kind of journalism when obama ,as spending, not only my money my grandchildren's money, my great grandchildren's money, you media people sat around and did nothing. you did not report on any of that. you did not report on obama running around saying, i cannot do anything for the daca people, i do not have the power, it is against the constitution. host: did you cover this issue? guest: the speaker pro tempore: >> "washington journal" live every day at 7:00 a.m. eastern. the house gaveling back in to work on four bills, including one to award the congressional gold medal to former kansas senator bob dole. questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent -- i'm sorry, mr.

speaker. i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1843. the clyde-hirsch-sowers respect act, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: union calendar number 205. h.r. 1843. a bill to amend title 31, united states code, to prohibit the internal revenue service from carrying out seizures relating to a structuring transaction unless the property to be seized devived -- derived from the legal source or funds were structured for the purpose of concealing violation of another criminal law or regulation, to require notice and a postseizure hearing for such seizures, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from illinois, mr. roskam, and the gentleman from massachusetts, mr. neal, each will -- mr. neal, will each control 20 minutes. mr. roskam: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material for h.r. 1843 curnedly

under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. roskam: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for such time. mr. roskam: mr. speaker, if a person deposits $10,000 or more into a financial institution, that institution must submit a currency transaction report to the treasury department. avoiding this reporting requirement by purposefully staying below the $10,000 limit is a federal crime known as structuring. structuring was made illegal in 1986 to prevent large scale criminal enterprises, terrorists and money launderers from hiding their illegally earned money from authorities by consistently depositing just shy of that $10,000 limit. this makes complete sense. when structure something believed to have occurred, the internal revenue service can use its civil atas et forfeiture authority. i'm not laying awake at nithe, neither are my colleagues here,

worry being terrorists and monsters not being able to get access to their money. so far, so good. the law makes sense. but now let me tell but somebody who had their money seetsed by the i.r.s. -- seized by the i.r.s. andrew clyde served three combat tours in iraq. and he came home and opened a store in georgia. mr. clyde had an insurance policy that only covered up to $10,000 in off-premise losses. so like any reasonable person, mr. clyde never brought more than $10,000 in cash with him when he made his nightly deposits. the i.r.s. seized $950,000 from him. just marinate on that for a minute, mr. speaker. imagine trying to run your business and one day the federal government comes in and takes away all your money. you don't know why, but it's just gone. you would assume the i.r.s. would then talk to mr. clyde, hear his rationale and say, well, it's our mistake, you're clearly not a mobster or terrorist, thank you for your service, here's your life savings back.

but that's not what happened. instead the i.r.s. threatened him with criminal structuring charges until he agreed to settle with the agency and gave them $50,000, and after he'd spent nearly $100,000 in legal fees. andrew clyde lost $150,000 simply because he wanted to make sure that his cash deposits were low enough to be insured. we're here today to make sure this never happens again. the respect act makes commonsense changes to civil asset forfeiture practices. the i.r.s. would have to show probable cause that the funds they're seizing were derivinged from or connected to -- derived from or connected to an illegal source. additionally, it would provide protections for taxpayers whose money was taken, requiring a hearing within 30 days of the money being seized. these commonsense steps prevent the federal government from acting with impunity and

harassing the very citizens that they're supposed to protect. i want to thank a number of individuals. i'd like to thank john lewis, the ranking member of the oversight subcommittee. i want to thank my lead sponsor, joe crowley, the lead democrat on this legislation. i want to thank mr. neal for his leadership. and i want to thank chairman brady. we've basketball at this for a long -- been at this for a long time. we first started investigating this issue at an oversite subcommittee hearing in february of 2015. we made some progress. the i.r.s. commissioner apologized to the victims of this practice on behalf of his agency. in fact, a year later he changed the i.r.s. procedures to restrict the use of civil asset forfeiture cases in which the money was earned illegally, a commonsense decision that we will codify with this legislation. i'm also heartened to say that in march of this year, the i.r.s. finished its process of reviewing all 554 contested cases that occurred before the rule change.

