Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chief Warrant Officer Chad Adams upon his retirement from 28 years of honorable service to the United States Army, the Kentucky National Guard, the United States Coast Guard, and this great nation. Adams currently serves as the Coast Guard Food Service Program Manager within the Office of Work-Life, Health, Safety, and Work-Life Directorate at Coast Guard Headquarters (Commandant CG-1111). In this capacity, he is responsible for providing strategic policy and support to the entire $175M Food Service enterprise, consisting of 1,200 Food Service Specialist (FS) members and over 370 Coast Guard Dining Facilities worldwide. The Food Service Program office is the central authority responsible for the overall technical and administrative management policy, planning, and subsistence requirements to ensure service-wide mission success. Upon graduation from Shelby County High School in May 1988, Chief Warrant Officer Adams served with the U.S. Army in the 82nd Airborne Division during Operations Just Cause (Panama) and Desert Shield/Storm as a paratrooper in the Infantry. After being released from the Army, and later the Kentucky National Guard, he enlisted into the Coast Guard in March 1994 and graduated boot camp as the basic training honor graduate for Company E-144. His first assignment was CGC WHITE PINE out of Mobile, AL where he decided to become a Subsistence Specialist (SS) after only six months aboard mess cooking. He graduated SS ``A'' school as an SS3 in 1995 and was assigned to the CGC MADRONA in Charleston, SC. As the duty cook, he advanced to SS2 and fleeted-up into the Jack of the Dust position, responsible for developing menus and ordering supplies to feed a crew of 50 personnel. He also took over as the Food Service Officer (FSO) when the FS1 was unable to get underway. On his last day aboard the cutter, he advanced to FS1 and reported to isolated duty at LORAN Station St. Paul Island, AK where he served as FSO and was awarded runner-up for galley of the year small ashore for the entire Coast Guard. After one year in isolation, he was selected to become a Company Commander (Drill Instructor) at Cape May, NJ. He trained over 1,500 recruits and advanced to Chief Petty Officer (E-7) during this tour. He also piloted one of the first training sessions with Coast Guard Academy cadets for swab summer in 2001, where he and another Company Commander indoctrinated 100 academy cadets from the Class of 2003. Chief Adams transferred to TRACEN Petaluma, CA in 2002 and took over as Chief of the Watch for FS ``A'' School, running one of the largest galleys in the Coast Guard. He led a team of three other FSs to re-open the upper galley which had been dormant for over a decade. He was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer in 2005 and transferred to ISC NOLA six weeks before Hurricane Katrina made land fall and flooded his home. In 2006, he graduated from Chief Warrant Officer professional development at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT, where he was selected by his peers as the Distinguished Officer of his class. His duties included assisting the Comptroller and Logistics Branch Chief in providing support to all lower 8th Coast Guard District units. He was the D8 IMT Logistics Chief during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and the 2008 New Orleans oil spill. He was selected to become the FS Assignment Officer in 2010, executing assignments (orders) for hundreds of FSs including the White House, DHS Secretary's Mess, Commandant and Flag Officer Special Command Aides, Instructor, and FSO positions and operational units. In 2012, he was invited to the White House to help cook for the United Kingdom State Dinner and Greek Independence Day Dinner and has assisted the White House chefs for many events since. In July 2014, he was assigned to his current position at CG-1111. In September 2016, he will assume the duties as the new Subsistence Program Manager as a civil service employee.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Keller High School softball team, winners of the Texas UIL state championship in the 6A conference. The Indians defeated Pearland High School on June 4th with a final score of 5-0. This is the third state championship in the school's history. Keller ISD Athletics Hall of Fame teams also took home the state championship title in both 2003 and 2005. Bryan Poehler, head coach of the Indians, was named 2016 All-Area Softball ``Coach of the Year'' by the Dallas Morning News. All spring, Coach Poehler pushed his team to prepare for the anticipated difficult season ahead. The advancements made in practice and during the course of competition resulted in players being recognized for their achievements at both the district and state levels. Kaylee Rodgers, senior pitcher for the Keller Indians, was awarded numerous accolades throughout the season. She was recognized as a 1st team All-American pitcher, UIL State All-Tournament pitcher, Dallas Morning News All-Area pitcher of the year, Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State pitcher, and was named MVP of the state game after pitching a shut-out. In addition, Kaylee's teammate, senior catcher Shelby Henderson, was chosen as a 2nd team All-American for the 2015-2016 season, 1st team for the Dallas Morning News All-Area Team, and was awarded UIL State All-Tournament catcher. Other accolades granted to individual players included 2nd basewoman Camryn Woodall receiving the title as a 1st team All-American for the 2015-2016 season, UIL State All-Tournament 2nd basewoman, and 1st team Dallas Morning News All-Area Team. Additionally, Amanda Desario was awarded UIL State All-Tournament outfielder and 1st team Dallas Morning News All-Area Team. Congratulations to the Keller Indian Softball team! The Indians were able ambassadors for Keller High School and effectively advanced the athletic achievements of Keller ISD. It is my privilege to represent such an outstanding group of student athletes in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I rise this evening to offer an amendment on an issue that I have worked on, as well as the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for the last 6 years. In 2006, the Committee on Appropriations, without consultation with the Committee on Energy and Commerce, included a provision in the annual Interior-EPA appropriations bill to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to begin using a special pay program that was explicitly and exclusively authorized for use by the Public Health Service Administration under the Department of Health and Human Services. This special pay