Matt Cartwright

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

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

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, to respond to my colleague from Colorado who has just cited two cases where, under existing law and procedure, fraudulent joinder of bad faith insurance claims was claimed and actually succeeded, the proof is right there. The statute does not need to be amended. It is working already. That is why we don't need to include bad faith insurance cases in the Wrongdoers Protection Act for multistate and multinational corporations. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Anthracite Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air- Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) as they celebrate National Engineers Week. ASHRAE was originally formed in 1894 as the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers. With more than 50,000 members spanning the globe, ASHRAE aims to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world. Established in 1951, National Engineers Week is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by promoting careers in engineering and technology. National Engineers Week represents a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, with over 50 corporations and government agencies dedicated to raising public awareness on the effect engineering plays in our daily life. National Engineers Week honors the parents, teachers, and mentors who instill the importance of a math, science, and technological literacy in students and motivate them to pursue careers in engineering. Modern engineering has solved many of the major challenges we face in the modern world. From designing efficient building systems to rebuilding towns devastated by natural disasters, the efforts of our engineers contribute to our nation's well-being and quality of life. It is a great privilege to recognize these honorable men and women, who are committed to using their scientific skills and specialized knowledge to create and innovate in order to fulfill society's growing needs.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Thomas Tigue, who passed away Monday, February 1, 2016. As a war veteran, school board member, state representative, father, and grandfather, Tom's life was one dedicated to helping others. Tom will be honored posthumously by the Pittston Sunday Dispatch, receiving the paper's Joseph Saporito Sr. Lifetime of Service Award. Born and raised in Hughestown, Thomas was a graduate of St. John the Evangelist High School in Pittston in 1964. He received his degree in Government from King's College in Wilkes-Barre while also serving as a reservist in the Marine Corps. Following graduation, Tom married and deployed to Vietnam. While serving as an Infantry Platoon Commander, Thomas earned a Silver Star for gallantry in combat. He remained with the Marine Corps Reserve for 27 years before returning to work as a counselor at Hickory Run State Park in White Haven and as a computer program analyst for Metropolitan Life Insurance, both while taking business classes at King's College. From 1977-1979, Tigue served on the Pittston Area School Board. In 1980, Tom was elected as a Representative for the 118th Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving the residents of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Monroe counties. He remained in the State House for 26 years, retiring in 2006. During his tenure, Thomas served as the Democratic Chair of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, where he helped establish the Military Family Relief Assistance Program which provides assistance to eligible Pennsylvania service members and their family members financially impacted by military service. After his service in the legislature, Thomas worked as Managing Director of the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council until his retirement in 2010. It is an honor to recognize an individual who led a truly outstanding life. I am grateful for all of the work Thomas did for his community and for the people of Pennsylvania. His passing, only six months after his wife Dianne's passing, is deeply saddening, and he will be greatly missed by the many people he helped.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor J. Brad Jones, Director of Continuous Process Improvement at Tobyhanna Army Depot. Brad will be retiring on March 3, 2016 after more than 37 years of service to the Department of the Army and Tobyhanna Army Depot. From the rank of first line supervisor to his most recent service as a Senior Director, Brad has been a key member of Tobyhanna for decades. Over the course of his career, Brad has made significant contributions to Tobyhanna Army Depot. His insight and input made him a valued member of each core team that developed and implemented plans to reorganize and modernize the installation as it evolved. In 1991, Brad was a member of the Department of Defense Study Team for the Consolidation of Ground Communications--Electronics, which established the foundation for pivotal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decisions in 1995. He developed the strategy and tactics to defend Tobyhanna from the threat of closure and resulted in the transfer of U.S. Air Force work from California to Tobyhanna. In 2005, he was Team Leader of the Tobyhanna BRAC group, which resulted in the transfer of Navy and Marine Corps workload from two sites in California to Tobyhanna. Brad helped lead Tobyhanna's effort that resulted in the award of seven Shingo