the agency either returned or recommended that the department of justice return approximately 80% of those funds. the i.r.s. returned over $6 million to honest americans who were victims of this government overreach. while the i.r.s. returned over $6 million, they've also recommended that the department of justice return a whopping $16 million. unfortunately the department of justice still has a long, long way to go in tackling the backlog of undecided cases. we'll be addressing this issue with an amendment in the upcoming appropriations bill. mr. speaker, in closing, americans deserve a government that they can trust. i look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation to prevent future victims of abusive civil asset forfeiture practices and fight for those who have been affected. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. neal: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i

may consume. mr. speaker, i stand today in support of h.r. 1843, the restraining excessive seizure of property through the exploitation of civil asset forfeiture tools act, more simpley, the respect act. this legislation is about stopping abuse aive civil asset seizure practices. too often honest small business owners were treated like criminals and had their bank accounts seized by the federal government for making frequent deposits from cash sales. the law at issue today is the bank secrecy act, which settle up new reporting requirements for certain -- set up new reporting requirements for certain activities, like depositing more than $10,000 in cash. the purpose of the law is to limit criminal activity conducted in cash, money laundering, drug transactions and criminal enterprises. us this, systemically depositing amounts just short of this threshold is deemed an imlegal attempt to structure bank transactions to avoid the reporting requirement. over the past two years, a

number of law-abiding small businesses with high volumes of cash sales testified before the ways and means subcommittee on oversight, describing just how this law was being applied by the i.r.s. and the department of justice seized their bank accounts. congressmen on both sides of the aisle immediately denounced this practice and sought to have the seized amounts returned. in october of 2014, the i.r.s. changed its policy on enforcement. now it only will seizure funds of taxpayers where the money is being deposited from an illegal source. h.r. 1843s could fu -- codifies this policy change -- 1843 codifies this policy change, and provides notice and hearing rights to taxpayers. the i.r.s., however, is only one side of the issue. united states attorney general jeff sessions also must act to right this wrong against these small business owners.

the i.r.s. referred 255 petitions to the department of justice from small business owners seeking the return of their property. as of june, 2017, the department still had over 180 petitionses to review. the department of justice -- petitions to review. the department of justice should and must work faster. let me thank congressman roskam, my friend, and the democratic lead co-sponsor, my friend as well, congressman joe crowley, for their hard work on this legislation. and also the ranking member of the oversight committee, john lewis, for his leadership on this issue. in closing, i want to take a look at how the position taken by the i.r.s. and the department of justice affected a small bakery in connecticut. for almost 100 years, three generations of the family has operated a bakery in norwich, connecticut. they sell sandwiches and fresh bread, lots of low-dollar

purchases. and until recently they didn't accept credit cards. so most of their business was in cash. according to press reports, between march, 2007, and april, 2013, the family made hundreds of deposits in amounts ranging from $7,000 to $9,900. the bank tellers told them that they had to fill out lots of extra paperwork for deposits over $10,000. so they made sure to deposit their receipts more often. they didn't realize they were breaking the law by consciously avoiding making deposits over $10,000. in may of 2013, the i.r.s. enforced the structuring laws and seized the bakery's checking account with more than $68,000 on hand. the i.r.s. held on to the family's money for three years without ever bringing a case before a judge.

the family fought the motion, demanding the return of their money and in 2016 the i.r.s. capitulated. this story is similar to others we have heard. this legislation would ensure that no other small business be put in this position. i urge support on both sides of the aisle for this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. roskam: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i yield three minutes to the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognize the. mr. collins: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the chairman yielding the time and the ranking member for being here and also not only mr. roskam, mr. crowley, both their sponsorship and co-sponsorship of this legislation. . r. 1843 -- h.r. 1843 is one of those things you really at timets have a hard time understanding why we're debating on the floor of the house, it is thatch common sense. and -- that much common sense. as my grandmother used to say, common sense is not common, so here we are. if anyone has any doubt about the need to restrain the -- this, they need to look no

further than what happened to andrew clyde, whose name is on the bill. he's a law-biding small business own who are served mull approximately -- multiple combat tours. he has a successful gun store in northeast georgia. when the i.r.s. received and seized his business bank accounts under a little known procedure called civil asset forfeiture. we've already talked about what that means but let me go into more depth with that. what happened here is mr. clyde was not charged with a crime when they seized his assets. he was never charged with a crime. the government's only allegation against him was he regularly made large cash deposits. in other words, following what his own insurance would protect when he made those off-premise accounts, he was following good business practices. despite this, the i.r.s. had the audacity to negotiate with him about how much of his own money they would give back to him. and the law that stands today gives them the authority to do so and thus the need for the legislation. rules have been changed and put in place but this needs to be codified. at no time, and i have sat with

mr. clyde and talked about this case, to heart pain in his voice when he had to spend $100,000 in legal bills, plus at the same time to get the i.r.s. -- to get back his money, he had to beg the government for his own property. this no one should have had to go through. that's why i respect the authors of this legislation and appreciate their hearings and concern about this. because whether it's a bakerier, a gun store or any business, no american should have to face the i.r.s. or the justice department when they've never been charged with a crime, they were never charged with a crime and had their money taken from them. this is one that i am proud of, to see an american who stood up and said, no, this is not right. unfortunately it cost him money. but today this wrong is being righted. we're going to continue to see this pushed through. and with that i respect andrew clyde, his business and all the others who have stood up and said, this is not right. i applaud the authors and say, now is the time to finish this. let's make sure that this never happens to another american

citizen again. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois. mr. roskam: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. neal theal thank you, -- mr. neal: thank you. mr. speaker, just before i introduce the primary co-sponsor of this legislation, i want to respond to something the previous speaker said. the commissioner has said a number of times in testimony before the ways and means the tee he doesn't write law. that's the question that's in front of us that the moment. he says that the i.r.s. follows the law. which we expect agencies to do at the behest of those who are us are duly elected. so in this instance i would suggest that while we don't like what the i.r.s. has done in these particular examples that have been correctly cited by both sides, we also have the obligation to alter, change or amend the law so that this doesn't happen to the innocent

going forward. so this was not simply about the commissioner or i.r.s. agents waking up one day and saying, what kind of havoc and power can we create today? it was instead the prescription for law that we have offered to them. and with that i would like to yield five minutes to the gentleman from new york, who is a primary co-sponsor of this, mr. roskam, my friend, joe crowley. . mr. crowley: mr. speaker, i want to thank as well, the co-sponsor -- actually the lead sponsor, mr. roskham, for his work. today is a good day for the american taxpayers as the house of representatives will soon once again pass the clyde-hirsch-sowers respect act to have civil assets forfeiture process. it is an important tool for the i.r.s. and other federal agencies use to go after

ill-gotten funds from drug traffickers, terrorists and other criminals. this bill will not weaken that vital law enforcement tool one i oatha. and what this legislation will codify into law, much needed reforms into the process to establish what we believe is an abuse of the asset seizures practice. abusive seizures such as the government's ability to take a person's bank account without ever charging them with a crime. the oversight committee on the ways and means committee under the guise of chairman pete roskham undertook an investigation to get to the bottom of these abusive practices. these investigation included holding a series of congressional hearings which doesn't happen around here, meeting with first from federal agencies including the i.r.s.

and i thank the chairman for his frankness as well as the ranking member indicated. and the subcommittee continued keeping pressure on the i.r.s. and the justice department to proactively reach out and return any assets seized from people who were never ever charged with a crime. these actions culminated in this bipartisan legislation that passed the ways and means committee unanimously. this bill, the clyde-hirsch-sowers respect act aims to take what we have learned and fix the system to better protect all law-abiding citizens. specifically, it prohibits the i.r.s. from taking any asset related to structuring unless the funds are from a an illegal source or the funds were used to conceal criminal activity and to

provide due process to affected taxpayers. the bill requires the i.r.s. to notify an account holder within 30 days. once an account is seized, the bill allows the person whose assets were seized to seek a hearing within 30 days. now, we know that those engaged in illegal activity and illegal actions will usually not contest the seizure. but for those who committed no crime, this bill simply levels the playing field for them. my colleague, mr. roskham, and i will quickly return the assets of those innocent taxpayers, those who are not charged with any crimes or whose bank accounts or other items are still being held by their own government. the passage of this bill isn't the last part of the fight on wrongful asset forfeiture.

this bill is expected to pass this house unanimously, as it did last year, because we all recognize and believe in the basic american judicial premise of innocent until proven guilty. however, i'm concerned by the trump administration's statements and those of attorney general jeff sessions if the government intends to increase these asset seizures without any intention of charging affected americans with crimes. let me be clear. i support civil asset seizures when the government can make the case that the money was derived from illegal illicit activity. as i said before, nothing in this bill hinders the ability of the government to do just that. but we must fight any effort by the administration to expand wrongful civil asset forfeiture and continue to take innocent people's money without charging them with a crime. and finally, as i close, i want

to remind my colleagues of the importance of a larger discussion on a much needed criminal justice reform. and an issue, i hope this congress can begin to tackle this year. ust like the families who we named this bill after, far too many american families have seen the u.s. justice system unfairly work against them. we need to address that issue of criminal justice reform in the same bipartisan way that chairman roskham and the entire ways and means committee dealt with this particular issue. and with that, i look forward to passage of this bill. and i thank mr. roskham again for the sponsorship of this bill to get this bill out of committee to the floor and pass the house. and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields. the gentleman from illinois is

recognized. mr. roskam: we have no remaining speakers. if the ranking member would like to close, i'll reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. neal: we have no additional speakers and this is a good step in the right direction and i hope we will encourage the department of justice in addition to what we are attempting to do, they are part of the challenge in front of us as well, but there is a certain forth right step on behalf of those who have been maligned in terms of reputation and their business activities in this moment. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. roskam: mr. speaker, in closing, i think mr. crowley and mr. neal hit the nail on the head. this is a story about a citizen, a citizen who was scan dalized by the federal government who is there to protect the citizen and the citizen said, you don't get to do this. and you can imagine what it was

like for these people that got caught up and told by i.r.s. agents and how heavy-handed and aggressive this is. and people said, no. that's not right. that's not the way it is supposed to work. and people on both sides of the aisle were scandalized, were troubled by it and said we can do something about it. as a result of this, you have something that is moving through. and it is a tough time and many deep divisions in this house about all kinds of issues. you know what? nobody is here defending the status quo of how these people were treated. the institution works and the institution heard what is going on and people have come together on both sides of the aisle to move forward on this basis. neal's nt to echo mr.

admonishon to the department of justice, it is not good good enough to say well, we are going to wait these people out. that's not good enough. and the department of justice with dispatch. i thank you for the time. i thank my colleagues, mr. crowley, mr. lewis, mr. neal, and chairman brady. and i urge its passage and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1843 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from it know seek recognition? mr. hultgren: i move to suspend

the rules and pass the fidgeshal stability council insurance stability continuity act. the clerk: union calendar number 211, h.r. 3110 a bill to amend the financial stability act to modify the term of the independent member of the financial stability oversight council. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from illinois, mr. hultgren. and the gentleman from michigan, mr. kildee, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. hultgren: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hultgren: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 3110 the financial stability oversight council continuity act. i sponsor this legislation which is a technical correction to the dodd-frank act.

and i'm grateful to the members. i want to thank ranking member waters, the lead co-sporns sore. which were able to unanimously report this bill out of committee, 60-0. the bill amends the dodd-frank to allow the council's independent member with insurance expertise to remain a voting member beyond his or her term until a successor is appointed. the term would than conclude at 8 months or until the senate confirmation. the council was created as part of the dodd-frank act. the general purpose of this regulatory body is to provide a quorum. under existing law, the 10 voting members include the independent member with insurance expertise who is apointed by the president and

confirmed by the senate. the independent member is the only member apoiped by the president to serve on the council and only voting member which is expected to have insurance expertise. dodd-frank established a six-year term for the independent member whose term expires on september 30, 2016. the expiration of the interest member's term would leave the croum without a voteing member ho has your honor expertise. and my legislation is about insuring it is able to benefit from a voting member with insurance expertise without any unnecessary lapses. and a letter sent to the ranking member and me and i quote, it is important that the croum have members that have a deep understanding of the unique aspects of the insurance industry and our state-based

insurance regulatory system. we have a robust insurance market because of the crafted regulatory system. and protects the interest of their policy holders. this might not be the case if it lacks sishts understanding of our markets. what was not intended by dodd-frank is for the position to be vacant while the president and senate work to confirm another new nominee. and someone needs to serve in an acting capacity until someone new is confirmed. the act clearly states that positions can be filled by someone in an acting capacity. my legislation would bring continuity with other voting members. this is ems timely that the individual filling this roy woodal ends september 30. since president trump hasn't announced who should fill this

role and the senate will not have sufficient time to act between now and the end of september, we must do this without delay. the senate will mark it up and i hope it can go through the chambers so this technical issue can be resolved. i would like to thank ranking member waters and all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working with me. i urge support of this noncontroversial legislation and i hope it can move swiftly to the president's desk. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. kildee: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. kildee: i want to thank mr. hultgren and ranking member waters and a number of members of the committee who are supporting this. i'm a co-sponsor of the legislation. it is a bill that is quite

simple. it makes a technical correction to dodd-frank to address an issue regarding the term of the independent member with insurance expertise on the financial stability oversight council. the current term is set to expire on september 30 and remains unclear whether its successor will be confirmed in a timely fashion. dodd-frank does address how to fill a vacancy pending the a meant to an agency but doesn't relate to the insurance member. this bill would allow the current independent insurance member to remain a voting member of the fsoc of 18 months or the appointment of a successor. this i will ensure that they will have a member to bring important expertise to the members on the fsoc. this legislation i think is a

really good cooperation that we can see across the aisle in der to make common-sense corrections and inform the basis of further work as mr. hultgren said, the bill passed financial services committee by unanimous 60-0 vote. i thank you for bringing this bill thank you for bringing this bill up and thank you for the co-sponsorship of this ledge shrankslation and i look forward to swift enactment. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. roskam: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. mr. kildee: mr. speaker, we have no other speakers so i'm prepared to close. again, noting the bipartisan nature of this bill, i suppose i ought to learn to quit while we're ahead. this is good legislation. it's common sense, it fixes a problem.

it continues the continuity of the fsoc and makes sure that we have a full membership of that committee, including insurance representation. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. -- the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. scum come thank you, mr. speaker -- mr. roskam: thank you, mr. speaker. i echo what the gentleman has said. i want to thank the ranking member for her work on this legislation with me. and we have no further speakers on this and with that i'd yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 3110. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, -- the gentleman from illinois. mr. hultgren: on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted.

a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? mr. hultgren: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill, s. 1616, the bob dole congressional gold medal act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 1616, an act to award the congressional gold medal to bob dole in recognition for his service to the nation as a soldier, legislator and statesman. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from illinois, mr. hultgren, and the gentlewoman from california, ms. waters, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. hultgren: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on this bill.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hultgren: mr. speaker, i yield myself three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hultgren: stateman, member of the greatest generation, life-time public servant, fitting words as we consider s. 1616, unanimously passed legislation to honor senator bob dole with the congressional gold medal. the congressional gold medal is the highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions that the congress can bestow on one of our fellow citizens. i'd like to thank congresswoman jenkins and the 86 bipartisan co-sponsors for coming together to introduce this legislation for bob dole. recipients of the congressional gold medal have performed an achievement that has an impact on american history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement. bob dole's life-time of public service as a soldier, wounded in battle, state legislator, united

states representative, united states senator, nominee for both president and vice president, tireless advocate for the disabled, our veteran and the hungry. awarding this great american with the congressional gold medal is the least we can do today. i encourage all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. waters: thank you very much. first, before i make my remarks, i yield to myself such time as i may consume. i'd like to just say a word about mr. hultgren, who just in the previous bill, h.r. 3110, fsoc insurance member continuity act, who just took up the bill on the floor, i enjoyed working with him. it was a wonderful experience. and i think we can do a lot more of that. having said that, and yielding myself such time as i may consume, i'm pleased to rise

today in support of senate bill 1616. legislation to award a congressional gold medal to former senator bob dole in recognition of his distinguished service to the nation. in his younger years, bob dole made clear that he truly exemplified the best of the nation's greatest generation. when his studies were interrupted by world war ii, he enlisted in the united states army where he risked his own life to save a fellow soldier. in recognition of his brave service, which left him badly wounded, by machine gun fire, and with the permanent disability, he was awarded two purple hearts. and a bronze star. with an oak cluster among other honors. following his service in the u.s. army, senator dole began a long and distinguished career in public office, serving first in the kansas house of representatives, followed by

multiple terms in the u.s. house of representatives. in 1969 dole was elected to the united states senate where he served for 27 years and rose to be majority leader before running for president. over the course of his political career, senator dole developed a reputation as an outspoken and pragmatic leader who was willing to work across party lines to advance the help -- health and welfare of the american public. for example, in speaking about the of social security, and the need to protect medicare for america's senior citizens, dole said in a speech at the 1996 republican national convention that, and i quote, i have learned in my own life from my own experience, that not every man, woman or child can make it on their own. and that in time of need, the bridge between failure and success can be the government

itself. and given all that i have experienced, i shall always remember those in need, quote-unquote. in addition to working to safeguard important programs like social security and medicare, former senator dole was also a strong advocate for the disaged and he played a -- disabled and he played a central role in passing the landmark americans with disabilities act of 1990. the nation's first comprehensive civil rights law to protect people with disabilities from discrimination, unemployment, public services and public accusations -- accommodationings. and although he was not elected president, as the nominee of the republican party, he made clear that he would not accommodate racial or religious intolerance, stating that for, quote, anyone who has mistakenly attached themselves to our party in the belief that we're not open to citizens of every race and religion, the exits, which are

clearly marked, are for you to walk out of. wow. quote hundred quote. after leaving the senate in 1996, former senator dole continued to dedicate himself to a range of causes, particularly those aimed at helping those in need. for example, senator dole served as co-chair of the families of freedom scholarship fund, which raised more than $100 million for the educational needs of the families of victims of 9/11. and he served as the co-creator of the mcgovern-dole international food for education and child nutrition program, which aimed to alleviate child hunger. while senator dole and i have had our share of policy differents over the years, it was always possible to have a civil disagreement that didn't lead to disrespect. a true gentleman, statesman and legislator. senator dole could debate the issues with the best of us, all

while maintaining a good sense of humor. for all of these reasons, it comes as little surprise that the legislation before us today has already garnered the unanimous support of the united states senate and it is fitting that the house today is doing its part to give the highest honor this body can bestow to former senator bob dole. so i would urge all of my colleagues to join me in quicklies passing this legislation. and with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. hultgren: thank you, mr. speaker. first i'd like to thank my friend, the ranking member, maxine waters, for her kind words. mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the gentlelady from kansas, ms. jenkins, ms. jenkins is the sponsor of the house companion legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from kansas is recognized for five minutes. mr. jenkins: i thank the gentleman for yield -- ms. jenkins: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, i rise in support of the bob dole congressional

