up a -- dealing with a couple of measures. and a measure commending the capitol police for yesterday's efforts at the shooting at the republican baseball practice. live coverage of the u.s. house here on c-span.

the speaker: the house will be in order. the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father conroy. chaplain conroy: let us pray. almighty god, thank you for giving us another day. in your presence, dark nights of challenges are dispelled by the dawn of your love and you know our needs before we express them. thank you for daily providing our lawmakers with guidance and strength. e pause to thank you for the courage and sacrificial service for our capitol police. forgive us when we take their daily courageous service for granted. forgive us, also, when we seem to forget that words matter and can become seeds that will

bring a bitter harvest. bring speedy healing to our brother steve scalise and all those injured in yesterday's shooting. bring peace and solace to all those affected by yesterday's tragedy. today, use the members of this people's house as part of your peace, bringing unity from division, light from darkness, from m sadness and hope despair. dear god, continue to bless america and may all that is done this day be for your greater honor and glory. amen. the speaker: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford. mr. crawford: please join me in the pledge. i pledge allegiance to the flag

of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker: the chair will entertain up to 15 requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i would like to bring attention common cia, a autoimmune disease affecting almost seven million americans today. this disease is characterized by hair loss in round patches throughout the body and can affect everyone, regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. alopecia can have a devastating psychological consequence on patients, especially children whose confidence and emotional

well-being can be severely impacted by the physical manifestation of this disease. although there's currently no cure for this disease, we are blessed to have organizations like the national alopecia ariata foundation working tirelessly to bring hope to those whose lives have been touched by this condition. although this wonderful staff of volunteers work night and day, we are confident that naff is the leading essential support for research to a cure which will happen and serve as a helping hand to the families as they deal with this overwhelming disease. mr. speaker, this is much we can do to help patients and especially caregivers. so i encourage everyone in my community in south florida and around the nation to visit naaf.org to learn more about alopecia ariata and to find out how you can get involved and

help find a cure for this disease. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? the gentleman is recognized for ne minute. mr. higgins: mr. speaker, soon president trump will announce plans to reinstitute an almost 60-year u.s. embargo on cuba. this embargo was lifted by president obama in 2014, and today over 75% of americans support continued normalized relationships with cuba. the new open relationship with cuba has helped grow the u.s. economy, and the president's plan to close cuba will cost the u.s. economy over $6.5 billion. roswell park cancer institute in my home community of buffalo, new york, is today partnered with the center for

immunotherapy in cuba to clinically test in the united states a lung cancer vaccine giving advanced lung cancer patients new hope. the roswell park led clinical trial, approved by the united states department of food and drug administration, was only possible because of normalized relationships with cuba. president trump wants to destroy that relationship, and this congress needs to stand up to this president. on behalf of the millions of americans who benefit, including millions of cancer patients from open relationships between the united states and cuba. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from arkansas seek recognition? >> request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to honor the life of police officer from my district who lost his life in the line of duty just this week. lieutenant patrick wetherford

was a 10-year veteran in the criminal investigations division. he graduated from university of arkansas at new port and little rock. he was the husband to kristen and loving father to his daughter and son. on monday, june 12, wetherford responded to reports of a vehicle break-in at 6:00 p.m. he was shot and taken to a local hospital where shortly after he succumbed to his wounds. while he i did not know him -- while i did not know him personally, i know he was beloved by his community. the police chief described him as an excellent friend and wanted to make things better for new port. others described him as a calming presence. he graduated from new port high school and dedicated his life to learning how to serve the community he loved better and better. patrick graduated from the f.b.i. academy in quantico, virginia. he was named jackson officer of the year.

his passing should be a reminder what we ask of our police officers and first responders every day year in and year out. the work they do is so often underappreciated, and yet their dedication and discipline allows all of us to live in peace and safety. my thoughts continue to be with lieutenant wetherford's family, their police department and the community of new port. what our fellow men and women risk to protect us each and every day should humble us all. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. ton can: -- mr. duncan: i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. duncan: madam speaker, this is my 29th year in congress. i followed the issues since my early teens more than 50 years ago. i have never seen anywhere close to the anger and hatred there is on political issues there is today. yesterday on the chris plant show he mentioned that professor john griffin from the art institute of washington last month professor griffin posted a link to a "washington

post" column with the professor commenting that all republican members of the house, quote, should be lined up and shot. he added, quote, that's not hyperbole. blood is on their hands. that was in support of a "washington post" column by paul saying the republican health care bill was a, quote, act of monstrous cruelty that should, quote, stain those who supported to the end of their days. those who have so much hatred and anger in their hearts and minds seriously need to seek religious or psychiatric help. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? mr. bilirakis: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bilirakis: madam speaker, i join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in calling to address my deep sorrow after

yesterday's shooting. at the end of the day, we are not republicans or democrats. we are americans. we may disagree with one another, but we cannot allow those disagreements to change how we treat each other as fellow human beings. i believe we need to change our tone and bring more civility to our political discourse. young people across the country look to us to set an example, and we all must rise to the occasion. this horrible violence will not divide us, and it will not stop us from getting pack to business on behalf of the american people. let us come together as americans, above all else, and keep our good friend, of course, steve scalise and all those affected by the shootings, in our prayers. i yield back, madam speaker.

thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the time of the gentleman has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. smith: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. smith: mr. speaker, we must speak truth to the powerful liberal media. the spite and venom they hurl daily at the president contributes to an environment of hatred and violence. the media's constant barrage of personal attacks can incite someone to take irrational actions. the shooter at the virginia ballpark yesterday wouned five people. his facebook page once read, quote, it's time to destroy trump and company, end quote. that's not much different from the tone of many media articles. a study last month found the president received a higher percentage of negative coverage than any recent president. in a public opinion poll showed the media's credibility at a record low. the american people deserve better than a biased media.

for the sake of our country, let's hope they will drop their abusive language. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the chair lays before the house a communication. the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, sir, pursuant to the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the secretary of the senate on june 15, 2017, at 9:13 a.m. that the senate concurs in house amendment to the bill senate 1083. with best wishes i am, signed incerely, karen l. haas. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. burgess: mr. speaker, by the direction of the committee on rules, i call up house resolution 379 and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house calendar number 56.

house resolution 379, resolved, that upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the house the bill h.r. 2372, to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to clarify the rules relating to veteran health insurance and eligibility for the premium tax credit. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on ways and means now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except, one, one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on ways and means, and two, one motion to recommit with or without instructions. section 2, upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in

order to consider in the house the bill h.r. 2579, to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to allow the premium tax credit with respect to unsubsidized cobra continuation coverage. all points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on ways and means now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. the bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. all points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without ntervening motion except, one, one hour of debate equally ivided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the committee on ways and means, and two, one motion to recommit with or without instructions. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for one hour.

mr. burgess: mr. speaker, for the purpose of debate only, i yield the customary 30 minutes to the honorable gentleman from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, pending which i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time. mr. burgess: during consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. burgess: mr. speaker, the day before yesterday the rules committee met and reported a rule for consideration for two very important measures. first, the resolution provides for the consideration of h.r. 2372, the veteran act. this rule provides for one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the ways and means committee. in addition, the resolution provides for consideration of h.r. 2579, the broader options for america act.

this rule provides for one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the ways and means committee. mr. speaker, both of these bills are part of the house of representatives' commitment to repair damage done by the affordable care act. these bills seek to amend key parts of the american health care act which the house passed on may 4, 2017. the american health care act expands health coverage options for americans by allowing them to use advanceable, re-- advanceable refundable tax credits to purchase state-approved plans in the individual market. the two bills will ensure the tax credits that americans will use to purchase health insurance policies will be available to all who qualify. when the house passed the american health care act, the bill included individual advanceable, flexible, refundable tax credits that individuals can use to purchase health insurance policies on the individual market. when the bill passed, however,

procedural reasons prevented the house from including two key groups of americans. veterans who are eligible for coverage through the v.a. and individuals who need to get continuation of coverage through an employer cobra-sponsored plan. the two bills covered under this rule will remedy that same problem. in recent years, the internal revenue service has adopted a practice of providing eligible veterans the choice to get financial support for a private plan in lieu of enrolling in health care provided by the department of veterans affairs. h.r. 2372, the veteran act, will codify this and continue that practice retroactively for both the affordable care act's premium tax credit and the new tax credit created in the american health care act. veterans will continue to be able to get premium support when they opt out to purchase a

private health plan instead of enrolling in the health care provided by the veterans administration. cimoli, h.r. 2579 -- similarly, h.r. 2579 will expand access to new tax credits to cobra in the continuation of that coverage. under cobra, plans -- group plans allow beneficiaries to keep their existing employer-sponsored coverage if they are laid off, work fewer hours, or lose insurance due to a change in family circumstance lings. often those -- circumstances. often those who need to use the cobra coverage are those most in need. such as individuals who are in the middle of a treatment course and want to preserve their network of providers. cobra coverage is frequently very expensive, since the individual policyholder must now pay all of the premium for their policy. h.r. 2579 will extend the new tax credits to include people receiving cobra coverage, and enable people who need it to

continue taking advantage of their employer-sponsored health care coverage, even after a triggering event. mr. speaker, the bills the house will consider under this rule will help fulfill the promise republicans made to the american people. we made repealing and replacing the affordable care act with something that works the highest priority. six weeks ago we took the first step in fulfilling that promise with the passage of the american health care act. and today we'll take another step forward, creating a health care system that works for all americans. mr. speaker, i urge support for the rule, i urge support for the underlying legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts seek recognition? mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i want to rise to respond to the gentleman and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time. mr. mcgovern: mr. speaker, i want to thank the gentleman from

texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. to begin by expressing my appreciation to both the speaker of the house and the minority leader for their presentations before the full house yesterday, in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy. which has wounded our colleague, steve scalise, and two capitol police officers and two staffers . we were all horrified by what happened. but i thought both the speaker and the minority leader came to the floor and set the right tone, not only for this congress, but for the nation. speaker ryan yesterday i thought truly was the speaker of the entire house of representatives. because when he said that, you know, an attack against one of us is an attack against all of us, i think everyone feels that way. i thought it was also important

that both speaker ryan and minority leader pelosi reminded us that we are all part of one family. sometimes we might be a little dysfunctional but the bottom line is we are all part of one family. and like all families, we have our disagreements and we have our points of view and we fight for what we believe in. there is nothing wrong with that. that is what is right about this country. but clearly our politics there wrong in this country have gotten coarse. in many cases, ugly. what happened yesterday is something that i think all of us are deeply shocked by. so we pray for our colleagues -- colleague, steve scalise. we pray for matt mika, zack barth, and the two capitol

police officers, david bailey and krystal griner. we pray for their speedy recovery. and i too want to echo the stated ts that were yesterday by our leadership, both the republican and the democratic parties, that we honor our capitol hill police officers. they protect us each and every day. they put their lives on the line for us. and if they weren't there, the situation could have been much, much worse. so i thank god that they were there. as far as the rule goes, the gentleman from texas knows how i feel about closed rules. i voice my opinion on that often and i will continue to voice my opinion on that. but i don't think today's the time for me to prolong this debate. and i think we should move on

and that's what i intend to do. just one final thing, mr. speaker. n a personal note. this is the last rule that david vince will work on here in the rules committee. he's been a fixture over the past several years both in committee meetings and here on the this is the last rule house flo. he's worked on everything from health care to national security. and on complex legislation impacting the financial industry. when david started working here in 2011, he went by his full name. david m. cooper vince. but since he married his wife, jessica, he now insists we simply call him david vince. so we are all still adjusting to the change. but there is good news. while david vince is leaving the house, he's not going far. he will attend graduate school at georgetown university here in washington to study business. we all wish david and his wife, jessica, well, and we hope to welcome him back to government service again someday. so, david, thank you very much for your incredible service to this house.

and again, i thank the gentleman from texas for yielding. mr. speaker, i will yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. burgess: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, let me just say that i do agree with the honorable gentleman from massachusetts. yesterday i think speaker ryan gave one of the finest speeches that i've heard on the floor of this house. and i also agree that there will be ample time for debate on all of the issues that are encompassed in today's rule. i look forward to that spirited debate, as i always have in the past. but i also agree with the gentleman that some of that debate may be best left for another day. i also want to acknowledge the gentleman from massachusetts and his comments about david vince. any time one of our staffers departs from either the minority or majority side, it is obviously a time of gratitude for their service. we look forward to what is next in their lives.

but i want to join with the gentleman from massachusetts that we appreciate the service of david vince to the minority and to the members of the rules committee in general. so thank you for your service to the house, david. mr. speaker, i applaud my colleagues for all of their work on these -- on the rules and the underlying bills. i will yield back the balance of my time and i move the previous question on the resolution. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the previous question is ordered. 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. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the chair lays before the house n enrolled bill. the clerk: senate 1083.

an act to amend title 5, united states code, to provide for stays during a period that the merit systems protection board acks a quorum.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition?

mr. marchant: mr. speaker, pursuant to husband -- pursuant to house resolution 379, i call up the bill h.r. 2372, the veteran act, and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 106. h.r. 2372. a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to clarify the rules relating to veteran health insurance and eligibility for the premium tax credit. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 379, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the -- excuse me, by the committee on ways and means printed in the bill is adopted in the bill -- and the bill as amended is considered read. the gentleman from texas, mr. marchant, and the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. neal, each will control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. marchant. mr. marchant: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include

extraneous materials on the bill currently under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. . mr. marchant: mr. speaker, i'd first like to thank chairman brady for his strong support of this bill, the veterans equal treatment ensures relief in access now, the veterans act. this important legislation, which was reported out of the ways and means committee on a ipartisan basis, will ensure all eligible veterans have access to quality, affordable care private health insurance. mr. speaker, this chamber cannot underscore enough the -- ifices of our veterans the sacrifices they have made to protect the freedom and individual liberty of each american. in return for their faithful service, these brave men and women are promised that when they return home they will have

access to affordable health care through the veterans administration. however, some veterans decide to forgo their v.a. benefits and instead choose than alternative health care. veterans should have the opportunity to choose the best health care option available to fit their needs. it is only right that our veterans are given the same opportunity as our other citizens have and the citizens that they defend. there have been conflicting reports about the eligibility of certain veterans to receive tax credits for all health insurance under the american health care act. make no mistake about it, no veteran would see a change in their eligibility status as a result of the ahca. in fact, despite the democrats'

claims about veterans' eligibility for tax credits under the ahca, when they voted for and signed obamacare into law, they failed to include this very same clarification in statute. rather, they left it to the department of the treasury to issue a regulation clarifying that veterans are still eligible for a credit unless they are enrolled in a v.a. health care benefit plan. so today, this legislation, authorized by my friend and a veteran, mr. sam johnson, should put into law current practice, confirming that veterans can without question get a tax credit to purchase health insurance in the individual market if they choose not to enroll in v.a. coverage. t's important to note that ahca initially proposed to put into law this current practice,

but that provision had to be removed due to senate guidance about their chamber's unique reconciliation rules. while i am disappointed this happened, i'm glad this body is acting on this item today. i would note that this legislation has received the support of several veterans' organizations, including the paralyzed veterans of america, the association of the united states navy and the retired enlisted association. i think it's something we can all agree on is that our veterans should have the choice in where they receive their health care. just like the american citizens they defended. and in that spirit, this bill is something we can all get behind. to our veterans and their families, i thank them for their service. and to my friend, sam johnson, i thank him for his leadership and the authoring of this important bill.

