we will bring you to the floor now. live coverage here on c-span. expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., december 8 it 2021 -- december 8, 2021. i hereby appoint the honorable henry cuellar to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the prayer will be offered by chaplain kibben. chaplain kibben: would you pray with me?

o lord, our shepherd, how wonderful it is to be found by you. when we stray from your word or wander from the shelter of your tender care, you seek us out. there is nowhere you won't go to look for us. you, who know our every thought, every desire, every decision, our every move, you have shown time and again that you will pursue us until we come back to you, our creator, redeemer, and friend. may we be willing to be found today. may we hear your words before we speak. may we know your desires before we make our plans. may we feel your presence before we take off on our own. and may we receive the embrace of your love before we engage with our family, friends, colleagues, and strangers. wherever we are today, o god,

find us. wrap us in your tender embrace, and bring us back to the fold and restore to us the life that you intend for us. in your merciful name we pray. amen. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 11-a of house resolution 188, the journal of the last day's proceedings is approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from virginia, mr. cline. mr. cline: 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 pro tempore: the chair will receive a message. the messenger: mr. speaker, messages from the senate. the secretary: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has

passed s. 2629, an act to establish cybercrimes, reporting mechanisms, and for other purposes, in which the concurrence of the house is requested. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one-minute -- for up to 15 one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, please. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in honor and to celebrate the life of lieutenant garrett ramos of sterling, illinois. 38-year-old lieutenant ramos served the sterling fire department for a decade before losing his life late last week. mrs. bustos: it was late friday night in rock falls, illinois, that lieutenant ramos responded to a call for help. as he was bravely fighting a house fire, the floor collapsed beneath him. but while lieutenant ramos' life was cut short, his life will

live on. described as an amazing individual of the highest caliber on and off duty, lieutenant ramos carried on his family's legacy of service when he became a firefighter just like his father, ed. lieutenant garrett ramos was a good man, a good firefighter, a good friend, and a good cubs fan. but above all else, he was a son, a husband, and a father to two little children who will dearly miss him. he was a true hero to the community he served. the community has asked to put a red light on their porch in honor of lieutenant garrett ramos. my deepest condolences to his loved ones. may you be comforted by his memory. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i seek to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from

texas is recognized for one minute. mr. arrington: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize and congratulate my friend, mayor anthony williams, on 20 years of excellence in public service to the key city, abilene, texas. mayor williams has grown up, received his education, and raised his family in the key city community his entire life. anthony's dedicated his life to public service and has had a tremendous impact on the community that he dearly loves. mayor williams' record reflects that he believes that a thriving community stems from a free and responsible citizenry, strong faith and family -- faith in family. big country, west texas, thank you, mr. speaker. to his wife and four children for their allowing him, their sacrifice for giving him the leeway to spend time in the community and make abilene a better place to live for all of us. mayor williams, thank you for being a great friend, a brother in christ, partner in our public

service venture, for liberty and prosperity for all americans. congratulations, anthony, and god bless you and your family, and go, west, texas. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from alabama seek recognition? >> i seek recognition to speak for one minute on the house floor, to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman from alabama is recognized for one minute. ms. sewell: mr. speaker, i rise to honor a true american hero and one of our nation's most distinguished civil rights lawyers, attorney fred gray sr. as he celebrates his 91st birthday on december 14, 2021. a native of alabama's seventh congressional district, attorney gray was born in montgomery, alabama, and came of height during the civil rights era.

he successfully litigated groundbreaking civil rights cases, representing the likes of rosa parks, claudette, referenced martin luther king, and even our own john lewis and those protesters that dared to march across the edmund pettus bridge. he helped deseg regrate public -- desls segregate public buses. attorney gray's long and accomplished career fought against injustice wherever it was. to paraphrase martin luther king jr., he was a drum major for justice, righteousness. as we celebrate another year of attorney gray's life, it's my hope that president biden will strongly consider awarding him our nation's highest civilian honor, the presidential medal of freedom. there is no one more deserving. let's give him his flowers as he

lives. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from california is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. this week, we pay tribute to the lives lost on december 7, 1941. 80 years ago, japan launched a surprise sneak attack on the u.s. naval base at pearl harbor in hawaii. it took well over 2,000 lives of military and civilians. this unprovoked act of war served as a rallying cry for americans to stand up for their brothers and sisters in the name of freedom, liberty and security. in my home district, a local treasure, lou, one of the last two living survivors of the u.s.s. arizona, resides in grass valley. we could not be more proud of mr. lieu conto -- mr. lou conter. it's my honor to be his

representative. just this last september, lou turned 100 years old. still full of vigor, and a smile for everybody. a pleasure to be around. he's proof of the unbounding determination of people like lou and of the american people. i recognize today the lives lost at pearl harbor and salute all who served and ensure the safety then and now for all of our families in this great country. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. cohen: to seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, give or take, and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. cohen: thank you, mr. speaker. in 1954, i was strickened with polio and in 1955, not quite 6 years of age, i went to a baseball game in segregated

game. a player gave me a baseball, a white player. i went to my dad and told him about it and he said, don't thank me. thank that player over there, number nine. he was the blackest player in the stadium. first integrated game in memphis. he didn't feel comfortable giving a baseball to a white boy in memphis in 1955 at the exhibition game. that lucky moment for me gave me a hero and an angel that stayed with me all my life. later in 1960 when he came to memphis, we visited, not at the lorraine motel where dr. king was killed. nine time all-star baseball player in the segregated lorraine motel. we maintained our friendship over the years. this is a picture of me giving him a certificate in co-minutes key park when he played seven decades, the longest of anybody playing professional ball. in this picture, we were in

memphis at the civil rights baseball game. one of the first things i did when i was a congressman was to introduce a resolution to honor the negro league baseball hall of fame in kansas city and in it i said, minnie minoso would have been in the hall of fame but for segregation. he should have been in the major league. it was killed in the senate by a senator who was a hall of famer. today, minnie minoso, on sunday, he was voted into the baseball hall of fame. i took minnie to cuba when i went there, and handed out number nine pins. the cuban people loved him. he was their jackie robinson. january 24 he goes in the hall of fame with jim bunning. thank you, baseball hall of fame. thank you, minnie minoso. i yooeb yield -- i yield back

the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from kansas is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, american lost a kansan who never forgot him. senator bob dole left this country better after his 75 years of service. i was blessed to spend time with him several weeks ago. he was excited for our first district. he he was a champion for our way of life in rural kansas. he always treated other people with respect and kindness, especially his fellow veteran, as he attended nearly every honor flight that came to washington, d.c. mr. mann: i left our time together inspired that senator dole made it clear we must never forget where we came from.

his legacy will echo in the future and his patriotism serves as a benchmark. thank you, senator dole, for working tirelessly to make our world a better place. may you rest in peace. my prayers and gratitude to senator bob dole and his family. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from virginia is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize the boys and girls girls of harrisonburg and rockingham county. mr. cline: this organization has grown from just one location to

now more than seven throughout the region. for the past 2 1/2 decades they worked to ensure that those in the shenandoah valley will make sure that will help mold our region's youth into caring, responsible citizens through programs focused on academic success, healthy lifestyles, citizenship. serving more than 900 kids annually ages 5 to 18, for the past quarter century, the positive contribution this group has had on the valley youth is immeasurable. i congratulate them on their first 25 years of success and wish them many more. our community is forever grateful for all they do. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? ms. tenney: mr. speaker, i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman from new york is recognized for one

minute. ms. tenney: thank you, mr. speaker. today i rise to recognize three new york state section 4 high school teams. this past weekend for the first time since 2019 hundreds of players, coaches, parents, and fans from across the great state of new york returned to syracuse university's carrier dome to compete for a new york state public school athletic association football championship. this past friday the class d12 win undefeated tigers led by the coach roared to victory with a 27-0 victory over the vikings winning their second state championship in school history. today's games will bring more fun to new york state's 22nd district. first the fourth seeded class c12-1 blue devils led by their coach played a rematch of the their 2019 championship game and again beat the sky larville horses with a convincing 21-0

vicktory. last certainly not least, the 13-1 class b spartans, came back from a 12-7 halftime deficit to outscore the pleasantville panthers 14-0 in the second half winning their first state championship since 2014. one state, 27 congressional representatives, five championship divisions, and new york state's 22nd district took home the trophies in three of four divisions we competed in. congratulations to all teams from 292nd district. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> thank you, mr. speaker. i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from texas is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. come to the house floor today to congratulate mike fletcher, the store director of the a.t.b.

after 27 years mike did something we hope to do one day and that's retire. he has come to call it home. he lived there until he was 20 then attended the university of -- texas a&m university while attending school, started his career in the grocery industry. what he has done for the community cannot be captured in juan-minute speech. mr. ellzey: he kept the doors opened, shelves stocked, and community fed during the pandemic and winter storm that hit the great state of texas. he and his wife have been an integrate part of the county since they moved there in 2002. he served on the salvation army board, been a member of the rotary club, volunteered on disaster relief teams in west texas when the fertilizer plants exploded in 2013, and more. he might be retired from working at a.t.b. but not finished serving his community. congratulations on your retirement.

thank you for your continued dedication to our county. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized for one minute. mr. fitzpatrick: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize kennies cancer freedom, since being drafted third overall in the 2011 draft, mr. freedom, a newly minted american citizen, has made our country incredibly proud. growing up in turkey, he said did he not know what freedom was until he moved to the united states. since then he has used his platform to speak out against human rights atrocities in china, turkey, and beyond. he uses his voice for the people around the world who are voiceless. because of his outspoken criticism of turkey's authoritarian regime and inhumane treatment of political prisoners, the government revoked his passport and issued

warrants for his arrest leafing him stateless for many years. in china, broadcast of enes' basketball games were banned after he mentioned the human abuses. he's made it his life's mission to push the boundaries. he understands and recognizes using his voice and importance of it. after waiting six long years, mr. speaker, last weekend he finally became a u.s. citizen and at a ceremony he recited the using his newly minted last name, freedom. i cannot think of a more appropriate new last name for enes as he embodies all that freedom means. by changing his last name he can now carry that word with him wherever he goes. freak, i salute the brave work of enes cantor freedom -- enes kanter freedom. i congratulation him on his citizenship and this united states congress and all of us welcome him to our american

family. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the chair will opponents further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the house will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition?

>> i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5545, as amended, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5545, a bill to extend certain expiring provisions of law leading to benefit provided under the department of veterans affairs educational assistance programs during covid-19 pandemic. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. takano, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. takano. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on h.r. 5545, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. takano: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 5545,

as amended. the responsible education mitigating options and technical extensions act, or the remote act. this bill is an urgent extension of flexibilities for student veterans using their educational assistance benefits as the covid-19 pandemic wears on. h.r. 5545 as amended extends the student veteran coronavirus response act of 2020 through the spring of 2022 term. when my student veteran coronavirus response act was signed into law in april, 2020, i'm not sure many of us would have foreseen that 19 months later the covid-19 pandemic would still affect everyday life for veterans and their families across the country. since then we have extended these flexibilities for student veterans three times as the pandemic remains a public health emergency throughout the country and the world. still, many college students

remain unable to return to campus. h.r. 5545, as amended, would extend remote learning waivers for student veterans through the spring 2022 term, and ensure they will continue receiving full housing benefits despite not taking on campus courses. we have been negotiating this bill with the minority for months. while this bill is not the exact version that i would prefer, student veterans are simply too important to let these benefits lapse. a majority of students have already enrolled in their spring classes. having signed up as early as this past october or november. they selected their classes with the hope that we in congress would act to extend these flexibilities through the spring term. we cannot wait any longer to pass this critical piece of legislation for our student veterans. new cases of the virus are up. there is a new variant leading some states to declare a new

state of emergency, and it is clear covid-19 is not behind us. the emergency persists and we cannot walk away from our duty to assist student veterans now. without this legislation, student veterans who planned and started out the school year remotely reasonably thinking they would be able to stay in status for the entire school year, will have to figure out a plan to get back to taking on campus classes in order to receive their monthly allowance for housing. this legislation is to address this specific emergency now. this is not setting precedent for any future emergencies. nor is it setting a standard for treating future education terms impacted by covid-19. should we have to extend these provisions again next year, we should use the same emergency designations we have used three times in the past. we know these provisions are not

for new benefits. they are to maintain existing benefits and existing spending. additionally, this bill ensures student bodies at u.s. universities remain diverse and allows for the continued recruitment of foreign students. it also simplifies the verification process for tuition reimbursement for certain educational institutions to minimize unneeded paperwork for student veterans. student veterans should be able to focus on their studies, not on whether they are going to receive their earned v.a. benefits. that is why i introduced this bill with my colleague -- house veterans' affairs committee colleagues, representative trone and representative mike levin, to ease the burden on student veterans during these persistently uncertain times. this legislation is endorsed by numerous p.s.o. such as the student veterans of american, american legion, v.f.w., american council on education, tragedy assistance for

survivors, association of public and land grant universities, and the national association of veterans program administrators and countless others. finally, the legislation includes an additional provision from representative lamb -- representatives lamb and mann. the text of this section of the bill would help the department address diversity and equity within the work force. it removes a 1997 law that limits the number of v.a. counselors who can advise employees on equal employment opportunity issues. v.a. has roughly doubled in size since 1997, and v.a. requested for this limit to be removed to allow the department to hire additional counselors to support the needs of a growing work force and help ensure that v.a. is a welcoming place -- welcoming place for all employees. i wish to thank speaker pelosi and leader hoyer for bringing this legislation to the floor. i urge the rest of my colleagues

to support this legislation to ensure student veterans are able to access the benefits they earned and continue their studies during the spring semester. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized, mr. bost. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 5545 as amended, the remote act. i'm pleased to support this bill which is very similar to my bill, h.r. 5509, the student veterans covid-19 protection act of 2021. this bill will help address urgent needs of student veterans who are impacted by covid-19. at the beginning of the pandemic, congress worked to ensure that students, veterans, g.i. bill housing allowance payments were not cut when an in-person classes were removed online. the current authorization for

this protection expires on december 21, 2021. h.r. 5545, as amended, would extend it through june of -- june 1 of 2021. this would provide veterans and schools with the certainty that students will not see a reduction in their monthly housing checks this school year. the bill also includes changes to ensure the g., bill students can attend foreign schools and give american schools time to comply with new consumer protection rules. it includes a change to the v.a.'s rounding out policy to allow students to retain their full monthly housing allowance, even if they finish their program required course work early. finally, it also includes language sponsored by congressman lamb and congressman mann to remote -- remove the cap on the equal employment opportunity counselors at the

v.a. this is no place for discrimination at the v.a. i am pleased that we can once again pass this important provision to help employees avail themselves of their right for a safe workplace. the cost of this bill are fully paid for by extending current v.a. home loan funding fees for few months into 2030. this is a bipartisan offset that has been used multiple times in the previous congresses. this issue of whether to offset the estimated $220 million is mandatory costs associated with this bill has been an issue of disagreement for many weeks. you want to thank chairman takano for working with me to find a mutual beneficial solution that is paid for and can quickly pass the senate. this is a win for the veteran schools and taxpayers alike.

in the vast majority of circumstances, i strongly believe that congress should do our job and pay for these new spending. we have a responsibility to pay for our bills just like every american does. however, that does not mean that i will -- i won't consider that the use of emergency spending we appropriated -- when it's appropriate and necessary in the future as new emergencies may arise. before i close, i would like to thank the dozens of high educated -- education groups and veteran services organization that is have advocated for the passage of this needed extension and reform. i want to especially thank the american counsel on education and the student veterans of america for their continued support for this fully paid for legislation. they understood that if these changes are not made soon, many schools would be forced to stop accepting students who are using the g.i. bill. i agree with them that such an outcome was simply unacceptable.

