David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, every single day, seven children and teens are killed by gun violence; 40 more are shot and survive. Most of the time, the incident could have been prevented if the gun involved was unloaded and locked away safely. Mr. Speaker, 1.7 million American children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun, and three out of every four children ages 5 to 14 know where guns are kept in their home. That is why today I am introducing a resolution to recognize June 21 as National Ask Day, the first day of summer, to encourage parents to ask a simple question to anyone who is responsible for their children in another home after school: Is there a loaded, unsecured gun in your house? Asking this simple question will help save lives and reduce the level of gun violence in our country. This is a commonsense idea that both Democrats and Republicans should be able to agree on, because no matter our politics, we all believe that our children should be free from the scourge of gun violence. Again, this is National Ask Day. We are asking everyone to just ask a simple question. Wherever your children are going after school, whether to another residence or to a family member or friend, ask the simple question: Is there a loaded, unlocked gun in that house? And be sure that it is secured. Help save the lives of so many American children.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, in my home State of Rhode Island and all across America, people are working harder than ever just to get by. Wages are flat and costs continue to rise. In fact, just last month, gas prices hit a 3-year high. It is obscene. Working people have been getting ripped off at the pump for years. One of the biggest reasons is that countries in OPEC and other foreign oil cartels work together to inflate the cost of gas. Some folks think there is nothing we can do about this. That is why, last month, along with Congressman Steve Chabot, I introduced the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, or NOPEC Act. This is a commonsense bill that will help bring down the cost of gas by making members of OPEC and other foreign oil cartels subject to U.S. antitrust laws and preventing them from price gouging. It prohibits those same companies from withholding their supply of oil in order to raise prices. Earlier this week, our bill was approved by the House Judiciary Committee. I look forward to this bill coming to the floor and its swift passage. It is long past time that we deliver some much-needed relief to working people in this country.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, America has a long and wonderful tradition of welcoming people from all over the world who are fleeing violence and famine and war and repression. It is, in fact, one of the founding values of our country, and the words on the Statue of Liberty remind us of that: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door. What we are here tonight to do, Mr. Speaker, is to raise our voices and be sure the American people understand what is underway in our country. The Trump administration has put forth a program they call zero tolerance. And just to explain what this means, people who are fleeing gang violence, persecution, incredible deprivation, domestic violence, travel a long distance, come to America for the hope of being safe. We have laws in this country that say if, in fact, you are legitimately fleeing violence or persecution and you can demonstrate that, you are eligible for something called asylum. It is an international requirement. It is in our law. This is a lawful process. They come to America, to the golden door. And what is happening now in this country, parents are being ripped from their children, separated, mothers hearing their children in another room crying out their names, pleading for their mothers, and there is nothing they can do because they are being detained. Is this who we are? This is not what we expect of the greatest democracy in the world. It is not only against the law, it is not only in violation of international obligations, imagine, the United States is being condemned by the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees and Human Rights because of this conduct. It has been described as torture of children, torture being defined as an act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as punishing him or her for an act he or she or a third person has committed. This is torture on kids, to rip them from their parents. And we, today, in the Judiciary Committee pleaded with the chairman: Bring this matter before the Judiciary. We have oversight responsibility for this process. We have a right to know what is going on. But we had a hearing today on a Texas water district issue, a permit issue, but we couldn't find time to bring the officials responsible for this before our committee. This is a practice which does violence to children, which is tearing families apart, and for which there is no legal justification. And we have pleaded with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Raise your voices. The world is watching America in this moment, and we are undermining our standing in the world, the values that we promote around the world, and we are particularly doing tremendous damage to these children and families that are being separated. We have asylum laws for a reason. Those have been enacted by the Congress of the United States, and they should be respected by these officials in the Department of Homeland Security and ICE and by the Attorney General of the United States. It is hard to describe the heartache and the pain and the suffering that this illegal, unconstitutional, despicable policy is causing; and our colleagues, my friends on the other side of the aisle, have not so much as raised a peep. They are responsible in their silence for the continuation of this program. We will continue to raise our voices to do everything that we can to bring the attention of the American people to this travesty because, only by the American people contacting their Members of Congress, demanding that this policy change, speaking out against this horrific brutality that is occurring in detention facilities all across this country--this does not reflect the values of our country. It does not reflect our shared values of respecting the human dignity of every person, of this special place that children have and the special responsibility that we have for children. We have a responsibility to do something about it, to stop this, to bring the Attorney General before the Congress of the United States, to hold him accountable for this horrific behavior and, once again, demonstrate to the world that we are a country that lifts people up, that respects human rights, that honors children, and that demonstrates a commitment to family values. This zero tolerance policy does violence to all of that. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for giving me an opportunity to be heard.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, which would strike $65 million for the development of the W76-2, or low-yield, nuclear warhead and move that funding to the nuclear nonproliferation account. The development of these warheads is based on the fallacy that nuclear war can be small and contained using smaller, lower yield weaponry. The idea that a nuclear war can be contained or minimized is dubious at best and terrifyingly dangerous at worst. Former Secretary of State George Schultz has affirmed this, saying that ``nuclear weapons are nuclear weapons'' and that the only logical path of a nuclear strike is escalation to higher yield weapons. This sentiment was recently reiterated in a letter signed by Secretary Schultz and nearly three dozen other current and former national security experts and officials, including former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar and former Secretary of Defense William Perry, opposing the development of these types of warheads. Further development of these types of weapons creates a greater possibility for a nuclear confrontation that will be impossible to contain. Instead of making us safer, it will only increase the chances that countless lives could be wiped out in an instant. This is an excellent amendment. It will make America safer. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the excellent amendment by the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of this amendment which would remove the provision in this bill which prohibits funding from being used to implement National Ocean Policy. This provision represents yet another in a long line of attempts by House Republicans to weaken an effective, common sense policy that protects our nation's oceans. National Ocean Policy allows federal agencies to coordinate implementation of more than 100 ocean laws, and allows state and local governments to have a say in the ocean planning process. In my home state of Rhode Island, the Ocean State, a strong National Ocean Policy is vital to our economy. Rhode Island's ocean economy generates more than $2 billion annually, including more than $1.4 billion from the travel and tourism industries, and nearly $94 million from the commercial fishing industry. On top of this, Rhode Island's Ocean economy supports more than 41,000 jobs. My state, as well as all coastal states, depends on clean, viable oceans to support these industries, which is why it is such a terrible idea to undermine the development of a strong National Ocean Policy. National Ocean Policy does not create any new regulations, supersede existing regulations, rather, it helps coordinate the implementation of and compliance with existing regulations in order to ensure a more efficient and effective decision making process. The funding prohibition in this bill would undermine good, effective policy, and would undermine effective stewardship of our nation's oceans and coastlines. I strongly support this amendment to remove the provision, and encourage its adoption.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, there is nothing that demonstrates the deeply held American value of living a retirement with dignity than the promise of Social Security and Medicare. These are benefits that America's seniors have earned after a lifetime of hard work so they can enjoy their retirement years with dignity and economic security. But yesterday we learned the Medicare trust fund will be depleted in just 8 years, 3 years earlier than expected. The Social Security trust fund will run dry just 8 years after that. A few months ago, our Republican friends passed a huge tax cut for the wealthiest Americans and most powerful corporations. And how do Republicans want to pay for it: by cutting Social Security and Medicare. That is a bad deal for the American people. They deserve better. When Democrats take back the majority, we are going to deliver A Better Deal for the American people. We are going to put working people first and we are going to ensure a secure retirement for everyone who works hard in this country. Most importantly, we are going to return the promise of America.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, President Trump promised to drain the swamp. In reality, he has made corruption much worse here in Washington. Yesterday, we learned that a foreign government paid the President's personal attorney $400,000 for a meeting with President Trump; the Secretary of the Treasury requested a government plane for his honeymoon; the VA Secretary took a $125,000 taxpayer-funded trip to Europe with his spouse; and the Republicans who control Congress have done nothing about it. They are putting politics ahead of our country by turning a blind eye to this administration's corruption, and they are focusing on getting things done for their wealthy donors instead of their constituents. The culture of corruption must end. That is why, early this week, Democrats introduced A Better Deal for our democracy: a bold, comprehensive proposal to bolster our Nation's ethics laws, overhaul our campaign finance system, and create more transparency and accountability so government works for all of the American people. That is the Better Deal the American people deserve; that is the Better Deal Democrats will deliver; and that is why Democrats are fighting for it.