Doug Collins

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for bringing that passion for helping others, for bringing that passion to teach. I have always said that I believe that those who want to get involved in politics and run for elected office, there are two things that they need to be a part of. Number one, they need to care for people deeply. They need to make sure that they have people at the first and foremost. They need to have alligator skin to let a lot of things roll off their back, but they also need to have a heart that cares. They also need to be willing to understand that our job involves teaching; and, Paul, I appreciate you sharing that. Our next speaker for the night, we share not only the privilege of serving the people's House, but we also shared, up until just recently, a common passion. We both served in the United States Air Force. General Bacon distinguished himself in that regard, helping our airmen all across the world, doing so with integrity and doing so with a passion for this country that he will bring to this floor, and we are excited about that. He will take that passion for what is really the concerns of the world and be a part of it. When I saw that in the Nebraska Home, when I went out there and was walking with him and seeing and listening to him talk, you could hear the desire to serve and to be a part of the wonderful heartland of America. I don't believe, Mr. Speaker, they could have sent a better witness to not only blue proud Air Force values, but also American values. And, hopefully, as we continue, all will see the Nebraska values shown in General Don Bacon. With that, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska's Second Congressional District (Mr. Bacon).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Again, we see the quality and we see who the American people have sent here, people like Andy Biggs. We got started with the REINS Act, a bill that I sponsored that talked about reining in regulations. Andy jumped in with a couple of amendments. He wanted to be a part of the solution to start with. Next up is a gentleman from Kentucky, the First District of Kentucky, Mr. Comer. He comes to us from a farm background. He wore the blue jacket and the green jacket, 4-H and FFA. He was the Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Kentucky. He has been a legislator. He also is a good friend of my Commissioner of Agriculture, Gary Black. Gary called me up and said there is a good one in Kentucky. I said when Gary says that, we know something good is going on. It is my pleasure, Mr. Speaker, to yield to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to be here tonight. As we all get started in a new session, we get started with the newness and excitement. We have already hit the ground running. This Congress is going to be one of action. The American people spoke. They spoke loudly--they have been over the past few years-- saying that the direction of our country needed to change. By changing, they meant change toward a government that is more conservative, one that is listening to them and hasn't forgot that it is not about the government worker that we are about in this place and not about government in and of itself, but it is about what government does for the American people. Tonight, as I have taken on my role as the vice chair in the Republican Conference, we have been talking about how we can introduce our Members and also work to get our messaging out. Tonight is the first night where we have some of our new freshmen here on the floor, Mr. Speaker, as you can well attest to. We are going to take time just to get to know them, where they came from, introduce them to the floor, and introduce them to what we are going to be about and what their passion is to share with as part of our majority going forward. The first gentleman is a dear friend from my home State of Georgia. He is, as what we call back home a dagg, D-A-G-G. We don't use the extra G, but we will do the first G. How about that? He is a mayor from West Point, Georgia. He understands what real life is about. He understands about making jobs and getting people taken care of. He also is a dentist. He is going to stay on this side of the aisle tonight, Mr. Speaker, because I am not going over there to find out anything about that. We are excited to have him. It is going to be a good time tonight. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Georgia and his passion to serve and be a part of what is going to be going on here. We are a week away from the inauguration of our new President-elect, and we are excited about that and moving forward. As we move across the country, all the way to Arizona, our next speaker is the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs). I am looking forward to serving with Andy Biggs on the Judiciary Committee. His background is working to promote a conservative, small-business agenda, which is something that is going to be valuable here. He is also an author. For those of us working in intellectual property and copyright, that is very important. There is so much job creation that is made by the intellectual spark that comes from our entrepreneurs. Tonight I am honored to have the second of our speakers, Andy Biggs from Arizona's Fifth Congressional District. I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I thank the gentleman. Those are exciting values. My district is one of the more rural agricultural districts. We are not far