Rick Allen

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. The appalling videos that have been released revealing Planned Parenthood's horrific activities should spur deep concern in every American. In a recent hearing with Secretary Burwell, I asked her whether the Department of Health and Human Services would probe into these allegations, but she refused to commit to an investigation. We have a moral responsibility to act to investigate this organization's actions and hold them accountable.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about one of the most important national security matters this Chamber will vote on, and that is the President's dangerous nuclear deal with Iran. We have heard a lot about this this morning. I heard a lot about it while I was in the district during the August work period. I traveled across Georgia's 12th District and spoke with my constituents about this terrible agreement. Today I come to the floor again to voice the concerns I heard from the overwhelming majority and to say to my colleagues in the House and Senate we must stop this deal. The consequences of the President's agreement are clear. We have heard it over and over. It will chart a clear path to allow Iran nuclear capability. In the meantime, the Iranian regime will use billions of dollars in sanctions relief to continue promoting terrorism. I visited Israel last month and met with the nation's leaders, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, and learned firsthand about the security threats Israel and the region face every day. We cannot allow this deal to move forward and further empower those who seek the destruction of Israel, the same leaders who shout ``death to America.'' I reject the President's false choice between this bad deal or war.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, before my time in Congress, if someone had told me that I would spend 90 percent of my time fighting executive regulatory overreach, nobody would have believed me, but it is the truth. In the past 7 months, I have found out how out of control the overreach of this administration truly is. With rules such as the Waters of the United States and the Clean Power Plan from EPA, this administration continues to trample on the rights of our citizens and States while hurting our economy along the way. That is why I was pleased to cosponsor and vote for the REINS Act. This important legislation requires Congress to have 70 legislative days to review any rules with an economic impact over $100 million and ensures Congress has oversight before any major rule goes to the President for a signature. By allowing Congress to review these rules, we can restore accountability and the power of legislating to the legislative branch. I thank my colleagues in the House for passing this important legislation and call on those in the Senate to take swift action to reduce regulatory overreach.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, like my colleagues, I was deeply disturbed by the video that surfaced last week and the allegations regarding Planned Parenthood's selling the body parts of unborn children. Just today, another video was released showing a senior Planned Parenthood official make flippant comments about receiving money for the organs of aborted babies. The practices brought to light in these videos and reports are shocking and sickening. When such reports come forward, it is our moral responsibility to act. We must take action on behalf of the most vulnerable and precious lives among us. Madam Speaker, I commend the House Energy and Commerce and House Judiciary Committees that have begun efforts to investigate these heinous practices, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure we get to the bottom of these allegations. Planned Parenthood and all those involved must be held accountable. I stand with all who are dedicated to fight to protect innocent life.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about a matter that is critical to the future security of not only the United States, but to our allies and international security. Yesterday, the President announced a nuclear agreement had been reached between Iran and six other nations led by the United States. Throughout these negotiations, I have been skeptical of the concessions made by this administration to Iran, despite its history of dangerous and defiant behavior. Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and has consistently shown a pattern of noncompliance. I have serious concerns this deal will fail to prevent a nuclear Iran while rewarding the Iranian Government's past actions with billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Mr. Speaker, as Congress continues to evaluate the deal, I believe we must reject any agreement that further bolsters the Iranian regime; endangers our allies, especially Israel; and fuels instability in the region. Far too much is at stake to accept a bad deal that puts the security of our Nation and our fight to combat violent extremism at greater risk. Mr. Speaker, how can you have a deal with someone you can't trust?

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues today for passing the 21st Century Cures Act to create a path forward to expedite the delivery of lifesaving and life-improving cures that will change the lives of millions across this Nation. I want to share the story of Arturo Solares from my district, who is 7\1/2\ years old and lives in Evans, Georgia. Arturo was diagnosed on his fourth birthday with autism. On that day, he had less than 50 words and was considered severely affected. The doctor didn't give his family much hope for the future. Thanks to the dedication of his parents and innovation in our medical community there, today Arturo doesn't even need speech therapy. However, he still needs medications which are currently caught up in bureaucratic red tape. This bill, the 21st Century Cures Act, provides a modern healthcare solution that gives hope to so many families like Arturo's and others across this great country. I thank my colleagues for passing this legislation today that will improve the lives of future generations.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6.

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise today to support the 21st Century Cures Act and thank the chairman and the Committee on Energy and Commerce to keep America at the forefront of medical innovation by removing barriers that prevent development and delivery of life-improving therapies. However, this is not only an issue of keeping America competitive; it is a moral issue. The greatest physician in history said in Matthew: ``Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'' I want to share the story of Brennan Simkins, who was diagnosed with childhood cancer. Brennan has had over four stem cell transplants. He is still living today, and he is the student of my wife, who is teaching him piano. He is truly a miracle and a blessing to us, but he still requires medications. There are medications out there which are caught up in bureaucratic red tape. By passing this bill, we can help patients and families across the country, like Brennan Simkins, get access to the medicines of tomorrow.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Under H.R. 5, States are protected from being coerced into adopting Common Core by the Department of Education, and they have the right to opt out of any program under the law. Mr. Speaker, all of these are significant and needed steps to put the responsibility of education back where it belongs, and that is with the States, local school districts, parents, and the educators, as they know what is best. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5.

Mr. ALLEN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the debate before this floor today is who knows best how to educate our children. I rise today to speak about H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. This is legislation that I believe goes a long way in getting the Federal Government out of the way of our schools and teachers and putting education back in the right hands by restoring local control. As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, I have spent several hours debating and marking up this legislation. I have also visited several schools in my district and have spoken with parents, teachers, and administrators about the challenges they are facing. What I heard across the board was that top-down regulations from Washington are burdening our teachers with seemingly endless compliance requirements. Our educators should have the ability to focus on the individual needs of their students and their classes. Instead, our current system is forcing them to spend time filling out paperwork and meeting this one-size-fits-all requirement. That is exactly why H.R. 5 is important legislation that I urge my colleagues to support today. This bill replaces the current accountability system that says Washington knows what is best for our students, and it replaces it with a system that gives States and school districts the responsibility for measuring the success of their schools. Through bottom-up reforms, it restores local control and gives our educators more freedom to innovate. I have personally seen in my district how students and communities benefit from local innovation in schools. We have one such example in my district that does not get $1 of Federal funding, and it takes children who are discarded by the public school system and makes successful students from this group. I am very proud of what this school has accomplished. H.R. 5 empowers parents, just like at this school, with more information to hold schools accountable for effective teaching, and it expands opportunities to send their children to a school that best meets their needs. It also gets rid of almost 70 unnecessary Federal programs and, instead, creates a block grant that provides money to the States.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, for too long, Americans all across the Nation have felt the devastating effects of the President's healthcare plan, also known as ObamaCare. One of its many harmful provisions is the job- killing medical device tax, a $30 billion tax hike on medical device manufacturers that has crippled growth in this industry to pay for this flawed program. For this reason, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 160, the Protect Medical Innovation Act, which eliminates the 2.3 percent excise tax imposed on the sale of medical devices by ObamaCare and passed in the House on a bipartisan basis. As we continue working for full repeal of ObamaCare, this is a step in the right direction to eliminate this job-killing provision in ObamaCare that hinders our economy and hurts patients' access to quality care. I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass this legislation to spur innovation and bring down healthcare costs.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2393, the Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015. This very important legislation is a direct response to the fourth and final World Trade Organization ruling that mandatory country of origin labeling, or COOL, is anticompetitive and will allow Canada and Mexico to seek over $3 billion in tariffs on American products, directly placing American producers at a competitive disadvantage. H.R. 2393 removes cattle, hogs, and chicken from COOL labeling to allow our producers to maintain access to two of our largest trading markets and protect U.S. exports from destructive sanctions. Again, I urge my colleagues to adopt this combined rule and vote in support of the COOL Amendments Act. I encourage the Senate to move this legislation as quickly as possible so our producers can compete on a level playing field.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 261 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I thank Mr. Brady for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues on the other side that, under the leadership of the former presenter, almost a trillion dollars was spent on a stimulus package with nothing to show for it. I was in the business world then, and I have been in the business world 37 years. The reason I ran for Congress was to bring real-world experience to this body. That is why I rise today in support of H.R. 880. The reason for that is because, when you invest and you invest properly, there is a return. Those families find jobs, and that is what this bill is about. H.R. 880 is to simplify and make permanent the research and development tax credit. Despite the fact that the research tax credit has been extended 16 times since its enactment, it remains a temporary measure. It is very difficult to plan based on temporary measures. Clearly, it is high time that we provide certainty for innovators in Georgia and across the Nation by making this tax credit permanent. Innovation is the lifeblood of the small-business community, which employs over 70 percent of the workforce. Innovation in the private sector is essential to driving our economy forward and in fostering growth and creating jobs for Americans now and in the future. It is our duty in Congress to incentivize businesses so that innovators and entrepreneurs can do what they do best and fill the ever growing demand for jobs across our great Nation. We have so many capable men and women willing to work, so let's get out of the way of the entrepreneurial American spirit and pass H.R. 880.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I missed a vote on the Motion to Recommit for H.R. 2029 on April 30, 2015. Listed below is how I would have voted if I had been present. Roll Call Vote 192--Motion to Recommit H.R. 2029--Nay.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue as it is so important to our farmers and businesses in Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to address the gross regulatory overreach of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the proposed Waters of the United States rule. Under the rule's proposed changes to the Clean Water Act, the Federal Government would have the power to regulate virtually any place water flows in the United States. This is not about clean water. This includes things like creeks, streams, and groundwater but also manmade waterways like a fish pond, irrigation pipes, and dry ditching to harvest timber. If not stopped, this overreach will have damaging consequences for economic growth and jobs. In Georgia's 12th District, many farmers and businesses are concerned about their ability to comply with these Federal mandates while maintaining their livelihoods. The Waters of the United States rule will grant the Federal Government power to dictate land use decisions, as well as farming practices, making it even more difficult to maintain a competitive and profitable farm or business. I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 1732, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 43, to disapprove the action of the D.C. Council in approving the Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2014, which I believe clearly violates the constitutional freedoms of the citizens of the District of Columbia. This is not just about the citizens of one city. It is about protecting the freedoms and liberties enshrined in our Constitution for all Americans. This is about making sure the government does not force employers with deeply held religious beliefs and values to act against their conscience. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 43.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 1105, the Death Tax Repeal Act, last week, and to call for its swift consideration and passage in the Senate. This devastating tax, which requires families to pay as much as 40 percent of the value of an estate they inherit above a certain threshold, has damaged our economy, hurt small businesses, and forced many families out of a legacy they worked hard to build. In my district of Georgia, many of those hit hardest by the death tax are our family farms; hard-working Americans who have paid taxes on their property all their lives, only to have it taxed again when they try to pass it on to the next generation. In some cases, children are often forced to sell the land, ending a family business, costing real jobs, and destroying a family legacy. Unfortunately, this is not a rare occurrence. As a proud cosponsor of this bill, I applaud my colleagues in the House for passage of this legislation to repeal the death tax and urge quick consideration and approval in the Senate.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I am always interested when we are talking about workers and I hear that people want to talk about what is best for workers. I will tell you that I am a new Member of Congress, and I have had the privilege the past 30 years of my life to give people the privilege to have a good job. That is one of the greatest privileges of my life. We all want to do what is best for those folks who are sacrificing for us. We appreciate them; we appreciate their efforts. That is why I rise to support Senate Joint Resolution 8, to demonstrate the disapproval of Congress of the National Labor Relations Board's ``ambush election'' rule to protect our workers. A few weeks ago, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, of which I am a member, held a hearing on this very issue. We learned that this NLRB is not only unprecedented, it undermines the rights of both workers and employees and creates for challenges for businesses when our economy can least afford it. The expert testimony was from those who have been engaged in labor relations for quite a long time with tremendous experience. Their testimony provided comments about just how troubling such a threat to the privacy of workers and their families as employers would be required to disclose the names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails of employees to the NLRB, then to the union. This rule is misguided, and NLRB has no business in rushing to advance its own agenda. We need to protect fairness in the work place. That is why I call on my colleagues to support Senate Joint Resolution 8. I am proud to say that I am from the State of Georgia, a right-to- work State.

Mr. ALLEN. In the State of Georgia, we have created almost 300,000 jobs since 2006. I am proud to say we have got the finest workers in America, and I want those workers to have the freedom to make their decisions and not the NLRB.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for yielding 30 seconds. Madam Chair, I think we all agree that No Child Left Behind does not work. I think we all agree that every child deserves a good education. That is what H.R. 5 provides. It provides our teachers, our boards of education, and our States the opportunity to innovate. Isn't that what education is all about? That is what the business world is all about. That is why I am supporting this bill.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support to my friend, Mr. Lou Barletta's amendment to the Student Success Act. Last week, I had the opportunity to spend time in our district and visit many of our local schools. One thing that I heard from both administrators and teachers are the success of afterschool programs and the summer programs. Let's face it, sometimes, students just have a difficult time maybe during the school year, and they get behind, and when they get behind, they tend to stay behind. These afterschool programs and these summer programs give our students the opportunity to catch up. That is important because, as long as they are with and remain with the class and can be successful, they are successful students. That is why I am proud to support Mr. Barletta's amendment providing that school districts report afterschool, before school, or summer activities in their local education plans.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, we all agree that every child deserves the absolute best education, but that is really not what is at issue for those who oppose the Student Success Act. What is at issue is how that should be accomplished: Is the Federal Government better at ensuring that our children receive the proper education or do we do a better job at the local level? I will tell you my experience with education. My father served on the Board of Education and then served in the administration of one of the fastest growing school districts in my district. My mother was also a schoolteacher. So I learned a lot about what works in education at the kitchen table every night. Now, I can tell you this. As far as my experience is concerned, the Federal Government does not know what is best for our schools. In fact, I was in our district last week, and what I learned is that the compliance requirements required by the Federal Government for our teachers is actually not allowing our teachers the time to teach what these young people need to learn. What we need in our school systems is innovation. That is not driven at the Federal level. When I was in my district last week, I visited three elementary schools and a couple of high schools. What I learned was, at the local level, real innovation. We saw students that were excited, that wanted to be at school. I would like to tell you about another school. And these schools were in the most impoverished areas of our district. One is a school there in my district that folks attend because they are told in the public school that they won't make it, that they don't have what it takes to make it in the public school. Let me tell you how innovative this school is, and it does not receive one Federal dollar. The graduates of this school and middle school are recruited to some of the best magnet, charter, and private schools in our area when they finish.

Mr. ALLEN. Thank you. Like I said, this school produces through innovation and teaching techniques. It changes the cycle. What would happen to these children in the public school system under the guidance of the Federal Government for the last 50 years? Aren't they worth saving? Parents, teachers, and local education leaders need control over education, not the Federal Government. They are best suited to nurture student success in our schools. H.R. 5 does just that. It restores local control.

Mr. ALLEN

Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to come before you to talk about and support H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. Mr. Speaker, this is legislation to replace No Child Left Behind, to restore local control over education, and to empower parents and local education leaders to hold schools accountable for effectively teaching students. I spent last week in my district, and I visited elementary and high schools, specifically schools that would be affected by the Student Success Act. These schools were located in some of the most impoverished areas of my district. I listened in classrooms, held forums to hear from parents and local education leaders, and spoke to teachers and administrators about the challenges they are facing. What I heard across the board was that the Federal Government and their compliance issues in the classroom are holding back our educators from effectively teaching our students. Top-down education mandates have failed to help students and have forced educators to waste valuable time and resources filling out paperwork and worrying about compliance with Federal requirements. Instead of this one-size-fits-all approach, we need policies that enhance teachers' abilities to focus on the individual needs of the students. We need bottom-up reforms that give authority to the parents, teachers, and local education leaders, who work with their children and students every day and who know them best. H.R. 5 includes a number of conservative reforms to push back against the growing reach of the Federal Government into schools and to restore local control. It replaces the current national accountability system for school performance and replaces it with State-led performance standards. It gets rid of more than 65 unnecessary or ineffective Federal education programs, repeals Federal requirements for teacher quality, and protects local and State autonomy over decisions in the classroom. H.R. 5 returns responsibility to parents, States, and local leaders to hold schools accountable instead of Washington bureaucrats. I saw that example work in a city that is in one of the most impoverished areas of my district, where parents actually lined up at 3:30 in the morning to enroll their students into theme schools. Each elementary school was broken up into a theme. The superintendent there had no idea that parental involvement would be that significant. I was there to witness the success of this theme school concept. I asked: Where did this idea come from? It did not come from Washington. It did not come from the Federal Government. It came from the creativity of the teachers and from the input of the parents and of the local administrators. Mr. Speaker, no one knows the needs of students better than the people who work and spend time with them every day. By empowering parents, teachers, and local education leaders, H.R. 5 takes strong steps forward in putting the control of education back in the right hands and in helping to provide every student with the opportunity to receive a good education. There is no debate today that every child deserves a good education. The debate is whether the Federal Government is in charge or whether we empower our local citizens to get the job done.