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the bank lobbyist act, which reverses the progress we have made since Wall Street brought our economy to the brink of collapse in 2008. This is yet another giveaway from our friends on the other side of the aisle to the wealthy donors who bankroll their campaigns, and, once again, working people will get screwed. Congress established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect the middle class from the big banks and corporate special interests. Since 2010, the CFPB has returned nearly $12 billion to consumers in all 50 States. It has been a big step forward for working people, but this bill turns the clock back. Republicans are going to let the banks write the same risky loans that got us into the Great Recession in the first place. This is a bad deal for the American people. They deserve better. Let's defeat this bill and put working families first.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in strong support of the FIRST STEP Act. I supported this bipartisan bill in committee because it will help more ex-offenders reenter the workforce. It will reduce recidivism. The FIRST STEP Act is just a first step in fixing our criminal justice system. We all realize there is a lot more to do and a lot more we must do, but this is an important start. I would remind everyone that the bill allows prisoners to earn an additional 7 days off their sentence each year they demonstrate good behavior. It funds important job training, drug treatment, and education services. It prohibits the shackling of pregnant women and improves compassionate release. These are all very good provisions. It will not only reduce recidivism; it will enhance the safety of our communities by making sure folks have the ability to enter drug treatment, enter job training, and avail themselves of educational services. These are all commonsense ideas. I hope that everyone will support this legislation. I want to thank, particularly, my colleague Hakeem Jeffries for his strong leadership in these difficult negotiations, and I urge my colleagues to vote for the FIRST STEP and then commit themselves to continuing to build on this, because there is much more work to do in sentencing reform and criminal justice reform broadly.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. We pride ourselves on being the most deliberative body on the planet, and all of us come here to contribute our best ideas to improve the lives of the American people. You wonder why this place doesn't work? It is the whole set of exclusion of ideas from nearly half this body. I am one of those people who has offered just about 25 amendments that were blocked by the Republicans. What are they afraid of? Debate your ideas. Make your arguments. Vote. Be held accountable. Some of the things they blocked, the amendments I offered: an amendment to increase student loan interest tax deductions in our tax bill; a provision to end tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas; an amendment to increase funding to combat violent extremism; and an amendment to increase funding for fire departments in the SAFER grants. Those are just four examples. Their practice, they marked an important moment in history, not a good moment: the most closed Congress in the history of the United States, excluding from consideration debate, argument, and accountability. Vote on these things so the American people know where you stand. That is what we have here, over 1,000 ideas proffered by Democrats that our Republican colleagues won't even bring to the floor for consideration so the American people know where they stand on a range of important issues. This is a dark day for Congress, the most closed Congress in our history. It means the voices of the American people as reflected in nearly half of this body are not being considered, debated, and voted upon by the Congress. It is wrong. It is negatively impacting the lives of the American people. There are real consequences. It is not just that we want our own amendments considered. It is because we understand it will benefit the American people. I urge my colleagues to have some self-reflection on what they are doing here.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, due to a flight delay I was forced to miss tonight's votes. Had I been present, I would have supported the three bills considered under suspension of the rules. I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 4830, the SIT-REP Act. I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 4451, the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act. I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 3832, the Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of National Police Week, an important celebration of the men and women who serve our communities as members of law enforcement. This week, we also observed Peace Officers Memorial Day and remembered all of those members of the thin blue line who have lost their lives so the rest of us can be safe. Throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to work with so many brave Rhode Island police officers, and I am particularly proud that when I was mayor of the city of Providence, as a result of a citywide community policing model, we saw the lowest crime rate in the city in 40 years. That was because of the wonderful trust that had been developed between the community and the police department, and the police department being willing to fully engage in the life of the community. Police officers served on housing boards and community center boards and became part of the community, and, of course, that work continues today. There are many, many stories about the extraordinary heroism