Jim Banks

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 3996, the VA Design-Build Construction Enhancement Act. I first want to thank Mr. Perlmutter, my colleague on the other side of the aisle, for his tireless support and advocacy for veterans in the Denver area and beyond and for cosponsoring this legislation with me. Design-build has proven itself to be an innovative and effective method for managing construction projects in the private sector and in some key Federal agencies. The most prominent application of design- build was to rebuild the Pentagon after 9/11, which was completed in less than 1 year. VA has a multibillion-dollar backlog of construction projects but has never made much use of the design-build method, despite it being available for over 20 years. Unfortunately, one of the few times the VA did use a method similar to design-build was during the troubled Aurora, Colorado, replacement medical center project that we have already heard about today. And as Dr. Roe noted, the VA only involved the construction contractor in the design decisions after the design was already complete. Design-build seems to have been given a bad name in the VA-- unfairly--as a result. My legislation today makes it clear that design-build is available to the VA and encourages the Department to use it when appropriate, as is already stipulated by the law, and incorporates design-build training into the VA construction management curriculum. Mr. Speaker, I want to make sure that the VA is using every available tool to deliver world-class facilities to our veterans. When used correctly, design-build can speed up construction and minimize costly change orders. That is exactly what we need in the VA, and I am committed to making sure that that happens.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Terry McDonald for his two decades of service as Mayor of New Haven, Indiana. Since his election in 1999, Terry has worked diligently to usher in a new era of prosperity for the second-largest city in Allen County. Under Terry's leadership, New Haven has seen increases in commercial and industrial activity and heralded improvements in its public schools and infrastructure. He has brought the city to a new level of prominence within our great state and made his constituents proud. Above all, Terry has always seen his position not as a job, but as a service and a duty. As he does in his role as a minister, Terry seeks to use his God-given talents to assist those who need it the most. His first priority has always been assisting those around him. Officials at all levels of government can learn a great deal from the honesty and integrity of men like Mayor Terry McDonald. As Terry's time in public office draws to a close, I wish him and his family nothing but the very best as he continues his life of service.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding. I oppose H.R. 3525 because it is poorly conceived, erroneously drafted, and extremely risky. This bill would require the Border Patrol to divert resources from its core mission of protecting our Nation's borders and create a new medical screening system for those who illegally cross and enter the country between ports of entry. I believe every part of that is wrongheaded. However, even if you agree with the policy, this is not the way to do it. Handing DHS and CBP a 30-day mandate to put an electronic health records system in place has no basis in reality. VA is currently in the second year of a 10-year, $16 billion EHR overhaul. I spend much of my time in Congress overseeing it on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. The EHR implementation is a tall order for the VA, which has tens of thousands of doctors and nurses, a huge health IT budget, and healthcare as its core mission. The DHS Chief Information Officer and CBP have none of those things. All available evidence indicates giving them that mandate is deeply unwise. There is no score or cost estimate whatsoever. The score that was filed is from the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, which is completely unrelated. We are being asked to vote on this legislation blindly. Based on the experience of institutions similar in size to CBP that have implemented EHRs, the price tag could easily run into the billions. Five to 10 years is a realistic timeline, not 30 days. Altogether, I think this is a mistake, even if well-intentioned. We should be devoting our resources to reducing border crossings between ports of entry. We should prioritize getting detainees out of Border Patrol custody and into ICE and HHS custody, which already have mandates and capabilities to provide medical care. I strongly oppose H.R. 3525 for these reasons, and I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the incredible life of Mr. Don Wolf. Don was an upstanding citizen, father, husband and business leader in northeast Indiana who dedicated his life to the humble service of others. The lives of his fellow Hoosiers have been vastly improved because of Don's generosity and good will. Don truly lived out the American Dream. He established Do It Best Hardware which is presently the largest privately-held company in the state of Indiana and has a large presence across the entire country. The City of Fort Wayne and the entire Hoosier State feels a deep sense of pride in counting him as one of our own. Achieving great success, Don set out to better the community he loved so much and worked to significantly improve the lives of those around him. His many philanthropic efforts range from serving as the first president of Big Brothers of Greater Fort Wayne, the founder of Study Connection, and a member of the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame. There can be no doubt that Don's top priority was to set our future generations up for success. The positive impact Don made on his city, his state, and people across the country will not soon be lost or forgotten. Through a life as a business leader and community servant, Don Wolf shines as an example of what it means to live well and live for others.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost 12 months since we reached a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. Both Mexico and Canada promptly ratified the agreement, but the House majority party refuses to let us vote on it. While it is a multinational agreement, the benefits will be felt greatly in my home State of Indiana. Forty-seven percent of Indiana's exports go to Mexico and Canada, generating $18 billion in revenue for the Hoosier State. American workers need this. Hoosier workers need this. Speaker Pelosi, please, let's put partisan politics aside and do what is best for Indiana, for our country, and for all of North America. It is time to find the courage to bring this trade deal to the floor for a vote.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Mr. Donald Francis Wood; a life marked by grace, humility and patriotism. Don was an accomplished Hoosier, father, businessman, and patriot. Born in the Midwest, and a native of Des Moines, Iowa, Don received a degree from Drake University and later an honorary degree from Ivy Tech Community College in Fort Wayne. Don's patriotism inspired him to enlist in the military, which led him overseas where he fought in the Korean War. Don reached the rank of corporal before receiving an honorable discharge. After his service in the Army, Don worked in automobile manufacturing, as a journeyman toolmaker and later as a salesman. After several years in auto-manufacturing sales, Don, with his sons, opened their own manufacturing company, 80/20 manufacturing. The largest T- slotted aluminum building system in the United States, the company employs more than 400 workers in my hometown of Columbia City, Indiana. Don saw his success as-a blessing, but also a responsibility. He created the Donald F. Wood and Darlene M. Richardson Foundation with his wife, and started the 80/20 Foundation Trust, both dedicated to helping those in need. Don was willing to give his time, as well as his money, to enhance Northeast Indiana's community. A life-long music lover, he was a member of the board of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, as well as the Fluid Power society. At his core, Don was a family man. He had three sons and a daughter, two of whom raised families in Fort Wayne. Madam Speaker, Don was the type of father, and leader, that embodies the values that make the United States and Indiana so special. His death has struck us a great loss; only because he contributed so much in life--to this country, to our state, and to his family.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Curt Smith, a distinguished Hoosier who has spent nearly four decades fighting to advance faith, family, and freedom in the great state of Indiana. Curt truly embodies what it means to have a servant's heart. He has served our state with honor and integrity in various roles including 15 years as an aide for U.S. Senator Dan Coats and U.S. Rep. John Hostettler and 18 years as President of the Indiana Family Institute. Curt has truly established himself as a thought leader and advocate for the preservation of our First Amendment rights. He has heavily contributed to Indiana's many pro-life achievements including banning abortion up to 20 weeks and defunding Planned Parenthood of state tax- dollars. Curt also has taken it upon himself countless times to defend the religious liberty of all Hoosiers at the state and local level. Furthermore, under Curt's leadership, the Indiana Family Institute has implemented countless groundbreaking programs and initiatives including the ``5 Freedom's Project'', a program which works to address social and economic problems facing Hoosiers through effective policy and research. Most notably, Curt was instrumental in developing the Hoosier Leadership Series, a program that seeks to develop leadership, worldview training, and create a network of future conservative leaders across Indiana. My wife, Amanda, and I are both proud graduates of this program and we are thankful for the impact it has had on our lives. Madam Speaker, Curt is a once in a generation type of leader and the state of Indiana is proud to have someone of his caliber guiding us into a brighter tomorrow. I wish him many more years of success in his new role as Chairman of the Indiana Family Institute.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Fort Wayne Vet Center on 40 years of dedicated service to northeast Indiana's combat veterans and their families. It is a tremendous honor to recognize the hard work of an organization that has given so much to help those who have selflessly put their lives on the line for their fellow countrymen. Over the last four decades, the Fort Wayne Vet Center has gone above and beyond to provide our heroes and their families with services to help them prepare for life beyond the military. With the recent completion of its expanded brick and mortar facility, I trust the Center will continue to provide the best care possible for our heroes of past, present, and future. I wish the Fort Wayne Vet Center nothing but the very best. There is no doubt in my mind that this organization will continue to do great things for the greatest among us. May God bless them in their present and future endeavors.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, this is a historic day. We have finally found a tax that Members and my friends on both sides of the aisle agree needs to be cut. I am proud to be a cosponsor of today's legislation, and I am excited that many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle as well are prepared to get rid of this destructive tax that was put in place by ObamaCare. But while we are at it, while we are repealing ObamaCare taxes, we should include an equally destructive tax in today's repeal: the medical device tax. I am very proud to serve the residents of Warsaw in northeast Indiana, the region that is often referred to as the orthopedic capital of the world. Unfortunately, companies in my district and all across this country have been needlessly hampered by the inability of this Congress to fully and permanently repeal the onerous medical device tax. When it was enforced, this tax destroyed 29,000 jobs and caused a $34 million reduction in investments in lifesaving research and development. So today, while we are here voting on this bipartisan legislation to repeal the Cadillac tax, I ask that all Members of this body be equally mindful in moving swiftly to also repeal the medical device tax.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, if this unanimous consent request cannot be entertained, I urge the Speaker and the Majority Leader to immediately schedule the Born-Alive bill so we can stand up and protect the sanctity of human life, and I would ask all others to join in in that request.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I was proud to serve my country in uniform in Afghanistan, and now I am proud to serve in this Congress. I am proud to serve in a new and different way on what has historically been the most bipartisan committee, the House Armed Services Committee. Truth be told, I had expected that this committee above all other committees would always work together in support of our national security. After all, for over 50 years this committee and this Congress have risen above partisan politics and passed the National Defense Authorization Act. Sadly, today it appears that tradition might come to an end. Madam Speaker, it doesn't have to be that way. This motion is an opportunity for my friends on both sides of the aisle to rise above petty partisan politics and do what the American people sent us here to do: to support our troops and defend our homeland. This year the NDAA has unfortunately become the Nondefense Authorization Act and instead has been hijacked with a partisan political agenda, unlike the last couple of years when we all actually worked together to restore military readiness. At a time when our enemies are challenging us on the world stage, we simply cannot put our troops at risk and jeopardize our national security, which is exactly what the underlying bill would do. Let us show the American people the leadership they deserve. Let us give our troops the raise they have earned. Let us restore readiness and pass a worthy National Defense Authorization Act. Madam Speaker, mark my words, this is the moment of truth for this Congress. This is the single most defining moment of this Congress so far. This motion is an opportunity to show the American people that we can rise above petty partisan politics. Will my colleagues on the other side of the aisle really vote against a well-earned pay raise for our troops or for bolstering our readiness accounts? Madam Speaker, our soldiers, our sailors, our airmen, and our marines deserve better. The American people deserve better.

Mr. BANKS

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

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Chairman, here we are again debating another spending package that does absolutely nothing to address our $22 trillion national debt. The bill before us today proposes to spend $24.5 billion, which is more than $1.4 billion over last year's total. This puts us further down a path toward busting the budget caps. Mr. Chair, I respect my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, but I sincerely worry that they do not understand the dangers that lay ahead with these bloated spending packages. Here is a glimpse. Our children will face a less prosperous future and our national security will be needlessly threatened through the inevitable sequestration that results from busting the budget caps. My amendment is simple. It would reduce nondefense spending in this bill by 14 percent, which is the level needed to avoid the outcome that I just described. There is no reason that Washington can't do what American families do each and every day, which is living within their budget. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Chairman, a few billion dollars here, a few billion dollars there, $25 billion over there, eventually it adds up. That is why the American people are demanding now more than ever for their Nation's leaders to do something about a $22-trillion-and-growing national debt. Mr. Chairman, we are running out of time to put our fiscal house in order. Deficits will soon top $1 trillion and grow to nearly $2 trillion over the next decades. My constituents back home in northeast Indiana see this reckless spending and ever-growing national debt and they ask me every time I go home, Are you serious? It is a valid question, Mr. Chairman, and I honestly don't know what to tell them, when we have spending bills like the one before us that spends more than ever before on this particular division, just like the other seven divisions that we voted on previously. I have offered this amendment now seven other times in addition to today in an attempt to prevent sequestration and the devastating effects it will have on our Nation's military. Our national security is dependent upon the state of our fiscal house, and unfortunately, these spending bills do nothing to protect the security and prosperity of our Nation. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to cut 14 percent of nondefense spending in this bill, to rein in out-of-control spending. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Columbia City Rotary Club on their 100th anniversary and express my appreciation for their hard work in making Columbia City a better place to live, work and raise a family. As an organization heavily involved in many civic activities, the Columbia City Rotary Club has established itself as one of the finest service organizations in northeast Indiana. As a native of Columbia City and fellow Columbia City Rotarian who once had the honor of serving as club president, this is an organization that will always occupy a special place in my heart. To this day, I still apply the Four-Way Test when making decisions as a lawmaker on Capitol Hill and do my best to live by the Rotarian motto of ``Service Above Self.'' I also am constantly reminded of the unbreakable friendships and shared civic duty of Rotarians I have met along the way. Organizations like the Columbia City Rotary Club provide the backbone for towns and cities across the country, selflessly taking it upon themselves to improve their surroundings and the lives of those around them. I could not be prouder to recognize this anniversary and wish them only the best in their next century.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Speaker, I rise to applaud the Turnstone Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for hosting the International Blind Sports Federation Goalball &Judo Paralympic Qualifying Competition. Later this summer, thousands from across the country will be in the Summit City as first-class athletes with visual impairments compete for a chance to represent their country on the world stage at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Since 1943, Turnstone has worked with disabled individuals from all walks of life in helping them excel with athletic programs, as well as by offering health and learning opportunities. As one of only four Olympic and Paralympic Training Sights in the country, their work is of the utmost importance for those they serve, including the athletes who have worked so hard to compete this summer. I salute the hard-working men and women of the Turnstone Center staff, as well as the athletes with whom they will be working during this exciting event. These individuals have made great strides to reach this level, just as this organization makes great strides every day to serve them, and Hoosiers from across the region. Our community is continuously enhanced by Turnstone's fine work, and I wish their staff the very best and the athletes the best of luck as the Qualifying Competition gets underway.

