Rod Blum

Mr. BLUM

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

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Police Week to honor the brave men and women in uniform who serve the First District of Iowa. Every day, our Nation's law enforcement officers selflessly put their lives in danger to protect our communities. Having recently participated in a police ride along in Dubuque and Waterloo, I had the chance to experience their duties first hand--and my respect for these individuals only increased after seeing their dedication. Today, the Cedar Falls Police Department hosts a memorial event for the Black Hawk County Peace Officers fallen in the line of duty. I am proud of my district for honoring these brave men and women. On behalf of the 194 law enforcement officers in Iowa who gave their lives last year, I offer my gratitude for their service and my prayers for their families, friends, and colleagues. I respectfully urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to continue to support the officers who lay their lives on the line for our safety. I am proud to stand before you today to personally thank every law enforcement officer in the First District of Iowa--and around the country--who put themselves in harm's way in order to keep us safe.

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Nurses Week and to graciously thank the hardworking nurses residing and practicing in the First District of Iowa. Every day, nurses provide compassionate, quality care to patients across the country. As the largest workforce in the healthcare sector, nurses are often the first line of defense in prevention and treatment to patients. I am confident nurses will continue to do an admirable job promoting safe public health practices among the communities in the First District. From schools to hospitals to long term care, these hardworking men and women provide compassionate care to those in need. I urge my colleagues to continue to support nurses as they dedicate their lives to the well-being of others. Nurses deserve our recognition for their contributions to healthcare and I am proud to stand before you today and offer my thanks for their sacrifices.

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Teacher Appreciation Week occurring last week and to graciously thank all the hardworking educators in the First District of Iowa. Every day, teachers rise and face the challenge of preparing today's youth to be the leaders of tomorrow. Our teachers are at the forefront of shaping young minds, recognizing potential, and encouraging their success. Across the country, teachers are empowering students with the necessary skills to achieve their dreams and become the next generation of leaders of the United States. As Members of Congress, we must do our part to equip our teachers with the best tools and resources possible to educate our children--who are our most precious resource and deserve every effort we can make to give them the opportunity to succeed. I thank all the dedicated teachers in the First District of Iowa during National Teacher Appreciation Week for continuing to provide their best to our children and empowering them to reach their full potential.

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Levin, the rest of the House Committee on Ways and Means, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who join in cosponsoring this important legislation, H.R. 4923, the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016. I also want to thank my colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) for his leadership in educating our freshman class about this issue. Mr. Speaker, this legislation creates an open and transparent process to consider reducing burdensome manufacturing tariffs through miscellaneous tariff bills while at the same time maintaining the commonsense House ban on earmarks. Without this legislation, American manufacturers will continue to pay high tariffs on essential raw materials that have no domestic source. This undermines manufacturers' competitiveness with foreign manufacturers and damages their ability to create manufacturing jobs here in America. Mr. Speaker, our economy has been limping along for quite some time now. This is the worst economic recovery following a recession since World War II. GDP growth is just 60 percent of our 70-year average. I will say that again: 60 percent of average. Because of this, wages for working families are stagnant. American businesses are being stifled by red tape, high taxes, and a Federal Government that crowds out private investment through its addiction to deficit spending. I am not willing to accept that this economy is the new normal. We can do far better, Mr. Speaker. We need to make America the best place in the world to do business. I believe that, by instituting progrowth policies, we can get wages for Americans moving up again and encourage businesses to invest in growing here instead of going overseas. This bipartisan legislation is a concrete, direct example of something Congress can do immediately to make American manufacturing more competitive. Helping our manufacturers create good-paying jobs for American workers instead of moving them overseas should not be a partisan issue. I look forward to seeing this bill move through Congress and will continue to be a voice for workers and manufacturers in Iowa and across the country so we can reignite our economy, raise wages for working families and once again make America the best place in the world to do business.

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3866) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1265 Hurffville Road in Deptford Township, New Jersey, as the ''First Lieutenant Salvatore S. Corma II Post Office Building''.

Mr. BLUM. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3866 introduced by Congressman Donald Norcross of New Jersey. H.R. 3866 designates the post office located at 1265 Hurffville Road in Deptford Township, New Jersey, as the First Lieutenant Salvatore S. Corma II Post Office Building. First Lieutenant Corma was an officer in the United States Army who gave his life while serving in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Lieutenant Corma died on April 29, 2010, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. This came only weeks after returning to Afghanistan from visiting his home on leave. Lieutenant Corma was a dedicated soldier, a dedication that was evident throughout his life. He began martial arts at just 3 years old and continued with it throughout high school and college, even winning the silver medal for tae kwon do at the Junior National Olympics. Lieutenant Corma was also an excellent student. He was on the honor roll from kindergarten through his senior year of high school. He was a 2008 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was captain of the tae kwon do karate team. Mr. Speaker, Lieutenant Corma was a dedicated friend and fellow soldier. According to his mother, he would call and check on his men every day while he was on leave. Once he even mailed them 300 energy drinks. His dedication continued through his death, a death that came far too soon. We will be forever grateful for the sacrifices First Lieutenant Salvatore Corma II made for his country. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill to name a post office to honor his life and his sacrifice. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2928) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 B Street in Perryville, Arkansas, as the ``Harold George Bennett Post Office''.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2928, introduced by Congressman French Hill of Arkansas. H.R. 2928 designates the post office located at 201 B Street in Perryville, Arkansas, as the Harold George Bennett Post Office. Sergeant Harold George Bennett enlisted in the United States Army in 1957, and he served heroically in Vietnam. He was taken prisoner in that country, and on June 25, 1965, he became one of the first prisoners of war killed in Vietnam. Sergeant Bennett fought courageously, thinking not of himself, but thinking first and foremost of his colleagues. I will ask my colleague and the sponsor of this bill, Representative French Hill, to share the incredible story of Sergeant Bennett; but for now, I urge Members to support this bill to name a post office after Sergeant Harold George Bennett. Mr. Speaker, hearing his story inspires bravery in all of us, and I am hopeful that permanently naming a post office in remembrance of his sacrifice will serve to inspire generations to come. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman such time as he may consume.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4605) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 615 6th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa as the ``Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office Building''.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a constituent of mine who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. The bill before us would designate the post office located at 615 6th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as the Sgt. 1st Class Terryl L. Pasker Post Office Building. This bill pays tribute to the life of Sergeant First Class Pasker, who was, unfortunately, killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Pasker was born February 26, 1972, in Anamosa, Iowa, the son of David and Mary Pasker. He joined the Army in 1990, after graduating from Lisbon High School, transitioning to the National Guard in 1995. Sergeant Pasker served in Afghanistan in 2004 and 2005, deploying again in 2011 with the 334th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. He served in Panjshir province, where he was responsible for maintaining electronic equipment and mentoring Afghan police and military leaders. Mr. Speaker, on July 9, 2011, Sergeant First Class Terryl L. Pasker gave his last full measure of devotion to his country when he was killed at the age of 39 at a checkpoint, only days before the end of his combat tour. He is survived by his wife, Erica; his parents, Mary and David; his brother, Andrew; and his two sisters, Christine and Rebecca. His family told me that he always said he would rather be a sermon than preach one, a belief that I believe he exemplified throughout his life. Admired by his fellow soldiers, Pasker was known for his humility, his sense of humor, and his willingness to selflessly serve others. Away from service, Terryl was a homebuilder, taught karate, and was active in his local church. During his life, he would remind others that freedom is not free. So, Mr. Speaker, as we honor the sacrifice of Sergeant First Class Pasker, I ask us to also remember the thousands of servicemembers who sacrifice their time, their relationships, and even their lives to protect the freedom of this great Nation. I urge Members to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Florida (Mr. DeSantis) for hosting this Special Order on term limits and giving me the opportunity to speak on this most important subject. Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again, yet expecting different results. That quote sums up Washington, D.C. We keep sending the same people back here over and over and over, yet we expect things will improve; we expect things will change. Congressional approval ratings, if you haven't checked, are in the single digits. It is clear that the American people aren't happy with the job we are doing. They want change in Washington, D.C. But, if we truly want to change Washington, we need to heed Albert Einstein's advice. We need to send different people here. We need to do things differently. Changing the way Congress operates should start with enacting term limits. I firmly believe congressional term limits would restore the public's confidence in the legislative branch and return this body back to the design intended by our Founding Fathers. I have just been here, as my friend, Mr. DeSantis said, for over a year, and I can confidently say that term limits for our politicians would be a huge step forward in changing the culture here in Washington, D.C., and I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense reform. Mr. Speaker, this is the first elected office I have ever held. I am a career small-business person. In the private sector, if we don't listen to our customers, we go out of business. In Congress, our customers are the American people, and they are strongly in favor of term limits. Recent polls show overwhelming support. Over 75 percent of Americans want term limits. This support, as Mr. DeSantis said, crosses party lines, with strong majorities from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike. Unfortunately, Congress has not listened to our customers. Legislation to institute term limits continues to sit in committee, without receiving a vote. While many Members of Congress profess support for term limits back in their districts, when their plane crosses the Potomac, something seems to change. One of the first things I did after being sworn in was to launch the bipartisan Term Limits Caucus, along with my colleague from Texas (Mr. O'Rourke). I also cosponsored legislation from my colleagues, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Salmon) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. DeSantis), limiting House Members to serving no more than three terms and Senators to serving no more than two terms. I did this because, as someone coming to Congress from the private sector, I believe Washington suffers from a lack of fresh, innovative ideas. Also, Washington suffers from a lack of political courage on the part of career politicians to implement those changes. The root of our problem is that our politicians are incentivized by this system to care more about staying in office rather than doing what is best for the country. Most candidates campaign for the U.S. House and they say something to the effect, ``Washington, D.C., is broken. Washington, D.C., is broken. It must change.'' They say this during the campaign. Most come here for the right reasons, but, over time, the system grinds them down. The special interests get their proverbial ``nose under the tent,'' and before long, special interests own a Congressman. It seems to me, the only special interest group not represented in Washington is ``We, the People.'' The end result is most become part of the very problem they came to Washington, D.C., to fix. Our Founding Fathers never intended for public service to be a career. Serving in Congress was supposed to be a temporary sacrifice made for the public good, not a profitable, long-term profession treated like a family business. By limiting terms politicians can serve in office, we can realign the incentives. When Members of Congress know they will only serve for a short amount of time, they will be incentivized to actually tackle the big problems facing America today: tackling our $19 trillion debt that is growing, tackling the looming insolvency of Social Security and Medicare, and tackling the securing of our borders and the ever-growing Federal bureaucracy that stifles economic growth and holds down wages for your average American. Mr. DeSantis, I recognize the long odds of Congress voting to place term limits on themselves. As I often say, that is much like asking turkeys to vote for Thanksgiving, and we know how that would end up. But I will keep pushing Congress to act, because it is what the American people want. In the meantime, there are some positive active developments at the State level that I would like to highlight. Florida recently became one of the first States to officially call for an Article V constitutional term limits convention thanks to the hard work of Florida activists and fantastic groups like U.S. Term Limits. I commend the Florida Legislature and hope other States will soon follow suit. As President Reagan once said, a ``convention is a safety valve giving the people a chance to act if Congress refuses to.'' Mr. Speaker, I am not here to criticize individual Members of Congress, and not all of my colleagues who have been in office for decades are part of this problem; but it is time Congress listened to our customers and gives our customers what they want: a vote on term limits. It is the right thing to do, and it may be our last and best chance to restore trust in government and make Congress work for the American people once again. Once again, I thank Mr. DeSantis for the opportunity to discuss this most important subject. I urge my colleagues to listen to the American people and join the Term Limits Caucus and cosponsor term limit legislation.

