James Comer

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Meadows), one of the great leaders of this body.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the great minority leader.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining for each side.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Jordan), my friend, the distinguished ranking member of the Oversight Committee.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Hice).

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Today, I introduce the Citizens Count Census Act of 2019, a bill that would require a citizenship question on the United States Census. If we defeat the previous question, as the gentleman from Georgia said, then we will be able to consider my bill. It has always been common sense to include a citizenship question on our Nation's Census. The purpose of the Census Bureau and all Census surveys is to include data used for apportionment and to better inform the public about the population, business, and economics of the United States of America. The collection of citizenship information during a population census is a common practice among countries. This is not new, and it should not be controversial. A citizenship question is asked on the census in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, to name a few. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the United Nations recommends that countries gather citizenship information about their populations. Knowing how many legal and nonlegal individuals are within our borders is a perfectly appropriate question to ask on our Census, and I hope we can pass this measure to see that happen. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge all of my congressional colleagues to vote for this commonsense legislation to ensure we know exactly how many citizens reside in this country.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and can be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment and its circumventing of the administration's ability to conduct the rulemaking process. This amendment would deny OSHA the ability to finalize its proposed rule which is aimed at correcting the previous administration's failure to produce a targeted final rule that reflected input from stakeholders. OSHA's current proposed rule is necessary to aid in clarifying standards for the shipyard and construction industries. Further delay would unnecessarily burden these businesses and create continued significant compliance costs that we cannot know the full scope of today because proper analysis was never conducted during the rulemaking process of the previous administration. In order for a tailored, adequately prescriptive rule to emerge, OSHA must be able to deliver an updated standard that responds to the input of the hardworking individuals in these sectors. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my constituents in Campbellsville, Kentucky, who are celebrating Amazon's 20th year of operations at the SDF1 Fulfillment Center. Amazon has been a tremendous contributor to Taylor County and the surrounding areas since opening SDF1 as one of the first five fulfillment centers in North America. Over the past two decades, Amazon has grown tremendously and SDF1 remains one of the largest employers in Taylor County and the region. As evidence of the company's commitment to bettering the communities in which they operate, and in commemoration of their 20th year in Campbellsville, Amazon is donating more than $10,000 in STEM-related supplies to the Taylor County Public Library. This donation will enhance the library's current STEM-themed programs by fostering and promoting the pursuit of STEM education, while also developing students with real-world, marketable skills. For two decades, Amazon has been proud to call Kentucky home and I am grateful for their continued investment in our commonwealth. I am proud of the economic prosperity and industrial development their presence has brought to Taylor County, and I join with all those whose lives they have bettered in celebrating their generosity to the community.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I just want to conclude by again thanking everyone for working together in a bipartisan way on this bill. This is very important. This is something that we can do to prove Congress can work together, can come together on issues of the utmost importance, and preventing child abuse and neglect is an issue that is bipartisan and of the utmost importance. This bill streamlines the process. It does just exactly the things that the States have asked us to do with the bill. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), ranking member of the Education and Labor Committee.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Wright).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Taylor).

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment.

