Peter DeFazio

Mr. DeFAZIO

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 1418, has 51 cosponsors in the House: 26 Democrats, 25 Republicans. It is endorsed by 23 national organizations, including Consumer Reports, which estimates it will save consumers billions of dollars a year in health insurance costs, other consumer rights groups, the American Dental Association, Hospital Association, and more. There are only two for-profit industries in America that have an exemption from antitrust law: One is professional baseball, dating from the 1920s, and the other is the vital area of health insurance, dating to the 1940s. This bill will take away that exemption. What does that mean? Well, right now, insurance companies can and do get together and collude. Before COVID, they would go to some fancy resorts, get together, and say: How about you stay out of North Dakota; we will stay out of South Dakota? You stay out of Oregon; we will stay out of Washington. Let's divide up the pie here. You decide where you are selling, and we will decide where we are selling. Oh, and by the way, here are the things we don't want to cover. Here are the people we want to redline and exclude. That is all legal. That is all legal. What does it do? It drives up the cost and the availability is diminished for Americans. And now here we are in the midst of COVID and the estimates are that 5 million people have lost their health insurance during COVID--5 million people--yet, last year, the health insurance industry made an eye-popping $33 billion in profits. This year, the reports are they are doing even better, with more and more people uninsured. How are they doing that? Well, they are jacking up copays. They are jacking up deductibles. They are excluding all sorts of treatments from coverage. And it is all legal, and they can all get together and say: Hey, if you won't cover this, we won't cover it. That way we won't lose customers; you won't lose customers. What a sweet deal. What a sweet deal. Well, one in four Americans hesitated to go to the doctor--people who were insured--or to fill a prescription, get needed treatment because of the extraordinary copays and high deductibles. So a lot of people are paying 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 bucks before they get any coverage on these so-called policies. What is this about? It is about greed. And it is time to end. This is a vital service for the American people. This bill was part of the original Affordable Care Act in the House--my provision. It was stripped out in the Senate at the behest of a former insurance executive--good old Senate--so it didn't get into the final version of ACA. They took out a lot of other good things, too. The House bill was way preferable with national exchanges, not-for-profit, et cetera. But, in any case, it was stripped out. So the House held another vote after the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Tom Perriello, then-Representative for Virginia, offered my bill on the floor and it passed by 406-19. What kind of bills pass 406-19? And then my colead on the bill, Representative Gosar, introduced the bill in 2017, and it passed 416-7 in the most bitterly partisan atmosphere in Congress since post-Civil War--416-7. It is time to get this done. Finally, we are seeing some action in the Senate. Senator Leahy has introduced a bill, ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary, and Senator Daines. So there are three Democrats, three Republicans on the bill. Hopefully, the Senate will see the wisdom in helping Americans afford health insurance, lowering their deductibles, lowering their copays, lowering their exclusions on prescription drugs. Mr. Speaker, even under Medicare part D, they are always jacking people around: Oh, sorry, you can't have that medication anymore. We just took it off the list last week. They can do it any time they want. And they can talk to the other insurers, and say: Hey, we are taking that drug off our list. Will you take it off your list, because we don't want people to switch to your plan. That is all legal now. Mr. Speaker, after this bill passes, it will no longer be legal. This will be a tremendous service to the American people at any time in history, but particularly now in times of COVID and crisis. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. DeFAZIO

