Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers and I am prepared to close if the gentleman would like to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. There are so many Americans who could be watching today who wonder when that lifesaving drug, that new treatment will be made available to them. They know it is in other countries. They read about it in other places, but they can't get it here in America. The Cures Act changes that. It streamlines it, moves things faster; and when you are in that tough situation, it provides options for health care, experimental drugs never before available to them. This is important to patients and it is important to doing it better in America. I urge its support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Jenkins), one of our key members of the Health Subcommittee who also focuses on rural hospitals and access to care for rural communities.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), one of our leaders in medical devices innovation and bringing lifesaving cures to the market sooner.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), one of our smartest members on the Ways and Means Committee who has really carved out a niche in support of medical innovation, really bringing these breakthroughs to the community and patients quickly.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee who shepherded these bills through the House earlier and leads the effort to correct issues so important to our hospitals and cancer hospitals, as well as some new reforms for infusion healthcare patients.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I yield the gentleman an additional 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meehan), again, another key member of our committee who is focused on health care and, in this case, increasing information to seniors about their Medicare plans in advance, and also improving physical therapy, so critical to so many in health care.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. America has always been a leader in developing cutting-edge medical treatments and technologies, breakthroughs that have saved countless lives; but due to outdated and burdensome Federal healthcare policies, medical innovation in our country is failing to keep pace with the 21st century challenges facing doctors and families. Today, Americans nationwide are being forced to wait for the lifesaving treatments they need while important advancements are held up by unnecessary red tape. Chairman Upton's 21st Century Cures Act provides an opportunity to put America back at the forefront of medical innovation and the delivery of cutting-edge care. This legislation will empower America's researchers and doctors with the tools needed to solve the biggest healthcare challenges of our time. It includes many bipartisan solutions that will increase healthcare choice, access, and affordability for the American people. Thanks to Chairman Upton's leadership and the hard work of many Members of Congress from multiple committees, the 21st Century Cures Act brings together a variety of solutions that will help Americans throughout the country. Ten of these patient-focused measures are from the Ways and Means Committee. All 10 are bipartisan. More than 20 of our members crafted and introduced these bills. Many more helped move them forward. In particular, I would like to recognize the leadership of Congressman Pat Tiberi and Jim McDermott, the chairman and ranking member of our Health Subcommittee. Ranking Member McDermott, by the way, is retiring at the end of this Congress. I want to take this moment to thank him for his years of service and friendship. I want to thank him and Chairman Tiberi for their efforts in support of the 21st Century Cures Act. The Ways and Means healthcare provisions in the bill will remove harmful regulations on providers to impede the delivery of care. They will increase healthcare options for job creators and families. They will expand access to high-quality, affordable care for America's most vulnerable patients. I am also excited that this legislation includes a policy by Representative Engel and Chairman Tiberi to ensure patients have access to new home infusion benefits. We look forward to working with the Energy and Commerce Committee next year to quickly implement this solution so that more patients have access to this vital service. In closing, I want to thank all the Members on both sides of the aisle who helped develop the bill before us today. I again want to thank Chairman Upton for his leadership. This historic legislation has been years in the making. We would not be here today without Chairman Upton's dedication, vision, and commitment to bipartisan collaboration. The 21st Century Cures Act is an incredible opportunity to help Americans from all walks of life for generations to come. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci), who has, among many healthcare issues, led the charge to create much smarter measurements in hospital readmissions.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the news about the Affordable Care Act gets worse every day. Premiums are going through the roof, choice and access are falling through the floor, and insurers are fleeing exchanges throughout the country. Just in the past few days, we learned that one of the nation's largest insurers is pulling out of Nebraska and three major cities in Tennessee. On top of this, all but six of the 23 CO-OPs created under the law have failed despite billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded loans. These CO-OPs were created by the Affordable Care Act as federally- backed, non-profit health insurance companies. But, like so many parts of the law, the CO-OP program was deeply flawed from the start. Seventeen of these CO-OPs have collapsed. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have had their health coverage disrupted as a result. Many more could suffer the same harm if additional CO-OPs fail--a real possibility considering that just two weeks ago New Jersey's CO-OP announced it will shut down at the end of the year. The magnitude of these failures can be hard to grasp--especially for Washington bureaucrats who simply see these families as numbers on paper. For American families who lost their insurance coverage due to a CO- OP collapse, the impacts could not be more real. And, for many, it could feel like the walls are closing in. Their health plans have been terminated through no fault of their own. The number of options for purchasing a new plan is shrinking as more insurers leave the ACA exchanges. And, if these Americans fail to purchase new coverage, they could be forced to pay the individual mandate tax penalty. That's just wrong. We have a responsibility to protect Americans and their families from these harmful impacts of the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Adrian Smith's ``CO-OP Consumer Protection Act,'' provides the opportunity to do so right now. The bill takes action to exempt Americans from the individual mandate tax penalty if their plan was terminated mid-year due to the failure of an ACA CO-OP. Americans were led to believe these CO-OP plans were reliable. They depended on them, and now only six remain standing. House Republicans have put forward a consensus plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Our plan will bring patient-focused care to the American people. And, our plan will bring relief to all Americans from the individual mandate and its tax penalty. As we work to turn this proposal into legislation, it's only right to bring relief from this tax penalty to Americans who lost their insurance mid-year--or could lose it in the future--due to the failures of the CO-OP program. I want to thank Congressman Smith for his leadership on this important legislation, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 875, I call up the bill (H.R. 5719) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the tax treatment of certain equity grants, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 5719, currently under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. America's startup companies are a driving force behind our Nation's dynamic and prosperous free enterprise system. Over the past century, bold, innovative Americans have taken risks and started businesses of all sizes that deliver opportunity for millions of middle class families and workers. We should do everything we can to help America's startups attract the talented, hardworking employees they need to put their breakthrough ideas into motion. One of the best things we can do is ensure that our Tax Code supports American innovators. Our Tax Code must support--not suppress--innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic freedom. Today, I am honored to speak in support of legislation to do just that, Congressman Erik Paulsen's Empowering Employees through Stock Ownership Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation takes action to keep America at the forefront of innovation by supporting startups and the workers who help them thrive. Right now many startup companies offer their workers stock options as a portion of their compensation. This helps startups attract top talent because they may not have the money to pay high salaries offered by larger businesses. The problem is, many startup workers can't exercise their stock options because they don't make enough to afford the associated tax payment. In addition, many startups are privately held, so there may not be an available market for these workers to sell some of the stocks so they can pay the tax. Ultimately, this means a portion of a startup worker's compensation-- sometimes a significant portion--can be essentially out of reach. So when a worker is considering whether to take a job at an exciting new small business, this issue can make the opportunity in that company a lot less attractive. Congressman Paulsen's commonsense legislation fixes the problem. It allows startup workers to defer the tax payment on their stock options for 7 years or until there is an ability to sell the stock, whichever comes first. Importantly, the bill includes provisions to ensure this tax relief can only be utilized by workers who need it. Those who hold large equity stakes in a startup or highly paid positions at the company won't be eligible. The bottom line is that by facilitating employee ownership, this bill will not only help startups attract talent, it will allow their workers to own a stake in that next breakthrough product or service. Congressman Paulsen is a long-time champion of employee ownership, free enterprise, and economic freedom--pillars of a strong American economy. I want to thank him for his leadership on this important bipartisan legislation, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage. The Empowering Employees through Stock Ownership Act is a smart, bipartisan solution to help ensure that American startups will continue to be a driving force behind American innovation, job growth, and prosperity. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen) be permitted to control the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to tell you about an amazing constituent of mine and my legislation to name the Coldspring, Texas, Post Office in her honor. A native Texan, Eddie ``Marie'' Youngblood was born in Houston in 1961. But big city life was not for Marie. When her family moved to Shepherd when she was in junior high, she found her calling in small town Texas life. While in Shepherd, Marie fell in love with George, the man who would become her husband. Together, Marie and George raised two wonderful sons, George Jr. and Mark, who were blessed with children of their own. Marie relished being a grandmother and made a point to spend every moment she could with her grandchildren, Kimara and Luke. Throughout her life, it was Marie's loving, nurturing personality that drew people to her. Whether she was helping clients working at the local bank, serving hungry customers soul food at one of her two Marie's Diners, or delivering the mail on her rural mail route, she always put others first. Her devotion to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church and her community was limitless, as was her deep and abiding faith in the Lord. Through her dedication to the people around her, Marie chose to serve as a rural letter carrier. Every day, she loaded her specialized Jeep with letters and packages for Texans who otherwise would have had to travel many miles just for their mail. Marie was so well known on her route, her customers often stopped her just to chat as she made her deliveries. Tragically, it was on this route she loved and where she was loved that her life was cut short. On May 17, 2013, this beloved daughter, mother, and grandmother was killed in a senseless act of violence while she was simply doing her job. Justice has not yet been served, but it is important that Marie's life, not her death, define her legacy. While Marie may be gone, her legacy lives on through the lives she touched: both of Marie's sons work for the Postal Service, and her loving husband George visits her grave each and every day to keep the flowers fresh and grave site pristine. While she has entered the kingdom of Heaven, her legacy of service before self lives on. My legislation, H.R. 5356, supported by the entire Texas delegation, cements that legacy by naming the post office in Coldspring, Texas, in her honor. I cannot think of a more fitting way of honoring Marie's life. I humbly ask my colleagues to support naming the Coldspring, Texas, Post Office for this public servant who was taken from us far too soon.