Ron Estes

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 579.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, throughout our district work period, I visited farms, ranches, manufacturing plants, and small businesses where people all said the same thing: It is time to pass the USMCA now. Farmers, ranchers, and workers in Kansas understand how important this monumental trade deal is, and they want it done now. On November 30, 2018, the United States, Mexico, and Canada signed a monumental free and fair trade agreement for our countries. Since then, Mexico has made significant labor reforms and adopted the USMCA, while Canada is not far behind. Unfortunately, here at home, the USMCA is stuck in purgatory. Congress failed to bring the USMCA to a vote over the summer, while some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to slow walk and delay a vote to ratify the USMCA. While my colleagues may want to deny, or at least delay, any victory for President Trump, the only people hurt by delaying the USMCA are hardworking American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and families. Currently, more than 12 million American jobs depend on trade with Canada and Mexico. As is the case for 45 other States, Canada and Mexico are Kansas' top two trading partners, worth $4.9 billion every year, while supporting 110,000 jobs in my State alone. This impact underscores just how important the USMCA is for our country. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the USMCA will create 176,000 new jobs and increase U.S. GDP by $68 billion. Exports to USMCA partners will grow by $33.3 billion, and imports from the USMCA partners will grow by $31.5 billion. Overall, the update to NAFTA will create jobs, boost wages, and open up new markets for American agriculture and manufacturing. It also sets unprecedented standards for areas like intellectual property, small businesses, and the environment. This is a significant improvement over NAFTA, which was actually beneficial to my district in Kansas, especially for our farmers, ranchers, and aerospace manufacturers. However, the 25-year-old NAFTA agreement was outdated and badly in need of reform and modernization. Consider that, when NAFTA was first negotiated in 1992, Motorola cell phones were carried around in a bag, and just one in five households had a home computer. Even fewer than that could connect to a dial-up internet in order to access the world wide web, which had just been unveiled in 1991. Clearly, a lot has changed in the last 25 years, and our laws and trade deals should change as well. As Representative of the Air Capital of the World and the breadbasket of America, I know that USMCA is critical for manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers throughout Kansas and our country. That is why I am proud to serve today on the whip team, led by Whip Steve Scalise, to help get the USMCA finalized in Congress. Earlier today, our team met with Ambassador Lighthizer to receive an update on negotiations, and I want to take a moment to again thank him and the entire administration for the work they did to draft the USMCA. Now it is time for Congress to do its part to secure this free and fair trade deal that farmers, ranchers, workers, and families in the heartland and throughout the country deserve. As a fierce advocate for free and fair trade, I believe a trade agreement with Canada and Mexico is crucial for Kansas and our country. However, President Trump is right to insist that trade deals both be fair and free. Free trade allows us to export our quality agriculture and manufactured goods around the globe, while fair trade enables us to do so at a fair price without intellectual property infringement. The USMCA accomplishes both of these goals. I have several Members here with me tonight who also want to talk. I want to talk some more about some of the other benefits that are out there from the USMCA, but right now, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry), my friend and colleague.

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Perry said a lot of things that are really valid there and important to us. I have several other Members who want to talk about how important things are. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), my friend and colleague.

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Representative Balderson's efforts and involvement in this. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), my colleague.

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's time and participation in this very important topic tonight. Now I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Schweikert), my friend.

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his comments. The gentleman pointed out so much about how important it is to get that economic growth so that we have got the value in the economy and how much effort that Mexico has made, already changing the laws in their country to make sure that it is a much more viable process for them, and it is more productive for them as well. Mr. Speaker, I come from Kansas, and specifically in my district, we have a lot of agriculture and a lot of issues there. And the USMCA is a great improvement for the agriculture area. It sets some unprecedented standards for agriculture, regulation, and biotechnology. It maintains duty-free access for American farmers in Mexico, and provides new access for U.S. wheat, eggs, dairy, and poultry. In fact, the International Trade Commission estimates an additional $277 million in increased dairy sales to our North American partners under USMCA. That is a 44 percent increase that will bring a much-needed lift to the U.S. dairy industry. Another area is manufacturing. USMCA maintains a duty-free access for U.S. manufactured goods and removes some of the existing barriers for remanufactured goods, opening up a lot of new markets for American products. It encourages U.S. manufacturing by requiring 75 percent of auto content to be produced in North America. The Office of the United States Trade Representative estimates that USMCA will add $34 billion in automotive investment and create 76,000 new American jobs. It also incentivizes higher wages, requiring 40 to 50 percent of auto content to be made by workers making at least $16 an hour, helping to boost wages across many manufacturing sectors. It requires Mexico to pass some sweeping labor reforms to improve standards there and create an even more even playing field for American labor. Mexico has already followed through and enacted these reforms which are already benefiting U.S. manufacturing. Canada and Mexico buy more products manufactured in America than our next 10 trading partners. Exports of manufactured goods to Canada and Mexico account for more than 2 million jobs across our country. As a representative of Wichita, I have seen firsthand how important it is that our manufacturers have access to global markets. Transportation equipment exports account for $2.7 billion last year, and the growth in manufactured goods, exports from Kansas, grew 8.5 percent from 2010 to 2018. In addition, Kansas aerospace exports to Canada and Mexico have increased by more than 20 percent over the last decade, helping grow the total value of manufactured goods exported from Kansas to Canada and Mexico to $3.2 billion in 2018. These numbers underscore the importance of USMCA for American manufacturing. I wanted to mention that I have got some other representatives here who also have a big impact and a lot of value to add to that. Right now I would like to call on my friend and colleague from Pennsylvania. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller).

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's time and involvement in this. I would also now like to call on a friend of mine and colleague from the great State of Indiana. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Baird).

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Steube), who is my friend and colleague.

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall). Representative Roger Marshall is my fellow Kansan and colleague.

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I thank all the Members who have joined us tonight. As President Trump has often pointed out, many of our trade deals have not always created the best outcomes for American workers and products, but by approving the USMCA, we can take one giant step in overhauling one of the most fundamental trade deals with our closest neighbors. We can also create a great template for success, especially if we turn our focus to improving trade relations with China and other countries. As we stated tonight, there is no time like the present to get started moving this process forward, making sure that every provision of the deal is enforceable so we can get the USMCA across the finish line. The cost of delay is too great for our farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families. Again, I thank my colleagues for joining me tonight, and I ask this body to pass the USMCA now. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 397. Protecting pensions and retirement security for all Americans should be one area where Republicans and Democrats can agree. It should be a top priority in Congress. As the gentleman from Virginia indicated earlier, these plans need structural reform. Sadly, this bill does not include any. H.R. 397 falls short of making any meaningful structural reforms to address the problems of underfunding or provide a method to pay back the loans. Instead, H.R. 397 provides taxpayer-subsidized loans to multiemployer pension plans that are insolvent or in danger of becoming insolvent. This only throws out more taxpayer dollars while kicking the can down the road. This is unacceptable. We can and should do better. However, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have rushed this partisan legislation to the House floor with almost zero Republican feedback or amendments. Instead of a partisan bill with no chance of going anywhere, I believe we should work together on serious bipartisan solutions to make the needed reforms so that we don't get right back in this situation again. As Kansas State treasurer, we reformed the public pension system. We should do that with this system as well. As Kansas State Treasurer, I helped reform the Kansas public pension program when it was facing a financial crisis and set it on a path to being solvent. In fact, when I was sworn-in as state treasurer, Kansas had the second worst funded pension in the nation. But thanks to reforms we enacted, KPERS is now funded at 67% and ranked 29th in the country. This was a big turnaround and is also the same kind of leadership and action we need now to preserve and protect pensions across the country. Pension plans can be reformed even after 2008 stockmarket decline. Unfortunately, today's bill does nothing to keep pensions solvent in the future. American workers and families deserve better and I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 748, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2019. This important bill repeals the so-called Cadillac tax, a policy implemented through ObamaCare that would have placed a 40 percent tax on high-cost employer healthcare plans. The tax was originally included as a way to help pay for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly called ObamaCare, by targeting expensive health plans and insurance companies. However, in practice, it would have been middle-class workers bearing the real burden to pay for it through taxes. It would have hurt union members, nonunion members, small businesses, and nonprofits. In fact, the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that a whopping 70 percent of the revenue collected by the Cadillac tax would have come from higher income and payroll taxes rather than excise taxes on insurers. This massive tax increase would have devastated middle-class workers and families, many of whom continue to struggle with the rising costs of ObamaCare as it is. I thank my colleagues for realizing the bad implications of this failed policy and for working in a bipartisan way to repeal the Cadillac tax. I am hopeful that today's action will allow us to move forward to address similar policies, like the health insurance tax and the medical device tax. Instead of propping up the failed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act through higher taxes and reduced choices, we must get serious about improving healthcare and our economy. Madam Speaker, I believe H.R. 748 is a great first step, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. 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 could be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of amendment 38 to Division A of H.R. 3055 regarding a consistent tariff exclusion process under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. According to the International Trade Administration, Section 301 of the Trade Act provides the United States with the authority to enforce trade agreements, resolve trade disputes, and open foreign markets to U.S. goods and services. It is the principal statutory authority under which the United States may impose trade sanctions on foreign countries that either violate trade agreements or engage in other unfair trade practices. Since entering office, President Trump has used tariffs to help secure trade deals with partners around the world. While I don't believe tariffs should be a long-term solution for our trade practices and overall economy, they have been successful in the short-term in bringing countries like China to the negotiating table. Yet as the process to negotiate new trade deals moves forward, we must do everything possible to limit any potential negative impact on businesses and consumers. Since enacted, exclusions through Section 301 of the Trade Act have allowed qualifying companies to avoid tariffs on necessary goods. This ensures that companies that can only purchase a certain material or good from one country are not punished if that country is subject to a tariff. While the administration has established an exclusion process for Tranche 1 and 2 goods, it took prodding from Congress for an exclusion process to be established for 301 tariffs on Tranche 3. That's why today I am proposing amendment 38 to Division A of H.R. 3055 that would ensure exclusions are evenly applied to all goods under Section 301. This amendment provides consistency in the application of Section 301 and seeks to support businesses and consumers which rely on goods covered by the section. It's important to note this amendment does not support tariffs, which as I said should not be a long-term strategy. However, similar to the intent of language that was included in the Explanatory Statement for the FY19 Continuing Resolution we passed in February, this amendment would ensure that there is a consistent exclusion process for any subsequent 301 tariff rounds. Just last month, the administration increased tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on nearly $200 billion of Tranche 3 Chinese goods, highlighting the need for a consistent exclusion process moving forward. This amendment achieves that goal and I ask my colleagues to approve it.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of an amendment to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Division that seeks to increase support for water reclamation projects. Millions of people and businesses throughout our country are able to enjoy a stable water supply thanks to this vital infrastructure. One example is the Equus Beds Aquifer Recharge, Storage and Recovery project in Wichita, Kansas. Equus Beds provides the main water supply for nearly 500,000 people in Wichita and the surrounding region. In addition to servicing citizens, it is also vital for businesses and farms throughout the entire area that includes cities such as Wichita, Halstead, Newton, Hutchinson, McPherson, Valley Center and others. Equus Beds became a key component of Wichita's Integrated Local Water Supply Plan in 1993, when it was determined that the city's water supply would not meet demand by the year 2015. Thankfully since its implementation, the Equus Beds Aquifer has recharged 2.5 billion gallons of water to continue meeting the region's needs. Clearly, water reclamation projects like Equus Beds are critical to sustaining the economy and quality of life in Wichita and throughout our country. Today I urge support for amendment 95 to H.R. 2740 to increase support in the bill for water reclamation projects like the Equus Beds Aquifer. I ask my colleagues to approve this amendment en bloc.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, I would like to change my vote for Roll Call vote No. 293 on Agreeing to the Amendment for H.R. 2740, the Bera of California Part B Amendment No. 46 from no to aye.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Dunn).

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as Congress debates another extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF. While TANF remains a vital program to millions of Americans, and I support an extension, I am disappointed in my colleagues across the aisle for not taking the opportunity to discuss much-needed reforms to TANF, which are long overdue. In fact, since the program began in 1996, TANF has had only one true reauthorization and has been simply extended 38 times, including four times in the last 2 years since I have been in Congress. Today, we debate another extension until September 30. However, another extension does not allow us to discuss proposals to reform TANF to help Americans get jobs needed for an independent and prosperous life. Unlike my colleagues, Republicans have put forth such a proposal called the JOBS for Success Act. The bill expands services to connect people receiving TANF with tailored skills training and jobs. It also allows States to fund apprenticeships and on-the-job training programs, and it expands funding for work-related transportation costs and childcare. In return, the JOBS for Success Act strengthens accountability for securing a job and maintaining it. These commonsense reforms are needed now more than ever. Under our new Tax Code, our booming economy has more jobs than workers for the first time in history: 7.5 million job openings versus 5.8 million unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Now is the time for people to get the support and training they need to take part in this historic economic recovery. Reforming TANF in Congress should be a great first step toward this goal. I know this because I have seen how reforms to TANF can help those in need. In my home State of Kansas, we allowed TANF dollars to go to the JAG program, which helps at-risk high school students graduate and get a successful career path. In Kansas, JAG has a 91 percent graduation rate and 80 percent employment rate, both above the national average for JAG students. This one statewide reform is an example of the potential that exists if we come together to look at potential national reforms to TANF and to help families in need and give them the support they need. Unfortunately, it appears that my colleagues across the aisle are okay with simply kicking the TANF can down the road for the 39th time without discussing the JOBS for Success Act or offering any sort of reform proposal. As we debate this extension bill, I continue to call on my colleagues to work with us on reforming TANF and developing a full reauthorization bill, not just continuing to kick the can down the road. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the SECURE Act. It is an overall good policy that will encourage Americans to save for retirement. I am pleased that this bill makes it easier for small businesses to join together and offer retirement plans for more Americans. It allows graduate students and home healthcare workers to save more for retirement. It includes a policy change to help Gold Star families. It also includes a fix to the taxation of children's unearned income that will support American Indian Tribal youth and encourage them to pursue a college education, similar to the legislation that I helped introduce with my colleague from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore). Finally, this bill will allow 529 plans to be used to pay for student loans and apprenticeship programs. As a former State treasurer of Kansas, I oversaw a 529 plan and understand the importance of expanding these plans for our families. That is why I am disappointed that the manager's amendment removed good policy from this legislation that would have allowed 529 plans to help be used for expenses for K-12 education and to help special needs children. Earlier this year, my Republican colleagues and I on the Ways and Means Committee entered good faith negotiations with Chairman Neal and our Democratic colleagues to craft this bill. As a result, Republicans and Democrats on the committee unanimously voted for the SECURE Act in April. However, since that time, the other side of the aisle played politics with this legislation when it was before the Rules Committee and removed those additional 529 provisions that were originally included to help special needs students. So, while I support today's bill and the policies that are still included, I sincerely hope that, moving forward, we can stop playing politics with good pieces of legislation and work in a bipartisan manner and negotiate in good faith to produce legislation that will help the American people.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, if this unanimous consent request cannot be entertained, I urge the Speaker and the majority leader to immediately schedule the Born-Alive bill.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the musical accomplishments of Barry ``Bones'' Patton. When traveling near Winfield in south central Kansas, there are two sounds that one might hear: cattle and bluegrass. Winfield--home of the nationally recognized Walnut Valley Festival for bluegrass and acoustic music--is where Barry Patton uses cattle rib bones to create unique music that has put him on the world stage. His exceptional talent earned him the nickname Barry ``Bones'' Patton. Refining his craft since the age of 13, Patton told KAKE-TV in a 2006 interview that he'd been encouraged to ``carry that tradition on of bone playing because it's really an old lost art.'' And that's precisely what he's done. The art of playing bones finds its roots in ancient history, from Mesopotamia and Egypt to the Roman Empire and ancient Greece. The instrument--often associated with folk music--takes the simple remains of an animal and turns it into a complex rhythm that takes skill and practice to perfect. The fact that Patton can play bones well in both hands makes the sound of his music even more impressive. Representing the United States at the Fleadh by the Feale music festival in Abbeyfeale, Ireland, Barry ``Bones'' Patton competed in their International Bone Playing Competition and earned the title of best bone player in the world on May 6. I want to congratulate Patton on his international recognition and ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating his bona fide success.

Mr. ESTES

Mr. ESTES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski) for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to mention that I, too, rise today in support of H.R. 1759, the BRIDGE for Workers Act. This technical correction bill builds on the progress we made in last year's budget act to provide reemployment services to help get more people back to work faster and easier. While the intent of last year's law was to allow job counselors to consult with unemployed individuals as soon as possible, oftentimes implementation of the law led to this happening only in cases where unemployment benefits were set to expire. Today's bill realigns reemployment services and eligibility assessment with the original intent of their mission to assist unemployed individuals as soon as possible to get people back to work. I know, in my district, case managers at the Workforce Centers of South Central Kansas provide a critical service connecting people with jobs or skills training to further their careers. At a time when our economy is growing at historic rates and we have more job openings than ever before, the work these centers provide is extremely important to help make sure all Americans can participate in this economic revival. I want to thank my fellow Ways and Means Committee members for working to bring this bill to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support it.