Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3823, Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017, and Providing for Consideration of Motions to Suspend the Rules
Floor Speech
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I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. The rule provides for consideration of H.R.
3823, the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, the whole world is aware of a series of storms that have hit not only America's shores but those shores of so many of our territories, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
A series of these hurricanes over the past few weeks has caused great devastation in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and, of course, again, the U.S. Virgin Islands. These are people who are American citizens, and they are in these territories, and they are suffering from loss and devastation, and we have never seen an occurrence like this with two storms in succession.
While there remains much to be done and evaluated, this legislation takes important steps, I believe, that are necessary to begin providing relief to those individuals. We have had a lot of debate not only on this floor and not only at the Rules Committee, but certainly in the U.S. House of Representatives and the public media about what steps need to be taken, who needs to be there first, what FEMA's responsibility is, what the responsibility is for HUD, what the responsibility is for States, and what the responsibility is for citizens and their local communities. But the bottom line is that much of the evaluation, the undertaking of saving of lives, trying to work to save more property and to be there in support of people, is an ongoing project that will take a long period of time.
Specifically, this underlying legislation helps to address five targeted and meaningful tax provisions that provide relief and make it easier for people to recover and to return to their homes and to make long-term decisions from a money and tax perspective.
It will allow hurricane victims to keep more of their paychecks, deduct more of the cost of their expensive property damage, and provide more affordable and immediate access to retirement savings should people decide that they would choose to go that direction at this difficult time in their life.
This legislation also encourages more Americans--Americans who see what is happening--and companies to be able to donate, to donate to those who are in need by temporarily suspending limitations on the deductions for charitable contributions for hurricane relief efforts this year. This is an important step, and it removes obstacles that might be in the way for the public to get involved and to help their fellow citizens.
Taken together, these five tax provisions go a long way, we believe, in helping these people recover from these storms. The rule also makes clarifications to ensure Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are treated equitably in all tax sections of this bill.
I spent time this week speaking with the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) in talking about not only their immediate needs, but also the long-term needs. Both were vigorous in not only their request for help, but also, equally, I think, balanced in their request for the legislation that would take place today.
They represent so many hardworking people, people who are proud people in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and they are looking for a way to work through not only where they are, but, in looking forward over the long term, about how they are going to put their islands back together.
I have had many phone conversations with both of them over the last 48 hours. They have asked for our prayers, they have asked for our help, and I have pledged to do both. But I told them that I believe this House of Representatives would very carefully understand their special request at this time because the islands are under increased pressure simply to get planes that would land to allow not only the bringing in of emergency supplies, but also taking out people who would need to come ashore, for those that might be children, elderly people, or the sick.
In addition to the tax provisions of H.R. 3823, which addresses some of the frailties of the Flood Insurance Program, we have included important reform pieces that are pro-consumer and increase competition at a very difficult time now that these hurricanes have landed on our shores. This provides options for all Americans.
The language that passed out of the Financial Services Committee 58-0 and on the floor of the House last year 419-0 has now been placed in this bill, also. We believe it is another example of bipartisan support, not only by the gentleman from the Financial Services Committee, Jeb Hensarling, but also his ranking member, Maxine Waters, who very carefully, last year, in preparation probably for what would lie ahead in the future, to provide a free market opportunity for more people to receive flood insurance. It is part of this package. It passed here last year 419-0. It is an integral part of what might be an answer maybe only for a few people, but it is an option and an opportunity, and I appreciate Chairman Hensarling and Maxine Waters for being a part of passing that last year out of the Financial Services Committee 58-0.
This bill also reauthorizes the FAA, the Federal Aviation Administration, for 6 months, their funding levels, which would, I believe, be most important to all areas of the country. This is a bipartisan bill. This is an opportunity for people who live in rural areas and people who live in urban areas to note that the FAA, day in and day out, 24 hours a day, is a vital part of the important transportation component of landing planes, bringing people to and from work and back safely. It also is a part of our families who travel the system, and the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, needs this money and needs the operational capacity to move forward.
It also comes at a critical time when the radar system that is in Puerto Rico has failed, and it is necessary that we continue to fund the programs at the FAA so that they can get these systems back up and online to increase traffic to meet the needs of the islands and to make sure that this is done safely.
Now is not a time to play games with an essential program, and I believe that this is very important for each of the Members to understand. This is a vital part of this package. Finally, the underlying legislation extends several expiring health programs that would be finishing at the end of the year, including the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program and the Special Diabetes Program for Native Americans.
I do want to note that this package is focused on health programs that are expiring, and Chairman Greg Walden from Hood River, Oregon, who is the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, has every intent to make sure that he will move legislation extending funding for CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, because we know that it expires soon. The chairman has looked into this and certified back to me that the money that is necessary to keep this program going is not in jeopardy and that he looks forward to a time when he can move CHIP not only to where it is considered on the floor, but to the Rules Committee, where it can be equally and fairly debated.
Before concluding my opening statements, I just want to affirm to the people in my home State of Texas and other areas affected by these disasters that this is the second of a series of responses to these natural disasters. On September 8, this body, the United States House of Representatives, passed initial emergency response legislation, providing $15.3 billion in aid.
To provide some historical context, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the United States in August, followed by Hurricanes Rita and Wilma in September and October. The House responded by passing an initial response in September to provide immediate emergency relief; then, after some evaluation, determined the actual needs on the ground, that is, by an analysis that took place, and that is when the House passed a more comprehensive package that included many of the provisions that are in here that we are doing, but they did that in December.
There was some debate yesterday at the Rules Committee about the timing, about delay, and I assured the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), who is a distinguished member of our committee, that, while I did not know the exact timing or delay, what might be a delay in that timing, that I believe that that is forthcoming; that, as there is a broader evaluation, as time moves on, as we go from saving people, trying to do recovery, to where we then move to the next phases of this opportunity, we will then know more specifically the needs of programs, the work that needs to be done by this Congress, and the help that we can provide to these areas.
I want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) not only for his vigorous, what I believe, support of making sure that people-- albeit they might be in Florida, but where they were a part of these storms, I felt Mr. Hastings' care and concern for them, to make sure that what the House of Representatives did was well managed, and I appreciate his feedback.
This body has every intention of providing further relief to our fellow Americans. We also understand that the Federal Government, while it has responsibilities, it does so by working with the States. It is done through FEMA.
I have been personally very pleased not only with the actions of President Trump and this administration, but I want to add that I am proud of the House of Representatives. I believe the leadership that Paul Ryan has provided not only by being on the ground and looking at these areas, but also staying up to date on a day-to-day basis means that the House is nimble and able to move forward as we need to.
What we are talking about today is targeted tax relief for those in need, ensuring the FAA can continue its functions allowing planes to land in Puerto Rico, and continuing our emergency responses. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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I appreciate the distinguished gentlewoman bringing this up. Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, she was not in the body on the floor earlier when I brought up what I believe is an answer to this CHIP--Children's Health Insurance Program--reauthorization.
I talked specifically with the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Greg Walden, who is very excited about the opportunity to move the CHIP bill. The opportunity to do this is not dire or urgent.
As a matter of fact, there is money in the bucket right now to fund, as it has been, the program to continue.
Chairman Walden indicated that, while he does understand that the program is scheduled to run through September 30, that the analysis from the nonpartisan Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission shows that States have enough funds remaining in their accounts through the end of this year.
Chairman Walden is interested in looking at it again and gaining information about it to see what sorts of changes, additions, or updates that we choose to do. He intends to do that in and through the committee providing information on a bipartisan basis. I trust not only what Greg Walden said, but I also know of his desire to deal effectively in this manner.
I want to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois for bringing up this important question, and I want to provide a timely answer to her, and I appreciate her very much.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. Speaker, responding to the gentlewoman, I do not, but I will talk to Chairman Walden immediately, and I will come and find you during the vote, or as we end here, and I will let you know.
I appreciate, once again, Mr. Speaker, that the gentlewoman is very concerned, as is her committee, about children's programs, women's programs, and she would expect me to respond accordingly, and I will talk to Chairman Walden and get back to her with an answer.