from Atlanta, but poultry is important to my district, and I appreciate him bringing those values to us. Mr. Speaker, our next speaker is Brian Mast from Florida. I got to know Brian when he was running for this office. I got to visit with him in his district as he was running. Let me just say that many times we talk about elections with campaign ads and speeches, and all of those kind of things that are very true, but it is also when a person connects with the people they are representing. When they connect with them in such a way that it sort of even transcends their ideological perspective. I remember a story that I want to tell. We were at a polling precinct and we were holding signs. People were early voting. I remember one lady parked her car and got her young child out. She came up to Brian and said: I am a Democrat; I am voting for other Democrats, but I am voting for you, and I wanted my daughter to meet you. When you make that kind of connection, that is what makes America great. That is the kind of connection people need to have with their Federal Government. That is why the people's House is such a special place to be, and the people's House has a special Representative from Florida. I now yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), representing Florida's 18th Congressional District.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, as you can tell, the passion that this class brings is no more better exemplified than by our friend from Florida (Mr. Mast). We now go back north. All over this election, it was an election heard clear all over the country, from the north to the south, to the areas in between, from Georgia to California. We have new voices, fresh voices here, ones who come from business, who made their life helping others find the workforce skills, the development. That is what my friend, Mr. Mitchell, from Michigan's 10th Congressional District, Paul Mitchell has done. He has made that a process in his life, one that he wants to lead, and he wants to lead by helping others. There is no greater satisfaction than to watch somebody else that you have helped succeed, and he understands that. So he brings that desire to us tonight. He comes from the wonderful State of Michigan. He is a Spartan, Michigan State University. As he comes along tonight, we look forward to what Paul Mitchell from Michigan's 10th Congressional District is going to bring to us tonight. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. It is good to have the General here. It is going to be an interesting time. I know you are the last speaker here, but not the last of all of the freshmen. We are going to be doing this more in the coming weeks. But I just know as I watch tonight, it is the passion of your class coming in. I have watched you all as you have come and gone through orientation and done all of the things together and that there is a bond. I notice you come and sit together and you all talk together, and there is an understanding that you all come here for a purpose bigger than yourselves--and that is exciting to see. So I am excited to have you here. It is going to be a good year. Mr. Speaker, as we have introduced and talked about these new Members and they have allowed themselves to introduce themselves, one of the things that I wanted to do is just make sure, as we look ahead, we see folks who have made a place--they made a place in their communities; they made a place in their homes. As they look forward to serving here in this Congress, we are looking forward to having them here. Mr. Speaker, I want to take just a few moments to discuss something else, and that is, as we move forward and as we continue here, the majority, with these new freshmen and all coming in, are going to be fighting for what matters. It is sort of amazing to me now that, as we enter tomorrow and we take the first step toward repealing, really, what is a disastrous law, it is amazing now the cries of: Oh, what is going to be done? What are you doing now? But it didn't seem to matter just a few years ago when they said: Here is what you are going to have. You are going to take it no matter what it does. You want your doctor? Keep him. That is a lie. You want to keep your health provider? Keep him. Your insurance is fine. That is a lie. It is amazing now how some on the other side are just wanting to start yelling and saying: Oh, you have got to have a plan. Have a plan? Let's remind the American people why we are here. The majority is here because of 6 years of poor decisionmaking. It started at the base and has gone up. And we are going to continue as this majority to put people first, those who get up every morning, who want a job, who want to be able to go to their job and to start businesses and start and use that intellectual capital so that they can continue to do those things without government interference. I heard just the other day as I was here working on a rule, Mr. Speaker, I heard one of the speakers actually say that we should not put these burdens on government employees because it would make their jobs so much harder. Please, tell me where the voice is for the American worker out in the field every day just trying to make ends meet. It is in this majority. And we will continue to put forth policy that takes away the government overreach and puts it back where it belongs, and that is in the entrepreneurs, the moms, the dads, the kids, those who have a dream right now in a freshman English class or a