Proceedings on the postponed questions at a later time. For what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition . Mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 3973, the market Data Protection act of 2017. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. Union calendar number 299. H. R. 3973, a bill to amend the securities and exchanges act of 1934 to require certain entities to develop internal risks, control mechanisms to safeguard and govern the storage of market data. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from michigan, mr. Huizenga, and the gentleman from california, mr. Sherman, will each control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan. Mr. Huizenga mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and their remarks include extraneous materials on this bill. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Huizenga mr. Speaker, at this time id yield myself such time as may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Huizenga mr. Speaker, cybersecurity is critical to consumers, investors, Market Participants and frankly the very markets themselves. However, in april of 2016, the g. A. O. , Government Accountability office, identified weaknesses regarding Information Security protocols at the securities and Exchange Commission and noted that the s. E. C. s failure to implement an agencywide Data Security program had occurred. Once confirmed in may of this year, s. E. C. Chairman clayton initiated an assessment of the s. E. C. s internal cybersecurity risk profile and their approach to cybersecurity from a regulatory and oversight perspective. The s. E. C. s internal assessment found that the agency had inadequate controls and that there were serious cyber and data risks. Unfortunately in september of this year, chairman clayton issued a statement on cybersecurity reached a breach previously detected in 2016 may have provided illicit gain through trading, closed quote. Specifically, a Software Vulnerability existed in the test filing component of the s. E. C. s electronic data gathering analysis and retrieval, or also known as edgar system, which resulted in the access to nonpublic information. While this breach provided the hackers access to highly sensitive material at the time the s. E. C. Believed the intrusion did not result in unauthorized access to personally identifiable information, or p. I. I. , as we commonly refer to it, therefore jeopardizing the operations of the s. E. C. Or result in a Systemic Risk and that was a quote from the s. E. C. s report. However, unfortunately in a followup disclosure shortly after that, chairman clayton revealed that personally identifiable information, including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers were actually compromised for two individuals in that particular breach. The g. A. O. Report and the edgar data breach is now an even greater concern. The sufficiency of risk control mechanisms for the s. E. C. Approve consolidated audit trail or the cat system. It is the largest Repository Data and will have every order, cancellation and trade execution for all Exchange Listed equities and options across all u. S. Markets. It will also collect personally identifiable information beginning one year after it begins accepting market data. These technologies, which was selected to be the plan processor for the cat, is scheduled to begin accepting information who must provide data to cat on wednesday, november 15, just merely days from food. Many of my colleagues as well as Market Participants have voiced concerns about the cost of building and implementing such a system in the amount of p. I. I. That will be required to be collected by the c. A. T. Congressmen eral expressed concerns of such Sensitive Information held within that c. A. T. System as well as those who will access to such information. As i minges menksed, the dead as i mentioned, the deadline for the s. R. O. s is just two days away. Its paramount that the s. E. C. Has adequate Data Security controls in place before that implementation. I previously in committee i had put it this way. That is a repository of the information of gold. Gold is the equivalent of information today. And what they are doing is they are putting more gold into that data vault and we dont have the security to support it. So while the c. A. T. May be a helpful resource for the s. E. C. And even the selfregulatory agencies or organizations, s. R. O. s, once fully implemented, insufficient data controls will undermine confidence in our markets and may very well result in the c. A. T. Being counterproductive. Thus, i join the Financial Services Committee Chairman hensarling in writing chairman clayton to delay the implementation of the c. A. T. System until the s. E. C. Request implement security safeguards and internal controls to ensure that security of confidential and Sensitive Data, closed quote. No assurances for a delay in implementing the c. A. T. Have been provided. And even if they had, it is appropriate for congress to set baseline standards to ensure that controls are in place. In other words, mr. Speaker, were trying to do our job. So h. R. 3973, the market Data Protection act, introduced by representatives davidson and shrman, is necessary to ensure sherman, is necessary to ensure the s. E. C. Is properly collecting data to help our markets as well as the personal information of millions of customers with brokerdealer accounts. Specifically, the Bipartisan Legislation would mandate that the s. E. C. , fen are a and operator of the consolidated audit trail in consultation with the s. E. C. s chief economist develop comprehensive risk control mechanisms to safeguard and govern the storage of market data, all market data sharing agreements and all Academic Research using that market data. The bill halts market data reporting to the data trail until the operator of the c. A. T. System develops such internal risk mechanisms that are deemed satisfactory. The edgar Security Breach and massive equifax data breach, and i might add, mr. Speaker, we just saw a report of an n. S. A. Breach that had just happened. Largest database. This would become the second largest database in the country. While those breaches in which the Sensitive Information from nearly 150 million americans in the Equifax Breach only underscore the importance of proactively ensuring that any highly Sensitive Data being collected by the securities and Exchange Commission or at the s. E. C. s discretion subject to their oversight, is protected with appropriate safeguards. We owe that to the American People. The importance of cybersecurity at the s. E. C. Cannot be overstated. The s. E. C. s ability to safeguard nonpublic Financial Information and other highly Sensitive Data instills confidence in the markets. Securities and exchange ommission commissioner regarded c. A. T. , quote, deadlines are important but the s. E. C. Has one chance to get that right. We have to make sure that everything locked down. We can get it done or we can get it done right. We need to get it done right. End quote. I couldnt agree more with the commissioner, and thats why this legislation is so urgently needed. I commend the bipartisan work of representatives davidson and sherman and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this very important bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from california. Mr. Sherman i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Anthony sherman i mr. Sherman i want to commend the sponsor of this legislation, mr. Davidson, it was a pleasure working with him and i am pleased that he and i introduced this legislation. This legislation deals with the broader issue of cybersecurity. From equifax to moscow, worldwide, people are concerned with cybersecurity. One particular part of cybersecurity that is important is the s. E. C. s accumulation of very Sensitive Data, whether it be about individuals and their trading or about the overall market. In september, the s. E. C. Disclosed that hackers had breached the s. E. C. Edgar database which is the home to millions of public and nonpublic filings and that breach occurred in 2016. The breach, which was not discovered until august of this year, may have led to some illicit trading activities. This bill requires the s. E. C. To develop and implement cybersecurity risk controls to ensure that market data is protected. This will help protect our markets from harmful disruptions and manipulative trading. In addition, this bill requires that fen are a, the financial industry regulatory authority, and the operator of the consolidated and also requires the operator of the new consolidated audit trail, to develop and implement risk controls to protect the data they store. And the new consolidated audit trail system will not accept data until they have the cybersecurity risk controls necessary to protect it. Once the c. A. T. , or consolidated audit trail, is operational, it will serve an important purpose in assisting the s. E. C. In identifying issues that deserve investigation, but it will also store a large amount of data and its important this data be secure. We must ensure that there are proper controls in place. Now, this bill passed our committee by a vote of 591 in its present form. There was an effort after the bill passed committee to try to broaden the bill and it may very well bill that other related issues need to be dealt with by this house. But i think we made the right decision in bringing to the floor today the bill that passed our committee 591. We should then have hearings, perhaps work on additional legislation, that will add to our ability to provide for cybersecurity in this area. I look forward to working with the chairman of the subcommittee and mr. Davidson and so many others in additional legislation designed to assure our cybersecurity is as good as it can be and to make sure that were not putting information into systems unless were sure that everything has been done so the systems can protect that information. So i call upon all of our colleagues to support this legislation that had 591 support in our committee. And with that i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentleman from michigan. Mr. Huizenga mr. Speaker, at this time im pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from ohio, the sponsor of this legislation, member of the Financial Services committee, mr. Davidson. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Davidson thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you, chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to work with mr. Sherman and the rest of the committee on this bill. It is indeed impressive that it was 591 in our committee in its present form. It does do some really good things. I think the message that it really sends is its important for our Government Agencies to lead by example. The s. E. C. Holds people that they oversee accountable for maintaining cybersecurity, protecting personally identifiable information, and what we know on september 20, chairman clayton highlighted that they had had a breach of the edgar system. This follows on an april, 2016, report by the g. A. O. That highlighted some concerns with their Cybersecurity Program with s. E. C. , and the concerning thing is when chairman clayton took over the s. E. C. , he found this so much time afterwards. It wasnt part of his inbriefing. There isnt real concern there could be systemic cybersecurity risks there, and i think it is great that our committee came together to provide s. E. C. A mandate to get their own house in order in quick fashion and to do that with not just their existing products but with products that are on the cusp of launching. Notably the consolidated audit trail. The consolidated audit trail became subject of some additional concerns because its so close to launching, so what were trusting here is that chairman clayton does the right thing, takes the message from this vote that were about to take and then begins to work th our committee to get this cybersecurity risk under control to provide the assurances that the American People want and that the markets need in order to trust that no more data is collected and made vulnerable than is necessary to accomplish the mission but that whatever data is made available is secure. I urge all of our colleagues to support the passage of this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from california. Seeing that we have no speakers seeking time on this on our side, i urge an aye vote and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from michigan. Mr. Speaker, as id said before, when information is the equivalent of modern day gold, we need to make sure that whatever vaults that information, that gold is going into, are properly protected. Properly protected for consumers and their personally identifiable information. Mr. Huizenga and we have an obligation as government to make sure that their information is protected as best as possible. And doubly so when it is going into governmentrun systems. So that is the reason why 3973 is so imperative, that it be passed. I again commend my friend from ohio, mr. Davidson, and my friend from california, mr. Sherman, on their bipartisan work on that. And with that i urge passage and yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. All time has been yielded back. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 3973. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded 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 gentleman from georgia seek recognition . Mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 2331, the connected Government Act, as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 2331, a bill to require a new or updated federal website that is intended for use by the public to mobile friendly and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. Hice, and the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. Kelly, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have fike legislative days in which to five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Hice highs mr. Speaker, i yield my mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. I rise today in support of the bill, introduced by the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. Kelly. The bill requires all federal agencies to ensure any federal government website intended for use by the public is mobile friendly. Services offered by the federal government should be effective, but also accessible to the public. Agency websites are one of the most important tools for taxpayers to observe services and information from the government. The u. S. Government runs more han 6,000 websites on over 400 domains. One recent study estimated that approximately 40 of government websites either are not accessible or are difficult to access on a phone. Yet nearly 80 of americans own a smartphone and at least one in 10 American Adults rely exclusively on a smartphone for access to the internet, according to a pew survey. The data clearly points to the utility of making all government websites mobile friendly. Another study found that more people access the internet on their mobile devices than a desk top computer for the first time last year. Its clear that federal agencies must emphasize mobile accessibility to effectively serve the American People. The connected Government Act will require agencies to do just that. This bill requires federal agencies to ensure their websites are mobile friendly during the course of creating new websites or updating existing ones. A mobile friendly government is a necessary step in the modernization of the governments i. T. Infrastructure. I applaud my colleague, the gentlewoman from illinois, for her work in sponsoring this bill. Im proud also to support this Bipartisan Legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. And i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from illinois. Ms. Kelly thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Kelly before i begin my remarks, id ask for unanimous consent to enter into the record a statement from energy and commerce Ranking Member, congressman frank pallone, an original cosponsor on this legislation. I also ask for unanimous consent to enter into the record a blog post regarding this bill written by congressman pallone and myself. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewomans request will be covered under general leave. Ms. Kelly thank you rk thank you, mr. Speaker. Id like to first thank the cosponsor on this bill, frank pallone, who has been a strong supporter every step of the way, from the bills drafting through todays floor consideration. Id also like to thank my good friend, congressman mark meadows, a cosponsor of the bill. I would also like to thank senator has whon introduced the Senate Senator hasan who introduced the senate companion. This will ensure all government websites are access to be all americans. It simply requires that any new updated federal websites be mobile friendly. Its 2017. We need federal websites to work for all americans. In the past 90 days there were 2. 61 billion visits to federal websites. Almost 40 of those came from mobile devices. Thats over one billion hits from mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. But today according to a report by the information, technology and innovative foundation, 40 of governments dont work on smartphones or are mobile unfriendly. Many of these sites are critical to serving the American People like the application for federal student aid and the launch point for bidding on federal government contracts. For millions of americans without access to reliable broadband and without a desk top computer, smartphones are their doorway to the internet. A recent pew report found that younger americans, low income americans, rural americans, and people of color are more likely to rely only on smartphones to browse the web. Today 77 of americans own and use smartphones to assess the internet. 10 of americans, it is their primary access to the internet. Thats a 3 thats 32 million americans. Its unacceptable for 32 million americans to have difficulty reaching their government simply because we couldnt keep up with technological trends. Recently hurricane harvey, irma and maria showed just how vital smartphones have become. Especially during disasters. In the aftermath of these storms, millions of americans relied on their smartphones to find assistance. Imagine the frustration of navigating s. B. A. , fema or h. U. D. Websites looking for assistance on a fiveinch screen and the site not working because its only designed for desk top browsing. In my time serving as the Ranking Member of the oversight i. T. Subcommittee, it has been clear that the federal governments i. T. Systems are not working and have not kept up with even the most basic Technology Trends that are common in the private sector. Americans deserve a modern government that is accessible and response to have their needs. This bill takes us one step closer to realizing this goal. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill that the c. B. O. Has said will have no significant costs to taxpayers. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. The gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, id like to make the gentlewoman from illinois aware that i have no further speakers and im prepared to close. Ms. Kelly i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i thank the gentlewoman for her great work on this bill. And i urk adoption of it urge adoption of it. And i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. All time has been yielded. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the amended. 2331, as those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. Mr. Hice i ask for the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative mr. Hice mr. Speaker. I request the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from georgia. The gentleman has requested the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays are requested and those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition . Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 3071, the federal acquisition savings act of 2017, as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 3071, a bill to require executive agencies toer to consider Equipment Rental and any costeffectiveness analysis for equipment acquisition and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. Highs, and the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. Mr. Hice, and the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. Kelly, will each control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice 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 bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Hice i rise today in support of h. R. 3071, introduced by my colleague from georgia, mr. Carter, and which i have cosponsored. The federal acquisition savings act of 2017 would require the government to consider renting equipment over buying or leasing that equipment. The Government Accountability office reported that agencies annually spend an average of more than 200 billion on purchasing or leasing equipment, with purchasing accounting for almost all of that spending. The federal acquisition savings act of 2017 provides an opportunity to save money when obtaining equipment. Current rules encourage agencies to consider the most costeffective way to obtain equipment. But only between purchasing or leasing. Renting is not an ofplgts h. R. 3071 an option. H. R. 3071 requires agencies to consider renting other purchasing or leasing. The bill also directs that the federal Acquisition Regulation be revised to implement this policy. Renting equipment can provide a more costeffective and flexible alternative to buying or leasing. When purchasing equipment, the purchaser makes a longterm investment and assumes the total cost of ownership for that equipment. However, some shortterm needs can be met without assuming the cost of purchasing and maintaining equipment. Leasing or renting are options in such cases. Leasing should be considered, but depending on an agencys needs, leasing may not be the best lowcost option. Typically leases involve defined leasing periods and are specific to a single piece of equipment. In addition, leasing may require a large upfront outlay of capital and under lease the government is generally responsible for the coves maintenance, insurance and cost of maintenance, insurance and storage of equipment. Alternativetively, rental for a temporary period with no fixed duration may fit the need and provide a more flexible option. Renting equipment may be costeffective because rental agreements typically cover costs such as storage, maintenance, insurance, transport and licensing. Other state and local governments have used the Equipment Rental option with great success, but the federal government has not widely adopted this lowcost option. For example, the Texas Department of transportation reported saving saving 10. 8 million due to a rental program. They reported renting more than 1,200 pieces of equipment at a cost of 18. 9 million and purchasing 9 931 assets, costing more than 40 million. The Mississippi Department of transportation commissioned a study on their Equipment Management processes and systems and that study found that renting equipment such as bulldozers and motor graders to sum metropolitan their fleet was the most to supplement their fleet was the most costeffective option. That study found that mississippi could realize over 13,000 in annual cost savings and 180,000 in life cycle cost savings per bulldozer unit. H. R. 3071 presents an opportunity to realize cost savings in obtaining equipment by directing agencies to consider the rental option. I want to thank buddy carter for his leadership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from illinois. Ms. Kelly thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. Ms. Kelly h. R. 3071, the federal ack which sayings savings act, as amended, would require federal Contracting Officers to consider shortterm rentals in addition to longterm leasing or purchasing when acquiring Equipment Agency s need. I want to thank you working with us in a bipartisan manner to address concerns that were raised by the bill. It is unclear whether shortterm rentals are permitted. It can be costeffective options for federal agencies in certain circumstances. This bill would provide additional flexibility by allowing such rentals. It would also improve efficiency by requiring the costeffectiveness of renting to be considered by federal Contracting Officers. I support giving Contracting Officers additional tools to make the most costeffective decisions. The bill, as amended, also would require g. A. O. To produce rental or d on the leasing report. I know we all value g. A. O. s work and want to make the best use of its resources. So im glad those reporting requirements have been streamlined. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves. The gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, its my honor and privilege to recognize my colleague from georgia, the sponsor of the bill, buddy carter, for as much time as he may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Carter i want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, i rise today in support of my legislation, h. R. 307 1, the federal acquisition savings act of 2017. This seeks to modernize our governments outdated Acquisition Strategies while simultaneously acting as good stewards of valuable taxpayer dollars. My bill would simply require federal agencies to consider renting as a costeffective alternative in equipment acquisition giving the government options that the private sector has undertaken and has seen success and cost savings with. As previously reported by the Government Accountability office, the g. A. O. , the federal government spends more than 200 billion on average either purchasing or leasing equipment. Of those acquisition decisions, purchasing of equipment accounts for more than 99 of that share. Federal agencies are instructed to consider the costeffectiveness of these strategies as they move through the process but even that has been found to be lacking. The g. A. O. Has found that in many instances federal agencies dont even bother to undertake these analysis. That means the taxpayers are the ones to lose out as these federal agencies sidesteps these responsibilities and undertake what is the easiest and most expensive route, purchasing. This is an issue the commission and this body have been looking at for years. In 2012 the g. A. O. Issued a report finding that contracted officials from the air force, interior, did not have the lease purchase analysis for many of the contracts awarded. Then in 2013, g. S. A. Seeks an r. F. I. Seeking to determine if there is a distinction between renting and leasing of equipment. The overwhelming response to the r. F. I. Indicated that amending the federal Acquisition Regulation, the f. A. R. , to include renting would be pertinent. However, the g. S. I. Did not act on that recommendation. These have resulted in this legislation and the good faith effort to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and that the federal requirements of the federal acquisition are followed. Under subpart 7. 1 of the f. A. R. , agencies are directed to conduct a casebycase evaluation between the cost of leasing and purchasing. As i mentioned earlier, many of those analysis arent conducted. Amending this part of the f. A. R. Will open up new avenues and allow them to purchase to pursue successes and cost savings being used in the private sector. For instance, the Texas Department of transportation is reporting savings of 10. 8 million within the Fleet Operations division. These savings are realized when the additional cost of ownership are factored, including maintenance, transportation, and other areas. In addition to this example, the Mississippi Department of transportation commissioned a study finding they could find significant cost savings per unit if they rent equipment. Rental agreements are often thought of as shortterm transactions with no fixed duration. This gives the renter, in this case the federal agencies, more say in how the equipment is used and the duration of the need for that equipment. For instance, specialized equipment that is only needed several times a year or as needed in in varying locations can be rented to reduce overhead costs. As this body continues to pursue meaningful legislation to reduce the burden of our constituents and streamline the government, this is a great step forward. My Bipartisan Legislation will reduce waste in the federal government while giving them the opportunity to pursue new and innovative ways to get this equipment. Too often we see areas of mismanagement between the federal government that can and should be addressed, and this is a chance to help correct the ship one step at a time. This Bipartisan Legislation passed the oversight and Government Reform Committee with overwhelming support, and i thank my colleagues on the committee and on this bill for their support and persistence in addressing shortfalls in the federal government. Please join me in support of this legislation and help us ensure future acquisition decisions are done with the taxpayers in mind. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. Mr. Hice i thank my friend. I reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlewoman from illinois. Ms. Kelly i yield back my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman yields back. The gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, im grateful for this bill and urge adoption of it. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore all time having been yielded, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 3071, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 having responded in the affirmative the gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice i request the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition . Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 3739, the president ial allowance modernization act of 2017, as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 3739, a bill to amend the act of august 25, 1958, commonly known as the former president s act of 1958, with respect to the monetary allowance payable to a former president , and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. Hice, and the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. Kelly, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and tend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Hice i rise today in support of h. R. 3739, a bill i introduced to limit the allowances paid to former president s. Congress passed the former president s act of 1958 to maintain the dignity of the office of the president and assist former president s who did not have sufficient financial resources. Its a noble purpose, but times have changed. When a former president when the former president s act was passed, Herbert Hoover and harry truman were the only two living president s. Unlike the other president s, they did not earn millions of dollars from speaking fees and book deals after leaving office. For example, president clinton earned more than 100 million in speaking fees between 2001 and 2013. President george w. Bush received 10 million for his book deal. In april, 2017, president obama spoke at a wall street firm for a fee of 400,000, and he and former first lady also reportedly signed a joint book deal worth over 65 million. It is a fact that the modern presidency that these lucrative financial opportunities are available now as they were not to former president s. Because of these opportunities, its no longer necessary to provide taxpayerfunded support to former president s in the same way as envisioned in 1958. H. R. 3739 presents a fairer way to reduce taxpayer support to those former president s who no longer need such assistance. Furthermore, with our nation facing 20 trillion in debt, we must find ways to save taxpayer money and our former president s will lead by example in cutting costs under this bill. The president ial allowance modernization act reforms pensions and allowances provided to former president s and surviving spouses and reduces unnecessary costs to the taxpayer. This bill sets a former president s pension at 200,000 compared to current law where the pension is linked to cabinet secretarys pay level, currently at 204,700. Surviving spouses of former president s will be eligible for a pension of 100,000, a more realistic amount than the 20,000 pension available under current law. Currently, former president s are also eligible for other benefits paid through annual appropriations. These include office space and leases, furniture and supplies and staff salaries. Such additional benefits provided to former president s totaled 2. 84 million in fiscal year 2017, and 2. 43 million the year before. Instead, this bill will provide a 500,000 lump sum allowance for each eligible former president to cover such expenses. This allowance will be reduced dollar for dollar for any earned income in excess of 400,000. For example, a former president making 900,000 in earned income would not be eligible for the allowance. For former president s eligible for the allowance, the allowance would decrease over time. Five years after the former president has left office, the allowance is reduced to 350,000. And then 10 years later, the allowance is reduced to 250,000. In the 114th congress, the president ial allowance modernization act of 2016 was passed, but it was not signed into law. Senator ernst and i have worked with other stakeholders to improve the bill in 2017. This 2017 bill advances the same principles of accountability and modernization as the 2016 legislation but makes some key changes. First, the bill provides a sixmonth period after the date of enactment before the bill takes effect to ensure current former president s have time to plan for the changes. Second, the bill increases the allowance amount from 200,000 in the previous bill language to 500,000. However, as described earlier, this allowance decreases over time but it is not entirely eliminated should a former president be eligible for the allowance. The office of the former president san Important Institution to support is an Important Institution to support. We were realized by the importance of this institution by the joint effort of former president s to raise Hurricane Relief funds. The third change made in this version of the bill is the pension and allowance are terminated 30 days after the death of a former president instead of immediately upon death. This change was made to accommodate the work that must be done to wrap up the affairs of a former president. Finally, i want to ensure my colleagues this bill does not impact funding for the security , protection of a former president. Again, i want to thank senator ernst for her work on this bill in the previous years and this particular bill in 2017. Its been a real pleasure to work with her and her staff. I want to acknowledge members such as mr. Cummings and mr. Grothman and former chairman mr. Chaffetz whose work on this bill last year positioned us to be successful this year. I also want to express my gratitude to the professional staff on the House Oversight committee who have put in so many hours of work on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentlewoman from illinois. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman is recognized. This legislation would reform the former president s act of 1958 to cap a form president s annual pension at 200,000 indexed to inflation. The bill also would provide be a additional annual allowance for expenses that would start at 500,000 per year and decrease gradually to 250,000. Ms. Kelly under this bill, the annual allowance would be reduced dollar for dollar in instances in which a former president s adjusted gross income in a taxable year exceeds 400,000. Taxpayers should not have to pay for a form president s allowance if the former president is making a comfortable living earning millions of dollars a year, as many former president s do. This legislation would not effect any funding for the security and protection of former president s and their spouses. This legislation would update the pension amount for surviving spouses of former president s, which has been unchanged since 1958. By increasing it from 20ds,000 today 100,000 20,000 to 100,000. Last Congress President obama vetoed a previous version of this legislation because it would have unintended consequences. For example, due to technical drafting errors, it would have resulted in the immediate termination of the salary and benefits of certain staff of the former president. It would also have resulted in the termination of leases for office space and the removal of furniture and equipment. That was clearly not acceptable not an acceptable situation. Im glad we have been able to resolve these problems in the legislation before us today. I believe this bill makes fiscal sense and urge members to support it. Mr. Speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. The gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i have no further speakers and im prepared to close. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from illinois. Ms. Kelly mr. Speaker, i would like to get three to give three minutes to the gentlelady from washington, d. C. , congresswoman Eleanor Holmes norton. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Ms. Norton i thank my good friend from illinois for yielding to me and i would like to thank representative hice, our own chairman gowdy, our Ranking Member cummings, for include for including in this bill, like the similar bill from last congress, an update to the former president s act, to reflect the positively changed status of the district of columbia government since the enactment of the former president s act of 1958. As it effects the district of columbia, this bill provides an update to better reflect, to indeed reflect the law regarding the district of columbia as it is now. As opposed to how it was at the time the former president s act was originally passed in 1958. In 1958 the district of columbia had no elected local government, didnt have any member of this body to draw this matter to your attention. Instead, the d. C. Government was run by three president s president ially apointed commissioners, all locally raised d. C. Funds were deposited in the u. S. Treasury, locally raised, but put right there in the treasury. And the federal government paid the employer contribution to the pensions of d. C. Government employees. You can see how d. C. Thinks of it self at that time as a colony of the United States of america. Well, weve changed all that, thanks to the home rule act, the work of this congress. This bill would treat employment of former president s and the widows of former president s in the district of columbia in the district of government as the same manner of other local and state governments. The former president s act the former president s act was intended to keep president s and widows of former president s from double dipping from the u. S. Federal treasury by collecting a federal pension during any period they were employed by the federal government or the d. C. Government. Just in case that happened. However, the former president s act became outdated with respect to the d. C. Government after Congress Passed the home rule act of 1973 and it needs to be updated. The home rule act grant the district of columbia a locally elected government, under the home rule act d. C. Local funds consisting of local taxes and fees are deposited in d. C. Government accounts, not the u. S. Treasury. Also because of the home rule act, former president s and widows of former president s would not be double dipping by collecting both the federal pension and a salary. Not from the d. C. Government. Because they are funded by what is now different governments. Very grateful that the house. Ssed this bill last year this is, of course, leftover business from more than 40 years ago, while the district of columbia struggles to become the 51st state. We appreciate that at least being recognized thank you for i thank my good friend for yielding me another minute. While the district of columbia struggles to become the 51st state, we certainly appreciate as an t being recognized independent jurisdiction, no longer a ward of the federal government. As granted by the home rule act of 1973. I particularly appreciate my friends from the oversight and Government Reform Committee on which i serve. Seeing that this bill came to the floor, congressman hice, and i appreciate the leadership for placing this bill on this calendar and i strongly urge the adoption of this bill. I yield back and i appreciate the time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. Ms. Kelly i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. The gentleman from georgia. Mr. Hice mr. Speaker, i urge adoption of this bill and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. All time having been yielded, the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass h. R. 3739 as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on table. On the table. For what purpose does the gentleman from california, mr. Royce, seek recognition . Mr. Royce mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the house on november 1, i call up House Resolution 599 and i ask for its immediate consideration in the house. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the resolution. The clerk House Resolution 599. Resolution expressing the sense of the house of representatives with respect to the United States policy toward yemen and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the order of the house of wednesday, november 1, 2017, the gentleman from california, mr. Royce, and the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna, each will control 30 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Royce. Mr. Royce i ask that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material for the record. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Royce i want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna, for working in good faith toward achieving a resolution that addresses a complex issue, a very serious issue. Namely, that is the strategic and humanitarian implications of the ongoing conflict being fought in yemen. I should also recognize the good work of our Foreign Affairs committee Ranking Member, mr. Eliot engel of new york. So this resolution will send a strong and needed message to all involved in this conflict that is causing so much human suffering. According to the u. N. , more than 20 Million People in yemen, now thats 76 of the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance. More than two Million People are affected by either moderate or by severe malnutrition. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 599 is a bipartisan alternative to house concurrent resolution 81. That initial proposal had claimed procedural privileges by invoking section 5c of the war powers resolution, which applies only when u. S. Forces are engaged in hostilities abroad without authorization. Though we provide logistics to our saudi partners in the region, United States forces are not conducting hostilities against houthi forces in yemen. The initial resolution also neglected a key facet of the yemen crisis. And that is iran. Which has been providing increasing support, very any fares support, nefarious support, to the Houthi Rebels. We must not forget that in april of 2015 the u. N. Security council, acting under Chapter Seven of the u. N. Charter, condemned the violent houthi government overthrow, quote, in the strongest terms. And obligated all u. N. Member states to comply with and enforce and embargo on arms and military assistance, quote, of all types, unquote. To the houthi forces. This makes irans acts to fuel this deadly conflict a gross violation of international law. As our ambassador has pointed out. I am glad that the newHouse Resolution, 599, addresses these shortcomings and i rise to support it today. Even before this latest conflict , yemen was the poorest country in the region. It was racked by violence and unrest. For years the countries of north and south yemen were in conflict , before they became a single state. That was in 1990. After an uprising in 2011, yemen embarked on a path of attempted national dialogue, of unification, of constitutional reform. But hopes for stability, hopes for that progress were daiished in 2014 and at that time dashed in 2014 and at that time that was when an Iranbacked Houthi rebel group in alliance with formerem en yemeni strong former yemeni strongman opposed the government. The government of the president. In response, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 2216, which sanctioned individuals involved in destabilizing yemen and demanded that the houthis unconditionally end their use of violence, withdraw their forces, relinquish their seized weapons, and refrain from threats to neighboring states. Unfortunately the houthi rejection of this u. N. Security Council Resolution with irans backing has sabotaged the prospects for peace. Mr. Speaker, the United States has longstanding Critical National security interests in this region. Members will recall that the deadly bombing of the u. S. S. Cole occurred there in yemen. Other terrorist plots against americans originated in yemen, including the unsuccessful 2009 underwear bomber attack on a Northwest Airlines flight that was going to detroit. We and our partners continue to conduct operations against al qaeda inside yemen, and that is pursuant to the 2001 authorization of use of military force, with the permission of the internationally recognized government of yemen. Although al qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula may not grab a lot of international headlines, it still continues to threaten western nations, it still maintains a Significant Network in southern yemen, which we are working to disrupt. Making matters worse, yemen has become another front in irans quest for regional dominance, which has ac central rated in the wake of the accelerated in the wake of the previous administrations deal. Considering that irans revolutionary guard core has in corps has transferred specialists to train and advise their units. Irans top terror proxy, hezbollah, is helping the houthis, who have launched numerous missiles and numerous raids into saudi arabia, killing innocent civilians. Just last week a Ballistic Missile was intercepted over the saudi capital of riyadh. This iranian meddling in yemen thwarts peace by empourg the houthis to empowering the houthis to resist going to political negotiations. The Iranian Regime could not care less about the human suffering its responsible for. Of course, beyond our National Security, the region is also vital to the u. S. And to the global economy. It is part of the strait, a narrow strategic choke point in the flow of International Goods headed to and from europe and asia and the United States. At times, iranian supported houthis had attacked international shipping, including attacking an american vessel. Disruptions to shipping along this waterway means disruption to employment and wages. So it is no wonder that in a ponse to these threats Saudi Led Coalition again operations against houthi forces. The mission was to reinstate the internationally recognized government. 2 1 2 years later, however, military progress remains elusive and battle lines are hardened. The Saudi Led Coalition controls the port city of aiden and the lowland areas in the south. While the houthis continue to hold the capital and the highlands there of northern yemen. Civilian casualties have been distressingly high, including from saudi air strikes in the early months of the campaign. Today, yumen is in shambles. It is including the Worlds Largest Food Security crisis and largest cholera outbreak. More than 900,000 suspected cases. And last weeks moves for the saudis to close ground, air and sea ports only threatens to make things worse. The United States remains committed to providing much needed relief to innocent men, women and children affected by this crisis. In fact, we main the single largest donor of humanitarian aid to yemen by far. Usaid and u. N. Aid agencies report that all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi Led Coalition, have been responsible for bureaucratic impediments and disruptions to humanitarian operations, complicating our ability to effectively deliver lifesaving assistance. Our Resolution Says this must stop by all sides. Mr. Speaker, this all provides for a very complex policy challenge. Some say the United States should distance itself from long Standing Military cooperation with saudi arabia, the a. U. E. And other Gulf Partners. But this would strengthen irans malign in the region and would not solve the humanitarian crisis. Indeed, it would likely worsen it. At the same time others say our dealing should be with Irans Nuclear tests. End, i uld to this believe that House Resolution 599 appropriately balances the shared bipartisan concerns of this body. The urgent need for a political solution in yemen consistent with Security Council resolution 2216, a call for all parties to prevent civilian casualties, support for the Saudiled Coalitions commitments to improve targeting and abide by their nostrike list. And condemnation and sanctions for irans destabilizing activities in yemen in violation of that Security Council resolution 2216. Here we should note that this body has taken strong bipartisan action in recent months to challenge irans aggression, including by sanctioning its icbm program and its support for the terrorist group hezbollah. And make no mistake about it, iran is an avowed enemy and our biggest Security Threat in the region and on the other hand, the saudis are our partners. The resolution calls for all parties to allow unobstructed access for humanitarian organizations, human rights investigations, medical personnel and journalists. And in general, it brings attention to a conflict that deserves more international notice. As we demate this measure, i suspect we may hear different views of war powers and authorizations for the use of military force as they relate to yemen. As i said, i dont believe our Security Cooperation with the saudis triggers war powers. This is the type of support we provide to many other governments, but just because it does not arise under that particular statute does not make it immune from our scrutiny. I share members concerns that Congress Must be as attentive as possible to the roles and missions of our armed forces overseas and monitor the ways in which our Security Assistance is being used. In this sense, yemen does warrant closer watching, and that is what i believe this resolution does. So i again want to thank the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna, the majority leader and minority whip of the house, and my good friend and Ranking Member eliot engel for the good work that went into this text which i support. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california, mr. Royce, reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna. Mr. Khanna thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Khanna mr. Chairman, i want to thank chairman royce for his work on this resolution , Ranking Member engel, leadership on both sides, majority leader mccarthy and the speaker and minority whip hoyer and leader pelosi. I think one thing we can all agree on, as chairman royce mentioned, is the humanitarian crisis in yemen. It is arguably the largest humanitarian crisis currently in the world. There are almost a Million People suffering from cholera, and this is a manmade crisis, because the bombing of civilian targets, bombing of electricity areas, bombing that has made the treatment of water impossible. Almost seven Million People face famine. One hope out of this debate, the first debate in the house floor on yemen is that we will collectively demand humanitarian access to people in yemen. There is no justification for the ports to be closed. There is no justification for airport to be closed. Just in the New York Times there was an article no color even tablets are not being allowed in for people suffering from cholera. That is an american issue. We stand for human rights. We stand for compassion and cency and we should demand collectively that there is humanitarian access to people who are suffering, that the ports be opened, that the airports be opened and this resolution calls for that. As has our u. N. Ambassador haley made that clear. The second part of this resolution that i think goes a long way is the acknowledgment of our own role in the refueling of saudi planes and in the assistance of saudi targeting. The resolution explicitly acknowledges that the United States has been engaged in the assistance of saudi refueling and the assisting the saudis in targeting. And it explicitly also cognizes that the 2001 authorization of force that the United States Congress Passed oes not apply to the yemenis civil war. Chairman royce was absolutely correct, there is an al qaeda threat in yemen to the United States, and our military, under the 2001 authorization of force, has the full authority to take Counterterrorism Measures to deal with al qaeda. But what our military is not thorized to do is assist the Saudi Arabian regime inciting the houthis. In many cases, they have aligned with al qaeda to fight the houthis, undermining our very counterterrorism operations. D so this resolution makes abundantly clear that we cannot be assisting the saudi regime in any of its fight with the houthi regime and we have to limit our involvement in yemen to take on al qaeda and to take on the terrorists that threaten the United States. The chairman and i have a disagreement about the war powers resolution, but i will say that the negotiations were in good faith, and as i told some of the groups that were upset about the resolution, this is a body of 435 members. And every member has their perspective but ultimately we have to come to a consensus that moves the debate forward. In our view, the war powers resolution does apply. If i can quote from a plain reading of section 8c, it says that for the purposes of the war powers act, the introduction of United States armed forces includes the assignment of member of such armed forces to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of or accompany the regular or irregular military forces of any foreign country or government. I believe a plain reading of that statute suggests that refueling saudi planes constitutes the coordination with a Foreign Government in a foreign conflict. Frankly, its precisely what the drafters of the statute wanted to prevent after vietnam. They wanted us to they wanted to prevent us from getting entangled in foreign conflicts where our National Security was not at stake without a debate on the floor of congress. We currently have troops in harms way in 13 countries around the world. And in many of those countries we have not debated in the United States congress what the mission is or whether we should be there or whether its making us any safer. And thats certainly the case in yemen. We know that to the extent that iran is involved with the houthis that has been exacerbated because of the saudi actions. The debatable how much iran was involved in the first place, but what we do know is that their minimal involvement or perhaps now greater involvement was triggered because of the saudi escalation in bombing yemen. Now, what is the United States stake in a proxy war in yemen . How is that making us any safer . If anything, its creating another generation of yemenis that will view the United States with suspicion. One wrote in the New York Times, quote, we americans have sometimes wonder how russia can be so mall vailian as supporting the Syrian Government allies as they bomb and starve, yet were doing the same thing with saudi arabia and its just as unconscionable when we are the once complicit. We are our military has the highest standards. We take such great care in minimizing civilian casualties. Why would we want to aid saudi arabia, which doesnt share american values, which doesnt have the regard for human life that we in the United States do . We are bearing the brunt of elections and so its time, i believe, not just to stand up for humanitarian access in yemen but to question whether the aid that were providing saudi arabia is making our country any safer, whether its consistent with american values. And finally, i will say to those who argue that we need to support the saudis as a counter to iran, there is no question that iran has taken actions that are not in the United States interests, but i suggest that we learn from our own history. I remember from history the time where so many in our country said, let us arm Saddam Hussein to be a counter to iran, and that didnt work out so well for the United States. It was our arms that fueled Saddam Husseins rise that led to two costly wars for the United States. The balance of power framework that has dictated our Foreign Policy has not made us any safer. I wish we would exercise more restraint in our Foreign Policy and return to the traditions of John Quincy Adams and said we ouldnt go over seas to droy overseas. We need to offer our hopes and prayers for those fighting for freedom but not engage in interventionism abroad. I reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california reserves. The gentleman from california. Mr. Royce i yield five minutes roslehtinen. Ve the speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from florida is recognized. Ms. Roslehtinen i thank my good friend, the chairman of our committee for yielding me the time. I rise today in support of House Resolution 599 expressing the sense of the u. S. House of representatives with respect to United States policy toward yemen. I thank my other colleague from california and mr. Mcgovern for offering this important resolution before us. I thank chairman royce and Ranking Member engel for working in a bipartisan manner in our committee, including with our leadership, to bring this resolution before us today. Mr. Speaker, there are approximately two million internally displaced persons in yemen right now and international aide agencies consider yemen to be one of the four current famine countries including south sudan, somalia and nigeria. Safe passage must be given to reach the people to yemen who need this assistance. Saudi arabia have security and terror concerns in yemen and have to mitigate those and shouldnt be any obstacles to prevent the delivery of humanitarian assistance to yemen. This morning, saudi arabia announced that it will reopen airports and seaports in yemen. Hopefully that aid will come quickly for those starving people. Since the campaign began, the United States has been the largest contributor of humanitarian aid to yemen, the largest. We must be sure that the aid is actually reaching the right people who need it the most. A political solution is needed in yemen where parties can negotiate a path forward but that becomes more difficult when we have to deal with the negative influence of iran and the houthis. Here are some examples. In february, 2017, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary guard corps reportedly pledged to increase irans assistance to houthi forces. Two incidents occurred in october 2016 off the coast of yemen where are missiles were fired targeting our forces. Centraldmiral who heads command said iran is connected to this, end quote. Since april 20, 15, u. S. War ships intercepted five shipments of weapons to houthi forces. And the u. S. Forces Central Commander said a missile fired at rihad was manufactured by iran. In yemen we cannot forget we have to undermine their influence. The white house released a new strategy and it stated, quote, the Iranian Regime has taken advantage of conflicts to aggressively expand its regional influence and threaten its neighbors with little domestic or international costs for its actions, end quote. I believe targeted sanctions are needed against iran for providing weapons, weapons that are being used to directly target u. S. Soldiers in the region. And lastly, mr. Speaker, we cannot forget about the threats eminating from the u. S. Designated Foreign Terrorists organizations, al the Arabian Peninsula. United states must conduct operations in yemen to counter the threats, but we cannot do it alone. A few months ago, we teamed up with local forces to target the militants. This is another positive sign in the region where we can partner with our Gulf Partners to fight jointly. These are essential toll protect our National Security interests and bring regional stability in the region. While a lot of the foge cuss that is put on hezbollah and hamas in the region, we cannot forget about the militant activities that iran is undertaking through its proxy in yemen, the howies. Thank you, and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna. Mr. Khanna i yield five minutes to the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. Mcgovern, who has been a real advocate and champion for the war powers act in this institution. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Mcgovern i thank the gentleman from california for yielding me the time and his leadership to bring before this house the critical issue of policy in yemen. I thank him for his determination to provide this house with at least 30 minutes to debate the come policity of the United States through its support of the saudiled forces in the greatest humanitarian crisis taking place on this planet. I believe the house should be considering mr. Khannas original resolution. The Republican Leaders made it impossible by threatening do put forward a right for congressman khanna to ever call his prifled resolution up for debate. According to the United Nations, yemen is suffering the Fastest Growing cholera epidemic and faces the biggest food emergency. Saudi arabia has blocked its ports and airports. It sealed the countrys borders. The people of yemen have been cut off for all humanitarian aid during this epidemic and the ability of humanitarian agencies to provide relief has been significantly impeded. The United Nations has called the closure of borders catastrophic. Even the International Community of the red cross was forbidden to cross the northern border ith a delivery of chlorine tablets. Two smaller southern ports and one red seaport will be open soon. But the main port where 80 of yemens Food Supplies will be closed. Mr. Speaker, it is well documented that the sawed ayled coalition and saudi forces have rried out a ruthless Bombing Campaign that targets hospitals, schools, food markets and civilian population including children. The World Food Program has warned hundreds of thousands of children will be on the brink of starvation if the blockade lasts for two weeks. That deadline will arrive next tuesday two days before we enjoy our thanksgiving with our family, friends and loved ones. Will the members of the house spare a thought to the mothers, fathers and children as we sit down and eat. Or will this congress after more than 2 1 2 years send a clear message to saudi arabia that its actions are intolerable. Mr. Speaker, saudi arabias actions and the coalition it leads in the yemen civil war may rise to the level of war crimes and crimes against humidity. It is passed time for this house to clearly declare that the United States will no longer provide or sell military aid, equipment and munenishons to war criminals and not supply midair fueling to head to yemen. That the u. S. Will no longer share intelligence with the Saudi Coalition and we will no longer remain a complicit and passive partner in carrying out one of the worlds debatest humanitarian crisis. I know the Houthi Rebels are guilty of war crimes. Tom lantoost Human Rights Commission held a hearing on the humanitarian crisis in yemen so i know full well the athe Tropical Storm yits committed by all parties. Yemen is one proxy in the religious and political struggle where sunnis and show eat iran. That trumps every other single consideration. We need to action with extreme caution and how we allow to support potential war criminals in pursuit of consolidating their own regional power. This power struggle is escalating further. Rather than the u. S. Policy working to cool things down, we are encouraging it to heat up. I do not want the United States to be complicit in supporting the killing and maiming of children. I dont want the United States to be deliberate in deliberating attacks of schools, hospitals, markets and homes. I dont want us to be complicit of bombing water plants and supporting the blockade that condemns tens of thousands of children. Once again, i thank congressman khanna who have supported this effort to have this debate and thank them for this leadership. But this is serious. And thank you, mr. Khanna, for leading you in this debate. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from massachusetts yields. The gentleman from california reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california. Mr. Royce reclaiming my time. So the purpose of this resolution is to pressure the saudis to take those steps to reopen access to those ports. That is what we are doing. We need to be talking about the other aspect of what we are also trying to do here. And that is to try to get the houthis to respond to the actions taken by the United Nations to get the houthis to lift their empedments that they have put in place. They need to respect the neutrality of aid and stop diverting convoys away from those who are in need as we know is a problem. That need to accept the United Nations plan to administer the port so deliveries of essential food and medicines can resume. Part of our difficulty here is the houthis are or have become supporters, nian they are a minority in yemen, but iran uses them to exploit divisions within the society. The houthis slogan is derived from irans own antiu. S. Slogan. The slogan, if you listen to them is death to america. Death to israel, damn the jews. They didnt pick that up on their own. Part of the problem is the leaders of the houthi militia were indoctrinated in iran as part of an iranian attempt to construct a hezbollahlike proxy in yemen. They have done it. We are trying to figure out a way to convince them to reopen the port under the u. N. Auspices here and convince the saudis and other memberships of this coalition that they should cooperate on this access as well. This is the attempt of this resolution. And i yield four minutes to the gentleman from texas, mike mccaul, chairman of the committee on Homeland Security. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas is recognized for four minutes. Mr. Mccaul thank you, mr. Speaker and mr. Chairman. I rise in support of this resolution expressing the urgent need for a political solution in yemen. As the civil war continues well into its third year, the situation on the ground becomes more dire by the day despite multiple attempts to broker a political agreement to end the human suffering, peace remains elusive. Al qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula has taken advantage of this power vacuum created by the conflict and has allowed them to expand into the southern and eastern ports of yemen where they continue to plot external operations against the United States. At the same time, much like in lebanon, syria and iraq, iran continues its campaign in yemen where its actions prolong the conflict and exacerbated the nightmare. As highlighted by secretary mattis, everywhere you look, if there is trouble in the region, you find iran. This is not by coincidence. As Prime Minister netanyahu said on a recent trip, iran is working around the clock to some lid file its presence through the accomplishment of a land bridge from iraq to lebanon referred to as the shia crescent. Iran on multiple occasions has been caught attempting to smuggle weapons, ammunitions into the region. They have also provided Technical Assistance to the houthis, enabling them to manufacture Ballistic Missiles, and saudi arabia is often their main target. In order to protect their security interests of the saudi people, the government inry had has taken in riyadh has taken defense actions such as blockades as well as offensive measures to stem attacks on the kingdom. Such as an unsuccessful Ballistic Missile attack on the capital just earlier this month. However, while saudi arabia has the right to prioritize its security, we cannot dismiss the effects of its actions on the grave humanitarian suffering on the ground where more than 27 million face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. As such, this resolution rightly highlights the need for a political solution to this conflict and condemns iranian activities that undermine peace efforts. Furthermore, it calls on all parties of the conflict to take additional measures to prevent civilian casualties and increase muchneeded humanitarian access. Lastly, this resolution encourages the International Community to join in providing the resources necessary to address this crisis. I commend all those involved. Its a rell threat that i see as its a real threat that i see as chairman of the Homeland Security every day, and i want to thank the chairman for bringing this and the gentleman across the other side of the aisle for bringing this important resolution to the floor. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from texas yields back. The gentleman from california, mr. Royce, reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna, for mr. Khanna i yield four minutes to the gentleman from minnesota, mr. Nolan, who has been a force on these issues. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for four minutes. Mr. Nolan the truth is america has no business involving itself in this saudiled civil war in yemen. Thats why i introduced my amendment that passed the house just last july declaring none of the funds in the National Defense authorization act will be used to deploy Ground Troops in yemen. But the fact is the United States is still financially supporting this saudiled war and thats simply wrong for three primary reasons. First off, americas support for this saudiled war in yemen is unauthorized. Congress never approved a declaration of war in yemen. Nothing could be more clearer in the constitution of the United States as to who has the responsibility for declaring wars. Its not the president. Its the congress of the United States of america. Right now we are still financially supporting a saudi air war and blockade in yemen, both acts of war. Its time to put a stop to that. Second, were supporting this saudiled blockade thats causing a horrific starvation, disease and death in yemen. This blockade has forced more than seven Million People in yemen to the brink of starvation. It has sparked the Worlds Largest cholera crises in recorded history, and more than 8,000 people in yemen have been killed and nearly 50,000 injured in air strikes and fighting on the ground. It is unconscionable for us to continue support for this war. Finally, i cant say enough. America is already involved in too many endless wars of choice in the middle east. The president of the United States acknowledged that we have spent 6 trillion just on the wars in iraq and afghanistan. 6 trillion. And they have acknowledged we have 2 trillion in expenses going forward, taking care of the heroes that served our nation, lost arms and legs and irreparable damage. Thats 1 trillion. Think about it. For one of those trillion, just one of them, we could have eliminated student debt in america. Think about for another one of those trillion, there is a trillion for our infrastructure. Think about it, for another trillion, we could have found a cure for cancer or diabetes or alzheimers or any one of a number of things. These wars endless wars of choice where we have inadvertently been on virtually every side of the conflicts one way or another, one time or another, are so costly in blood and treasury its time to put a stop to spending these trillions on these wars and start reen vesting in america, reinvesting in america, reinvesting in the American People. Congress must stand up and ing an end to the american involvement of these wars, especially in yemen where we have no authorization and no business being involved. Thank you, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from minnesota yields. The gentleman from california, mr. Khanna, reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Royce. Mr. Royce i yield three minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. Smith, hes chairman of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on africa, global health, Global Human Rights and international organizations. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. Mr. Smith thank you, mr. Speaker. House resolution 599 urges a political solution to yemen, calls on all parties to the conflict to increase efforts to adopt all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent civilian casualties and increase humanitarian assistance. Events of the past week demonstrate the urgency of resolving this perilous conflict. On saturday, november 4, iranianbacked Houthi Rebels in yemen fired an iranianmade Ballistic Missile at saudi arabias capital. By monday, riyadh, in the midst of a pal ace shakeup, described the attack as a war. And ordered all ports close. They said it was necessary to prevent iran to continue to arm the houthis but the move also spelled dire consequences for yemen civilian population suffering under the third year of punishing wartime conditions. In a country where nearly 70 of the population needs some form of humanitarian and protection assistance, port closures have the distinct look of collective punishment. Although saudi arabia this morning announced it would begin lifting the restrictions, this dramatic si against of events underscores the potential this war has on any given hour or day to explode in a regional confrontation and even greater humanitarian catastrophe. From the regional perspective, Yemen Remains a critical foot hold for iranian influence on the southern flank of the middle east. The conflict there allows the Iranian Regime to sew enstability that is to its own benefit and that other avowed enemies of the United States and our allies. Gaps in governance around the region have served as an entryway for iranian influence. Most notably in syria and iraq, ere iran and syria will have hezbollah extend its influence. Tehran is doing the same in men where has houthi militias, the yemens isis affiliate. From the humanitarian perspective, mr. Speaker, the ongoing cost of the war are absolutely at offic. The ircr, International Red cross, warns that the cholera outbreak is exploding. Its 750,000. Could reach a million by the end of this year. In july the w. H. O. Called the cholera outbreak the worst in the world. In march of this year i chaired a congressional hearing on the growing threat of cholera and other diseases in the middle east. At the time we focused on the especially on the outbreak in iraq and syria brought by the collapse of the Health Care Sectors and the sanitation infrastructure. Today that epidemic now is in yemen and it has overtaken even iraq and syria. I yield back and i appreciate the resolution. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from california, mr. Royce, reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna. Mr. Khanna can i yield five minutes to the gentleman from maryland, mr. Raskin, who is a constitutional law professor . The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maryland is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Raskin mr. Speaker, thank you very much. Whats unfolding in yemen today is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. The war in yemen has already claimed more than 10,000 civilian lives, according to the u. N. With this gruesome death toll as a backdrop, the u. N. Is now warning that yemen is facing the largest famine that the world has seen in many decades. According to matthew nims, the acting director of usaids food for Peace Program who testified before congress, famine is on the agenda now because the saudiled military campaign in yemen is, quote, using hunger as a weapon of war, but using hunger as a weapon of war as a way to assault and destroy the civilian population is completely in disregard of the laws of war. But that weapon is proving to be brutally effective. More than seven million yemenis are food insecure tonight, which is a polite way of saying they are on the brink of starving to death. As we speak more than two out of three yemenis have no idea where their next meal will come from. Meanwhile, the saudiimposed blockade and the deliberate targeting in yemen of water and Sewage Systems along with hospitals and schools, have ingendered in that country the largest civilian cholera crisis in recorded human history. More than 900,000 people are suffering from a massive outbreak of cholera, a bacterial disease that causes severe and painful diarrhea and dehydration and which has already killed more than 2,000 women, men and children. The u. S. Must act to save the people of yemen. We are implicated because we have been refueling saudi and u. A. E. Bombers and offering weapons, intelligence and Logistical Support to the Saudi Campaign despite the fact that congress has never declared war or authorized military operations there. We must do everything in our power to end the blockade on humanitarian assistance and to reopen the pipeline of critical supplies, food, water and medicine to the yemeni population. Congress has never authorized u. S. Involvement in the saudiled war. I could understand that happening in saudi arabia itself where there is no constitution and where the oil monarchy governs according to shahrya law and promotes extremism all around the world but this is america and we have been enabling a brutal war which has driven millions of people to the point of starvation without any declaration of war or explicit legal authorization. The u. N. Humanitarian coordinator now says this is the greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945, and hundreds of thousands or millions of people may die if the blockade is not lifted. While we celebrate thanksgiving, mass starvation may have overtaken yemen. Yet, the blockade is still very much enforced. We must do everything in our power to speed humanitarian assistance to the civilian population, to work towards a diplomatic solution in yemen, to stop the atrocities on all sides and to bring real peace to the region. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from maryland yields back. The gentleman from california, mr. Khanna, reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Royce. Mr. Royce i yield one minute to the gentleman from florida, francis rooney, vice chairman of the committee on Foreign Affairs. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Mr. Rooney thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise to support h. Res. 599, seeking a political solution in yemen and putting pressure on iran to stop their nefarious activities there and i would like to thank chairman royce and mr. Khanna for bringing this to the floor today. Like hezbollah and syria, these Houthi Rebels are just iranian proxy. Ambitions in the region continue to destabilize the middle east and impede our efforts to replace the to reinforce the historic sunni balance of power. A few thousand houthis, a distinct minority, are trying 20 million ait yemenis. Some of the things involve antiship weapons and mines which could threaten our own u. S. Navy. And the Houthi Rebels have directly attacked saudi arabias property. Further, escalating the tensions and bringing us to the brink of a broader conflict in the area. Thank you, mr. Chairman, for bringing this important resolution to the floor. And i yield. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from florida yields. The gentleman from california, mr. Royce, reserves. The gentleman from california, mr. Khanna. Mr. Khanna mr. Speaker, i yield four minutes to the gentleman from new york, mr. Engel, the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs committee, and i really want to thank you, mr. Engel, for your leadership on this resolution. New york is recognized for four minutes. Mr. Engel i thank the gentleman for yielding, and i thank you, mr. Speaker, and i want to commend mr. Khanna for his leadership because i think its important with that our new members come here and really make a difference for these important events all around the world so i thank you. I rise in support of this measure which shines the light on the carnage and suffering which has defined the conflict in yemen. I thank mr. Khanna who has shown leadership. He understands the Critical Role that congress has to play in Foreign Policy and important that this body talk about the civil war in yemen and americas involvement. The United States wields tremendous power, and we have an obligation to debate how those tools are used. We have heard about involvement in the civil war in yemen. The people of yemen are caught in the crossfire. The devastation of yemens infrastructure has led to 900,000 cholera cases. One child dice from mall nutrition, diarrhea or respiratory tract infections. In response, the Saudiled Coalition closed ports. No humanitarian assistance has been allowed to enter yemen. Fuel shortages are limiting access at a time when more than 75 of the people of yemen requires some level of assistance including 6. 8 mill i dont know relinet on food aid. Lets be clear. Neither military action nor food aid will solve the conflict. A political solution is essential that will require some compromise and exit strategy for yemenis Gulf Partners and prevent iranian weapons getting into yemen. What does this mean . The United States provides midair refueling for the Saudiled Coalition and gives intelligence. The United States is engaged with partners around the world under a range of authorities. Some of these are covered by the current authorization by the u. S. Force. We should have more clarity bout the way we use military might. After all, its Congress Responsibility to declare war or limit a president s authority to wage war when necessary. Aumf. Ld sunset the 2001 we never intended there to be a blank check. Face new threats, threats unrelated to the terrorists to attacked new york city. We owe it to our men and women in uniform to have a thorough debate before we stand into harms way. We have to say yes or no. His helps move that debate i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york yields. The gentleman from california, mr. Khanna reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Royce. Mr. Royce i yield one minute to mr. Chabot. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Chabot as former chairman of the middle east committee of Foreign Affairs and having traveled to yemen, i rise in support of h. R. 599, a bill that calls an end to the conflict in yemen and denounces the targeting of innocent civilians and use of civilians as human shields. It has become painfully evident that irans revolutionary guard transfers increasingly sophisticated Weapons Systems to the houthis. These weapons are being used to target civilians as well as one of our regional allies saudi arabia. There is an urgent need for a political solution in yemen with growing famine, 500,000 new olera cases and death of civilians. So i rise in support of this bill and i urge my colleagues to condemn iranian activities in yemen and call on our Global Partners to take appropriate measures against the government of iran including the banning of irans weapons to the houthis and condemning targeting of civilians. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from california, mr. Royce, reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna. Mr. Khanna thank you, mr. Speaker. I want to thank again chairman royce for working with us to get to this resolution. I want to acknowledge people on savva, team, staff, geo chris and pete. Andi want to recognize mira mark who helped with the language. And the peace groups who brought this important cause to the congress. I know there is some isappointment in wanting to go further. And people are very sincere in wanting to help civilians who literally face famine and cholera. But i believe democracy is a messy process, a long process. As i mentioned earlier, 435 members from different parts of the country and i think today we have shown good faith in taking a step forward in highlighting the issue and calling for humanitarian assistance and our g sure that we curtail support for saudi bombing and im confident with the continued involvement of everyone in this body, we will ultimately uphold our values and human rights with every person in this chamber. With that, i yield back my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from california, mr. Khanna, yields back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Royce. Mr. Royce part of the complexity here in this tragedy is that iran does want to turn the houthis into a yemeni version of hezbollah, thereby turning it into a second lebanon. We do face a challenge here in the sense that they are firing iranian missiles on a regular basis at cities across saudi arabia and firing on rihad, the capital. Now we have not committed American Forces to fight against the houthi forces in yemen. Our main involvement has been in the form of humanitarian assistance. And our long standing preexisting security relationships with regional partners, saudi, u. A. E. , gulf coordination council. I dont disagree that we must push them to improve their operations to better avoid civilian casualties and humanitarian harm. But it is a dangerous delusion to think that distancing ourselves from those security relationships would serve the cause of peace and security in yemen in the region. It would do the opposite. House resolution 599 in my opinion is a very responsible reaction to the ongoing crisis, but it expresses the urgent need for a political solution in yemen to prevent civilian casualties and condemns iran for its continuing destabilizing activities in yemen in violation of the United Nations Security Council and i thank mr. Khanna for this resolution. The speaker pro tempore all time for debate has expired, punt to the house of november 1, 2017, the previous question is ordered on the resolution. The question is on adoption of the resolution. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it. The resolution is agreed to. Mr. Royce i request the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking the vote will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, further proceedings of this question will be postponed. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until patch cspan this week as Congress Debates tax reform. Live coverage on cspan. Get details at cspan. Org congress and listen to live coverage of tax reform using the free cspan radio app. Tonight, on the communicators, well discuss legislation opposing online sex trafficking. Missouri republican congresswoman ann wagner talks about her bill, the fight online sex trafficking act. And the counsel for netchoice discusses why he his group prefers a different approach than the house and senate bill. Many Different Actors can be affected by the Communications Decency act. What were doing with my piece of legislation is to make sure we are very narrowly going in and amending section 230 to make sure that condition gregsal intent is clear when it comes to the issue of sex trafficking. Because right now, a lot of these Online Internet actors and providers, websites, like backteenage. Com and a whole host of others that are that have been blossom, sadly, over the last handful of years, make sure they cannot hide behind the Communications Decency act and its immunity. When it comes to sex trafficking, weve been told a lot of this is in coded language. A lot harder to identify. One of the things we suggested is something of a clearinghouse, to where if a website or Civil Society identifies certain codes, certain i. P. Addresses, certain email address or phone numbers that are known with sex traffickers, you put that in a central repository so that online groups can scan against that and better identify these languages. Watch the communicators tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan2. And news today from new jersey that the jury weighing ribery charges against senator menendez told the judge today members of the jury are deadlockeded on whether to convict him. The judge told them to take the rest of the day off and try again tomorrow. Senator menendez is accused of taking gifts such as a hotel stay, private flights and hundreds of thousands of
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