i ask my colleagues for their support on the veterans act. thank you, mr. speaker. and i yield back -- i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. neal: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, before i begin, i want to send my deepest thoughts and prayers to our colleague, whip scalise, the capitol police officers and the staff members that were injured in yesterday's shooting. although my republican colleagues and i have robust policy discussions, ultimately we desire the same goals. today is no different, and our institution is based on the respect and thoughtful debate that remain important pillars of our democracy. mr. speaker, this discussion and debate that we're about to have here is an honest disagreement. there is no suggestion here there's anybody on this side of the aisle that's any less enthusiastic or any more less sincere in their support of what our veterans need and desire. this is an honest policy

dispute, and i must tell you based on long service in this institution, this is an unusual manner in which to proceed. we are actually being asked today to amend a piece of legislation that a month ago left this institution. i've not been witness to this i believe in the past, and i hope as we go on for the next hour that we'll have a chance to connect the dots for our colleagues about why this underlying bill is less than desirable. last month, the republicans brought trumpcare to the house floor and every democrat in this institution opposed it. this was the republican leadership's second attempt to pass the repeal, and it seems their first attempt was not harmful enough to the american people. the measure, as passed, takes health insurance from millions of americans, raises premiums for working families and places an age tax on older americans.

middle-class americans would end up on the losing end while millionaires would receive a handsome, nearly $1 trillion tax cut. perhaps most concerning is that members voted in favor of this legislation without understanding its impact on the american people. there were no hearings on trumpcare. amendments were rushed to the floor without committee consideration, and c.b.o. score was not available at the time the house considered it. c.b.o., based on nonpartisan career professionals, provides important context and independent advice for members of congress. it provides an opportunity for us to look at the long tem result and ramification -- long-term results and ramifications of policies we're considering. clearly our republican friends don't care about the jarring consequences c.b.o. foretold. the house has ignored important

procedures when considering these important measures. first, since the republican repeal bill passed, the c.b.o. confirmed that the measure would leave 23 million americans without health insurance. it would cut medicaid by $800 billion, discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions and drastically raise premiums for older americans. earlier this week, the c.m.s. actuary confirmed that out-of-pocket costs will rise by 61%, and premiums will be 5% higher than under current law. simply put, trutchcare would force americans to -- trumpcare would force americans to pay more for lower quality health care coverage. second, this bill is not appropriate to consider now because it amends the trumpcare bill, as i noted a moment ago, has not passed the senate, and our senate colleagues have stated they are rewriting a

house bill that the president called mean. now, i would like to turn my substantive concerns with the bills -- substantive concerns with this bill. h.r. 2372 would amend the ahca to allow veterans not enrolled in military-related coverage to receive tax credits. it does nothing to fix the issues in the trumpcare bill. whether or not you initially supported the wars in iraq and afghanistan -- and i was one of the few in this institution that voted and spoke against the war in iraq those years ago these wars have created one million more veterans, and we need to do what we can to provide them with the support that we promised them. but let me remind my colleagues that the trumpcare bill would shift costs onto veterans through per capita caps, roll back medicaid expansion for veterans and erode essential health benefits and

pre-existing condition protections. the republican health plan would dramatically cut medicaid, a program that provides health care for nearly two million veterans. and the president's recently released budget takes it a step further by cutting veterans' programs, including disability benefits. even if this bill is incorporated into trumpcare legislation, it would not undo the terrible cuts in the bill. enormous coverage losses, more than $800 billion worth of cuts to medicaid, unravel important consumer protections, cuts to programs designed to help address the opioid addiction crisis in my state of massachusetts and throughout the nation. i'm quite sure everyone in this institution at this moment and those who are viewing, they know somebody close to them who was addicted to opioids.

in addition, medicaid is a program that many middle-class americans rely on for long-term care. thanks to medicare and medicaid, your parents are not living in your attic. this bill does nothing to fix the republican health care plan and could create new problems. if republicans are serious about addressing middle-class american health care needs, they should go back to the drawing board and start over and work with us. the exercise is a distraction from the real issue, which is the harm caused by the underlying trumpcare bill. instead, we should be considering issues that help hardworking americans and their families. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. burgess: thank you, mr. -- mr. marchant: thank you, mr. chairman. i agree with ranking member neal that this is just a difference of opinion. it's a difference of policy

opinion. there is no animosity on either side of this debate. my friend sam johnson is back in texas now and he was not able to be here today. he's asked me to put his statement in the record, and i uld ask that the speaker accept that statement. the speaker pro tempore: it will be covered by general leave. mr. marchant: it's my honor today to recognize the chairman of the veterans' committee, dr. roe. the speaker pro tempore: dr. roe is recognized for such time eas may consume. -- as he may consume. mr. roe: i rise today in support of h.r. 2372, the veterans equal treatment ensures relief and access now, or veteran act, which i am a proud to sponsor along with congressman sam johnson from texas and a number of our colleagues. the veteran act would codify an existing internal revenue

service regulation allowing a veteran who is eligible for but not enrolled the veterans affairs health care system to use a tax credit to purchase health insurance. language that would have codified that regulation into law was removed from a draft version of the american health care act in 2017 earlier this year to comply with senate rules. while the removal of that language from the version of the bill that ultimately passed the house in no way changed existing regulation or a veteran's eligibility to receive a tax credit pursuant to it, it did form a basis for politically charged assertions that the american health care act would harm veterans. first, congressional intent is clear. second, i'm confident that the i.r.s. would interpret the relevant language of the american health care act in the same manner as it did similar language in the affordable care act under the obama

administration. nevertheless, i'm glad that the passage of the veteran act today will once and for all put an end to posturing over this issue and codify congress' expectation that veterans, who are eligible for but not enrolled in v.a. care -- the v.a. health care system may continue to receive applicable tax credits to purchase health insurance. i urge all of my colleagues to support the passage of the veteran act today. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman reserves, and i recognize the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. neal: i'd yield three minutes to the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. kind. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized for three minutes. mr. kind: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my friend from massachusetts for yielding me time. i rise in support of the veteran act, the legislation before us today, and i do so for a very simple reason. this merely codifies what's already existing law under the affordable care act or so-called obamacare, something that was done through rulemaking that i presume has bipartisan support. yes, it's important to protect

the veterans, but the reason we're on the floor today is another example of one of the greatest legislative malpractice acts ever committed in congress, trying to pass a republican health care bill with no oversight, with no hearing, no public input, no experts testifying to run the traps for us as far as the intended and unsbened consequences and the reason we are -- unintended consequences and the reason we are on the floor now is try to correct one of the deficiencies that exist in it. i say it's a so-called health care bill because what it really is is a $900 billion tax break to the most wealthy individuals in our country, including insurance companies, including drug companies under the guise of health care reform and asking 23 million americans, including two million veterans, as my friend from massachusetts just pointed out in medicaid, to give up their health care coverage to pay for that massive tax cut. .

it also will discriminate against older americans in rural districts such as mine in wisconsin, by allowing insurance companies to charge them higher premiums. it will also allow insurance companies to once again discriminate against individuals that have pre-existing conditions. it does absolutely nothing to control the cost of health care, which has been rising. especially prescription drug costs. that's affecting all americans. and it was done in a way to jam this congress and jam the american people about the consequences of this so-called health care bill. so, yeah, let's fix and make sure that we're protecting veterans. who are getting their health care outside of the v.a. medical center so that they too qualify for premium tax credits, which this legislation allows. but let's do health care the right way. by studying the implications of what will affect 1/5 of the entire u.s. economy, almost 1/2

of all federal spending, let's regroup and do it the right way. through normal legislative process. that's having bipartisan discussions, committee hearings, talking to the experts and consumers and patients alike, so we know what we're getting into, when we're trying to take a run at the importance of health care in our country. one area that i think we can reach bipartisan agreement or should be focused on are further steps to reduce the cost of health care, to make it more affordable for all americans. again, we're missing that opportunity because of the lack of hearings and because of how this legislation was rushed through this chamber just a month ago. we on this side didn't even get to see the language of it until late the night before it was on the house floor. that is no way to legislate health care policy. let's fix it today with this one small piece of legislation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas.

mr. marchant: the gentleman from texas reserves. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. >> mr. speaker, -- mr. neal: mr. speaker, let me recognize the gentleman from california, mr. takano, for 2 1/2 minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for 2 1/2 minutes. mr. takano: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to begin my remarks by offering my thoughts and prayers to majority whip steve scalise and his family, as well as special agents david bailey and krystal griner, and the two other members of our community who were injured in yesterday's attack. we are a family. from members to staff, to the capitol police officers, to keep -- who keep us safe. families have disagreements and arguments but in the end we support each other and speaker ryan got it absolutely right yesterday. an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. we owe it to the american people to hold a vigorous and public debate of our ideas. we also owe it to them and to each other to do so without losing touch with our humanity. with that in mind, mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 2372, which would protect access to

tax credits for up to seven million veterans unthe american health care act. however -- under the american health care act. however, i am concerned about the process that led to this legislation. in testimony to the rules committee and on the house floor, i described this loophole in the bill that jeopardizes access to tax credits for veterans who rel simply but not enroll -- who are eligible but not enrolled in the v.a. repeatedly supporters of the ahca said veterans' tax credits would be protected by existing regulation. this bill is evidence that the loophole is an issue. and that the existing regulation would no longer apply if the affordable care act was repealed. while i am glad we are making this fix, i am concerned that the rushed process for considering the ahca led to the house passing disruptive health care legislation without fully understanding its impact on millions of americans, especially our nation's veterans. the tax credit issue is relatively easy to solve, but there are more complicated issues for veterans under the ahca that require more comprehensive solutions.

the $834 billion cut to medicaid could impact nearly two million veterans. and the potential for states to waive protections like essential health benefits could leave many veterans without health coverage from the invisible wounds of war. indeed, military service could be construed as a pre-consisting condition. as someone who -- pre-existing condition. as someone who repeatedly called out this veterans loophole, i feel compelled to support this fix. but my support is not an endorsement of the ahca or its impact on veterans and their families. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. marchant: thank you, mr. speaker. it's our privilege today to have a member of the veterans' committee speak, the gentleman from florida, mr. bilirakis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized for how much time? mr. marchant: such time as he

would consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. bilirakis: thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of the veteran act, h.r. 2372. our nation's veterans must have access to affordable, quality health care options. thing -- ofit's one course everything we agree on, particularly when it comes to our veterans. so the veteran act codifies an important protection for those who serve. veterans who are not already enrolled in health insurance through the v.a. will continue to have the option to purchase coverage on the individual insurance market. under the american health care act, those veterans seeking coverage on the individual market will be eligible for tax credits to purchase the plan that's right for them. it's only right. this bill ensures our veterans have more options and more control over their health care.

i'm proud to be an original co-sponsor of this legislation and i urge passage. again, this is something we can all agree on, mr. speaker. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. neal: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield 2 1/2 minutes to the well regarded gentlelady from new hampshire, ms. cussture. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from new mexico -- new hampshire is recognized for two minutes. ms. kuster: thank you, mr. speaker. before i begin, i'd like to take , moment to thank my colleagues general bergman and dr. wenstruppering both colleagues of -- wenstrup, both colleagues of ours on the very bipartisan veterans' affairs committee, for their bravery on the ball field yesterday. yesterday was a heroing day for my -- harrowing day for my colleagues and their courage under fire made this congress and america proud. while majority whip scalise is still in critical condition, our colleagues, who both served our country in uniform, gave mr. scalise a fighting chance.

please keep mr. scalise, matt mika, zack barth, and u.s. capitol police officers krystal griner and david bailey in your thoughts and prayers. i rise before you today on the veteran act to voice my concerns on the underlying bill it seeks to fix, the american health care act. my colleagues and i criticized the ahca a few weeks ago because it did not give veterans access to and choice for affordable health care. and i'm very glad to be here republican my colleagues have realized this and are seeking to help veterans gain access to the tax credits. i renew my commitment to work in a bipartisan way to improve rep colleagues have the health care system in america. our goal should be a system that provides greater access to affordable health care to all americans, including those who have served in uniform. but no one should be under the illusion that the provides greater access ahca, w without the veteran act, will achieve these goals.

the ahca includes significant negative changes to medicaid. and this congress and the american people should know that more than two million veterans rely upon medicaid for their health care. and millions more spouses and children of veterans also rely on medicaid. the ahca would slash $834 billion in medicaid coverage. when 40% of work -- working age veterans on medicaid have no other coverage, passing the ahca will mean that these veterans and their families have no access to life-saving health care. as co-chair of the bipartisan task force combating the opioid epidemic, i urge my colleagues to consider that medicaid provides vital mental health and substance use treatment for many of these veterans and their families, that they will not receive otherwise. for our veterans seeking treatment for combat wounds, ptsd, m.s.t. and other

conditions, under the ahca military service to our country could be considered a pre-existing condition, resulting in a denial of care. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from massachusetts reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. marchant: mr. speaker, we don't have any further speakers at this time. so i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. neal: mr. speaker, if the gentleman is prepared to close, i'll proceed. mr. marchant: yes. mr. neal: ok. mr. speaker, in closing i want to make sure that the american people understand the impact of the underlying bill, that h.r. 2372 intends to amend. the bill purports to make a fix to the republicans' harmful health care bill, but the fix is inadequate for the harm the underlying legislation would cause. we have independent verification from both c.m.s. act wear and the congressional -- actuary and the congressional budget office to reinforce our position. the republican health bill would

cause millions to lose health insurance, face higher premiums, and out-of-pocket costs, and jeopardize the health security that americans with pre-existing conditions have today. we should be working to improve our health care system, not make it more difficult and unaffordable for america's families. if this is such a great policy, let's not tie it to a bill that's doomed in the senate. in fact, if anybody can find out where it's even being discussed or authored in the senate, they should inform us. it clearly is not being done in the open. let's not tie it to that simple provision and pass it as it stands alone today. middle class americans can't afford this recipe. i urge our colleagues to work over the next few months to educate the american people about the republican health plan and how harmful it is to our nation's health.