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, as lead Republican for the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services, and as its lead Republican sponsor, I am happy to rise today to celebrate this bipartisan legislation, the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. This legislation will help target, prevent, and treat child abuse and neglect. The statistics of children in the United States who are abused and/or neglected are staggering. In 2016, child protective services determined approximately 676,000 children to be victims of abuse or neglect. This is simply heartbreaking. CAPTA was originally enacted in 1974 to support the development of programs aimed at prevention, assessment, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Stronger CAPTA seeks to continue this important work while putting more emphasis on prevention so that abuse and neglect can be stopped before they happen. Prevention takes a holistic approach to combating neglect and abuse by focusing on strengthening communities and educating parents and caregivers on how to keep their children safe. In addition to bolstering our prevention efforts, Stronger CAPTA streamlines current assurances and requirements so States can focus on serving and providing treatment to children rather than spending more time filling out paperwork. State agencies benefit from increased flexibility that allows them to respond more swiftly and effectively to reports of abuse and neglect. We must equip States with the tools and resources needed to address maltreatment and keep kids safe. I am very proud of the hard work done on both sides of the aisle to champion this bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting some of our most vulnerable citizens. Keeping America's children safe from the detrimental harm of abuse and neglect is something we can all agree is paramount, and I am glad that we could work together on such an important initiative. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today representing a district in which school sports are at the heart of community gatherings. In Kentucky, basketball is a way of life. In my district, students practice their whole life to have the chance to attain athletic scholarship opportunities from universities they would otherwise be unable to attend. These students go on to accomplish great things and give back to their communities because of the scholarships they gain from athletic competition. This legislation would essentially subvert the purpose of gender divisions in these competitions by allowing biological males who identify as female to compete against girls in the same division. We have already seen instances where young women were denied scholarship opportunities because biological males competed in the same category with them and placed higher on the podium in track competitions. A bill with a name like the Equality Act sounds like a bill that in some way advocates for all people. That is what we strive for in this country: equality before the law. That is why, over the more than two centuries this country has existed, we have, thankfully, updated our laws to right wrongs and bring us closer to treating all people with the dignity they deserve. But as I look at H.R. 5, I am deeply troubled, and I believe most Americans would be deeply troubled by what is really there. I serve as ranking member for the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee for the Committee on Education and Labor. In our subcommittee, we held a hearing on the Equality Act, and what became abundantly clear was that this legislation would alter Federal nondiscrimination law in ways that would have unintended effects we cannot know today. This bill is following in the tradition of others we have seen so far throughout this Congress: a clever name, an allegedly noble purpose, but a vehicle for serious, harmful consequences. Equality and freedom must coexist. H.R. 5 totally redefines one and delivers a serious blow to the other.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, today I rise to remember the life of my friend Mr. Jay Price of Casey County in the First Congressional District of Kentucky. After graduating from Western Kentucky University as an ag major, Jay returned home to manage his family's beef cattle farm and teach agriculture at Casey County High School. Jay devoted his career to educating nearly three decades of young farmers. His students will not only remember the skills they learned but the life lessons and guidance he provided at every opportunity. As an FFA adviser, teacher, and mentor, his support in and out of the classroom had an outsized influence on thousands of young adults. By connecting them with industry and State leaders, he ensured they were well prepared to pursue remarkable educational and career opportunities. Jay also dedicated his time to advancing the prosperity of his fellow farmers through his leadership in local and State organizations. His peers recognized his profound influence on Kentucky agriculture and inducted him as a member of the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association Hall of Fame, along with many other accolades throughout his life. His passion for the agriculture industry and his students is rivaled only by his love for his family: his wife, Carol; his daughters, Lauren and Lindsay; their husbands, Brian and Jon; and his grandchildren Clay, Avery, and Hudson. I join with his entire family--including his mother, siblings, and a host of friends who he considered family--in celebrating and remembering his lifetime of service to others.

Mr. COMER

Mr. COMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and legacy of Rodney Burress who passed away on April 29, 2019 at the age of 58 after decades of service to Taylor County. Rodney faithfully served his community in multiple capacities throughout his life. He maintained local roadways during his time with the Road Department, protected the community as the County Jailer, and impacted many during his time as Taylor County Circuit Clerk. In his final years of public service, he was an especially strong supporter of the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks' Trust for Life which promotes organ donor awareness. When he was not serving his community, Rodney enjoyed spending time farming with his father, brother, and sons. Those in Taylor County remember Rodney for his servant's heart and kind spirit. His membership in the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is a testament to these characteristics. He lived his life in faith and was a brilliant light in the community who practiced compassionate conservatism. I join Rodney's family and friends, as well as all those he impacted, in celebrating his life of devoted service to the 1st District of Kentucky. May God continue to bless the members of his family through whom his legacy lives on.