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, see this mask? What does it say? ``United States Postal Service.'' Not ``business''; ``service.'' For every American, no matter how remote they live, they can get mail. They can get their prescriptions. They can have a small business in Powers, Oregon, pretty remote from everything, and use the Postal Service. Now, you can't have it both ways, guys. You say the Postal Service doesn't have a problem. Well, wait a minute. DeJoy is making these cuts because he says it has a revenue problem. He has prohibited overtime because they have a revenue problem. They can't move their delivery vehicle more than four times on a route. Eight-mile-long route, you are going to walk 2 miles each way. Guess what? Mail is getting delayed all across the country. The fact is, before the pandemic, they were breaking even or making money if we did away with the stupid prefunding of 75 years of healthcare that was put in in the dark of the night by the Bush administration in a lameduck Congress, and 309 people in this House, including 87 Republicans, voted for that in February, but it hasn't happened. So you can't have it both ways. But there is no doubt that the mail is being delayed. I am hearing it from everywhere. Ms. Lorey, she cares for a blind elderly veteran: I ordered the VA refills for him. They were so late arriving, we had to ration out his most important medication from two pills a day to one pill a day until the prescription arrived. Ms. Trudy, Eugene, Oregon: My husband is a Vietnam war veteran. His meds are delivered by mail. I love my husband. I want him to get the meds he needs to survive. Last year, the Postal Service delivered 125 million VA prescriptions on time, but somehow, with the efficiency measures and the cuts--which I guess they don't need to make, but he is making because of the financial crisis--they can't deliver VA meds on time. They can't deliver prescription drugs for seniors and many other Americans who are required by their insurance plan to get their meds through the mail with just-in-time delivery, which isn't happening. You cannot deny those things. Why are they happening? How are you going to fix it? You are up here blathering about all sorts of crap. Talk about how we are going to restore this Postal Service in the United States of America to efficiency.

Mr. DeFAZIO

Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4686) to amend title 23, United States Code, to compel States to require illuminated signs and other measures on ride-hailing vehicles, to prohibit the sale of such signs, to require ride-hailing companies to implement an electronic access system on ride-hailing vehicles, as amended.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi), who was a key person in getting this legislation moving through the House of Representatives.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I think we have said what we needed to say here today on the floor. Nothing, nothing will ever totally heal Sami's parents and friends, but this bill in her name will hopefully prevent there being any future tragedies like her death. Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 4686, as amended.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4686, Sami's Law. This legislation marks the first step in Federal oversight of the safety of transportation network companies. I particularly applaud the gentleman from New Jersey, Representative Smith, and the gentleman from New York, Representative Suozzi, for introducing legislation on this subject and tenaciously working through many iterations of the bill in order to bring it to the floor of the House with strong support. Mobility and transportation patterns in cities have been upended in recent years by companies that, through transformative technology platforms, have revolutionized how we travel. In a very short time, many people have come to rely on TNCs as a regular transportation option. These services, however, have operated with little transportation safety or regulatory oversight. There are many aspects of TNCs that the Committee on Transportation has examined, including their impacts on congestion, their impacts on wages, their impacts on public transportation use. We held a hearing last October in which a range of troubling aspects of the TNC model were brought to light. We had hoped at that hearing to explore the safety issues, but neither Uber nor Lyft would come to the hearing. The committee included provisions in H.R. 2, as passed by the House earlier this month, that focused on how to put some guardrails around this new ``mobility on demand'' model to ensure these services supplement, rather than compete, with transit services. But today, in this legislation, we focus on the most critical and challenging policy aspect of the TNC model: how to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers who utilize a ride-hailing platform. This bill is known as Sami's Law in honor of Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old college student who was brutality murdered after she entered a car which was mistakenly identified as the Uber she had hailed. I met with her parents, Seymour and Marci Josephson, and heard their heart-wrenching story firsthand of how this split-second decision to enter that vehicle cost their daughter her life. They have worked tirelessly on the legislation before us today so that millions of other ride-hailing services users can do so with safety protections in place. It is appalling that it took this tragedy for TNCs to admit that developing an app connecting passengers and drivers through technology and hoping for the best is woefully insufficient as a safety protocol. I am glad that Uber and Lyft were finally willing to come to the table and agree to the basic safety precautions contained in H.R. 4686. This bill requires TNCs, within 90 days of enactment, to establish and implement a digital means for passengers to verify that the driver has been authorized by the TNC to accept the passenger's trip request prior to the start of the trip or the person entering the car. Such a system must include the ability for the passenger, the driver, and the TNC platform to confirm the information matching the passenger and the authorized TNC driver or TNC vehicle and the ability to restrict the trip from commencing until both the passenger and TNC driver verify the other's identity using the system. The bill further ensures that TNCs will be able to continue to improve and innovate ways to maximize passenger and driver safety by establishing a process for the Secretary of Transportation to issue performance standards for successor verification technologies. The bill also establishes an advisory council of Federal officials, representatives of TNCs, TNC drivers, law enforcement, victims' advocacy groups, and individuals with disabilities to develop recommendations on successor technologies. The bill further prohibits the sale of any signage that is designed to help a passenger identify a TNC vehicle and contains a TNC's proprietary trademark or logo, unless authorized by the TNC. During our hearing last fall, I just went on to Amazon and I found I could have had delivered by Prime, in 2 days, a lighted sign to put on my dashboard that I would plug into the cigarette lighter saying I was an Uber or Lyft driver. That has got to stop. Finally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on the incidence of assaults on TNC passengers, TNC drivers, and background checks conducted on prospective drivers of TNC vehicles, including State and local laws which may require such background checks. I have been focused on the potential danger of pairing passengers with poorly vetted drivers for years. In 2015, I wrote to then-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick urging the company to conduct fingerprint-based background checks. In my district, dozens of applicants with serious criminal convictions, including a convicted murderer, a registered sex offender, and 10 people with serious DUIs, were cleared, they were cleared through Uber and Lyft's screening process, and they were driving people around. It wasn't until the local police department in my State--we are the only State who hasn't been preempted by Uber and Lyft from going further than their very cursory background checks--the police conducted the same background checks that they would conduct for taxi drivers in the city, and then they found the murderer, the sex offender, and the others, and those people were removed from service. That just shouldn't ever happen. Strong and thorough vetting of potential drivers is the first line of defense to ensure passenger safety. While the study initiated by this bill will yield important data, I believe we will ultimately have to do more to truly protect the ride-hailing community. It will do little good to verify that you have the right driver if that driver has a history and the desire to do harm to passengers. Lawmakers at the State, Federal, and local level need to think beyond whether ride-hailing gets people from point A to point B, and work to ensure that TNCs deliver a public service equitably and safely, and it is not a race to the bottom by exploiting drivers. This bill is an important step in setting an appropriate regulatory floor. I thank those I mentioned earlier for bringing this legislation before the House, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, July 27, 2020. Hon. Peter A. DeFazio, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman DeFazio: I write concerning H.R. 4686, ``Sami's Law,'' which was additionally referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce (Committee). In recognition of the desire to expedite consideration of H.R. 4686, the Committee agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as to provisions that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee. The Committee takes this action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues within our jurisdiction. I also request that you support my request to name members of the Committee to any conference committee to consider such provisions. Finally, I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter into the Congressional Record during floor consideration of

Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the distinguished majority whip.

Mr. DeFAZIO

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7575) to provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia), who is a member of the committee.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7575, as amended.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today, we continue the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee tradition by considering the fourth consecutive bipartisan Water Resources Development Act since 2014, a tradition started by my friend and predecessor, Bill Shuster. It is a great tradition, and it is an incredible service to our Nation. I am proud to be joined by Ranking Member Sam Graves, Subcommittee Chair Napolitano, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman in sponsoring the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. The bill under consideration today was developed in a bipartisan manner with input from both sides of the aisle. The legislation was considered in committee and favorably reported by voice vote. H.R. 7575 includes projects and policy provisions that impact communities across the Nation. It authorizes construction of 34 projects studied and approved by the chief of engineers since WRDA 2018 was signed into law. It authorizes 36 new Corps of Engineers feasibility studies and directs the Corps to expedite the completion of 41 ongoing studies, which were submitted to the Corps by local sponsors willing to share the costs of these project studies. H.R. 7575 continues our work to ensure the full utilization of the harbor maintenance trust fund by unlocking nearly $10 billion. This is $10 billion under an initiative started by Ronald Reagan of taxes collected from shippers that are ultimately paid by consumers in the United States. So, for years, we have been taking money under false pretenses and not spending that money on its designated purpose. This bill will finally rectify that problem. There is ample need to invest that $10 billion in our ports and harbors around the country. The legislation also directs the Secretary of the Army to equitably allocate maintenance funds to pay for harbor operation maintenance needs, while addressing the ongoing needs of the Nation's largest ports, the Great Lakes harbors, its emerging harbors. This is especially important in communities like my district along Oregon's southwest coast, where the difference between life and death for those who both recreate or fish commercially is in the conditions of our harbors, jetties, and breakwaters. It is literally life and death in very cold water. So, this is incredibly important. Before earmarks were banned, I used to get my harbors dredged by earmarking. Since that was banned when the Republicans took over in 2010, I managed in the first WRDA bill in 2014 to get a 10 percent set- aside for small and emerging harbors. That has provided the critical dredging for my district and many, many harbors around the United States of America. This bill, because we will have a lot more money, will provide actually 20 percent to small and emerging harbors. We have delayed and deferred projects all around the country. This bill also recognizes the important role that inland waterways play in our Nation and provides a cost-share shift to help in completing construction of much-needed projects. I would give a shout- out to Conor Lamb from Pennsylvania as being a tireless advocate on that, as well as other Members. WRDA 2020 also includes specific policies that focus on climate change, natural infrastructure solutions, and affordability, and provisions that assist minority, Tribal, and rural communities. The bill recognizes the important role of resiliency in helping communities meet the current and future challenges of changing hydrologic conditions and repetitive and more frequent flooding events. I am glad to include provisions in this bill that will ensure taxpayer dollars are spent on infrastructure that will be resilient and will contribute to the resiliency of communities across the country. It also ensures that all communities, especially communities with socioeconomic challenges, have a path forward in getting the tools they need for flood protection and ecosystem restoration. H.R. 7575 continues this tradition with a 2-year extension of the process. We accommodated many, many Member requests from both sides of the aisle in this bill. There are some provisions in this bill, however, that will need further review. This legislation continues in conference. For example, H.R. 7575 authorizes six projects where the studies were developed by the non-Federal interest under section 203 of WRDA-86. The committee has received letters of concern about whether these projects have undergone sufficient environmental review, which would include public input of an equivalent level to studies developed by the Corps of Engineers. These are valid questions, and they may require changes to the 203 process as we go to conference with the Senate. I would like to recognize a few individual members on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for their valuable contributions to this bill: Chairwoman Grace Napolitano, for her dogged support in addressing the maintenance needs of our largest ports, particularly southern California, and for meeting future water supply needs of arid regions around the Nation, and the dedication of some of the newest members of my committee. The vice chairwoman of the subcommittee is Ms. Mucarsel-Powell from Florida, and her dedication to getting provisions to protect and restore the national treasure that is the Everglades was tireless. I also recognize the work of the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher) for her incredibly strong advocacy for the Port of Houston and their needs, and for the protection and sustainability of the businesses and communities along the Texas Gulf Coast that depend upon that navigable area. I also recognize the new Member, the gentlewoman from Iowa (Ms. Finkenauer), for her advocacy in addressing flooding risks of rural and economically disadvantaged communities within the Mississippi River Valley. As I mentioned before, Conor Lamb contributed. Angie Craig, Mr. Pappas from New Hampshire, Representative Delgado, Harley Rouda, and Sharice Davids, they were all instrumental in bringing important issues to the committee and contributed to the formation of WRDA 2020. The Water Resources Development Act is essential to communities throughout the country that depend upon the safe and affordable uses of their ports, harbors, and inland waterways. Our economy, safety, and environment will benefit from passage of WRDA 2020. I am proud of our work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on the Budget, Washington, DC, July 24, 2020. Hon. Peter A. DeFazio, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman DeFazio: I write to confirm our mutual understanding regarding H.R. 7575, the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. H.R. 7575 contains provisions that fall within the rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Budget. However, in order to expedite floor consideration of this important legislation, the Committee agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill. The Committee on the Budget takes this action with the mutual understanding that, in doing so, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues within our jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment to any House-Senate conference convened on this legislation or similar legislation and requests your support if such a request is made. Thank you for agreeing to include our exchange of letters in the Congressional Record. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, John A. Yarmuth, Chairman.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I included in the Record a letter from Chairman John Yarmuth from the House Committee on the Budget agreeing to waive consideration of H.R. 7575, as amended, as well as my response to Chairman Yarmuth expressing appreciation for his willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record several letters of support from organizations and stakeholders in support of H.R. 7575. July 28, 2020. Dear Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, The farmers, ranchers, food and beverage manufacturers, processors, package suppliers and agricultural product marketers that comprise our memberships are dedicated to providing the safe, abundant and affordable food, fiber and feed required to ensure our country stays healthy and fed. Because American agriculture's competitive advantage largely depends upon the quality, reliability, accessibility and cost-effectiveness of the national transportation system, our organizations commend Congress for consistently examining water infrastructure projects every two years and write today to urge your support of H.R. 7575, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020. As you know, agricultural commodities move via truck, rail, barge and ocean-going vessels. Consistent and timely focus on the U.S. inland waterways transportation network is vital to agricultural stakeholders because 20 percent of a farmer's income depends on exports. Inland waterway barge transportation is the least expensive, most efficient and most environmentally friendly mode, and U.S. locks and dams help relieve congestion and wear-and-tear on highways as well as discipline rail rates. With respect to U.S. port and inland waterways infrastructure, H.R. 7575 includes two notable provisions we wish to highlight. Both Section 101 concerning the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) and Section 108 pertaining to inland waterways projects would positively affect the ability of our organizations' members to fulfill their role in the agricultural value chain to serve American farmers and domestic and global customers. As you know, the intent of Section 101 of H.R. 7575 is to ``unlock'' the more than $9 billion that's been collected and deposited in the HMTF by those that pay the 0.125 percent ad valorem tax based upon the value of cargo imports. The inability thus far to access and spend those dollars on much-needed port dredging further has eroded the United States' comparative transportation advantage and contributed to lost export opportunities to the detriment of U.S. economic growth. Our organizations strongly support Section 101, which would provide critical and overdue access to the existing balance in the HMTF so that these funds can be spent on dredging as intended. In addition, we believe that adjusting the cost-share formula for inland waterway construction and major rehabilitation of navigation projects, as proposed in Section 108 of H.R. 7575, is a prudent policy that would help address a critical problem facing our inland waterways transportation system. As you know, the majority of U.S. locks and dams are operating on borrowed time, having long outlived their 50- year design life. Further, most are not of sufficient capacity to handle modem 1,200-foot barge tows, and others require more maintenance. Each of these factors costs shippers valuable time and resources. Section 108 amends the cost-share formula for the construction and major rehabilitation of each inland waterways navigation project from the current 50 percent general revenue and 50 percent Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) funding to 65 percent general revenue and 35 percent IWTF. The policy is a step in the right direction that would expedite completion of such projects and help bring the U.S. inland waterways transportation system into the 21st century. For these reasons, we support making permanent the cost share formula adjustment in H.R. 7575 to provide certainty for these projects, which reduces construction costs. Our organizations strongly support passage of H.R. 7575 because Section 101 and Section 108 would enhance U.S. agriculture's competitiveness, contribute to the overall efficiency of the U.S. transportation system, and promote overall U.S. economic growth and job creation. We urge you to support and approve this critical infrastructure bill so that negotiations can proceed with the Senate with the goal of enacting a new WRDA law in 2020. Sincerely, Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference, Agricultural Retailers Association, Agriculture Transportation Coalition, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, American Sugar Cane League, Corn Refiners Association, Farm Credit Council, Florida Sugar Cane League, Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, National Aquaculture Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Cattlemen's Beef Association. National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Grain and Feed Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Oilseed Processors Association, North American Millers' Association, North American Renderers Association, Specialty Soya & Grains Alliance, The Fertilizer Institute, United Fresh Produce Association, USA Rice, Waterways Council, Inc., Western Growers.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Lamb), who is a member of the committee and who was key in getting the additional investments in the inland waterways.

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz).

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Barragan).

Mr. DeFAZIO

Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that debate under clause 1(c) of rule XV on a motion to suspend the rules relating to H.R. 7575 be extended to 1 hour at the request of the minority.