science class, that have a dream that one day they will own their own business or go further. Mr. Speaker, let's put this in perspective. This majority is putting people first, and over the past 6 years, the American people have responded. It is now our time to act. People say, if you don't have a plan, then you are not understanding. This is friends and neighbors that elected us, and we will not fail in this moment. We have said what we are going to do. We are going to put people first in their businesses, in their jobs, and in their health care. When we do that, that is what makes America great. So tonight is the first night for letting our freshmen come, share their heart. We have heard their passion. We are going to continue to hear their passion as new and more freshmen come. Mr. Speaker, you are part of that. There are many others that will be a part. I am looking forward to leading in our majority, putting people first, putting Americans first, and this country is going to be the better for it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, last night, as we all watched football, no matter who you rooted for, team sports also still comes down to individuals. Last night, a young man named Deshaun Watson--the favorite son of Gainesville, Georgia, my hometown--showed the character that I have witnessed since he was a young boy, playing with my son in the 7- and 8-year-old little flag football league. His athletic ability has never been questioned, and last night it was on full display for the world to see. I believe that he is the best college football player in the country. Beyond football playing, he is a better man. He is looking forward to the leadership of his team, to the leadership of his classmates, and the leadership he has shown in his community back in Gainesville is exemplary and will not be forgotten. Gainesville is proud of its favorite son, Deshaun Watson, and of the national championship that he won last night with his team, Clemson, during the football game. But, as with everything in life, as the game ended, it reminded us that the games are played by men of character. Deshaun Watson is a man of character, and I look forward to watching his career as he goes forward.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I serve a wonderful part of the world. With all due respect to all the other Members of Congress, I do believe it is one of the fairest in the country. As I go around and travel, one of the things I have not heard, Mr. Speaker--and I am not sure if you have or other Members sitting here--I have never been hit, when I run into something saying the fact that government is efficient, and I am really wanting it to be efficient in a sense that it is working for me. It is a very obvious statement here, and what we see time after time after time after time is rules and regulations that most of the American folks are saying: Government, do what you are supposed to be doing. Get us back on a fiscal financial path that is solid, that balances, that gets us back in understanding that we can't spend more than what we make or bring in, and that we have to have a strong national defense. Let's get back to the things that make America the shining light all around the world. One of the things I do not hear them asking me to do, Mr. Speaker, is make it easier on bureaucrats in Washington. I have not had them beg and bring petitions to my table and say: Please make it easier on bureaucrats to run our lives. That is not what we do. What we are trying to do is simply say: Let's get up, go out to work, do the regulations that matter. Make sure that government does what it is supposed to do. Make sure that the balance of power is honored and not looked upon with disgrace. It is looked upon as something that should be taken care of. Let the legislative body be the legislative body. Let the executive be the executive, and let the judicial be the judicial. I have no problem putting before the American people the choice: Do you want a party that will defend a bureaucracy that stifles them? Or a party of the majority, like we are, that are putting forward regulation reform that says, We want to help you; we are concerned about you? Obvious choice, Mr. Speaker. Today we have two opportunities to this rule. They both look at our economic engines in the country and reviving it again. The HALOS Act helps us ensure that small businesses have access to the capital necessary to grow and succeed. Small business is the backbone of our economy, and it makes sense to enact policies that promote the viability and growth. The Regulatory Accountability Act restores simple checks and balances so that Congress, once again, makes laws so they work better for those who elected us. It is time we demand the voice of the American people be heard rather than letting the others up here, separated in cubicles, decide what is best. When we look at that, the obvious choice is clear. You pass this rule, you vote ``yes'' on these bills, and you say to the American people: I agree with the majority. We are looking after those that get up every day and have the American Dream in front of them and get up and say: I want to be better and I want my government to be out of the way. When we understand that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I am prepared for the gentleman to close. I reserve the balance of time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, are there any more speakers the gentleman from Colorado has?