while i wish we while i wish we could have added these protections weeks ago, i am glad we are taking care of them today on a bipartisan basis that protects veterans and taxpayers alike. i again want to thank chairman takano for working with me and the others on this issue as well as our colleagues, senators tester and moran, for their support. i urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i would like to now yield three minutes to my good friend and author of h.r. 5545, as amended. he's a member of the house veterans' affairs committee, and an active member on the subcommittee of economic opportunity and subcommittee on oversight and investigation, the gentleman from maryland, representative trone. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. trone: thank you, mr. speaker.

thank you, mr. chairman, very much. i rise today to support our bill, the remote learning act, to protect veterans' education benefits. last year congress prevented cuts to veterans' tuition payments and students -- as students transitioned to online learning. this helped folks stay in school during the pandemic, which remains one of the most challenging times to pursue higher education. unfortunately, these benefits are at risk once again. by law, the department of veterans affairs is required to cut housing benefits for student veterans for taking classes remotely. this doesn't make sense during a global pandemic. while some colleges and professors have chosen to keep classes remote, many student veterans have opted to live on campus. we need to act now to ensure our veterans receive the necessary

flexibility to achieve academic success. the remote learning act will extend remote learning waivers, ensure veterans receive full housing benefits, allow universities to continue recruiting foreign foreign stud student bodies can remain diverse and minimize paperwork for tuition reimbursement. our veterans deserve a world-class education. they deserve to earn their degrees on time. some of these brave service members have waited their whole lives to get their degrees. the negative effects of the pandemic shouldn't hinder them from doing that. we have a responsibility to help. i want to thank chairman takano and chairman heaven for their leadership -- chairman levin for their leadership on this bill and for all the work, the hard work they've done to protect our

veterans. it's time to pass this bill and give the vets the benefits they've earned. so thank you and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland yields back. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: mr. speaker, i'm ready to close if the chairman is ready to close. mr. takano: i'm ready to close and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i just want to let everyone know this is -- i am very much in support of this legislation. i encourage my colleagues to support it as well. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, yields back. the gentleman from california, mr. takano, is recognized. mr. takano: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the work and cooperation of the ranking member. i appreciate that he stands squarely behind this legislation. what's at stake at the very end of this year is the housing of

our nation's student veterans and the number of tens of thousands. we need swift passage of this bill, of the companion bill in the senate. so i'd urge all members of the house to support this bill, and i'd urge our senate colleagues to work on this expeditiously. with that i close and i ask all my colleagues to join me in passing h.r. 5545, as amended, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. members, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5545, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. beyer: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5746, the national aeronautics and space administration enhanced use leasing extension act of 2021, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5746, a bill to

amend title 51, united states code, to extend the authority of the national aeronautics and space administration to enter into leases of non-excess property of the administration. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. buyer -- mr. beyer, and the gentleman from texas, mr. babin, will each control 20 minutes. and the chair now recognizes the gentleman from virginia, mr. beyer. mr. beyer: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5746, the bill now under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. beyer: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. beyer: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to support passage of the bipartisan nasa enhanced use leasing extension act of 2021, h.r. 5746. i want to thank my colleagues, ranking member brian babin on the subcommittee space of

aeronautics, representative carter and representative young kim for being original co-sponsors. this bill would enable public and private sector entities to benefit from nasa property that's not fully used while helping nasa manage the vast facilities and maintenance challenges. the act would extend nasa to enter into leases for non-excess real property, including office space, testing and launch facilities and hangers to other state and federal entities. nasa's existing enhanced lease authority, e.u.l., expires on december 31, 2021. while several short-term extensions have previously been enacted, this act provides a clean 10-year extension that will create more certainty for nasa and the e.u.l. partners who benefit from this authority and there are many. according to a july, 2021, testimony to the subcommittee

space and aeronautics that i chair and ranking member babin is part of, the authority allows nasa to retain lease revenue and apply for its maintenance, capital revitalization and improvement of nasa's real property assets. that's important because with the majority of nasa's facilities dating back to the apollo era and over 80% beyond their design life, maintenance is an ongoing challenge. nasa currently manages the deferred maintenance backlog of $2.6 billion. the revenue nasa receives from enhanced use leases, $10.8 million in fiscal year 2019, could help avoid further increases to that backlog. e.u.l. authority benefits the private entities, federal, state, and local entities to use specialized facilities and properties, such as launch infrastructure, while providing the value service to nasa of maintaining the properties. co-locating with other federal,

state, local entities, public and private entities, creates a vibrancy and environment at nasa centers that benefits including partnerships with those institutions. mr. speaker, nasa's leadership and success and expanding our knowledge through groundbreaking scientific discoveries and expanding humans into space advances or capacity and strengthens our economy. enabling such an inspiring mission requires such an unique infrastructure and property and facilities. we need to ensure nasa has the tools and flexibility to continue with its successes for decades to come and that includes managing property that may no longer be actively or fully used by nasa, at least at this time. the bipartisan nasa enhanced use leasing extension it act of 2021 will make sure it will continue for the next decade and in so doing provides stability to nasa and the e.u.l. partners.

mr. speaker, this bipartisan bill is good for nasa, good for the taxpayer. we cannot afford to let this important authority lapse and risk delays and disruption to the many new leases currently being processed by nasa. i urge my colleagues to vote yes and support passage of h.r. 5746, the senate can swiftly pass it and send it to the president for enactment. thank you, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. babin: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the chairman, the gentleman from virginia, mr. beyer, as well. i rise in strong support of h.r. 5746, the nasa enhanced use leasing extension act of 2021. legislation that i co-sponsored to extend nasa's enhanced use leasing authority, which expires on december 31. nasa has used enhanced use leases for almost 20 years to enter into arrangements to lease

idle or underutilized areas on nasa property to the private sector, to the state and local governments and to academic institutions and universities. nasa can then use some of the money raised from the leases to offset spending for facilities main assistance, capital revitalization and real property improvements. nasa expects to collect over $14 million in net revenue in 2022 from these enhanced use leases and apply that money to its deferred maintenance backlog. the last extension of the enhanced use lease authority was for two years. h.r. 5746 will extend it for 10 years until december 31, 2031. this 10-year authority will give nasa and its partners the flexibility and the pre-dixibility to -- predictability to enter into longer term leases which could reduce the burden on taxpayers and to help the united states commercial space industry continue to compete and

outinnovate the world. i proudly represent the johnson space center in houston, texas, and is a strong advocate for this vital nasa center as well as for all of our nasa centers. i want to make certain we're doing the utmost to empower the brilliant men and women supporting our space industry, scientific discovery and human exploration. so thank you, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. beyer: mr. speaker, i yield as much time as the gentleman from louisiana, mr. carter, may need. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from louisiana, mr. carter, is recognized. mr. carter: thank you, the nasa plant in louisiana is known as the rocket factory. for over 55 years, they have manufactured large vehicles and components for nasa. from the apollo program to the space shuttle to the space launch system or the s.l.s.

it is the main manufacturing assembly plant for s.l.s., which will take us to the furthest reaches of the solar system. this sit approximately employs 3,500 people but supports more than 6,000 jobs nationwide. this includes government civil service workers, contractors and staff of other government agencies as well as commercial firms. this includes workers from louisiana that employs significant jobs and economic opportunities. the national center for advanced manufacturing, a partnership between nasa and the state of louisiana, louisiana state university in baton rouge and the university in new orleans also calls mishu home. all this to say, mishu is an

indispensable part of the new orleans economy and new orleans community and our nation's space program. sites like this would benefit greatly from the passage of h.r. 5746, which re-authorizes the enhanced use leases needed to keep up the production. i am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this bill and ask that all of our members support this bill and i urge an aye vote for this incredibly important piece of legislation to maintain and to continue the work that we've done at mishu, with nasa for our country. i yield back. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia reserves. the gentleman from texas, mr. babin, is recognized. mr. babin: yes. mr. speaker, i yield five minutes to the the gentlewoman from california, mrs. kim. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for five minutes. mrs. kim: thank you, mr. speaker.

thank you, ranking member, for yielding. i rise today in strong support of h.r. 5746, the nasa enhanced use leasing extension act. this is a bipartisan bill i was proud to co-lead with the space committee chair beyer, ranking member babin, and representative troy carter. h.r. 5746 would allow nasa to continue leases the underutilized none access property owned by the federal government to private sector entities, state and local governments, academic institution, and other agencies involved in research, development, and deployment of space innovation. we need all hands on deck approach to help the u.s. lead the global space race for innovation and the development of new technologies and this legislation aims to do exactly that. i'm proud to support h.r. 5746.

those on the frontlines of space innovation and aerospace manufacturers in southern california who create the tools for the united states to continue reaching new heights. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 5746, with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california yields back. the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. bier: -- mr. beyer: i have no more further requests for time to speak. i'm prepared to close. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. babin: thank you, mr. speaker. passage of this legislation will allow nasa to better manage their infrastructure, maintain their facilities, and support the commercial space industry. the provision is fiscally responsible as it helps nasa collect revenue from its underutilized properties. congress will continue to

provide oversight of how nasa uses this authority in the coming years to ensure that taxpayer interests are protected. and that the authority is not misused. i would like to thank representative frank lucas, the ranking member of the science, space, and technology committee for his leadership on this important topic. he's a strong advocate for not only our nation's space program, but for our entire scientific enterprise, both public and private. i'd also like to thank chairwoman eddie bernice johnson, my colleague from texas, and also my friend, chairman don beyer, for their efforts to expedite this bill. as well as the majority and minority staff of the science, space, and technology committee. i'd also like to thank the nasa civil servant and contractor work force. despite the challenges posed by covid-19, nasa employees and contractors have been able to accomplish phenomenal achievements. once again launching american astronauts on american rockets

from american soil, to landing a rover the size of an s.u.v. on mars. to flying the first helicopter on another planet. nasa has not missed a stride. these achievements are a credit to the perseverance and fortitude of the entire nasa family. i look forward to witnessing many more amazing feats in the coming weeks and months. it's an exciting time. finally, i would also like to recognize the passing yesterday of mark geyer, the former director of johnson space center. he was a stalwart leader, skilled engineer, and thoughtful friend. representing the johnson space center afforded me the opportunity to work with mark over the years. and i can tell you that he had a profound impact on our nation's space program. i would also like to wish his wife, his three children, and the entire family my heartfelt condolences and thank them for mark's service to nasa, the

american people, and noble endeavor of space exploration. with that, mr. speaker, i would like to yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas yields back. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. beyer: mr. speaker, thank you. i concur with my friend, dr. babin, we are very fortunate to be led by eddie bernice johnson, our chair, and frank lucas, our ranking members. we actually work together in a good way. i'd like to thank dr. babin and mr. carter and mrs. kim for co-sponsoring this and helping put this together. a wonderful space subcommittee staff who took the time to put the title of this bill the nasa enhanced used leasing extension act of 2021. i yield back the balance of my time. i encourage all our colleagues to vote for this good bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass bill h.r. 5746 as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4996, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the report --

the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4969, a bill to amend title 46 united states code with respect to prohibiting acts by ocean common carriers or marine terminal operators, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi, and the gentleman from south dakota , mr. johnson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 4996, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. gair why mendy: mr. speaker -- mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. garamendi: thank you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the chairman of the committee, mr. defazio.

congressman dusty johnson and i have announced our intention to pursue this bipartisan legislation, the ocean shipping reform act of 2021. just this past june. late august we introduced the h.r. 4996 and have since earned the support of more than 90 bipartisan co-sponsors. on november 17, the biden administration put out a public statement endorsing our bipartisan bill. now less than four months since we first began to develop this legislation, i am thrilled. in fact i'm amazed and awed but very happy the house is taking up our comprehensive reform. the amendment in the nature of a substitute reflects relatively minor changes and a reorganization of h.r. 4996 as introduced. in other words, it's not important to the substance of the bill. i am thrilled with the compromise legislative text reached by the committee's majority and minority staff. and the members. this is what the voters sent us

here to do, to identify problems, develop practical solutions, and then work together across the aisle to reach a compromise to achieve a result. that's exactly what the house, both democrats and republicans, are now doing and taking up this bipartisan ocean shipping reform act of 2021 on this day. i want to thank mr. defazio and mr. carbajal and the ranking members, sam graves and mr. gibbs of ohio, for working with us -- with me and my republican counterpart, mr. johnson, from south dakota, to get this result. i'll very briefly go through what the bill attempts to do. we all are aware that the pandemic made the long-standing issues of ocean shipping industry highlighted and also the staggering vulnerabilities and integral supply chain that drives the global economies. the ocean shipping reform act would be the first major

overhaul of federal regulations for the international ocean shipping industry since 1998. for decades, the united states has run a significant trade imbalance. due in large part to export driven, nonmarket economies like mainland china. in 2001, the people's republic of china was granted permanent normal trade relation was the united states, the so-called most favored nation status. following that country's admission to the world trade organization, there has since been a considerable consolidation among the foreign based ocean carriers, coinciding with the continued decline of the u.s. flag international fleet in favor of foreign flags of convenience. a handful of foreign flag ocean carriers now dominate the global ocean shipping industry. three of which are from china, another from korea, a third from europe. several -- fifth from europe. several of which are effectively controlled by these foreign governments. foreign businesses -- business

access to the american market and our consumers is a privilege, it is not a right. in 2001 the united states trade imbalance with the people's republic of china was approximately $83 billion in nominal dollars n2020 our trade imbalance with the mainland of china was $310 billion. having increased year over year most every year. this legislation would ensure the reciprocal trade to help reduce the united states' long-standing trade imbalance with export driven countries like china. california agricultural exporters and other businesses are willing to pay to ensure their products reach the markets in asia, but they can't pay a fortune to do it. one example, jelly belly, the candy company in my district last spring, would pay $3,000 for a container full of candy to ship to the western pacific. today it is $31,900. that's the problem. the ocean shipping reform act

does make critical reforms requested by major u.s. importers like the national retailer federations member companies. there are many, many examples. i'll let those go for now. with that i yield back. excuse me, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: it is impossible for any american to ignore the supply chain crunch. a supply chain crunch that seemingly impacts most every part of the american economy. in that kind of an environment i want to echo so much of what my friend from california said. i am indeed thrilled that the house is taking up this bill today. i'm grateful for his leadership. i'm grateful to be the lead republican on this. and i'm grateful that this bill has been endorsed by 360

national, state, and local groups. this is much needed legislation. so how did we get here? with a massive influx of federal dollars in the economy, and with covid-19 changing, how americans purchase goods, for more than a year united states ports have faced unprecedented volumes of cargo. some estimates say american demand for consumer electronics has gone up 40%. compared to prepandemic. so the pressure on those ports has trickled down to every other part of the supply chain. leading to what americans have seen, delays and product shortages. now, those constraints and the resulting extremely high shipping rates have made it more difficult not just for our country to receive imports, but also for us to ship our manufactured goods and agricultural goods out to the rest of the world.

