Is from a female standpoint. Host tony in oceanside, set ornia, calling on this of open phones. That does it for todays program, house representative the next washington journal comes your way at 7 00 tomorrow, well see you then. The eaker o t hosell be rder e cha efor house a couniciom the speaker. Ingto c. He earoms, november4 2017. Rebyapin hable odyis to act aspear pro temre ohis da si paul d. Ryanspeake of the house of rives. Thker temp rsuatoherderthe ujua 3 201 e chrilw coe emrsrom sts bmitteby in nevllmin bate contueond 50 a. Eaember other an th jority aoriters lit to fiv minutes. The chr recogn t gentlefrom man mr. Yer, for five. He geleman isecogniz mr. Y mr. Spe i s he ecrats and republican camegether to enact b taform in 86. Wed for ou t oveha and nence d future genationso fooe presidt trsaid ijuly at refos, and i quotoingto bsy ilty mit s like t gvernment hat whe ev i19 main hndght appe to ha been easy. It wasnt. It was difficult because it required compromise. It was difficult because it required trust. And it was difficult because it required both parties to make share the es and burden of taking responsibility along with the benefit of claiming vicktry. Somewhere along the way victory. Somewhere along the way, mr. Speaker, it seems many in the Republican Party lost sight of this truth. First on health care and now on taxes, they have decided that it would be far easier not to work share the burden of taking responsibility along with with democrats at al so they have chosen a partisan path where the only one was whom they have to compromise are themselves. Its going to be easy. They said. And the result . This floor a on bill so dangerous and so reprehensible to the taxpayers of this country that nearly every Major Organization representing taxpayers, small businesses, workers, farmers, seniors, home builders, realtors, teachers, and i could go on this floor a oppose this there are more Serious Problems with the republican tax bill than time to address them on this floor. So i want to highlight the three that make it so utterly dangerous to our economy and to the middle class. First, most of the benefits of the tax cuts republicans are proposing will benefit only 1 , the the very top 99 left behind, according to the Nonpartisan Tax Policy Center latest analysis, under the republican plan, 47 of the tax cuts will benefit that top 1 . Households. Lion making more than 900,000 a year. Let me repeat. He top 1 will get nearly half of all the tax cuts in this bill. And 50 for the 99 . Second, the republican plan raises taxes on 36 million middle class families. Thats not what the speaker said it was going to do. He said it would give everybody a tax cut. That was not true and is not true. 36 million middle class american households will see their taxes go up over the next 10 years as a result of this republican plan. And third, the republican plan will explode the debt by more than 1. 7 trillion over the next decade. This bill is the granddaddy of all debt creators. This means that those tax cuts, more than half of which benefit only the top 1 1 2 percent, will be paid for by a huge tax increase on our children and on our grandchildren. The late senator russell long of louisiana liked to say an old diddy about who gets stuck with the pain of tax increase. He said dont tax you. Dont tax me. Tax that fellow behind the free tree. Meaning of course that none of the voters want a tax increase. If you raise taxes, make sure its someone else who is out of sight and out of mind. In this case, sadly, mr. Speaker, that fellow behind the tree is a child. This is a tax increase on all those children. Its a child who cant vote and doesnt have a voice in this debate. The republican plan asks members to pile 1. 7 trillion or more of debt on to our children and grandchildren and put the fiscal sustainability of our country at further risk. When confronted with this fact, we hear only the same arguments we hear in 2001 and 2003 before the last major republican effort to cut taxes precipitated the worst recession in our memory. And a period of severe budget tightening that led to disinvestment in our country under the threat of sequestration. And that argument, flawed and false, is that these tax cuts will grow the economy so much that the ensuing growth will magically erase all the deficits we know their plan will accrue. So easy, mr. Speaker. So easy. The cuts will simply pay for themselves, were told. We have been told that before, of course. The cycle repeats, republican promises that tax cuts will pay for themselves followed by massive deficits. 189 increase in the deficit under ronald reagan. Followed by republicans insisting that we respond with austere cuts to investments in. Ur people and in opportunity so easily they forget. But middle class americans will not forget who is responsible when their taxes go up. When their tax increases pay for tax cuts for the top 1 . And when in the years ahead more and more investments need to be cut to pay the interest on the debt under which this plan will bury the children and grandchildren of america. And all because my colleagues across the aisle wanted to skip out on doing what they knew would be hard, just as they did former ways and Means Committee chairman, dave camp, introduced his comprehensive tax reform that was responsibly but they dismissed it. It out of hand would have required hashing out a difficult compromise. But easy is no sin come synonym for successful. President kennedy told us we do these things we choose these things, that is, tackling our greatest challenges, not because they are easy but because they are hard. So i ask my republican friends, no, i urge them, setaside this dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible bill. Instead, lets choose the hard path that involves hard choices and trust and all of those things that make tax reform successful in 1986. Which are the missing elements in this flawed bill. Mr. Speaker, democrats are ready to sit down with you and work on this challenge. Together. It wont be easy. Mr. Speaker, democrats thats a promise. But if we do it together, if we do it in a way that doesnt balloon the debt or raise taxes on the middle class, we have a chance to do it right. Lets take that chance. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Thompson, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this week is Rural Health Week in the commonwealth of pennsylvania. Its a time to promote awareness of the full range of issues that impact rural health throughout the state and the Health Status of rural pennsylvanians. Nationally pennsylvania ranks as one of the states with the highest number of rural 23 of s with pennsylvanians residing in rural areas. Rural communities also face health care concerns. Lack of providers. Accessibility issues the, particularly in terms of transportation and technology. Lack of providers. Accessibility issues the, particularly in terms of transportation and technology. And affordability issues as a result of larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens and greater outofpocket health costs. Mr. Speaker, before i was house to serve in the of representatives, i spent nearly house of representatives, i spent nearly 30 years in a Nonprofit Health care field assisting those with life changing diseases and disability. Im acutely aware of the challenges many face when it comes to obtaining reasonably priced health care. Its especially critical for Rural America like much of the fifth Congressional District of pennsylvania. Were facing a Health Care Crisis in our nations rural areas. These often disadvantaged populations are still struggling to access affordable, quality care. Many remain on shore. Most remain insured. Most are underinsured. Even when people gain access to health insurance, it doesnt equal access to care. Rural hospitals across the country are closing, leaving patients without access to their Emergency Rooms and longterm health care facilities. 80 rural hospitals in the United States have closed since 010. One in three rural hospitals are financially vulnerable. At the current closure rate, more than 25 of rural hospitals will close in less than a decade. In addition to hospital closures, a Work Force Shortage plagues Rural America. 77 of more than 2,000 Rural Counties in the United States are designated as having a shortage of health care professionals. Recruitment, retention of experienced professionals including primary care physicians is an ongoing challenge. Furthermore, the Opioid Crisis that is sweeping the nation has ravaged our rural communities, leaving even more of the population in need of Crucial Health services. Adolescence and young adults living in laurel areas rural areas are more vulnerable to opioid abuse. The overdoses has skyrocketed in rural areas. High unemployment and greater rate of the types of injuries that result in prescriptions for opioid medications have contributed to this. Where there are ways town crease treatment options, last week the house approved a bill introduced that would expand Health Care Access for our veterans through telly medicine telemedicine. It allows v. A. Health care providers to Practice Medicine across state lines. Our veterans should receive the best care possible no matter where they are located. With advances in technology, we see new opportunities for veterans to obtain coverage through telemedicine, especially in some of our most rural areas. As we celebrate National Rural health day, this thursday, it is my hope that we continue to strive for 21st Century Health care system that works for everyone in america. With technology today, we have the opportunity to expand services regardless of where one resides. Particularly for those in Rural Regions where the need is great and the services are scarce. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois, mr. Quigley, for five minutes. Mr. Quigley thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week the president visited asia for the first time as commander in ief and took the opportunity while on foreign soil to reiterate his America First doctrine. I rise today because an american first doctrine and the mentality will not lead to success for the United States or the world this. Way of thinking is an outdated, obsolete, and dangerous form of isolationism. It will not keep us safe. It will not make us stronger economically. Ironically this phrase paints a picture that is blatantly unamerican. America first sends a signal to the Global Community that the United States no longer wants to carry the torch of freedom nd democracy, which shines brighter through inclusion and collaboration. On the National Security front, the United States is the strong less on the National Security front, the United States is the strong less military the world has known. For decades, allies have counted on the u. S. To step up to the plate to work with them to protect the shared values we hold dear. As we face Numerous International challenges, both old and new, we need to put more faith and investment in our international and diplomatic institutions, not weaken them. The United States did not earn as leader of the free world by standing back and allowing darker forces to prevail. As a oppressive as leader regim russia seek to undermine democracies, including our own, americas commitment to democracy must be stronger than ever. The president s threats to nato antiu. N. Have caused our trusted allies to question our commitments to collective defense. We know when countries work in concert, a chance of conflict decreases. Despite its challenges, globalization has led to one of the most peaceful and productive times in world history. Adopting protectionist policies which stifle this progress and certainly wont put America First. Our efforts to address difficult domestic and International Challenges are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can and should happen simultaneously. We defeated communism in part by showing the world that a commitment to democracy and expanding Economic Opportunity and peoples lives better nations more secure, meaning our commitments overseas also makes us stronger and safer here at home. Standing up against the isolationist tide sweeping the globe is critical to preserving our leadership role. By abandoning our partnership with every other country in the world, the president has put our credibility and our earth at risk. We are now the only nation not participating in this historic climate path. We must lead by example. This includes recalling lessons earned from earlier periods of isolationism. Relinquishing ground in this area creates a vacuum where less democratic actors are prepared and capable to fulfill. And indicating global leadership, praising authoritarian regimes and belittling allies has been a hallmark of this presidency. This does not put america or our interests first. Our u. N. And nato partnerships should be strengthened. We are serious about taking on terrorism, cybersecurity threats and other dangers that jeopardize the peace of our planet. Instead of distinguishing between winners and losers and sewing division where it need not exist, we must acknowledge our shared goals and values with our allies around the world. Because our commitment to democracy and diplomacy is what has always made our nation great. Thank you and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from louisiana, mr. Abraham, for five minutes. Mr. Abraham thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise today to thank the emergency contribution of the civil air patrol. In the near future, i hope to also talk about two other primary mission to the c. A. P. , Youth Development and aerospace and stem education. Literally every day they respond to lifethreatening emergencies, Homeland Security requests and a wide range of missions for states and the federal government with over 500 single engine aircraft in every state and in puerto rico. As an active member since 2004, i had the privilege of flying many of these missions, so i speak from personal experience. Over the past 15 months, c. A. P. Has responded to four hurricanes, major wildfires in the west, dozens of other emergencies, including search and rescues in addition to vital military missions on a daily basis. The high operational tempo has helped ensure that c. A. P. For a second year in a rojas flown over 100,000 hours row has flown over 100,000 hours. One considers these missions are flown by volunteer professionals who pays dues to belong to c. A. P. And they must take time from their work, use their vacation times to actually fly these missions. Vital for many communities in every state are c. A. P. Operations. C. A. P. s massive volunteer response to the three recent rapid fire hurricanes, harvey, irma and maria, that made u. S. Landfall from texas to the virgin islands. While additional flight hours are still expected, 2,800 hours have already been flown and nearly half a million photographs have been taken for fema, texas, louisiana, florida, puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands. These photos are being used to assess damage and to focus on recovery efforts. To do this, c. A. P. Has used 118 aircraft and over 1,000 personnel from 44 wings. Theres a wing for every state and puerto rico and d. C. , and headquarters across the nation. For every largescale operation, hurricane support for c. A. P. Often depends on the assistance of these adjacent wings in different states and different regions of the country. I was able to view up close and personal hurricane recovery operations when i flew several sorties during hurricane harvey. On one mission i was responsible for taking full motion video of three dams along the texaslouisiana border to help establish that they were in Good Condition and safe for those living in the surrounding area, and those assessments could mean the difference of life and death in many communities. In california, where fastmoving wildfires destroyed over 8,900 homes, c. A. P. Continues to fly missions for them. 13,586 photos were taken. These fote rest are being used to help photos are being used to help to analyze the damage and assess the assistance needed by those whose homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed. In addition to conventional photographer, c. A. P. s california operations have included testing a new imagery system which helps elimination distortion in photos, making it easier for fema to analyze the data and making them a more effective tool for damages assessment. C. A. P. Is pleased to be part of this test program and it is supposed to improve wildfire damage assessment. Operational missions for the air force and other Government Agencies occur daily and without fanfare. These include among others, being a target for air force interceptors, helping train combat ground forces, escorting military aircraft for training, air combat commands First Air Force provides operational and coordination for these c. A. P. Missions which compromise about 80 of the First Air Force weekly operational flying. I was privileged recently to fly with the c. A. P. s congressional squadron on a fertile key note mission. This mission is unusual as it provides c. A. P. Aircraft as a slowmoving target for its air force pilots to practice interception techniques. The congressional squadron is unique as it includes members of congress and Congressional Staff who fly with c. A. P. Airmen. Our mission that day was to simulate a general aviation aircraft that was in control of airspace without permission. Two f16 vipers scrambled from andrews found us. This cost was a fraction to the government and they are valuable in training to our great men and women in air force uniforms. Our key mission is to help train Ground Combat soldiers who are about to deploy overseas. Two c. A. P. Squadrons will have this support and i will certainly continue this discussion later. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. Norton, for five minutes. Mr. Speaker, it usually takes time to uncover a tells , but this graph the whole story of the republican tax bill in a glance. In e house bill passes, 2018 taxes will probably go down. Taxes for individuals, and that is the blue line. Will probably go down. So far so good. But follow the blue line. Or average u. S. Taxpayers, after 2019, and you will see to 2027, es from 2020 the end of the tax frame for this bill, go up. To 2027, we 2019 ee tax increases for average taxpayers. Theres the blue line. And we see these increases take ff steeply for average taxpayers. Now follow the red line for business income taxes. Business income taxes, like individual taxes, start off by going down, too. That means tax cuts. There they go. By 2020, business taxes, like individual taxes individual income taxes, still mostly level or going down. En, at 2020, business income taxes increase, the same with individual income taxes, both go up. Then comes 2024. This is the divide line. The great divide between business income taxes and individual income taxes. Business income taxes turn abruptly down. There they go. Theres the red line. While individual income taxes steeply bruptly turn up. Theres the blue line. Ndividual tax increases. The graph showing individual income taxes going up is this blue line, but it represents what is happening in blue states and red states alike. Bottom line for individual taxpayers, less than half of taxpayers get anything approaching a permanent tax cut. An additional 1 3 have their Tax Liability change by 100 or less. For most americans to tax increases. Business taxes go down. Heres the red line. Individual taxes, your taxes, you pay more, go up. Your taxes and mine. The republican plan is a tax increase bill for average americans. Defeat the republican tax bill for ep taxes from going up average americans who pay taxes in the United States today. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, ms. Oslehtinen, for five minutes. Ms. Roslehtinen thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize transgender Awareness Week to bring attention to the challenges that transgender individuals still face today. Our great country was founded on the values of opportunity and freedom, but unfortunately we hear about bills and a Public Discourse that only seeks to divide and to discriminate against this vulnerable population. Transgender individuals are active members of our community. They are our friends, our neighbors and our children. As the mother to a transgender son, i know that theres a great need for a public understanding of gender identity. These are americans who have the same hopes, the same dreams as everybody else and should not be treated differently from their peers. Mr. Speaker, the reality is that Transgender Americans around the country work hard and want to succeed and provide for themselves and their families. They deserve to be fully protected under our laws. We must come together as a country to say no to prejudice, no to discrimination and no to harassment. That begins by respecting, by accepting and by embracing each individual. Thank you. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields. Ms. Roslehtinen sorry, mr. Speaker. I was pausing. The speaker pro tempore i apologize. The gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Roslehtinen mr. Speaker, id like to congratulate dr. Padron on being selected to the board of trustees of the urban institute. The urban institute is amongst our nations leading Public Policy think tanks with a mission to open minds, to shape decisions, and to offer solutions. So it is not hard to see why it selected dr. Padron as its board. The doctor serves as the president of my alma mater Miamidade College and has dedicated his life and his career to advocate on behalf of underserved populations. Throughout his presidency, m. D. C. Has been propelled into a position of National Prominence and a shining example for how a college can bring about real and positive change in a community. Dr. Padrons efforts and strong record of service have helped transform the lives of many in my community of south florida, and im confident that his tenure at the urban institute will be a successful one. So once again, dr. Padron, felicidades, congratulations. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to pay recognition to a true florida icon, mr. Stanley tate. Hailing from miami, stanley is a man committed to Public Service and helping those who need it most. He has dedicated his life to serving as a voice for the voiceless, and has never ceased to put the needs of others before his own. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work extensively with mr. Tate throughout my time in the florida legislature. Together we pioneered many great initiatives, including the creation of the Florida Prepaid College program that is our nations premiere savings plan to improve opportunities in the Sunshine State and advance higher education. In addition to his many accomplishments, stanley has remained a strong advocate for our nations leading and closest ally, the democratic jewish state of israel. He has remained steadfast in his commitment to fight issues like b. D. S. And antisemitism and i join him in his fight toward equality and acceptance for all. I wish stanley tate the best in his future endeavors, and i thank him for his Tireless Service to our community. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to renew my commitment to issues Bipartisan Climate Solutions caucus. My home district of miami has experienced the impact issues associated with Climate Change and urge my colleagues to help be part of the answer by joining the of Climate Change firsthand. In miami beach, my constituents experience ever more frequent pink tides that flood the streets with saltwater. Across all of south florida beaches and coastlines continue to erode away. These are a few of the examples of real consequences of Sea Level Rise which is a direct consequence of Climate Change. These facts cannot be ignored. Id like to thank our colleagues, congressman carlos car bellow, and ted deutch the cochairs of this important caucus for recognizing we cannot afford to ignore Climate Change any longer. Its not just a florida issue. Tim pacts our entire country. Im proud to be a product of this group of members seeking to cochairs of difficult questions associated with Climate Change and work on Practical Solutions to mitigate its effect and build a more resilient nation. Thank you. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Doggett, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. After a treacherous extended game of hide and seek, republicans this week are rushing through this house a retched tax bill. The future of this sneak attack on america depends upon how ickly the truth can catch up with so many lies. Just a way to curry favor with Washington Special interests, awarding tax windfalls to large multinational corporations and the fortunate few that sit way up atop the economic ladder. Dont worry, republicans say. What middle class people lose to pay for this unbalanced tax cut, it will eventually trickle down. There will be a little fairy dust. Magically it will appear in your pocket and get more than ever. This is a massive Corporate Tax break or the tail is wagging the dog with the Corporate Tax break. The republican gimmick americans are being asked to swallow is the same experience we have had previously. The middle class will not enjoy the benefits of this bill, both history and arithmetic tell us that. First, they are barring this money, much of it, to borrowing this money, much of it, to finance this tax break from the chinese, saudis, and others we looked to pay for our immense National Debt in the past. Secondly, we know from experience that tax breaks like this do not create lasting jobs. But its even worse than all that because republicans are creating a special new loophole for outsourcing so many more american jobs. A central theme about protecting american jobs and stopping the outsourcing burks es endorsed a tax bill that does just the opposite. It creates a gaping new loophole to encourage the greater outsourcing of our jobs ust the and our profits abroad. Heres how it all works. A multinational investor has a choice to make. Do i invest with new manufacturing in san antonio or do i choose stuttgart or jobs and our shanghai . If i invest in america under their proposal, there will be a 20 tax on my profits. But if i invest abroad in shanghai or in stuttgart, the most i pay is 10 cents on the dollar. More likely i dont pay anything because of the way this bill is constructed. The bill will create some new jobs, no doubt. But its a mighty long commute to europe or asia to get one of those jobs. With the help of Washington Special interests, they have complex an even more International Tax complex International Tax dodging system that pretends to tax Foreign Investment at half the u. S. Rate, but in fact permits many of these companies to funnel even more of their profits into tax havens where their liability in america will end up being zero and much of taxed ofit will not be anywhere by anybody. Whatever happened to making America Great . And for republicans, its not enough to reward future tax dodging. No, they want to go back and reward taxed anywhere tax dodging from the past. We sure had plenty of that, because for years large multinational firms have exploited these island tax havens, setting up artificial offices in the bahamas o get their tax bill down to little or nothing, leaving working families and those american oriented businesses, small businesses, large domestic oriented businesses, to pay the bill for our National Security that they decline to pay. The recent revelations of the Panama Papers and more recently the Paradise Papers have exposed how these Companies Use these tax loops. How do the republicans respond . By granting multinationals with taxes they hold in separate but nts they call offshore sit right there on wall street by letting them pay less than half of what they owe at a rate much lower than most middle class families pay. Its another republican myth meant to convince working families to go along with this proposal. Many of these profits come from those companies that claim they are trapped offshore. But it is only the American People that are being trapped by this proposal. Goldman sachs itself has said repatriation is likely to have a limited effect because repatriated earnings are working here for domestic activities. There is nothing patriotic about rerepatriation. This is a tax bill borne by the middle class to working benefit and these multinationals to reward them for what they have been doing in the past. And it must be rejected. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. Turner, for five minutes. Mr. Turner today i rise to thank and honor an integral member of my community, director glen costy, of the dayton v. A. Medical center and congratulate him on his retirement. He turned the dayton v. A. Into e of the top medical facilities for our veterans in the country. The directors success as director of the center in dayton has gained him national recognition. He has been sent throughout facilities for our veterans in the country. The the country to save multiple v. A. Medical facilities plagued with issues, particularly including veteran veteran patient backlogs. Hes worked tirelessly toint great the v. A. In our community to serve our veterans in a way it hasnt for decades. It has been dedicated to bettering the lives 67 our veterans. I was honored to work with the director on the issue on bringing creative Housing Options for daytons veterans, a place known as lions place 2. We also worked together on the Successful Campaign to bring the v. A. National archives to dayton. His leadership and expertise will be deeply missed at the dayton v. A. I wish to thank him, give him all the best, and look forward be doing with his leadership and thank him again for everything hes done for dayton veterans. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. Kaptur, for five minutes. I ask unanimous consent to address the house. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Kaptur madam speaker, i rise to pay tribute to a freedom fighter. A beloved mother of her embattled country, ukraine. Ina was killed on october 30 in a cowardly act. Hitmen fired on amina and her husband, adam, from behind bushes as they drove by. She was fatally struck in the head. The world lost a brave and beautiful soul, but her loss will not be in vain. Born in the southern ukrainian ity of odessa, amina was a mother, medical surgeon, a Ukrainian Police lieutenant, and a muslim activist known for her stance on equal rights for men and women in uniform. She was a born leader. At the start of theureomidon movement, amina joined the peaceful protests in ukraine in the bitter cold. A protest against repression. To show solidarity, she lived with her husband on the street in a tent. When russia illegally invaded crimea in eastern ukraine, armenia amina was the first woman to join the volunteer battalion. She was awarded the hero of ukraine medal to honor her bravery at the at a battle. And the grizzly fight against russian aggression. She fought valiantly. Towards progress and against oppression. Her bravery symbolizes the extraordinary strength of ukrainian women as the fountain head of that society, holding the country together during significant duress. With her assassination, the world has yet again witnessed how the enemy of democracy will stop at nothing to silence those who stand for freedom and justice. Amina had been a target before due to her unyielding patriotism. A failed attempt occurred in ne when an assassin, pretending to be a monday, octo succeeded in snuffing out the beauty of amina and wounded her pretending to be a journalist, shot at her. Tragically evil persisted and on husband. But her spirit endures larger than life itself. Amina is one of many fallen victims to russias illegal invasion of ukraine and its clandestine efforts to snuff out champions of freedom. The list includes nicko lie nick he lie nick lie, dennis, and numerous other valiant souls who placed their lives forward in libertys struggle. I ask unanimous consent to nsert into the record an extensive list of lives purged by kremlinrelated assassinations. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Extensive list of lives purged by kremlinrelated assassinations. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Kaptur it is hard for people of good will to imagine the depth of depravity that russias malevolent dictators will stoop to to serve the narrow peck cueary and political interests of the few at the price of the many. Dr. Snyder and his extraordinary book, blood lands recounts the human tragedy wrought by russian dictators, citing the 14 million civilians, civilians women, children, families who were murdered at russias hand in eastern and central europe. Putin is the latest dictator in a long line of them, and sadly this dark history from stalin to putin continues today. It is instructive that putin himself has written that his andfather was a trusted cook for Joseph Stalin himself, working inside the belly of the beast of tyranny. That is the cocoon for Joseph Stalin from which Russias Putin has emerged, and now add to those millions of deaths, over 10,000 ukrainian soldiers killed by russia with thousands upon tens of thousands more wounded. And over two Million People displaced inside ukraine. A country that simply wants to be free. As cochair of the bipartisan house ukrainian caucus, i can attest our members are committed to hold russia accountable for tyrannical and malevolent activity. In ukraine, and even here in the United States. Mr. Speaker, i rise in pursuit of justice for amina and solidarity with other Freedom Fighters in ukraine. Let her bravery in life serve as an inspiration to us all and let the International Community stand with ukraine shoulder to shoulder as we continue to fight back against russias invasion of a sovereign nation. Fighting for a future, free of state sponsored murder and occupation. Thank you. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from missouri, mrs. Hartzler, for five minutes. Mrs. Hartzler thank you, madam speaker. I rise today in support of an important bill that could help so many families with loved ones struggling with life threatening diseases. Im talking about the right to try act. Which would allow terminally ill patients to request access to experimental drugs after all other available treatment option vs. Been exhaust austed, as well as prevent the federal government from interfering with states that have already passed such laws. I was reminded of the importance of this bill just last year. As i was returning to my office one morning after votes on the house floor, i was stopped by a little boy, zach, who ran after me to catch my attention, zach, who is only 11 years old, is one of the most Effective Advocates for the right to try campaign. His father, frank, was diagnosed with a. L. S. A few years ago. This devastating disease has an average Life Expectancy of two to five years with half of those diagnosed surviving for only three years. Ever since that lifechanging diagnosis, zachs family, including his mother and five siblings, have been doing all they can to ensure passage of this important bill. When zach came running up to me that day last year, his message was clear and powerful my dad is dying, he said. Please help. I was incredibly moved by this, as i think anyone would be. This ill little boy and heres this little boy and heres his picture precious. He talked about the urgency of this legislation. We must act now. I Want Congress to help zachs family and other families who have no other options. Washington should not stand in the way of americans with lifeending illnesses who want to try to save themselves and have no other available options. Thats why im a proud cosponsor of the right to try act and was glad to see the senate pass their version of this bill. It is now time for the house to act, and i call on my colleagues to support this potentially lifesaving legislation. Please join me so that we can give families like zachs more options and hopefully more time. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Green, for five minutes. Thank you, madam speaker. Madam speaker, it is always an honor to speak here in the well of the house of the congress of the United States of america. I do want to compliment you, madam speaker. I heard your statements earlier, and id like to associate myself with the portion of your statement that dealt with transgender persons. Madam speaker, i stand before the world today with an impeachment update. I have previously indicated that there will be a vote on an impeachment resolution before christmas. I stand by this, and to this end i will be meeting with appropriate members of house leadership this week to discuss the notification process. I want people to understand how this process works. I will have the opportunity to read the articles of impeachment from the well of the house. After this is done, there will be a time set for me to present them again before the house. Must be done twice. And when that time is set, i will have to be notified of the time. I dont set the time. I have to respond at the appropriate time. For me to respond at the appropriate time, appropriate notice has to be given to me. This is why i will be meeting with house leadership so that we can discuss the means by which appropriate notice will be given to me. We want to make sure theres no confusion about this process, no confusion as to how the notice is to be accorded me. I will meet with leadership to ascertain how the appropriate notice will be accorded me so that i may present the articles of impeachment a second time so that thereafter there will be a vote on these articles of impeachment. Because the system is such that it can be difficult to understand how people have actually voted, i want you to know that those who vote with me and those who are supportive of advancing the cause of impeachment, i will be proud to announce who they are. And i will give you further updates as to how this will take place. But i want to assure every american that this vote on articles of impeachment will take place before christmas, and that this vote will be about the incitement of hate, being w the country is pushed back, how america is better than the direction that someone seeks to push us forward into. This is a great country, and we cannot tolerate hate. And this may be a few times in the history of the country that persons will be given the opportunity to take a stand against hate by casting the appropriate vote in the congress of the United States of america. I will give future updates on impeachment from this podium. I am honored to always stand in the well of the house of the United States of representatives. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Fitzpatrick, for five minutes. Madam speaker, i rise today to recognize First Lieutenant patrick j. Mcnulty jr. , one of my constituents, who on friday, november 3, received the silver star medal which is our nations third highest award for heroism in combat during the vietnam war. On november 7, 1967, lieutenant mcnulty was serving as an artillery forward observer when his unit was attacked. Lieutenant mcnulty called in accurate fire on multiple enemy positions while also directing friendly units. Even after being seriously wounded, lieutenant mcnulty continued to fight. As the enemy began to retreat, he organized the effort to provide aid to his wounded comrades. Lieutenant mcnultys actions saved lives. He returned home to his wife and purchased a home. Earned an m. B. A. From temple university. Worked for the Ford Motor Company and has been an active member of our community. His story shall inspire us all. Madam speaker, i offer to this body patricks personal motto, he statement is the navys see beebees. The impossible takes a little it longer to do. Madam speaker, i rise today to honor the life and memory of ernie lence who passed away in may. He had a life that impacted a great number of people in our community. Today, months after his passing, his impact is still felt. In 1939, bernie enlisted in the army to fight the war in europe. During his time there, serving in pattons third army, he helped liberate a concentration camp. After the war, he returned home and went about his life, rarely talking about what he had seen until one day he began to share his story. He was known in our community for his talks with students and schools and community centers, working to ensure the horrors what he saw were not forgotten and would never happen again. People gravitated towards him. Due to his quick wit and his warm demeanor. He worked closely with the Holocaust Remembrance Program of post 697 of the jewish war veterans in bucks county which continues his work today. Bernie found incredible purpose from a dark experience in his life. A lesson that we can all benefit from. Madam speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house until noon today