the costs 
of textbooks and supplies and things like that. Energy expenses are one 
of the few costs that can be reduced while, at the same time, improving 
classroom instruction. In fact, high-performance schools can lower a 
school district's operating costs by up to 30 percent.
  There are numerous Federal initiatives already available to schools 
to help them become more energy efficient. As the gentleman from 
Vermont just mentioned, the problem is that these programs are spread 
across the Federal Government, making it challenging, time consuming, 
and costly for schools to identify and take full advantage of these 
programs.
  Introduced in the Senate as S. 523, by Senator Susan Collins, this 
bipartisan Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act aims to 
provide a coordinating structure for schools to help them better 
navigate available Federal programs and financing options.
  This legislation does not spend an additional dime of taxpayer money, 
and it keeps decisionmaking authority with the States, the school 
boards, and local officials.
  It is a bill that establishes a clearinghouse through the Office of 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which will disseminate 
information on Federal programs and financing mechanisms that may be 
used to develop energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy 
retrofitting projects for schools.

                              {time}  1230

  This bill also directs the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy

[[Page 15828]]

to coordinate with Federal agencies and develop an outreach effort to 
streamline communications and promote available Federal programs. This 
kind of outreach may include a single Web site that school officials 
can go to for one-stop shopping and learn about relevant energy 
efficiency programs.
  Overburdened school administrators shouldn't have to spend hours and 
hours wading through the Federal bureaucracy as they look for ways to 
make energy efficiency improvements. This commonsense legislation will 
ensure that schools can more easily take advantage of already existing 
energy efficiency programs. It is a strategic and cost-saving 
investment to relieve the fiscal pressure felt by school districts 
across the Nation while bringing us closer to American energy security.
  So for all of these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to 
pass this bill.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia, the Peach State (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
756, the Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2015.
  Efficient use of energy can help reduce consumption, lower energy 
bills, and may also help the environment as well. The benefits of 
energy efficiency can extend to our homes, businesses, and public 
institutions, including schools. There is a multitude of programs and 
finance mechanisms available for schools to use to further their energy 
efficiency goals. However, information on these resources is hard to 
find; and, as a result, schools may be missing out on opportunities to 
make their facilities more energy efficient.
  H.R. 756 would direct the Department of Energy to create a 
clearinghouse in order to disseminate information on energy efficiency 
programs and grants for schools. This bill would also help facilitate 
coordination between Federal agencies so that they may develop a 
collaborative effort to help schools meet their energy efficiency 
needs.
  I urge my colleagues to support our schools in their efforts to 
become more energy efficient by supporting H.R. 756.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, everything that needs to be said has been 
said.
  I appreciate the work of my colleague from Texas (Mr. Olson), and I 
really do appreciate as well the leadership of the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), who has been very, very active on 
anything related to making better use of our energy.
  I urge passage of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense bill that helps schools 
all across America. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 756.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 756.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




                 POWER AND SECURITY SYSTEMS (PASS) ACT

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 6375) to provide for consideration of the extension under the 
Energy Policy and Conservation Act of nonapplication of No-Load Mode 
energy efficiency standards to certain security or life safety alarms 
or surveillance systems.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6375

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Power And Security Systems 
     (PASS) Act''.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF NONAPPLICATION OF NO-LOAD MODE ENERGY 
                   EFFICIENCY STANDARD TO CERTAIN SECURITY OR LIFE 
                   SAFETY ALARM OR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS.

       (a) Section 325(u)(3)(D)(ii) of the Energy Policy and 
     Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)(D)(ii)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``2015'' and inserting ``2021''; and
       (2) by striking ``2017'' and inserting ``2023''.
       (b) Section 325(u)(3)(E) of the Energy Policy and 
     Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6295(u)(3)(E)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (ii), by striking ``July 1, 2017,'' and 
     inserting ``the effective date of the amendment under 
     subparagraph (D)(ii)''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iv) Treatment in rule.--In the rule under subparagraph 
     (D)(ii) and subsequent amendments the Secretary may treat 
     some or all external power supplies designed to be connected 
     to a security or life safety alarm or surveillance system as 
     a separate product class or may extend the nonapplication 
     under clause (ii).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Olson) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OLSON. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6375, the Power and Security Systems (PASS) Act, 
extends an important exemption from current regulations for devices 
such as security systems and medical devices. Specifically, many 
electronic devices use external power supplies that are subject to 
strict limits on the amount of electricity they can consume when not in 
use. However, these provisions are not feasible for products that have 
to be on 24/7, such as home security alarms and heart monitors.
  This bill extends the existing exemption for external power supplies 
for these kinds of products. H.R. 6375 would ensure the continued 
availability of these important and potentially lifesaving devices, and 
I urge everyone to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6375, the Power and 
Security Systems Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as my colleague has stated, the Energy Independence and 
Security Act of 2007 requires electronic devices to meet certain 
efficiency standards while in no-load mode or standby mode, and that 
obviously makes a lot of sense. You don't want to be consuming 
unnecessary energy when, in fact, you don't need to use energy; but the 
whole law was written in a way that it included some devices that are 
always on active mode. Security and life safety systems, such as video 
surveillance, intrusion detection, and access control systems, have to 
be active all of the time.
  So this law is now to extend something that was an exemption, and 
that is going to expire unless we pass this legislation and then allow 
manufacturers to avoid having to go through very costly steps in order 
to bring it into compliance with the law that would actually make their 
products ineffective when it came to surveillance.
  This law was originally introduced by Ranking Member Frank Pallone 
and his colleague, Roy Blunt, who is now in the Senate, to provide that 
temporary exemption. This is really going to extend it.
  I joined with the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Pompeo), and it is 
fitting that we are working with Mr. Pompeo because he is about to 
start a new job that has just a little bit to do with security and 
intelligence. We congratulate him, by the way, on that appointment by 
President-elect Trump.
  This bill, which has the support of industry and efficiency 
advocates, addresses the unique needs of critical life safety and 
security systems to remain on at all times while meeting DOE energy 
efficiency standards. It is a practical bill and a straightforward 
bill.
  By the way, it is something that we should be trying together to do 
more often: when we pass a bill, it is a good bill, but we find out it 
has got a bit of a problem; instead of arguing about it,

[[Page 15829]]

let's fix it. We managed to accomplish that in this legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Having no further speakers on this side, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia, the Peanut State (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
6375, the Power and Security Systems Act. This bill directs the 
Department of Energy to decide by 2021 whether to amend standards for 
certain external power supply products, and directs that these 
standards would not apply to products manufactured before 2023.
  External power supplies convert power from an outlet to a lower 
voltage for use in everyday items like cell phones, laptops, power 
tools, and other electronics. The average home has 5 to 10 external 
power supplies, and that number continues to grow with more than 300 
million shipped in the United States annually.
  The PASS Act would also allow for the Department of Energy to 
classify external power supplies connected to security or safety 
systems differently than other types. By design, external power 
supplies associated with a safety or security device are always in an 
active mode and simply do not have a no-load or inactive mode, which is 
why the distinction is needed.
  This bill provides necessary regulatory relief while the Department 
of Energy develops standards for these products.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I will close by saying that H.R. 6375 ensures 
that these important and potentially lifesaving devices work when 
needed. This is a great bill. I urge all my colleagues to vote for this 
bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6375, the Power 
and Security Systems, or PASS Act. This bill will provide an important 
technical exemption to certain security and life safety products from 
energy efficiency standards set forth in the Energy Independence and 
Security Act of 2007. A provision in the law increased the energy 
efficiency requirements for battery chargers and external power 
supplies--and I strongly supported that change. However, the provision 
also mistakenly included security and life safety products, and 
required that they be manufactured with a standby mode, despite being 
products that are inherently always on.
  Without providing this correction, the security industry will need to 
spend millions of dollars to comply with an energy standard that will 
yield no energy savings and could cost jobs, which was never the 
initial intent of the law.
  Six years ago, I stood on the House floor in support of legislation I 
authored that provided this exemption through July 2017. I'm pleased 
that Representative Welch, along with Representative Pompeo, has taken 
up this important issue and introduced this bill to extend the 
exemption I originally authored through 2023. And, the language in the 
bill before us today will also allow the Department of Energy to extend 
this exemption or reclassify these products into a separate class if 
they deem it appropriate.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a commonsense and consensus fix to a simple 
problem: the language was developed by both industry and efficiency 
advocates, with technical assistance from the Department of Energy. So 
it should come as no surprise that this bill enjoys broad support from 
the security industry and energy efficiency advocates. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support it.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 6375.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




 CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVORSHIP, TREATMENT, ACCESS, AND RESEARCH ACT OF 
                                  2016

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3381) to maximize discovery, and accelerate development and 
availability, of promising childhood cancer treatments, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3381

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Childhood 
     Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 
     2016'' or the ``Childhood Cancer STAR Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.

             TITLE I--MAXIMIZING RESEARCH THROUGH DISCOVERY

      Subtitle A--Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer 
                          Reauthorization Act

Sec. 101. Children's cancer biorepositories and biospecimen research.
Sec. 102. Improving Childhood Cancer Surveillance.

                 Subtitle B--Pediatric Expertise at NIH

Sec. 111. Inclusion of at least one pediatric oncologist on the 
              National Cancer Advisory Board.
Sec. 112. Sense of Congress regarding pediatric expertise at the 
              National Cancer Institute.

         Subtitle C--NIH Report on Childhood Cancer Activities

Sec. 121. Reporting on childhood cancer research projects.

TITLE II--MAXIMIZING DELIVERY: CARE, QUALITY OF LIFE, SURVIVORSHIP, AND 
                           CAREGIVER SUPPORT

      Subtitle A--Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life Act

Sec. 201. Cancer survivorship programs.
Sec. 202. Grants to improve care for pediatric cancer survivors.
Sec. 203. Comprehensive long-term follow-up services for pediatric 
              cancer survivors.
Sec. 204. Survivorship demonstration project.

         Subtitle B--Coverage and Payment of High Quality Care

Sec. 211. Report by the Comptroller General.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Each year in the United States there are an estimated 
     15,780 children between birth and the age of 19 diagnosed 
     with cancer. Approximately 1 in 285 children in the United 
     States will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th 
     birthday.
       (2) In 1960, only 4 percent of children with cancer 
     survived more than 5 years, but today, cure rates have 
     increased to over 80 percent for children and adolescents 
     under age 20.
       (3) While the cure rates for some childhood cancers are now 
     over 80 percent, the survival rates for many types of cancers 
     in children remain extremely low.
       (4) According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, cancer continues to be the leading cause of death 
     by disease in children and adolescents under the age of 14.
       (5) By 2020, the population of childhood cancers survivors 
     is expected to be 500,000 individuals.
       (6) As many as two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors are 
     likely to experience at least one late effect of treatment, 
     with as many as one-fourth experiencing a late effect that is 
     serious or life-threatening. Common late effects of childhood 
     cancer are neurocognitive, psychological, cardiopulmonary, 
     endocrine, and musculoskeletal effects, secondary 
     malignancies, and early death.
       (7) As a result of disparities in the delivery of cancer 
     care, minority, low-income, and other medically underserved 
     children are more likely to be diagnosed with late stage 
     disease, experience poorer treatment outcomes, have shorter 
     survival time with less quality of life, and experience a 
     substantially greater likelihood of cancer death.
       (8) Collection of biospecimens, along with clinical and 
     outcome data, on children and adolescents with cancer in the 
     United States is necessary to improve childhood and 
     adolescent cancer treatments and cures. Currently 
     biospecimens, and clinical and outcome data, are collected 
     for less than half of children in the United States with 
     cancer.
       (9) The late effects of cancer treatment may change as 
     therapies evolve, which means that the monitoring and care of 
     cancer survivors may need to be modified on a routine basis.
       (10) Despite the intense stress caused by childhood cancer, 
     there is a lack of standardized and coordinated psychosocial 
     care for the children and their families, from the date of 
     diagnosis through treatment and survivorship.
       (11) The Institute of Medicine, in its report on cancer 
     survivorship entitled ``Childhood Cancer Survivorship: 
     Improving Care and Quality of Life'', states that an 
     organized system of care and a method of care for pediatric 
     cancer survivors is needed.

[[Page 15830]]

       (12) Focused and well-designed research and pilot health 
     delivery programs can answer questions about the optimal ways 
     to provide health care, follow-up monitoring services, and 
     survivorship care to those diagnosed with childhood cancer 
     and contribute to improvements in the quality of care and 
     quality of life of those individuals through adulthood.
       (13) The National Institutes of Health, including the 
     National Cancer Institute, invest approximately half of their 
     annual appropriations to support basic research that serves 
     as the foundation for translational and clinical research for 
     all diseases and conditions, with the potential to lead to 
     breakthroughs for children with cancer. Virtually all 
     progress against cancer--in both children and adults--has 
     been founded in basic research, often in areas not directly 
     related to the disease.
       (14) The National Cancer Institute supports a number of key 
     research programs specifically to advance childhood cancer 
     care, including precision medicine clinical trials for 
     children with cancer, the Children's Oncology Group (part of 
     the National Clinical Trials Network of the National Cancer 
     Institute), the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium, the 
     Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, the Childhood Cancer 
     Survivor Study, the Therapeutically Applicable Research to 
     Generate Effective Treatments program and related pediatric 
     cancer genomics research (including the Pediatric MATCH 
     Precision Medicine trial), and the Pediatric Oncology Branch 
     (part of the intramural program of the National Cancer 
     Institute, whose mission is to develop new treatments for 
     pediatric cancer).

             TITLE I--MAXIMIZING RESEARCH THROUGH DISCOVERY

      Subtitle A--Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer 
                          Reauthorization Act

     SEC. 101. CHILDREN'S CANCER BIOREPOSITORIES AND BIOSPECIMEN 
                   RESEARCH.

       Section 417E of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     285a-11) is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
       ``(a) Children's Cancer Biorepositories.--
       ``(1) Award.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
     NIH, may make awards to an entity or entities described in 
     paragraph (4) to build upon existing initiatives to collect 
     biospecimens and clinical and demographic information with a 
     goal of collection for the vast majority of all children, 
     adolescents, and young adults with selected cancer subtypes 
     (and their recurrences) for which current treatments are 
     least effective, through one or more biospecimen research 
     efforts designed to achieve a better understanding of the 
     cause of such cancers (and their recurrences) and the effects 
     of treatments for such cancers.
       ``(2) Use of funds.--Amounts received under an award under 
     paragraph (1) may be used to carry out the following:
       ``(A) Acquire, preserve, and store high-quality, donated 
     biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic 
     information on children, adolescents, and young adults 
     diagnosed with cancer in the United States, focusing on 
     children and adolescents enrolled in clinical trials for whom 
     current treatments are least effective. Activities under this 
     subparagraph may include storage of biospecimens and 
     associated clinical and demographic data at biorepositories 
     supported by the National Cancer Institute, such as the 
     Children's Oncology Group Biorepository and the Pediatric 
     Cooperative Human Tissue Network as well as through 
     biorepositories established as appropriate to support the 
     scientific needs of future research efforts.
       ``(B) Make such information publicly available, including 
     the repositories described in subparagraph (A).
       ``(C) Maintain a secure searchable database on stored 
     biospecimens and associated clinical and demographic data 
     from children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer for 
     the conduct of research by scientists and qualified health 
     care professionals.
       ``(D) Establish procedures for evaluating applications for 
     access to such biospecimens and clinical and demographic data 
     from researchers and other qualified health care 
     professionals.
       ``(E) Make available and distribute biospecimens and 
     clinical and demographic data from children, adolescents, and 
     young adults with cancer to researchers and qualified health 
     care professionals for peer-reviewed research at a minimal 
     cost.
       ``(3) No requirement.--No child, adolescent, or young adult 
     with cancer shall be required under this subsection to 
     contribute a specimen to a biorepository or share clinical or 
     demographic data.
       ``(4) Application; considerations.--
       ``(A) Application.--To be eligible to receive an award 
     under paragraph (1) an entity shall submit an application to 
     the Secretary at such a time, in such manner, and containing 
     such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
       ``(B) Considerations.--In evaluating the applications in 
     subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider the existing 
     infrastructure of the entity that would allow for the timely 
     capture of biospecimens and related clinical and demographic 
     information for children, adolescents, and young adults with 
     cancer.
       ``(5) Privacy protections; consent.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may not make an award 
     under paragraph (1) to an entity unless the Secretary ensures 
     that such entity--
       ``(i) collects biospecimens and associated clinical and 
     demographic information from children and adolescents with 
     appropriate permission from parents or legal guardians in 
     accordance with Federal and State law; and
       ``(ii) adheres to strict confidentiality to protect the 
     identity and privacy of patients in accordance with Federal 
     and State law.
       ``(B) Consent.--The Secretary shall establish an 
     appropriate process for achieving consent from the patient, 
     parent, or legal guardian.
       ``(6) Single point of access; standard data; guidelines and 
     oversight.--
       ``(A) Single point of access.--The Secretary shall ensure 
     that each biorepository supported under paragraph (1) has 
     electronically searchable data for use by researchers and 
     other qualified health care professionals in the manner and 
     to the extent defined by the Secretary.
       ``(B) Standard data.--The Secretary shall require all 
     recipients of an award under this section to make available a 
     standard dataset for the purposes of subparagraph (A) in a 
     standard electronic format that enables researchers and 
     qualified health care professionals to search.
       ``(C) Guidelines and oversight.--The Secretary shall 
     develop and disseminate appropriate guidelines for the 
     development and maintenance of the biorepositories supported 
     under this section, including appropriate oversight.
       ``(7) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
     clinical and demographic information collected in accordance 
     with this section is collected in coordination with the 
     information collected under section 399E-1.
       ``(8) Prohibition on use of funds.--Funds made available to 
     carry out this subsection shall not be used to acquire, 
     preserve, or maintain a biospecimen collected from a patient 
     if such activity is already covered by funds available from 
     the National Cancer Institute for such purpose.
       ``(9) Report.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
     enactment of the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, 
     Access, and Research Act of 2016, the Secretary shall submit 
     to Congress a report on--
       ``(A) the number of biospecimens and corresponding clinical 
     demographic data collected through the biospecimen research 
     efforts supported under paragraph (1);
       ``(B) the number of biospecimens and corresponding clinical 
     demographic data requested for use by researchers;
       ``(C) any barriers to the collection of biospecimens and 
     corresponding clinical demographic data;
       ``(D) any barriers experienced by researchers or health 
     care professionals in accessing the biospecimens and 
     corresponding clinical demographic data necessary for use in 
     research; and
       ``(E) any recommendations with respect to improving the 
     biospecimen and biorepository research efforts under this 
     subsection.
       ``(10) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection:
       ``(A) Award.--The term `award' includes a grant, contract, 
     cooperative agreement, or other transaction determined by the 
     Secretary.
       ``(B) Biospecimen.--The term `biospecimen' includes--
       ``(i) solid tumor tissue or bone marrow;
       ``(ii) normal or control tissue;
       ``(iii) blood and plasma;
       ``(iv) DNA and RNA extractions;
       ``(v) familial DNA; and
       ``(vi) any other sample required by the Secretary.
       ``(C) Clinical and demographic information.--The term 
     `clinical and demographic information' includes--
       ``(i) date of diagnosis;
       ``(ii) age at diagnosis;
       ``(iii) the patient's gender, race, ethnicity, and 
     environmental exposures;
       ``(iv) extent of disease at enrollment;
       ``(v) site of metastases;
       ``(vi) location of primary tumor coded;
       ``(vii) histologic diagnosis;
       ``(viii) tumor marker data when available;
       ``(ix) treatment and outcome data;
       ``(x) information related to specimen quality; and
       ``(xi) any other information required by the Secretary.''; 
     and
       (2) in subsection (d)--
       (A) by striking ``and section 399E-1'' and inserting ``and 
     sections 317U, 399E-1, 417H, and 417H-1'';
       (B) by striking ``2009 through 2013'' and inserting ``2017 
     through 2021''; and
       (C) by striking ``such purpose'' and inserting ``such 
     purposes''.

     SEC. 102. IMPROVING CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVEILLANCE.

       Section 399E-1 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     280e-3a) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (d); and
       (2) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

[[Page 15831]]

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     may make awards to State cancer registries to enhance and 
     expand infrastructure to track the epidemiology of cancer in 
     children, adolescents, and young adults. Such registries may 
     be updated to include each occurrence of such cancers within 
     a period of time designated by the Secretary.
       ``(b) Activities.--The grants described in subsection (a) 
     may be used for--
       ``(1) identifying, recruiting, and training all potential 
     sources for reporting childhood, adolescent, and young adult 
     cancer cases;
       ``(2) developing procedures to implement early inclusion of 
     childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer cases on State 
     cancer registries through the use of electronic reporting;
       ``(3) purchasing infrastructure to support the early 
     inclusion of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer 
     cases on such registries;
       ``(4) submitting deidentified data to the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention for inclusion in a national 
     database of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancers; 
     and
       ``(5) tracking the late effects of childhood, adolescent, 
     and young adult cancers.
       ``(c) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
     information collected through State cancer registries under 
     this section is collected in coordination with clinical and 
     demographic information collected under section 417E(a) as 
     appropriate.''.

                 Subtitle B--Pediatric Expertise at NIH

     SEC. 111. INCLUSION OF AT LEAST ONE PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGIST ON 
                   THE NATIONAL CANCER ADVISORY BOARD.

       Clause (iii) of section 406(h)(2)(A) of the Public Health 
     and Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284a(h)(2)(A)) is amended to read 
     as follows:
       ``(iii) of the members appointed to the Board--
       ``(I) not less than 5 members shall be individuals 
     knowledgeable in environmental carcinogenesis (including 
     carcinogenesis involving occupational and dietary factors); 
     and
       ``(II) not less than one member shall be an individual 
     knowledgeable in pediatric oncology;''.

     SEC. 112. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING PEDIATRIC EXPERTISE AT 
                   THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE.

       It is the sense of Congress that the Director of the 
     National Cancer Institute should ensure that all applicable 
     study sections, committees, advisory groups, and panels at 
     the National Cancer Institute include one or more qualified 
     pediatric oncologists, as appropriate.

         Subtitle C--NIH Report on Childhood Cancer Activities

     SEC. 121. REPORTING ON CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH PROJECTS.

       Section 409D(c)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 284h(c)(3)) is amended by--
       (1) striking ``public on'' and inserting ``public on--
       ``(A)'';
       (2) striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; 
     and
       (3) inserting at the end the following:
       ``(B) childhood cancer research projects conducted or 
     supported by the National Institutes of Health.''.

TITLE II--MAXIMIZING DELIVERY: CARE, QUALITY OF LIFE, SURVIVORSHIP, AND 
                           CAREGIVER SUPPORT

      Subtitle A--Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life Act

     SEC. 201. CANCER SURVIVORSHIP PROGRAMS.

       (a) Cancer Survivorship Programs.--The Public Health 
     Service Act is amended by inserting after section 399N of 
     such Act (42 U.S.C. 280g-2) the following:

     ``SEC. 399N-1. PILOT PROGRAMS TO EXPLORE MODEL SYSTEMS OF 
                   CARE FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER SURVIVORS.

       ``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this section, the Secretary may make awards to 
     eligible entities to establish pilot programs to develop, 
     study, or evaluate model systems for monitoring and caring 
     for childhood cancer survivors throughout their lifespan, 
     including evaluation of shared care and medical home and 
     clinic based models for transition to adult care.
       ``(b) Eligible Entities.--In this section, the term 
     `eligible entity' means--
       ``(1) a medical school;
       ``(2) a children's hospital;
       ``(3) a cancer center;
       ``(4) a community-based medical facility; or
       ``(5) any other entity with significant experience and 
     expertise in treating survivors of childhood cancers.
       ``(c) Use of Funds.--The Secretary may make an award under 
     this section to an eligible entity only if the entity 
     agrees--
       ``(1) to use the award to establish a pilot program to 
     develop, study, or evaluate one or more model systems for 
     monitoring and caring for cancer survivors; and
       ``(2) in developing, studying, and evaluating such systems, 
     to give special emphasis to the following:
       ``(A) Design of protocols for different models of follow-up 
     care, monitoring, and other survivorship programs (including 
     peer support and mentoring programs).
       ``(B) Development of various models for providing 
     multidisciplinary care.
       ``(C) Dissemination of information and the provision of 
     training to health care providers about how to provide 
     linguistically and culturally competent follow-up care and 
     monitoring to cancer survivors and their families.
       ``(D) Development of psychosocial interventions and support 
     programs to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors 
     and their families.
       ``(E) Design of systems for the effective transfer of 
     treatment information and care summaries from cancer care 
     providers to other health care providers (including risk 
     factors and a plan for recommended follow-up care).
       ``(F) Dissemination of the information and programs 
     described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) to other health 
     care providers (including primary care physicians and 
     internists) and to cancer survivors and their families, where 
     appropriate.
       ``(G) Development of initiatives that promote the 
     coordination and effective transition of care between cancer 
     care providers, primary care physicians, and mental health 
     professionals.

     ``SEC. 399N-2. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COLLABORATIVE ON MEDICAL 
                   AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER 
                   SURVIVORS.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, not later than 1 
     year after the date of enactment of this Act, convene a 
     Workforce Development Collaborative on Medical and 
     Psychosocial Care for Pediatric Cancer Survivors (referred to 
     in this paragraph as the `Collaborative'). The Collaborative 
     shall be a cross-specialty, multidisciplinary group composed 
     of educators, consumer and family advocates, and providers of 
     psychosocial and biomedical health services.
       ``(b) Goals and Reports.--The Collaborative shall submit to 
     the Secretary a report establishing a plan to meet the 
     following objectives for medical and psychosocial care 
     workforce development:
       ``(1) Identifying, refining, and broadly disseminating to 
     health care educators information about workforce 
     competencies, models, and curricula relevant to providing 
     medical and psychosocial services to persons surviving 
     pediatric cancers.
       ``(2) Adapting curricula for continuing education of the 
     existing workforce using efficient workplace-based learning 
     approaches.
       ``(3) Developing the skills of faculty and other trainers 
     in teaching psychosocial health care using evidence-based 
     teaching strategies.
       ``(4) Strengthening the emphasis on psychosocial health 
     care in educational accreditation standards and professional 
     licensing and certification exams by recommending revisions 
     to the relevant oversight organizations.
       ``(5) Evaluating the effectiveness of patient navigators in 
     pediatric cancer survivorship care.
       ``(6) Evaluating the effectiveness of peer support programs 
     in the psychosocial care of pediatric cancer patients and 
     survivors.''.
       (b) Technical Amendment.--
       (1) In general.--Section 3 of the Hematological Cancer 
     Research Investment and Education Act of 2002 (Public Law 
     107-172; 116 Stat. 541) is amended by striking ``section 
     419C'' and inserting ``section 417C''.
       (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
     shall take effect as if included in section 3 of the 
     Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act of 
     2002 (Public Law 107-172; 116 Stat. 541).

     SEC. 202. GRANTS TO IMPROVE CARE FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER 
                   SURVIVORS.

       (a) In General.--Section 417E of the Public Health Service 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 285a-11), as amended by section 101, is 
     further amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by striking ``research and 
     awareness'' and inserting ``research, awareness, and 
     survivorship''; and
       (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Improving Care for Pediatric Cancer Survivors.--
       ``(1) Research on causes of health disparities in pediatric 
     cancer survivorship.--
       ``(A) Research awards.--The Director of NIH, in 
     coordination with ongoing research activities, may conduct or 
     support pediatric cancer survivorship research including any 
     of the following areas:
       ``(i) Needs and outcomes of pediatric cancer survivors 
     within minority or other medically underserved populations.
       ``(ii) Health disparities in pediatric cancer survivorship 
     outcomes within minority or other medically underserved 
     populations.
       ``(iii) Barriers that pediatric cancer survivors within 
     minority or other medically underserved populations face in 
     receiving follow-up care.
       ``(iv) Familial, socioeconomic, and other environmental 
     factors and the impact of such factors on treatment outcomes 
     and survivorship.
       ``(B) Balanced approach.--In supporting research under 
     subparagraph (A)(i) on pediatric cancer survivors within 
     minority or

[[Page 15832]]

     other medically underserved populations, the Director of NIH 
     shall ensure that such research addresses both the physical 
     and the psychological needs of such survivors, as 
     appropriate.
       ``(2) Research on late effects and follow-up care for 
     pediatric cancer survivors.--The Director of NIH, in 
     coordination with ongoing research activities, may conduct or 
     support research on follow-up care for pediatric cancer 
     survivors, including any of the following areas:
       ``(A) The development of indicators used for long-term 
     patient tracking and analysis of the late effects of cancer 
     treatment for pediatric cancer survivors.
       ``(B) The identification of risk factors associated with 
     the late effects of cancer treatment.
       ``(C) The identification of predictors of adverse 
     neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes.
       ``(D) The identification of the molecular underpinnings of 
     long-term complications.
       ``(E) The development of risk prediction models to identify 
     those at highest risk of long-term complications.
       ``(F) Initiatives to protect cancer survivors from the late 
     effects of cancer treatment, by developing targeted 
     interventions to reduce the burden of morbidity borne by 
     cancer survivors.
       ``(G) Transitions in care for pediatric cancer survivors.
       ``(H) Training of professionals to provide linguistically 
     and culturally competent follow-up care to pediatric cancer 
     survivors.
       ``(I) Different models of follow-up care.
       ``(J) Examining the cost-effectiveness of the different 
     models of follow-up care.''.

     SEC. 203. COMPREHENSIVE LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP SERVICES FOR 
                   PEDIATRIC CANCER SURVIVORS.

       Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 
     317T the following:

     ``SEC. 317U. STANDARDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE LONG-TERM CARE FOR 
                   PEDIATRIC CANCER SURVIVORS THROUGH THE 
                   LIFESPAN.

       ``The Secretary may establish a task force to develop and 
     test standards, outcomes, and metrics for high-quality 
     childhood cancer survivorship care in consultation with a 
     full spectrum of representation of experts in late effects of 
     disease and treatment of childhood cancers, including--
       ``(1) oncologists who treat children and adolescents;
       ``(2) oncologists who treat adults;
       ``(3) primary care providers engaged in survivorship care;
       ``(4) survivors of childhood cancer;
       ``(5) parents of children who have been diagnosed with and 
     treated for cancer and parents of long-term survivors;
       ``(6) professionals who are engaged in the development of 
     clinical practice guidelines;
       ``(7) nurses and social workers;
       ``(8) mental health professionals;
       ``(9) allied health professionals, including physical 
     therapists and occupational therapists;
       ``(10) experts in health care quality measurement and 
     improvement; and
       ``(11) others, as the Secretary determines appropriate.''.

     SEC. 204. SURVIVORSHIP DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') 
     may carry out a demonstration project over a 3-year period, 
     designed to improve the quality and efficiency of care 
     provided to childhood cancer survivors throughout their 
     lifespan, through improved care coordination as survivors 
     transitions to adult care.
       (b) Selection of Demonstration Sites.--
       (1) Maximum number of sites.--The maximum number of sites 
     at which the demonstration project under subsection (a) is 
     carried out may not exceed 10.
       (2) Diversity of sites.--In selecting entities to 
     participate in the demonstration project, the Secretary may, 
     to the extent practicable, include in such selection--
       (A) small-, medium-, and large-sized sites; and
       (B) sites located in different geographic areas.
       (c) Activities Under Demonstration Project.--The activities 
     conducted under the demonstration project under subsection 
     (a) may, in addition to any other activity specified by the 
     Secretary, include activities that seek to develop different 
     models of care coordination, including transitions of care, 
     follow-up care, monitoring, and other survivorship related 
     programs that utilize a multidisciplinary, team based 
     approach to care, including any of the following activities:
       (1) Coordination of care and transitions of care between 
     cancer care providers, primary care physicians, mental health 
     professionals and any other relevant providers.
       (2) Dissemination of information to, and training of, 
     health care providers about linguistically and culturally 
     competent follow-up care specific to cancer survivors.
       (3) Development of monitoring programs for cancer survivors 
     and their families.
       (4) Incorporation of peer support and mentoring programs to 
     improve the quality of life of cancer survivors.
       (5) Designing systems and models for the effective transfer 
     of treatment information and care summaries from cancer care 
     providers to other health care providers (including risk 
     factors and a care plan).
       (6) Evaluation of functional status and incorporation of 
     specific functional needs into the care planning process.
       (7) Dissemination of the information on activities and 
     programs conducted under this section to other health care 
     providers (including primary care physicians) and to cancer 
     survivors and their families, where appropriate.
       (8) Other items determined by the Secretary.
       (d) Measures.--The Secretary may use the following measures 
     to assess the performance of each site:
       (1) Patient care and patient/family satisfaction measures.
       (2) Resource utilization measures.
       (3) Adult survivorship measures, as appropriate.
       (e) GAO Report.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit a report to Congress evaluating the 
     success of the demonstration project. Such report shall 
     include an assessment of the impact of the project upon the 
     quality and cost-efficiency of services furnished to 
     individuals under this title, including an assessment of the 
     satisfaction of such individuals with respect to such 
     services that were furnished under such project. Such report 
     shall include recommendations regarding the possible 
     expansion of the demonstration project.

         Subtitle B--Coverage and Payment of High Quality Care

     SEC. 211. REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL.

       (a) In General.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall conduct a review and submit recommendations to 
     Congress on existing barriers to obtaining and paying for 
     adequate medical care for survivors of childhood cancer.
       (b) Considerations.--In carrying out the review and 
     formulating recommendations under subsection (a), the 
     Comptroller General shall--
       (1) identify existing barriers to the availability of 
     complete and coordinated survivorship care for survivors of 
     childhood cancer and to the availability of expert pediatric 
     palliative care, including consideration of--
       (A) understanding and education among patients, health care 
     providers, regulators, and third-party payors;
       (B) adequacy of payment codes to cover necessary 
     survivorship services;
       (C) access to necessary medical and other services for such 
     survivors, including the services described in subsection 
     (c); and
       (D) lack of pediatric palliative care across all stages of 
     illness and hospice services for patients approaching the end 
     of life; and
       (2) make recommendations to provide improved access and 
     payment plans for childhood cancer survivorship programs and 
     palliative care, including psychosocial services and coverage 
     of such services.
       (c) Services Described.--The services described in this 
     subsection are the following:
       (1) Coordinated multidisciplinary long-term follow-up care 
     with access to appropriate pediatric subspecialists and adult 
     subspecialists with specific expertise in survivorship, 
     including subspecialists with expertise in oncology, 
     radiation oncology, surgery, cardiology, psychiatry or 
     psychology, endocrinology, pulmonology, nephrology, 
     dermatology, gynecology, and urology.
       (2) Appropriate organ function testing (particularly 
     screening for potential problems at much younger ages than 
     usually indicated in the general population) and treatment, 
     including--
       (A) neuropsychological testing and mental health services;
       (B) fertility testing and treatment;
       (C) evaluation and treatment for endocrine disorders 
     including growth hormone and testosterone replacement;
       (D) diagnostic imaging to screen for late effects of 
     treatment (including subsequent cancers), such as mammograms 
     and magnetic resonance imaging testing to screen for possible 
     breast cancer;
       (E) screening for cardiac problems, such as 
     echocardiograms;
       (F) screening for osteoporosis with bone densitometry, 
     including duel x-ray absorptiometry and monitoring 25 
     hydroxyvitamin D levels;
       (G) dental coverage and necessary dental implants;
       (H) hearing aids and other prosthetic devices; and
       (I) screening for lung problems, such as pulmonary function 
     testing.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.

[[Page 15833]]




                             General Leave

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 3381, the Childhood Cancer 
Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act of 2016, also known 
as the Childhood Cancer STAR Act. This bill was introduced by my Texas 
colleague, Representative Mike McCaul; Representative Chris Van Hollen; 
and Representative Jackie Speier.
  The legislation we are considering today is important for many young 
Americans, as it is intended to help the most vulnerable among us: 
children who have been diagnosed with cancer.
  We have made progress in combating childhood cancer. In 1960, only 4 
percent of children with cancer survived more than 5 years. Today, 80 
percent of children with cancer survive, but there is work left to do.
  H.R. 3381 will expand the opportunities for childhood cancer 
research, improve childhood cancer surveillance, help improve the 
quality of life for childhood cancer survivors, and help ensure that 
there is proper pediatric cancer research within the National 
Institutes of Health.
  This legislation enjoys broad bipartisan support. It has 270 
cosponsors, representing over 60 percent of the House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3381.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 3381, the Childhood Cancer 
Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Act.
  Nearly 16,000 children are diagnosed with cancer in the United States 
each year. These children bravely battle disease and carry burdens that 
no one their age should. The Childhood Cancer STAR Act gives those 
children and their families hope by encouraging improved research, 
development of treatments, and survivorship programs for children with 
cancer.
  This legislation urges the National Institutes of Health to find new 
opportunities to expand research into pediatric cancer and 
survivorship, including research on the causes of health disparities in 
pediatric cancer survivors.
  This legislation would also allow the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention to award funding to help States better track pediatric 
cancer. Improved information about childhood cancer will help guide 
public health decisions and strategies as well as research.
  Expanding research that leads to treatments and cures is only part of 
the solution for children diagnosed with cancer. This bill recognizes 
that these children often require different care for the remainder of 
their lives.
  As many as two-thirds of pediatric cancer survivors suffer from the 
effects of their disease and treatments long term, including secondary 
cancers and organ damage.
  To help children after they have beat pediatric cancer, this bill 
would create a pilot program to explore model systems of care for 
pediatric cancer survivors and to study barriers to adequate medical 
care for survivors of childhood cancer.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the chairman of the Committee on 
Homeland Security, a true champion for all things pediatric.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I want to also thank the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Burgess) for his work on this effort as well. I chair the 
Committee on Homeland Security, but I also chair the Congressional 
Childhood Cancer Caucus. It is one of the biggest threats to our 
children. It is the number one killer of our children.
  Therefore, I rise in support of H.R. 3381, the Childhood Cancer STAR 
Act, because it will address four major concerns facing the pediatric 
cancer community: survivorship, treatment, access, and research. I 
introduced this bill with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, 
Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Ms. Jackie Speier of California, to be 
the most comprehensive childhood cancer bill ever considered before 
this House.
  I cofounded, as I said, the Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus 7 
years ago as a platform to give children a voice, children who don't 
have lobbyists, children who are dying, who have been impacted by this 
life-altering diagnosis.
  To better fight childhood cancer, we must know more about it, and 
that is what the STAR Act does. It authorizes NIH to expand their 
efforts to collect data on childhood cancer so we can better understand 
its causes and the effects of treatment. It also builds on previous 
work from cancer research groups to provide doctors with the resources 
necessary to identify children who may be at risk for developing 
cancer, preventing the worst outcomes from becoming a reality.
  Finally, we must address the needs of two-thirds of childhood cancer 
survivors facing serious lifelong medical conditions. Our bill will 
improve collaboration among providers so doctors are better able to 
care for survivors as they age.
  I am pleased this bill has the strong support of the patient advocacy 
community. I especially want to thank the St. Baldrick's Foundation for 
their continued support and help and work on this important bill. Their 
CEO, Kathleen Ruddy, as well as Kevin Mathis and Danielle Leach, have 
been relentless advocates of this bill to make a difference in kids' 
lives. I look forward to working with them in the future as we look to 
further address the needs of the childhood cancer community.
  Mr. Speaker, I close by stating that we are also very excited that 
the Cures Act bill passed the House of Representatives, a very 
important bill about curing not just childhood cancer, but all 
diseases. We urge the Senate to pass that legislation as well. In that 
bill was the Advancing Hope Act, which will make a difference in the 
number of drugs that can be developed to cure childhood cancer.
  In fact, it reauthorizes a bill that I introduced to the year 2020, a 
bill that has already produced a childhood cancer drug, the first since 
the 1980s, to cure neuroblastoma in children. When I went to meet with 
Rex Ryan at Dell Children's Medical Center in Austin, Texas, in this 
clinical trial, the idea, Mr. Speaker, that you can actually pass a 
bill in this Congress and see that tangible result, a bill passed in 
this great body that transforms into saving the life of a child, is 
truly a tremendous and extraordinary experience.
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Speier).
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, let me first say what a joy it has been to 
work with my colleague Mike McCaul on this issue, and with Chris Van 
Hollen as well. Their passion, compassion, and commitment to this issue 
is one that I have not seen replicated many times.
  Let me comment by talking about the letter I received from Sylvia 
DeCourcey in my district. Her son Tyler has been battling stage 4 
neuroblastoma for about a year. She had written to me the following: 
``As a parent of a pediatric cancer patient, I wanted to say thank you 
for introducing the Childhood Cancer STAR Act. This has the potential 
to make a huge difference for my son Tyler and his fellow warriors. In 
August we lost two little buddies to the neuroblastoma monster. To 
think that if this act was already in place, that may not have 
happened, and the heartaches of their families and friends could be 
prevented. I hope and pray that my son will beat this. Thank you again 
for sponsoring the STAR Act. . . .''
  On Friday I received a follow-up email from Sylvia, and it still 
sends

[[Page 15834]]

chills up and down my spine. Tyler has officially been in remission for 
2 weeks. It is only fitting that today we are taking up the STAR Act.
  The STAR Act would not have been possible without the perseverance of 
families like Sylvia and Tyler and of the young people who are living 
with the cancers. There have been more than 50 organizations that have 
worked on this issue. Together they have managed to push even a 
gridlocked Congress into action.
  I would like to take a moment to highlight the personal importance of 
the survivorship provisions of the STAR Act, which I have been working 
on since 2011. Fifty years ago, only 4 percent of children with cancer 
survived more than 5 years beyond their diagnosis. Today the cure rate 
has increased to over 80 percent. It is a remarkable accomplishment. 
Now we have some 500,000 young people who have survived childhood 
cancer.
  But, as many families know, the fight against childhood cancer 
doesn't end with remission. As many as two-thirds of childhood cancer 
survivors experience secondary cancers, and that is why this particular 
provision of the bill is so important. It is imperative that the STAR 
Act has a strategy to improve their care and quality of life, and it 
would not have happened without the guidance of Susan Weiner and Sue 
Emmer of Children's Cause for Cancer Advocacy. I would also like to 
thank the staff of all of our offices who worked so hard on this 
measure: Thomas Rice, Jessica Nalepa, Austin Carson, Kelly Cotner, and 
Andy Taylor with Congressman McCaul; Ziky Ababiya and Erika Appel with 
Congressman Van Hollen; Jill Brimmer with Senator Reed; Dana Richter 
with Senator Moore Capito; Adrianna Simonelli with Chairman Upton; 
Waverly Gordon with Ranking Member Pallone; Kelly Dixon with Majority 
Leader McCarthy; Charlene MacDonald with Democratic Whip Hoyer; Holly 
Gibbons and her team at the NIH; and Molly Fishman on my staff as well.
  I want to thank my colleagues for the time, the leadership, and for 
giving us an opportunity to do something to improve the lives of these 
children living with cancer and their parents who are advocating for 
them.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
3381, the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, which would allow the National 
Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services to 
expand their efforts to research treatments and care for childhood 
cancer patients.
  Each year, thousands of children are diagnosed with cancer, and far 
too many children are lost to this horrible disease. Childhood cancer 
survivors and their families still face an uphill battle after 
remission, as the chances for recurrence can be higher for children.
  Advances in treatment have greatly improved outcomes, but more must 
be done to support patients, survivors, and their families. The bill 
would help expand efforts to improve the lives of childhood cancer 
survivors, develop new treatments, increase access to care, and 
accelerate lifesaving research for those impacted by childhood cancer.
  Childhood cancer patients and survivors have unique needs, and this 
bill will ensure that those needs are addressed through continued 
child-focused research. We must continue the fight until no child is 
lost to cancer. I urge my colleagues to support childhood cancer 
patients, survivors, and families by supporting the Childhood Cancer 
STAR Act.
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
Childhood Cancer STAR Act.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 
3381.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 
Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research (STAR) Act. As the most 
comprehensive way to address childhood cancer, the bill advances 
research, treatment, and quality of life for pediatric cancer survivors 
here in Maryland and across the nation.
  Each year, nearly 16,000 children in the United States are diagnosed 
with cancer. While there have been advances made in childhood cancer 
research, too many young people and their families continue to suffer. 
And for the kids who survive, the battle is not over. Ninety-five 
percent of survivors will suffer serious health complications as they 
age.
  To give pediatric cancer patients and their families hope, I 
spearheaded the STAR Act with Congressman Mike McCaul and Congresswoman 
Jackie Speier. By the bill's several provisions, including improving 
efforts to identify and track childhood cancer incidence and 
establishing a pilot program to explore innovative models of care to 
enhance the quality of life for survivors, the STAR Act will provide 
our researchers with the necessary resources to work towards cures and 
less toxic treatments that will help our children live longer, 
healthier lives.
  With the majority of this chamber as co-sponsors, this bill shows 
that Congress can come together to make progress for the most 
vulnerable in our society--the thousands of children and families 
impacted by cancer. It is also a testament of passionate advocacy--
those who fight hard so another child's life is not robbed too early 
from cancer or so survivors do not have to live with physical and 
psychological effects of harmful treatments. I want to thank all the 
advocates who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes and who 
have helped us get this vital bill to the House floor today.
  Lastly, it has been an honor serving as the Co-Chair of the Childhood 
Cancer Caucus with Congressman Mike McCaul and want to welcome the new 
Co-Chairs for next Congress: Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Congressman 
G. K. Butterfield, and Congressman Mike Kelly.
  I strongly support passage of the STAR Act and urge my colleagues to 
vote in favor of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 3381, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




               EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR HEALTH OUTCOMES ACT

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 2873) to require studies and reports examining the use of, and 
opportunities to use, technology-enabled collaborative learning and 
capacity building models to improve programs of the Department of 
Health and Human Services, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2873

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Expanding Capacity for 
     Health Outcomes Act'' or the ``ECHO Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Health professional shortage area.--The term ``health 
     professional shortage area'' means a health professional 
     shortage area designated under section 332 of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e).
       (2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
     Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
       (3) Medically underserved area.--The term ``medically 
     underserved area'' has the meaning given the term ``medically 
     underserved community'' in section 799B of the Public Health 
     Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p).
       (4) Medically underserved population.--The term ``medically 
     underserved population'' has the meaning given the term in 
     section 330(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     254b(b)).
       (5) Native americans.--The term ``Native Americans'' has 
     the meaning given the term in section 736 of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293) and includes Indian tribes 
     and tribal organizations.
       (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services.
       (7) Technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity 
     building model.--The term ``technology-enabled collaborative 
     learning and capacity building model'' means a distance 
     health education model that connects specialists with 
     multiple other health care professionals through simultaneous 
     interactive videoconferencing for the

[[Page 15835]]

     purpose of facilitating case-based learning, disseminating 
     best practices, and evaluating outcomes.
       (8) Tribal organization.--The term ``tribal organization'' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian 
     Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
     5304).

     SEC. 3. EXAMINATION AND REPORT ON TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED 
                   COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND CAPACITY BUILDING 
                   MODELS.

       (a) Examination.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall examine technology-
     enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models 
     and their impact on--
       (A) addressing mental and substance use disorders, chronic 
     diseases and conditions, prenatal and maternal health, 
     pediatric care, pain management, and palliative care;
       (B) addressing health care workforce issues, such as 
     specialty care shortages and primary care workforce 
     recruitment, retention, and support for lifelong learning;
       (C) the implementation of public health programs, including 
     those related to disease prevention, infectious disease 
     outbreaks, and public health surveillance;
       (D) the delivery of health care services in rural areas, 
     frontier areas, health professional shortage areas, and 
     medically underserved areas, and to medically underserved 
     populations and Native Americans; and
       (E) addressing other issues the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.
       (2) Consultation.--In the examination required under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult public and private 
     stakeholders with expertise in using technology-enabled 
     collaborative learning and capacity building models in health 
     care settings.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
     of Representatives, and post on the appropriate website of 
     the Department of Health and Human Services, a report based 
     on the examination under subsection (a).
       (2) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
     shall include findings from the examination under subsection 
     (a) and each of the following:
       (A) An analysis of--
       (i) the use and integration of technology-enabled 
     collaborative learning and capacity building models by health 
     care providers;
       (ii) the impact of such models on health care provider 
     retention, including in health professional shortage areas in 
     the States and communities in which such models have been 
     adopted;
       (iii) the impact of such models on the quality of, and 
     access to, care for patients in the States and communities in 
     which such models have been adopted;
       (iv) the barriers faced by health care providers, States, 
     and communities in adopting such models;
       (v) the impact of such models on the ability of local 
     health care providers and specialists to practice to the full 
     extent of their education, training, and licensure, including 
     the effects on patient wait times for specialty care; and
       (vi) efficient and effective practices used by States and 
     communities that have adopted such models, including 
     potential cost-effectiveness of such models.
       (B) A list of such models that have been funded by the 
     Secretary in the 5 years immediately preceding such report, 
     including the Federal programs that have provided funding for 
     such models.
       (C) Recommendations to reduce barriers for using and 
     integrating such models, and opportunities to improve 
     adoption of, and support for, such models as appropriate.
       (D) Opportunities for increased adoption of such models 
     into programs of the Department of Health and Human Services 
     that are in existence as of the report.
       (E) Recommendations regarding the role of such models in 
     continuing medical education and lifelong learning, including 
     the role of academic medical centers, provider organizations, 
     and community providers in such education and lifelong 
     learning.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2873, the Expanding 
Capacity for Health Outcomes Act, also known as the ECHO Act. This 
bipartisan legislation by Senators Hatch and Schatz passed the Senate 
97-0 on November 29. House companion legislation has been introduced 
and championed by Representative Matsui and me.
  This legislation requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to examine technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity 
building models and their impact on the healthcare workforce, the 
implementation of public health programs, and the delivery of health 
services in rural and underserved areas to underserved populations. The 
bill would require the Secretary to consult with public and private 
stakeholders with expertise in these delivery models to evaluate their 
potential and larger adoption in States and within the Federal 
Government.
  Within 2 years, the Secretary then would submit to Congress and 
publicly post a report that includes an analysis of these programs 
which utilize technology in a novel manner. One such method these 
programs may employ is using a hub-and-spoke approach to connecting 
specialty and primary care workers for health surveillance and proper 
intervention. This holds particular promise for rural and underserved 
areas where it can be difficult to recruit and retain health 
professionals but could offer opportunities for continuing provider 
education and engagement.
  This legislation enjoys broad bipartisan support. It has been 
endorsed by a number of health professional organizations, including 
America's Essential Hospitals, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the 
American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, and the 
National Association of Community Health Centers, to name but a few.
  This legislation does not impact direct spending or revenues. It 
offers a means by which to evaluate successful models in the private 
sector and opportunities to build upon them and adopt them if 
successful.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 2873.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2873, the ECHO Act, that I 
co-led with my colleague Representative Burgess in the House and 
Senators Hatch and Schatz in the Senate.
  The ECHO Act elevates the successful Project ECHO model, which uses 
technology to remotely connect healthcare providers to one another so 
they can communicate best practices and new techniques.
  UC Davis Medical Center, in my district of Sacramento, has some of 
the best and brightest doctors, and they are working hard to share 
their expertise across our region and the country. We are also 
fortunate in Sacramento to have a strong safety net of top-notch 
community health centers that work to provide the primary care needs of 
underserved populations. However, primary care is a big job, and often 
these providers have not received the education or training they need 
in specialty areas such as pain management.

                              {time}  1300

  UC Davis is successfully partnering with over 125 community health 
centers in California, to provide that collaborative education on 
responsible and safe pain management, resulting in increased use of 
evidence-based tools and reduced prescriptions for high-dose opioids. 
Better understanding of pain and effective pain management will 
contribute toward combating our Nation's devastating opioid abuse and 
heroin epidemic.
  This Project ECHO bill is a first step in scaling approaches like 
this nationwide to ensure that every provider has access to the best 
information on a variety of topics, from pain to addiction, 
dermatology, infectious diseases, neurology, and much more.
  We need to build on this progress to ensure that we are harnessing 
the power of technology to improve patient care and save lives. I urge 
my colleagues to support S. 2873.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Burgess for his work on 
this, and I urge my colleagues to send S.

[[Page 15836]]

2873 to the President's desk for signature.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, only 10 percent of physicians practice in rural areas in 
this country, but those areas contain 25 percent of the population. 
Obviously, there is a mismatch.
  Access to care in underserved areas is especially challenging for 
patients with chronic or complex conditions. Overburdened primary care 
providers often will have to refer complex patients to hospitals or 
specialists for care that actually could just as well be delivered at 
home. These unnecessary referrals delay care and increase costs for 
patients in the system. The Project Extension for Community Health 
Outcomes, or Project ECHO, is one example of an innovative model that 
is being used to address this challenge.
  Project ECHO uses interactive videoconferencing to link specialist 
teams with primary care providers in medical education clinics that 
include didactic teaching and case-based learning.
  Project ECHO has equipped local providers across the country with the 
extraordinary skills necessary to take on healthcare challenges 
threatening our communities. Project ECHO has been used to increase the 
number of docs able to prescribe for opioid abuse, to rapidly educate 
providers on public health crises, such as a novel flu outbreak, and to 
train providers to address complex mental health disorders.
  This bipartisan, bicameral bill has broad support from healthcare 
providers and systems. It passed the Senate 97-0 last week. Again, I 
want to thank Congresswoman Matsui of California for her partnership on 
the bill. I encourage my colleagues to support its passage.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 
2873, Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act, which would increase 
access to health care services in rural areas.
  This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to 
study the Project ECHO model, which launched a revolutionary long 
distance health care model that uses videoconferencing for 
collaboration and case-learning.
  The Project ECHO model has proven to be successful in bringing much 
needed health care to some of our nation's most remote regions.
  By taking study of this model to the national level, we have the 
opportunity to fully harness emerging technologies to transform the way 
health care is practiced.
  As a life long health care professional from a district with rural 
and underserved areas, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to 
provide access to high quality health care to these areas.
  Connecting primary care providers with specialists through video 
streaming helps bridge the gap in both distance and access, reducing 
travel and costs for both patient and provider alike.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation so that we can 
continue working to provide specialty care to all Americans across the 
nation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 2873.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




          IMPROVING BROADBAND ACCESS FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2016

  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 6394) to require the Federal Communications Commission to submit 
to Congress a report on promoting broadband Internet access service for 
veterans.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6394

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Broadband Access 
     for Veterans Act of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. REPORT ON PROMOTING BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE 
                   FOR VETERANS.

       (a) Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term ``veteran'' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, 
     United States Code.
       (b) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications 
     Commission shall submit to Congress a report on promoting 
     broadband Internet access service for veterans, in particular 
     low-income veterans and veterans residing in rural areas. In 
     such report, the Commission shall--
       (1) examine such access and how to promote such access; and
       (2) provide findings and recommendations for Congress with 
     respect to such access and how to promote such access.
       (c) Public Notice and Opportunity To Comment.--In preparing 
     the report required by subsection (b), the Commission shall 
     provide the public with notice and an opportunity to comment 
     on broadband Internet access service for veterans, in 
     particular low-income veterans and veterans residing in rural 
     areas, and how to promote such access.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6394, the Improving 
Broadband Access for Veterans Act of 2016.
  Our veterans face unique and difficult challenges upon their return 
home from service, but access to broadband Internet service should not 
be one. Broadband access can help equip our veterans with the tools 
necessary to be successful in today's 21st century economy, and that is 
why I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense, 
nonpartisan bill.
  H.R. 6394 simply requires the Federal Communications Commission to 
submit a report to Congress on ways to better improve access to 
broadband for our Nation's veterans; in particular, low-income veterans 
and veterans living in rural areas.
  We as legislators will be able to make better informed policy 
decisions based upon the recommendations made in the report and, 
thereby, help ensure our veterans have access to such a fundamental 
tool in today's economy. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 
6394.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6394, the Improving Broadband 
Access for Veterans Act of 2016.
  I thank my colleagues, Mr. McNerney, who will be speaking very 
shortly, and Mr. Kinzinger, both colleagues on the Energy and Commerce 
Committee with myself and Mr. Latta. Both of them have had a focus on 
how the Internet with be helpful to veterans. Obviously, Internet is 
really helpful to all of us, but veterans have some special challenges, 
and we have a special obligation to veterans.
  This legislation is absolutely focused on the obligation that we have 
to try to help our veterans have access to the Internet. That is 
especially important in rural areas, something very close to the heart 
of Mr. Latta and me.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. McNerney), the cosponsor of this bill with Mr. 
Kinzinger, and a wonderful colleague on the Energy and Commerce 
Committee.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Vermont 
for his work on this, and my colleague from Ohio, and also Mr. 
Kinzinger from Illinois for his work.
  My bill, H.R. 6394, sets us on a path of working to close the digital 
divide for

[[Page 15837]]

veterans. Access to broadband Internet service provides an important 
resource for the more than 20 million veterans across our Nation, with 
the highest population residing in my State of California.
  Having a broadband Internet connection helps veterans apply for jobs 
more easily, obtain necessary vocational training, and communicate with 
friends and family. It lets them keep up with current events. It gives 
them access to healthcare services. And they can get important 
information about their benefits and military records. Without 
broadband Internet access, it is difficult to fully participate in 
today's society.
  Veterans face many challenges when they return home. Not having 
Internet access makes what is already an incredibly tough transition 
process even harder. This is particularly likely to be the case for 
low-income veterans and veterans living in rural areas.
  Although we lack data on the number of veterans with broadband 
Internet access, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center 
both report that broadband adoption rates are significantly lower among 
Americans who live at or below the Federal poverty level.
  An analysis by the National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce further finds that 
broadband adoption rates in rural areas of the country are lower than 
they are in urban areas.
  We must find ways to ensure that veterans, especially the more than 
1.4 million living below the Federal poverty level and the 5.3 million 
residing in rural areas, are not left behind. This is why my bill 
directs the Federal Communications Commission to examine the current 
state of broadband access for veterans and what can be done to increase 
access, with a focus on low-income veterans and veterans residing in 
rural areas. The findings and recommendations from the report will be 
important for paving the way to get more veterans connected.
  Again, I want to thank my cosponsor, Mr. Kinzinger, for his support, 
and I urge my colleagues to vote for the bill.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, there are more than 20 million veterans across the 
Nation, and every single one of them deserves access to broadband 
Internet. This bill can help give Congress the information it needs to 
help improve the lives of our veterans, and I urge all of my colleagues 
for their support of the gentleman's legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
6394, the Improving Broadband Access for Veterans Act of 2016.
  The First District of Georgia is blessed to be home to four of our 
military's fantastic installations and more importantly, to the great 
men and women who choose to serve our country.
  Our military's greatest strength is found in those individuals who 
have chosen to defend our freedoms and our values.
  Those veterans bring a wealth of information and experience to the 
civilian sector that benefits innovation and those who are exposed to 
it.
  This bill requires the FCC to submit to Congress a report on the 
promotion of broadband access for veterans with a focus on low-income 
veterans and those living in rural areas.
  By ensuring those veterans have access to high-speed broadband, that 
determination and hard-working spirit found in so many veterans that 
I've met can be fostered and grown.
  I want to thank Congressman McNerney, Congressman Kinzinger and the 
rest of the Energy and Commerce Committee for their hard work on such 
an important issue for the growth of our veteran community.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 6394.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________




 EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE THAT ACCESS TO DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS 
             AND CONNECTIVITY IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE YOUTH

  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 939) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that access to digital communications tools and 
connectivity is necessary to prepare youth in the United States to 
compete in the 21st century economy.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 939

       Whereas the United States should lead the world in 
     providing high-quality education and opportunities to its 
     citizens;
       Whereas digital skills are essential for education and 
     preparing citizens for the economy of the future;
       Whereas, on a daily basis, teachers across the country 
     assign homework that requires Internet access to be 
     completed;
       Whereas there are 5,000,000 households with school-age 
     children in the United States that do not have high-speed 
     Internet access at home and fall into what is known as the 
     ``homework gap'';
       Whereas a disproportionate number of students without high-
     speed Internet access at home reside in low-income and 
     minority households;
       Whereas students and families in rural areas face 
     additional challenges when homework requires Internet access 
     that is out of reach;
       Whereas every student deserves an opportunity at 21st 
     century success;
       Whereas participation in the classroom can be improved when 
     all students are equipped with the tools to complete their 
     homework;
       Whereas educators can increase the use of cutting-edge 
     education technology and digital learning resources when 
     those resources remain accessible during out-of-school hours;
       Whereas data show that students have received lower grades 
     and been unable to complete their assignments because of 
     their lack of Internet access at home;
       Whereas improved student access to postsecondary education 
     and workforce opportunities can be made possible by 
     increasing the ability of students to apply for employment, 
     postsecondary education, and financial aid opportunities;
       Whereas leaders in the public and private sectors have 
     recognized that the homework gap is an issue of national 
     importance and partnered to find cooperative solutions to 
     address it; and
       Whereas instilling digital skills and the knowledge to 
     succeed in the 21st century economy in the Nation's students 
     is vital to the Nation's global competitiveness: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that access to digital communications tools 
     and connectivity is necessary to prepare youth in the United 
     States to compete in the 21st century economy.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I am pleased to support another resolution from 
our colleagues from across the aisle.
  Broadband and the Internet have become nearly indispensable parts of 
our 21st century economy. Whether it is bringing the world's 
information to your fingertips or connecting you to people around the 
world, it is increasingly clear that improved access to the Internet is 
a vital part of our digital future, and particularly so for our 
Nation's children.
  This resolution affirms the commitment of the House of 
Representatives to ensuring all Americans, particularly

[[Page 15838]]

students, have the tools they need to succeed. As members of the 
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Democrats and 
Republicans alike firmly espouse the goal of bringing broadband access 
to all children of the United States.
  I thank the gentleman from Vermont for shining a light on this 
important issue, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 
939.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, here is the situation: our kids are going to school, 
they are getting homework, and 70 percent of the teachers assign 
homework that presumes access to the Internet, but many of our kids 
don't have access to the Internet.
  About 5 million, or one-third of households with school age children 
in the U.S., lack a high-speed connection at home. That is the 
``homework gap.'' It creates a lot of anxiety, as well as some 
inability to get the homework done. And the anxiety for these kids is 
that they go home, they have got an assignment, they want to do it, and 
they don't have the tools. It puts enormous pressure on the parents.
  We have seen some reports where, in order to address this outside of 
the school, they will park buses that have high-speed Internet access, 
and the parents will bring the kids back to school and sit outside 
while the kids sit on the bus where they have the homework connection.
  That is asking a lot of our parents, it is asking a lot of our kids, 
and this resolution is just acknowledging what I think we all know is 
the obvious. That is, if kids are going to have a shot at getting 
ahead, if they are going to be able to do their homework, we have got 
to get that Internet access out in the area so we don't have 5 million 
kids without it.

                              {time}  1315

  It is such a real problem when you get into the rural areas, and that 
is where Mr. Latta and I know that, and the reason is because extending 
the broadband out into the rural areas is economically more of a 
challenge for some of our companies.
  We believe that, ultimately, we have got to have Internet access, 
much like we did with electricity, where we make a policy that says we 
are getting that broadband to the last mile. This resolution 
demonstrates an ongoing bipartisan commitment to achieve that goal. I 
know, Mr. Speaker, you have a lot of rural areas in your district as 
well.
  I urge my colleagues to support this, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman from Vermont. I 
know we have worked for well over a year now on rural issues on the 
committee, and I appreciate his leadership on that. I also thank the 
gentleman for working across the aisle with us to highlight this 
important need.
  American students must have every tool to prepare themselves for an 
increasingly competitive future, and I hope that my colleagues will 
join me in support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this 
resolution, which would express the sense of the House of 
Representatives that students everywhere should have access to digital 
tools that will help to further their education in the 21st century 
economy.
  This resolution expresses the sense of the House that the United 
States should be leading the world in proving the digital tools 
necessary to succeed and create new opportunities.
  Nearly 5 million households in the United States do not have high-
speed internet, meaning those households don't have access to an 
increasingly important aspect of a modern education.
  By increasing access to millions of children around the country, we 
take a step forward in promoting a 21st century education.
  This would also improve the global competitiveness of the United 
States as countries around the world increasingly promote broadband 
access in their educational systems.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to expand possibilities 
for children and to create an environment in which we can incentivize 
growth and new opportunities.
  I thank the Energy and Commerce Committee and Congressman Welch for 
their hard work and diligence on this issue.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 939.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________




   EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE WITH RESPECT TO THIRD-PARTY CHARGES ON 
                        CONSUMER TELEPHONE BILLS

  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 932) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives with respect to third-party charges on consumer 
telephone bills.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 932

       Whereas telephone companies are required to permit third 
     parties to bill for services on a consumer's monthly 
     telephone bill in certain circumstances;
       Whereas ``cramming'' is the act of placing unauthorized 
     charges on a wireline, wireless, or bundled services 
     telephone bill of a consumer;
       Whereas the Federal Communications Commission estimates 
     that cramming has harmed tens of millions of people in the 
     United States; and
       Whereas existing protections against cramming have not 
     prevented harm to consumers: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that protections against cramming should be 
     improved and consumers should be empowered to stop unwanted 
     third-party charges on their telephone bills.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in support of H. Res. 932, a sense of 
Congress offered by our colleague, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. 
Schakowsky).
  The use of third-party billing on consumer telephone bills can 
provide consumers with convenience. Unfortunately, this has also been 
an area that has resulted in consumer fraud.
  I agree with the gentlewoman that we should support efforts to 
provide consumers with tools to protect themselves from experiencing 
unauthorized charges on their phone bills. Though there are existing 
protections in place that prohibit so-called cramming, it is clear that 
more needs to be done to ensure that America's consumers aren't footing 
the bills for these unauthorized and illegal charges from third-party 
vendors.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 932, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Consumer fraud continues, and oftentimes it is individuals figuring 
out how to use the Internet to get access to

[[Page 15839]]

your bills and cram charges. Sometimes it is even companies with 
respected reputations that somehow go awry and then end up ripping off 
their customers.
  It is bad in two respects. One is that it costs money that consumers 
don't have. I mean, most folks are trying to make ends meet and it is 
pretty tough.
  The second is that it really undercuts the confidence that I think a 
consumer wants to have and is entitled to have, that when they are 
putting their money out, they are being treated right, they are being 
treated fairly.
  This resolution has been sponsored by Congresswoman Schakowsky, and I 
have got to say that we are lucky in this Congress to have her for all 
these years leading the charge on consumer issues. She is vigilant, she 
is tough, and she is fair. Congresswoman Schakowsky brought this to the 
attention of this body, and I urge that all of us support this 
resolution. I want to acknowledge my gratitude for her work over the 
years as an untiring consumer advocate.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman 
from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, both for yielding 
and for his kind words. I appreciate that.
  I also thank my colleague across the aisle for his support for this 
resolution.
  H. Res. 932 calls for action on unauthorized phone charges slipped 
onto consumer phone bills. As my colleague pointed out, that is called 
cramming.
  Charges listed on your phone bill don't necessarily come from your 
phone company. Phone companies allow third parties to place charges on 
phone bills. Sometimes that can be a convenience. If you are texting a 
donation, that charge may also be indicated on your phone bill. 
However, consumers may end up paying charges that they never authorized 
in the first place, and scammers can cram the bill with small fees that 
can add up to significant sums over time.
  The Federal Communications Commission estimates that the placement of 
unauthorized charges, known as cramming, has harmed tens of millions of 
Americans. Most of those phony charges go unnoticed. If you look at 
your phone bill, they may be listed as something vague like ``monthly 
fee'' or ``service charge.''
  My resolution calls for action to stop this fraud. Consumer watchdogs 
have already taken some important steps. In 2014 and 2015, the Federal 
Communications Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 
the Federal Trade Commission, and State attorneys general reached 
settlements with major wireless carriers on cramming. Under those 
settlements, wireless carriers must disclose and obtain consumer 
consent for third-party charges on their customers' wireless bills.
  While those settlements were an important step, we still have gaps in 
our consumer protections. The cramming settlement only covers wireless 
customers, and those protections are time-limited. Landline customers 
are only protected if their phone company takes action voluntarily.
  So consumers really do need strong, ongoing protections against 
cramming, regardless of which phone company they use and whether they 
purchase wireless, landline, or bundled phone services. That is why we 
offer this resolution expressing the sentiment of the House that 
protections against cramming should be improved and consumers should be 
empowered to stop unwanted charges.
  Again, this resolution is only a first step. I urge every phone 
company to ensure that their customers understand and consent to any 
extra charges placed on their phone bills.
  In the next Congress, I am hopeful that the Energy and Commerce 
Committee push for stronger cramming protections through hearings and, 
when necessary, legislation.
  As we take this important first step, I do want to thank my 
cosponsors on this resolution: Congressman Gene Green, a member of the 
Communications and Technology Subcommittee; Congressman Grijalva; 
Congressman Honda; and Congresswoman Bustos.
  I also thank Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone on the full 
Committee, and Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Eshoo on the 
Communications and Technology Subcommittee for working with us to bring 
this resolution to the floor.
  Today I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I look 
forward to working with all of you to realize this resolution's goal: 
No more phony charges.
  Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 932, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with 
respect to third-party charges on consumer telephone bills.
  This legislation resolves that it is the sense of the House that 
protections against cramming, which is the act of placing unauthorized 
charges on a telephone bill, should be improved. It is an effort to 
bring to light the form of fraud called cramming and its effect on 
consumers' bills.
  Many of our Nation's major telecommunications providers have 
recognized this issue and have made strides in increasing protections 
for consumers. By passing this resolution, we are taking one step 
closer to protecting consumers from fraudulent activities and ensuring 
that those who are vulnerable in our society are no longer susceptible 
to scammers.
  We must continue to address these cases of fraud head on, and I look 
forward to working with my colleagues on this issue and others.
  I applaud the Energy and Commerce Committee for their work on this 
important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This is another area where I am proud to join my colleagues in 
showing the bipartisan work that has been the hallmark of the Energy 
and Commerce Committee.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois for her leadership on this 
issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 932.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




                  NATIONAL PARK SERVICE CENTENNIAL ACT

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 4680) to prepare the National Park Service for its 
Centennial in 2016 and for a second century of promoting and protecting 
the natural, historic, and cultural resources of our National Parks for 
the enjoyment of present and future generations, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4680

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``National 
     Park Service Centennial Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.

            TITLE I--NATIONAL PARK CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE FUND

Sec. 101. National Park Centennial Challenge Fund.
Sec. 102. Comparable pass cost for seniors.

              TITLE II--NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT

Sec. 201. Short title.
Sec. 202. Second Century Endowment for the National Park Service.

           TITLE III--NATIONAL PARK NEXT GENERATION STEWARDS

Sec. 301. National Park Service interpretation and education.

[[Page 15840]]

Sec. 302. Public Land Corps amendments.
Sec. 303. Volunteers in the parks.

             TITLE IV--NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION AUTHORITIES

Sec. 401. Board of directors.
Sec. 402. Authorization of appropriations; use of funds.

                         TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS

Sec. 501. National Historic Preservation Act.
Sec. 502. Award of concession contracts.

   TITLE VI--TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO NATIONAL PARK AND PROGRAM LAWS

Sec. 601. Technical corrections to national park and program laws.

          TITLE VII--VISITOR EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENTS AUTHORITY

Sec. 701. Visitor experience improvements authority.

       TITLE VIII--NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION AMENDMENTS ACT

Sec. 801. Short title.
Sec. 802. Reauthorization of the Historic Preservation Fund.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Challenge fund.--The term ``Challenge Fund'' means the 
     National Park Centennial Challenge Fund established in title 
     I.
       (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the National Park Service.
       (3) Endowment.--The term ``Endowment'' means the Second 
     Century Endowment for the National Park Service established 
     by title II.
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (5) Signature project or program.--The term ``signature 
     project or program'' means any project or program identified 
     by the Secretary as one that will help prepare the national 
     parks for another century of conservation, preservation, and 
     visitor enjoyment.

            TITLE I--NATIONAL PARK CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE FUND

     SEC. 101. NATIONAL PARK CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE FUND.

       (a) In General.--Title 54, United States Code, is amended 
     by inserting after chapter 1033 the following:

        ``CHAPTER 1035--NATIONAL PARK CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE FUND

``103501. Establishment.
``103502. Signature projects and programs.
``103503. Summary to Congress.

     ``Sec. 103501. Establishment

       ``(a) In General.--There is established in the Treasury an 
     account to be known as the National Park Centennial Challenge 
     Fund.
       ``(b) Deposits.--All amounts received by the United States 
     each fiscal year from sales by the National Park Service of 
     National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes under 
     section 805(b)(1) of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement 
     Act that are in excess of $10,000,000 shall be deposited into 
     the National Park Centennial Challenge Fund as offsetting 
     collections and shall remain available to the Secretary until 
     expended.
       ``(c) Use of Funds.--Funds collected and deposited into the 
     National Park Centennial Challenge Fund--
       ``(1) shall be used for projects or programs approved by 
     the Secretary to further the mission of the Service and to 
     enhance the visitor experience in System units;
       ``(2) may not be used to acquire lands or interest in 
     lands; and
       ``(3) may only be used if matched, on at least a 1-to-1 
     basis, by non-Federal donations (including funds and fairly 
     valued durable goods and materials) to the Service for 
     signature projects or programs.
       ``(d) Limitation on Source of Funds for Matching.--Amounts 
     derived from the Second Century Endowment for the National 
     Park Service shall not be treated as non-Federal donations 
     for purposes of subsection (c)(3).

     ``Sec. 103502. Signature projects and programs

       ``(a) List.--The Secretary shall--
       ``(1) develop a list of signature projects and programs 
     eligible for funding from the National Park Centennial 
     Challenge Fund;
       ``(2) submit the list developed pursuant to paragraph (1) 
     to the Committees on Appropriations and Energy and Natural 
     Resources in the United States Senate, and to the Committees 
     on Appropriations and Natural Resources in the House of 
     Representatives; and
       ``(3) prioritize deferred maintenance projects, physical 
     improvements to visitor services facilities and trail 
     maintenance.
       ``(b) Updates.--The Secretary may, from time to time, as 
     the Secretary finds appropriate, add any signature project or 
     program to the list and provide notice of such addition as 
     required by subsection (a).

     ``Sec. 103503. Summary to Congress

       ``The Secretary shall provide with the submission of the 
     President's annual budget a summary of the status and funding 
     of signature projects and programs.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections of title 
     54, United States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 
     1033 the following:

``1035. National Park Centennial Challenge Fund........................
103501''.

     SEC. 102. COMPARABLE PASS COST FOR SENIORS.

        The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 
     6801, Public Law 108-447, division J, title VIII) is amended 
     in section 805(b)(1)--
       (1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting:
       ``(A) The Secretary'';
       (2) by striking ``, at a cost of $10.00,'';
       (3) by striking ``shall be valid for the lifetime of the 
     pass holder.'' and inserting the following: ``shall be 
     available--
       ``(i) for a period of 12 months from the date of the 
     issuance, at a cost of $20; and
       ``(ii) for the lifetime of the passholder, at a cost equal 
     to the cost of the National Parks and Federal Recreational 
     Lands Pass purchased under subsection (a).''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) The Secretary shall issue a pass under subparagraph 
     (A)(ii), for no additional cost, to any individual who 
     provides evidence, under policies and guidelines determined 
     by the Secretary, that the individual has purchased a pass 
     under subparagraph (A)(i) for each of the 4 years prior to 
     being issued a pass under this subparagraph.''.

              TITLE II--NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT

     SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``National Park Foundation 
     Endowment Act''.

     SEC. 202. SECOND CENTURY ENDOWMENT FOR THE NATIONAL PARK 
                   SERVICE.

       (a) Second Century Endowment.--Chapter 1011 of title 54, 
     United States Code, is amended by inserting at the end the 
     following:

     ``Sec. 101121. Second Century Endowment for the National Park 
       Service

       ``(a) Second Century Endowment.--To further the mission of 
     the Service, the National Park Foundation shall establish a 
     special account to be known as the `Second Century Endowment 
     for the National Park Service'.
       ``(1) Funds for the endowment.--The following shall apply 
     to the Endowment:
       ``(A) From amounts received by the United States each 
     fiscal year from sales by the National Park Service of 
     Federal Recreational Lands Passes under section 805(b)(1) of 
     the Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Act, $10,000,000 
     shall be deposited into the Endowment.
       ``(B) In addition to deposits otherwise authorized, the 
     Endowment shall consist of any gifts, devises, or bequests 
     that are provided to the National Park Foundation for such 
     purpose.
       ``(C) The National Park Foundation shall deposit any funds 
     received for the Endowment in a federally insured interest-
     bearing account or may invest funds in appropriate security 
     obligations, as directed by the Board of Directors.
       ``(D) Any accrued interest or dividends earned on funds 
     received for the Endowment shall be added to the principal 
     and form a part of the Endowment.
       ``(2) Use of funds.--
       ``(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), funds in the 
     Endowment shall be available to the National Park Foundation 
     as offsetting collections for projects and activities 
     approved by the Secretary that further the mission and 
     purposes of the Service.
       ``(B) Gifts, devises, or bequests in the endowment under 
     paragraph (1)(A), and any accrued interest or dividends 
     earned thereon, shall be available to the National Park 
     Foundation for projects and activities approved by the 
     Secretary that further the mission and purposes of the 
     Service.
       ``(C) In administering the Endowment each fiscal year, the 
     National Park Foundation shall be guided by the District of 
     Columbia Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds 
     Act of 2007 (D.C. Code Sec.  44-1631 et seq.), including 
     section 44-1633 on expenditures.
       ``(D) No Federal funds received for the Endowment may be 
     used by the National Park Foundation for administrative 
     expenses of the Foundation, including for salaries, travel 
     and transportation expenses, and other overhead expenses.
       ``(b) Summary.--Beginning 2 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this section, the National Park Foundation shall 
     include with its annual report a summary of the status of the 
     Endowment. The summary shall include--
       ``(1) a statement of the amounts deposited in the Endowment 
     during the fiscal year;
       ``(2) the amount of the balance remaining in the Endowment 
     at the end of the fiscal year; and
       ``(3) a description of the sums and purposes of the 
     expenditures made from the Endowment for the fiscal year.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
     chapter 1011 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by 
     inserting at the end the following:

``101121. Second Century Endowment for the National Park Service.''.