we have seen unprecedented, i'll say it again, we have seen unprecedented rejection of american container loads by the large ocean carriers. they are in contravention of their contractual obligations, just refusing all that cargo, preferring instead to take the empty containers and get them back to asia for a quick turn. that has cause the serious problems, not just conceptual, real dollars, real cents. the american dairy industry has seen $1 billion worth of losses. just in the first six months of this year. . mr. speaker, i am a fan of the free market. they have many buyers and sellers and that is not in place today. mr. garamendi so rightfully talked about the consolidation we have seen in this industry, and inskied, 30 years -- and indeed, 30 years ago the largest

ocean carriers controlled about 13% of this traffic. today, they control about 75%. that's not quite the free market we used to have. so h.r. 4996, the ocean shipping reform act of 2021, helps to address these supply chain bottle necks -- bottlenecks. it helps promote american competitiveness and holds accountable these foreign ocean flag carriers which are dominated by chinese-backed state firms. let me be honest and let me be clear -- this bill is no silver bullet. but shame on us if we fail to act. this supply chain crunch has laid bare the deficiencies in the marketplace, and we have an opportunity today to address many of those deficiencies. now, probably the most common question, mr. speaker, my colleagues ask of me about this

bill is why a congressman from the plains of south dakota would be so interested in maritime law. i would just remind them of the world's great hunger from american beef, american beans, american corn, and american dairy. indeed, 60% of south dakota's soybeans are exported abroad. and that environment this is not just a coastal issue but it's an issue that impacts lives from the farm gate to every main street. and indeed, i've been hearing from south dakota businesses, from strider bikes in rapid city to valley queen, a cheese processor in milbank, and they're telling me about how these issues are having a real impact on dollars and cents. valley queen has two million pounds of lactose. this is a product that's already been sold to asian markets, and it's just sitting there in their warehouses waiting for an

opening at the ports. a recent container load of this lactose waited on the ports, mr. speaker, for 75 days. the lactose began to turn and, of course, that meant a big deduction on the price that valley queen could get for that lactose. just a destruction of american value. this bill is about american competitiveness. broadly speaking, the legislation provides the federal maritime commission -- that's the cop on the beat -- the tools they need to make sure that this system runs more efficiently and runs for fairly and makes sure the interests of the foreign flagged ocean carriers are better aligned with the interests of american shippers. so the bill does a number of things. i'll quickly just hit on five. first off, under this bill, the f.m.c. can set minimum standards for ocean shipping. that makes sure that u.s.

shippers are protected from actions of others which leave export cargos stranded at u.s. ports. number two, it protects u.s. shippers from retaliation if they file a complaint with the f.m.c. number three, this bill prohibits the foreign flagged ocean carriers from unreasonably denying american export cargo on their vessels. number four, it requires foreign ocean carriers to certify the accuracy of the detention and fees, fines they can submit shippers with. they have to certify those fines are accurate. number five, it would authorize the national academy of sciences to study how best to improve transparency in the supply chain. now, i just don't know, mr. speaker, how any of my colleagues could allege these are unreasonable. these are very basic guardrails. these are very basic rules of the road that people who are using american ports should be

obligated to follow. and so a choice for my colleagues is simple. a vote for h.r. 4996 is a vote to put u.s. shippers, manufacturers, farmers, truckers, retailers, and consumers first. that's where they should be. with that, mr. speaker, i would urge support of this legislation, and i would reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. garamendi: i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman who alerted me to this problem, the gentleman from california, mr. costa. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california, mr. costa, is recognized for two minutes. mr. costa: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i want to thank congressman john garamendi, a friend and a person i worked with on a host of issues over the years. congressman dusty johnson. this is a, i think, a good example of what bipartisan

cooperation is all about. congressman garamendi, your leadership on this effort, a member of the subcommittee and the full committee, and congressman defazio and working out the differences is important. having said that, the ocean shipping reform act of which i am a co-sponsor the first -- is the first major update in federal regulations for global ocean shipping since 1998. think about how much the world has changed in 23 years. and in terms of trade. this legislation, as i said, is the result of bipartisan efforts. the legislation supports u.s. exporters who have been disproportionately impacted by unfair trade practices in our ports and harbors. no ship arriving in import should leave an american port empty. when products are ready to go. and that's what's happening, sadly. enacting strong regulatory framework will help end these disruptions to deal with the issues of backup on the supply chain that's created this

bottleneck. we can and must do more to ensure that all exporters in this country have a fair and level playing field. california agriculture producers as well as other u.s. exporters should be able to ship their products without unnecessary delays. it's a national security issue. the increased shipping container costs and delays by exporters are facing are only continuing to end our impact from the covid-19 pandemic. let me give you a local example. in california, our nation's largest agriculture producer and exporter with more than 400 commodities and over a third of the nation's vegetables and 2/3 of the nation's fruits and vegetables, 44% of california's agricultural production is exported. 44% of california's agriculture production is exported. the san pedro bay complex, which we otherwise call los angeles-long beach port is the

ninth busiest in the world. and provides importation of 40% of the container industry in america. think about that. this is where the bottleneck is most acute. it's necessary we utilize all resources to empower the federal maritime commission to do what they can and should do. this is about short-term and long-term solutions to relieve the bottleneck in this supply chain. this is about an effort to in fact provide relief, relief to -- that benefits american workers, american consumers. it's about the economic recovery. it's about trade. and it's about jobs. i urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan legislation that's part of the short-term and long-term solution. i urge a yes vote on this resolution and i yield back the balance of my time -- i urge a very yoet on this -- yes vote on this legislation and i yield

back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: before yielding 1 1/2 minutes to the lady from california, i would note mr. costa's unyielding advocacy of this project, this issue, and thank him for that. with that i yield to mrs. kim. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized for a minute and a half. mrs. kim: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you, representative johnson, for yielding. and i thank you for your passion to address the supply shipping -- the crisis that we are facing in our nation today. i too rise in support of the ocean shipping reform act of 2021. this is a bipartisan bill. i was proud to co-sponsor that would help address the bottleneck at the san pedro shipping complex nearby my district, california's 39th congressional district. while this bill is not a silver bullet to resolving all of our

supply chain issues, like major labor shortages and warehouse overcapacity, it does take meaningful steps to address uncompetitive practices by some ocean carriers. h.r. 4996 provides the federal maritime commission with more tools to address practices that discrimination against u.s. exporters, importers, truckers, and other players in our supply chain. continued bottlenext at the san pedro -- bottlenecks at the san pedro complex is raising prices for workers, families, and small businesses and hurts the ability of our manufacturers and farmers to export goods overseas. so i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 4996, and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, i

now yield two minutes to the gentlelady from washington state. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for two minutes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. chairman. i am so proud to represent washington's eighth congressional district, which stretches from the suburbs of seattle in the west across the cascade mountains into the rich farmland of central washington. it's home to some of the nation's largest agriculture producers and exporters whose hay, apples, pears, cherries are in high demand all around the world. for more than a year, these exporters have shared with me how pandemic conditions and the behavior of foreign-owned shipping carriers are hurting their industries, threatening their businesses. they don't know if a ship may be in port, making it difficult to get their products to the carrier in time. they're forced to pay additional fees when their products, often

perishable ones, have to wait at the port to be loaded onto a ship. ms. schrier: and shipping carriers are opting to return to empty carriers to china for fast turn around and their own bottom line rather than accepting u.s. exports. it's better for them to return to china for empty containers versus bringing back eighth district hay or agriculture goods. this rejection threatens to up-end our nation's agricultural industry and relationships built over decades for years to come. i was proud to co-sponsor the ocean shipping reform act of 2021 together with congressman garamendi and johnson. i thank them for their support. this is a great bipartisan bill that will make a real difference for exporters in my district. and i encourage my colleagues to vote yes. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from washington state yields back. the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i would yield 1 1/2 minutes to the great gentleman from the great state of nebraska, mr. smith. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska is recognized for a minute and a half. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 4996, the ocean shipping reform act. i thank mr. johnson, mr. garamendi, and others for joining me in raising the alarm back in march in a letter to the federal maritime commission about the empty container ships leaving american ports. this bill follows on that effort offering necessary reforms to federal regulations overseeing the ocean shipping industry in order to address problems like have been discussed. agriculture exports are critical to not only feeding the world but to the livelihood of the producers i represent in nebraska. we cannot do that if container ships leave american ports completely empty. this bill prohibits foreign ocean carriers from refusing u.s. exports unreasonably and

gives the f.m.c. more tools to ensure these carriers are held accountable and to a high standard. trade only works if exports reach their destination in a reliable and affordable way. this bill is a great step towards facilitating that. it's a reasonable bill. i urge a yes vote, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, i now yield two minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. carbajal. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized for two minutes. mr. carbajal: mr. chair, i would like to express my support for the bipartisan ocean shipping reform act and bipartisan agreement -- a bipartisan agreement that representatives garamendi and johnson have reached. i would like to thank my colleagues for working with me and chair defazio on this legislation. as chair of the subcommittee on coast guard and maritime transportation, i've held hearings on the ongoing supply chain disruption and met with countless stakeholders and

constituents who are feeling the impacts of the disruption, including those who suffered wrongdoing by ocean carriers. this legislation is a big step toward addressing this. the increase in funding for the federal maritime commission, f.m.c., in this two-year authorization, is indicative of this body's strong support for finding an effective solution to the pandemic supply chain crisis. . now is the time to ensure the commission has the ability to enforce fairness in ocean carrier practices. i'm pleased the bill contains a number of provisions aimed at addressing wrongfully issued speeds. and president biden's actions to address this issue. the bill also includes several reporting requirements on issues maritime cargo flow at u.s. ports and anti-competitive business practices. by addressing these challenges, congress seeks to counter trade imbalances with foreign

exporting countries making reciprocal trade one of the f.m.c.'s mission. i am proud of the committee's work on this important legislation. i look forward to ensuring this legislation, h.r. 4996, is signed into law. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized mr. johnson: i would thank mr. carbajal for his leadership. i yield three minutes to the ranking member of the subcommittee on coast guard and maritime transportation, the gentleman from ohio, mr. gibbs. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized for three minutes. mr. gibbs: thank you, mr. chair. i also want to thank representative dusty johnson, garamendi for their work on this bill. while i rise in supporter this bill, do i have concerns about the process under which it has been brought to the floor. whether by itself much impact on the supply difficulties we are currently facing. neither hearing or markup was held on this bill. given the complexity i believe a

hearing and markup would have given members a better opportunity to splifully understand and perhaps improve the bill. the bill gives the federal maritime commission enhanced authorities to prevent ocean carriers who operate ships in the container trade from engaging in anti-competitive activities with regards to shippers and gives shippers enhanced input into the process. i have concerns about giving bureaucrats at the federal maritime commission more authority to insert themselves into privately held contractual agreements. however, it appears to a great extend the delays port congestion, and higher shipping prices are due primarily to short-term contracts or inability to share data needed by all parties to operate efficiently. equipment shortages, lack of warehouse space, chassies, trucks, and labor issues rather than intercompetitive practices. if ocean shippers were the sole problem, we would not see container ships waiting for weeks to unload. exports are at record high

levels for some commodities and it is unfortunate some of the ag shipments have not been able to make it on ships in a timely manner. however it is not clear to me that the decision that led to these products from being stranded are due to practices that are anti-competitive under u.s. law. this bill would prohibit carriers from unreasonably declining cargo that can be safely and timely loaded and is going to a port on the ship's itinerary. i would be curious to see how much this provision is used. i'm willing to support this bill to ensure detention and demurrage is used to move cargo efficiently. and provide shippers some additional protections. however as has been said by the sponsors, this bill isn't work. i expect to address the supply chain more broadly and not assume allege anti-competitive behavior by ocean carriers is the sole cause for the current

supply disruption. that legislation we would be comprehensive and look at long-term port, truck, chassies, train, intermodal connection. two, assure the availability of transparent, enforceable contracts to ensure goods can be shipped and agreed to at time and cost. three, improve data sharing among the parties in the supply to assure everyone knows where and when they must have the equipment to move containers efficiently. i urge support of this legislation. and continue to work to address the whole supply chain crisis. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. garamendi: mr. speaker, may i inquire how much time remains on our side. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california has 10 minutes. the gentleman from south dakota has 7 1/2. mr. garamendi: i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i just

want to take an opportunity to thank chair defazio and ranking member graves for the various hearings they have had. in talking with chairman maffei-and others. i want to thank mr. garamendi and others for bringing up this legislation in unanimous of hearings we have had on the supply chain crunch. i think it has helped to fill out the record on these incredibly important issues and the role that this legislation can play in advancing this cause. with that i yield 1 1/2 faf minutes to the gentleman from georgia, mr. allen. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia is recognized for 1 1/2 minutes. mr. allen: thank you, congressman johnson, for yielding and your support for this important legislation today. i rise in strong support of the ocean shipping reform act of 2021. throughout the pandemic i heard from georgia farmers who were unable to access affordable shipping. agriculture is the largest

industry in my district and the largest industry in the state of georgia. our properties are a critical part of our nation's infrastructure and it should be considered a great honor and privilege for any international company or entity to have access to them. foreign players gain access to the largest consumer market on earth through our ports with the g.d.p. of $20 trillion and 325 million people. american farmers face high fees and barriers to getting their commodities into shipping containers. after defying the odds of weather and many other issues that our farmers face, it is unconscionable our perishable exports are left sitting in wear houses to rot. this bill provides the first significant federal update of the federal maritime commission's powers since 1998, and will significantly improve our farmers' access to affordable shipping. i am a proud co-sponsor of the ocean shipping reform act of 2021.

and i urge my colleagues to support this important bill. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized mr. garamendi: continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california continues to reserve. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized mr. johnson: i'm prepared to close. is recognized. mr. johnson: i'm prepared to close. mr. speaker, there are a few things i know for sure. the first is that when you use the american ports you should be subjected to some very basic rules of the road. things like not being allowed unreasonably discriminate against american cargo. that's one thing i know for sure. another thing i know for sure is that although this bill is not a silver bullet, and nobody is alleging that it is only the ocean carriers that are responsible for the supply chain crunch, this will help. this better aligns the interests of the ocean carriers with the interests of american manufacturers and american farmers and ranchers.

that will go a long way toward helping resolve the supply chain crunch. finally, mr. speaker, one more thing that i know for sure. and that is when you have 360 national, state, and local groups, when you have 90 members of congress, when you have a bipartisan coalition that has come together to embrace this concept in what is all too often a partisan environment, then, i think you know you have a good policy solution. with that in mind i once again want to thank the gentleman from california for his leadership. i urge all of my colleagues to support the bill and ask the senate for their expeditious consideration of it. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota, mr. the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi, is recognized. mr. garamendi: thank you, mr. speaker. occasionally we toss words back and forth across the aisle.

i would like to toss a word back across the aisle to mr. johnson. he said compliments. the actual compliments go his way. it's not often we spend time and we spent a good deal of time working together on these bills. we ought to do more across the aisle. mr. johnson, it's been a pleasure working with you and your team and i thank you. i thank you for stepping forward as have other members on my side and your side of the aisle stepping forward and say hey, there's a problem. it's a problem out there. there's problems of retention and demurrage charges. well, how could that be? an importer of christmas, plastic christmas trees and writhes and other ornaments from china. i could not get his containers off of the port. yet he was being charged $4 million, which pretty much puts him out of business. he's not the biggest company in the world. he would like to be. given the unfair situation that he was facing, he may never

become a major company in the united states. we need to set up rules of the road. words that mr. johnson played out -- laid out so clearly. rules of the road. the guardrails within these rules, operations, free enterprise, market competition can take place. but right now it is a wide open system in which there is a gunfight on the street. and that is leading to companies not being able, not being able to get their goods on the ships, to export and comments you already heard from mr. costa, california is a big agricultural export. so is south dakota. so is the midwest. so is the southeast. all of america wants to export. when you cannot get a container, you are not going to export. and you are like-i, you are likely to be out of business. you are going to owe -- incur a very, very significant charge. we set up a system in which these charges and the availability are regulated in a

mechanism that will be conducted by the federal maritime commission. we can go on and on here and we probably ought to. i won't take my full 10 minutes. i will say as mr. johnson said earlier, this isn't the silver bullet. this isn't going to solve all the problems. when you consider what has already occurred in legislation here, specifically the infrastructure and jobs act, that piece of legislation will provide $2.5 billion to the ports so that they can upgrade their facilities. so that they can -- the next time around be able to avoid the kind of congestion that is plaguing all of the commerce in this nation. we also look to the build back better legislation which has another $2.5 billion in it to deal with additional infrastructure that's necessary to connect the ports to the rest of the transportation system in this nation. we need this bill.

we, the american farmer, needs this bill. we the american export industry whether it's heavy, light, and the import community all need this bill. so i urge my colleagues to support the legislation and in that process we will, i believe, have a much better market system here in the united states. one that has guardrails. one that provides an equitable and balanced system for the importers and the exporters. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yield back the balance of his time. million garamendi: i think i still have a minute n that minute i would like to do something very, very important if i could. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. garamendi: clearly, you must have misheard me or did i misspeak? either way i want to take an opportunity here to thank some very, very important people. the staff that put this together. on our side of the aisle, as

soon as i find all of my notes here, yes, matt, the lead person on the maritime coast guard committee. sheri thompson, on that committee. and cheryl dickinson and ian hart from my own staff. if mr. johnson: would like to -- if mr. johnson would like to take a minute of my time to thank his staff. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota is recognized mr. johnson: i would echo the thoughts of mr. garamendi, there have been so many who worked together. and a broad national coalition. he is exactly right to call attention to the people who do the work behind the scenes. thanks you, sir. i yield back. mr. garamendi: this time i clearly yield back. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass bill h.r. 4996, as amended. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. the gentleman from california. >> call for recorded vote. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. sherman: mr. speaker, i move the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4616, the adjustable interest rate act of 2021, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 4616, a bill to deem certain references to libor as referring to a replacement benchmark rate upon the occurrence of certain events affecting libor and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. sherman, and the gentleman from michigan, mr. huizenga, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. sherman. mr. sherman: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all

members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and insert extraneous materials thereon. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sherman: and mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to enter into the record an exchange of letters between the committee on financial services and the committees on ways and means and education and labor. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sherman: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california, mr. sherman, is recognized. mr. sherman: today, mr. speaker, we show that the house of representatives can deal with a really big problem before it becomes a crisis, before almost anybody even knows that there's a problem. we can do -- deal with such a problem without drama, without deadlock, without partisanship. we can do it a year and a half before it all explodes.

so as to give the senate the regulatory -- senate, the regulatory agencies, the private sector the time they need to do this job long before the impending uncertainty disrupts our economy. as co-chair of the c.p.a. caucus, i am here to certify that this is the most important, genuinely boring bill that will come before this house this year. mr. speaker, there are trillions of outstanding loans that have adjustable interest adjustable interest rates. the adjustment of these loans is tied to the london interbank offered rates, known as libor. libor has been referred to as the most important interest rate in the world. we are dealing here with

adjustable rate mortgages, business loans, securities, and some student loans. and for many years, libor was the index. when libor went up, the interest rates would go up. when libor went down, the interest rates would go down. for many years it worked well. libor libor is based on a survey of british bankers. and a few years ago, some british bankers lied. some went to jail. and our friends across the pond said they stopped publishing the libor index. we asked them to keep doing it. they're going to stop on june 30, 2023. some $16 trillion of loans and business instruments will still be outstanding. those instruments will specify that you calculate the interest rate based on libor and libor

will not exist. these $16 trillion of loans and other business instruments do not specify what is supposed to happen if you go to calculate the interest rate based on libor and there's no libor. that's why they're called tough legacy libor instruments. well, we could do what all too often happens in washington. we could ignore the problem. we could then leave it up to tens of thousands of class action lawsuits, hundreds of thousands of regular lawsuits as borrower and lender try to figure out what interest rate would apply. that would be terrible for our economy and our court system. we got a better idea. the legislation before us today, h.r. 4616, the adjustable interest rate libor act, which will provide borrowers,

investors, and all those in the financial space certainty as to what happens when libor is no longer published. before i continue, i want to thank chairwoman waters and ranking member mchenry and their staff for working closely with me to get this bill on the floor today. and i would particularly want to thank rob of my staff who has point of order, a quorum is not present -- who has poured his heart and his soul into this bill for the entire year. this bill has received the support of 21 business organizations. i'd say every business organization with a stake in this matter, including the american bankers association, the independent bankers and the chamber of commerce. i particularly want to thank christy leo, president of structured finance association, for working with us on this bill. the legislation is also -- has also won the support of so many public interest groups, including the national consumer law center and americans for financial reform. and i particularly want to thank

andrew of the national consumer law center for his assistance. not only has this legislation received support from these important organizations, but every word, and i mean every word, has been carefully reviewed by the federal reserve board, the u.s. treasury department, the securities and exchange commission, the office of comptroller of the currency, the federal housing finance agency and the consumer protection bureau. we have revised it again and again based on their comments. each of these agencies has cleared on every word of the bill before us today. and once again, i want to thank the staff, particularly the federal reserve, for helping draft this legislation. mckenzie, evan, and mark. this text before us is a

consensus product, and all the agencies have signed off. we have worked with over 100 different organizations and groups. and to my knowledge, none oppose the text that's before us today. i want to thank the alternative reference rate committee, which was convened by the new york fed, which created the structured overnight finance rates, which are based on the treasury markets. those markets are public, transparent, and not subject to manipulation. it is a broad market. so unlike the libor rate, it is not subject to manipulation. this bill provides that as to that $16 trillion of tough legacy libor, pursuant to regulations published by the fed, the various sulfur rates

that applicable will stand in for the libor rate once the libor rate is no longer published. sounds simple. but let me tell you it's been a hell of a year as you try to get consensus on a bill affecting $16 trillion. now, i want to talk a little bit about why this bill -- why it's necessary and why it's so important. just two months ago, october 20, the federal reserve, the cfpb, the fdic, in conjunction with the regulators issued a joint statement stating that failure to adequately prepare for a libor's discontinuans could undermine the financial stability and safety and soundness of the institutions they oversee. the financial stability oversight council, which recreate -- oversite council, which we created, said that the

cessation of libor as the potential to potentially disrupt our markets. the s.e.c. similarly warned that libor's discontinuans may -- continuens may pose -- secretary yellen and federal board chair powell told us we need legislation to deal with this matter at the federal level and it is bipartisan. steve mnuchin testified to the same thing when he was secretary of the treasury in the traukts. -- in the trump administration. finally, i should point out that federal reserve chair powell has told us that failure to deal with this presents a big financial stability risk to our entire economy. as to the scope of this bill, it deals only with tough legacy libor. those -- it does not deal with those instruments that expire while libor is still published. nor does it deal with those instruments that are created in the future and do not reference

libor. there was an earlier draft of this bill set forth the obvious and that is the substitution of sulfur for the libor index does not constitute a sell or trade for tax purposes. we took that out because we wanted to move the bill quickly and not cause a referral to the ways and means committee, but mostly we took it out because it was absolutely unnecessary. it's very clear under existing tax law, the change of one index to another index that is creatively similar, in this case, designed to be as close as possible, as humanly possible does not constitute a sell or exchange. but it's through the operation of law and where the change is necessitated because the original index is no longer published. so the tax outcome is obvious and does not need to be part of the statute. the last change we made in this bill was to add the words "for purposes of the governing law of

such libor contracts to section 5-d." we did that to make it clear that we weren't dealing with any tax issue and anybody could hold it up to a magnify glass, we satisfied the committee on ways and means. there's no taxation in this statute. that -- but this law does deal and preempts the field with regard to all nontax law. that means contract, commercial, financial law, at both the federal, state, and local level. finally, this act does not prescribe what interest rates ought to be used in the future. that's up to the parties involved. nothing in this bill is designed to encourage the use of sulfur or any other particular benchmark interest rate. nor does it encourage or authorize any federal regulatory agency to push any bank or other

institution to use any particular rate in the future. that's up to them. so this bill deals with $16 trillion of tough legacy libor. it is a consensus product. it is the result of the work of regulators, industry, and the public interest community. i urge its adoption and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. huizenga: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the opportunity to be here today and to have this conversation. while this shouldn't be a surprise. we knew this day was coming. since 2014, 2014, the alternative reference rate committee, the a.r.r. -- arrc, has worked with us to help ensure the transition from the aforementioned libor rate system

to a new system. in fact, over the last several years, republicans on the financial services committee has raised this issue on numerous occasions with our prudential regulators as well as the secretary of the treasury under even the last administration. i myself have asked for greater focus on this issue but unfortunately this request seemingly fell on some deaf ears. and it was unfortunate that my colleagues on the other side seemed to sort of forge ahead without having a broader conversation. there was one hearing on this issue as before we marked up this bill in july. we needed to do a better job in socializing this particular issue, because now, mr. speaker, we have a problem. we have members of this chamber who do not understand the issue and don't understand the process and they look at this as being just rushed. they don't see the 2 1/2, three,

four, five years of having this discussion sunday the london wale scandal happened where there was manipulation of those international rates. here we are once again because of a truncated and process that it appears to some of our members that we are rushing through a bill that's going to expand the federal government. it could cost the federal government something. it's going to interfere with private contracts. and we simply have not done the work to normalize and socialize this particular issue. you know, this has been described as a once-in-a-generation event. we're talking about financial instruments with hundreds of trillions of dollars at stake, including effects that we can't even totally foresee. so fast forward more than 2 1/2 years and here we are less than a month from the deadline and we're just now voting on a bill to address these legacy contracts for the transition

from libor. this is washington and frankly the process at its worst. so how did we get here? every day, thousands of federal contractors -- sorry -- financial contracts attach libor as the interest rate. with libor phasing out, the financial system needs legal certainty on what happens to those legacy contracts that have this rate already baked in. this bill attempts to provide a solution. it offers an alternative rate to affected parties who cannot agree on a rate to replace libor. to be clear, the rate offered under this legislation is one option. it does not prevent these parties from agreeing to something better that suits those particular needs of that contract. . this was passed out of committee in july. four months later the committees on ways and means and education and labor were finally able to include their portions of this. that's four months of inaction that has caused some of that now today concern by many on this

side of the aisle. and to make the situation more frustrating, we still don't know where the senate standards. i don't, the chair doesn't. and certainly the industry doesn't know where the senate is. frankly, maybe the senate doesn't know itself. hopefully today will spur them into this conversation of the bottom line is, this process could have been much, much better. in fact, it should have been much, much better. and it must be better when we are talking about preventing systemic risks to our financial system. regulators who supervise the system have stated this is a satisfactory fix. i major a bitcoin that they aren't happy with how we arrived here today. in whole i would like to thank the regulators for their hard work. in fact, i do believe that this bill would not be here today without their guidance. but this is not the process that financial services republicans would have pursued and not quite

the bill that we would have drafted. there are trillions of dollars at stake, and the safety and soundness of our financial system is at stake and here we are at the 11th hour scramble. unfortunately that seems to define how washington, d.c. is being run today. will i not stand in the way of this process -- i will not stand in the way of this process -- allowing this pros and progress for regulators to supervise this financial system. i do encourage my republican colleagues to trust our regulators and support this legislation despite having some doubts about the process of what we are seeing here today. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. sherman: i ask mr. huizenga whether he wishes to engage in a colloquy. mr. huizenga: happy to. mr. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. sherman: i understood you had some questions for me in a

colloquy. i don't know if that's something you want to do or not. mr. huizenga: i do. i do have another speaker. mr. sherman: we will engage in that colloquy at the appropriate time. i wish to respond to the gentleman's remarks about the process. first, this bill is a good bill. vote for the bill. there is no doubt this bill is a good bill. don't need to talk about the process, but will i for just a second. as to whether we had sufficient hearings and enough hearings that match the interest of this house, we had a full hearing of my subcommittee on this. and it's not like 400 members of the house showed up. we are not a member of the subcommittee but can we participate. it's not like the balcony is filled. it's not like we deprived our colleagues of information they

were anxious to obtain. but it's not just one hearing of the subcommittee. i regarded at least a dozen of the committee -- of the hearings of the financial services committee over the last two years as hearings on libor. in my opening remarks i quoted what secretary ma mnuchin said. he said in response to my questions when he came before us in hearings the gentleman knows that at least half -- probably a dozen hearings that we have had at financial services where we had the secretary of the treasury, where we had the chair of the federal reserve, where we had other experts. i asked a question about libor. if my colleagues had found this subject near as interesting as i do, they would have asked questions about libor as well. we had one hearing dedicated to libor, and a dozen and more

hearings where those dedicated to libor could have asked questions. as to whether people in this house should think that we are interfering with the rights of businesses to transact business, i would ask unanimous consent to place in the record a letter in support of this bill signed by 21 business groups, basically every business group that deals with any instrument tied to the libor index. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. sherman: finally, as to the issue i agree with the gentleman i would like to have had this bill come up 2 1/2 years before libor ceased to be published. we are bringing it to this house 1 1/2 years before libor ceases to be published. compared to everything else in washington, that is record time. i speak today on a fiscal year

that began october 1 where we hoped to pass the appropriations bills in february. dealing with the problem a year and a half before it happens may not be 2 1/2 years in advance, but it's good compared to everything else i have seen. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california voifs. reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. huizenga: thank you, mr. speaker. i'll reserve my comments for our colloquy. the gentleman certainly knows that communication has been slim at best between staff and members. with that i would like to recognize the gentleman from arkansas and a leader on this issue, french hill, for as much time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. hill: i thank the speaker. i thank the distinguished ranking member of house financial services wheat and of course the chairman of the subcommittee on capital markets, mr. sherman.

on this side of the aisle there is absolutely no debate that mrn for this topic as a certified public accountant. and that his questions about improving this bill are unlimited. i want to rise today and support of this effort flawed as it might be. and support the adjustable interest rate act of 2021. as the chairman of the subcommittee said for decades, the london interbank market has been the institutional fixed income rate used by hundreds of market participants to benefit american families. because that libor rate has been a very competitive rate. and it facilitated securities being issued that facilitated in morehouse being built for more

families in america -- more houses being built for more families in america. a liquid market for more families' credit card debt, for important student loan debt. so this rate is critically important. it's a part of also the u.s. dollar, mr. speaker, being at the forefront of the global securities market. so as the ranking member for housing on our subcommittee, it was the go-to rate for mortgage-backed securities, for use of the government secondary mortgage market for fannie mae and freddie mac. i think the chairman has outlined the importance of this. this bill deals with all those contracts that depended on that libor rate that just stubbornly don't have an alternative right now. as we approach the end of the

quote for this important interest rate, there are contracts, the chair says some $16 trillion of bonds outstanding, that need this replacement contractual rate. this bill does not increase government. this bill does not increase regulatory power. this bill facilitates the private sector bond market solving this tough thorny issue for the stubborn minority of bond market transactions that we call these legacy issues. now, the gentleman from michigan, the gentleman from california and i have listened to and worked on this bill for years. and we thought the federal reserve and the regulators were going to solve this problem years ago. that's what they told us years ago. but as those years have gone by, they found that they can't solve this problem in the regulatory

agencies. and they have turned to congress to legislate and craft a narrow fix to solve these tough contracts. so, mr. speaker, that's why i'm in favor of taking this action today. i encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, this is a technical issue. it's an eyes glazed over issue, but it affects all the families in our country. it affects the importance of the u.s. dollar in capital markets. when libor concludes in june, 2023 we don't want any gap, mr. speaker in the ability to have those legacy contracts move forward. i don't believe this is a bill that anyone should oppose. i think we ought to support it. has the support of the six regulatory agencies. it has the support of the financial industry. it deals with reality. i want to thank my friend from michigan for the time. i want to yield back to him and thank him for his work.

yes, this process was flawed. first on the hands -- in the hands of the regulators. secondly i think it could have been far better in the majority, particularly as it relates to getting the views of the ways and means committee and the education and work force committee. with that, mr. ranking member, i yield back. mr. huizenga: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. sherman: i would simply say to our republican colleagues who may be watching you don't have to trust the 21 business groups who signed the letter i just put into the record. you don't have to trust me. listen to the words you just heard from our colleague, mr. hill. this bill does not increase government or regulatory power. you ought to vote for the bill. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. huizenga: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to yield myself such time i may consume. i would like to ask the

gentleman at this point to engage in a colloquy if he's so willing. mr. sherman: i would be thrilled. mr. huizenga: i know this is an issue that is both thrilling and exciting, but let me just state what the problem i'm hearing from some of my colleagues is they don't necessarily understand the depth and breadth and the work that's gone into this for years prior to this. they know that it's showing up. they are questioning whether there was a hearing. they are questioning whether there was a proper markup. sadly they are questioning that because it seems to be following a pat esh -- pattern as of late. that's why there are questions. and myself and mr. hill and others from the committee are trying to alleviate that. a number of our colleagues have expressed they haven't time to dive into it and come to us with those types of questions. we are trying to deal with that. as far as our colloquy here we both described in our respective

remarks that it's regulators who ultimately worked on that. that is correct. mr. chairman, is that correct? mr. sherman: this bill reflects an awful lot of work by the regulators, particularly the fed. mr. huizenga: the securities and exchange commission, the o.c.c., f.h.a., the cfpb, and the fed, and i appreciate the technical advice that each of them have lent. ultimately their comments and they actually reviewed every change that was made to this bill as sufficient to address the issue. and so it's fair to say that it's a fix that these regulators have asked, is that fair? mr. sherman: absolutely. mr. huizenga: turn to the senate. it's my understanding there is no consensus in the senate. it's unlikely, frankly, that any action in the senate will

specifically exactly reflect this bill. would that be a cakierization you have as well? mr. sherman: i have long advocated for eun camera sure. mr. huizenga: the senate will probably be acting. we know they will be acting that has been expressed by the players on the senate. mr. sherman: if i could comment on that further. the senate has addressed this issue. they have discussed the bill. most of the commentary has been positive. there was a recent hearing. in particular i believe that mrt somehow this bill would influence future instruments and would be -- that somehow regulators would be pushing banks, particularly smaller banks, to use it for instruments

in the future. that's why the report that accompanies this bill makes it excruciatingly clear that nothing this this bill -- in this bill authorizes, directs, encourages, a allows a regulator to point to this bill and say now bank you need to use sofur in the instruments used in the future. nothing in this bill. authorizes a regulator to push or give a preference to any other -- the report language was drafted with senator toomey in mind. . >> not having coercion is the word i'd use that private entities could be coerced into using a particular declared rate. mr. huizenga: so with that, mr. speaker, i'll continue to reserve. i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from california. mr. sherman: i believe i --

well, i'll simply comment, again, for the record. this bill deals with tough legacy libor instruments drafted in the past and nothing in it, you can look at all the words of 22 pages, nothing in it would allow anyone to say you have to use sofr or any other benchmark and any other instrument you want to draft in the future. and just in case that wasn't ex-crews atingly -- clear we put that in the bill as well. i believe i have the right to close so i will reserve as i have no speakers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. huizenga: thank you, mr. speaker. and ilayield -- and i'll yield myself the balance of the time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. huizenga: just to make a final few points on this bill. there are trillions of dollars that are caught up in this and this is about safety and

soundness of our financial system, whether it's mortgages, car loans, you name it, this is an international stage where this is being played out on. and as have -- as i said, we can do better than an 11th hour. should have done better than an 11th hour scramble. here we are. this is not the process i would have chosen or my colleagues on the republican side would have pursued. it's not a bill we would have necessarily drafted. i will not stand in the way for allowing our regulators to supervise a financial system within checks, within proper checks. this is not giving them free rein. i do expect there will be changes to occur in the senate. i look forward to hearing and listening to the regulators on those changes. i do encourage my republican colleagues to listen to our regulators but more so listen to your republican colleagues who have been working on this issue. i ask that they support this legislation and, no, we will not

see an increase in government, no, we will not see an increase in the regulatory footprint. it clarifies how we will be dealing with and how these companies will move forward with the legacy contracts there they have -- contracts that they have, that are no longer within the parameters that are allowed because of this fraud that had happened within that had happened within the libor system. so with that, mr. speaker, i will yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. sherman: prepared to close. as to the process, we've had a dozen hearings with the top financial officials in the u.s. government over a period of two or three years at the full committee in which it was appropriate and in my case, i used this opportunity to bring up the libor issue. they have testified again and again that we need federal legislation. then, the six regulatory

agencies involved each have reviewed this reviewed this down to the comma. and we've had discussions down to the comma. they've helped us draft legislation. my hope is we not only pass this legislation today, that my republican colleagues help me pass this bill through the senate in the current form. you want a form that reflects the regulators, every comma reflects what the regulators would like to see. it is important that this bill not be held up in the senate by those who want to change existing law and say, well, not only should this fact not allow a regulator push a bank towards this or that index, but if any law gives regulators to give power to do that, we'll strip them of that. that's not the purpose of this bill.

if someone doesn't want a regulator to push a bank on an index, i'll work with the gentleman on the freedom to pick your own index bill. this is a bill to just deal with libor. so my hope is that we will have republican house members who urge the senate to move quickly. yes, it would have been better to deal with this issue 2 1/2 years in advance. we have dealt with it 1 1/2 years in advance. a full hearing, a full markup, a full opportunity for anyone to submit amendments at that full markup. and a dozen hearings at which it was appropriate to address questions, and at least i did, of our top -- the top officials in our country dealing with financial matters about the importance of libor. this bill's important because it deals with $16 trillion of instruments that -- where we will not be able to calculate how much the borrower must pay

the lender after june 30, 2023, unless we pass this bill. this is a consensus product. the consumer and public interest groups, the business groups, the regulators, and it -- we are passing it and need to pass it expeditiously so that we deal with this issue long before it disrupts our financial markets. i urge its adoption, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4616, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. scott: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5290. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5290, a bill to extend authorization for livestock mandatory reporting. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. scott: thank you very much,

mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. scott: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. scott: i rise in strong support of h.r. 5290. our agriculture industry is the best, the greatest in the world. and at the centerpiece of it is our livestock industry. and that is why we are gathered here. the livestock mandatory reporting is an important tool. it provides the necessary

transparency information to our livestock producers. this legislation extends livestock mandatory reporting until the end of september, 2022, and it has bipartisan support with democrats and republicans working together on this very, very important bill. and in talking about our great livestock producers, i have heard time and again how important it is to extend this mandatory reporting program and that if we let it lapse, it would cause significant problems for our farmers and ranchers. and we're working together to make sure we get the job done the right way.

all of our industry groups agree on this important bill. and that is the one-year extension immediately of our livestock reporting. our agriculture committee held hearings earlier this year that covered the importance of livestock reporting, mandatory reporting, and that hearing -- and in that hearing, we heard from a variety of very distinguished industry representatives that first and foremost we need to extend this program. my committee's work on this issue -- and while i'm at it, i want to give great thanks and gratitude to our agriculture staff. they worked very diligently on this, and we're grateful for the

hard work and dedication of the house agriculture committee staff. and so as i said, my work on this issue is indicative of how important the livestock industry is to our fellow committee members, both democrats and republicans, and to our nation and the vital importance as the leading force in our nation's economy. that is where our great agriculture system is today. i'm aware of some ongoing discussions and pending legislation that seeks to reform the cattle industry, and we're going to deal with that. we are dealing with that over in the senate agriculture committee

and in our house committee. however, we should not let negotiations of those reforms that we're working withstand in the way -- with stand in the way of extending this vital program for one year. in recent months, we have seen cattle markets begin to recover. prices for producers have moved up. this change in market dynamics is important to account for as we look to reach a consensus point on the framework of our reform. this one-year extension will help to settle the concerns in the livestock markets and provide certainty to our livestock industry while also

giving our agriculture members in both the house and the senate more time to come up with a consensus of the proposed reforms to cattle market. we in the house committee are working with the senate agriculture committee. i'm personally working with senator grassley on the senate committee so that we can have both legislation going forward that has the vital input of both the house and the senate and we're giving it the time and the interest that is needed. . more time to have a consensus on the reforms that other members of congress have ideas on what they do. and with that, mr. speaker, i

reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. thompson: i rise today in support of h.r. 5290, to extend authority for the department of agriculture's livestock mandatory reports program. under the livestock mandatory reporting program or l.m.r., meat packers across the country require report to usda the details of transactions involving the purchase of cattle, swine and sheep, as well as transactions for corresponding sales of certain beef, pork and lamb products. the usda compiles and disseminates the information through reports each week, details supply and demand conditions. in turn, livestock industry participants, including farmers,

ranchers and operators use the information to make informed marketing decisions. livestock market has experienced significant price volatility leading up to and in the wake of covid-19 pandemic. cattle markets in particular. as i am sure many of you have heard from constituents at home, this uncertainty has led to cries from the countryside for significant market reforms and investigations into packer purchasing behavior. this industry and congress continues to grapple with the best approach to improving market transparency, while avoiding unintended consequences, and as we await the results of ongoing investigations, it is imperative that farmers and ranchers maintain access to the market information already provided by l.m.r. h.r. 5290 would do just that. providing much-needed certainty for the year ahead. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important

legislation and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. i am pleased to recognize representative johnson. ok. mr. speaker, we don't have any more speakers. so i'm prepared to close if the chairman is. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. thompson: mr. speaker, livestock reporting is a necessary and significant tool for the agriculture industry, especially based on the disruptions that we experienced most recently in 2020.

the food supply chain, the agriculture supply chain. i think the american citizens are cautiously aware of the difficulties just -- the potential difficulties and the difficulties that they experience as they went to the grocery stores, when they sought to feed their families, specifically during 2020. and then in the wake of covid-19. this is a tool, livestock reporting is a tool that can help avoid that type of initiative. this re-authorization, as the chairman said, is important. it gives us time to have a great debate and to look at how we increase transparency within the livestock industry. and so with that, i urge my colleagues to support this extension this re-authorization, to give us time to make the necessary fixes and refinements

in the future. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i have no other speakers. so i'm just -- i'll just close right briefly with a big thank you to my great staff, which is headed by the distinguished, smart and dedicated ms. anne simmons. i don't know what i would do without her. and of course ashley smith, prescott martin, daniel venko, leslie, kelsey, and also my chief of staff, ms. kathryn. we are a team and i wanted to thank our staff. also, i want to thank our ranking member. we worked together in a

bipartisan way and this is an example of how we, democrats and republicans, have got to continue to do. and we are here today setting this fine example of strong bipartisanship. with that, i yield back the balance of my time. thank you. 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. 5290. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider -- >> mr. chairman. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> i request a roll call, mr. chair. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays

are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. scott: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5609. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 145, h.r. 5609. a bill in the agriculture marketing act of 1946 to establish a cattle contract library and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott, and the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. scott: thank you, mr. speaker. and now, mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all

members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. scott: i rise in strong support of h.r. 5609. one of my goals, mr. speaker, as chairman of the house agriculture committee, is to ensure that our farmers and our ranchers are treated fairly and this bill, which creates a cattle contract library, will improve fairness through increasing transparency in the marketplaces. mr. speaker, over the past few years, we have seen significant volatility in our cattle

markets. and my agriculture committee has held hearings to discuss this volatility and the events that precipitated those price fluctuations. so as we looked for ways to bring about parity to cattle markets, this bill is one good step in that right direction. mr. speaker, i want to thank my friend, mr. johnson, for his work on this bill and this is a good reminder, another reminder, of the great bipartisan legislation that is possible, that we, democrats and republicans, can work together on to address important issues. and i thank the gentleman, mr. johnson, for putting this bill forward. with that, i reserve the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania. thompson thompson mr. speaker, -- mr. thompson: mr. speaker, i yield the management of this bill to mr. johnson from south dakota. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. thompson: thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota. mr. johnson: i would yield the gentleman from pennsylvania, ranking member thompson, as much time as he might consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 5609, the cattle contract library act of 2021. as i am sure many of my colleagues have heard from their constituents back home, the differences between prices paid to producers for their live cattle and those peaked by consumers at the meat counter have led to spirited debate about the transparency of cattle markets in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. a variety of hearings on the matter have amplified these concerns. these hearings and other related oversight have also made very clear the differing opinions on if and how they should be

addressed legislatively. there is a small but vocal faction in support of government mandates dictating thresholds of cattle to be purchased on the market. frankly, such a proposal lacks broad industry support in my opinion needs further review to ensure it would actually achieve its intended goal. in fact, on two occasions now during this congress, the house agriculture committee has heard from diverse groups and respected economists and industry stakeholders about the potential costs and unintended consequences of this sort of government intervention in the marketplace. given these complex and compelling interests, i am thankful for congressman dusty johnson's leadership in pursuit of what i view as a pragmatic middle ground with a broad cross-section of industry support. if true market transparency is the goal, it seems to make sense that a contract -- a cattle contract library would serve as part of the solution. the library would serve as a

clearinghouse of information regarding the various contract provisions being utilized in a variety of marketing arrangements. hopefully access to this information would provide producers and feeders more isight into market -- insight into market transactions and give them more leverage in negotiating better terms for the sale of their cattle. it would not be a silver bullet to all that. alex:s the industry -- to all that ails the industry but i certainly think this marks a commonsense step in the right direction. i urge all members to support me in support of this carefully crafted bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from pennsylvania yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from georgia. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. i would yield myself the time that i would consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. johnson: well, let's just be

honest. it's been a pretty difficult few years to be a cattle producer. people in that business, they understand the cyclical nature of prices and so that's not so much their beef, if you will. but in that environment, it is that much more difficult to have black slot event after black slot event hit these hardworking men and women. from the fire to covid-19 disruptions, it has been an incredibly volatile marketplace. and they're trying to make a living. they're trying to pay their bills in that kind of environment with less price transparency than they've ever had. it used to be relatively easy. i think we all know price discovery is a critically important part of any fully functional marketplace. and it used to be easy. you just went down to the sale barn, sat in the seats and you were able to see exactly what mr. man was selling his cattle

for and exactly what. mrs. woman was buying them for. we've seen a migration of sales away from the sale barn and to alternative marketing agreements, that has left our producers less prepared to understands what's going on in the marketplace. so that's why i was so grateful to see a broad cross-section of stakeholders come together in phoenix a few months ago and they said, gosh darn it, we are tired of having the livestock industry fight amongst each other. let's settle on what we can agree on. things that we can actually get done in the 117th congress. and, mr. speaker, they came out of that meeting with a clear clarion call for ma congress -- for what congress can do to help. there were three major items but this, the cattle library, along with the bill we just passed, livestock mandatory reporting, were the heart of one of the three recommendations. so what this bill does is takes

the information, basic, nonconfidentiality information from those alternative marketing agreements, and makes it available. and it makes sure there's a mechanism for that information to be put into resources that can actually be used by the independent cattle producers and the small feeds that are are so critically important to this marketplace. this has been widely bipartisan and this is embraced by just a fantastic cross-section, from the u.s. cattleman c.b.a. to farm bureau to farmers union to the livestock marketing association. good people who have come together and understands that while this does not solve the problem, it is a critically important step in moving us in the right direction. and with that, i would reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized.

mr. scott: mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from south dakota. mr. johnson: i would yield the honorable gentlewoman from missouri, mrs. hartzler, three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from missouri is recognized for three minutes. mrs. hartzler: thank you. thank you so much, mr. speaker. i rise today in strong support of a bill that i am a co-sponsor of h.r. and it's 5609, the cattle contract library act, and this legislation includes my optimizing the cattle market act which establishes a usda maintained library of cattle contracts, including information on the type of contract, length of the contract, pricing information, and delivery information. the increased transparency is long overdue. they face challenges as a result of market disruptions and the unprecedented effects of the covid-19 pandemic. it is essential accountle

producers are equipped with the necessary resources and knowledge to increase their leverage during price negotiations for cattle. the cattle contract library act can provide a much-needed tool in helping cattle producers make informed decisions and survive the volatility across today's industry. i fully support this bipartisan legislation, and i thank congressman dusty johnson for his hard work and leadership on this. i urge my colleagues to vote yes. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from georgia continues to reserve? mr. scott: i reserve, mr. speaker. we have no additional speakers on this bill. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i want to recognize the real leadership that mrs. hartzler has shown on these issues for years. thank you for that. and one of the great things about congress is most of us were just normal people before

we got here. leaders in our industry. and the next speaker is certainly that. he's somebody that understands the finance of ag operations and the operation of these farms and ranches. he's one of the strongest freshman voices in congress. with that i'd yield two minutes to the gentleman from kansas, mr. kansas, mr. mann. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from kansas is recognized for two minutes. mr. mann: representative johnson, thank you for all your work in getting this legislation put together, bringing it to the floor this morning. not a silver bullet. potentially help our cattle markets. i grew up on a family farm and pre-existing feed yard. i spent thousands of hours doctoring sick cattle. the big first is home to feed yards, packing plants of all sizes. in my district and across the country, cattle producers face challenging market dynamics, including historically wide gaps between wholesale prices and

cattle prices. i've talked to hundreds of cattle producers in kansas from small operations to some of the country's largest feed yards and overwhelmingly i heard we need to increase price discovery in the cash market, make sure that producers benefit when they provide a superior product, refuse to let the government interfere in the free market, and acknowledge there are regional differences in it. this bill will address some of today's concerns with more fairness, transparency, and a healthy competition in the cattle market. i'm committing to working with representative johnson and others across kansas and the country in addressing any concerns with the program and the cattle market before re-authorization of the program at this time next year. the cattle contract library act will ensure all market participants are paying and receiving a fair price for their goods and sends a clear message to ranchers, farmers, livestock producers that their voices are being heard in congress.

i ask my colleagues to support it. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from south dakota. mr. johnson: with that, mr. speaker, i'm happy to be yield to somebody that also has firsthand experience with the true operation of america's farms and ranches, the gentlewoman from illinois's 15th, mrs. miller. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from illinois -- mr. johnson: sorry. i yield three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: three minutes. mrs. miller: thank you. i rise in support of h.r. 5609, the cattle contract library act of 2021. my fellow farmers, farm families, and members of the house agriculture committee know the importance of bringing transparency to the cattle market. currently, cattlemen are unaware of contract terms being offered by producers which leads to a decline in leverage for smaller producers during price negotiations. this bill will require packers to report terms of alternative marketing agreements between packers and producers to the

usda, equipping ranchers with additional market data needed to make informed business decisions. the usda library will provide producers with key details on cattle contracts, including the type and duration. market transparency is a critical component of price discovery in cattle marketing. thank you, representative johnson, for putting forth this important legislation, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. and the chair recognizes -- mr. johnson: i believe -- the speaker pro tempore: sorry. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. with that i yield three minutes to the honorable gentlewoman from iowa's second district, dr. miller-meeks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from iowa is recognized. mrs. miller-meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my friend from south dakota for yielding me time to speak today. iowa's farmers, ranchers, producers know the value of a hard day's work.

for years, they have endured challenges beyond their control, and even though i'm a doctor, i know of no work more demanding than birthing calves in the middle of winter and helping them to survive. natural disasters, such as fires, drought, have created significant market disruptions and i was proud to be a co-sponsor of congressman johnson's cattle library act to make decision possible for their families and business in the face of these conditions and provide more transparency in the markets. for months, i have been calling for increased transparency in our cattle markets to help both producers and consumers. i was proud to introduce the bipartisan meatpacking special inspector act to take on anti-competitive practices and give producers a fair shake and strictly enforce the packers and stock yards act. i was proud to help introduce the cattle price discovery and transparency act, which aims to

return fairness to the cattle marketplace, dominated by four major meat packers. it is crucial for iowa's producers that there is fairness and transparency in our cattle industry. i thank congressman johnson and cuellar for their incredible work on this issue. i urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on this legislation, h.r. 5609, and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i would inform the chairman that i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. johnson: well, mr. speaker, i don't know i can say it any better than the members of congress here who have so much firsthand experience with working ranches and farms. this is a beautiful bipartisan solution. if you believe in the marketplace, then you understand the importance of price discovery and you cannot have price discovery if you don't have transparency. this just provides additional leverage and additional tools to

the hardworking independent operators and small feeders who have seen their position in the marketplace, their leverage in the marketplace erode in recent years. i would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enthusiastically support this pro-market legislation and would look forward to the senate taking this up expeditiously as well. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota yields. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: yeah, thank you, mr. speaker. i'm prepared to close. first of all, i want to thank mr. johnson for the dedication and the hard work and his talent in putting forward this bill. and i believe that our ranchers, our farmers, and those in the agriculture industry are looking at a great day for agriculture today, to get these four important bills on over to the

senate where we will be working together on them. and with that, mr. speaker, again, thank you, mr. johnson, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5609. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed -- the gentleman from arizona is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i seek the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of hourgs 8, the -- house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. scott: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4489 with an amendment.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 4489, a bill to amend the act of june 20, 1958, to require that certain amounts collected by the united states with respect to lands under the administration of the forest service be invested into interest bearing obligations, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott, and the gentleman from south dakota, mr. johnson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. scott: yes, mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. and i rise in strong support of h.r. 4489.

and what this bill does is it provides an excellent example, again, of the strong bipartisan work that can be accomplished through the agriculture committee and, first, i want to applaud and thank representative schrier and lamalfa for working together to get this legislation to the floor and consideration today by the full house. now mr. speaker, we know that there are significant needs for investment in restoration and recovery work on our great national forests. and our bill this morning allows the forest service to keep interest on settlement funds and

apply these additional resources to restoration work on forest service land that has been damaged by mining activities and these wildfires. and all of us know of the devastation that these wildfires have caused to our forests, and this is one of several major responses that we here in congress are responding to to keep our forestry strong and to provide this much-needed financial help to keep interests on settlement funds and apply those additional resources to the restoration work and the forest service lands that were damaged by these terrible fires. it will also allow for more

restoration work to be done in some of the areas where it is most needed. particularly the west coast in california. it will allow this -- excuse me -- restoration work, and i encourage all of my colleagues to support this commonsense bipartisan legislation, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. and i would yield whatever time he would consume to the gentleman from california's first district and the lead republican on h.r. 4489, mr. lamalfa. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. johnson. also, thank you to our chairman of the ag committee, mr. scott. and i appreciate working with ms. schrier from washington on helping her lead this -- leading this bill and letting me help do

so. so i'm glad to be able to support it here today. of course, it's common sense. it will allow the forest service the interest they gather on settlement accounts to continue the important restoration work we have in our forests, especialliry after -- especially after so much horrific fire. currently, the u.s. forest service must transfer the interest they collect on the -- to the general treasury accounts. now, this feels -- my kids are gathering aluminum cans and plastic bottles and somehow i take the money when we take it to the recycler. the federal government should be allowing the money generated by the settlement accounts to build up and go for the much-needed work instead of skimming that money off the top. . the other agencies are allowed to accrues the interest and allows them to spend that additional money on projects. the 2021 fire season, as we know, which is getting to be

every year, was devastating for the west and left millions of acres that will need to be restored. including one in my district known as the dixie fire which is right at a million acres. a million acres. one fire. this legislation amending the forest's ability to maintain this trrks the accounts diminishes other time. there already isn't enough money to replant and restore -- to get our forests growing again after devastating fire. so why are we skimming this interest off the top and thinking we're doing something by putting it back in the treasury? why wouldn't we want the focus to be on restoring and replanting our forestry after so many devastating fires year after year? ms. schrier, thank you for stepping forward and doing that. i'm looking forward to hearing your comments on this. somehow i got ahead of you in the order here. thanks so much for letting me work with you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from georgia is

recognized. mr. scott: thank you, mr. speaker. it is now my distinct pleasure to recognize the sponsor of the bill, the distinguished gentlewoman from washington, congresswoman schrier, who is the sponsor of the bill, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from washington is recognized. ms. schrier: thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you, mr. lamalfa, for your very kind words and for co-sponsoring this bill with me. my bill will help the forest service fund the cleanup of damaged public lands. this bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously out of the committee on agriculture, would allow the forest service to collect and keep interest earned onsetlement funds. much like other federal agencies do in order to supplement their already strained restoration efforts. the forest service is responsible for overseeing

remediation and restation of lands damaged by mining activities and human-caused wildfires. and when the negligent actions of companies or individuals result in damages to forest service property, officials enter a settlelement agreement with the responsible parties to hold them accountable. forest service then uses the settlement funds to restore the effective lands. at moment the forest service does not have the authority to retain interest on those settlement funds like other federal agencies, like the department of the interior and the e.p.a. do. the national forest restoration remediation act would simply allow the forest service to retain interest onsetlement funds and apply those additional resources to restoration work that is abundantly needed. without this additional funding, the value of settlement funds diminishes over time and the forest service can face long-term budget shortfalls in

environmental cleanup. if this bill had been in effect between fiscal years 2015 and 2019, the forest service would have received more than $7.5 million to supplemental their -- supplement their environmental restoration work. as we confront another potentially devastating wildfire season, it is so important to ensure that the forest service can use accrued interest to protect and remediate our forests. the forest service provides many important environmental services in washington state, including mitigating wildfires and improving forest health. this is especially critical in places like in my district where 82% of the land is owned by the forest service. according to the national interagency fire center, there were over 50,000 human-caused wildfires last year, burning nearly six million acres nationwide. and over half of the wildfires

on forest service land are started by humans. my bill will ensure that when we hold bad actors accountable for negligent behavior, the forest service can fully use the fines and the interest to rehabilitate the land. i was so proud to introduce this bill with my colleagues, representative lamalfa, rosendale and neguse, and i urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill to protect our federal public lands and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. we have another leader of this effort that we'll be yielding time to, as much time as he would consume, the honorable gentleman from at-large district of montana, at least for a little while yet, mr. rosendale. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from montana is recognized. mr. rosendale: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you to the gentleman from south dakota for yielding to me. i want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who helped bring this bill to the floor today. i'm proud to rise in support of this bipartisan bill with

congresswoman scheyer, h.r. -- congresswoman schrier, h.r. 4489. it would a lou the forest service to use accumulated interest onsetlement agreements to restore our national forest lands. montana is blessed with an abundance of public lands, with well over 20 million acres available for all, for recreation, hunting, fishing, camping and more. it's part of who we are as montanans. and an important aspect of our montana way of life. these public lands are a patchwork of land managed by states, as well as national park service, bureau of land management and the u.s. forest service. if these federal lands are damaged, an agency will reach a setment -- settlement agreement with the responsible party for restoration and cleanup efforts. while the department of interior, which houses the national park service, and the b.l.m., has the authority to retain interest from these

settlement funds, the forest service does not. this commonsense bill would rectify that by allowing the forest service to use the interest onsetlement funds to restore -- on settlement funds to restore damaged public lands which improvings forest health and supports conservation. it merely will mirror the policy that is already utilized by these other agencies. when the forest service enters into a settlement agreement, the funds are deposited to the treasury account that is used to remediate the damaged land. however, these accounts do not allow the forest service to take advantage of the interest generated in them. leading to the value of funds available for forest restoration to diminish over time, creating the potential for years-long delays and budget shortfalls for remediation efforts. the national forest restoration and remediation act would ensure the forest service has adequate funding for restoration work by unlocking this additional

funding without additional expenses to taxpayers. i would again like to urge my colleagues to support congresswoman schrier and my bill and thank all those involved in this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. thank you, mr. speaker. i would yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from south dakota reserves? mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i would note that i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia. mr. scott: i'm prepared to close as well. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you very much, mr. speaker. and thank you, mr. chairman. i think it's been said very well, mr. rosendale just reminded us that this only mirrors the authority that other agencies have to be able to gather up the interest from those interest-bearing accounts. ms. schrier did a good job of reminding us that had this been in place in recent years, it would have been $7 million more that could have been invested in forest management. and in forest health.

and i just want to echo all of those findings. this is absolutely a commonsense, bipartisan bill. i'm looking forward to its package. but -- passage. but i can't let passage of this bill, which would be a big success, go by without calling attention to how much more needs to be done with regard to forest health. i remind disappointed, as so many do, the fact that this congress, this administration, has not prior tietzed highly enough -- prioritized highly enough forest management. here's what i know, mr. speaker, from the black hills, south dakota. a managed forest is a healthy forest. and i want to say that one more time. because there will be no truer statement spoken on the house floor on this day. a managed forest is a healthy forest. today millions of acres in this country are at risk of severe wildfire, with potentially

catastrophic impacts to our communities. six of the worst fire seasons on record have occurred just over a period in the last few years. our agencies, federal partners, communities and our states need more tools to proactively manage and mitigate this threat. again, a managed forest is a healthy forest. and so, yes, by all means, let's celebrate this bill. it is an important technical fix that will improving in a narrow way the funding needs of the forest service. but let us keep in mind, to an even greater extent, in the days that follow that our forests, the resiliency of our forests remains a critically important national priority and one that deserves greater attention from this body. with that, i support this legislation. i encourage the numbers to vote aye -- members to vote aye and i would yield back the balance of

my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota yields back. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: yes. i would like to give my closing remarks on this. again i want to thank mr. johnson, he's put a lot of time into this. the people of this country are

very grateful and we hope they realize how we here in congress are really responding to the challenges facing our forestry, particularly with these wildfires. a while back i recognized some of my staff. but we've had an addition that i'd like to recognize because he really worked vigorously on this bill, all the way up until this morning, i understand. and that is mr. paul babin. thank you for your work. so much has already been said about this but i'm so proud of the effort of our full house committee because once we really a year back began to get into the ravages of these wildfires out west, we made a commitment that we were going to make sure that we did everything we can to save and prosper our great forestry industry, and we have done it. so with that, mr. speaker, i would yield back the balance of my time and i urge adoption of this great bill. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia yields back thele balance of his time -- yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house pass the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no.

in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- the gentleman from arizona is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. scott: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5609. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill . mr. scott: i'm sorry. i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5608. sorry about that. the speaker pro tempore: the

clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 144. h.r. 5608. a bill to support research in state management efforts on chronic wasting disease. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. scott, and the gentleman from south dakota, mr. johnson, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. scott: thank you very much, mr. speaker. and i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. scott: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. first of all, i rise in strong support of h.r. 5608, chronic wasting disease is a devastating illness.

and has had significant impacts on deer and other populations around our great nation. improving management of chronic wasting disease is vital to containing the disease and preventing further spread of the disease. currently there is no cure for the disease and passage of this bill will also provide important research funding so that scientists can better understand the disease and their transmission. mr. speaker, it gives me a real special honor to recognize and say a word about the great sponsor of this bill, two great sponsors, i might add, mr. ron

kind and ranking member g.k. -- g.t. thompson for their long time dedication on this important issue. both of these gentlemen have about working on this bill feverishly for quite some time. it's also special, mr. speaker, because of mr. ron kind. one of our stalwart leaders and tremendous contributors to the congress and this nation and most certainly to the great state of wisconsin. but we all have heard the news that our good friend, mr. kind, this will be his last year here with us. and he has dedicated so much of

his time to this specific bill. he's a good man and a good friend. and he's also a good friend of my own brother-in-law, hank aaron, and he in wisconsin who represents eau claire, played a very big role in getting that statue up there for my brother-in-law hank aaron. then he sent me a message, when the braves won the world series. he said, david, hank is up in heaven smiling now. my friend, we are going to miss you. great work here. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: i yield myself the time i'll consume, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. johnson: i hope the body

will forgive me a digression before we talk about chronic wasting disease, which as the chairman said, critically important. do i also want to talk about mr. so many americans believe that every member of congress is a kind of villain with scales and fangs and horns. they are all just despicable people or the very least somebody who belongs to the opposite tried is a despicable person. i just don't know anybody in congress who believes that that's true of ron kind. i will recount a story about a dinner where i had my two oldest boys with me. one of them was seated next to mr. kind. my son stole mr. kind's dessert, and rather than erupt in anger or accusatory finger wag, he handled it with great grace and friendship. my boys remind me still of that evening spent with mr. kind. so as he seeks certainly less

stressful and perhaps a better and more rewarding future, let us remark on the type of impact that a decent person can still have in these halls. and this bill before us today is ample evidence of that. i would reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota roifts. the gentleman from -- reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: thank you, mr. speaker. now i reserve the balance of my timing nies our distinguished -- i reserve the balance of my timing nies our distinguished gentleman from wisconsin, congressman kind who is the sponsor of this bill. such time as he may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. mr. kind: thank you, mr. speaker. as the original sponsor of h.r. 5608, the chronic wasting disease research and management act, i rise in strong support of this legislation which did pass unanimously out of the agriculture committee. i do want to thank and commend my good friend and colleague from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for being one of the original sponsors of this legislation

with me. my dear friend, the chairman of the agriculture committee, mr. scott, for his support and leadership. throughout the years of been involved in a lot of debates and discussions on the house floor. don't think i have ever been brought to blushing. i thank the chairman for his kindkind introductory remarks. my dear friend from south dakota , mr. johnson, thank you for those remarks. to the task at hand. this legislation does authorize $70 million for research and management of c.w.d., or chronic wasting disease, through usda grants. it's a contagious neurological disease ainvestigated cervid animals. and it's 100% fatal. caused by proteins or preons that ravages the animal's brain. the legislation also authorizes the usd and state and tribal agencies to develop educational materials to inform the public on wcd and directs usda to review its certification program

within 18 months. c.w.d. has been reported in over 25 states and is spreading. it's not only devastating to these animals and their herds, but also to the outdoor recreation economy. namely hunting. that depends on these animals. fortunately the c.d.c. has not found any jump from these animals to humans. that's one of the reasons why we need further research to ensure that that does not happen. c.w.d. presents one of the greatest threats that dear and other wild servids2346789 united states and has no known cure. we have been battling this disease in wisconsin for many years. out of concern for the wieltd life population and adverse economic impact it has which is substantial. hunters in wisconsin have about a $2.5 billion yearly economic impact supports directly or indirectly over 35,000 jobs, and

generates billions in salaries and wages. last year 131 out-of-state hunters came into the state of wisconsin to participate in the nine day dear gun hunt season which always takes place during the week of thanksgiving. they spent about $3.4 million. nationwide, according to the international association of fish and wildlife agencies, hunting in america is big business. generating more than $67 billion in economic output and over one million jobs. we could stand here and throw more facts and figures about the economic toll the c.w.d. is having. as a kid who grew up loving to hunt in wisconsin with my dad and brothers, deer hunty, turkey hunting, duck hunting on the mississippi. now we do most of it on the family form north of lacrosse. it's much more than just economics and jobs and amount being spent by hunters and the revenue we raise through the

pittman robertson act which is collected and reinvested in vital conservation programs throughout the country, this is part of ourdown dfnlt our heritage, our culture. one of the most alluring aspects of the nine day deer hunt season isn't the hunt, it's deer camp. it's being able to spend time with your family, brothers, cousins, friends, neighbors, play poker, razz each other for the weekend. that next morning, opening morning you have over 800,000 hunters flooding the fields and forests of wisconsin. sometimes it feels like the third day of the battle of gettysburg the number of shots going off. i perhaps overstate that, but it's a real communal activity that brings people together. one of the bonding elements that transcends the politics and tribal nation -- nature of politics today. it's important in that regard as well. we tried some self-help measures

in wisconsin to battle the spread of c.w.d. from free clear firing zones. increased prohibition on baiting and feeding deer to earn a buck program where you have to shoot a dough first before you -- doe first before you shoot a buck. these are unpopular because they meant to reduce the deer herds and prevent the spread from animal to animal. this research is important. there has been good research taking place generally and c.w.d., like wisconsin and washington and other areas. this legislation will enable that type of open source research and collaboration to take place with increased vigor and focus which is long overdue before it spreads even further into more states adversely affecting the wildlife herds and the economy of those states. this legislation is necessary to expand the basic and applied

research that we see taking place that could be further enhanced. and also to better detect the spread of this disease. find out better management and containment strategies and ultimately lead to a cure of the disease. i do want to thank the congressional sportsman foundation, jeff and his team for their support and help with this legislation. they have been terrific to work with. as a former chair of the congressional sportsman caucus here in congress. i want to thank the theodore roosevelt concentration -- conservation partnership, national american deer farmers association, rocky mountain elk foundation, mule deer foundation, wildlife management institute, backcountry hunters and anglers. many people, many groups, many members have a vested interest. i think the legislation is self-evident. i encourage my colleagues to support it. i want to conclude by thanking olivia in my office staff who has been instrumental in helping

us get the bipartisan unanimous support for this legislation that it's enjoyed. we look forward to working with the senate for its passage there. i yield back the remainder of anaheim. thank the chairman again for his kind words and remarks. thank you, mr. chairman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from wisconsin yields back. the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i yield as much time as he would consume to the gentleman from minnesota, one of this body's leading voices in policing, mining, and infrastructure mr. stauber. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from mississippi is recognized mr. stauber: thank you, mr. chairman. congressman kind, you talk about the deer camp and the stories, i remember the very first time at 16 years old when my father brought me up to the hunting shack with my uncles. it's a special time for those of us who recreate and deer hunt. and i am proud to co-sponsor this legislation with you. i thank you and others for their work. mr. speaker, i rise today in

support of legislation i proudly co-sponsored, the chronic wasting disease research and management act. c.w.d. threatens minnesota's ledge endary white tailed deer herd and therefore for hunting way of life up north. whitetail season is an annual tradition for hundreds of thousands of minnesotans. every year we meet at a respective deer camps, reconnecting with family and old friends. we retell stories from previous years, and maybe embellishing a little bit as we pass on the traditions and culture to our children. however, deer hunters were down 8% throughout minnesota this last year due to a myriad of issues. and if deer harvest keep trending downwards, it means fewer stories to share at camp around the fire. fewer deer for new hunters and kids to see and experience. and therefore hunting traditions

trending down directly correlated with those harvest numbers. and in minnesota, this trend will only be exasperated by further spread of c.w.d. in my district we have seen c.w.d. hot spots cropping up seemingly every other week. these troublesome reports are evidence of c.w.d. creeping across our hunting lands. and that's why this legislation is so important right now. the c.w.d. research and management act authorizes needed funding for state agencies doing crucial john the groundwork -- onthe groundwork like our d.n.r. funding for this bill will help drive the research and wrap our arms around the problem by letting the experts get in the field and laboratory. it will also empower or state fish and game agencies to partner with grassroots

organizations that can reach and educate hunters across the state. the minnesota deer hunters association has a statewide reach with the finger on the pulse of their membership. helping the d.n.r. help them is a true partnership that is necessary to combat the spread of c.w.d. in closing, i urge passage of this legislation and both the house and senate and i look forward to it becoming law. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from minnesota yields back. the gentleman from south dakota reserves. the gentleman from -- mr. johnson: i note to the chairman i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota is recognized. mr. johnson: i wanted to make sure he didn't have further speakers. thanks. i thought mr. kind, mr. stauber, mr. scott said it all very well. this is important. because chronic wasting disease can ravage such havoc upon our

herds. i want to start by thanking chairman scott for facilitating the timely consideration of this bill. not just this bill, sir, but also life stock mandatory reporting, the cattle contract library, what am i forgetting -- the forestry bill, ms. schrier's bill. these came together. we want to thank you for that. i want to recognize mr. kind as well as mr. thompson for the work they put in to this important bipartisan solution. i also want to express my appreciation for the coalition that mr. kind mentioned. such a broad coalition of stakeholders from the farmed and wild deer stakeholder groups and really the sportsman community at large. they provided a tremendous amount of insight so we can get this lefnlgslation right and -- legislation right and they were relentless in working with all of us to find common ground, to craft this legislation, and make sure that it was able to pass out of committee unanimously.

hopefully we can get a similar vote off the house floor. as it has been said, but as it bears repeating, chronic wasting disease is a contagious neurological disease that effects deer and elk and moose and it is always fatal. unfortunately it's not a highly local ietzed disease -- local ietzed disease specific to a particular state or region of the country. c.w.d. has been detected in 27 states. given the lack of any known cure, i fear that that number of states will only continue to grow. so h.r. 5608 authorizes up to $70 million of much-needed appropriations each year with the funding split evenly between c.w.d. research and management efforts. and all of this with the hope of one day eradicating this disease altogether. the funding would support high priority research to improve c.w.d. detection methods and to

continue invaluable research ognjen ethic resistance -- on genetic resistance. it would support the use of the latest on the ground management tools and strategies at the state and tribal levels. the bill would also help improve public awareness of the disease by requiring the development and disbursal of educational materials which would be based obviously on the latest available science. so, mr. speaker, i know combating this devastating disease will be a slow and a challenging process, but i think we should all acknowledge the passage of this bill would be a critically important step in that journey and can help us protect those vulnerable deer populations. i appreciate my colleagues' attention to this matter and i urge the entire house and -- in passing a resounding or in casting a resounding yes vote on the bill and with that i would reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south dakota yields back the balance of his

time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. scott: thank you very much, mr. speaker. this is indeed a very proud day and a proud moment for us here in the house of representatives. this bill is going to help our agriculture industry, our deer, and a lot of our other animals. this chronic wasting disease has been so devastating. ron kind has been working on this for several years, ron. you didn't just jump on this. you've dedicated a lot of your time to. this and it is a great -- time to this. and it is a great monument to you, as you leave your service here in the congress. job well done, my friend. job well done.

with that, mr. speaker, we have no more speakers. but we have -- concluding our four bills today, and i'm so proud of the great work that our house agriculture committee has done. now we got them all moving over to the senate. so our work again begins anew as it goes over. but we got good friends over there working, as i mentioned before. we're working with my colleague, ms. stabenow from michigan, who is chairman of the senate agriculture committee. and as i mentioned before, my friend, mr. -- senator grassley, and we're all going to come together, and even improving these four bills even more so. but again, i want to thank you,

mr. johnson. i want to thank kim schrier. i want to thank our entire committee. this has been a great day. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia yields back the balance of his time. all time has expired. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5608. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings are postponed .

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1155, the uighur forced labor prevention act. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: --

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman needs to call up the bill, as amended. mr. meeks: i ask unanimous consent that --

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. meeks: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 1155, the uighur forced labor prevention act, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of

the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1155, a bill ensuring that forced labor in the region of the people's republic of china do not enter the united states market and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. meeks, and the gentleman from texas, mr. mccaul, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. meeks: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 1155. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. meeks: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. meeks: i rise today in support of h.r. 115, the uighur force -- 1155, the uighur forced prevention act, introduced by my good friend, colleague and chairman of the rules committee, mr. mcgovern. let me also thank speaker pelosi for bringing this crucial measure to the floor, her unweaverring dedication to human rights issues in china over the course of her public life.

this necessary and bold measure reinforces this body's commitment to our values by responding to the p.r.c.'s human rights violations and imposing concrete costs on the p.r.c. for its use of uighur forced labor. since 2017, the people's republic of china has systemically carried out mass detention, torture, political indoctrination, restrictions on religious practices, and inhumane atrocities against uighurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups. we've seen the people's republican of china expand its extensive program of oppression and transform it into a system of state-sponsored forced labor. thousands of adults and children

have been forced to work against their will and produce raw materials that are woven into international supply chains and into our homes. according to the united states holocaust memphis museum, it has been conservatively estimated that more than 80,000 uighurs transferred out of exin dieng to work in factories across china between the years of 2017 and 2019. with some of them being sent directly from detention centers. some analysts estimate over 100,000 detainees in xinjiang are working in conditions of forced labor today. i see firsthand the benefits of the american companies engaging in china. most american companies pay above market wages and have better corporate social responsibility practices than their domestic counterparts. but it would be inconsistent with the core and crucial

american values for this body not to take a stand against forced labor. and to stand up for the persecuted uighurs. many brave companies have already spoken out and made ethical choices detrimental to their bottom line. and this bill ensures that corporate access that have lived their values are not at a competitive disadvantage in the american marketplace. this bill, which passed the house before, prohibits the import of goods and merchandise from xinjiang unless the importer can prove the product did not come from forced labor. it imposes sanctions on officials facilitating the use of forced labor against chinese and ethnic minorities and important financial disclosures for public companies that do business in the region and calls for diplomatic strategy to address forced labor in xinjiang. this is a straightforward bill,

it signals that forced labor has no place on this planet. it signals that products made using forced labor in xinjiang have no place in the american market place. in 2001, for any country -- 2021, for any country to utilize forced labor systemically and oppress and exploit a population is simply unconscionable. with the passage of this bipartisan measure, the house would hold accountable those responsible for perpetrating these heinous crimes that have irrevocably threatened the lives of over $1 -- 1.8 million uighurs and muslim minorities in xinjiang and eng sures americans and american companies are not complicit in the chinese party's human rights atrocities. this legislation is critical to showing that we are putting human rights at the center of our foreign policy and economic policy. i support and urge my colleagues to do the same.

and with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccaul: i want to start by thanking chairman meeks, chairman mcgovern, for bringing this important human rights legislation to the floor. and it's high time. i want to start this debate with the simple truth that we cannot afford to forget. truly free trade cannot involve slave labor. today the chinese communist party is using the forced labor of the uighurs and other minorities to help bank roll its genocide against these very same groups. the repression taking place right now in xinjiang is breath taking in its scope and brutality. it involves the detention of more than a million people in concentration camps. it also involves surveillance

and attempted brain washing on a massive scale. it involves breaking up families and taking children from their parents. and it involves forced sterilization and forced abortions. this should be a terrifying warning not only to china's neighbors and to the american people, but also to the world. the chinese communist party is fundamentally focused on expanding its power and its authoritarian style of government. it views things it does not control like religion, cultural identity, and the yearning of all people for freedom as threats that must be destroyed. because we have drawn the c.c.p. and many of our most critical supply chains, it has the ability to hold our national security hostage while it uses u.s. consumers to subsidize its atrocities. as many as one in five cotton garments globally are potentially tainted with uighur

slave labor. last year alone, u.s. customs and border protections seized a 13-ton shipment of human hair that originated in xinjiang's forced labor system. s -- it's brazen and sickening. we must refuse to be complicit in the c.c.p.'s genocide against the uighurs. for that reason i rise in supporter the measure before us today. and i wish we could have taken this up earlier. after sending a letter to the speaker, we are finally at the day where we are now. last congress this legislation went straight to the floor. two weeks ago 10 members of the foreign affairs committee joined me in a letter urging the speaker to move this bill. i'm grateful that our message was received. but we could send this legislation to the president's

desk today by taking up the senate version. instead, we are setting this bill up for further legislation -- legislative gridlock by passing a conflicting version. although do i applaud chairman mcgovern's efforts in this issue. going forward i hope the majority in both chambers will move this to final passage. regardless of pressure from the administration, to not advance the american values we all share. so with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm proud to yield four minutes to the sponsor of this bill, representative from the great state of massachusetts, mr. mcgovern, for four minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. mr. mcgovern: thank you very much. i want to thank chairman meeks for yielding me the time and incredible leadership on this issue. i want to thank ranking member

mccaul. mr. speaker, many products used every day by people all over our country, including clothing, food, and shoes are made using forced labor. the forced labor of uighurs and other muslim minorities held by the chinese government across a network of internment camps. it has been illegal to import forced labor products into the united states for more than 90 years. but it is exceedingly difficult to spot them since chinese producers often mix together products that are the result of both involuntary and voluntary labor. moreover, the lack of chinese government transparency and the police state atmosphere in xinjiang make auditing of product sourcing unreliable if not impossible according to the administration's supply chain business advisory. mr. speaker, the imperative to act is clear. this is not a partisan issue, it is a human rights issue.

it is a moral issue. there is already strong diverse bipartisan and bicameral support for this legislation on both sides of the capitol. that includes my colleagues on the congressional executive commission on china. representative chris smith and senator marco rubio, the author of the senate bill. , too, want to especially thank speaker nancy pelosi for her long time advocacy for human rights in china and her leadership in getting this bill to the house floor today. i want to thank chairman neal and chairman meeks and chairwoman waters for their support and their committees. the house of representatives passed this bill in september of 2020 by a vote of 406-3. but sadly the senate did nothing. it never took it up. the senate now passed a version of this bill in july, it's time for us to get this done. two years ago the congressional executive commission on china, of which i serve as the co-chair, held a hearing and an

expert round table and issued a groundbreaking staff report. this legislation would not be possible without the hardworking staff of that commission. our findings of systematic and widespread forced labor in xinjiang are based on testimony from camp detainees, slight imagery of factories being built at internment camps, and public and leaked chinese government documents. forced labor was one of the just at thisfications cited by the state department first by secretary pompeo and then reiterated by secretary blinken in determining that the chinese government was committing genocide against uighurs and members of other muslim ethnic minority groups. forced labor was listed by the u.s. holocaust memorial museum in its november, 2021 report finding the chinese government had committed crimes against humanity in xinjiang. the uighur force labor prevention act prohibits imports from xinjiang to the u.s. by creating a rebuttable presumption that all goods

produced in the region are made with forced labor unless u.s. customs and border protection certifies by clear and convincing evidence that goods were not produced with forced labor. mr. speaker, in two months the chinese government will host a winter olympics in the middle of a genocide. this is unconscionable. we ask the international olympic committee to postpone and move the games. they refused. i stead the i.o.c. maybe a chinese company implicated in xinjiang slave labor its official sports wear uniform supplier. i'm pleased that the biden administration has decided not to send american diplomats to the olympics. but congress needs to do its part by passing this bill before the olympics start. we must take a clear, moral position to stand with those who are suffering from forced labor and not with the chinese government, the i.o.c., and the big corporations who profit off the exploitation of slave labor. shame on them. no more business as usual.

we must pass and put into law the uighur force prevention act. i urge all my colleagues to support this. if the united states of america stands for anything we need to stand foursquare for human rights. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: i ask unanimous consent to submit for the record a statement on this bill from the ranking member of the committee on ways and means, the gentleman from texas, mr. brady. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. mccaul: with that i yield five minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, mr. smith, the ranking member of the foreign affairs subcommittee on africa, global health, and global human rights. he also has co-chaired the china commission and has been a champion for human rights in china for three decades. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for five minutes. mr. smith: i thank my good frnd for yielding, i thank mr. mccaul for his extraordinary loordship on china, including his commission that has made many, many recommendations.

i want to thank chairman meeks for his leadership as well. and of course to chairman mcgovern with whom i have worked on this bill. mr. speaker, i chaired a tom lan toe human rights commission hearing in may entitled china genocide and the olympics which helped further underscore why h.r. 1155, the uighur forced labor prevention act, which i co-sponsored with jim mcgovern, is so important and so necessary. at that hearing we heard testimony from someone whose brother, a muslim uighur, last report, still incarcerated in the concentration camp in xinjiang. he's a tech engineer, entrepreneur, media founder, and philanthropist who won recognition both inside of china and outside. indeed our state department thought so highly of him he was part of the international visitors leadership program. upon his return, he was a muslim uighur, the chinese authorities arrested and disappeared him into a concentration camp where

he has remained for 5 1/2 years. what happens, mr. speaker, to those swallowed up in the concentration camps? that was something we heard about at another lantos commission hearing this past july where a survivor told us what goes on each and every day. in addition to her horrific first hand description of unspeakable physical abuse, organized forced prostitution, rape, and every gross violation of human rights imaginable, she gave a firsthand account of a forced labor factory which she made gloves for export for a year and a half. she's one of the lucky ones because she was released when radio free asia broadcast her plight to the world. mr. speaker, there are millions of stories like hers waiting to be hold, truly nightmarish accounts of president she jing ping's genocide. make no mistakes, this is xi's

genocide. he's personally responsible having ordered it. the rape and sexual abuse of women being held in internment camps, so-called, forced abortion and involuntary sterilization to prevent the birth of uighur children are in direct violation of article 2d of the u.n. genocide convention which states in part the genocide includes imposing measures intended to prevent births within a group. forced labor on a massive scale that allows chinese companies to profit and profit bigtime from modern day slavery is also absolutely pervasive. documents obtained in the "new york times" and international consortium of investigative journalists exposed how cruel these plans are. originating again with she jing ping who early next year will be hosting the olympic games. which is outrageous. the leaked documents show how xi

directed the crackdowns saying the communist party must put the origins of dictatorship to work and show absolutely no mercy in dealing with uighurs and other predominantly muslim minorities. in one speech president xi said they would show no mercy and the weapons of the people's democratic dictatorship must be yielded without any hesitation or wavering. mr. speaker, i am deeply concerned by a report from josh rogan in the "washington post" just last week stating how the biden administration and deputy secretary of state wendy sherman sought to undermine the uighur forced labor prevention act which passed the senate last july and the house last congress 406-3. according to josh rogan, biden administration officials have been quietly telling lawmakers to slow down. made it clear the administration

prefers targeted and deliberative approach to determining which goods are the product of forced labor, closed quote. we have no access, mr. speaker, to the concentration camps in social distancing jiang. we have no -- shin yang rn jiang. there are no on-site inspections. again we are talking genocide against these muslims who are being wiped off the face of the earth. the uighur forced labor prevention act prohibits the imports from xinjiang to the united states by creating a rebuttable presumption. that is the core of this bill. that all goods produced in the region are made with forced labor unless u.s. customs and border protection certifies by clear and convincing evidence that goods were not produced with forced labor. the rebuttal presumption is the key to this legislation. and it is very workable. as my good friend and colleague noted, cotton and solar panels

and so many other things are produced there. we need to know, we need to stop them from coming here. and again, if they can prove -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman -- mr. mccaul: i yield an extra minute. mr. smith: if the companies can prove it is not made by forced labor, not made as part of this genocide, then it would be welcomed here. we know that's unlikely to happen. my hope is that we will unite, republican and democrat, democrat and republican, around this bill and get it to the president as soon as humanly possible. delay is denial. people are being slaughtered each and every day in xinjiang. we can do something, maybe not a whole lot, but something to mitigate it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey yields back. the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i proudly yield two minutes to the representative from the great state of new york from the ways and means committee, tom suozzi.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized for two minutes. mr. swozy: thank -- mr. suozzi: thank you, mr. chairman. i stand before you as chair of the congressional uighur caucus. as a member of the congressional executive commission on china, to support passage of the bipartisan uighur forced labor prevention act. we need to wake up from our tawper. it's been reported for years but i don't think most americans realize what's going on in china. it was almost 50 years ago that nixon went to china. we always believed the more the chinese government and the people were exposed -- exposed to the united states and west and way of life and our democracy and economic system, the more they would become like us. the more they would adopt concepts of freedom, of expression, free markets, minority rights. that simply hasn't happened. everyone in this body have seen reliable reports, clear documentation of crimes against humanity.

forced labor, forced sterilization. mass surveillance. government-run detention camps. mass detentions. sexual violence and torture against the uighur people. the chinese communist party is even forcing people to eat pork during ramadan even though it violates people's religion. . and we know about it. today we're standing up to do something about it. the chinese communist party must be held accountable. we have rules in place now that say you can't use forced labor but this bill is a major step forward in mandating that everything that comes out of xinjiang in china will be presumed to be using forced labor and therefore ineligible to be sold into the u.s. supply chain. this is going to have a tremendous impact. an overwhelming amount of cotton in the world comes from china, for example. 84% of that cotton comes from

china -- that comes from china comes from the xinjiang region. some people are going to say, oh, my gosh, if we don't do business with xinjiang, then the cost of products is going to go up. that's too damn bad. this should shock everyone's conscience. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. meeks: i yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds. mr. suozzi: we have to do everything we can to stand up for our values. the world is watching us and it starts with the uighur forced prevention act becoming law. let's do this and let's do it together. we recognize here in our country that we went through a period of slavery. that's why it's so offensive to us now, to see slavery actually happening in the world as we speak. where both administrations, the prior administration and this administration, have both said this is genocide. standing up together in a bipartisan way is so important.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york yields back. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield two minutes to the gentleman from tennessee, mr. burchett. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee is recognized for two minutes. mr. burchett: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you, mr. mccaul. you're a force in the house gym pace iny imand on the house floor. the chinese communist party does anything it can to get ahead of the united states, mr. speaker. it steals our intellectual property and uses uighur slave labor to manufacture products. it's helping the freedom of folks from taiwan to hong kong, our government needs to stand up to them. today we are acknowledging some of the chinese communist party's horrible, horrible behaviors. it is not enough. additional action is needed, mr. speaker. the chinese communist party knows there are no consequences for its behavior. that needs to change.

it starts with the biden administration. they need to do more than just finger-wagging to effectively counter china. this administration needs to make it clear to the chinese communist party that bad behavior will be met with action, not empty words. president biden also needs to set aside its climate agenda when addressing the chinese communist party. his administration tried to kill the uighur forced labor protection act because the uighurs made solar panels. it's gross that this administration wants to let uighur slavery slide to advance its climate agenda. i'm glad we have these bills on the floor today as a start, but more work needs to be done. i hope in the foreign affairs committee both parties can work together and hold the chinese communist party accountable, mr. speaker. thank you, and i yield back the balance of my time to my dear friend, republican leader mccaul. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields back. the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i proudly yield two minutes to the representative from the great state of oregon,

representative blumenauer. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oregon is recognized. mr. blumenauer: i appreciate your kurt sivment you know, -- courtesy. you know, congress passed a law almost a surgery -- century ago, prohibiting the importation of goods made with forced labor. it was never really enforced. that changed in 2016 potentially when we passed legislation to eliminate the con sumptive demand loophole that allowed people a way around. well, it's time that we finish the job. nothing is more chilling than what the chinese are doing to the uighur people. i've chaired meetings of our trade subcommittee and it is really appalling. it's orwellian in terms of what they are doing to detain uighurs in internment, re-education, slave labor camps. the international concern the chinese think will just remain on the sideline. there are many american companies that are attempting to deal with this. but we need to do more, we need

to strengthen their resolve and we need to be able to get the attention of the chinese government. a stronger regime is absolutely necessary. crimes against humanity require a response. we must not just vote our support for the uighur people and other minorities across china. we need to make sure that we're clear about who gets the benefit of the doubt. more than a million uighurs have been enslaved. half of them forced to harvest cotton, one of xinjiang's region's largest exports. when american consumers buy a shirt, they shouldn't be -- have questions about whether or not that was made with forced labor. i strongly support this legislation to ensure that american dollars aren't inadvertently contributing to forced labor. that's the language that the chinese understand. denying them access to our markets and making sure that people are responsible for their

supply chain. this legislation i think is a great start. i'm pleased that there is bipartisan support for it. i hope we enact it and then we work together to make sure that it is enforced. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oregon yields back. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: mr. speaker, i yield two minutes to the gentleman from south carolina, mr. rice, a member of the committee on ways and means. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina is recognized for two minutes. mr. rice: thank you to the majority leader. mr. speaker, china is a global thief. we all know it. they steal american intellectual property, they steal american jobs using currency manipulation, illegal subsidies, product dumping to kill american competition. and worst of all, they produce products with slave labor.

mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 1155, the uighur forced labor prevention act. h.r. 1155's central provision establishes a presumption that all goods made in china's xinjiang uighur autonomous region are produced with forced labor. since 2017 china has arbitrarily detained and persecuted over one million uighurs and other ethnic minorities in an extra judicial mass re-education camps in xinjiang. we know that china is seeking to profit from this oppression by subsidizing companies to build factories near these mass internment sites. h.r. 155 leverages the power of our enormous market to send china a message that it can cannot -- it cannot use its policies of oppression to subsidize its exports. we must work with our allies to

ensure that all local markets are closed to the products of chinese theft and repression. a core and central provision of this bill is a rebut al presumption -- rebuttable presumption that leads to an import prohibition. the ways and means committee led the way in a bipartisan basis in eliminating the con sumptive demand loophole from the outright ban on products made with forced labor in section 307 of the 1930 tariff act. a few years later we have worked with our usmca partners. we are now leading the world in combating forced labor in xinjiang. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. mccaul: i yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for an additional 30 seconds. mr. rice: for that reason, our democratic colleagues had worked with us to update the bill to

ensure that it establishes the most effective mechanism for blocking imports from xinjiang while providing much-needed clarity to facilitate trade by good actors, just as importantly we know that china has anticipated this ban by expanding this practice beyond xinjiang. we need to work closely with our colleagues in the senate to ensure that the version of the bill that becomes law can better assist importers to identify and proactively eradicate goods produced with forced labor from their supply chains, whether they arise in xinjiang or other locations. this bill is just the beginning, but it signals a strong signal to china that it cannot launder its policies of persecution and repression in a global market. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from south carolina yields back. the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. meeks: i proudly yield one minute to the representative from the great state of virginia, representative wexton.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. wexton: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you for bringing this important legislation to the floor and shining a light on the atrocities taking place in xinjiang. i represent the largest uighur muslim diaspora in the u.s. and this legislation is critically important to the uighur community. i am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this legislation that will prohibit the importation of goods from xinjiang, unless it can be proven that they were not made with forced labor. despite international condemnation, the chinese government's brutal campaign of repressive surveillance, mass detention, forced labor and even genocide is rapidly expanding and we must take steps to ensure that u.s. companies and consumers are not complicit in these abuses. this legislation will hold the p.r.c. accountable for these heinous acts and will make it clear that the l.s.u. not turn a blind eye to the pliet of the uighurs -- plight of the uighurs. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the

balance of her time. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. mccaul: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. mccaul: mr. speaker, i know there's another bill by senator rubio and i hope this bill when it passes, can be worked out in the senate and i hope the administration will not slow roll this important measure, as has been reported. out of this region we have batteries and solar panels. when secretary john kerri testified, he admitted that xinjiang's solar panel production presents a problem for u.s. climate strategy. and i agree with him. in recent years, the world has stood by as the chinese communist party has detained more than one million ethnic minorities in concentration camps where they are tortured, brainwashed and put to forced labor.

this is all part of a deliberate program by the c.c.p. to wipe out their ethnic identity, their rblg and their culture -- religion and their culture. anything that might tweet with the communist party for their loyalties and affection. we have a moral duty to speak out against these horrifying crimes. but we have an even greater duty to avoid funding this genocide by paying for slave labor in xinjiang. many american companies have built their businesses on values that include respect for basic human rights. the united states must continue to lead the world in setting corporate responsibility standards. there can be no longer business as usual with china. china's watching and the world is watching. so with that, i support this bill, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is

recognized. mr. meeks: thank you, mr. speaker. and i am happy that this bipartisan effort, dealing with the uighur forced labor prevention act, is an opportunity for this body to send a resounding message to the world that we're engaged in strategic competition with china around the world and our stance on this issue, i believe, will define our system as better. but i must make some comments. one, the comment that president biden is holding this up, well, i'm the chair of this committee. he's never told me to hold up anything. in fact, he wants to move forward. in fact, it was president biden who sanctioned officials responsible for genocide and issued supply chain advisory in xinjiang. the fact of the matter is, i think our bill is far superior.

you go to the senate side, the senate says this should take 300 days to stop. our bill says 120 days. for me, this is a personal situation. so i would wish that some of my colleagues who rightfully want to make sure that we send a strong message to the world, that we're not going to stand for genocide, we're not going to stand for slave labor. but it's best if they would join us about injustice in america. it's best if we fought together to make sure that when president trump talked about a muslim ban in the united states of america, that wasn't joe biden.

we can't do it in america. that's the best way to lead. when we talk about moving, i want to condemn it everywhere. dr. king said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. so we should lead by example collectively. we should lead by going forward with voting rights. we should lead by talking about reparations for those that were enslaved in america. we should lead by talking about the genocide that took place of native americans. we should lead the talk about the injustices in housing. we should lead by talking about civil rights. so we've got to come together and stop it everywhere. and that's what this bill does. it sends a strong message. and i want to be that example. this happens to be personal. so i had to say it.