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think there is no better way to start this Congress fresh but with some understanding. It is very clear, and it has become obvious to Members here on the floor, that there is a discussion going on. And, Mr. Speaker, if Members would like to see the difference that is being portrayed here on the floor today, it is very obvious. There is one party that is really concerned about tying the hands of bureaucrats; and there is one party, the majority, that is looking to untie the hands of the American people. I think I will side on the side of the American people and job creators and job promoters, and those who go out every day and earn a living. We worked on this last Congress, and I will talk about it again here. Let's not start the strongman that Republicans are wanting to do away with all regulations. We do not. We want government to operate in the most efficient manner possible and do what it needs to do, but also get out of the way. The problem with government, many times the government has overstepped where it needs to be, and it needs to be out of the way to start with. Also, I would like to at least clear the record and make something understood. At the beginning of the year, we are bringing a rule. We had a full Rules Committee hearing yesterday, and Members were able to offer amendments. Not all amendments were made in order. Sixteen amendments were made in order on both sides of the aisle. I would like to remind Members, Mr. Speaker, as we go back in history, we are promoting discussion here in the Rules Committee and bringing to the floor and allowing Members to talk about amendments and give them the opportunity. I will just remind Members, Mr. Speaker, in the 111th Congress, which was controlled by my friends on the other side of the aisle, in the very first rule bill they brought, the rules for the House, they put two major bills in the rules package that did not even get a rules hearing, that did not get anything except just pushed to the floor. I think we will stand firm that we are pushing to the floor stuff that Americans care about, and also doing it in a way that Members can participate. Speaking of that, the American people, especially the good folks of Nebraska, have sent to us a new Member, and I have gotten the chance to know him. Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), and I welcome him to the floor.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring forward this rule on behalf of the Rules Committee. The rule provides for the consideration of H.R. 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act, and H.R. 79, the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups, or HALOS, Act. The rule provides for 1 hour of debate for each bill, equally divided between the majority leader and the minority leader and the chairman and the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, respectively. The rule also provides for a motion to recommit for both pieces of underlying legislation. Yesterday, the Rules Committee had the opportunity to hear from Congressman Tom Marino and Congressman Hank Johnson, on behalf of the Judiciary Committee, and from Congressman Huizenga, on behalf of the Financial Services Committee. We also heard from several Members on both sides of the aisle who testified on their amendments. The Rules Committee made in order both amendments submitted for the HALOS Act and 16 amendments from Members on both sides of the aisle for the Regulatory Accountability Act. Mr. Speaker, I spoke from this podium last week about the positive, pro-growth agenda we in the majority are advancing. The bills before us today are additional pieces of that puzzle, and they help us to return to commonsense governance that fosters economic success. H.R. 79, the HALOS Act, was introduced by my friend from Ohio, the chairman of the Small Business Committee, Mr. Steve Chabot. Last Congress, very similar legislation passed the House with my support and by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. The HALOS Act ensures that so- called angel investors, who serve as the largest funding source for startups in the United States, are able to effectively hold educational economic development events, like ``demo days.'' The bill also helps to ensure that startups can connect with angel investors who can serve as funding sources, mentors, or outside directors. In plain English, the HALOS Act helps to ensure that small, innovative companies and startups have access to the necessary capital. This, in turn, enables these companies to expand and generate jobs that put Americans back to work while fueling our economy as a global hub of innovation. Mr. Speaker, in order to keep America's market competitive, we must relieve American job creators and employees from suffocating regulations. We can move toward this by helping government function as our Founders intended. Our Constitution lays out a system of three coequal branches of government, which is meant to fulfill unique roles and to provide checks and balances for one another. Over time, we have allowed cracks to form in that system, and we have gradually seen executive agencies usurp power from the elected officials of the legislative branch--to the detriment of hardworking Americans and the separation of powers. We, too often, see unelected bureaucrats handing down regulations that have enormous impacts on small businesses, family farmers, individuals, and families. In an unfortunate irony, these bureaucrats are isolated from the very entities they are trying to regulate. Congress must stop ceding authority to the executive and reassert the power of the legislative branch to write law. The Regulatory Accountability Act helps us do just that. It helps us to ensure that burdensome rules that handcuff American business with red tape aren't crushing our economy, our competitiveness, or our future. It also restores common sense to the rulemaking process. H.R. 