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 858, I call up the bill (H.R. 3590) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the increase in the income threshold used in determining the deduction for medical care, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Over the last few months, the American people have witnessed one ObamaCare failure after another. Major insurers are fleeing the exchanges, healthcare premiums are continuing to just skyrocket, and only 7 of ObamaCare's 23 public option co-ops remain. After New Jersey's announcement yesterday that it will close its co-op, we will be down to merely 6 at the end of the year. That means nearly three- quarters of a million Americans have been or will soon be kicked off their current healthcare insurance. Every week, the news about this law gets worse. That is why House Republicans are taking action right now to protect seniors across our country from another looming negative consequence of the President's healthcare law. I am honored today to speak in support of Congresswoman Martha McSally's Halt Tax Increases on the Middle Class and Seniors Act. Before the Affordable Care Act, Americans could find some relief in their ability to deduct high-cost, out-of-pocket medical expenses from their taxes, but this important source of relief is about to get further out of reach for seniors, thanks to ObamaCare. For Americans under 65 years of age, a provision of the Affordable Care Act has already raised the previous 7.5 percent income threshold up to 10 percent. Starting January 1, just 3 months from now, the provision will go into effect for America's seniors and elderly as well. In fact, the American Association of Retired Persons--or AARP, as many know them--in their letter endorsing this legislation stated that ``56 percent of all returns claiming the deduction had at least one member of the household age 65 or older.'' In other words, this is hitting seniors in retirement years, where every dollar matters. This ObamaCare provision is a tax hike, plain and simple. It makes paying for care even more difficult for individuals, families, and seniors who may already be struggling to afford the care they need. Mr. Speaker, this law gets more unaffordable and burdensome every day, and it is the middle class and seniors who are being hurt most. With the Halt Tax Increases on the Middle Class and Seniors Act, we can repeal this provision and stop another painful ObamaCare tax hike in its tracks. I am grateful for Representative McSally's leadership on this important, bipartisan legislation. I would note that, as AARP said, more than half of those impacted are seniors. Nearly half are the middle class. They make between $40,000 and $70,000 a year. Every dollar in their family budget matters as well. This solution, this targeted ObamaCare repeal, is another example of how House Republicans are delivering the patient-focused solutions Americans deserve. Most importantly, this repeal takes meaningful steps to make health care more affordable and accessible for the American people. I am proud of the leadership of Congresswoman McSally on behalf of our seniors and our middle class. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, be permitted to control the remainder of the time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3590, currently under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 479, I was unavoidably detained to cast my vote in time. Had I been present, I would have voted YES.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the centennial of the creation of the United States International Trade Commission and to congratulate the Commission and its exceptional staff on their distinguished service. One hundred years ago, Congress directed the President to establish what was then known as the United States Tariff Commission. Congress authorized the Commission to gather expert and impartial information on the ``administrative, fiscal, and industrial effects of U.S. customs laws'' for the President and Congress. In 1974, Congress renamed the Commission as the U.S. International Trade Commission, through the Trade Act of 1974, and expanded its investigatory and quasi-judicial role. Today, the nonpartisan independent Commission continues its invaluable work as mandated by Congress to administer U.S. trade remedy laws in a fair and objective manner and to provide Congress and the President with independent analysis and information concerning international trade, tariffs, and U.S. competitiveness. We have depended on the Commission's commitment to excellence in performing these important functions and serving a vital role for Congress, the Executive Branch, and the American public. Therefore I ask my colleagues to join me in offering my sincerest thanks to the U.S. International Trade Commission and its staff for their commendable work over the last one hundred years. We look forward to continuing to rely on the professionalism, objectivity, and neutrality of this vitally important agency in providing us with independent and sound advice, which allows us to effectively carry out our Constitutional duties in establishing U.S. trade policy.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in the same year that Mickey Mantle slugged his way to his 500th career homer, Andy Griffith was America's favorite TV dad and sheriff and Cabaret took home theatre's coveted Tony Award, a group of community leaders got together in Conroe to talk about how best to bring the arts to their city. They gathered at the Montgomery County Library to form the Little Theatre of Conroe. Their first performance of ``The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker'' was held in the Conroe High School auditorium. Blessed with a faithful audience, the Conroe theatre stalwarts were able to purchase the old Hunt Plumbing Building in Conroe in 1967 where they performed comedies, dramas and dinner theatre fare. At the end of their first decade, they joined forces with the city of Conroe to produce their first musical to coincide with our nation's bicentennial celebrations. ``Oklahoma'' was performed at Conroe High School to a standing room only crowd. Two years later, they wowed with ``South Pacific''. It was about a decade into the Little Theatre's venture when Frank and Hallie Crighton Guthrie were exploring the possibility of donating their family's vaudeville theatre in downtown Conroe. All they asked was that the name be maintained and the theatre used primarily for the performing arts and that the Little Theatre of Conroe would be the resident theatre group. With the help of architect Harry Devlin, fundraising artistry of Rigby Owen, and the sweat equity of the Little Theatre troupe, the run down theatre was reborn as the ``Crown Jewel of Montgomery County.'' The Crighton Community Theatre then reopened with ``The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia,'' a play about a small Texas town. For 30 years, the Crighton Theatre was home, but when the City of Conroe decided to invest in a downtown revitalization project, the 1947 Weisner building was repurposed as a state of the art theatre for the Crighton Players. It is in this theatre where they produce several shows each season to sold out crowds, including more than a thousand season ticket holders. The Players Theatre Company brings the arts home to Conroe with studio programs, summer arts programs, senior programs, C. Kidz, The Players' Old Time Radio Hour, the City of Conroe's Shakespeare Festival and annual community celebrations. Their theatre conservatory program provides community members high quality arts instruction and corporate partnerships expand the reach of what started in the hearts of a small group of theatre lovers. Experienced directors, actors, and technical crews voluntarily give their all for each performance and faithfully carry out the vision that began in the Montgomery County Library a half a century ago. As we celebrate the Players 50th anniversary season, we rejoice in their successes and we can't wait to see what they do in their next 50 years.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague Ranking Member Levin to recognize the service of Sandra Strokoff, an exceptional lawyer and public servant, on the occasion of her retirement from the United States House of Representatives Office of Legislative Counsel. After seven years leading the office as Legislative Counsel for the House of Representatives, and having spent over 40 years in that office, Ms. Strokoff has had a hand in drafting many significant bills in her distinguished career. It is safe to say that she has played a critical role in drafting every major piece of trade legislation over a period of decades, and she has done so with considerable legal skill, a keen eye for detail, commitment to excellence, and enormous patience. She has also worked hard to train many others in her office and on my staff, for which I am grateful. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering my sincerest thanks to Sandra for her invaluable service and dedication to the U.S. House of Representatives and our nation.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication Act of 2016, led and authored by Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins. House Republicans recognize the Affordable Care Act is really making life harder for so many families and job creators. That is why we have released a detailed plan to repeal this controversial law and have put in place healthcare solutions that are focused on what the American people need, not what Washington needs. This bill by Congresswoman Jenkins helps build upon and advance that important effort. The legislation is a testament to regular legislative order. It contains three policies that have been approved in advance by the Ways and Means Committee. First, H.R. 1270 eliminates a nonsensical ObamaCare regulation that puts Washington between patients and the medications they need. Under ObamaCare, Americans are limited. They can only use their personal medical savings accounts to buy prescription drugs only. It doesn't matter if there is an over-the-counter alternative that works just as well and costs half as much. No. ObamaCare says you cannot use your own health savings to pay for it without an expensive prescription. This bill cuts this Federal red tape so Americans, in a commonsense way, have the freedom to use their own health savings or flexible spending accounts to buy the medication that best suits them regardless of what side of the counter it comes from. Second, the bill makes commonsense improvements to how you contribute to and spend from your health savings accounts. These improvements, first introduced by Representative Paulsen and Dr. Burgess, allow Americans to save more, to coordinate their savings with their spouses, and to have better access to their savings. Finally, the measure acts to protect taxpayer dollars by making sure that those who aren't eligible to get subsidies pay them back. It makes common sense. If you are not eligible, you should pay them back. Some patients do under the current law. Twice, Republicans and Democrats have come together to make the ObamaCare subsidy repayment fairer. I am hopeful that we can continue that sense of bipartisan cooperation today. I congratulate Congresswoman Jenkins. Her bill will help people in America save. I urge its support.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following letters for the Record relating to H.R. 5447. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, June 13, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Brady: I write in regard to H.R. 5447, to provide an exception from certain group health plan requirements for qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements, which was referred in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I wanted to notify you that the Committee will forgo action on H.R. 5447 so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. This is done with the understanding that the Committee on Energy and Commerce's jurisdictional interests over this and similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In addition, the Committee reserves the right to seek conferees on H.R. 5447 and requests your support when such a request is made. I would appreciate your response confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 5447 and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. Sincerely, Fred Upton, Chairman.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 778, I call up the bill (H.R. 5053) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from requiring that the identity of contributors to 501(c) organizations be included in annual returns, and ask for its immediate consideration.