medals for manufacturing excellence and the 2012 Department of Army Lean-Six Sigma Excellence Award. Brad was a team leader in attaining accreditation and the continued certification of Tobyhanna Army Depot under International Standards Organization 9001 for Quality, as well as under Aerospace Standards 9100/9110. These standards of excellence helped Tobyhanna maintain its competitive edge. Brad was also known for his interpersonal skills with employees, labor officials, and managers. As Director of Personnel and Chief of Management Employee Relations, he was able to streamline processes and cut red tape. As Depot Operations Officer and Chief of Staff, he ensured success of the day-to-day mission and base support operations of the depot, while coordinating the administrative actions of the Tobyhanna Army Depot Command Group and Headquarters. It is an honor to recognize J. Brad Jones for such an extraordinary career. I am grateful for all of his efforts for the sake of our nation's military. I wish him the best, and may he enjoy a long and fulfilling retirement.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I am embarking on completing my fourth year here in the United States House of Representatives. Four years ago I ran for the Congress, in part, to support the Affordable Care Act. There is a group of beneficiaries of the ACA that is often not discussed, and it is hospitals. I come from a part of northeastern Pennsylvania where the hospitals bore the brunt--and this is true all over America--bore the brunt of having to treat uninsured patients. People would show up on the doorsteps of the hospital and have to be treated. Well, the hospital has to absorb that when they treat uninsured patients. So what we saw over and over in my district in northeastern Pennsylvania was hospitals were closing. I know why. I sat on the board of directors of a small hospital. When you absorb it and you absorb it and you absorb the uninsured care year after year, eventually they start cutting back on nurses, start cutting back on essential services. Finally, there is nothing left to cut and they close the hospital. That is a terrible detriment to your health care when your hospital is no longer 10 minutes away and it is 40 minutes away. That can be the difference between life and death. That is why the Affordable Care Act is something that I supported. We should not dismantle it. I urge Members to vote against this bill.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, my amendment seeks to return abandoned mine lands funding to its originally intended focus, which is to support the communities that are struggling due to their legacy of mining. This funding, roughly $600 million over 10 years, will assist struggling coal communities in diversifying their economies, increasing human capital development, and stimulating economic growth. The funding for this investment in mining communities comes from States that have been certified by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement as having already reclaimed their abandoned mines. These States are, therefore, receiving money from a program dedicated to helping communities deal with the impact of mining, but the Federal Government has certified that they have already dealt with those impacts. In fact, one State took $10 million of this funding to renovate a basketball arena. Meanwhile, States in Appalachia are facing the combined calamity of a collapsing coal industry and the environmental legacy of over a century of mining. In Scranton, Pennsylvania, for example, that legacy includes 65 million gallons of acid mine runoff every day. Every day, there are 65 million gallons of acid mine runoff flowing into the river. Across northeastern Pennsylvania, there are thousands of miles of streams impacted by mine drainage, many of which are totally devoid of aquatic life. On top of these environmental impacts, the decreased demand for Appalachian coal has devastated communities and workers who have built their lives and built their families around the coal industry. This amendment is for them and to help rejuvenate these small communities across Appalachia and in other regions. Nearly all the biggest coal companies in the United States are teetering on the brink of collapse. Several have been removed from the New York Stock Exchange due to their valuations falling too low. Just yesterday, Arch Coal, one of the biggest coal companies in the country, filed for bankruptcy. For the families that depend on these jobs, these benefits, and these pensions, we have to act. We cannot be dispassionate bystanders as the rug is pulled out from under these communities. They deserve our support. Now, this amendment recognizes the fact that coal helped to build this country, coal spurred the industrial revolution and powered us through two world wars. The communities of Appalachia that proudly dug the coal that powered America through the 20th century have earned the support they need to diversify their local economies, and that is what this amendment works toward. The sponsors of the underlying bill, the STREAM Act, purport to be concerned about jobs in the Appalachian regions. If that is their concern, then they should also support my amendment, which will create jobs in the communities that need them most and continue to have to spend money on reclaiming abandoned mines. For that reason, I urge my colleagues--and especially those of you who represent mining areas, as I do--to vote ``yes'' on this amendment to revitalize historic mining communities. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chair, with all due respect--and I do have ample respect for my colleague from Wyoming--I will say this: Taxing it is not the issue here. Regulating it is not the issue here. Subsidizing it is not the issue here. We are talking about money that has already been allocated. In fact, Wyoming itself is slated to get $53.8 million. The point here is that this is money that is going to States that are already certified as having properly finished their mine reclamation. The proposal of this amendment is to take that money--it is not new tax, it is not new regulation, it is not a new subsidy--it is just take that money and spread it out among the States that are still reclaiming their mines, including northeastern Pennsylvania and all of Pennsylvania. We are talking about taking it from the four States that have been certified by the Federal Government as having completed their mine reclamation and spreading it out among the States that have not done so completely at this point and continue to work on it. Further, this is money that is not being taken from the tribes. I am not sure where that idea came from. It is money that is given to the States, not the tribes. Therefore, it makes sense to send it to the communities where the mines are still causing trouble and are still being reclaimed. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the Cartwright amendment to H.R. 1644. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I rise this morning to add my voice to those speaking against this anticonsumer bill and to remind my colleagues, if I can, of what it is to be an American. One of the signal features of American citizenship is that we have rights. We have rights to property, to liberty, to our privacy. We have rights to be free of negligently inflicted injury and death. We have rights to be free of dangerous and defective products. We have rights that are enforced in court. These are rights that are respected. To the point Representative Cohen made, people around the world envy us for our rights, our Bill of Rights, our full spectrum of rights. People envy us all over the world for our individual rights. But these individual rights are no good unless you can go to court and enforce them. And make no mistake, Mr. Chair, the people who are bringing this bill and who are behind it are the ones who routinely get hauled into court to account for causing injuries and violations of American individual rights. They are the ones behind this bill. The bill is wrong. Cutting back on American individual rights is wrong, too. So I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 1927.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Larry Holmes, who reigned as World Boxing Council Heavyweight Champion from 1978 to 1983, and who will be honored with the installment of a bronze statue depicting the Champ about to strike a punch. His accomplishments not only made the City of Easton known nationally, they also inspired others to strive to be their best, to be a champ. The statue unveiling held on Sunday, December 13 commenced with a Championship Parade that began on 3rd Street in front of the new Easton City Hall and continued onto the Drive named in the Champ's honor and down to the statue's location in Scott Park on the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers. ``The Easton Assassin'' grew up in the projects. At the age of 13, he dropped out of school to support his family. At the age of 19, he started boxing and pursued a legendary career. His left jab is rated among the best in boxing history. An impressive 44 of his 69 wins were from knockouts. Holmes was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008. Larry Holmes is not just a champ for his boxing; he is a champ for his service to the community. After retiring from boxing, Holmes became a businessman and invested in his hometown. He is noted to have employed more than 200 people through his various business holdings at one time including Larry Holmes Enterprises, a real estate and property management company; two restaurants; a training facility; and an office complex. Over the years, he has been a role model for young fighters, and he has supported various charities and youth groups throughout the Lehigh Valley, in particular the Easton Area Community Center (EACC), which used to be known as St. Anthony's Youth Center--the place where he first learned to box. Later, and thanks to Holmes, the EACC's annual fundraiser became well-known as an event attended by boxing champions. Holmes can often be seen at community events and performing with his band. It is an honor for me to recognize Larry Holmes. He has been a good son to Easton. Through this statue, visitors for generations will see the heart of a legend.