Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Over the past several years, the American people have come to learn just how reckless and untrustworthy the IRS can be with their sensitive taxpayer information. Most concerning of all is that this Federal agency, which holds immense power to disrupt the lives of taxpayers, has directly exploited sensitive taxpayer information for political purposes. We have responsibility to taxpayers to make sure this is never allowed to happen again. That is why we fought hard to push forward a ban on IRS political targeting as part of the PATH Act. And last December, that ban was signed into law for the very first time. But we still have more work to do to clean up the IRS and hold it more accountable to the taxpayers it serves. The Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act continues this critical effort. This important bill, authored by Congressman Roskam, would prohibit the IRS from collecting the identity of people who donate to tax-exempt organizations. During our committee's IRS political targeting investigation, we learned that the IRS not only singled out certain organizations for heightened security, but in some cases, it even demanded they turn over a list of all their donors. These invasions of privacy are completely unacceptable. The bill before us today makes much needed steps to protect taxpayer identities and ease the compliance burden on tax-exempt organizations. Most importantly, this bill helps ensure that Americans can never again be singled out by the IRS for their political beliefs. I am grateful to Chairman Roskam for his leadership and diligence on this important issue, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting the passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam) be permitted to control the reminder of the time.

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.

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 extraneous material on H.R. 5053, currently under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the English clergyman Robert South never met Larry Domino, but his words sum up exactly how Larry's family, friends and extended family of former athletes view this remarkable man. Larry Domino wasn't born in Texas, but it seems he got to the Lone Star State as soon as he could. When Larry arrived from Depew, New York 35 years ago, he already had a heart as big as any native born son. After all, he is a diehard Buffalo Bills fan. He's also a born educator. Larry Domino first earned his place in education with a degree from Buffalo State College and then earned a Masters from Sam Houston State University. Over the past three and half decades, Larry has taught, coached and been a school administrator in both the Aldine and Klein districts. Currently, he is a beloved Associate Principal at Klein's Doerre Intermediate School. When Larry married the love of his life, Tina Lee, 27 years ago next month, his Texas sized heart expanded. Then it grew even bigger when they welcomed the lights of their lives--daughters, Brita Susan and Lauren Ansley in 1995 and 1998. Whether Larry Domino is known as teacher, dad, coach, or principal, generations of eager young people have achieved their dreams because Mr. D. believed in them. Chonda Besse says ``Mr D is a man of few words,'' but he taught her that ``sometimes a few words are all it takes to change someone's life.'' She is honored to be thought of as a ``daughter'' in the Domino family. One of his former swimmers at Eisenhower High School, Lisa Jost, remembers how Coach Domino told her ``that I could do anything I set my mind to doing, and that I could trust myself to do it well.'' She held on to that because ``it had to be true if Coach said it.'' She says as a new teacher, her coach is still inspiring her. Dr. Tina Elkins says what made Coach Domino different was that he coached them in and out of the water, providing a foundation that helped her become who she is today. It's not just students who were impressed either, Eisenhower Principal Fred Richardson notes Coach Domino's ``ability to develop relationships, with teachers, students and parents'' and the ``positive difference in the lives of many.'' As Buffalo Bills coach Mary Levy says ``Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?'' Coach Domino, you found your best right here in Texas. And Texas is better off for your service to generations of young people who just needed someone to believe in them.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 297, I was unavoidably detained and unable to return to Washington, D.C. in time to cast my vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 298, I was unavoidably detained and unable to return to Washington, D.C. in time to cast my vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the outstanding efforts of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) in the fight against the rare, debilitating disease, and potentially fatal condition, pulmonary hypertension (PH). I am proud to represent the Lone Star Chapter of PHA, located in The Woodlands. This disease was first brought to my attention over a decade ago by Chapter member, Jack Stibbs, whose daughter, Emily, had been recently diagnosed at an early age and given a dire prognosis. However, due to Emily's early diagnosis and advancements in medical research, including the development of innovative treatments, she has been able to lead a full life and even recently graduated college. Most patients are not as fortunate as Emily has been. PH can be idiopathic or occur as the result of sickle cell disease, scleroderma, and other conditions. Nearly 3 out of 4 PH patients are not diagnosed until the disease has reached a late stage, which renders many available therapies ineffective and leaves patients facing a much more serious medical intervention, such as heart-lung transplantation. PH is very aggressive and the average life expectancy without an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment is just under 3 years. I continually work with my colleagues in Congress to advance efforts that seek to lower healthcare costs, promote quality, and improve outcomes for patients. This is why I work with the PH community to call attention to important legislative efforts, including the Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Diagnosis Act (H.R. 3520), which seeks to leverage limited resources to ensure more PH patients are diagnosed at an early stage and can benefit from treatments like Emily has. This June, the PH community will be gathering in Texas for their Semi-Annual International Conference. This is a bittersweet engagement as it will be the last Conference for Rino Aldrighetti, who has served as President and CEO of PHA for 17 incredible years. After PHA was founded around a kitchen table by passionate advocates seeking to improve the lives of affected individuals and families, Rino was one of the first employees the organization hired. Under Rino's leadership the organization grew from modest beginnings to an agent for meaningful change. Today, PHA has expanded to an organization of more than fifty staff with a budget of $13 million. When Rino started most medical professionals knew little about the disease. There was one FDA approved therapy available, but far too frequently, patients died waiting for a diagnosis. But now, thanks to PHA, coordinated research and patient support efforts we have 14 FDA approved treatment options for PH, and PHA's Research Program has committed more than $17 million to support cutting edge research focused on PH. In addition, more than 80 independent PH associations have been established around the world, and PHA has signed Memorandum of Understanding with 35 nations. More can be done though. I ask my colleagues to recognize Rino and to honor his legacy of service to the PH community by supporting PH patients and early diagnosis legislation.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5273, the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act of 2016. First, I'd like to thank Chairman Tiberi and Ranking Member McDermott for their leadership on this important legislation. At the Ways and Means Committee, we are working to deliver health care solutions that will expand access, increase choices, and improve the quality of care for the American people. The Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act helps advance all three of those goals. And the bill does so in a fiscally responsible manner that helps strengthen and preserve Medicare for the long-term. At its core, our bipartisan legislation is about supporting the delivery of high-quality, affordable care to families and seniors throughout the country. It will especially help people who live in low- income and rural communities. Our bill includes straightforward solutions to help hospitals and health care providers transition to--and preserve--the new site-neutral payment policies. This will give providers the certainty they need to best serve their patients, now and into the future. This bill is an excellent illustration of what we can accomplish through regular order. It's the product of many innovative solutions, proposed by many members on both sides of the aisle. The solutions in this bill will make a real difference when it comes to the delivery of high-quality care for the people of our districts. In fact, the University of Texas' MD Anderson Cancer Center located in Houston has already embraced this bill. MD Anderson officials said, ``This ensures our ability to continue providing the highest quality and level of cancer care to patients in the communities we serve.'' And MD Anderson is just one of many hospitals and cancer treatment centers throughout the country that we help with H.R. 5273. This bill is particularly personal for me because it builds from the hospital discussion draft I released as Health Subcommittee Chairman back in November 2014. In the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act, we push forward two critical building blocks of that discussion draft. First, Speaker Ryan's crosswalk bill that better coordinates care between inpatient and outpatient settings. Second, Congressman Jim Renacci's readmission policy, which helps hospitals in low-income communities serve their patients. There are still many policies from our hospital discussion draft that are worthy of debate. We'll continue to work with Members and stakeholders to pursue additional reforms that make our health care system work better for patients and providers in our communities. I'm grateful to all the members--on and off our committee--who worked hard to craft and advance the Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, for the last 35 years Brenda Burns has set the gold standard for public service with her selfless contribution to her hometown. Born and raised in Willis, Brenda's strong love of community and ability to develop strong relationships have served all of Willis well. Through a vocational education program at Willis High School, Brenda began her career working for the City of Willis on May 26, 1981. She started as a part-time Utility Billing Clerk, but her value was obvious and the position quickly became full-time. Only two short years later, Brenda took on new duties as the city's Tax Assessor/Collector while continuing to handle utility issues. Brenda kept learning every day as she mastered the intricacies and minutiae of municipal government. She found a mentor in then-City Secretary Janice Wilson. In 1994, Brenda assumed the mantle of City Secretary, a position Willis would be blessed to have her serve in for 22 years. During her 35 years of service to the City of Willis, much has changed as this community has grown and prospered. While Brenda served as the rock for 4 mayors and countless councilmembers, and the interstate highway grew from 2 to 6 lanes. As Willis' population soared into the several thousands, city staff quadrupled, meaning more and more people came to rely on Brenda. You might say Willis has been her family even longer than her husband, David, and their daughters, Monica and Katie. Court Administrator Chrissy Dahse has been working with Brenda for a decade and will miss her ``warm smile''. Chrissy says Brenda can always be counted on for ``a thoughtful answer and an honest opinion. Her commitment and dedication to The City of Willis is unmatched.'' During her tenure, Brenda considers the move from a General Law to Home-Rule form of government as Willis' greatest accomplishment. While she may not know quite as many people who come into City Hall now as she used to, her vast and unmatched contribution to the City of Willis and its citizens has set an amazing example of service. Assistant City Secretary Marissa Quintanilla summed up how Willis feels as they prepare to wish Brenda a happy retirement, ``It's hard to say goodbye to a person so valued and respected and who is in my opinion the ``City of Willis.' Marissa has spent the last 13 years working with Brenda and personally knows how hard it will be to fill her shoes. For 35 years Brenda Burns has been an example of public service and selfless contribution to the City of Willis, Texas. Through all of this change the City of Willis has been able to rely on one constant, Brenda Burns. She has become synonymous with Willis and her love for her hometown has shone through her entire career. Thank you, Brenda, for your service and the great example you have set.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Blum), one of our key new leaders in trade, manufacturing, and agriculture, a new Member of Congress who played a key role, again, in this legislation.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reed), one of our key members of the Ways and Means Committee with a business background.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Think about the benefits of this bipartisan bill: tax cuts to American manufacturers; more jobs in our community, both retained and, in some cases, grown; lower costs for consumers and our businesses as well; Congress retains its strong constitutional powers over tariffs; and this bill complies fully with the current House earmark ban. That is a win-win for American consumers and our economy. It was achieved through bipartisan work. I thank Ranking Member Levin and those who came together across the aisle and across the rotunda to make this process and this solution a reality. This is good for America. This is good for our manufacturers, it is good for our local jobs, and I urge support for this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4923) to establish a process for the submission and consideration of petitions for temporary duty suspensions and reductions, and for other purposes, as amended.

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. 4923, currently under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am honored to be here today to speak about the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016. This bipartisan bill will help our manufacturers of all sizes reduce costs, create jobs, and compete in the global market by creating a transparent process that is entirely consistent with House rules. This legislation is formally called the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, or MTB for short, but it makes more sense to think of this as an MTB of another kind: legislation providing manufacturing tax breaks, plain and simple. Before I begin to speak more specifically about what this bill does, I would like to tell you why it is so essential for the success of our economy. Since 2012, American manufactures have had to pay full tariffs-- border taxes, in essence--for certain imported products that aren't made in the United States, unnecessarily increasing their costs. These tariffs, or border taxes, have cost them $748 million a year, and there has been no opportunity for them to get relief from these taxes. These border taxes, in turn, have made it harder for them to sell their products, grow their businesses, create jobs, and invest in their communities. A coalition of American businesses of all sizes explained it best in their recent letter. They wrote: ``As a result, manufacturers, especially small- and medium-sized manufacturers, in industries ranging from agriculture and electronics to textiles, chemicals and beyond, have seen their costs go up for inputs not produced in the United States, undermining American competitiveness and the ability of these companies to retain and create manufacturing jobs in the United States.'' The good news is that help is on the way. After working together for months, Trade Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert, Ranking Members Levin and Rangel, and I led a bipartisan group of Members in both the House and the Senate who recently introduced the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016. The bill is designed to solve this problem and deliver much-needed relief to manufacturers across our country. Here is how the new three-step process will work: First, local businesses of all sizes throughout our districts will petition the independent, nonpartisan International Trade Commission. They will make their case for why they need manufacturing tax breaks. After the ITC receives these petitions, it will solicit comments from the American public and the administration. The ITC will conduct a thorough and transparent analysis. Secondly, the ITC will then issue a public report to Congress with its analysis and recommendations regarding products that meet the MTB standards. In these reports, the ITC will confirm that no company in America makes these products and explain why it is important to offer these tax breaks to our local manufacturers. The third and final step in the process is for Congress to consider the ITC's recommendations. The Ways and Means Committee will examine the ITC's recommendations and prepare a package of legislation providing tax breaks for American manufacturers. Consistent with our rules, we cannot add provisions that haven't received a favorable recommendation from the ITC. Then, Congress will consider the entire package. At the end of this process, American manufacturers of all sizes will be able to enjoy tax breaks that will make it easier for them to compete in the global market and create more jobs in our communities. While this bill is a victory for manufacturers and consumers, it is really also a victory for openness and transparency. After all, our new MTB process upholds our strong earmark rules and also gives the American people the opportunity to offer their opinion throughout the entire process. By passing this bill today, we are taking a tremendous step to ensure that we finally have a system in place that helps our manufacturers here in America compete in the global market--and win. I would like to take a quick moment to recognize my colleagues who have worked so hard on this legislation. Specifically, I would like to thank Ranking Member Sander Levin along with Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert and Ranking Member Charlie Rangel for their help and leadership. I am also grateful to committee members Pat Tiberi, Tom Reed, Jim Renacci, Earl Blumenauer, Bill Pascrell, and Danny Davis, who have been actively involved in developing this legislation. We also got help throughout the conference. I would like to specifically thank Representatives Mark Walker, Tom McClintock, Todd Rokita, Mick Mulvaney, and Rod Blum for their considerable leadership throughout this process. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this critical legislation to provide tax breaks for our local manufacturers. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Rules, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, April 20, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chair, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Brady: On April 19, 2016, the Committee on Ways and Means ordered reported H.R. 4923, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016. As you know, the Committee on Rules was granted an additional referral upon the bill's introduction pursuant to the Committee's jurisdiction under rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives over the rules of the House and special orders of business. Because of your willingness to consult with my committee regarding this matter, I will waive consideration of the bill by the Rules Committee. By agreeing to waive its consideration of the bill, the Rules Committee does not waive its jurisdiction over H.R. 4923. In addition, the Committee on Rules reserves its authority to seek conferees on any provisions of the bill that are within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on this legislation. I ask your commitment to support any request by the Committee on Rules for conferees on H.R. 4923 or related legislation. I request that you include this letter and your response as part of your committee's report on the bill and the Congressional Record during consideration of the legislation on the House floor. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Sincerely, Pete Sessions.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the honorable gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert), chairman of the Subcommittee on Trade, who has played such a key role, again, in advancing free trade and the manufacturing tax breaks.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), one of our key, most effective leaders on trade in the Ways and Means Committee in the House.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 154, due to severe weather in my district, I was unavoidably detained and unable to return to Washington, DC in time to cast votes. Had I been present, I would have voted YES.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on roll call No. 153, due to severe weather in my district, I was unavoidably detained and unable to return to Washington, D.C. in time to cast votes. Had I been present, I would have voted YES.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the provisions of H.R. 4891, the ``Technical Corrections Act of 2016,'' introduced on April 11, 2016 makes tax technical and clerical corrections. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Levin have asked the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation to make available to the public a technical explanation of the bill (JCX-16-16). The technical explanation expresses the Committee's understanding and legislative intent behind this important legislation. It is available on the Joint Committee's Web site at www.jct.gov.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on roll call numbers 102, 103, and 104, I was in Texas on District Business. Had I been present, I would have voted yea.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as my friend, Ray Laughter, prepares to retire as Vice Chancellor of External Affairs for the Lone Star College system, he is leaving big shoes for his successor to fill. How do you replace a driving force for education and economic development in our district such as Ray? Since 2002, Ray has led the Lone Star College Foundation, the Community Leadership Institute, the Small Business Development Center, as well as the college's public information and publications, governmental relations, and regional economic development departments. He was also the driving force in the passage of bond issues that ensures the college system is meeting the needs of our growing region. Prior to becoming vice chancellor, Ray served the college system as executive director of the Center for Business and Economic Development and the director of the Small Business Development Center. If you ever wondered why Ray sets such sky-high goals and achieves them, just remember he was once chief administrative officer for an international helicopter manufacturer. Ray's community and civic commitments don't stop with his work at Lone Star. He shared his invaluable experience by serving on numerous national, state and local boards, and various committees focused on economic development and educational needs. Development Councils, Partnerships, Chambers, and boards in The Woodlands and across the state and the south rely on Ray to bring together education and economic development projects in innovative and thoughtful ways. As a military officer's son who settled in Texas, Ray graduated from the University of Houston, where he also earned his MBA. Ever since then, his days and many nights have been filled helping our community learn, grow and prosper. While his wife and kids are hoping to see more of him now, Ray has already committed to serving as chairman of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce board next year. My friend Ray is a servant leader who has set a high example for others to follow. Many thousands of students and families have lifetimes of opportunities ahead because of Ray's hard work. I can't imagine the Lone Star College System without him, but then I know that he is always just a phone call or email away whenever our community needs him. Thank you Ray Laughter, for showing us all that the sky is the limit for a true leader.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, Margaret Hostetler ends her decades of service to the Committee on Ways and Means. Margaret has served the Committee for many years, first starting in 1987, and will be deeply missed. Most recently, Margaret worked on the Social Security Subcommittee staff, and is the Committee's all-time expert on budgets, trust funds, debt limits and more. Margaret's service to the Congress and the Nation extends back even before her time with the Committee to the early 1980s when she served on the House Budget Committee staff for then-Chairman Bill Roth of Delaware. She helped design the Thrift Savings Plan for federal workers, the original Gramm Rudman law and the 1986 tax reforms. Margaret is a walking encyclopedia of Committee and Congressional history, and we wish her the very best in the next phase of her life.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 3442, the Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act.