Ralph Abraham

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, July 24, I was unavoidably detained on rollcall vote No. 166. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 166. Personal Explanation

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, July 22, I was unavoidably detained on Roll Call Votes No. 153 and No. 154. Had I been present to vote I would have voted ``NAY'' on Roll Call Vote No. 153 and ``NAY'' on Roll Call No. 154.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, July 21, I was unavoidably detained on rollcall Vote No. 152. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall Vote No. 152.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, on Monday, June 29, 2020 I was unavoidably detained on Roll Call Votes No. 124, No. 126, No. 128, and No. 129. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call Votes No. 124, No. 126, No. 128, and No. 129.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, on Friday, June 26, I was unavoidably detained on Roll Call Vote No. 122. Had I been present to vote I would have voted ``NAY'' on Roll Call Vote No. 122.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Richard Michel of Marksville, Louisiana, on his retirement after 60 years of service to his community. Dr. Michel spent much of his career serving as both a doctor and as mayor, which earned him the title of Doctor Mayor. He was valedictorian of his high school class and attended LSU Medical School before joining the Air Force in 1957. A cattle rancher in his spare time, Dr. Michel found himself in a hospital bed after breaking two vertebrae in his back in 1976. This was when he decided to run for public office. He was elected mayor of Marksville in 1978 and served four terms before leaving office. In 1998, he ran again to serve another three terms, for a total of 28 years as mayor of Marksville. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Richard Michel on his lifelong career as a doctor, mayor, cattle rancher, and airman.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, on Thursday, May 28, I was unavoidably detained on Roll Call Votes No. 113 and No. 114. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 113 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 114. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 965, 116th Congress Barragan (Gallego) Bass (Cicilline) Bera (Aguilar) Blumenauer (Beyer) Bonamici (Raskin) Brownley (CA) (Kuster (NH)) Cardenas (Sanchez) Chu, Judy (Takano) Cisneros (Houlahan) Cohen (Beyer) Crist (Murphy (FL)) Davis (CA) (Wild) DeSaulnier (Matsui) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Doggett (Raskin) Escobar (Garcia (TX)) Eshoo (Thompson (CA)) Foster (Beyer) Frankel (Kuster (NH)) Garamendi (Sherman) Gonzalez (TX) (Cuellar) Grijalva (Clay) Harder (CA) (Haaland) Hastings (Wasserman Schultz) Heck (Kilmer) Horsford (Kildee) Huffman (Kildee) Jayapal (Raskin) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Khanna (Sherman) Kirkpatrick (Gallego) Krishnamoorthi (Brown (MD)) Lawrence (Kildee) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Levin (CA) (Kildee) Levin (MI) (Raskin) Lewis (Kildee) Lieu, Ted (Beyer) Lipinski (Cooper) Lofgren (Boyle, Brendan F.) Lowenthal (Beyer) Lowey (Meng) Maloney, Carolyn B. (Rose (NY)) McEachin (Wexton) McNerney (Raskin) Moore (Beyer) Mucarsel-Powell (Wasserman Schultz) Napolitano (Correa) Payne (Wasserman Schultz) Peters (Rice (NY)) Pingree (Kuster (NH)) Pocan (Raskin) Porter (Wexton) Price (NC) (Butterfield) Roybal-Allard (Sanchez) Ruiz (Aguilar) Rush (Underwood) Schneider (Houlahan) Schrader (O'Halleran) Schrier (Kilmer) Serrano (Meng) Speier (Scanlon) Suozzi (Panetta) Tlaib (Dingell) Tonko (Meng) Vargas (Keating) Veasey (Beyer) Vela (Gallego) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, on Thursday, May 28, I was unavoidably detained on rollcall vote No. 115. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 115.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, May 27, I was unavoidably detained on rollcall vote No. 110. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 110. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 965, 116th Congress Barragan (Gallego) Bass (Cicilline) Bera (Aguilar) Blumenauer (Beyer) Bonamici (Raskin) Brownley (CA) (Kuster (NH)) Cardenas (Sanchez) Chu, Judy (Takano) Cisneros (Houlahan) Cohen (Beyer) Crist (Murphy (FL)) Davis (CA) (Wild) DeSaulnier (Matsui) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Doggett (Raskin) Escobar (Garcia (TX)) Eshoo (Thompson (CA)) Foster (Beyer) Frankel (Kuster (NH)) Garamendi (Sherman) Gonzalez (TX) (Cuellar) Grijalva (Clay) Harder (CA) (Haaland) Hastings (Wasserman Schultz) Heck (Kilmer) Huffman (Kildee) Jayapal (Raskin) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Khanna (Sherman) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Lawrence (Kildee) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Levin (MI) (Raskin) Levin (CA) (Kildee) Lewis (Kildee) Lieu, Ted (Beyer) Lipinski (Cooper) Lofgren (Boyle, Brendan F.) Lowenthal (Beyer) Lowey (Meng) Maloney, Carolyn B. (Rose (NY)) McEachin (Wexton) McNerney (Raskin) Moore (Beyer) Mucarsel-Powell (Wasserman Schultz) Napolitano (Correa) Payne (Wasserman Schultz) Peters (Rice (NY)) Pingree (Kuster (NH)) Pocan (Raskin) Porter (Wexton) Price (NC) (Butterfield) Roybal-Allard (Sanchez) Ruiz (Aguilar) Rush (Underwood) Schneider (Houlahan) Schrader (O'Halleran) Schrier (Kilmer) Serrano (Meng) Soto (Wasserman Schultz) Speier (Scanlon) Tlaib (Dingell) Tonko (Meng) Vargas (Keating) Veasey (Beyer) Vela (Gallego) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the efforts of the town of Rayville, Louisiana, and the Eula D. Britton Alumni Association to preserve their community's heritage. The only part of Eula D. Britton school still standing is its gymnasium, but that didn't stop the 1960 graduate class from doing something good. Quincy