gold medal act, which recognizes senator dole's service to this great nation. as a soldier, legislator and statesman. as a kid growing up in rural kansas, there were many times i could be found wearing a stire foam cap and a sandwich board in support of my senator. i introduced this legislation, which calls for the secretary of the treasury to strike a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of senator bob dole and i'm humbled to have the opportunity to honor him for his lifetime of service on the floor of the united states house of representatives. throughout senator dole's life, he has consistently exemplified humility, hard work and leadership. he was born and raised in a small town, russell, up in north central kansas. as a young man he served heroically in the army during world war irving i, where he was -- world war ii, where he was gravely wounded while trying to save a fellow soldier during a

military offensive in italy. senator dole later went on to carry out one of the most storied careers in politics. where he set the record as the nation's longest serving republican leader in the united states senate. he has seen -- he's seen as a political statesman who reached across the aisle for the good of the country. to this day, senator dole continues to serve his country and fellow man by fighting for our veterans and working to help curb child hunger and poverty. senator dole's passion, dedication and service to our country is a testament to his character and a great blessing to the state of kansas and our nation. he's not only an american hero, but a role model, mentor and a dear friend of mine. there is no person i would rather see be honored with the congressional gold medal than senator bob dole. please join me in supporting this legislation to honor senator dole for his unwavering

service to our country. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. mr. hultgren: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. ms. waters: i continue to reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. hultgren: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentleman from kansas, mr. yoder. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas is recognized for three minutes. mr. yoder: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from illinois for yielding and i'd like to join my colleague, ms. jenkins, and pressure herb -- appreciate her support in leading this legislation as we support h.r. 3332, a bill to award the congressional gold medal to senator bob dole. service, sacrifice and statesmanship. these are the words that describe senator bob dole, one of kansas' proudest native sons and one of the greatest men to ever serve and walk the halls of congress. born and raised in russell, kansas, senator dole attended my alma mater, the university of kansas, where he excelled as a three-sport varsity at lee for the jayhawks. his college career was interrupted by world war ii,

when he answered his country's call and enlisted in the u.s. army. he would distinguish himself in the service, earning several decorationses and becoming seriously wounded in combat in italy. although those wounds would cause a life long disability for him, senator dole did not shy away from the challenges they presented. he instead used that personal experience to help others, becoming a fierce advocate for disability rights and the father of the americans with disabilities act. his career in public service spanned over 45 years, with his first election to the kansas house of representatives in 1951, and ending with his presidential campaign and retirement from the senate in 1996. his legislative and political accomplishments during this time are almost too many to count, mr. speaker. his top priority has always been service to others, where it is people with disabilities, kansas farmers, or his fellow veterans. senator dole has always put his country ahead of his central and -- himself and he stayed grounded in his strong kansas roots. i can think of no one more fitting to be recognized with a

congressional gold medal. as a member of the kansas delegation, i am truly honored to follow in the footstepses of senator dole, by serve our great state and our great country in congress. he ises an inspiration to me and an enduring example of what statesmanship and public service should look like. i ask my colleagues in the house to support this bill and to join me in working daily to uphold senator dole's legacy of service and civility in congress. i yield mrs. bachmann:. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. waters: i yield to the gentleman from massachusetts, two minutes, mr. mcgovern. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: i rise in support of the legislation my colleague, congresswoman jenkins, has introduced that would give bob ole the congressional gold medal. bob dole is one of my heroes. admire him not only for his

statesmanship and civility, but i admire him because he has led the effort in this country and around the world to end hunger. nobody that i can think of other than george mcgovern who worked with bob dole during the 1970's, did more to strengthen our nutrition programs and make sure that our richest country in the world, nobody went hurningry. he worked in a bipartisan way and these programs were strengthened and we were making great progress to ending hunger and joined with george mcgovern in the formation of the mcgovern-dole food education program. this is a program that expands school feeding initiatives all around the world and millions and millions and millions of children are not only getting

fed and getting a nutritious meal, but getting fed in a school setting. and getting the nutrition they need and the education they need and hopefully lead their countries out of poverty. the international world cannot lead with an i will literate population and senator dole helped develop their potential. this program has also been incredible in getting more young girls into schools, in some countries where education isn't valued for schools. but parents are sending their girls to school and will get fed. senator dole, not only deserves this, but he deserves the respect and admiration of everybody in this chamber, democrat and republican alike. and he is an example and

inspiration -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is yielded an additional one minute. mr. mcgovern: he should be an inspiration to us all. these are very difficult times in washington. but, you know, you look at the example of senator dole and you realize, you know, how good this place can be. how good congress can be and how effective congress can be. you don't have to agree on everything to agree on something. and that was senator dole's guiding principle, where he could agree with people on the other side of the aisle and got things done. he fought passionately for his point of view. but he represents the kind of civility and kind of decency that we need more of in washington. i'm proud to support this legislation and i congratulate congresswoman jenkins for lead thing effort and i urge my colleagues to support it.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts yields. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. hultgren: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from kansas. >> i rise today to honor a true american hero. i'm pleased the house is acting today to award bob dole with our nation's highest civilian honor. bob's life and legacy stand strong, constant reminders of the values that are at the very ore of kansas, honor, hard work, sacrifice and constant yes or noing. when bob was wounded in the mountains of italy while trying to save a fellow soldiers, they didn't know he was going to make it. he wouldn't give up. he spent years recovering in hospitals and continued putting his life in service and did so

right here in the house and senate. and served in the kansas house of representatives and as chair of the republican national committee. through it all, bob dole, a true servant leader has stood as an example as things are when politics are at its best when mutual respect is never lost and when joy and good humor have a seat at the table. today as republicans and democrats we come together to honor bob not because we all agree, but because there are greater causes than ourselves. addressing the national republican convention in 1996, bob closed his remarks by saying, my life is proof that america is a land without limits and with my feet on the ground and my heart filled with hope, i put my faith in you and in the god who loves us all for i am convinced that america's best days are yet to come. ank you, bob, for your faith

to kansas and cower country and bringing america to her best days. i urge my colleagues to support this. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas yields. the gentleman from illinois reserves. the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. waters: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. hultgren: i yield three minutes to the gentleman from kansas, three minutes. >> i rise today to honor kansas' favorite son, a hero and mentor of mine and former occupant of e congressional office i now hold, senator dole. he never forgot where he came from, russell, kansas. now at 94 years young, senator dole continues to work every day for the causes he supports. he continues as a shining

example of leadership, in the work he did in congress to help feed millions around the world. this rk he deals with witt. many weekends he can be seen greeting our veterans. and he works today on promoting the national memorial to president eisenhower, his hero. i cannot think of one living american more deserving which is why i'm thrilled tonight this house will join the senate in passing the bob dole congressional gold medal act. i encourage the president to quickly sign this. i look forward to this vote. i'm honored to call him friend and honored to participate in this vote. and i yeelt back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas yields. the gentleman from illinois. mr. hultgren: i have no further

speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady if california is recognized. ms. waters: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. mr. hultgren: i have no further requests for time and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 1616. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? mr. hultgren: i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 2864, improving access to capital act as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 2864, a bill to

direct the securities and ex chining commission to allow certain issuers to be exempt from registration requirements and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from illinois, mr. hultgren. and the gentlewoman from california will each control 20 minutes. mr. hultgren: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. hultgren: i yield myself such time as i consume. i rise in strong support of the improving access to capital act. i want to thank the democrat and republican who are the key sponsors of this bill, ms. sinema of arizona and mr. hollingsworth of indiana. it is good to bring this to the house floor when the bill is sponsored by my colleagues. to continue this job growth and ensure that we have a stronger and health yir economy with

opportunities for all americans, we must encourage small business growth. and this starts that they have access to the capital and credit that they need to grow. this bipartisan bill will help the american economy and make it easier for companies, particularly small businesses, to access capital. this is important because small businesses are the heart and soul of the american economy. it helped to create more than 60% of the nation's net new jobs. this bill carries forward the mission of another bipartisan bill, the jobs act of 2012, to increase capital formation and u.s. markets so more american workers would be able to find good paying jobs. as part of the jobs act, the securities and exchange commission was expanding regulation a, which is a critical tool for companies trying to raise small amounts of money and the regulation a-plus, it has been effective. with the regulation, issuers

have publicly filed 147 offerings seeking up to $2.6 billion in financing. as a comparison in the 12 months leading up to regulation a-plus, there were only 50 filings seeking to raise 159 million. regulation a-plus has opened up an avenue to seek financing through the capital markets. and according to the s.e.c., these are small businesses with assets of $100 million which rett stricts their ability to obtain a bank loan. unfortunately, not all are able to benefit from regulation a-plus. implementing the jobs act, the s.e.c. excluded some small companies. this was contrary. the s.e.c.'s final rule, smaller and mid-sized companies have been shut out from the benefits of regulation a-plus.

smaller investors suffer by not having the opportunity to participate in the public markets for early-staged companies and share in their growth. this is a simple bill that fixes the problem i just described. h.r. 2864 would amend regulation and direct toll exclude companies that are fully reporting under the securities and exchange act. this will help small businesses gain access to capital so they can grow and hire more workers and give smaller investors greater opportunities. this was approved by the financial services committee with the overwhelming support by democrats and republicans. the vote in committee to favorably report was 6 -0. 2864. adoption of h.r. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california is recognized. ms. waters: i yield such time as

i may consume. mr. speaker, i would like to start thank off by thank representative sinema and representative hollingsworth tore craft bipartisan that will help smaller public companies to raise the funds to grow and thrive. specifically, h.r. 2864, the improving access to capital act, would narrowly expand the relief we provided in the jump start, our business startups act to raise money under regulation a-plus. currently regulation a-plus allows private companies to raise up to $50 million in examine by selling tradeable stock to the public as a quicker and less expensive alternative to a fully registered securities offering. extending regulation a-plus eligibility to public companies would provide them with an

additional efficient method of fixing a small amount of capital alternative.heaper public companies must be up to date with the securities and exchange company. in addition, public companies ust comply with the regulatory requirements in regulation a-plus including the offering, disclosure of the information and limitations on sales for investors. importantly, bad actors who committed certain felonies, misdemeanor or other misconduct within the past five years are disqualified from using regulation a-plus. investors in regulation a-plus offerings are informed about the purchases. so i support h.r. 2864 while

providing targeted relief to public companies that balances their need to protect investors. the financial services committee has has a public and private market regulation. going forward, i hope we review the securities' laws to ensure our legislative efforts appropriately incentivizing companies to become public. i want to thank the bill's sponsors, especially ms. sinema on this bipartisan piece of legislation and join me in supporting h.r. 2864. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from california reserves. the gentleman from illinois the gentleman in illinois is recognized. mr. hultgren: i yield to the gentleman from indiana for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. i spent the last few days

traveling indiana's best district, the ninth district. i had many conversations but one thing came through. that is, we need to work together to get better outcomes from our businesses back home. nowhere is this better exemplify -- exemplified than this bill, improving access to capital act. it's about getting small businesses engaged and empowered with what they need in order to grow, hire, and invest. on the second point it's exciting to me to be able to reach across the aisle and work with representative sinema who has been nothing but great in her leadership and her fervent desire to help small businesses across the country. r. hollings worth: this sounds district of columbia . hollingsworth: this bill sounds esoteric, but this creates another avenue for small

businesses across the country to raise the money they need in order to innovate, in order to grow, in order to expand, in order to hire more americans. this is just simply another arrow in the quiver for them to be able to grow and develop. small businesses account for the bulk of hiring across this country. they account for the bulk of innovation across this country. and we need to be doing everything we can to continue to promote them. that's exactly what leaptive sinema and i have done with this particular legislation is work hard to develop a bipartisan solution, one that was supported unanimously out of the house, in order to provide companies with more options, more tuns to grow. i encourage my colleagues to grow -- to vote in favor of this legislation and let's get america back to work again. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from indiana yields. the gentlelady from illinois reserves. the gentlelady is recognize. ms. waters: i'd like to thank the co-sponsors for their vision, for their work and for

the bipartisan effort they successfully put together. now i yield to the gentlelady from arizona, the lead sponsor of this ill be, -- of this -- of this bill such time sheas may consume. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. sinema: thank you, representative hultgren and representative waters and thank you, congressman hollingsworth for working with me on this legislation to help more companies succeed. as part of the jobs act, congress directed the securities and exchange commission to amend $50 tion a to have up to million exempt from full s.e.c. amendments theesms exclude certain potential issuers, include exchange act reporting companies. as a result, thousands of companies that already meet the s.e.c.'s high disclosure requirements are ineligible to use regulation a-plus to cost effectively raise the funds they need to grow and hire employees.

and that's why i've introduced this legislation with congressman hollings worth to allow s.e.c. reporting companies act tose -- access to regulation a-plus. it's a valuable pathway to allow businesses to raise money in an efficient and transparent manner. i'm committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the cyle to ensure arizona's small businesses have every opportunity to thrive. i hope members will join us today in spoth of this legislation. my thanks to congressman hollings worth for working with me on this commonsense, bipartisan bill. mr. chairman, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. hultfwren: i have no further requests for -- mr. hultgren: i have no further requests for time and reserve. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. waters: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois. mr. hultgren: thank you to

congresswoman sinema and congresswoman waters for their work on this. i encourage support of this legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 2864 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- the gentleman from illinois. mr. hultgren: on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately

6:30 p.m. today.