hospitals oppose it, doctors oppose it, patients groups oppose it. the bill needs to be scrapped and we should instead be helping middle class, not giving giant tax cuts to the wealthy. and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. marchant: thank you, mr. speaker. again i'd like to express my gratitude to ranking member neal and his hard work on the ways and means committee and him keeping the issue before us. but the ahca makes no changes to the veterans health care. under this bill, unless vets decide to enroll in v.a. coverage, they are eligible for financial support. veterans should have the opportunity to choose the best health care option to meet their needs. it is only right that our veterans are given the same

opportunities as citizens that they defended. i urge my colleagues to support the veterans act. i yield back and ask for passage. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. .ll time for debate has expired pursuant to house resolution 379, the previous question is ordered on the bill as amended. the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. third reading. the clerk: a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 19860 clarify the rules relating to veteran health insurance and eligibility for the premium tax credit. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on passage of the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the yes have it. he bill is passed.

for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? mr. tiberi: mr. speaker, pursuant to house resolution 379, i ask to call up the bill, hrment r. -- h.r. 2579, the broader options for americans

act, and ask for its immediate consideration. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 107. h.r. 2579. a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 1986, to allow the premium tax credit with respect to unsubsidized cobra continuation coverage. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to house resolution 379, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the committee on ways and means printed in the bill is adopted and the bill as amended is considered read. the gentleman from ohio, mr. tiberi, and the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. neal, will each control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from ohio, mr. tiberi. . mr. tiberi: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill currently under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. tiberi: mr. speaker, i, too, want to add my thoughts and prayers to our colleague and friend, congressman steve scalise, and the victims of yesterday's shooting. may god be with them during this

time. mr. speaker, my bill, broader options for americans act, is before us today and we have all heard about cobra continuation of coverage which allows someone with group health insurance who experiences a qualifying life event to keep their job-based coverage when they no longer have a job, and most importantly their plans' networks of providers, doctors, hospitals, etc. for a certain a time. currently consumers with cobra coverage who could face a cost f up to 102% of plan costs are no eligible for obamacare's federal subsidies. my bill allows individuals who pay for the full cost of such continuation of coverage to qualify for the tax credit established under the american health care act. this allows those consumers, including clergy, church lay workers, and their dependents experiencing similar

circumstances and who get their coverage through church plans and who have been affected by sudden life changes to receive assistance to pay for their exp unsubsidized, that's important, unsubsidized health premiums. this bill represents another step forward in our continuing work to help americans access more options for true patient-centered health care. mr. speaker, this hits close to home for me. as a high school student my dad lost his job of 25 years, mr. neal, i think you heard that story before, and we as a family lost our health care and went into cobra coverage. this is a solution that impacts people across america, and i urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this legislation today. mr. speaker, with that i yield back the balance of my time. reserve my balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. neal. mr. neal: thank you very much, mr. speaker. and i want to express, again, as i did earlier the support that the capitol police and others have for the good work that they

do every single day. and extend our best wishes to the whip, mr. scalise. mr. tiberi, who was managing the time on the republican side, he said he was, i think, 17 years old. if you were here and you mr. supported the clinton health care bill that never would have happened. that would be another way we might want to look at it. mr. speaker, as i said a bit ago, this is an unusual procedure. we're being asked to amend legislation that left the institution. heaven's knows where the republican health care bill rests today. the president calls it mean. the senate won't tell us where they are as they write the bill. and when it might emerge. and we find ourselves offering amendments to something that is not going to happen. h.r. 2579, the broader options for americans act, would allow premium tax credits to be used

for unsubsidized cobra coverage under trumpcare. unfortunately, this does nothing to fix the ahca, the underlying measure this bill intends to amend. older americans are likely to rely on cobra and the ahca would allow insurers to charge older americans up to five times more than they charge younger americans. the tax credits in h.r. 2579 would not make cobra coverage any more affordable for the american people. in addition, it could potentially weaken the risk pool coverage because it would encourage older and sicker workers to remain on cobra that could hurt small business. this is simply a backdoor way for states to discriminate against existing conditions. because of weakening essential health care in the underlying

trumpcare bill, cobra is going to be needed again to help people who leave employment for health reasons or have pre-existing conditions. let me remind the american people how we got here in the first place. last month the republicans brought trumpcare to the house floor and passed it without a single democrat supporting it. the measure as passed would take away health insurance from millions of americans, erase premiums for working families, and place an age tax on older americans. the bill is just one of many promises that the republican leadership continues to make in an effort to twist arms for votes from their caucus to pass trumpcare. i'm also concerned that the house ignored important procedures when considering bills that are on the floor today. first since the republican bill passed and c.b.o. numbers confirm, americans would be forced to pay more for quality

health care coverage, that is not in dispute. second, this bill is not appropriate to consider now because it amends trumpcare and hasn't even passed the senate. even if this bill was incorporated into trumpcare, it would not undo the terrible cuts included in the measure. it would leave 23 million americans without health insurance. it cuts medicaid by $800 billion. it discriminates against individuals with pre-existing conditions, and it will drastically raise premiums for older americans. it would unravel important consumer protections. cut programs to address the opium crisis in my state and throughout the nation. i'm quite certain everyone here watching this debate has someone close to them dealing with a drug or alcohol addiction. in addition, many middle class americans rely on medicaid for

long-term care, and that is beginning to resonate with the american people. this bill does this bill does nothing to fix the republican repeal measure as i have noted, and it's likely to create more and new problems. this bill does nothing to fix the republican repeal measure as i have noted, and it's likely to create more and new problems. i encourage my republican friends and colleagues to go back to the drawing board, craft a bill with us, fix the problems in the affordable care act, there is a chance to do that. 23 million more americans have health insurance because of the passage of the affordable care act. now is not the time to retreat. in times like this we should be advancing these arguments in this institution for hardworking americans and their families. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from ohio. the gentleman from ohio is prepared to close. mr. neal: after my speech i can understand why heed be prepared to close. i'm prepared to close as well. and yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts yields back. the gentleman from ohio. mr. tiberi: mr. neal, you know i

have tremendous amount of respect for you on a personal basis. truly have a great deal of love and respect for you. we obviously have a disagreement. i tell my daughters how a bill becomes a law, and i don't need to till, but we certainly, i think, believe that there are opportunities to not only improve what you say is the affordable care act, but the bill that we passed. and that's what we're doing today. hope to work with you to continue to do that as the senate passes its own bill and hopefully go to a conference committee and hopefully you'll be on that conference committee. mr. neal: will the gentleman yield? mr. tiberi: i will yield. he mr. neal: what is a conference committee? mr. tiberi: i have been on a few. one of the frustrations about the c.b.o. report that never gets reported is the fact that