Mason, who is in the audience today, and the rest of the alumni association purchased and turned it into a museum, showcasing the school's history. First known as Rayville Colored School, its first class of 11 students graduated in 1939. It was renamed Rayville Rosenwald High School in 1949, and eventually Eula D. Britton High School in 1956 after its long-serving principal, Eula D. Britton. In 2014, Quincy Mason, who is present here today in the House gallery, as I said, had the idea to petition for a historical marker to commemorate the school's history for generations to come. This year, on July 3, it will become a reality when the marker is dedicated by its alumni association. The town of Rayville, Louisiana, is proud of Quincy Mason, who went on to play professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs organization and was inducted into the Southern University Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the town of Rayville and the Eula D. Britton Alumni Association for their efforts to preserve their community's rich history. Thanking Ronnie Anderson

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Mr. Ronnie Anderson for his 51 years of service to Louisiana farmers and ranchers. After graduating from LSU in 1970 with a degree in animal science, Ronnie returned home to work on his family's farm. He quickly became involved in the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation and was elected president of his parish chapter shortly thereafter. In 1989, he was elected president of the statewide farm bureau, and he has been elected an additional 31 times since. I have known Ronnie personally for many, many years as a farmer myself, and it has always been clear to me that he loves Louisiana agriculture. When I was elected to Congress, I came to rely on his counsel to advocate for our farmers and ranchers. During his tenure, the Louisiana Farm Bureau has grown from 67,000 members to more than 148,000, and Ronnie still raises several hundred head of cattle, as well as horses, hay, and timber, on his farm in East and West Feliciana Parishes in my congressional district. In addition to his work at home and with the farm bureau, Ronnie has served for all but 2 years since 1997 on the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors. Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Ronnie Anderson for his many, many years of service to Louisiana and wish him well as he retires after 31 years as president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th birthday of Mr. John Barfield from my home State of Louisiana. Mr. Barfield served in World War II under George S. Patton as part of the ``Hell-on-Wheels'' 2nd Armored Division. He was deployed to many different posts throughout Europe and northern Africa and fought in nine major battles, including D-day and the Battle of the Bulge. During his time in service, he was wounded twice and awarded two Purple Hearts for his bravery and his sacrifice. Please join me in wishing a happy birthday to a true American hero, Mr. John Barfield, whose courage and dedication to this country are second to none.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Mr. Everett ``Crusty'' Toler, who passed away last week in his hometown of Jena, Louisiana. Crusty was a tugboat captain who lost the use of his legs early in life, but it did not do anything to cast a shadow on his warm personality or his outgoing demeanor. He was just a phenomenal gentleman. A friend to all who knew him, Crusty was a member of the ``Ole Boys'' club and Pritchard Baptist Church in Jena. Crusty is survived by his wife, Paula, of 46 years; three brothers; and several nieces, nephews, and godchildren. Please join me in bidding Crusty Toler a warm farewell.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the legacy of the last remaining AVG Flying Tiger, Frank Losonsky, who passed away last week at 99 years of age. Mr. Losonsky was one of 300 men who comprised the American Volunteer Group, which sailed to China in 1941 to defend against the Imperial Japanese in World War II. Mr. Losonsky was the crew chief of the Hell's Angels Squadron, where he was responsible for maintaining three to four, maybe five, aircraft at a time. The Flying Tigers were a unique unit because most of their pilots and support personnel were enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps, but they flew under Chinese colors. This elite group was devised and commanded by Louisianian and LSU graduate Lieutenant General Claire Chennault. On his recommendation, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an order allowing American regulars to be lent to the Chinese Air Force. They first flew combat 12 days after Pearl Harbor on December 20, 1941. Mr. Losonsky's legacy lives on at the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum in Monroe, Louisiana, and we are proud to host it. Please join me in honoring the contributions of Frank Losonsky and the rest of the AVG Flying Tigers to the liberation of the Pacific from Imperial Japan.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, the $3 trillion healthcare industry continues to crush the middle class. Americans are paying more than ever and getting ever less as they struggle to access care. The cost of care for both workers and employers is outpacing wage growth. What drives the cost of care in America today is lack of transparency, consolidation, and overregulation that is leading to administrative glut. The time is now to confront these cost drivers. President Trump has addressed these exact issues in recent months. Obtaining coverage has allayed the fears as costs rise, yet coverage itself keeps costs hidden and high. Our opaque, third-party payment system has obscured the true cost of receiving care from patients and physicians alike. Prices are rising with no end in sight. We see examples of it every day, people who believe they are covered because they have insurance only to find out that, in some cases, they are just as vulnerable as those who are uninsured. The current system allows people who have insurance to end up paying more for a CT, for example, than if they had just paid cash. This process and complexity of billing can allow this to happen. This lack of transparency in our healthcare system is a culprit, and it harms patients, physicians, pharmacists, and others who rely on it. Consolidated hospital systems, the completely unregulated pharmaceutical middlemen, PBMs, and the insurance companies that are tied to both hospitals and PBMs have been increasingly profiting. These corporate giants have no motivation to offer transparency and discounts. Costs remain deliberately hidden until the patient receives a bill. The number of healthcare administrators has grown more than 4,000 percent between 1970 and 2020. Consequently, spending on healthcare has increased 3,200 percent. Is there any other conclusion than to tie rising costs to administrative glut? No. Administrative glut is largely to manage the regulations that our government has put in place, regulations that make healthcare more complex than the tax code. It is past time to cut the glut. Medicine's malignant mergers, both vertical and horizontal, are creating behemoth healthcare systems like CVS, where insurance companies, PBM, pharmacy, and drive-by clinics are all together. This leads to patients being forced to go somewhere to receive their drugs and, in some cases, are told that they have to purchase brand-name drugs even when the generic equivalent is available. It is not about what is a better deal for the patient but what is a better deal for the PBMs and their ilk. Americans are paying more than ever for coverage that limits their choices and doesn't always provide them access to care. The bloated bureaucratic special interests must be unveiled and Americans must educate themselves on cost drivers to forge sustainable solutions. We need to focus on returning to a patient-centered healthcare system. Some people are starting to do this with things like direct primary care, which provides the patient with an array of services for a fixed cost that is actually transparent. We need a system that allows patients to choose and fosters competition. The only way we are going to get a system like that is by shining a light on the shadows of our healthcare system. The answer is not more government, not more regulation but, rather, a concerted effort by Congress to bring our healthcare system out into the sunshine and to allow our sunshine to shine on these hidden practices; these practices are actually causing our prices to go up. No longer can we allow patients to bear the brunt of this complicated and very, very complex system. The time is now to follow healthcare's money trail, unwind existing laws, or enact new laws that demand cost transparency, cut administrative glut, stop consolidation, and bring regulatory relief. Your health depends on it.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, the people of Louisiana recently lost a respected political leader, a businessman, a war veteran, and a civil rights leader, Mr. Willie Belton. Mr. Belton had a life of a service to others. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart under fire, heroically, during the Korean war. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Washington, Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Like Dr. King, Mr. Belton always advocated Christian values and nonviolent protests. He also led his local NAACP chapter in Louisiana. In February 2019, he was awarded the Louisiana Medal of Honor. Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring his lifetime of service to Louisiana and a Louisiana treasure, Mr. Willie Belton, whose memory will, fortunately, live with us forever.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I am here to congratulate the LSU Fighting Tigers for winning the national championship last night, the fourth national championship, a record-setting year, 15-0, 726 points. Joe Burrow is the Heisman Trophy winner, a record-breaking quarterback with 60 touchdowns this year. LSU alumni are especially proud of what they did last night in the national championship. I was honored to fly down with President Trump to attend the game. The cheers and standing ovation he got in the Louisiana Superdome was just phenomenal and well deserved, the fifth time the President has been to Louisiana this past year, and rightly so. Our State leads with seafood, oil and gas industry, forestry, and agriculture. You name it, we have got it in Louisiana, and we are very, very proud. This football team, our baseball team, and our other sports lead the Nation and will continue to do so. Please join me in congratulating the LSU Fighting Tigers football team for winning the national championship last night.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Major Ronald Culver, Jr., Corporal Justin Mixon, Sergeant Joseph Richard, III, Sergeant Terrell Gilmore, Staff Sergeant Jarred Fontenot, Corporal William Crouch, Private Mark Graham, Staff Sergeant Ronnie Sanders, Staff Sergeant Jacob McMillan, Sergeant Joshua Madden, Sergeant Jay Gauthreaux, Private Joshua Burrows, Corporal Joseph Dumas, Lance Corporal Jon Bowman, Lance Corporal John Hale, Sergeant Matthew Vosbein, Sergeant First Class Terry Wallace, Sergeant Brandon Teeters, Lance Corporal Derrick Cothran, Staff Sergeant Bryan Lewis, Sergeant Julia Atkins, Sergeant Willard Partridge, Corporal David Stewart.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Sergeant David Murray, First Sergeant Michael Bordelon, Sergeant Nicholas Olivier, Sergeant Seth Trahan, Staff Sergeant Jonathan Reed, Sergeant Christopher Ramsey, Sergeant Michael Evans, Sergeant Robert Sweeney, Staff Sergeant William Manuel.