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act, combines six bills that have previously passed the House. I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation. I thank Chairman Chabot, Chairman Goodlatte, and Chairman Marino for their thoughtful and diligent work on this legislation. Additionally, Congressman Ratcliffe and Congressman Luetkemeyer contributed important provisions to this package. The bill reforms the process by which Federal agencies analyze and formulate new regulations and guidance documents, clarifies the nature of judicial review of agency interpretation, and calls for more complete analysis of the potential impact of rules on small entities. H.R. 5 includes the text of the Separation of Powers Act, which amends the Administrative Procedures Act to overturn two doctrines that call for judicial deference to agency interpretations of statutory and regulatory provisions: the Chevron and Auer doctrines. In plain English, the Separation of Powers Restoration Act prevents Federal bureaucrats from interpreting the legality of their own regulations at the expense of hardworking Americans and the constitutional separation of powers. Title I of the Regulatory Accountability Act requires agencies, when establishing new rules, to consider the lowest cost option that meets statutory requirements. The bill also provides for more public input in the rulemaking process. Title IV of the bill, the Providing Accountability through Transparency Act, requires agencies to publish plain-language summaries of new proposed rules online. These proposals are not farfetched. Instead, they provide more information and a voice to the American people while reining in agencies that have gotten drunk on their rulemaking power. Mr. Speaker, our current administration issued over 600 major regulations with an economic impact of over $740 billion. These numbers show the staggering number of rules put forth by the executive branch, but nowhere are the true costs of regulations highlighted better than in the stories that I hear from my constituents. I know other Members hear similar stories, and all across the Nation, we are seeing the toll that overregulation has taken on growth and competitiveness. Back home in northeast Georgia, Elbert County is known as the granite capital of the world, but a rule put forth by OSHA that is related to silica levels threatens to jeopardize that industry; and, of course, there is the waters of the United States rule, which could negatively impact everyone from farmers to ranchers to Realtors. The menu labeling rule is yet another example of a misguided regulation that the administration has put forth without impunity. That rule would raise costs for businesses, from restaurants to convenience stores, leading to higher costs for consumers--in actuality, hurting the very ones that it proclaims to help. This is the irony of many of these regulations. Sadly, they are borne out in the costs to the American people. Last year, the EPA finalized a rule that established Federal standards for residential wood heaters. In rural districts like mine, many individuals may count on wood heaters to keep their families warm. This EPA rule will raise costs for consumers and undermine families' decisions about what type of heater may work the best for them. Mr. Speaker, is this really where we want to go, having the Federal Government decide things like this, away from the scrutiny of the elected body? I think not. The examples from this administration are numerous, but, importantly, this problem of overregulation is not unique to this administration. This is not a Republican or a Democratic problem. This is a balance of power problem; this is a problem between branches not doing what they are supposed to be doing and staying within that. The Regulatory Accountability Act helps ensure that this administration and future administrations do not ignore Congress by writing law through regulation. It returns transparency to the process. It restores Congress' rightful place as the legislative branch and reins in the unelected fourth branch that regulators have become. Mr. Speaker, many of the bills in this package have previously passed with bipartisan support. I hope my colleagues can continue to agree that Congress should make the laws and that we should do so in such a way that encourages growth, innovation, and American ingenuity. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 33, currently under consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 33 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today--on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day--to honor the commitment, courage, and sacrifice of law enforcement officers in Georgia's Ninth District and throughout the United States. As the son of a Georgia State Trooper, I have always had an admiration for the commitment that law enforcement officers make to their communities. Despite the challenges and costs that come with the oath to protect and serve, these brave men and women diligently work to make their communities safe. The risk that law enforcement officers take has become all too evident, highlighted even more so by incidents in recent months. In fact, less than a month ago, Lavonia Police Officer Jeffery Martin and Captain Michael Schulman were both shot after stopping a suspect driving a stolen vehicle. Thankfully, despite sustaining injuries, both of them survived the attack. Others haven't been as fortunate. During that week alone, six law enforcement officers in Georgia were shot. The enormous risk that these officers take every day became the ultimate sacrifice for two of those officers, who tragically joined the ranks of the fallen last December. They joined 133 fellow law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2016, which saw a 10 percent rise in officer fatalities over 2015. I ask that we all keep these officers and their families in our hearts and prayers. We should remember the sacrifices of law enforcement officers every day, but today serves as a particular reminder to thank our men and women in blue. We must continue to support law enforcement officers throughout the country as they tirelessly serve to protect our neighborhoods, families, and friends.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 22 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave