Summary

10:00 a.m. - HOUSE FLOOR DEBATE: The House meets at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. One Minutes // H.R. 1994 - VA Accountability Act of 2015 (Structured Rule) (Rep. Miller (FL) / Veterans' Affairs) // The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order the following amendments: Benishek / Sinema Amendment (10 minutes); Takano Amendment (20 minutes) // H.R. 3236 - Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015 (Closed Rule, One Hour of Debate) (Rep. Shuster / Transportation and Infrastructure / Ways and Means / Veterans' Affairs) // Postponed Suspension Vote: H.R. 1300 - First Responder Anthrax Preparedness Act, as amended (Rep. King (NY) / Homeland Security) 10:00:16THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. THE CLERK:. the speaker's room, washington, d.c., july 29, 2015. i hereby appoint the honorable 10:00:38charles j. fleischmann to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, john a. boehner, speaker of the house of representatives. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:pursuant to the order of the house of january 6, 2015, the 10:00:54chair 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 one hour and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and the minority whip 10:01:09limited to five minutes, but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11 50 a.m. 10:01:30the chair recognizes the gentleman from oregon, mr. blumenauer, for five minutes. Blumenauer (D-OR):congress is side stepping the transportation funding issue for the 45th time for the short-term extension, this one until the end of october. no nation has become great 10:01:45building its infrastructure three months, eight months, 10 months at a time. this is a symbol of the failure of congress to deal meaningfully with a need to rebuild and renew america. our country is falling apart 10:02:01when we're falling behind. the united states had the finest infrastructure in the world. well, those days have long since passed. by any objective measure, we're now down about 25th in the world. and we continue to follow 10:02:16further. this damage has consequences for americans every single day. the average damage to a car is over $500 a year in maintenance due to poor road conditions. more than $125 billion a year 10:02:34to the economy with congestion being stuck in traffic. because of poor road conditions, infrastructure failures and an inability to keep pace with growth, there are people being killed and injured every day across 10:02:50america. it doesn't have to be this way. the failure to get a six-year re-authorization, which we haven't had since 1998, is due to one simple fact. congress is still trying to pay for 2015 infrastructure with 10:03:081993 dollars. the solution is simple. over three dozen members of congress have co-sponsored legislation to raise the gas tax for the first time in 22 years. legislation that is supported 10:03:23by the u.s. chamber of commerce, afl-cio, local government, transit, environmentalists, contractors. the largest collection of groups supporting any major issue before congress. it's a solution that was 10:03:39advocated by president ronald reagan when he led the effort in his administration to raise the gas tax 125%. it's a solution thates that been embraced by six red republican -- that has been 10:03:54embraced by six red republican states already this year. the latest failure to slide into the end of october is our salvation. i lobbied president obama to call for an end to this 10:04:10charade. every year the president has offered and approach from his perspective. i would urge the congress and all of us to draw one final red line. this october 31 deadline ought to be it. let congress stew, let things 10:04:26grind to a halt if we don't do our job. the gas tax legislation's already written and can be approved if the ways and means committee and the senate finance committee would deal with it for a week. it's a simple, one-page bill. 10:04:42it is not necessary to tie ourselves in knots, and then if we give a number to the authorizing committee, in a matter of weeks they can develop that six-year bill that would make such a difference. 10:04:57we could meet the president's deadline, have this done once and for all, put hundreds of thousands of people to work at family wage jobs all across the country, improving the quality of life, making our communities more livable, our families 10:05:13safer, healthier and more safer, healthier and more 10:05:17economically secure and stop playing with gimmicks that highlight our dysfunction. let's prove to the american public and more important to us that we can actually function the way things were designed using a user fee perfectly 10:05:31atuned to road needs that have served us well for over half a century. please, mr. president, why don't you call an end to this charade? give congress three more months to do our job. it doesn't need any more. 10:05:47we operate from cliff to crisis. deadlines are simply in our alarm clock to get started. well, this particular alarm clock could start ticking time if you're calling a halt to our continued irresponsibility. 10:06:02THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:members are reminded to direct their remarks to the chair. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, for five minutes. Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL):thank you, mr. speaker. a bad deal is a bad deal under 10:06:19a republican president or a democratic president, and this iran nuclear deal is a bad deal because we have seen this movie before. we know how it ends. i have repeatedly stated that iran has been following the north korean playbook on 10:06:34exactly how to extract concessions from the united states and the international community while simultaneously continuing to improve its nuclear program, expand its infrastructure and support its 10:06:50illicit activities. many analysts have made the same observations including allen in a jerusalem post article last week. it's not just how the process unfolded and how the international community fell for the tricks of the roads of 10:07:05the regime that is so scary because iran saw north korea as having been the victors in the battle over its nuclear program so naturally it would want to replicate that. but it is alarming and striking just how similar the rhetoric 10:07:21is between president clinton's announcement of a nuclear agreement with north korea and president obama's announcement of a nuclear agreement with iran. let's look at the similarities that he noted between president clinton's remarks in 1994 and 10:07:38president obama's from earlier this month. then, mr. speaker, it will be easy to understand why so many of us oppose this nuclear deal. in 1994, president clinton said that the north korea agreement will make the u.s., the korean 10:07:53peninsula and the world safer. earlier this month, president obama said that this deal will bring about change that makes the u.s. and the world safer and more secure. in 1994, president clinton assured the world that the north korea deal, quote, does 10:08:08not rely on trust, compliance will be certified by the international atomic energy agency, end quote. last week, president obama proclaimed, quote, this deal is not built on trust. it's built on verification, end 10:08:23quote. president clinton predicted, as now we are painfully aware inaccurately, that the north korea agreement would be, quote, a crucial step toward drawing north korea into the global community, end quote. and predicted the end of the rogue regime's isolation. 10:08:40similarly, last week's statements poses that the iran deal, quote, offers an opportunity to move in a new direction, end quote, because we have taken a different path that, quote, leads to more integration into the global 10:08:55economy, more engagement with the international community and the ability of the iranian people to prosper and thrive, end quote. hmm. and of course, there was the spurious promise to an ally to 10:09:11assuage them that we wouldn't put them in jeopardy. first, we were told we would protect south korea. now, president obama knowing that israel vehemently objects to this deal and feels this 10:09:26gives iran an threat to its existence and a regime that has promised to wipe the jewish state off the map, the ultimate weapon to achieve its goals promises to, quote, continue our effort to strengthen 10:09:41israel's security, efforts that go beyond what any american administration has done before, end quote. not only are they empty words, mr. speaker, they are not to boot. 10:09:56one of the most significant flaws is it failed to dismantle any of north korea's nuclear infrastructure. the deal, as was designed merely to delay the north korean bomb, not prevent it, and that is what this nuclear deal with iran is designed to do. 10:10:12we saw what happened with north korea and we can be sure that iran plans to iran plans to 10:10:17the totality of this deal hinges on a bet by the administration and the rest of the p-5 plus one that the iranian regime will see the error of its ways and wants to be part of the global community and fore sake its support for 10:10:33terror and -- forsake its support for terror and other illicit behavior. that's a gamble to play with national security and it's not