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Mayor of the Borough of West Easton, PA, the Honorable Gerald W. Gross, for his 50 years of service as an elected official. His accomplishments were recognized by the West Easton Borough Council on the evening of Monday, December 14. Mayor Gross first held an official role in West Easton as a member of the Borough Council. It was a position he held for twenty years. In 1986, he was sworn in as the Mayor of West Easton. He has been the mayor for thirty years. Known to be a patient and giving man, Mayor Gross would take calls from home to hear complaints and questions from Borough residents. He owns a landscaping business and often donates free materials and services to the Borough to maintain parks and recreational areas. As a dedicated leader, Mayor Gross closely oversaw several large community projects, such as the installment of public sewer lines and the planning and construction of the West Easton municipal building. He also led planning and preparations for the Borough's centennial celebration in 1998, which was ended with a fireworks display. Mayor Gross has been ardent in his efforts to boost economic development in the Borough. A notable accomplishment was his role in the establishment of a new Northampton County leased DUI Treatment Center in 2012, which generates $50,000 in impact fees for the Borough's general fund. Additionally, he has worked to make the community and its parks safe and clean in order to promote West Easton as a great place for families. Mayor Gross is also known to be someone who can bring people together. He believes much can be done when people are willing to compromise, and he stresses the importance of listening to each other and staying focused on the greater good of the community. His good works have served as a role model for his daughter, Kelly Gross, who was first elected to West Easton Borough Council in 1993 and currently serves as Council President. It is an honor for me to recognize Mayor Gerald Gross for his generous nature and his lifetime of service. With a will to do for others, he has improved his community and inspired the next generation of leaders.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, this motion represents an opportunity for Members of this House to acknowledge that climate damage is a threat, and that we have a moral obligation to fight it, an opportunity for Members to bring themselves into line with the overwhelming weight of scientific research and authority, bring themselves into line with a huge and growing mass of American corporations that have acknowledged climate damage, and have taken green energy pledges. It is an opportunity for Members to bring themselves into line with over 200 other nations that are gathering, even as we speak, in France, people who are baffled that responsible adults in elected positions in our Nation continue to deny what is reality. And it is an opportunity for Members to avoid a danger, a danger that their pollsters and their party leaders and their political advisers have failed to warn them about, and that is the danger of the judgment of history. Make no mistake, future generations are watching. In fact, they are already judging our actions. Our young people in this Nation understand that they are the ones who will pay dearly for the politics that has taken over this issue, the politics that lead this Congress to inaction, despite the outcry from the scientific and worldwide community that we must act before it is too late. Mr. Speaker, I am not here to condemn Members for initial hesitation on climate damage. Who am I to judge? After all, as humans, when we discover a threat, at first it is reasonable and natural for us to question or attempt to deny that the threat is real, especially when it is the kind of threat that, to meet it, requires strong, immediate, and decisive action. In fact, denial is such a common reaction that aircraft pilots call it ``normalcy bias,'' the initial refusal to believe that things are not normal, the desire to not believe the warning signals when they say something is gravely wrong. They teach pilots about normalcy bias because, when the warning lights go on, wishing those lights were off or hoping that they are wrong is not a valid course of action. Instead, it is the very most dangerous way of handling the situation. Mr. Speaker, the warning lights are on. So what we need to do is get past our denial phase, get past our normalcy bias, and take strong, immediate, and decisive action. And I say to you, that is the American way of handling a threat to our people. What we do here in America, the best of us, we examine it closely, a threat. We put our best minds on the problem, and we tackle the problem and take immediate, strong, and decisive action. That is how the bravest and the best of us in America have always behaved in the face of threat, and that is how the Greatest Generation did it. Sticking our heads in the sand, pretending a serious problem will go away on its own, and doing nothing in the face of a grave threat is not the American way, and it never was. Again, Mr. Speaker, I am not here to condemn anyone for his or her initial hesitation on climate damage. Instead, I offer this opportunity to my colleagues across the aisle because I refuse to believe that they truly do not understand the climate crisis we face. I present this motion to recommit as a chance for this Congress to avoid the harsh light and the implacable judgment of the historians, who will not hesitate to include us on their lists of the greatest ignoramuses of all time, to lump us in without fear of contradiction, with the worst, lantern-jawed simpletons of history, historians who will unmercifully tell our grandchildren and their grandchildren just how dumb we were if we do not take action to prevent damage to our climate. So I invite my fellow Members, all of you, vote ``yes'' on this motion, acknowledging that climate change is real. The warning lights are on, they are brighter than ever, and the rest of the world is taking them seriously. Let's show the world and all of history that America is ready to take the lead in tackling this threat. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I am opposed to it in its current form.