Ryan Costello

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1090) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to provide eligibility for broadcasting facilities to receive certain disaster assistance, and for other purposes.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 1090.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Currently, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, also known as the Stafford Act, provides for assistance to governments and to nonprofit organizations to rebuild damaged facilities following a declared disaster. S. 1090, the Emergency Information Improvement Act of 2015, clarifies the eligibility of certain not-for-profit broadcasting facilities for disaster assistance that is consistent with existing policy. These stations provide essential alerts and information before, during, and after disasters and emergencies. In fact, these broadcasters are an integral component of our national public alert and warning system. Following a disaster, it is critical that these facilities get up and running as soon as possible to ensure the public receives necessary emergency information. For example, during recent major disasters, these broadcasters were critical to getting information to the public quickly. I want to thank Congressman Palazzo for his leadership on shepherding this bill through committee and for getting it here to the House floor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of the bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the issue of public education in America and what we need to do here in Washington, D.C., to improve our public education system. I specifically rise today to urge passage of the Student Success Act in the name of putting students first. The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that right now the Federal education bureaucracy has imposed more mandates on local classrooms, on students, on teachers, on administrators, than was ever intended or contemplated by our Constitution and essentially runs afoul of the principles of federalism. That being that, if power is not vested upon the Federal Government to do something, it should be left to the States or even more local subdivisions; in this case, our local school boards. The Student Success Act seeks to empower teachers, administrators, parents, and students by sending control back to school boards and classrooms across this country. Mr. Speaker, the Student Success Act accomplishes a great deal for the sake of the student. I am going to spend a minute explaining how and why that is. But it is also important to point out what happens if we do not pass this bill: more curriculum mandates out of Washington, D.C., more testing mandates out of Washington, D.C. If we do not pass this bill, we get more of that. If we do not pass this bill, we have more power and control administered at the sole discretion of the Secretary of Education, as it stands right now. The Secretary of Education has the power of the purse at his disposal, and we have a waiver program that essentially plays out as follows: If the Secretary of Education at the Federal level likes what you are doing with your curriculum and your accountability measures at the local level, you get grant money. If he doesn't like it, you don't get the grant money. There is way too much discretion in Washington, D.C., over how public education is managed and administered in this country. That is not the way it was intended to be. The waiver program, which is in effect right now, is acting as a top- down lever to dictate what is taught in the classrooms, how it is taught, when and how much testing should be employed by teachers, how they teach in the classroom, and when students have to take tests. I cannot tell you how often I hear from parents and students and teachers lamenting about not only the days spent testing, but the days spent preparing to test. The effort with the Student Success Act is to roll that back and have States take a leadership role in that and the Federal Government retreat, reduce the Federal footprint in education in this country. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of fairness. It is only fair that teachers and parents get more say over public education and Washington, D.C., gets less. A vote against this bill is a vote for the status quo, and I don't think anyone really, truly wants public education coming more out of Washington, D.C. The Student Success Act ensures that States cannot be coerced into Common Core. If we do not pass this bill, the Secretary of Education, through the waiver program, has more ability to impose Common Core. By passing this bill, States cannot be coerced into the Common Core curriculum. The Student Success Act eliminates 49 duplicative, ineffective Federal programs. If we do not pass this bill, those 49 duplicative, ineffective programs stay on the books. The Student Success Act provides more flexible funding for school districts to fund their priorities at the local level. I want to thank Chairman Kline, Mr. Rokita, and all my colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee for their work on the Student Success Act. Mr. Speaker, let's put children first and pass this bill.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, for organizing this Special Order this evening and bringing this important alliance with Ukraine to the forefront. The Ukrainian heritage, and its people, play a critical role in the cultural fabric of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Just this morning, I had the privilege to meet with Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly and reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of Ukraine. Mr. Speaker, our relationship with Ukraine is vital to our national security interest and we must continue to foster strong bilateral relations as Ukraine continues to face threats to its status as a sovereign nation. So long as Russia continues to pose a destabilizing force at Ukraine's borders and supports rebel groups in Eastern Ukraine, Congress and the Administration must remain steadfast in our support for the Ukrainian people and their freedom. The Administration must follow through on the commitment set forth in the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 to provide Ukraine with much- needed military aid, both lethal and non-lethal. Reportedly, not even half the aid authorized last December has been delivered. Further, a recent article in the Washington Post noted that the quality of the U.S. supplied gear, including Humvees, is ``little more than junk''--there is barely any protection on the windows and doors--while the non-lethal military aid provided to protect Ukraine military forces is obsolete. Mr. Speaker, this is unacceptable and our allies deserve better. In an effort to keep our nation safe and to provide assistance to our allies, the National Defense Authorization Act was recently signed into law. This includes an authorization for $300 million in military aid, including lethal, to support Ukraine. And currently stalled in the House is bill H.R. 955, that would authorize the Secretary of Defense to provide assistance (including training, equipment, lethal weapons of a defensive nature, logistics support, supplies and services) to the military and national security forces of Ukraine through the end of the next fiscal year. Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to act on this legislation in an expeditious manner and bring it to the Floor for a vote. We cannot let our Ukrainian allies on the frontlines defend their freedom and sovereignty without meaningful support. The Administration must follow through on our word. Again, I thank Congresswoman Kaptur for organizing tonight's special order and her unwavering dedication to Ukraine and the Ukrainian- American community.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome and introduce our guest chaplain for today, Pastor Christopher L. Weidner, the pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania. In 1985, Pastor Chris was ordained as a minister of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. For 30 years, he has played an active and important role in our local community, engaging in programs such as the companionship ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod Council Finance Committee, the Bear Creek Lutheran Camp board of directors, and he has helped provide affordable housing for seniors through the St. Luke Knolls program. Additionally, he volunteers his time as a hospital chaplain. This coming Sunday, after 20 years, Pastor Chris will serve his final worship service at St. Luke's. We wish him blessings on the next chapter in his ministry. It is with great pleasure that I welcome Pastor Christopher L. Weidner to the people's House today and offer our most heartfelt thanks for leading us in prayer this morning as our guest chaplain.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from North Carolina for yielding. Mr. Walker has really been a leader in no time on so many issues. It is nice to be his hall mate and also his teammate on the baseball field, and I appreciate him putting together this Special Order to raise a number of issues that we have gotten through the House here and that we are respectfully calling upon the Senate to take up. I am here to speak about the crying need for change and increased accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs that can be facilitated by the immediate passage of H.R. 1994, the VA Accountability Act of 2015. This is a bill that myself and many others have cosponsored under the leadership of Chairman Jeff Miller, and it is a bill that I am requesting that the Senate take up and pass with bipartisan support here in the House in July. It gives the Secretary of the VA the additional tools he needs to accelerate the badly-needed culture change at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It gives the Secretary of the VA what he needs to rebuild the trust between the VA and this Congress, taxpayers, and, most importantly, the veterans of this country. H.R. 1994 includes many provisions to fix the broken personnel system at the Department. But, most importantly, this bill authorizes the Secretary to remove or demote any employee for poor performance or misconduct while also increasing protections for whistleblowers who have been, and continue to be, very important in the oversight role of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Many of you know the Philadelphia Regional Office has seen scandal after scandal. It has experienced a gross lapse in management, mishandling of claims, the administration of improper payments, and fabricated data. On top of that, the hostile work environment and whistleblower retaliation occurred on a nearly daily basis. This bill brings accountability to the managers at the Philly VA responsible for these actions, as well as those across the country in the VA, who have acted improperly. I believe a majority of VA's employees--as we all do here in Congress--this is an important point to make--most people that work at the VA are hard-working public servants who are dedicated to providing quality health care and timely benefits for veterans. I am sure the majority of these employees are just as frustrated in that most of us see that the VA problem employees continue to be moved to new positions as opposed to being removed from the payroll. We have seen time and again how poor performance can spread like a cancer through a workforce and how the presence of bad employees only leads to poor customer service and is an impediment to the quality of service our veterans have earned. Our veterans deserve nothing less than the highest quality of care, and it is our job as Members of Congress to do everything in our power to ensure that their care is placed before the interests of entrenched bureaucrats and poor performance. If we want what is best for our veterans, then the status quo at the VA is not acceptable. It is not working. It is failing the mission of the Department, and it is failing the veterans the VA is supposed to serve. Mr. Speaker, if we do not give the Secretary the tools that he or she needs to hold VA employees accountable, then we are just as culpable for any future VA failures. The antiquated civil service laws that have fostered the VA's cultural mess need to go. That is what the VA Accountability Act does. That is why we are calling on the Senate to take it up. After the largest scandal in VA's history--and, in my home State, the continued problems at the Philadelphia VA--the VA has only successfully fired three employees for wait time manipulation even though over 100 hospitals have been identified as having gamed the appointment system. That is simply unacceptable. H.R. 1994 would give the Secretary the tools he needs to hold more employees accountable faster than can be done now under existing civil service rules. As Mr. Walker will continue to do this evening in pointing out a number of bills that have been ushered through the House--reform bills that improve the welfare of this country and that reform various bureaucracies--H.R. 1994 does just that. I urge the Senate to take action and push for accountability just as we have done here in the House on behalf of this country's veterans. I thank the gentleman for organizing this Special Order tonight.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 94th annual American Education Week and give thanks to the teachers and staff who dedicate themselves to the success and advancement of our children. Mr. Speaker, as the son and brother of a public schoolteacher, I am proud to cosponsor H. Res. 527, which supports the goals and ideals of American Education Week. For our public schoolteachers, what they do each and every day is more than just a job. It is a dedication to improve the lives and nourish the minds of their students and to strengthen the communities in which they live and work. American Education Week is just one small way we can recognize the service of our public schoolteachers. Teachers are a part of the building blocks of a healthy republic. To our schoolteachers and staff, I rise today to say thank you for all you do day in and day out.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Members to support H.R. 1338, as amended. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1384) to amend title 38, United States Code, to recognize the service in the reserve components of certain persons by honoring them with status as veterans under law.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material on H.R. 1384.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I urge all Members to support H.R. 1384, the Honor America's Guard- Reserve Retirees Act, which was introduced by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz). The National Guard and Reserve are vital to our Nation's defense. These brave men and women enlist while knowing they can be deployed with little notice, just like America's Active Duty servicemembers. Despite the invaluable contributions of National Guard and Reserve personnel to our national security, Members may be surprised to learn that many of the men and women who served in the National Guard or Reserve for 20 years may not legally be considered ``veterans'' if they were never called up for Active Duty. This is not fair to these brave men and women who have demonstrated their patriotism through their willingness to wear the uniform and defend our Nation whenever and wherever they are needed. H.R. 1384 would not provide any monetary benefit. It would simply honor the service and sacrifice of retired National Guard and Reserve personnel by giving them the prestigious title of ``veteran''--in my opinion, the most prestigious title that Congress can bestow. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I also urge Members to support H.R. 1384. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to host this Special Order tonight. Less than 100 hours ago, we were provided another tragic reminder of the world that we live in, a world where radical terrorists are engaged in a violent war against the U.S. and our allies. Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go to our ally, France, here this evening. Prior to Friday night's events in Paris, tonight's Special Order was going to focus on recent incidents of terrorist-led violence across Israel. Yet Friday night's events are not dissimilar from the escalation of violence we have seen across Israel in recent months and in other places of the world. The attacks have been indiscriminate in their targets. The attacks have been intended to instill fear. And the attacks are a direct affront to the daily lives and the way of life of innocent, peaceful civilians. I want to share with you the words of Prime Minister Netanyahu this weekend: ``In Israel, as in France, terrorism is terrorism, and standing behind it is radical Islam and its desire to destroy its victims. The time has come for the world to wake up and unite in order to defeat terrorism. The time has come for countries to condemn terrorism against us to the same degree that they condemn terrorism everywhere else in the world. ``We should remember--we are not to blame for the terrorism directed against us, just as the French are not to blame for the terrorism directed against them. The terrorists who attack us have the same murderous intent as those in Paris.'' Mr. Speaker, we know that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks, but while we can condemn those attacks here this evening, it seems very evident to me, and I think Americans all across this country, as we ask, I think, the same question: Are we safe, and are the policies of this administration and its foreign policy and the refugee admissions policy making us safer, or are they cause for concern and require more discernment and a more scrutinizing eye by this Congress and the American people? This year alone, there have been at least 49 alleged supporters of ISIS in America charged with related crimes, and it is reported that there is an estimated 20,000 foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria likely holding Western passports. In May, FBI Director James Comey said: Thousands in the U.S. may be consuming ISIS propaganda on the Internet. Tonight, in light of the horrific terrorist attack in Paris and the escalating violence in Israel, as we stand to express our solidarity with our friends and allies affected by violent and extreme acts of terror, we must also be thinking about what we as Americans can do to defeat--not contain--but eliminate radical jihadists and terrorists who are hell-bent on undermining the U.S., our allies, and our way of life. A little bit later I will speak more on my views on our present foreign policy and the refugee admissions policy, but we have over the course of the next hour many Members from across the United States of America condemning indiscriminate terrorist attacks, radical Islamic jihad, and violence across the world. Mr. Speaker, I yield to our first speaker this evening, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Ellmers).

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman from Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for her participation. I yield to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Kelly.)