a gamble that i or anyone should be willing to take and that's why, mr. speaker, we should reject this deal and demand a better deal or else 10:10:51reimpose the sanctions and use the only thing, the only tactic that iran understands, strength to force it to abandon its nuclear ambitions. thank you, mr. speaker, for the time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the chair recognizes the gentleman 10:11:06from illinois, mr. gutierrez, for five minutes. Gutierrez (D-IL):yesterday, i spoke about puerto rico's debt crisis and how there must be a sense of urgency because without action bondholders will 10:11:21be pay but teachers, cops and nurses won't. i want to continue today make two points. let's not let the bondholders bleed puerto rico at a discount. number two, let's work together what unites us, not what divides us. because the only way we will make any progress is if the 10:11:37people of puerto rico will come together and make a plan and demand that the united states will work with puerto rico on puerto rico's plan. without consistent pressure from puerto rico, washington will do nothing, as both the administration and the congress are content to let the bondholders on wall street call 10:11:53the tune. we all know washington should start with h.r. 870, the bankruptcy bill. it is simply a bill that will allow puerto rico to declare bankruptcy and restructure its debt within the u.s. legal system. this would allow an orderly and 10:12:08fair restructure of the debt in a court of law. it is an important step but will not solve all of puerto rico's problems. what puerto rico should do right now is demand to know what wall street vullchur 10:12:23capitalists are reporting for bonds. we're told they're selling 15 cents to 20 cents on the dollar yet the bondholders want a full dollar on the interest. they need to pay for the price and should disclose this 10:12:39amount. just as a congressman does in this congress every time we make an investment. then, puerto rico can service its debt based on what was paid to buy the debt. i came here to protect people, not the profits of billionaires on wall street. secondly and most importantly, 10:12:56for the time being, we must set aside politics and get away from the smokescreen of the status issue in puerto rico. whether puerto rico should be a state, an independent nation or remain a commonwealth cannot be the priority right now before 10:13:11this congress. if everyone leaves puerto rico, and they're leaving by 5,000 a month, it will not matter what kind of government is left behind. mr. speaker, nobody should use the current debt crisis as an opportunity to score political 10:13:26points for their party. at a time when the people of puerto rico must be clear, precise and unified, the status issue divides puerto ricans. i read in "the new york times" the argument of the resident commissioner of the statehood party that the only solution to puerto rico's problems is to 10:13:41make it a state. really? that is going to solve the debt crisis? the power crisis? the public employees pension gap crisis? the medicare advantage budget crisis? we should be working together 10:13:56to figure out how puerto rico is going to pay teachers and honor their pensions. how we will make sure health care is delivered to all and bridges do not collapse. a statehood bill is not going to create housing, create jobs or heal a sick child. 10:14:12when members of congress ask me about puerto rico, they ask me which is it, is it statehood, do you want a bankruptcy bill, do you want more medicaid? we have to prioritize. we have to be clear and put aside the status issue. please, we need to work 10:14:29together. and i'd like to use my remaining minute to restate my call to action in spanish. [speaking spanish] 10:15:18[no caption text available] 10:16:23thank you, and i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman will provide a translation of his remarks. the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from north carolina, mr. holding, for five minutes. 10:16:41Holding (R-NC):thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize an outstanding family business in my home state of north carolina. when southern piping company opened in 1965, it had two employees and a loan from the small business administration. the two employees were peggy and 10:16:58her husband. who was one of the first licensed mechanical contractors in north carolina. s.p.c., a classic family business with all three of peggy and buren's sons, continue to lead the company. since 1965 the s.p.c. family 10:17:17have weathered recessions, hard times, and over the years through good old-fashioned hard work, they have grown. starting with one office in wilson, s.p.c. has expanded their plumbing, heating, and air conditioning business to four 10:17:32offices statewide, and their trucks are a familiar sight on the roads across north carolina. the biggest story is the family they built through s.p.c. today providing jobs to 450 people. when it came to building the 10:17:50company, buren always had a commonsense philosophy. he said, successful companies look for like-minded people to do business with. and today southern piping company is adopting a new name, s.p.c. mechanical. to more accurately describe its 10:18:05growth and success. the family still practices the old-fashioned principles of integrity, safety, and giving back to their community. for example, by offering young employees scholarships to attend a nearby 10:18:24college. they have now been in business for 50 years. it is my pleasure today to recognize the accomplishments of peggy and buren. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the 10:18:39gentleman from texas, mr. hinojosa, for five minutes. Hinojosa (D-TX):mr. speaker, i'd like to address the house for five minutes. request unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in the congressional record. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:without objection. Hinojosa (D-TX):mr. speaker, i am 10:19:13proud to rise -- to recognize my long time chief of staff, connie jane humphrey, who is retiring after a long and distinguished career on capitol hill. it is an honor and a privilege to mr. speaker, recognize connis of service and achievements. she has proven herself as a talented and dedicated public 10:19:28servant who has made innumerable contributions in the service of my constituents, residing in texas' 15th congressional district along the rio grande valley. connie has compiled a long list 10:19:44of accomplishments throughout her career and as a senior member of my staff. she has earned an impeccable reputation on capitol hill among her peers and my colleagues in the texas congressional 10:20:00delegation with whom she has worked very closely in support of our mutual objectives for our great state of texas. connie brought an array of talents and experience as my chief of staff. she has a thorough understanding 10:20:16of federal policy, particularly in the areas 10:20:19in the areas of health care, education, transportation, the environment, and on women's issues. she is fluent in many other policy areas important to mire -- my constituents in the valley 10:20:32as she has been an invaluable source of guidance and counsel during my appointments on the house education and work force as well as on the financial services committees. connie approaches her position 10:20:48as the leader of my office with a training and detail oriented scruteniff an attorney who graduated from the university of maryland. and with the policy expertise of a congressional aide who served a staff 10:21:05leadership positions for nearly three decades. she was instrumental in helping me lead the work force innovation and opportunity act of 2010, which is aiding organizations like work force solutions based in mcallen, 10:21:21texas, and is committed to the success of the employers and work force of the rio grande valley. by matching them with skilled productive employees and upgrading the skills of their current work force. connie has been particularly 10:21:38effective in helping me address urgent needs in deep south texas. latino students aspiring to attain the dream of a college education are that much closer to realizing their hopes. 10:21:53thanks to connie's involvement resulting in passage of the higher education opportunity act and the student loan and health care wreck sellation bill of 2010. -- health care and reconciliation bill of 2010. 10:22:13particularly for latino and minority serving higher education institutions in our contry. this crew -- country. this crucial legislation also created an unprecedented health care system that complements the patient protection and affordable care act of 2010 that 10:22:30connie also played a major role in helping shepherd through the education and work force committee, and that is now providing millions of americans with affordable health care who previously had no coverage. 10:22:46mr. speaker, it's -- it is with much more than coincidence that the high school graduation rate in my congressional district has accelerated from 55% to 85% during connie's tenure as my 10:23:02chief of staff. this sharp increase has lifted up a generation of young latinos who are making significant contributions to our communities and regional economy, and it's a direct result of connie's 10:23:18advocacy and leadership contributing to the passage of each of these four aforeaforementioned bills. she's public laws constitute my collection of legislation in my congressional office that i was 10:23:34very proud to pass as either chairman or ranking member of the higher education and work force training subcommittee with connie at the helm of my office. i thank connie for her tireless 10:23:49efforts to take two new land international bridges design to stimulate commercial activity, economic growth and in the rio grande vally. her intimate knowledge of the transportation policy was a key element in the process culminating in the approval of 10:24:05presidential permits that paved the way to open the donna rio bravo and saduas international bridges. similarly she was instrumental in securing $300 million in federal investments for flood 10:24:21relief levee improvements along the texas and mexican borders. we still remember the impact of hurricane dolly in 2008 that brought between a foot and 15 inches of rain to the valley. hurricane ike followed shortly 10:24:47thereafter with storm surges as high as 20 feet and cost almost $20 billion in -- caused almost $20 billion in damages. my district would have been more highly susceptible to damage and our residents even more imperiled if the levees were breached by a hurricane or heavy rains without her assistance. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman's time has expired. 10:25:03Hinojosa (D-TX):property was spared during the landful in 2010 when the rio grande river crested to a record of 59 feet and in the wake of economic crisis, connie led my team in preparing our communities to apply for assistance that ultimately received o ultimately received over 10:25:19ultimately received over half a billion dollars for the county alone under the arra. mr. speaker, i am saddened to lose connie as a trusted and beloved member of my staff, but i am happy for her as she 10:25:36embarks upon a new endeavor as the senior vice president of public and community relations and special counsel of the doctors hospital at renaissance where she will continue to serve my constituents in the unique 10:25:57position to help the hospital deliver and expand the ridge of health care to underserved communities and economically disadvantaged families. i wish to again thank connie for all of her hard work, steadfast commitment to the people of south texas, and for her skillful management of my staff and congressional offices on behalf of the 15th congressional district of texas, i 10:26:14congratulate connie for her excellent service and for a job very well-done. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. costello, for five minutes. Costello (R-PA):mr. speaker, this 10:26:30past sunday was a special and historic day. it marked 25 years since the americans with disabilities act was signed into law. the a.d.a. has had a profound impact on our country and its citizens. it speaks to the best about our 10:26:47country. forming a more perfect union it aims to provide equal opportunity for those who have a disability. this anniversary, i feel, allows us to reflect on something that unites us. that is, it's estimated that one 10:27:03in five americans is living with a disability. disabilities affect individuals in every congressional district in this country, in every state, in every neighborhood. it touches the lives of everyone. race, gender, income, no 10:27:22demographic is exempt from disability. this law provides hope for those who have a disability and offers promise that opportunities exist for self-fulfillment. on both a philosophical and practical level, it stands for 10:27:38the proposition that providing reasonable accommodation to those with a disability is how a civil society addresses an imbalance born through no fault of the individual. the law and its legislative regulatory and judicial progeny 10:27:54enables us to address issues such as public transportation, housing, education, social services in a more thoughtful, proactive, effective, and humane way. and while there is no doubt that 10:28:10substantial progress has been made, i am not here on the house floor to say that our work is done. because it isn't. but thanks to the law, about 50 million americans have been helped. and that doesn't include their 10:28:26families and loved one who is can point to how laws do matter and can make a positive impact. so let's focus on the challenges that we still confront that relate to access and opportunity. on holding up the standard of 10:28:41self-sufficiency for individuals with a disability and looking at how public policy can be shaped to help achieve this standard for disabled americans. and the crux is often that time between ending in the classroom and looking for employment 10:28:57opportunity. just yesterday i met with abilities in motion, an organization in my district that provides outstanding services to individuals and families in burks county. during our discussion, i heard from individuals and parents 10:29:13through grit and determination were able and are able to navigate the complex maze of programs and services and funding streams to coordinate caregivers, transportation, and employment in the post academic 10:29:29world. let's focus on streamlining and better integrating these programs and funding streams. and let's focus on encouraging job opportunities for disabled individuals who want to work and build a meaningful career. let's also focus on improving 10:29:45transportation options so that individuals who want to work are able to get to work without difficulty. let's continue to set forth and advance good policy like the able act from last congress which will encourage individuals and families to save tax-free 10:30:02dollars to help finance the cost associated with disabilities. i'm grateful for the tireless work of abilities in motion and other organizations that serve families and individuals in my district such as the national federation of the blind, the arc 10:30:17alliance, the disability rights network, an network, and pennsylvan 10:30:20statewide independent living council. these organizations, their employees, and volunteers workday in and day out to improve everyday lives. . let's also thank the families who sacrificed for their loved 10:30:37ones who have a disability. and let's recognize the courage and the hard work that those who have a disability endure every day to become 10:30:52self-sufficient. it really speaks to what's great about this country. everyone out there who suffers from a disability and wakes up every day with optimism and purpose, you are to be commended. you are the american success story. mr. speaker, over the past 25 10:31:09years, the a.d.a. has increased accessibility and empowered millions of americans with disabilities. it's important to acknowledge the progress, but it's also important to recognize that there are still challenges that we should address from a public 10:31:24policy perspective. we must continue our efforts in a bipartisan manner to advance policy that keeps us a step ahead, that meets the needs of disability americans today and tomorrow. i yield back the remainder of 10:31:39my time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, for five minutes. Norton (D-DC):mr. speaker, work on the nation's bridges, highways and transit has all but stopped because of 34 patch 10:31:58extensions that keep everything except patchwork on hold. today, the house is rushing out of town early, leaving a new three-month patch. this time, though, the 10:32:14republican house is scrambling out of the capitol literally getting away from the republican senate which had been trying for a six-year bill. the republican house my way or the highway was addressed to 10:32:29the republican senate and the public itself be damned and it worked. the republican senate has given up on the nation's infrastructure too. 10:32:44the republican senate announced this morning they will accept the house's three-month patch. six months of control of the house and senate by the republicans has made congress 10:33:02even more dysfunctional. the house -- the new house's three-month patch has nothing to do with roads and bridges. who knows what will get done? 10:33:18house republicans see political goals at the end of their three-month road when the must-pass highway bill can serve purposes such as the usual dangerous dispute over 10:33:36extension of the debt ceiling. yet, republican and democratic states alike keep continuing to -- keep continuing their part of the state-federal partnership. 18 states and the district of 10:33:51columbia have raised their gas user fee, going as high as 10 cents increase in iowa and in wyoming, but the roads, bridges and transit remains stalled 10:34:09because the federal partner keeps dropping out. more than half of funds for a nationwide system that connects states with one another comes from the federal trust fund. 10:34:25during the 34 patched delays, not a lick of work on a final bill has been done except the senate's current try at a six-year bill. no serious talks here on alternatives to the gas user 10:34:40fee, although it long ago was swallowed by fuel efficiency that leaves the transit trust fund thirsty for refill after a year and a half or so. democrats have offered four 10:34:58alternatives to the current user fee that is the legacy of the eisenhower years. the republicans have offered none. congress has refused to raise the federal user fee since 10:35:131992, adding to the woes of the 1950 method we use to pay for ou our 10:35:21our roads. the republican house runs out of town today to hide from the republican senate. as they run home, i can only hope they run into the arms of their own angry constituents on 10:35:36their own rickety roads. house republicans can run, but they can't hide from their own broken down bridges, roads and transit back home. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the 10:35:51gentlewoman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from nevada, mr. hardy, for five minutes. Hardy (R-NV):mr. speaker, i rise today in order to address a 10:36:07concern that anyone who has ever owned or run a business truly understands, the negative effects on unchecked government regulations in our american economy. no matter how large or small the federal regulations are being added each day into law 10:36:22by hundreds and even sometimes by thousands. most of which are not directly approved by congress. by allowing washington bureaucrats to continue to stuff the overwhelming amount of regulations into the connolly passed legislation, we 10:36:37are essentially handing over the authority to the federal agencies to legislate as they please. it is our -- into the congressly passed legislation, we are essentially handing over the authority to the federal agencies to legislate as they please. 10:36:53we need to tell our constituents they are not left behind. during this congress, we made great stride in reforming a regulation process in order to help the economy grow. a great example of that occurred yesterday with the passage of the reins act. 10:37:09there should be no question that any regulation that makes an annual impact of $100 million on the economy should require congressional approval before it could become law. as my colleagues are aware, a copy of the day's federal 10:37:27register is delivered to each of our offices daily. this book provides a hard copy of every new regulation that ranges from environmental protection to labor standards to health guidelines to restrictions on financial institutions. 10:37:42last year the federal register contained over 77,000 pages with 3,554 new regulations. even though this large number of pages is absurd, it's only 10:37:58the sixth highest page count in the federal register's history. as of this morning, the 2015 federal register sits at over 45,000 pages. it is unthinkable to me that the most important document, 10:38:14the constitution, can fit in 39 pages in this little book. in comparison to the july 13th edings of the federal register -- edition of the federal register, that's 627 pages, and 10:38:30only one of three editions from that day alone. mr. speaker, when is enough enough? and when does it become too much? the continual expans of our government, though a vast amount of regulations causes 10:38:46our economy to be shaky and unstable as the stacks of the federal registers stacked in my office from this year, which is unacceptable and very concerning. and even larger issue comes from how the general public is 10:39:02made aware of these proposed rules and the opportunity to voice their concerns on the rules. while we are provided with a daily index of rules and new regulations through the federal register, the american taxpayer, whom we work for, are 10:39:18left in the dark. these regulations do not take into account the economic impact that is placed on the american businesses and the families. each new regulation can lead to higher prices for goods, lower wages and job losses. 10:39:34in 2014, the federal regulations cost the american family an estimated $1.88 trillion in the yearly financial burden, representing roughly $15,000 per household. 10:39:49this cost is larger than the economy of canada, larger than the economy of mexico, larger than the economies of australia, russia, spain and south korea, just to name a few. in fact, the economy of nine nations in this world are 10:40:05larger than the cost of our regulations. although all size businesses in the industry feel the effects of regulations, it is small businesses that feel this due to the cost 10:40:21to the cost to comply. limited comment periods and the lack of information pertaining to how they make their opinions heard, business owners are usually those left out in the cold. i ask my colleagues to join me 10:40:35in demanding more transparency in the regulatory and rulemaking process because it is our duty to our constituents and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the 10:40:51gentleman from florida, mr. grayson, for five minutes. Grayson (D-FL):thank you. 50 years ago this week president lyndon johnson signed a law that created medicare and 10:41:06medicaid, the most important health care programs in our country's history prior to the affordable care act. with one stroke of his pen, president johnson guaranteed both poor americans and older americans the right to 10:41:22high-quality, affordable medical treatment. thanks to medicare, for 50 years now our seniors received the health care they needed to stay healthy and to live a full life. but despite the success, there are gaps in medicare coverage 10:41:38that need to be closed. the most glaring gap is the fact that medicare does not provide basic medical coverage for seniors' eyes, ears and teeth. it's as though medicare assumes that seniors don't need to see or to hear or to chew. 10:41:54we're not talking about exotic, high-tech treatments. we mean no medicare coverage for eyeglasses, eye examines, cavity fillings or dentures. we're talking about no 10:42:11procedures that leads to lost teeth, gum disease which is strongly linked to heart disease. it's unthinkable we deny our seniors this elementary level of care. there are 2.7 million seniors 10:42:26in america who are blind. how many of them would be able to see today if they'd receive a simple annual eye exam as part of their medicare coverage? medicare is a promise that we make to ourselves, the young, 10:42:41the old, one generation to the next. the promise is after you reach your 65th birthday your medical needs will be met. to keep that promise, our seniors have paid into the 10:42:57system for half a century, in some cases, before they receive a single earned benefit. they deserve the best care we can provide to them. this week to honor the 50th anniversary of this life-saving program we call medicare, i'm introducing the seniors have 10:43:13eyes, ears and teeth act. this bill will amend title 18, the medicare provision of the social security act, to repeal the arbitrary exclusion from medicare coverage of eyeglasses, eye exams, hearing 10:43:31aids, dental care. two short lines in the u.s. code have barred that coverage for 50 years. i simply delete those lines. i urge my congressional colleagues to enact this quick, easy and necessary reform. 10:43:47medicare should provide health coverage for every part of your body, including eyes, ears and teeth. over 50 million americans enjoy medicare coverage. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of medicare, let's 10:44:02guarantee to 50 million americans the health care that they need to look into the eyes of the ones they love, to see our fourth of july fireworks each year and to hear it when freedom rings. thank you. i yield. 10:44:17THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. paulsen, for five minutes. Paulsen (R-MN):thank you, mr. speaker. earlier this summer, democrats and republicans came together to pass a trade authorization 10:44:32bill that set the standards for any trade deal that the united states negotiates with other countries. it guarantees oversight by congress. it guarantees transparency for the public, and it guarantees that our negotiators have the opportunity to get the best deal for our workers, our 10:44:49farmers, our ranchers and our employers. this week trade negotiators from 12 different countries around the pacific rim are meeting in hawaii for negotiations for the trans-pacific partnership. it's a deal that will open doors for american businesses to sell their products overseas 10:45:05and create jobs right here at home. the fact of the matter is this. 95% of the world's consumers live outside of the united states. 80% of the world's purchasing power is outside of the united states. we need to allow our american companies to compete and to be 10:45:21able to sell their p able to sell their products an 10:45:22able to sell their products and goods and services or we will fall behind. . this will acts a counter weight to china. if the united states doesn't 10:45:36write the rules for the global economy, china will write them and it won't be to the been fit of american workers and businesses. mr. speaker, while congress and the americans, people should and will vet any deal that results from the current transpacific 10:45:52partnership negotiations, it is important to understand what a successful agreement will mean here at home. for starters, it means boosting pay and higher wages. that's because jobs that rely on trade pay 18% higher than those jobs that don't. it also means boosting job growth right here in america. 