           TITLE III--NATIONAL PARK NEXT GENERATION STEWARDS

     SEC. 301. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION.

       (a) In General.--Title 54, United States Code, is amended 
     by inserting after chapter 1007 the following:

              ``CHAPTER 1008--EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION

``100801. Definitions.

[[Page 15841]]

``100802. Interpretation and education authority.
``100803. Interpretation and education evaluation and quality 
              improvement.
``100804. Improved use of partners and volunteers in interpretation and 
              education.

     ``Sec. 100801. Definitions

       ``As used in this chapter:
       ``(1) Interpretation.--The term `interpretation'--
       ``(A) means providing opportunities for people to form 
     intellectual and emotional connections to gain awareness, 
     appreciation, and understanding of the resources of the 
     System; and
       ``(B) may refer to the professional career field of Service 
     employees, volunteers, and partners who interpret the 
     resources of the System.
       ``(2) Education.--The term `education' means enhancing 
     public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the 
     resources of the System through learner-centered, place-based 
     materials, programs, and activities that achieve specific 
     learning objectives as identified in a curriculum.
       ``(3) Related areas.--The term `related areas' means--
       ``(A) national wild and scenic rivers and national trails;
       ``(B) national heritage areas; and
       ``(C) affiliated areas administered in connection with the 
     System.

     ``Sec. 100802. Interpretation and education authority

       ``The Secretary shall ensure that management of System 
     units and related areas is enhanced by the availability and 
     use of a broad program of the highest quality interpretation 
     and education.

     ``Sec. 100803. Interpretation and education evaluation and 
       quality improvement

       ``The Secretary may undertake a program of regular 
     evaluation of interpretation and education programs to ensure 
     that they--
       ``(1) adjust to how people learn and engage with the 
     natural world and shared heritage as embodied in the System;
       ``(2) reflect different cultural backgrounds, ages, 
     education, gender, abilities, ethnicity, and needs;
       ``(3) demonstrate innovative approaches to management and 
     appropriately incorporate emerging learning and 
     communications technology; and
       ``(4) reflect current scientific and academic research, 
     content, methods, and audience analysis.

     ``Sec. 100804. Improved use of partners and volunteers in 
       interpretation and education

       ``The Secretary may--
       ``(1) coordinate with park partners and volunteers in the 
     delivery of quality programs and services to supplement those 
     provided by the Service as part of a park's Long Range 
     Interpretive Plan;
       ``(2) support interpretive partners by providing 
     opportunities to participate in interpretive training; and
       ``(3) collaborate with other Federal and non-Federal public 
     or private agencies, organizations, or institutions for the 
     purposes of developing, promoting, and making available 
     educational opportunities related to resources of the System 
     and programs.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of chapters at the 
     beginning of title 54, United States Code, is amended by 
     inserting after the item relating to chapter 1007 the 
     following new item:

``1008. Education and Interpretation......................100801''.....

     SEC. 302. PUBLIC LAND CORPS AMENDMENTS.

       The Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (Public Law 91-378, as 
     amended; 16 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 203(10)(A) (16 U.S.C. 1722(10)(A)), by 
     striking ``25'' and inserting ``30'';
       (2) in section 204(b) (16 U.S.C. 1723(b)), by striking 
     ``25'' and inserting ``30''; and
       (3) in section 207(c)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1726(c)(2)), by 
     striking ``120 days'' and inserting ``2 years''.

     SEC. 303. VOLUNTEERS IN THE PARKS.

       Subject to the availability of appropriations, section 
     102301(d) of title 54, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking ``not more than $7,000,000'' and inserting ``not 
     more than $9,000,000''.

             TITLE IV--NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION AUTHORITIES

     SEC. 401. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

       Chapter 1011 of title 54, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in section 101112--
       (A) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
       ``(a) Membership.--The National Park Foundation shall 
     consist of a Board having as members no fewer than 6 private 
     citizens of the United States appointed by the Secretary. The 
     Secretary and the Director shall be non-voting members of the 
     Board, ex officio.''; and
       (B) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
       ``(c) Chairman.--The Chairman shall be elected by the Board 
     from its members for a two-year term.''; and
       (2) in section 101113(a)--
       (A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
       (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) Coordination with service.--Activities of the 
     National Park Foundation under paragraph (1) shall be 
     undertaken after consultation with the Director to ensure 
     that those activities are consistent with the programs and 
     policies of the Service.''.

     SEC. 402. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; USE OF FUNDS.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations; Use of Funds.--Chapter 
     1011 of title 54, United States Code, is further amended by 
     adding after section 101121 the following:

     ``Sec. 101122. Authorization of appropriations; use of funds

       ``(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subchapter 
     $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2023.
       ``(b) Use of Funds.--Funds made available under subsection 
     (a)--
       ``(1) may be advanced each fiscal year to the National Park 
     Foundation in a lump sum without regard to when expenses are 
     incurred;
       ``(2) shall be provided to the National Park Foundation for 
     use to match contributions (whether in currency, services, or 
     property) made to the Foundation;
       ``(3) may not be used by the National Park Foundation for 
     administrative expenses of the Foundation, including for 
     salaries, travel and transportation expenses, and other 
     overhead expenses; and
       ``(4) may not be deposited by the National Park Foundation 
     into any fund that will be invested or earn interest in any 
     way.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
     chapter 1011 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by 
     inserting at the end the following:

``101122. Authorization of appropriations; use of funds.''.

                         TITLE V--MISCELLANEOUS

     SEC. 501. NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT.

       (a) Additional Member.--Section 304101(a) of title 54, 
     United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), (10), and (11) as 
     paragraphs (9), (10), (11), and (12), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
       ``(8) The General Chairman of the National Association of 
     Tribal Historic Preservation Officers.''.
       (b) Full-Time Chairman.--Section 304101 of title 54, United 
     States Code, is further amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections 
     (f) and (g), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
       ``(e) Chairman.--(1) After January 20, 2017, the Chairman 
     shall--
       ``(A) be appointed by the President, by and with the advice 
     and consent of the Senate;
       ``(B) serve at the will of the President;
       ``(C) serve full time; and
       ``(D) be compensated at the rate provided for Level V of 
     the Executive Schedule Pay Rates under section 5316 of title 
     5.
       ``(2) The Chairman shall serve for a term of 4 years and 
     may be reappointed once, for a total of not more than 8 years 
     of service as Chairman, except that a Chairman whose 
     appointment has expired under this paragraph shall serve 
     until his or her successor has been appointed. The term of a 
     Chairman shall start (regardless of actual appointment date) 
     on January 20 after each general Presidential election. The 
     first Chairman appointed after the date of enactment of this 
     paragraph shall have a first term commencing on January 20, 
     2017, and ending on January 19, 2021.
       ``(3) The Chairmen before the first appointment of a 
     Chairman in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection 
     shall receive $100 per diem when engaged in the performance 
     of the duties of the Council, and shall receive reimbursement 
     for necessary traveling and subsistence expenses incurred by 
     them in the performance of the duties of the Council.''; and
       (3) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated), by striking 
     ``may act in place'' and inserting ``shall perform the 
     functions''.
       (c) Conforming Changes.--
       (1) Section 304101 of title 54, United States Code, is 
     further amended--
       (A) in subsection (b), by striking ``, (7), and (8)'' and 
     inserting ``and (7) through (9)'';
       (B) in subsection (c)--
       (i) by striking ``under paragraphs (1) and (9) to (11)'' 
     and inserting ``under paragraphs (10) through (12)''; and
       (ii) by striking ``An appointed member may not serve more 
     than 2 terms.'' and inserting ``An appointed member, other 
     than the Chairman of the Council, may not serve more than 2 
     terms.'';
       (C) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated), by striking 
     ``paragraph (5), (6), (9), or (10)'' and inserting 
     ``paragraph (5), (6), (10), or (11)''; and
       (D) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated), by striking 
     ``Twelve members'' and inserting ``Thirteen members''.
       (2) Section 304104 of title 54, United States Code, is 
     amended by inserting after the first sentence the following: 
     ``The Chairman of the Council shall be compensated as 
     provided in subsection (e) of section 304101.''.
       (3) Section 304105(a) of title 54, United States Code, is 
     amended--

[[Page 15842]]

       (A) by striking ``report directly to the Council'' and 
     inserting ``report directly to the Chairman''; and
       (B) by striking ``duties as the Council may prescribe'' and 
     inserting ``duties as the Chairman may prescribe''.
       (4) Section 5316 of title 5, United States Code, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following new item:
       ``Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic 
     Preservation.''.
       (d) Clarification.--Subsection (b) and subsection (d) of 
     section 311103 of title 54, United States Code, are amended 
     by striking ``Council'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``Chairman of the Council''.

     SEC. 502. AWARD OF CONCESSION CONTRACTS.

       Section 101913(9) of title 54, United States Code, is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(9) New or additional services.--The Secretary may 
     propose to amend the applicable terms of an existing 
     concessions contract to provide new and additional services 
     where the Secretary determines the services are necessary and 
     appropriate for public use and enjoyment of the unit of the 
     National Park System in which they are located and are 
     consistent to the highest practicable degree with the 
     preservation and conservation of the resources and values of 
     the unit. Such new and additional services shall not 
     represent a material change to the required and authorized 
     services as set forth in the applicable prospectus or 
     contract.''.

   TITLE VI--TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO NATIONAL PARK AND PROGRAM LAWS

     SEC. 601. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO NATIONAL PARK AND PROGRAM 
                   LAWS.

       (a) Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.--Section 3030 of 
     title XXX of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 
     (Public Law 113-291; 128 Stat. 3766) is amended in the 
     section heading by striking ``national seashore.'' and 
     inserting ``national lakeshore.''.
       (b) Baltimore National Heritage Area.--Title VIII of the 
     Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-
     11, 16 U.S.C. 461 note) is amended--
       (1) in sections 8005(b)(3) and 8005(b)(4) by striking 
     ``Baltimore Heritage Area Association'' and inserting 
     ``Baltimore City Heritage Area Association''; and
       (2) in section 8005(i) by striking ``Effectiveness'' and 
     inserting ``Financial Assistance''.
       (c) Cumberland Island National Seashore.--Section 6(b) of 
     the Act entitled ``An Act to establish the Cumberland Island 
     National Seashore in the State of Georgia, and for other 
     purposes'' (Public Law 92-536; 16 U.S.C. 459i-5) is amended 
     by striking ``physiographic conditions not prevailing'' and 
     inserting ``physiographic conditions now prevailing''.
       (d) Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, New York.--
     Section 3036(d)(4)(B) of title XXX of the Carl Levin and 
     Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291; 128 Stat. 3780) is 
     amended by striking ``section 2(b)(1)'' and inserting 
     ``section 3035''.
       (e) Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical 
     Park, Maryland.--Section 3035(d)(4)(B) of title XXX of the 
     Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291; 
     128 Stat. 3778) is amended by striking ``section 3(b)(1)(A)'' 
     and inserting ``section 3036''.
       (f) Historic Preservation Standards and Guidelines.--
     Section 306131(a)(3) of title 54, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking ``Office of Management and Budget'' and 
     inserting ``Office of Personnel Management''.
       (g) Lava Beds National Monument.--The first section of the 
     Act of October 13, 1972 (Public Law 92-493; 86 Stat. 811) is 
     amended in the first sentence--
       (1) by striking ``That, in'' and inserting ``Section 1. 
     In''; and
       (2) by striking ``ten thousand acres'' and all that follows 
     through the remainder of the sentence and inserting ``10,431 
     acres, as depicted within the proposed wilderness boundary on 
     the map entitled `Lava Beds National Monument, Proposed 
     Wilderness Boundary Adjustment', numbered 147/80,015, and 
     dated September 2005, and those lands within the area 
     generally known as the Schonchin Lava Flow comprising about 
     18,029 acres, as depicted within the proposed wilderness 
     boundary on the map, are designated as wilderness.''.
       (h) Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area.--Section 8009(j) 
     of title VIII of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 
     2009 (Public Law 111-11, 16 U.S.C. 461 note) is amended by 
     striking ``Effectiveness'' and inserting ``Financial 
     Assistance''.
       (i) Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park.--Section 
     3037(a)(1)(c) of title XXX of the Carl Levin and Howard P. 
     ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
     Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291; 128 Stat. 3780) is amended by 
     striking ``numbered T03/120,155, and dated April 2014'' and 
     insert ``numbered T03/120,155A, and dated August 2015''.
       (j) Snake River Headwaters.--Section 5002(c)(1) of the 
     Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-
     11, 123 Stat. 1148, 1149) is amended by striking ``paragraph 
     (205) of section 3(a)'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``paragraph (206) of section 3(a)''.
       (k) Taunton River.--Section 5003(b) of the Omnibus Public 
     Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11, 123 Stat. 
     1152, 1153) is amended by striking ``section 3(a)(206)'' each 
     place it appears and inserting ``section 3(a)(207)''.
       (l) World War I Centennial Commission Act.--Section 
     4(e)(3)(c) of the World War I Centennial Commission Act 
     (Public Law 112-272; 126 Stat. 2449) is amended by striking 
     ``National Parks Service.'' and inserting ``National Park 
     Service.''.

          TITLE VII--VISITOR EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENTS AUTHORITY

     SEC. 701. VISITOR EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENTS AUTHORITY.

       Chapter 1019 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by 
     inserting at the end the following:

          ``SUBCHAPTER III--COMMERCIAL SERVICES AUTHORIZATION

``101931. Contract authority.
``101932. Award of commercial services contracts.
``101933. Term of commercial services contracts.
``101934. Capital improvements.
``101935. Financial management.
``101936. Regulations.
``101937. Savings provision.
``101938. Sunset.

     ``Sec. 101931. Contract authority

       ``(a) General Authority.--Notwithstanding subchapter II, 
     the Secretary may award and administer commercial services 
     contracts (and related professional services contracts) for 
     the operation and expansion of commercial visitor facilities 
     and visitor services programs in System units. The commercial 
     services contracts that may be awarded shall be limited to 
     those that are necessary and appropriate for public use and 
     enjoyment of the unit of the System in which they are 
     located, and, that are consistent with the preservation and 
     conservation of the resources and values of the unit.
       ``(b) Additional Authority.--Contracts may be awarded under 
     subsection (a) without regard to Federal laws and regulations 
     governing procurement by Federal agencies, with the exception 
     of laws and regulations related to Federal government 
     contracts governing working conditions and wage rates, 
     including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 
     (16 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), sections 3141-3144, 3146, and 3147 
     of title 40, United States Code (commonly known as the 
     `Davis-Bacon Act'), and any civil rights provisions otherwise 
     applicable thereto.
       ``(c) Use of Commercial Services Contracts.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may issue a commercial 
     services contract under this subchapter when the Secretary 
     determines that the contract meets the objectives of 
     expanding, modernizing, and improving the condition of 
     commercial visitor facilities and the services provided to 
     visitors.
       ``(2) Exceptions.--No contracts may be awarded under this 
     subchapter--
       ``(A) for the provision of outfitter and guide services 
     described in section 101913(8); or
       ``(B) to authorize the provision of facilities or services 
     for which the Secretary has granted to an existing 
     concessioner a preferential right of renewal as defined in 
     sections 101911 and 101913.

     ``Sec. 101932. Award of commercial services contracts

       ``(a) Competitive Selection Process.--Except as provided in 
     subsection (c), commercial services contracts shall be 
     awarded by the Secretary through a competitive selection 
     process.
       ``(b) Solicitation of Proposals.--Before awarding a new 
     commercial services contract, the Secretary shall publicly 
     solicit proposals for the contract, except as provided in 
     subsection (c). In connection with such solicitation, the 
     Secretary shall prepare a request for proposals and shall 
     publish notice of its availability.

     ``Sec. 101933. Term of commercial services contracts

       ``A commercial services contract entered into pursuant to 
     this title shall be awarded for a term not to exceed 10 
     years.

     ``Sec. 101934. Capital improvements

       ``A person or entity awarded a contract under this 
     subchapter shall receive no leasehold surrender interest, as 
     defined in section 101915, in capital improvements 
     constructed under the terms of the contract.

     ``Sec. 101935. Financial management

       ``(a) Revolving Fund.--There is established a revolving 
     fund that shall be available to the Secretary without fiscal 
     year limitation for--
       ``(1) expenses necessary for the management, improvement, 
     enhancement, operation, construction, and maintenance of 
     commercial visitor services and facilities, and
       ``(2) payment of possessory interest and leasehold 
     surrender interest.
       ``(b) Collection of Funds.--
       ``(1) Funds collected by the Secretary pursuant to the 
     contracts awarded under this subchapter shall be credited to 
     the revolving fund.

[[Page 15843]]

       ``(2) The Secretary is authorized to transfer to the 
     revolving fund, without reimbursement, any additional funds 
     or revenue in connection with the functions to be carried out 
     under this subchapter.
       ``(c) Use of Funds.--Amounts in the revolving fund shall be 
     used by the Secretary in furtherance of the purposes of this 
     title. No funds from this account may be used to decrease the 
     availability of services and programs to the public.

     ``Sec. 101936. Regulations

       ``As soon as practicable after the effective date of this 
     subchapter, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations 
     appropriate for its implementation.

     ``Sec. 101937. Savings provision

       ``Nothing in this subchapter shall modify the terms or 
     conditions of any concessions contracts awarded under 
     subchapter II or the ability of the National Park Service to 
     enter into concessions contracts under the National Park 
     Service Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998 (title 
     IV of Public Law 105-391) including the use of leaseholder 
     surrender interest.

     ``Sec. 101938. Sunset

       ``The authority given to the Secretary under this 
     subchapter shall expire 7 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this subchapter.''.

       TITLE VIII--NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION AMENDMENTS ACT

     SEC. 801. SHORT TITLE.

       This title may be cited as the ``National Historic 
     Preservation Amendments Act''.

     SEC. 802. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND.

       (a) In General.--Section 303102 of title 54, United States 
     Code, is amended by striking ``2015'' and inserting ``2023''.
       (b) Federal Nominations.--Section 302104 of such title is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsections (a) and (b), by striking ``subsection 
     (c)'' and inserting ``subsection (d)'';
       (2) by inserting after subsection (b), the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(c) Nomination by Federal Agency.--Subject to the 
     requirements of section 302107 of this title, the regulations 
     promulgated under section 302103 of this title, and appeal 
     under subsection (d) of this section, the Secretary may 
     accept a nomination directly by a Federal agency for 
     inclusion of property on the National Register only if--
       ``(1) completed nominations are sent to the State Historic 
     Preservation Officer for review and comment regarding the 
     adequacy of the nomination, the significance of the property 
     and its eligibility for the National Register;
       ``(2) within 45 days of receiving the completed nomination, 
     the State Historic Preservation Officer has made a 
     recommendation regarding the nomination to the Federal 
     Preservation Officer, except that failure to meet this 
     deadline shall constitute a recommendation to not support the 
     nomination;
       ``(3) the chief elected officials of the county (or 
     equivalent governmental unit) and municipal political 
     jurisdiction in which the property is located are notified 
     and given 45 days in which to comment;
       ``(4) the Federal Preservation Officer forwards it to the 
     Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places after 
     determining that all procedural requirements have been met, 
     including those in paragraphs (1) through (3) above; the 
     nomination is adequately documented; the nomination is 
     technically and professionally correct and sufficient; and 
     may include an opinion as to whether the property meets the 
     National Register criteria for evaluation;
       ``(5) notice is provided in the Federal Register that the 
     nominated property is being considered for listing on the 
     National Register that includes any comments and the 
     recommendation of the State Historic Preservation Officer and 
     a declaration whether the State Historic Preservation Officer 
     has responded within the 45 day-period of review provided in 
     paragraph (2); and
       ``(6) the Secretary addresses in the Federal Register any 
     comments from the State Historic Preservation Officer that do 
     not support the nomination of the property on the National 
     Register before the property is included in the National 
     Register.''; and
       (3) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d).
       (c) Technical Amendments.--
       (1) Section 303102 of such title is amended by striking 
     ``CONTENTS'' in the heading thereof and inserting 
     ``FUNDING''.
       (2) The table of sections for chapter 3031 of such title is 
     amended by striking the item relating to section 303102 and 
     inserting the following new item:

``303102. Funding.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  August 25, 2016, marked the 100th anniversary of the National Park 
Service; still making it newer than the Antiquities Act, but it was 
their 100th anniversary.
  Today, the Park Service has 400 units covering 84 million acres, but 
they do have some significant problems; namely, a $12 billion backlog 
in their maintenance issues. We seem to add new parks all the time, and 
that makes the Park Service fall further behind in this effort.
  It is fun to create a new national park. It is not sexy to talk about 
fixing a sewer system. So that requires us to be a little bit more 
creative than we have been in the past, and to provide new tools so 
that the Park Service can meet this challenge that they have.
  This bill before us has been crafted in consultation with the Park 
Service, the Park Foundation, and other interested parties. It 
establishes two significant things. One, a new Centennial Challenge 
Fund at the Treasury to help the Park Service maintain and improve 
visitor service facilities. This fund will raise money on a one-to-one 
match between the Federal Government and a private match. Last year in 
appropriations, $15 million was put into this concept and it was 
matched by $33 million in private donations, which is a number that I 
think we will be able to improve on in the future.
  H.R. 4680 also establishes a Second Century Endowment at the National 
Park Foundation, which will allow the private sector to truly work with 
the Park Service in a true public-private partnership.
  It also raises the spending authorization for volunteers in the 
parks. This does not fix all of the National Park Service problems, but 
it is a good start. For their centennial, this is an excellent way to 
move forward into the challenges that they face.
  I will include in the Record exchanges of letters with Chairman Kline 
of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as Chairman 
Conaway of the Committee on Agriculture. We appreciate their 
cooperation in scheduling this bill and any of the others, either by 
unanimous consent or by general leave.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this measure. It is a good measure. I 
reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                                   Washington, DC, April 11, 2016.
     Hon. Rob Bishop,
     Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to review 
     H.R. 4680, the National Park Service Centennial Act. As you 
     are aware, the bill was primarily referred to the Committee 
     on Natural Resources, while the Agriculture Committee 
     received an additional referral.
       I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this 
     legislation before the House in an expeditious manner and, 
     accordingly, I agree to discharge H.R. 4680 from further 
     consideration by the Committee on Agriculture. I do so with 
     the understanding that by discharging the bill, the Committee 
     on Agriculture does not waive any future jurisdictional claim 
     on this or similar matters. Further, the Committee on 
     Agriculture reserves the right to seek the appointment of 
     conferees, if it should become necessary.
       I ask that you insert a copy of our exchange of letters 
     into the Congressional Record during consideration of this 
     measure on the House floor.
       Thank you for your courtesy in this matter and I look 
     forward to continued cooperation between our respective 
     committees.
           Sincerely,
                                               K. Michael Conaway,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Natural Resources,

                                      Washington, DC, May 6, 2016.
     Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
     Chariman, Committee on Agriculture,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: On March 16, 2016, the Committee on 
     Natural Resources ordered favorably reported as I amended 
     H.R. 4680, the National Park Service Centennial Act, by

[[Page 15844]]

     voice vote. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee 
     on Natural Resources, with additional referrals to the 
     Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Education and 
     the Workforce.
       I ask that you allow the Committee on Agriculture to be 
     discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it 
     may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no 
     way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the 
     bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future 
     referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be 
     necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee 
     on Agriculture represented on the conference committee. 
     Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any 
     response in the bill report filed by the Committee on Natural 
     Resources to memorialize our understanding as well as in the 
     Congressional Record.
       Thank you for your consideration of my request and for your 
     continued strong cooperation between our committees.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Rob Bishop,
     Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
                                  ____

         Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of 
           Representatives,
                                     Washington, DC, May 11, 2016.
     Hon. Rob Bishop,
     Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I write to confirm our mutual 
     understanding with respect to H.R. 4680, the National Park 
     Service Centennial Act. Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Education and the Workforce with respect to H.R. 
     4680 on those matters within the Committee's jurisdiction.
       In the interest of expediting the House's consideration of 
     H.R. 4680, the Committee on Education and the Workforce will 
     forgo further consideration of this bill. However, I do so 
     only with the understanding this procedural route will not be 
     construed to prejudice my Committee's jurisdictional interest 
     and prerogatives on this bill or any other similar 
     legislation and will not be considered as precedent for 
     consideration of matters of jurisdictional interest to my 
     Committee in the future.
       I respectfully request your support for the appointment of 
     outside conferees from the Committee on Education and the 
     Workforce should this bill or a similar bill be considered in 
     a conference with the Senate. I also request you include our 
     exchange of letters on this matter in the Committee Report on 
     H.R. 4680 and in the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of this bill on the House Floor. Thank you for 
     your attention to these matters.
           Sincerely,
                                                       John Kline,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Natural Resources,

                                     Washington, DC, May 11, 2016.
     Hon. John Kline,
     Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: On March 16, 2016, the Committee on 
     Natural Resources ordered favorably reported as amended H.R. 
     4680, the National Park Service Centennial Act, by voice 
     vote. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on 
     Natural Resources, with additional referrals to the Committee 
     on Education and the Workforce and Agriculture.
       I ask that you allow the Committee on Education and the 
     Workforce to be discharged from further consideration of the 
     bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This 
     discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the 
     subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as 
     precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a 
     conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your 
     request to have the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
     represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would be 
     pleased to include this letter and any response in the bill 
     report filed by the Committee on Natural Resources to 
     memorialize our understanding as well as in the Congressional 
     Record.
       Thank you for your consideration of my request and for your 
     continued strong cooperation between our committees.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Rob Bishop,
                         Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas).

                              {time}  1330

  Ms. TSONGAS. Throughout this centennial year of the National Park 
Service, I have been reminded of something that Stephen Mather, that 
agency's very first Director, once said. Reflecting on the new agency, 
he remarked: ``The parks do not belong to one State or to one section . 
. . The Yosemite, the Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon are national 
properties in which every citizen has a vested interest; they belong as 
much to the man''--and, I would add, woman--``of Massachusetts, of 
Michigan, of Florida as they do to the people of California, of 
Wyoming, and of Arizona.''
  Those words are a powerful reminder in this era of political division 
and disagreement: national parks are national. They cut across party 
lines and geographic boundaries. They enjoy broad support, and they 
bring people together--something we seem to need now more than ever.
  For 100 years, generation after generation of Americans have made the 
commitment that our most significant historical, cultural, and natural 
sites should be preserved in perpetuity for future generations. Our 
national parks have been famously called ``America's best idea'' and 
have become engrained in our national identity--places like the Grand 
Canyon, Yellowstone, and Ellis Island, and in my own district, Minute 
Man National Historical Park, which commemorates the shot heard `round 
the world, and Lowell National Historical Park, which recognizes the 
people, places, and radical innovation that spawned our Nation's 
industrial revolution.
  These parks protect, they celebrate, and give access to the many 
places that have shaped and defined who we are as a people and a 
country, and it is important to remember that these places would not 
have been protected absent support from the Federal Government.
  Investments in our parks make economic sense. Nationally, the parks 
generate nearly $30 billion in economic activity and support 250,000 
private sector jobs. When people visit our national parks, they also 
support nearby restaurants, hotels, and local outfitters and guides. 
According to a recent economic study conducted by the National Park 
Service, every Federal dollar invested in our parks contributes $10 in 
economic activity.
  The legislation before us today includes several helpful provisions 
as the National Park Service begins its second century. The legislation 
makes a commitment to the Centennial Challenge, a matching grant 
program that leverages Federal dollars to encourage private investments 
to support signature centennial projects that are identified by the 
National Park Service. It also establishes an endowment at the National 
Park Foundation to support the missions and goals of the Park Service, 
makes improvements to the Volunteers-In-Parks program, and helps the 
National Park Service recruit and hire more young and diverse 
Americans.
  This legislation also includes my amendment to ensure that low-income 
seniors retain access to the Senior Pass, a lifetime pass that provides 
entrance to all of our Nation's public lands for people age 62 and 
above. As I am sure my colleagues can attest, seniors in our districts 
living on a very constrained fixed income may struggle to assemble the 
$80 to make a one-time payment to purchase a lifetime Senior Pass. This 
legislation creates a new $20 annual Senior Pass and allows seniors who 
have purchased four of those passes to trade them in and receive a 
lifetime Senior Pass. This amendment ensures that we can appropriately 
balance the need for new revenue for the Centennial Challenge with 
fundamental fairness for all of our Nation's seniors.
  I want to thank Chairman Bishop, Ranking Member Grijalva, and the 
National Park Service for working with me on this provision of the 
bill.
  Despite these successes, no Member of this body should ignore the 
stark reality that this legislation is a missed opportunity. On the 
Natural Resources Committee where I am proud to serve as ranking member 
of the Federal Lands Subcommittee, there is deep frustration and 
dissatisfaction with the $12 million deferred maintenance backlog at 
the National Park Service. Democrats put a centennial bill on the table 
that starts to address this issue, but it never received serious 
consideration by our counterparts in the majority.
  New revenue generated by fees, especially at the expense of our 
Nation's seniors, will not solve the issue of deferred maintenance. In 
the short term, the legislation before us today is a

[[Page 15845]]

good first step, and I support the bill. But Congress must find a way 
to appropriate new funds to our national parks in order to preserve and 
protect them for future generations of Americans.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), who is the chairman 
of the Federal Lands Subcommittee and who has jurisdiction over this.
  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, this year marked the centennial anniversary of the 
National Park Service and of that uniquely American notion that the 
most beautiful and historic lands should be set aside for the ``use, 
resort, and recreation'' of the American people, as the original 
Yosemite Grant Act put it, or, in the words of the Organic Act of 1916 
that established the national parks, ``to conserve the scenery and the 
natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide 
for the enjoyment of the same.''
  Yet, a century into this endeavor, the Park Service faces 
considerable challenges to achieving its objectives. The Park Service's 
original charge was to manage just 35 national parks and monuments. 
Today it is responsible for more than 400 units across 84 million 
acres. This exponential growth has left many locations in disrepair, 
facing a growing backlog of deferred maintenance now exceeding $12 
billion.
  In addition to desperately needed maintenance, the Park Service also 
faces challenges with fee collection, technological upgrades, 
management of concessions contracts for visitor services, and, most 
disturbingly, a substantial decrease in overnight visitation. The 
decline has been particularly high among young people. Recent reports 
indicate that visits to parks by those 15 years of age and younger has 
fallen by half over the last decade.
  The National Park Service Centennial Act provides the Park Service 
with new tools and authorities that it can use to maintain and improve 
the system. Provisions in this bill help reduce the Service's 
maintenance backlog by generating new revenue to pay for needed capital 
improvements and leveraging private philanthropic donations to amplify 
this effort. In turn, these funds will be used to enhance visitor 
services, provide WiFi and cellular access that young people demand, 
and expand the Volunteers-In-Parks and Public Lands Corps programs that 
are so important in welcoming the public to the public lands.
  I believe the three greatest challenges to Federal lands management 
are to restore public access to the public lands, to restore sound 
management to the public lands, and to restore the Federal Government 
as a good neighbor to those communities directly affected by the public 
lands.
  This bill does all three. It promotes public access and enjoyment of 
the parks by promoting the expansion, modernization, and improvement of 
visitor services and amenities. It promotes good management by placing 
priority and generating funds necessary to address the growing 
maintenance backlog. It repairs the relationship between the Federal 
and local governments by giving local officials a say in future 
historic designations.
  I can't think of a better way to celebrate the last century and to 
begin the next century of our National Park Service than to restore the 
vision of its founders. Mr. Speaker, this bill does so, and I urge its 
adoption.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  This month marks the end of a year of celebration. Over the past 12 
months, hundreds of millions of people from our country and from around 
the world have joined together to celebrate one of the most valued and 
uniquely American ideas: our national park system. In our democratic 
society, the park system is uniquely one of the most democratic public 
institutions because, after all, all Americans own the park system and 
it is for all Americans, regardless.
  For many, this year was a time to reflect on what began 100 years ago 
with a single mission: to protect our unique American heritage for the 
enjoyment of future generations. Last year, national parks across this 
Nation saw a record 307 million visitors. People came to the parks to 
explore, to learn and reflect on the grand natural beauty and the 
diverse history of our Nation.
  Fifty years ago, Members of Congress understood the need to recognize 
these types of milestone accomplishments by passing legislation to 
reinvigorate not only the agency, but the American public. A decade 
before the 50th anniversary of the National Park Service, the House 
began pulling together a bill that demonstrated to the American people 
that they were willing to put their money where their mouth was.
  In honor of the National Park Service's 50th anniversary, Congress 
funded the Mission 66 program at over $900 million, the equivalent of 
$8 billion in 2016 dollars. The National Park Service expected 80 
million visitors to celebrate that anniversary. Unsurprisingly, the 
American public beat expectations. The parks saw almost 130 million 
visitors in 1966 alone.
  This Congress, which has the benefit of knowing how much Americans 
value their national parks, should be authorizing at least an equal 
amount. Instead, we have before us a bill that is but a shadow of what 
it could have been, a far cry from what my Democratic colleagues and I 
in the committee introduced back in September 2015. Instead of passing 
a bill that gives a standing ovation to the accomplishments of the Park 
Service and sets the bar high for the next 100 years, today we are 
passing legislation that is the equivalent of a golf clap--very 
quietly.
  Even previous Republican administrations have better understood the 
value of our national parks. In the last Republican administration, 
President Bush and Secretary Kempthorne were prepared to provide $2.5 
billion in additional operating funds, an additional $1 billion in 
centennial commitment funds, and $1 billion in centennial challenge 
funds to encourage private charitable investment in our country's 
parks. In comparison, this legislation provides a tiny amount of 
funding compounded by years of budget reductions. Further, this bill 
asks that the mandatory spending come from only one source: mandatory 
increases to the price of the Parks' Senior Pass.
  What we are seeing today is a shell of a bill. Only a few provisions 
remain, which, although marginally helpful to ensure the vitality of 
the national parks for the future, fall far short of what is necessary 
and needed. What we are seeing today is a missed opportunity to do what 
is right. This bill, while optimistically named, is a year late and a 
couple of billion dollars short. Maybe we will get it right in the next 
100 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to be 
here. This is a good bill. I appreciate those who have spoken so far 
for their willingness to take ``yes'' as an answer.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4680, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




ARBUCKLE PROJECT MAINTENANCE COMPLEX AND DISTRICT OFFICE CONVEYANCE ACT 
                                OF 2016

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1219) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
convey certain land and appurtenances of the Arbuckle Project, 
Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1219

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page 15846]]



     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Arbuckle Project Maintenance 
     Complex and District Office Conveyance Act of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. CONVEYANCE OF MAINTENANCE COMPLEX AND DISTRICT OFFICE 
                   OF THE ARBUCKLE PROJECT, OKLAHOMA.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior shall, as 
     soon as practicable, convey to the Arbuckle Master 
     Conservancy District, located in Murray County, Oklahoma, all 
     right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office, Arbuckle Project, 
     Oklahoma, consistent with the terms and conditions set forth 
     in the Agreement between the United States and the Arbuckle 
     Master Conservancy District.
       (b) Definitions.--
       (1) Agreement.--The term ``Agreement'' means the Agreement 
     between the United States and the Arbuckle Master Conservancy 
     District for Transferring Title to the Federally Owned 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office to the Arbuckle 
     Master Conservancy District (Agreement No. 14AG640141).
       (2) District office.--The term ``District Office'' means 
     the headquarters building located at 2440 East Main, Davis, 
     Oklahoma, and the approximately 0.83 acres described in the 
     Agreement.
       (3) Maintenance complex.--The term ``Maintenance Complex'' 
     means the caretakers residence, shop buildings, and any 
     appurtenances located on the lands described in the 
     Agreement, to include approximately 2.00 acres, more or less.
       (c) Liability.--Effective upon the date of conveyance of 
     the Maintenance Complex and District Office under this 
     section, the United States shall not be held liable by any 
     court for damages of any kind arising out of any act, 
     omission, or occurrence relating to the Maintenance Complex 
     and District Office, except for damages caused by acts of 
     negligence committed by the United States or by its employees 
     or agents prior to the date of conveyance. Nothing in this 
     section increases the liability of the United States beyond 
     that provided in chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code 
     (popularly known as the ``Federal Tort Claims Act'') on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.
       (d) Benefits.--After conveyance of the Maintenance Complex 
     and District Office to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy 
     District--
       (1) the Maintenance Complex and District Office shall not 
     be considered to be a part of a Federal reclamation project; 
     and
       (2) such water district shall not be eligible to receive 
     any benefits with respect to any facility comprising that 
     Maintenance Complex and District Office, except benefits that 
     would be available to a similarly situated person with 
     respect to such a facility that is not part of a Federal 
     reclamation project.
       (e) Communication.--If the Secretary of the Interior has 
     not completed the conveyance required under subsection (a) 
     within 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary shall submit to Congress a letter with sufficient 
     detail that explains the reasons the conveyance has not been 
     completed and stating the date by which the conveyance will 
     be completed.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This bill, H.R. 1219, sponsored by the great Congressman from 
Oklahoma, allows a water district in Oklahoma to take ownership of two 
buildings and 2 acres of land that they have paid for, they have 
operated, and they have maintained for the last several decades. 
Unfortunately, they still remain in Federal ownership, and they need 
this legislation to actually transfer it to relieve the district of 
burdensome paperwork and also relieve the Federal Government of some 
liability.
  This bill has been done 27 other times over the last two decades, 
which simply means there needs to be some kind of reform in the process 
to remove the slow pace of the Bureau of Reclamation so we don't have 
to go through such a complicated effort for such a worthy cause.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1219 is a straightforward, reasonable piece of 
legislation worthy of passage. The bill would allow a title transfer of 
two Federal buildings to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in 
south central Oklahoma.

                              {time}  1345

  These buildings are part of the Arbuckle Project, which is a water 
project, authorized by Congress in 1962, to provide flood control, 
recreational opportunities, and municipal water supply.
  Nearly all of the facilities within the Arbuckle Project were already 
transferred to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in 2012 after 
the district finished repaying what it owed the Federal Government for 
construction. However, due to some overly narrow language in the 
legislation authorizing the Arbuckle Project, two buildings within the 
project have yet to be transferred.
  Transferring the two remaining buildings will save taxpayer money 
that would otherwise be needed to operate and maintain the buildings 
and will also relieve the Federal Government of any potential future 
liability associated with the buildings. This is straightforward 
legislation that should be quickly passed.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).
  Mr. COLE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend for yielding, 
and I certainly want to thank him for moving this expeditiously through 
his committee and onto the floor. I want to associate myself with his 
remarks about the need for reform because this is a fairly routine 
matter.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1219, the Arbuckle Project Maintenance 
Complex and District Office Conveyance Act. This bill is a 
straightforward land conveyance, which has both Federal and local 
support.
  H.R. 1219 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey 
certain lands and buildings of the Arbuckle Project, in Murray County, 
Oklahoma, to the Arbuckle Master Conservancy District.
  In 1962, Congress authorized the payment of reimbursable costs for 
construction, operation, and maintenance of the Bureau of Reclamation's 
Arbuckle Master Conservancy District in south-central Oklahoma. The 
district completed repayment of the capital costs of the project in 
September of 2012.
  In accordance with the Bureau of Reclamation's policy framework for 
title transfer, in December 2014, the Bureau of Reclamation and the 
district executed an agreement to transfer, in fee title, certain 
facilities that could be more efficiently and effectively managed at 
the local level.
  The title transfer involves approximately 2.83 acres of land. On this 
land is a small house, associated structures, and the conservancy 
district's headquarters office building. The House and property are 
used to accommodate a district employee who maintains and inspects the 
dam and the pumping facilities. The headquarters office building is the 
base of operation for the district.
  This bill also divests the Federal Government of its responsibility 
and liability associated with the district's facilities. Reclamation 
and the district have worked cooperatively and successfully to address 
all of the elements necessary to bring this legislation forward and 
make this transfer proceed as smoothly as possible.
  I am pleased that this bill is an agreement with which both the 
Federal and local interests are satisfied.
  I want to urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. 
Again, I want to thank the chairman for his help in this matter.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, again, like I said, this is straightforward 
legislation that should be quickly passed. We urge its adoption.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, and I urge its 
adoption.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by

[[Page 15847]]

the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1219, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________




            NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS ECONOMIC EXPANSION ACT

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 6401) to amend Public Law 94-241 with respect to the 
Northern Mariana Islands.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6401

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Mariana Islands 
     Economic Expansion Act''.

     SEC. 2. COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS: 
                   TRANSITIONAL WORKERS.

       Section 6 of Public Law 94-241 (48 U.S.C. 1806) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(6), by striking ``$150'' and 
     inserting ``$200''; and
       (2) in subsection (d)(2)--
       (A) by striking the period at the end of the first sentence 
     and inserting ``, except a permit for construction 
     occupations (as that term is defined by the Department of 
     Labor as Standard Occupational Classification Group 47-0000 
     or any successor provision) shall only be issued to extend a 
     permit first issued before October 1, 2015.''; and
       (B) by striking the period at the end of the third sentence 
     and inserting ``, except that for fiscal year 2017 the number 
     of permits issued shall not exceed 15,000.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this excellent piece of legislation. The 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is experiencing an 
economic resurgence, and they have for the last several years. However, 
there is a challenge on maintaining a capable workforce to sustain that 
growth on the island, especially as they are phasing out the use of 
foreign workers.
  To do that, the phasing out, which is occurring at a rate that 
actually is detrimental to sustaining economic growth, we need to 
provide some kind of flexibility to the Northern Mariana Islands to 
meet this challenge. This bill does it in three specific ways, each of 
which is a commonsense solution to a very, very complex issue. It is a 
great bill, and I urge its adoption.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Bishop for allowing this 
bill to come to the floor. I appreciate it very much.
  The economy of the Northern Mariana Islands grew at a rate of 3.5 
percent last year, the fourth straight year of growth for my district. 
The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced the new data a week ago.
  This strong economic expansion is good news for the people of the 
Northern Mariana Islands. We desperately want this growth to continue 
because our economy is still only three-quarters of what it was in 
2000. But there is a problem with keeping that growth going--our 
limited population.
  For that reason, I have introduced, with Congressman Radewagen, 
bipartisan legislation, H.R. 6401, the Northern Mariana Islands 
Economic Expansion Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support for H.R. 6401 
from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands' Governor, Ralph 
DLG. Torres; the CNMI Strategic Economic Development Council; the 
Office of the Senate President, Nineteenth Northern Marianas 
Commonwealth Legislature; the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation; the 
Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands; and from the Saipan 
Chamber of Commerce.

                                               Commonwealth of the


       Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan, MP, December 4, 2016.

     Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
     House of Representatives.
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Sablan: I write to support H.R. 6401, 
     critical legislation that will provide short-term relief from 
     the labor shortage facing the Commonwealth that threatens our 
     growing economy and public health.
       The latest report from Bureau of Economic Analysis 
     indicates the Commonwealth economy grew for the fourth 
     consecutive year. A growing economy needs a qualified 
     workforce. And while there are now more U.S. workers than 
     foreign workers in the Northern Marianas for the first time 
     in decades, there are still not enough to meet the labor 
     demand. The temporary increase in the number of Commonwealth-
     Only Transitional (CW) workers provided in your bill will 
     particularly help small businesses retain the workers needed 
     to maintain operations.
       Most importantly, the Commonwealth's only hospital, stand 
     to lose critical staff including 34 staff nurses, two 
     infection control nurses, a clinical laboratory scientist and 
     specialists in mammography, ultrasonography without the 
     relief provided in H.R. 6401.
       Building a qualified U.S. workforce in the Northern 
     Marianas is a priority for my administration. The CW worker 
     fee increase in the legislation will provide additional 
     funding for efforts to recruit, educate, and train these 
     workers and establish a permanent pool of workers to fill 
     local jobs.
       H.R. 6401 is critical to continued economic growth in the 
     Northern Marianas. The bill has my full support.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Ralph DLG Torres,
     Governor.
                                  ____

                                           CNMI Strategic Economic


                                          Development Council,

                                                 December 1, 2016.
     Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Sablan: The CNMI Strategic Economic 
     Development Committee is in strong support of H.R. 6401, 
     critical legislation that will provide short-term relief from 
     the labor shortage threatening the growth of the Northern 
     Marianas economy.
       The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates the 
     Commonwealth economy grew for the fourth consecutive year, a 
     recent high of 3.5 percent. This is attributable to increased 
     private investment and tourism now threatened by the lack of 
     available qualified workers on the island.
       The modest one-year increase in Commonwealth-Only 
     Transitional Workers (CW) proposed under H.R. 6401, will 
     provide the business community with the necessary human 
     resources to continue to operate and propel an expanding 
     economy.
       It is imperative that we do not stymie our plan for future 
     economic growth, now beginning to come to frutition, with a 
     labor shortage in critical areas.
       The bill also provides additional funds for the job 
     training/education programs proven effective at expanding the 
     pool of qualified and skilled U.S. workers in the CNMI.
       The CNMI Strategic Economic Development Council fully 
     supports H.R. 6401 and appreciates all of your efforts in 
     addressing the labor crisis in the Northern Marianas.
           Very truly yours,
     Alexander A. Sablan,
       Sub Committee Chairman, Labor & CW Task Force, CNMI 
     Strategic Economic Development Committee.
                                  ____

         Office of the Senate President, Nineteenth Northern 
           Marianas Commonwealth Legislature,
                                     Saipan, MP, December 6, 2016.
     Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Sablan: As President of the Senate of the 
     Nineteenth Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature, I am 
     in strong support of H.R. 6401, critical legislation that 
     increases the FY 2017 cap on Commonwealth-only Transitional 
     Workers (CW) to ensure continued economic growth and protect 
     public health.

[[Page 15848]]

       After more than a decade of decline, our Commonwealth 
     economy is in resurgence. The U.S. Bureau of Economic 
     Analysis reports our economy grew for the fourth straight 
     year, at a rate of 3.5 percent in 2015. A qualified workforce 
     is necessary to sustain our businesses and attract new 
     investment. While our investment in job training and 
     education has been successful with the number of U.S. workers 
     now outnumbering foreign workers, there are still more jobs 
     than U.S. workers. The temporary increase in CW workers 
     provided in the bill will help meet the demand and ensure 
     that our business community has access to needed labor.
       The CW cap also affects our ability to deliver health care 
     services as the Commonwealth's only hospital is facing the 
     loss of many nurses and those in specialized health care 
     positions.
       We are also in support of the increase in the CW worker fee 
     as it increase the resources available to educate and train 
     U.S. workers.
       H.R. 6401 is critical to the present and future of the 
     Northern Marianas and has my full support.
           Sincerely,
                                               Francisco M. Borja,
                                                        President.
         Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, Commonwealth of the 
           Northern Mariana Islands,
                                         Saipan, December 2, 2016.
     Hon. Gregorio ``Kilili'' Camacho Sablan,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Sablan: Commonwealth Healthcare 
     Corporation (CHCC) is in strong support of H.R. 6401.
       This critical legislation would provide an increase in the 
     FY 2017 limit on Commonwealth-only Transitional Workers (CW) 
     and allow the CHCC to petition for renewal of 39 essential 
     healthcare workers impacted when the CW cap was reached just 
     two weeks into the Fiscal Year.
       Our Commonwealth Health Center (CHC) is the only hospital 
     in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, providing 
     inpatient and outpatient acute, chronic, and emergency health 
     care services to the people of the CNMI. We also maintain 
     community health centers on the populated islands of Saipan, 
     Tinian, and Rota.
       Our ability to continue to provide these essential on-
     island health care services, and maintain quality patient 
     care and safety as well as maintain overall public health, 
     depends on being able to maintain current staffing levels and 
     specialized expertise.
       Without an increase to the CW cap this year, CHC stands to 
     lose the services and experience of 34 staff nurses, two 
     infection control nurses, a clinical laboratory scientist and 
     specialists in mammography and ultrasonography.
       For the foregoing reasons, we are in full support H.R. 6401 
     and are grateful for your work in addressing this critical 
     health care issue.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Esther L. Muna,
     Chief Executive Officer.
                                  ____

                                          Hotel Association of the


                                     Northern Mariana Islands,

                                                 December 2, 2016.
     Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Sablan: The Hotel Association of the 
     Northern Mariana Islands is in strong support of H.R. 6401, 
     critical legislation that will provide short-term relief from 
     the labor shortage threatening the growing hospitality 
     industry in the Northern Marianas.
       Due in large part to increased private investment and 
     tourism the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis recently 
     announced that the Commonwealth economy grew for the fourth 
     consecutive year.
       However, our hotel and resort properties are in critical 
     need of labor, particularly those with skills and experience 
     in the hospitality industry, culinary arts and property 
     maintence. The inability of employers to renew or hire new 
     Commonwealth-Only Transitional Workers (CW) threatens their 
     continued operations and chills future investment in our 
     islands.
       The modest one-year increase in CWs, proposed under H.R. 
     6401, will allow the hospitality industry to continue to 
     provide first-class service to our tourists
       The Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands fully 
     supports H.R. 6401 and appreciates all of your efforts in 
     addressing the labor crisis in the Northern Marianas.
           Very truly yours,
                                                  Gloria Cavanagh,
     Chairman.
                                  ____



                                   Saipan Chamber of Commerce,

                                         Saipan, December 2, 2016.
     Hon. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Sablan: The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is 
     in strong support of H.R. 6401, critical legislation that 
     will provide short-term relief from the labor shortage 
     threatening the growth of the Northern Marianas economy.
       The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates the 
     Commonwealth economy grew for the fourth consecutive year, a 
     recent high of 3.5 percent. This is attributable to increased 
     private investment and tourism now threatened by the lack of 
     available qualified workers on the island.
       The modest one-year increase in Commonwealth-Only 
     Transitional Workers (CW) proposed under H.R. 6401, will 
     provide the business community with the necessary human 
     resources to continue to operate and propel an expanding 
     economy. It will also provide additional critical funds for 
     job training and education programs that are steadily 
     expanding the pool of qualified and skilled U.S. workers on 
     Saipan.
       The Saipan Chamber of Commerce fully supports H.R. 6401 and 
     appreciates all of your efforts in addressing the labor 
     crisis in the Northern Marianas.
           Very truly yours,
                                                Velma M. Palacios,
                                           President of the Board.

  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank again Chairman 
Rob Bishop of the Natural Resources Committee for his understanding and 
support. I also thank Chairman Don Young, who held a hearing on this 
issue in September and agreed that action was needed.
  I appreciate the support of Ranking Members Raul Grijalva and Raul 
Ruiz. And, of course, Mr. Speaker, I am indebted to the minority whip, 
Mr. Hoyer, and to our majority leader, Mr. McCarthy, who agreed to 
bring H.R. 6401 to the floor today.
  I ask my colleagues for the support of H.R. 6401.
  Mr. Speaker, The economy of the Northern Mariana Islands grew at a 
rate of 3 point 5 percent last year and the fourth straight year of 
growth for my district.
  The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced the new data a week ago.
  This strong economic expansion is good news for the people of the 
Mariana Islands. We desperately want this growth to continue. Because 
our economy is still only three-quarters of what it was in 2000.
  But there is a problem with keeping that growth going: our limited 
population.
  For that reason, I have introduced with Congresswoman Radewagen 
bipartisan legislation, H.R. 6401, the Northern Mariana Islands 
Economic Expansion Act.
  The Marianas has a very small population--only about 54,000 people. 
And economic expansion demands not only entrepreneurial capital and 
investment, which we are suddenly receiving. Economic expansion demands 
workers, as well.
  We have struggled to bring more workers into our labor force.
  Isolated as we are--6,000 miles from the U.S. mainland--it is 
difficult to attract U.S. workers. Our employers to gone everywhere to 
recruit workers--Guam, the Freely Associated States, Puerto Rico and 
the U.S. mainland.
  We have worked hard to raise the skills of our own local population. 
A special fee paid by employers of foreign workers has pumped $6 
million into training.
  And we are succeeding. Since 2008, the number of U.S. workers has 
grown. There are 15 percent more U.S. workers in our labor force today 
than there were ten years ago.
  U.S. workers are now the majority of our labor force--a huge 
turnaround for us.
  But we still find ourselves short of the workers we need--especially 
at this moment, when there are hundreds of millions of dollars of new 
tourism development being invested in our islands.
  H.R. 6401 does several things:
  First, it will put more money into that training fund that is proving 
so successful at helping put our people to work.
  The bill also allows us to bring in a limited, additional number of 
foreign workers under the Commonwealth-only Transitional Worker program 
that was set up under federal law to help us build our U.S. labor 
force.
  The Transitional Worker program has reduced the number of foreign 
workers in the Marianas year after year.
  But this year the sudden increase in investment in new hotels and 
other tourism businesses has left us short.
  H.R. 6401 would give us an extra 2,000 workers--the same number as we 
were allowed in 2013--and only for the remainder of this fiscal year.
  This is a short-term fix to address an unexpected--and very welcome--
change in the economic fortunes of the Northern Mariana Islands.
  The bill will also help us avoid this worker shortage in the years to 
come.
  Part of the problem this year has been that employers are not using 
other federal programs that can provide temporary labor for 
construction projects of the size and scale that are being built in the 
Marianas.

[[Page 15849]]

  So, H.R. 6401 bars employers from using the Transitional program we 
have in the Marianas for new construction.
  This shift will not slow the economic expansion we have right now.
  But it will allow us to continue reducing the number of foreign 
workers permitted under the Transitional program.
  It will continue the conversion to a predominantly U.S. labor force, 
which is our long-term goal.
  In closing, I want to thank Chairman Rob Bishop of the Natural 
Resources Committee for his understanding and support.
  Thanks, also, to Chairman Don Young, who held a hearing on these 
issues in September and agreed that action was needed.
  I appreciate the support of Ranking Members Raul Grijalva and Raul 
Ruiz.
  And, of course, I am indebted to the Minority Whip Mr. Hoyer and to 
our Majority Leader Mr. McCarthy, who agreed to bring H.R. 6401 to the 
floor today.
  And I ask my colleagues for their support for H.R. 6401.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, this is an excellent bill, and I 
urge its adoption.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 6401.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




PROVIDING FOR THE ADDITION OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY TO THE RESERVATION 
               OF THE SILETZ TRIBE IN THE STATE OF OREGON

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (S. 817) to provide for the addition of certain real property 
to the reservation of the Siletz Tribe in the State of Oregon.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 817

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PURPOSE; CLARIFICATION.

       (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to facilitate fee-
     to-trust applications for the Siletz Tribe within the 
     geographic area specified in the amendment made by this Act.
       (b) Clarification.--Except as specifically provided 
     otherwise by this Act or the amendment made by this Act, 
     nothing in this Act or the amendment made by this Act, shall 
     prioritize for any purpose the claims of any federally 
     recognized Indian tribe over the claims of any other 
     federally recognized Indian tribe.

     SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PROPERTY OF THE SILETZ TRIBE OF 
                   THE STATE OF OREGON.

       Section 7 of the Siletz Tribe Indian Restoration Act (25 
     U.S.C. 711e) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) Treatment of Certain Property.--
       ``(1) In general.--
       ``(A) Title.--The Secretary may accept title to any 
     additional number of acres of real property located within 
     the boundaries of the original 1855 Siletz Coast Reservation 
     established by Executive order dated November 9, 1855, 
     comprised of land within the political boundaries of Benton, 
     Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Tillamook, and Yamhill Counties in 
     the State of Oregon, if that real property is conveyed or 
     otherwise transferred to the United States by or on behalf of 
     the tribe.
       ``(B) Trust.--Land to which title is accepted by the 
     Secretary under this paragraph shall be held in trust by the 
     United States for the benefit of the tribe.
       ``(2) Treatment as part of reservation.--All real property 
     that is taken into trust under paragraph (1) shall--
       ``(A) be considered and evaluated as an on-reservation 
     acquisition under part 151.10 of title 25, Code of Federal 
     Regulations (or successor regulations); and
       ``(B) become part of the reservation of the tribe.
       ``(3) Prohibition on gaming.--Any real property taken into 
     trust under paragraph (1) shall not be eligible, or used, for 
     any gaming activity carried out under the Indian Gaming 
     Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This bill deals with the Siletz Tribe in the State of Oregon. It is a 
bill that the tribe could apply to have land placed in trust within the 
original 1855 boundaries of their reservation. The bill prohibits 
gaming on land acquired in trust under this bill and is identical to a 
version of H.R. 3211 that we dealt with in our committee.
  I think it is a good bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 817 will grant the Confederated Tribes of Siletz 
Indians of Oregon the ability to more easily restore their tribal 
lands.
  The tribe's original lands were greatly diminished by the Federal 
Government during the disastrous allotment and assimilation period of 
the late 1800s. Thus, the Western Oregon Indian Termination Act of 1954 
terminated their Federal status and eliminated their remaining land 
base altogether. The tribe was rightly restored in 1977 but has had 
trouble reacquiring parts of their original land base due to the nature 
of their restoration.
  Passage of S. 817 will finally address this issue, so the tribe will 
no longer have to face delays in dealing with the Department of 
Interior when taking certain land into trust. This is the culmination 
of nearly 3 decades of effort by the Siletz tribe. I congratulate them 
on their tireless work and perseverance.
  I also want to commend Senator Wyden for promoting this legislation, 
and our colleague from Oregon, Mr. Schrader, for championing the House 
version of the bill.
  I urge the adoption of S. 817.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I urge consideration of this bill 
favorably.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 817.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




 AMENDING THE GRAND RONDE RESERVATION ACT TO MAKE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (S. 818) to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to make 
technical corrections, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 818

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL LAND FOR GRAND RONDE RESERVATION.

       Section 1 of Public Law 100-425 (commonly known as the 
     ``Grand Ronde Reservation Act'') (25 U.S.C. 713f note; 102 
     Stat. 1594; 104 Stat. 207; 108 Stat. 708; 108 Stat. 4566; 112 
     Stat. 1896), is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the first sentence--
       (i) by striking ``Subject to valid existing rights, 
     including (but not limited to) all'' and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(1) In general.--Subject to valid existing rights, 
     including all''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``(referred to in this Act as the 
     `Tribes')'' before the period at the end;
       (B) in the second sentence, by striking ``Such land'' and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(2) Treatment.--The land referred to in paragraph (1)''; 
     and

[[Page 15850]]

       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Additional trust acquisitions.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may accept title in and to 
     any additional real property located within the boundaries of 
     the original 1857 reservation of the Tribes (as established 
     by the Executive order dated June 30, 1857, and comprised of 
     land within the political boundaries of Polk and Yamhill 
     Counties, Oregon), if that real property is conveyed or 
     otherwise transferred to the United States by, or on behalf 
     of, the Tribes.
       ``(B) Treatment of trust land.--
       ``(i) In general.--An application to take land into trust 
     within the boundaries of the original 1857 reservation of the 
     Tribes shall be treated by the Secretary as an on-reservation 
     trust acquisition.
       ``(ii) Gaming.--

       ``(I) In general.--Except as provided in subclause (II), 
     real property taken into trust pursuant to this paragraph 
     shall not be eligible, or used, for any class II gaming or 
     class III gaming (as those terms are defined in section 4 of 
     the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2703)).
       ``(II) Exception.--Subclause (I) shall not apply to any 
     real property located within 2 miles of the gaming facility 
     in existence on the date of enactment of this paragraph 
     located on State Highway 18 in the Grand Ronde community, 
     Oregon.

       ``(C) Reservation.--All real property taken into trust 
     within the boundaries described in subparagraph (A) at any 
     time after September 9, 1988, shall be considered to be a 
     part of the reservation of the Tribes.''; and
       (2) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in the matter preceding the table, by striking ``in 
     subsection (a) are approximately 10,311.60'' and inserting 
     ``in subsection (a)(1) are the approximately 11,349.92''; and
       (B) by striking the table and inserting the following:


 
 ``South      West      Section        Subdivision             Acres
 
4                   8   36       SE\1/4\ SE\1/4\                     40
4                   7   31       Lots 1,2, NE\1/4\, E\1/         320.89
                                  2\ NW\1/4\
5                   7   6        All                             634.02
5                   7   7        All                             638.99
5                   7   18       Lots 1 & 2, NE\1/4\,            320.07
                                  E\1/2\ NW\1/4\
5                   8   1        SE\1/4\                            160
5                   8   3        All                             635.60
5                   8   7        All                             661.75
5                   8   8        All                                640
5                   8   9        All                                640
5                   8   10       All                                640
5                   8   11       All                                640
5                   8   12       All                                640
5                   8   13       All                                640
5                   8   14       All                                640
5                   8   15       All                                640
5                   8   16       All                                640
5                   8   17       All                                640
6                   8   1        SW\1/4\ SW\1/4\, W\1/2\          53.78
                                  SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\
6                   8   1        S\1/2\ E\1/2\ SE\1/4\            10.03
                                  SW\1/4\
6                   7   7, 8,    Former tax lot 800,               5.55
                         17, 18   located within the
                                  SE\1/4\ SE\1/4\ of
                                  sec. 7; SW\1/4\ SW\1/
                                  4\ of sec. 8; NW\1/4\
                                  NW\1/4\ of sec. 17;
                                  and NE\1/4\ NE\1/4\ of
                                  sec. 18
4                   7   30       Lots 3,4, SW\1/4\ NE\1/         241.06
                                  4\, SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\,
                                  E\1/2\ SW\1/4\
6                   8   1        N\1/2\ SW\1/4\                   29.59
6                   8   12       W\1/2\ SW\1/4\ NE\1/4\,          21.70
                                  SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\ NE\1/
                                  4\ NW\1/4\, N\1/2\
                                  SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\, N\1/
                                  2\ SW\1/4\ SW\1/4\
                                  SE\1/4\
6                   8   13       W\1/2\ E\1/2\ NW\1/4\             5.31
                                  NW\1/4\
6                   7   7        E\1/2\ E\1/2\                    57.60
6                   7   8        SW\1/4\ SW\1/4\ NW\1/            22.46
                                  4\, W\1/2\ SW\1/4\
6                   7   17       NW\1/4\ NW\1/4\, N\1/2\          10.84
                                  SW\1/4\ NW\1/4\

[[Page 15851]]

 
6                   7   18       E\1/2\ NE\1/4\                   43.42
6                   8   1         W\1/2\ SE\1/4\ SE\1/4\           20.6
6                   8   1        N\1/2\ SW\1/4\ SE\1/4\           19.99
6                   8   1        SE\1/4\ NE\1/4\                   9.99
6                   8   1        NE\1/4\ SW\1/4\                  10.46
6                   8   1        NE\1/4\ SW\1/4\, NW\1/           12.99
                                  4\ SW\1/4\
6                   7   6        SW\1/4\ NW\1/4\                  37.39
6                   7   5        SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\                  24.87
6                   7   5, 8     SW\1/4\ SE\1/4\ of sec.          109.9
                                  5; and NE\1/4\ NE\1/
                                  4\, NW\1/4\ NE\1/4\,
                                  NE\1/4\ NW\1/4\ of
                                  sec. 8
6                   8   1         NW\1/4\ SE\1/4\                  31.32
6                   8   1         NE\1/4\ SW\1/4\                   8.89
6                   8   1        SW\1/4\ NE\1/4\, NW\1/             78.4
                                  4\ NE\1/4\
6                   7   8, 17    SW\1/4\ SW\1/4\ of sec.           14.33
                                  8; and NE\1/4\ NW\1/
                                  4\, NW\1/4\ NW\1/4\ of
                                  sec. 17
6                   7   17       NW\1/4\ NW\1/4\                    6.68
6                   8   12       SW\1/4\ NE\1/4\                   8.19
6                   8   1        SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\                    2.0
6                   8   1        SW\1/4\ SW\1/4\                   5.05
6                   8   12       SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\                 54.64
6                   7   17, 18   SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\ of             136.83
                                  sec. 17; and SE\1/4\,
                                  NE\1/4\ of sec. 18
6                   8   1        SW\1/4\ SE\1/4\                  20.08
6                   7   5        NE\1/4\ SE\1/4\, SE\1/           97.38
                                  4\ SE\1/4\, E\1/2\
                                  SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\
4                   7   31       SE\1/4\                         159.60
6                   7   17       NW\1/4\ NW\1/4\                   3.14
6                   8   12       NW\1/4\ SE\1/4\                   1.10
6                   7   8        SW\1/4\ SW\1/4\                   0.92
6                   8   12       NE\1/4\ NW\1/4\                   1.99
6                7, 8   7, 12    NW\1/4\ NW\1/4\ of sec.          86.48
                                  7; and S\1/2\ NE\1/4\
                                  E\1/2\ NE\1/4\ NE\1/4\
                                  of sec. 12
6                   8   12       NE\1/4\ NW\1/4\                   1.56
6                7, 8   6,1      W\1/2\ SW\1/4\ SW\1/4\           35.82
                                  of sec. 6; and E\1/2\
                                  SE\1/4\ SE\1/4\ of
                                  sec. 1
6                   7   5        E\1/2\ NW\1/4\ SE\1/4\           19.88
6                   8   12       NW\1/4\ NE\1/4\                   0.29
6                   8   1        SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\                    2.5
6                   7   8        NE\1/4\ NW\1/4\                   7.16
6                   8   1        SE\1/4\ SW\1/4\                    5.5
6                   8   1        SE\1/4\ NW\1/4\                   1.34
                        .......      Total                 11,349.92.''.
 



[[Page 15852]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This bill for the Grand Ronde Tribe in Oregon allows them to ease the 
process to apply for trust lands within the original 1857 boundary 
jurisdiction. It deems property placed in trust for the tribe after 
1988 as part of the tribe's reservation and lands acquired by the tribe 
to be part of the reservation. This bill is also identical to another 
House bill that we considered in our committee.
  I urge its adoption.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, like other tribes in Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of 
the Grand Ronde Community were wrongfully stripped of their recognition 
and existing land base during the termination era in the 1950s.
  Federal recognition of the Grand Ronde was rightfully reestablished 
in 1983, as well as a land base through subsequent legislation. But 
like other tribes in Oregon, efforts by the tribe to restore additional 
lands have been hindered by the nature of the tribe's restoration.
  Passage of S. 818 will finally address this issue and make it easier 
for the Grand Ronde to take land into trust within their historical 
boundaries.
  The bill will also allow certain property already taken into trust by 
the tribe to be considered part of the reservation.
  Again, I want to thank Senator Wyden for promoting this legislation, 
and thank our colleague from Oregon (Mr. Schrader) for advocating for 
the House version of this bill. And I want to thank Chairman Bishop for 
managing this bill with me today.
  I ask my colleagues to support S. 818.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I urge its adoption.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 818.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




          DANIEL J. EVANS OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK WILDERNESS ACT

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (S. 3028) to redesignate the Olympic Wilderness as the Daniel 
J. Evans Wilderness.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 3028

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Daniel J. Evans Olympic 
     National Park Wilderness Act''.

     SEC. 2. REDESIGNATION AS DANIEL J. EVANS WILDERNESS.

       (a) Redesignation.--Section 101(a) of the Washington Park 
     Wilderness Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 1132 note; 102 Stat. 3961) 
     is amended, in the second sentence, by striking ``Olympic 
     Wilderness'' and inserting ``Daniel J. Evans Wilderness''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     Olympic Wilderness shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
     Daniel J. Evans Wilderness.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from the Northern Mariana Islands 
(Mr. Sablan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  S. 3028 renames the Olympic Wilderness in the Olympic National Park 
in the State of Washington as the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness.

                              {time}  1400

  Daniel Evans was a three-term Governor of Washington. He also served 
in the United States Senate. Despite that fact, this is still a fitting 
memorial to Mr. Evans and is a recognition of his life in public 
service.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SABLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The lands of the Pacific Northwest are known throughout the country 
for their majestic beauty and unique ecosystems. Visitors from near and 
far flock to the region to experience temperate rain forests and to 
climb some of the tallest peaks of the country. Were it not for the 
forward-thinking actions of certain individuals who sought permanent 
protection for these wildlands decades ago, these iconic places could 
have been destroyed.
  Today we recognize one of those forward-thinking individuals, Senator 
Daniel J. Evans of Washington State. Thanks to the work of Senator 
Evans, these areas are maintained in perpetuity due in no small part to 
the passage of the wilderness bills that protect them. A staunch 
supporter of the bipartisan Wilderness Act, Senator Evans helped to 
establish this bedrock environmental law, which ensures that these 
increasingly rare and pristine lands are protected permanently for 
enjoyment by all.
  Thanks to Congressman Reichert and Senator Cantwell for advancing 
this legislation.
  I am pleased to support this bill today, which recognizes the 
important work of one of our great public lands champions, Senator 
Daniel J. Evans. I ask my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, this is another excellent bill, and 
I urge its adoption.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dold). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend 
the rules and pass the bill, S. 3028.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________




               CROSS-BORDER TRADE ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2016

  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 875) to provide for alternative financing arrangements for 
the provision of certain services and the construction and maintenance 
of infrastructure at land border ports of entry, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 875

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Cross-Border Trade 
     Enhancement Act of 2016''.

[[Page 15853]]



     SEC. 2. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

       (a) In General.--Title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 
     2002 (6 U.S.C. 202 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

    ``Subtitle G--U.S. Customs and Border Protection Public Private 
                              Partnerships

     ``SEC. 481. FEE AGREEMENTS FOR CERTAIN SERVICES AT PORTS OF 
                   ENTRY.

       ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 13031(e) of the 
     Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (19 
     U.S.C. 58c(e)) and section 451 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 
     U.S.C. 1451), the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection, upon the request of any entity, may enter into a 
     fee agreement with such entity under which--
       ``(1) U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall provide 
     services described in subsection (b) at a United States port 
     of entry or any other facility at which U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection provides or will provide such services;
       ``(2) such entity shall remit to U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection a fee imposed under subsection (h) in an amount 
     equal to the full costs that are incurred or will be incurred 
     in providing such services; and
       ``(3) if space is provided by such entity, each facility at 
     which U.S. Customs and Border Protection services are 
     performed shall be maintained and equipped by such entity, 
     without cost to the Federal Government, in accordance with 
     U.S. Customs and Border Protection specifications.
       ``(b) Services Described.--The services described in this 
     subsection are any activities of any employee or Office of 
     Field Operations contractor of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection (except employees of the U.S. Border Patrol, as 
     established under section 411(e)) pertaining to, or in 
     support of, customs, agricultural processing, border 
     security, or immigration inspection-related matters at a port 
     of entry or any other facility at which U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection provides or will provide services.
       ``(c) Modification of Prior Agreements.--The Commissioner 
     of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at the request of an 
     entity who has previously entered into an agreement with U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection for the reimbursement of fees 
     in effect on the date of enactment of this section, may 
     modify such agreement to implement any provisions of this 
     section.
       ``(d) Limitations.--
       ``(1) Impacts of services.--The Commissioner of U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection--
       ``(A) may enter into fee agreements under this section only 
     for services that--
       ``(i) will increase or enhance the operational capacity of 
     U.S. Customs and Border Protection based on available 
     staffing and workload; and
       ``(ii) will not shift the cost of services funded in any 
     appropriations Act, or provided from any account in the 
     Treasury of the United States derived by the collection of 
     fees, to entities under this Act; and
       ``(B) may not enter into a fee agreement under this section 
     if such agreement would unduly and permanently impact 
     services funded in any appropriations Act, or provided from 
     any account in the Treasury of the United States, derived by 
     the collection of fees.
       ``(2) Number.--There shall be no limit to the number of fee 
     agreements that the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection may enter into under this section.
       ``(e) Air Ports of Entry.--
       ``(1) Fee agreement.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
     subsection, a fee agreement for U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection services at an air port of entry may only provide 
     for the payment of overtime costs of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection officers and salaries and expenses of U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection employees to support U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection officers in performing services described 
     in subsection (b).
       ``(2) Small airports.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection may receive reimbursement in 
     addition to overtime costs if the fee agreement is for 
     services at an air port of entry that has fewer than 100,000 
     arriving international passengers annually.
       ``(3) Covered services.--In addition to costs described in 
     paragraph (1), a fee agreement for U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection services at an air port of entry referred to in 
     paragraph (2) may provide for the reimbursement of--
       ``(A) salaries and expenses of not more than 5 full-time 
     equivalent U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers beyond 
     the number of such officers assigned to the port of entry on 
     the date on which the fee agreement was signed;
       ``(B) salaries and expenses of employees of U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection, other than the officers referred to in 
     subparagraph (A), to support U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection officers in performing law enforcement functions; 
     and
       ``(C) other costs incurred by U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection relating to services described in subparagraph 
     (B), such as temporary placement or permanent relocation of 
     employees, including incentive pay for relocation, as 
     appropriate.
       ``(f) Port of Entry Size.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection shall ensure that each fee agreement 
     proposal is given equal consideration regardless of the size 
     of the port of entry.
       ``(g) Denied Application.--
       ``(1) In general.--If the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection denies a proposal for a fee agreement under 
     this section, the Commissioner shall provide the entity 
     submitting such proposal with the reason for the denial 
     unless--
       ``(A) the reason for the denial is law enforcement 
     sensitive; or
       ``(B) withholding the reason for the denial is in the 
     national security interests of the United States.
       ``(2) Judicial review.--Decisions of the Commissioner of 
     U.S. Customs and Border Protection under paragraph (1) are in 
     the discretion of the Commissioner and are not subject to 
     judicial review.
       ``(h) Fee.--
       ``(1) In general.--The amount of the fee to be charged 
     under an agreement authorized under subsection (a) shall be 
     paid by each entity requesting U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection services, and shall be for the full cost of 
     providing such services, including the salaries and expenses 
     of employees and contractors of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection, to provide such services and other costs incurred 
     by U.S. Customs and Border Protection relating to such 
     services, such as temporary placement or permanent relocation 
     of such employees and contractors.
       ``(2) Timing.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection may require that the fee referred to in paragraph 
     (1) be paid by each entity that has entered into a fee 
     agreement under subsection (a) with U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection in advance of the performance of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection services.
       ``(3) Oversight of fees.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection shall develop a process to oversee the 
     services for which fees are charged pursuant to an agreement 
     under subsection (a), including--
       ``(A) a determination and report on the full costs of 
     providing such services, and a process for increasing such 
     fees, as necessary;
       ``(B) the establishment of a periodic remittance schedule 
     to replenish appropriations, accounts, or funds, as 
     necessary; and
       ``(C) the identification of costs paid by such fees.
       ``(i) Deposit of Funds.--
       ``(1) Account.--Funds collected pursuant to any agreement 
     entered into pursuant to subsection (a)--
       ``(A) shall be deposited as offsetting collections;
       ``(B) shall remain available until expended without fiscal 
     year limitation; and
       ``(C) shall be credited to the applicable appropriation, 
     account, or fund for the amount paid out of such 
     appropriation, account, or fund for any expenses incurred or 
     to be incurred by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 
     providing U.S. Customs and Border Protection services under 
     any such agreement and any other costs incurred or to be 
     incurred by U.S. Customs and Border Protection relating to 
     such services.
       ``(2) Return of unused funds.--The Commissioner of U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection shall return any unused funds 
     collected and deposited into the account described in 
     paragraph (1) if a fee agreement entered into pursuant to 
     subsection (a) is terminated for any reason or the terms of 
     such fee agreement change by mutual agreement to cause a 
     reduction of U.S. Customs and Border Protections services. No 
     interest shall be owed upon the return of any such unused 
     funds.
       ``(j) Termination.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection shall terminate the services provided 
     pursuant to a fee agreement entered into under subsection (a) 
     with an entity that, after receiving notice from the 
     Commissioner that a fee under subsection (h) is due, fails to 
     pay such fee in a timely manner. If such services are 
     terminated, all costs incurred by U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection that have not been paid shall become immediately 
     due and payable. Interest on unpaid fees shall accrue based 
     on the rate and amount established under sections 6621 and 
     6622 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
       ``(2) Penalty.--Any entity that, after notice and demand 
     for payment of any fee under subsection (h), fails to pay 
     such fee in a timely manner shall be liable for a penalty or 
     liquidated damage equal to two times the amount of such fee. 
     Any such amount collected under this paragraph shall be 
     deposited into the appropriate account specified under 
     subsection (i) and shall be available as described in such 
     subsection.
       ``(3) Termination by the entity.--Any entity who has 
     previously entered into an agreement with U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection for the reimbursement of fees in effect on 
     the date of enactment of this section, or under the 
     provisions of this section, may request that such agreement 
     be amended to provide for termination upon advance notice, 
     length, and terms that are negotiated between such entity and 
     U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
       ``(k) Annual Report.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection shall--

[[Page 15854]]

       ``(1) submit an annual report identifying the activities 
     undertaken and the agreements entered into pursuant to this 
     section to--
       ``(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       ``(B) the Committee on Finance of the Senate;
       ``(C) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate;
       ``(D) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
       ``(E) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(F) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(G) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       ``(H) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       ``(2) not later than 15 days before entering into a fee 
     agreement, notify the members of Congress that represent the 
     State or Congressional District in which the affected port of 
     entry or facility is located of such agreement.
       ``(l) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
     construed as imposing on U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     any responsibilities, duties, or authorities relating to real 
     property.

     ``SEC. 482. PORT OF ENTRY DONATION AUTHORITY.

       ``(a) Personal Property Donation Authority.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection, in consultation with the Administrator of 
     General Services, may enter into an agreement with any entity 
     to accept a donation of personal property, money, or 
     nonpersonal services for the uses described in paragraph (3) 
     only with respect to the following locations at which U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection performs or will be performing 
     inspection services:
       ``(A) A new or existing sea or air port of entry.
       ``(B) An existing Federal Government-owned land port of 
     entry.
       ``(C) A new Federal Government-owned land port of entry 
     if--
       ``(i) the fair market value of the donation is $50,000,000 
     or less; and
       ``(ii) the fair market value, including any personal and 
     real property donations in total, of such port of entry when 
     completed, is $50,000,000 or less.
       ``(2) Limitation on monetary donations.--Any monetary 
     donation accepted pursuant to this subsection may not be used 
     to pay the salaries of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     employees performing inspection services.
       ``(3) Uses.--Donations accepted pursuant to this subsection 
     may be used for activities of the Office of Field Operations 
     set forth in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of section 
     411(g)(3), which are related to a new or existing sea or air 
     port of entry or a new or existing Federal Government-owned 
     land port of entry described in paragraph (1), including 
     expenses related to--
       ``(A) furniture, fixtures, equipment, or technology, 
     including the installation or deployment of such items; and
       ``(B) the operation and maintenance of such furniture, 
     fixtures, equipment, or technology.
       ``(b) Real Property Donation Authority.--
       ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (3), the 
     Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the 
     Administrator of the General Services Administration, as 
     applicable, may enter into an agreement with any entity to 
     accept a donation of real property or money for uses 
     described in paragraph (2) only with respect to the following 
     locations at which U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     performs or will be performing inspection services:
       ``(A) A new or existing sea or air port of entry.
       ``(B) An existing Federal Government-owned land port of 
     entry.
       ``(C) A new Federal Government-owned land port of entry 
     if--
       ``(i) the fair market value of the donation is $50,000,000 
     or less; and
       ``(ii) the fair market value, including any personal and 
     real property donations in total, of such port of entry when 
     completed, is $50,000,000 or less.
       ``(2) Use.--Donations accepted pursuant to this subsection 
     may be used for activities of the Office of Field Operations 
     set forth in section 411(g), which are related to the 
     construction, alteration, operation, or maintenance of a new 
     or existing sea or air port of entry or a new or existing a 
     Federal Government-owned land port of entry described in 
     paragraph (1), including expenses related to--
       ``(A) land acquisition, design, construction, repair, or 
     alteration; and
       ``(B) operation and maintenance of such port of entry 
     facility.
       ``(3) Limitation on real property donations.--A donation of 
     real property under this subsection at an existing land port 
     of entry owned by the General Services Administration may 
     only be accepted by the Administrator of General Services.
       ``(4) Sunset.--
       ``(A) In general.--The authority to enter into an agreement 
     under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 
     four years after the date of the enactment of this section.
       ``(B) Rule of construction.--The termination date referred 
     to in subparagraph (A) shall not apply to carrying out the 
     terms of an agreement under this subsection if such agreement 
     is entered into before such termination date.
       ``(c) General Provisions.--
       ``(1) Duration.--An agreement entered into under subsection 
     (a) or (b) (and, in the case of such subsection (b), in 
     accordance with paragraph (4) of such subsection) may last as 
     long as required to meet the terms of such agreement.
       ``(2) Criteria.--In carrying out an agreement entered into 
     under subsection (a) or (b), the Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection, in consultation with the Administrator 
     of General Services, shall establish criteria regarding--
       ``(A) the selection and evaluation of donors;
       ``(B) the identification of roles and responsibilities 
     between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the General 
     Services Administration, and donors;
       ``(C) the identification, allocation, and management of 
     explicit and implicit risks of partnering between the Federal 
     Government and donors;
       ``(D) decision-making and dispute resolution processes; and
       ``(E) processes for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and 
     the General Services Administration, as applicable, to 
     terminate agreements if selected donors are not meeting the 
     terms of any such agreement, including the security standards 
     established by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
       ``(3) Evaluation procedures.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection, in consultation with the Administrator of 
     General Services, as applicable, shall--
       ``(i) establish criteria for evaluating a proposal to enter 
     into an agreement under subsection (a) or (b); and
       ``(ii) make such criteria publicly available.
       ``(B) Considerations.--Criteria established pursuant to 
     subparagraph (A) shall consider--
       ``(i) the impact of a proposal referred to in such 
     subparagraph on the land, sea, or air port of entry at issue 
     and other ports of entry or similar facilities or other 
     infrastructure near the location of the proposed donation;
       ``(ii) such proposal's potential to increase trade and 
     travel efficiency through added capacity;
       ``(iii) such proposal's potential to enhance the security 
     of the port of entry at issue;
       ``(iv) the impact of the proposal on reducing wait times at 
     that port of entry or facility and other ports of entry on 
     the same border;
       ``(v) for a donation under subsection (b)--

       ``(I) whether such donation satisfies the requirements of 
     such proposal, or whether additional real property would be 
     required; and
       ``(II) how such donation was acquired, including if eminent 
     domain was used;

       ``(vi) the funding available to complete the intended use 
     of such donation;
       ``(vii) the costs of maintaining and operating such 
     donation;
       ``(viii) the impact of such proposal on U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection staffing requirements; and
       ``(ix) other factors that the Commissioner or Administrator 
     determines to be relevant.
       ``(C) Determination and notification.--
       ``(i) Incomplete proposals.--

       ``(I) In general.--Not later than 60 days after receiving 
     the proposals for a donation agreement from an entity, the 
     Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall 
     notify such entity as to whether such proposal is complete or 
     incomplete.
       ``(II) Resubmission.--If the Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection determines that a proposal is 
     incomplete, the Commissioner shall--

       ``(aa) notify the appropriate entity and provide such 
     entity with a description of all information or material that 
     is needed to complete review of the proposal; and
       ``(bb) allow the entity to resubmit the proposal with 
     additional information and material described in item (aa) to 
     complete the proposal.
       ``(ii) Complete proposals.--Not later than 180 days after 
     receiving a completed proposal to enter into an agreement 
     under subsection (a) or (b), the Commissioner of U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection, with the concurrence of the 
     Administrator of General Services, as applicable, shall--

       ``(I) determine whether to approve or deny such proposal; 
     and
       ``(II) notify the entity that submitted such proposal of 
     such determination.

       ``(4) Supplemental funding.--Except as required under 
     section 3307 of title 40, United States Code, real property 
     donations to the Administrator of General Services made 
     pursuant to subsection (a) and (b) at a GSA-owned land port 
     of entry may be used in addition to any other funding for 
     such purpose, including appropriated funds, property, or 
     services.

[[Page 15855]]

       ``(5) Return of donations.--The Commissioner of U.S. 
     Customs and Border Protection, or the Administrator of 
     General Services, as applicable, may return any donation made 
     pursuant to subsection (a) or (b). No interest shall be owed 
     to the donor with respect to any donation provided under such 
     subsections that is returned pursuant to this subsection.
       ``(6) Prohibition on certain funding.--
       ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subsections (a) 
     and (b) regarding the acceptance of donations, the 
     Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the 
     Administrator of General Services, as applicable, may not, 
     with respect to an agreement entered into under either of 
     such subsections, obligate or expend amounts in excess of 
     amounts that have been appropriated pursuant to any 
     appropriations Act for purposes specified in either of such 
     subsections or otherwise made available for any of such 
     purposes.
       ``(B) Certification requirement.--Before accepting any 
     donations pursuant to an agreement under subsection (a) or 
     (b), the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     shall certify to the congressional committees set forth in 
     paragraph (7) that the donation will not be used for the 
     construction of a detention facility or a border fence or 
     wall.
       ``(7) Annual reports.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection, in collaboration with the Administrator of 
     General Services, as applicable, shall submit an annual 
     report identifying the activities undertaken and agreements 
     entered into pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) to--
       ``(A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       ``(B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
     Senate;
       ``(C) the Committee on Finance of the Senate;
       ``(D) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate;
       ``(E) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
       ``(F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(G) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(H) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(I) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
     the House of Representatives; and
       ``(J) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives.
       ``(d) GAO Report.--The Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit an annual report to the congressional 
     committees referred to in subsection (c)(7) that evaluates--
       ``(1) fee agreements entered into pursuant to section 481;
       ``(2) donation agreements entered into pursuant to 
     subsections (a) and (b); and
       ``(3) the fees and donations received by U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection pursuant to such agreements.
       ``(e) Judicial Review.--Decisions of the Commissioner of 
     U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Administrator of 
     the General Services Administration under this section 
     regarding the acceptance of real or personal property are in 
     the discretion of the Commissioner and the Administrator and 
     are not subject to judicial review.
       ``(f) Rule of Construction.--Except as otherwise provided 
     in this section, nothing in this section may be construed as 
     affecting in any manner the responsibilities, duties, or 
     authorities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the 
     General Services Administration.

     ``SEC. 483. CURRENT AND PROPOSED AGREEMENTS.

       ``Nothing in this subtitle or in section 4 of the Cross-
     Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2016 may be construed as 
     affecting--
       ``(1) any agreement entered into pursuant to section 560 of 
     division D of the Consolidated and Further Continuing 
     Appropriations Act, 2013 (Public Law 113-6) or section 559 of 
     title V of division F of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
     2014 (6 U.S.C. 211 note; Public Law 113-76), as in existence 
     on the day before the date of the enactment of this subtitle, 
     and any such agreement shall continue to have full force and 
     effect on and after such date; or
       ``(2) a proposal accepted for consideration by U.S. Customs 
     and Border Protection pursuant to such section 559, as in 
     existence on the day before such date of enactment.

     ``SEC. 484. DEFINITIONS.

       ``In this subtitle:
       ``(1) Donor.--The term `donor' means any entity that is 
     proposing to make a donation under this Act.
       ``(2) Entity.--The term `entity' means any--
       ``(A) person;
       ``(B) partnership, corporation, trust, estate, cooperative, 
     association, or any other organized group of persons;
       ``(C) Federal, State or local government (including any 
     subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof); or
       ``(D) any other private or governmental entity.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
     1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by 
     adding at the end of the list of items relating to title IV 
     the following:

    ``Subtitle G--U.S. Customs and Border Protection Public Private 
                              Partnerships

``Sec. 481. Fee agreements for certain services at ports of entry.
``Sec. 482. Port of entry donation authority.
``Sec. 483. Current and proposed agreements.
``Sec. 484. Definitions.''.

     SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF EXISTING REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

       Section 907(b) of the Trade Facilitation and Trade 
     Enforcement Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-125) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) the program for entering into reimbursable fee 
     agreements with U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     established under section 481 of the Homeland Security Act of 
     2002.''.

     SEC. 4. REPEALS.

       (a) Contract Authority.--Section 560 of division D of the 
     Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 
     (Public Law 113-6) is repealed.
       (b) Partnership Pilot Program.--Section 559 of division F 
     of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (6 U.S.C. 211 
     note; Public Law 113-76) is repealed.

     SEC. 5. WAIVER OF POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT FOR 
                   CERTAIN LAW ENFORCEMENT APPLICANTS.

       Section 3 of the Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010 (Public 
     Law 111-376; 6 U.S.C. 221) is amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``The Secretary'' and inserting the following:
       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary'';
       (2) in subsection (a)(1), as redesignated, by inserting 
     ``(except as provided in subsection (b))'' after ``Border 
     Protection''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) Waiver.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection may waive the polygraph examination requirement 
     under subsection (a)(1) for any applicant who--
       ``(1) is deemed suitable for employment;
       ``(2) holds a current, active Top Secret/Sensitive 
     Compartmented Information Clearance;
       ``(3) has a current Single Scope Background Investigation;
       ``(4) was not granted any waivers to obtain his or her 
     clearance; and
       ``(5) is a veteran (as defined in section 2108 of title 5, 
     United States Code).''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 875, currently under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  After my remarks, I will include in the Record an exchange of letters 
between the chairmen of the two committees.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 875, the Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 
2016, is a commonsense, broadly supported, bipartisan bill that will 
provide a mechanism for increased trade enforcement while also 
enhancing the facilitation of legitimate trade and travel. I am pleased 
to note that the other body passed an identical bill by unanimous 
consent just last week, signaling widespread support. Through this 
legislation, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to providing the 
necessary tools to maintain American economic competitiveness while 
preventing the entry of illicit goods into the United States.
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the Federal law enforcement 
agency responsible for facilitating international travel and trade at 
our Nation's ports of entry as well as for detecting and interdicting 
counterfeit, unsafe, and fraudulently entered goods. Last year, the CBP 
processed more than 382 million passengers at the Nation's 328 land, 
sea, and air ports of entry and over $2.4 trillion worth of goods. The 
CBP estimates that inbound trade and traffic will continue to grow.
  In 2013 and 2014, Congress created 5-year pilot programs authorizing 
the

[[Page 15856]]

CBP to enter into reimbursable agreements with public and private 
entities as a way to meet the escalating demands of increased trade and 
traffic at the ports of entry. These agreements with private and public 
sector entities allow for additional inspectional services beyond what 
the CBP would have normally allocated at ports of entry. They provide 
additional resources to increase enforcement and processing capacity 
and to improve dated infrastructure at our ports.
  Since 2013, the CBP has entered into reimbursable service agreements 
with 29 stakeholders at land, sea, and air ports of entry. These 
agreements have contributed to more than 125,000 additional processing 
hours to meet stakeholder demand during which 3 million travelers and 
almost 460,000 vehicles were processed. The pilot programs have been 
widely regarded as forward-leaning and an effective way to enforce our 
laws at the border and to meet the demands of increased trade and 
travel.
  Today's legislation would move beyond these tested pilot programs to 
establish more permanent authority for the CBP to enter into these 
arrangements, providing the opportunity to make the CBP more efficient 
and effective at our borders.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                                 Washington, DC, December 5, 2016.
     Hon. Kevin Brady,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Brady: I am writing concerning H.R. 875, the 
     Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2015.
       This legislation contains provisions within the Committee 
     on Agriculture's Rule X jurisdiction. As a result of your 
     having consulted with the Committee and in order to expedite 
     this bill for floor consideration, the Committee on 
     Agriculture will forego action on the bill. This is being 
     done on the basis of our mutual understanding that doing so 
     will in no way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on Agriculture with respect to the appointment of 
     conferees, or to any future jurisdictional claim over the 
     subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation.
       I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming 
     this understanding, and would request that you include a copy 
     of this letter and your response in the Committee Report and 
     in the Congressional Record during the floor consideration of 
     this bill. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
           Sincerely,
                                               K. Michael Conaway,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                      Committee on Ways and Means,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, December 5, 2016.
     Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
     Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Conaway, Thank you for your letter regarding 
     H.R. 875, the ``Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2015.'' 
     As you noted, the Committee on Agriculture has a 
     jurisdictional interest in this bill.
       I am most appreciative of your decision to waive formal 
     consideration of H.R. 875 so that it may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House floor. I acknowledge that although 
     you waived formal consideration of the bill, the Committee on 
     Agriculture is in no way waiving its jurisdiction over the 
     subject matter contained in those provisions of the bill that 
     fall within your Rule X jurisdiction. I would support your 
     effort to seek appointment of an appropriate number of 
     conferees on any House-Senate conference involving this 
     legislation.
       I will include a copy of our letters in the committee 
     report on this legislation, as well as in the Congressional 
     Record during consideration on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Kevin Brady,
                                                         Chairman.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) will control the time.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I stand in support of the Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2016.
  This bill offers a pragmatic and bipartisan solution to a real and 
growing problem: Customs and Border Protection simply has not been able 
to keep pace, and has not been given the resources to keep pace, with 
the dramatic growth in travel into the United States.
  In the last fiscal year, for example, the CBP processed more than 384 
million passengers and more than $2.4 trillion of imported goods 
through our air, land, and sea ports, but the CBP's staffing levels 
have not kept pace with this growth over the years. The result has been 
substantial and unnecessary delays as passengers and cargo ships wait 
to be processed.
  Not only is this a bipartisan issue, but just as importantly, I think 
it calls into meaning how we might solve some of the problems that 
confront America economically. A case in point: it is generally large 
businesses, medium-sized businesses, and small businesses that tend not 
to take a position in support of more government but which, in this 
instance, would ask for more government. There is nothing wrong with 
that inconsistency. In fact, I think, in this particular instance, it 
works quite well because they will ask for more agents for the purpose 
of moving cargo faster. I think that is an entirely reasonable 
position.
  This bill will help to address those delays by increasing trade and 
travel efficiencies and by eliminating unnecessary redtape in the 
hiring process at no cost to the taxpayer.
  This approach has already been tested, and it has passed the test. In 
2013 and 2014, Congress authorized pilot programs, as Dr. Boustany has 
noted, to enable the CBP to enter into agreements with private sector, 
State, and local government entities that would reimburse the CBP for 
customs-related personnel services at ports of entry. These public-
private agreements are believed to have decreased wait times by an 
average of 30 percent at the ports at which they were implemented. The 
bill also allows for more of these agreements and for a longer period 
of time.
  For these reasons, I support this bipartisan bill, and I urge my 
colleagues to vote for it later on this afternoon.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Hurd).
  Mr. HURD of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 875, the 
Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act.
  This bipartisan bill is the product of significant work throughout 
the course of the 114th Congress across both Chambers and across 
committee jurisdiction to ensure that a program that many border 
communities rely upon continues to return dividends.
  I am proud to represent over 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, 
including the communities and the businesses that thrive on cross-
border trade. Over the past two decades, our Nation's trade with Mexico 
has grown by leaps and bounds, much of it through our land ports of 
entry. In 2015 alone, Texas businesses exported $92 billion in goods 
and services to Mexico--that is $92 billion with a ``B''--more than the 
next four largest markets combined. However, border infrastructure has 
not kept up with the growth. The lack of infrastructure and staffing 
that is necessary to support increased levels of trade crossing into 
this country has a very real impact on those we serve and work with 
daily.
  This legislation fixes the problem by empowering local leaders and 
increasing flexibility, with little to no cost to the Federal 
Government and taxpayers. By allowing local communities and 
organizations to form public-private partnerships with the Federal 
Government and to make improvements to our ports of entry, we are 
investing in the infrastructure that supports our economy. Similar 
legislation passed the House in a bipartisan manner earlier this year 
and passed out of the Senate unanimously.
  The failure to capitalize on this momentum merely leaves this 
critical program adrift right when its benefits are about to be 
realized. Decreasing the time it takes to move goods and services 
safely across the border will have a tremendous economic impact on not 
only the region, but on our Nation.
  I thank the leadership of fellow Texans and my friends, Senator 
Cornyn, Mr. Cuellar, and Mr. O'Rourke; and I urge my colleagues to 
support this legislation.

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas

[[Page 15857]]

(Mr. Cuellar), who has been a leader on this very issue and has helped 
to design the very product that is in front of us today, and I think 
that he can take great satisfaction from the bipartisan nature of the 
legislation that we are about to entertain.
  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. Neal) and his staff for helping to put this together. I appreciate 
it.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) and 
his staff for putting this bill on a very fast-moving track.
  And in particular, I want to thank my good old friend--and I say 
``good old friend'' in a nice way--Chairman Kevin Brady. We go back to 
working together in the State legislature. We have been working in 
Texas on issues like this for so many years, and I certainly want to 
thank Chairman Brady for his work and the bipartisan staff for moving 
this bill quickly.
  In particular, I want to thank my colleagues. Mr. Hurd over here, who 
has a lot of border and he has got a lot of ports of entry, I want to 
thank him for his leadership on this bill.
  I also want to thank Beto O'Rourke, my friend from El Paso, who also 
understands, just like Mr. Hurd does, the importance of trade.
  I thank our Senate sponsor, Senator Cornyn, who has done a great job 
on this particular bill.
  The Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2016 is a bill that builds 
upon the work that Chairman John Carter and myself added in the 
appropriations bill back in 2013 and 2014 to ease the delays and 
improve the infrastructure at our Nation's land and sea and air ports 
of entry.
  As has been said, trade and travel to the U.S. has been increasing 
for the last 10 years. In fiscal year 2015, our Nation saw 382 million 
travelers processed at the Nation's 328 land, sea, and air ports of 
entry. In particular I want to emphasize the land ports of entry. Over 
80 percent of all of the people who come into the United States, all of 
the goods that come into the United States, come in through land ports 
of entry, and that is why this bill is very important.
  As was mentioned a few minutes ago, $2.4 trillion of trade was 
processed at our ports of entry. And just as an example--and I know Mr. 
Hurd mentioned it; I know Mr. O'Rourke is going to mention it--in my 
port of entry, Laredo, for example, it is a small town of 250,000, but 
it handles 14,000 trailers a day of trade between the U.S. and Mexico. 
If you look at the largest customs districts, you have L.A., New York, 
and then you have Laredo. So this bill is very important to Laredo and 
the rest of the border itself.
  Despite this growing trade that we have at our ports of entry, CBP 
staffing levels have been stagnant. Back in 2014, the Appropriations 
Committee and Congress authorized over $255 million to increase the CBP 
workforce, which includes hiring 2,000 new CBP officers. However, they 
have been struggling to hire those 2,000 CBP officers due to attrition, 
but also due to the long time that it takes to hire those new officers.
  The other part that is important is, if you look at the land ports of 
entry, for example, there are a lot of challenges--and I am talking 
about the southern and the northern ports of entry that we have. In 
fact, it would cost us about $5 billion in capital improvements to make 
sure that we do this work.
  What are we doing in Congress? Well, we are adding about $146 million 
a year to meet this $5 billion that we need. So at this rate of $146 
million a year, it would take 34 years to meet that $5 billion that we 
need. Therefore, the Federal Government is not going to add those 
appropriations.
  I understand money is tight. We need to bring in the local government 
and especially the private sector to make sure that we address the 
undersized facilities, the outmoded technologies that we have, the 
officer safety issues that we have, and the long wait times that we 
have, which I call parking lots, because a lot of times these trucks 
are waiting in the middle of the bridge.
  Therefore, on sections 559 and 560, what we did is we said we are 
going to bring the private sector in, and it has worked well in doing 
this. We have seen--and I think it has been mentioned, but I will 
mention it again. We entered into 29 of those stakeholder reimbursement 
service agreements, and we saw more additional processing hours to make 
sure that we moved 3 million additional travelers and almost 460,000 
new vehicles.
  Again, this is going to help us.
  What does this bill do? This bill will help us expand that pilot 
program in many ways and authorize it for 10 years. This bill will 
limit the number of reimbursable service agreements that we have at the 
ports of entry, but, more importantly, it is going to allow us to hire 
CBP officers faster. I know the chairman knows this very well. Imagine 
if we have this. We have got to bring officers into the CBP faster, and 
this is what this bill will do.
  So again, I want to thank the House sponsors, Kevin Brady, Chairman 
Michael McCaul, Mr. Hurd, and Mr. O'Rourke, and, of course, on the 
Senate side, Senator Cornyn and Senator Klobuchar for making sure that 
we did it and that we are doing it in a bipartisan way.
  I ask that we pass this bill.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nevada (Mr. Amodei).
  Mr. AMODEI. I thank my colleague from the Pelican State and also the 
ranking member from the Bay State.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a bit nervous. I don't want to break up this Lone 
Star class reunion here, but speaking on behalf of a small place in the 
intermountain west, section 481 of H.R. 875 addresses a CBP staffing 
issue at smaller land port of entry airports.
  As we all know, the CBP mission at our numerous ports of entry is 
growing, and adequate staffing at the larger ports needs to be 
augmented. However, airport authorities and smaller land ports of entry 
are also increasing their international passenger counts and need 
additional CBP personnel to adequately screen their passengers.
  The language contained herein allows small land port airports to 
reimburse CBP the actual cost of assigning up to five more CBP 
screening personnel, thereby keeping screening times within reasonable 
limits for those air passengers. This language represents bicameral, 
bipartisan, nationwide consensus on a needed staffing reimbursement 
option for CBP. Similarly, I urge Members' bipartisan nationwide 
support.
  God bless the State of Texas and the other 49 also.
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. O'Rourke), another individual who has had a profound influence on 
this legislation and has had a long-time interest in the topic as well.
  Mr. O'ROURKE. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, our new 
ranking member on the committee, for yielding and for his work on this 
important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, there are few things as important for us in this 
Congress to work on as creating more jobs and sustaining those that we 
have right now. U.S.-Mexico trade today supports more than 6 million 
jobs in every single State of the Union, 500,000 jobs in the State of 
Texas alone, and one out of every four jobs in the community that I 
have the honor to represent, El Paso, Texas.
  The men and women who serve in Customs and Border Protection, the 
officers in blue at our ports of entry, are understaffed and 
overstressed, and they need our help. What we are doing in this bill is 
allowing local communities and local stakeholders who have an interest 
in the success of our ports of entry and in U.S.-Mexico trade and in 
creating more jobs to fund the necessary overtime hours and 
infrastructure improvements at those ports.
  I want to thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle and in 
both Chambers--Senator Cornyn in the other Chamber, Members Cuellar and 
Hurd and others in this one--who see the wisdom in allowing local 
communities to fill the gap where government has been unable to do so.
  Whether it is the $90 billion in U.S.-Mexico trade that crosses the 
El Paso-Ciudad Juarez ports of entry every

[[Page 15858]]

year or the 32 million inspections that are conducted there, this is a 
way to grow our economy. It is a way to ensure that we are more secure 
because we know precisely who is coming in when we have the manpower 
and infrastructure to inspect all those who want to cross in here. We 
are allowing local communities and not the Federal Government to pick 
up the tab in a way that is going to benefit this country as a whole.
  I couldn't help but notice the current chair of the House Veterans' 
Affairs Committee, the incoming chair, and the ranking member, who are 
all here. I know they are all pleased to see in this bill an expedited 
process to hire our veterans, to transition them from Active Duty 
service to meaningful employment as a Customs officer through an 
expedited process in this bill. That means we staff more of our CBP 
positions, we put more veterans to work, and we do better for this 
country.
  This is a bill that should have the support of every single Member of 
this Congress, and I urge its quick passage.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I have no other Members wishing to speak 
on the bill, and I am prepared to close.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank Dr. Boustany, who has been a friend on the Ways and 
Means Committee. I assume this might be his last time handling 
legislation on the floor. He was great to work with over the years.
  I take some satisfaction, Mr. Speaker, that having either been 
chairman or ranking member of the Tax Policy Subcommittee of the 
Committee on Ways and Means, that I simply wore them all down because, 
every 2 years, they would send somebody else over to share that 
responsibility.
  Dr. Boustany is a real gentleman. He has been a friend, and he has 
been a very nice guy to work with.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his very, very 
kind words. It has been a true pleasure working with him on the Tax 
Policy Subcommittee. I want to congratulate him on becoming ranking 
member of the Ways and Means Committee. I know he will do a fabulous 
job. I am only sorry I won't be around next year to work with him and 
beyond. I congratulate him.
  Godspeed, do a great job, and get tax reform done.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 875, the Cross-
Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2016, to strengthen our ability to 
enforce U.S. trade laws.
  I am very pleased that our solution has such strong bipartisan 
support and makes good on our commitment to stop the flow of illicit 
goods while also facilitating legitimate trade that is vital to 
American economic competitiveness. I urge passage of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 875, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




 EXTENDING WAIVER OF LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO EXCLUDING FROM GROSS 
     INCOME AMOUNTS RECEIVED BY WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS

  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of the bill 
(H.R. 6438) to extend the waiver of limitations with respect to 
excluding from gross income amounts received by wrongfully incarcerated 
individuals, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6438

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF WAIVER OF LIMITATIONS WITH RESPECT TO 
                   EXCLUDING FROM GROSS INCOME AMOUNTS RECEIVED BY 
                   WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS.

       (a) In General.--Section 304(d) of the Protecting Americans 
     from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 is amended by striking ``1-year'' 
     and inserting ``2-year''.
       (b) Technical Correction.--Section 304(d) of such Act is 
     amended by striking ``application of this Act'' and inserting 
     ``application of this section''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect as if included in section 304 of the 
     Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

                          ____________________




 JEFF MILLER AND RICHARD BLUMENTHAL VETERANS HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS 
                        IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2016

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 6416) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 6416

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Jeff 
     Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and 
     Benefits Improvement Act of 2016''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. References to title 38, United States Code.

                TITLE I--DISABILITY COMPENSATION MATTERS

Sec. 101. Expedited payment of survivors' benefits.
Sec. 102. Board of Veterans' Appeals video hearings.
Sec. 103. Requirement that Secretary of Veterans Affairs publish the 
              average time required to adjudicate early-filed and 
              later-filed appeals.
Sec. 104. Comptroller General review of claims processing performance 
              of regional offices of Veterans Benefits Administration.
Sec. 105. Report on staffing levels at regional offices of Department 
              of Veterans Affairs under National Work Queue.
Sec. 106. Inclusion in annual budget submission of information on 
              capacity of Veterans Benefits Administration to process 
              benefits claims.
Sec. 107. Report on plans of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reduce 
              inventory of non-rating workload; sense of Congress 
              regarding Monday Morning Workload Report.
Sec. 108. Annual report on progress in implementing Veterans Benefits 
              Management System.
Sec. 109. Improvements to authority for performance of medical 
              disabilities examinations by contract physicians.
Sec. 110. Independent review of process by which Department of Veterans 
              Affairs assesses impairments that result from traumatic 
              brain injury for purposes of awarding disability 
              compensation.
Sec. 111. Reports on claims for disability compensation.
Sec. 112. Sense of Congress regarding American veterans disabled for 
              life.
Sec. 113. Sense of Congress on submittal of information relating to 
              claims for disabilities incurred or aggravated by 
              military sexual trauma.

      TITLE II--UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS

Sec. 201. Extension of temporary increase in number of judges on United 
              States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Sec. 202. Life insurance program relating to judges of United States 
              Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Sec. 203. Voluntary contributions to enlarge survivors' annuity.

[[Page 15859]]

Sec. 204. Selection of chief judge of United States Court of Appeals 
              for Veterans Claims.

              TITLE III--BURIAL BENEFITS AND OTHER MATTERS

Sec. 301. Expansion of eligibility for headstones, markers, and 
              medallions.
Sec. 302. Expansion of Presidential Memorial Certificate program.
Sec. 303. Department of Veterans Affairs study on matters relating to 
              burial of unclaimed remains of veterans in national 
              cemeteries.
Sec. 304. Study on provision of interments in veterans' cemeteries 
              during weekends.
Sec. 305. Honoring as veterans certain persons who performed service in 
              the reserve components of the Armed Forces.

     TITLE IV--EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION

Sec. 401. Clarification of eligibility for Marine Gunnery Sergeant John 
              David Fry Scholarship.
Sec. 402. Approval of courses of education and training for purposes of 
              the vocational rehabilitation program of the Department 
              of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 403. Authority to prioritize vocational rehabilitation services 
              based on need.
Sec. 404. Reports on progress of students receiving Post-9/11 
              Educational Assistance.
Sec. 405. Recodification and improvement of election process for Post-
              9/11 Educational Assistance Program.
Sec. 406. Work-study allowance.
Sec. 407. Centralized reporting of veteran enrollment by certain 
              groups, districts, and consortiums of educational 
              institutions.
Sec. 408. Role of State approving agencies.
Sec. 409. Modification of requirements for approval for purposes of 
              educational assistance provided by Department of Veterans 
              Affairs of programs designed to prepare individuals for 
              licensure or certification.
Sec. 410. Criteria used to approve courses.
Sec. 411. Compliance surveys.
Sec. 412. Modification of reductions in reporting fee multipliers for 
              payments by Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educational 
              institutions.
Sec. 413. Composition of Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education.
Sec. 414. Survey of individuals using their entitlement to educational 
              assistance under the educational assistance programs 
              administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 415. Department of Veterans Affairs provision of information on 
              articulation agreements between institutions of higher 
              learning.
Sec. 416. Retention of entitlement to educational assistance during 
              certain additional periods of active duty.
Sec. 417. Technical amendment relating to in-state tuition rate for 
              individuals to whom entitlement is transferred under all-
              volunteer force educational assistance program and post-
              9/11 educational assistance.
Sec. 418. Study on the effectiveness of veterans transition efforts.

             TITLE V--SMALL BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT MATTERS

Sec. 501. Modification of treatment under contracting goals and 
              preferences of Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 502. Longitudinal study of job counseling, training, and placement 
              service for veterans.
Sec. 503. Limitation on administrative leave for employees of 
              Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 504. Required coordination between Directors for Veterans' 
              Employment and Training with State departments of labor 
              and veterans affairs.

                     TITLE VI--HEALTH CARE MATTERS

                        Subtitle A--Medical Care

Sec. 601. Requirement for advance appropriations for the Medical 
              Community Care account of the Department of Veterans 
              Affairs.
Sec. 602. Improved access to appropriate immunizations for veterans.
Sec. 603. Priority of medal of honor recipients in health care system 
              of Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 604. Requirement that Department of Veterans Affairs collect 
              health-plan contract information from veterans.
Sec. 605. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified 
              missions.
Sec. 606. Examination and treatment by Department of Veterans Affairs 
              for emergency medical conditions and women in labor.

               Subtitle B--Veterans Health Administration

Sec. 611. Time period covered by annual report on Readjustment 
              Counseling Service.
Sec. 612. Annual report on Veterans Health Administration and 
              furnishing of hospital care, medical services, and 
              nursing home care.
Sec. 613. Expansion of qualifications for licensed mental health 
              counselors of the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
              include doctoral degrees.
Sec. 614. Modification of hours of employment for physicians employed 
              by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 615. Repeal of compensation panels to determine market pay for 
              physicians and dentists.
Sec. 616. Clarification regarding liability for breach of agreement 
              under Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Incentive 
              Scholarship Program.
Sec. 617. Extension of period for increase in graduate medical 
              education residency positions at medical facilities of 
              the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 618. Report on public access to research by Department of Veterans 
              Affairs.
Sec. 619. Authorization of certain major medical facility projects of 
              the Department of Veterans Affairs.

                       Subtitle C--Toxic Exposure

Sec. 631. Definitions.
Sec. 632. National Academy of Medicine assessment on research relating 
              to the descendants of individuals with toxic exposure.
Sec. 633. Advisory board on research relating to health conditions of 
              descendants of veterans with toxic exposure while serving 
              in the Armed Forces.
Sec. 634. Research relating to health conditions of descendants of 
              veterans with toxic exposure while serving in the Armed 
              Forces.

                    TITLE VII--HOMELESSNESS MATTERS

          Subtitle A--Access of Homeless Veterans to Benefits

Sec. 701. Expansion of definition of homeless veteran for purposes of 
              benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of 
              Veterans Affairs.
Sec. 702. Authorization to furnish certain benefits to homeless 
              veterans with discharges or releases under other than 
              honorable conditions.
Sec. 703. Waiver of minimum period of continuous active duty in Armed 
              Forces for certain benefits for homeless veterans.
Sec. 704. Training of personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
              and grant recipients.
Sec. 705. Regulations.
Sec. 706. Effective date.

                 Subtitle B--Other Homelessness Matters

Sec. 711. Increased per diem payments for transitional housing 
              assistance that becomes permanent housing for homeless 
              veterans.
Sec. 712. Program to improve retention of housing by formerly homeless 
              veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless.
Sec. 713. Establishment of National Center on Homelessness Among 
              Veterans.
Sec. 714. Requirement for Department of Veterans Affairs to assess 
              comprehensive service programs for homeless veterans.
Sec. 715. Report on outreach relating to increasing the amount of 
              housing available to veterans.

                       TITLE VIII--OTHER MATTERS

Sec. 801. Department of Veterans Affairs construction reforms.
Sec. 802. Technical and clerical amendments.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE.

       Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this 
     Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
     amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the 
     reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
     other provision of title 38, United States Code.

                TITLE I--DISABILITY COMPENSATION MATTERS

     SEC. 101. EXPEDITED PAYMENT OF SURVIVORS' BENEFITS.

       (a) In General.--Section 5101(a)(1) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``A specific'' and inserting ``(A) Except 
     as provided in subparagraph (B), a specific''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(B)(i) The Secretary may pay benefits under chapters 13 
     and 15 and sections 2302, 2307, and 5121 of this title to a 
     survivor of a

[[Page 15860]]

     veteran who has not filed a formal claim if the Secretary 
     determines that the record contains sufficient evidence to 
     establish the entitlement of the survivor to such benefits.
       ``(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph and section 5110 
     of this title, the earlier of the following dates shall be 
     treated as the date of the receipt of the survivor's 
     application for benefits described in clause (i):
       ``(I) The date on which the survivor of a veteran (or the 
     representative of such a survivor) notifies the Secretary of 
     the death of the veteran through a death certificate or other 
     relevant evidence that establishes entitlement to survivors' 
     benefits identified in clause (i).
       ``(II) The head of any other department or agency of the 
     Federal Government notifies the Secretary of the death of the 
     veteran.
       ``(iii) In notifying the Secretary of the death of a 
     veteran as described in clause (ii)(I), the survivor (or the 
     representative of such a survivor) may submit to the 
     Secretary additional documents relating to such death without 
     being required to file a formal claim.''.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on benefits paid pursuant to covered 
     claims.
       (2) Contents.--The report under paragraph (1) shall include 
     the following:
       (A) The number of covered claims adjudicated during the 
     one-year period preceding the date of the report, 
     disaggregated by the following:
       (i) Claims in which the claimant was entitled to benefits 
     under chapters 13 or 15 or sections 2302, 2307, or 5121 of 
     title 38, United States Code, on the basis of the claimant's 
     status as the spouse of a deceased veteran.
       (ii) Claims in which the claimant was entitled to such 
     benefits on the basis of the claimant's status as the child 
     of a deceased veteran.
       (iii) Claims in which the claimant was entitled to such 
     benefits on the basis of the claimant's status as the parent 
     of a deceased veteran.
       (B) The number of covered claims during such period for 
     which such benefits were not awarded, disaggregated by 
     clauses (i) through (iii) of subparagraph (A).
       (C) A comparison of the accuracy and timeliness of covered 
     claims adjudicated during such period with noncovered claims 
     filed by survivors of a veteran.
       (D) The findings of the Secretary with respect to 
     adjudicating covered claims.
       (E) Such recommendations as the Secretary may have for 
     legislative or administrative action to improve the 
     adjudication of claims submitted to the Secretary for 
     benefits under chapters 13 and 15 and sections 2302, 2307, 
     and 5121 of title 38, United States Code.
       (3) Covered claim defined.--In this subsection, the term 
     ``covered claim'' means a claim covered by section 
     5101(a)(1)(B) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
     subsection (a).
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to claims for benefits based on a 
     death occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 102. BOARD OF VETERANS' APPEALS VIDEO HEARINGS.

       Section 7107 is amended--
       (1) in subsection (d), by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
     follows:
       ``(1)(A)(i) Upon request for a hearing, the Board shall 
     determine, for purposes of scheduling the hearing for the 
     earliest possible date, whether a hearing before the Board 
     will be held at its principal location or at a facility of 
     the Department or other appropriate Federal facility located 
     within the area served by a regional office of the 
     Department.
       ``(ii) The Board shall also determine whether to provide a 
     hearing through the use of the facilities and equipment 
     described in subsection (e)(1) or by the appellant personally 
     appearing before a Board member or panel.
       ``(B)(i) The Board shall notify the appellant of the 
     determinations of the location and type of hearing made under 
     subparagraph (A).
       ``(ii) Upon notification, the appellant may request a 
     different location or type of hearing as described in such 
     subparagraph.
       ``(iii) If so requested, the Board shall grant such request 
     and ensure that the hearing is scheduled at the earliest 
     possible date without any undue delay or other prejudice to 
     the appellant.''; and
       (2) in subsection (e), by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
     follows:
       ``(2) Any hearing provided through the use of the 
     facilities and equipment described in paragraph (1) shall be 
     conducted in the same manner as, and shall be considered the 
     equivalent of, a personal hearing.''.

     SEC. 103. REQUIREMENT THAT SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   PUBLISH THE AVERAGE TIME REQUIRED TO ADJUDICATE 
                   EARLY-FILED AND LATER-FILED APPEALS.

       (a) Publication Requirement.--
       (1) In general.--On an ongoing basis, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs shall make available to the public the 
     following:
       (A) The average length of time to adjudicate an early-filed 
     appeal.
       (B) The average length of time to adjudicate a later-filed 
     appeal.
       (2) Effective date.--Paragraph (1) shall take effect on the 
     date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act and shall apply until the date that is three years after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 39 months after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on whether publication pursuant to 
     subsection (a)(1) has had an effect on the number of early-
     filed appeals filed.
       (2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) The number of appeals and early-filed appeals that were 
     filed during the one-year period ending on the effective date 
     specified in subsection (a)(2).
       (B) The number of appeals and early-filed appeals that were 
     filed during the one-year period ending on the date that is 
     two years after the effective date specified in subsection 
     (a)(2).
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Appeal.--The term ``appeal'' means a notice of 
     disagreement filed pursuant to section 7105(a) of title 38, 
     United States Code, in response to notice of the result of an 
     initial review or determination regarding a claim for a 
     benefit under a law administered by the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs.
       (2) Early-filed.--The term ``early-filed'' with respect to 
     an appeal means that the notice of disagreement was filed not 
     more than 180 days after the date of mailing of the notice of 
     the result of the initial review or determination described 
     in paragraph (1).
       (3) Later-filed.--The term ``later-filed'' with respect to 
     an appeal means the notice of disagreement was filed more 
     than 180 days after the date of mailing of the notice of the 
     result of the initial review or determination described in 
     paragraph (1).

     SEC. 104. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW OF CLAIMS PROCESSING 
                   PERFORMANCE OF REGIONAL OFFICES OF VETERANS 
                   BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) Review Required.--Not later than 15 months after the 
     effective date specified in subsection (e), the Comptroller 
     General of the United States shall complete a review of the 
     regional offices of the Veterans Benefits Administration to 
     help the Veterans Benefits Administration achieve more 
     consistent performance in the processing of claims for 
     disability compensation.
       (b) Elements.--The review required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) An identification of the following:
       (A) The factors, including management practices, that 
     distinguish higher performing regional offices from other 
     regional offices with respect to claims for disability 
     compensation.
       (B) The best practices employed by higher performing 
     regional offices that distinguish the performance of such 
     offices from other regional offices.
       (C) Such other management practices or tools as the 
     Comptroller General determines could be used to improve the 
     performance of regional offices.
       (2) An assessment of the effectiveness of communication 
     with respect to the processing of claims for disability 
     compensation between the regional offices and veterans 
     service organizations and caseworkers employed by Members of 
     Congress.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 15 months after the effective 
     date specified in subsection (e), the Comptroller General 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the results of the review 
     completed under subsection (a).
       (d) Veterans Service Organization Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``veterans service organization'' means any 
     organization recognized by the Secretary for the 
     representation of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, 
     United States Code.
       (e) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on the 
     date that is 270 days after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 105. REPORT ON STAFFING LEVELS AT REGIONAL OFFICES OF 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS UNDER NATIONAL 
                   WORK QUEUE.

       Not later than 15 months after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 
     the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the criteria and procedures that 
     the Secretary will use to determine appropriate staffing 
     levels at the regional offices of the Department under the 
     National Work Queue for the distribution of the claims 
     processing workload.

     SEC. 106. INCLUSION IN ANNUAL BUDGET SUBMISSION OF 
                   INFORMATION ON CAPACITY OF VETERANS BENEFITS 
                   ADMINISTRATION TO PROCESS BENEFITS CLAIMS.

       (a) In General.--Along with the supporting information 
     included in the budget

[[Page 15861]]

     submitted to Congress by the President pursuant to section 
     1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, the President shall 
     include information on the capacity of the Veterans Benefits 
     Administration to process claims for benefits under the laws 
     administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, including 
     information described in subsection (b), during the fiscal 
     year covered by the budget with which the information is 
     submitted.
       (b) Information Described.--The information described in 
     this subsection is the following:
       (1) An estimate of the average number of claims for 
     benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary, 
     excluding such claims completed during mandatory overtime, 
     that a single full-time equivalent employee of the 
     Administration should be able to process in a year, based on 
     the following:
       (A) A time and motion study that the Secretary shall 
     conduct on the processing of such claims.
       (B) Such other information relating to such claims as the 
     Secretary considers appropriate.
       (2) A description of the actions the Secretary will take to 
     improve the processing of such claims.
       (3) An assessment of the actions identified by the 
     Secretary under paragraph (2) in the previous year and an 
     identification of the effects of those actions.
       (c) Effective Date.--This section shall apply with respect 
     to any budget submitted as described in subsection (a) with 
     respect to any fiscal year after fiscal year 2018.

     SEC. 107. REPORT ON PLANS OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
                   REDUCE INVENTORY OF NON-RATING WORKLOAD; SENSE 
                   OF CONGRESS REGARDING MONDAY MORNING WORKLOAD 
                   REPORT.

       (a) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report that details the plans of the 
     Secretary to reduce the inventory of work items listed in the 
     Monday Morning Workload Report under End Products 130, 137, 
     173, 290, 400, 600, 607, 690, 930, and 960.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should include in each 
     Monday Morning Workload Report published by the Secretary the 
     following:
       (1) With respect to each regional office of the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs, the following:
       (A) The number of fully developed claims for benefits under 
     the laws administered by the Secretary that have been 
     received.
       (B) The number of claims described in subparagraph (A) that 
     are pending a decision.
       (C) The number of claims described in subparagraph (A) that 
     have been pending a decision for more than 125 days.
       (2) Enhanced information on appeals of decisions relating 
     to claims for benefits under the laws administered by the 
     Secretary that are pending, including information contained 
     in the reports of the Department entitled ``Appeals Pending'' 
     and ``Appeals Workload By Station''.

     SEC. 108. ANNUAL REPORT ON PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING VETERANS 
                   BENEFITS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

       (a) In General.--Not later than each of one year, two 
     years, and three years after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 
     the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the progress of the Secretary in 
     implementing the Veterans Benefits Management System.
       (b) Contents.--Each report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) An assessment of the current functionality of the 
     Veterans Benefits Management System.
       (2) Recommendations submitted to the Secretary by employees 
     of the Department of Veterans Affairs who are involved in 
     processing claims for benefits under the laws administered by 
     the Secretary, including veterans service representatives, 
     rating veterans service representatives, and decision review 
     officers, for such legislative or administrative action as 
     the employees consider appropriate to improve the processing 
     of such claims.
       (3) Recommendations submitted to the Secretary by veterans 
     service organizations who use the Veterans Benefits 
     Management System for such legislative or administrative 
     action as the veterans service organizations consider 
     appropriate to improve such system.
       (c) Veterans Service Organization Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``veterans service organization'' means any 
     organization recognized by the Secretary for the 
     representation of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, 
     United States Code.

     SEC. 109. IMPROVEMENTS TO AUTHORITY FOR PERFORMANCE OF 
                   MEDICAL DISABILITIES EXAMINATIONS BY CONTRACT 
                   PHYSICIANS.

       (a) Licensure of Contract Physicians.--
       (1) Temporary authority.--Section 704 of the Veterans 
     Benefits Act of 2003 (38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended--
       (A) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
       (B) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
     subsection (d):
       ``(d) Licensure of Contract Physicians.--
       ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any law regarding the 
     licensure of physicians, a physician described in paragraph 
     (2) may conduct an examination pursuant to a contract entered 
     into under subsection (b) at any location in any State, the 
     District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or 
     possession of the United States, so long as the examination 
     is within the scope of the authorized duties under such 
     contract.
       ``(2) Physician described.--A physician described in this 
     paragraph is a physician who--
       ``(A) has a current unrestricted license to practice the 
     health care profession of the physician;
       ``(B) is not barred from practicing such health care 
     profession in any State, the District of Columbia, or a 
     Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States; 
     and
       ``(C) is performing authorized duties for the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs pursuant to a contract entered into under 
     subsection (b).''.
       (2) Pilot program.--Section 504 of the Veterans' Benefits 
     Improvement Act of 1996 (38 U.S.C. 5101 note) is amended--
       (A) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
     (d) and (e), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
     subsection (c):
       ``(c) Licensure of Contract Physicians.--
       ``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any law regarding the 
     licensure of physicians, a physician described in paragraph 
     (2) may conduct an examination pursuant to a contract entered 
     into under subsection (a) at any location in any State, the 
     District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or 
     possession of the United States, so long as the examination 
     is within the scope of the authorized duties under such 
     contract.
       ``(2) Physician described.--A physician described in this 
     paragraph is a physician who--
       ``(A) has a current unrestricted license to practice the 
     health care profession of the physician;
       ``(B) is not barred from practicing such health care 
     profession in any State, the District of Columbia, or a 
     Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States; 
     and
       ``(C) is performing authorized duties for the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs pursuant to a contract entered into under 
     subsection (a).''.

     SEC. 110. INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF PROCESS BY WHICH DEPARTMENT 
                   OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ASSESSES IMPAIRMENTS THAT 
                   RESULT FROM TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY FOR PURPOSES 
                   OF AWARDING DISABILITY COMPENSATION.

       (a) Agreement.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies 
     of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to perform the 
     services covered by this section.
       (2) Timing.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into the 
     agreement described in paragraph (1) not later than 9 months 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (b) Comprehensive Review.--
       (1) In general.--Under an agreement between the Secretary 
     and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
     Medicine under this section, the National Academies of 
     Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall conduct a 
     comprehensive review of examinations furnished by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals who submit 
     claims to the Secretary for compensation under chapter 11 of 
     title 38, United States Code, for traumatic brain injury to 
     assess the impairments of such individuals relating to such 
     injury.
       (2) Elements.--The comprehensive review carried out 
     pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include the following:
       (A) A determination of the adequacy of the tools and 
     protocols used by the Department to provide examinations 
     described in paragraph (1).
       (B) A determination of which credentials are necessary for 
     health care specialists and providers to perform such 
     portions of such examinations that relate to an assessment of 
     all disabling effects.
       (3) Group of experienced health care providers.--In 
     carrying out the comprehensive review pursuant to paragraph 
     (1), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
     Medicine shall convene a group of relevant experts, including 
     experts in clinical neuropsychology, psychiatry, physiatry, 
     neurosurgery, and neurology.
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 540 days after the date on 
     which the Secretary enters into an agreement under subsection 
     (a)(1), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives 
     a report on the comprehensive review conducted under this 
     section.
       (2) Elements.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include the following:
       (A) The findings of the National Academies of Sciences, 
     Engineering, and Medicine with respect to the comprehensive 
     review conducted under this section.

[[Page 15862]]

       (B) Such recommendations for legislative or administrative 
     action as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
     and Medicine may have for the improvement of the adjudication 
     of claims described in subsection (b)(1).
       (d) Alternate Contract Organization.--
       (1) In general.--If the Secretary is unable within the 
     period prescribed in subsection (a)(2) to enter into an 
     agreement described in subsection (a)(1) with the National 
     Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on terms 
     acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary shall seek to 
     enter into such an agreement with another appropriate 
     organization that--
       (A) is not part of the Government;
       (B) operates as a not-for-profit entity; and
       (C) has expertise and objectivity comparable to that of the 
     Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of 
     Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
       (2) Treatment.--If the Secretary enters into an agreement 
     with another organization as described in paragraph (1), any 
     reference in this section to the National Academies of 
     Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall be treated as a 
     reference to the other organization.

     SEC. 111. REPORTS ON CLAIMS FOR DISABILITY COMPENSATION.

       (a) Report on Reasonably Raised Claims.--Not later than 540 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees 
     on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
     Representatives a report on the policies of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs with respect to processing reasonably raised 
     unrelated claims. Such report shall include--
       (1) any statistics on how frequently such unrelated claims 
     are identified by the Secretary;
       (2) how frequently the Secretary notifies claimants about 
     potential unrelated claims; and
       (3) how often the claimant later submits a claim for the 
     condition described by the unrelated claim.
       (b) Annual Reports on Complete and Incomplete Claims.--
     During the five-year period beginning on the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
     Representatives annual reports on complete and incomplete 
     claims for disability compensation submitted to the 
     Secretary. Each such report shall include, for the one-year 
     period covered by the report--
       (1) the total number of claims submitted to the Secretary;
       (2) the total number of incomplete claims submitted to the 
     Secretary;
       (3) the total number of complete claims submitted to the 
     Secretary;
       (4) the total number of forms indicating an intent to file 
     a claim for benefits submitted to the Secretary;
       (5) the total number of electronically filed claims 
     submitted to the Secretary;
       (6) the total number of fully developed claims submitted to 
     the Secretary;
       (7) the total number of claims submitted to the Secretary 
     that are not complete claims but that the Secretary treats as 
     a request by the claimant for a form to file a claim; and
       (8) of the total number of claims identified under 
     paragraph (7), the percent for which the Secretary notified 
     the claimant of the need to file a complete claim.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) The term ``claimant'' has the meaning given such term 
     in section 5100 of title 38, United States Code, and includes 
     a representative of a claimant.
       (2) The term ``reasonably raised unrelated claim'' means a 
     claim for disability compensation under the laws administered 
     by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that, in addition to the 
     condition for which such claim is made, includes evidence of 
     a separate condition that is not specifically identified as 
     part of the claim but may be inferred or logically placed at 
     issue upon a sympathetic reading of the claim and the record 
     developed with respect to that claim.

     SEC. 112. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING AMERICAN VETERANS 
                   DISABLED FOR LIFE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) There are at least 4,200,000 veterans currently living 
     with service-connected disabilities.
       (2) As a result of their service, many veterans are 
     permanently disabled throughout their lives and in many cases 
     must rely on the support of their families and friends when 
     these visible and invisible burdens become too much to bear 
     alone.
       (3) October 5, which is the anniversary of the dedication 
     of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, has been 
     recognized as an appropriate day on which to honor American 
     veterans disabled for life each year.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--Congress--
       (1) expresses its appreciation to the men and women left 
     permanently wounded, ill, or injured as a result of their 
     service in the Armed Forces;
       (2) supports the annual recognition of American veterans 
     disabled for life each year; and
       (3) encourages the American people to honor American 
     veterans disabled for life each year with appropriate 
     programs and activities.

     SEC. 113. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON SUBMITTAL OF INFORMATION 
                   RELATING TO CLAIMS FOR DISABILITIES INCURRED OR 
                   AGGRAVATED BY MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA.

       (a) In General.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs should submit to Congress 
     information on the covered claims submitted to the Secretary 
     during each fiscal year, including the information specified 
     in subsection (b).
       (b) Elements.--The information specified in this subsection 
     with respect to each fiscal year is the following:
       (1) The number of covered claims submitted to or considered 
     by the Secretary during such fiscal year.
       (2) Of the covered claims under paragraph (1), the number 
     and percentage of such claims--
       (A) submitted by each sex;
       (B) that were approved, including the number and percentage 
     of such approved claims submitted by each sex; and
       (C) that were denied, including the number and percentage 
     of such denied claims submitted by each sex.
       (3) Of the covered claims under paragraph (1) that were 
     approved, the number and percentage, listed by each sex, of 
     claims assigned to each rating percentage of disability.
       (4) Of the covered claims under paragraph (1) that were 
     denied--
       (A) the three most common reasons given by the Secretary 
     under section 5104(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code, for 
     such denials; and
       (B) the number of denials that were based on the failure of 
     a veteran to report for a medical examination.
       (5) The number of covered claims that, as of the end of 
     such fiscal year, are pending and, separately, the number of 
     such claims on appeal.
       (6) The average number of days that covered claims take to 
     complete beginning on the date on which the claim is 
     submitted.
       (7) A description of the training that the Secretary 
     provides to employees of the Veterans Benefits Administration 
     specifically with respect to covered claims, including the 
     frequency, length, and content of such training.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) The term ``covered claims'' means claims for disability 
     compensation submitted to the Secretary based on a mental 
     health condition alleged to have been incurred or aggravated 
     by military sexual trauma.
       (2) The term ``military sexual trauma'' shall have the 
     meaning specified by the Secretary for purposes of this 
     section and shall include ``sexual harassment'' (as so 
     specified).

      TITLE II--UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS

     SEC. 201. EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY INCREASE IN NUMBER OF JUDGES 
                   ON UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS 
                   CLAIMS.

       (a) In General.--Section 7253(i)(2) is amended by striking 
     ``January 1, 2013'' and inserting ``January 1, 2021''.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than June 30, 2020, the chief 
     judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans 
     Claims shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of 
     the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     House of Representatives a report on the temporary expansions 
     of the Court under section 7253 of title 38, United States 
     Code.
       (2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) An assessment of the effect of the expansions on 
     ensuring appeals are handled in a timely manner.
       (B) A description of the ways in which the complexity 
     levels of the appeals acted on by the Court may have changed 
     based on service during recent conflicts compared to those 
     based on service from previous eras.
       (C) A recommendation on whether the number of judges should 
     be adjusted at the end of the temporary expansion period, 
     including statistics, projections, trend analyses, and other 
     information to support the recommendation.

     SEC. 202. LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAM RELATING TO JUDGES OF UNITED 
                   STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS.

       (a) In General.--Section 7281 is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(j) For purposes of chapter 87 of title 5, a judge who is 
     in regular active service and a judge who is retired under 
     section 7296 of this title or under chapter 83 or 84 of title 
     5 shall be treated as an employee described in section 
     8701(a)(5) of title 5.
       ``(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Court 
     may pay on behalf of its judges, who are age 65 or older, any 
     increase in the cost of Federal Employees' Group Life 
     Insurance imposed after April 24, 1999, including any 
     expenses generated by such payments, as authorized by the 
     chief judge of the Court in a manner consistent with such

[[Page 15863]]

     payment authorized by the Judicial Conference of the United 
     States pursuant to section 604(a)(5) of title 28.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to any payment made on or after the 
     first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 203. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENLARGE SURVIVORS' 
                   ANNUITY.

       Section 7297 is amended by adding at the end the following 
     new subsection:
       ``(p)(1) A covered judge who makes an election under 
     subsection (b) may purchase, in three-month increments, up to 
     an additional year of service credit for each year of Federal 
     judicial service completed, under the terms set forth in this 
     section.
       ``(2) In this subsection, the term `covered judge' means 
     any of the following:
       ``(A) A judge in regular active service.
       ``(B) A retired judge who is a recall-eligible retired 
     judge pursuant to subsection (a) of section 7257 of this 
     title.
       ``(C) A retired judge who would be a recall-eligible 
     retired judge pursuant to subsection (a) of section 7257 but 
     for--
       ``(i) meeting the aggregate recall service requirements 
     under subsection (b)(3) of such section; or
       ``(ii) being permanently disabled as described by 
     subsection (b)(4) of such section.''.

     SEC. 204. SELECTION OF CHIEF JUDGE OF UNITED STATES COURT OF 
                   APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS.

       (a) In General.--Section 7253(d) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'';
       (B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); 
     and
       (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new 
     subparagraph (B):
       ``(B) have at least three years remaining in term of 
     office; and''; and
       (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
       ``(2)(A) In any case in which there is no judge of the 
     Court in regular active service who meets the requirements 
     under paragraph (1), the judge of the Court in regular active 
     service who is senior in commission and meets subparagraph 
     (A) or (B) and subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) shall act as 
     the chief judge.
       ``(B) In any case under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph 
     in which there is no judge of the Court in regular active 
     service who meets subparagraph (A) or (B) and subparagraph 
     (C) of paragraph (1), the judge of the Court in regular 
     active service who is senior in commission and meets 
     subparagraph (C) shall act as the chief judge.''.
       (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to the selection of a chief judge 
     occurring on or after January 1, 2020.

              TITLE III--BURIAL BENEFITS AND OTHER MATTERS

     SEC. 301. EXPANSION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR HEADSTONES, MARKERS, 
                   AND MEDALLIONS.

       Section 2306(d) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following 
     new paragraph:
       ``(4)(A) In lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker under 
     this subsection to a deceased individual described in 
     subparagraph (B), the Secretary may furnish, upon request, a 
     medallion or other device of a design determined by the 
     Secretary to signify the deceased individual's status as a 
     veteran, to be attached to a headstone or marker furnished at 
     private expense.
       ``(B) A deceased individual described in this subsection is 
     an individual who--
       ``(i) served in the Armed Forces on or after April 6, 1917; 
     and
       ``(ii) is eligible for a headstone or marker furnished 
     under paragraph (1) (or would be so eligible but for the date 
     of the death of the individual).''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(5)(A) In carrying out this subsection with respect to a 
     deceased individual described in subparagraph (C), the 
     Secretary shall furnish, upon request, a headstone or marker 
     under paragraph (1) or a medallion under paragraph (4) that 
     signifies the deceased's status as a medal of honor 
     recipient.
       ``(B) If the Secretary furnished a headstone, marker, or 
     medallion under paragraph (1) or (4) for a deceased 
     individual described in subparagraph (C) that does not 
     signify the deceased's status as a medal of honor recipient, 
     the Secretary shall, upon request, replace such headstone, 
     marker, or medallion with a headstone, marker, or medallion, 
     as the case may be, that so signifies the deceased's status 
     as a medal of honor recipient.
       ``(C) A deceased individual described in this subparagraph 
     is a deceased individual who--
       ``(i) served in the Armed Forces on or after April 6, 1917;
       ``(ii) is eligible for a headstone or marker furnished 
     under paragraph (1) or a medallion furnished under paragraph 
     (4) (or would be so eligible for such headstone, marker, or 
     medallion but for the date of the death of the individual); 
     and
       ``(iii) was awarded the medal of honor under section 3741, 
     6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of title 14 
     (including posthumously).
       ``(D) In this paragraph, the term `medal of honor 
     recipient' means an individual who is awarded the medal of 
     honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or 
     section 491 of title 14.''.

     SEC. 302. EXPANSION OF PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIAL CERTIFICATE 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 112(a) is amended by striking 
     ``veterans,'' and all that follows through ``service,'' and 
     inserting the following: ``persons eligible for burial in a 
     national cemetery by reason of any of paragraphs (1), (2), 
     (3), or (7) of section 2402(a) of this title,''.
       (b) Application.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to the death of a person eligible 
     for burial in a national cemetery by reason of paragraph (1), 
     (2), (3), or (7) of section 2402(a) of title 38, United 
     States Code, occurring before, on, or after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 303. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS STUDY ON MATTERS 
                   RELATING TO BURIAL OF UNCLAIMED REMAINS OF 
                   VETERANS IN NATIONAL CEMETERIES.

       (a) Study and Report Required.--Not later than one year 
     after the effective date specified in subsection (d), the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--
       (1) complete a study on matters relating to the interring 
     of unclaimed remains of veterans in national cemeteries under 
     the control of the National Cemetery Administration; and
       (2) submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the findings of the Secretary 
     with respect to the study required under paragraph (1).
       (b) Matters Studied.--The matters studied under subsection 
     (a)(1) shall include the following:
       (1) Determining the scope of issues relating to unclaimed 
     remains of veterans, including an estimate of the number of 
     unclaimed remains of veterans.
       (2) Assessing the effectiveness of the procedures of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs for working with persons or 
     entities having custody of unclaimed remains to facilitate 
     interment of unclaimed remains of veterans in national 
     cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery 
     Administration.
       (3) Assessing State and local laws that affect the ability 
     of the Secretary to inter unclaimed remains of veterans in 
     national cemeteries under the control of the National 
     Cemetery Administration.
       (4) Developing recommendations for such legislative or 
     administrative action as the Secretary considers appropriate.
       (c) Methodology.--
       (1) Number of unclaimed remains.--In estimating the number 
     of unclaimed remains of veterans under subsection (b)(1), the 
     Secretary may review such subset of applicable entities as 
     the Secretary considers appropriate, including a subset of 
     funeral homes and coroner offices that possess unclaimed 
     veterans remains.
       (2) Assessment of state and local laws.--In assessing State 
     and local laws under subsection (b)(3), the Secretary may 
     assess such sample of applicable State and local laws as the 
     Secretary considers appropriate in lieu of reviewing all 
     applicable State and local laws.
       (d) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on the 
     date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act.

     SEC. 304. STUDY ON PROVISION OF INTERMENTS IN VETERANS' 
                   CEMETERIES DURING WEEKENDS.

       (a) Study.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     conduct a study on the feasibility and the need for providing 
     increased interments in veterans' cemeteries on Saturdays and 
     Sundays to meet the needs of surviving family members to 
     properly honor the deceased.
       (2) Matters included.--The study under paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) The number of requests made for interments in veterans' 
     cemeteries on a Saturday or a Sunday since January 1, 2007.
       (B) The number of requests identified under subparagraph 
     (A) that were granted.
       (C) An estimate of the number of families that, since 
     January 1, 2007, would have selected a weekend interment if 
     such an interment would have been offered.
       (D) A review of the practices relating to weekend 
     interments among non-veterans' cemeteries, including private 
     and municipal cemeteries.
       (E) A comparison of the costs to veterans' cemeteries with 
     respect to providing regular interments only during weekdays 
     and such costs for providing regular interments during the 
     weekdays and at least one weekend day.
       (F) Any other information the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.
       (3) Consultation.--In carrying out the study under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with the 
     following:
       (A) Veterans who are eligible to be interred in a veterans' 
     cemetery.
       (B) Family members of a deceased individual interred in a 
     veterans' cemetery.
       (C) Veterans service organizations.
       (D) Associations representing cemetery and funeral home 
     professionals.

[[Page 15864]]

       (E) The heads of agencies of State governments relating to 
     veterans affairs.
       (F) The directors of the veterans' cemeteries.
       (G) Any other person the Secretary determines appropriate.
       (b) Submission.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate a report on the study 
     conducted under subsection (a).
       (c) Veterans' Cemeteries Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``veterans' cemeteries'' means the cemeteries of the 
     National Cemetery Administration, veterans' cemeteries owned 
     by a State, and veterans' cemeteries owned by a tribal 
     organization.

     SEC. 305. HONORING AS VETERANS CERTAIN PERSONS WHO PERFORMED 
                   SERVICE IN THE RESERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED 
                   FORCES.

       Any person who is entitled under chapter 1223 of title 10, 
     United States Code, to retired pay for nonregular service or, 
     but for age, would be entitled under such chapter to retired 
     pay for nonregular service shall be honored as a veteran but 
     shall not be entitled to any benefit by reason of this honor.

     TITLE IV--EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION

     SEC. 401. CLARIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR MARINE GUNNERY 
                   SERGEANT JOHN DAVID FRY SCHOLARSHIP.

       (a) In General.--Section 701(d) of the Veterans Access, 
     Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146; 
     128 Stat. 1796; 38 U.S.C. 3311 note) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       ``(d) Applicability.--
       ``(1) In general.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply with respect to a quarter, semester, or term, as 
     applicable, commencing on or after January 1, 2015.
       ``(2) Deaths that occurred between september 11, 2001, and 
     december 31, 2005.--For purposes of section 3311(f)(2) of 
     title 38, United States Code, any member of the Armed Forces 
     who died during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, 
     and ending on December 31, 2005, is deemed to have died on 
     January 1, 2006.''.
       (b) Election on Receipt of Certain Benefits.--Section 
     3311(f) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``A surviving spouse'' 
     and inserting ``Except as provided in paragraph (4), a 
     surviving spouse'';
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new 
     paragraph (4):
       ``(4) Exception for certain elections.--
       ``(A) In general.--An election made under paragraph (3) by 
     a spouse described in subparagraph (B) may not be treated as 
     irrevocable if such election occurred before the date of the 
     enactment of this paragraph.
       ``(B) Eligible surviving spouse.--A spouse described in 
     this subparagraph is an individual--
       ``(i) who is entitled to assistance under subsection (a) 
     pursuant to paragraph (9) of subsection (b); and
       ``(ii) who was the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces 
     who died during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, 
     and ending on December 31, 2005.''.
       (c) Technical Amendment.--Paragraph (5) of subsection (f) 
     of section 3311, as redesignated by subsection (b)(2), is 
     amended by striking ``that paragraph'' and inserting 
     ``paragraph (9) of subsection (b)''.

     SEC. 402. APPROVAL OF COURSES OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR 
                   PURPOSES OF THE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION 
                   PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Section 3104(b) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following new sentences: ``To the maximum extent 
     practicable, a course of education or training may be pursued 
     by a veteran as part of a rehabilitation program under this 
     chapter only if the course is approved for purposes of 
     chapter 30 or 33 of this title. The Secretary may waive the 
     requirement under the preceding sentence to the extent the 
     Secretary determines appropriate.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to a course of education or training 
     pursued by a veteran who first begins a program of 
     rehabilitation under chapter 31 of title 38, United States 
     Code, on or after the date that is one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 403. AUTHORITY TO PRIORITIZE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION 
                   SERVICES BASED ON NEED.

       Section 3104, as amended by section 402, is further amended 
     by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(c)(1) The Secretary shall have the authority to 
     administer this chapter by prioritizing the provision of 
     services under this chapter based on need, as determined by 
     the Secretary. In evaluating need for purposes of this 
     subsection, the Secretary shall consider disability ratings, 
     the severity of employment handicaps, qualification for a 
     program of independent living, income, and any other factor 
     the Secretary determines appropriate.
       ``(2) Not later than 90 days before making any changes to 
     the prioritization of the provision of services under this 
     chapter as authorized under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and House of Representatives a plan describing such 
     changes.''.

     SEC. 404. REPORTS ON PROGRESS OF STUDENTS RECEIVING POST-9/11 
                   EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 33 is amended--
       (1) in section 3325(c)--
       (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new 
     paragraph (3):
       ``(3) the information received by the Secretary under 
     section 3326 of this title; and''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 3326. Report on student progress

       ``As a condition of approval under chapter 36 of this title 
     of a course offered by an educational institution (as defined 
     in section 3452 of this title), each year, each educational 
     institution (as so defined) that received a payment in that 
     year on behalf of an individual entitled to educational 
     assistance under this chapter shall submit to the Secretary 
     such information regarding the academic progress of the 
     individual as the Secretary may require.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new item:

``3326. Report on student progress.''.

       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect on the date that is one year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 405. RECODIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELECTION PROCESS 
                   FOR POST-9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 33, as amended 
     by section 404, is further amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 3327. Election to receive educational assistance

       ``(a) Individuals Eligible To Elect Participation in Post-
     9/11 Educational Assistance.--An individual may elect to 
     receive educational assistance under this chapter if such 
     individual--
       ``(1) as of August 1, 2009--
       ``(A) is entitled to basic educational assistance under 
     chapter 30 of this title and has used, but retains unused, 
     entitlement under that chapter;
       ``(B) is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 
     107, 1606, or 1607 of title 10 and has used, but retains 
     unused, entitlement under the applicable chapter;
       ``(C) is entitled to basic educational assistance under 
     chapter 30 of this title but has not used any entitlement 
     under that chapter;
       ``(D) is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 
     107, 1606, or 1607 of title 10 but has not used any 
     entitlement under such chapter;
       ``(E) is a member of the Armed Forces who is eligible for 
     receipt of basic educational assistance under chapter 30 of 
     this title and is making contributions toward such assistance 
     under section 3011(b) or 3012(c) of this title; or
       ``(F) is a member of the Armed Forces who is not entitled 
     to basic educational assistance under chapter 30 of this 
     title by reason of an election under section 3011(c)(1) or 
     3012(d)(1) of this title; and
       ``(2) as of the date of the individual's election under 
     this paragraph, meets the requirements for entitlement to 
     educational assistance under this chapter.
       ``(b) Cessation of Contributions Toward GI Bill.--Effective 
     as of the first month beginning on or after the date of an 
     election under subsection (a) of an individual described by 
     paragraph (1)(E) of that subsection, the obligation of the 
     individual to make contributions under section 3011(b) or 
     3012(c) of this title, as applicable, shall cease, and the 
     requirements of such section shall be deemed to be no longer 
     applicable to the individual.
       ``(c) Revocation of Remaining Transferred Entitlement.--
       ``(1) Election to revoke.--If, on the date an individual 
     described in paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(C) of subsection (a) 
     makes an election under that subsection, a transfer of the 
     entitlement of the individual to basic educational assistance 
     under section 3020 of this title is in effect and a number of 
     months of the entitlement so transferred remain unutilized, 
     the individual may elect to revoke all or a portion of the 
     entitlement so transferred that remains unutilized.
       ``(2) Availability of revoked entitlement.--Any entitlement 
     revoked by an individual under this subsection shall no 
     longer be available to the dependent to whom transferred, but 
     shall be available to the individual instead for educational 
     assistance under chapter 33 of this title in accordance with 
     the provisions of this section.
       ``(3) Availability of unrevoked entitlement.--Any 
     entitlement described in paragraph (1) that is not revoked by 
     an individual in accordance with that paragraph

[[Page 15865]]

     shall remain available to the dependent or dependents 
     concerned in accordance with the current transfer of such 
     entitlement under section 3020 of this title.
       ``(d) Post-9/11 Educational Assistance.--
       ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2) and except as 
     provided in subsection (e), an individual making an election 
     under subsection (a) shall be entitled to educational 
     assistance under this chapter in accordance with the 
     provisions of this chapter, instead of basic educational 
     assistance under chapter 30 of this title, or educational 
     assistance under chapter 107, 1606, or 1607 of title 10, as 
     applicable.
       ``(2) Limitation on entitlement for certain individuals.--
     In the case of an individual making an election under 
     subsection (a) who is described by paragraph (1)(A) of that 
     subsection, the number of months of entitlement of the 
     individual to educational assistance under this chapter shall 
     be the number of months equal to--
       ``(A) the number of months of unused entitlement of the 
     individual under chapter 30 of this title, as of the date of 
     the election, plus
       ``(B) the number of months, if any, of entitlement revoked 
     by the individual under subsection (c)(1).
       ``(e) Continuing Entitlement to Educational Assistance Not 
     Available Under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--In the event educational assistance to 
     which an individual making an election under subsection (a) 
     would be entitled under chapter 30 of this title, or chapter 
     107, 1606, or 1607 of title 10, as applicable, is not 
     authorized to be available to the individual under the 
     provisions of this chapter, the individual shall remain 
     entitled to such educational assistance in accordance with 
     the provisions of the applicable chapter.
       ``(2) Charge for use of entitlement.--The utilization by an 
     individual of entitlement under paragraph (1) shall be 
     chargeable against the entitlement of the individual to 
     educational assistance under this chapter at the rate of one 
     month of entitlement under this chapter for each month of 
     entitlement utilized by the individual under paragraph (1) 
     (as determined as if such entitlement were utilized under the 
     provisions of chapter 30 of this title, or chapter 107, 1606, 
     or 1607 of title 10, as applicable).
       ``(f) Additional Post-9/11 Assistance for Members Having 
     Made Contributions Toward GI Bill.--
       ``(1) Additional assistance.--In the case of an individual 
     making an election under subsection (a) who is described by 
     subparagraph (A), (C), or (E) of paragraph (1) of that 
     subsection, the amount of educational assistance payable to 
     the individual under this chapter as a monthly stipend 
     payable under paragraph (1)(B) of section 3313(c) of this 
     title, or under paragraphs (2) through (7) of that section 
     (as applicable), shall be the amount otherwise payable as a 
     monthly stipend under the applicable paragraph increased by 
     the amount equal to--
       ``(A) the total amount of contributions toward basic 
     educational assistance made by the individual under section 
     3011(b) or 3012(c) of this title, as of the date of the 
     election, multiplied by
       ``(B) the fraction--
       ``(i) the numerator of which is--

       ``(I) the number of months of entitlement to basic 
     educational assistance under chapter 30 of this title 
     remaining to the individual at the time of the election; plus
       ``(II) the number of months, if any, of entitlement under 
     chapter 30 of this title revoked by the individual under 
     subsection (c)(1); and

       ``(ii) the denominator of which is 36 months.
       ``(2) Months of remaining entitlement for certain 
     individuals.--In the case of an individual covered by 
     paragraph (1) who is described by subsection (a)(1)(E), the 
     number of months of entitlement to basic educational 
     assistance remaining to the individual for purposes of 
     paragraph (1)(B)(i)(II) shall be 36 months.
       ``(3) Timing of payment.--The amount payable with respect 
     to an individual under paragraph (1) shall be paid to the 
     individual together with the last payment of the monthly 
     stipend payable to the individual under paragraph (1)(B) of 
     section 3313(c) of this title, or under paragraphs (2) 
     through (7) of that section (as applicable), before the 
     exhaustion of the individual's entitlement to educational 
     assistance under this chapter.
       ``(g) Continuing Entitlement to Additional Assistance for 
     Critical Skills or Specialty and Additional Service.--An 
     individual making an election under subsection (a)(1) who, at 
     the time of the election, is entitled to increased 
     educational assistance under section 3015(d) of this title, 
     or section 16131(i) of title 10, or supplemental educational 
     assistance under subchapter III of chapter 30 of this title, 
     shall remain entitled to such increased educational 
     assistance or supplemental educational assistance in the 
     utilization of entitlement to educational assistance under 
     this chapter, in an amount equal to the quarter, semester, or 
     term, as applicable, equivalent of the monthly amount of such 
     increased educational assistance or supplemental educational 
     assistance payable with respect to the individual at the time 
     of the election.
       ``(h) Alternative Election by Secretary.--
       ``(1) In general.--In the case of an individual who, on or 
     after January 1, 2017, submits to the Secretary an election 
     under this section that the Secretary determines is clearly 
     against the interests of the individual, or who fails to make 
     an election under this section, the Secretary may make an 
     alternative election on behalf of the individual that the 
     Secretary determines is in the best interests of the 
     individual.
       ``(2) Notice.--If the Secretary makes an election on behalf 
     of an individual under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
     notify the individual by not later than seven days after 
     making such election and shall provide the individual with a 
     30-day period, beginning on the date of the individual's 
     receipt of such notice, during which the individual may 
     modify or revoke the election made by the Secretary on the 
     individual's behalf. The Secretary shall include, as part of 
     such notice, a clear statement of why the alternative 
     election made by the Secretary is in the best interests of 
     the individual as compared to the election submitted by the 
     individual. The Secretary shall provide the notice required 
     under this paragraph by electronic means whenever possible.
       ``(i) Irrevocability of Elections.--An election under 
     subsection (a) or (c)(1) is irrevocable.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter, as amended by section 404, is 
     further amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``3327. Election to receive educational assistance.''.

       (c) Conforming Repeal.--Subsection (c) of section 5003 of 
     the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 
     (Public Law 110-252; 38 U.S.C. 3301 note) is hereby repealed.

     SEC. 406. WORK-STUDY ALLOWANCE.

       Section 3485(a)(4) is amended by striking ``June 30, 2013'' 
     each place it appears and inserting ``June 30, 2013, or the 
     period beginning on June 30, 2017, and ending on June 30, 
     2022''.

     SEC. 407. CENTRALIZED REPORTING OF VETERAN ENROLLMENT BY 
                   CERTAIN GROUPS, DISTRICTS, AND CONSORTIUMS OF 
                   EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

       (a) In General.--Section 3684(a) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``32, 33,'' after 
     ``31,''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term 
     `educational institution' may include a group, district, or 
     consortium of separately accredited educational institutions 
     located in the same State that are organized in a manner that 
     facilitates the centralized reporting of the enrollments in 
     such group, district, or consortium of institutions.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to reports submitted on or after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 408. ROLE OF STATE APPROVING AGENCIES.

       (a) Approval of Certain Courses.--Section 3672(b)(2)(A) is 
     amended by striking ``the following'' and all that follows 
     through the colon and inserting the following: ``a program of 
     education is deemed to be approved for purposes of this 
     chapter if a State approving agency, or the Secretary when 
     acting in the role of a State approving agency, determines 
     that the program is one of the following programs:''.
       (b) Approval of Other Courses.--Section 3675 of such title 
     is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) by striking ``The Secretary or a State approving 
     agency'' and inserting ``A State approving agency, or the 
     Secretary when acting in the role of a State approving 
     agency,''; and
       (B) by striking ``offered by proprietary for-profit 
     educational institutions'' and inserting ``not covered by 
     section 3672 of this title''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``the Secretary or the State approving agency'' and inserting 
     ``the State approving agency, or the Secretary when acting in 
     the role of a State approving agency,''; and
       (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``the Secretary or the 
     State approving agency'' and inserting ``the State approving 
     agency, or the Secretary when acting in the role of a State 
     approving agency''.

     SEC. 409. MODIFICATION OF REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVAL FOR 
                   PURPOSES OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OF PROGRAMS 
                   DESIGNED TO PREPARE INDIVIDUALS FOR LICENSURE 
                   OR CERTIFICATION.

       (a) Approval of Nonaccredited Courses.--Subsection (c) of 
     section 3676 is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraph (14) as paragraph (16); and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (13) the following new 
     paragraphs:
       ``(14) In the case of a course designed to prepare an 
     individual for licensure or certification in a State, the 
     course--
       ``(A) meets all instructional curriculum licensure or 
     certification requirements of such State; and

[[Page 15866]]

       ``(B) in the case of a course designed to prepare an 
     individual for licensure to practice law in a State, is 
     accredited by an accrediting agency or association recognized 
     by the Secretary of Education under subpart 2 of part H of 
     title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1099b).
       ``(15) In the case of a course designed to prepare an 
     individual for employment pursuant to standards developed by 
     a board or agency of a State in an occupation that requires 
     approval, licensure, or certification, the course--
       ``(A) meets such standards; and
       ``(B) in the case of a course designed to prepare an 
     individual for licensure to practice law in a State, is 
     accredited by an accrediting agency or association recognized 
     by the Secretary of Education under subpart 2 of part H of 
     title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1099b).''.
       (b) Exceptions.--Such section is further amended by adding 
     at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(f)(1) The Secretary may waive the requirements of 
     paragraph (14) or (15) of subsection (c) in the case of a 
     course of education offered by an educational institution 
     (either accredited or not accredited) if the Secretary 
     determines all of the following:
       ``(A) The educational institution is not accredited by an 
     agency or association recognized by the Secretary of 
     Education.
       ``(B) The course did not meet the requirements of such 
     paragraph at any time during the two-year period preceding 
     the date of the waiver.
       ``(C) The waiver furthers the purposes of the educational 
     assistance programs administered by the Secretary or would 
     further the education interests of individuals eligible for 
     assistance under such programs.
       ``(D) The educational institution does not provide any 
     commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly 
     or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial 
     aid to any persons or entities engaged in any student 
     recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions 
     regarding the award of student financial assistance, except 
     for the recruitment of foreign students residing in foreign 
     countries who are not eligible to receive Federal student 
     assistance.
       ``(2) Not later than 30 days after the date on which the 
     Secretary issues a waiver under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     shall submit to Congress notice of such waiver and a 
     justification for issuing such waiver.''.
       (c) Approval of Accredited Courses.--Section 3675(b)(3) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``and (3)'' and inserting ``(3), (14), 
     (15), and (16)''; and
       (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
     following: ``(or, with respect to such paragraphs (14) and 
     (15), the requirements under such paragraphs are waived 
     pursuant to subsection (f)(1) of section 3676 of this 
     title)''.
       (d) Approval of Accredited Standard College Degree Programs 
     Offered at Public or Not-For-Profit Educational 
     Institutions.--Section 3672(b)(2) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ``An accredited'' 
     and inserting ``Except as provided in subparagraph (C), an 
     accredited''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(C) A course that is described in both subparagraph 
     (A)(i) of this paragraph and in paragraph (14) or (15) of 
     section 3676(c) of this title shall not be deemed to be 
     approved for purposes of this chapter unless--
       ``(i) a State approving agency, or the Secretary when 
     acting in the role of a State approving agency, determines 
     that the course meets the applicable criteria in such 
     paragraphs; or
       ``(ii) the Secretary issues a waiver for such course under 
     section 3676(f)(1) of this title.''.
       (e) Disapproval of Courses.--Section 3679 is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, 
     the Secretary or the applicable State approving agency shall 
     disapprove a course of education described in paragraph (14) 
     or (15) of section 3676(c) of this title unless the 
     educational institution providing the course of education--
       ``(1) publicly discloses any conditions or additional 
     requirements, including training, experience, or 
     examinations, required to obtain the license, certification, 
     or approval for which the course of education is designed to 
     provide preparation; and
       ``(2) makes each disclosure required by paragraph (1) in a 
     manner that the Secretary considers prominent (as specified 
     by the Secretary in regulations prescribed for purposes of 
     this subsection).''.
       (f) Applicability.--If after enrollment in a course of 
     education that is subject to disapproval by reason of an 
     amendment made by this section, an individual pursues one or 
     more courses of education at the same educational institution 
     while remaining continuously enrolled (other than during 
     regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or 
     terms) at that institution, any course so pursued by the 
     individual at that institution while so continuously enrolled 
     shall not be subject to disapproval by reason of such 
     amendment.

     SEC. 410. CRITERIA USED TO APPROVE COURSES.

       (a) Nonaccredited Courses.--Paragraph (16) of section 
     3676(c), as redesignated by section 409, is amended by 
     inserting before the period the following: ``if the 
     Secretary, in consultation with the State approving agency 
     and pursuant to regulations prescribed to carry out this 
     paragraph, determines such criteria are necessary and treat 
     public, private, and proprietary for-profit educational 
     institutions equitably''.
       (b) Accredited Courses.--Section 3675(b)(3) is amended by 
     striking ``and (3)'' and inserting ``(3), and (14)''.
       (c) Application.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to--
       (1) criteria developed pursuant to paragraph (16) of 
     subsection (c) of section 3676 of title 38, United States 
     Code, on or after January 1, 2013; and
       (2) an investigation conducted under such subsection that 
     is covered by a reimbursement of expenses paid by the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs to a State pursuant to section 
     3674 of such title on or after October 1, 2015.

     SEC. 411. COMPLIANCE SURVEYS.

       (a) In General.--Section 3693 is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following 
     new subsection (a):
       ``(a)(1) Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
     Secretary shall conduct an annual compliance survey of 
     educational institutions and training establishments offering 
     one or more courses approved for the enrollment of eligible 
     veterans or persons if at least 20 such veterans or persons 
     are enrolled in any such course. The Secretary shall--
       ``(A) design the compliance surveys to ensure that such 
     institutions or establishments, as the case may be, and 
     approved courses are in compliance with all applicable 
     provisions of chapters 30 through 36 of this title;
       ``(B) survey each such educational institution and training 
     establishment not less than once during every two-year 
     period; and
       ``(C) assign not fewer than one education compliance 
     specialist to work on compliance surveys in any year for each 
     40 compliance surveys required to be made under this section 
     for such year.
       ``(2) The Secretary, in consultation with the State 
     approving agencies, shall--
       ``(A) annually determine the parameters of the surveys 
     required under paragraph (1); and
       ``(B) not later than September 1 of each year, make 
     available to the State approving agencies a list of the 
     educational institutions and training establishments that 
     will be surveyed during the fiscal year following the date of 
     making such list available.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(c) In this section, the terms `educational institution' 
     and `training establishment' have the meanings given such 
     terms in section 3452 of this title.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Subsection (b) of such section 
     is amended--
       (1) by striking ``subsection (a) of this section for an 
     annual compliance survey'' and inserting ``subsection (a)(1) 
     for a compliance survey'';
       (2) by striking ``institution'' and inserting ``educational 
     institution or training establishment''; and
       (3) by striking ``institution's demonstrated record of 
     compliance'' and inserting ``record of compliance of such 
     institution or establishment''.

     SEC. 412. MODIFICATION OF REDUCTIONS IN REPORTING FEE 
                   MULTIPLIERS FOR PAYMENTS BY SECRETARY OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

       (a) Through September 25, 2017.--During the period 
     beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending 
     on September 25, 2017, the second sentence of section 3684(c) 
     of title 38, United States Code, shall be applied--
       (1) by substituting ``$6'' for ``$12''; and
       (2) by substituting ``$12'' for ``$15''.
       (b) September 26, 2017, Through September 25, 2026.--During 
     the period beginning on September 26, 2017, and ending on 
     September 25, 2026, the second sentence of such section shall 
     be applied--
       (1) by substituting ``$7'' for ``$12''; and
       (2) by substituting ``$12'' for ``$15''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 406 of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2014 (Public Law 
     113-175; 38 U.S.C. 3684 note), as amended by the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2016, is 
     amended by striking ``During the three-year period beginning 
     on the date of the enactment of this Act'' and inserting 
     ``During the period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
     this Act and ending on the day before the date of the 
     enactment of the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans 
     Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016''.

     SEC. 413. COMPOSITION OF VETERANS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON 
                   EDUCATION.

       Section 3692(a) is amended in the second sentence by 
     striking ``veterans representative of World War II'' and all 
     that follows through the period at the end of that sentence 
     and inserting the following: ``a representative sample of 
     veterans and other individuals who have used, or may in the 
     future use, educational assistance benefits administered by 
     the Secretary.''.

[[Page 15867]]



     SEC. 414. SURVEY OF INDIVIDUALS USING THEIR ENTITLEMENT TO 
                   EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE EDUCATIONAL 
                   ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE 
                   SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Survey Required.--By not later than 270 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall enter into a contract with a non-government 
     entity for the conduct of a survey of a statistically valid 
     sample of individuals who have used or are using their 
     entitlement to educational assistance under chapters 30, 32, 
     33, and 35 of title 38, United States Code, to pursue a 
     program of education or training. The contract shall provide 
     that--
       (1) not later than one month before the collection of data 
     under the survey begins, the survey shall be submitted to the 
     Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
     Representatives;
       (2) the non-government entity shall complete the survey and 
     submit to the Secretary the results of the survey by not 
     later than 180 days after entering into the contract; and
       (3) the survey shall be conducted by electronic means and 
     by any other means the non-government entity determines 
     appropriate.
       (b) Information To Be Collected.--The contract under 
     subsection (a) shall provide that the survey shall be 
     designed to collect the following types of information about 
     each individual surveyed, where applicable:
       (1) Demographic information, including the highest level of 
     education completed by the individual, the military 
     occupational specialty or specialties of the individual while 
     serving on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces or as 
     a member of the National Guard or of a Reserve Component of 
     the Armed Forces, and whether the individual has a service-
     connected disability.
       (2) The opinion of the individual regarding participation 
     in the transition assistance program under section 1144 of 
     title 10, United States Code, and the effectiveness of the 
     program, including instruction on the use of the benefits 
     under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
       (3) The resources the individual used to help the 
     individual--
       (A) decide to use the individual's entitlement to 
     educational assistance to enroll in a program of education or 
     training; and
       (B) choose the program of education or training the 
     individual pursued.
       (4) The individual's goal when the individual enrolled in 
     the program of education or training.
       (5) The nature of the individual's experience with the 
     education benefits processing system of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs.
       (6) The nature of the individual's experience with the 
     school certifying official of the educational institution 
     where the individual pursued the program of education or 
     training who processed the individual's claim.
       (7) Any services or benefits the educational institution or 
     program of education or training provided to veterans while 
     the individual pursued the program of education or training.
       (8) The type of educational institution at which the 
     individual pursued the program of education or training.
       (9) Whether the individual completed the program of 
     education or training or the number of credit hours completed 
     by the individual as of the time of the survey, and, if 
     applicable, any degree or certificate obtained by the 
     individual for completing the program.
       (10) The employment status of the individual and whether 
     such employment status differs from the employment status of 
     the individual prior to enrolling in the program of education 
     or training.
       (11) Whether the individual is or was enrolled in a program 
     of education on a full-time or part-time basis.
       (12) The opinion of the individual on the effectiveness of 
     the educational assistance program of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs under which the individual was entitled to 
     educational assistance.
       (13) Whether the individual was ever entitled to a 
     rehabilitation under chapter 31 of title 38, United States 
     Code, and whether the individual participated in such a 
     program.
       (14) A description of any circumstances that prevented the 
     individual from using the individual's entitlement to 
     educational assistance to pursue a desired career path or 
     degree.
       (15) Whether the individual is using the individual's 
     entitlement to educational assistance to pursue a program of 
     education or training or has transferred such an entitlement 
     to a dependent.
       (16) Such other matters as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after receiving the 
     results of the survey required under this section, the 
     Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs 
     of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the 
     results of the survey and any recommendations of the 
     Secretary relating to such results. Such report shall also 
     include an unedited version of the results of the survey 
     submitted by the non-government entity that conducted the 
     survey.

     SEC. 415. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVISION OF 
                   INFORMATION ON ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS BETWEEN 
                   INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.

       (a) Information.--Department of Veterans Affairs counselors 
     who provide educational or vocational counseling services 
     pursuant to section 3697A of title 38, United States Code, 
     shall provide to any eligible individual who requests such 
     counseling services information about the articulation 
     agreements of each institution of higher learning in which 
     the individual is interested.
       (b) Certification of Eligibility.--When the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs provides to an individual a certification of 
     eligibility for educational assistance provided by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary shall also 
     include detailed information on such educational assistance, 
     including information on requesting education counseling 
     services and on articulation agreements.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) The term ``institution of higher learning'' has the 
     meaning given such term in section 3452(f) of title 38, 
     United States Code.
       (2) The term ``articulation agreement'' has the meaning 
     given such term in section 486A of the Higher Education Act 
     of 1965 (Public Law 89-329; 20 U.S.C. 1093a).
       (d) Deadline for Implementation.--The Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall implement this section not later than 90 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 416. RETENTION OF ENTITLEMENT TO EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
                   DURING CERTAIN ADDITIONAL PERIODS OF ACTIVE 
                   DUTY.

       (a) Educational Assistance Allowance.--Section 
     16131(c)(3)(B)(i) of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
     by striking ``or 12304'' and inserting ``12304, 12304a, or 
     12304b''.
       (b) Expiration Date.--Section 16133(b)(4) of such title is 
     amended by striking ``or 12304'' and inserting ``12304, 
     12304a, or 12304b''.

     SEC. 417. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT RELATING TO IN-STATE TUITION 
                   RATE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO WHOM ENTITLEMENT IS 
                   TRANSFERRED UNDER ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE 
                   EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND POST-9/11 
                   EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

       (a) Technical Amendment.--Subparagraph (B) of section 
     3679(c)(2) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(B) An individual who is entitled to assistance under--
       ``(i) section 3311(b)(9) of this title; or
       ``(ii) section 3319 of this title by virtue of the 
     individual's relationship to--

       ``(I) a veteran described in subparagraph (A); or
       ``(II) a member of the uniformed services described in 
     section 3319(b) of this title who is serving on active 
     duty.''.

       (b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to a course, semester, or term that 
     begins after July 1, 2017.

     SEC. 418. STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VETERANS TRANSITION 
                   EFFORTS.

       (a) Study.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of 
     Defense, shall carry out a study to evaluate programs to 
     assist veterans of the Armed Forces in their transition to 
     civilian life. Such study shall be designed to determine the 
     effectiveness of current programs, especially in regards to 
     the unique challenges faced by women veterans, veterans with 
     disabilities, Native American veterans (including Alaska 
     Native veterans and Native Hawaiian veterans), veterans who 
     are residents of a territory of the United States, veterans 
     who are part of the indigenous population of a territory of 
     the United States, and other groups of minority veterans 
     identified by the Secretaries, including whether such 
     programs--
       (1) effectively address the challenges veterans face in 
     pursuing higher education, especially the challenges faced by 
     such groups of minority veterans;
       (2) effectively address the challenges such veterans face 
     entering the civilian workforce and in translating experience 
     and skills from military service to the job market; and
       (3) effectively address the challenges faced by the 
     families of such veterans transitioning to civilian life.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 540 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and House of Representatives a report regarding the 
     findings and recommendations of the study required under 
     subsection (a).
       (c) Prohibition on Authorization of Appropriations.--No 
     additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements 
     of this section. Such requirements shall be carried out using 
     amounts otherwise authorized.

             TITLE V--SMALL BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT MATTERS

     SEC. 501. MODIFICATION OF TREATMENT UNDER CONTRACTING GOALS 
                   AND PREFERENCES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Subsection (h) of section 8127 is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``rated as'' and all that 
     follows through ``disability.'' and inserting a period; and
       (2) in paragraph (2), by amending subparagraph (C) to read 
     as follows:
       ``(C) The date that--

[[Page 15868]]

       ``(i) in the case of a surviving spouse of a veteran with a 
     service-connected disability rated as 100 percent disabling 
     or who dies as a result of a service-connected disability, is 
     10 years after the date of the veteran's death; or
       ``(ii) in the case of a surviving spouse of a veteran with 
     a service-connected disability rated as less than 100 percent 
     disabling who does not die as a result of a service-connected 
     disability, is three years after the date of the veteran's 
     death.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to 
     contracts awarded on or after such date.

     SEC. 502. LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF JOB COUNSELING, TRAINING, AND 
                   PLACEMENT SERVICE FOR VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 41 is amended by adding at the end 
     the following new section:

     ``Sec. 4115. Longitudinal study of job counseling, training, 
       and placement service for veterans

       ``(a) Study Required.--(1) The Secretary shall enter into a 
     contract with a non-government entity to conduct a 
     longitudinal study of a statistically valid sample of each of 
     the groups of individuals described in paragraph (2). The 
     contract shall provide for the study of each such group over 
     a period of at least five years.
       ``(2) The groups of individuals described in this paragraph 
     are the following:
       ``(A) Veterans who have received intensive services.
       ``(B) Veterans who did not receive intensive services but 
     who otherwise received services under this chapter.
       ``(C) Veterans who did not seek or receive services under 
     this chapter.
       ``(3) The study required by this subsection shall include 
     the collection of the following information for each 
     individual who participates in the study:
       ``(A) The average number of months such individual served 
     on active duty.
       ``(B) The disability ratings of such individual.
       ``(C) Any unemployment benefits received by such 
     individual.
       ``(D) The average number of months such individual was 
     employed during the year covered by the report.
       ``(E) The average annual starting and ending salaries of 
     any such individual who was employed during the year covered 
     by the report.
       ``(F) The average annual income of such individual.
       ``(G) The average total household income of such individual 
     for the year covered by the report.
       ``(H) The percentage of such individuals who own their 
     principal residences.
       ``(I) The employment status of such individual.
       ``(J) In the case of such an individual who received 
     services under this chapter, whether the individual believes 
     that any service provided by a disabled veterans' outreach 
     program specialist or local veterans' employment 
     representative helped the individual to become employed.
       ``(K) In the case of such an individual who believes such a 
     service helped the individual to become employed, whether--
       ``(i) the individual retained the position of employment 
     for a period of one year or longer; and
       ``(ii) the individual believes such a service helped the 
     individual to secure a higher wage or salary.
       ``(L) The conditions under which such individual was 
     discharged or released from the Armed Forces.
       ``(M) Whether such individual has used any educational 
     assistance to which the individual is entitled under this 
     title.
       ``(N) Whether such individual has participated in a 
     rehabilitation program under chapter 31 of this title.
       ``(O) Whether such individual had contact with a One-Stop 
     Career Center employee while attending a workshop or job fair 
     under the Transition GPS Program of the Department of 
     Defense.
       ``(P) Demographic information about such individual.
       ``(Q) Such other information as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.
       ``(b) Annual Report.--(1) By not later than July 1 of each 
     year covered by the study required under subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
     of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     House of Representatives a report on the outcomes of the 
     study during the preceding year.
       ``(2) The Secretary shall include in each report submitted 
     under paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(A) Information with respect to job fairs attended by 
     One-Stop Career Center employees at which the employees had 
     contact with a veteran, including, for the year preceding the 
     year in which the report is submitted, the following:
       ``(i) The number of job fairs attended by One-Stop Career 
     Center employees at which the employees had contact with a 
     veteran.
       ``(ii) The number of veterans contacted at each such job 
     fair.
       ``(B) Such information as the Secretary determines is 
     necessary to determine the long-term outcomes of the 
     individuals in the groups described in subsection (a)(2).''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new item:

``4115. Longitudinal study of job counseling, training, and placement 
              service for veterans.''.

     SEC. 503. LIMITATION ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR EMPLOYEES OF 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Limitation.--
       (1) In general.--Chapter 7 is amended by inserting after 
     section 715 the following new section:

     ``Sec. 717. Limitation on administrative leave

       ``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), 
     the Secretary may not place any covered individual on 
     administrative leave, or any other type of paid non-duty 
     status without charge to leave, for more than a total of 14 
     days during any 365-day period.
       ``(b) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the limitation under 
     subsection (a) and extend the administrative leave or other 
     paid non-duty status without charge to leave of a covered 
     individual placed on such leave or status under subsection 
     (a) if the Secretary submits to the Committees on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a detailed 
     explanation of the reasons the individual was placed on 
     administrative leave or other paid non-duty status without 
     charge to leave and the reasons for the extension of such 
     leave or status. Such explanation shall include the job title 
     and grade of the covered individual and the location where 
     the individual is employed.
       ``(c) Covered Individual.--In this section, the term 
     `covered individual' means an employee of the Department--
       ``(1) who is subject to an investigation for purposes of 
     determining whether such individual should be subject to any 
     disciplinary action under this title or title 5; or
       ``(2) against whom any disciplinary action is proposed or 
     initiated under this title or title 5.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 715 the following new item:

``717. Limitation on administrative leave.''.
       (b) Application.--Section 717 of title 38, United States 
     Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), shall apply with respect 
     to any 365-day period beginning on or after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 504. REQUIRED COORDINATION BETWEEN DIRECTORS FOR 
                   VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING WITH STATE 
                   DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR AND VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Section 4103 is amended by adding at the 
     end the following new subsection:
       ``(c) Coordination With State Departments of Labor and 
     Veterans Affairs.--Each Director for Veterans' Employment and 
     Training for a State shall coordinate the Director's 
     activities under this chapter with the State department of 
     labor and the State department of veterans affairs.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (c) of such section, as 
     added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date that 
     is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

                     TITLE VI--HEALTH CARE MATTERS

                        Subtitle A--Medical Care

     SEC. 601. REQUIREMENT FOR ADVANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
                   MEDICAL COMMUNITY CARE ACCOUNT OF THE 
                   DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Section 117(c) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following new paragraph:
       ``(7) Veterans Health Administration, Medical Community 
     Care.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 1105(a)(37) of title 31, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new subparagraph:
       ``(G) Veterans Health Administration, Medical Community 
     Care.''.
       (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply to fiscal years beginning on and after October 1, 
     2017.

     SEC. 602. IMPROVED ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE IMMUNIZATIONS FOR 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) Inclusion of Recommended Adult Immunizations as Medical 
     Services.--
       (1) Covered benefit.--Subparagraph (F) of section 1701(9) 
     is amended to read as follows:
       ``(F) immunizations against infectious diseases, including 
     each immunization on the recommended adult immunization 
     schedule at the time such immunization is indicated on that 
     schedule;''.
       (2) Recommended adult immunization schedule defined.--
     Section 1701 is amended by adding at the end the following 
     new paragraph:
       ``(10) The term `recommended adult immunization schedule' 
     means the schedule established (and periodically reviewed 
     and, as appropriate, revised) by the Advisory Committee on 
     Immunization Practices established by the Secretary of Health 
     and Human Services and delegated to the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention.''.
       (b) Inclusion of Recommended Adult Immunizations in Annual 
     Report.--Section 1704(1)(A) is amended--
       (1) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;

[[Page 15869]]

       (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new 
     clause:
       ``(iii) to provide veterans each immunization on the 
     recommended adult immunization schedule at the time such 
     immunization is indicated on that schedule.''.
       (c) Report to Congress.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the development and 
     implementation by the Department of Veterans Affairs of 
     quality measures and metrics, including targets for 
     compliance, to ensure that veterans receiving medical 
     services under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, 
     receive each immunization on the recommended adult 
     immunization schedule at the time such immunization is 
     indicated on that schedule.
       (2) Recommended adult immunization schedule defined.--In 
     this subsection, the term ``recommended adult immunization 
     schedule'' has the meaning given that term in section 
     1701(10) of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
     subsection (a)(2).
       (d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section or the 
     amendments made by this section may be construed to require a 
     veteran to receive an immunization that the veteran does not 
     want to receive.

     SEC. 603. PRIORITY OF MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS IN HEALTH 
                   CARE SYSTEM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) Enrollment Priority.--
       (1) In general.--Section 1705(a) is amended--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting the following: ``and veterans who were awarded the 
     medal of honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 
     or section 491 of title 14.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``veterans who were 
     awarded the medal of honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 
     of title 10 or section 491 of title 14,''.
       (2) Application.--The priority of enrollment of medal of 
     honor recipients in the system of annual patient enrollment 
     established and operated under section 1705(a) of such title, 
     as amended by paragraph (1), shall apply to each such 
     recipient, regardless of the date on which the medal is 
     awarded.
       (b) Eligibility.--Section 1710(a)(2)(D) is amended by 
     inserting after ``war'' the following: ``, who was awarded 
     the medal of honor under section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 
     10 or section 491 of title 14,''.
       (c) Extended Care Services.--Section 1710B(c)(2) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'';
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(D) to a veteran who was awarded the medal of honor under 
     section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of 
     title 14.''.
       (d) Copayment for Medications.--Section 1722A(a)(3) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or'';
       (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(D) to a veteran who was awarded the medal of honor under 
     section 3741, 6241, or 8741 of title 10 or section 491 of 
     title 14.''.

     SEC. 604. REQUIREMENT THAT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   COLLECT HEALTH-PLAN CONTRACT INFORMATION FROM 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 17 is amended by 
     inserting after section 1705 the following new section:

     ``Sec. 1705A. Management of health care: information 
       regarding health-plan contracts

       ``(a) In General.--(1) Any individual who seeks hospital 
     care or medical services under this chapter shall provide to 
     the Secretary such current information as the Secretary may 
     require to identify any health-plan contract under which such 
     individual is covered.
       ``(2) The information required to be provided to the 
     Secretary under paragraph (1) with respect to a health-plan 
     contract shall include, as applicable, the following:
       ``(A) The name of the entity providing coverage under the 
     health-plan contract.
       ``(B) If coverage under the health-plan contract is in the 
     name of an individual other than the individual required to 
     provide information under this section, the name of the 
     policy holder of the health-plan contract.
       ``(C) The identification number for the health-plan 
     contract.
       ``(D) The group code for the health-plan contract.
       ``(b) Action To Collect Information.--The Secretary may 
     take such action as the Secretary considers appropriate to 
     collect the information required under subsection (a).
       ``(c) Effect on Services From Department.--The Secretary 
     may not deny any services under this chapter to an individual 
     solely due to the fact that the individual fails to provide 
     information required under subsection (a).
       ``(d) Health-Plan Contract Defined.--In this section, the 
     term `health-plan contract' has the meaning given that term 
     in section 1725(f) of this title.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 17 is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 1705 the following new item:

``1705A. Management of health care: information regarding health-plan 
              contracts.''.

     SEC. 605. MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN 
                   CLASSIFIED MISSIONS.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     veterans who experience combat-related mental health wounds 
     should have immediate, appropriate, and consistent access to 
     comprehensive mental health care.
       (b) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served 
       in classified missions

       ``(a) Establishment of Standards.--(1) The Secretary shall 
     establish standards and procedures to ensure that each 
     eligible veteran may access mental health care furnished by 
     the Secretary in a manner that fully accommodates the 
     obligation of the veteran to not improperly disclose 
     classified information.
       ``(2) In establishing standards and procedures under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary 
     of Defense to ensure that such standards and procedures are 
     consistent with the policies on classified information of the 
     Department of Defense.
       ``(3) The Secretary shall disseminate guidance to employees 
     of the Veterans Health Administration, including mental 
     health professionals, on the standards and procedures 
     established under paragraph (1) and how to best engage 
     eligible veterans during the course of mental health 
     treatment with respect to classified information.
       ``(b) Identification.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Secretary shall ensure that a veteran may elect to identify 
     as an eligible veteran on an appropriate form.
       ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `classified information' means any 
     information or material that has been determined by an 
     official of the United States pursuant to law to require 
     protection against unauthorized disclosure for reasons of 
     national security.
       ``(2) The term `eligible veteran' means a veteran who--
       ``(A) is eligible to receive health care furnished by the 
     Department under this title;
       ``(B) is seeking mental health treatment; and
       ``(C) in the course of serving in the Armed Forces, 
     participated in a sensitive mission or served in a sensitive 
     unit.
       ``(3) The term `sensitive mission' means a mission of the 
     Armed Forces that, at the time at which an eligible veteran 
     seeks treatment, is classified.
       ``(4) The term `sensitive unit' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 130b(c)(4) of title 10.''.
       (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 1720G the following new item:

``1720H. Mental health treatment for veterans who served in classified 
              missions.''.

     SEC. 606. EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND 
                   WOMEN IN LABOR.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter VIII of chapter 17 is amended 
     by inserting after section 1784 the following new section:

     ``Sec. 1784A. Examination and treatment for emergency medical 
       conditions and women in labor

       ``(a) In General.--In the case of a hospital of the 
     Department that has an emergency department, if any 
     individual comes to the hospital or the campus of the 
     hospital and a request is made on behalf of the individual 
     for examination or treatment for a medical condition, the 
     hospital must provide for an appropriate medical screening 
     examination within the capability of the emergency 
     department, including ancillary services routinely available 
     to the emergency department, to determine whether or not an 
     emergency medical condition exists.
       ``(b) Necessary Stabilizing Treatment for Emergency Medical 
     Conditions and Labor.--(1) If any individual comes to a 
     hospital of the Department that has an emergency department 
     or the campus of such a hospital and the hospital determines 
     that the individual has an emergency medical condition, the 
     hospital must provide either--
       ``(A) within the staff and facilities available at the 
     hospital, for such further medical examination and such 
     treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical 
     condition; or
       ``(B) for transfer of the individual to another medical 
     facility in accordance with subsection (c).
       ``(2) A hospital is deemed to meet the requirement of 
     paragraph (1)(A) with respect to an individual if the 
     hospital offers the individual the further medical 
     examination and treatment described in that paragraph and 
     informs the individual (or a person acting on behalf of the 
     individual) of the risks and benefits to the individual of 
     such examination and treatment, but the individual (or

[[Page 15870]]

     a person acting on behalf of the individual) refuses to 
     consent to the examination and treatment. The hospital shall 
     take all reasonable steps to secure the written informed 
     consent of the individual (or person) to refuse such 
     examination and treatment.
       ``(3) A hospital is deemed to meet the requirement of 
     paragraph (1)(B) with respect to an individual if the 
     hospital offers to transfer the individual to another medical 
     facility in accordance with subsection (c) and informs the 
     individual (or a person acting on behalf of the individual) 
     of the risks and benefits to the individual of such transfer, 
     but the individual (or a person acting on behalf of the 
     individual) refuses to consent to the transfer. The hospital 
     shall take all reasonable steps to secure the written 
     informed consent of the individual (or person) to refuse such 
     transfer.
       ``(c) Restricting Transfers Until Individual Stabilized.--
     (1) If an individual at a hospital of the Department has an 
     emergency medical condition that has not been stabilized, the 
     hospital may not transfer the individual unless--
       ``(A)(i) the individual (or a legally responsible person 
     acting on behalf of the individual), after being informed of 
     the obligations of the hospital under this section and of the 
     risk of transfer, requests, in writing, transfer to another 
     medical facility;
       ``(ii) a physician of the Department has signed a 
     certification that, based upon the information available at 
     the time of transfer, the medical benefits reasonably 
     expected from the provision of appropriate medical treatment 
     at another medical facility outweigh the increased risks to 
     the individual and, in the case of labor, to the unborn child 
     from effecting the transfer; or
       ``(iii) if a physician of the Department is not physically 
     present in the emergency department at the time an individual 
     is transferred, a qualified medical person (as defined by the 
     Secretary for purposes of this section) has signed a 
     certification described in clause (ii) after a physician of 
     the Department, in consultation with the person, has made the 
     determination described in such clause, and subsequently 
     countersigns the certification; and
       ``(B) the transfer is an appropriate transfer to that 
     facility.
       ``(2) A certification described in clause (ii) or (iii) of 
     paragraph (1)(A) shall include a summary of the risks and 
     benefits upon which the certification is based.
       ``(3) For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), an appropriate 
     transfer to a medical facility is a transfer--
       ``(A) in which the transferring hospital provides the 
     medical treatment within its capacity that minimizes the 
     risks to the health of the individual and, in the case of a 
     woman in labor, the health of the unborn child;
       ``(B) in which the receiving facility--
       ``(i) has available space and qualified personnel for the 
     treatment of the individual; and
       ``(ii) has agreed to accept transfer of the individual and 
     to provide appropriate medical treatment;
       ``(C) in which the transferring hospital sends to the 
     receiving facility all medical records (or copies thereof) 
     available at the time of the transfer relating to the 
     emergency medical condition for which the individual has 
     presented, including--
       ``(i) observations of signs or symptoms;
       ``(ii) preliminary diagnosis;
       ``(iii) treatment provided;
       ``(iv) the results of any tests; and
       ``(v) the informed written request or certification (or 
     copy thereof) provided under paragraph (1)(A);
       ``(D) in which the transfer is effected through qualified 
     personnel and transportation equipment, including the use of 
     necessary and medically appropriate life support measures 
     during the transfer; and
       ``(E) that meets such other requirements as the Secretary 
     considers necessary in the interest of the health and safety 
     of the individual or individuals transferred.
       ``(d) Payment to the Department.--The Secretary shall 
     charge for any care or services provided under this section 
     in accordance with billing and reimbursement authorities 
     available to the Secretary under other provisions of law.
       ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `campus' means, with respect to a hospital 
     of the Department--
       ``(A) the physical area immediately adjacent to the main 
     buildings of the hospital;
       ``(B) other areas and structures that are not strictly 
     contiguous to the main buildings but are located not more 
     than 250 yards from the main buildings; and
       ``(C) any other areas determined by the Secretary to be 
     part of the campus of the hospital.
       ``(2) The term `emergency medical condition' means--
       ``(A) a medical condition manifesting itself by acute 
     symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such 
     that the absence of immediate medical attention could 
     reasonably be expected to result in--
       ``(i) placing the health of the individual (or, with 
     respect to a pregnant woman, the health of the woman or her 
     unborn child) in serious jeopardy;
       ``(ii) serious impairment to bodily functions; or
       ``(iii) serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part; or
       ``(B) in the case of a pregnant woman, a stage of labor 
     that a medical provider determines indicates--
       ``(i) that there is inadequate time to effect a safe 
     transfer to another hospital before delivery; or
       ``(ii) that transfer may pose a threat to the health or 
     safety of the woman or the unborn child.
       ``(3)(A) The term `to stabilize' means--
       ``(i) with respect to an emergency medical condition 
     described in paragraph (2)(A), to provide such medical 
     treatment of the condition as may be necessary to assure, 
     within reasonable medical probability, that no material 
     deterioration of the condition is likely to result from or 
     occur during the transfer of the individual from a facility; 
     or
       ``(ii) with respect to an emergency medical condition 
     described in paragraph (2)(B), to deliver (including the 
     placenta).
       ``(B) The term `stabilized' means--
       ``(i) with respect to an emergency medical condition 
     described in paragraph (2)(A), that no material deterioration 
     of the condition is likely, within reasonable medical 
     probability, to result from or occur during the transfer of 
     the individual from a facility; or
       ``(ii) with respect to an emergency medical condition 
     described in paragraph (2)(B), that the woman has delivered 
     (including the placenta).
       ``(4) The term `transfer' means the movement (including the 
     discharge) of an individual outside the facilities of a 
     hospital of the Department at the direction of any person 
     employed by (or affiliated or associated, directly or 
     indirectly, with) the hospital, but does not include such a 
     movement of an individual who--
       ``(A) has been declared dead; or
       ``(B) leaves the facility without the permission of any 
     such person.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 17 is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 1784 the following new item:

``1784A. Examination and treatment for emergency medical conditions and 
              women in labor.''.

               Subtitle B--Veterans Health Administration

     SEC. 611. TIME PERIOD COVERED BY ANNUAL REPORT ON 
                   READJUSTMENT COUNSELING SERVICE.

       Section 7309(e)(1) is amended by striking ``calendar year'' 
     and inserting ``fiscal year''.

     SEC. 612. ANNUAL REPORT ON VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION AND 
                   FURNISHING OF HOSPITAL CARE, MEDICAL SERVICES, 
                   AND NURSING HOME CARE.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 7330B. Annual report on Veterans Health Administration 
       and furnishing of hospital care, medical services, and 
       nursing home care

       ``(a) Report Required.--Not later than March 1 of each of 
     years 2018 through 2022, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on, for the calendar year preceding 
     the calendar year during which the report is submitted--
       ``(1) the furnishing of hospital care, medical services, 
     and nursing home care under the laws administered by the 
     Secretary; and
       ``(2) the administration of the furnishing of such care and 
     services by the Veterans Health Administration.
       ``(b) Elements.--Each report required by subsection (a) 
     shall include each of the following for the year covered by 
     the report:
       ``(1) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Veterans 
     Health Administration in increasing the access of veterans to 
     hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care 
     furnished by the Secretary for which such veterans are 
     eligible.
       ``(2) An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Veterans 
     Health Administration in improving the quality of health care 
     provided to veterans, without increasing the costs incurred 
     for such health care by the Federal Government or veterans, 
     including relevant information for each medical center and 
     Veterans Integrated Service Network of the Department set 
     forth separately.
       ``(3) An assessment of--
       ``(A) the workload of physicians and other employees of the 
     Veterans Health Administration;
       ``(B) patient demographics and utilization rates;
       ``(C) physician compensation;
       ``(D) the productivity of physicians and other employees of 
     the Veterans Health Administration;
       ``(E) the percentage of hospital care, medical services, 
     and nursing home care provided to veterans in facilities of 
     the Department and in non-Department facilities and any 
     changes in such percentages compared to the year preceding 
     the year covered by the report;
       ``(F) pharmaceutical prices; and
       ``(G) third-party health billings owed to the Department, 
     including the total amount of such billings and the total 
     amount collected by the Department, set forth separately for 
     claims greater than $1,000 and for claims equal to or less 
     than $1,000.

[[Page 15871]]

       ``(c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `hospital 
     care', `medical services', `nursing home care', `facilities 
     of the Department', and `non-Department facilities' have the 
     meanings given those terms in section 1701 of this title.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 73 is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 7330A the following new item:

``7330B. Annual report on Veterans Health Administration and furnishing 
              of hospital care, medical services, and nursing home 
              care.''.

     SEC. 613. EXPANSION OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR LICENSED MENTAL 
                   HEALTH COUNSELORS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS TO INCLUDE DOCTORAL DEGREES.

       Section 7402(b)(11)(A) is amended by inserting ``or 
     doctoral degree'' after ``master's degree''.

     SEC. 614. MODIFICATION OF HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR PHYSICIANS 
                   EMPLOYED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       Section 7423(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``(a) The hours'' and inserting ``(a)(1) 
     Except as provided in paragraph (2), the hours''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2)(A) Upon the advance written request of a covered 
     physician, the Secretary may modify the hours of employment 
     for a physician appointed in the Administration under any 
     provision of this chapter on a full-time basis to be more or 
     less than 80 hours in a biweekly pay period, subject to the 
     requirements in subparagraph (B). For the purpose of 
     determining pay, such a physician shall be deemed to have a 
     biweekly schedule of 80 hours of employment.
       ``(B) A physician with an irregular work schedule 
     established under subparagraph (A) shall be obligated to 
     account for at least 2,080 hours of employment (through 
     performance of work or use of leave or paid time off) in a 
     calendar year.
       ``(C) The Secretary may prescribe regulations to implement 
     this paragraph, including regulations making adjustments to 
     address the annual hours requirement for physicians who are 
     covered by this paragraph for only a portion of a calendar 
     year.''.

     SEC. 615. REPEAL OF COMPENSATION PANELS TO DETERMINE MARKET 
                   PAY FOR PHYSICIANS AND DENTISTS.

       Section 7431(c) is amended--
       (1) by striking paragraph (4);
       (2) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), and (7) as 
     paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively; and
       (3) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``under paragraph (6)'' and inserting ``under paragraph 
     (5)''.

     SEC. 616. CLARIFICATION REGARDING LIABILITY FOR BREACH OF 
                   AGREEMENT UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   EMPLOYEE INCENTIVE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

       Section 7675(b)(1)(E) is amended by striking ``In the case 
     of a participant who is a part-time student, the'' and 
     inserting ``The''.

     SEC. 617. EXTENSION OF PERIOD FOR INCREASE IN GRADUATE 
                   MEDICAL EDUCATION RESIDENCY POSITIONS AT 
                   MEDICAL FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Paragraph (2) of section 301(b) of the 
     Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 
     (Public Law 113-146; 38 U.S.C. 7302 note) is amended--
       (1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Five-year'' and 
     inserting ``Ten-year''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``5-year period'' and 
     inserting ``10-year period''.
       (b) Report.--Paragraph (3)(A) of such section is amended by 
     striking ``2019'' and inserting ``2024''.

     SEC. 618. REPORT ON PUBLIC ACCESS TO RESEARCH BY DEPARTMENT 
                   OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than each of 180 days and one 
     year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee 
     on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on 
     increasing public access to scientific publications and 
     digital data from research funded by the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs.
       (b) Elements.--Each report submitted under subsection (a) 
     shall include the following:
       (1) An identification of the location or locations in which 
     the public will be able to access the results of research 
     funded by the Department, whether on an Internet website of 
     the Department or through another source.
       (2) A description of the progress made by the Department in 
     meeting public access requirements set forth in the notice 
     entitled ``Policy and Implementation Plan for Public Access 
     to Scientific Publications and Digital Data from Research 
     Funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs'' (80 Fed. Reg. 
     60751), including the following:
       (A) Compliance of Department investigators with 
     requirements relating to ensuring that research funded by the 
     Department is accessible by the public.
       (B) Ensuring data management plans of the Department 
     include provisions for long-term preservation of the 
     scientific data resulting from research funded by the 
     Department.
       (3) An explanation of the factors used to evaluate the 
     merit of data management plans of research funded by the 
     Veterans Health Administration.
       (4) An explanation of the process of the Department in 
     effect that enables stakeholders to petition a change to the 
     embargo period for a specific field and the factors 
     considered during such process.

     SEC. 619. AUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY 
                   PROJECTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     carry out the following major medical facility projects, with 
     each project to be carried out in an amount not to exceed the 
     amount specified for that project:
       (1) Seismic, life safety, and utilities upgrades and 
     expansion of clinical services in Reno, Nevada, in an amount 
     not to exceed $213,800,000.
       (2) Seismic corrections to the mental health and community 
     living center in Long Beach, California, in an amount not to 
     exceed $317,300,000.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for 
     fiscal year 2017 or the year in which funds are appropriated 
     for the Construction, Major Projects, account $531,100,000 
     for the projects authorized in subsection (a).
       (c) Limitation.--The projects authorized in subsection (a) 
     may only be carried out using--
       (1) funds appropriated for fiscal year 2017 or the year in 
     which funds are appropriated for the Construction, Major 
     Projects, account pursuant to the authorization of 
     appropriations in subsection (b);
       (2) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
     fiscal year before fiscal year 2017 that remain available for 
     obligation;
       (3) funds available for Construction, Major Projects, for a 
     fiscal year after fiscal year 2017 that remain available for 
     obligation;
       (4) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for fiscal year 2017 for a category of activity not specific 
     to a project;
       (5) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for a fiscal year before fiscal year 2017 for a category of 
     activity not specific to a project; and
       (6) funds appropriated for Construction, Major Projects, 
     for a fiscal year after fiscal year 2017 for a category of 
     activity not specific to a project.

                       Subtitle C--Toxic Exposure

     SEC. 631. DEFINITIONS.

       In this subtitle:
       (1) Armed forces.--The term ``Armed Forces'' means the 
     United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast 
     Guard.
       (2) Descendant.--The term ``descendant'' means, with 
     respect to an individual, the biological child or grandchild 
     of that individual.
       (3) Toxic exposure.--The term ``toxic exposure'' means a 
     condition in which an individual inhaled or ingested an agent 
     determined to be hazardous to the health of the individual or 
     the agent came in contact with the skin or eyes of the 
     individual in a manner that could be hazardous to the health 
     of the individual.
       (4) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
     that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

     SEC. 632. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE ASSESSMENT ON RESEARCH 
                   RELATING TO THE DESCENDANTS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH 
                   TOXIC EXPOSURE.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Agreement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National 
     Academy of Medicine under which the National Academy of 
     Medicine conducts an assessment on scientific research 
     relating to the descendants of individuals with toxic 
     exposure.
       (2) Alternate organization.--
       (A) In general.--If the Secretary is unable within the 
     period prescribed in paragraph (1) to enter into an agreement 
     described in such paragraph with the National Academy of 
     Medicine on terms acceptable to the Secretary, the Secretary 
     shall seek to enter into such an agreement with another 
     appropriate organization that--
       (i) is not part of the Federal Government;
       (ii) operates as a not-for-profit entity; and
       (iii) has expertise and objectivity comparable to that of 
     the National Academy of Medicine.
       (B) Treatment.--If the Secretary enters into an agreement 
     with another organization as described in subparagraph (A), 
     any reference in this section to the National Academy of 
     Medicine shall be treated as a reference to the other 
     organization.
       (b) Elements.--The assessment conducted pursuant to the 
     agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall include the 
     following:
       (1) A scientific review of the scientific literature 
     regarding toxicological and epidemiological research on 
     descendants of individuals with toxic exposure.
       (2) An assessment of areas requiring further scientific 
     study relating to the descendants of veterans with toxic 
     exposure.

[[Page 15872]]

       (3) An assessment of the scope and methodology required to 
     conduct adequate scientific research relating to the 
     descendants of individuals with toxic exposure, including--
       (A) the types of individuals to be studied, including 
     veterans with toxic exposure and the descendants of those 
     veterans;
       (B) the number of veterans and descendants described in 
     subparagraph (A) to be studied;
       (C) the potential alternatives for participation in such a 
     study, including whether it would be necessary for 
     participants to travel in order to participate;
       (D) the approximate amount of time and resources needed to 
     prepare and conduct the research; and
       (E) the appropriate Federal agencies to participate in the 
     research, including the Department of Defense and the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (4) The establishment of categories, including definitions 
     for each such category, to be used in assessing the evidence 
     that a particular health condition is related to toxic 
     exposure, such as--
       (A) sufficient evidence of a causal relationship;
       (B) sufficient evidence of an association;
       (C) limited or suggestive evidence of an association;
       (D) inadequate or insufficient evidence to determine 
     whether an association exists; and
       (E) limited or suggestive evidence of no association.
       (5) An analysis of--
       (A) the feasibility of conducting scientific research to 
     address the areas that require further study as described 
     under paragraph (2);
       (B) the value and relevance of the information that could 
     result from such scientific research; and
       (C) for purposes of conducting further research, the 
     feasibility and advisability of accessing additional 
     information held by a Federal agency that may be sensitive.
       (6) An identification of a research entity or entities 
     with--
       (A) expertise in conducting research on health conditions 
     of descendants of individuals with toxic exposure; and
       (B) an ability to conduct research on those health 
     conditions to address areas requiring further scientific 
     study as described under paragraph (2).
       (c) Report.--The agreement entered into under subsection 
     (a) shall require the National Academy of Medicine to submit, 
     not later than two years after entering into such agreement, 
     to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives--
       (1) the results of the assessment conducted pursuant to 
     such agreement, including such recommendations as the 
     National Academy of Medicine considers appropriate regarding 
     the scope and methodology required to conduct adequate 
     scientific research relating to the descendants of veterans 
     with toxic exposure; and
       (2) a determination regarding whether the results of such 
     assessment indicate that it is feasible to conduct further 
     research regarding health conditions of descendants of 
     veterans with toxic exposure, including an explanation of the 
     basis for the determination.
       (d) Certification.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after receiving the 
     results of the assessment and determination under subsection 
     (c), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
     of the House of Representatives a certification of the 
     understanding of the Secretary, based on such results and 
     determination, regarding the feasibility of conducting 
     further research regarding health conditions of descendants 
     of veterans with toxic exposure that is expressed by such 
     results and determination.
       (2) Basis for certification.--The certification submitted 
     under paragraph (1) shall include an explanation of the basis 
     for the certification.

     SEC. 633. ADVISORY BOARD ON RESEARCH RELATING TO HEALTH 
                   CONDITIONS OF DESCENDANTS OF VETERANS WITH 
                   TOXIC EXPOSURE WHILE SERVING IN THE ARMED 
                   FORCES.

       (a) Establishment.--Unless the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs certifies under section 632(d) that the results of 
     the assessment and determination under section 632(c) 
     indicate that it is not feasible to conduct further research 
     regarding health conditions of descendants of veterans with 
     toxic exposure, not later than 180 days after receiving such 
     results and determination, the Secretary shall establish an 
     advisory board (in this section referred to as the ``Advisory 
     Board'') to advise the Secretary in the selection of a 
     research entity or entities under section 634, advise such 
     entity or entities in conducting research under such section, 
     and advise the Secretary with respect to the activities of 
     such entity or entities under such section.
       (b) Membership.--
       (1) Composition.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     National Academy of Medicine, the Director of the National 
     Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and such other 
     heads of Federal agencies as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate--
       (A) shall select not more than 13 voting members of the 
     Advisory Board, of whom--
       (i) not less than two shall be members of organizations 
     exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(19) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986;
       (ii) not less than two shall be descendants of veterans 
     with toxic exposure while serving as members of the Armed 
     Forces; and
       (iii) not less than seven shall be health professionals, 
     scientists, or academics who are not employees of the Federal 
     Government and have expertise in--

       (I) birth defects;
       (II) developmental disabilities;
       (III) epigenetics;
       (IV) public health;
       (V) the science of environmental exposure or environmental 
     exposure assessment;
       (VI) the science of toxic substances; or
       (VII) medical and research ethics; and

       (B) may select not more than two nonvoting members who are 
     employees of the Federal Government and who are otherwise 
     described in subparagraph (A)(iii).
       (2) Chair.--The Secretary shall select a Chair from among 
     the members of the Advisory Board selected under paragraph 
     (1)(A).
       (3) Terms.--
       (A) In general.--Each member of the Advisory Board shall 
     serve a term of two or three years as determined by the 
     Secretary.
       (B) Reappointment.--At the end of the term of a member of 
     the Advisory Board, the Secretary may reselect the member for 
     another term, except that no member may serve more than four 
     consecutive terms.
       (c) Duties.--The Advisory Board shall--
       (1) advise the Secretary in the selection of a research 
     entity or entities to conduct research under section 634 from 
     among those identified under section 632(b)(6);
       (2) advise such entity or entities and assess the 
     activities of such entity or entities in conducting such 
     research;
       (3) develop a research strategy for such entity or entities 
     based on, but not limited to, the results of the assessment 
     conducted under section 632;
       (4) advise the Secretary with respect to the activities of 
     such entity or entities under section 634;
       (5) submit recommendations to be included by such entity or 
     entities in the report under section 634(d)(2)(C); and
       (6) not less frequently than semiannually, meet with the 
     Secretary and representatives of such entity or entities on 
     the research conducted by such entity or entities under 
     section 634.
       (d) Meetings.--The Advisory Board shall meet at the call of 
     the Chair, but not less frequently than semiannually.
       (e) Compensation.--The members of the Advisory Board shall 
     serve without compensation.
       (f) Expenses.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     determine the appropriate expenses of the Advisory Board.
       (g) Personnel.--
       (1) In general.--The Chair may, without regard to the civil 
     service laws and regulations, appoint an executive director 
     of the Advisory Board, who shall be a civilian employee of 
     the Department of Veterans Affairs, and such other personnel 
     as may be necessary to enable the Advisory Board to perform 
     its duties.
       (2) Approval.--The appointment of an executive director 
     under paragraph (1) shall be subject to approval by the 
     Advisory Board.
       (3) Compensation.--The Chair may fix the compensation of 
     the executive director and other personnel without regard to 
     the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 
     of title 5, United States Code, except that the rate of pay 
     for the executive director and other personnel may not exceed 
     the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under 
     section 5316 of such title.

     SEC. 634. RESEARCH RELATING TO HEALTH CONDITIONS OF 
                   DESCENDANTS OF VETERANS WITH TOXIC EXPOSURE 
                   WHILE SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES.

       (a) In General.--Unless the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     certifies under section 632(d) that the results of the 
     assessment and determination under section 632(c) indicate 
     that it is not feasible to conduct further research regarding 
     health conditions of descendants of veterans with toxic 
     exposure, not later than one year after receiving such 
     results and determination, the Secretary shall (in 
     consultation with the advisory board established under 
     section 633 (in this section referred to as the ``Advisory 
     Board'')) enter into an agreement with one or more research 
     entities identified under section 632(b)(6) (excluding an 
     entity of the Department of Veterans Affairs) to conduct 
     research on health conditions of descendants of veterans with 
     toxic exposure while serving as members of the Armed Forces 
     (in this section referred to as the ``research entity or 
     entities'').
       (b) Research.--
       (1) In general.--To the extent included in the research 
     strategy developed by the Advisory Board under section 
     633(c)(3), the research entity or entities shall conduct 
     research on health conditions of descendants of veterans with 
     toxic exposure while serving as members of the Armed Forces.
       (2) Studies.--In conducting research under paragraph (1), 
     the research entity or entities may study any veteran, at the 
     election of

[[Page 15873]]

     the veteran, identified under section 632(b)(3)(A) as a type 
     of individual to be studied in order to conduct adequate 
     scientific research relating to the descendants of veterans 
     with toxic exposure.
       (3) Categorization.--In conducting research under paragraph 
     (1), the research entity or entities shall assess, using the 
     categories established under section 632(b)(4), the extent to 
     which a health condition of a descendant of a veteran is 
     related to the toxic exposure of the veteran while serving as 
     a member of the Armed Forces.
       (c) Availability of Records.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs, and the head of each Federal agency 
     identified under section 632(b)(3)(E) shall make available to 
     the research entity or entities records held by the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, 
     the Armed Forces, that Federal agency, or any other source 
     under the jurisdiction of any such Federal agency or the 
     Armed Forces, as appropriate, that the research entity or 
     entities determine are necessary to carry out this section.
       (2) Mechanism for access.--The Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, and the head of each 
     Federal agency identified under section 632(b)(3)(E) shall 
     jointly establish a mechanism for access by the research 
     entity or entities to records made available under paragraph 
     (1).
       (d) Annual Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after commencing 
     the conduct of research under this section, and not later 
     than September 30 each year thereafter, each research entity 
     with which the Secretary has entered into an agreement under 
     subsection (a) shall, in consultation with the Advisory 
     Board, submit to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the functions of such entity 
     under this section during the year preceding the submittal of 
     the report.
       (2) Elements.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include the following:
       (A) A summary of the research efforts that have been 
     completed during the year preceding the submittal of the 
     report and that are ongoing as of the date of the submittal 
     of the report.
       (B) A description of any findings made during such year in 
     carrying out such research efforts.
       (C) Recommendations for administrative or legislative 
     action made by the Advisory Board based on such findings, 
     which may include recommendations for further research under 
     this section.
       (3) Upon request.--Upon the request of any organization 
     exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(19) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
     transmit to such organization a copy of a report received by 
     the Secretary under paragraph (1).

                    TITLE VII--HOMELESSNESS MATTERS

          Subtitle A--Access of Homeless Veterans to Benefits

     SEC. 701. EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF HOMELESS VETERAN FOR 
                   PURPOSES OF BENEFITS UNDER THE LAWS 
                   ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS.

       Section 2002 is amended--
       (1) by striking ``In this chapter'' and inserting ``(a) In 
     General.--In this chapter'';
       (2) by striking ``in section 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento 
     Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302(a))'' and inserting 
     ``in subsection (a) or (b) of section 103 of the McKinney-
     Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) Veteran Defined.--(1) Notwithstanding section 101(2) 
     of this title and except as provided in paragraph (2), for 
     purposes of sections 2011, 2012, 2013, 2044, and 2061 of this 
     title, the term `veteran' means a person who served in the 
     active military, naval, or air service, regardless of length 
     of service, and who was discharged or released therefrom.
       ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term `veteran' 
     excludes a person who--
       ``(A) received a dishonorable discharge from the Armed 
     Forces; or
       ``(B) was discharged or dismissed from the Armed Forces by 
     reason of the sentence of a general court-martial.''.

     SEC. 702. AUTHORIZATION TO FURNISH CERTAIN BENEFITS TO 
                   HOMELESS VETERANS WITH DISCHARGES OR RELEASES 
                   UNDER OTHER THAN HONORABLE CONDITIONS.

       Section 5303(d) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``not apply to any war-risk insurance, 
     Government (converted) or National Service Life Insurance 
     policy.'' and inserting the following: ``not apply to the 
     following:
       ``(1) Any war-risk insurance, Government (converted) or 
     National Service Life Insurance policy.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2) Benefits under section 2011, 2012, 2013, 2044, or 
     2061 of this title (except for benefits for individuals 
     discharged or dismissed from the Armed Forces by reason of 
     the sentence of a general court-martial).''.

     SEC. 703. WAIVER OF MINIMUM PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS ACTIVE DUTY 
                   IN ARMED FORCES FOR CERTAIN BENEFITS FOR 
                   HOMELESS VETERANS.

       Section 5303A(b)(3) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as 
     subparagraphs (G) and (H), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new 
     subparagraph (F):
       ``(F) to benefits under section 2011, 2012, 2013, 2044, or 
     2061 of this title;''.

     SEC. 704. TRAINING OF PERSONNEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS AND GRANT RECIPIENTS.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a program 
     of training and education to ensure that the following 
     persons are aware of and implement this title and the 
     amendments made by this subtitle:
       (1) Personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs who are 
     supporting or administering a program under chapter 20 of 
     title 38, United States Code.
       (2) Recipients of grants or other amounts for purposes of 
     carrying out such a program.

     SEC. 705. REGULATIONS.

       Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall prescribe 
     regulations, including such modifications to section 3.12 of 
     title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
     regulation), as the Secretary considers appropriate, to 
     ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is in full 
     compliance with this title and the amendments made by this 
     subtitle.

     SEC. 706. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This subtitle and the amendments made by this subtitle 
     shall apply to individuals seeking benefits under chapter 20 
     of title 38, United States Code, before, on, and after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act.

                 Subtitle B--Other Homelessness Matters

     SEC. 711. INCREASED PER DIEM PAYMENTS FOR TRANSITIONAL 
                   HOUSING ASSISTANCE THAT BECOMES PERMANENT 
                   HOUSING FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.

       Section 2012(a)(2) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (D) as 
     subparagraphs (C) through (E), respectively;
       (2) in subparagraph (C), as redesignated, by striking ``in 
     subparagraph (D)'' and inserting ``in subparagraph (E)'';
       (3) in subparagraph (D), as redesignated, by striking 
     ``under subparagraph (B)'' and inserting ``under subparagraph 
     (C)'';
       (4) in subparagraph (E), as redesignated, by striking ``in 
     subparagraphs (B) and (C)'' and inserting ``in subparagraphs 
     (C) and (D)'';
       (5) in subparagraph (A)--
       (A) by striking ``The rate'' and inserting ``Except as 
     otherwise provided in subparagraph (B), the rate''; and
       (B) by striking ``under subparagraph (B)'' and all that 
     follows and inserting ``under subparagraph (C).''; and
       (6) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new 
     subparagraph (B):
       ``(B)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), in no case may 
     the rate determined under this paragraph exceed the rate 
     authorized for State homes for domiciliary care under 
     subsection (a)(1)(A) of section 1741 of this title, as the 
     Secretary may increase from time to time under subsection (c) 
     of that section.
       ``(ii) In the case of services furnished to a homeless 
     veteran who is placed in housing that will become permanent 
     housing for the veteran upon termination of the furnishing of 
     such services to such veteran, the maximum rate of per diem 
     authorized under this section is 150 percent of the rate 
     authorized for State homes for domiciliary care under 
     subsection (a)(1)(A) of section 1741 of this title, as the 
     Secretary may increase from time to time under subsection (c) 
     of that section.''.

     SEC. 712. PROGRAM TO IMPROVE RETENTION OF HOUSING BY FORMERLY 
                   HOMELESS VETERANS AND VETERANS AT RISK OF 
                   BECOMING HOMELESS.

       (a) Program Required.--
       (1) In general.--Subchapter II of chapter 20 is amended--
       (A) by redesignating section 2013 as section 2014; and
       (B) by inserting after section 2012 the following new 
     section 2013:

     ``Sec. 2013. Program to improve retention of housing by 
       formerly homeless veterans and veterans at risk of becoming 
       homeless

       ``(a) Program Required.--The Secretary shall carry out a 
     program under which the Secretary shall provide case 
     management services to improve the retention of housing by 
     veterans who were previously homeless and are transitioning 
     to permanent housing and veterans who are at risk of becoming 
     homeless.
       ``(b) Grants.--(1) The Secretary shall carry out the 
     program through the award of grants.
       ``(2)(A) In awarding grants under paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary shall give priority to organizations that 
     demonstrate a capability to provide case management services 
     as described in subsection (a), particularly organizations 
     that are successfully providing or have successfully provided 
     transitional housing services using amounts provided by the 
     Secretary under sections 2012 and 2061 of this title.
       ``(B) In giving priority under subparagraph (A), the 
     Secretary shall give extra priority

[[Page 15874]]

     to an organization described in such subparagraph that--
       ``(i) voluntarily stops receiving amounts provided by the 
     Secretary under sections 2012 and 2061 of this title; and
       ``(ii) converts a facility that the organization used to 
     provide transitional housing services into a facility that 
     the organization uses to provide permanent housing that meets 
     housing quality standards established under section 
     8(o)(8)(B) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
     U.S.C. 1437f(o)(8)(B)).
       ``(C) In any case in which a facility, with respect to 
     which a person received a grant for construction, 
     rehabilitation, or acquisition under section 2011 of this 
     title, is converted as described in subparagraph (B)(ii), 
     such conversion shall be considered to have been carried out 
     pursuant to the needs of the Department and such person shall 
     not be considered in noncompliance with the terms of such 
     grant by reason of such conversion.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by striking the item 
     relating to section 2013 and inserting the following new 
     items:

``2013. Program to improve retention of housing by formerly homeless 
              veterans and veterans at risk of becoming homeless.
``2014. Authorization of appropriations.''.

       (b) Regulations.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall prescribe regulations to carry out section 2013 of such 
     title, as added by subsection (a)(1)(B).
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than June 1, 2020, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on the program required by section 
     2013 of such title, as added by subsection (a)(1)(B).
       (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include assessments of the following:
       (A) The percentage of veterans who received case management 
     services under the program who were able to retain permanent 
     housing by the end of the program, disaggregated by each 
     recipient of a grant under such section.
       (B) The percentage of veterans who received case management 
     services under the program who were not in permanent housing 
     at the end of the program, disaggregated by housing status 
     and reason for failing to retain permanent housing under the 
     program.
       (C) The use by veterans, who received case management 
     services under the program, of housing assistance furnished 
     by the Department of Veterans Affairs, including a comparison 
     of the use of such assistance by such veterans before and 
     after receiving such services.
       (D) An assessment of the employment status of veterans who 
     received case management services under the program, 
     including a comparison of the employment status of such 
     veterans before and after receiving such services.

     SEC. 713. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS 
                   AMONG VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter VII of chapter 20 is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``Sec. 2067. National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans

       ``(a) In General.--(1) The Secretary shall establish and 
     operate a center to carry out the functions described in 
     subsection (b).
       ``(2) The center established under paragraph (1) shall be 
     known as the `National Center on Homelessness Among 
     Veterans'.
       ``(3) To the degree practicable, the Secretary shall 
     operate the center established under paragraph (1) 
     independently of the other programs of the Department that 
     address homelessness among veterans.
       ``(b) Functions.--The functions described in this 
     subsection are as follows:
       ``(1) To carry out and promote research into the causes and 
     contributing factors to veteran homelessness.
       ``(2) To assess the effectiveness of programs of the 
     Department to meet the needs of homeless veterans.
       ``(3) To identify and disseminate best practices with 
     regard to housing stabilization, income support, employment 
     assistance, community partnerships, and such other matters as 
     the Secretary considers appropriate with respect to 
     addressing veteran homelessness.
       ``(4) To integrate evidence-based and best practices, 
     policies, and programs into programs of the Department for 
     homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness and to 
     ensure that the staff of the Department and community 
     partners can implement such practices, policies, and 
     programs.
       ``(5) To serve as a resource center for, and promote and 
     seek to coordinate the exchange of information regarding, all 
     research and training activities carried out by the 
     Department and by other Federal and non-Federal entities with 
     respect to veteran homelessness.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter 20 is amended by inserting after 
     the item relating to section 2066 the following new item:

``2067. National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans.''.

     SEC. 714. REQUIREMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
                   ASSESS COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR 
                   HOMELESS VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall--
       (1) assess and measure the capacity of programs for which 
     entities receive grants under section 2011 of title 38, 
     United States Code, or per diem payments under section 2012 
     or 2061 of such title; and
       (2) assess such programs with respect to--
       (A) how well they achieve their stated goals at a national 
     level;
       (B) placements in permanent housing;
       (C) placements in employment; and
       (D) increases in the regular income of participants in the 
     programs.
       (b) Assessment at National and Local Levels.--In assessing 
     and measuring under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary shall 
     develop and use tools to examine the capacity of programs 
     described in such subsection at both the national and local 
     level in order to assess the following:
       (1) Whether sufficient capacity exists to meet the needs of 
     homeless veterans in each geographic area.
       (2) Whether existing capacity meets the needs of the 
     subpopulations of homeless veterans located in each 
     geographic area.
       (3) The amount of capacity that recipients of grants under 
     sections 2011 and 2061 and per diem payments under section 
     2012 of such title have to provide services for which the 
     recipients are eligible to receive per diem under section 
     2012(a)(2)(B)(ii) of title 38, United States Code, as added 
     by section 711(6).
       (c) Consideration of Other Resources.--In assessing and 
     measuring programs under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary 
     shall consider the availability to such programs of resources 
     made available to such programs and to homeless veterans, 
     including resources provided by the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs and by entities other than the Department.
       (d) Use of Information.--The Secretary shall use the 
     information collected under this section as follows:
       (1) To set specific goals to ensure that programs described 
     in subsection (a) are effectively serving the needs of 
     homeless veterans.
       (2) To assess whether programs described in subsection (a) 
     are meeting goals set under paragraph (1).
       (3) To inform funding allocations for programs described in 
     subsection (a).
       (4) To improve the referral of homeless veterans to 
     programs described in subsection (a).
       (e) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
     which the assessment required by subsection (a) is completed, 
     the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
     of the House of Representatives a report on such assessment 
     and such recommendations for legislative and administrative 
     action as the Secretary may have to improve the programs and 
     per diem payments described in subsection (a).

     SEC. 715. REPORT ON OUTREACH RELATING TO INCREASING THE 
                   AMOUNT OF HOUSING AVAILABLE TO VETERANS.

       Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to 
     the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Financial 
     Services of the House of Representatives a report describing 
     and assessing the outreach conducted by the Secretary to 
     realtors, landlords, property management companies, and 
     developers to educate them about the housing needs of 
     veterans and the benefits of having veterans as tenants.

                       TITLE VIII--OTHER MATTERS

     SEC. 801. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CONSTRUCTION 
                   REFORMS.

       (a) Application of Industry Standards; Assistance.--Section 
     8103 is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subsections:
       ``(f) To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary 
     shall use industry standards, standard designs, and best 
     practices in carrying out the construction of medical 
     facilities.
       ``(g) The Secretary shall ensure that each employee of the 
     Department with responsibilities, as determined by the 
     Secretary, relating to the infrastructure construction or 
     alteration of medical facilities, including such construction 
     or alteration carried out pursuant to contracts or 
     agreements, undergoes a program of ongoing professional 
     training and development. Such program shall be designed to 
     ensure that employees maintain adequate expertise relating to 
     industry standards and best practices for the acquisition of 
     design and construction services. The Secretary may provide 
     the program under this subsection directly or through a 
     contract or agreement with a non-Federal entity or with a 
     non-Department Federal entity.''.
       (b) Forensic Audits of Certain Projects.--Subsection (c) of 
     section 8104 is amended--
       (1) by striking ``Not less than 30 days'' and inserting 
     ``(1) Not less than 30 days''; and

[[Page 15875]]

       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2) The Secretary shall--
       ``(A) enter into a contract or agreement with an 
     appropriate non-department Federal entity with the ability to 
     conduct forensic audits on medical facility projects for the 
     conduct of an external forensic audit of the expenditures 
     relating to any major medical facility or super construction 
     project for which the total expenditures exceed the amount 
     requested in the initial budget request for the project 
     submitted to Congress under section 1105 of title 31 by more 
     than 25 percent; and
       ``(B) enter into a contract or agreement with an 
     appropriate non-department Federal entity with the ability to 
     conduct forensic audits on medical facility projects for the 
     conduct of an external audit of the medical center 
     construction project in Aurora, Colorado.''.
       (c) Use of Amounts From Bid Savings.--Subsection (d)(2)(B) 
     of such section is amended--
       (1) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses 
     (iii) and (iv), respectively;
       (2) by inserting after clause (i) the following new clause 
     (ii):
       ``(ii) If the major construction project that is the source 
     of the bid savings is not complete--
       ``(I) the amount already obligated by the Department or 
     available in the project reserve for such project;
       ``(II) the percentage of such project that has been 
     completed; and
       ``(III) the amount available to the Department to complete 
     such project.''; and
       (3) in clauses (iii) and (iv), as redesignated by paragraph 
     (1), strike ``amounts'' and inserting ``bid savings amounts'' 
     both places it appears.
       (d) Quarterly Report on Super Construction Projects.--
       (1) In general.--At the end of subchapter I of chapter 81 
     add the following new section:

     ``Sec. 8120. Quarterly report on super construction projects

       ``(a) Quarterly Reports Required.--Not later than 30 days 
     after the last day of each fiscal quarter the Secretary shall 
     submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate 
     and House of Representatives a report on the super 
     construction projects carried out by the appropriate non-
     Department Federal entity described in section 8103(e)(1) of 
     this title during such quarter. Each such report shall 
     include, for each such project--
       ``(1) the budgetary and scheduling status of the project, 
     as of the last day of the quarter covered by the report; and
       ``(2) the actual cost and schedule variances of the 
     project, as of such day, compared to the planned cost and 
     schedules for the project.
       ``(b) Super Construction Project Defined.--In this section, 
     the term `super construction project' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 8103(e)(3) of this title.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end of 
     the items relating to such subchapter the following new item:

``8120. Quarterly report on super construction projects.''.

     SEC. 802. TECHNICAL AND CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.

       Title 38, United States Code, is amended as follows:
       (1) In section 735(a)(5), by striking ``(Public Law 104-
     191)'' and inserting ``(Public Law 104-191; 42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 
     note)''.
       (2) In the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 
     17, by striking the items relating to sections 1710D and 
     1710E and inserting the following new items:

``1710D. Traumatic brain injury: comprehensive program for long-term 
              rehabilitation.
``1710E. Traumatic brain injury: use of non-Department facilities for 
              rehabilitation.''.

       (3) In section 1710(e)(1)(F), by inserting a comma after 
     ``1953''.
       (4) In section 7412(b), by striking ``under paragraph (1)'' 
     and inserting ``under subsection (a)''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6416, the Jeff Miller 
and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement 
Act of 2016. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation represents a 
significant portion of the committee's hard work throughout the 114th 
Congress and contains numerous provisions that would improve healthcare 
benefits and services for those that are most deserving: our Nation's 
heroes.

                              {time}  1430

  I am proud to report that so far this Congress, the House has passed 
60 veterans-related bills. By the close of business tomorrow, that 
tally will be 68. The text of many of those bills can be found within 
H.R. 6416.
  While we do not have enough time for me to go through every 
worthwhile section of this legislation, I do want to touch on just a 
few. Among the provisions that would improve disability benefits is one 
that would allow physicians who are under contract with VA and who have 
unrestricted licenses to conduct disability examinations in any State, 
regardless of where that physician is licensed.
  Another provision would extend the temporary expansion of the Court 
of Appeals for Veterans Claims to nine judges through 2020, which would 
help the court address the growing number of cases before it and ensure 
veterans receive the court's decision in a timely manner.
  Three proposals sponsored by Chairman Miller would ensure that all 
veterans have the opportunity to have future generations remember and 
respect their lives and their service by directing VA to provide a 
medallion to be affixed to the headstone in a private cemetery that 
signifies that a deceased person is a veteran, permitting VA to furnish 
a medallion or marker specifically designed for the graves of the 
deceased Medal of Honor recipients, and providing Presidential Memorial 
Certificates to those who served in the National Guard or Reserve even 
if they were never called to Active Duty.
  Other provisions of the bill would make needed improvements to 
education, vocational rehabilitation, and employment benefits to better 
support veterans by prioritizing vocational rehabilitation services for 
our most disabled veterans, increasing approval and access to oversight 
processes for education programs and schools, improving coordination 
between Federal and State agencies who provide employment services to 
veterans, expanding eligibility for work-study programs, extending the 
amount of time spouses of fallen servicemembers have to use the GI 
Bill's Fry Scholarship benefits, and by extending instate tuition rate 
limit to dependents of servicemembers who are still serving on Active 
Duty, a policy change that will allow VA to fully cover their tuition 
charges.
  Finally, this bill also contains numerous provisions that would 
improve the health and care that VA provides our veterans. To increase 
accountability, oversight, and transparency of the VA healthcare 
system, it would require VA to produce and provide an annual report on 
a number of critical measures of care.
  To improve the provision of care to those facing a health emergency, 
it would clarify VA's responsibility to provide medical screenings and 
treatment to individuals requesting to be seen in a VA emergency room, 
including women in labor, and ensure that VA emergency room physicians 
are afforded the schedule flexibility that their private sector 
colleagues enjoy and the nature of their work demands.
  To address ongoing concerns about the potential impact of toxic 
exposure during military service on veterans' descendants, it would 
require VA to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of 
Medicine to conduct an assessment and issue a report on scientific 
research relating to the descendants of individuals with toxic exposure 
and, depending on the results of those efforts, require VA to establish 
an advisory board to advise the Secretary on further research. That 
provision is strongly supported by Vietnam Veterans of America, and I 
am glad to see it included here.
  The bill also includes provisions that would require reforms to VA's 
medical facility construction processes and procedures. The many 
failures of VA's current construction program have been

[[Page 15876]]

well publicized and will continue to be a focus of this committee's 
oversight next Congress so that we can all be assured that VA both has 
the facilities it needs to provide the care our veterans deserve and is 
being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars.
  Unfortunately, we were unable to get every provision that cleared 
this Chamber or that the committee included in this legislation, which 
only means there is still work to be done next year and beyond. I am 
grateful to all the Members who have contributed thoughtful and, most 
importantly, needed legislation throughout this Congress in support of 
our veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6416, 
a bill named in part after Chairman Miller.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Jeff Miller and 
Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 
2016.
  Naming the bill after my colleagues is a testament to the bipartisan 
nature of both the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs. 
The bill before us today contains numerous pieces of legislation 
introduced or supported by Members on both sides of the aisle. I thank 
Chairman Miller and all the members of the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs, both Democrats and Republicans, for their hard work putting 
together an omnibus bill that will improve the care and support we 
provide to America's veterans.
  I want to specifically acknowledge our committee members--
Representative Brown, Representative Titus, Dr. Ruiz, Representative 
O'Rourke, Representative Rice, Representative Walz, and Representative 
McNerney; and my other Democratic colleagues, Representative Pingree 
and Representative Frankel, Senator-elect Duckworth, Representative 
Gallego, Representative Hahn, and Representative Sinema--all who made 
valuable contributions to this bill.
  I also would like to take this time to congratulate Dr. Roe on his 
selection as the next chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs. I look forward to working with him in order to preserve the 
bipartisan nature of this committee in the 115th Congress so that we 
can do what is best for veterans.
  It is fitting that we are taking this bill up on the eve of the 
attack on Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941, is remembered not just for 
the 2,300 Americans that we lost that day, but also for the heroic 
response of so many Americans that followed. It is a reminder of the 
sacrifices millions of young men and women have made in service to our 
Nation. It is a reminder of the debt we owe them.
  As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and 
as a former community college trustee, I am pleased that this bill 
contains several provisions that will improve veterans' education and 
employment prospects after they serve. I have enjoyed collaborating 
with Chairman Wenstrup, and I am proud of the bills our subcommittee 
has moved forward.
  This bill before us today contains language from H.R. 2360, the 
Career-Ready Student Veterans Act, which I introduced last May, to 
ensure that veterans who use their hard-earned Post-9/11 GI Bill 
benefits will attend education programs that prepare them for a career 
in their chosen field of study.
  It requires that all career education programs meet proper 
accreditation, licensure, and certification requirements in order to 
serve student veterans who are using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
  The Department of Defense already has this policy in place to protect 
servicemembers using tuition assistance benefits. It often makes sense 
that Congress should protect student veterans in the very same way. 
This provision is supported by the American Legion, the VFW, IAVA, and 
other VSOs.
  This bill also includes H.R. 2361, Work-Study for Student Veterans 
Act, which I introduced with Chairman Wenstrup. It reauthorizes certain 
work-study activities for individuals receiving educational assistance 
through the VA. The current authorization expired in 2013. This bill 
reauthorizes the program through 2021.
  Through the VA's Student Work-Study Allowance Program, qualifying 
student veterans in college degree programs or vocational or 
professional programs are paid to work in a variety of capacities on 
campus, at VA facilities, and at other veteran-centered organizations 
to assist fellow veterans. This provision will reinstate expired 
activities to allow participating veterans more options when entering 
VA's successful work-study program.
  The work-study program achieves two important goals: offering student 
veterans a way to earn a little extra money, and providing 
transitioning veterans with the guidance and assistance of fellow 
veterans who know firsthand what that transition is like. Peer-to-peer 
support is one of the most effective methods we have to help veterans 
meet the challenges of civilian life.
  I worked with Congresswoman Radewagen to introduce H.R. 5229, the 
Improving Transition Programs for All Veterans Act, which requires VA, 
the Department of Labor, and the Department of Defense to study the 
effectiveness of veterans' transition programs for women veterans and 
other minority groups. This policy will help us learn about how we can 
specialize transition programs for minority veterans in order to meet 
their unique needs and overcome barriers to employment.
  The specific groups that will be included in this study include women 
veterans, veterans with disabilities, Native American veterans, insular 
island veterans from the U.S. territories, and other groups as 
determined by the Secretaries. This generation of veterans is the most 
diverse in American history, and we must be prepared to support every 
person who has served.
  I am pleased to have worked on this legislation in a bipartisan 
fashion, and I am glad it was included in the omnibus before us today. 
I believe it will ensure the best outcome for all veterans during their 
transition from military to civilian life.
  H.R. 6416 improves the Fry Scholarship for the children and spouses 
of fallen soldiers. The bill includes H.R. 2531, introduced by 
Representative and now Senator-elect Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war 
combat veteran. This provision will provide a surviving spouse whose 
husband or wife died in the line of duty after 9/11/2001 the time 
necessary to use the full 36-month benefit from the Fry Scholarship 
without fear of it being cut short during their educational pursuits.
  The Fry Scholarship is an educational benefit given to children and 
spouses of our fallen troops. Currently, public law cuts off Fry 
Scholarship eligibility 15 years from the date of a servicemember's 
death. Unfortunately, this means that spouses who lost a loved one 
shortly after 9/11 could be out of time to use an educational benefit 
that is good for 36 months of enrollment and is normally used over the 
course of 4 years. This policy will allow Gold Star families whose 
eligibility will end before they can fully use their benefit to 
complete their education.
  There are several very important provisions in H.R. 6416 that I would 
like to highlight in the area of claims processing and how we, as a 
nation, honor and memorialize our Nation's heroes.
  Chairman Abraham and Ranking Member Titus of the Subcommittee on 
Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs have worked hard for the 
last 2 years, and it shows by the almost two dozen provisions produced 
by their subcommittee that are included in this bill.
  One of these is the long overdue Honor America's Guard-Reserve 
Retirees Act, introduced by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz), 
which confers honorary veteran status to Guard and Reserve members who 
have served for 20 years and who would otherwise not meet the full 
requirement for veteran status under the U.S. Code. These 
servicemembers wear the same uniform, receive the same training, are 
subject to the same code of military justice, and in many cases fight 
and die alongside Active Duty troops in war. It is clear why receiving 
this honor is so important to them, and I am very happy to be here 
today to support the legislation of Mr. Walz.

[[Page 15877]]

  I would also like to highlight four bills introduced by minority 
members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs intended to expedite 
veterans' claims for various types of benefits.
  H.R. 6416 also contains the Veterans Access to Speedy Review Act, 
which requires the Board of Veterans Appeals to allow video appeal 
hearings available to veterans who choose them. Again, this simple, 
sensible approach can speed up the benefits appeal process for veterans 
who are comfortable with the videoconference format. This will mean 
that many veterans will no longer have to wait for an in-person hearing 
and will no longer need to travel; saving them time, money, and the 
stress of traveling, which is particularly difficult for our disabled 
veterans.
  This bill also includes two sections drafted by Congressman O'Rourke 
and Ranking Member Titus that will increase VA transparency so that 
congressional policymakers and the public know how the VA is doing with 
its processing of veterans' claims and appeals. The first section 
requires that the VA publish average times for processing claims and 
appeals, including those that are timely and overdue. The second 
section requires a GAO study of the Veterans Benefits Administration 
regional offices to determine the management and communication factors 
that distinguish higher performing offices from the average and lower 
performing offices.
  There is another group of veterans who deserve our greatest respect, 
and that is the men and women left permanently wounded, ill, or injured 
as a result of service in the armed services. I believe we will hear 
later from the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel) about her 
resolution to honor these veterans which is included in today's bill.
  Mr. Speaker, making sure veterans get the care and benefits they have 
earned and deserve is the mission of this committee, and this bill 
helps keep that promise. For the past 2 years, the Subcommittee on 
Health has been focused on improving access to care, strengthening 
mental health care, recruiting and retaining quality providers, and 
reducing veteran homelessness. These priorities are reflected in the 
bill before us today.
  VA's construction program has been the target of several hearings and 
reports for many years now. They have exposed cost overruns, poor 
oversight, and a host of management issues. This bill would address 
some of the issues brought up over this past Congress. I thank 
Congresswoman Kathleen Rice for her leadership on these issues and for 
introducing a provision that would require a forensic audit when a 
project exceeds its authorization by more than 25 percent.

                              {time}  1445

  H.R. 6416 also ensures that eligible veterans can access mental 
health care in a manner that honors their obligation not to disclose 
classified information.
  I would like to thank Representative Sinema of Arizona for 
introducing this issue as part of H.R. 421, the Classified Veterans 
Access to Care Act.
  In addition, it adds professionals who have a doctoral degree to the 
list of qualified, VA-licensed mental health counselors.
  On the issue of veteran homelessness, we all agree that one homeless 
veteran is one too many. For the past decade, VA has been working 
diligently to dramatically reduce the homeless population among 
veterans, and those efforts have been successful--but we can always do 
more.
  An important provision of H.R. 6416, introduced by Representative 
Hahn of California, would help many of our women veterans by expanding 
the definition of ``homeless veteran.'' This will ensure that veterans 
who are victims of domestic violence are able to access emergency 
housing and are not penalized under the law.
  Mr. Speaker, as we move forward, I want to acknowledge that, while 
H.R. 6416 does indeed do a number of good things to help veterans, 
there is still much more that we need to do. I know that finding ways 
to pay for new programs without cutting existing support for veterans 
has been one of our biggest challenges in this Congress, but I look 
forward to working with our Members and our colleagues across the aisle 
to advance big policy issues that will help millions of veterans, 
issues such as appeals reform, leasing and provider agreements, and 
caregiver support.
  Once again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6416.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as we begin debate on these important bills, I would 
like to take a moment to thank outgoing Chairman Miller for his 
tireless work on behalf of our Nation's veterans and, of course, on 
behalf of Florida's First Congressional District.
  Chairman Miller has led the House Veterans' Affairs Committee through 
tumultuous times at the VA. Through his service and extensive 
oversight, he has exposed a bureaucracy that has failed veterans time 
and time again. His commitment to veterans has never wavered. He has 
started the VA on a path to reforms the agency has so desperately 
needed.
  It has been an honor to serve along beside him. I know I have got big 
shoes to fill come January. He leaves behind the legacy of a statesman 
who has never compromised his principles or forgotten the people he was 
elected to serve.
  On a personal note, Jeff has become a dear friend, and I know our 
friendship will continue long after he has left these Halls. For the 
last 6 years, veterans have had a friend in Jeff Miller, and so have I. 
I wish him well in his future endeavors and thank him for all he has 
done for this body, for Floridians, and for our heroes in the 15 years 
he served honorably in the House of Representatives, the people's 
House.
  I would also like to thank his wife, Vicki, as well as his children, 
grandchildren, and great-grandchild. As we all know, none of the work 
we do here would be possible without the support and understanding of 
our families. There is no question, Jeff has a special family.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Miller), chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Roe for those 
extremely kind words. I thank him especially for recognizing my family. 
We both know how important they are to the success that we are able to 
obtain here in the Halls of Congress.
  I rise in support of H.R. 6416. This legislation contains over 90 
sections, many of which originated in almost 70 veterans bills that the 
House will pass in the 114th Congress. Though H.R. 6416 reflects just a 
fraction of our collaborative efforts, it nonetheless contains many 
important provisions that we can all be pleased in this House to 
support.
  For example, it includes the text of H.R. 1380, which would expand 
eligibility for medallions to veterans who passed away before November 
1, 1990. Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs 
furnishes medallions for veterans who are buried in private cemeteries 
who passed away after November 1, 1990. Many families whose loved ones 
passed away prior to that date have requested that VA provide a 
medallion to distinguish their loved one's grave so that all will know 
it is the burial place of a veteran. This bill would authorize VA to do 
just that.
  H.R. 6416 would also authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
furnish medallions designed especially for veterans who have received 
the Medal of Honor, our Nation's most prestigious award for military 
valor. This will ensure that future generations will be able to 
identify the final resting place of our Nation's most revered heroes.
  H.R. 6416 also includes a provision to provide more time for widows 
and widowers of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty to use 
their post-
9/11 GI bill educational benefits under the Fry Scholarship. The 
spouses of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice deserve nothing 
less.
  What is more, H.R. 6416 contains provisions from H.R. 1994 that would 
increase accountability by limiting the

[[Page 15878]]

amount of time that the Secretary can place a VA employee on 
administrative leave to only 14 days in a single year. It makes no 
sense that a VA employee who commits a wrongdoing can continue to 
collect a taxpayer-funded paycheck for, in some cases, years while the 
Department drags its feet determining disciplinary action.
  The bill further contains a number of provisions that would improve 
the care that VA provides to our veterans, including a provision that 
would address a longstanding concern of many of our Vietnam veterans by 
requiring VA to conduct research on the possible effects of toxic 
exposure during military service on veterans' children and their 
grandchildren.
  Importantly, H.R. 6416 also contains a provision from H.R. 310 that 
would require VA to use industry standards, standard designs, and best 
practices when constructing VA medical facilities; to provide ongoing 
professional development and training to VA employees involved in 
constructing VA medical facilities; and to regularly audit and report 
on the largest VA medical facility projects.
  Before concluding, I want to take a moment to publicly thank a number 
of individuals who have been instrumental not only in advancing this 
legislation, but also throughout my time as chairman of our committee.
  Serving as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has been an 
immense honor, and I am grateful to all of those who put their trust 
and faith in me to fulfill that role for the last three Congresses. I 
hope that I have done each of you proud.
  I am particularly grateful to my fellow committee chairmen and 
ranking members in the House, including Mike Michaud, Corrine Brown, 
and Mark Takano; and in the Senate, including Patty Murray, Richard 
Burr, Bernie Sanders, Johnny Isakson, and Richard Blumenthal.
  I am also grateful to House leadership, including John Boehner, Paul 
Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy, and to all the committee members who strive 
day in and day out to do right by America's veteran heroes.
  The bipartisan nature of this committee is unique in this Congress. 
It is nothing less than what our veterans deserve. While much remains 
to be done, we can all be proud of the work that we have, together, 
accomplished so far.
  I have every confidence, Mr. Speaker, that the next committee 
chairman, Dr. Roe, whom I am grateful to call a friend, will continue 
the work that we have started. I look forward to seeing all that he and 
the House will continue to accomplish for the men and women who have 
worn the uniform and borne the battle and who, without a doubt, are 
most worthy of our appreciation and our support.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my family, most especially my wife, for 
the support that they have given during my service here in this 
Congress.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, might I inquire as to how much time for 
debate remains on each side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California has 7\1/2\ 
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Tennessee has 8 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Nevada (Ms. Titus), the ranking member of the Disability Assistance and 
Memorial Affairs Subcommittee.
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the acting ranking member for 
yielding and for all the important work he has done on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6416, which includes a 
number of provisions offered by my colleagues on the committee and 
beyond to help our veterans. It actually includes two measures that I 
authored: one requires the GAO to conduct a study to find out the 
causes of underperforming VBA regional offices; the other extends the 
authorization for GME slots at the VA. This is a provision that will be 
especially valuable to UNLV's brand-new medical school, which is 
hosting its inaugural class this fall.
  Unfortunately, however, the bill fails to address a major priority of 
both the VA and veterans themselves, and that is reforming the broken 
appeals process. Right now, there are 470,000 appeals languishing 
somewhere in the VA system. Veterans have to wait 2 to 3 years for them 
to be resolved as these cases churn through the process that Congress 
hasn't updated since the 1980s. If we don't act now, we will soon be 
telling our veteran constituents that they are going to have to wait 10 
years before their appeals can be resolved, and it will be the fault of 
this Congress.
  Despite having a solution that is ready to go that is widely 
supported by the administration and the VSOs, the Republican leadership 
refuses to bring the bill I sponsored on appeals reform to the floor 
without tying it to an accountability bill that strips VA employees of 
necessary civil rights protections.
  We are told that passing appeals reform without accountability just 
won't work. Using that specious argument, we shouldn't pass any VA 
reform bill without accountability because it just won't work. So while 
I support this measure, I would urge my colleagues to address the 
appeals reform process before it is too late and we do further 
disservice to our Nation's heroes.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), who is currently on the committee and seeing 
Active Duty military patients as a doctor.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our veterans, I rise today in 
support of H.R. 6416. This bill would expand benefits and provide 
improvements to help America's greatest asset: our veterans and their 
families.
  I am especially pleased to support sections in the fourth and fifth 
titles. All but a few of those provisions passed through the 
Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, which I am honored to chair with 
Ranking Member Takano.
  Seven provisions from legislation that I had the honor to author were 
also included in H.R. 6416. When enacted, these provisions would 
streamline and simplify how schools and training programs are approved 
for the GI bill, improve disabled veterans' access to services under 
the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program, survey GI bill 
users about their experience with the VA and their use of the post-9/11 
GI bill, provide conditions for expanded instate tuition requirements 
for dependents of Active-Duty servicemembers, require the Department of 
Labor to conduct a longitudinal study to track long-term outcomes of 
veterans who have used DOL-sponsored employment services, and expand 
the amount of time that a surviving spouse can use post-9/11 GI bill 
benefits under the Fry Scholarship.
  The last GI bill provision is estimated to help nearly 2,000 
surviving spouses that use the post-9/11 GI bill to go back to school. 
Our veterans' families will be better off because of this bill. I 
support this bill and the efforts of Dr. Roe, Chairman Miller, and 
others.
  At the same time, I know that we will continue to work hard for our 
veterans. In the House, we crafted and passed many important issue 
initiatives that were not in the final bill. As the 115th Congress 
approaches, I ask my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to 
reaffirm their commitment to put the interests of our veterans first, 
and I look forward to continuing that work.
  I am proud of my colleagues on the House Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs. We have crafted good, bipartisan policies. We have worked hard 
on behalf of our Nation's veterans. We will continue to do so.
  I am also grateful for the staff of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. 
I want to especially thank my own staff on the Economic Opportunity 
Subcommittee for their expertise and untiring work on behalf of our 
veterans.
  A special thanks goes to Chairman Miller. His leadership and 
friendship here in the House will certainly be missed. I look forward 
to Dr. Roe's leadership.
  Once again, I support H.R. 6416, and I urge my colleagues to pass 
this bill.

                              {time}  1500

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McNerney), my good friend

[[Page 15879]]

and a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and the 
ranking member for their work on behalf of our Nation's veterans, and 
for bringing the omnibus veterans bill to the floor today.
  In the United States, there are about 5 million veteran-owned 
businesses and an estimated 500,000 service-disabled veteran-owned 
small businesses. Under current law, if a veteran who was rated 100 
percent disabled and owned a service-disabled veteran-owned small 
business passes away, the surviving spouse has 10 years to transition 
the business away from service-disabled veteran-owned small business 
status.
  However, if the veteran business owner is rated less than 100 percent 
disabled, or dies of a non-service-connected injury, the surviving 
spouse has only 1 year to transition the business for contracts with 
the VA.
  Current law unfairly punishes these businesses and places them at an 
economic disadvantage. That is why I introduced H.R. 1313. My bill 
allows service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, whose principal 
owner passes away and was rated at less than 100 percent disabled at 
the time of death, with the reasonable 3-year transition period from 
service-disabled veteran-owned status with the VA.
  It is only right that we provide our heroes and their families, and 
the employees, with the flexibility and certainty to ensure that their 
businesses continue to thrive.
  H.R. 1313 is supported by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, 
VFW, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the American Legion.
  I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for including my 
legislation in the omnibus veterans bill, H.R. 6416, and I hope my 
colleagues will join me to pass this commonsense bill and support the 
veteran-owned businesses across the country.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Costello), a very hardworking member of our 
committee, and a veteran himself.
  Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Not a veteran, but I appreciate the 
kind words.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation that will bring 
critical improvements to the way our country serves its veterans.
  In my district, Pennsylvania's Sixth Congressional District, 
thousands of veterans are served by the Department of Veterans Affairs 
on a range of issues critical to their lives, including disability 
benefits, education, and healthcare services.
  H.R. 6416, the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health 
Care and Benefits Improvement Act, would make improvements to these 
services by increasing the amount of time widows have to utilize 
education benefits, allowing veterans to have screenings and treatment 
at VA emergency rooms, and tracking staffing abilities so the VA is 
better suited to accommodate its workload.
  I would also like to thank my colleagues on the committee, and our 
committee staff, for working to include provisions to strengthen the 
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Since the start of the term, 
we have been working to find a way to ensure the Court is able to meet 
the needs of our veterans, and I am pleased to see that efforts to do 
this are included as part of the bill.
  I also want to thank Chairman Miller for his dedication and service 
to our committee and to our Nation's veterans. His leadership has been 
exemplary.
  I also would like to recognize and thank our committee staff for all 
of their hard work over the course of this Congress and my legislative 
aide for this session, Katharine Bruce, for her hard work.
  Finally, I want to just point out that the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee, in large measure, has accomplished and improved a great deal 
in a bipartisan way. So I want to thank not only my Republican 
colleagues on the committee but the Democratic members of the committee 
as well. We should all be proud of the work that we have done. There is 
a lot more yet to do, but we have accomplished a lot, I believe, 
because we have focused on what needs to be done, left politics at the 
door, and worked in good faith on behalf of our Nation's veterans.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Maine (Ms. Pingree).
  Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Takano, for 
yielding.
  I want to thank Chairman Miller, and thank him on his retirement and 
his service to our Congress, and also thank Ranking Member Takano and 
Representative Roe for their work on this bill.
  I am grateful that the language from the Ruth Moore Act was included 
in this bill. It is an important step in making sure that the VA 
follows through on its promises to fairly treat our veterans.
  Mr. Speaker, almost every day I hear from another veteran who is the 
survivor of military sexual trauma, or MST. These are men and women of 
all ages, from every branch of the service. They include veterans from 
World War II to the war in Afghanistan and every era in between.
  Those assaults leave indelible marks on their lives in the form of 
PTSD, anxiety, depression, and so many other conditions. But despite 
some progress at the VA on their claims, too many are denied the 
disability benefits they have earned.
  I am glad the Defense Department and the VA increased training and 
prevention efforts around rape and harassment, but, let me be clear, 
the problem is not yet fixed.
  Survivors of sexual assault have been shamed and suffer continued 
harassment and recrimination. Far too many have been involuntarily 
discharged in retaliation for reporting sexual assault and harassment, 
meaning the survivor, not the perpetrator, has paid the price for this 
criminal behavior.
  Before I close, I would like to recognize a very brave woman, Ruth 
Moore, a Maine veteran, and my bill's namesake. Ruth fought for 23 
years before she was finally given the benefits we owed her.
  There are thousands and thousands of Ruth Moores out there who have 
been fighting for their benefits for years, or even decades. We can and 
must do better. This issue is too important to ignore, and this 
provision ensures that the VA and survivors know that Congress is 
watching.
  I am so glad the language from my bill was included in the 
legislation. I thank the committee again.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am 
prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to encourage all my colleagues 
to support this legislation and join me in passing H.R. 6416.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank both staffs 
of the committee, both the minority and majority staff, and on the hard 
work that both sides of the aisle did. As Mr. Costello said, this has 
been a bipartisan effort, and I want to thank everyone, Mr. Takano, 
your leadership, and others on the minority side. I encourage all 
Members to support this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
H.R. 6416, the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care 
and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016. I commend Chairman Miller's and 
Congressman Roe's work on this important legislation.
  I'm pleased to say that language from one of my bills, the Protecting 
Veterans' Educational Choice Act, is included in this bill as section 
415. This section will require the VA to inform student-veterans--on 
the front-end, before they spend a dime of their Post-9/11 GI Bill 
benefits--about agreements between schools regarding the transfer of 
credits.
  Despite having access to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, many veterans 
still end up having to take out student loans to cover the full cost of 
their education. In many cases, this is due to situations where 
veterans aren't aware that credits earned at one institution will not 
transfer to another school until after they have already expended a 
significant portion of their benefits.
  By requiring that the VA provide veterans with this information on 
the front-end of the

[[Page 15880]]

process, this legislation will address flaws in the system where 
veterans--many of whom are first-generation college students--are 
surprised by this feature of higher education.
  Ultimately, decisions regarding how and where to use these benefits 
are rightfully left to those who served our country. Our veterans 
earned their benefits, and this bill will empower our veterans by 
arming them with the information and resources that they need to make 
the best decisions for themselves and their families. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support H.R. 6416.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 6416.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________




             ETHICAL PATIENT CARE FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2016

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5399) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
ensure that physicians of the Department of Veterans Affairs fulfill 
the ethical duty to report to State licensing authorities impaired, 
incompetent, and unethical health care activities.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5399

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Ethical Patient Care for 
     Veterans Act of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. DUTY TO REPORT IMPAIRED, INCOMPETENT, AND UNETHICAL 
                   HEALTH CARE ACTIVITIES.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 74 of title 38, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 7330B. Duty to report impaired, incompetent, and 
       unethical health care activities

       ``(a) Reporting to State Licensing Authority.--In addition 
     to confidential reporting under the quality-assurance program 
     pursuant to section 7311(b)(4) of this title and any other 
     reporting authorized or required by the Secretary, the 
     Secretary shall ensure that each physician of the Department 
     is informed of the duty of the physician to report directly 
     any covered activity committed by another physician that the 
     physician witnesses or otherwise directly discovers to the 
     applicable licensing authority of each State in which the 
     physician who is the subject of the report is licensed to 
     practice medicine.
       ``(b) Timing of Reporting.--Each physician of the 
     Department shall make a direct report to the State licensing 
     authority of a covered activity under subsection (a) not 
     later than five days after the date on which the physician 
     witnesses or otherwise directly discovers the covered 
     activity.
       ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `covered activity' means any activity 
     occurring in a medical facility of the Department that 
     consists of or causes the provision of impaired, incompetent, 
     or unethical health care that requires direct reporting under 
     opinion number 9.031 of the Code of Medical Ethics of the 
     American Medical Association.
       ``(2) The term `physician of the Department' includes any 
     contractor who is a physician at a medical facility of the 
     Department.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 7330A the following new item:

``7330B. Duty to report impaired, incompetent, and unethical health 
              care activities.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--Section 7462(a)(1)(A) of such 
     title is amended by inserting before the semicolon the 
     following: ``, including pursuant to section 7330B(c) of this 
     title''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5399, the Ethical 
Patient Care for Veterans Act of 2016, which I am proud to sponsor. 
There is no higher priority than ensuring that our Nation's veterans 
receive safe, high-quality care from the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.
  The vast majority of VA employees are upstanding, well-qualified, and 
want nothing more than to do right by the veterans in their care. 
However, in the last several years, we have heard far too many 
instances where VA employees have failed to live up to the standards of 
care that our veterans deserve. In many of those cases, a culture of 
silence or fear of retaliation by supervisors has prevented other 
employees from reporting those transgressions in a timely manner.
  To protect our veterans from poor-performing VA medical 
professionals, H.R. 5399 would require VA to ensure that every VA 
physician is informed of his or her duty to report impaired, 
incompetent, or unethical behavior that the physician witnesses or 
otherwise discovers directly to the applicable State licensing 
authorities within 5 days.
  This is consistent with the longstanding practice of the American 
Medical Association and existing VA policy and would improve the 
quality of care VA provides by making sure that the poor performers, 
those who put the lives and well-being of veteran patients at risk, are 
reported to relevant authorities within a reasonable time frame so that 
the appropriate action can be taken to safeguard the patients in their 
care.
  Mr. Speaker, this is commonsense legislation. More importantly, it is 
the right thing to do for veterans. I urge all of my colleagues to join 
me in supporting this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 5399, introduced by the gentleman 
from Tennessee, Dr. Roe. This bill would ensure that physicians of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs fulfill the ethical duty to report 
impaired, incompetent, and unethical healthcare activities of their 
colleagues.
  I appreciate the gentleman bringing this issue to our attention. It 
is another instance of the many ethical and legal imperatives that VA 
physicians are under while serving those who have dedicated themselves 
to protect our freedoms.
  All physicians have a duty to report impaired colleagues who continue 
to practice, despite reasonable offers of assistance. This obligation 
appears in professional guidelines and in laws and regulations 
governing the practice of medicine.
  All physicians are accredited by the American Medical Association, 
and their policy states, and I quote: ``Physicians have an ethical 
obligation to report impaired, incompetent, and unethical colleagues.''
  The Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States' policy 
on physician impairment states that physician health programs have ``a 
primary commitment to help state medical boards . . . protect the 
public . . . These programs should demonstrate an ongoing track record 
of ensuring safety to the public and reveal deficiencies if they 
occur.''
  The physicians who care for our veterans take their duties and oaths 
to help their patients very seriously, and I am glad for this 
opportunity to reiterate the topnotch quality care that the VA provides 
each and every day.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In closing, this is one of the final opportunities that I will have 
to discuss veterans legislation on the floor with my colleague, 
Chairman Miller, who appears to have stepped off the floor at the 
moment. I want to offer my sincere

[[Page 15881]]

gratitude for his leadership on the committee.
  I think it is fair to say that we have not always agreed on the best 
path forward, but I think this bill demonstrates our ability, the 
ability of this committee to put aside our differences and get things 
done for America's veterans. The Veterans' Committee has long been a 
model of bipartisanship at a time where cooperation can be hard to come 
by. I appreciate the chairman's commitment to continuing that 
tradition, and I wish him all the best in the next chapter of his 
career.
  I have no further speakers, and I do encourage my colleagues to 
support this legislation and join me in passing H.R. 5399.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I encourage all Members to support this legislation. I have practiced 
medicine for almost 40 years under these same requirements right here, 
and we should expect no less for the care of our veterans. I encourage 
support.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5399.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




                              {time}  1515
                  FASTER CARE FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2016

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4352) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to carry out a pilot program establishing a patient self-scheduling 
appointment system, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4352

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Faster Care for Veterans Act 
     of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHING A PATIENT SELF-SCHEDULING 
                   APPOINTMENT SYSTEM.

       (a) Pilot Program.--Not later than 120 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall commence a pilot program under which veterans 
     use an Internet website or mobile application to schedule and 
     confirm medical appointments at medical facilities of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs.
       (b) Selection of Locations.--The Secretary shall select not 
     less than three Veterans Integrated Services Networks in 
     which to carry out the pilot program under subsection (a).
       (c) Contracts.--
       (1) Authority.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into a 
     contract using competitive procedures with one or more 
     contractors to provide the scheduling capability described in 
     subsection (a).
       (2) Notice of competition.--Not later than 60 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
     issue a request for proposals for the contract described in 
     paragraph (1). Such request shall be full and open to any 
     contractor that has an existing commercially available, off-
     the-shelf online patient self-scheduling system that includes 
     the capabilities specified in section 3(a).
       (3) Selection.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award a 
     contract to one or more contractors pursuant to the request 
     for proposals under paragraph (2).
       (d) Duration of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided by paragraph (2), the 
     Secretary shall carry out the pilot program under subsection 
     (a) for an 18-month period.
       (2) Extension.--The Secretary may extend the duration of 
     the pilot program under subsection (a), and may expand the 
     selection of Veterans Integrated Services Networks under 
     subsection (b), if the Secretary determines that the pilot 
     program is reducing the wait times of veterans seeking 
     medical care and ensuring that more available appointment 
     times are filled.
       (e) Mobile Application Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``mobile application'' means a software program that runs on 
     the operating system of a cellular telephone, tablet 
     computer, or similar portable computing device that transmits 
     data over a wireless connection.

     SEC. 3. CAPABILITIES OF PATIENT SELF-SCHEDULING APPOINTMENT 
                   SYSTEM.

       (a) Minimum Capabilities.--The Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall ensure that the patient self-scheduling 
     appointment system used in the pilot program under section 2, 
     and any other patient self-scheduling appointment system 
     developed or used by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
     includes, at a minimum, the following capabilities:
       (1) Capability to schedule, modify, and cancel appointments 
     for primary care, specialty care, and mental health.
       (2) Capability to support appointments for the provision of 
     health care regardless of whether such care is provided in 
     person or through telehealth services.
       (3) Capability to view appointment availability in real 
     time.
       (4) Capability to make available, in real time, 
     appointments that were previously filled but later cancelled 
     by other patients.
       (5) Capability to provide prompts or reminders to veterans 
     to schedule follow-up appointments.
       (6) Capability to be used 24 hours per day, seven days per 
     week.
       (7) Capability to integrate with the Veterans Health 
     Information Systems and Technology Architecture of the 
     Department, or such successor information technology system.
       (b) Independent Validation and Verification.--
       (1) Independent entity.--
       (A) The Secretary shall seek to enter into an agreement 
     with an appropriate non-governmental, not-for-profit entity 
     with expertise in health information technology to 
     independently validate and verify that the patient self-
     scheduling appointment system used in the pilot program under 
     section 2, and any other patient self-scheduling appointment 
     system developed or used by the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs, includes the capabilities specified in subsection 
     (a).
       (B) Each independent validation and verification conducted 
     under subparagraph (A) shall be completed as follows:
       (i) With respect to the validation and verification of the 
     patient self-scheduling appointment system used in the pilot 
     program under section 2, by not later than 60 days after the 
     date on which such pilot program commences.
       (ii) With respect to any other patient self-scheduling 
     appointment system developed or used by the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, by not later than 60 days after the date on 
     which such system is deployed, regardless of whether such 
     deployment is on a limited basis, but not including any 
     deployments for testing purposes.
       (2) GAO evaluation.--
       (A) The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     evaluate each validation and verification conducted under 
     paragraph (1).
       (B) Not later than 30 days after the date on which the 
     Comptroller General completes an evaluation under paragraph 
     (1), the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees a report on such evaluation.
       (C) In this paragraph, the term ``appropriate congressional 
     committees'' means--
       (i) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate; and
       (ii) the Committees on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives and the Senate.
       (c) Certification.--
       (1) Capabilities included.--Not later than December 31, 
     2017, the Secretary shall certify to the Committees on 
     Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
     Senate that the patient self-scheduling appointment system 
     used in the pilot program under section 2, and any other 
     patient self-scheduling appointment system developed or used 
     by the Department of Veterans Affairs as of the date of the 
     certification, includes the capabilities specified in 
     subsection (a).
       (2) New systems.--If the Secretary develops or begins using 
     a new patient self-scheduling appointment system that is not 
     covered by a certification made under paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary shall certify to such committees that such new 
     system includes the capabilities specified in subsection (a) 
     by not later than 30 days after the date on which the 
     Secretary determines to replace the previous patient self-
     scheduling appointment system.
       (3) Effect of capabilities not included.--If the Secretary 
     does not make a timely certification under paragraph (1) or 
     paragraph (2), the Secretary shall replace any patient self-
     scheduling appointment system developed by the Secretary that 
     is in use with a commercially available, off-the-shelf online 
     patient self-scheduling system that includes the capabilities 
     specified in subsection (a).

     SEC. 4. PROHIBITION ON NEW APPROPRIATIONS.

       No additional funds are authorized to carry out the 
     requirements of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried 
     out using amounts otherwise authorized.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.

[[Page 15882]]




                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to add extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4352, as amended, the 
Faster Care for Veterans Act of 2016.
  The wait time scandals that continue to plague the Department of 
Veterans Affairs have highlighted the need for veterans to be able to 
schedule their own medical appointments. Everyone agrees that the 
veterans who want this capability should have it.
  A self-scheduling option would reduce the workload on overburdened 
schedulers, allow the VA to use taxpayer resources more efficiently, 
and grant veterans who would prefer to schedule their own appointments 
the ability and flexibility to do so. It would also encourage 
accountability by giving veterans verifiable records of their own 
appointment bookings.
  VA has been considering self-scheduling since at least 2013. However, 
projects start and stop, priorities shift, and nothing usable has so 
far emerged from those considerations. Unfortunately, this seems to be 
the result of a tug of war between some VA officials who favor a 
commercial off-the-shelf system and others who favor a government-
developed system.
  VA has been developing a self-scheduling mobile application based on 
its VISTA management system and plans to roll it out in January 2017. I 
have high hopes for that effort, but VA's IT development record is 
mixed--to put it mildly--and past experience shows that meeting high 
standards and firm deadlines are crucial to success.
  The time has come to settle this issue once and for all. H.R. 4352, 
as amended, establishes capability standards reflecting the state of 
the art that apply to any commercial or government self-scheduling 
system in VA. It also directs VA to pilot the best available commercial 
software in three locations. The bill tasks an independent expert to 
verify whether that commercial system and the government system meet 
those standards, and by the end of 2017, VA must certify whether or not 
they do.
  The concept is, in other words, a bake-off to create the most 
successful possible software for our veterans. Ideally, both systems 
will meet the standards, but if the government system cannot make the 
grade, VA will have a commercial alternative thoroughly piloted and 
ready to go to work for VA patients.
  H.R. 4352, as amended, is sponsored by Congressman Seth Moulton from 
Massachusetts and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers from Washington. 
I thank them both for their leadership on this issue.
  This broadly bipartisan legislation is an efficient, timely solution 
to a longstanding problem, and I encourage all of my colleagues to join 
me in supporting it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4352, as amended, 
sponsored by my friend, the gentleman from Massachusetts and a veteran 
himself, Representative Moulton.
  This important legislation authorizes the VA to administer a pilot 
program where veterans use an Internet Web site to schedule and confirm 
medical appointments at medical facilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. The VA has been working to bring the power of 
scheduling to veterans since the wait time scandal at the Phoenix VA 
Medical Center in 2014.
  The Department of Veterans Affairs had developed and is rolling out 
the Veterans Appointment Request, otherwise known as VAR, for primary 
care. This is a mobile application, and the approach will allow 
veterans to directly schedule or request primary care appointments and 
request mental health appointments at facilities where they are already 
receiving care. With the app, veterans can also view appointment 
details, track the status of requests, send messages about the 
requested appointments, get notifications about appointments, and 
cancel most appointments.
  The VA has also implemented the Audiology and Optometry Direct 
Scheduling Initiative. This program began as a successful pilot at 
three sites in 2015 and is now being expanded to all VA medical 
centers.
  Veterans can schedule a routine appointment for audiology or 
optometry directly by calling the scheduling department or by speaking 
directly with audiology or optometry staff. The covered services 
include hearing tests, eye exams, vision prescriptions, eyeglass 
fittings, and other routine appointments.
  This important legislation will allow veterans to better control 
their VA experience no matter what services they need. Ensuring 
veterans are comfortable with the scheduling platform ultimately used 
is a critical factor. Whether that is a smartphone, Internet Web site 
or calling directly to make that appointment, the primary consideration 
is the ease of use by the veteran.
  The only way to make sure it works is to test it. This legislation 
will ensure that the technology fits the veteran and also fits the VA.
  For those reasons, I support this legislation and urge my colleagues 
to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this is long overdue. One of the problems we have in VA 
is that we know the scandal at Phoenix where there were secret waiting 
lists for appointments for honorably discharged veterans to see a 
doctor.
  This is one of the ways in which we can put veterans back in charge. 
One of the things I want to do is put veterans and doctors--healthcare 
providers--in charge of the health care and not bureaucrats, 
schedulers, and so forth. This puts the power back in front of the 
veterans.
  We are at the Christmas season. Many of us order packages on Amazon 
or wherever. Guess what we can do? We can track that through our own 
personal device anywhere that package is so that it reaches our 
doorstep. Veterans should have that command so they can have an 
appointment when they want it; they can make it. The technology is 
available. I can't think of a better thing to do than to have a private 
and public competition to see which is the most effective for the 
veteran. I think in a year we are going to know. It will be simple to 
implement. Almost everyone has a smart device now that we can use for 
this process.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).
  Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4352, the 
Faster Care for Veterans Act, which I introduced with Congresswoman 
Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
  The idea behind the bill is simple. Our Nation's veterans deserve the 
same technological innovations and level of service at VA healthcare 
facilities as patients in the private market. One such innovation is 
patient self-scheduling technology. Patients can log on to an app on 
their phone or on a Web site, indicate the type of appointment they 
need, select their location, and schedule their own appointments at a 
time convenient for them--no middle men, no obnoxious hold music, and 
no unending carousel of options on an automated phone menu; just a 
quick and easy medical appointment that works for your schedule.
  This technology is not just beneficial for patients, it is good for 
medical providers as well. In the private market, the introduction of 
patient self-scheduling has dramatically decreased wait times, saving 
time and money. The VA ought to chase these same innovations so our 
veterans receive the best health care and user experience in the world.

[[Page 15883]]

  As a Member of Congress, I declined congressional health care and 
pledged to receive my care at the VA. I receive excellent service from 
terrific doctors and nurses at my home VA facility in Bedford, 
Massachusetts. However, scheduling an appointment here in D.C. or at 
home in Bedford has never been easy.
  Dennis Magnasco, my veterans' liaison in my office in Salem, 
Massachusetts, learned this the hard way. Shortly after I introduced 
the Faster Care for Veterans Act, Dennis called our local VA hospital 
to make an appointment himself. He listened to the options on the 
automated menu and pressed one to schedule an appointment. After 
several more pushed buttons, rather than connecting him to the talented 
schedulers who work in the Bedford VA, the automated menu started over 
again. It went into an endless cycle. He hung up, and after multiple 
unsuccessful further attempts, he recorded himself doing this in a 
video.
  I put this video on my Facebook page, and the response was 
astonishing. Four million people saw the video, 35,000 people shared 
the video, and 2,000 people commented. People from all over the country 
shared their experience trying to schedule their own appointments at 
the VA. The frustration is nationwide.
  A veteran from Walcott, Arkansas, said: I can tell you this is for 
real. It happens every time I call. I usually give up and drive to the 
clinic 18 or 20 miles away so I can talk to a person face to face.
  A veteran from El Paso, Texas, said: This is exactly what happens 
every time you try to call for an appointment or even get general 
information about an existing appointment. This is exactly why lots of 
us vets end up giving up on the system.
  A veteran from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said: The longest I have 
been on hold with the VA was an hour and 45 minutes before I gave up.
  This is not an issue of quality of care, it is an issue of access to 
care. The Faster Care for Veterans Act is a solution.
  First, this bill directs the VA to conduct a pilot program to test 
commercial off-the-shelf self-scheduling technology at three locations 
across the country while allowing the VA to continue developing its 
inhouse solution.
  Second, the bill requires both the pilot program and the VA's 
solution to meet several capabilities currently available in the 
private market. These requirements will ensure our veterans get the 
same level of service as every other American.
  Third, the bill provides for an independent assessment to verify if 
the pilot program or the VA's solution meets the minimum capabilities.
  Lastly, the bill requires the VA to replace any system used by the VA 
that does not meet those minimum requirements with a commercially 
available off-the-shelf technology that does meet those capabilities.
  The bill is supported by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of 
America, the American College of Neurosurgeons, and the American 
Osteopathic Association; and this bill is cosponsored by more than half 
of the House of Representatives. Our veterans are demanding a 21st 
century VA healthcare system. This bill is one step in that direction.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers), who 
is our conference chair. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is a very passionate 
supporter of veterans' issues.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, more than 2 years 
after we were all shocked by the news that Phoenix veterans had died 
waiting for appointments at their local VA. Yet, after all this time, 
little has changed.
  Every week veterans contact my office seeking help to get the care 
that they need, like the veteran who couldn't access urgent care and 
was afraid he would be billed if he went to the hospital for help, or 
the veteran who got cancer from atomic testing but had to jump through 
all kinds of hoops to prove it.
  Is this how a grateful nation should treat its veterans? Absolutely 
not.
  The best way we show our gratitude to those who have served is to get 
them the care that they have earned. When a veteran contacts the VA, 
they should have the red carpet rolled out for them, period; but, 
instead, these stories are repeated over and over and over in 
communities all across the country: The VA won't listen; the VA doesn't 
return calls; we can't see a doctor.
  There is a disconnect between the service of our military and the 
service they receive when they return home.
  Mr. Moulton of Massachusetts and I introduced the Faster Care for 
Veterans Act to leverage technology to cut back on wait times. Our 
veterans should have the same options that people have in doctors' 
offices across the country. They should be able to use an app, go 
online to schedule; or if they want to call, they can do that, too.

                              {time}  1530

  The point is the technology to make it easier to self-schedule 
already exists. Why not provide it to our veterans?
  With this bill, we are demonstrating to the VA that innovative 
technology can work. It can get our veterans the care that they have 
earned more quickly without all the red tape.
  But wait times are just the tip of this bureaucratic iceberg. The 
terrible stories this past week of HIV exposure and a veteran dying 
with maggots in his wounds are graphic reminders to all of us that the 
VA has lost sight of its sole mission: serving veterans.
  Veterans should be in control of all aspects of their health care. 
That is not what is happening right now. After all the years, all the 
money, no more excuses. It is time for a deeper look into rethinking 
this outdated government bureaucracy.
  Mr. Speaker, I never again want to hear a war hero cry because of how 
the VA has treated him. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting 
the Faster Care for Veterans Act.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I have no further speakers. Before I close, I would like to say that 
I fully appreciate the work of my friend and colleague, the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton), for the work he has done on this bill 
and for the way in which he is able to reach out to veterans and those 
who care for veterans across the country.
  I am especially pleased that included in this legislation is a 
specific way to independently assess the off-the-shelf technology as 
compared to the technology that is being developed in-house at the VA. 
I think these provisions will ensure that the taxpayer is protected in 
terms of cost, efficiency, and effectiveness. And, of course, bottom 
line, this means effectiveness for our veterans. We want to make sure 
that the best technology is put forward, whether it is in-house or 
whether it is the off-the-shelf choice, that we have a way to 
independently verify which is best.
  I want to encourage all of my colleagues to support this important 
legislation and join me in passing H.R. 4352.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I want to thank Mr. Moulton and one of our leaders, Cathy McMorris 
Rodgers, for bringing this very important piece of legislation to the 
floor. One of the reasons is that it shows when you bring someone with 
real-world experiences who uses the VA how they can then take that and 
convert that into meaningful legislation that will actually help 
veterans around the country.
  I encourage all Members to support this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hultgren). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4352, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.

[[Page 15884]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




                    COLONEL DEMAS T. CRAW VA CLINIC

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (S. 3492) to designate the Traverse City VA Community-
Based Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
Traverse City, Michigan, as the ``Colonel Demas T. Craw VA Clinic''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 3492

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF COLONEL DEMAS T. CRAW VA CLINIC IN 
                   TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) Demas T. Craw was born on April 9, 1900, in Long Lake 
     Township, Michigan.
       (2) While residing in Traverse City, Michigan, Demas T. 
     Craw enlisted in the United States Army at Columbus Barracks, 
     Ohio, on April 18, 1918, and trained with the 12th Cavalry at 
     Camp Stanley, Texas.
       (3) Colonel Craw achieved the position of senior pilot and 
     was awarded--
       (A) the Medal of Honor for action in North Africa;
       (B) the World War I Victory Medal;
       (C) the World War II Victory Medal;
       (D) the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal;
       (E) the Mexican Service Medal;
       (F) the American Defense Service Medal;
       (G) the Purple Heart;
       (H) the Royal Order of George I; and
       (I) the Observer Badge.
       (4) Colonel Craw's citation for the Medal of Honor said, 
     ``For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above 
     and beyond the call of duty. On November 8, 1942, near Port 
     Lyautey, French Morocco, Col. Craw volunteered to accompany 
     the leading wave of assault boats to the shore and pass 
     through the enemy lines to locate the French commander with a 
     view to suspending hostilities. This request was first 
     refused as being too dangerous but upon the officer's 
     insistence that he was qualified to undertake and accomplish 
     the mission he was allowed to go. Encountering heavy fire 
     while in the landing boat and unable to dock in the river 
     because of shell fire from shore batteries, Col. Craw, 
     accompanied by 1 officer and 1 soldier, succeeded in landing 
     on the beach at Mehdia Plage under constant low-level 
     strafing from 3 enemy planes. Riding in a bantam truck toward 
     French headquarters, progress of the party was hindered by 
     fire from our own naval guns. Nearing Port Lyautey, Col. Craw 
     was instantly killed by a sustained burst of machinegun fire 
     at pointblank range from a concealed position near the 
     road.''.
       (5) Colonel Craw was killed in action on November 8, 1942, 
     while attempting to deliver a message to broker a cease fire 
     with France.
       (b) Designation.--The Traverse City VA Community-Based 
     Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in 
     Traverse City, Michigan, shall after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act be known and designated as the 
     ``Colonel Demas T. Craw VA Clinic''.
       (c) Reference.--Any reference in any law, regulation, map, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     community-based outpatient clinic referred to in subsection 
     (b) shall be considered to be a reference to the Colonel 
     Demas T. Craw VA Clinic.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and add extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3492, a bill to designate 
the Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in 
Traverse City, Michigan, as the Colonel Demas T. Craw VA Clinic.
  I thank the bill's sponsor, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan, for 
his efforts in introducing this bill.
  I also want to thank my colleague, friend, and the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Health, Congressman Dan Benishek, from Michigan, for 
his work on the House side to ensure that Colonel Craw is honored.
  Demas T. Craw was born and raised in Long Lake Township, Michigan. He 
enlisted in the United States Army at just 18 years old and went to 
serve both in World War I and World War II, eventually earning the 
position of senior pilot. Colonel Craw served our country valiantly 
until he was tragically killed in combat.
  In 1942, Colonel Craw volunteered to accompany the leading wave of 
assault boats to shore in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of north 
Africa. The mission was to pass through the enemy lines to locate the 
French commander with a view to suspending hostilities. Sadly, during 
the course of that mission, Colonel Craw was instantly killed by a 
sustained burst of machine-gun fire at pointblank range from a 
concealed position near the road.
  During his illustrious time in the Army, Colonel Craw accumulated 
numerous awards, including the World War I Victory Medal, the World War 
II Victory Medal, and the Purple Heart. He also received our Nation's 
highest honor, the Medal of Honor, for his valiant actions in north 
Africa.
  Colonel Demas Craw was a Michigan native and Traverse City resident 
who served our country with courage. It is only appropriate that the 
community-based outpatient clinic in Traverse City be named in his 
honor.
  S. 3492 satisfies the committee's naming criteria and is supported by 
the Michigan congressional delegation as well as numerous veterans 
organizations, including the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars of the United States, and the American Legion.
  Once again, I am grateful to Congressman Benishek for sponsoring the 
companion to this legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to join me 
in supporting it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of this legislation sponsored by my 
colleague, Dr. Benishek. This bill will name the Traverse City, 
Michigan, Community-Based Outpatient Clinic the Colonel Demas T. Craw 
VA Clinic.
  Colonel Craw had a distinguished military career. He dropped out of 
high school to enlist in the Army during World War I. He was furloughed 
and discharged when the war ended, but he soon reenlisted. After being 
promoted to corporal, he continued to work to advance in the Army. He 
earned an appointment to West Point in 1920 and graduated in 1924 as a 
second lieutenant.
  After being assigned to the Army Air Corps, then First Lieutenant 
Craw served around the world and the United States. Upon entering World 
War II, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned to north 
Africa in 1942. On his last mission, Colonel Craw volunteered to 
approach the French forces to negotiate a ceasefire when Allied forces 
began their assault.
  Colonel Craw earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on his last 
mission. As the citation reads:

       For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above 
     and beyond the call of duty . . . Colonel Craw volunteered to 
     accompany the leading wave of assault boats to the shore and 
     pass through the enemy lines to locate the French commander 
     with a view to suspending hostilities . . . Encountering 
     heavy fire . . . Colonel Craw, accompanied by one officer and 
     one soldier, succeeded in landing on the beach under constant 
     strafing from three enemy planes. Riding toward French 
     headquarters, progress of the party was hindered by fire from 
     U.S. naval guns. Nearing his destination, Colonel Craw was 
     instantly killed by a sustained burst of machine-gun fire at 
     pointblank range from a concealed position near the road.

  Not only was Colonel Craw awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions, 
but the officer accompanying him, Major Pierpont M. Hamilton, who was 
captured before ultimately succeeding in suspending the hostilities, 
was also awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in this mission.
  I am honored to support this bill to name the VA facility in Traverse 
City, Michigan, the Colonel Demas T. Craw VA Clinic.

[[Page 15885]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honor to yield 3 
minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Benishek), a great friend 
and colleague.
  Mr. BENISHEK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Dr. Roe.
  I rise today in support of legislation to name the Traverse City VA 
Clinic after Colonel Demas T. Craw, a Medal of Honor recipient from my 
district in Traverse City.
  As I soon will be retiring from Congress, I quickly want to say that 
it has been quite an honor for me to work with the chairman, Jeff 
Miller, and all the members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee 
over the last 6 years. It hasn't been an easy fight, but I believe we 
have made real progress toward a better VA for the men and women who 
have fought for our freedom.
  This sacred work must continue, as they still deserve much better. I 
have faith that the next chairman of the committee, my friend, Dr. Phil 
Roe, will be able to continue this progress and break new ground in the 
fight for our Nation's heroes.
  I have been very pleased to assist in the effort to honor Colonel 
Craw in the House, along with a dedicated team of veterans and 
patriotic citizens. Led by retired Lieutenant Colonel Terry Hawn and 
Dr. Dan Lathrop, they worked to gather the over 2,000 signatures needed 
and build support within the community to honor this truly deserving 
local hero.
  Born near Traverse City in 1900, Colonel Craw served in the U.S. Army 
during both world wars. As a United States Army Air Forces officer in 
World War II, he served as a U.S. adviser to the Royal Air Force prior 
to American entry to the war, and was captured and interned by German 
forces for 6 weeks in 1941.
  He was killed in action, described previously, on November 8, 1942, 
after volunteering to lead a dangerous and, ultimately, successful 
mission behind enemy lines. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously 
for ``conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond 
the call of duty.''
  We couldn't have done this without the support of the entire Michigan 
congressional delegation, as well as the Grand Traverse Area Veterans 
Coalition, the American Legion Department of Michigan, the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars of Michigan, and many other veteran service organizations.
  I want to thank Senator Gary Peters for introducing the Senate 
version of this legislation that we are considering today.
  I urge my colleagues to help honor this American hero and pass S. 
3492.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.
  Before I close, I want to offer a word of praise and affection for my 
good friend Dr. Benishek for his long service to this body and to the 
committee. I also want to congratulate his intrepidity for saying the 
word ``intrepidity'' on the floor of the House.
  I am very pleased to support this legislation, and I encourage my 
colleagues to join me in passing S. 3492.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  In closing, it is a great privilege for all of us to be here on the 
floor of this incredible House to speak. We would not be able to do 
that if it weren't for the heroics of people like Colonel Craw and the 
sacrifice that he and his family made.
  We are entering the Christmas season, and I think about our Armed 
Forces that are stationed around the world, young men and women today, 
that are out there protecting our Nation's freedoms and others' 
freedoms. So it is a great honor--and I think one of the things that I 
have enjoyed doing the most--naming and hearing about the incredible 
heroics of some of these men and women that have been before us. I want 
to encourage all Members to support this legislation wholeheartedly.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 3492.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




                              {time}  1545
              CHARLES DUNCAN BURIED WITH HONOR ACT OF 2016

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (S. 3076) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish caskets and urns 
for burial in cemeteries of States and tribal organizations of veterans 
without next of kin or sufficient resources to provide for caskets or 
urns, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 3076

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Charles Duncan Buried with 
     Honor Act of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. CASKETS AND URNS FOR BURIAL OF CERTAIN VETERANS IN 
                   CEMETERIES OF STATES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS.

       Section 2306(f) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``for burial in a national cemetery of a deceased veteran'' 
     and inserting ``for burial of a deceased veteran in a 
     national cemetery or in a veterans cemetery of a State or 
     tribal organization for which the Department has provided a 
     grant under section 2408 of this title''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the burial of the 
     veteran in a national cemetery'' and inserting ``such 
     burial''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to add extraneous material on S. 3076.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise to urge all Members to support S. 3076, the Charles Duncan 
Buried with Honor Act of 2016.
  S. 3076, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent on September 
20, 2016, would provide indigent families of deceased veterans with 
more choices as they make the difficult decision about where to lay 
their loved ones to rest without being financially penalized. This 
legislation is a practical solution for a common challenge that is 
faced by too many veterans' families. Dr. Wenstrup, my colleague and a 
valued member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, has sponsored H.R. 
6114, the House companion to this bill.
  Under current law, if a family does not have sufficient resources to 
buy a casket or an urn for a deceased loved one, the VA can provide one 
if the veteran is buried in a national cemetery, but not if the veteran 
is buried in a State or a tribal cemetery. However, for some families, 
interring a veteran in a national cemetery is not always the best 
option. For example, a national cemetery may be too far away for 
families to attend burial services or to regularly visit their loved 
ones.
  To better serve the families of all veterans, S. 3076 allows the VA 
to furnish a casket or an urn if the deceased veteran is laid to rest 
in a national or in a State or a tribal cemetery. It is appropriate to 
honor the service of veterans who have passed by providing a casket or 
an urn regardless of where the veteran is interred.
  I urge my colleagues to support S. 3076.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page 15886]]

  I rise in support of S. 3076, the Charles Duncan Buried with Honor 
Act, which expands the cemetery burial options offered by the VA to the 
families of financially insolvent veterans and to those with no 
identifiable next of kin.
  I thank my friend, the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee chairman, 
Dr. Wenstrup, for sponsoring this bill in the House.
  We who serve on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee hear over and 
over how important it is to the families of many veterans that they be 
buried near loved ones and near home. This is particularly true in 
rural areas where the option of burial in a national veterans' cemetery 
within a manageable travel distance is frequently not an option.
  Under current law, indigent veterans and those with no next of kin 
are eligible for reimbursement rates of $2,421 for caskets or $244 for 
urns when buried in a national cemetery. However, if a State or a 
tribal cemetery that is supported by grants from the VA is 
geographically closer to the veteran's home and is preferable to the 
veteran or to the family, burial there is not currently allowed.
  The bill before us today provides that choice by broadening the scope 
of the Dignified Burial and other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act to 
include the option of burial in a State or a tribal cemetery for which 
the Department of Veterans Affairs has provided a grant.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill enjoys the support of the American Legion. It 
makes good sense and ensures that we are doing everything in our power 
to provide the greatest honor and comfort for veterans and their 
families. I urge my colleagues to support it.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), an active member of the committee.
  Mr. WENSTRUP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3076, the 
Charles Duncan Buried with Honor Act.
  This bill will have a direct and personal impact on the families of 
many of our veterans. I am pleased that it is being considered today, 
and I was proud to sponsor the House companion bill, H.R. 6114.
  Under current law, if a veteran dies without the resources to pay for 
a casket, the VA will provide one, but only as long as the veteran is 
buried in a national cemetery. That means that, in my district and 
throughout the country, the families in need of this service may be 
transported to a national cemetery, which is often far from home and 
far from family. This has caused heartache for many families in my 
district in Ohio and across the country. It can mean that their loved 
ones must be buried nowhere near their homes. It can prevent friends 
and family from attending the funerals or from regularly visiting the 
grave sites.
  S. 3076 would amend current law to allow veterans who receive caskets 
that are purchased by the VA to be buried at a State or a tribal 
cemetery for which the VA has provided a grant. By expanding the burial 
options available to veterans, we can better ensure that they are laid 
to rest close to their loved ones. Let's provide this peace of mind to 
our veterans and their families. I strongly urge my colleagues to 
support this bill.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this 
legislation and join me in passing S. 3076.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman 
from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).
  Mr. HILL. I thank the distinguished incoming chairman of the 
committee. I appreciate the time. I also thank my colleague in the 
Arkansas delegation, Senator Cotton, for his important work on S. 3076, 
which we are discussing today. I support it enthusiastically.
  Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, July 25, 2015, U.S. Navy veteran and Little 
Rock resident Charles Duncan passed away at the age of 66, leaving 
behind a daughter, three grandsons, three great-grandsons, a brother, 
and a sister, along with many grieving family members, friends, and 
loved ones.
  Sadly, like too many of our veterans, Mr. Duncan was financially 
insolvent and could not afford the cost of his funeral. Thankfully, he 
was eligible for essential VA benefits to cover these costs. However, 
these benefits required that he be buried at the national cemetery in 
Fort Smith instead of close to his home and his family in Little Rock. 
By expanding the cemetery burial options that are offered by the VA to 
our veterans in need, we can provide families with the solace that they 
deserve.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and support the peaceful 
rest of the veterans we have lost.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all 
Members to support S. 3076.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 3076.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




    REPORT ON RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5143, 
TRANSPARENT INSURANCE STANDARDS ACT OF 2016; PROVIDING FOR PROCEEDINGS 
 DURING THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 9, 2016, THROUGH JANUARY 3, 2017; AND 
      PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES

  Mr. BYRNE, from the Committee on Rules, submitted a privileged report 
(Rept. No. 114-846) on the resolution (H. Res. 944) providing for 
consideration of the bill (H.R. 5143) to provide greater transparency 
and congressional oversight of international insurance standards 
setting processes, and for other purposes; providing for proceedings 
during the period from December 9, 2016, through January 3, 2017; and 
providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules, which was 
referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed.

                          ____________________




 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EMERGENCY MEDICAL STAFFING RECRUITMENT 
                           AND RETENTION ACT

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4150) to amend title 38, United States Code, to 
allow the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modify the hours of 
employment of physicians employed on a full-time basis by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4150

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Veterans 
     Affairs Emergency Medical Staffing Recruitment and Retention 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR PHYSICIANS 
                   EMPLOYED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       Section 7423(a) of title 38, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``(a) The hours'' and inserting ``(a)(1) 
     Except as provided in paragraph (2), the hours''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2)(A) Upon the advance written request of a covered 
     physician, the Secretary may modify the hours of employment 
     for a physician appointed in the Administration under any 
     provision of this chapter on a full-time basis to be more or 
     less than 80 hours in a biweekly pay period, subject to the 
     requirements in subparagraph (B). For the purpose of 
     determining pay, such a physician shall be deemed to have a 
     biweekly schedule of 80 hours of employment.
       ``(B) A physician with an irregular work schedule 
     established under subparagraph (A) shall be obligated to 
     account for at least 2,080 hours of employment (through 
     performance of work or use of leave or paid time off) in a 
     calendar year.

[[Page 15887]]

       ``(C) The Secretary may prescribe regulations to implement 
     this paragraph, including regulations making adjustments to 
     address the annual hours requirement for physicians who are 
     covered by this paragraph for only a portion of a calendar 
     year.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Roe) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 4150, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 4150, as amended, the Department of Veterans Affairs Emergency 
Medical Staffing Recruitment and Retention Act, would authorize the VA, 
upon written request, to modify the hours of employment for full-time 
physicians to be more than or less than 80 hours in a biweekly pay 
period, as agreed to by the physician and hospital management.
  Earlier this year, the VA testified that there are nearly 4,000 
physician vacancies across the VA healthcare system. The VA's ability 
to effectively recruit and retain high-quality medical professionals to 
care for our veterans is threatened by the Nation's worsening physician 
shortage, which the Association of American Medical Colleges has stated 
could grow to just under 100,000 physicians by 2025. In light of this, 
it is imperative that we provide the VA with every available tool to 
improve physician recruitment and to make efficient use of the current 
physician workforce.
  Currently, the VA's ability in both regards is hampered by a rigid 
80-hour, biweekly work schedule that is at odds with private sector 
industry standards. Typically, emergency room, ER, providers in non-VA 
hospitals across the country work flexible schedules to accommodate the 
irregular hours that emergency medicine demands. However, ER doctors in 
VA medical facilities are not afforded the opportunity to adopt the 
flexible schedules that their private sector colleagues enjoy. This 
bill would correct that discrepancy and improve the VA's ability to 
recruit and retain ER physicians.
  H.R. 4150, as amended, which has my full support, originated as a VA 
legislative proposal and is sponsored by Congressman Raul Ruiz of 
California, who is an emergency medical physician. I am grateful to him 
for his efforts in addressing this issue, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to support this needed legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 4150, as amended, introduced by my very 
good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz). This legislation 
will improve the recruitment and retention of medical professionals at 
the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  H.R. 4150, as amended, allows the VA to arrange flexible physician 
work schedules to allow for the staffing and full implementation of a 
hospitalist physician system and to accommodate the unusual work 
schedule requirements for emergency medicine physicians. We all 
recognize the need for flexibility when working the rigorous and 
irregular hours that are routinely required of emergency medicine 
doctors. Giving the VA the ability to have flexible working hours that 
best suit the demand for delivering health care to the veterans who 
rely on those doctors just makes sense.
  The current 80-hour, biweekly pay period limitation for these doctors 
creates challenges at the VA medical centers to adequately and sensibly 
staff the emergency rooms. Generally, most healthcare providers work a 
traditional 40-hour workweek. However, for hospitalists and emergency 
room physicians, they may need to work more than that in a week to 
provide safe, quality health care to veterans who seek services at the 
VA.
  Ensuring access to care for veterans has been a major focus of this 
committee's, and this bill will help to eliminate the access barrier 
and provide a more efficient and effective way to ensure that the 
emergency rooms across the VA healthcare system are ready to take care 
of our veterans. Importantly, the bill also includes protections for 
physicians by requiring their consent before they can move to the 
flexible schedule.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I, too, am strongly in favor of this bill. I don't know where Dr. 
Ruiz was with regard to this 40-hour week, but I wish he had been 
around when I was in training and in practice because it would have 
been a joy to have worked just 40 hours. This particular bill allows 
the flexibility that every other hospital in the world has for 
staffing, and this is with the consent of the physicians and the 
hospital. It just makes sense.
  I am so glad that Dr. Ruiz brought this up. As a practicing ER 
physician, he knows about this, and he knows exactly what it is.
  I appreciate Dr. Ruiz bringing this up and making the committee aware 
of it. This will become a new law.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ruiz), my good friend who is an emergency room 
physician and a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
  Mr. RUIZ. I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member.
  Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) 
that I too had 100-, 120-hour workweeks and months; and I was the scut, 
of course, during my internships and residency; so I understand the 
words that you have spoken.
  I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 4150, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs Emergency Medical Staffing Recruitment and Retention Act.
  The point is this, and it is very simple: the VA needs to provide 
high-quality care that is veteran-centered. That is why I introduced 
this bill which works to address the difficulty of recruiting and 
retaining the best physicians to work within the VA healthcare system.
  The problem is that, by law, the VA is beholden to the bureaucratic 
OPM's 80-biweekly requirement for full-time physicians. This does not 
fit with the current practice of physicians in many specialties, 
including emergency medicine and hospital medicine. These specialties 
typically require more flexible, often irregular working hours--some 
weeks they work less; some weeks they work the triple amount--but it 
needs to fit their schedule in order for them to provide the best care 
that they can for the patient.
  Also, for instance, in emergency departments, it has been studied 
that the most dangerous time for a patient is during shift changes when 
a patient's care is transferred to another doctor. It all depends on 
the quality of the transfer, discussing what happened, and the follow-
up that the second doctor is going to do. Therefore, emergency 
physicians prefer to work 12-hour shifts in order to minimize that 
transfer, and many emergency physicians work beyond their 12 hours in 
order to not transfer and just close the patient's case.
  So this bill would give the VA the flexibility it needs to schedule 
physicians in a manner similar to that scene in the private sector 
while remaining OPM-compliant.
  This bill will provide VA medical centers with the ability to 
implement flexible physician work schedules that can accommodate 
hospitalists' and emergency physicians' schedules and practices.
  Our veterans deserve high-quality care. Attracting the best and 
brightest physicians to practice at the VA is a critical step in that 
direction.

[[Page 15888]]

  And like my other bills up for consideration today as part of other 
legislation on the floor--the Veterans Access to Speedy Review Act, the 
Veterans' Survivors Claims Processing Automation Act--this bill works 
to ensure that the VA works for veterans, to make sure that it is about 
serving the veteran.
  Let's pass this bill, Mr. Speaker, and take another step towards 
providing the highest quality care for those who have given the 
ultimate sacrifice to our Nation.
  I thank the chairman once again, and I thank the ranking member for 
his efforts in getting this to the floor today.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I want to just add how proud 
I am that we got this bill over the finish line, working together with 
the majority, working together with the stakeholders.
  I want to give special words of gratitude to the staff in my office 
and the staff on the Veterans' Affairs Committee for working extra 
hours to get this bill done.
  This makes enormous sense to do, and it should have been done sooner, 
but I am very glad we could get it done in this Congress.
  I look very much forward to working with Dr. Roe in the next Congress 
to do similar bills and bills of greater magnitude in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 4150, as amended.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I too encourage all Members to 
support H.R. 4150.
  I also want to thank both the staff of the minority and the majority 
for their incredible work. Alex Large, who is on staff in my office, 
has worked very hard on many of these bills.
  This is a time around our country where many of our young men and 
women are stationed in harm's way away from their families at the 
holidays. I too have done that, and I just appreciate very much the 
sacrifice that these men and women make for us each and every day. 
Let's not forget that there are people out there in some very dangerous 
places right now, as we speak, who are protecting our freedoms.
  With that, it is indeed a pleasure to work on this committee because 
it is a bipartisan committee, and I think that the committee is laser-
focused on doing what is right for veterans.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4150, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




                ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, proceedings 
will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed.
  Votes will be taken in the following order:
  H.R. 6394, by the yeas and nays;
  H. Res. 939, by the yeas and nays;
  H.R. 6416, by the yeas and nays.
  The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. 
Remaining electronic votes will be conducted as 5-minute votes.

                          ____________________




          IMPROVING BROADBAND ACCESS FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2016

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The unfinished business is the vote on the 
motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6394) to require 
the Federal Communications Commission to submit to Congress a report on 
promoting broadband Internet access service for veterans, on which the 
yeas and nays were ordered.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 411, 
nays 4, not voting 18, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 604]

                               YEAS--411

     Abraham
     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Amodei
     Ashford
     Babin
     Barletta
     Barr
     Barton
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Benishek
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boustany
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Burgess
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardenas
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coffman
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davidson
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DeSaulnier
     DesJarlais
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dold
     Donovan
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duckworth
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Ellmers (NC)
     Emmer (MN)
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Evans
     Farenthold
     Farr
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fleming
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garrett
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gowdy
     Graham
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Guinta
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Hanna
     Hardy
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings
     Heck (NV)
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Holding
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huelskamp
     Huffman
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurd (TX)
     Hurt (VA)
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jeffries
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan
     Joyce
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kline
     Knight
     Kuster
     Labrador
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lummis
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Maloney, Sean
     Marchant
     Marino
     Massie
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Messer
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Mulvaney
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neugebauer
     Newhouse
     Noem
     Nolan
     Norcross
     Nugent
     Nunes
     O'Rourke
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Pascrell
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pearce
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Perry
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pitts
     Pocan
     Poliquin
     Polis
     Pompeo
     Posey
     Price (NC)
     Price, Tom
     Quigley
     Rangel
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Rice (NY)
     Rice (SC)
     Rigell
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney (FL)
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Salmon
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanford
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Speier
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Stutzman
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Van Hollen
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky

[[Page 15889]]


     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Welch
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Young (IN)
     Zeldin
     Zinke

                                NAYS--4

     Amash
     Grothman
     Ribble
     Russell

                             NOT VOTING--18

     Bass
     Brown (FL)
     Castor (FL)
     Clawson (FL)
     Forbes
     Granger
     Heck (WA)
     Israel
     Jolly
     Kirkpatrick
     Lee
     Miller (MI)
     Pittenger
     Poe (TX)
     Richmond
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Walters, Mimi
     Westmoreland

                              {time}  1630

  Mr. HONDA changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the bill was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




 EXPRESSING SENSE OF HOUSE THAT ACCESS TO DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS 
             AND CONNECTIVITY IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE YOUTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The unfinished business is the vote on the 
motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 939) 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that access to 
digital communications tools and connectivity is necessary to prepare 
youth in the United States to compete in the 21st century economy, on 
which the yeas and nays were ordered.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution.
  This is a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 414, 
nays 1, not voting 18, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 605]

                               YEAS--414

     Abraham
     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Amodei
     Ashford
     Babin
     Barletta
     Barr
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Benishek
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boustany
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Burgess
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardenas
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coffman
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davidson
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DeSaulnier
     DesJarlais
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dold
     Donovan
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duckworth
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Ellmers (NC)
     Emmer (MN)
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Evans
     Farenthold
     Farr
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fleming
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garrett
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gowdy
     Graham
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guinta
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Hanna
     Hardy
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings
     Heck (NV)
     Heck (WA)
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Holding
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huelskamp
     Huffman
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurd (TX)
     Hurt (VA)
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jeffries
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan
     Joyce
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kline
     Knight
     Kuster
     Labrador
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Long
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lummis
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Maloney, Sean
     Marchant
     Marino
     Massie
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Messer
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Mulvaney
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neugebauer
     Newhouse
     Noem
     Nolan
     Norcross
     Nugent
     Nunes
     O'Rourke
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Pascrell
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pearce
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Perry
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pitts
     Pocan
     Poliquin
     Polis
     Pompeo
     Posey
     Price (NC)
     Price, Tom
     Quigley
     Rangel
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Ribble
     Rice (NY)
     Rice (SC)
     Rigell
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney (FL)
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Russell
     Ryan (OH)
     Salmon
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanford
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Speier
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Stutzman
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Van Hollen
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Welch
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Young (IN)
     Zeldin
     Zinke

                                NAYS--1

     Amash
       
       

                             NOT VOTING--18

       
     Barton
       
     Bass
     Brown (FL)
     Buchanan
     Castor (FL)
     Clawson (FL)
     Forbes
     Israel
     Jolly
     Kirkpatrick
     Lee
     Loudermilk
     Miller (MI)
     Pittenger
     Poe (TX)
     Richmond
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Westmoreland


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes 
remaining.

                              {time}  1638

  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




 JEFF MILLER AND RICHARD BLUMENTHAL VETERANS HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS 
                        IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2016

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The unfinished business is the vote on the 
motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6416) to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws 
administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other 
purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill.
  This is a 5-minute vote.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 419, 
nays 0, not voting 14, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 606]

                               YEAS--419

     Abraham
     Adams
     Aderholt
     Aguilar
     Allen
     Amash
     Amodei
     Ashford
     Babin

[[Page 15890]]


     Barletta
     Barr
     Barton
     Bass
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Benishek
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boustany
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Burgess
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardenas
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coffman
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davidson
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSantis
     DeSaulnier
     DesJarlais
     Deutch
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dold
     Donovan
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duckworth
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Ellmers (NC)
     Emmer (MN)
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Evans
     Farenthold
     Farr
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fleming
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Garrett
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gowdy
     Graham
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guinta
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Hanna
     Hardy
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hastings
     Heck (NV)
     Heck (WA)
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Holding
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huelskamp
     Huffman
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurd (TX)
     Hurt (VA)
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jeffries
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan
     Joyce
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kline
     Knight
     Kuster
     Labrador
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lummis
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Maloney, Sean
     Marchant
     Marino
     Massie
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Messer
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Mulvaney
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neugebauer
     Newhouse
     Noem
     Nolan
     Norcross
     Nugent
     Nunes
     O'Rourke
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Palmer
     Pascrell
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pearce
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Perry
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pitts
     Pocan
     Poliquin
     Polis
     Pompeo
     Posey
     Price (NC)
     Price, Tom
     Quigley
     Rangel
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Ribble
     Rice (NY)
     Rice (SC)
     Rigell
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney (FL)
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Russell
     Ryan (OH)
     Salmon
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sanford
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Schweikert
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Speier
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Stutzman
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Van Hollen
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Welch
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Young (IN)
     Zeldin
     Zinke

                             NOT VOTING--14

     Brown (FL)
     Castor (FL)
     Clawson (FL)
     Forbes
     Israel
     Jolly
     Kirkpatrick
     Lee
     Miller (MI)
     Pittenger
     Poe (TX)
     Richmond
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Westmoreland


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes 
remaining.

                              {time}  1646

  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the bill was passed.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




   NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING A QUESTION OF THE 
                        PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I 
rise to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges 
of the House.
  The form of the resolution is as follows:
  H. Res. 828, impeaching John Andrew Koskinen, Commissioner of the 
Internal Revenue Service, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
  Resolved, that John Andrew Koskinen, Commissioner of the Internal 
Revenue Service, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that 
the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the Senate:
  Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of 
the United States of America, against John Andrew Koskinen, 
Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, in maintenance and 
support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and 
misdemeanors.
  Article I.
  John Andrew Koskinen, in his conduct while Commissioner of the 
Internal Revenue Service, engaged in a pattern of conduct that is 
incompatible with his duties as an Officer of the United States, as 
follows:
  Commissioner Koskinen failed in his duty to respond to lawfully 
issued congressional subpoenas. On August 2, 2013, the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives issued 
a subpoena to Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew, the custodian of 
Internal Revenue Service documents. That subpoena demanded, among other 
things, ``all communications sent or received by Lois Lerner, from 
January 1, 2009, to August 2, 2013''. On February 14, 2014, following 
the Senate's confirmation of John Andrew Koskinen as Commissioner of 
the Internal Revenue Service, the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform of the House of Representatives reissued the subpoena to him.
  On March 4, 2014, Internal Revenue Service employees in Martinsburg, 
West Virginia, magnetically erased 422 backup tapes, destroying as many 
as 24,000 of Lois Lerner's emails responsive to the subpoena. This 
action impeded congressional investigations into the Internal Revenue 
Service targeting of Americans based on their political affiliation. 
The American people may never know the true culpability or extent of 
the Internal Revenue Service targeting because of the destruction of 
evidence that took place.
  Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
  Article II.
  John Andrew Koskinen engaged in a pattern of deception that 
demonstrates his unfitness to serve as Commissioner of the Internal 
Revenue Service. Commissioner Koskinen made a series of false and 
misleading statements to Congress in contravention of his oath to tell 
the truth. Those false statements included the following:
  One, on June 20, 2014, Commissioner Koskinen testified that ``since 
the start of this investigation, every email has been preserved. 
Nothing has been lost. Nothing has been destroyed.''.
  Two, on June 23, 2014, Commissioner Koskinen testified that the 
Internal Revenue Service had ``confirmed that backup tapes from 2011 no 
longer existed because they have been recycled,

[[Page 15891]]

pursuant to the Internal Revenue Service normal policy''. He went on to 
explain that ``confirmed means that somebody went back and looked and 
made sure that in fact any backup tapes that had existed had been 
recycled''.
  Three, on March 26, 2014, Commissioner Koskinen was asked during a 
hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 
House of Representatives, ``Sir, are you or are you not going to 
provide this committee all of Lois Lerner's emails?''. He answered, 
``Yes, we will do that.''.
  Each of those statements was materially false. On March 4, 2014, 
Internal Revenue Service employees magnetically erased 422 backup tapes 
containing as many as 24,000 of Lois Lerner's emails. On February 2, 
2014, senior Internal Revenue Service officials discovered that Lois 
Lerner's computer hard drive had crashed, rendering hundreds or 
thousands of her emails unrecoverable. Commissioner Koskinen's false 
statements impeded and confused congressional investigations into the 
Internal Revenue Service targeting of Americans based on their 
political affiliation.
  Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
  Article III.
  John Andrew Koskinen, throughout his tenure as Commissioner of the 
Internal Revenue Service, has acted in a manner inconsistent with the 
trust and confidence placed in him as an Officer of the United States, 
as follows:
  During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on 
Finance, John Andrew Koskinen promised, ``We will be transparent about 
any problems we run into; and the public and certainly this committee 
will know about those problems as soon as we do.''.
  Commissioner Koskinen repeatedly violated that promise. As early as 
February 2014 and no later than April 2014, he was aware that a 
substantial portion of Lois Lerner's emails could not be produced to 
Congress. However, in a March 19, 2014, letter to Senator Wyden of the 
Senate Committee on Finance, Commissioner Koskinen said, ``We are 
transmitting today additional information that we believe completes our 
production to your committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. . 
. . In light of these productions, I hope that the investigations can 
be concluded in the very near future.''. At the time he sent that 
letter, he knew that the document production was not complete.
  Commissioner Koskinen did not notify Congress of any problem until 
June 13, 2014, when he included the information on the fifth page of 
the third enclosure of a letter to the Senate Committee on Finance.
  Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
impeachment and trial, and removal from office.
  Article IV.
  John Andrew Koskinen has failed to act with competence and 
forthrightness in overseeing the investigation into Internal Revenue 
Service targeting of Americans because of their political affiliations 
as follows:
  Commissioner Koskinen stated in a hearing on June 20, 2014, that the 
Internal Revenue Service had ``gone to great lengths'' to retrieve all 
of Lois Lerner's emails. Commissioner Koskinen's actions contradicted 
the assurances he gave to Congress.
  The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found over 
1,000 of Lois Lerner's emails that the Internal Revenue Service had 
failed to produce. Those discoveries took only 15 days of investigation 
to uncover. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration 
searched a number of available sources, including disaster backup 
tapes, Lois Lerner's Blackberry, the email server, backup tapes for the 
email server, and Lois Lerner's temporary replacement laptop. The 
Internal Revenue Service failed to examine any of those sources in its 
own investigation.
  Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
impeachment, trial, and removal from office.

                          ____________________




           RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE

  Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I offer this resolution, H. Res. 828, for 
consideration by the full House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 828

       Resolved, That John Andrew Koskinen, Commissioner of the 
     Internal Revenue Service, is impeached for high crimes and 
     misdemeanors and that the following articles of impeachment 
     be exhibited to the Senate:
        Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of 
     Representatives of the United States of America in the name 
     of itself and of the people of the United States of America, 
     against John Andrew Koskinen, Commissioner of the Internal 
     Revenue Service, in maintenance and support of its 
     impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

                               article i

       John Andrew Koskinen, in his conduct while Commissioner of 
     the Internal Revenue Service, engaged in a pattern of conduct 
     that is incompatible with his duties as an Officer of the 
     United States, as follows:
       Commissioner Koskinen failed in his duty to respond to 
     lawfully issued congressional subpoenas. On August 2, 2013, 
     the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House 
     of Representatives issued a subpoena to Secretary of the 
     Treasury Jacob Lew, the custodian of Internal Revenue Service 
     documents. That subpoena demanded, among other things, 
     ``[a]ll communications sent or received by Lois Lerner, from 
     January 1, 2009, to August 2, 2013''. On February 14, 2014, 
     following the Senate's confirmation of John Andrew Koskinen 
     as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the 
     Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
     Representatives reissued the subpoena to him.
       On March 4, 2014, Internal Revenue Service employees in 
     Martinsburg, West Virginia, magnetically erased 422 backup 
     tapes, destroying as many as 24,000 of Lois Lerner's emails 
     responsive to the subpoena. This action impeded congressional 
     investigations into the Internal Revenue Service targeting of 
     Americans based on their political affiliation. The American 
     people may never know the true culpability or extent of the 
     Internal Revenue Service targeting because of the destruction 
     of evidence that took place.
       Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
     impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

                               article ii

       John Andrew Koskinen engaged in a pattern of deception that 
     demonstrates his unfitness to serve as Commissioner of the 
     Internal Revenue Service. Commissioner Koskinen made a series 
     of false and misleading statements to Congress in 
     contravention of his oath to tell the truth. Those false 
     statements included the following:
       (1) On June 20, 2014, Commissioner Koskinen testified that 
     ``since the start of this investigation, every email has been 
     preserved. Nothing has been lost. Nothing has been 
     destroyed.''.
       (2) On June 23, 2014, Commissioner Koskinen testified that 
     the Internal Revenue Service had ``confirmed that backup 
     tapes from 2011 no longer existed because they have been 
     recycled, pursuant to the Internal Revenue Service normal 
     policy''. He went on to explain that ``[c]onfirmed means that 
     somebody went back and looked and made sure that in fact any 
     backup tapes that had existed had been recycled''.
       (3) On March 26, 2014, Commissioner Koskinen was asked 
     during a hearing before the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform of the House of Representatives, ``Sir, are 
     you or are you not going to provide this committee all of 
     Lois Lerner's emails?''. He answered, ``Yes, we will do 
     that.''.

     Each of those statements was materially false. On March 4, 
     2014, Internal Revenue Service employees magnetically erased 
     422 backup tapes containing as many as 24,000 of Lois 
     Lerner's emails. On February 2, 2014, senior Internal Revenue 
     Service officials discovered that Lois Lerner's computer hard 
     drive had crashed, rendering hundreds or thousands of her 
     emails unrecoverable. Commissioner Koskinen's false 
     statements impeded and confused congressional investigations 
     into the Internal Revenue Service targeting of Americans 
     based on their political affiliation.
       Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
     impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

                              article iii

       John Andrew Koskinen, throughout his tenure as Commissioner 
     of the Internal Revenue Service, has acted in a manner 
     inconsistent with the trust and confidence placed in him as 
     an Officer of the United States, as follows:
       During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee 
     on Finance, John Andrew Koskinen promised, ``[W]e will be 
     transparent about any problems we run into; and

[[Page 15892]]

     the public and certainly this committee will know about those 
     problems as soon as we do.''.
       Commissioner Koskinen repeatedly violated that promise. As 
     early as February 2014 and no later than April 2014, he was 
     aware that a substantial portion of Lois Lerner's emails 
     could not be produced to Congress. However, in a March 19, 
     2014, letter to Senator Wyden of the Senate Committee on 
     Finance, Commissioner Koskinen said, ``We are transmitting 
     today additional information that we believe completes our 
     production to your committee and the House Ways and Means 
     [C]ommittee. . . . In light of these productions, I hope that 
     the investigations can be concluded in the very near 
     future.''. At the time he sent that letter, he knew that the 
     document production was not complete.
       Commissioner Koskinen did not notify Congress of any 
     problem until June 13, 2014, when he included the information 
     on the fifth page of the third enclosure of a letter to the 
     Senate Committee on Finance.
       Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
     impeachment and trial, and removal from office.

                               article iv

       John Andrew Koskinen has failed to act with competence and 
     forthrightness in overseeing the investigation into Internal 
     Revenue Service targeting of Americans because of their 
     political affiliations as follows:
       Commissioner Koskinen stated in a hearing on June 20, 2014, 
     that the Internal Revenue Service had ``gone to great 
     lengths'' to retrieve all of Lois Lerner's emails. 
     Commissioner Koskinen's actions contradicted the assurances 
     he gave to Congress.
       The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found 
     over 1,000 of Lois Lerner's emails that the Internal Revenue 
     Service had failed to produce. Those discoveries took only 15 
     days of investigation to uncover. The Treasury Inspector 
     General for Tax Administration searched a number of available 
     sources, including disaster backup tapes, Lois Lerner's 
     Blackberry, the email server, backup tapes for the email 
     server, and Lois Lerner's temporary replacement laptop. The 
     Internal Revenue Service failed to examine any of those 
     sources in its own investigation.
       Wherefore, John Andrew Koskinen, by such conduct, warrants 
     impeachment, trial, and removal from office.

                              {time}  1700

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution presents a question of 
privilege.


                            Motion to Table

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the resolution on the table.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to table.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the noes appeared to have it.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 180, 
nays 235, not voting 18, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 607]

                               YEAS--180

     Adams
     Aguilar
     Ashford
     Bass
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop (GA)
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Brownley (CA)
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardenas
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Cartwright
     Castro (TX)
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Cohen
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Courtney
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Cummings
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Dent
     DeSaulnier
     Deutch
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duckworth
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Evans
     Farr
     Foster
     Frankel (FL)
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Graham
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Hastings
     Heck (WA)
     Higgins
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Huffman
     Israel
     Jackson Lee
     Jeffries
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Kaptur
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     Kuster
     Langevin
     Larson (CT)
     Lawrence
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lipinski
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lynch
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Maloney, Sean
     Matsui
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McNerney
     Meeks
     Meng
     Moore
     Moulton
     Murphy (FL)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Nolan
     Norcross
     O'Rourke
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Polis
     Price (NC)
     Quigley
     Rangel
     Rice (NY)
     Roybal-Allard
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, David
     Serrano
     Sewell (AL)
     Sherman
     Sinema
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (WA)
     Speier
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Tsongas
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Welch
     Wilson (FL)
     Yarmuth
     Young (AK)

                               NAYS--235

     Abraham
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Amash
     Amodei
     Babin
     Barletta
     Barr
     Barton
     Benishek
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Bost
     Boustany
     Brady (TX)
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Brooks (IN)
     Buchanan
     Buck
     Bucshon
     Burgess
     Byrne
     Calvert
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Chabot
     Chaffetz
     Coffman
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Cook
     Costello (PA)
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Culberson
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davidson
     Davis, Rodney
     Denham
     DeSantis
     DesJarlais
     Diaz-Balart
     Dold
     Donovan
     Duffy
     Duncan (SC)
     Duncan (TN)
     Ellmers (NC)
     Emmer (MN)
     Farenthold
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Fleming
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foxx
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Garrett
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Gohmert
     Goodlatte
     Gosar
     Gowdy
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (LA)
     Graves (MO)
     Griffith
     Grothman
     Guinta
     Guthrie
     Hanna
     Hardy
     Harper
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Hensarling
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Hill
     Holding
     Hudson
     Huelskamp
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hunter
     Hurd (TX)
     Hurt (VA)
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan
     Joyce
     Katko
     Kelly (MS)
     Kelly (PA)
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kline
     Knight
     Labrador
     LaHood
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Latta
     LoBiondo
     Long
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lummis
     MacArthur
     Marchant
     Marino
     Massie
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McSally
     Meadows
     Meehan
     Messer
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Moolenaar
     Mooney (WV)
     Mullin
     Mulvaney
     Murphy (PA)
     Neugebauer
     Newhouse
     Noem
     Nugent
     Nunes
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Palmer
     Paulsen
     Pearce
     Perry
     Pitts
     Poliquin
     Pompeo
     Posey
     Price, Tom
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Ribble
     Rice (SC)
     Rigell
     Roby
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rohrabacher
     Rokita
     Rooney (FL)
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Rouzer
     Royce
     Russell
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Scalise
     Schweikert
     Scott, Austin
     Sensenbrenner
     Sessions
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Stutzman
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Trott
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walden
     Walker
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Williams
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yoder
     Yoho
     Young (IA)
     Young (IN)
     Zeldin
     Zinke

                             NOT VOTING--18

     Brown (FL)
     Castor (FL)
     Clawson (FL)
     Forbes
     Heck (NV)
     Issa
     Jolly
     Kirkpatrick
     Larsen (WA)
     Lee
     Lieu, Ted
     Miller (MI)
     Pittenger
     Poe (TX)
     Richmond
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Van Hollen
     Westmoreland


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes 
remaining.

                              {time}  1719

  Mr. NOLAN changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the motion to table was rejected.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  Stated against:
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I was too far away to return for the vote in 
time. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 
607.


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise for a parliamentary inquiry 
based upon the resolution before us and the most somber responsibility 
of impeachment.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Texas will state her 
parliamentary inquiry.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, the inquiry is the underlying premise 
as to whether or not an impeachment should go forward when there are 
questions that are not documented of malfeasance or malice or the 
interpretation of

[[Page 15893]]

the Madison Papers or the impeachment articles under the Constitution. 
Obviously, we are now preparing to refer.
  My question, Mr. Speaker, is whether or not we have made the 
appropriate documentation in the resolutions of the Articles of 
Impeachment that we should even refer this at all?
  I raise the question on a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has ruled that this resolution 
raises a question of the privileges of the House, and it is up to the 
House to dispose of that question.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Let me say that the substance of the Articles of Impeachment do not 
meet the standards that are evidenced in the articles in the 
Constitution or interpretive works, such as the Madison Papers. I 
believe it is without substance, and I would hope that we would not 
refer this at this time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman is not stating a 
parliamentary inquiry.


                            Motion to Refer

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion offered by 
the gentleman from Virginia.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Goodlatte moves that the resolution be referred to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Virginia is recognized 
for 1 hour.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, Members have different opinions about 
what to do to address the allegations of misconduct against IRS 
Commissioner John Koskinen. Some would impeach him; others would 
censure him. Still others would impose no penalty.
  To address these differences of opinion and to ensure this body 
administers due process in these deliberations, I recommend that the 
House refer this matter to the House Judiciary Committee.
  I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question 
on the motion to refer.
  The previous question was ordered.


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Kentucky will state his 
parliamentary inquiry.
  Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Speaker, is this impeachment resolution necessary or 
is it, in fact, true that Mr. Koskinen's term extends well into the 
next President's term all the way until November? Is that true?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair cannot advise on that matter.
  The question is on the motion to refer.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.


                             Recorded Vote

  Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
  A recorded vote was ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 342, 
noes 72, not voting 19, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 608]

                               AYES--342

     Abraham
     Adams
     Aguilar
     Amodei
     Ashford
     Barletta
     Barr
     Bass
     Beatty
     Becerra
     Benishek
     Bera
     Beyer
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (MI)
     Bishop (UT)
     Black
     Blumenauer
     Bonamici
     Bost
     Boustany
     Boyle, Brendan F.
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brooks (IN)
     Brownley (CA)
     Buchanan
     Bucshon
     Burgess
     Bustos
     Butterfield
     Calvert
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardenas
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Carter (GA)
     Carter (TX)
     Cartwright
     Castro (TX)
     Chabot
     Chu, Judy
     Cicilline
     Clark (MA)
     Clarke (NY)
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coffman
     Cohen
     Cole
     Collins (GA)
     Collins (NY)
     Comer
     Comstock
     Conaway
     Connolly
     Conyers
     Cook
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello (PA)
     Courtney
     Cramer
     Crawford
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Curbelo (FL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis, Danny
     Davis, Rodney
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Delaney
     DeLauro
     DelBene
     Denham
     Dent
     DeSaulnier
     Diaz-Balart
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Dold
     Donovan
     Doyle, Michael F.
     Duckworth
     Duffy
     Duncan (TN)
     Edwards
     Ellison
     Ellmers (NC)
     Emmer (MN)
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Esty
     Evans
     Farenthold
     Farr
     Fincher
     Fitzpatrick
     Fleischmann
     Flores
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frankel (FL)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gabbard
     Gallego
     Garamendi
     Gibbs
     Gibson
     Goodlatte
     Gowdy
     Graham
     Granger
     Graves (GA)
     Graves (MO)
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Grijalva
     Grothman
     Guinta
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hanabusa
     Hanna
     Hardy
     Harper
     Hastings
     Heck (WA)
     Hensarling
     Higgins
     Hill
     Himes
     Hinojosa
     Holding
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Hudson
     Huffman
     Huizenga (MI)
     Hultgren
     Hurd (TX)
     Hurt (VA)
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson Lee
     Jeffries
     Jenkins (KS)
     Jenkins (WV)
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (OH)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones
     Joyce
     Kaptur
     Katko
     Keating
     Kelly (IL)
     Kelly (PA)
     Kennedy
     Kildee
     Kilmer
     Kind
     King (NY)
     Kinzinger (IL)
     Kline
     Knight
     Kuster
     LaHood
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larson (CT)
     Latta
     Lawrence
     Levin
     Lewis
     Lieu, Ted
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren
     Loudermilk
     Love
     Lowenthal
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan Grisham (NM)
     Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)
     Lynch
     MacArthur
     Maloney, Carolyn
     Maloney, Sean
     Marino
     Matsui
     McCarthy
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McKinley
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     McSally
     Meehan
     Meeks
     Meng
     Mica
     Miller (FL)
     Moolenaar
     Moore
     Moulton
     Mullin
     Murphy (FL)
     Murphy (PA)
     Nadler
     Napolitano
     Neal
     Neugebauer
     Newhouse
     Nolan
     Norcross
     Nugent
     Nunes
     O'Rourke
     Olson
     Palazzo
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Perlmutter
     Peters
     Peterson
     Pingree
     Pocan
     Poliquin
     Polis
     Pompeo
     Price (NC)
     Price, Tom
     Quigley
     Rangel
     Ratcliffe
     Reed
     Reichert
     Renacci
     Rice (NY)
     Rice (SC)
     Richmond
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rokita
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothfus
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Ruiz
     Ruppersberger
     Ryan (OH)
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schiff
     Schrader
     Scott (VA)
     Scott, Austin
     Scott, David
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sewell (AL)
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sinema
     Sires
     Slaughter
     Smith (MO)
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Speier
     Stefanik
     Stewart
     Stivers
     Swalwell (CA)
     Takano
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiberi
     Tipton
     Titus
     Tonko
     Torres
     Trott
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Valadao
     Vargas
     Veasey
     Vela
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walden
     Walorski
     Walters, Mimi
     Walz
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters, Maxine
     Watson Coleman
     Wenstrup
     Westerman
     Wilson (FL)
     Wilson (SC)
     Womack
     Woodall
     Yarmuth
     Yoder
     Young (AK)
     Young (IA)
     Young (IN)

                                NOES--72

     Aderholt
     Allen
     Amash
     Babin
     Barton
     Bilirakis
     Blackburn
     Blum
     Brat
     Bridenstine
     Brooks (AL)
     Buck
     Byrne
     Chaffetz
     Davidson
     DeSantis
     DesJarlais
     Duncan (SC)
     Fleming
     Garrett
     Gohmert
     Gosar
     Graves (LA)
     Griffith
     Harris
     Hartzler
     Herrera Beutler
     Hice, Jody B.
     Huelskamp
     Hunter
     Johnson, Sam
     Jordan
     Kelly (MS)
     King (IA)
     Labrador
     LaMalfa
     Lamborn
     Long
     Lummis
     Marchant
     Massie
     Meadows
     Messer
     Mooney (WV)
     Mulvaney
     Noem
     Palmer
     Pearce
     Perry
     Pitts
     Posey
     Ribble
     Rigell
     Roby
     Rohrabacher
     Rooney (FL)
     Rouzer
     Russell
     Salmon
     Sanford
     Schweikert
     Stutzman
     Wagner
     Walberg
     Walker
     Weber (TX)
     Webster (FL)
     Williams
     Wittman
     Yoho
     Zeldin
     Zinke

                             NOT VOTING--19

     Brown (FL)
     Castor (FL)
     Clawson (FL)
     Deutch
     Forbes
     Heck (NV)
     Jolly
     Kirkpatrick
     Larsen (WA)
     Lee
     McDermott
     Miller (MI)
     Pittenger
     Poe (TX)
     Rush
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Van Hollen
     Welch
     Westmoreland

                              {time}  1740

  Messrs. BILIRAKIS and PALMER changed their vote from ``aye'' to 
``no.''
  So the motion to refer was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

[[Page 15894]]



                          ____________________




PROVIDING FOR THE PRINTING OF A REVISED EDITION OF THE RULES AND MANUAL 
 OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a resolution and ask 
unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Katko). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 945

       Resolved, That a revised edition of the Rules and Manual of 
     the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Fifteenth 
     Congress be printed and bound for the use of the House of 
     Representatives, of which nine hundred eighty copies shall be 
     bound in leather with thumb index and delivered as may be 
     directed by the Parliamentarian of the House.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




     DIRECTING THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE A 
                CORRECTION IN THE ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 34

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 174) directing 
the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the 
enrollment of H.R. 34, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in 
the Senate amendment.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the Senate amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:
  Senate amendment:
       Beginning on page 1, line 7, strike ``following 
     correction:'' and all that follows and insert the following:

     ``following corrections:
       ``(1) Amend the long title so as to read: `An Act to 
     accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of 21st 
     century cures, and for other purposes.'.
       ``(2) Amend the section heading for section 1001 so as to 
     read: `beau biden cancer moonshot and nih innovation 
     projects'.
       ``(3) Amend the table of contents in section 1 so that the 
     item relating to section 1001 reads as follows:

```1001. Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot and NIH innovation projects.'.''.

  Mr. UPTON (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
to dispense with the reading.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the original request 
of the gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________




               BIG TEN CHAMPION PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
Big Ten football champions, the Penn State Nittany Lions.
  Following a series of impressive victories that stunned the Nation, 
Penn State, my alma mater, finished the regular season ranked fifth in 
the Nation.
  After falling behind to Wisconsin 28-14 at halftime, Penn State's 
chances to take home the Big Ten trophy looked bleak; but under the 
leadership of Big Ten Coach of the Year James Franklin, the Nittany 
Lions rallied to score 24 points in the second half to win the Big Ten 
championship. Throughout the game, they showed grit, determination, and 
sportsmanship, making me proud to be a fellow Penn Stater.
  Congratulations to the Nittany Lions on an impressive season, and I 
wish you the best of luck in the Rose Bowl.
  We are.

                          ____________________




                              {time}  1745
           HOUSING DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST FANNIE MAE

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in support of the housing 
discrimination lawsuit filed against the Federal National Mortgage 
Association yesterday, Monday, by the National Fair Housing Alliance 
and 20 local fair housing organizations across our Nation. The lawsuit 
properly alleges Fannie Mae purposely failed to maintain its foreclosed 
properties in African American and Latino neighborhoods to the same 
condition as it maintains properties in Caucasian neighborhoods. Over 
20 cities were involved in this filing, and investigations revealed 
severe maintenance issues in communities of color, in contrast to 
Freddie Mac, which maintains its properties at a much higher standard 
in all neighborhoods.
  With a net income of over $45 billion over the last 2 years, Fannie 
Mae remains one of the largest issuers of single-family, mortgage-
related securities. This year, Fannie Mae reported holding over 40 
million foreclosed properties, many of which they do not maintain.
  So why hasn't Fannie Mae maintained its foreclosed properties in 
African American and Latino communities? They certainly have enough 
profits to do so. May the judges rule in favor of Fannie Mae meeting 
its public responsibilities to the communities of this country as soon 
as possible.

                          ____________________




                        HONORING ERIC ELLSWORTH

  (Mr. BISHOP of Utah asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Utah 
Highway Patrol trooper and Brigham City resident Eric Ellsworth, who 
was killed on November 18 in the line of duty. Eric was selflessly 
working to ensure the safety of others on a rural road in Box Elder 
County when he was tragically struck by a car and died several days 
later of the wounds that he sustained.
  In the days since his death, Eric's family, friends, and fellow 
troopers have honored his memory, recalling his love for his family, 
his passion for life, his kindness, and his faith.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we honor Eric for the courage that he 
demonstrated on a daily basis to protect the citizens of Utah. We are 
going to remember his heroic sacrifice and those of others like him who 
dedicate themselves to the safety of others, regardless of personal 
danger.
  My prayers go out to Eric's wife, his sons, and his extended family 
during this very difficult time.

                          ____________________




                      HONORING CHOCO GONZALEZ MEZA

  (Mr. CASTRO of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
legacy of Choco Gonzalez Meza, a beloved mother, grandmother, and 
friend, who changed the face of Texas politics. Her recent passing is a 
tremendous loss not only for her family, but for so many throughout 
Texas and the Nation whose lives she touched.
  Born in Coahuila, Mexico, Choco and her family immigrated to the 
United States when she was just 3 years old. She graduated from St. 
Mary's University in San Antonio and went on to hold a number of 
leadership positions throughout her career. Whether at nonprofits like 
the YWCA, through public service as deputy assistant secretary at the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, or in politics as Bexar 
County Democratic chair, Choco tirelessly fought for social justice and 
strove to create opportunity for marginalized groups.
  Choco was truly a historic figure in Texas politics and a 
compassionate, selfless soul. We mourn her passing and are grateful for 
all she gave to our

[[Page 15895]]

community in San Antonio and to our Nation's democracy.

                          ____________________




             DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS PROGRAM

  (Mr. O'ROURKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, this is Nesbly Nayeli Saenz. She lives in 
my community, where she is raising a 14-, an 11-, and a 6-year-old U.S. 
citizen family. She is actively involved in the success of our 
community. She works two jobs, and she recently came out with over 320 
other El Pasoans to talk about the importance of ensuring that the 
DREAMers, 750,000 of our fellow Americans who were brought here to this 
country at a young age, are able to stay here. The uncertainty created 
by our President-elect's promise to end the DACA program is creating 
anxiety and fear for these DREAMers and may ultimately lead to their 
deportation, which will hurt not just those DREAMers and their 
families, it will hurt our country.
  I ask the President-elect and I ask this Congress to do our jobs to 
provide that certainty to make sure that our laws reflect our values 
and that we keep wonderful Americans like Nesbly in our communities, in 
our country. It is going to be good for them, and it is going to be 
good for our country.

                          ____________________




                           MAKE IT IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, tonight I will continue on a quest that 
we have been challenged with for the last 7 years, and that is how to 
grow the American economy.
  Coming out of the Great Recession, where we lost millions of jobs and 
some 2 million manufacturing jobs that were in addition to the previous 
6 million that had been lost in the years ahead of the Great Recession, 
we searched for how to rebuild the American economy and the great 
manufacturing base that once was the foundation for economic growth and 
the foundation for the middle class. This quest takes us yet again to, 
really, something that most Americans do not consider as manufacturing.
  Let me start with a very quick review of the project that we have 
been working on, which we call the Make It In America project, so that 
Americans can make it. Wouldn't we want all of our families to be able 
to make it in America, to be able to buy that house, to educate our 
kids, to take the vacation?
  So the Make It In America project includes trade, about which there 
has been much discussion in these recent years, in the debates in the 
election process; tax policy, which we will be dealing with shortly, 
and I may touch on that just lightly today; energy policy; labor; 
education; research; and infrastructure.
  These are some of the critical elements that we focus on when we talk 
about making it in America so that Americans can make it in America.
  Today I want to talk about a couple of pieces of this that we 
normally don't think about when we talk about manufacturing. So we will 
just put this up here and be reminded about American manufacturing.
  Think of the American farmer. Is that manufacturing? Well, I don't 
know. You take sun, water, earth, seeds, effort, entrepreneurialism, 
and you make something called food. We are going to take it just a step 
beyond that, because part of the manufacturing in America really is the 
preparation of food for Americans; in other words, the producing of the 
food taken out of the field and prepared for sale to American 
families--some of it in the grocery stores, some of it now in farmer's 
markets. But the manufacturing of food is a huge industry.
  It is also an industry that has enormous growth potential. We know 
that, for example, just in the Central Valley of California, which I 
represent--the Sacramento Valley and the San Joaquin Valley--there are 
1,659 food and beverage manufacturing establishments that are part of 
that food chain: taking rice from the fields in my district to the 
brewery and producing something that many Americans want on a Sunday 
afternoon at the tailgate party before the football game, beer, or 
maybe it is from the vineyards to the winery, and then think about all 
of the other pieces that go into that. There is the package in which 
the six-pack is packed or the crate into which the bottles of wine are 
sent off to the local retail store.
  All of those pieces are also expanded by the machinery that is in the 
winery or in the brewery or in the tomato factory. All of these are 
jobs. And in many cases, these are American manufacturing jobs way, way 
back in the chain that have produced the pump or the electric motor or 
the pipe or the vat into which all of these products would be 
manufactured. So when we talk about manufacturing in the food industry, 
which is usually ignored when we talk about manufacturing in America, 
we need to realize that it is a huge part of the American economy and 
the American manufacturing scene.
  I was recently at one of the largest tomato packing plants in 
California, the CPC plant in Woodland, California, that produces every 
kind of tomato paste you might want, all of the tomato sauce, all of 
the salsa. You name it, it is manufactured there in a very complex 
environment in which, seasonally, there are 1,200 workers and, 
annually, 125 that are left to maintain, to improve the equipment, and 
to take care of any problems that occurred in that manufacturing 
process. There are also hundreds of employed truckers who then take 
those cases of tomato paste, put them on the truck, and ship them all 
the way across America, or put them on a train or put them in a 
container to be taken to the Port of Oakland and then shipped overseas.
  So when you consider the agricultural industry, think beyond the 
farmer. Think to what one of the bosses at a big winery in California 
told me as I was touring there a couple of years ago. When I was 
talking about manufacturing, he said: Hey, come. Let's take a look out 
the back of my office.
  I said: Fine. Let's go.
  He said: Do you see that?
  I said: Yes. Those are huge tanks and pumps and all the rest.
  He said: No. That is a manufacturing facility, and what we make is 
the best wine in the entire world.
  Indeed, it was very, very good wine.
  So when we talk about bringing manufacturing jobs back to America--
and there has been much discussion, as Mr. Trump has gone off to a 
Carrier plant in Indiana--we ought to also think about food 
manufacturing, and that is something that is not going to disappear 
from the American scene because, hey, it is grown here in America, and 
it needs to be processed here in America.
  I want to take this so that we understand the full extent of the 
potential here. And if we have these elements in place, we will be able 
to create a very significant number of jobs.
  Trade policy, I am not going to get into that anymore, but this is a 
big piece of every trade deal: Will American agriculture, the farmers 
and the processors of those products, be able to trade into the 
international market? By and large, American agriculture has been 
precluded, through various trade deals of the past, from being able to 
reach its full potential in international trade.
  I want to talk specifically about labor for a moment, and these are 
the statistics from the California Department of Labor Marketing and 
Information Division.
  Between 2012 and 2022--so 4 of those years have already gone by--
there will be, in California, 51,900 total openings in the food 
manufacturing sector. Some of those are replacements; 27,000 of those 
would be to replace people who are retiring and 24,000 will be new 
openings as the manufacturing of food expands. They are in every 
category you can imagine: packing and filling machine operators, 
cleaners of the vehicles and the equipment, inspectors, industrial 
machine mechanics, packers and packagers, drivers and sale workers, 
general operations, and managers.

[[Page 15896]]

That is a huge number. There are almost 52,000 new jobs available just 
in the food processing sector of the California economy.
  Now, we make policy around here in every one of these areas, and the 
policies can enhance the food industry in the United States and create 
even more jobs in the United States. I want to give one example, and 
this is a piece of legislation that we have introduced here in 
Congress. We call it the American Food for American Schools Act--
American food for American schools. It is H.R. 6299.
  Now, for years, we have had the School Lunch Act, providing 
nutritional food for kids at school, and the law has been pretty clear. 
It is Federal tax dollars, your tax dollars, mine. The American 
taxpayers' money is supposed to be used to buy American-produced food. 
So maybe it is a peach or an apple, or maybe it is orange juice or 
perhaps one of those little packages of mixed fruits. Whatever it 
happens to be, your tax dollars are supposed to be spent on American-
produced food.
  However, that is not necessarily the case, because there is a 
loophole as wide as a container ship, and schools across the Nation 
have been able to use that loophole to avoid buying American food, even 
though they are using American taxpayer dollars.

                              {time}  1800

  So what we intend to do here is to tighten up that loophole and make 
it clear that if a school district intends to buy food produced in 
China or in Egypt or anywhere else around the world that they will have 
to tell the public that they are not buying American food, they are 
buying food produced somewhere else around the world, and using the tax 
dollars from the parents to buy foreign food rather than supporting the 
American farmer.
  I want to give you a couple of examples of the egregious nature of 
this waiver. Sacramento, California, is at the heart of the canned 
peach industry. Nearly all the canned peaches are grown within 50 miles 
of Sacramento. The Sacramento City Unified School District decided 
that, to save a few cents per can, they would reach out and buy Chinese 
peaches. I don't mean a peach that is Chinese but, rather, peaches that 
are grown in China, canned in China under food security and safety 
regulations that are anybody's guess as to what they are, and serve 
that in California, in Sacramento.
  It turns out that that created a bit of a stir and a bit of a problem 
for the school district, and they backed off, but that big loophole 
remains, and so the American Food for American Schools Act would close 
that loophole, providing opportunities for employment here in the 
United States and, in the case of Sacramento, in the Sacramento region. 
So we tightened it up. We say if a school district wants to bypass the 
Federal law and use American taxpayer money to buy strawberries from 
Egypt--which, by the way, happened to have been contaminated and were 
actually purchased by a school district across this nation, 
contaminated with hepatitis A.
  Recalls occurred. School districts used those strawberries. In one 
case in California, they made smoothies of it. Fortunately, to this 
date, we know of no illnesses that have been caused. But, clearly, if 
they had bought American, this would not have been a problem. So there 
would be notification, and there would be a very tight loophole through 
which the school districts would have to pass to avoid this issue of 
using American taxpayer dollars to buy American food.
  So the American Food for American Schools Act will have to be taken 
up next year. I believe it already is a bipartisan bill, and I would 
expect that next year it will have even more support as we make it 
clear that if we want to make it in America then we have to use our 
laws to support the American manufacturing sector. And tonight, if it 
is not yet clear, I will say it again. The farmer manufactures food--
sunlight, water, soil, nutrients, entrepreneurial activity, hard work 
and labor to make the food--and then that food moves through the 
processing chain, creating additional manufacturing jobs. By the way, 
these are not low-paying jobs. The average is $20 an hour. So we are 
talking about wages that are at the bottom end of the middle class 
structure.
  What we are looking at here are many different ways to achieve a 
rebirth, a regeneration of the American manufacturing sector, and today 
we bring something that I think most people didn't expect when we talk 
about making it in America. They didn't expect us to be saying that if 
we are going to make it in America, if Americans are going to be able 
to make it, then we ought to look to the manufacturing sector, broadly 
defined, whether it is agriculture or, as we talked about last week in 
the manufacturing of high-speed rail, the manufacturing of trains and 
vehicles of all kinds.
  So when your tax dollars are being spent, I would ask all of my 
colleagues and all of the public: Hey, are my tax dollars being spent 
on American-made goods and services, or are you buying foreign? That is 
a question for us to answer here and to write laws that encourage that 
your tax dollars will be spent on American-made goods and services. So 
we can make it in America. We can manufacture in America, and America 
can prosper as a result of the laws and the policies we put in place 
here.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________




                 I AM PROUD OF MY FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Murphy) is recognized 
for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from California for his service, for his dedication to making it in 
America and continuing to support those in agriculture, those who are 
working so hard to feed this Nation, everything they bring. I want to 
thank the gentleman.
  I rise today as a humble Member of this body, representing the people 
of Florida's 18th Congressional District since 2013. Four years ago, I 
came to Congress to work as an independent thinker toward bipartisan 
solutions, making sure that we are moving our country forward but also 
moving our Nation forward.
  To that end, I started the Congressional United Solutions Caucus with 
likeminded Members from both sides of the aisle. Working together, we 
introduced major bipartisan legislation that would cut nearly $500 
billion in government spending over 10 years by rooting out waste, 
inefficiencies, and finding some wasteful spending. I am proud that 
several of the commonsense measures outlined in the SAVE Act were 
actually passed as part of the House annual appropriations process, 
showing that both parties can actually work together to get our fiscal 
house in order.
  Furthermore, I have been proud of the bipartisan work of our State's 
delegation to put Florida first. Together, we passed major legislation 
that I introduced with Congressman Dennis Ross from Florida to improve 
the flood insurance market, giving Florida families more options for 
flood insurance coverage by bringing down the cost of those policies.
  As the founder and the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional 
Citrus Caucus, I worked with my colleagues Tom Rooney and Vern Buchanan 
to secure almost $150 million for citrus greening research that is 
vital to our State's iconic orange industry. We also passed legislation 
to expand tax incentives for replanting efforts to help the local 
farmers impacted by greening.
  Just last week, the House passed the WINGMAN Act that I introduced 
with Congressman Ted Yoho from Florida to remove barriers that prevent 
congressional staff, who already are working closely with the VA and 
local veterans on their claims, from being able to update constituents 
in a more timely manner. This change would help alleviate the burden on 
VA staff, better serve the veterans by expediting the claims process, 
and help tackle the backlog of cases.
  We also brought Members together, not just from Florida but across 
the

[[Page 15897]]

Nation, to bring attention to the crisis in our local waterways and 
highlight the urgent need for Everglades restoration efforts to help 
provide long-term relief to our communities. I will never forget how 
touched and humbled I was to see more than 100 Floridians make their 
trip to Washington. Some of those folks came up 14 hours by bus to have 
their voices heard at a historic congressional briefing on our 
waterways that I helped host in October of 2013.
  In the midst of a government shutdown, 22 Members of Congress, 
including Democrats and Republicans, Senator Bill Nelson, Leader Nancy 
Pelosi, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
Chairman Bill Shuster came together with experts, community leaders, 
and residents to raise awareness for advocates of the solutions that 
are needed.
  Every day, I am given extraordinary opportunities to help the people 
of Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast. Every day, I am afforded an 
opportunity to make a difference in a person's life. I am proud that, 
over the past 4 years, we have assisted thousands of constituents, 
helping to return over $4 million in earned benefits for the district. 
Those are lifechanging results that partisan bickering cannot take 
away.
  Too often, the negative attacks and partisanship overshadow the 
issues that actually matter to American families. We desperately need a 
new era of politics with leaders who put their country before their 
party, who solve problems instead of pointing fingers, and who are 
committed to service.
  While the outcome of this past election was not what I had hoped for 
for our State or for our Nation, there is still a window of opportunity 
for new leaders to make changes in America that our country is clearly 
yearning for. Much of the system is broken, from the money in politics 
to the corporate influences and the gerrymandering. There is too much 
outside impact influencing our election process.
  I also agree that many laws and regulations could use adjustments to 
work better for the American people and for our country. But let us 
remember that the outcome of this past election was not a mandate for 
many of the policy actions that are being discussed right now. Instead, 
we saw a still-divided nation making it more important than ever that 
we have solutions that work for all Americans, not some Americans.
  That is why I hope to see a new focus on tackling climate change, tax 
reform, investing in our infrastructure, rebuilding the middle class, 
improving educational opportunities, and protecting our country from 
the threats of cyber attacks and terrorism, all things I championed 
during my time in this Chamber.
  But above all, I hope that we do not move our country backwards. That 
requires leaders who can unite us, not those using fear and lies to 
further divide this country. I will always be the first to say that we 
must work together--not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as 
Americans. However, we cannot simply gloss over the hateful and 
divisive rhetoric that plagued our country this past year. The United 
States is better than this, and the world is watching.
  As an eternal optimist, I am hopeful that our leaders will work 
together to begin to heal these wounds and move our country forward 
together, showing that we are stronger than those who wish to divide 
us. That is what I will keep pushing for and hope that our leaders in 
Washington will join me in fighting for what is right for the American 
people.
  My commitment to our community, to the great State of Florida, and to 
our Nation will always continue. Thank you to my constituents, to my 
colleagues, and to my team for an honor of a lifetime, serving the 
Treasure Coast and Palm Beach here in the United States Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________




                     CLOSING OUT THE 114TH CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida for his service 
here in this body and wish him well as he opens the next chapter of his 
life, and I certainly hope that we will stay in touch.
  Mr. Speaker, today I come to the floor to really thank the people of 
the 10th District of Illinois for giving me an opportunity, a 
tremendous honor to become their voice here in Washington, D.C., to 
serve them here in the United States House of Representatives.
  When I first ran for Congress, it was because I, as a small-business 
owner, felt the government was making it harder and harder for me to 
put the key in the door of my small business, harder for me to hire an 
individual, and I think they should be making it easier for me to do 
those things, easier for me to put the key in the door, easier for me 
to hire that next individual.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, too many politicians and bureaucrats in 
Washington just don't understand what it takes to meet a budget and a 
payroll. We see a disconnect in so many people who are risking 
everything, who feel that the folks here in Washington, D.C., just 
don't understand. They feel that Washington has grown far too distant, 
become out of touch, and unresponsive to the real-world difficulties 
that families are facing each and every day. Too many people feel that 
government officials have forgotten who they actually work for, 
something that myself and my team never forgot.

                              {time}  1815

  Throughout my time in office, my team and I have gone to work each 
and every day to fix this disconnect. In just the past 2 years, we have 
held more than 1,000 events that we held back in the district with 
community leaders and constituents to listen, learn, act, and 
ultimately make sure that we were accessible so that those individuals 
felt that they had their voice in Washington, D.C.; that we did 
understand what they were encountering each and every day, whether it 
was up in Zion or north Chicago or down in Des Plaines or in Highland 
Park and Lake Forest.
  We responded to over 50,000 constituents' letters. We helped over 
1,250 families break through the red tape of government bureaucracy in 
order to help them with whatever it was that was plaguing them at the 
time. That really was because of the great constituent service that our 
team displayed day in and day out. We held five nonpartisan job fairs 
in order to connect 10th District jobseekers with good, high-paying 
careers that were right here in the district.
  Mr. Speaker, I represent the fourth largest manufacturing district in 
the country, and manufacturer after manufacturer would let me know: I 
have good, high-paying jobs available, I just can't find people 
qualified to take those jobs.
  Holding these job fairs was a critical thing in order to make sure 
people were able to make payments on their mortgage, to be able to make 
sure that there was food on the table. These actions made a real 
difference in people's lives for themselves and for their families.
  Mr. Speaker, I have always said that there is so much more that 
unites us than divides us. Yet, when we look at Washington, too many 
people are talking about the gridlock. That is the stuff that sells 
newspapers. That is the thing that is on the nightly news.
  Yet, people have to recognize here in this body, the people's House, 
and, frankly, across the Capitol in the Senate, that we are not 
Republicans or Democrats first, but we are Americans, first and 
foremost, and that we are all bound by the shared vision of wanting our 
communities and our Nation to succeed, to be safe, healthy, and strong.
  That is why I have always sought to work across the aisle to tackle 
the most challenging issues facing our country. The results have proved 
that, when we work together, we truly can make an enormous impact on 
the lives of the American people, we can make their lives just a little 
bit easier.

[[Page 15898]]

  When we think about what we have been able to do over the course of 
the last few years, I still remember time and again we would go to 
townhall meetings and we would go to events and talk to people, and 
they would ask: Is Washington working?
  The answer was unequivocally: No, it is not working.
  Yet, when we reminded them about some of the things that we were able 
to do over the course of the last 2 years when we worked together, most 
people were shocked.
  We passed historic, bipartisan reforms to ensure that seniors will 
continue to have access to their doctors through Medicare. This fix 
ends a nearly two-decade-long stretch of short-term patches year after 
year.
  Doctors would be concerned that, at the end of the year, they were 
going to get a 25 or 30 percent cut in their pay just for taking care 
of our seniors. Therefore, a lot of the doctors ended up saying: I am 
not going to take care of seniors.
  Well, we came together in a bipartisan way and actually fixed that 
problem. We passed the first long-term surface transportation bill and 
infrastructure funding bill in more than a decade. Our efforts brought 
money flowing into Illinois to fix our roads and rails, reduce 
congestion, and make the daily commute safer not just for the 10th 
District, but for communities all across our country.
  We passed a historic education reform bill, which will improve the 
classroom experience for students in our community. The Every Student 
Succeeds Act reduced the Federal control and returned more power to 
parents so that they could actually make more decisions about their 
children's education, to the teachers, and to the local school 
districts, which is where the power should be.
  I have to say that I am particularly proud of our Educational 
Advisory Board, which was chaired by Laz Lopez and so many others that 
contributed to that that were really instrumental in helping provide 
and in shaping some policy with regard to education in our office.
  I am particularly proud of one of the provisions that actually made 
it into the reform bill, which I authored, which will bring literally 
millions of dollars into one of the neediest school districts in our 
country, the North Chicago Community Unit School District 187. Our 
effort actually put students ahead of the interests of others and we 
put partisan politics aside to make a real difference in their lives.
  As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, it was an honor to 
be part of an effort to develop and pass important legislation to 
reduce the tax burden on families across our country. Our work allows 
small businesses and families to have more certainty when it comes to 
planning, how they are able to expense equipment and do certain things 
that they want to be able to do when it comes time to planning, 
budgeting, and the like.
  We ensure that critical antipoverty programs continue to receive the 
resources that they need to be successful while also injecting a number 
of new and innovative ideas into the conversation that will better help 
people reach their fullest potential.
  I want to make special mention of the great work being done by 
YouthBuild, which is helping young men and women in Lake County. 
YouthBuild is a nationwide organization, but their Lake County chapter 
is one of the best. I recognize that I may be biased, but they are 
helping individuals that might have taken a wrong turn throughout an 
early part of their life, giving them real-world skills to be able to 
get on their feet and be able to move forward. I will forever be in 
their debt for doing really incredible work to provide hope for an 
enormous number of individuals.
  Over the last 2 years, we secured robust funding for programs like 
the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in order to protect what I 
believe is one of our greatest natural resources in the Great Lakes. 
Our bipartisan efforts bring us one step closer to ensuring that we 
keep this incredible asset, incredible resource clean for future 
generations.
  We worked across the aisle to pass bills to prevent sex trafficking 
as well as ensure survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence 
have the resources that they need.
  Most recently, we worked together to pass landmark legislation known 
as 21st Century Cures Act. In that bill was a bill that was certainly 
near and dear to many, and certainly to Dr. Tim Murphy, in the Helping 
Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.
  So many are being impacted around the country, and this is something 
that needs our attention. This soon-to-be law also increases funding 
for the National Institutes of Health, which will speed up our efforts 
to find cures to many of the world's deadliest diseases while also 
delivering long-overdue reforms to address the gaps in our Nation's 
mental health system.
  When we think about the National Institutes of Health, Mr. Speaker, 
we actually passed over the last 2 years the largest increase in 
funding for the National Institutes of Health.
  I do believe that, if we want to try to reduce the costs of health 
care, one of the things that we are going to have to do is come up with 
cures for things like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease and 
diabetes. We spend $330 billion every year treating diabetes. If we 
came up with a cure, I am confident that we could put those resources 
to use in so many other areas.
  Mr. Speaker, these are just a few examples of what can be 
accomplished when we set aside our partisan differences and decide to 
work together for the people that we represent.
  Of course, another area we notably did on this is the issue of 
prescription drug and heroin abuse. There is one family in particular 
that inspired our team's efforts, which deserves, I believe, special 
mention.
  In the suburbs of Chicago, Mr. Speaker, someone dies from a heroin 
overdose every 3 days. In Cook County, it is every day. They leave 
behind a family in grief.
  I first met Chelsea Laliberte nearly 5 years ago. She grew up in 
Buffalo Grove, just outside of Chicago, with her brother Alex. Alex 
graduated from Stevenson High School. He played sports. He got good 
grades. He had a tremendous number of friends. Then, during his 
sophomore year in college, he started getting sick.
  When Alex got sick, he would go to the hospital and get better and 
get back on his feet, at least for a little while; but a few months 
later, this would repeat. He would get sick and be admitted once again. 
It was a vicious cycle.
  Honestly, his family didn't know what was going on. What we did 
finally find out is that Alex was addicted to prescription drugs and he 
was suffering from withdrawal, which brought him to the hospital. Then, 
in 2008, just a few days after final exams, Alex Laliberte overdosed 
and died. He was 20 years old.
  As a father, I can't imagine the pain of losing one of my children to 
a drug overdose. But sadly, too many families have experienced this 
loss. Heroin abuse and prescription drug abuse is an epidemic that is 
impacting our entire country.
  I worked with Chelsea and the Laliberte family to introduce a bill 
called Lali's Law, named in memory of Alex, that would increase access 
to an overdose antidote called naloxone.
  Naloxone has already saved more than 150 lives in Lake County, 
Illinois, alone in just the last 2 years. This was really done by the 
initiative of Mike Nerheim and the police and so many people coming 
together. The police actually asked if they could carry naloxone 
because they were tired of showing up on the scene and seeing someone 
right before them die from an overdose.
  When they agreed and gave first responders in squad cars the ability 
to administer naloxone, life after life was saved. So I do want to 
recognize Mike Nerheim and all those at the Lake County Opioid 
Initiative for the great work that they are doing, the lives that they 
are saving. This is something that, frankly, we are just starting to 
address and there is a lot more work, obviously, that needs to be done.

[[Page 15899]]

  The World Health Organization actually says that with increasing 
access to naloxone, we have an opportunity to save over 20,000 lives 
this year. Working together, we passed our bill through the House and 
with overwhelmingly bipartisan support secured its inclusion in the 
Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which the President signed 
into law in July.
  It is my sincere hope that, because of our efforts, Alex's lasting 
legacy will include saving countless lives, sparing families this 
unimaginable grief, and giving people all across our country a second 
chance at recovery.
  While I am tremendously proud of the achievements that we have 
accomplished together, there is still, of course, so much more that 
needs to be done. The costs of taking care of our families, educating 
our children, providing health care, and saving for retirement have all 
become more burdensome in the recent years.
  Misguided economic policies hold back our small businesses and 
entrepreneurs and too many families are being trapped in generational 
poverty without the opportunities for meaningful work or for a quality 
education.
  As a father of three young children and the son of a schoolteacher, 
one of the most important issues that I have tackled during my time in 
Congress has been ensuring that future generations are equipped with 
the skills that they need to succeed. A quality education is the 
building blocks for literally everything that we want to achieve, from 
curing cancer and Alzheimer's to helping hardworking individuals secure 
a good, high-paying job.
  Among the work that I am most proud of in this Congress are three 
important bills that we put forward.
  First, we wrote the HELP for Students and Parents Act to make college 
more affordable, more accessible for literally everyone. Today, across 
the United States, there are $1.3 trillion in student loan debt between 
40 million Americans. Sadly, there are students in our community as 
young as elementary school who now believe that, because their families 
don't have the means to pay, they are never going to be able to achieve 
the dream of going to college, regardless of how hard they work. That 
is simply unacceptable and must change.
  The HELP for Students and Parents Act is one measure that can improve 
by helping make employer contributions towards employee student loan 
repayment and the employer contributions towards 529 college savings 
accounts for a worker's child--the norm in American society.
  Building on these ideas that are commonplace today, such as tax 
benefits that encourage employer-sponsored retirement accounts and 
health care, this legislation would update the Tax Code to reflect the 
financial goals of students and parents seeking to help with student 
debt. With only 3 percent of employers currently offering student loan 
debt repayment, this is a meaningful way to ease the anxiety of student 
debt and make college education more attainable for people all across 
our country.
  Second, Mr. Speaker, we introduced the Stand Up for Students Act to 
level the playing field for low-income school districts that are being 
ravaged by fiscal mismanagement in my home State.

                              {time}  1830

  Sadly, for years, Springfield and the politicians there have taxed 
Federal money given to school districts serving low-income students in 
an effort to pay down debts created due to fiscal mismanagement. Under 
no circumstances should these politicians be allowed to use Federal 
money intended to help the most in-need schools to bail themselves out 
of a mess that they created through decades of irresponsible spending.
  The Stand Up for Students Act would hold Springfield accountable and 
would ensure that we are giving the most vulnerable children the best 
chance at success by stopping this immoral tax on students who need our 
help the most.
  And third, beyond education in the classroom, I want to underscore 
our efforts in advancing innovative antipoverty measures that will 
connect hardworking people with a job. I introduced the Accelerating 
Individuals into the Workforce Act to help reform the way our country 
thinks about poverty and getting people back to work. With nearly 50 
million Americans still living in poverty, we must demand a new and 
better approach.
  The Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act helps those on 
welfare land a job. It does this by providing funding that will reduce 
the cost to an employer for taking a chance and hiring an individual 
who may be on welfare. This boost can make all the difference in the 
world for that individual seeking a job, and I am pleased that this 
legislation passed the House earlier this year.
  Moving forward, I urge my colleagues in the next Congress to take up 
these three bills to help our students and young workers and 
individuals struggling to climb the economic ladder the educational 
opportunities that they deserve, and let's help people reach their full 
potential.
  I also urge my colleagues in this body to take up other pieces of 
legislation. I certainly am hopeful that we can tackle immigration 
reform. As a nation of immigrants, we know that this is a humanitarian 
issue. It is an economic issue, and a national security issue that, 
frankly, must be tackled.
  When we look at those, the DREAMers that are as American as many of 
us right here in this body, we want to make sure that they have an 
opportunity to stay here in our country, to be contributing members of 
our community, and to be able to continue to live their lives as they 
are doing right now. We want them to come out of the shadows and have 
an opportunity to succeed.
  I also think we have an opportunity and a need to move forward on 
commonsense gun legislation, on background checks, because, again, I 
think the thing that we have to come back to, Mr. Speaker, is the idea 
that we want to focus on what unites us. Coming from the Chicago area, 
I can tell you what we have to do and what unites us is the idea that 
we want to reduce gun violence.
  One of our colleagues here in the House, my friend, Danny Davis, just 
lost his grandson just a few short weeks ago, an altercation in this 
young man's home over a pair of tennis shoes.
  We have to step up and do something that, again, is not infringing on 
Second Amendment rights, but is talking about some commonsense 
legislation to make our community safer.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the difference that we 
have made on foreign affairs and national security, because one thing 
that I love about the 10th District is that there are so many great 
people who are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the strong 
alliances and the grave threats that we have overseas.
  Beginning with my first speech here in this Chamber nearly 6 years 
ago, I have worked to stand against the Iranian aggression and Iran's 
pursuit of a nuclear weapon. For years, I have been a strong and 
unapologetic advocate for ratcheting up the sanctions and pressure on 
Iran. I have pushed for promoting human rights and democracy inside of 
Iran and have devoted much time on this very floor to warn against 
agreeing to a fundamentally flawed nuclear pact with Iran.
  I continue to believe that the Iranian nuclear agreement is a 
historic mistake that has emboldened our enemies and will haunt us for 
a generation. It has endangered our friends and, frankly, is just 
misguided. The same fatal flaws with the agreement that existed a year 
ago still continue to this day.
  I am proud of our efforts to lead on this issue. I am heartened that 
our bipartisan majority in the Congress rejected this dangerous 
agreement, and I continue to call on Congress to lead the way in 
restoring a crippling sanctions architecture on Iran.
  Mr. Speaker, I am also incredibly proud of our efforts to strengthen 
the U.S.-Israel relationship these past few years:
  We have ensured robust foreign assistance so that Israel may protect 
its civilians from the many terror threats

[[Page 15900]]

on its borders. We have fought to combat efforts in the international 
community, including in the United Nations, that seek to delegitimize 
Israel and wrongly pressure Israel to give up its defensible borders.
  We have unequivocally condemned instances of Palestinian incitement 
to violence against Israelis. We openly and proudly welcomed Prime 
Minister Netanyahu's speech before the Congress last February.
  And, of course, we authored legislation known as the Combating BDS 
Act of 2016, which has earned over 160 cosponsors in this body. This 
critical legislation, which I am hopeful will pass in the next 
Congress, provides a much-needed opportunity so that we may go on the 
offensive against the hateful Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions 
Movement against the State of Israel.
  While we do not know what the future will hold, or every upcoming 
challenge that we will face in the Middle East, I am confident that the 
United States will be best-served by continuing to strengthen our 
partnership with Israel, so that we can face these security challenges 
together, shoulder to shoulder.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, none of our work in this Congress would have been 
possible without the incredible team that was truly dedicated to 
improving the lives of the people of the 10th Congressional District.
  Now, that team starts with two great chiefs: James Slepian, who was 
the chief when we first came in this Congress, more of a quiet leader, 
very sharp, a quick wit, was incredibly instrumental in guiding us 
through some turbulent times; and David Stern, whom I consider to be a 
dear friend, and his advice and counsel is some that I cherish. He is a 
little bit misguided on his love for the White Sox, but we will forgive 
him on that. But the long and the short of it is a passionate advocate 
for the people of the 10th District and one who always has a smile on 
his face.
  They helped lead an incredible team, along with my deputy chief of 
staff, Kim Brisky, who always had an opportunity to make sure that we 
stayed on the straight and narrow, who always was there for us when we 
needed a pick-me-up. And so, Kim, who is, I am sure, going on to bigger 
and better things, she was absolutely fantastic.
  My deputy director, Philippe Melin, actually has been with me as long 
as anyone. And I will say that he may sometimes rub people the wrong 
way, but I have always appreciated his passion for the district, his 
ability to throw himself into any particular issue, to fight on behalf 
of children when it comes to education; whether it be building 
coalitions, Philippe has actually been super.
  My legislative director, Matt Diller, is that quiet individual that 
made sure the trains were running on time.
  Our communications director, Brad Stewart, probably held up a camera 
more times than I care to remember, and I apologize to him for messing 
up probably more times than I needed to. Ultimately, when it came to 
our social media and actually getting the word out, Brad was vitally 
important in making sure that our message was getting out to the people 
that it needed to.
  We had an outstanding staff in Washington that worked hard to amplify 
the voice of each and every constituent, and Jordan Heyman, who was 
really focused on a lot of healthcare work, came to us from the 
campaign, but really rolled up her sleeves and was fantastic.
  Noah Barger, Noah--or Jason, as he is sometimes referred to--always 
had a smile on his face, was probably one of the rocks in that office.
  Chelsea Caulfield, who is truly the spark plug of our team, and would 
come into the office to see a smile from Chelsea, who made sure that I 
was where I needed to be and when I needed to be there.
  Brittany Consolo, who came into our office. Time and again, people 
would always comment about how kind Brittany was, and so, for her, I 
say that we know that she has got a very bright future as well.
  And the hardest working district office in the country:
  Eric Miller, who really was what I consider one of the leaders of our 
casework, is one of the guys that put his head down day in and day out. 
We would not be or could not have gotten to the 1,250 cases were it not 
for Eric;
  Victoria Williams, who has a special talent when it comes to not only 
working with people and connecting, especially with those on domestic 
abuse and the like, which was an area that she threw herself into;
  Peter Collins, who had more spreadsheets available than I think 
anybody else, but Peter, again, one of my favorite Hellenic individuals 
in the office;
  Scott Lietzow was a passionate advocate and worked with our veterans 
day in and day out and helped put our Veterans Advisory Board together, 
and he worked with them day in and day out to make a difference in 
their lives;
  Allie Breschi, a proud Denison graduate, was helping Brad out in 
terms of our communications and did a super job;
  Andy Chiero also worked with our veterans;
  Alma Herrera, who, I think was really a dynamo, and we missed her as 
she went off to finish up some schooling;
  Natalie Szmyd came in and filled the role and helped out with our 
Polish community;
  Bobby Miller also was one of those individuals that exceeded 
expectations right from the beginning;
  Jordan Richter and Nikki West; Ginny Wood, who helped out with our 
seniors; Justo Arellano and Martin Lopez really were absolutely 
fantastic in rounding out our team.
  So again, I think you are only as good as the team that you have put 
together, and I am super proud of the team that I was able to put 
together, that really worked tirelessly on behalf of the constituents 
of the 10th District.
  One of the things I am proud of is that lifelong Democrats would come 
up to us and say, you know, thanks for helping us out on this, and I 
think that we have got to talk to you about, you know, when you do 
something good for us. But ultimately, our job was, regardless of whom 
you are elected by, I made sure that our team knew that we represented 
100 percent of the people.
  This team really cared so much about the work that we were doing and 
made a real difference in the lives of literally everyone that they had 
an opportunity to touch.
  But some people that I think are important to thank are my 
colleagues. This is a pretty remarkable place, with some really 
remarkable people, and I want to thank them for their friendship and 
the great work that we were able to accomplish together. I will miss 
them dearly, those on the other side of the aisle as well, because most 
of our legislation, almost every piece of legislation that we offered, 
was with bipartisan support. I kept telling my team, if we couldn't get 
those on the other side of the aisle to sign up, this bill wasn't going 
anywhere.
  I also want to thank the people who make this body work, the unsung 
heroes, the folks down in the wood shop, the folks behind the rostrum, 
the people that make Congress work. Really, these are the folks that 
respect the institution, and the institution will move on 10 years from 
now and, we hope, hundreds of years from now.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, the last group that I want to thank is my family. I 
have three beautiful children and a wife who is a saint to allow me to 
do this day in and day out. So, for Harper, Bobby, and Honor, thank you 
for giving up the time. I am sorry that I was not there, but we have a 
new chapter; and so we know, if this is the worst thing that happens in 
terms of our time away from the Congress, we have great new things 
ahead for us.
  And for my bride, Danielle, sweetheart, I want to thank you for 
giving me the opportunity to do this. I know that you oftentimes were 
the one making sure that the trains ran on time back at home, and for 
that I will forever be grateful.
  So from day one, this has been about working together to get the job 
done, making the Federal Government more efficient, effective, and 
accountable, and restoring strong American leadership on the global 
stage.
  When I was growing up, my parents gave me a plaque that said: ``Your 
integrity determines your identity.'' As a

[[Page 15901]]

small-business owner, I learned that nothing gets done without 
teamwork.

                              {time}  1845

  If we want to achieve anything as a nation, we must commit to 
advancing commonsense, bipartisan solutions to break through this 
gridlock. That is why I am so proud to have consistently been ranked 
one of the most independent, bipartisan Members in the United States 
Congress. This commitment to genuine bipartisanship has been the key to 
some of our biggest successes that we have had over the last 2 years. 
It is also what has helped us to become effective on amplifying the 
independent voice for the 10th District of Illinois.
  I strongly believe that America's best days, Mr. Speaker, are ahead 
of us. Together, I am confident that we can ensure a more prosperous 
and free future for our children and for future generations.
  To the people of the 10th District, I offer my sincere thanks for the 
opportunity of a lifetime to be able to represent you in the United 
States Congress. It has truly been the greatest honor of my life.
  To my staff, again, I want to say ``thank you'' for all that you do. 
It has been an honor to be able to work with you.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________




                           THE FIRST 100 DAYS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) is 
recognized for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the 
majority leader.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Mr. Speaker, before I begin my remarks, I think it's 
only appropriate to congratulate, thank, and wish all the best to my 
friend, Bob Dold.
  Bob, you have earned a reputation around here. You may not know it, 
but I am going to tell it to you: I think you are the hardest working 
person here. I listened to a number of your accomplishments. It is not 
only representative of your thoughtfulness and your desire to serve the 
country, but it is this integrity of work ethic that has impressed me 
and so many other Members here.
  I know this departure is a bit bittersweet. Sweet in a sense that you 
are now free to be with your primary purpose in life: your children, 
your family, and your mission together as a family; and a little bit 
bitter in that you are going to miss us and we will miss you. I thank 
you for your leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, regarding my remarks tonight, I want to begin with a 
little anecdote. Vice President-elect Mike Pence was a Member of the 
House of Representatives. I overlapped some time and service with him. 
He was a friend and, in some ways, a mentor. He came to speak to a 
group of us recently, and Vice President-elect Pence had this to say: 
Buckle up.
  Buckle up because, Mr. Speaker, the next 100 days are going to be 
intense. Beginning in January, we will have a new President and a new 
Congress. The next 100 days not only will be intense, but it will also 
create possibilities. That next 100 days will set a new architecture 
for government and a repurposed relationship between the people and the 
state.
  Mr. Speaker, for far too long, partisan paralysis has plagued this 
Congress leading to stagnation in Washington. We know it and the people 
know it. With this historic and transformative election, the playbooks 
of both political parties that had been used for decades are tattered 
and lay in shreds; and rightfully so.
  This transition of Presidential administrations has unleashed the 
potential for a genuine reimagining of public policy, and it is time 
for the Nation to adopt a more inclusive model. Power that has been 
concentrated in Washington and on Wall Street has left millions of 
Americans feeling left behind and at the margins of what many regard as 
a corrupt and elitist world. Millions of Americans face stagnating 
wages, downward mobility, and an increased cost-of-living. Income 
inequality has risen while, at the same time, the small business sector 
has been seriously harmed. This must change.
  So what are we looking at?
  We are looking at this: we are looking at new healthcare horizons, 
new trade and tax policies aimed at restoring the decimated 
manufacturing sector, returning jobs and returning dignity and social 
cohesion to large swaths of our Nation. An economic system of inclusion 
and empowerment capable of generating widespread participation is now 
the new center ground of this country.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, in the time that we have, I would like to survey 
multiple public policy areas that are in need of deep replenishment, 
and I would like to speak about the opportunity of possibilities that 
lies before us.
  So right out of the gate, what are we going to do?
  Congress will launch a significant healthcare reform initiative. Mr. 
Speaker, we all know this, but it needs to be said once again: 
skyrocketing cost and diminished choice is the residue of poor policy, 
and we can do better. At the same time, we cannot default back to the 
previous arrangement which left way too many persons behind. While 
there might be a fierce fight in this body on the specifics of reform 
proposal, broad agreement will likely coalesce around two things: 
protecting persons from inhuman market forces while, at the same time, 
incentivizing the best of market innovation to bring about change.
  Americans with spiraling healthcare costs know that a new healthcare 
construct is needed. To address these concerns, the next approach must 
reinvigorate health insurance with the goals of lowering price, 
protecting the sick, and improving options. The next generation health 
savings account will be at the cornerstone of this effort restoring 
relationship, responsibility, and respect as drivers of healthcare 
policy.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act, known as ObamaCare, has 
helped some people, yet, at the same time, it has hurt others. We often 
speak about repealing and replacing it, but perhaps it is time to speak 
about repealing it and replacing the repeal-and-replace language with 
new language that really underlies the principles that we all ought to 
be embracing. They are really three-fold; the first of which is 
relationship, responsibility, and respect.
  Mr. Speaker, for persons who have had a gravely sick child, perhaps 
there is nothing more difficult than having to turn that child's care 
over to other persons. I recall when our daughter, Kathryn, was a 
little infant. My wife and I, with our daughter, walked to the door of 
the surgery room and then handed her over to the nurse. We had to let 
her go into the hands of people that we had to trust. She has had a 
long journey. She has had five major heart surgeries and nine total 
surgeries. But that very first moment where we turned our little baby 
over to the nurse was an extraordinarily poignant and deeply impactful 
one for my wife and me, made only better by the reality that that team 
of people that had been put around her genuinely cared and that we were 
in relationship with them. Relationship between the doctor and the 
patient, between a healthcare system and the person--not the commodity, 
but the person--is an absolutely critical first principle.
  Mr. Speaker, a long time ago, I had a very severe headache. I was a 
young man, and I had to buy my insurance privately. I did so. I tried 
to be responsible. But because that headache was so intense, I decided: 
Well, I am going to have to seek a specialist.
  Bypassing the family doctor in order to save myself $50, I went to 
the ENT, the ear, nose, and throat surgeon. She told me that, after an 
x-ray, she couldn't really tell what the problem was and that they were 
going to need to do a CAT scan.
  Immediately I launched into some questions. I said: Doctor, I know 
there is a problem with medical liability and there is an attempt by 
the medical establishment to create the conditions in which the 
potential for lawsuits is mitigated and there are a lot of tests to 
run.

[[Page 15902]]

  She interrupts me. She says: Why are you telling me all this?
  I said: Because, Doctor, I am paying for it. I have a major medical 
policy, what is called a catastrophic policy, with a very high 
deductible. This is coming out of my pocket. Do you really need the 
test?
  She said: Oh, I see. Well, yes, I need the test; but now that you 
said that, I am just looking at your sinuses. So why don't we call a 
couple of places in town and ask them if they could widen the cross 
section of the image and give you a discount for doing so?
  She had her assistant do that. In a minute, we found a facility that 
would actually discount the price based upon another type of test.
  So what happened here?
  I saved perhaps another $75, the doctor got the tests that she 
needed, and perhaps, more importantly, the community resource was more 
properly allocated because I had a role in the decisionmaking process. 
Put in economic terms, I had an incentive in the allocation of that 
resource because I was paying for it. That is called responsibility.
  Back to this idea of what we are coming to, particularly for the next 
generation, the younger generation, whereby we create and revitalize 
the whole health savings account policy apparatus. If you set a little 
money aside on a tax-deferred basis, then it helps you control the 
ordinary costs of health care, and, at the same time, if something goes 
wrong, you shouldn't have to be on the gurney in the hospital asking 
for a price list for the cheapest anesthesiologist. No, you are 
protected. That is the right methodology of thinking forward that will 
actually protect you when you are in vulnerable circumstances but 
empower you to take better control in relationship with your doctor and 
medical provider of those first-dollar costs.
  That is what I think we can see coming as a cornerstone of the 
revival of our healthcare system. That is a start of a system we can 
regard with respect. It is relationship, responsibility, and respect. 
Those are the principles and the new cornerstones of health care moving 
forward.
  Mr. Speaker, regarding infrastructure, another important policy area, 
broad bipartisan agreement exists around rebuilding our Nation's 
infrastructure. From airports to roads, to bridges, to information 
technology, new projects are on the horizon. I would add that 
sustainable energy should be on that list. As a public good, properly 
selected infrastructure improvements are a benefit to society at large.
  Infrastructure can also be virtual, setting up systems for better 
interconnectivity. It also has implications for health care as we build 
out, for instance, innovative healthcare models. The challenge, of 
course, to all of us will be in financing and insuring the proper 
division between Federal, State, and local governments as well as with 
the private sector.
  Mr. Speaker, the third policy area is spending. In an unprecedented 
legislative development, our government is moving forward on two 
budgets simultaneously. Those of us serving on the House Appropriations 
Committee have a very heavy lift. In a parallel process, we will fix up 
the current budget while creating a budget for the following year.
  While it is easy to speak about new ideas, plans to pay for them are 
the test of smart government. We must remain sober about spending. 
Deficit spending is a form of taxation--especially on the poor and 
seniors--when this debt that is run up is monetized. The good news is 
that this peculiar set of circumstances gives lawmakers--all of us--
much more flexibility in creating genuinely creative policy outcomes.
  Mr. Speaker, a fourth area I want to touch on is taxes. Tax is a 
broad issue that, like health care, has many thorny and complex 
considerations. I anticipate that Congress will move to solve tax 
anomalies that harm America's competitive standing in the world, 
including giveaways to multinational corporations. The Tax Code should 
reposition funds captured overseas to be brought back into America, and 
any reform should prioritize small business--the source of new jobs and 
the source of local economies.
  This process should really be guided by a three-fold goal. First of 
all, fairness. Second, simplification. And the third is economic growth 
in order to produce revenues for the government.

                              {time}  1900

  First of all, let's touch on this issue of fairness. President-elect 
Trump, our new President, has called for doing away with a provision in 
the Tax Code called carried interest. I agree with him. If you are 
wealthy enough, you can basically take income and restructure it to be 
paid as capital gains. That means a higher income tax becomes a much 
lower tax through this mechanism. The vast majority of people in 
America can't do it. A few can. Closing this is not a panacea, 
necessarily, but it is a good first step. It points to a deeper 
principle; one that is called fairness.
  When a person makes things with their own two hands, when they use 
the creative gifts of their intellect, this is an imprint of their own 
personal dignity, the dignity of work, that gift, that meaningful place 
where you can actually see the fruit of your own labor.
  So what is the first thing we do? We tax it. We call it earned 
income, while another category of income called unearned gets a 
preferential rate. This is a discussion we need to have.
  The second point, simplification. A few years back, we had a tax 
reform act here. It was controversial. A number of us voted for it, and 
it passed. Before doing that, I decided to run up the road and see 
someone who lives near where I do. His name is Warren Buffett. Now, 
Warren Buffett and I have different philosophical approaches on many 
things, but he was generous enough to welcome me to his office. We 
spent about an hour together. I wanted to get his particular 
perspective not only on that tax bill but on some other things.
  In an interesting exchange, Mr. Buffett turned around to his 
credenza, pulled out a file, an old file, pulled out a single piece of 
paper, and said: Jeff, just do this, just do this. Put the Tax Code on 
a piece of paper. Simplification.
  Now, a Tax Code, in reality, cannot always be cut. It has to be 
optimized. We have to run the government, we have to have revenues, but 
in a manner that does not deteriorate the ability of the economy, small 
business and others, to create jobs, and to provide the proper catalyst 
for economic growth. And that is the balance.
  Mr. Speaker, let me turn to the issue of regulation. But before I do, 
can I inquire as to the amount of time that is left.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Donovan). The gentleman from Nebraska 
has 11 minutes remaining.
  Mr. FORTENBERRY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Let's touch upon the issue of regulation. Washington is readying to 
correct regulatory overreach that has constrained the ability of small 
business to flourish. For far too long, Washington has distorted 
markets and, most importantly, the imagination of people to find better 
solutions for themselves and for their neighbors. Government must play 
its role, but with constraints on its tendency to seize more power.
  Mr. Speaker, I recently visited a 125-year-old bank in a small town 
called North Bend, Nebraska. It is an agriculture community. This bank 
is now in its fourth generation. The family was eager to show me 
something they had recently discovered. There is an architectural gym 
that had been covered over by a ceiling. In doing some remodeling, they 
found a hidden stained glass panel and gorgeous ornamentation on the 
various beams above. The bank is, rightly, proud to showcase this 
history and this beautiful symbol of a flourishing past.
  The story began when all of the banks in the area in this town went 
under during the Great Depression. One of the local banks reorganized 
itself and came forward with a proposal to the community. It was this: 
If you stay with us, you stay with our bank, we

[[Page 15903]]

will give you 50 cents on your dollar now and pay you back the rest 
over time.
  Mr. Speaker, it took the family that owned that bank 20 years, but 
they paid every dime back to every member of that bank, without ever 
taking a dividend for themselves until that money was paid back. The 
original owner died shortly thereafter. He gave his word, and he got it 
done.
  As a longstanding community institution, this local bank did not 
bring our Nation down in the financial crisis of 2008. It did not 
benefit from insider class privilege that enabled liar loans and high-
risk collateralized debt negotiations. It did not help multinational 
banking conglomerates grow so large in hubris and reach that they 
nearly tanked our economy. At the same time, this small Nebraska bank 
is besieged by a regulatory overlay created by a crisis that it did not 
participate in. It is not fair.
  So rightsizing regulation does not mean doing away with it, Mr. 
Speaker. It means what is sensible to protect the health and safety and 
well-being and create a fair playing field for everyone with minimal 
intrusion for maximum market functionality. There is a real cost to 
regulation, there is a real cost to no regulation, and there is a real 
cost to dumb regulation. We look forward to finding that balance once 
again.
  Mr. Speaker, there are many other aspects that I could speak about 
regarding community revitalization and foreign policy, but I want to 
touch on an important debate that is under way now regarding our 
immigration system. Our immigration system is stretched. Laws have not 
been enforced, have led to chaos and dislocation, testing the natural 
generosity of Americans. Righting the legal system, stopping 
unscrupulous employers, and holding those who break the law to account 
are the start of restoring a humane and fair immigration policy.
  In another small town right north of Omaha, Blair, Nebraska, it is 
nestled among the beautiful, rolling, wooded hills along the Missouri 
River. It is a traditional hub of agricultural activity as well. I am 
proud to represent them in the United States Congress.
  There are several large manufacturing plants, and it is a very stable 
community, a community of very strong values, so much so that recently 
a Sunday school class of little children wrote to me about the need to 
help other impoverished children in countries across the world. Their 
letters were so touching and heartwarming. They demonstrated this 
enduring universal ideal that animates the moral imagination of 
Nebraska's young people and young people throughout the country.
  But fast forward to a jarring criminal incident that took place a few 
months ago when three men were arrested in Blair driving nearly 90 
miles per hour, with a loaded gun, stolen in Iowa. Two of them were 
Somali immigrants from Lincoln and Minneapolis here on visas. Both were 
wanted by the Department of Homeland Security, and, between the two, 
had 34 previous arrests. The third man had 50 previous arrests. Even 
though the three have been in America long enough to have been arrested 
94 times, they still requested a court interpreter. They abused their 
privilege. They do not belong in America.
  America has a great capacity to be generous. But those who have 
received our generosity have an obligation. If you want to come to 
America, you will accept American values. If you want to come to 
America, you will work, provide for yourself, and integrate responsibly 
into dutiful citizenship. If you want to come to America, it is 
absolutely essential, and I and many others will stand with you. 
Celebrate your past culture, explain it to your new community, and, at 
the same time, celebrate your new one, as so many good people coming to 
our country do.
  Our Nation has generally maintained a vibrant immigration system, and 
it has been an important part of the character and development of our 
country, but chaos, disorder, and crime undermine our ability to 
maintain that openness.
  Of all of our country's pressing priorities, one of the most should 
be ensuring that the criminal justice system, the judicial system, and 
the immigration system work in concert to swiftly remove persons who 
have seriously transgressed our laws. This will help keep America safe 
and protect the integrity of immigration policy for those who want to 
come here, rebuild their lives, contribute to this wonderful society, 
and sustain America's generous impulse.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is appropriate to leave you tonight with some 
comments on the future of democracy. Some of what I talked about are 
ideals, but they give us a chance to envision and create a more 
inclusive government, economy, and society. Given that the future of 
democracy depends on quickly moving forward in the right direction, 
there is a mood of both curiosity as well as urgency here. Curiosity as 
to how we are going to translate this moment and urgency not to waste 
it.
  Even though the election was a proxy for many open and deep 
philosophical divides in our country, now there is the possibility of 
great change. As President-elect Trump said on the night of his 
election: We must now come together, and I want to be President for all 
Americans.
  President Obama very generously and graciously extended a hand of 
friendship to President Trump and said: President Bush was so 
extraordinarily helpful to me in this transition, I will work the same 
in any way he wants with President-elect Trump.
  President Clinton, admitting that this was a painful loss said: It 
was a fair election. We need to give the new President-elect a chance, 
and we must unite.
  I think that set an important tone, Mr. Speaker.
  We take it for granted, but this demonstrated the brilliance of how 
our democracy provides for this peaceful transition of power. In spite 
of some protest, we have witnessed the ongoing resiliency of America's 
governing traditions. In Congress, a great deal of ideological rigidity 
has been vaporized. Conversations among fellow Republicans and 
Democrats are yielding a sense of new horizons, which, if properly 
considered, will help shape a meaningful approach with the next White 
House.
  Mr. Speaker, the next hundred days are critical. It is time to create 
the architecture of a 21st century government, one that is innovative, 
one that is effective, restoring the trust and confidence of the 
people.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a great old movie starring Bette Davis called 
``All About Eve.'' In that classic Hollywood moment, she looks around 
to her guest with that smoldering gaze and says: ``Fasten your 
seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night.''
  Mr. Speaker, real change is always bumpy. But when done with purpose 
and clarity, with the intention of doing good for others, we can allow 
ourselves to dream big again.
  I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________




                       HONORING RANDY NEUGEBAUER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Smith) for 30 minutes.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous materials on the subject of this Special 
Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin), the chairman of the Space 
Subcommittee of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
  Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, it is a tremendous honor and privilege for me 
to stand up here to honor one of my colleagues, who is going to be 
retiring, Representative Randy Neugebauer, who is just finishing up his 
seventh term. He has been a great mentor. I am finishing up my first 
term in office.

[[Page 15904]]

  I want to say how much the Neugebauers mean to me and my wife, 
Roxanne.
  Randy Neugebauer and his beautiful wife, Dana, have been a tremendous 
addition not only to the Texas delegation up here in the United States 
Congress but also to the Republican spouses and Democrat spouses, who 
have worked so long and hard for many years to support their Member 
spouses.

                              {time}  1915

  I just want to say how much I appreciate him, admire him, and wish 
him Godspeed. He is a great Christian man, and his wife is a great 
Christian woman. We appreciate so very, very much his long years of 
service to our country, to our Nation, to his district, as well as to 
his God.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin) for 
his comments.
  I now yield to another colleague from Texas, Roger Williams.
  Mr. WILLIAMS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to join my colleagues down here 
tonight to honor a patriot and a good friend, Congressman Randy 
Neugebauer.
  While your retirement is well-deserved, Randy, your departure is, 
certainly, a loss not only to us as your friends, but to Texas and 
America.
  Randy and I serve together on the Financial Services Committee. 
Before we came up to Washington, we were both in small businesses. 
Still are. I knew Randy before he was a Congressman, and he is still 
the same guy. Congressman Neugebauer is a voice of reason. He has 
valuable, firsthand knowledge of how the private sector works--
knowledge which is needed very much in Washington today. He understands 
how Washington's decisions affect Main Street America. That empathy is 
crucial to conducting good policy, and it is rare. We could use more 
lawmakers like Randy Neugebauer. Congressman Neugebauer is a Texas Tech 
fan. I feel sorry for him, but he always thinks they will win every 
single game.
  Congressman Randy Neugebauer, I wish you and your wife, Dana, my best 
as you begin the next chapter of your lives. May your spare time be 
spent with your grandkids, fly fishing, and rooting for the Raiders. 
You have served your State and our Nation with honor and devotion. We 
will all miss you. You will be missed. I must simply say to you, Randy, 
guns up. May God bless you, and may God bless America for allowing you 
to serve this great country.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. I appreciate the gentleman's comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, 
another good Texan, Michael Conaway.
  Mr. CONAWAY. I thank my friend for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to brag on Randy Neugebauer. He is a 
friend, and he and I have a unique circumstance that we share in that 
we ran against each other in Texas. Larry Combest served District 19 at 
that point in time, and they had a special election. Randy and I ran 
against each other. It hasn't happened in a long time, but right after 
that election, people asked me: What do you think about Randy 
Neugebauer?
  I said: Well, he is my friend.
  They said: I know, but that is what you politicians always say--the 
``good gentleman,'' the ``friend.'' You never tell the truth in those 
circumstances.
  I said: No, no, no. With Randy and I, the key is our wives are 
friends; so, if wives can survive a campaign against each other and be 
friends, then it is a testament that we ran the way Republicans should 
run against each other. He stuck to why folks should vote for Randy 
Neugebauer, and I stuck with why folks should vote for me.
  Randy prevailed in that election and joined Congress in June of 2003. 
He has served wonderfully and ably since then. Randy has a strong moral 
compass and exhibits that moral compass to the House all of the time. 
He is one of those guys who is true north and never wavers, a rock 
solid Conservative and someone, I am sure, who is proud of his service 
to the folks in District 19.
  Our districts are contiguous. My northern border is his southern 
border; so we overlap in certain areas, and I get comments from his 
constituents about the great work he and his constituent service team 
do back home. We are going to miss him. We are going to miss him 
greatly--his voice. He serves on the Agriculture Committee as vice 
chairman and has served the agricultural communities as well as his 
having experience on the Armed Services Committee.
  I am proud to call Randy my friend and I am proud of his service 
here. He and his wife, Dana, are off to the next chapter--an exciting 
chapter. I need to warn the rainbow trout and brown trout populations 
all over America that, on the days we are in office in 2017 and 2018, 
they need to be on the lookout for an avid fly fisherman who will be on 
the hunt for all of those trout.
  Again, I want to add my congratulations to Randy on a job well done 
in service to his State and our Nation in an admirable way. He leaves 
office in the right way--on his own terms and very proud. I would ask 
for God's blessing on him and Dana and for God's blessing on Texas, and 
may God continue to bless the great United States of America.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. I thank the gentleman for those nice comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I now yield to another Texas colleague, a member of the 
Energy and Commerce Committee, Pete Olson.
  Mr. OLSON. I thank my friend from San Antonio.
  Mr. Speaker, Randy Neugebauer is many things. He is a damned proud 
Texan and is a Texas Tech Red Raider who always has his guns up. He is 
a husband to a fierce force of Texas nature--his wife, Dana. He is a 
father of two sons and is a grandfather of four grandkids. He is a 
respected Member of Congress--seven terms in this body--and he is my 
dear friend. In Randy's time here, he has made America a better place 
for my family, for his family, and for every American family.
  As we say in our Navy to departing friends who leave the ship, who go 
ashore for the last time: Randy, may you always have fair winds and 
following seas. Texas 19 departing.
  I salute you.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to host today's Special Order in honor of 
my friend and colleague from Texas, Representative Randy Neugebauer.
  Representative Neugebauer is a consistent Conservative. In fact, the 
National Journal named him the ``most conservative Member of Congress'' 
in 2011. He has also been a valuable member of the Science, Space, and 
Technology Committee, which I chair. He has been a member of that 
committee for over a decade. I am grateful for his work on the 
committee to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and efficiently.
  Representative Neugebauer has actively pushed back against burdensome 
EPA regulations that limit affordable, reliable energy. He has also 
championed research and development efforts that benefit all forms of 
energy. This isn't surprising since Representative Neugebauer's 
district has oil and gas development and produces the most wind energy 
of any district in the country.
  In this Congress, Representative Neugebauer's National Windstorm 
Impact Reduction Act authorized coordinated research to minimize the 
effects of windstorms on local communities. It will help save lives and 
property damage. This legislation was inspired by Representative 
Neugebauer's personal experience with a tornado that devastated his 
hometown of Lubbock, Texas, some years ago. His bill was signed into 
law last year, and now Federal agencies and universities can work to 
better predict, prepare, and recover from dangerous storms.
  We thank Representative Neugebauer for his service to the people of 
west Texas and for his many initiatives on the Science, Space, and 
Technology Committee. His retirement is well-deserved, and we know he 
is going to enjoy more time with his family in west Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the best summaries of Mr. Neugebauer's 
contributions as a person, as a family member, and as a great Member of 
Congress is

[[Page 15905]]

the following, and I want to make sure that everybody is aware of these 
contributions and his personal attributes as well.
  Randy Neugebauer proudly represents the 19th Congressional District, 
which stretches across 29 counties in west Texas and the Big Country, 
and he has represented that great district for 14 years.
  Raised in Lubbock, Randy learned the west Texas values of family, 
faith, hard work, and public service. These are the values he has 
carried with him throughout his life as an accounting student at Texas 
Tech University, as a banker, as a homebuilder, and now as a Member of 
Congress.
  He serves on the Financial Services Committee, where he is chairman 
of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee. In this 
role, he has oversight responsibility for U.S. banks and the banking 
industry, credit unions, depository institutions and Federal deposit 
insurance, consumer credit, and financial regulators, including the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve. 
Representative Neugebauer is also the vice chairman of the House 
Agriculture Committee, where he played a leading role in developing the 
2014 farm bill. He also serves on the House Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology, which, I mentioned a while ago, I chair.
  His legislative initiatives include eliminating wasteful Federal 
spending; improving crop insurance; and fighting Federal overreach on 
energy, the environment, the economy, and personal liberties.
  Randy Neugebauer's bill to lessen government interference and 
encourage more private sector participation in the terrorism risk 
insurance market became the first law of the 114th Congress. The 
President also signed his bill to promote research and minimize the 
devastating effects caused by windstorms. Last year, as I alluded to a 
minute ago, the President signed into law his initiative that gives 
Texas Tech the opportunity to build a VA clinic on the campus to better 
serve west Texas' veterans.
  Congressman Neugebauer and his wife, Dana, who is with us this 
evening in the gallery back to my left, are both graduates of Texas 
Tech University. They have been married for 46 years and are the proud 
parents of two sons, two daughters-in-law, three grandsons, and one 
granddaughter.
  Mr. Speaker, you can see that Representative Neugebauer has led a 
very rich life, a very satisfactory life, and a life dedicated to his 
country and to his family. There can be no question about that.
  Mr. Speaker, at this point, I yield to another Texas colleague, the 
chairman of the Rules Committee, Pete Sessions.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for allowing us--not 
only the Texas delegation, but other Members of Congress who would wish 
to come down--the opportunity to express our sincere appreciation and 
debt of gratitude to the gentleman from Lubbock, Texas, and to his dear 
and beautiful wife, Dana Neugebauer, and family who are in the House 
tonight. On behalf of the Texas delegation and as a Member of Congress 
from Dallas, Texas, I would say from the people of Dallas, Texas--
Texas' 32nd Congressional District--we have long been friends with the 
gentleman from the 19th District of Texas and appreciate his life and 
service to this great Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, you have just heard much of Congressman Neugebauer, much 
of not only what might be resume information, but, really, what might 
be, when it plays itself out, information that is about the service 
that Congressman Neugebauer has given, the leadership that he has 
provided not only to the committees of service, but, really, to the 
people of this country.
  Congressman Neugebauer came to Congress as an exciting young man who 
was not only full of opportunity, but who came from a vibrant part of 
Texas with his ideas about freedom, about free enterprise, about 
opportunity, about collegiality--about the things which he placed high 
value on. Randy comes from a part of Texas--and I would like to say 
everybody from Texas might be this way, but it is not true--where a 
handshake and your word make a difference.
  The entire time he was here, Mr. Neugebauer didn't oversell and 
didn't underdeliver. He did the things that were necessary as the 
proper representation of not only the Texas delegation, but as a man of 
distinction from Lubbock, Texas--the High Plains. He brought with him 
the professional attributes that were very necessary within the Texas 
delegation to be successful. Very early on, he championed those ideas. 
They were ideas of bringing forth representation from a group of people 
in Lubbock, Texas, and north Texas who strongly believed in America, 
who strongly believed that America's greatest days lie in its future. 
Randy always spoke of not only the ideas that he had, but of the people 
he represented in terms of real admiration for those people, admiration 
for hard work, admiration for an honest day's work, admiration for an 
honest day's pay.

                              {time}  1930

  So you can see, Mr. Speaker, those who have known Randy the best 
watched him in his personal dealings not only with Members of our 
delegation, but also in committees and the hard work and the homework 
that he did to make sure that he did his part necessary.
  He rose not only in the ranks of responsibility, but also rose in the 
ranks of people who admired Mr. Neugebauer. I am one of those people. I 
looked at Randy, who had come just a couple of years behind me, as not 
only a champion of words and ideas, but he had the ability to express 
those ideas, the ability to speak to people in terms of content, of 
where our country would head. This was a time after 9/11 when we were 
faced with fear, uncertainty, and perhaps some complexity that might be 
available to some.
  It never existed to Congressman Neugebauer. Randy threw all of that 
out. I would say he threw out the high and the low and lived off of 
confidence, confidence about not only the way of life that he 
understood and he represented, but really about the United States 
military and the men and women who were from his district whom he spoke 
so plainly about, who we understood where they were. They were 
committed.
  Yes, we are Texans, but he really spoke of America, of America as not 
just this shining city on a hill, but Americans who would dedicate 
themselves to a principle, to ideas higher than just citizenship as a 
responsibility, as a necessary part of making sure that this country 
and where home is back in Lubbock, Texas, in the high plains, that that 
is what he believed was honorable.
  People who would go and sacrifice themselves, who would go help 
people in another land, who were called on because of commitment to 
service, these are the kind of people that Randy Neugebauer would 
identify with. These are the kind of people Randy Neugebauer would talk 
about. These are the kind of people who, at our Thursday Texas 
delegation--yes, we are a bunch of darn Texans, but we get together, 
and we celebrate and share not only camaraderie and commonality, but 
ideas about where we wanted to go. That is Randy Neugebauer. That is 
what Randy Neugebauer did every single week, faithfully, dutifully, and 
he knew what he was doing.
  So I want to say to the gentleman, the young chairman of the Science 
Committee, thank you for being here for our dear colleague, current 
colleague Randy Neugebauer.
  One last point, a point of privilege.
  Look, when you come up here, you are proud of where you are from, and 
you want to do a good job. One of those marks is to be thought of as a 
real conservative. Randy Neugebauer, at least 1 year, and probably 2 or 
3, was, by his voting record--this isn't a vote. This is actual 
delivery of product--number one, the most conservative person in this 
body. I had that chance for 1 year; I tried for 2. It is hard to 
outguess the

[[Page 15906]]

scorecard. Randy Neugebauer is a good guesser also because he knows 
where he is from--right, wrong, good, bad, up, down, more, less, 
proper.
  Mr. Speaker, tonight we honor a real hero of mine, the gentleman from 
Lubbock, Texas, Randy Neugebauer. And let no one forget his beautiful, 
young bride who, day after day, gave confidence to so many other people 
about who they are, what they do. I hope these 46 years turn into 146 
years of marriage, Mr. Chairman. I wish Randy Neugebauer and Dana and 
that entire family the very best.
  I thank Chairman Smith for allowing me the chance to come down and 
say to my dear friend and the Neugebauer family: A job well done, 
Godspeed, and I hope I do well enough to get invited back to Lubbock to 
see you again.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. I thank the chairman for his nice remarks this 
evening.
  I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).
  And let me say to my friend Representative Gohmert that, we only have 
a total of 6 minutes left, and I do want to allow Mr. Neugebauer time 
to speak as well.
  Mr. GOHMERT. I thank the gentleman. And because of all of the glowing 
comments about Randy, I knew I should not share more than a couple 
minutes so that there is time at the end.
  We have heard the old saying that in Washington, D.C., if you want a 
friend, get a dog; but when I got here to Washington, D.C., as a Member 
of Congress, Randy Neugebauer was a friend, and he is a friend. He is a 
man of integrity. He is a man of honor. He does his best to live out 
the Beatitudes that Jesus talked about better than I have. He is not a 
man who has been afraid to ever stand up and call things the way he 
sees them. It is one of the many things I admire about him so much.
  Apostle Paul said three things about what he had accomplished. He 
said: I have fought the good fight. Then there was another clause, and 
then he said: I have finished the race. Well, Randy Neugebauer has not 
finished the race. The race has still yet to go. He has not finished 
the course. He is just taking a new course.
  But I know that, as a brother in Christ and as a man of integrity, he 
will continue to listen to the still, small voice that has guided him 
and his wife through the years and has made him someone who inspires 
me, encourages me, and someone that I would hope to emulate. I am 
grateful to Randy Neugebauer for his service and for all he has done 
for America.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Texas, particularly 
for bringing out an aspect of Randy Neugebauer's character that has not 
yet been mentioned tonight. And I might also add, and you know only too 
well, that he has been an active member of a prayer group here in the 
House of Representatives as well. So that spiritual aspect, that 
spiritual character is rightfully shown tonight.
  I yield to the gentleman from Lubbock, Texas (Mr. Neugebauer), our 
colleague and Texas friend, whom we honor tonight.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Well, I thank the gentleman, and I thank my 
colleagues for those very kind words.
  What an honor and a privilege it has been to be able to serve with 
people of this integrity and this commitment to our country.
  You know, it was just a little over 13\1/2\ years ago that our 
colleague from Texas (Mr. Barton) introduced me on this very House 
floor my very first day. It was June 5, 2003. I came in a special 
election. I think Mr. Conaway mentioned that we had a race together. I 
was sworn in as the 236th Texan and the 9,832nd American citizen. What 
you realize is what an honor and a privilege it is to get to do this, 
and what an honor and a privilege it has been to represent the people 
of the 19th Congressional District.
  Somebody asked me one day: Do I ever think about, when I am on the 
House floor, the men and women who have served here in the past?
  I said: No, I really don't think about the men and women who have 
served in the past because their history has been written. The people 
that I think about are the men and women whom I serve with every day 
because we are writing our history, and the things that we do and the 
things that we say on this floor have a huge impact not only on our 
constituents, but on our country and on the world.
  So I want to thank my wife, Dana, and my family for helping me do 
this job on behalf of the people of the 19th District. Without Dana's 
support, I couldn't have done this. My two sons and their wives have 
been an integral part of this, and even my grandkids were out 
campaigning when we were running for Congress.
  I also want to thank those men and women who have come through our 
congressional office, both here in D.C. and back in the district, who 
have worked so hard on behalf of our constituents, making sure that 
that veteran gets his check or making sure that that Social Security 
check that was lost was found, helping people get their loved ones back 
from a foreign country because of visa problems. All of those kinds of 
things are important.
  So I want to thank the staff who have been so much a part of that, 
and I want to thank the people of the 19th District and my family, but 
I also want to thank my fellow colleagues whom I have served with.
  Everybody here that I have come in contact with loves America. Now, 
what we do have is a difference of opinion from time to time on what it 
takes to make sure that America has the bright future that we all want 
it to have, and that is a healthy process.
  I am excited for our President-elect and these new Members of 
Congress who will be sworn in in just a few weeks because they have a 
big task ahead of them. So as many of my constituents have prayed for 
me and this Congress in the past, Dana and I will be praying for them 
as they take our country forward.
  Thank you again, and God bless you, and God bless the United States 
of America.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank Representative 
Neugebauer for his service to Texas and to our country. We wish him the 
best in his well-deserved retirement.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor my fellow Texas 
colleague and friend Randy Neugebauer.
  Randy has been serving the constituents of the 19th Congressional 
District of Texas since 2003. Prior to coming to Congress, he served on 
the Lubbock City Council and as Mayor Pro Tempore. He also worked in 
the private sector as a banker and a homebuilder.
  In Congress, Randy has worked hard to eliminate wasteful federal 
spending, curb federal overreach and create better agriculture 
policies. He has served on the Financial Services Committee, the 
Agriculture Committee, and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. 
He has also served as a Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee 
on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, and as Vice-Chairman of 
the Agriculture Committee.
  Randy and I are similar in many ways. Growing up in Texas, we were 
both instilled with strong values of family, faith, hard work, and 
public service. We both went on to marry our high school sweethearts. 
We each have two sons and have been blessed with multiple 
grandchildren. And we both take pride in representing our respective 
universities where we are alumnus in Congress. Even though Texas Tech 
and Texas A&M have a strong rivalry, we have worked together for the 
good of all Texans.
  Randy will be missed in the halls of Congress. He took pride in 
serving the constituents of all 29 counties in West Texas that make up 
the 19th Congressional District. I commend him for his many years of 
public service to Texas and for our nation. It truly has been an honor 
to serve and work alongside Randy. I wish him the best of luck on his 
retirement and want to thank him for friendship and guidance.
  As I close, I ask everyone to continue praying for our country and 
for our military and first responder who selflessly serve and sacrifice 
to protect us.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would remind Members that it is 
not in order to refer to occupants of the gallery.

[[Page 15907]]



                          ____________________




                       REFLECTIONS OF A FRESHMAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Hill) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Neugebauer) for his service and that of his spouse and family, for they 
made my welcome to Congress so agreeable and so appropriate, and I have 
enjoyed my service with Mr. Neugebauer on the House Financial Services 
Committee.
  You know, when I am home, one of the most frequent questions I get is 
to describe the major changes that I have seen in Washington since my 
previous work on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. And yes, now 
it has been more than 24 years since I served in the administration of 
George H. W. Bush from 1989-1993, 24 years and three two-term 
Presidents--two Democrats, one Republican. Anyone familiar with life 
inside the beltway would certainly see that the city's traffic has 
become unbearable, and the number of places to eat has really been 
improved in those 24 years.
  But tonight I don't want to talk about the enrichment of life along 
The National Mall with new monuments to FDR and MLK and new visionary 
sites, such as the Native American Museum and now our African American 
Museum. Instead, it is not urbanization or nightlife that has happened 
that I noticed, that I talk about when I see my constituents, but it is 
really the changes I see in public policy as I wander back like Rip Van 
Winkle 20 years later to our Nation's Capital.
  The politics and productivity of the city are more stymied and less 
successful than in my experience in the executive branch, led by George 
H. W. Bush, or even in my service as a legislative aide on the Senate 
Banking Committee staff back during the days of the first term of 
President Reagan.
  Tonight I would like to outline my thoughts on those biggest 
differences I have seen in our Federal Government. These include the 
size and complexity and the unmanageable nature of the administrative 
state, the growth and unreformed nature of our mandatory spending 
programs, the failure of the Congress to meet its most fundamental 
constitutional responsibilities, that is, the oversight of the 
executive and the timely and thoughtful appropriations governed by the 
Appropriations Clause of our Constitution.

                              {time}  1945

  At the end of this ``Rip Van Winkle'' overview, I will offer 
suggestions as to possible solutions to these challenges that we face 
in Washington. While I am a realist, I understand consensus is 
difficult in this city, and, while sensitive, my remarks tonight will 
appeal, in my view, to both Democrats and Republicans about how do we 
have an effective Federal Government, one that honors our 
constitutional limitations, the best intentions of our Founders, and 
demonstrates to the American people that their legislative and 
executive branches can work together for the long-term common good and 
the general welfare of this Nation.
  Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, does a 
splendid job in enumerating the significant grievances that the 
American colonists had against King George III. Among them, my favorite 
of the ``Facts . . . submitted to a candid world'': ``He,'' the king, 
``has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of 
officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.''
  When I am visiting with our fellow citizens in the seven counties of 
the Second Congressional District of Arkansas, our doctors and hospital 
administrators, people who own small businesses, community bankers, 
high school and elementary schoolteachers, university administrators, 
highway contractors, small-town mayors, inevitably the size, scope, and 
complexity of the paperwork, micromanagement, and intrusion of the 
administrative state dominates that conversation.
  While other policy proposals from the tax and policy ideas to funding 
the need for our needed Federal programs, inevitably every conversation 
ultimately returns to how management and employees believe they are no 
longer focused on their missions to increase sales, produce profits, 
grow their business, educate kids, operate on patients, make loans to 
entrepreneurs and successful businesses, and help expand the American 
Dream.
  Instead, they are stuck in a world of three-ring binders, CYA 
activities, and a morass of paperwork and documentation--all possibly 
well-intentioned, but the bottom line is they take people away from 
their core mission and core values, drive up costs, reduce availability 
of credit to consumers, drive up prices for consumers, and, in many 
ways, cause Americans to be cynical about their government.
  In a 2015 article on New York City's broken bureaucracy, Phil Howard 
decried the red-tape jungle that doubles costs and postpones critical 
infrastructure projects in one of the greatest cities in the world. 
This is a fundamental issue today because President-elect Trump says we 
need to invest more in infrastructure. Look at the dollar per mile of 
road paved when you look at the costs added by the bureaucracy.
  In 1931, the construction of The Empire State Building was completed 
in 410 days, 12 days ahead of schedule. Today, just raising the roadway 
of the Bayonne Bridge in New York, besides absurd requirements to 
survey historic buildings within a 2-mile radius of an existing bridge 
that touched no buildings, it required 47 permits from 19 different 
agencies and a 5,000-page Federal environmental assessment and a city 
environmental review before a permit could even be issued. After 5 
years, the project was sued for inadequate environmental review. Now 
the $1.3 billion project is not expected to be completed until 2017. We 
are talking about years, decades to raise the deck on the bridge that 
will increase traffic to New York Harbor that in no way endangers the 
environment or any other aspect.
  Peggy Noonan has said that Washington is turning America into the 
paperwork nation at odds with the American character of inventors, 
builders, innovators, and pioneers.
  I have a message for our President-elect. When you are involved in 
partnering with us in draining the swamp, it is a worthy goal, how 
about draining America's inbox and just leave our American people alone 
to innovate, employ people, and help grow this economy.
  This is why the Founders struggled so mightily over the proper role 
of the Federal versus State prerogatives in designing our Constitution. 
It is the core of why they settled upon the enumerated powers in our 
Constitution and left those other powers not so designated to the 
Federal Government to our States or entrusted to the people. Over 
recent years, the administrative state has eroded that trust the people 
have to make their own good choices. It is critical that we restore 
this trust and allow our local and State governments to tackle social 
and economic challenges with our people close to the problems and 
create a commonsense approach.
  So your old friend, Rip Van Winkle, here tonight has returned to the 
banks of the Potomac to see a great leviathan draped across the 
landscape. Called the administrative state, this beast now reigns 
supreme, uncaring, tone deaf, and its tentacles dedicated to one-size-
fits-all edicts, and, in many ways, unresponsive even to the will of 
the people's representatives in the United States House and Senate.
  Phil Howard, who I referenced a few minutes ago, wrote two great 
books that I encourage everyone in our country to read: ``The Death of 
Common Sense'' and ``The Rule of Nobody,'' which succinctly outline the 
failures of this system that has been built up, calcified over the 
years, with no one in the system really responsible for asking: What is 
the right thing to do?
  Ultimately, then, no one is responsible for these failures of the 
administrative state.
  Instead, administrative officials have come to Capitol Hill and 
rarely offer testimony of value that adds to the debate, that informs 
the decisionmaking. A typical example can be seen in the 6 years of 
review and critique of the post-recession banking measure called

[[Page 15908]]

the Dodd-Frank Act. Former Committee on Financial Services chair here 
in the House, Barney Frank, and author of this bill, principal 
architect, said that many things in this final act weren't right and 
required modifications, but a standard response from the Obama 
administration's financial officials at the Comptroller of the 
Currency, the FDIC, or the Federal Reserve, or even the SEC, our 
securities commission, can be paraphrased simply as: Congress passed 
the law, we are implementing the law, period, full stop.
  That is not the right answer nor is it the right question. Standing 
for orthodoxy instead of what will benefit the American people, that 
should be their obligation, to help Congress design policies that help 
the American Dream flourish.
  Jefferson, envisioning our nation divided into States, counties, and 
townships, said: ``It is not by the consolidation, or concentration of 
powers, but by their distribution, that good . . . is effected.''
  Abraham Lincoln reminded our citizens that ``the legitimate object of 
government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to 
have done, but cannot do at all . . . ''
  I place emphasis on the nature of ``community of people'' whereby we 
buy into this longstanding philosophical position of subsidiarity, 
whereby solutions to problems or challenges are best decided and left 
to the community and that, if necessary, the government closest to the 
people band together with families and local associations to take 
action, not punt every decision to the Federal Government.
  At one time, such dedication to self-reliance and common sense were 
lauded as virtues, essential to the character of our Nation and of our 
people. Edmund Burke referred to the ``middling'' associations for 
doing good in England, and Alex de Tocqueville spoke reverently of 
Americans' insatiable ability to problem solve through the formation of 
associations of all kinds, that Americans were always finding 
themselves producing an association to build inns, to raise churches, 
to distribute books, to send missionaries out, to help create 
hospitals, prisons, and schools, all local communities coming together 
to do these things for themselves.
  In my first 2 years in Congress, I have witnessed firsthand the 
overwhelming size of the administrative state when compared to my 
earlier service on Capitol Hill and in President Bush 41's White House. 
First let's consider the sheer volume of rules that have been issued, 
estimated to cost our economy $100 million or more in net cost.
  Just under President Obama, we have witnessed over 600 rulemakings 
that exceed $100 million in threshold. Some, like the Clean Power Plan, 
many, many times that amount. In fact, the Office of Management and 
Budget, as of November 15, just a few days ago, noted there were 98 
more midnight rules of the Obama administration; 17 of those hitting 
the $100 million mark of cost to our economy.
  The conservative American Action Forum has estimated that President 
Obama has imposed 40 percent more major rules than his predecessor and 
that the overall cost of the Obama administration's regulations on the 
American people stands at $813 billion.
  Likewise, consider the longer term. This chart illustrates the scope 
of these rulemakings as well as the long-term trend in publication of 
new rulemakings in the Federal Register, where all the government's 
actions are published for public dissemination and review. But still 
more than the sheer number and cost of these rulemakings is how 
intrusive they have become in daily lives or duplicative they are of 
another rule that was never repealed. That is why I found very 
appealing President-elect Trump said let's repeal rules before we make 
new ones. I wrote him recently, suggesting that he form a regulatory 
reform task force, like President Reagan did, and put Vice President 
Pence in charge of it to work with OMB and peel back this layer of 
duplicative costly regulation. These costs hurt consumers, and they 
hurt job creation.
  A mortgage application, a fundamental part of our American experience 
across this Nation for a first-time home buyer used to be about 100 
pages. Now it is about 500 pages. I would argue the consumer is not 
materially better informed or better off with these additional pages. 
Instead, we have just added duplicative paperwork because it looks 
better. But on reflection, is that consumer better off? Is our Nation 
better off for that cost? Shouldn't these kinds of things use common 
sense?
  In 1994, I served on The Heritage Foundation's Advisory Council on 
Regulatory Reform. Twenty years ago, your old Rip Van Winkle friend 
here argued that the cost in 1994 of the Federal regulatory system was 
nearly $1.6 trillion annually. I compared it, then, to the personal 
income tax, what it raised, what we all contribute of about $1.2 
trillion in 1994 dollars.
  The everyday government involvement in hardworking Americans' lives 
has only grown over those past two decades, and the Competitive 
Enterprise Institute's across-the-board cost estimate now for Federal 
regulations, including the impact of the Obama administration is nearly 
at $1.9 trillion per year, exceeding the cost of the individual income 
tax system and corporate tax revenues and quickly approaching--are you 
seated?--quickly approaching the entire amount of corporate pretax 
profits.
  The regulatory regime of the Federal Government is not just vast and 
costly, it is unnecessarily intrusive. In Arkansas, we have seen agency 
regulations have devastating effects on our farmers, our small 
businesses, nonprofits, schools, colleges, universities, and State 
agencies. No one is immune from the leviathan's overreach.
  Also in recent years, one has noted the expansion of the executive 
branch authority by increasing staff at the White House that is not 
subject to the confirmation of the United States Senate. While 
President Reagan had appointed one czar to work on drugs in the White 
House, President Obama has appointed 44 czars, with 35 of those not 
requiring confirmation by the United States Senate.
  By using executive orders or executive memoranda to carry out 
policies that exceed existing statutory authority and properly belong 
to the first branch of government, the legislative branch, here, 
President Obama has hit new heights in what historian Arthur 
Schlesinger termed ``the imperial Presidency.''

                              {time}  2000

  It is critical to note that it is not the numbers of executive orders 
that are meaningful as to the directives themselves and how far-
reaching they are vis-a-vis that proper statutory authority.
  For example, if one utilizes data from the American Presidency 
Project and compares Reagan, Clinton, and Bush 43 with President 
Obama--all two-term Presidents--one finds President Reagan issued 381 
executive orders; President Clinton, 364 executive orders; President 
Bush 43, 291; and President Obama at an apparently in line 260. But 
that is not the end of the story. President Obama has utilized a new 
measure that dodges publicity, transparency, and these statistics of 
the American Presidency Project: the Presidential memorandum.
  By the end of 2015, this most imperial of Presidents had issued 219 
memoranda--these are just the ones that have been published in the 
Federal Register--and the White House memoranda tally at the end of 
2015 was 476, for a total of more than 600 executive orders and 
Presidential directives.
  It can certainly be argued that Obama's executive action has far 
exceeded the scope and breadth of previous administrations. Even The 
Washington Post editorial board noted that the President's executive 
action on immigration in 2014 had no precedent and flew in the face of 
congressional intent. Indeed.
  The Federal courts, too, have recognized the excess of this 
administration with their blocking of the President's 2014 executive 
order on immigration, nationwide injunctions on the Department of 
Labor's overtime rule, injunctions on the EPA's waters of the United 
States rule, and finally, the

[[Page 15909]]

current legal battle over the Clean Power Plan.
  So, while I have certainly seen, in my two decades of being out of 
the Potomac arena, a growing trend in the administrative state by way 
of executive actions that skirt the Administrative Procedure Act and 
public comment, this administration has also aggressively attempted to 
avoid publicly vetted rulemaking by something even, in my judgment, 
more nefarious to our constitutional freedoms, and that is creating 
regulation by enforcement action.
  In my first 2 years in Congress, this has happened at the Securities 
and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice and clearly 
skirts the statutory traditions of the United States and the role of 
the Administrative Procedure Act.
  One of the economically chilling issues related to this contains the 
use of settlement trust funds, whereby the Department of Justice or 
other agencies of government choose to settle Federal civil actions 
against companies or individuals through a settlement procedure, as 
opposed to going to trial, and then assess a major monetary penalty 
which, instead of being paid to the victims, is paid to politically 
favored interest groups.
  These activists, in turn, bring more lawsuits to feather their own 
nests. And if this isn't crony coercion, with its pernicious effect on 
the economy and a chilling effect on all innovation and economic 
growth, I don't know what is. It is certainly not in keeping with 70, 
80 years of tradition under the Administrative Procedure Act.
  My former colleague and White House counsel to President Bush 41, 
Ambassador C. Boyden Gray, stated in his testimony, before the House 
Financial Services Committee, about the dangers of an executive with 
access to the Treasury. That is clearly what these slush funds are. The 
need to ensure separation of powers and power of the purse are firmly 
in the hands of Congress, not the executive.
  Mr. Gray stated: ``Every other constitutional power runs into the 
appropriations power,'' and that throughout our history, ``presidents 
have `consistently endeavored to seize the appropriations powers from 
Congress.' ''
  This is where you get into the intention that our Founders 
anticipated. Federalist 51: when one branch of government gets too big 
for their breeches, it needs to be countered by another branch of 
government. This overreach by the executive needs to be responded to by 
the first branch, the legislative branch, and make sure that we, in 
fact, consistently authorize our appropriations responsibly.
  To close this discussion of the administrative state, let's consider 
a primary example of growth of the state where Congress does not have 
an opportunity to safeguard its legislative and appropriation and 
oversight responsibility. People's exhibit A is the Consumer Financial 
Protection Bureau.
  In the Dodd-Frank Act, I mentioned a few minutes ago, in my view, the 
Congress mistakenly created a funding source for the CFPB not subject 
to the appropriations that are actually set aside. Instead, it is a 
fixed amount of income out of the Federal Reserve system hidden away 
from Congress' oversight that normally would be paid directly to the 
Treasury. Instead, it is diverted to the CFPB, and it gives an agency 
independence like you can't see anywhere else. It is a violation, in my 
view, of our appropriations responsibility. The Director can't be 
fired, so it is a violation of our oversight responsibility.
  I was pleased, this October, that the Court of Appeals for the 
District of Columbia unanimously ruled in the PHH mortgage case that 
the CFPB's sole Director position possesses unchecked ``unilateral 
power'' and calls the Director ``the single most powerful official in 
the entire United States Government.'' I am sorry, what? The single 
most powerful official in the United States Government. Gosh, I thought 
that was the President, the Speaker of the House. No, no, no. It is a 
guy at the CFPB. In fact, they acted in an unconstitutional manner.
  So I am with the District of Columbia court, and I have no doubt that 
the pending case, State National Bank of Big Spring, Texas, challenging 
the CFPB's unconstitutionality will be noted as well.
  So, Mr. Speaker, these are some of my observations about the growth 
of the administrative state. I have no doubt that, when I come back to 
this floor, I will continue this discussion and offer solutions about 
what we need to do in Congress, in the legislative branch, and in the 
executive branch to make sure that we are upholding our obligation to 
our voters, our citizens, the people who have elected us, who have sent 
us here to represent their interests--hardworking people like Randy 
Neugebauer that we lauded a few minutes ago for his extraordinary 
service to the 19th District of Texas. Our administrative state is 
unmanageable, and it deserves to be reined in.
  As a freshman, soon-to-be sophomore, a second-term Member of this 
body, I am going to fight for those changes that return the power to 
the people's House and the people's Senate as it relates to oversight 
of the executive and the appropriations method.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________




                      SENATE ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED

  The Speaker announced his signature to enrolled bills of the Senate 
of the following titles:

       S. 1555. An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal, 
     collectively, to the Filipino veterans of World War II, in 
     recognition of the dedicated service of the veterans during 
     World War II.
       S. 2234. An act to award the Congressional Gold Medal, 
     collectively, to the members of the Office of Strategic 
     Services (OSS) in recognition of their superior service and 
     major contributions during World War II.
       S. 2577. An act to protect crime victims' rights, to 
     eliminate the substantial backlog of DNA and other forensic 
     evidence samples to improve and expand the forensic science 
     testing capacity of Federal, State, and local crime 
     laboratories, to increase research and development of new 
     testing technologies, to develop new training programs 
     regarding the collection and use of forensic evidence, to 
     provide post-conviction testing of DNA evidence to exonerate 
     the innocent, to support accreditation efforts of forensic 
     science laboratories and medical examiner offices, to address 
     training and equipment needs, to improve the performance of 
     counsel in State capital cases, and for other purposes.

                          ____________________




                              ADJOURNMENT

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
  The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 8 minutes 
p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, 
Wednesday, December 7, 2016, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

                          ____________________




                     EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, ETC.

  Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from 
the Speaker's table and referred as follows:

       7755. A letter from the Director, Civil Rights Center, 
     Office of the Secretary, Department of Labor, transmitting 
     the Department's final rule -- Implementation of the 
     Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the 
     Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (RIN: 1291-AA36) 
     received December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); 
     Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the 
     Committee on Education and the Workforce.
       7756. A letter from the Assistant General Counsel for 
     Regulatory Affairs, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 
     transmitting the Corporation's final rule -- Allocation of 
     Assets in Single-Employer Plans; Valuation of Benefits and 
     Assets; Expected Retirement Age received December 5, 2016, 
     pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 
     251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and the 
     Workforce.
       7757. A letter from the Director, Regulations Policy and 
     Management Staff, FDA, Department of Health and Human 
     Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Food 
     and Drug Administration Review and Action on Over-the-Counter 
     Time and Extent Applications [Docket No.: FDA-2016-N-0543] 
     (RIN: 0910-AH30) received December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 
     U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 
     868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
       7758. A letter from the Director, Regulations Policy and 
     Management Staff, FDA, Department of Health and Human 
     Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Uniform 
     Compliance Date for Food Labeling

[[Page 15910]]

     Regulations [Docket No.: FDA-2000-N-0011] received December 
     2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-
     121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy 
     and Commerce.
       7759. A letter from the Director, Regulations Policy and 
     Management Staff, FDA, Department of Health and Human 
     Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Medical 
     Gas Containers and Closures; Current Good Manufacturing 
     Practice Requirements [Docket No.: FDA-2005-N-0343] (RIN: 
     0910-AC53) received December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
     801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); 
     to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
       7760. A letter from the Director, Regulations Policy and 
     Management Staff, FDA, Department of Health and Human 
     Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- 
     Indirect Food Additives: Paper and Paperboard Components 
     [Docket No.: FDA-2016-F-1153] received December 2, 2016, 
     pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 
     251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and 
     Commerce.
       7761. A letter from the Secretary, Department of Commerce, 
     transmitting a report certifying that the export of the 
     listed item to the People's Republic of China is not 
     detrimental to the U.S. space launch industry, pursuant to 22 
     U.S.C. 2778 note; Public Law 105-261, Sec. 1512 (as amended 
     by Public Law 105-277, Sec. 146); (112 Stat. 2174); to the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs.
       7762. A letter from the Deputy Assistant to the President 
     and Director, Office of Administration, Executive Office of 
     The President, transmitting transactions from the 
     Unanticipated Needs Account for fiscal year 2016 as required 
     by 3 U.S.C. 108, pursuant to 3 U.S.C. 108(b); Public Law 95-
     570, Sec. 2(a); (92 Stat. 2449); to the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform.
       7763. A letter from the Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian 
     Regional Commission, transmitting the Commission's Inspector 
     General Semiannual Report to Congress, for the period April 
     1, 2016 through September 30, 2016, pursuant to Sec. 5 of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended; to the Committee 
     on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7764. A letter from the Executive Director, Consumer 
     Product Safety Commission, transmitting the Commission's 
     Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2016 through 2020, pursuant 
     to 5 U.S.C. 306(a); Public Law 111-352, Sec. 2; (124 Stat. 
     3866); to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7765. A letter from the Chairman, Consumer Product Safety 
     Commission, transmitting the Commission's Fiscal Year 2016 
     Agency Financial Report, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3515(a)(1); 
     Public Law 101-576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by Public Law 
     107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049); to the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform.
       7766. A letter from the Chief Executive Officer, 
     Corporation for National and Community Service, transmitting 
     the Office of Inspector General's Semiannual Report to 
     Congress and the Corporation for National and Community 
     Service's Response and Report on Final Action for the six-
     month period from April 1, 2016 through September 30, 2016, 
     pursuant to Sec. 5 of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as 
     amended; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7767. A letter from the Secretary, Department of 
     Agriculture, transmitting the Department's semi-annual report 
     on the activities of the Inspector General for April 1, 2016, 
     through September 30, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. app. (Insp. 
     Gen. Act) Sec. 5(b); Public Law 95-452, Sec. 5(b); (92 Stat. 
     1103); to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7768. A letter from the Secretary, Department of Health and 
     Human Services, transmitting the Department's semi-annual 
     report on the activities of the Inspector General for April 
     1, 2016, through September 30, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
     app. (Insp. Gen. Act) Sec. 5(b); Public Law 95-452, Sec. 
     5(b); (92 Stat. 1103); to the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform.
       7769. A letter from the Assistant Secretary, Legislative 
     Affairs, Department of State, transmitting the Department's 
     FY 2016 Agency Financial Report, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 
     3515(a)(1); Public Law 101-576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by 
     Public Law 107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049); to the 
     Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7770. A letter from the Secretary, Department of 
     Transportation, transmitting the Department's Semiannual 
     Report of the Office of the Inspector General for the period 
     ending September 30, 2016, pursuant to Sec. 5 of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, Public Law 95-452; 
     to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7771. A letter from the Administrator, General Services 
     Administration, transmitting the Administration's Semiannual 
     Management Report to the Congress for the period of April 1, 
     2016, through September 30, 2016, pursuant to Sec. 5 of the 
     Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended; to the Committee 
     on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7772. A letter from the Labor Member and Management Member, 
     Railroad Retirement Board, transmitting the Board's Inspector 
     General Semiannual Report to the Congress for the period 
     April 1, 2016 through September 30, 2016, pursuant to Sec. 5 
     of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, Public Law 
     95-452; to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
       7773. A letter from the Chair, Securities and Exchange 
     Commission, transmitting the Commission's Fiscal Year 2016 
     Agency Financial Report, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3515(a)(1); 
     Public Law 101-576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by Public Law 
     107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049); to the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform.
       7774. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for 
     Legislation, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health 
     and Human Services, transmitting the Fiscal Year 2014 Report 
     to Congress on Administration of the Tribal Self-Governance 
     Program, pursuant to Sec. 458aaa-13(a), 25 U.S.C. 450 et 
     seq., as amended; to the Committee on Natural Resources.
       7775. A letter from the Assistant Attorney General, 
     Department of Justice, transmitting the Rafael Ramos and 
     Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act Report to Congress for 
     2016, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 14165b(f); Public Law 114-12, 
     Sec. 4(f); (129 Stat. 196); to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.
       7776. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard, 
     Department of Homeland Security, transmitting the 
     Department's temporary final rule -- Special Local 
     Regulation; Ouachita River, Monroe, LA [Docket No.: USCG-
     2016-0666] (RIN: 1625-AA08) received December 2, 2016, 
     pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 
     251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure.
       7777. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard, 
     Department of Homeland Security, transmitting the 
     Department's temporary final rule -- Special Local 
     Regulation; Saint Andrew Bay, Panama City, FL [Docket No.: 
     USCG-2016-0932] (RIN: 1625-AA08) received December 2, 2016, 
     pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 
     251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure.
       7778. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard, 
     Department of Homeland Security, transmitting the 
     Department's temporary final rule -- Safety Zone; Pago Pago 
     Harbor, American Samoa [Docket No.: USCG-2016-0749] (RIN: 
     1625-AA00) received December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
     801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); 
     to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
       7779. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard, 
     Department of Homeland Security, transmitting the 
     Department's final rule -- Safety Zones; San Francisco, CA 
     [Docket No.: USCG-2016-0154] (RIN: 1625-AA00) received 
     December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public 
     Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure.
       7780. A letter from the Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Coast Guard, 
     Department of Homeland Security, transmitting the 
     Department's temporary final rule -- Safety Zone; Tennessee 
     River, Knoxville, TN, MM TNR 646.9-647.1 [Docket No.: USCG-
     2016-0845] (RIN: 1625-AA00) received December 2, 2016, 
     pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 
     251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure.
       7781. A letter from the Administrator, Saint Lawrence 
     Seaway Development Corporation, Department of Transportation, 
     transmitting the annual financial audit and management report 
     of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 
     3515(a)(1); Public Law 101-576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by 
     Public Law 107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049); to the 
     Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
       7782. A letter from the Chief, Trade and Commercial 
     Regulations Branch, Customs and Border Protection, Department 
     of Homeland Security, transmitting the Department's final 
     rule -- Import Restrictions Imposed on Certain Archaeological 
     Material from Egypt [CBP Dec. 16-23] (RIN: 1515-AE19) 
     received December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); 
     Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the 
     Committee on Ways and Means.
       7783. A letter from the Chief, Trade and Commercial 
     Regulations Branch, Customs and Border Protection, Department 
     of Homeland Security, transmitting the Department's final 
     rule -- Extension of Import Restrictions Imposed on Certain 
     Archeological and Ethnological Materials from the 
     Plurinational State of Bolivia [CBP Dec. 16-24] (RIN: 1515-
     AE20) received December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
     801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); 
     to the Committee on Ways and Means.
       7784. A letter from the Chief, Publications and Regulations 
     Branch, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service' s 
     IRB only rule -- Application of Section 108(a)(1)(E)(ii) to 
     the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA's) Principal 
     Reduction Modification Program (PRMP) and the Home Affordable 
     Modification Program (HAMP) [Notice 2016-72] received 
     December 2, 2016, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public 
     Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on 
     Ways and Means.

[[Page 15911]]



                          ____________________




         REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

  Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to 
the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as 
follows:

       Mr. BYRNE: Committee on Rules. House Resolution 944. 
     Resolution providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 
     5143) to provide greater transparency and congressional 
     oversight of international insurance standards setting 
     processes, and for other purposes; providing for proceedings 
     during the period from December 9, 2016, through January 3, 
     2017; and providing for consideration of motions to suspend 
     the rules (Rept. 114-846). Referred to the House Calendar.

                          ____________________




                      PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

  Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions of the 
following titles were introduced and severally referred, as follows:

           By Mr. BRADY of Texas (for himself and Mr. Neal):