and dedication and hard work of our men and women in uniform, but very often their really heroic work is in these untold stories. One of those stories I would like to talk about tonight is a story that really exemplifies the important work that police do in our communities that makes a real difference in the lives of those they serve. Earlier this year, the Pawtucket Police Department went above and beyond the call of duty to help a family in the city of Pawtucket. Hilary Bilbraut and her family were getting ready to celebrate their daughter, Destiny's, ninth birthday. Destiny, who suffers from a rare blood disorder that causes high fevers, had been eagerly waiting for her birthday trip to Legoland in Florida, where she could take pictures with her beloved camera. Instead, Destiny and her family came home to an apartment ransacked by thieves. They took everything they could get their hands on. They took the family television. They took Destiny's camera. They took her tickets to Legoland. They even took her birthday cake. In describing the aftermath to police, Hilary said the thieves stole more than just that: they stole Destiny's peace of mind. Since the break-in, she had been haunted by nightmares and constantly crying. Pawtucket Police Officer Brian Beech was the first to respond to the break-in. Officer Beech was heartbroken by Destiny's story. He immediately began reaching out to his fellow officers for donations to help replace the stolen items. Working together with Sergeant Kenneth Dolan, officers of the Pawtucket Police Department raised $400 to replace the television. One of the officers donated his camera. They contacted Queen B's Cakery in Johnston, who donated a birthday cake. They even reached out to Legoland, who put together a trip to replace Destiny's stolen tickets, complete with a limousine ride to the airport. Destiny was ecstatic. She was already talking about returning the gesture. When asked why they went above and beyond, Sergeant Dolan said: We wanted to show her that there are more good people in the world than bad. Mr. Speaker, this is just one example showing exactly why police officers do what they do. The men and women of our Nation's law enforcement deserve our utmost respect and our deepest gratitude. I look forward to working with my colleagues here in Congress, members of the Rhode Island State and local law enforcement agencies, and local community leaders on the ways we can continue to support our great men and women in uniform. I want to thank Congressman Knight for organizing this Special Order hour this evening. Our last evening had to get postponed, but I really appreciate, Mr. Speaker, the opportunity to offer a few thoughts this evening during National Police Week to say thank you again to the men and women who serve in our community to keep us safe, who do incredibly dangerous work and without whom we would not have safe communities.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to affordable healthcare and prescription drugs, President Trump and the Republicans are forcing the American people to swallow a raw deal. They have voted to dismantle protections for preexisting conditions. They have voted to raise out-of-pocket expenses. They have voted to take away health coverage from 23 million Americans. And they gave billions of dollars in tax breaks to pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare organizations. Last week, President Trump outlined his plan to further line the pockets of big drug companies and their CEOs. Democrats have A Better Deal. Our plan will fundamentally reform the pharmaceutical industry, will put government on the side of consumers and middle class families--not giant corporations--by cracking down on outrageous prescription drug price increases, allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices for drugs, and requiring drug manufacturers to publicly release hard data justifying any significant price increase. This is the kind of deal the American people deserve: A Better Deal that will produce higher wages, lower costs, and the tools to succeed in the 21st century--not the raw deal that the President and the Republicans are offering on prescription drugs.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 185.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and the underlying Republican farm bill, which could devastate working families, seniors, and the vulnerable who rely on food assistance. Currently, more than 41 million Americans receive benefits through the Federal food assistance program known as SNAP. Close to two-thirds are children, the elderly, and the disabled. However, this partisan bill would reduce SNAP benefits by $23.3 billion, denying hundreds of thousands of American families who rely on this food support. Millions more will see their benefits reduced because Republicans are recklessly increasing the burden on recipients and changing eligibility requirements. In December, Republicans passed a tax bill benefiting the wealthiest Americans and the most powerful corporate special interests. This Republican tax scam increases our national debt by $2 trillion over the next 10 years, and now our Republican colleagues are hypocritically trying to pay for these huge tax cuts for the wealthy by taking away resources for Americans who need them most. Republicans are using this formerly bipartisan process to continue to undermine the well-being of children, the elderly, and the disabled to give gifts to the wealthy. This goes against everything we stand for as a country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the rule and to oppose the bill.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, prescription drug prices are rising at an unprecedented rate, unsustainable for most American families. In fact, Americans pay double what people in other countries pay for prescription drugs. Our per capita prescription drug spending is higher than any other country. That is why last July, Democrats outlined a bold new plan to give the American people a better deal on prescription drug costs. Our plan cracks down on price gouging, allows Medicare to negotiate discounted prices, and requires new levels of transparency for big drug companies. But more than 10 months since Democrats offered a way forward, President Trump and Republicans are still silent. Instead of addressing this crisis, the President and his allies in Congress have made the problem even worse. They tried to take away healthcare from 23 million Americans on more than one occasion. They gave the pharmaceutical industry a huge tax cut, and they made it even harder for working men and women to get ahead. Democrats are putting the needs of working people first, ahead of big pharmaceutical companies, and we are going to keep fighting until the American people get a better deal on prescription drugs.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 5645, the so-called SMARTER Act, an assault on the Federal Trade Commission's ability to vigorously promote competition through merger enforcement. Over a century ago, Congress responded to waves of consolidation by creating the Federal Trade Commission to promote, development, and protect competition and the antitrust laws. There is longstanding, bipartisan consensus that the Commission's use of administrative litigation to address anticompetitive mergers and conduct is core to this mission. This includes the former Republican and Democratic chairs of the Commission under George W. Bush and the Obama administrations, who have each raised serious concerns about this legislation, precisely because it eliminates a tool that has been critical in combating anti-competitive mergers and conduct, including mergers that would have raised Americans' cost of healthcare. Top Republican antitrust enforcers have long supported the use of administrative litigation in merger enforcement to promote competition and develop the antitrust laws. In 2003, Joseph Simons, who was appointed by President Trump and recently confirmed as the chairman of the Commission, stated as director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition that administrative litigation has ``substantial public policy benefits.'' He also referred to this tool as ``an instrument for developing the law'' that ``increases the transparency of Commission decisionmaking through carefully written opinions that accompany a Commission final litigated order can give considerable guidance to the bar and the business community on applicable standards and enforcement policy.'' And in 2004, Barry Nigro, who also served as a director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition under the George W. Bush administration, and was appointed by President Trump to serve in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division, stated that the ``volume of administrative litigation is no accident. It reflects our belief in administrative litigation as a way to take advantage of the FTC's expertise in the development of antitrust jurisprudence, particularly in the kind of complex matters that the FTC was created to address.'' Nevertheless, proponents of the SMARTER Act argue that the outcome of a transaction should not depend on a ``coin flip'' to determine which antitrust agency will review a transaction. But this claim is untethered from how antitrust enforcement actually works in the vast majority of cases. In fact, the determination of the moving party is determined by each agency's jurisdictional district, or areas committed by statute, and consistent with a well-developed body of case law, and not by a coin toss. In the most comprehensive study of administrative litigation to date, Republican FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen debunked procedural concerns with administrative litigation as ``mostly anecdotal or theoretical,'' concluding it has been a transformative tool for advancing competition policy. And last Congress, Jonathan Jacobson, a leading antitrust attorney, who currently serves as the chair of the American Bar Association's section on antitrust law, testified that, in his decades of practice, he has never seen a merger that turned on the differences that the SMARTER Act seeks to address. In fact, less than 2 percent of all mergers are blocked by the antitrust agencies, and an even smaller percentage of these cases go to trial. The FTC also has a pristine record when using this authority. It has won six out of seven cases before the Supreme Court, and five of these were brought through administrative litigation. We should, therefore, be deeply skeptical about baseless speculation and support of the bill. Empty rhetoric is no substitute for evidence that the SMARTER Act actually solves a real problem. But even more importantly, this bill is a major step in the wrong direction on making our economy work for everybody. There is overwhelming evidence that concentrated economic power is at historic levels in this country, and has structurally weakened competition on an economy-wide basis. This lack of competition is a fundamental threat to the economic opportunity of hardworking Americans who want lower prices, more and better services, and better wages. We need more competition, not less. As the nonpartisan Open Markets Institute notes, ``Given the severity of the concentration problem in America today, and its economic and political consequences, Congress should be looking to enhance the powers of all of America's antimonopoly agencies.'' House and Senate Democrats have proposed a better deal to enhance competition to reduce lower prices and more choices for consumers. Instead of undermining antitrust enforcement on the basis of purely speculative harms--as H.R. 5645 would do--we should be giving the antitrust agencies the resources and tools they need to robustly enforce the law. In closing, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation, which does nothing to reduce concentrated economic power or address the economic challenges working people face every day and, in fact, will make the problem worse. It will make it easier to consolidate economic power in the way that undermines consumer choices, consumer costs, and will ultimately undermine hardworking American families. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I would like to begin by reminding everyone that the Financial Protection Bureau, under the leadership of Director Cordray, returned $12 billion to American consumers, including $140 million in enforcement and consumer savings related to auto loans. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to S.J. Res. 57, a direct attack on people of color, vulnerable persons, and any other person of a protected class who is subject to financial discrimination by auto lenders. This resolution is an unambiguous stamp of approval for Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney's agenda to shutter the CFPB by removing its ability to protect consumers and police discriminatory lending policies. But aside from my deep, substantive concerns with this resolution, I am fundamentally opposed to this reckless and unprecedented use of the Congressional Review Act. The legislative history and plain reading of the statute make it clear that the CRA was designed to provide Congress with an opportunity to review new rules, not long-established agency guidance. But because this archaic law was poorly designed--it actually requires agencies to physically submit thousands of rules every year in triplicate by courier--it is inevitable that some guidance will not be physically received by Congress for purposes of the CRA. Today's resolution to disapprove guidance issued 5 years ago on procedural grounds makes it painfully obvious that the CRA has not only been horribly misused by Republicans, but it is irredeemably broken as well. In this Congress alone, Republicans have repealed more than a dozen critical protections for hardworking Americans with little notice or debate. And how many jobs will this reckless agenda create, Mr. Speaker? None. We know this because President Trump's director of legislative affairs was asked whether these rollbacks would spur employment growth, and he conceded they would not. So, if not to create jobs, stimulate the economy, or help working families, why vacate these commonsense rules? Corporate money, Mr. Speaker. According to a report by Public Citizen, special interest groups spent more than $1 billion in lobbying and campaign expenditures in opposition to the 14 rules already repealed by this Congress. And last month, OMB Director Mulvaney told a room full of bank lobbyists that campaign contributions were a determining factor for who he met with while serving as a Member of Congress, a disgraceful signal to corporations that this is a pay-to-play administration that is for sale. That is why I have introduced the Sunset the CRA and Restore American Protections Act, or the SCRAP Act, to address this blatant abuse of process and to immediately restore the rules previously repealed by this Congress to the detriment of the American people. I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution, and I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the contribution that international students, scholars and their families make when we welcome them to this great country. Attracting international students makes our country better and is simply smart policy. To remain a global leader in STEM and in business, we need international students. They help America lead in technological innovation and scientific discoveries. Not only that, nearly one- quarter of the founders of the ``billion dollar startups'' first came to America as international students. Our economy is stronger because of international students and their families that supported 450,000 jobs and contributed nearly $37 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2016-2017 academic year. In my home state of Rhode Island, international students supported almost 2,500 jobs and contributed over $235 million to the state economy in the same period. Cross-cultural exchange between international students and U.S. students creates mutual respect for cultural differences. In some cases, future U.S. and foreign leaders will have studied or conducted research together, creating even more direct diplomatic ties beneficial to national security. Unfortunately, fewer international students are applying to study in the U.S. The number of newly arriving international students declined in fall 2017--with 45 percent of campuses reporting drops in new international enrollment according to the Institute of International Education. In February, for the first time in over a decade, the Council on Graduate Schools reported that international graduate student enrollment went down last fall. The current administration continues to spread anti-immigrant rhetoric and propose extremist limits on travel and immigration to our country. Many international students now see the U.S. as less welcoming to foreigners than other countries. There is also uncertainty about whether they will be granted visas to go to school and to work here. This is truly a loss for our country because we are in a global competition to attract international talent. Our country's loss will be another's gain, as these students will go to school in Canada, Australia, China or another country that has more welcoming policies. The month of May is a critical time when international students must commit to their college or university of choice. Therefore, I would like to recognize the vital economic, academic and cultural contributions that international students make and to say you are welcome here.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the en bloc amendment, which includes my amendment to H.R. 4. I thank the chairman and ranking member for their work on this important bill, as well as the inclusion of a section that would require airlines to provide consumers with a one-page description of their rights as passengers. My amendment will amend this section to ensure that passengers are notified of what compensation airlines provide--including rebooking options, refunds, meals, and lodging--if a passenger's flight is diverted. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for including this and for their efforts, and urge adoption of this very pro-consumer amendment.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, almost 2 years ago, Presidential candidate Donald Trump said: ``We are going to win so much, you are going to get tired of winning.'' It has been 16 months since Republicans took control of the White House and Congress, and the only people who are winning are the wealthy and well connected. The rest of America is getting a raw deal. The Republicans have failed to make healthcare more affordable. They have failed to invest in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. They failed to lower the cost of living for working families, and they failed to drain the swamp. The rigged system that they promised to tear down is now bigger and stronger than ever before. The wealthy and well connected are making out like bandits while working people are asked to sacrifice more and more each day. It doesn't have to be this way. Democrats are offering a better deal: a better deal to deliver better jobs, better wages for a better future; a better deal to raise incomes, lower the cost of living, and make sure the economy works for all Americans, not just those at the very top. Let's give the American people a better deal than the raw deal they are getting from the Republicans.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Music Modernization Act. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill. I am proud to come from the great State of Rhode Island, the State that sent the great Senator Claiborne Pell to Washington. It was Senator Pell who authored the bill that established the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Senator Pell knew that the greatness of our Nation is not only defined by the strength of our military or the value of our GDP, but by our ability to promote and protect our culture and history through the arts and humanities. In keeping with that tradition today, Congress moves to make sure that artists and their creations are protected under the Music Modernization Act. Music has always been a part of our culture and history. The power of music has brought people together in moments of celebration and soothed people in difficult times. Music transcends political, ethnic, and religious boundaries. The Music Modernization Act is the culmination of years of debate and negotiation with various stakeholders. We held dozens of hearings and heard from artists, producers, and industry experts to develop a solution that reflects the changing landscape of how people consume music and ensures creators are fairly compensated. From the start, we were committed to making sure this bill was bipartisan and a compromise that everyone could support. Within the music community, this legislation brought together an unprecedented coalition of music publishers, record labels, songwriters, composers, artists, and performance rights organizations. The result was a bill that is meant for the digital age and recognizes the contributions that many people are involved in during the creation of a song. For the first time, this bill will set up a collective that can give out blanket mechanical licenses to streaming services and ensure proper payments to songwriters and publishers. Importantly, this bill also ensures compensation for pre-1972 artists who have been left out of the Federal copyright system for far too long. It also provides a clearer process for engineers, mixers, and producers to collect royalties. It has been a privilege to be a part of this historic moment. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Music Modernization Act, and I want to thank Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Collins, Mr. Deutch, Chairman Goodlatte, and Ranking Member Nadler for their extraordinary leadership in accomplishing what is not only significant for our committee but significant for our ability to hear and appreciate and continue to nurture our souls with the beauty of music.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was tax day; and this year, millions of working men and women filed their taxes knowing that Republicans want them to bear the costs so corporate special interests and the wealthiest Americans can get a gigantic tax cut. Even worse, the new Republican tax law will raise the deficit by more than $2 trillion, meaning Medicare and Social Security are now on the chopping block according to Republican leaders. This is not what we were elected to do. Working Americans deserve a better deal. Working families deserve a real and permanent tax cut, not the scam that they got. It has been decades since we have asked the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. No secretary, no janitor, and no mid-level employee should have to pay a higher tax rate than the CEO of their company. It is long past time to fix this broken system and pass the Buffett rule. Mr. Speaker, we should be promoting policies that give families the tools not just to get by, but to get ahead, instead of further rigging the system to benefit the billionaires, millionaires, and America's biggest corporations. It is time for real tax reform and to undo the tax scam that is going to hurt so many in our country.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, it would slash Social Security by $308 billion, Medicare by $239 billion, and Medicaid by $114 billion in 1 year alone. Mr. Speaker, if Republicans are truly concerned about reducing the deficit, they should start with repealing their tax bill that added trillions of dollars to the deficit. Congress cannot under any circumstances pass this legislation, which is a direct threat to the health and safety of all Americans, and will decimate social safety net programs for veterans, retirees, and children. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''