mechanism allows a government employee to leave the normal GS pay scale and receive nearly uncapped compensation. This special provision was intended to be used only in unique circumstances for leaders in the healthcare industry who would never leave the private sector to work for the Federal Government but for special higher salaries. This justification can never be used at the EPA. Indeed, some of the employees that the Environmental Protection Agency pays under title 42, the part of the U.S. Code that allows for this special pay, were previous government workers and were merely moved to the special pay scale because they wanted more money. The Environmental Protection Agency claims that, because the EPA is a health organization, it may use this statute to pay special hires; and the Committee on Appropriations has agreed to let them, despite the authorizing committee's objection. Originally, the EPA was granted only a handful of slots to fill with title 42 hires. That number has now ballooned to over 50. The cost to the taxpayers for these employees is tens of millions of dollars. That is unconscionable. This amendment would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from hiring any new employees under title 42 or transferring any current employees from the GS scale to title 42. It would not affect current employees being paid by this provision. This would give the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the authorizing committee, the time it needs to address whether the EPA truly deserves this special pay consideration. The General Accountability Office looked into HHS' abuse of title 42 several years ago and found problems with the implementation of the program. That is within the Department of Health and Human Services, where it arguably could be allowed. Why would Congress ever allow the Environmental Protection Agency to implement the same problematic pay structure? In multiple hearings in the Committee on Energy and Commerce, both Administrator Lisa Jackson and Gina McCarthy refused to give specifics regarding the program. A Freedom of Information Act request by the EPA union, the American Federation of Government Employees, sent to my office showed that title 42 hires at EPA are sowing dissent among the workers, with the union asking the Congress stop this abusive and unfair hiring technique. Both Chairman Emeritus Barton and I have introduced legislation further clarifying that the Public Health Services Act, written for HHS, does not permit the EPA to use this language to hire employees under a special pay structure. I urge adoption of the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton).

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. I thank the gentleman for the recognition. Mr. Speaker, passage of this bill represents a major milestone for individuals affected by mental illness across the country, and, of course, I want to congratulate Chairman and Congressman Tim Murphy and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson on the progress they have made on this front. Many of us have worked in committee for a long time to achieve this day. And while we are in the business of congratulating ourselves as a routine matter, I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the participation of staff, both in our personal offices, as well as the professional committee staff that helped bring this bill to the point we are today. In particular, an alumnus of my office, Adrianna Simonelli, worked hard to get this bill to a place where both sides could expect and accept the results that we are achieving today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the recognition. Thanks for bringing this bill to the floor of the House.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 793 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 793 provides for consideration of H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication Act. The rule provides 1 hour of debate, equally divided between the majority and minority of the Committee on Ways and Means. Further, the rule makes in order an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of the Rules Committee print considered previously during the Rules Committee hearing on this measure. As is standard with all legislation pertaining to the Tax Code, the Committee on Rules made no further amendments in order; however, the rule affords the minority the customary motion to recommit. Under the rule, we will be considering commonsense policies from three different bills that empower individuals and families as healthcare consumers, while protecting taxpayer dollars. Each bill advanced through regular order and was favorably reported out of the Committee on Ways and Means. H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication Act, would eliminate barriers created in the Affordable Care Act for those who want to purchase over-the-counter medications with funds from their health savings accounts. Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins of Kansas introduced this bipartisan, bicameral bill to cut through the bureaucratic red tape created in the President's healthcare law. H.R. 5445, the Health Care Security Act, introduced by Congressman Paulsen and myself, eliminates certain burdensome limitations on health savings accounts to help consumers take back control of their health spending decisions. Finally, H.R. 4723, also introduced by Congresswoman Jenkins, protects taxpayers by recovering improper payments of Affordable Care Act subsidies. At the end of last month, the Speaker's Task Force on Health Care Reform released the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act and modernize the American healthcare system. Good policy that will stand the test of time requires hard work, compromise, and the scrutiny of the American people. As, unfortunately, we learned during the run-up to the Affordable Care Act, policy hastily crafted by government bureaucrats behind closed doors results in devastating consequences. While we are committed to large-scale reform, real people are struggling as we speak, and we are not waiting to take action. These bills are an important example of the work that is going on right now to advance Member-driven solutions that will improve health care for all Americans. Mr. Speaker, the post-Affordable Care Act world is riddled with flaws, but one of its biggest problems is the failure to promote consumer-driven health care. Expanding the use of health savings accounts could go a long way to reverse this trend. Health savings account plans give consumers incentives to manage their own healthcare costs by coupling a tax-favored savings account used to pay medical expenses with a high-deductible health plan that meets certain requirements for deductibles and out-of-pocket expense limits. The funds in the health savings account are owned by the individual, controlled by the individual, and may be rolled over from year to year. Health savings accounts are not a novel idea. They have been available since 2004. In fact, their precursor, the medical savings account, is enjoying its 20th anniversary of being signed into law this month as part of the Kennedy-Kassebaum Act back in 1996. Current HSA policy is extraordinarily restrictive, making it harder for consumers to take advantage of them. While I have spent several years in developing extensive reforms to tap the potential for health savings accounts for consumers, H.R. 5445 includes meaningful improvements that can actually get across the finish line today. Deductibles and out-of-pocket limits have been steadily growing. Congress should be taking steps to make it easier for Americans to save, not restricting their options. Unfortunately, current law limits health savings account contributions to levels that are lower than the combined annual limits on deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. H.R. 5445 resolves this discrepancy by raising the individual and family contribution limits for health savings accounts to equal the annual limit on deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. Another problem in current law reduces the flexibility of HSAs for married couples. Under current law, if both spouses are HSA-eligible and age 55 or older, they must open separate HSA accounts to be able to make the maximum available contribution. Individuals should not be forced to jump through hoops just to save for their health care. H.R. 5445 would allow both spouses to deposit catch-up contributions into a single health savings account. Finally, H.R. 5445 will take steps to ensure that HSA funds can reliably be used for medical expenses. Under current law, taxpayers may use HSA funds only for qualified medical expenses incurred after the establishment of the HSA, which might be some time after the establishment of the associated high-deductible health plan. If, for example, the taxpayer purchases an HSA-eligible health plan and then immediately incurs medical expenses before opening the HSA, the taxpayer may not use-tax favored HSA funds to pay those expenses. H.R. 5445 would treat HSAs opened within 60 days after gaining coverage under an HSA-eligible plan as having been opened on the same day as the health plan. This would allow for a reasonable grace period between the time of coverage through an HSA-eligible plan and establishment of the actual health savings account. H.R. 1270, the base bill, makes commonsense, patient-centered reforms to help defray costs for individuals. Over-the-counter medications, such as allergy or cold medications, proton pump inhibitors, antibiotic ointment, or pain relievers were historically eligible expenditures for a health savings account and other similar tax-favored healthcare accounts. However, the Affordable Care Act created a requirement in Federal law that forces the accountholders to go to their doctor to obtain a prescription for these over-the-counter medications before purchasing them with their health savings account or flexible savings account. Individuals who fail to jump through these hoops and purchase over- the-counter medications without a prescription face a tax penalty for making a nonqualified distribution. This policy drives unnecessary utilization of doctors' services, decreases access to reasonable over- the-counter medications, and discourages people from taking control of saving for their healthcare needs. H.R. 1270 repeals this harmful provision of the President's healthcare law, puts the consumer back in the driver's seat, and allows sufficient access to appropriate medication. Last but not least, H.R. 4723 fulfills our duty as stewards of the tax dollars of hardworking Americans. Improper subsidy payments are treated to arbitrary and inconsistent standards. This is surely not good governance. The policy of H.R. 4723 will ensure that everyone who receives improper Affordable Care Act subsidy overpayments will be treated identically. This commonsense solution is a straightforward approach to saving billions of tax dollars for hardworking Americans. Instead of empowering individuals, the Affordable Care Act erected barriers to consumer-driven health care. The combined policies in H.R. 1270 are an attempt to instill some of the rationality of a market- based system into the chaotic world of the Affordable Care Act. H.R. 1270 makes targeted but important reforms to strengthen the integrity of the healthcare system and improve access to quality care. This legislation is another example of the concrete actions that are being taken to return power to individual healthcare consumers. I encourage colleagues to improve the state of health care in America and vote for the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 1270. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. I yield myself 2 minutes, Mr. Speaker. I just want to again clarify what we have under consideration at this time, three different bills, a rule that would allow votes on three different bills that empower individuals and families as healthcare consumers while protecting taxpayer dollars. Each of these bills did advance through regular order and was favorably reported out of the Committee on Ways and Means. H.R. 1270, the Restoring Access to Medication Act, would eliminate barriers created in the Affordable Care Act for those who want to purchase over-the-counter medications with funds from their health savings account. H.R. 5445, the Health Care Security Act, introduced by Congressman Paulsen and myself, eliminates certain burdensome limitations on health savings accounts to help consumers take back control of their healthcare spending decisions. Finally, H.R. 4723, also introduced by Congresswoman Jenkins, protects taxpayers by recovering improper overpayments from subsidies awarded under the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, today's rule provides for consideration of an important bill to correct some of the most egregious changes in the Affordable Care Act that affected individuals' ability to save for their own healthcare needs. I was happy to be able to work with Mr. Paulsen, Ms. Jenkins, and Mr. Kind, who each contributed to the underlying legislation which will be considered by the House following the passage of today's rule.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 794 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave