Steve Chabot

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that the Paycheck Protection Program has produced impressive results. All across America, PPP loans have supported over 50 million jobs. That is 50 million people who can continue to support themselves and their loved ones. In Ohio's First Congressional District, for example, which I have the honor of representing, the program helped over 200,000 people to stay on the payroll and support their families. Despite this success, there are small businesses that still need our help. According to a July 27 NFIB survey, almost half of small business borrowers predict that they will need additional capital within the next 6 months. As ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, I have pushed for targeted bipartisan solutions to make sure that our Nation's smallest firms have a chance to survive, and this Congress has acted. Now it needs to do so again to help those small businesses and their employees. Unfortunately, the top leadership on the other side of the aisle apparently doesn't feel the urgency to do so and allow a vote on additional help for those small businesses that need it so much. Let me be clear: Every day that goes by without action jeopardizes America's 30 million small businesses and their employees. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support reopening the Paycheck Protection Program through December 31 and allow businesses that have suffered revenue declines to apply for a second loan. Madam Speaker, we owe it to America's small businesses to work together for a solution. We ought to be voting on that today.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, the word ``hero'' is used a little too often these days. But make no mistake, John Lewis personified the word. He was, without question, a true American hero. The fearlessness he demonstrated throughout the civil rights movement, but especially on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on March 7, 1965, demonstrated to people across the globe how to stand up for equality, justice, and basic civil and human rights in the face of overwhelming odds. Quite simply, his heroic actions transformed our Nation and our world. Early on in my time in Congress, I had the pleasure of meeting Congressman Lewis for the first time. When he found out I was from Cincinnati, he immediately asked me a question that I would hear from him many times in the coming years, how was his friend and fellow civil rights leader, Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, doing. The two men had worked together throughout the 1960s, along with Dr. Martin Luther King, organizing marches, sit-ins, and freedom rides. Like John Lewis, Reverend Shuttlesworth remained committed to civil rights throughout his life and worked diligently to improve conditions in Cincinnati. Not surprisingly, when I would see Reverend Shuttlesworth back home, he would ask how John Lewis was doing up here. As a result, I was kind of a messenger between these two-larger-than-life civil rights icons, and they will always be inextricably linked in my memory. Madam Speaker, the world needs more heroes like John Lewis and the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth. Now, more than ever, their dedication to overcoming inequality and changing hearts and minds through nonviolent protests points the way forward as we continue to strive to come together and achieve a more perfect Union.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, despite what you may hear and read from the majority, there is actually a lot of common ground between the legislation that we are considering today here and the legislation that I am an original cosponsor of recently introduced by Senator Tim Scott and here by Pete Stauber. We ought to pass those provisions that we agree on and continue to discuss and debate the things we don't. Last week in the Judiciary Committee, as has been mentioned, we offered a dozen reasonable, thoughtful amendments to improve this bill. But every single one was rejected by the majority, every single one. Improving police-community relations is a critical issue that we should be working on together to solve, which could have a real and lasting positive impact on preventing future senseless acts of violence. We should also be working together to honor the memories of all of those lost in the recent unrest, including George Floyd and David Underwood and Breonna Taylor and David Dorn. Doing so would serve as a beginning to a healing process to emerge a stronger, more unified Nation. Madam Speaker, I represent Ohio's First Congressional District, which includes much of the city of Cincinnati. Back in 2002, following protests and civil unrest over the shooting of a young man, the death of a young man named Timothy Thomas, the city, police representatives, community leaders, and local and Federal officials entered into something called the Collaborative Agreement, to build positive, constructive relationships between the police department and the communities that they serve. The Collaborative Agreement implemented many of the reforms that we are discussing today: Revised use-of-force policies and mandatory training; emphasizing de-escalation procedures; increased transparency; and independent citizen complaint authority to investigate allegations against police officers; and use of automatic body cameras, among other reforms. The results haven't been perfect, but we have seen a dramatic improvement in local police-community relations. Also arrests and serious crimes have decreased across the city. And, notably, excessive use of force and violence against police officers has decreased. These positive results are not due to heavy-handed mandates from the Federal Government. Rather, the changes are more attributable to the grassroots collaborative process, which required everyone involved to put aside their political agendas and work together. Both police and the neighborhoods that they serve had to reach out to each other and come together to address concerns and problem areas. One of my suggestions to improve this bill calls for a study of Cincinnati's Collaborative Agreement, and other similar agreements, to explore what worked well, what didn't, and what lessons can help other communities across the Nation. At the same time, we must recognize the important work law enforcement officers do to keep our communities safe. That is why I suggest that we also focus on supporting those police officers who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities. Specifically, I propose that we add retired police officers who are killed while serving in public or private security roles, like Sergeant David Dorn, to the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, which provides death and education benefits to the families of officers killed in the line of duty. Madam Speaker, these and other proposals from my colleagues are reasonable and would improve the legislation that we are considering today. I hope that Democrats and Republicans here in the House can work together with the Senate to get meaningful legislation to the President, just as we did with the coronavirus legislation, before another life is lost.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for her cooperation and Mr. Roy and Mr. Phillips, as well, for working together in a bipartisan manner on this important legislation. COVID-19, the coronavirus, has had a tremendous impact, an adverse impact on our Nation, particularly on our Nation's economy, particularly on America's small businesses. Many of them, unfortunately, have had to shut down during this time. When we originally passed the CARES Act, which included the Paycheck Protection Program--or now it has become so popular, now it is PPP. It is known by that by millions of small businesses all across the country. We didn't know exactly how long the pandemic would last. We still don't know, for that matter. So 8 weeks, for example, was the period of time that determined the payouts and whether the loan would be forgiven or not, whether in fact it would be a grant, whether these small businesses would have to pay it back. As it turned out, 8 weeks, alone, isn't a sufficient period of time for many small businesses. This legislation extends that to 24 weeks, at the option of the borrower. So this will allow many small businesses all across the country to see what benefits them the most so they can survive, so they can keep their employees employed so they can support their families. So that is an important item that is in this legislation. In addition, changing the 75/25 rule to 60/40, again, is going to give these businesses the flexibility that they need. How long do small businesses have to pay it back? Well, those who have already taken out the loans, 2 years. For new loans taken out from here on--and there is over $100 billion left in the fund, so there will be many small businesses that still get loans--the period will be 24 weeks. Now, by the time the Senate gets ahold of this, it is always possible that that may be compromised, but at this point, it is 24 weeks in this particular piece of legislation. But I think one of the important things to remember is that the borrower and the lender can get together and mutually agree, if they want to agree, if they don't necessarily fall into the two categories that I just mentioned. So there is some flexibility for them to negotiate there as well. And there are other items, as we have already discussed. But the important thing is this will give America's small businesses the flexibility to ensure that they at least have a chance to survive. And I know in my district in Cincinnati, and districts all over the country, their very survival is at issue here. The PPP program--and it is a lot of money, as was mentioned: $350 billion and another $310 billion, so around $660 billion in this program going out all over the country to these small businesses that are the backbone of the American economy. About half the people who work in America work for one of these small businesses. So this will help them to survive. Thank goodness the House of Representatives was able to work together in a bipartisan manner to come to this point today where this legislation will likely pass in a few minutes. Mr. Speaker, I again thank the chairwoman, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett), a very important member of the Committee on Small Business.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend and thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Phillips) for working together in a bipartisan manner on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Unlike the previous bill, I am happy to say that I agree with the chairwoman, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, as amended. I would, again, like to thank Chairwoman Velazquez for conducting this process in such a bipartisan manner. It is more important than ever to maintain our strong bilateral negotiations as we continue to combat the spread of COVID-19 and its devastating, absolutely devastating, effect on our economy, especially our small businesses in that economy. Over the past 3 months, I have been in contact with literally thousands of small businesses, not only in my hometown of Cincinnati, but across the country. I have joined dozens of conference calls with my congressional colleagues and with their constituents and mine all the way from the State of Washington to the State of Florida, and just about everywhere in between. There has been broad consensus during those interactions that the PPP program has served as a lifeline for small businesses and their employees, many of whom have been shut down through no fault of their own. By and large, it would be hard to argue against the fact that the PPP program has, for the most part, been successful. Over 4 million small businesses have received a PPP loan thus far, allowing them to hang on as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across our Nation. Of course, there have been some shortcomings, some unintended consequences. That will happen when you do 6 months of legislative work in 6 days. That is why we are here today, to fix some of the unintended consequences. For example, when we crafted the original CARES Act back in March, the covered period was defined as 8 weeks. The true emergency period has evolved over time. This bill begins to address that. To fix the miscalculation in how long this pandemic would last, this bill extends the 8-week original covered period to 24 weeks and creates an option allowing businesses that want to stay within the original 8- week window to do so. This promotes greater flexibility for small businesses to decide when it is best to start spending their PPP loan. It is important to remember that this change isn't as simple as moving a few dates around. There are a lot of unintended consequences that we need to account for because more than 4 million loans have already gone through the program in the amount of half a trillion dollars. First, the original CARES Act allows principal, interest, and fees to be deferred for between 6 and 12 months. The administration adjusted this deferment period to just 6 months through guidance. This deferment time period needed to be shifted to ensure a business knows its loan forgiveness amount before its deferment period concludes. This bill accomplishes that by extending the deferment window to end once the SBA makes the forgiveness payment to the lender on the borrower's behalf. Second, the bill amends the 75/25 rule which was inserted into the PPP by the administration through guidance to require 75 percent of the loan to be used on payroll costs and 25 percent to be used on mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. So that is what the previous rule called for, 75/25. This bill replaced that with a 60/40 split to, again, give small businesses greater flexibility as to how to best utilize their PPP funds. Third, the bill extends the 2-year maturity of the loan to a 5-year maturity for new loans to help small businesses struggling to make their payments in a weakened economy. Loans already processed remain at the 2-year maturity rate so that there is no retroactivity in this provision. The bill makes clear that small businesses and lenders are free to negotiate modifications in the maturity terms if they both agree. Again, both have to agree, both the borrower or the small business and the lender. Fourth, the bill allows businesses that receive PPP loan forgiveness to also receive their employer payroll tax deferment. And that was a big issue. Many of the small businesses were concerned that they were losing one of the advantages that was in the original PPP program in the CARES Act. So this is back in. They will be able to take that business deduction from their taxes. Fifth, the bill also codifies the rehire flexibility provision. So as long as a good-faith offer to return to work is provided to a recently laid off worker, the business will satisfy the head count requirements. This safe harbor provision attempts to address the challenges many small businesses have had getting some employees to return to work with the $600 Federal unemployment check per week on top of the State unemployment checks which they are also receiving. Finally, the bill establishes a new safe harbor to account for businesses that are required by civil authority to open only at 50 percent capacity. This ensures that businesses that have no choice but to run at half capacity are not left behind by their counterparts who have the ability to operate fully. So it is a fairness issue. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this much-needed bipartisan bill that provides real solutions to American small businesses facing this very difficult situation. Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank the chairwoman for working on this on a bipartisan basis. This flexibility allows America's small businesses to go a long way to addressing many of the concerns that we heard time and time again from small businesses all across the country. They need to have the flexibility to spend the money most efficiently so that the businesses can actually stay afloat, make it through this pandemic, and, most importantly, be able to keep as many of their employees on the payroll so that they are able to support their families as possible. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation on both sides of the aisle, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in reluctant opposition to H.R. 6782, the Small Business Transparency and Reporting for the Underbanked and Taxpayers at Home Act, or the TRUTH Act, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I do want to express my appreciation to Chairwoman Velazquez and her staff for working with me and with my staff on this legislation, as well as many other pieces of legislation in the past. On this specific bill, we were able to negotiate a couple of changes that made the bill slightly more palatable for those of us on this side of the aisle, and that would have not happened without the chairwoman's leadership, so we do appreciate that. That said, philosophically, it is exceptionally difficult for me and others on this side of the aisle to accept the bill in its entirety. For instance, I am a firm believer that small businesses are just that, small businesses; and as long as they qualify under the Small Business Act and the SBA size standards, no one small business ought to have to do anything different under the law than any other small business. In addition to all the burdensome reporting requirements this legislation would impose on small businesses, there are two specific provisions that are difficult for us to support. First, the bill we have before us attempts to name--and some would say, shame--businesses that are recent PPP loan recipients above $2 million. And I do appreciate Chairwoman Velazquez going from $250,000 to $2 million. These businesses--at least the ones that acted in good faith-- followed the law and the guidelines and received their loans based on the best information available at that time, and I do not believe that those businesses should be put on public display for potential shaming. If they didn't follow the rules, we have remedies for calling them out, such as the SBA's Office of the Inspector General, even the Department of Justice, to seek out waste, fraud, and abuse. Publicly naming them will do little to increase transparency or anything else, for that matter, we believe. Second, the bill requires, albeit voluntarily, small businesses to disclose whether they are economically disadvantaged, minority owned, women owned, or veteran owned. As I mentioned previously, I believe we ought to be making regulatory burdens fewer and farther between, not imposing more paperwork that doesn't help any business fight this pandemic. Again, Mr. Speaker, I reluctantly oppose this legislation but again thank the chairwoman for her leadership and willingness to work with us on these bills and on many issues facing America's small businesses moving forward. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) on her leadership, and I regret that we cannot support this particular piece of legislation; however, I am certain that we will continue to work together in a bipartisan manner to address the needs of America's small businesses. I would note, just in response, briefly, to the gentleman's mention that this is called the TRUTH Act, just because something is called the TRUTH Act doesn't necessarily mean that it is the truth, just like something called the Affordable Care Act doesn't necessarily mean it is going to make healthcare more affordable. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, as Co-Chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I rise today to recognize Azerbaijan on the occasion of its 102nd Republic Day. Azerbaijan is a critical partner of the United States in the region and maintains a proud heritage as an independent country. Upon declaring independence in 1918, Azerbaijan earned the unique distinction of being the first secular parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world. Azerbaijan was also among the first states to grant women the right to vote. This stands as a testament to the Islamic world of the universal validity of democratic aspirations, and that self-government and the respect for individual rights is not inimical to their traditions. Unfortunately, Azerbaijani independence was soon snuffed out by totalitarian USSR, which, not unlike Russia under Vladimir Putin, sought to spread values much different to those espoused by the fledgling Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan regained its independence and was recognized by the United States. Today, Azerbaijan remains a close partner to the United States and our allies. Not only has Azerbaijan been an integral part of our efforts in Afghanistan, but it has also been an excellent partner in the wider war on terror. It is also noteworthy that as a Muslim country, Azerbaijan enjoys strong relations with the Jewish community and maintains a strong friendship with our ally Israel. Finally, Azerbaijan is a critical energy provider for Europe, playing an important role helping our allies there diversify their energy supply away from a domineering Russia. With this partnership and Azerbaijan's commitment to our friendship in mind, I would encourage my colleagues to join me today in honoring Azerbaijan on its Republic Day.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3744. the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020. I was proud to join Congressman Chris Smith to introduce an earlier version of this important legislation at the beginning of last year and I'm glad to that we are finally able to get this legislation across the finish line today. As a senior Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and a committed defender of human rights, I have watched over the years as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) routinely mistreats its people. The list of abuses is too long to recount here but it spans every sector of human life from religious freedom, to due process protections, to press freedom and freedom of assembly, to China's notorious population policies. Pretty much every freedom in our Bill of Rights is lacking in China. Religious freedom, specifically, is a longstanding issue. The CCP seems to think that religion is a fundamental enemy. Not only are Christians hounded and mistreated, but Falun Gong practitioners are brutally persecuted, with many having their organs harvested involuntarily. That brings us to the situation in Xinjiang and the Orwellian nightmare faced by Uyghur Muslims there today. As the problem has gotten worse and more facts have come out, the situation has become clear. China imprisons somewhere between one and three million Uyghurs in concentration camps where they undergo indoctrination and forced labor. Many are tortured. For Uyghurs outside the camps, the CCP also makes life difficult, subjecting them to intense surveillance and policing. Notably, Uyghurs both in and outside the camps are made to eat foods forbidden to Muslims and forced to abandon other practices of their faith. The Party even pursues Uyghurs in other countries by attempting to control their behavior through threats against family members still in China and by pressuring other countries to send them back to China. No one deserves to live with this kind of persecution which is why this malicious treatment of the Uyghurs by the CCP must brought to an end. We all wish to see the day when China behaves like, and can be treated as, a normal country. Until that time, we delude ourselves if we treat it like one. That is why we must enact the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act today.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Bera and Congressman Yoho, two of my colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for hosting this virtual special order today on the importance of strong U.S. global leadership with regard to the coronavirus. The coronavirus is reminding us that diseases and their impacts know no borders, making it critical that the United States show leadership during the pandemic, and also afterwards to get the global economy back on track as well as prepare for the next outbreak. There is no reason to assume there will not be future outbreaks, and, as the world becomes more interconnected, we need to be prepared so that the next outbreak does not become a pandemic like the coronavirus. This is where the Global Health Security Act, legislation that my friend Gerry Connolly and I authored, can make an impact. And I want to thank him for his leadership in moving this legislation forward. The Global Health Security Act would help the Federal Government prepare for the next pandemic both by codifying critical aspects of the interagency coordination process for global health security and also put the Congressional stamp of approval on the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). The GHSA is an oddly-named multilateral initiative which seeks to strengthen health systems around the world. It focuses on public health issues of top international concern such as biosafety and biosecurity, immunization, health monitoring, zoonotic diseases, and healthcare worker training. Many of these priority areas are critical to fighting not only the coronavirus but also any infectious disease that emerges after we have contained the current outbreak. The Obama Administration helped set up the GHSA in the face of sluggish implementation of international guidelines for health systems around the world and poor international leadership in response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014. The Trump Administration has enthusiastically carried on U.S. leadership through the GHSA, pledging substantial U.S. funding toward its implementation. The GHSA is something which both parties can be proud of. Americans are rightly skeptical of the efficacy of multilateral organizations. Since an illness is one short plane ride away, however, investments in disease detection and public health capacity in other countries directly support our own health security right here in America. If we don't address and prepare for diseases abroad, we will have to address them at home. That is why I am proud that the Global Health Security Act passed the Foreign Affairs Committee in February with unanimous support. By passing this legislation Congress will demonstrate a strong commitment to global health security leadership. For better or worse, the United States does not have a choice on whether we step up and lead on the coronavirus and future pandemics. As we have seen, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has covered up, and still is covering up, critical information about the early stages of the disease and its origins. This allowed the virus to become a global pandemic. In China, everyone's health and wellbeing are subservient to the political goals of the CCP. We must ensure that the CCP does not take global health leadership. If it does, it will not just be the people of China whose health is subject to the political calculus of an authoritarian political system, it will be all people around the world, including here in America.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, this has not been an easy time for America's small businesses. As the ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, I hear daily from owners of restaurants and hair salons and small retailers and manufacturers and grocers and others, about the gut-wrenching choices that they have been forced to make recently. Fortunately, the Paycheck Protection Program, created under the CARES Act, has already helped small businesses save millions of jobs and cover essential expenses. One company, for example, New York Bagel, survived the Great Depression and World War II during its 99 years of operation. This Ferndale, Michigan, business was forced to close due to the coronavirus. But thanks to the Paycheck Protection Program, their employees are still getting paid. After losing 70 percent of their business, Woodyard Bar-B-Que in Kansas City was only a week or two away from laying off workers or even closing permanently. Their paycheck protection loan will allow them to stay in business. These examples are only a fraction of those who have been helped. Understandably, this program has been very popular. In fact, demand was so high that funding was exhausted within 2 weeks of the program being started up. Over a million-and-a-half loans have been processed, with nearly 60,000 in my home State of Ohio alone. Madam Speaker, small businesses are resilient. Start-ups are pioneering new techniques for sanitizing masks and surfaces. Neighborhood grocers are bravely staying open to provide necessary supplies, yes, including toilet paper, for their communities. Small manufacturers are retooling to make personal protective equipment for frontline workers. These small businesses and entrepreneurs make the America we all know and love. Congress should have passed this legislation last week, but to those small businesses who already applied and are waiting to hear, or those who are yet to apply for this relief, finally, help is on the way.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, this is a critical time in our Nation's history. People are worried about their health and that of their loved ones. They are wondering how long this new way of life will last. But people across our great Nation are coming together. I have seen the response in my own district, where yesterday would have been opening day, and the Cincinnati Reds remain undefeated. From the bold leadership of Ohio's Governor Mike DeWine and Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton to the brave healthcare workers on the front lines of facilities like the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and the local companies that have volunteered to produce much-needed personal protective equipment, these men and women are heroes, risking their lives and livelihoods so that their fellow citizens may continue to live as comfortably and as normally as possible during this trying time. As the ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, I want to single out the contribution of this Nation's small businesses. To those that have had to temporarily close and those who have bravely stayed open to provide life-sustaining supplies, I want you to know that there is help in this bill. We have come together in this legislation to help our entrepreneurs who so urgently need it. Small businesses and their employees often rise before the Sun and retire under the stars to ensure that their customers' needs are met and often exceeded. Along the way, the Small Business Administration, or SBA, is charged with assisting the Nation's smallest firms. When disaster strikes, the SBA helps businesses get back on their feet. As we face the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 we must ensure that small businesses have the resources needed to weather that storm. They are being forced to make tough choices to protect themselves, their employees, and their customers. They are laying off staff who are like family to them, cutting hours when workers need them most and closing their doors after years or even decades of successful operation. To alleviate these enormous pressures, the CARES Act, this legislation, creates a new program specifically designed to respond to the current crisis. That program, the Paycheck Protection Program, provides $350 billion for 100 percent federally guaranteed loans for up to 8 weeks of assistance. These loans can be forgiven when used for payroll, interest on mortgage, rent, and utilities. The CARES Act also creates a deferment payment on current 7(a) loans. The SBA will pay all principal, interest, and fees for those small businesses for up to 6 months. These payment obligations will be completely forgiven and removed from a borrower's books. Finally, the bill permits small business owners who have applied for an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan to request in advance up to $10,000. I am grateful that we can help small businesses in this act.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I rise to remember the victims of the Khojaly Massacre, and mark the 28th Anniversary of this attack. Azerbaijanis remember this tragedy as the darkest chapter in the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict. In the fall of 1991, Armenian and Soviet forces surrounded the town of Khojaly in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. After bombarding the city, these forces attacked on the night of February 25 and on the 26, killing 600 innocent Azerbaijanis, including women, children, and elderly people. Hundreds more were left severely disabled from the attacks. In a 1992 report, Human Rights Watch stated that the attacks on fleeing civilians ``deliberately disregarded . . . customary law restraint''. The victims of Khojaly remind us of the value of peace. Unfortunately, the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh is still ongoing, despite the efforts of the United States and international community to foster a negotiated settlement. I call on all parties involved to productively engage with the Minsk Process to find a peaceful resolution to this decades old conflict. The horrific events in Khojaly almost three decades ago lead us to mourn the innocent civilians who lost their lives that day. I encourage my colleagues to join with me and the Azerbaijani people as they remember this tragedy.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to provide for a motion to recommit on the Senate amendment to H.R. 550 so that minority voices can be heard on the critical issue of war.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor two iconic Cincinnati leaders who passed away over the weekend. On Saturday, we lost longtime Hamilton County Commissioner and former Cincinnati City Councilman Todd Portune. Todd was a true leader, willing to put aside political differences and work together on issues to benefit our community. He was also someone I considered not only a respected colleague but a friend. Then, on Sunday, Cincinnati suffered another loss with the passing of Judge Nathaniel Jones. As a civil rights leader, a Federal judge, and a person, Judge Jones was one of those rare people who was universally admired and respected. Having worked with Thurgood Marshall on Brown v. Board of Education, having helped South Africa overcome apartheid, and having served as general counsel for the NAACP, Judge Jones not only improved the lives of people in Cincinnati but across the country and, in fact, across the globe. Madam Speaker, while Cincinnati will sorely miss Commissioner Portune and Judge Jones, their accomplishments will be felt by our community and across our Nation for generations to come.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Pat McLaughlin, the head football coach at my alma mater, La Salle High School, for a significant accomplishment. I played for La Salle back in the day, and my brother, Dave, played 10 years later. Coach McLaughlin has been nominated for the NFL's Don Shula High School Coach of the Year award. This prestigious honor recognizes the best high school football coaches across the country for their character, integrity, leadership, dedication to the community, commitment to player protection, and on-field success. In December, Coach McLaughlin led the La Salle Lancers to their fourth Ohio Division II football championship in the last 6 years. As this nomination affirms, he has been a leader both on and off the field. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Coach McLaughlin, as well as all the La Salle players and their families and everyone involved in the Lancer football program. They have all made, and continue to make, the entire Cincinnati community tremendously proud. Lancers Roll Deep.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the innocent lives lost in the massacre of Black January at the hands of the Soviet Union. January 20 marks the 30th anniversary of this tragic day in the history of Azerbaijan, which is seen as its rebirth as an independent country. 26,000 Soviet troops attacked Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, and its surrounding areas on the night of January 20, 1990. This vicious invasion is fixed in Azerbaijan's national history and is remembered in the hearts of its people as ``Black January'' In the Soviet brutality, more than 145 innocent civilians died, around 800 people were injured, and hundreds were arrested. The Soviet crackdown was meant to smother the independence movement in Azerbaijan which was gaining momentum at the time. It proved to be a futile attempt to prop up the rule of the Communist Party, and really the whole Soviet Union. In fact, it had the opposite effect, further inflaming the independence movement and strengthening other such movements throughout the former Soviet Union. Following the events of Black January, popular sentiment drove Azerbaijan to break away from the Soviet Union and declare independence. On August 30, 1991, Azerbaijan's Parliament adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and on October 18, 1991, the Constitutional Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan was approved. Azerbaijan began to receive international recognition of its newfound independence in November 1991, and shortly thereafter the United States became one of the first nations to recognize the country, establishing diplomatic relations on February 28, 1992. Today, cooperation between the U.S. and Azerbaijan has blossomed to include a broad range of issues, particularly energy development and security, and we share many common interests and goals for the region. I urge my colleagues to join me and the Azerbaijani people as they remember the events of Black January and celebrate that brutality cannot stifle the thirst for freedom.

Mr. CHABOT

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chris Smith for his leadership and his commitment to advancing pro-life legislation for literally decades now. He has been a leader for many of us, and we have watched and followed in his footsteps in many ways. A previous speaker, Andy Harris, mentioned that his birthday is next week, and I share something with him because my birthday happens to be next week as well. Not only is it next week, but it is on January 22, which is the very day that the horrific Roe v. Wade decision was issued. For decades now, I literally, on my birthday, with all of the joy that you have with your family or with friends and colleagues in celebrating your birthday, I can't help but think of those millions and millions of little, innocent, unborn babies that were not born, that have never experienced life because of a tragic decision that was made that they had no part in making, but their life was ended before they were able to share the blessing that life is. That is why we need to overturn that horrific Roe v. Wade decision. Many of us have been working for years and years now to do that, or to do everything we can up to that point until, ultimately, the court makes that decision. We have a responsibility, I believe, to protect the most vulnerable among us, and that is innocent, unborn babies. It was one of the principal reasons that I wanted to come to Congress. It was one of the principal reasons that I wanted to be on the Judiciary Committee. I was blessed to be chosen by one of the legends in the pro-life community, probably the father of the pro-life movement here in the House, and that was the late Henry Hyde who chaired the Judiciary Committee. Next to Henry, Chris Smith certainly is the leader since Henry. But as the gentleman mentioned, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, it took me a number of years and I was able to work my way up to the chair of that committee and did successfully pass the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act which saved babies that they were literally finding in soiled utility closets. We had nurses who had formerly worked in abortion clinics and they came and told terrible stories of what had happened. That is now no longer the law, but we need to go beyond that. After that, we went on to pass probably what is the most significant pro-life legislation since Roe v. Wade and that is the ban on partial- birth abortion, which I offered along with many other Members. We fought for 8 years--Steve King and so many other folks--and went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court twice. I remember when that decision came down. I was in the Judiciary Committee when we all heard about it and we were so excited. We don't know exactly how many babies--we think tens of thousands every year-- that that has saved, but we are still losing so many other innocent, unborn lives here in this Nation. There have been 61 million since Roe v. Wade that we know of. I want to thank all of my colleagues who are here this evening and spending their time to do something, I think, which is probably one of the most worthy things we can do with our time here in the House, and that is to try to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I thank everyone that is here.