Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives U.S. House Of Representatives 20240713

Speakers comments. When we stand united on the floor of the congress as americans, thats when we send the strongest message overseas to adversaries. I want to thank mr. Engel for his strong work, in working with me to get to a positive place where we can actually get to a solution, to whats been a challenging and very fluid situation. Its always an honor to work with you, sir, on the Foreign Affairs committee, and in these times of crises, we are, i believe, strongest on the world stage when the executive and legislative branch speak in one voice. I know in his testimony before our committee, ambassador jeffries, special envoy to sir ark said i saw firsthand the effects of congressional sanctions when we visited with the turkish negotiating team, that these sanctions have been helpful in getting turks to agree to the ceasefire. I believe the resolution that we passed helps helped get turkey to the ceasefire as well. Finally, i want to thank our partners in the Syrian Democratic forces for their ongoing dedication to countering isis. I want to say to the s. D. F. , from the nations capitol, on the house floor, that the American People are grateful for everything youve done for us, for everything youve worked for and everything youve sacrificed to keep the world safer. So with that, mr. Speaker, i urge all members to support this important legislation and yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. Mr. Engel thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as i may consume. For the purpose of closing. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Engel id like to again thank Ranking Member mccaul for his partnership in writing this important bipartisan bill. Its even more than just partnership, its working together on both sides of the aisle to do good for the American People. Thats really what this should all be about, particularly when were talking about Foreign Affairs. So i want to thank mr. Mccaul for working closely with me and for really making this a real collaborative bill. The measure before us represents what the Foreign Affairs committee does best, bipartisan, commonsense legislation that advances american interests and American Values on the global stage. The pact act holds turkey accountable for its bloodshed in syria. It calls on erdogan to immediately stop his campaign of ethnic cleansing, to expel syrian kurds and other minority groups from their homeland, and to start living up to the Democratic Values that we expect from a nato ally. Values that right now are under constant attack in turkey. Its a sad coincidence, mr. Speaker, stood the 96th anniversary of the founding of the republic of turkey. For nearly a century, the turkish people have fought hard to grow and preserve democracy in their country. Erdogan has done such incredible damage to that legacy. I call on all my colleagues to join me and mr. Mccaul in supporting this legislation and sending a strong message that the United States congress will not condone turkeys horrific atrocities against the kurds. Not only will we not condone it, we oppose it and will speak out about it and we will try in every way we can to stop it. Thank you, i yield i urge my colleagues to support this very important measure and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york yields back. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 4695 as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 ng in the affirmative, the mr. Engel on that, i ask for the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york is recognized. The yeas and nays are requested. Those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition . Ms. Lofgren i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 1623 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 1623, a bill to amend the federal Election Campaign act of 1971 to provide for the treatment of payment for child care and other personal use services as an authorized Campaign Expenditure and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. Lofgren, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. Davis, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Lofgren i yield myself such time as i may consume. I rise in support of h. R. 1623. This measure is important, the help america run act will amend the federal Election Campaign act with commonsense reforms to help Everyday Americans run for office. Current law does not directly address whether people who choose to run for office can use their Campaign Funds to cover the cost of childcare. This has led several individuals to have to appeal to the federal Election Commission for evaluations on a casebycase basis and creates a burden for candidates with schoolaged children. This bill addresses that barrier and other familyrelated barriers for candidates who have experiences like most Everyday Americans. The help america run act makes running for office easier for working mothers and fathers who need sitters for their small kids. It would support established professionals caring for an aging parent and help cover Childrens Health insurance on the campaign trail. I know it would help moms like katie porter, the sponsor of this bill. She is championing this cause today as the very first single mother of Young Children ever to serve in the u. S. Congress. These americans caring for their kids and parents intimately know the dread of opening those ebb ve lopes full of Prescription Drug bills. They know what its like to weigh the risk of running for office to serve the nation against the risk of losing theyre Childrens Health insurance coverage. Its precisely those Everyday Americans that i want to see join us at the Decision Making table. Those who have firsthand knowledge of what it means to have stable child care, good schools, and secure health care are exactly the people i want making decisions on both sides of this aisle. I want make it make ours country profoundly more rich to have those with a diversity of economic experiences in these chambers. I know that firsthand. As the daughter of a truck driver and cafeteria cook i worked on the night shift at the eastman coe tack plant in palo alto to get ready for college. Those experiences shaped me into the person and member i am today and i believe coming from a family like mine shouldnt disqualify you. In fact, it makes you a better policymaker who understands what her constituents are really facing. The fact is that diversity of experience leads to better policy. In 2019, the New York Times reported that fewer than 5 of representatives cite blue collar or service jobs in their biography. A survey by the center for responsive politics showed the median net worth for politicians was just over 1 million in 2013, 18 times the wealth of a typical american household. One can see how americans feel Congress Might be out of touch. This bill is a step to Building Trust in congress as by and for the people. The bill would help advance Economic Diversity and other types of diversity too. Even with the Record Number of women serving in the 116th congress, only one in four congresspeople are women. This isnt because women dont want to run. The center for american women and politics found that one third of women legislators surveyed had been actively discouraged from running for office, often by political professionals. This type of discouragement, combined with existing prohibitions on using Campaign Funds for domestic needs like childcare, burdenses that still fall disproportionately on american women, particularly disadvantaged working parents. Running for office should not be limited to the wealthy or those who have no familial responsibilities. Thats anathema to the democratic experiment and makes for bad policy. This bill is a simple, costfree, commonsense measure to make americas representative looks more like Everyday Americans we are here to represent. For that reason, im proud to support it and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis thank you, mr. Speaker. I too rise in support of h. R. 1623, the help america run act. A bill drafted by my colleague across the aisle, newly elected congresswoman from the great state of california, ms. Katie porter. I want to commend ms. Porter for this important legislation that i believe will allow, as chairperson lofgren said, more people of all sose yo economic strata to be able to run for office. Strong candidates should not be limbed by their circumstances to the point that it prevents them from representing their communities in congress. Representatives of this body should and do come from all backgrounds to allow for equal representation of all who make up the institution and this great nation. I believe this bill will make that happen by allowing a candidate who is not currently a member of congress to pay for specific Necessary Services like childcare and dependent care that will enable a congressional candidate to participate in all campaignconnected activities. This is a decision between the candidates and the donors that give to their campaign. All were asking to do with this piece of legislation is to allow candidates to publicly disclose childcare expenses on their f. E. C. Reports. Everyone is going to know what they paid. Everyone will know what it went for. Thats an issue they can discuss with the people who are funding their campaign. What this bill does not do, let me repeat, mr. Speaker, what this bill does not do is put more money in the pockets of current members of congress. Instead, it allows for an equal opportunity for new representation providing more americans who aspire to represent their communities in congress the chance to do just that. This is not a radical idea. We should absolutely want to give everyone an equal opportunity to run, to be able to serve, if elected, in this Great Institution. Including Single Parents who want to run for federal office but cannot afford the necessary childcare for the Grueling Campaign schedules that everyone in this institution knows exist. Again, i want to thank congresswoman porter for her hard work on this legislation. I look forward to seeing it implemented. I will at this time reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren mr. Speaker, im honored to yield three mins to the author of this bill, my colleague from the state of california, the gentlewoman, ms. Porter. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Porter im a single mom and when i ran for Congress Last year, i spent thousands and thousands of dollars on childcare. Running for federal office requires 50, 60, 70, 8, 090, 100hour work weeks and i worked nearly every single day, including every single weekend and i also worked challenging hours, often starting at 5 30 a. M. And ending with Campaign Events stretching late into the evening. I juggled more than a dozen childcare providers for nearly two years, without whom i would have never made it to congress. I had three children. When i started my campaign, betsy was 6, paul was 9, luke was 11. Leaving them alone was in the an option and bringing them on the campaign trail was impossible or inappropriate. For the past two century, congress has written many, many laws about what women may or may not do. But until this year, womens representation in congress was less than 20 . With the election of the historic class of 2018, we hit 23. 4 . 102 women. And that number is still egregiously low. There are even fewer moms in congress and even fewer moms of young kids, and even fewer single moms of young kids. As in just me. A major barrier to women running for elected office is their inability to afford the amount or type of child care needed in a campaign and thats why i introduced the help america run act, which will explicitly allow candidates for federal office to use Campaign Contributions to pay for childcare as well as other types of dependent care such as elder care. Ithe now, candidates can use Campaign Funds for a whole gamut of expenses, from pizza for exhausted staff to Cyber Security for digital devices. But the law does not make it clear that childcare is among those allowed expenses. Like so many laws, theres an assumption of a female caregiver behind every male elected official. Moms continue to shoulder the majority of child care responsibilities, also struggle to run for congress. Until women are fully and equally present in congress, womens perspectives will continue to be underrepresented. The result is a weaker democracy for the people. Im proud that this bill previously passed the house as part of h. R. 1, the for the people act, and now with the support of my Congressional Colleagues on both sides of the aisle, the house is taking this additional step to support women and candidates with families by passing the help america run act. Access to Child Care Service was a problem i faced, like so many other Single Parents, long before i decided to run for office. Every parent, not just those running for congress, deserves to have access to quality, affordable child care. The help america run act should only be the beginning. Today isnt just about passing legislation to open up the halls of congress for single moms or single dads. Its about creating pathways for every parent and every american, regardless of socioeconomic status, to be able to achieve their goals. We all deserve a congress that reflects the diversity of families and households in our country. This bill will help america run and in the process will help Americas Congress run better. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california yields back. Ms. Lofgren i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis thank you, mr. Speaker. What an impassioned speech by our colleague. This isnt just a problem for one gender running for congress. Its a problem for all families. Its a problem that i faced when my kids were younger, when i first ran for office a little over 6 1 2 years ago. Its what to do with the Young Children who cant go anywhere on their own at that time and at age 12 with twin boys, i dont necessarily know if i truffed them going somewhere on their own. I dont know if i trusted them at home alone at the same time. Its what do you do to make sure your family gets the supervision and the supervisory opportunities that you need . This is an opportunity for us to show anybody who wants to follow in what our forefathers of this great nation put forth in our constitution, creating the house of representatives, to be able to be a house for the people and by the people. To represent this great United States. This is going to be an opportunity for anyone, no matter what their path is in life, if they have children at home, if theyre a single mom or single dad, if theyre a family with kids, if theyre wondering, how do i take on this challenge, how do i get a chance to serve this great country, how do i get a chance to join us . This is going to be their opportunity to say, im going to go out and spend a lot of time raising money, because many of these campaigns, i can tell you how much mine cost. It cost millions upon millions of dollars. And a lot of times when youre gone, youre raising more money to run because campaigns are too expensive. We understand that. We get that. We agree on that. This is a chance to say, im going to get out there and get on the dance floor and take that chance. Too many people that may want to run for office wont do it ecause theyre afraid to lose. I think everyone has to have the chance to take away any excuse, to be able to step out and put their name on the ballot, to have a chance to do what we do. If i, a son of a high school dropout, a guy who graduated high school, who walked into a Fast Food Restaurant in 1959 and had a dream to own his own one day, if i, who had no family ever in politics or government, can come and stand on this floor and work with colleagues like chairperson lofgren and congresswoman porter, to help put good legislation like this through, anybody in this great country can do it. And its a great opportunity to show the next generation that we care enough about them to be able to show them how to do exactly what we do. Lets all come together. Lets make this happen today. Its a great opportunity for us to stand here on the floor and show the American People that republicans and democrats do agree on issues and we do work together. I mean, maybe the news will cover it. Maybe they wont. We might be able to debate nickelback or something and get them to cover it today. But you know what, we know what happens here. We know we have opportunities. We know that were able to put good policies like this together. And we know that friendships do exist on both sides of the aisle in this institution. This is a great bill. This is an opportunity and i thank all of my colleagues who are supporting this and im going to reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren mr. Speaker, listening to my colleague, the Ranking Member, reminded me of when i ran for congress the very first time. My children were in Elementary School and really the high point of every day was going to the Downtown School in san jose and standing with the other mothers while we said the pledge of allegiance, the flag outside. I think, you know, for parents, being a parent gives you a viewpoint thats helpful when you come to the congress of the United States. You dont forget what regular people are going through at home when you are a parent. I remember also my first day in congress, my mother had passed away several years before, but my dad was still alive. Retired beer truck driver. Hed never been on an airplane in his life. And we got him on a plane and we had a friend sit next to him and he was sitting in that gallery watching his daughter become a member of the United States congress. And i think for those of us who came from humble roots, we never forget where we came from. And it informs our perspective on where the country should go. D like to yield such time as she may consume to the author of the bill, ms. Porter. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Porter i want to thank the Ranking Member for his bipartisanship and for his cooperation on this. Because democracy is not a partisan value. Democracy is about letting every voice in this country be heard. And those voices should reflect the diversity of this country. Both socioeconomically, geographically, but also in terms of family status. I think everyone in america should be grateful that my children were well supervised during the campaign. And i am grateful that i was able to piece together the child care that i needed to run. But this bill is not about any one of us, its about the benefits that every one of us here and every american will get, from having a more diverse congress. From having voices heard that sometimes are not heard. There are millions and millions and millions of Single Parents, men and women, in this country. And there is one in the United States congress. Whether that will change next year or in 10 years, i dont know. But i want every american who wants to serve in this body, who wants to come together to work for the good of the American People, to have the opportunity to make that happen. And not to have to choose between being a parent and being a good parent and caring about your kids and being a Good American and being a Good Congress member. Mr. Davis will the gentlelady yield for a quick question . Ms. Porter yes. Mr. Davis your legislation doesnt tell cant dand candidates they have to spend money on this, right . Ms. Porter no. The legislation provides an opportunity and a choice for whetherdidate to decide to their own campaign and their own donors, whether or not they want to use these funds for child care or not. And many people will choose not to. Just like many of us choose, as candidates, not to seek reimbursement for pizza or any number of allowable expenses. But this bill is also going to stop the f. E. C. From having to again and again and again, every time a parent of Young Children wants to run, from having to make that expensive and time consuming appeal to the f. E. C. And waste its resources when this simply should be a clear, straightforward policy. Who have love reclaiming mime ms. Lofgren reclaiming my time. I think the gentlelady has made a very good point. That this is discretionary on the part of the candidate, but its a point we also need to make. This has nothing to do with taxpayer funds. No money from the government, no money from the taxpayers, this is a candidate, what a candidate has raised and how they spend their Campaign Funds. I know there had been some confusion amongst some earlier in the day that was unfortunate. And has now been corrected. This is only a matter of a Campaign Expenditure for, you know, really child cares got to be as important as pizza, to me at least more important. But thats up for a candidate to decide. And with that, i would reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis mr. Speaker, can i inquire how much time we have remaining on debate . The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois has 14 minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from california has 8 1 2 minutes remaining. Mr. Davis i love debate like this. Its opportunities for us, again, to show how we can work together. Both sides of the aisle, put good policies forward that can affect the ability for people to serve in this institution. Here in the hearing the talk about kids when running for congress, it takes me back. Many folks may see me Walking Around the capitol tunnels now with ear budds in in the early morningings, 5 30 our time, 4 30 back home, my wifes a nurse. They work on a different schedule. Thats my time i get to talk to her. She was a nurse and left work left for work very early in the morning when our kids were growing up. And it was my job as a congressional staffer, and i had a great boss who made sure that he knew he told me every day, put your kids first. I cannot thank our colleague, john shimkus, who i worked for for 16 years, enough for telling me to put your family first. Its a guy like that that not only makes me a better member of congress, being around him, but he helped me learn how to be a better dad. So until i got elected, my job each day was to get my kids ready, sometimes a little more labor intensive when they were a little bit younger. Than they were when they were older. Although kind of easier when i was holding twin boys in seats rather than chasing them. But dropping them off at child care. Before we dropped them off at school. But during the summer, if we didnt have child care opportunities, if i didnt have the opportunity to take them and drop them off, neither my wife nor i could have gotten to the jobs that we enjoyed pursuing so much. In todays day and age, with so many twoparent working families, this is only a commonsense provision that is going to be a choice, a choice for candidates to use if they choose. Thats something that we ought to all come together and make happen. Look, there are great people on both sides of the aisle in this institution. I want more of them. I want more people that want to be able to do what we do. This is going to be an opportunity to show them, too, that this institution isnt nearly as dysfunctional as the news media says it is. Most of what we do here is actually done on a pretty bipartisan basis. But it doesnt make the news. Hopefully today, maybe one of the folks covering us are going to talk about what we did together. Maybe. Im not going to cross my fingers. Maybe theyll understand that this is what we need to highlight instead of the nonsense that happens when the two parties in the extreme scream at each other. A good bill, again, congresswoman porter, its great to work with you. Chairperson lofgren, a great bill. I appreciate the opportunity to serve with each and every one of you. And i will ask again for every member to support this today loudly on the floor. And ill yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren thank you, mr. Speaker. One thing that we neglected to point out is that in addition to a child care option, if a candidate, and its generally a female candidate, is caring for elderly parents, this could also be used for elder care while going to a Campaign Event. Thats also, you know, both sons and daughters care for aging parents, but oftentimes it is the daughters who end up providing the elder care. And if someone is running for congress and is providing for that elder care, you obviously cant go to the Campaign Event with someone who is bedridden or in need of constant attention. This would allow for that possibility, very important, just as child care is. And with that, unless the author wishes a further comment, i would urge adoption of this amendment, with bipartisan support, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california yields back. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 1623, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Hose opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition . Ms. Lofgren mr. Speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to House Resolution 107 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk House Resolution 107. Resolution establishing the Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program for the placement and offices of members of the house of representatives of children, spouses, and siblings of members of the armed forces who are hostile casualties or have died from a training related injury. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule the gentlewoman from california, ms. Lofgren, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. Davis, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Ms. Lofgren mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. This resolution establishes the Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program which will provide fellowships and Congressional Offices for immediate Family Members of the armed forces who have given their lives in service to this country. Members of the armed forces do not serve by themselves. They are supported by children, spouses, siblings, and others who often go months or longer without seeing their loved one while that loved one is deployed. It is incumbent on all americans, but particularly those of us who have the prive lem of serving in congress, to support military families and none more so than our gold star families. Gold star families have experienced the worst type of heart break, sacrifice, and loss, and they deserve our unwavering recognition, compassion, and support. The Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program is one small way for us in congress to provide that support. This program will offer an opportunity for members of gold star families to gain firsthand experience in congress through a yearlongfellowship in a Congressional Office. These fellowships can take place either here in washington or back home in a District Office and will allow gold star families to both participate in and learn about the democracy that their loved one gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect. Nothing can ever fill the void left by the loss of a loved one who was killed serving the nation. But we in congress should be doing everything we can to help lift up those who have suffered this unfathomable loss. Im proud to support the establishment of this program. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. And i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california reserves. This chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis thank you, mr. Speaker. I want to thank chairperson lofgren for again working with me on this issue in such a very important piece of legislation because im proud to rise with her today in support of h. Res. House resolution 107. The Sergeant First Class sean cooley and s. P. C. Christopher horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program act. Since being elected to congress in 2013, my team has worked over 1,000 cases on behalf of veteran constituents in central and southwestern illinois. Including on the including when the u. S. S. John mccain collided with another ship, kill 10g sailors, including an officer from any district. E were able to help the family negotiate department of defense rules about Family Travel for noncombat related deaths. Over the years since that tragedy i have become friends with petty officer palmers parents and deeply value our friendship which is one of the reasons im so honored to be on the floor advocating for the passage of this bill. Aye also worked to change the next of kin Family Travel policies at the d. O. D. And am currently working in a burn way with members across the aisle to codify these changes that are already in existence. Lets codify them into law so they dont change again when administrations change. Ill continue to use my office to assist those who have given so much. Thats why i believe this program that will allow gold star spouses, children, and siblings the opportunity to work for a Congressional Office in d. C. Or a District Office. We already have a model for success in congress to shape this program after. Its the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program. That lies within the office of the chief Administrative Officer and has provided many opportunities over the years for veterans to serve in the house of representatives. Currently, theres a Wounded Warrior fellow who works in my maryville office, doing a great job. Peter helps veterans in my district every day and understands the assistance and help they need to navigate the bureaucracy within the federal government. I want to give a special thank you and shout out to our colleague an my very good, close friend, trent kelly, the who did om everything to make sure this became law. That this bill passed the house and made it on its way to become law. But i also want to thank the gold star families for their participation in making this process a reality too. And for those Family Members who could be here in the gallery to see this Important Program come to fruition. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois reserves. The chair recognizes the yom from california. Ms. Lofgren im glad the Ranking Member has mentioned the Wounded Warrior program that i believe has been enormously successful. Practically every week im signing termination letters and why . Because these Wounded Warriors have gotten jobs, promotions, permanent positions, exactly what we wanted. So not only will this help the families, gold star families, gain insight into the workings of the United States congress, but it will also be a platform for them to, if they wish, expand their employment opportunities, just as our Wounded Warrior program has done so. I thank the author of the bill, i thank the Ranking Member for moving this forward, im glad that this is bipartisan as was the prior bill and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis mr. Speaker, id like to take this opportunity to offer one of our great colleagues from the great state of nebraska the opportunity to speak in favor, like trent kelly from mississippi, one of the former generals, or current generals, that serve in our nations military but also have the great privilege of serving we have the great privilege of serving with here in this institution. General dodd bacon. I yield two minutes to the general for his remarks. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Bacon i want to thank mr. Davis and ms. Lofgren for guiding this debate and trent kelly for submitting this great bill. I rise in support of this bill this honors the memory of two Great American warriors, specialist first class sean cooley and s. P. C. Christopher horton. They answered the call and gave their lives fighting for our freedoms and to give hope to others fighting for our future in iraq and afghanistan. We can never repay the debt we owe them but we can honor them becaring for their almost phamlies. This is why this resolution to establish the Gold Star Family Fellowship Program in the house is so important, it has my full support. Since becoming a member of the house i made it my mission to work across the aisle to ensure that congress does its part to honor our heroes an care for the families who bear the daily burden of their loss. To our gold star and surviving families, i recall president lincolns words to the grieving mother who lost five sons in the civil war, these words, i pray the heavenly father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of those you loved, and the solemn honor that must be yours to have made a sacrifice on the altar of freedom. The daring raid this weekend which ended the life of the world east most wanted terrorist is a reminder of how much we and the entire free world owes to our military, our military servicemens and their families. I want to thank mr. Kelly for introducing this measure. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time to the Ranking Member. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentleman from illinois reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis may i inquire how much time remains . The speaker pro tempore the gentleman has 14 1 2 minutes. Mr. Davis id like at this time to yield four minutes to another veteran who serves in this Great Institution with us, im honored to serb with him on the House Administration committee, my good friend, barry loudermilk. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Loudermilk thank you, mr. Speaker, and i thank my friend and colleague, the Ranking Member, for yielding this time. This is one of those pieces of legislation that really touches your heart. As a veteran, ive had the opportunity to serve with some of americas finest. And ive also experienced the loss and the families that have lost loves one loved ones in defense of this nation. But my story with the gelled star goes back to even when i was a child. My dad was a veteran. He was a medic in world war ii. Involved in the dday invasion. Went all the way through from norman dithrough france, to belgium, and then into germany. I remember when i was young, i was going through this photo album that my mom had and as i was flipping through seeing pictures that my dad brought back from world war ii, there was an interesting picture of a banner hanging inside of the church. And i remember when i asked her about this, because my children recently just a few years ago were going through the album, long before my mom and my dad passed away they saw that same picture, and asked the same question i asked, what is this . Because this banner had names, various names of people. Next to the names was a silver star or a gold star. I remember when my children asked the question, what does this mean . My mom, who was a teenager at the time, said these were this banner was in the entrance of our church. And the names on it were all the boys from our church that were serving in the european or the pacific theater. And the silver star at the time indicated that they were deployed into the combat area. Then she got teary eyed and said, but when it was a gold star, it meant that they had been killed in action. I remember her telling about the dday invasion because they knew that something was going to happen. They knew we were going to invade. They didnt know exactly when. And the night of the invasion, when president roosevelt took to the airwaves and led the nation in a prayer for the invasion, her father told her to go throughout the town there in South Carolina and gather everyone to come to the church and pray. Said they stayed and think prayed in the church all night long. She said a couple of days later, when they went back to the church she looked and several of the names now had gold stars, including the pastors son. I remember her telling the impact that it had upon those families. Many of these families were devastated not only at the less of their loved one who gave their life for our freedom but at the life theyll have to endure, the responsibles they would take on solely for that family. I got to know a family when i was in the state Legislature Whose son was killed in iraq during the war on terror. We were able to name an intersection after justin johnson. His family were such patriots, his mom was a gold star mom at that point, his father wanted to complete the mission which his son started and reenlisted back in to the national guard. His unit was not going to be deploy sod he asked to be transfered to a unit that was going to deploy which the army did. And he went and fulfilled the mission his son wasnt able to complete. But ive seen and worked with these families and know the tragic situations theyre in. And as others, i actually have a Wounded Warrior on our staff, chase singer, an Army Airborne veteran, who is one of the finest that our nation has produced. And to be able to extend this on to the families of those heroes, i think this is not only admirable, but its something that we should have done a long time ago. And i salute my klug, general kelly, for bringing colleague, general kelly, for bringing it forward. I give it my utmost support and i think this is well overdue. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from georgia yields back. The gentleman from illinois reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california reserves. The gentleman from illinois is recognized. Mr. Davis mr. Speaker, again, this is one of those rare opportunities where we get to talk about our heroes. You know, the worst vote i think any of us would ever have to take is to send a vote to authorize to send young men and women off to war. Off to battle to protect the freedoms and the liberties that many of us and many in this country take for granted every single day. We expect freedom and liberty to exist in the United States of america, but it doesnt happen without the courage and the sacrifice of so many families throughout our nations history. I cannot imagine, ive never had the chance to take that vote, in the 6 1 2 years, and i hope and pray every day that i dont personally ever have to take it, but many in this institution that have been here and have served here have had to make that vote. I could not imagine what our gold star families go through when they get that knock on the door. But to know that the legacy of their young sons and daughters is going to live on in a Fellowship Program here in the United States house of representatives, because general trent kelly and his team and an idea from his constituents is now moving forward in the next to become law, thats one thing that we can do here in the house of representatives to honor those families who have sacrificed so much. We often imagine the future, what would have happened if these young men and women would have been able to come back home. Families torn apart by tragedy, at a time when their sacrifice gave us the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy, to be able to serve here. We have an opportunity today to say thank you again. This is our opportunity to show those families that their sons and daughters perishing during battle or noncombatrelated deaths like petty officer logan palmer from harristown, illinois in my district, lets say thank you to them, lets let their memory go on. Lets let the next generation of people who, like chairperson lofgren and me, we started out as congressional staffers. I think both of us are here because of that experience. And to have this program, this gold star Fellowship Program, allow young men and women who have been affected by so much come into our constitution, who knows, maybe theyll be the next chairperson and Ranking Member of the House Administration committee. And maybe their constituents, like general kellys constituents, will give them a great idea like this, and maybe well be able to move it, theyll be able to move it on the next step, to becoming law. Chairperson lofgren, thank you again for allowing us the opportunity and ill reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from illinois reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren thank you, mr. Speaker. Like mr. Davis, i do believe that this fellowship will provide a rewarding experience for the families who decide to participate. Whether it is in washington, to participate and observe in the making of legislation, or whether its in our District Offices, going to bat for veterans, standing up for people who need help from a Congressional Office, its very rewarding, but also very educational. And i know that it will be a rewarding experience for those families who participate. I want to thank the author of the bill, mr. Kelly, for his persistence in getting this done, making adjustments as input came in so that we could have consensus and proceed on this. And i dont know if the Ranking Member has additional speakers. We do not. Then i would reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis mr. Speaker, may i inquire as to how much time remains . The speaker pro tempore the gentleman has seven minutes remaining. Mr. Davis im sorry. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman has seven minutes remaining. Mr. Davis seven minutes remain. Thank you very, very much. At this point in time id like to yield two minutes to my colleague and Wounded Warrior, hero, glad we get opportunity to serve with heroes like the gentleman from indiana, mr. Baird. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from indiana is recognized. Mr. Baird thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of the Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program act, sponsored by my colleague, mr. Kelly. Mr. Speaker, our men and women in uniform are part of a long line of patriots whose unwavering commitment to our nation has preserved the rich legacy of freedom that we each enjoy every day. Our military families are the forces behind our armed forces. And it is our duty to also support and care for them. Especially when their loved ones pay the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Im proud to support this legislation named from two fallen american soldiers, Sergeant First Class sean cooley , and specialist christopher horton. This resolution will provide fellowships in Congressional Offices to gold star Family Members, giving them the opportunity to drive policy change here in washington, and serve our country in their own way. Our fallen men and women in uniform stepped forward and answered the call to serve. It is our turn to do our part to honor their legacy of service and sacrifice by keeping the ones that we leave behind in the forefront of our minds as we make decisions in this body. With passage of this legislation, we will send a message to our gold star families that they are not forgotten and the American People stand behind them and support them. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from indiana yields back. The gentleman from illinois reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis at this time, mr. Speaker, id like to yield two minutes to my good friend from georgia, mr. Loudermilk. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Loudermilk thank you, mr. Speaker. Again, i thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for this bringing this measure forward and giving us an opportunity to do something so important to these families. Im sure many of you, as you watched the television, you see the different organizations that have evolved over the past several years to provide assistance to those families. One particular organization in mind that provides assistance in paying off the mortgage of these families, and i bring that up, its just an illustration to the aspects of what these gold star families go through at the loss of their loved ones. Sometimes its a primary income earner from the family. Because, quite often the spouse is at home taking care of the children and all of a sudden their primary bread winner, their loved one is gone and theyre left with these bills, theyre left with a lot of times situations that, beyond just the grief of what theyre feeling at the loss of their Family Member, they have to deal with these unbearable situations. Providing them with an opportunity for the spouse or their children to find employment in something that they feel is also meaningful, because many of them, they have such a patriotic heart they want to continue to serve. And one of the things that i have often said to many of my veterans, and friends that served, is when weve taken that oath of office, there are a lot of things we swear to, to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States, up to and including giving our own lives as necessary. But one thing that is not in that oath of office is an expiration date. Many veterans and their families, even at the end of their regular service, they still feel that need and that desire to serve. And this will give an opportunity for those Family Members to continue to serve their country in a meaningful way. And with that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from illinois reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. Ms. Lofgren i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. Mr. Davis i cant tell you how proud i am right now to be able to offer as much time as he may the gentleman from mississippi, the sponsor of this piece of legislation, somebody who deserves a lot of thanks for moving this bill forward, general trent kelly. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from mississippi is recognized. Mr. Kelly thank you, mr. Speaker. May i wait for them to set up my rops here, please . The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Kelly thank you. This is one of my most momentous occasions here in the house of representatives. We are recognizing the men and women who died in service to this great nation. And understanding that when they left here, they left families behind. These are two, sean cooley and chris horton, who died in service to this great nation. Ive got their pictures up here to show what warriors they were. But they left families behind. And so were establishing this gold star Fellowship Program, to honor these men and many other men and women like them who have given their all to defend this nation. Ronald reagan used the words of Thomas Jefferson and he said, the blood of patriots is needed time to time to refresh the blood of liberty. Something that to that effect. We have to make sure that we always honor those who give the ultimate sacrifice to this great nation. We have many goals to our family gold star families here today. My friend, jane horton, came up with the idea for this bill. This is her husband who is pictured in this. Thank god that we have men and women who not only served this nation but families who serve this nation by allowing their Family Member to serve. Such bravery and such patriots. As long as we have them, this nation will always sustain. When we lose these type of patriots, who are willing to give everything to this beautiful, wonderful nation, then we no longer will have a nation. Freedom is not free. But the least we can do is allow their Family Members to learn how to get engaged in the congressional process, on a national and strategic level, and to influence our decision so that we take care of those great patriots who left this country behind. We will never forget and we will never leave behind a fallen comrade or their survivors. So for our gold star families, thank you and god bless you. Their sacrifice was not in vein vain. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. Mr. Davis mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from mississippi yields back. The gentleman from illinois yields back. The gentlewoman from california is recognized. Ms. Lofgren mr. Speaker, i think this has been an excellent debate. Highlighting the bipartisan support for this fellowship. A bipartisan gratitude to those who served, those who gave their lives for this country. And the families they left behind. Theres no honor big enough that we could possibly give to them. But this fellowship is a token. Its a token thats important and its something that weve done in a bipartisan way. I hope that every member of this body will be supportive of it and with that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from california yields back. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and agree to House Resolution 107, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. Mr. Davis mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore in the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative mr. Davis mr. Speaker. I object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and i make a point of order that a quorum is not present. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. The speaker pro tempore proceedings will resume on questions previously postponed. Votes will be taken in the following order, agreeing to House Resolution 296 and motions to suspend the rules and pass h. R. 4695 and agree to House Resolution 107, if ordered. The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15mibt vote pursuant to clause 9, rule 20, remaining votes will be conducted as fiveminute votes. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the Unfinished Business is adoption of House Resolution 296 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The clerk will report the title of the resolution. The clerk House Resolution 296, resolution affirming the United States record on the armenian genocide. The speaker pro tempore the question is on adoption of the resolution. Members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a 15minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker pro tempore on this vote, the yeas are 405, the nays are 11, with three appsing present. The resolution is answering present. The resolution is adopted. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. The chair will remind all persons in the gallery that they are here as guests of the house and that any manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceed sgs in violation of the ules of the house. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the Unfinished Business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from new york, mr. Engel, to suspend the rules and pass h. R. 4695 as amended. On which the yeas and nays are ordered. The clerk will report the title. The clerk h. R. 4695, a bill to impose sanctions with respect to turkey and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. Members will record their votes by electronic device. This is a fiveminute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc. , in cooperation with the United States house of representatives. Any use of the closedcaptioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u. S. House of representatives. ] the speaker pro tempore on this vote, the yeas are 403, the nays are 16, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are d, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the Unfinished Business is question on suspending the rules and agreeing to House Resolution 107 which the clerk will report by title. The clerk resolution establishing the Gold Star Family Fellowship Program for members of the house of representatives children, spouses and siblings and members died armed forces or who from a trainingrelated injury. The speaker pro tempore will the house suspend the rules and agree to the resolution. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the resolution is agreed to and without objection is laid on the table. Without objection, the title is amended. He house will come to order. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from michigan seek recognition . Mrs. Lawrence i ask permission to address the house for a special tribute. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mrs. Lawrence mr. Speaker, i stand here today with the michigan delegation and my beloved members of the Congressional Black Caucus to pay honor and tribute to the life of john conyers. He passed away this past weekend. As we know, john conyers was the dean of this congress. He served 53 years. He served as chairman of the Oversight Committee as well as judiciary. We stand here today to recognize his fight for civil rights, his fight to have the Martin Luther king birthday celebration, his fight against apartheid. His fight to ensure that we never lost sight of our criminal screws ties that is not equal and to fight for justice for all. We often remember his Walking Around his kind manner in this house. And i ask at this time, if we could have a moment of silence. Would everyone please stand. Thank you. The speaker pro tempore the speaker pro tempore the house will be in order. Members will take their onversations from the chamber. The chair would ask that members take their conversations from the chamber. Thank you. For what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition . I move that the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 4842, the expo act of 2019, as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 4842, a bill to authorize the secretary of state to provide funds for a United States pavilion at expo 2020 dubai and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from minnesota, mr. Phillips, and the gentleman from florida, mr. Yoho, each will control 20 minutes. Mr. Phillips i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h. R. 4695. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Phillips i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the ouse will be in order. The chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota. Mr. Mill fips thank you, madam speaker. I rise today to support the exposition exposition to provide opportunities act or expo act of 2019. When i took the oath of office on january 3 of this year my team and i set an ambitious goal, to visit every city or town of minnesotas con gregs sixth Congressional District within the First Six Months of my service and bring their voices to washington because governing begins with listening. Something n we heard incredible. Bloomington wants to be the host city of expo 2027. For generations, the United States has showcased our leadership in displays called pavilions throughout the world. In the past three decades, the u. S. Has fallen short of its historic role in fundraising and seven of the last 10 pavilions has been palt ray. The United States is the only g7 country that relies on private donations to guarantee its presence at world expos and the only country that retires entirely on private funding for the dedication of its pavilion. Thats left a vacuum that our strategic competitors like russia and china have been too happy to fill. As a result, American Cities like bloomington, minnesota, and houston, texas, have been overlooked for hosting rights, missing the opportunity to showcase the strength of American Ingenuity and boost local economies. A critical component in mpeting for host status is their pavilion at the current expo. Thats why im honored to stand with bloomington, the entire minnesota house delegation and a group of likeminded colleagues from both sides of the aisle like Ranking Member mccaul and representatives pete olson, liz see fletcher and my colleague, ted yow ho, to change all of that with the exposition to provide opportunities act, the expo act, of 2019. Our bill does three things. First, it provides authorization for the state department to use funds to build a pavilion for the 2020 dubai world expo so cities in the u. S. Like bloomington and houston can compete to be the host city at the 2027 world expo. Next, it requires the state department to seek out matching funds from the private sector in order to alleviate the cost burden. Finally, it requires a series of reports from the state department which shall contain the following items. One, an estimate of the investment a pavilion could bring to the United States. Two, a report on the human rights record of the united arab emirates. And three, ensure all applicable labor laws in u. A. E. Are followed in construction of our pavilion. Madam speaker, we could not have brought this bill to the floor without help. Id like to thank speaker pelosi, leader hoyer and leader mccarthy for their support and their staffs work on nornt bill. Idals like to thank Ranking Member mccaul for his support and his staffs expertise in crafting the bill and thanks also to chairman engel and his staff, especially janis, who was instrumental in helping us get to the finish line. The root of this effort started in minnesota with former minnesota secretary of state and now global minnesota president mark richie. He was and will always be steadfast in his advocacy on behalf of minnesota. Most of all, im grateful to the city of bloomington, minnesota, specially mayor jean wince ted winstead and others on behalf of all minnesotans. This is how democracy should work. Democrats and republicans in Congress Working with stake holders, constituents, and a Government Agency to craft legislation which will benefit both localityings and the nation as a whole. So i urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan measure and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Yoho thank you, madam speaker. I yield myself as much time as i may consume. Madam speaker, i rise today to discuss the importance of strong u. S. Diplomatic endangerment to counter aggressions from our adversaries. The world expo is the largest diplomatic exposition and an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate American Leadership to an audience of over 25 million visitors. The United States has proudly participated in the world expo since 1851 and has hosted 11 expos. Over a sixmonth period, the United States will showcase our values and our commitments to rule of law. Without the United States attendance at Important International forums like the world expo, we risk losing out to countries like china and russia. In fact, china has committed over 100 million for their participation in the 2020 world expo with the goal of promoting their belt Road Initiative and get this, huawei 5g technology is the provider for the whole world expo. They have signaled interest in competing to host a future expo. China is at the forefront of our strategic long range diplomatic, security, and economic policies here in washington. We must stop communist chinas china from achieving global dominance. Make no mistake, this is their goal. The Chinese Communist party is challenging americas leadership like never before. Stepping up territorial aggression against our partners and allies, openly engaging in unfair and illegal Business Practices and exporting authoritarian ideology across the globe. Their belt Road Initiative and debt traps have set the stage for economic and diplomatic coercion and military expansion. That is one of the reasons i introduced the bill last congress and through bipartisan support it got passed and is signed into law that creates the United States International Development finance corporation. If we, the american government, is not there, how can we compete against chinas belt Road Initiative. As part of this program, china has tried to build military bases in the South Pacific to cut off to cut us off from partners like australia and new zealand and theyll continue this expansion. In africa they have a military se next to us in djubiti and they control both sides of tedy roosevelts panama canal. I was down in chile and argentina not long ago and china is looking, trying to push real hard to bring the hard to bring the 5g cable from china to south america. This is something that American Leadership cannot we cant stand by idly and if were not there at the world expo to promote our u. S. Development finance corporation, how else will we get the word out . This is something thats a National Security interest. In addition, china has also cornered the market on rare earth metals. They control over 85 of the a. P. I. Which is the active pharmaceutical ingredients in all the antibiotics and drugs that we take. They have 100 of the vitamins and minerals used in our livestock feed. China, when they ship that product back, its impure, doesnt meet f. D. A. Standards. China has been at the forefront of the 5g technology as i mentioned. In fact, huawei which the u. S. Deemed a National Security threat, has received a contract for this expo. As we work to combat this continued and everincreasing aggression we must ensure that our partners know the United States intends to remain present. The United States absence at Important International forum like the world expo only gives china the opportunities to spread their ideals. Ones they claim are merely socialism with chinese characteristics but make no mistake its communism through the the world. We cannot let china fill a void left by the United States. The stakes are too high. And understand this. If the United States doesnt show up, theres only two countries that dont show up. One is the United States, and the other is syria. I dont want to be in that category. This is a bill that we ask everybody to support. Its good for america. Its good for american business. And its great for National Security. With that, i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from minnesota is recognized. Mr. Phillips i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Yoho in closing, i urge my colleagues to support this bill and yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The gentleman from minnesota. Mr. Phillips thank you, madam speaker. I yield myself as much time as i may consume for the purpose of closing. I thank the gentleman from florida, my good friend, ted owe ho, for your remarks as well yoho, for your remarks as well. I urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan bill which allows america to compete on the world stage. As i said before, representation starts with listening. If we pass this bill, we will have shown the American People that democrats and republicans can put their differences aside, listen to their constituents, and get something done. I yield the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 4842 as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. The chair will now entertain requests for oneminute peeches. For what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition . Without objection. Ms. Kaptur thank you. Madam speaker, i rise to express deep concern about the timing of secretary rick perrys resignation and his simultaneous refusal to provide Key Information on his many trips to ukraine, more than any other cabinet member. He has played a central role in u. S. Ukraine relations through the the trump presidency. Thus far, secretary perry refused to cooperate with lawful subpoenas issued to him by the Intelligence Committee and other committees of this congress. As chair of the energy and Water Committee of appropriations, while ive had a productive relationship with secretary perry in the past, from strengthening our National Labs to the growing range of solutions, i feel his recent behavior raises serious questions. American tax pay verse a right to know what secretary perry was doing on his frequent travel to ukraine as a public servant, beholden to the public trust. Americans have a right to know what he observed, who he was meeting with, and who was benefiting from the contacts and deals he was making. The constitution entrusts the house of representatives with holding the executive branch accountable. Thats what we must do. As u. S. Foreign policy in ukraine has been sidelined in favor of president trumps personal and political agenda and abuse of power, secretary perry should do what is right and comply with the houses investigation. America deserves nothing less. Yield back. The speaker pro tempore members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the president. For what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition