mr. speaker. mr. speaker, the suicide report revealed an average of 20 veterans a day committed suicide. a year later our nation is still faced with this epidemic. while the v.a. is seeing high rates and calls to the veterans crisis line, there is no overarching approach to ensure the v.a. is effectively preventing future suicide attempts and integrating the hotline information the v.a. -- into v.a.'s mental health services. h.r. 4173, the veterans crisis line study act, would address that critical gap in oversight. this bill would require the v.a. to study the outcomes of the v.a.'s veteran crisis line while protecting the privacy and anonymity of the veteran callers. as a proud co-sponsor of h.r. 4173 i believe it is critical that congress ensures this emergency resource for our veterans struggling with ptsd or other mental health conditions is working as it should. mr. speaker, i encourage my colleagues to support the passage of h.r. 4173, and i yield back the remainder of my time. the speaker pro t

mr. speaker, mr. chairman, i rise today to discuss h.r. 3562 and ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan, commonsense legislation to improve our services for those who have borne the battle america's disabled -- america's disabled veterans. currently those in the v.a. rehabilitation programs needs adaptations made to their home due to their disability, then it's up to the rehabilitation counselor, someone who has no specialty, make such arrangements for these adaptations. in addition to the lack of core competency in home adaptations, these counselors have experienced a significant and steady rise in their job counseling caseloads. so they're focusing on this home construction takes away from their primary function as a row vational -- vocational counselor. this has resulted in deficiencies for veterans who now have to wait in line and it's costing taxpayers more money. while these are masters degree level counselors who provide great services to our veterans every single day, they

mr. brady: i have one additional speaker. mr. harper: ok. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from mississippi reserves. the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. mr. brady: mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the gentlewoman from new york, mrs. maloney. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york is recognized for one minute. mrs. maloney: i thank ranking member brady for his leadership and chairman harper for moving so swiftly on this issue. and my colleague, jackie speier, who has selflessly worked on this issue for many years, along with barbara comstock. i rise in strong support of this bill. too often harassment was treated just like it's part of the job. and if anyone complained, they were fired or punished or paid off to be silent. so this is an important cultural change where harassment, which is illegal, is treated seriously .s a crime that needs to stop to train staff and members and officers on how to know what is right and what is wrong so that there is no misunderstanding. but this is the first step. i strongly

mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from minnesota, mr. walz, for five minutes. without objection. mr. walz: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today as the ranking member of the house veterans' affairs committee, as the co-chair of the national guard and reserve caucus, as the co-chair of the veterans' jobs caucus, and probably more importantly, as a retired enlisted soldier, to bring to your attention a number of provisions in the g.o.p. tax bill that will negatively impact the men and women currently serving and transitioning in the united states military. i want to be clear, tax reform is a laudable goal. it would have been nice had we actually done it, had we actually had debates, witnesses. zero, zero, zero. what we have is a closed door bill brought forward, foist upon the house with the -- in my opinion, trying to think that the american people would not watch what happens here is pretty risky. these are folks in the military who risked everything to give us the right to debate thin

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, we're here today to consider a very, very important public health bill. h.r. 3922, the championing healthy kids act. this legislation funds a five-year extension of the children's health insurance program known as chip. along with a two-year extension of community health centers and numerous other critically important public health programs. this bill will deliver quality health care and peace of mind to millions of americans. the patients and families helped by this legislation are our neighbors and our friends. more than eight million children receive chip-funded coverage and more than 25 million patients are served by our community health centers and other important programs. this five-year funding of chip marks one of the longest extensions of the program since it was created 20 years ago. the policy we are considering mirrors the bipartisan policy that's been introduced and voted out of our sister committee in the united states senate. funding for these important programs

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, we're here today to consider a very, very important public health bill. h.r. 3922, the championing healthy kids act. this legislation funds a five-year extension of the children's health insurance program known as chip. along with a two-year extension of community health centers and numerous other critically important public health programs. this bill will deliver quality health care and peace of mind to millions of americans. the patients and families helped by this legislation are our neighbors and our friends. more than eight million children receive chip-funded coverage and more than 25 million patients are served by our community health centers and other important programs. this five-year funding of chip marks one of the longest extensions of the program since it was created 20 years ago. the policy we are considering mirrors the bipartisan policy that's been introduced and voted out of our sister committee in the united states senate. funding for these important programs

mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. as the house contemplates the tax cuts and jobs act, a lot of misinformation is getting around the country on that. the intent here is to make simpler the tax code, the ability for americans to -- instead of spending billions of hours and dollars combined on taxes to get it down to a simple form. perhaps a postcard for many americans and the ability to weed through their taxes and get them done and put more money in their pockets. what our plan does is put approximately $1,200 into the average middle income family pocket, leaves it there instead of taking it out. also, restoring more opportunity on main street for businesses, medium

mr. speaker. this week we will see on the floor the championing healthy kids act. it will include a number of different reforms which will include the child health insurance program, the champion act and my bill, the care act. mr. denham: we must increase access throughout our communities across the country. by expanding our residency program, we will see new doctors, especially in these underserved areas. expanding our residency program will allow our medical schools to have people in our communities practicing medicine and ultimately filling this doctor shortage that we have today. i look forward to the passing the championing healthy kids act which will again help our children with their health insurance program and expand our residency program at a much needed time. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield most distinguished gentleman from lewisville, texas, member of the rules committee, the gentleman, dr. michael burgess, for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized for three minutes. party. burgess: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman, chairman of the rules committee, for yielding. today the house of representatives is considering tax reform for the first time since 1986. the last 31 years the world has a lot and it is time that we bring the tax code into the 21st century. this needed tax reform will put our country on a path to long-term economic stability and help hardworking families around the country get ahead. the tax cuts and jobs act will help american families in important ways. first, it focuses on americans in the middle of their earning scale by doubling the standard deduction and creating a new family flexibility credit for nondependents. taxpayers a lot and it is will t even more from

mr. speaker. i have supported and will continue to support increased federal funding for the promises research going on at the national institute of health in order to encourage more progress addressing the is eimer's situation. recognized for one minute. mr. bilirakis: november is national alzheimer's disease awareness month. there are an estimated 5.5 million americans living with this debilitating disease and we know it often goes unreported or undiagnosed. this issue is near and dear to my heart because it has touched my own family. as i have seen firsthand the challenges of supporting a loved one battling the disease. i have been frustrated by the lack of progress. again, mr. speaker, together we will improve the quality of those who are suffering and work towards finding a cure. remust have funding for the n.i.h. to get this done. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? does the gentleman seek unanimous consent? t

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, tonight one of the biggest christmas events will take place in new york city, the lighting of the rockefeller center christmas tree. this historic event has ushered in the holiday season since the first official tree lighting in 1933. tonight's event is the 85th tree lighting. while it will be a star-studded event with various entertainers performing on the plaza, the biggest star of all is from state college, pennsylvania. the christmas tree. the 75-foot-tall norway spruce was chosen as the yule tide centerpiece. was trucked into mid town manhattan earlier this month. one was visiting a high school football game and saw a tree from the road and knocked on the homeowner's door to ask about the spruce. he is a penn state college who worked for the school district for 15 years. he believes the tree is about 08 years old. mr. speaker, i look forward to state college's star play a starring role in tonight's festivities. merry christmas. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the bal

mr. speaker. mr. walden: thank you, mr. speaker. the ld like to recognize gentleman mr. shimkus for three minutes. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. shimkus: thank you, mr. speaker. it's great to be on the floor today. it was an awesome opportunity to be a conferee on the national defense authorization bill. as a veteran, five years active, army infantry, 23 in the reserves, i don't get a chance to do that very often because i'm on the best committee in congress, energy and commerce. but to be able to be in that process i'm very appreciative to you and the other conferees. you learn what you learn and the military had a problem. they had a long delayed issue on freeze-dried plasma that is inexcusable and they took action in the legislative language to ectify that delay. and we would too. but the legislative process worked, i want to commend my colleagues on the minority side and ranking member pallone because what we want for our men and women in uniform, we want them to get an expedited pathway to life-saving devices and drugs. but we also want to make sure

mr. speaker, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom maryland seek recognition? mr. hoyer: as a new member to is body -- i ask unanimous consent to speak out of order for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. hoyer: i want to say to my friend, the majority leader, where all due respect -- with all due respect, we've raised a lot of heat in this town. unfortunately on the cusp of a meeting that was convened to try to reach some agreements on very important issues to the american people, the heat was raised very, very substantially by the president

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to welcome pastor kenneth codner to the house of representatives as today's guest chaplain. he's a native of owego, new york, and graduated from alfred agricultural and technical college in 1973. a couple years later through the help of a co-worker he trusted the lord jesus christ as his personal savior. he had the desire to make his life count for god. in 1976, he enrolled in the bible program at tennessee temple university. two years later he transferred to north star bible institute in rochester new york, graduating in 1983 with a degree in theology. in june, 1983, moved to kansas dove he pastor of the bible baptist church serving there for 15 years. he's married and god blessed their union with five wonderful children. in september of 2000 they moved to bellefonte, pennsylvania. and in 2002 he grounded the grace bantists church. it's an honor to have him and his family here today. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tem

mr. speaker. and thank you, chairman mac thornberry for your leadership, the extraordinary controversial issue that should be addressed has been solved with your leadership and will be so meaningful to military families. i am grateful to support h.r. 2810, the national defense authorization act for fiscal year 2018. throughout this past year, as chairman of the readiness subcommittee, we heard testimony from each of the joint chiefs about the critical necessity to address the military's alarming readiness shortfalls across all domains, air, land, sea, cyber and space. sadly, the recent tragic deaths in the indo-pacific showed that readiness has fallen to a dangerous level. we can no longer delay the maintenance and sustainment problems that plague the military and defer critical training and modernization that directly impacts the ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats worldwide. there are numerous important readiness provisions in the bill. i also appreciate my friend, colleague and readin

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, as one of the authors of the original bill 20 years ago, i rise to express deep disappointment that the house has not been able to reach a bipartisan agreement -- bipartisan agreement on how to fund the extension of chip. the september 30 deadline has long passed. now nine million children and families are waiting anxiously for us to figure it out. my home state of colorado is likely to run out of chip funding in january with termination notices going out to worried families in the next few weeks. yet, here we are with a partisan bill that asks us to pay for low-income children's insurance on the backs of seniors and the most vulnerable. the bill also cuts the affordable care act, which could result in 668,000 people enrolled in a.c.a. plans losing their health insurance. nobody should have to lose coverage in order for others to keep it. this is a false choice, and it's out of step with what the american people have been calling on us to do. only the 115th congress could find

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to congratulate bucktell medical center c.e.o. timothy reeves for receiving a community star from the national organization of state offices for rural health. community stars recognize men and women nationwide who work to improve, protect and advance health and wellness for those living in rural america. timothy reeves is the chief executive office of the bucktail medical center which is a skilled nursing facility, community clinic and b.l.s. ambulance service in renovo, pennsylvania, in clinton county. it's the only medical center for more than 30 miles in any direction. bucktail medical center is believed to be the most remote hospital in pennsylvania. when timothy came to bucktail, the small hospital was on life support. the organization had significant financial issues but it had a dedicated, strong-willed staff and supporting board. through a carefully planned financial restructuring process, timothy has helped bring the facility back to life. it is grow

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on h.r. 918. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. bilirakis: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bilirakis: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 918, as amended, which was introduced by my friend and longtime committee member, congressman coffman of colorado. there have been a number of different names for stress related military health conditions throughout our nation's history. battle fatigue, combat stress reaction, shell shock, posttraumatic stress disorder. too often we see military personnel returning home with difficulties adjusting to civilian life. for many returning service members, these stressers affect one's postdeployment, especially those receiving other than honorable discharges. under current law military personnel who sep

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, we're here today to consider a very, very important public health bill. h.r. 3922, the championing healthy kids act. this legislation funds a five-year extension of the children's health insurance program known as chip. along with a two-year extension of community health centers and numerous other critically important public health programs. this bill will deliver quality health care and peace of mind to millions of americans. the patients and families helped by this legislation are our neighbors and our friends. more than eight million children receive chip-funded coverage and more than 25 million patients are served by our community health centers and other important programs. this five-year funding of chip marks one of the longest extensions of the program since it was created 20 years ago. the policy we are considering mirrors the bipartisan policy that's been introduced and voted out of our sister committee in the united states senate. funding for these important programs

mr. speaker. mr. farenthold: i'm here to support h.r. 4174 introduced by speaker ryan and of which i am an original co-sponsor. the american people deserve an efficient and effective government. i think we can all agree on that. taxpayers have the right to know their money is being spent wisely and all too often decisionmakers throughout the federal government make choices without sufficient evidence and data to inform them and guide them in making those decisions. in the previous congress, speaker ryan and senator patty murray introduced the bicameral, bipartisan evidence-based policy commission act of 2016. that commission was charged with studying and making recommendations related to access and use of evidence to support policymaking. and believe it or not, they finished in about a year. the commission on evidence-based policymaking released their report september 7 of this year. the commission made 22 recommendations on how to improve evidence -- on how evidence is accessed, produced, secured and

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, it's always an honor to stand in the well of the house and have the opportunity to speak to not only the members of congress but to the american people. and today, mr. speaker, i rise because i am in opposition to a tax plan that has been said to eliminate loopholes but has not done so. let me explain, mr. speaker. i will address but one loophole , i will address the loophole that allowed a person who made $3 billion one year. i don't begrudge him making $3 billion. i also think that every person ought to pay his or her fair share of taxes on whatever they earn. this person made $3 billion. how much is $3 billion? well, let me explain. $3 billion, it would take a minimum wage worker working 198,000 , mr. speaker, years to make $3 billion. 198,000 years. i don't begrudge the person for making it, but here is the point. the point is, if you make it, you ought to pay your fair share of taxes on it. this country makes it possible for us to do great things. this country makes it po

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, are there students in our country who think college has become too affordable? parents who feel that saving for their children's education has become too easy? mrs. davis: i know my constituents would answer with a resounding no. why would anyone support a tax bill that would make college even more expensive for our students? when will we start working together to put interests of average americans before the interests of large corporations? according to the ways and means summary, the republican tax bill would increase the cost to students attending college by $65 billion, that's billion with a b, over the next decade. this administration promised to put money back in the pockets of americans who need it the most, and this misguided tax ill does the exact opposite. mr. speaker, education is a cornerstone of our global competitiveness, and this republican bill would only make college less affordable and less accessible. i urge my colleagues to reject this assault on the middle

mr. speaker -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. tipton: this bill would designate two unnamed peaks in colorado as fowler peak and boskoff peak. charlie fowler and his partner, christine boskoff were longtime residents of colorado. charlie fowler was one of north america's most experienced mountain climbers and was also an author, guide, filmmaker, photographer and advocate for the outdoors. beginning in the mid 1980's, charlie worked full time as a mountain guide. leading mountaineering expeditions in the united states and abroad. his photographs and articles were published in a variety of books and magazines and he was the author of many mountaineering guide books. he was awarded an award by the american alpine society. an honor given annually to an individual who has demonstrated the highest skill in the mountaineering arts and who throughout application of this skill, courage and perseverance has achieved outstanding success in the various fields. christine boskoff began her career in 1993. quickly rose in the sport of mountain

mr. speaker, mr. chairman, i appreciate the time and i wholeheartedly support and urge this house to support h.r. 3043. thank you. the chair: the gentleman from michigan reserves his time. the gentleman from illinois. mr. rush: reserve my time, mr. speaker. the chair: i'm sorry. mr. upton: mr. chairman. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan. mr. upton: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from montana, mr. jean forty. -- gianforte. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gianforte: i rise in support of the hydropower policy modernization act. nearly 1/3 of the electricity generated in montana comes from hydropower. the libby, hungry horse and noxin rapid projects each have generating capacity of more than 400 megawatts. there are dozens of more smaller hydropower facilities in montana from thompson falls to those around great falls, tiber, fort peck and yellow tail. this legislation will ensure that existing projects will have timely relicensing and enhanced consultation b

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i know members across the house will have been appalled by last night cowardly terrorist attack in new york. our thoughts are with all those affected and we stand united with the people of new york. >> here, here. >> mr. speaker, mims on both sides of the house have been deeply concerned about allegations of the treatment in westminster. my right honorable friend the leader of the house has been meeting with counterparts in hopeful all sides can work together quickly to resolve this. i have written to all party leaders inviting them to meeting early next week so we can discuss a common transparent independent grievance procedure for all those working in parliament. we have a duty to ensure everyone coming here to contribute to public life is treated with respect. >> here, here. >> mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. >> dennis skinner. >> is t

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, earlier this week i had the opportunity to visit the pregnancy resource plinic in state college, pennsylvania. the pennsylvania fifth congressional district. the pregnancy resource center is the only community funded medical clinic in state college that specifically addresses unplanned pregnancy in a christ centered sphere. through education and encouragement, the pregnancy resource center empowers both men and women to make informed life choices. mr. speaker, i have the opportunity to meet with executive director summers and many members of the pregnancy resource center staff to see farppede the important services that it pro-- firsthand the important service it is provides to the region. the pregnancy resource center importantly uphold the sanctity of life. it encouraging clients to continue their pregnancy to full term rather than choosing abortion for their unborn child. mr. speaker, this is always important, but even more so this month during national adoption month. each

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today thomp recognize tracy becker on being awarded the 2017 keystone award which is the highest honor bestowed by the pennsylvania association of chamber professionals. tracy is executive director of the clarion area chamber of business and industry. the keystone award was established in 1963 to recognize outstanding service in and contributions to the profession of chamber management in pennsylvania. the award is not presented annually. but only when an individual has merited such recognition. tracy is just the 24th person to receive this award since its inception 54 years ago. she was dominate neathed by her staff, the board members, and fell members of the -- fellow members of the association. she began her chamber career in 1987. she has dedicated her life to the betterment of the community. she has been with the clarion area chamber business and industry for more than 30 years. 13 of those as executive director. mr. speaker, i wholeheartedly congratulate tracy on

mr. speaker. i joined the prime minister in wishing a happy platinum anniversary. mr. speaker, the thoughts of the whole house will be with the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit iran and iraq on monday, leaving hundreds dead and thousands without shelter. i hope the government is offering all necessary emergency help and support that can be used to save lives. i also hope, mr. speaker, i'm sure the house will join me in sending our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the late sergeant, labor assembly member in wales who tragically died last week. mr. speaker, crime is up, violent crime is up, and police numbers are down by 20,000 and will the prime minister urge her chancellor, who i know this week is sitting absolutely next to her, so it will be easy to make the demand on him, to provide the funding our police need to make communities safe? >> prime minister. >> first of all, can i say three points. on the earthquake that took place in iraq and iran, we are monitoring thi

mr. speaker, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom maryland seek recognition? mr. hoyer: as a new member to is body -- i ask unanimous consent to speak out of order for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. mr. hoyer: i want to say to my friend, the majority leader, where all due respect -- with all due respect, we've raised a lot of heat in this town. unfortunately on the cusp of a meeting that was convened to try to reach some agreements on very important issues to the american people, the heat was raised very, very substantially by the president of the united states. that was unfortunate. and anybody who thinks that the heat wasn't raised was saying that there was not going to be a deal i think is incorrect. but that's not why i asked for the one minute. what i asked for the one minute is, colleagues, the american people are relying on us to come together and to agree on things they know are very important to them and thei

mr. speaker. thank you, chairman. i appreciate the opportunity to work with mr. sherman and the rest of the committee on this bill. it is indeed impressive that it was 59-1 in our committee in its present form. it does do some really good things. i think the message that it really sends is it's important for our government agencies to lead by example. the s.e.c. holds people that they oversee accountable for maintaining cybersecurity, protecting personally identifiable information, and what we know on september 20, chairman clayton highlighted that they had had a breach of the edgar system. this follows on an april, 2016, report by the g.a.o. that highlighted some concerns with their cybersecurity program with s.e.c., and the concerning thing is when chairman clayton took over the s.e.c., he found this so much time afterwards. it wasn't part of his in-briefing. there isn't real concern there could be systemic cybersecurity risks there, and i think it is great that our committee came together to pro

mr. ompson: thank you, speaker. mr. speaker, earlier this week i had the opportunity to visit a true gem in center county, pennsylvania, roney meade. it's a sculpture garden and arboretum, located between the mountains. the roan family owned this property from 1794 to 1937. the land was settled in 1794 when michael roan purchased the farmland from the strom family who received a grant of the land from the penn family. third generation leonard roan was an important leader in the grange movement in pennsylvania. many of the ideas for the movement were developed in historic 1853 farmhouse that still sits on the property today. leonard roan founded the grange fair in 1874, an event that remains a staple in the region. the fair is a proud -- is a proud center county tradition, much like roney meade slogan. the slogan is where art and nature meets. that rings true thanks to dr. richard morgan, a retired penn state professor, who purchased the property in 1984. over several years he transformed the grounds into an arboretum and

mr. speaker. i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from alaska, mr. young. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from alaska is recognized for two minutes. mr. young: thank you. thank you, mr. chairman. congress established alaska native settlement trust in 1988, to provide permanent health ed -- health, education, and welfare benefits to alaska natives who were among the most economically disvanged population in the united states. unfortunately, mr. chairman, the tax code has many cases impeded the creation and funding of the settlements. as a result, alaska native settlement trust have not been able to function in the manner congress originally intended, to provide benefits for alaska natives. to remedy some of these tax issues, i have sponsored h.r. 3524, which permits alaska native corporation to deduct contributions to the settlement trust. the provision of h.r. 3524 were not included in h.r. 1 and the tax bill also adversely increases the tax rate from 10% to 12%. this would make it more difficult for the alaska native trust to provide long-term benefi

mr. speaker. i am sure members across the whole will join me in congratulating her majesty the queen and prince philip on their upcoming platinum wedding anniversary. [applause] >> they have devoted their lives to the service of our country, and i know the whole house will wish to offer them our very best wishes on this special occasion. mr. speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues in addition to my duties in this house. i will have further such meetings today. >> thank you, mr. speaker. her predecessor's excellent work in making sure this economy grows has been confident in our country's growth despite the troubles and tribulations that have been set before us. our debt has now -- our deficit has now come down and our debts are oversubscribed. will she take this opportunity to invest in our economy even more than she is already and perhaps even take a chance to build more homes? friend makes a very important point about investing in infrastructure. he refers to housing par

mr. speaker. on the question of the sex harassments allegations that the prime minister quite rightly referred to, just to put on the record i'm happy to meet with the prime minister and all party leaders to discuss this. we need better protections for all in this house. this house must involve workplace trade unions in that. but it's also incumbent on all parties to have robust procedures in place to protect and support victims of sexual abuse and harassment. i join with the prime minister in sending our solidarity to the people of new york and their mayor bill de blasio. they boasted enormous good work at opposite ends of the u.k. to diligently represent their communities and constituencies. they'll be sadly missed by all of us, particularly in the labor party. mr. speaker, in 2010 the labor government intervened through hmrc to shut down aisle of man's scheme used to import yachts into the european union and thus avoid tax. a similar scheme has recently been exposed relating to the import of bu

mr. speaker.y question is the prime minister. the liberals promised australians that power builds would drop by $150 per year. they did not. this year, the promised her promise -- willmbers on my right cease and ejecting. the treasure will cease in jecting. office, theming to liberals promised us runs their power bills would drop by $150. they didn't. that household gas prices would halve. [laughter] [indiscernible] my only reduce the power bills of australians by $.50 a week in three years time. why would the australian people believe anything this prime minister says about energy prices? well, mr. speaker, i think the member for her question. ccc report.from an a as says the evolution of a carbon tax [indiscernible] householdsavings to is reasonable, mr. speaker. so there we go, the labour party telling them it's true, like the one that they repealed in this house with a $1000 increase which went against the advice of australian regulator and other agencies, which they have not had the courage t

mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of this special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. lipinski: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today as a member of the climate solutions caucus, to speak on the issue of climate change. the caucus is a bipartisan group of members committed to implementing economically viable options to reduce climate risk. the caucus has a noah's, a membership rule. members can only join -- noah's arc membership rule. members can only join in pairs. the caucus is helping to break the partisan gridlock on this issue. and show that promoting climate solutions can be truly bipartisan. the formation and rapid growth of the climate solutions caucus represents a recognition of both the challenges and opportunities and has demonstrated that there is bipartisan will to take action. in recognition of the fact that 60 members

mr. speaker. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition? without objection. >> i rise today to talk about tax reform. tax reform should be all about helping those who are in need. mrs. beatty: working families, veterans, seniors, small business owners, just to name a few. unfortunately the plan that the congressional republicans are currently ramming through the senate with a vote that could happen just in a few short hours does exactly the opposite. the plan would overwhelmingly benefit the superrich, the well connected and at the expense of the middle class, small business, not to mention veterans, seniors struggling to make ends meet. the middle class and small businesses, we can do better by them. instead of giving us a budget-busting half trillion dollar tax cut to the wealthiest americans, let's provide greater tax relief to working families, let's keep o

mr. hoyer, for five minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from maryland is recognized for five minutes. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for yielding. in is the most irresponsible bill that i will have been confronted with in the 37 years that i have been in the congress of the united states. this bill, mr. speaker, is both reckless and if he canless. it is reckless because it would add $1.7 trillion, the chairman ys $2 trillion in a shameful act of hypocrisy for its supporters, who, for years, have called for fiscal responsibility . because its ought thors wrote it with an eye towards politics, not policy. here is no courage in voting for this bill. it is easy to vote for a tax cut. what is hard to do is paying for what we buy. and neither side does that particularly well. there is no courage in voting for this bill. only a suspension of common sense and their now abandoned commitment to fiscal sustainability. furthermore, my republican friends call this bill a tax cut. the gentleman who just spoke, the whip said,

mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. cardenas, for five minutes. mr. cardenas: thank you, mr. speaker. it's a privilege and an honor to represent the community of the san fernando valley here in the united states congress, and i think it's my duty and responsibility to make sure that when something's going on in washington people should know what's going to happen to them and how it affects them. i think it's really important for everybody to understand right now in the workings, probably going to come to the floor in just a few days, is the ryan--- speaker ryan-mcconnell tax giveaways to big corporations which will actually increase taxes for working families, working mothers and fathers. i think it's important for people to understand that this is something that is being sold as a middle tax -- middle-income tax cut. actually what it's going to do is cut the income, the take-home income to middle-class families. what it's going to mean if y

mr. speaker, a -- the messenger: mr. speaker, a message 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 agreed to the conference with the house thereon h.r. 2810, an act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the department of defense, for military construction and for defense activities of the department of energy. to prescribe military personnel strength for such fiscal year and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. gohmert: mr. speaker, i would move that after such a great day that we now hereby adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. all those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands adjourned until just a few minutes or so we plan to take you live to the white house for the briefing this afternoon with sarah sanders. we heard from the presid

mr. speaker. i want to thank mr. hensarling and mr. duffy for their work on this bill. they have labored endless hours to bring this to the floor and we are appreciative of that. the fact that we are here today show ours legislative process is working and we are doing the challenging work the american people sense us here to do, work that isn't always easy. quite often it's hard. but it is the right thing to do. after months of hard work, the financial services committee passed a package of bills in june to reform and re-authorize the national flood insurance program. mr. speaker, many of these bills in that package passed with unanimous support. you only have unanimous support with strong bipartisan support. now after lengthy negotiations, we are taking up this compromised bill that will significantly improve the nfip and protect america's taxpayers. the 21st century flood reform act will make major strides to grow the private flood insurance market and start to put the nfip on a fiscally sustaina

mr. speaker. today i rise in strong support of my bill, the bipartisan protecting seniors' access of medicare act of 2017. i was proud to introduce this commonsense bipartisan bill with my friend on the other side of the aisle, congressman dr. phil roe. thank you, dr. roe and your staff, for your many years of hard work and advocacy on this issue. i'm pleased our offices were able to work closely on this bill, building a strong bipartisan working relationship. h.r. 849 eliminates the well-intentioned but misguided independent payment advisory board, or ipab, that was created under the affordable care act. everyone can agree that we need to address the high cost of health care and strengthen the solvency of medicare. however. the ipab approach has an unelected panel with no accountability. our constituents must be able to hold elected officials accountable for decisions made regarding changes to medicare regardless on who's in power. what's more, if the board fails to act, the health and human servi