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this rule. This bill, H.R. 4038, was rushed to the floor with no hearings, no opportunities for amendments, none of the things that Speaker Ryan promised us about an open process, a bottom-up process. Now, I agree that preventing dangerous actors from entering the United States is paramount, and I also agree that we must be strong in our resolve to confront and defeat terrorism wherever it comes from. But I submitted an amendment to this bill which would have excluded women and children from the extra and potentially onerous process this bill would enact for refugee vetting. Refugees from this region already undergo a far more rigorous screening process than anybody else seeking admission to this country. The process takes, on average, between 18 and 24 months--and longer, in many cases--before a refugee sets foot on U.S. soil. Surely this process is sufficient for women and children, widows and orphans of terrorism who are particularly vulnerable during conflicts while fleeing, who come from refugee camps. It means that this bill is particularly punitive for them if it means they have additional wait time. Imposing that kind of additional wait time while going through unnecessary bureaucratic steps to vet those low-risk individuals makes no sense. Speaker Ryan, I oppose this rule because you are not living up to your promise. We ought to have debate. We ought to have hearings, and you ought to allow amendments like this one that would make an exception for widows and orphans.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Boy Scout Troop 16, which will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary on November 28, 2015, at Genetti's Banquet Hall in Dickson City, Pennsylvania. Troop 16 has a long history of upholding the values of the Boy Scouts of America and serving its community with dignity and honor. Established in 1915, Troop 16 was organized through the efforts of Pennsylvania Representative, John Scheuer. William Longcor served as the initial Scoutmaster of Troop 16. The Troop's first camping trip took place at Lake Ariel during the summer 1915 under the supervision of Scoutmaster Longcor and Assistant Scoutmaster Walter E. Mohr. The troop's inaugural banquet was held in December 1915, and the first Parents' night was in June 1916. The Troop completed its first Council Camp in 1919 at Bidwell's Pond. Troop 16 has taken numerous camping expeditions over the years, including ones to Mountain Lake, Camp Grieser, Gettysburg, Camp Lackawanna, Washington D.C., Valley Forge, and Goose Pond. In the 1970s, the Troop participated in Scout Expositions at the Watres Armory in Scranton, with Troop 16 winning several awards. In 2008 and 2014, the Troop sent crews to High Adventure at the Florida Sea Base in the Florida Keys. Since its founding, Troop 16 has attended Summer Camp at Goose Pond and has the distinction of counting 238 Eagle Scouts as alumni. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Boy Scout Troop 16 as it celebrates a century of service. These scouts' and leaders' devotion to scouting has enriched the lives of many and has had a lasting, positive impact on their community. I wish the Troop the best as it continues to uphold the traditions of the Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Donna and Michael Barbetti, recipients of the 2015 Sam and Jane Cali Star Award from the Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Broadway Theatre of Northeastern Pennsylvania was established in 1959 by the late Benno and Gertrude Levy. The Levy's love for theatre stirred their desire to bring Broadway to Scranton, thus providing access to this unique American art form to the citizens of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Broadway Theatre was blessed with a great board president for many years, the late Sam Cali, whose dedication and support moved the organization into the new millennium. Each year, the Sam and Jane Cali Star Award is presented to a distinguished community leader who has demonstrated exemplary dedication and service to the arts in northeastern Pennsylvania. Donna and Michael Barbetti are longtime patrons of the arts and were jointly chosen for the award by a committee that wished to recognize their history of support. Donna and Michael Barbetti are residents of the City of Scranton. Donna is a Registered Dietician with a Master's Degree from Marywood in Food and Nutrition. In addition to her involvement with the Broadway Theatre League, Donna is the President of the Lackawanna County Women's Commission and is a board member of the Pennsylvania Women's Commission. She also is a board member of St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen and the Scranton Area Foundation, and she is on the Advisory Board for Penn State Worthington Campus. Michael is a Certified Public Accountant and operates his own private practice. He sits on the Board of Directors for Broadway in Scranton. Michael has also served as Chairman of the Board for the ARC of NEPA, The March of Dimes, and as a board member of Allied Services. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Donna and Michael Barbetti. Their selfless devotion to the arts has enriched the lives of many and has had a lasting, positive impact on the quality of life in northeastern Pennsylvania

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the National Federation of the Blind who celebrate 75 years of service for the vision impaired. Established in November 1940 by Jacobus tenBroek, The National Federation of the Blind has prided itself for the better part of a century as being the voice of the blind Americans. The Federation's initial convention took place in Wilkes-Barre, PA, uniting organizations of the blind from across seven states under one constitution. Once established, the NFB advocated for financial security, equal employment opportunity and equal access to housing, transportation and places of public accommodation. Today, the National Federation of the Blind is America's largest organization of the blind with affiliates in all 50 states and over 50,000 members. Within the Federation are dozens of subsidiaries, such as the National Association of Blind Students, the National Association of Blind Lawyers, The National Association of Blind Merchants, the National Association of the Blind in Communities of Faith, and the National Association of Guide Dog Users. This vast network helps to educate the general public as well as legislators and policy makers at the local, state, and national levels. In addition, the NFB facilitates mentoring relationships, provides Braille certification courses, and has a division dedicated to educating the public about the use of guide dogs. It is an honor to recognize the National Federation of the Blind for celebrating their 75th Anniversary. I congratulate them on the great strides they have made to advance the welfare of men and women with vision impairments. May they continue their honorable work promoting and defending the interests of the blind in America.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, this bill uses ``streamlining'' the regulatory process, which is a euphemism for ``steamrolling'' over bedrock environmental laws. In fact, it dedicates 50 pages of this bill to paving over the National Environmental Policy Act, also known as NEPA, as well as the National Historic Preservation Act, NHPA. I know it is popular in Republican circles to blame environmental regulations for all of our Nation's ills, but that doesn't make it true. In fact, the evidence tells us an entirely different story. The Federal Highway Administration reported several years ago, before all of this steamrolling started, that more than 90 percent of NEPA reviews for highway projects were accomplished through a categorical exclusion process that takes only a few days. For the few--and we are talking about only 4 percent--highway projects which do require an environmental impact statement, the end result is often savings for the taxpayers and better projects that cause less harm to the environment and to our communities. Earlier this year, a plan to improve U.S. Route 23 in Michigan was modified to avoid the largest loss of wetlands in the State's history and to preserve that habitat for migratory waterfowl prized by hunters. In New Jersey, in 2012, construction on the Route 53 causeway to Ocean City was completed after NEPA review helped them minimize private property takings as well as damage to tidal marshes. In my own home State of Pennsylvania, construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/I-95 Interchange Project is underway after a thorough and public NEPA review, which was conducted with the input and support of local residents and local government officials. This process led to the selection of a design with the fewest impacts to homes, businesses, and the local environment. NEPA does not lead to unnecessary delays; it leads to better outcomes. The real culprit in delaying highway projects is a lack of funding. To address that problem, the House majority will need to first look in the mirror. It is their draconian budget slashing that has left our transportation infrastructure in the disrepair that is in existence today. My amendment is simple, Mr. Chair. It would require us to evaluate the impacts of the last two rounds of regulatory steamrolling passed in the SAFETEA-LU bill and the MAP-21 bill before we take any further steps to gut environmental protection and historic preservation. This approach is perfectly reasonable because, while there is ample evidence that regulatory reform was not needed in the first place, there is exactly zero evidence that it has had any positive impact at all because no information has been collected on the matter. So the very least we can do, in the interest of responsible government, is evaluate the effects of the laws we pass before we declare the need for more of the same. Shirking our responsibility to appropriate highway dollars and instead just scapegoating laws that protect the American people from harm is simply dishonest. I do believe the sections of this bill that this amendment strikes are seriously flawed, and I do look forward to working with my colleagues on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the administration, and our friends in the Senate on achieving a more reasonable outcome. Mr. Chair, as the designee of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), I withdraw this amendment.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I rise as designee of Representative Grijalva, and I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. CARTWRIGHT

Mr. CARTWRIGHT. I thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank. You have two types of people. You have practical people who care about real solutions for American workers and American businesses, and you have slaves to ideology. Practical people want the Ex-Im Bank reauthorized. This is supporting good-paying, family-sustaining manufacturing export jobs, and the people in opposition are slavishly adhering to this ideology that hurts America. In this case, the Ex-Im Bank returns a profit to the American people and it reduces the deficit and the debt. We ought to reauthorize it.