10:46:08that's because one in five jobs are tied to trade. in minnesota, 775,000 jobs are currently supported by trade and new trade with asia will enhance and support that opportunity to build on new success. it also means boosting our 10:46:25country's small, medium sized businesses. in minnesota, 90% of these small businesses are the companies that export goods and services. that being said, there's still work that needs to be done by our negotiators to make sure they reach an agreement that is the best for the american 10:46:40people. we need cooperation from the other countries that are involved in these negotiations. canada needs to step up to put -- to the plate on tariff and quota issues dealing with their dairy and egg industries. japan needs to step up on agriculture issues. progress still needs to be made 10:46:57to ensure the american intellectual property is protected. however, with commitment from our trading partners, i am confident that we can overcome these remaining hurdles. mr. speaker, we need trade deals where everyone benefits and everyone follows the rules. we live in an interconnected 10:47:15world we should be embracing opportunities that open more markets for american goods and services. it's time to show the world that america will continue to lead the way in the 21st century global economy. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the the 10:47:32gentlewoman from florida, ms. wilson, for five minutes. Wilson, F. (D-FL):mr. chair, i rise 10:47:48today with a heavy heart and i'm deeply saddened by the death of norme miami-dade county police director, robert parker. i extend my sincerest sympathies to his 10:48:05family at this difficult time. he was a friend and true humanitarianian. throughout his career in law enforcement with the miami-dade county police department, he was committed to making south florida a safe place to work, live, and to visit. 10:48:20he was well respected and celebrated. and he fought to create opportunities for men and women of color. as a long time mentor and leader of the 5,000 low models of 10:48:35excellence project, he worked closely with me to save at-risk minority boys and young men. his impact is evidenced by the thousands of success stories of role model boys who under his mentorship have gone on to 10:48:52college and thriving careers. the 5,000 role models of excellence project in south florida owe to director parker a huge debt of gratitude. director parker testified before congress on behalf of violence 10:49:09in black communities. he testified before congress about the tragic death of trayvon martin. he went on to be featured on cnn, msnbc, and all of our local tv shows. because of his knowledge, he went on to serve as a consultant 10:49:25for cities all over this country. our boys in our community were so very, very proud of this wonderful role model. director parker adored his family, his sweet, sweet grandchildren, his daughter, his 10:49:44son, his son and devoted wife, the love of his life. our great nation has lost a patriot who lived to embody the principles of equality, justice, and freedom upon which america is founded. to fully understand our loss, 10:50:00you must first understand the treasure that we all shared in director parker. director parker showed that by the caring nature growing up as a child in the rural community of monticello, florida. he bravely served in the united 10:50:16states army. he joined the miami police department in 1976 and it was s 10:50:23still known as the dade county police safety department. he was a bright and egger young officer who wanted to make his community safer. director parker was an officer's officer. he worked hard, he made great 10:50:38sacrifices for his career throughout the love and support of his family. he enjoyed a storied rise up the ladder of police leadership baufs his determination to solve crimes. he was affectionately called bobby by his friends and 10:50:53colleagues, but he was also nicknamed, marathon man. he nameously earned that name by giving a foot chase to catch one of the most notorious deeds in miami-dade county history. the suspect had consistently 10:51:09eluded capture of -- because he was too crafty and fast for most officers, but not too fast for robert parker. his determination is what set him apart from others. he did not view his responsibility to his community 10:51:25as an adjective, something that was hard or tedious. however he saw it as a verb. it was something that he had to do. he was never concerned about the spotlight or awards, but his dutiful and bravey it almost 10:51:43impossible to deny him wreck nation. his service to south florida and our nation had an underlying theme that permanent nated everything -- permeated everything he did, his love of his community. he understood the best police officers are not the police that 10:52:00wore the badges, but the people who paid the mortgages who sent their children to school, and who worked hard to build their community. residents were always quick to admire the notion of no snitching and gave director parker information that solved 10:52:17crimes. his sense of community and respect eventually led to his promotion to director of the miami-dade department in 2004. his appointment was historic. by his being the very first 10:52:33african-american to hold that post and he opened the door for many others to follow. dade county has the largest police force in the southeast united states, leading over 4 10:52:48,700 sworn and civilian employees. as director, he worked to create a more diverse agency and create opportunities for minorities and women. he was an exemplary leader and even earned the respect of the police union. he retired in 2009 after 33 10:53:08years. his absence will create a huge void. mr. speaker, america has lost an iconic law enforcement, his legacy will live in the hearts of all of us forever. 10:53:24i ask that these remarks be entered into the official congressional record. they will then be permanently placed in the library of congress. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentlewoman yields back. the chair will receive a message. THE MESSENGER:mr. speaker, a message from the senate. 10:53:39THE SECRETARY:mr. speaker. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:madam secretary. THE SECRETARY:i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has passed s. 614, cited as the federal proper payments coordination act of 2015, in which the concurrence of the house is requested. 10:54:04some the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for five minutes. Thompson, G. (R-PA):thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, responsible use and recycle of coal ash has the ability to reduce waste, provide construction materials, and keep utility costs low. 10:54:19this past april the e.p.a. released yet another rule aimed at coal by mandating new standards for the disposal of storage of coal combustion residuals. 10:54:35as a result of this proposal, the house considered and passed h.r. 1734, the improving coal combustion residuals regulation act of 2015. this legislation codifies the final proposal rule while giving flexibility to the states to implement. specifically, h.r. 1734 will allow states to create and 10:54:54enforce their own coal ash recycling permit programs. it also sets up enforceable state permit programs while utilizing the e.p.a.'s minimum requirements that will protect jobs. states also have the option to make their requirements more stringent than the e.p.a.'s 10:55:09final rule if they choose. i strongly support and was happy to vote for h.r. 1734 and the responsible use of coal and coal ash. 10:55:23mr. speaker, recently i visited the research natural area of the allegheny national forest. this old growth area is home to many 600-year-old hemlock trees. during this visit i spoke with 10:55:39forestry individuals to combat the invasive insect to one of these trees. mr. speaker, many states are involved in the efforts to fight this bug which originated in 10:55:55japan. it can kill hemlocks within a few years after they become infested. 2012, i teamed with federal researchers and those from my alma mater, penn state university, in a forum i hosted to discuss efforts to save our state tree, the eastern hemlock. 10:56:10as chairman of the conservation forestry subcommittee, i'm proud pennsylvania is among those leading the way in fighting this disease and protecting our forests and the economic stimulus these forests provide, both through timber and tourism. 10:56:26making sure that these magnificent trees have stood for centuries will stand tall for future generations. mr. speaker, on sunday, july 26, we marked the 25th anniversary of the americans with disabilities act. 10:56:41the passage of this landmark legislation signified a commitment to eliminating barriers faced by millions of individuals with differing levels of disability. it required businesses, buildings, transportation, and other services to accommodate those living with disabilities 10:56:57and guaranteed equal opportunities for workers with disabilities. 25 years later, as a parent, we have made tremendous strides in upholding the intent of this vastly important civil rights law. today countless americans are empowered to shape their own lives and plan their own futures 10:57:12as they experience their daily obstacles decreasing over time. now, while we have so much to celebrate, there's always more progress to be made. this congress i introduced the special needs trust fairness act with the goal of eliminating a 10:57:27current prohibition on a person with a disability to create his or own special needs trust. this long overdue legislative fix was recently passed by the senate finance committee, and i'm committed to working with my 10:57:43colleagues to guide this and similar measures through the legislative processes here in the house. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, ms. sanchez, for five minutes. Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA):thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, we are on a 10:57:59dangerous path. first, my republican colleagues pulled two critical appropriation bills from the floor simply because their party cannot come to an agreement on a flag that represents a very dark 10:58:14time in our nation's history. second, my colleagues across the aisle rather than focusing their energy on passing comprehensive immigration reform passed a poisonous anti-immigrant bill in response to an isolated incident 10:58:30in the city of san francisco. pulling money away from our law enforcement funding for public safety. then they refused to authorize the export-import bank which 10:58:47helps ensure that americans' businesses can compete with their global competitors. and now the house republicans refuse to come to the table yet again to provide a robust, long-term funding bill for our 10:59:06decaying infrastructure system in america. why do we continue to refuse and cut services that our communities need? the american people need good paying jobs. safe and modern infrastructure 10:59:22and efficient transportation in order to provide a better life for themselves and their families. we need to stop these stopgap extensions. how do we fix a broken bridge or broken highway? 10:59:37two months of highway funding will not do that. in my home state of california, 60% of our roads are in poor or mediocre condition. and moreover, almost 30% of california's bridges have been 10:59:53recognized by the department of transportation as structurally deficient. and just a little bit over a week ago california residents experienced the real life consequences of this statistic 11:00:10when the interstate 10, which connects california and arizona, collapsed. . jurring a resident and shut -- injuring a resident and shuttin shutting 11:00:24shutting down the highway. this is critical for the southwest which is suffering from deficiencies from the drought we have going on. with more than 60,000 bridges throughout the united states in need of drastic repairs, 11:00:39failing to provide americans with a long-term highway bill, we're putting jobs at risk and we're putting our lives at risk. which is why my fellow house democrats have come together to provide a six-year -- a 11:00:55six-year funding bill known as the grow america act. the bill will provide $478 billion over six years so that states and local municipalities can address critical infrastructure needs. 11:01:10this commonsense legislation would help pay for the investments by ending an unfair tax loophole and limiting corporate inversions, meaning that big corporations, when they're renouncing their united 11:01:27states citizenship, they do that in order to avoid paying taxes. let's use that money for transportation investments here in america. investing in local public 11:01:44transportation projects not only helps to improve our traffic flow but it also helps create good jobs. as we look for ways to put our economy back on track, we must be mindful of the services that 11:02:00we provide to the american people. we need to stop slashing and we need to start providing. we need to get away from sequestration and patchwork funding mentality to actually 11:02:16fulfill our duty as public servants in and to the american people. our families and our roads and our economy deserve a highway funding bill that will invest 11:02:31in america's future. it will invest in better infrastructure. it will invest in bigger paychecks for our hardworking families who are trying to make it in america. 11:02:47i yield the balance of my time. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentlelady yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. posey, for five minutes. Posey (R-FL):thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today on matters of 11:03:03research and scientific integrity. to begin with, i am absolutely, resolutey pro-vaccine. advancements in medical immunization have saved countless lives and greatly benefited public health. that being said, it's troubling 11:03:20to me that in a recent designate hearing on childhood vaccinations it was never mentioned that our government has paid out over $3 billion through a vaccine injury compensation program for children who have been injured 11:03:35by vaccinations. regardless of the subject matter, parents making decisions about their children's health deserve to have the best information available to them. they should be able to count on federal agencies to tell them 11:03:50the truth. for these reasons, i bring the following matter to the house floor. in august, 2014, dr. william thompson, a senior scientists at the centers for disease control and prevention, worked with a whistleblower attorney to provide my office with 11:04:06documents related to a 2004 c.d.c. study that examined the possibility of a relationships between mumps, measles, rubella and autism. in a statement released in august, 2014, dr. thompson 11:04:22stated, i regret that my co-authors and i omitted statistically significant information in our 2004 article published in the journal of pediatrics, end quote. mr. speaker, i respectfully request the following excerpts 11:04:37from the statement written by dr. thompson be entered into the record. now quoting dr. thompson. my primary job duties while working in the immunization safety branch from 2000 to 2006 were to lead or co-lead three major vaccine safety studies. 11:04:53the maddsp, m.m.r., autism cases controlled studies were being carried out in response to the wakefield lancity study that suggested an autism-like health outcome. 11:05:08there were several major concerns between consumer advocates outside the c.d.c. following the execution of the study. one of the important goals that was determined upfront in the spring of 2001 before any of these studies star these studies started was to 11:05:24these studies started was to have all three protocols vetted outside the c.d.c. prior to the start of the analyses so that consumer advocates could not claim that we were presenting analyses that suited our own 11:05:38goals and biases. we hypothesized if we found statistically effects at either 18 or 36-month thresholds, we concluded that vaccines could 11:05:53lead to autism characteristics or liked features. we -- the goal was to not deviate from the analysis plan to avoid the debacle that occurred with the study published in the pediatrics in 11:06:102003. at the september 5 meeting we discussed in detail how to code race for both a sample and the birth certificate sample. at the bottom of table 7, it also shows that for the nonbirth certificate sample, the adjusted race effect 11:06:27statistical significance was huge. all the authors and i met and decided somewhere between august and september 2002 not to report any race effects for the paper. sometime soon after the meeting we decided to exclude reporting 11:06:46any race effects, the co-authors scheduled a meeting to destroy documents related to the study. the remaining four co-authors all met and brought a big garbage can into the meeting room and revuned went through all the hard copy documents that we thought we should 11:07:01discard and put them in a huge garbage can. however, because i assumed it was illegal and would violate both foia and d.o.j. requests, i kept hard copies of my office and i retained all associated computer files. i believe we intentionally 11:07:17withheld controversial findings from the final draft of the pediatrics paper, end of quote of the doctor. mr. speaker, i believe it's our duty to ensure that the documents dr. thompson provided are not ignored. therefore, i will provide them to members of congress and the 11:07:35house committees upon request. considering the nature of the whistleblower's documents as well as the involvement of the c.d.c., a hearing and a thorough investigation is warranted. so i ask, mr. speaker, i beg, i 11:07:51implore my colleagues on the appropriations committees to please, please take such action. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. lamalfa, for five minutes. LaMalfa (R-CA):thank you, mr. speaker. 11:08:09mr. speaker, yesterday the house passed a measure i co-sponsored, h.r. 427, known as the reins act, to end this administration's disregard for the separation of powers. the bill rightly reasserts congress' proper role in writing our nation's laws but 11:08:25requiring that any regulation written with accumulative impact of over $100 million be reviewed and approved by congress before going into effect. instead of the stifling innovation that we've seen the effects of this. 11:08:41too often we've seen this administration attempt to use creative interpretation of the law or aggressive rulemaking that have had a massive negative impact on our states' economy, resulting in higher prices, thousands of dollars per cost additionally per 11:08:57family per year, lower wages, less working hours or complete loss of job opportunities altogether. for example, the proposed waters of the united states regulation would insert the environmental protection agency in local land use planning areas across the nation. 11:09:13do we really need the federal government telling us how to landscape our own back yards? is that even proper? i think not. do we really think the federal government should be regulating man-made ditches along country roads or fields or dry stream beds and puddles which hold 11:09:29water during and immediately after rain storms? or irrigation and draining ditches which wouldn't even exist if not created by water districts and the people involved? what a giant leap of grab of power by the federal government 11:09:44in asserting itself over these private properties via these regulations written by bureaucracies and not overseen by congress directly. in my district, federal bureaucrats are unilaterally decided with no evidence or science that small depressions 11:10:02in fields, placing vast areas of land out of production. despite bipartisan congressional opposition, the administration's moving -- attempting to move forward with this aggressive regulation, waterways of the united states. mr. speaker, the examples this 11:10:18administration's careless decisions, eliminating jobs are almost too numerous to 11:10:25almost too numerous to counsel. in 2014 federal regulations cost our economy $1.88 trillion in higher prices for food, energy and goods, averaging about $14,000 per u.s. household. this price tag is spiked thanks 11:10:40to president obama administration which add nearly 500 new regulations, 184 of those which combined to raise cost to americans about $80 billion. 81 new major regulations per 11:10:55year is the result. mr. speaker, unelected bureaucrats shouldn't be imposing their will on the american people at a cost of billions of dollars each year. this is not the way to stop the difficult head winds our 11:11:11economy faces. indeed, this is causing more economic problems for us to recover from in this nation. it's time for the senate to join the house and send h.r. 427, the reins act, and help 11:11:26with our jobs economy, the boost we all need, that we needed for so long during this last six years. the reins act is needed to rein in out-of-control governments. even the president himself said in his state of the union address january, 2011, he said 11:11:42that to reduce barriers to growth and investment, when we find rules that put unnecessary burden on businesses, we need to fix them. the reins act is that fix. let's get it done. let's get the senate to get it done. mr. speaker, i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the 11:11:57gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from texas, ms. jackson lee, for five minutes. Jackson Lee, S. (D-TX):i thank the speaker and ask to address the house and to revise and extend. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:without objection. Jackson Lee, S. (D-TX):mr. speaker, thank you very much. it gives me great privilege, first of all, to speak about 11:12:14the first item of interest to america and to many of us, certainly when the president represents the united states of america overseas. i had the privilege of traveling with the president for a most dynamic, unique and 11:12:31historic mission and that was the kenya and ethiopia. let me congratulate him for his stupendous diplomatic success and interaction with a continent that will be the largest populated land area in 11:12:46the 21st century. what an amazing experience to be able to engage with businesses and see the opportunity for economic empowerment and cooperation between the united states and the many nation states of the continent of africa. 11:13:03exciting to see new young business persons seeking an opportunity to work in their countries but work with the united states. eager to work with u.s. businesses, welcoming u.s. investment, creating jobs in africa, creating jobs in america. in particular, an energy or a 11:13:21broadcasting company that had been there for 50 years, creating jobs in the united states, creating jobs in kenya. so let me indicate what a success this story was, along with the regional security issues, a commitment with the african union to stand against 11:13:37boko haram and a commitment to establish civility and peace in south sudan by demanding there be a resolution of this by august 17. not the president standing alone but working with the african union, representing the 11:13:52tens upon tens of african nations. it was a resounding success, and i congratulate the president. as i come home and a member of the judiciary committee, i'm reminded of the tragedy of a young woman who had all of her life before her and that was 11:14:07sandra bland. my commitment still is to offer my appreciation to the law enforcement officers across america, and as we all do respect law and order. but in the instance where there is a tragic result, the death of this young woman, 28 with 11:14:23two undergraduate degrees and a masters degree, her death with the result of malfeasance. and so we must walk together in a respectful manner with law enforcement and civilian. we have done it before. we must do it again. and i believe that it is crucial for the department of 11:14:39justice to take over this investigation on a number of aspects. dealing with law enforcement in the county and certainly the question of this young lady's civil rights. so i ask they look seriously because even though there are 11:14:55alleged good intentions by the local authorities with establishing committees to review this, this is not a regular order. this is not a procedure that works. no one understands how the district attorney, unless he yields to an independent prosecutor, which this district 11:15:10attorney is not, to have a committee of individuals with no authority whatsoever to review this matter, people are in pain, families are in pain and certainly we can do better as law enforcement and civilians working together. . 11:15:26i recognize this is the 50th year of the voting rights act and i join my leadership in celebrating and acknowledging this exciting time when it opened the doors of voting for 11:15:38everyone. one vote, one person. on august 6 i call upon my community in the 18th congressional district in houston to have a voting day. registering people to vote in a nonpartisan manner. bringing them out, celebrating the right to vote where many countries do not have t let's 11:15:53make the voting right authorization, re-authorization the cause of this congress. let's have americans celebrate voting rights. finally, mr. speaker, let me say this, i was in africa, and one of the headlines was the killing of cecil. this beautiful lion that the 11:16:10country was -- nation i was in, were falling to their knees because they believe in wildlife preservation. we enjoy it here in the nation's zoos. we haven't had the privilege of these wonderful animals of giraffes and lions and tigers 11:16:26and a whole array, and to think it was an american who killed this lionly lion, what a disgrace. this individual is a disgrace. this individual had the responsibility for knowing in 11:16:41his guide and procedures of doing this kill for sport. and he lured this animal out of his preservation. america must stand with kenya and ethiopia and other african-americans in -- african 11:16:57nations in showing the outrage and sadly it was a citizen of the united states who was more interested in personal privilege and pleasure than he was in understanding this iconic lion, the last male species of this kind with a black main -- maine and a giant of a personality -- 11:17:13mane and giant of a personality. yet we couldn't find any other joy than killing cecil. i'm saddened by this and america should be saddened as well. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentlelady's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. price, for five minutes. 11:17:30Price, T. (R-GA):thank you, mr. 11:17:47speaker. mr. speaker, sometimes the terrorism that we witness in this day and age is a world away. sometimes it occurs very close to home. two weeks ago terror visited 11:18:06chattanooga, tennessee. in so doing hit home for us in georgia. one of the five service men murdered on july 16 in chattanooga grew up in the sixth district of georgia, graduated from high school in 2012. 