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Mr. Speaker, this discussion that we are having here on point that we have now had two speakers from my side, Mr. Ross and Mr. Graves, who have come down to talk about the debate that has been well alive across the country, about how we deal with emergencies, how we deal with flooding, how we deal with the opportunity for States, and communities, and citizens, the free enterprise system, and what I would say FEMA, or the Federal Government, to get closer in understanding the needs of communities, and the answers to long-term decisions that take place.
What you heard Mr. Ross talk about was a bill that he worked on with the gentlewoman, a Democratic colleague from Tampa, and they worked on this piece of legislation, got it passed 58-0 out of the Financial Services Committee, 419-0 on this vote. We need to pass--we need to include this. We need to put this as part of the options, an option that would be available for people back home, no matter where that is, to have a chance to have more control of their own lives, to work in their own communities.
I really appreciate the gentleman, Mr. Ross, coming to talk to us today. The hard work that he and Kathy Castor, the gentlewoman from Tampa, did on a bipartisan basis comes to play. Even though they did it a year ago, it would be in play today, and it will be in play 1 year from now, when storms come back, as an option and opportunity. Instead of us searching for answers, it would be one of the answers available. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. Speaker, what a shock it is to see the President attacked when he is the one who is going to make sure, by challenging Congress, that we get this issue done. Mr. Speaker, there was a question the gentlewoman, my dear colleague, Ms. Slaughter, asked. The question is timely and important, and I would like to respond back to her. She asked about the health center program, and the answer I have gotten back from the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Walden, the gentleman from Hood River, Oregon, who is a phenomenal leader to this conference, is that it will not have to access mandatory appropriations until early December, and that Chairman Walden understands and appreciates that the gentlewoman, the ranking member of the Rules Committee, Ms. Slaughter, has asked a question, and he thanks you for asking that. He understands that we do have a timing issue and is preparing quickly to address this issue. He wanted me to thank the gentlewoman for bringing that up at this time. I want to thank Chairman Walden for that message.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to thank my colleague not only for this long week that we have had at the Rules Committee, but I also want to thank her other members, the gentleman from Worcester, Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), for not only their vigorous debate and conversations that we have had, but actually trying to prepare us at the Rules Committee for that which we believe would lie ahead.
Today, you heard the gentlewoman ask about several important issues. Part of our job is to kind of pitch and catch, and that is to catch the things that come our way. But she is using her vision to look ahead, and I admire that. I do owe her answers, and her background and experience would tell her, let's get moving on these things if we are going to get them done. I hope that I have provided her with feedback from the gentleman, Mr. Walden, saying exactly that.
Mr. Speaker, as the hurricane was still over Houston, Texas, dumping 50 inches of rain, I received a conference call from a number of people in Houston as they were preparing to reestablish not only their own communities within Houston, but also the livelihood of the business community, and to be prepared.
I got a conference call from a group of gentlemen, Mr. Tom Singletary, Mr. Kevin Hedges, Mr. Steve Kessling, Mr. Wallace B. Livesay, and Mr. Steve Raben from Houston. They called me and said: We need, as quickly as we can, to get information about taxes, about people pulling money out of their IRAs, and what the rules and regulations would be for that.
Mr. Speaker, part of my job is to respond to people, to listen to them, and to listen to their needs. I will tell you that the Houston delegation, on a bipartisan basis, up and down the coast, going down to Blake Farenthold in Corpus Christi, all the way up to Garret Graves who is in Louisiana, felt the fury of Mother Nature. But it didn't mean that it had to divide us or to defeat us.
I have seen nothing but resolve that has come from not only those in Texas but also those in Florida, our two colleagues, Jenniffer Gonzalez who is located in Puerto Rico, and Stacey Plaskett who is a fine young Delegate out of the Virgin Islands. They have asked for help. They have asked for the things that would be necessary.
But our ability to effectively listen and turn around in the form of legislation, our ability to be able to schedule meetings and, on a bipartisan basis, be able to talk and sometimes agree and sometimes disagree but to get our work done is an amazing part of this experiment that we are engaged in. I, myself, Mr. Speaker, want to thank you for not only your hard work of being here today but being a part of this process. As all of us work together, we can make this process work and give confidence to the American people. That confidence is expressed with what we do today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill. The material previously referred to by Ms. Slaughter is as follows:
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