Mr. BANKS

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

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Chairman, here we go again. Another bloated spending deal that doesn't just bust the spending caps but spends more than ever before on this division. With a $22 trillion national debt, you would think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would show a little restraint. My friends on the other side of the aisle, who I have enormous respect for, including the chairman, are proposing to spend $137.1 billion in this division alone, which is $6 billion more than last year's enacted level. Mr. Chairman, we simply can't continue to go down this path. While both parties have contributed to Washington's $22 trillion national debt, my colleagues are recklessly proposing to bust the budget caps, trigger sequestration, and continue to mortgage our children's future. At some point, we have got to do something to confront this town's spending addiction. I acknowledge that reducing our national debt is a daunting challenge, and I am prepared to debate today how to best accomplish the goal of a balanced budget. But my friends on the other side of the aisle do not even want to have that discussion. Hoosier families in my district have these tough talks every day around their kitchen table. Why can't Washington, D.C., do the same? With these spending packages threatening to bust the budget caps and initiate sequestration, there appears to be an indifference from my Democrat colleagues as to the severe harm that this poses to our national security. I will not be silent about this, Mr. Chairman. This is my seventh time coming to this microphone offering the same amendment in the last couple of weeks alone. I am looking forward to having a substantive debate today about this particular amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Chairman, a very wise former Governor of Indiana once said that you will never know how much government you will never miss. And these days, as we roll out spending package after spending package that spends more and more than ever spent before, I look back to those wise words of that former governor, because that former Governor, knew, just as I do, as a former State Legislator, that the States can always run these programs and do better with running government, administering programs like these than the Federal Government ever can. And while there is a difference of opinion between my colleague, again, who I respect and admire so much, it is clear that there is a difference of opinion between those who believe that Washington, D.C., should tax more hard-earned tax dollars out of the pockets of hardworking Hoosier families, just so that Washington, D.C., can spend more and more on spending packages just like these. In closing, Mr. Chairman, President Ronald Reagan once said: ``We don't have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven't taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much.'' Since then, we have added roughly $21 trillion to our Nation's debt. This simply cannot go on. If we do not begin to tackle this challenge now, it will be tackled for us by our creditors. We need to learn from the commonsense words of President Reagan and start to live within our means today. If we don't, we will be putting our troops at a disadvantage and our national security at risk because of sequestration and leave for our children a country with less freedom and less opportunity than the one that we inherited. That is unacceptable to me, and I plan to fight to prevent that future from becoming a reality. I urge my colleagues' support for this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BANKS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BANKS

Mr. BANKS. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BANKS. Madam Chair, my amendment is simple. It would reduce spending in this division by 14 percent, the amount that is needed to avoid busting the budget caps and preventing sequestration, which would compromise our national security. This division would spend $1.3 billion more than the 2019 enacted level. In their quest to spend every taxpayer dollar from this generation and our future generations, my friends on the other side of the aisle have proposed spending packages that in total will bust the budget caps by nearly $90 billion. While my colleagues may be willing to put national security at risk to fulfill budget-busting policy promises, I will not. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my commonsense amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BANKS. Madam Chair, we have got to think about the audacity of these claims. I am not talking in my amendment about cutting any specific program. I am proposing an amendment to cut 14 percent across the board to prevent the excessive spending that we are seeing being proposed from across the aisle that would spend substantially more than what the Federal Government spent in the year before. Madam Chair, we simply cannot afford this reckless proposal from my friends on the other side of the aisle. My amendment offers Members a clear choice. If a Member votes ``no,'' that Member supports busting the budget caps and putting our national security at risk due to entering into sequestration, which is inevitable if we pass the spending measures being proposed from across the aisle. However, by supporting my amendment, Members can show that they support fiscal sanity by honoring the budget caps and protecting our national security. Madam Chair, I will continue to come back to this microphone over and over and over again and propose this same amendment to each nondefense spending division, because I promised my constituents in northeast Indiana that that is exactly what I would do if they elected me to Congress, that I would fight to reduce spending to rebuild our military and to support fiscal sanity in our Nation, once again, by fighting for balanced budgets and fiscally conservative spending measures. This amendment fulfills all those promises to my constituents and families in northeast Indiana, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BANKS. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.