11:18:22skip wells was a marine. was a proud marine. a proud american. he was a hero. last week in georgia thousands gathered to honor the life of this patriot, skip wells, who 11:18:38lost his life in the terrorist attack in chattanooga. nothing we say will replace the loss, the heartbreak, the pain and family and friends, those who knew him best, but we can say how much heroes enlighten us 11:18:57and inspire us and strengthen the faith in our nation and in our own lives. skip wells is a hero. it's been said that a hero is someone who has given his life to something bigger than one's 11:19:13self. that's precisely what skip did. his closest friends said that skip wells felt called to serve, to protect. when asked why skip joined the marines, a friend of skip's told 11:19:29folks simply that skip just loved his country. he knew that freedom isn't free. he knew that liberty requires sacrifice. and what an inspiration his dedication and his heroism is for all of us. 11:19:47chesterton said that the true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him but because he loves what is behind him. skip wells loved his family, he loved his friends, he loved the 11:20:02marines, oh how he loved the marines. he loved his country. his death in the service of this great nation places him in the ranks of those with the greatest of valor. so on behalf of all who 11:20:17represent this nation, we send our deepest and heartfelt thanks and sympathy to skip's family and his friends on their 11:20:26loss. and we all, every single american, mourn for those who make the ultimate sacrifice for this great land. the bible says, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. 11:20:41and in its broadest sense this verse is so very, very true. in the book of john, we read that greater love at-no one than this than -- hath no one than this than lay down his life for 11:20:58his friends. to his mom, his friends and family, you may be very, very proud of skip and his ultimate sacrifice that he gave to our contry. may god's grace comfort you in this difficult time. please know that a grateful nation loves you and mourns with 11:21:14you and may we never, ever, ever forget skip wells and the great men and women who stand in harm's way every single day and protect this, the greatest nation on earth. may god bless us all and may he 11:21:31continue to bless the united states of america. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. curbelo, for five minutes. Curbelo (R-FL):mr. speaker, i rise 11:21:50today with a heavy heart to recognize the 24th of august as the 23rd anniversary of hurricane andrew. on this date in 1992, the category five storm made landfall on elliott key and 11:22:08homestead, florida, killing 26 immediately with dozens more fatalities from injuries stemming from the storm's aftermath. we continue to mourn this loss of life. the winds of hurricane andrew were calculated at 164 miles per 11:22:25hour and completely wiped out homestead air force base. until hurricane katrina in 2005, andrew was the costliest storm in u.s. history, totaling $had 11:22:453.7 billion when -- totaling $ 23.7 billion when adjusted for inflation. they noticed much of the destruction was due to substandard construction standards. florida now has the strongest build building codes in the nation. furthermore, homes are now required to have storm shutters 11:23:04or impact resistant glass. while we will never be able to fully prevent damage from a serious storm, we can mitigate the damage caused and thus 11:23:19reduce the costs of rebuilding our neighborhoods. the national hurricane center located at florida international university in my congressional district provides important research on the effects these storms have on our coast canline 11:23:35and maintains a -- coastline and maintains a continuous watch on developing weather patterns that could become a tropical storm. i was able to tour this center earlier in the year and commend their efforts. the memory of andrew forces us to remain cautious and vigilant so our communities and homes are protected. in the midst of this hurricane season, i strongly encourage all those in the potential path of 11:23:51these storms to have a plan already in place to secure property and protect loved ones. by taking the appropriate preventive measures, we can ensure that our families and neighborhoods remain safe. storms have 11:24:09mr. speaker, i rise to offer my sincere gratitude to the brave law enforcement officials who prevented a terrorist plot from unfolding in key west. on july 28, it was announced 11:24:25that a key west man was arrested and charged with attempting to use a weapons of mass destruction. key west is the southern most point of not only my district but the entire united states. anyone who has visited the keys knows how truly special this 11:24:40part of our country is. not just for its natural beauty, but for the welcoming and creative people who call the keys home. a terrorist attack occurring anywhere in the united states is 11:24:59a cause for serious alarm and i'm glad the efforts of one lone wolf were thwarted. it's important to recognize the f.b.i., the u.s. attorney's office, the south florida joint terrorism task force, the key west police department, the monroe county sheriff's office, and other law enforcement 11:25:14agencies for working together to neutralize this threat to key west and to our country. because of their efforts, an untold number of lives were saved. 11:25:27unfortunately, this incident reminds us that we continue to be targeted by those who wish to do us harm. we must remain vigilant against these ongoing threats and ensure our law enforcement agencies 11:25:42continue to have the necessary resources to execute their critical mission. mr. speaker, i rise to thank all those who attended the job fair in my district office hosted 11:25:57last month for employers and workers in the kendall area of south florida. we were able to connect over 1,000 of our friends and neighbors who are looking for work with hundreds of businesses, agencies, and nonprofit organizations. the feedback was positive from 11:26:15countless participants who said they were able to collect resumes from well qualified potential candidates for job opportunities. one of my main priorities here in congress is helping those who are most in need. at events like this job fair are 11:26:31an excellent way for communities to come together and find opportunities for people with all sorts of different skill sets. i'd also like to give special thanks to miami-dade college for hosting this terrific event. they provide excellent 11:26:46opportunities to south florida residents who are looking to further their education and learn new skills to enhance their job credentials. i'm also very proud to note that miami-dade college was recently named a great college to work for the 7th consecutive year by 11:27:03the chronicle of higher education. south florida's fortunate to have a strong network of business leaders who work closely with educational institutions to help people find work. every job is an opportunity and today we celebrate the constituents in my district who 11:27:20have found gainful new employment as a result of the job fair at miami-dade college. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentleman's time has expired. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from indiana, ms. walorski, for five minutes. Walorski (R-IN):thank you, mr. 11:27:37speaker. i rise today to recognize jenna of south wood junior senior high school for being selected to participate in the library of congress teaching with pry rarery sources summer teacher institute. her he dedication to providing the highest quality of education 11:27:53to young hoosiers is nothing short of remarkable. educators participate in and develop primary source based teaching strategies they can take back to their school districts, apply in the classroom, and share with their colleagues. 11:28:08this is an opportunity reserved for only the finest teachers in the country and a testament to her success as an educator. it is the work of passionate teachers like her that make me so grateful to represent indiana's second congressional district. the future of indiana's children 11:28:23lies in the hands of our educators. because of that, they deserve our support and recognition. today i congratulate her and thank her for her dedication to educating young hoosiers. i yield back. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the gentlewoman yields bafpblgt the chair recognize the the -- the 11:28:39gentleman from south carolina for five minutes. mr. wilson. Wilson, J. (R-SC):thank you, mr. speaker. i'm grateful to co-sponsor the 11:28:55employee rights act introduced by chairman tom price. which establishes protection for american workers. not to join a union, to have a secret ballot, and to choose to have a union if they would know how their dues were being spent. this legislation is critical to 11:29:14empowering american workers and shielding them from unfair treatment in the workplace. south carolina is a staunch defender of the right to work protections even when threatened by the national labor relations board. for years, the nlrb has threatened to destroy jobs, particularly in the charleston community. it's incaded the employee privacy, encroached bonn their rights. i'm grateful to senator lindsey graham, senator tim scott, 11:29:31governor haley, and attorney general allen wilson for their leadership in protecting our state's rights to work laws. right to work states like south carolina have seen firsthand that job creation and economic growth come from expanded freedoms. we need to expand commonsense 11:29:47reforms like those of the employee rights act to protect american workers and create jobs. in conclusion, god bless our troops, may the president by his actions never forget september 11 and the global war on terrorism. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE:the 11:30:02gentleman yields back. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today.