Mr. BLUM. In 3 years of campaigning, I have not yet, Mr. DeSantis, met one person in my district in northeast Iowa that is against term limits. Everyone wants us to hold a vote on term limits. And I consistently say this gets buried in committee because the worst nightmare of anybody in this body is to have to go on record as voting against term limits because, as I said in my speech, they go back to their districts and they say they are for reforming Congress. They are against the pension program. They are against first-class air travel. They are against $1,200-a-month luxury car leases. They are against becoming lobbyists when they retire from this body. They say they are for term limits. Their plane crosses the Potomac. They get in this body. They don't want to vote on those things because I think they are not really against them. People are tired of that. They are seeing through it. They are demanding that we have this vote. All we ask--all you are asking, all I am asking--is let's get this out of committee. Let's have a vote on this floor and see what happens. It may fail, but at least we got the vote; at least the people in my district and in your district in Florida were represented and had the chance to have a voice. I think this is an overwhelmingly bipartisan issue. I am Republican, and my district is Democratic. But Democrats want a vote on term limits as well. I come from the private sector, Ron, and we listen to our customers. Our customers are the American voters, the American citizens. We are not listening to them. We are ignoring them. I think we are seeing it now in this political season, that people are upset with what goes on in Washington, D.C. Our approval rating--and it has been well earned--is in the single digits. I think it would go so far if we would just hold some votes and try to reform this body because people often tell me: Before you tell me to reform the way my family spends their money, why don't you clean up your own House first? I couldn't agree with them more.

Mr. BLUM. Some of them need to lose their reelection campaigns. I have consistently said, Ron, that true change never comes from inside the Beltway in Washington, D.C. It always comes from out in America. What we need are grass-roots activists, people that follow what we are doing, to call, to email, and to text to let our Representatives know that you want a vote on term limits. As a Representative, and I am sure you would agree that those matter. We listen. I listen. We track every phone call, and I get a report at the end of the day saying: Here is who called from your district, and here is what they wanted. So it makes a difference. Change never comes from in Washington, D.C. I would also like to follow up on another point that you made earlier. It was a great point, and that is seniority. I came here as a freshman 14 months ago and I quickly found out that everything in Congress is based on seniority. Not to take anything away from these fine people that have been here a long time, they have worked very hard, they have paid their dues, and it is nothing personal, but people wonder why change can't happen in Washington, D.C. It is because we have the same people running the show year in, year out, term in, term out, because it is based on seniority. A young person like my--well, I shouldn't say young. A young politician--I am 60 years old--doesn't really have a chance to impact change much because the power structure is all based on seniority here. I wish they would look at seniority out in the real world, in the private sector. What did you do to build a company? What did you do to educate children? What did you do in the medical community? That seniority should count as well, just not your time spent in this body. So that is a great point. That is why I think things don't change. We need change. Change is good. We need new ideas and fresh ideas and people with political courage. Another thing that has been a little bit disappointing to me is the lack of political courage, to take a stand and to plant the flag even if it is going to be unpopular in the district. If you think it is the right thing to do, go for it. Have political courage. People have said to me: How do we know you won't change if we send you to Washington? I have consistently said: Because I am not afraid to be unelected. I want to be reelected. I will work hard. I will want to win a second term. But I am not afraid to lose an election. We need more people like that, Ron. We need people who don't want to stay here a lifetime and turn this, the United States Congress, into a family business.

Mr. BLUM. I agree with you. We will always storm the hill, my good friend, and plant that flag, regardless of how many times we need to do it. But I would just like to mention some of the bills I have been involved with: Eliminating first-class airline travel for congressional Members paid for by taxpayers. Most of the people in my district have never flown in first class. There is no reason I should be flying first class on taxpayer dollars. Eliminating the $1,200-a-month luxury car leases that we can lease back in our districts. That is more than most house payments in northeast Iowa. It would eliminate that. We need to eliminate the congressional pension program. We need to eliminate the ability to become a lobbyist after you have served in this body. We need to tie our pay to the pay of the average American. The average American has not had a pay raise in over 20 years. The average American's pay has gone backwards. This body's pay should go backwards just like the average American's. The words used in polls is that we are out of touch. I wonder if this body is not out of touch, if we are not tone deaf. We need to be tied to the average American. I recently introduced a bill that, if we didn't balance the budget, then we would get a pay cut; if it is not balanced next year, we get a deeper pay cut; and if we keep not balancing it, we are going to end up making no money. Maybe this way it will get through everyone's head that this is a serious issue and we need to balance the budget. I agree with you, Ron, that any of these reforms voted on would go so far, I think, to the American people to say: Finally, finally, Washington, D.C. is listening to us. They finally get it. The frustration is palpable in my district. It probably is in yours. People are really upset. They say that they don't listen, the laws don't apply to us like they do the rest of Americans. I couldn't agree more. As a citizen, I am every bit as frustrated as well. So you can always count on me to storm the hill with you, my friend.

Mr. BLUM

Mr. BLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Cereal Day, which occurred last week on March 7th. As several cereal producers have facilities in my district, I want to recognize the importance cereal has played in the everyday lives of Americans since the 19th century. According to recent polling data, cereal is America's most popular breakfast food. Not only is cereal a part of a nutritious way to wake up, but it can be enjoyed at all times during the day alone or used to create delicious cuisine. I am proud that the First District of Iowa is home to two prominent cereal facilities which have provided tasty cereal to Americans for generations. The largest cereal plant in the world, located right in Cedar Rapids, and owned by Quaker Oats employs around a thousand hardworking Iowans and produces many of the products in your bowl on a daily basis. Just across town, General Mills has a facility which makes Cheerios and other delicious staples of your morning breakfast. Both of these companies are important to the economy of Cedar Rapids and I celebrate their contributions to the community. I raise a spoon and a glass of milk to all fellow cereal lovers and the hardworking Iowans in the First District which produce healthy, wholesome, and nutritious products for families around the world.