Bob Dold

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DOLD. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of an amendment to increase funding for capital investment grants to help our Nation's mass transit rail systems. The bill as is cuts $200 million from the account, and my amendment would restore that funding. While I recognize, and as we have heard from the chairman and the ranking member, there is not really a good spot to be able to take some of these additional funds from, I do think it is important though, Madam Chair, that we talk about our infrastructure system, especially our rail system. And as we look specifically in the greater Chicago area, the Chicago Transit Authority's rail system, the El, serves around 725,000 riders each and every day, and the Metra, which serves the suburban areas like the 10th District in Illinois, serves over 300,000 riders each and every day. Over a million people are using these rail systems. Again, as we talked about before, Metra estimates that it needs to find roughly $13.4 billion over the next decade just to maintain the system in its current condition. That is why it is more important than ever before to find the funds to pay to maintain and rebuild our Nation's transportation infrastructure system. Madam Chair, we hear all the time from our constituents that we need good, high-paying jobs. Frankly, a transportation infrastructure system for manufacturers--how do we get raw material and a finished product out? How do we get people around?--is absolutely critical to our economy. I saw an estimate from UPS that read that every additional 5 minutes of idling time costs them $100 million. We have switches in the Chicago area that delay rail up to 15 minutes one way. That is 30 minutes a day; and, if you are a regular commuter, that is 10\1/2\ hours in a given month, 10\1/2\ hours that you could be more productive or could be spending time with your family or spending time doing homework with your children. If we as a country want to be more productive, if we want to encourage more good, high-paying jobs, we have to find a way to make sure that we invest in our transportation infrastructure system. When we use this transportation infrastructure system and if it goes away, we are talking about an increase in congestion--at least I can tell you in the Chicago area--of an additional 50 percent. In talking to the rail, we would need an additional 29 lanes of traffic. What is the cost of that? We just don't have it. If we don't have this type of funding, the car in front of you could have been somebody who was sitting on the rail, who could have been using mass transit. Madam Chair, this bill is a step backward for our Nation's mass transit systems, not a step forward. Instead of providing funds to maintain and improve world-class mass transit systems, we are, instead, taking money away and making it harder and harder for the public to find the funds needed to keep their systems operational, much less to improve them. A reliable and consistent stream of capital funding is essential for these systems, but this bill does not meet that need. My amendment would take a step toward addressing that problem. I recognize it is just a step, but I am anxious to work with the chairman and the ranking member, and I am anxious to work with those on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to make sure that we are coming up with outside-the-box thinking in how we can improve our mass transit systems. It is vitally important for our urban areas, and it is certainly important for the Nation's transportation hub, which, I would argue, is in the heartland, in the Chicago area. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DOLD. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DOLD. I think the gentleman is talking about a different amendment. My amendment doesn't take anything out of any account. This is talking about simply changing the percentages between urban and rural to allow competitive grants so that it competes at a level playing field. I just respectfully think you have got a different amendment, which I appreciate, but it is not the one that I think that we are talking about right now.

Mr. DOLD. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of this amendment to change a provision in the bill relating to TIGER grants. Put simply, this amendment would put all transportation projects on an even playing field and allow all qualified projects to fairly compete for these grants, regardless of whether they take place in an urban area or a rural area. Madam Chair, my district is heavily reliant on all forms of transportation. The Chicagoland area is the hub for the Nation's transportation network. Over 925 million tons of freight move in and out of Chicago each and every year, and each workday, tens of thousands of citizens of the 10th Congressional District use commuter rail. The Chicago Regional Transportation Authority estimates that it needs to find $13.4 billion over the next decade just to maintain the system in its current condition. That is why it is more important than ever to find the funds to pay to maintain and rebuild our Nation's transportation system. In the Transportation Appropriations funding bill, there is a provision which discriminates against urban districts, like Illinois' 10th Congressional District. TIGER grants, which are competitive grants to fund capital investments in surface transportation projects, can be awarded to projects across the entire Nation. However, the bill also provides that projects in urban areas receive a Federal match of 50 percent of the project funding, while projects in rural areas can receive up to 80 percent of the project's funding. Madam Chair, this is unfair and unjust. The TIGER grants are competitive, discretionary grants that should be awarded to the most deserving projects. The bill's language allows rural areas to leverage local dollars at a 4 to 1 ratio, allowing them to put up just $2 out of every $10 needed for a project. Urban areas may only leverage at a 1 to 1 ratio. This language harms urban areas and makes it more difficult to secure the funding needed to complete these projects. My amendment is a commonsense and just solution to this problem and would place all projects, no matter where they occur, on an even playing field. Madam Chair, it is time to bring equity back to transportation funding, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and put all qualified projects on an even playing field. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DOLD. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DOLD. Madam Chair, as we talk about transportation and infrastructure, it is so critically important, critically important for our economy, critically important certainly for our urban areas, and if you look at a map of the city of Chicago in the center of our country, we have got six of seven major rail lines that go through there. It used to be that a third of all the freight in the country would go through Chicago. Now, it is about a quarter, but it is still a tremendous amount, and it really impacts the Nation's economy. We can get a railcar from Los Angeles to Chicago in 2 days. It takes nearly 2 days to go from one side of Chicago to the other side of Chicago. This does have an impact. The same rail that we are talking about here also has commuter rails on it, and we are dealing with infrastructure that goes back to the Roosevelt administration. I don't mean FDR; I mean Teddy Roosevelt. We need to make sure that there is some additional funding going here. This amendment that we are talking about is not talking about moving dollars around. It is talking about trying to provide equity so that urban projects, which I would argue we desperately need, are on the same level as the rural projects. If we were to lose mass transit or some of these other projects in the city of Chicago, we are talking about a 50 percent increase in congestion on our roadways. This is an amendment that I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would embrace--at least let's talk about a level playing field, where we are not giving preference to the rural areas versus the urban areas, urban areas which I would argue use the rail a pretty significant amount in terms of how we are moving people around, not to mention our goods and services. This is an amendment that I think is a commonsense amendment, and I would hope that I would get some support from my good friend from Florida and maybe we could get him to even reconsider, but I hope I am not tilting at windmills on that one, Madam Chair. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DOLD. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of an amendment to increase funding for Amtrak's capital account. The bill as is cuts $290 million from Amtrak's capital account, which is used to upgrade or replace the infrastructure that Amtrak owns, along with the acquisition and maintenance of Amtrak's fleet of locomotives, passenger cars, and other equipment. Madam Chair, the Chicago area, which I represent, is the hub of our Nation's transportation network. Over 30 million people ride Amtrak every year nationwide, and many of those passengers ride through the city of Chicago. However, in the Chicago area, Amtrak trains are running on infrastructure that has not been updated in decades, including switches that date back to the administration of Teddy Roosevelt. As we have seen in recent months, safety concerns on Amtrak are at a premium. Now is not the time to reduce the amount of money that we have made available for Amtrak and for our needed infrastructure upgrades. We need to make investments in our tracks, our trains, our stations, and the rest of our transportation system. My amendment would take a step towards addressing that problem. All it does is restore capital investment grants to the level at which they were appropriated last year. This is a small step but one that will help rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and will help improve the mass transit systems that so many of our citizens use each and every day. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DOLD. Madam Chair, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining?

Mr. DOLD. I certainly want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their thoughts. Madam Chair, there is no question as we look at the debt that we have--we have an $18 trillion debt in our country--that it is jeopardizing our children's opportunity for the American Dream. One of the things that I talk about in terms of how we get out of it is by talking about: How do we grow, Madam Chair? We grow, I think, by creating this opportunity and environment so people want to come and put their businesses here, becoming globally competitive. When entrepreneurs look at where to go to place their businesses, one of the things they are going to look at is our transportation infrastructure system. We need to know how we are going to get our raw materials in and our finished product out if we want to be globally competitive and if we want to manufacture. I would argue that we do. I recognize where the committee is. I also appreciate the chairman's and the ranking member's willingness to work with us in going forward, but we have to, each and every one of us, come together and put our differences aside and invest in our infrastructure system so that we can grow our economy and have greater dollars coming into the Federal Treasury so that we can have these resources. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Hadiya Pendelton, a young woman from my home State of Illinois who was shot tragically in Chicago when she was only 15. Hadiya would have been 18 years old yesterday. In her memory, her friends asked their classmates to commemorate her life by wearing orange. Yesterday, I joined with my colleagues in the House to honor her memory in the United States House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, every single day in the United States, nearly 300 people are victims of handgun violence. Yesterday, gun owners, sportsmen, lawmakers, faith leaders, teachers, students, and more wore orange to bring attention to the issue of handgun violence. It is my hope that this nonpartisan unifying action will show that victims of gun violence like Hadiya are not forgotten. Mr. Speaker, we must set aside our partisan differences so that we may honor the victims of this tragic and unnecessary violence and come together to make our homes, our businesses, schools, and communities safer.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career and contributions of Wheeling Public Works Director Anthony Stavros. Mr. Stavros is retiring next month and leaves behind a reputation of strong dedication and commitment to the people of Wheeling, Illinois. Throughout his career, Mr. Stavros served the Village of Wheeling in various roles and capacities in the Public Works Department. As Director, he oversaw multiple divisions managing parks, infrastructure, and flood and snow operations, all of which are vital to the well-being and safety of the community. A number of his successful projects were recognized by the American Public Works Association including his work on the Cornell Avenue Dam Rehabilitation. Mr. Stavros leaves a lasting legacy through his integrity, leadership, and commitment to the improvement and maintenance of the Wheeling community. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to express my gratitude to Mr. Anthony Stavros for his forty-five years of exemplary service.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my good friend from Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, last week I had an opportunity to sit down with Sophie Weiss, an inspiring young girl from Illinois. In many ways she is a very normal girl who enjoys spending her days playing with her sisters, but she also suffers from a severe form of epilepsy that does not allow her to respond to the traditional medication. Because of this, she suffers through upwards of 200 seizures each and every day. Mr. Chairman, she can't read. She is 9 years old. Her 6- year-old sister reads to her. She can't do this because she blacks out and she seizes hundreds of times each and every day. Unfortunately, Sophie's story is not unique, and there are girls just like Sophie in every State and every district across our country. Mr. Chairman, we have already found lifesaving seizure relief for some families. In Illinois, CBD oil is legal and has shown to drastically reduce the frequency of seizures. But because of antiquated laws and Federal bureaucracy, this relief is unavailable to many. Over and over again, the Federal Government has stood in the way of access to lifesaving care for these children. Why would we allow even one child, Mr. Chairman, to suffer while waiting for other options to be approved? If this natural therapy can help even one family, ensuring access to it is a must. Mr. Chairman, I came to Washington to fight for commonsense, bipartisan reform that will improve the day-to-day lives of the people that I represent, and that is exactly what this amendment does. Quite simply, it ensures that States that already have legalized CBD oil can do so without Federal interference. Helping these families is a reform that we should all be able to get behind. Regardless of political party, we can agree that the government's role is not to prevent families from getting access to lifesaving treatment. Mr. Chairman, as a father looking at these children who suffer from thousands of seizures, who literally can't live their lives normally, is something that we can and must change. This amendment offers hope to thousands of individuals and their families, and I urge my colleagues to help children like Sophie in their districts by adopting this commonsense amendment.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of David John Gotaas, a resident of Northbrook, who passed away on May 23, 2015. Born in Chicago to Lois and David S. Gotaas on March 2, 1951, David was raised a missionary child in Venezuela until his family returned to the Chicago area where David attended New Trier High School (1968), Wheaton College (BA, Economics, 1972) and Northwestern University (MBA, 1974). Although he began his career as a Certified Public Accountant, David was an entrepreneur at heart, and gladly traded corporate pursuits for self-made ventures in real estate, which he viewed as both business and ministry. In 1978, David married the love of his life and best friend, Sally Slingerland, who attended Winnetka Bible Church where his father pastored. David and Sally settled in Northbrook where they raised four daughters. David's childhood on the mission field marked him with a passion to serve others around the world. An active member of the Winnetka Rotary Club, David helped initiate the first Rotary Club in the country of Kosovo in 2005. David's involvement in Kosovo also included service on the Advisory Board for the Kosovo American Education Fund and the Board of Trustees for the American Councils for International Education. David's travels brought him not only to Kosovo, but to over 80 countries around the world. A member of the Circumnavigators Club of Chicago, David's favorite travel destinations were far from the typical tourist trail, including recent trips to Myanmar and Bangladesh, where he purposefully sought out the humblest accommodations to connect with locals and practice simplicity. Despite the breadth of his adventures, perhaps his favorite destination was Yosemite National Park, where he enjoyed bringing anyone willing to keep up with him. Wherever he traveled, David was known to share his adventures via postcards to family, friends and acquaintances. David will be remembered for his passionate love for Jesus Christ, love for family, integrity, thoughtfulness and generosity. He is survived by his wife, Sally, and his four daughters, Anne, Kathryn, Mary and Laura. In his final years, perhaps David's greatest joy was his grandchildren: Nathan, Nora, Kate, Silas and a fifth due in September.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of AKHAN Semiconductor Incorporated and its founder and Chief Executive Officer, Adam Khan. AKHAN Semiconductor has become the most advanced diamond semiconductor platform in the world due to the hard work and meticulous training of Mr. Khan and his team. AKHAN will begin operations in Gurnee, Illinois this June. Mr. Speaker, the 10th District of Illinois that I represent is a manufacturing hub, and a fantastic place for industry to form and grow. In fact, Gurnee was the perfect choice for AKHAN because it is rich with human talent and world class education institutions, is a transportation hub that makes it easy to ship materials and product, and perhaps most critically, Gurnee has strong pro-industry municipal and county leadership beginning with its Mayor Kristy Kovarik and Lake County Partners. One reason in particular that I am very excited about AKHAN being here is that its leaders understand that they have a responsibility to partner with local educators to ensure that we are preparing our local workforce for the career demands of the 21st Century. I have long been impressed with the College of Lake County and its commitment to partnering with local industry, and so it is no surprise that AKHAN and the College of Lake County are partnering to create an incubator to offer vocational training that will allow students to attain certification to operate AKHAN's high tech machinery. AKHAN is also tapping into another jewel of our region, Argonne National Laboratories. In fact, I understand that they will soon announce a broadened IP agreement where AKHAN's patent portfolio will be expanded to cover even more intellectual property. Mr. Speaker, AKHAN is an exciting new member of our community, and it is my great pleasure to recognize their achievements and welcome them to Gurnee.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 264, 265, 266, I was unavoidably detained by American Airlines on the tarmac at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Had I been present, I would have voted ''nay'' on all three rollcall votes.

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 267, I was unavoidably detained due to weather. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rabbi Carl Wolkin. He is retiring after 35 years of service to the Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, Illinois. He will be sorely missed by many in our community. Over the past 35 years, Rabbi Wolkin has served as the president of the Northbrook Clergy Association, the Chicago region of the Rabbinical Assembly, the president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, and he is also a member of the Jewish United Fund board. In these roles, Mr. Speaker, he has worked tirelessly to support his fellow rabbis in making their congregations centers for worship and learning. In 2004, Rabbi Wolkin was in the first group of graduates of the Center for Rabbinic Enrichment of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Rabbi Wolkin has been a tremendous asset to the Jewish community at large, as has his wife, Judy, who has enriched the lives of Jewish children by her teaching at the Solomon Schechter Day School for many years. I wish Rabbi Wolkin well on his retirement and the next chapter of his life.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I come from a northern district in Illinois. We are the fourth-largest manufacturing district in the Nation. Yes, we rely on that infrastructure because we need to know how our raw materials come in, how our finished product goes out, and how we move people around. We also realize that those manufacturers rely on that research and development tax credit in order to innovate, in order to create that next new thing, that next new innovation. If we don't do it in the United States, they will be doing it elsewhere. Mr. Speaker, I just got back from Israel. One of the things that struck me as I swung by one of their companies is that they had a sign out front that read: ``Where Innovation Never Stops.'' We either choose to innovate here, or they will do it elsewhere. This is a bipartisan initiative, and I ask my colleagues to support this initiative.

Mr. DOLD. I want to thank my good friend from Texas for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I want to just address my good friend from Oregon to say, as someone on this side of the aisle, I, too, sense an urgency on transportation and infrastructure. I know that we need to step up and do something about it so that we can have a robust economy, so that we can be moving our goods and services around. I do look forward to our working on tax reform, but, today, we are talking about research and development. As we talk about certainty, certainly we need certainty with regard to our transportation and infrastructure system, but we need certainty when it comes to research and development. Businesses all across our country, as they are looking to try to create that next new product, as they are looking to innovate, as they are looking to create that next new thing in order to improve the lives of individuals and to enhance our Nation, they need to have that certainty to be able to look around the corner. We are moving forward on research and development a step at a time. We are reauthorizing it a year at a time. Sometimes we are doing it retroactively, which means that those businesses don't have the ability to plan and oftentimes don't. They are happy to take the tax relief, but they are not really willing to plan and invest in it, oftentimes having, year after year, programs in which they are investing billions of dollars, creating thousands of jobs. Innovation, Mr. Speaker, is something that we should all be united behind. We want to innovate here in the United States. We want to create things here in the United States. We do not want to have a research and development situation which really fosters innovation outside of the United States. Yes, we have slipped behind, and Republicans and Democrats alike want to make sure that the United States is leading the charge. We need to be globally competitive. We are not in a domestic economy--we are in a global economy. If we want to be globally competitive, we cannot be ranked 22nd when it comes to research incentives.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 240, 241, and 242. I was unavoidably detained due to a flight delay. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye,'' ``aye,'' and ``aye.''

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, Chip Anderson has been an integral part of Kenilworth Scouting--more specifically, Troop 13--for the last 8 years. He has provided outstanding leadership and support to the young men of Kenilworth, Illinois, as first the troop quartermaster, and then as the troop Scoutmaster. He is moving to Atlanta with his family for career reasons and resigning his active leadership position with Troop 13, but will always remain a vital part of Troop 13 and its legacy. During his tenure, the troop has been very active with weekly meetings, community service projects, and monthly camping and overnight trips, including the annual Boundary Waters High Adventure for the rising seventh-grade boys. Advancement is one, but not the only, measure of success, and during his tenure Troop 13 has had 45 young men attain the rank of Eagle, Scouting's highest rank. Chip has directly supported each of these young men, as well as all the young men in the troop. Most have called him a mentor and friend in the notes they have written to express their thanks. We are thankful for his outstanding contribution, and as a community we feel very fortunate to have had his leadership and dedication to the Scouting program and to the development of young men in the village. It is an honor to recognize Chip today. It as an honor to call him my friend.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Madam Speaker, this is an important bill, one that makes sure we do not lose sight of the threat posed by Hezbollah, and one that we have to make sure that we are vigilant, that we know where the resources are going. This is a bill that, again, I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on, and I want to thank Mr. Engel, the ranking member, for his leadership, and Ted Deutch, a good friend, and Mark Meadows for all that they are doing. This is something that, again, I encourage my colleagues in this body to come together and unite behind another unanimous vote to make sure the world knows that we will not sit idly by, that we will do everything in our power to make sure that we track down the funders of this terrorist organization to make sure that they do not have the tools necessary for a reign of terror on Israel and the West.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. While I wish it were stronger, it does force the administration to bring it before this body to review any deal. Last week, I traveled to Israel on a weeklong mission to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and convey the message that we stand with our Israeli partners on the security challenges that are in front of us. The threat posed by Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapon was at the forefront of literally everyone's mind. The Israeli leaders that I met with, individuals across the political spectrum, all reiterated what I have said all along: concern about the direction of the P5+1 nuclear talks with Iran is not--I repeat, is not--a partisan issue. In fact, there was multipartisan support and appreciation in Israel for Prime Minister Netanyahu's outspoken opposition to a bad deal. Mr. Speaker, this is not just an American and an Israeli issue. A nuclear Iran threatens the Middle East, and, I would argue, the entire world. Our allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council are also skeptical of the deal taking shape. The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates have made their displeasure known by choosing to skip the President's Camp David summit this week. Saudi Arabia, already fighting a proxy war with Iran in Yemen, will not sit idly by if we agree to a deal that legitimizes Iran as a nuclear threshold state. The last thing anyone in the P5+1 wants is a nuclear arms race further destabilizing the Middle East and, I believe, increasing the chance of a nuclear war. Mr. Speaker, I implore my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation today to ensure that the American people have a say in any final agreement with Iran. The legislation today guarantees that Congress will have an up-or- down vote on the future of any deal. It is that vote--the one which will occur after a deal is reached--that will be the pivotal moment in our efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program. That will be the vote that decides whether Iran has an internationally accepted and legitimized path to a bomb or whether we will hold the administration accountable to its assertion that no deal is better than a bad deal. Looking ahead to that vote, we must withstand the pressure and unequivocally reject any deal that leaves intact Iran's nuclear infrastructure; cements Iran's position as a nuclear threshold state; unwinds the sanctions architecture, giving Iran an infusion of literally billions of dollars that it will use to finance terror against Israel and around the globe; and legitimizes a sure-to-fail inspection regime that falls short of ``anytime, anywhere'' inspections. Mr. Speaker, we must not be fooled into false choices, and Iran must not be left with any path to a nuclear weapon. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight something very concerning related to Syria which, I believe, has significant implications for any Iran agreement. Recent reports indicate a clear violation of the deal that this administration struck with Bashar al-Assad 2 years ago to remove chemical weapons from Syria. Unfortunately, these serious violations are not receiving the attention and scrutiny they deserve. According to reports, an international monitoring body found traces of chemical weapons in Syria and reported this breach to the administration earlier this year. Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford is quoted as saying: ``The Syrian revelations shouldn't be a surprise given the regime's track record. It is a violation of the deal we struck with the Russians, and it is a violation of the deal the Syrian regime struck with the U.N.'' Mr. Speaker, we cannot let history repeat itself with a bad deal with Iran. This deal, if done incorrectly, has far-reaching implications not just for the United States, Israel, and our allies, but for the world and future generations. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the legislation coming before this body today so that we can give the American people an opportunity to review what the deal is and have an opportunity to vote ``yes'' or ``no'' based upon what is in this agreement. Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. I strongly support the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, and encourage my colleagues to join me in voting yes later today. I am extremely skeptical of the framework agreement released in April because, as written, I believe it will legitimize Iran's status as a nuclear threshold state. This is unacceptable, and we should not support any deal that permits this. The American people deserve a voice on this critical matter of national security, and Congress must have the opportunity to take an up-or-down vote on any final deal.

Mr. DOLD

Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce for his leadership and Ranking Member Engel for his leadership as well. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Speaker, I believe the greatest threat we have to our own national security here is a nuclear-armed Iran, an entity that has said time and again that they want to wipe Israel off the face of the map, that they want to drive them into the sea, that they are the Little Satan, which naturally begs the question, Mr. Speaker, as to who is the Big Satan, and it is the United States of America. This is a framework, the framework that has been announced, the one that Iran basically said, We didn't think that was the framework. The chants of ``death to America.'' What they said is that they have to take all the sanctions off immediately upon the signature of a deal and that the IAEA will not be granted access to inspect facilities that are military facilities. Well, frankly, that is not a deal. I recognize that is a framework. What we are debating today is really talking about Congress having the ability to say: Is this a deal that we can live with or is it not? Because, frankly, leaving Iran as a nuclear threshold state is not going to be a deal. What we are going to be debating today is, in essence, just allowing us to be able to take the next vote. That is the important one. Madam Speaker, this is not left versus right. This isn't about Republicans and Democrats. This is about right versus wrong. This is about making sure that we do this right. If we don't do this right, if Iran is set for a path to a nuclear weapon, it is going to set an arms race in a dangerous neighborhood that will be devastating for peace and security around the globe. This is one where we are going to join hands together as a nation to make sure that the safety and security of the world is what we are going to put first and foremost. Madam Speaker, I just got back from Israel. I had the opportunity to speak with people on multiple sides. To the person, they are all united behind the idea that a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable and that this will be a bad deal. So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this piece of legislation to allow us to have the opportunity to take a look at this deal to move forward. With that, I sincerely hope that this is a bipartisan effort.