       H.R. 6439. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
     1986 to make technical corrections, and for other purposes; 
     to the Committee on Ways and Means.
           By Mr. GOWDY (for himself, Mr. Goodlatte, and Ms. 
             Jackson Lee):
       H.R. 6440. A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to 
     provide for new procedures regarding the payment of 
     restitution by defendants convicted of child pornography 
     offenses, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.
           By Ms. DUCKWORTH:
       H.R. 6441. A bill to provide for the regulation of video 
     visitation services by the Federal Communications Commission 
     generally, to establish criteria for the provision of video 
     visitation services by the Bureau of Prisons, and for other 
     purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
     to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 
     subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
     consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
           By Mr. FORTENBERRY:
       H.R. 6442. A bill to amend the National Trails System Act 
     to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on 
     the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear 
     National Historic Trail, and for other purposes; to the 
     Committee on Natural Resources.
           By Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico (for 
             herself, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Cicilline, and Mr. 
             DeSaulnier):
       H.R. 6443. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code to 
     impose an excise tax on opioid manufacturers, to make the 
     funds collected through such tax available for opioid 
     (including heroin) abuse prevention and treatment programs, 
     and for other purposes; to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
     and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and 
     the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
     Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
     fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
           By Ms. MENG:
       H.R. 6444. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 
     to require the Secretary of Education to annually adjust 
     Federal Perkins loan amounts for inflation; to the Committee 
     on Education and the Workforce.
           By Mr. O'ROURKE (for himself, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. 
             Moulton, and Mr. Jones):
       H.R. 6445. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, 
     and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish, in the 
     event of any war, a war tax to be collected and deposited in 
     a trust fund for the payment of benefits and compensation to 
     veterans of that war; to the Committee on Ways and Means, and 
     in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a 
     period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
     case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
           By Mr. PALLONE (for himself, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Moore, Mr. 
             Payne, and Mrs. Watson Coleman):
       H.R. 6446. A bill to amend the Truth in Lending Act to 
     provide private education loan forgiveness for certain 
     borrowers, to require disclosures related to private 
     education loan default rates, and for other purposes; to the 
     Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the 
     Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently 
     determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
     such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
     committee concerned.
           By Mr. ROE of Tennessee:
       H.J. Res. 106. A joint resolution approving the location of 
     a memorial to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed 
     Forces that served on active duty in support of Operation 
     Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield; to the Committee on 
     Natural Resources.
           By Mr. McCARTHY:
       H. Res. 945. A resolution providing for the printing of a 
     revised edition of the Rules and Manual of the House of 
     Representatives for the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress; 
     considered and agreed to.
           By Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mrs. Dingell, Mrs. 
             Lawrence, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Kildee):
       H. Res. 946. A resolution celebrating the history of the 
     Detroit River with the 15-year commemoration of the 
     International Underground Railroad Memorial Monument, 
     comprised of the Gateway to Freedom Monument in Detroit, 
     Michigan, and the Tower of Freedom Monument in Windsor, 
     Ontario, Canada; to the Committee on Natural Resources, and 
     in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period 
     to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
     for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
           By Mr. RICHMOND:
       H. Res. 947. A resolution expressing support for the 
     designation of the third Sunday in October as Clergy Spouse 
     Appreciation Day; to the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform.

                          ____________________




                   CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

  Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, the following statements are submitted regarding the 
specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the 
accompanying bill or joint resolution.

            By Mr. BRADY of Texas:
       H.R. 6439.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Clauses 1 and 18 of Section 8 of Article I of the United 
     States Constitution, and Amendment XVI of the United States 
     Constitution.
            By Mr. GOWDY:
       H.R. 6440.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       The bill derives its authority from Congress' Article 1, 
     Section 8, Clause 9 authority to ``constitute tribunals 
     inferior to the Supreme Court.'' This authority includes the 
     rules and procedures used by inferior federal courts.
            By Ms. DUCKWORTH:
       H.R. 6441.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section I of the Constitution of the United 
     States of America: ``All legislative Powers herein granted 
     shall be vested in a Congress, of the United States, which 
     shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.''
            By Mr. FORTENBERRY:
       H.R. 6442.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       The constitutional authority for this bill is pursuant to 
     Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the United States 
     Constitution.
            By Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico:
       H.R. 6443.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, clause 18 of the Constitution.
           By Ms. MENG:
       H.R. 6444.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
     States
            By Mr. O'ROURKE:
       H.R. 6445.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress 
     has the power ``to make all Laws which shall be necessary and 
     proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and 
     all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the 
     Government of the United States, or any Department or Officer 
     thereof''.
            By Mr. PALLONE:
       H.R. 6446.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section VIII.
            By Mr. ROE of Tennessee:
       H.J. Res. 106.
       Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant 
     to the following:
       Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the United States 
     Constitution

                          ____________________




                          ADDITIONAL SPONSORS

  Under clause 7 of rule XII, sponsors were added to public bills and 
resolutions, as follows:

       H.R. 188: Ms. Pingree.
       H.R. 213: Ms. DeLauro and Mr. Bera.
       H.R. 572: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 577: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 746: Mr. Ted Lieu of California.
       H.R. 1095: Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Cicilline.
       H.R. 1098: Ms. Slaughter.
       H.R. 1197: Mr. Doggett.
       H.R. 1312: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 1356: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 1603: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 2082: Mr. Reed.
       H.R. 2103: Ms. Lofgren.
       H.R. 2450: Mr. Pascrell.

[[Page 15912]]


       H.R. 2461: Mr. McKinley.
       H.R. 2920: Mr. Kind.
       H.R. 3268: Mr. Meeks and Mrs. Bustos.
       H.R. 3355: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 3520: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 3558: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 3640: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 3660: Ms. Bonamici and Mr. Pocan.
       H.R. 3892: Mr. McCaul and Mr. Wenstrup.
       H.R. 4074: Mr. Brooks of Alabama.
       H.R. 4223: Ms. Castor of Florida.
       H.R. 4298: Mr. Bost and Mr. Brady of Texas.
       H.R. 4313: Ms. Kuster.
       H.R. 4513: Mr. Katko.
       H.R. 4932: Ms. Lofgren.
       H.R. 5177: Mr. Pallone.
       H.R. 5299: Mrs. Brooks of Indiana and Mr. Bost.
       H.R. 5361: Mrs. Torres.
       H.R. 5454: Mrs. Mimi Walters of California and Ms. 
     Schakowsky.
       H.R. 5474: Ms. Velazquez.
       H.R. 5619: Mr. DeSantis.
       H.R. 5867: Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 5904: Mr. Davidson and Mr. Meadows.
       H.R. 5961: Mrs. Comstock.
       H.R. 5974: Mr. Moulton and Mr. Smith of New Jersey.
       H.R. 5999: Mr. Duffy and Mr. Delaney.
       H.R. 6025: Mr. Luetkemeyer.
       H.R. 6117: Ms. Kaptur.
       H.R. 6159: Mr. Paulsen.
       H.R. 6196: Mrs. Mimi Walters of California.
       H.R. 6234: Ms. Lofgren.
       H.R. 6278: Mr. Gohmert.
       H.R. 6298: Mr. Lamborn.
       H.R. 6336: Mr. Garamendi.
       H.R. 6340: Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Kuster, 
     Mr. Ellison, Mr. Loebsack, and Ms. Pingree.
       H.R. 6421: Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Rigell, Mr. Swalwell of 
     California, and Mr. Lamborn.
       H.R. 6423: Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lynch, Ms. 
     Velazquez, and Ms. Schakowsky.
       H.R. 6426: Mr. DeSantis.
       H.R. 6428: Mr. Beyer and Mr. Carson of Indiana.
       H.R. 6431: Ms. Pingree, Mr. Curbelo of Florida, Mr. Kilmer, 
     Mr. Emmer of Minnesota, and Ms. Kelly of Illinois.
       H.J. Res. 100: Mr. Stewart and Mr. Labrador.
       H.J. Res. 102: Mr. Garamendi and Mr. Pocan.
       H.J. Res. 104: Mr. Cooper.
       H. Con. Res. 171: Mr. Griffith, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Hanabusa, 
     Mr. Kilmer, and Ms. Speier.
       H. Con. Res. 175: Mr. Aderholt.
       H. Res. 28: Ms. Ros-Lehtinen.
       H. Res. 848: Mr. Levin and Mr. Walz.
       H. Res. 861: Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, 
     and Mr. Rush.
       H. Res. 942: Mr. Burgess and Mr. Allen.
       
       
       



[[Page 15913]]

                          EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS



                          ____________________


RECOGNIZING THE NORTHWEST INDIANA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect and admiration 
that I rise to recognize the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra upon 
its 75th anniversary. In honor of this momentous occasion, the 
Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra is hosting a commemorative gala 
that will feature its signature Holiday Pops concert on Thursday, 
December 8, 2016 at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana.
  The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra humbly originated in 1941 as 
a vision from cello instructor Arthur Zack, who hailed from Gary, 
Indiana. Using the Gary Post-Tribune as a means to recruit performers, 
Zack led twenty-six musicians for the group's first rehearsal. From 
this foundation, the roster flourished, and the first concert was 
performed on December 7, 1941, at Seaman Hall of City Methodist Church 
in Gary. Regrettably, news of the attack on Pearl Harbor was received 
prior to the start of the performance, which prompted Zack to open the 
concert with a heart-felt rendition of ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' on 
the piano. With reverence to the importance of that decision, the 
Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra will commence its 75th anniversary 
concert with the national anthem.
  While remaining with the organization for several more years, Zack's 
perseverance and energy helped shape and establish the group, then 
known as the Gary Symphony. Over the years, its musicians have 
delighted audiences with their performances at various churches and 
schools throughout Northwest Indiana. In 1972, the members reorganized 
as the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra and continued to host 
concerts at area high schools.
  The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra held its first performance 
at the Star Plaza Theatre in September of 1981, the same venue at which 
the outstanding musicians performed their first concert in November of 
1982. The following year, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra 
branded the Star Plaza Theatre as its home concert hall, although they 
still remained true to their roots by performing at other local venues 
in the community, including a series of outdoor concerts.
  The Northwest Indiana Symphony is now comprised of the Northwest 
Indiana Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Youth 
Orchestra, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Chorus, and the Women's 
Association. The Orchestra takes pride in its dedication to encouraging 
youth to broaden their knowledge and appreciation of music through 
educational programs.
  Since its inception, scores of distinguished and renowned musicians 
and entertainers from around the world have featured their talents 
alongside the orchestra. Well-known names in music, such as Benny 
Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band, and 
Roger Williams, have performed as guest artists over the years.
  For the last 75 years, the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra has 
entertained and enchanted audiences with their executions of both 
classical and contemporary music. Their faithful devotion to promoting 
the arts in Northwest Indiana has provided accessibility to cultural 
and enriching opportunities for exceptional musical performances to all 
local residents.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in congratulating and celebrating the Northwest Indiana Symphony 
Orchestra on its 75th anniversary. Northwest Indiana is grateful and 
proud to be home to the brilliantly talented members of this 
organization, and for their outstanding gifts, leadership, and service, 
these members are worthy of the highest praise.

                          ____________________




   HONORING GARY A. ROSEMA, OTTAWA COUNTY SHERIFF, ON HIS RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BILL HUIZENGA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
my friend, Sheriff Gary Rosema, on his retirement from the Ottawa 
County Sheriff's Office.
  After graduating from the FBI National Academy, Gary Rosema began his 
career in law enforcement in 1973 as a patrol officer for the 
Coopersville Police Department. One year later, he joined the Ottawa 
County Sheriff's Department as a deputy and achieved the rank of 
detective in 1981. In 1993, Gary Rosema was elected to serve as Ottawa 
County's sheriff.
  Sheriff Rosema has dedicated his career to providing the highest 
quality law enforcement service to the residents and communities in 
Ottawa County. His relentless work for the community includes serving 
as chairman of Michigan's Council on Law Enforcement and Criminal 
Justice Initiatives and Chair of the Operations Board of Directors for 
the West Michigan Enforcement Team, which is a multi-jurisdictional 
drug enforcement task force.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Second District of Michigan, we thank 
Sheriff Gary Rosema for his 43 years of service to West Michigan and to 
our nation.

                          ____________________




       HONORING THE FAIRFIELD AREA HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' SOCCER TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SCOTT PERRY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I proudly honor my constituents, the 
Fairfield Area High School Girls' Soccer team, for earning the 
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 1A 
championship. These young women have brought home the first state team 
sports title in Fairfield's history.
  The Green Knights defeated District VII Champion, Shady Side, in a 9-
4 victory at Hersheypark Stadium on November 18, 2016. The Green 
Knights finished the season with a 25-1 record and scored 27 goals in 
four state playoff games, including two nine-goal performances.
  For a team from a small community, the Green Knights had an army of 
loyal supporters. I extend my congratulations to head coach Phomma 
Phanhthy, and the school officials, family and friends who supported 
these young women on this incredible journey.
  On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I commend 
and congratulate the Fairfield Area High School Girls' Soccer team on 
the hard work and dedication that led to their 2016 State Championship.

                          ____________________




                     HONORING MOTHER IRENE L. GARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable person, Mrs. Irene L. Gary.
  Mrs. Irene L. Gary affectionately known as ``Julie'' was born on 
September 5, 1930 in Goodman, Mississippi to the late Ozzie Lloyd and 
Essie Long. She received her general education from the Georgeville 
Community. She served as a cook for Holmes Community College which she 
loved doing for many years. Throughout her career she served in the 
capacity for other businesses until retirement.
  Irene's spiritual life began when she joined Georgeville United 
Methodist Church in Goodman, Mississippi. She relocated to Lexington, 
Mississippi where she began to worship at St. John C.M.E. Church under 
the pastorage of the late Rev. Larry Blackmon. Later in life she joined 
the Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church under the pastorage of Rev. 
Edward Charles Pitchford where she served faithfully until her health 
began to decline. Because of

[[Page 15914]]

her spirit of serving others, she was chosen by her pastor to be a part 
of the Mother's Board. She loved her church, her pastor and his family. 
Irene was a unique individual; you had to know her to understand her 
and to understand her was to love her.
  Irene departed her natural life on August 1, 2016. Her parents, Ozzie 
Lloyd and Essie Long, her loving sister, Eva Smart, and her niece, 
Carolyn Smart, all preceded her in death. Fond memories of her will 
forever remain with her children: Virginia Brown and George Gary; a 
grandson whom she reared as her own, Donald Gary, all of Lexington, MS; 
two very dedicated friends Gloria Remus and Ruthie Marshall of 
Lexington, MS; five grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; three 
great-great grandchildren; a God granddaughter, Sade Melton; nieces, 
nephews, cousins, and neighbors whom she loved; family and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Irene 
L. Gary, for her dedication to the community.

                          ____________________




            COMMENDING THE 2016 BEST OF BRADDOCK RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the recipients of the 
2016 Best of Braddock Awards, presented by the Braddock District 
Council of Community Associations. These awards are given annually to 
deserving individuals, organizations, and companies in the Braddock 
Magisterial District of Fairfax County, Virginia, who have demonstrated 
an outstanding commitment to our community. I am pleased to join the 
Braddock District Council of Community Associations in recognizing the 
following Recipients of the 2016 Best of Braddock Awards:


                          Citizens of the Year

  Casey McCollum, Olde Forge/Surrey Square Civic Association. For 10 
years, Ms. McCollum has worked with A Forever Home Rescue Foundation, 
providing safe and loving care for foster dogs, including pregnant dogs 
and those rescued from puppy mills and inhumane conditions. Her 
dedication and unconditional love for the dogs she fosters helps 
prepare them for their adoptive families and forever homes.
  Glen Erickson-Bell, Chapel Hill Civic Association. Mr. Erickson-Bell 
is the ``Steward of Oak Hill Park.'' When efforts to engage park 
personnel were fruitless, he took it upon himself to contact Friends of 
Accotink Creek for guidance. These efforts led to the formation of the 
Friends of Oak Hill Park which led efforts to clear the trails and 
clean up the trash so that residents were able to once again enjoy Oak 
Hill.
  Young Person of the Year: Bonnibelle Bishop. Since elementary school, 
Ms. Bishop has been involved in community service. She has traveled 
throughout the Commonwealth promoting her anti-bullying platform and 
participated in events for TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for 
Survivors.) She also has donated her time to various events in support 
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including its Children's 
Hospital.


  Clubs or Organizations Making a Difference in the Braddock District

  Holy Spirit Transportation Ministry. Richard and Maly Chobot formed 
the Transportation Ministry at Holy Spirit Church to help those who 
need rides to medical appointments or procedures. The entirely 
volunteer group provides a service that makes a difference in the 
everyday lives of members in the community.
  Boy Scout Troop 1965. In the past year, the 40 Scouts of Troop 1965 
have collectively completed more than 800 hours of service projects 
ranging from conservation projects to construction projects throughout 
the area. The members of Troop 1965 continue to serve those around them 
and the greater Braddock District.
  Staff, Volunteers and Friends of Kings Park Library. With the closure 
of Pohick Library for renovation, the Kings Park Library has seen an 
exponential increase in usage. The dedicated staff, volunteers, and 
friends of Kings Park Library have worked together to meet the 
increased demand without sacrificing service, making Kings Park one of 
the most cherished libraries in the county.
  Friends of Oak Hill Park. Instead of sitting back and waiting for 
someone else to solve a community problem, the Friends of Oak Hill Park 
took matters into their own hands. They united the communities 
surrounding Oak Hill Park and launched extensive clean-up and 
restoration projects, transforming it into a welcoming parkland for all 
to enjoy.


                          Special Recognition

  Paula McKinley, Olde Forge/Surrey Square Civic Association. While 
many celebrate Memorial Day and July 4th with picnics and parades, Ms. 
McKinley personally purchased more than 800 U.S. flags and oversaw 
their installation, ensuring that we remember our history and honor 
those who gave their lives for us all.
  Ron Luxenburg, Lake Braddock. The winter of 2015/16 was one for the 
record books. While most of us were home stranded, waiting for the 
plows to arrive, Mr. Luxenburg plowed his entire cul-de-sac, as well as 
his neighbors' driveways and sidewalks without being asked or paid. 
These efforts truly exhibit Mr. Luxenburg's generosity and passion for 
serving others.
  Don Wallace. Mr. Wallace sits on the board of Food for Others and 
since 2008, has actively worked to educate the community about the need 
to donate food for thousands of Northern Virginians who might otherwise 
go hungry. He has personally organized the collection and transfer of 
donated food to the Food for Others warehouse. His efforts have 
resulted in more than 9 tons of food being donated to this worthwhile 
organization.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating these 
outstanding individuals and organizations and also in thanking them for 
their service to our community. Their efforts and leadership have been 
a great benefit to the Braddock District and are deserving of our 
highest praise.

                          ____________________




     HONORING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HANOVER FIRE DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. SCOTT PERRY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, today I offer my sincere thanks and 
congratulations to the Hanover Fire Department in Pennsylvania on its 
200th Anniversary.
  The collective accomplishments of the staff and volunteers of the 
Hanover Fire Department truly are exceptional. Over the last 200 years, 
the Department's men and women helped to save countless lives and 
properties, and have made the Hanover area a safer and better place in 
which to live and work.
  On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I thank 
and congratulate the Hanover Fire Department on its 200th Anniversary 
and wish them continued great success and service in the years to come.

                          ____________________




                       RECOGNIZING DEBBIE SHEDDEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAVID P. ROE

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Debbie 
Shedden who is the current President of the Tennessee School Boards 
Association. Debbie has been active at the local, state, and national 
levels of education for several years. She was named the Tennessee 
School Board Member of the Year in 2011 and received the Premier 
Ambassador Award from Tennessee School Boards Association in 2013 and 
2014. In 2016 Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Candice McQueen 
reappointed Debbie to the Tennessee Task Force on Student Testing and 
Assessment. Debbie is also actively involved in the Rogersville Rotary 
Club and the Interact Club at Cherokee High School.
  Debbie has dedicated herself to serving the students and communities 
of Hawkins County and Tennessee. I am proud to recognize Debbie for her 
commitment and work to improving education in Tennessee.

                          ____________________




            RECOGNIZING MRS. MELISSA KEESEE FOR HER SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DENNIS A. ROSS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American on her 
retirement from federal service. Mrs. Melissa L. Keesee, Paralegal 
Specialist, U.S. Special Operations Command Office of the Staff Judge 
Advocate (SOJA), MacDill AFB, Florida, is retiring after over 37 years 
of distinguished and dedicated federal service, the last 22 years 
serving in SOJA.
  Mrs. Keesee began her journey in federal service as a U.S. Army 
Civilian clerk with U.S.

[[Page 15915]]

Southern Command, Republic of Panama. She then became a U.S. Air Force 
Civilian as secretary, U.S. Readiness Command, MacDill AFB, FL. She is 
a plank owner in U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) as she 
transitioned into the standup of the command as a secretary, U.S. 
Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, FL. She then traveled to Texas 
where she was a secretary with Air Education Training Command, Randolph 
AFB, TX and a secretary with Headquarters, U.S. Air Force Recruiting 
Service, Randolph AFB, TX. Before returning to MacDill AFB, she became 
a secretary with the 81st Training Wing (AETC), Keesler AFB, MS. At 
MacDill AFB for the second time, she rejoined USSOCOM as a secretary 
with J3 (operations) then moved to SOJA. Mrs. Keesee has touched 
countless people in her tenure with SOJA. Notable alumni of SOJA that 
she has worked with include three U.S. Attorneys, several General 
Officers in the Army, including a former The Judge Advocate of the Army 
(TJAG), and numerous prominent local jurists and attorneys.
  Her talent and dedication to duty were recognized with her award of 
one of the first Joint Civilian Service Commendation Medals to be 
awarded at USSOCOM. In 2008, the Air Force Judge Advocate Corps 
recognized her as the prestigious Harold R. Vague Award Winner (the 
most outstanding civilian paralegal in the Air Force). In that same 
year, SOJA recognized her with the Major General William Garrison 
Award. This award recognizes ``significant contributions to advancement 
of the rule of law in the Special Operations community.'' Mrs. Keesee 
has been a critical part of USSOCOM from its early beginnings and has 
served with all USSOCOM SJAs (SOJAs) in her time with USSOCOM.
  Always professional and going above and beyond, Mrs. Keesee has been 
an invaluable continuity in the high speed office of SOJA. Melissa has 
touched and helped countless SOF JAGs and legal personnel in her 
federal career. She truly is a ``Quiet Professional''. Her country and 
home state are thankful and proud. I wish Melissa and her husband of 25 
years, Rick, along with their daughter, Jessica, Godspeed in retirement 
and justly deserved personal time.

                          ____________________




                   RECOGNIZING MAJOR JAMIE M. GLINES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ROBERT J. WITTMAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize those men and 
women who have served this great Nation with honor, men such as Major 
Jamie M. Glines, United States Marine Corps.
  For the past year, Major Glines, call sign ``Banana'', served on my 
staff as a Congressional Defense Fellow. A graduate of the United 
States Naval Academy, Major Glines is a proud Marine Corps Aviator. 
During his assignment, he provided senior-level guidance for defense, 
veterans, foreign affairs and intelligence matters. Major Glines 
executed his work as a liaison to the constituents of the First 
District and the numerous defense installations in the First District 
with distinction.
  Furthermore, he provided exceptional support to me as my staff 
liaison to the House Armed Services Committee in my roles as the 
Readiness Subcommittee Chairman, the Co-Chair of the Congressional 
Shipbuilding Caucus, and the Chairman of the United States Naval 
Academy's Board of Visitors.
  Major Glines directly contributed to my goal of providing excellent 
constituent service to the people of the First District. He was 
responsible for bringing numerous constituent inquiries to a successful 
conclusion and he was able to leverage his personal and operational 
experience in the Marine Corps to respond to the most challenging 
inquiries.
  In addition to his efforts on behalf of the First District, Major 
Glines took on projects with regional, state and national implications, 
demonstrating his ability to view a challenge from many angles and 
develop innovative solutions often requiring collaboration across many 
levels of government.
  Major Glines's work ethic, duty to mission, and commitment to servant 
leadership is without equal. I believe that his personal drive to 
achieve excellence in his work has and will set a very high standard 
for his peers.
  I would also like to thank Major Glines for the service and sacrifice 
he has made, and continues to make, for our Nation and our great Marine 
Corps. His keen sense of honor, impeccable integrity, boundless work 
ethic, humor and loyal devotion to duty earned him the respect and 
admiration of my staff and the First District of Virginia. As an UH-1Y 
Huey pilot with over 2,000 flight hours, Major Glines completed 
multiple deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and 
served as an instructor at the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics 
Squadron. Major Glines is headed to Marine Corps Aviation in the 
Pentagon where he will continue to work on Congressional matters. I 
have no doubt that Major Glines will continue to serve the Marine Corps 
honorably and with distinction.
  I wish him, his wife Elise, and his children Arlene, Jordan, Michael, 
and Zoe the best of luck as they continue their journey together as a 
Marine family. It was an honor and a pleasure having him serve on my 
staff. We all can sleep soundly at night knowing that men and women 
like Major Jamie Glines are members of our all-volunteer force and they 
stand ready to defend our country and take the fight to our enemies; 
far away from their families and the comforts of the United States of 
America.
  Major Jamie Glines, thank you. Best of luck to you and God bless you, 
your family, and all the Marines you are charged with leading. Semper 
Fi.

                          ____________________




                       HONORING MRS. LINDA BERMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Mrs. Linda Berman, a 
dedicated volunteer for the Democratic Party and resident of Amherst, 
New York. Linda's tireless service is recognized today by her friends 
on the Amherst Democratic Committee. A member of the Committee since 
2005, Linda and her son David have committed countless hours to further 
Democratic causes in our community.
  Linda was introduced to politics in 2003, when she met Mark 
Poloncarz. Linda and her son David joined Mark to campaign for John 
Kerry's bid for the presidency. The three political volunteers 
established the group ``Democrats for Progress'' in 2005. That same 
year Mark Poloncarz sought the office of Erie County Comptroller, so 
Linda and David worked diligently to support his efforts.
  In 2005, Linda joined the Amherst Democratic Committee, where she 
remains involved in to this day. In her capacity as a volunteer, she 
worked on every facet of Democratic politics: chairing events, service 
as a Zone Leader, running phone banks and other important service on 
campaigns.
  Of particular note are Linda's efforts to elect Mark Poloncarz as 
Erie County Executive in 2011. Her experience earned her an appointment 
as a delegate in 2012 for the Democratic National Convention, where she 
traveled to North Carolina to support the nomination of incumbent 
President Barack Obama.
  Before her involvement in politics, Linda and her husband were the 
owners of Masterline, a successful small business on Sheridan Drive 
that sold hair pieces. After selling the business, Linda worked for 
five years at the Buffalo Jewish Center. Next she brought her skills to 
the business office of the Williamsville Central School District, a 
position she held for fifteen years before her retirement in July of 
2008.
  Linda shares her passion for politics with her beloved son David, who 
has unwaveringly supported his mother and her efforts every step of the 
way. Over the years, he has walked in parades, knocked on doors, and 
participated in a number of Democratic campaigns. Their bond as a 
family and commitment to serving Democrats in Western New York is truly 
honorable.
  Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me a few moments to honor Mrs. 
Linda Berman and her admirable dedication to Democratic politics. 
Linda's commitment, which she instilled in her son David, is 
exceptional, and she is most deserving of this recognition by the 
Amherst Democratic Committee.

                          ____________________




 RECOGNIZING NEELAM CANTO-LUGO FOR RECEIVING THE VEGA VOLUNTEER OF THE 
                               YEAR AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN GARAMENDI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend 
Neelam Canto-Lugo for her extraordinary service to the people of Nepal. 
Through her volunteer work with the Women Development Advocacy Center, 
Neelam provided entrepreneurial training to Nepalese youth, women, and 
community organizers. Upon her return to the States, Neelam has 
continued her important work with the organization, supporting its 
digital literacy and

[[Page 15916]]

micro-enterprise acceleration projects. To date, Neelam has raised 
$9,800 and has received a donation of eleven computers, which will 
provide greater opportunity to economically disadvantaged women and 
empower rural entrepreneurs.
  On behalf of the people of California's 3rd Congressional District, 
please accept my sincere congratulations as well as my best wishes for 
the future.

                          ____________________




                           ARVADA HIGH SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED PERLMUTTER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud 
Arvada High School for their creative and unique mobile application 
(app) that was entered in the 2016 Congressional App Challenge. As 
first-time participants in the challenge, teams from Arvada HS built an 
app to assist students in locating their lockers, giving the school a 
welcoming environment for new students and incoming freshmen.
  The students of Arvada High School spent countless hours and used 
numerous tools to learn about coding, further advancing their STEM 
education. Each team built their app in less than three months which 
shows their perseverance and dedication to this challenge and 
exemplifies the character and determination the faculty instills in the 
students at the school. One of the teams at the school won the ``Rookie 
of the Year'' award which further demonstrates their hard work on this 
project.
  I am proud of Arvada High School for their dedication and school 
spirit in this endeavor. I am certain the students in this school will 
exhibit the same dedication and character in all of their future 
accomplishments.

                          ____________________




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JODY B. HICE

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 601 on 
suspending the rules and passing H.R. 5015--the Combat-Injured Veterans 
Tax Fairness Act, I am not recorded because I was unavoidably detained. 
Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.
  Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 602 on suspending the rules and passing 
H.R. 6427--the Creating Financial Prosperity for Businesses and 
Investors Act, I am not recorded because I was unavoidably detained. 
Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.
  Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 603 on suspending the rules and passing 
House Amendment to S. 1635--the Department of State Authorities Act, I 
am not recorded because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, 
I would have voted YEA.

                          ____________________




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROBERT HURT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I 
been present, I would have voted yea on Roll Call No. 601, yea on Roll 
Call No. 602, and nay on Roll Call No. 603.

                          ____________________




                         NORTHGLENN HIGH SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED PERLMUTTER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud 
Northglenn High School for their creative and unique mobile 
applications (app) entered in the 2016 Congressional App Challenge.
  Two student teams from Northglenn High School participated in the 
challenge. The winning app allowed the residents of Northglenn to 
experience their city in virtual reality as a way to learn more about 
the area in which they live and its history. The other team developed 
an app that provided various filters to help showcase clothing. Each 
team spent countless hours and used numerous tools to learn about 
coding, further advancing their STEM education. Each team built their 
app in less than three months which shows their perseverance and 
dedication to this project.
  I am proud of Northglenn High School for their dedication and school 
spirit in this endeavor. I am certain the students in this school will 
exhibit the same dedication and character in all of their future 
accomplishments.

                          ____________________




CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SENECA HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADERS ON WINNING BACK-
                      TO-BACK STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Seneca High 
School cheerleaders on winning back-to-back state championships this 
past November.
  The Seneca High School Cheerleading team competed in the 2A Large 
Division and added this championship to their four previous state 
titles (2007, 2008, 2011, and 2015). The Cheerleading State 
Championship took place on Sunday, November 6, 2016, at the University 
of Missouri in Columbia.
  This state title was coached by Kristi Schlessman. Two of her 
cheerleaders, Rachel Wohlenhaus and Tess Hultman, were awarded All-
State Cheerleader awards. The Seneca Cheerleading team has become a 
dynasty for Seneca High School and I would like to extend my personal 
congratulations for their achievement. On behalf of the 7th District of 
Missouri, I would like to thank them for representing our community.

                          ____________________




                HONORING WESTHAVEN MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Westhaven Funeral Home, Utica Branch.
  Westhaven Memorial Funeral Home, Inc. was birthed from a partnership 
between Audrey B. Wiley, Freddie L. and Anthony R. Davis on February 
16, 1996.
  In April of 2002, the first of three additional branches came into 
fruition in Utica, MS. With much prayer and supplication, this branch 
has been opened for going on twelve years. This mix-use building has 
been an added asset for churches, community gatherings, family 
gatherings and much, much more.
  This location has been beneficial to Westhaven as well as their 
clientele, tax base and socially. They have maintained a relationship 
throughout the community and have been able to create jobs and bring 
about other attributes.
  Westhaven continues to serve Utica and the surrounding areas 
offering: Traditional and Personalized Funeral Services; Special 
Limousine and Transport Services; Funeral Program Design and Printing; 
Domestic and International Shipping; Pre-Plan Funeral Arrangements; 
Caskets; Vaults and Urns; Notary Public; Cremations and Obituaries.
  It is their prayer that they can continue to be a blessing to the 
town of Utica for many years to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Westhaven 
Memorial Funeral Home, Utica Branch for its dedication to serving our 
great state of Mississippi.

                          ____________________




          CONGRATULATING THE 2016 CHAIRMAN'S AWARD RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Dulles Regional 
Chamber of Commerce for its ongoing dedication to local businesses and 
our community and to congratulate the 2016 Chairman's Award recipients.
  The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest 
chambers in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region and is located in 
one of the largest technology corridors in the country. It actively 
supports the interest of its members and also supports broader 
initiatives including STEM education, workforce initiatives, economic 
development, and local non-profits.
  Each year during the Annual Chairman's Awards Luncheon, the Chamber 
honors those extraordinary businesses, non-profit organizations, and 
citizens who have dedicated their

[[Page 15917]]

talents and activities to enhancing our economy and our community.
  I am pleased to include the names of the following recipients of the 
2016 Chairman's Awards.
  Service Award: Mr. Paul Karstetter, Stitely & Karstetter.
  Committee Chair of the Year: Ms. Sharon DeBragga, Mountain View 
Alternative High School.
  Volunteer of the Year: Ms. Andrea Savitch, Unique Travel Events.
  Champion Partners: Mr. Doug Downer, HRI Associates; Ms. Anna 
Schneider, Volkswagen Group of America; and Mr. Jeff Dick, MainStreet 
Bank.
  Best New Event: Mr. Matt Hurst and Mr. Greg Langweg, Hilton 
Washington Dulles Airport for: ``Dished!''
  Best New Program: Ms. Angela Inzerillo, Impact Business Solutions and 
Ms. Robin Suomi, Startup Growth for ``Business Success.''
  Best Committee: Mr. Mike O'Reilly, The O'Reilly Law Firm and Mr. 
Vinay Patel, Fairbrook Hotels as co-chairs of the Herndon Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the Dulles 
Regional Chamber of Commerce for its dedication and commitment to our 
community and in congratulating the 2016 Chairman's Award recipients. I 
extend my personal thanks to these businesses and individuals for their 
many contributions to our region's economic success and quality of 
life. Their contributions are among the many reasons why Fairfax County 
is one of the best places in the country in which to live, work, and 
raise a family. I commend them on their awards and wish them great 
success in all future endeavors.

                          ____________________




                               BCER GROUP

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED PERLMUTTER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud 
the BCER Group for receiving the Colorado Companies to Watch Award, an 
awards program honoring second-stage companies for the important role 
they play in Colorado's economy and entrepreneurial community.
  The BCER Group is a consulting engineering firm which provides 
creative and state-of-the-art mechanical, electrical, fire protection, 
life safety, and technology engineering services for commercial, 
institutional, industrial, and government projects nationwide. Founded 
in 1994, the BCER Group has grown to three offices and 88 employees. 
Today they are known for their ability to make quick decisions, take 
necessary risks, and evolve with the ever-changing industry in order to 
provide growth opportunities for their employees, clients and 
community.
  The BCER Group was founded on several guiding principles such as 
fostering a fun, friendly company environment while still focusing on 
the serious nature of its work. This founding principle as well as its 
leadership and commitment to the community remain at the heart of 
BCER's culture. The company supports a variety of charitable 
organizations including the Santa Hause, The Salvation Army, Caruso 
Charities, Whiz Kids Tutoring Program, and the Children's Hospital Burn 
Camp.
  I extend my deepest congratulations to the BCER Group for this well-
deserved recognition by Colorado Companies to Watch and wish them 
continued success.

                          ____________________




                IN HONOR OF THE RETIREMENT OF JIM MILLER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PATRICK J. TIBERI

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jim Miller on the 
occasion of his retirement as Federal Liaison for the Ohio Public 
Employees Retirement System.
  For well over fifteen years, Jim diligently worked as an advocate for 
Ohio's public pension system. By utilizing his unique knowledge and 
experience, Jim proved himself to be a remarkable asset to both Ohio's 
public employees and elected officials.
  It has been said that Jim has never met a stranger. His quick wit, 
comfort with people and passion for his work played a large role in his 
tremendous success. Whether he was speaking with the most senior member 
of Congress or a junior staff member, Jim was able to relate and 
connect with them. This candor allowed parties to come together in an 
effort to garner meaningful results for beneficiaries and taxpayers 
alike.
  As Jim transitions to his next stage in life, his knowledge and 
guidance will truly be missed, yet few are more deserving of a peaceful 
and relaxing retirement. On behalf of Ohio's 12th Congressional 
District, I would like to thank Jim Miller for his many years of 
service and wish him a happy retirement.

                          ____________________




                    HONORING COLONEL SONG LENG XIONG

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KEITH ELLISON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service 
of Colonel Song Leng Xiong. Colonel Song Leng Xiong passed away 
peacefully in the presence of his loved ones on September 28, 2016 in 
Minneapolis, Minnesota. August 14, 2017 would have been his 78th 
birthday.
  Colonel Song Leng Xiong was born in 1939 in the village of Ban Xoun, 
Mouang Ped, in the Xieng Khouang Province in Laos. He began his 
distinguished military career at the age of just 14, when he enlisted 
in the French Army and was selected to attend training in South 
Vietnam, serving as a radio operator from 1953 to 1954. From 1956 to 
1960, he was assigned a battalion to guard Route 7 in Muang Xoun, and 
later led the building of the Phou Vieng airfield in his home province.
  After being specially selected to further his training in Thailand, 
in June of 1960, Colonel Song Leng Xiong was tasked with selecting 
nearly 600 new recruits to receive special training as part of the 
United States Central Intelligence Agency's Special Guerilla Units. 
Through this program, the CIA recruited thousands of Hmong soldiers and 
military leaders like Colonel Song Leng Xiong to fight against the 
Communist Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese Army regulars in Laos, 
working as surrogate soldiers of the United States Armed Forces. As 
many as 100,000 Hmong were recruited and trained to serve as these 
secret warriors, bravely battling the North Vietnamese Army for our 
country's cause.
  Colonel Song Leng Xiong fought in many battles for our country. In 
addition to leading his own battalion, he personally rescued and 
retrieved over seven American pilots who were shot down over Laos. His 
is one of countless stories of Hmong service-members and military 
leaders who protected our country through conducting guerrilla actions, 
guarding key installations, gathering intelligence, and undertaking 
rescue missions--all in the name of freedom.
  While the Secret War in Laos ended in 1975, Colonel Song Leng Xiong's 
service to his people and our country did not. Many refugees of the 
Secret War sought a better life here in the United States. Colonel Song 
Leng Xiong, a refugee himself, chose to stay behind and continue 
helping his fellow refugees in the transition. He immigrated to 
Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1993 after the United Nations closed the Ban 
Vinai refugee camp. In Minneapolis, Colonel Song Leng Xiong became a 
leader in our community through his service as Chair of the Lao-Hmong 
American Coalition chapter of Minnesota. In this role, he and his wife, 
Manichan Xiong, worked to share the stories of their community so that 
all Americans never forget their sacrifice.
  I am honored to recognize my constituent Colonel Song Leng Xiong for 
his tremendous sacrifices on behalf of our country. We are all better 
off due to his life of service. His dedication to freedom and to this 
country will never be forgotten. Thank you, Colonel Song Leng Xiong, 
for protecting our country with such great distinction, and for the 
legacy you leave of continuing the fight for freedom.

                          ____________________




          TRIBUTE TO THE 187TH AIR NATIONAL GUARD FIGHTER WING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, Alabama is a state rich with 
tradition and legacies of excellence. Yet, one that stands out is the 
legacy of military excellence exhibited by the 187th Air National Guard 
Fighter Wing, located at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, Alabama.
  The 187th Air National Guard Fighter Wing has an unparalleled legacy 
of excellence worthy of praise and worth protecting for the future. 
Currently, the guard unit is a prime candidate to fly the new F-35A 
Lightning II fighter

[[Page 15918]]

jets, known as the Joint Strike Fighter. The 187th currently flies the 
oldest F-16s in the U.S. Air Force's inventory; however, it is among 
eighteen Air National Guard units competing for the coveted new 
aircraft.
  The Alabama delegation in Congress is unanimous and steadfast in our 
support of the 187th Air National Guard Fighter Wing winning this new 
assignment. Nothing helps us make the case more than the long history 
of outstanding military service that has been the proud legacy of the 
187th.
  The 187th Fighter Wing has a proven combat track record and an 
unparalleled military heritage. It is home to the 100th Fighter 
Squadron--the famed ``Red Tails.'' This squadron's lineage traces back 
to World War II and the renowned Tuskegee Airmen, America's first black 
military pilots and support personnel.
  The 187th benefits from being a key strategic resource--only five 
miles from Maxwell Air Force Base, and twenty-five minutes flying time 
from Eglin, Tyndall, Hurlburt, and Moody Air Force Bases. This presents 
numerous opportunities for joint air-to-air and air-to-ground training. 
F-35 pilots of the 187th may also utilize the electronic ranges on 
Eglin AFB. This is all contingent, however, on the unit being outfitted 
with the new fighter jets. During my tenure in office, I have been and 
will continue to be a stalwart advocate for this vital national 
resource located in my district.
  As a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 
I have a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities that 
confront our nation. I am also keenly aware that the world we live in 
is filled with potential threats that are constantly developing and 
changing. We have to remain ever vigilant and be prepared to not only 
confront ongoing threats but those emerging as well. A major key to our 
success requires that we maintain air-superiority and provide effective 
air-cover for our men and women deployed in combat zones. This is the 
defining legacy of the 187th from World War II to today.
  Given its rich history and superior service to this nation, the 187th 
Air National Guard Fighter Wing stands poised and well-equipped to 
bring the next generation of air power to the Alabama Air National 
Guard.

                          ____________________




           IN RECOGNITION OF THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE AND PEACE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MATT CARTWRIGHT

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Yogesh Varhade and 
his pursuit of social justice. His hero, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, died 
60 years ago today. Ambedkar inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement in 
India, campaigned against social discrimination of the Dalit caste, 
supported the rights of women and laborers, and was appointed first 
Minister of Law and Justice in India in 1947.
  In honor of Dr. Ambedkar, Mr. Varhade founded the Ambedkar Center for 
Justice and Peace, a non-governmental organization, which has a 
headquarters in Kingston, PA. For the last 25 years Mr. Varhade 
dedicated himself to addressing issues of child labor, bonded labor, 
prostitution, human trafficking, and caste-based discrimination as they 
occur in India by implementing a legal literacy program for the 
marginalized in India and by educating others at the United Nations as 
well as elected leaders like myself
  We in the United States struggle with versions of these ugly truths 
born from hate and intolerance. Forced labor and human trafficking are 
a $150 billion industry worldwide. This nation has done much to pursue 
diplomatic solutions to these international issues. We must rededicate 
ourselves to this work and to our many partners in honor of the heroes 
who led the way.

                          ____________________




                     PAYING TRIBUTE TO JOSE ABEYTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SCOTT R. TIPTON

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jose Abeyta of 
Montrose, Colorado, who passed away on November 14, 2016. Jose is 
survived by his wife, Loretta, whom he was married to for 40 years, and 
their two sons, Lenny and Juan. Jose was a personal friend of mine and 
a beloved member of his community. He served our country proudly during 
the Vietnam War from 1969-1971 as a fixed wing mechanic for the Army's 
358th Aviation Detachment. He received an honorable discharge after 
serving for two years.
  Mr. Abeyta is a hero because of the time he spent in the Army, but 
the life he lived after his service showed us what an honorable man and 
model citizen he truly was. Jose married Loretta one month after 
returning home from Vietnam, and they moved to Colorado Springs, where 
he went to school and earned a degree in Sociology at the University of 
Colorado at Colorado Springs.
  Mr. Abeyta paid his own way through school, and then he and Loretta 
moved back to Montrose, where he began his career as a probation 
officer. He later ran successfully for city council in 2006. He served 
as the Mayor of Montrose in 2009.
  Mr. Speaker, it was not just his work that defined who Mr. Abeyta 
was, but also his devotion to serving others. As a husband, father, war 
veteran, little league coach, and public servant, he lived a life full 
of selfless service and stood as an example for all Americans to live 
by. He started out as the new guy in Montrose, and he ended up serving 
as the Mayor, which speaks volumes about the impact he had on the 
community. I am saddened by Mr. Abeyta's death, because he is an 
irreplaceable figure in Montrose, but I am grateful that I had the 
opportunity to know him. His family is in my thoughts and prayers, and 
I hope the community of Montrose will continue to celebrate his 
tremendous accomplishments in the weeks and months to come.

                          ____________________




  TO COMMEND THE HONOREES OF THE 2016 KOREAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF 
            GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY APPRECIATION NIGHT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the extraordinary 
honorees who will be recognized during the 3rd Annual Community 
Appreciation Night celebration sponsored by the Korean American 
Association of Greater Washington (KAAW). Although this is the 3rd 
Community Appreciation Night, it is the first in which individuals will 
be recognized for their public service.
  The KAAW strives to inform and engage the Korean American community 
throughout our region. Through its efforts and the efforts of its 
President, So Jung Lim, the organization continues to grow and 
successfully empower Korean Americans to become fully engaged 
participants in our local community and political process. Northern 
Virginia is blessed by its diversity--in fact, it is home to one of the 
largest concentrations of Americans of Korean ancestry in the entire 
country. As the Member of Congress for the 11th District of Virginia 
and the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, I am proud to 
have partnered with the Korean community on numerous issues, going back 
to my time as a Member and later Chairman of the Fairfax County Board 
of Supervisors. The KAAW has been a constant and invaluable partner in 
these efforts.
  Public service is a core value of our society. Each of us has the 
ability and responsibility to contribute what we can in order to make 
our communities better. Whether it is volunteering at a local school, 
in a community or civic association, at a food bank or other charity, 
or serving in elected office, the efforts of public servants and 
community activists enrich us all. This is especially true for first 
responders and educators. They dedicate their lives to our children, 
our safety, and our future. KAAW has embraced this ethos and tonight 
will honor five first responders and two educators who have gone above 
and beyond the call of duty.
  It is my great honor to include the names of the following 
individuals in recognition of their extraordinary achievements:
  Officer Nicole Ha, Washington Metropolitan Police Department, Special 
Liaison Division--Asian Liaison Unit.
  Dr. Shelly O'Foran, English Department Chair, Freedom High School.
  Police Officer First Class Hyun Chang, Fairfax County Police 
Department.
  Master Deputy Charles Gravatte, Loudoun County Sheriff Office.
  Firefighter Andrew Gode, Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue, 
and Emergency Management.
  Alex Morrison, Orchestra Teacher, Centreville High School.
  Officer Jeong Hong, Fairfax County Police Department.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending these fine 
men and women and congratulate each of them on being honored by KAAW. I 
also wish to extend my sincere appreciation to KAAW for sponsoring this

[[Page 15919]]

event and providing the opportunity for us to express our respect and 
appreciation to each of the honorees.

                          ____________________




                   HONORING MRS. GERTRUDE R. GRENADA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. 
Gertrude R. Grenada who was born and educated in the Mt. Olive 
Community in Bolton, Mississippi.
  Mrs. Grenada was one of 10 children who knew too well how important 
it was to achieve an education. She furthered her education by 
attending Jackson State College (University). Mrs. Grenada holds a B.S. 
Degree in Early Childhood Education along with 23 hours of study toward 
her Master's Degree. She was first employed with the Hinds County 
Headstart Agency in 1966 as a Social Worker.
  Mrs. Grenada served 37 years of employment with the Hinds County 
Headstart Agency. She touched the lives of more than 4 thousand 
children in the Bolton, Edwards and Jackson communities. What she 
enjoyed the most was working closely with the children, being 
surrounded and respected by fellow co-workers and employers with the 
highest levels of intelligence.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. 
Gertrude R. Grenada.

                          ____________________




                PROVIDING CARE TO THE DUCHENNE COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. COLLIN C. PETERSON

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. PETERSON. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recall the 
significance of the authority extended by Congress to the Food and Drug 
Administration in the 2012 Food and Drug Administration Safety and 
Innovation Act. This legislation enhanced the FDA's ability to develop 
and implement accelerated approval programs to provide therapies to 
patients with rare, debilitating, and one-hundred percent fatal 
diseases.
  Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder resulting in 
progressive muscle degeneration. This rare condition, which typically 
affects boys, is characterized by lung and heart complications that 
cause certain premature death.
  Despite compelling evidence of its efficacy, the FDA recently refused 
to consider a New Drug Application for a therapy developed to treat a 
commonly diagnosed form of Duchenne.
  As there are no alternative treatments for this particular form of 
Duchenne eligible for purchase or approval, Duchenne patients are left 
unable to mitigate the effects of the deadly disease.
  I urge the FDA to grant a full and fair review to New Drug 
Applications for Duchenne therapies in accordance with the Food and 
Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. The timely delivery of 
treatments is of the utmost importance to the Duchenne community.

                          ____________________




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MARLIN A. STUTZMAN

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted Yea 
on Roll Call No. 601 (H.R. 5015), Yea on Roll Call No. 602 (H.R. 6427), 
and Yea on Roll Call No. 603 (House Amendment to S. 1635).

                          ____________________




 RECOGNIZING THE 2016 FAIRFAX COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT VALOR 
                            AWARD RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
group of men and women in Northern Virginia. These individuals have 
demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded 
the prestigious Valor Award by the Northern Virginia Chamber of 
Commerce.
  This is the 38th Annual Valor Awards sponsored by the Northern 
Virginia Chamber of Commerce. This event honors the remarkable heroism 
and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety 
officers. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their 
lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods 
safe. This year's ceremony will recognize 70 individuals, 1 K-9, and 1 
team in a variety of categories including: the Lifesaving Certificate, 
the Certificate of Valor, and the Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal of 
Valor.
  Nineteen members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department are 
being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great 
pride that I include the names of the following Valor Award Recipients:
  Gold Medal of Valor: Lieutenant Lawrence G. Mullin, Technician Ryland 
W. Chapman.
  Silver Medal of Valor: Captain Carlos R. Carrillo, Lieutenant Daniel 
P. Gajewski, Master Technician Rolando E. Contreras, Master Technician 
Timothy J. Pais, Urban Search and Rescue Team.
  Bronze Medal of Valor: Lieutenant Joshua T. Allison, Lieutenant 
Reginald L. Wadley, Master Technician Glenn W. Dressler, Master 
Technician Robert G. Ritchie, Master Technician Beverly L. Studds, 
Technician Travis L. Franks, Technician Jorge M. Martinez, Firefighter/
Medic R.L. Radam III, Firefighter Delfin Reyes.
  Certificate of Valor: Lieutenant David E. Myers, Lieutenant Scott F. 
Primrose.
  Lifesaving Award: Technician Eric C. Villman.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the 2016 Valor Award Recipients, and 
thank each of the men and women who serve in the Fairfax County Fire 
and Rescue Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of 
our community, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest 
praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of 
remarkable citizens.

                          ____________________




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday December 1, 2016 I had to 
return home to my district for a dental emergency. Had I been present, 
I would have voted:
  ROLL CALL 594: Nay; ROLL CALL 595: Nay; ROLL CALL 596: Nay; ROLL CALL 
597: Nay; ROLL CALL 598: Yea; ROLL CALL 599: Nay; ROLL CALL 600: Nay.

                          ____________________




                     HONORING THE TOWN OF CRENSHAW

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
thriving town in the Mississippi Delta, the Town of Crenshaw.
  Over the course of 20 years, men and women of the Armed Forces, law 
enforcement, Fire and Emergency Medical Services have been recognized 
for their service to our communities and country.
  Mayor Oscar Barlow and First Lady Heather Barlow have put in tireless 
hours to get the word out about paying tribute to these very special 
men and women. They have gone above and beyond their call to make each 
program special for these men and women.
  In addition, they not only get the administration involved in paying 
tribute, but also area churches, federal, state and county leaders all 
come together in unity to show support to those who put their lives on 
the line daily for our communities and country.
  Our men and women of Armed Forces, law enforcement, Fire and EMS come 
out to receive a thank you from people who truly care and appreciate 
the sacrifice they make for us all.
  The Town of Crenshaw and our country also owe a thank you to the 
Mayor and First Lady for putting together such a wonderful tribute 
program for 20 years and for the vision they have in making these 
programs. We owe these men and women a simple, yet huge ``THANK YOU!''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Town 
of Crenshaw, Mississippi for paying tribute to all Servicemen who serve 
and protect our communities and this great country.

[[Page 15920]]



                          ____________________




                HONORING FLARA PRESIDENT TONY FRANSETTA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. LOIS FRANKEL

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of myself 
and Congressmen Ted Deutch, Alcee Hastings, and Patrick Murphy, to 
recognize retiring FLARA President Tony Fransetta for his leadership 
and public service.
  FLARA, the Florida Alliance of Retired Americans, represents the best 
interests of retired Floridians and stands in support of working 
families. As President, Tony has led the organization in its fight to 
protect the health and economic security of seniors throughout the 
state of Florida. His energetic leadership of FLARA helped expand the 
organization, increasing membership from 37,000 to 217,000 during his 
tenure. Tony leaves behind an influential legacy in which future 
leaders of FLARA will strive to follow.
  Commissioner Melissa McKinlay is declaring Tuesday, December 6th as 
Tony Fransetta Day in Palm Beach County to recognize Tony's leadership 
and advocacy. We would like to join the Commissioner and our friends 
back in Florida in honoring, celebrating, and thanking Tony for his 
service protecting and advancing the interests of our communities.
  Tony is a great role model for Floridians, and we are pleased to 
honor him today and wish him the best in his retirement.

                          ____________________




   RECOGNIZING THE 2016 FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT VALOR AWARD 
                               RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
group of men and women in Northern Virginia. These individuals have 
demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded 
the prestigious Valor Award by the Northern Virginia Chamber of 
Commerce.
  This is the 38th Annual Valor Awards sponsored by the Northern 
Virginia Chamber of Commerce. This event honors the remarkable heroism 
and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety 
officers. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their 
lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods 
safe. This year's ceremony will recognize 70 individuals, 1 K-9, and 1 
team in a variety of categories including: the Lifesaving Certificate, 
the Certificate of Valor, and the Bronze, Silver, or Gold Medal of 
Valor.
  Forty-six members of the Fairfax County Police Department and one K-9 
are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with 
great pride that I include the names of the following Valor Award 
Recipients:
  Silver Medal of Valor: Second Lieutenant Nicholas Dipippa, PFC Paul 
J. Blasko, Jr., PFC Peter T. Liu, PFC Federick R. Yap, Officer Jesse B. 
Katzman
  Bronze Medal of Valor: PFC Dwayne L. Daniels, PFC Michael S. Morris, 
PFC Andrew H. Curtze, PFC Christopher C. Taylor, PFC Shay V. Nelson, 
PFC Vincent J. Pullicino, PFC Justin M. Urbaniak, Officer Sharif W. 
Issa
  Certificate of Valor: Captain Robert A. Blakley, Jr., Lieutenant C. 
Matthew Owens, Jr., Detective Douglas H. Comfort, Sergeant David J. 
Giaccio, PFC Christopher C. Taylor, PFC Daniel N. Custer (2), PFC Ryan 
L. Fisher, PFC Michael P. Levish, PFC David A. Curcio, PFC Amy A. 
Early, PFC Luis E. Martinez, PFC Edward K. George, PFC Kyle M. 
Proffitt, MPO Damien E. Cichocki, Officer Joseph W. Shifflett, Officer 
William M. Mulhern
  Lifesaving Award: Second Lieutenant Dana L. Robinson, Sergeant Robert 
C. Hines, PFC Eric Acevedo, PFC David A. Neil, Jr., PFC Scott J. Abram, 
PFC Richard L. Cash, PFC Nathan R. Vanhusen, PFC Bradley E. Chiz, PFC 
Gary S. Tuggle, PFC Benjamin J. McIntosh, PFC Craig R. Quattrin, PFC 
Lane M. Leisey, PFC Angela P. Thomas, PFC Stephen T. Vaughn, Officer 
Kent G. Bailey, Officer Anne C. Bosacco, Officer Brenton K. Moreau
  Meritorious Award: K9 Enzo
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the 2016 Valor Award Recipients, and 
thank each of the men and women who serve in the Fairfax County Police 
Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of our 
community, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest 
praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of 
remarkable citizens.

                          ____________________




            MOURNING THE PASSING OF FATHER PAUL KWIATKOWSKI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as Catholics worldwide celebrate the feast 
of St. Nicholas today, the life of Father Paul Kwiatkowski will be 
celebrated in a Funeral Mass at Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral 
in Toledo, Ohio. With eternally grateful hearts but deepest sadness at 
his passing, thousands of citizens across our community mourn the 
passing of Fr. Paul, a loving, gentle, and kind apostle of Christ. Fr. 
Paul was beloved by all who knew him. And we know him through his 
works. As our perceptive Aunt Esther would observe: ``Now, that was a 
priest!''
  How many of us hold unforgettable memories of Fr. Paul's selfless 
service and abiding kindness, always in the heart of our community. His 
steady and faith filled journey among us imbued the word ``faith'' with 
real meaning. A favorite memory for me is the beautiful, annual 
Memorial Day Mass with appropriate observances at Mt. Carmel Cemetery 
for veterans and their families, at which he would officiate. A gifted 
musician, many times he would play his violin under the budding trees 
as his cassock blew gently in the spring winds. There was a sense of 
peace and connectedness to the awesome power of creation he brought to 
every occasion. A hospitable lunch always followed at the former Polish 
American Veterans Association Post on Lagrange Street. I too recall the 
moving Polish Mass at the former St. Hedwig's before the Polish 
Festival opened, as the church doors swung wide and the congregants 
filled the sidewalks. To Toledo's Polonia, those of Polish-American 
heritage, he was a revered touchstone and valued counselor. I similarly 
treasure the memories of the Central American garment workers he hosted 
at St. James Catholic Church, a reminder of the work that remains to be 
done on worker exploitation across our hemisphere. Fr. Paul's service 
always managed to meet the suffering edge of humanity. And his spirit 
gave strength to others.
  Fr. Paul was a learned man, but he possessed a rare gift for 
communicating with people of all persuasions. He was an educator and 
Latin teacher as well as a fine musician, and people naturally drew to 
him. His wonderful sense of humor and twinkling eyes had their own way 
of communicating ``you are welcome.'' He dedicated his life to 
ministering to congregations in the heart of our city, always including 
some of the poorest precincts in Toledo. His rare leadership and 
tutelage of the Lagrange Stickney and Broadway neighborhoods sparked 
and immeasurably contributed to the neighborhoods' ongoing 
revitalization. His work at St. James and Immaculate Conception 
Catholic parishes made newcomers feel welcome. He consistently engaged 
with the people of the broader neighborhood, extending beyond the walls 
of the churches he pastored. Fr. Paul defined evangelization by 
embracing community.
  I cannot even imagine nor count the number of individuals he 
counseled and comforted over a half century of his service. I do know 
our Toledo community remains grateful forever that he gave his life for 
us. He was a people's priest, a diocesan priest. He lived his vows.
  May the angels lift him high, ushering him to paradise where there 
will always be music, joy and peace.

                          ____________________




                 SUPPORTING THE GENERATION OF TOMORROW

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM EMMER

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Wallin 
Education Partners for the work they are doing to ensure that 
Minnesotans from all walks of life receive a college education.
  Since 1992, Wallin Education Partners has provided scholarships to 
Twin Cities high school students who excelled in academics but are from 
low-income families. This year alone, Wallin Education Partners has 
awarded a scholarship to twenty students in Minnesota's Sixth 
Congressional District so that they may receive the education they 
deserve.
  Along with the financial assistance, Wallin Education Partners also 
helps students utilize all of the resources available to them during 
their college experience, often assisting them until they graduate.

[[Page 15921]]

  Due to the support that Wallin Education Partners provides annually, 
it is anticipated that we will be seeing more students from low-income 
families graduate from college. All students deserve access to quality 
education, regardless of their means and upbringing, and this 
organization is a great tool for students across this great state.
  I am incredibly thankful to Wallin Education Partners for giving 
worthy students the chance to gain an education and fulfill their 
dreams. By providing some of the best and brightest in our state with 
the key to an education, you are not just ensuring the success of our 
students, but the success of our nation as a whole. Your contributions 
have not gone unnoticed and they are enormously appreciated.
  Congratulations to: Yana Aleksandrova, Issraa El-khatib, Carissa 
Gillispie, John Hilst, Kevin Huynh, Emily Johnson, Jenna Kallestad, 
Elias Kinfu, Baker LaMott, Gentry Musgrove, Taylor O'Neill, Jeremy 
Schipper, Eryn Schlotfeldt, Thomas Shoegren, Randall Skeate, Tenzin 
Sonam, Kayla Tanner, Emily Vang, Madeline Walker, and Joseph Zuleger.
  We look forward to seeing what the future brings for this year's 
recipients.

                          ____________________




                        HONORING SPIRIT XPLOSION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable professional minority business Spirit Xplosion Home of CE 
All Stars of Cleveland, Mississippi.
  Mrs. Kimetria Parks, owner/coach is a native of Holly Springs, 
Mississippi. She moved to Cleveland, Mississippi in 1999 while 
attending Delta State University. She's married to Mr. Christopher 
Parks, Co-Owner/Coach and they have two beautiful daughters named Paris 
Kaitlyn Parks and Layken Parks. Mrs. Parks earned a Bachelor of 
Business Administration in 2003 and a Masters of Business 
Administration in 2013 from Delta State University. She is the Finance 
Officer of Mississippi United to End Homelessness and owner/coach of 
Spirit Xplosion Home of CE All Stars. Her fellowships with St. Peter MB 
Church in Sunflower, Mississippi. Mr. Parks graduated from Delta State 
University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in General Studies and 
Minor in Family Consumer Science and Criminal Justice and 2012 with a 
Masters in Physical Education with an Emphasis on Human Performance.
  She has a great love and compassion for young people. Her ministry is 
to inspire young people to excel in all things with God's leading and 
to encourage women. Everything she does is done with the spirit of 
excellency. Her motto is: ``If I can help somebody then her living is 
not in vain.'' She loves God whole-heartedly and thrives to live 
according to his will and his way; not just on Sunday, but every day. 
She's a genuine giver and does it cheerfully. Everything she has God 
gave it to her, everything she owns God has blessed her with it, and 
she has faith the size of a mustard seed and know that it's not over 
until God says it's over.
  Spirit Xplosion Home of CE All Stars was established in 2011 and 
kicked off their first season in February, 2012. Their competitive 
teams have won several UCA, Athletic Championship, Jam Fest, Deep 
South, WSA, and local competitions. They strongly believe that their 
success originates from the dedication and commitment of the athletes 
and parents. Furthermore, they realize the importance of hard work, 
discipline, a family atmosphere, and perhaps most importantly--fun. 
Each child is an individual and is treated as such to instill 
confidence and a sense of personal accomplishment. Their main focus is 
to prepare children for the challenges that lie ahead of them. Their 
ability to work as a team, striving toward a common goal, will prove to 
be a lifelong skill. The encouragement to reach that goal is CE All-
Stars passion.
  Spirit Xplosion Home of CE All Stars competitive teams are not 
recreational. They train to compete at a high level of intensity, Two 
of their main goals are to create award winning routines and be an 
active group in the community. This type of goal requires commitment to 
attendance and structured workouts. Spirit Xplosion Home of CE All-
Stars athletes commit twelve months to the program. CE All-Stars is a 
family and love building new relationships with everyone that walks 
through their doors. They are the ``Best of the South and We're In It 
To Win It''.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing an 
outstanding minority business in the Mississippi Delta.

                          ____________________




             THE ``TAX TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT OF 2016''

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the provisions of H.R. 6439, the 
``Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2016,'' as introduced today 
(December 6, 2016), make tax technical corrections and other 
corrections including clerical and deadwood-related corrections. The 
bill revises and updates H.R. 4891, the Technical Corrections Act of 
2016, which was introduced on April 11, 2016. Ways and Means Committee 
Chairman Brady and incoming Ranking Member Neal have asked the 
nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation to make available to the public 
a technical explanation of the bill (JCX-91-16). The technical 
explanation expresses the Committee's understanding and legislative 
intent behind this important legislation. It is available on the Joint 
Committee's website at www.jct.gov.

                          ____________________




   RECOGNIZING THE 2016 FAIRFAX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE VALOR AWARD 
                               RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
group of men and women in Northern Virginia. These individuals have 
demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded 
the prestigious Valor Award by the Northern Virginia Chamber of 
Commerce.
  This is the 38th Annual Valor Awards sponsored by the Northern 
Virginia Chamber of Commerce. This event honors the remarkable heroism 
and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety 
officers. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their 
lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods 
safe. This year's ceremony will recognize 70 individuals, 1 K-9, and 1 
team in a variety of categories including: the Lifesaving Certificate, 
the Certificate of Valor, and the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medal of 
Valor.
  Six members of the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office are being honored 
this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I 
include the names of the following Valor Award Recipients:
  Lifesaving Award: Sergeant Teena Putman, Sergeant Leslie Sheehan (2 
awards), MDS Jeffrey Waple, PFC Kent Lwin, Deputy Alisha Peterson, PFC 
Cecil Richardson.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the 2016 Valor Award Recipients, and 
thank each of the men and women who serve in the Fairfax County 
Sheriff's Office. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of our 
community, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest 
praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of 
remarkable citizens.

                          ____________________




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAN NEWHOUSE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained during the vote 
series that occurred on December 5, 2016, due to flight delays 
resulting from inclement weather. Had I been present, I would have 
voted ``Yes'' on the three measures under consideration: H.R. 6427, the 
Creating Financial Prosperity for Businesses and Investors Act; H.R. 
5015, the Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act of 2016; and the 
House Amendment to S. 1635, the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017, as amended.

                          ____________________




                      REMEMBERING DONALD MONTANARO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROBERT A. BRADY

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate 
the life of Donald Montanaro, who passed away last Wednesday of 
complications from lymphoma. A music teacher at the Curtis Institute of 
Music for three decades and clarinetist for the Philadelphia Orchestra 
for nearly fifty years, Mr. Montanaro touched the lives of thousands, 
in audiences and countless students around the world.

[[Page 15922]]

  A Philadelphia native, Donald studied clarinet at the Curtis 
Institute of Music starting in 1951. After graduating in 1954, he left 
Philly to begin his music career. However, like so many Philadelphians, 
he just couldn't resist the call of home. After only a few years 
playing with the New Orleans Symphony and the Ballet Russe de Monte 
Carlo, Mr. Montanaro returned to join the Philadelphia Orchestra in 
1957 as the associate principal clarinetist. He would remain a staple 
of the orchestra until his retirement in 2005.
  Beyond his own remarkable career as a clarinetist, Donald will be 
fondly remembered for what he taught others. As a teacher at the Curtis 
Institute from 1980 to 2014, he brought the legacy of celebrated music 
instructors Marcel Tabuteau and Daniel Bonade to a new generation of 
musicians. His former students can be found in orchestras ranging from 
New York and Los Angeles to Seoul and Beijing. In fact, one of Mr. 
Montanaro's former students now occupies his chair as the Philadelphia 
Orchestra's associate principal clarinetist. In his recordings and 
students, Donald has preserved and passed on the legacy of the 
Philadelphia Sound.
  Although Donald is no longer with us, his legacy will live on in 
concert halls and conservatories the world over. Mr. Speaker, I ask 
that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in celebrating 
the life of Donald Montanaro, one of the finest musicians Philadelphia 
has ever known.

                          ____________________




                    HONORING VERKILYA ELESHIA HOGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable person, an unsung hero, Ms. Verkilya Eleshia Hogan.
  Ms. Verkilya Eleshia Hogan was born on July 25, 1999 to her proud 
parents Vernon and Sheronda Jackson. She is an intelligent, obedient, 
and outgoing young lady. She is also very passionate and dedicated to 
every task that she takes on.
  Ms. Hogan very actively participates in many organizations and 
programs. She has been a cheerleader since the fifth-grade and 
currently serves as Captain of the Holmes County Central High Varsity 
Cheer-Squad. She has remarkable leadership skills and continues to be a 
positive influence to those around her.
  At an early age Ms. Hogan proudly experienced an amazing miracle of 
God which encouraged her to serve Him more daily. On May 18, 2016, she 
was involved in a detrimental UTV accident. A portion of her left 
forearm had to be amputated on May 24, 2016. As a teenager, this was 
disheartening because she didn't know how her future would be with her 
condition, but she knew God had already worked things out in her favor. 
She never lost faith through her circumstances, because she appreciated 
the simple fact that she could see and breathe each day. The Bible 
says, ``From the fullness of his grace we have all received one 
blessing after another'' John 1:16. This scripture, she believes, gives 
her good reason to give all glory and praises to God.
  She will finish her senior year in high school with honors and attend 
the University of Southern Mississippi, majoring in Kinesiology and 
pursuing a career as a Physical Therapist. She is determined to go 
above and beyond to reach her goals and continue to walk in a positive 
direction.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. 
Verkilya Eleshia Hogan, an unsung hero, for her dedication to the 
community.

                          ____________________




 RECOGNIZING THE 2016 FAIRFAX COUNTY VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Volunteer 
Fairfax and express my sincere appreciation to recipients of the 24th 
Annual Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards.
  Established more than 40 years ago, Volunteer Fairfax matches the 
skills and interests of thousands of volunteers with the needs of local 
non-profit organizations. The success of this model and its impact on 
delivery of needed services is beyond question; Volunteer Fairfax has 
been rated as one of the most effective community service organizations 
in the nation.
  Last year alone, over 23,000 individuals volunteered directly through 
Volunteer Fairfax; an additional 2,547 employees volunteered through 
their employers BusinessLink program and the value of volunteer 
services provided exceeded $2 million.
  Each year from this group of extraordinary ``Doers Who Do,'' 
Volunteer Fairfax selects a few exceptional individuals, groups, or 
organizations to be honored. It is my great pleasure to include the 
following names of the 2016 Fairfax County Volunteer Service Awards 
honorees:
  Community Champions:
  Braddock District: Jim Bertolini.
  Dranesville District: Kathleen Murphy.
  Hunter Mill District: Jeff Anderson.
  Lee District: Linda Waller.
  Mason District: Diane Kilbourne.
  Mount Vernon District: Ron Fitzsimmons.
  Providence District: The Greater Merrifield Business Association.
  Springfield District: George and Estella Lynch.
  Sully District: Gary Flather.
  At-Large: Gary A. Ambrose.
  Adult Volunteer 250 Hours & Over: Kathy Hertz.
  Adult Volunteer 250 Hours & Under: Michele Duell.
  Adult Volunteer Group: Girls on the Run of NOVA Coaches.
  Corporate Volunteer Program: Excella Consulting.
  Fairfax County Volunteer: Fred Pitman.
  Fairfax County Volunteer Program: Fairfax County Public Library.
  Family Volunteer: Hegland Family.
  Integrate Group: Fairfax County Juvenile Court Volunteer Interpreter 
Program.
  Integrate Individual: Juan Hernandez.
  Lifetime Achievement: Alan Schuman.
  Rising Star: Jeff Ye.
  Senior Volunteer: Les Esmond.
  Volunteer Program: Marshall High School FBLA.
  Youth Volunteer: Eunice Kwarteng.
  Youth Volunteer Group: Stony Brook Junior Volunteers.
  In addition, Benchmark Honors will be awarded in four different 
categories to commend those who have contributed 100, 250, 500, or 
1,000 hours of volunteer time to our community.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending Volunteer 
Fairfax for its decades of outstanding community service. I 
congratulate the recipients of the 2016 Fairfax County Volunteer 
Service Award and thank them and the thousands of other local 
volunteers for their incredible contributions to our community. Their 
selfless dedication is worthy of our highest praise and is one reason 
that our community is often ranked as one of the best places in the 
country to live, work, and raise a family.

                          ____________________




                     HONORING SERGEANT GREG RAMONI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TODD C. YOUNG

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant 
Greg Ramoni for his service to his country and community. A Scottsburg, 
Indiana native, Ramoni served in the United States Army for eight and a 
half years. He completed several tours in Bosnia, Kosovo, and 
Afghanistan. While in Bosnia, Sgt. Ramoni's unit received word that 
their tour had been extended through Christmas, and they would be 
missing the holidays with their families. While on patrol, Sgt. Ramoni 
spotted a Christmas tree growing on the side of a mountain. Intent on 
alleviating his soldier's homesickness, he stopped, chopped the tree 
down, and dragged it back to the convoy. His troops watched in dismay--
the mountainside was littered with landmines. Sgt. Ramoni safely 
brought the tree back to base, and they celebrated Christmas together. 
Sgt. Ramoni's dedication to his soldiers and mission earned him, among 
others, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and 
the Army Superior Award. He also earned recognition for his leadership 
of President George W. Bush's personal security detail.
  Sgt. Ramoni continues to enrich the lives of those in his community 
by serving with numerous boards and organizations like the Scott County 
Arts Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and Kiwanis. He serves as the 
Director of Emergency Communications, Deputy Director of the Emergency 
Management Agency for Scott County, and Reservist for the Indiana 
National Guard. He established a local Community Emergency Response 
Team (CERT),

[[Page 15923]]

which aims to educate citizens about disaster preparedness. Sgt. Ramoni 
is a pillar of his community, and a devoted husband and father.

                          ____________________




                   HONORING THE MS. THERESA A. MANUEL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
an extraordinary Tampa resident and Olympian, Theresa A. Manuel. While 
Ms. Manuel competed internationally in track and field, her undying 
commitment to students at home as a teacher and coach may have had an 
even greater impact on the hearts of my neighbors across the Tampa Bay 
area.
  Despite growing up during segregation, Theresa Manuel persevered 
through adversity to become the first African-American woman from 
Florida to compete in the Olympic Games.
  Ms. Manuel was born in 1926 in Port Tampa City, Florida. As a young 
woman, she was a star basketball player at Middleton High School in 
Tampa. Ms. Manuel had such a love for basketball that she would often 
convince neighbors to set up lamps at night so she and her teammates 
could practice on the outdoor court near Middleton High. She attended 
the Tuskegee Institute, now Tuskegee University in Alabama, where she 
was affectionately nicknamed ``Trick Shot'' for her skill in basketball 
and in addition won multiple championships for the Tuskegee Track and 
Field team. In the summer before her senior year, Ms. Manuel made 
history by competing as a member of the U.S. Track and Field team at 
the 1948 Olympic Games in London. She competed in the Olympics at a 
time when sports were not widely considered open to women, let alone 
black women. She represented her country with dignity and grace, and 
upon returning home she and her team proudly celebrated their success 
with President Harry Truman at the White House.
  After graduating from Tuskegee, Ms. Manuel moved back to Tampa to 
care for her ailing mother and began her 38 year career as a decorated 
teacher and coach. She was a legendary coach in Tampa. She led her 
teams to multiple state championships and was named the best coach in 
the Hillsborough County in 1975, and subsequently the best in the state 
of Florida in 1976. Ms. Manuel continued to garner countless honors and 
awards throughout her distinguished lifetime. Some of those honors 
include being inducted into the Tuskegee Institute Hall of Fame and 
City of Tampa Hall of Fame and being named one of the ``100 
Distinguished Women of Hillsborough County.''
  Ms. Manuel's importance to the African-American community in Florida 
and indeed all Floridians transcends even her many accomplishments in 
sport. Most importantly, she will always be remembered as a great 
leader and giant matriarchal figure to the thousands of students whose 
lives she touched. She was a champion in all facets of life. On 
November 21st, 2016, Ms. Manuel passed away at the age of 90 in Tampa, 
Florida.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of the Tampa Bay community, I 
am proud to honor Ms. Theresa A. Manuel for her lifelong service and 
inspirational life.

                          ____________________




                         HONORING ASHLEY WILSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable young lady, Ms. Ashley Wilson of Crystal Springs, 
Mississippi.
  Ashley Wilson is a proud native of Crystal Springs, MS. She is a 
recent graduate of Jackson State University, where she obtained a 
Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration.
  Ashley is a Senior Intern who serves as the Financial/Events Planning 
Specialist at One Voice. She has been with the organization since 2011 
and is set to serve as the Chair for the organization's 10th Year 
Anniversary Celebration.
  Making a difference in her home town, Ashley has served as an 
advocate for her community, where she has served as an Advisory Member 
to the Crystal Springs Mayoral Council and a member of the Citizens 
Making a Difference (CMADCS), an organization that acts as a voice for 
the people's concerns for the city of Crystal Springs.
  Furthermore, Ashley has also served on many other committees across 
the state, such as the 50th Anniversary Commemoration Committee, 
Mississippi Meeting of the Minds Planning Committee and many other 
various committees where she has played a vital role in being a voice 
for change not only in her community, but across the state of 
Mississippi.
  Ashley is currently an active member of the National Association for 
the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). As a healthcare advocate for 
the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, she has worked with several 
healthcare related projects. The projects that have touched her heart 
the most include the NAACP's Childhood Obesity Project and the national 
GET HYPE Initiative, which focuses on healthy eating for today's youth.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Ashley 
Wilson for her dedication to serving throughout her community and 
throughout organizations around Mississippi.

                          ____________________




                     REMEMBERING DR. WARREN WARWICK

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM EMMER

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. EMMER of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the life and work of Dr. Warren Warwick.
  As a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, Dr. 
Warwick was a pioneer in the advancement of care for cystic fibrosis 
patients. Dr. Warwick is often remembered for his work developing the 
first high frequency chest compression vest, but that was just part of 
his comprehensive approach to cystic fibrosis care that set the 
national benchmark for excellence in the treatment of cystic fibrosis.
  Early in his career, Dr. Warwick founded the University of Minnesota 
Cystic Fibrosis Clinic where he served as director for nearly 40 years. 
Dr. Warwick was known for his compassion, kindness, ingenuity, and 
tireless commitment to the improvement of patient care.
  Dr. Warwick's patients understood that he expected them to be active 
participants in the fight of their disease, and in turn his patients 
knew he would be right there, relentlessly fighting with them. It was a 
fight for which he committed his entire adult life.
  Not long after joining the University of Minnesota faculty, Warwick 
set out, on behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, to collect 
patient data from each of the 31 Cystic Fibrosis Care centers spread 
across the United States. Because of his work, the Cystic Fibrosis 
Foundation patient registry was created, which is the global gold 
standard in ongoing quality improvement through data sharing and 
collaboration in disease management today.
  At the time of the Cystic Fibrosis registry's inception, cystic 
fibrosis patients routinely lived only into early childhood. Today, 
many live well beyond their fifties, thanks largely to the advancements 
in treatment only possible through the patient registry and Dr. 
Warwick's unwavering commitment to discovery and excellence in patient 
care.
  In addition to serving his patients, Dr. Warwick honorably served his 
country for over thirty years in the United States Army Reserves 
Medical Corps, retiring as a Colonel. Throughout, he enjoyed being with 
his family, and is remembered as a loving and supportive husband, 
brother, and father.
  No single individual has more profoundly impacted or advanced the 
treatment of cystic fibrosis in our lifetime than Dr. Warren Warwick. 
His legacy--one of a passionate pursuit of excellence and dedicating 
his life to helping others--will live on.

                          ____________________




    CONGRATULATIONS TO WAYNE GLENN ON HOSTING HIS 2,000TH RADIO SHOW

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ozark's 
broadcaster Wayne Glenn, ``The Old Record Collector,'' on hosting his 
2,000th consecutive radio show.
  Mr. Glenn has been the host of ``Remember When'' on Springfield's 
KTXR radio station since 1978. Broadcasting every Saturday from 6 a.m. 
until 1 p.m., he has been a staple of the Ozark country music folklore 
for decades by never missing a show. He has over 15,000 vinyl records 
and can tell you a history lesson about each song he plays.

[[Page 15924]]

  On December 10, 2016, Mr. Glenn will be hosting his 2,000th episode 
of ``Remember When'' with KTXR opening its doors to the public for a 
chance to celebrate this historic milestone with an Ozark icon. It is 
my pleasure to help recognize Glenn for this great achievement. For all 
the work he has done to be the voice of Saturday morning radio in 
southwest Missouri, it makes me proud to serve him and all of 
Missouri's 7th Congressional District.

                          ____________________




                     TUESDAYS IN TEXAS: SAM RAYBURN

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the name Sam Rayburn of Texas is well 
known to this House. It can be found identifying portraits and busts 
just outside this Chamber. It is the namesake of meeting rooms and 
offices throughout the Capitol complex. I, along with many of you, work 
in the Rayburn office building. I hold conferences in the Rayburn 
meeting room just across the hall. The name of Sam Rayburn is 
synonymous with statesmanship and devotion to public service at its 
finest. His importance to the tradition and legacy of this place can be 
summed up in the fact that at one time this chamber was referred to as 
``Sam's House.''
  Rayburn earned the admiration of even his rivals. Joe Martin, after 
losing the election for speaker to Sam Rayburn, said of his colleague 
``he is a man of great ability, of rare political acumen, and skillful 
in debate.'' He gained that reputation during a tenure in Congress that 
lasted almost 49 years, and a record long Speakership of 17 years. His 
leadership was vital, and well timed. He served this country during the 
critical years between the beginning of World War II and the Kennedy 
administration. It was the strike of his gavel that entered America 
into the war, and it was he that administered the oath of office to 
Vice President Lyndon Johnson.
  As a leader, he always preferred persuasion and good-humor to 
coercion. Following this philosophy, he used the influence of the 
speakership only sparingly and with subtlety and cunning. His 
authority, therefore, came from the general respect of his peers for 
the character of the man, not the power or prestige of his title. He 
was known for his unwavering integrity, his loyalty to friends and 
colleagues in both parties, his fairness, and his disdain for 
pretension. Rayburn once made the following remark, explaining his 
philosophy on leadership: ``You cannot lead people by trying to drive 
them. Persuasion and reason are the only ways to lead them. In that way 
the Speaker has influence and power in the House.''
  Sam Rayburn would become one of the most powerful individuals in the 
United States, but all this was preceded by humble beginnings. Rayburn 
grew up working on his father's cotton farm in North Texas. Even as a 
boy, he dreamed of becoming the Speaker of the House. He left the farm 
to seek out that dream, working his way through East Texas Normal 
College, which would later become Texas A&M University. He then taught 
school, and was eventually elected to serve in the Texas House of 
Representatives. While there he pursued a degree in law. In 1912 he was 
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and remained there for 
almost half a century. He was a life-long bachelor, some say that this 
House was his love, his passion. Appropriately, then, perhaps, Sam 
Rayburn died in office. Despite knowing that his cancer was terminal, 
and several moments of unconsciousness at the Speaker's chair, he 
insisted on seeing the Kennedy New Frontier program through.
  Sam Rayburn served his country well, so well as to become a fixture 
of this institution, and remains so today.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________




 RECOGNIZING THE 2016 LEADERSHIP PRINCE WILLIAM VISION AWARD AND KATHY 
              ELLINGTON ALUMNI LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 2016 recipients of 
the Leadership Prince William Vision Award and the Kathy Ellington 
Alumni Leadership Award.
  Founded in 2007, Leadership Prince William is an independent non-
profit organization dedicated to providing an enriching environment for 
passionate community members to engage and network with the desire of 
contributing to the betterment of the Greater Prince William area. More 
than 270 community leaders have completed Leadership Prince William's 
Signature Program. Past participants of the Signature Program include a 
vast array of individuals from the public, private, and not-for-profit 
sectors. In 2014, Leadership Prince William launched Youth Leadership 
Prince William. Similar to the Signature Program for adults, Youth 
Leadership Prince William provides the next generation of leaders with 
the tools necessary to excel in education, skill development, and 
community engagement opportunities.
  The success and positive effects of Leadership Prince William are 
beyond question. Based on their talents and passions, Leadership Prince 
William participants, both past and present, are working to address the 
greatest needs of the community through skill-based initiatives. Now in 
its third year, Leadership Prince William staff members and the Board 
of Regents commend positive forces of change by presenting two awards 
to members of the community who exemplify true leadership. The 
Leadership Prince William Vision Award is presented to an individual 
who has developed strategic and innovative partnerships and exemplifies 
leadership in the Greater Prince William area and beyond. The Kathy 
Ellington Alumni Leadership Award honors an individual with noteworthy 
vision, insight, and understanding of the community's greatest needs. 
Because of their noteworthy efforts, our community is better off for 
the lasting positive imprint on the residents of the Greater Prince 
William area and beyond. It is my honor to enter the recipients of 
these awards into the Congressional Record.
  The 2016 Leadership Prince William Vision Award is bestowed upon Dr. 
Gary L. Jones, CEO of Youth for Tomorrow, for his innovative leadership 
and programs used to provide children and families with a continuum of 
services through issue-focused behavioral health and developmental 
programs. Under Dr. Jones' leadership, the scope of Youth for Tomorrow 
has grown with Prince William County. In 1996, Youth for Tomorrow 
provided assistance to eight boys in two residences and a temporary 
learning structure with an operating budget of $800,000. Today, Youth 
for Tomorrow serves more than 1,000 children annually with a 
residential capacity of 122. Boys and girls are housed in seven homes 
spread across 200 acres and learn in a state-of-the-art academic center 
that offers a comfortable learning environment and access to six on-
site behavioral health service programs.
  The 2016 Kathy Ellington Alumni Award recipient is Sharon Henry, who 
serves in dual roles as the supervisor of the Office of Community and 
Business Engagement for Prince William County Public Schools and 
Executive Director of Supporting Partnerships and Resources for Kids 
(or SPARK), the education foundation for PWCS. Ms. Henry's leadership 
has reached beyond the confines of PWCS to educate the whole child and 
ensure students have access to learning tools and materials both in and 
out of the classroom. Since assuming her role with SPARK in 2007, the 
foundation's budget has grown exponentially from $477,450 to a bustling 
$3.2 million as of 2015. Ms. Henry's innovative approach to the 
operation of the foundation has allowed it to be named one of the ``20 
Best Education Foundations in the United States.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the 
selfless efforts and leadership of Dr. Gary Jones and Sharon Henry and 
to congratulate them on being honored by Leadership Prince William for 
their immeasurable contributions to our community. Their tireless work 
on behalf of the residents of the Greater Prince William area are truly 
deserving of our highest praise.

                          ____________________




            RESTORING THE CONGRESSIONAL DUTY TO DECLARE WAR

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, for more than a century and a half, 
Congress declared war as the framers of the Constitutional Convention 
of 1787 directed when they wrote that Congress had the ``power to 
declare war.'' But starting in the 1950s, Congress began authorizing 
the President to make the determination for war and voters were 
deprived of the power to influence their Congressional representatives. 
The result has been labeled an Authorization for Use of Military Force, 
or AUMF. It

[[Page 15925]]

was used in the Vietnam War of 1965-73 and the 2003 war against Iraq, 
2003 to the present.
  I want to bring attention to a Rutgers Law Review article, 
``Restoring the Congressional Duty to Declare War,'' that has 
challenged the constitutionality of all United States wars fought since 
World War II. Rutgers School of Law Professor Emeritus Alfred W. 
Blumrosen and Steven M. Blumrosen, the authors of ``Restoring the 
Congressional Duty to Declare War,'' rely not only on the language of 
the Constitution that ``Congress shall have the power to declare war'' 
but also on the debates in the Constitutional Convention that began 
June 1, 1787. On that day, Charles Pinckney from South Carolina made 
clear that he opposed giving the power of war to the President because 
that would render him ``a Monarchy of the worst kind, to wit an 
elective one.''
  The Convention took two votes. The first put the power of war in the 
Congress and the second prohibited the Congress from transferring that 
power to the President. In the following weeks all but one member of 
the Convention joined Pinckney in the conclusion that Congress, and not 
the President, should declare war.
  Later in the convention, after Pinckney pointed out that Congress 
might not be in session when the country was attacked, the Convention 
provided that the Congress could allow the President to call out the 
state militias in cases of insurrection, invasion, or resistance to 
federal laws. Congress later implemented its power by declaring a 
limited war on France for seizing seamen from American ships under 
claims that they were French. In 1880 the Supreme Court approved this 
procedure by interpreting the Declare War clause as encompassing ``any 
contention by force'' with another country, including both full-scale 
wars and limited wars. But the events at the Convention and the early 
Supreme Court opinions were not considered by Congress and the lower 
Federal Courts when the president was allowed to determine war in 
Vietnam in 1964 and against Iraq in 2003.
  The authors found that the Federal judicial system had ignored the 
decision of the Constitutional Convention and the early Supreme Court 
opinions.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all interested in this subject to refer to Alfred 
W. Blumrosen & Steven M. Blumrosen, Restoring the Congressional Duty to 
Declare War, 63 Rutgers U.L. Rev. 407 (2011).

                          ____________________




         HONORING SPECIALIST FOURTH CLASS TECHNICIAN GARY ESTES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TODD C. YOUNG

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Specialist 
Fourth Class Technician Gary Estes for his service to the United States 
Army and to his country. Born in rural, central Kentucky SP4(T) Estes 
entered the U.S. Army in the fall of 1966. He was trained as a 
reconnaissance specialist, and then was deployed to Vietnam as a member 
of an armored cavalry regiment. In addition to executing reconnaissance 
missions, SP4(T) Estes served as a machine gunner. While aboard an 
armored vehicle, Estes and his unit came under fire from enemy forces. 
Estes suffered severe injuries to his shoulder, face, and hand, and had 
to be airlifted from the battlefield to a hospital in Japan. This event 
earned him the Purple Heart for his heroism in battle. After two months 
spent recovering from his wounds, SP4(T) Estes volunteered to return to 
Vietnam to complete his tour.
  In addition to the Purple Heart, SP4(T) Estes was honored as a 
``Blackhorse Trooper,'' a distinction reserved for select, elite 
soldiers, for his exceptional skill in the cavalry regiment. His 
heroism and desire to serve his country also earned him the National 
Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service 
Medal, and a Combat Infantryman Badge.
  After his service abroad, SP4(T) Estes returned home and dove into 
community service. He is a member of American Legion Post 233, and has 
held various executive board positions, including Post Commander. Estes 
also served as Commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). 
SP4(T) Estes uses his volunteer spirit to help serve veterans and 
members of his community.

                          ____________________




                       HONORING MARY HARRISON LEE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
remarkable public servant, Mrs. Mary Harrison Lee who was born on July 
22, 1939 in Manila, Philippines to Ida Lloren. She was adopted at an 
early age by Reverend and Mrs. Ernest Harrison. Her adopted father was 
a chaplain in the army giving her the opportunity to live in many 
places, such as Captieux, France, Erlangen, Germany, Fort Riley, 
Kansas, and San Antonio, Texas.
  Mary graduated from Rochefort American High School in France. Upon 
returning to the United States, she visited Tougaloo College and 
immediately fell in love with its quaintness, intimacy, the hanging 
moss from the oak trees, and the family atmosphere. She was convinced 
that this was where she wanted to spend her next four years and 
enrolled in the upcoming semester.
  She became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on 
December 13, 1959. She felt the plight of the Civil Rights movement and 
volunteered to become a Freedom Rider. Mary helped lead a ``sit-in'' in 
the Trailways bus station in downtown Jackson, where she was arrested 
and jailed. She did not waiver from the overall mission to gain 
equality for African Americans. As a result, on June 23, 1961, Freedom 
Riders from Tougaloo College set a precedent and became the first 
residents of Mississippi to lead in the movement. While at Tougaloo 
College, Mary met and fell in love with Gene Lee. They were married in 
1963. She and Gene were natural educators. Mary dedicated her working 
career educating youth. She began as a teacher in Picayune, 
Mississippi; later moving to Kansas City, Missouri. In 1973, she 
relocated with her family to Germany and taught within the Department 
of Defense American School system. In 1981, Mary and her family 
returned to the United States and settled in Jackson, Mississippi, 
where she retired in 2001 as Principal from Boyd Elementary School.
  Mary and Gene were blessed with three (3) beautiful children: Geno 
(Angie), Daryl (Cassie), and Angel (Chris), and eight (8) 
grandchildren: Jessica, Tori, Gabby, Nick, Bella, Alexa, McKenzie, and 
Malita.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Mary 
Harrison Lee for her dedication to serving.

                          ____________________




  CONGRATULATIONS TO DIANNE ELIZABETH OSIS ON HER RETIREMENT AFTER 36 
   YEARS AS CHAIRWOMAN AND PRESIDENT OF SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Springfield Business 
Journal founder Dianne Elizabeth Osis on her retirement after 36 years 
as chairwoman and president.
  The Springfield Business Journal has been a staple of Springfield 
since 1983 and has provided the area with outstanding business news. 
The Springfield Business Journal was founded by Osis in 1983 with 
humble beginnings and transformed in the 36 years into a pillar of 
journalism in the Springfield area. Osis is an example of exemplary 
hard work.
  Although Osis is retiring from her position as chairwoman on January 
1, 2017, she still plans on keeping her board position at the 
Springfield Business Journal. It is my pleasure to recognize her great 
achievements and wish the staff of the Springfield Business Journal a 
joyous and well-earned celebration of their success over the years. She 
has made southwest Missouri a better place to live and made me proud to 
serve the 7th Congressional District.

                          ____________________




   RECOGNIZING THE 2016 OFFICERS OF THE FAIRFAX COUNTY FEDERATION OF 
                         CITIZENS ASSOCIATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the Fairfax County 
Federation of Citizens' Associations (the ``Federation'') and the 
individuals who will serve as officers for the 2016-2017 term. As a 
former two-term President of the Federation, I understand that those 
who volunteer their time, energies, and talents to civic activities 
play a vital role in making Fairfax County one of the best places

[[Page 15926]]

in the nation in which to live, work, and raise a family. I am honored 
to recognize the following individuals for their service to our 
community:
  President: Tim Thompson.
  First Vice-President: Ed Wyse.
  Second Vice-President: Bill Barfield.
  Treasurer: Alejandro Mattiuzzo.
  Corresponding Secretary: Matt Bell.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking these 
individuals and in congratulating them on being chosen as officers by 
the Fairfax County Federation of Citizens' Associations. Civic 
engagement is one of the core indicators of a healthy community and 
Fairfax County residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life due in 
part to the efforts of these individuals. Their contributions and 
leadership have been a great benefit to our community and truly merit 
our highest praise. I commend them for the enthusiasm that has led them 
to seek officer positions within the Federation and ask my colleagues 
to join me in wishing them great success in all future endeavors.

                          ____________________




                  HONORING FIRST SERGEANT RONALD OWENS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TODD C. YOUNG

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor First 
Sergeant Ronald Owens for his service to his country and community. 1SG 
Owens completed basic training in 1966, two years after graduating from 
high school. After basic training, he was sent for additional training 
to learn to intercept and interpret radio traffic. 1SG Owens' extensive 
24-year career in the United States Army included two tours in 
Southeast Asia. 1SG Owens' began his second tour under fire in the 
dense jungles of Vietnam as a participant in one of the largest and 
bloodiest campaigns of the Vietnam War--the Tet Offensive. During the 
campaign, 1SG Owens utilized his specialized training to interrupt and 
analyze radio communication. 1SG Owens outstanding record of service to 
his country and to the United States Army is evidenced by his regular 
promotions; he entered the service as a private in 1965 and reached 
First Sergeant in the summer of 1986. 1SG Owens earned, among others, 
the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf 
Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal with 
One Star, and the Vietnam Service Medal.
  After joining the U.S. Army Reserves in 1980, 1SG Owens supervised 
over 250 personnel at the 335th Military Intelligence Company in 
Louisville, Kentucky. He retired from military service in 2006, but 
remained active in his community. He was a volunteer firefighter in New 
Middletown, Indiana, and earned a ``First Responders Certificate'' for 
his work responding to emergencies and providing assistance to victims. 
1SG Owens' exemplary record of service to his country and community has 
set the standard for generations of servicemen and servicewomen to 
come.

                          ____________________




                     TRIBUTE TO OFFICER COLLIN ROSE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the service, 
sacrifice, and life of Officer Collin Rose of the Wayne State 
University Police Department. Two weeks ago, Officer Rose's life was 
tragically cut short when he was gunned down in the line of duty. Mr. 
Rose was just 29.
  Despite being such a young man, he leaves behind a long list of 
friends, family, and accomplishments. He grew up in the Pittsburgh area 
where he played baseball and was a die hard Steelers fan, even after 
his move to Michigan. He graduated from Ferris State University in 
northwest Michigan, and quickly seized on his first law enforcement 
opportunity as an intern with the Battle Creek police. He later 
enrolled as a cadet with the New Baltimore police, and the village of 
Richland gave him his first full-time police officer position.
  Collin joined the Wayne State University Police Force five years ago. 
In that time, he and the entire force have become an integral part of 
the Detroit law enforcement network. The Wayne State force has worked 
diligently to improve the safety and security of not only the campus 
area, but all of midtown Detroit, freeing up resources of the Detroit 
Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies.
  Collin leaves behind a beautiful and grieving fiancee, Nikki Salgot. 
He proposed to her just a few blocks from here at the Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial last May at the conclusion of the Police Unity 
Bicycle Tour. He was an avid bicyclist, and rode with Chapter One of 
the unity tour since 2013.
  Collin was also a dog lover. In fact, he was a K-9 handler with the 
force, and leaves behind two beloved dogs, Wolverine and Clyde. He was 
also a member of a Metro Detroit dog training club.
  On behalf of a grieving Detroit, I thank Collin for his service and 
his commitment. To Nikki, to his parents, Randy and Karen, to his 
brother Curtis, and to the rest of his family, friends, and brothers on 
the force, for your unimaginable loss my heart goes out to you.

                          ____________________




CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MONETT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM ON WINNING THE 
   CLASS 3A MISSOURI STATE HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION STATE 
                              CHAMPIONSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILLY LONG

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. LONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Monett High School 
football team on winning the Class 3A Missouri State High School 
Activities Association State Championship.
  The Cubs won the state championship on November 26, 2016, by 
defeating Maryville 27-18. This is the first state championship since 
1977 for Monett High School and caps off an overall 14-1 season. This 
historic game saw trick plays and excellent coaching by both teams, all 
while taking place in Springfield's own Plaster Stadium at Missouri 
State University.
  Monett High School is coached by Derek Uhl, and saw strong leadership 
from players Ian Meyer, Alex Turner and Michael Branch. It is my 
pleasure to help recognize the Monett High School football team on 
their well-earned celebration of success. It makes me proud to serve 
them, and all of Missouri's 7th Congressional District.

                          ____________________




                      HONORING MR. CHARLES SELMON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
public servant, Charles Selmon. Mr. Selmon has shown what can be done 
through tenacity, dedication and a desire to serve Warren County.
  Mr. Selmon earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work and a Master's 
Degree in Counseling Psychology from Mississippi College. He studied 
Economic Development at the University of Southern Mississippi. He 
furthered his studies in the Post Master's Degree program at Jackson 
State University. Mr. Selmon has received National Security Training 
from the U.S. Army War College located in Carlisle, PA.
  Mr. Selmon has served as a Psychology Instructor at both Alcorn State 
University and Hinds Community College. Mr. Selmon was elected to the 
Warren County Board of Supervisors position in 1996. He was elected to 
a fifth term with the Warren County Board of Supervisors. While serving 
on the Board of Supervisors Mr. Selmon has served as President and 
Vice-President. He has also served as President of the Mississippi 
Association of Supervisors (MAS) and as President of the Mississippi 
Association of Supervisors Minority Caucus. Mr. Selmon was chosen to 
represent the State of Mississippi with the National Association of 
Counties regarding Human Services.
  Mr. Selmon is a member of the Warren County Economic Development 
Committee, Back-To-School Committee (School Day Supplies), Warren 
County Community Development Committee (Senior Citizens Dinner), and 
serves on the Workforce Investment Board. He is the President of the 
Boys and Girls Club of Vicksburg which he established.
  Mr. Selmon was appointed Superintendent of Sunday School and selected 
to the Deacon Board of Travelers Rest Baptist Church.
  Mr. Selmon received the President Award for Distinguished Leadership 
in Government.
  Mr. Selmon is the father of twin daughters (Alyshia and Tericka). He 
is married to Fredia Selmon.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Supervisor 
Charles Selmon for his services to Warren County.

[[Page 15927]]



                          ____________________




CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF SILETZ INDIANS AND CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF GRAND 
                             RONDE INDIANS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KURT SCHRADER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. SCHRADER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 817 
and S. 818 and ask my House colleagues for their support for these 
bills which are vital to two tribes I have the honor of representing.
  Over the past three congresses Senators Wyden, Merkley and I 
introduced these important bills to simplify the fee-to-trust process 
for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated 
Tribes of the Grand Ronde respectively. Our legislation will provide 
considerable help to the Siletz and Grand Ronde in their continued 
efforts to restore land that was lost during federal policies of 
allotment and termination of tribal recognition in 1954. The Tribes' 
efforts to restore land are currently hampered by a lengthy, expensive, 
and cumbersome Bureau of Indian Affairs process. The ability to 
reacquire land is critical to self-determination efforts by terminated 
and restored tribes like the Siletz and Grand Ronde.
  Under our legislation any property located within the boundaries of 
the respective Tribe's original reservation will be treated as ``on-
reservation'' for the purpose of processing acquisitions of property 
into trust, and deemed a part of the Tribe's reservation once taken 
into trust. It should be noted that nothing in these bills prioritizes 
for any purpose the claims of any federally-recognized Indian tribe 
over the claims of any other federally recognized Indian tribe.
  Once enacted, these bills will not only save the Tribes' time and 
money which could be better utilized serving its membership and the 
community, but would also streamline the BIA's land-into-trust 
responsibilities to the Tribes', thus saving taxpayer money. Reforming 
this process for the Siletz and Grand Ronde tribes reflects the federal 
policy of tribal self-determination and the priority of restoring lands 
to once-terminated tribes.
  I would like to personally thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member 
Grijalva, Subcommittee Chairman Young and Ranking Member Ruiz, and 
former Chairman Hastings and former Ranking Member DeFazio for their 
leadership, assistance, time, and patience over the years moving these 
bills through the Natural Resources Committee.
  Finally, I would like to thank the Siletz and Grand Ronde Tribes for 
their friendship and wish them a much deserved congratulations. Their 
tireless efforts and perseverance over the last six years has been 
critical to getting this legislation across the finish line. It's an 
honor to represent both in Congress and I am proud to play a small part 
in your continued efforts to restore your historic lands.

                          ____________________




                           STAY OUT OF MOSUL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, haven't we learned anything?
  In 1899, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem called The White Man's Burden, 
urging America to bring ``civilization'' to the Philippines. The 
results were 250,000 deaths, war crimes, and denial of Philippine 
independence for half a century.
  Haven't we learned anything?
  U.S. forces occupied Iraq for nine years, until the Iraqis insisted 
that we leave. The results were more than 600,000 deaths, a cost of $4 
trillion (8 percent of our national net worth), and a Sunni vacuum that 
the Islamic State terror group has filled.
  Haven't we learned anything?
  I've been to every country in the world recognized by the United 
Nations. There are a few universals. Everywhere, people want to fall in 
love; they love children and pets; they're acquisitive. And everywhere, 
people don't want to see foreigners with guns. They'd prefer a local 
dictatorship to a foreign military occupation. So please don't tell me 
that sending U.S. troops back to Iraq would be ``for their own good.''
  Some argue that we must send U.S. troops to Mosul for our sake, 
regardless of what the Iraqis want or need. That's called 
``colonialism.'' It pits us against one of the great narratives of our 
times, world decolonization. It invites the hatred not only of more 
than 1 billion Muslims but the entire world. They will see us not as 
liberators but as the enemy.
  It is a bizarre misconception to think that sending U.S. troops 8,000 
miles from home somehow makes us safer. It doesn't. And it is a great 
disservice to our troops to fight in a place where they don't 
understand the language, the religion or the customs.
  As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I asked 10 nearby 
Sunni Muslim countries whether they would send ground forces to fight 
ISIL. Four said yes. Then I asked Secretary of State John Kerry whether 
he had asked the same question. He said ``no.''
  If Iraq actually is a thing, then it should be capable of defending 
itself. If it can't or won't, then fighters who look and sound like 
locals should do the job.
  It isn't the white man's burden. It never was.

                          ____________________




  RECOGNIZING THE 2016 TOWN OF HERNDON POLICE DEPARTMENT VALOR AWARD 
                               RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
group of men and women in Northern Virginia. These individuals have 
demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded 
the prestigious Valor Award by the Northern Virginia Chamber of 
Commerce.
  This is the 38th Annual Valor Awards sponsored by the Northern 
Virginia Chamber of Commerce. This event honors the remarkable heroism 
and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety 
officers. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their 
lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods 
safe. This year's ceremony will recognize 70 individuals, 1 K-9, and 1 
team in a variety of categories including: the Lifesaving Certificate, 
the Certificate of Valor, and the Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal of 
Valor.
  This year, Special Police Officer Mark Butler of the Town of Herndon 
Police Department is being honored with the Silver Medal of Valor for 
his exceptional service. It is with great pride that I include his 
name.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the 2016 Valor Award Recipients, and 
thank each of the men and women who serve in the Town of Herndon Police 
Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of our 
community, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest 
praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of 
remarkable citizens.

                          ____________________




                        HONORING CONSTANCE BLAND

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 
Constance Bland, who is an Educator, a Leader and Public Servant.
  Constance G. Bland, Ph.D. was appointed Vice President of Academic 
Affairs (VPAA) at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) in the 
spring of 2014. As VPAA, she is responsible for leadership, educational 
policy, academic programs, budgeting and resource allocation; 
supervision of staff development programs, federal grant program 
administration; monitoring of personnel actions and transactions, and 
participation in academic personnel policy development and negotiation. 
She is also responsible for relationships with the wider educational 
and occupational community, particularly the public schools, as well as 
additional responsibilities as assigned by the President.
  Before becoming VPAA, Dr. Bland was Professor and Chair of the 
Department of Mathematics, Computer and Information Sciences. She 
developed computer science educational curriculum related to database 
management systems, software engineering and introduction to computer 
science. In an effort to impact retention of computer science majors, 
she was involved in a project to determine the impact of introducing 
the concepts of object oriented programming for first year computer 
science students using a visual animation tool known as Alice.
  Dr. Bland also acquired significant external funding for the 
department from sources including the National Science Foundation 
(NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 
Eisenhower (state of

[[Page 15928]]

Mississippi), SUN Microsystems and mini-grants from Jackson State 
University. Her last external funds secured for the department included 
an S-STEM scholarship grant and an HBCU-UP implementation grant. A 
major focus of the scholarship grants secured by Dr. Bland involved 
initiatives to increase the number of computer science and mathematics 
majors at MVSU. Funds secured were used to institute tutorial services, 
provide student development activities and support debt reduction 
though scholarships to decease external employment of students seeking 
degrees. The goal of the latest HBCU-UP grant is to encourage STEM 
graduates to pursue graduate education.
  Dr. Bland has devoted 23 years of service to MVSU, and has 
demonstrated her passion and commitment to the University, faculty, 
staff and students. Her involvement has been extensive, yet she finds 
time and energy to serve, work and lead, shouldering countless burdens 
with good humor and grace. She is a tower of strength and a strong 
force for progressive efficient public service. She always shows 
patience and tolerance, qualities of an experienced and committed 
leader. Dr. Bland is a visionary leader who inspires staff, students 
and the community. She is responsible for developing MVSU's first Women 
in Science and Technology Conference (WIST) designed to encourage young 
girls in grades 7th through 12th to consider majoring in STEM 
disciplines. The conference will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 
Spring 2016 and can boast of numerous female students who have gone on 
to become practicing women in science and technology.
  Dr. Bland holds an Associate's degree in Mathematics from Coahoma 
Junior College, a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics, Bachelor of Science 
in computer science, Master of Science degree in computer science and a 
Doctoral degree in computer engineering from the University of 
Mississippi.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Constance 
Bland, an Educator, a leader and Public Servant for her dedication to 
serving others and giving back to the African American community.

                          ____________________




                 HONORING FIRST LIEUTENANT KEVIN WAGNER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TODD C. YOUNG

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 6, 2016

  Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor First 
Lieutenant Kevin Wagner for his service to his country and community. 
1LT Wagner completed two tours in Iraq, each marked with heroism, 
tragedy, and compassion. During his second tour, as the winter season 
settled into Mosul, rain fell with little relief which caused his unit 
to suffer from painful trench foot. In response, 1LT Wagner withdrew 
the maximum amount from his pay, and anonymously purchased the entire 
stock of clean, dry, socks from the camp's supply store. He then placed 
pairs on each soldier's bed. His actions only came to light among his 
soldiers ten years later at a reunion. His service earned him the 
Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, Global War on Terrorism 
Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and the Combat Action Badge.
  Upon his return home, 1LT Wagner channeled his leadership skills to 
better his community. He volunteers to help lead Vacation Bible School 
at his church, and serves as a mentor to at-risk children. 1LT Wagner 
and another veteran began a veteran's support group, ``Home After the 
War'', that aims to help returning veterans talk through trauma they 
experienced in combat. After a tornado struck Henryville, Indiana, a 
friend called on Wagner to help her husband who was suffering from 
violent flashbacks triggered by the destruction in the town. 1LT Wagner 
talked with him, helped him clean his home, and encouraged him as he 
reconstructed his life. 1LT Wagner's compassion and sense of duty is 
apparent in his record both on the battlefield and at home.