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, Sergeant First Class Kurt Comeaux, Sergeant Christopher Babin, Sergeant Bradley Bergeron, Sergeant Huey Fassbender, Sergeant Armand Frickey, Sergeant Warren Murphy, Sergeant Craig Nelson, First Lieutenant Christopher Barnett, Private First Class Torey Dantzler, Private First Class James Lambert, Sergeant Taft Williams. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member McCaul, for giving me additional time to finish the list that I started earlier. These are 44 young Americans from Louisiana who died by IEDs in the most active part of Iraq when Soleimani and his proxies were engaged. They designed, they built, and they implemented these IEDs; and in Louisiana alone, 44 young Americans gave their lives for the United States of America. President Trump, he had the authority, he has the right, and, thankfully, he had the courage to terminate Soleimani and remove this cancer from this Earth. Mr. Speaker, to my Democratic colleagues and friends, I say, if you can look these Gold Star families in the face and tell them that this was not a justified strike and that Soleimani needed to be removed from this Earth, then God have mercy on you.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, what is shameful is that Speaker Pelosi has allowed this Democratic witch hunt to move forward. She is the one that has abused her power, and we should be debating her removal from the House. Reagan said that: ``The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, it is just that they know so much that isn't so.'' Democrat extreme partisanship will set a dangerous precedent for this Nation. And mark my words, Madam Speaker: This sinister attempt to remove this lawful President will not go unnoticed.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate five State championship football teams from Louisiana's Fifth District. On December 13 and 14, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association held its State championship at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Ouachita Christian Eagles won the division IV State championship. The Ferriday Trojans won the class 2A State championship, and the Oak Grove Tigers won the 1A State championship. In mid-November, the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools held its high school football championships. The Riverfield Academy Raiders won the 4A championship, and Briarfield Academy won the 8-man 1A championship. These five teams have made their communities in northeast Louisiana proud. Please join me in congratulating them on a job well done.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, the people of Louisiana lost a great man when former University of Louisiana at Monroe President Dwight Vines passed away at the age of 88. Dr. Vines was born in Jackson Parish in 1931. After earning his doctorate degree in business administration, he became a professor at Northeast Louisiana University, which would later become ULM. Under his leadership as president, from 1976 to 1991, ULM developed 40 new degree programs and built a school of nursing, an aquatic center, and a sports stadium, and it expanded its library. In addition to his time at ULM, Dr. Vines served as economic development officer for the city of Monroe and district director for former Fifth District Congressman Dr. John Cooksey. Please join me in honoring a great Louisianan, Dr. Dwight Vines.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, the Democrats would have you believe that their impeachment crusade is a moral imperative. It is not. It is an act of pure cowardice. Their failure to bring a formal impeachment vote to the House floor shows that this witch hunt has no legitimacy whatsoever, and they know it. They are using it as a punch line. This informal inquiry is being conducted in secret behind closed doors and betrays the true intention of what they are trying to do to our good President, to conduct an endless, shallow campaign of half- truths and manipulated facts against President Trump. I have called on my fellow Members of this House to denounce the unconstitutional farce that they are doing and support my resolution to expel the Speaker and vacate the chair. It is time to end this charade and get back to doing the people's business. We can certainly start by passing the USMCA.

Mr. ABRAHAM

Mr. ABRAHAM. Madam Speaker, I am concerned about the rhetoric I have continually heard from the other side. I believe that all Members of this body love our country, but some statements from this House are un- American in tone, such as comparing ICE detention centers to concentration camps and the Holocaust. There have been suggestions that terrorist organizations were justified in attacking our great Nation. Members have even used language expressing how ashamed they are of this country. I am fed up with those continued attacks on the very foundations of this great Nation. I remind my colleagues that we, as Americans, pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. We must not use rhetoric that leads other nations to question our loyalties. Madam Speaker, I am not afraid to stand up for freedom, liberty, and justice. I am proud to be an American, and I will defend the values that make this Nation great until the day I die.