millions of people will choose not to have health care. that's the c.b.o. it's not often repeated in the national media or on the floor here, but i would just kind of often the ybody that other side of the aisle speaks a lot about choice and the freedom to choose and with respect to health care that is what millions of people will do according to c.b.o.. i'd also like to remind my friend, and i do mean that, that there are millions of americans in my state alone that have insurance but don't have the choice of provider they once had, or the choice of a hospital they once had. and that's pretty traumatic. there are people who have insurance but premiums have gone doubling and tripling in the last several years. out-of-pocket expenses for those who are not subsidized have gone to levels that are

unprecedented. so i surely appreciate the gentleman and would remind the gentleman from massachusetts that this bill today simply efore us says that we expand choices, we expand options for americans by allowing them for the very first time to receive financial assistance if they lose their health care insurance. i know it's not perfect, but it's good. and i hope that we can improve on all these aspects that you and i talked about today. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. time for debate has expired. pursuant to house resolution 379, the previous question is ordered on the bill as amended. the question is on engrossment and third reading of the bill. so many as are in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. the ayes have it. third reading. the clerk: a bill to amend the internal revenue cofede 1986 to allow the premium tax credit with respect to unsubsidized cobra continuation coverage. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the passage of the bill. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. mr. tiberi: i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from iowa ask for the yeas and nays. the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 267. the nays are 144. the bill is passed. without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. without objection, a motion to reconsider to vote on passage of .r. 2372 is laid on the table.

he house will be in order. the house will be in order. members are requested to take their seats. and take all conversations out of the well and out of the aisle. in order. ill be for what purpose does the gentleman from california, mr. mccarthy, seek recognition? mr. mccarthy: mr. speaker, i send to the desk a resolution and ask unanimous consent that its immediate consideration in the house and further ask unanimous consent that it be read in full. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 385. whereas on june 14, 2017, an

armed gunman opened fire at a practice for the annual congressional baseball game for charity, wounding five individuals. whereas united states capitol police special agents krystal griner, david bailey, and henry cabrera whereas united states responded the attack risking their own lives to save the lives of others. whereas special agent griner, who has been a member of the capitol police since july, 2008, was wounded in the course of confronting and subduing the attacker. whereas special agent bailey, who has been a member of the capitol police since april, 2008, was wounded in the course of confronting and subduing the attacker. whereas matthew mika, who was formerly a legislative aide for representative nick smith, representative dave camp, and riffive tim walberg was wounded in the attack. whereas zachary bath a legislative aide to representative roger williams was injured in the attack. and whereas representative steve scalise, who has served the

first congressional district of louisiana since 2008, husband of jennifer scalise, and father to madison and harrison, was wounded in the attack. now therefore be it resolved that the house of representatives, one, expresses its deep gratitude to united capitol police special capitol agents griner, bailey, and cabrera who bravely placed themselves in harm's way to protect and save the lives of scores of individuals. two, expresses its appreciation for the daily courage and dedication of the united states capitol police who protect the capitol grounds. of congress, and the

public to whom the capitol belongs. three, expresses its thanks to the earneda police department, alexandria injured. six, reaffirms an attack on any member of congress is an attack on every member, on the institution, and on the very principle of representative democratcy. and seven, stands firm in its belief that violence has no place in a pluralistic society where differences are settled through debate, ballots, and a legislative process which rests at the bedrock of our he representative -- of our epresentative democratcy.

the question is on the adopping of this resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. -- the adoption of this resolution. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the resolution is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. all members are requested to take their conversations from the well and out of the back of the chamber. he house will be in order. the house will be in order. all members are requested to take their conversations from the floor.

members are asked to take their onversations from the floor. for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? mr. hoyer: i ask unanimous consent to speak out of order for one minute, for the purpose of asking the majority leader the schedule for the week to come. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hoyer: thank you very much, mr. speaker. before i do that, though, i want o make just a comment. yesterday, mr. speaker, this house and indeed the nation was shaken by the horrific shooting

in alexandria. we just unanimously passed the majority leader's resolution. all of us are praying for the safe recovery of our friend and colleague, majority whip steve scalise, and others who were injured yesterday. steve is the majority whip. i'm the minority whip. we are therefore in some respects adversaries. but we are also friends. and i am keeping him, his wife, jennifer, and their children in my thoughts today. mr. speaker, as you probably know, steve loves baseball. of us have seen the broad smile on his face as he's

taken to the field as a pinch-runner in games past. wearing his university of louisiana jersey and scoring runs for his republican team. i'm saddened and i know all of us are that we won't be able to see him on the field today running, hitting, scoring. but, mr. speaker, we know that steve's a fighter. and i'm sure we'll be seeing him running the bases again at next year's congressional baseball game. mr. speaker, tonight i'm going to wear a t-shirt. on that t-shirt it says, team scalise. i'm going to wear that at this baseball game. his staff gave it to me yesterday. we took some pizza by their office. talked to each one of them. we've had a good relationship between our two offices. we work together on a lot of things. and, yes, we oppose from time to time. but we are friends. i'm also keeping in my thoughts the members of the capitol police who keep us all safe.

i am one of those who's blessed to have a detail because i'm one of the leaders. members of the capitol police who are assigned specifically to try to make sure that i'm safe and, yes, those around me, as steve's detail did yesterday. courageously. heroically. but i know the majority leader shares my view that every day that a member of the capitol police gets out of bed, puts a badge in their wallet or on , a gun on their hip, it leave -- and leaves their home with a commitment to protect this institution, its members and, yes, the public who visit their house, their senate, their congress. we cannot say enough about our capitol police.

extraordinarily well trained. but also extraordinarily courageous and committed to serving this institution, its members and our country. we're of course thankful for the courage and quick response of those officers who were at the ball field yesterday. and we pray for their full and speedy recovery. and we do the same for the staffer and the former staffer who also was injured in that attack. now, mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield to my friend, with whom i also work in a constructive way on so many occasions. for the country. mr. mccarthy of california. the majority leader. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccarthy: i thank the gentleman for yielding. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mccarthy: i thank the gentleman and my friend for his comments. yesterday was a long and

emotional day for the people in this house. the cowardly act of violence was directed at our friends, our colleagues and our democracy. we are currently praying for all those injured and their families. matt mika, zack barth, special agent krystal griner, special agent david bailey, majority whip steve scalise. these individuals are strong, as you said, they are fighters. and they should know that they have the fullilove and support of this house. but, mr. speaker, even in the face of this great evil, we saw amazing bravery yesterday. special agents griner and bailey put their live on the line. they saved countless others. there's no other way to put it, but they are heroeses. yesterday could have ended with many deaths.

they ran out in to draw the fire away from the members. this attacker moved down the third base line to home base, where the majority of the players were sitting in the dugout of the first base, laying on the ground. even a 10-year-old son who they would hover over the top of. he would try to make his movement there. krystal had already been wounded. but as i talked to the agents yesterday in the hospital, when you spoke to them they would say they wished they could even do more. drawing the fire away, saving so many lives. we will be forever grateful for their courageous actions and to all our capitol police who are truly the best in the business. as we end this week, i do want to take the time to thank our

men and women in uniform and keep them all in our prayers for their recovery. yesterday i spent a large portion of the day at the hospital. yes, seeing the agents and seeing and praying for our majority whip. i've known steve scalise for more than 20 years. before either of us were ever elected to any office, we got involved in politics in young republicans. i was the national chairman and he was the state chair of louisiana. we developed a friendship, camaraderie and a passion for making the country better. i know what jennifer and the kids are going through. but our prayers are with them. and he will definitely come back and play on that baseball game -- in that banal game. so, mr. speaker, -- in that baseball game. so, mr. speaker, as i move on with the schedule of -- for the

next week, because of everything that happened yesterday, i missed on doing something important as well. i want to wish my friend, mr. hoyer, a belated happy birthday. i hope my friend enjoyed a nice night with his favorite dessert, pineapple upside down cake. i want it noted, even on his birthday, he took the time, though, to make sure the staff steve scalise had something to eat. and they appreciated that. greatly. they appreciated your visit. so, mr. speaker, on monday, no votes are expected in the house. on tuesday the steve scalise ha to house will meet at noon for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. votes will be postponed until 6:30. on wednesday and thursday, the house will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. on friday the house will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business, last votes of the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m. mr. speaker, the house will consider a number of suspensions next week, a complete list of

which will be announced by close of business today. i mean, sorry, tomorrow. one suspension worth highlighting is h.r. 2353. the strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century act. sponsored by our own representative glenn thompson. you may know him, mr. speaker. this bill would expand experienced-based learning opportunities and support greater collaboration between schools and employers. mr. speaker, 65% of today's grade school kids will work in a job that is yet to be invented. . we provide our students with the skills necessary to succeed in an ever evolving workplace. that's what this bill aims to do. along those same lines, the house will consider h.r. 2842, accelerating individuals in the work force act, sponsored by representative car bellow.

under this bill -- car bela. under this bill they would partner with agencies to hire tanf recipients and provide them on-the-job training. by passing this bill the house will take a positive step towards getting more americans back to work. lastly, mr. speaker, the house will consider two bills from the natural resources committee. irst, h.r. 1873, the elech terroristity reliability -- elech terroristity reliability act. this bipartisan legislation, which streamlines the process for removing hazardous trees, helping to lower the risk of a est fires while ensuring reliable electrical infrastructure. and second, h.r. 1654, the water supply permitting coordination act, sponsored by representativ reliable tom mcclintock. this bill provides the framework for creating a one stop shopper agency ensuring the

vital water storage projects that are badly needed are not delayed by red tape. finally, mr. speaker, i yield back to my good friend, the minority whip. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for his information. mr. speaker, it is a time for us to be together. to be united as americans. not as republicans or democrats, liberals or conservatives, and i thank the majority leader for his leadership in that effort. and in remembering officers griner and bailey and cabrera and all of their colleagues in the capitol police and with our prayers for steve scalise and the others who have been injured, i thank the majority leader and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek wreck -- recognition?

mr. mccarthy: i ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from texas, mr. doth, be recognized on the legislative day of june 21, 2015, to offer the resolution that he noticed on tuesday, june 13, 2017, without further notice under clause 2-a-1 of rule 9. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. mccarthy: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that when the house adjourns today it adjourn to meet at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow and further when the house adjourns on that day it adjourn to meet on tuesday, june 20, 2017, when it shall convene at noon for morning hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the chair will now entertain request for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition?

without objection, the gentleman s recognized for one minute. mr. rush: mr. speaker, it is with a determined spirit that i come to the floor today to wish our friend, my friend, our colleague, steve scalise, a happy father's day. mr. speaker, we pray for steve's full recovery as he fights for his life at a hospital near here at our nation's capitol. we pray for steve's family, for their comfort during this most difficult time. today, mr. speaker, we're joined together in the spirit of family and love to send our love to steve.

jennifer, harrison, madison you are in our prayers. steve, get well soon. happy father's day. in spite of it all, happy ather's day. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from nebraska seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, in light the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman of yesterday's tragedy i think it's important to remember those who keep our community safe, law ding our military, enforcement, and first responders, i believe educators are also heroes. today i want to highlight a family from my home in nebraska whose story represents what it means to be heroes and servants of our nation. mr. amodei: he recently retired from the high school band and was a music educator for 33 years. his students were featured in two presidential inaugural parades and marched in the 2000

millennium celebration. his wife is also a long-time educator. three of their sons currently serve as airmen. and a fourth one sls a teacher in our community. mr. bacon: last december, captain kyle, was recognized with the lieutenant general tunner award. as civil war was raging in yemen, the secretary of defense ash carter ordered all the u.s. personnel out of the country and that's when they put their lives on the line to protect fellow americans. planning hetime for quickly evacuated 70 americans only hours before militants overran their location. his leadership and crew were nothing short of heroic. i want to thanth family for their service to our contry. thank you, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from nevada seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady from nevada is recognized for one minute. ms. titus: today energy and commerce subcommittee on the environment advanced a bill that would ram yucca mountain down the throats of nevadans. among its many faults the bill usurps the state's water rights. this is unethical and certainly intellectually dishonest and probably unconstitutional. republican lawmakers have long touted states' rights as a basic tenet of our democratcy. what they must really mean is states rights apply to their states but not to nevada. they also took great pride in opposing the waters of the u.s. regulations saying it was federal overreach and outrageous grab. so much for principle.

now it's a different story. taking us state's water rights sets a dangerous resident. if they can do it to nevada they can do it to you. if they can take our water, they can take yours. in the west we say that water is for fighting for. whiskey is for drinking. we're not grab. giving up this the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, this week i had the opportunity to meet with students interning with the pennsylvania farm bureau. pennsylvania's farm bureau is the commonwealth's largest farm organization with a volunteer membership of more than 60,000 members. since 1985, it has been provided legislative support information and services to pennsylvania farmers and rural families. the farm bureau provides its members with representation, both in washington and state capitol of harrisburg, concerning legislation and rule making. its grassroots structure allow

the county farm bureau and leaders to develop and implement policies which are then determined at an annual meeting. i'm always pleased to meet with our farm leaders of tomorrow. through this internship students interested in pursuing a career in the agriculture sector were afforded a firsthand experience to further understand farmland preservation, commodity pricing, property rights, land management, and much more. mr. speaker, agriculture is pennsylvania's number one industry. as vice chairman of the house agriculture committee and chairman of the nutrition subcommittee, gives me great hope for the future to see our youth engaging in policy issues that impacts our farmers. i look forward to them pursuing their own careers in the agriculture sector. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i want to say my thoughts and

prayers are with our colleague, steve scalise, and the others who were injured as a result of the horrific shooting yesterday morning. mr. engel: this makes us realize how vulnerable we all are and in serving our country, we risk a lot of things from time to time. the people who were injured besides congressman serving our country scalise, the brave first responders who probably saved many more lives as a result, what can we say other than thank you to the first responders all over this country who save us day in and day out? the other young people, the staffer, lobbyist, everyone who was injured yesterday, my thoughts and prayers are with them as well. steve is a tough guy. and i know he's going to heal

quickly. i know he's going to get bert and have a full recovery. i just wanted to wish -- better and have a good full recovery. i want just to wish him a good father's day. let the small pleasures of life come back to him because he deserves it. and i want him and his family to know that our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. we're all in the same family together, the congressional family, and it matters not what party you belong to. but the fact is we're all there to serve our constituents and help america. god bless america. god bless steve scalise. and all the people who were injured. we're not going to stop until they are brought back home and mending and recovered 100%. thank you, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from kansas is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, more than 3,000 soldiers with the army's first armored brigade combat team, first infantry division are

fort reilly in my district. this month after a nine-month deployment in something sfpblgt also known as the devil brigade, these soldiers have been stationed in south korea since october of last year. during their deployment, these american fort reilly in my sold closely with their south korean partners, providing security in ther korean peninsula. invaluable. is they sacrificed gracely during their employment. as the devil brigade begins the journey invaluable. they whack home, may i be the first to thank them for their service and say welcome home. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from texas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady from texas is recognized for one inute. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, as we reflect on our colleagues and pray for their speedy recovery,

let me stop for a moment to pay tribute to a very special time in certain parts of the united states now being celebrated across the land. as i go home this weekend, we will be celebrating, commemorating juneteenth. as president lincoln gave the emancipation proclamation in ' 3, my constituencies ancestors did not hear of the freeing of the slaves until more than 2 1/2 years later. major granger landed in galveston to announce the slaves were free and emancipated. it's a serious time to honor those anti-legacies of all of those who gave to this country. and we celebrate it with excitement and honor and dignity. today -- this weekend i'm excited we'll rededicate the emancipation park. we'll name the street emancipation street. we're delighted that the ost

alameda donated $33 million. along with foundations, the city of houston and community dollars. we will acknowledge those who bought the land so many, many years ago and this restoration will give the opportunity not who i'm those in texas privileged to represent but it will be a park to welcome everyone from not only around the community and the city but it will welcome those from across the nation. i introduce a juneteenth resolution honoring juneteenth with 51-plus sponsors. i'm i introduce proud to acknow yes, we got the news late. but we celebrate freedom and we recognize that america's at her greatest because we are free. and freedom is cherished. to alt fathers across the land, to my husband and relatives in a memory of my late father, ezra c. jackson, i honor those who

celebrate father's day as well on sunday. happy father's day. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from alaska seek recognition? mr. young: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from alaska is recognized for one minute. mr. young: mr. speaker, i had the privilege of last sunday to be an observer in puerto rico for the plebly site and watched the people of -- pebly site and watched the people of puerto rico make the decision they want to be the 51st state. i think it's time for this to make our 3,400,000 american citizens part of the united states to make our in fu as every one of us have the chance of making sure we can vote for everyone, be part of this. i think it's time america should stop colonizing. film' not mistaken this is the last nation that has a colony.

the great america, united states, has a colony. i think it's time that we change that. vote in congress, make sure that we have the 51st state. the great mr. hoyer: i want to join with my colleague who has been such who are not ng states. i join with his remarks. the puerto rican election that was held overwhelmingly voted for statehood as the option of governance they wanted to pursue. it is now -- it seems to me -- the responsibility of the united states congress and the administration to recognize the overwhelming sentiment of the puerto rican people expressed in a free and open election, and i want to thank him, my friend from alaska, for his leadership on this effort, a representative of the most recent state. can i ask unanimous consent for one additional minute for yself?

the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman seek to ask unanimous consent to speak to the house for one minute? mr. hoyer: do i. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hoyer: i thank the speaker and i thank the parliamentarian and i thank mr. young. i didn't want to take all his time so i yield such time as i may have remaining to my friend, mr. young. mr. young: i thank my good friend from maryland, steny hoyer, for his support. it's going to take a lot of effort. there's a lot of naysayers out there. again, i believe so strongly that we treat every american equally. this is a civil rights issue, and they have voted 97% in favor of statehood. so i think it's time this -- i led this battle with your help in 1997. we had a vote and with your side i won by one vote. puerto rico lost, didn't go anywhere. i ask every american, think about it. let's make this the last colony, let's make this the

51st state. i do thank you and thanks for yielding. mr. hoyer: thank my friend. the speaker pro tempore: time has yielded back. for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady from florida is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. rst corinthians 12:26 reads, if one member suffers all suffer together. i stand to show my support for my colleague, congressman steve scalise, his wife and his family. we pray for their strength, their courage and faith as they deal with the unthinkable. i pray for steve's speedy recovery. we know he is a fighter and we pray he will be back soon fighting for the people of louisiana's first district. mrs. demings: we offer prayers for matt and his family who was also injured during the shooting. i rise today to remember the courageous capitol police

officers who were injured, our heroes. if not for their bravery, more people could have been wounded and possibly killed. they risk their lives to protect us. the u.s. capitol police do this every day for us, for our staff and for the public. we stand together during this challenging time. when it happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> mr. speaker i ask unanimous consent to address the house. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from florida is recognized for one minute. >> as a law enforcement officer, our fundamental duty is to serve mankind, to safeguard lives and property, to protect the innocent against deception, the weak against oppression or intimidation and the peaceful against violence

and disorder. mr. speaker, that is the first paragraph of the law enforcement officer's code of ethics that every law enforcement officer across this untry swears to upon their becoming a law enforcement and accepting that banal. mr. rutherford: i can tell you, yesterday during the horrible vent that took place, officers bailey and griner with the capitol hill police performed , ir duties above and beyond above and beyond the expected. mr. speaker, i just want to take this opportunity on behalf of law enforcement officers across america to thank them

for doing their job with such outstanding bravery and courage. scalise t to let the family and the mika family know they are in our prayers. we pray for their speedy croferey. thank you. -- we pray for their speedy recovery. thank you. god bless. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentlelady from california is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i, too, want to join with all of my colleagues in recognizing the heroism of david bailey and krystal griner. ms. speier: wishing them a speedy recovery and that they take time to recover emotionally as well. then i want to extend a love note to the children of steve scalise. this is a love note to madison

and harrison. father's day is on sunday. i know for both of you it's going to be really difficult because dad is in the hospital and you're concerned about his well-being. he loves you very much. and he is beloved here in this chamber. know that he will recover. he will be able to read with you and play ball with you. and what he needs most from you on this father's day is just you there to hug him and to love him and to kiss him and to know that he's the best dad in the world. god bless you both. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i request one minute to -- i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from california is recognized for one minute. mr. lowenthal: thank you, mr. speaker. you know, i come to the floor consumed by great sadness.

yesterday's attack, as we all heard, was an attack on the entire united states congress. it's even more tragic this attack occurred for practice during the most bipartisan traditions in the congress. i stand here with my colleagues hoping for a speedy recovery for my dear colleague representative steve scalise. my thoughts and prayers are with him but also for all the others that were injured and for all their families and for all their loved ones. it is clear we all know without the capitol police on duty with representative scalise there would have been many, many more victims. i want to express my deepest gratitude to those officers who put their lives on the line, but i also want to pray for them but all those that were injured and i ask and i hope for their speedy recovery.

thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for one minute. my ayne: mr. speaker, heart is with the families and the loved ones of our colleague, house majority whip steve scalise and all those injured yesterday. krystal griner, david bailey, matt mika, and zack barth. steve, we are all praying for you and your wife, jennifer, and your children.

we wish you a happy father's day and a full recovery. to the u.s. capitol police, you showed yesterday why you are the best at what you do. david bailey and krystal griner leaped t hesitation into action. had they not done that, the story could be very different today. we are grateful for your service yesterday and every day, and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time and i move that the house be adjourned. the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house the following personal request. the clerk: leave of absence requested for mr. rouzer of north carolina for today. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the request s granted.

for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. payne: mr. speaker, i move the house be adjourned. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands