Brett Guthrie

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the Safeguarding Therapeutics Act. Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the international mail facility at JFK Airport in New York. When counterfeit drugs come through the mail facilities, the FDA has the authority to destroy it. However, if that counterfeit drug is attached to a syringe, it therefore constitutes a medical device, and the FDA does not currently have the authority to destroy counterfeit medical devices. Instead, in most cases, they are mailed back to where they came from, where they are repackaged and sent right back to the United States. After visiting the mail facility, I joined with my colleague, Representative Eliot Engel, to fix this, introducing the Safeguarding Therapeutics Act. This commonsense, bipartisan bill will give the FDA the authority to destroy counterfeit medical devices at entry points into our country. These include items such as combination products, like injections and vaccines. If allowed into the country, these products could end up on the black market and harm American patients. The Safeguarding Therapeutics Act has become especially important now that the country is facing the COVID-19 pandemic. We have already seen instances of counterfeit COVID-19 tests and products claiming to cure COVID being sent to the United States. Bad actors are marketing tests and treatments that have not been approved by the FDA or the CDC. We need to give the FDA the ability to destroy these products as they enter the United States. While our Nation continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, the last thing we need is fake COVID-19 tests and products in our market. Also, in going to the JFK Airport, you are standing there with the personnel, men and women who are wearing the uniform of our country, receiving this mail moving forward. We gave them the authority: If it is a drug, they can destroy it if it is counterfeit; if it is a device, it is an interpretation, but they don't have the authority to move forward. They even told me that sometimes they open the package, see that it is counterfeit, and they have to return it. They close the package, return it, and they will see the same package come back through the exact way that they taped it. So we need to give them the authority. It doesn't make sense. It is a commonsense approach. Eliot Engel and I made this bipartisan. I think every American citizen says that is not the way we want to operate, and particularly in this time and this pandemic, and there are people trying to take advantage of this time and this pandemic. Madam Speaker, I appreciate bringing this to the floor today. I appreciate the hard work of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I thank Representative Engel. I don't think he represents JFK, but he does represent the great city of New York. Madam Speaker, I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the Committee on Energy and Commerce as they respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), a member of the committee and a good friend.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, in these challenging times, childcare providers, especially those who run small operations, are at risk of shutting their doors. The call for Congress to act is loud and clear. With the additional health and safety requirements providers are expected to navigate, it is important to help them implement these requirements so the children in their care remain safe and free from harm. H.R. 7909 will ensure that childcare providers receive guidance and assistance to safely operate so that parents can return to work and our economy can continue to recover. I think most of the people, when I am back home, are just looking to return to normal, and this moves that forward. For these reasons, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 7909, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, before I begin, I was talking to my friend from Oregon earlier--and also, I know, your home State--and our thoughts and prayers are with everybody on the West Coast. I know some of us have friends on the Gulf Coast. We have citizens of our country, Madam Speaker, that are going through some tough times, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7909, the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act. It is a bipartisan piece of legislation that I introduced with my colleague, Representative Finkenauer from Iowa, which will provide childcare providers resources and information on how to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without childcare options, parents can't return to work, which is a key component to our Nation's economic recovery. Additionally, childcare benefits and a child's health and development are critical to building a strong foundation for future success. Childcare providers, however, are currently grappling with safely reopening and staying open. A recent article in U.S. News and World Report noted tens of thousands of childcare providers shuttered across the U.S., 4,500 in the Washington, D.C., area alone. In my home State of Kentucky, thanks to the CARES Act, many of our childcare centers have been fortunate to reopen. However, one-third of the State's 2,200 licensed or certified childcare centers still haven't reopened. In order to reopen for families, childcare providers must follow certain guidelines and modify their normal routines in order to create a safe environment for children. Now more than ever, childcare providers need assistance interpreting and implementing CDC and State guidelines designed to keep children safe. My bill, along with Representative Finkenauer, H.R. 7909, requires the Department of Health and Human Services to work with States to provide technical assistance for childcare providers as they reopen across the country. In a recent study on technical assistance, the Government Accountability Office found that the current COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of Federal agencies providing technical assistance to grantees to ensure the continuity of operations of grant programs and the effective use of funding. While it is common for Congress to require technical assistance, it is critical that we tailor these directives carefully to ensure grantees are receiving necessary and timely support. We in Congress hear the concerns of childcare providers and are sending the assistance they desperately need. Additionally, this bill authorizes $5 million for 1 year for HHS to issue grants to States so they can provide guidance and technical support to childcare providers, and it requires HHS to provide recommendations to Congress on how to ensure there is an adequate supply of safe childcare during COVID-19. It is critical, and not only to children and childcare providers, but also to families who need access to childcare while they return to work. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 7909 so that we can help put our country on the path forward. I appreciate working with my colleague from Iowa, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the childcare industry is critical to the well-being of American families, and each family across our Nation deserves to know that those who are caring for their children have gone through thorough and necessary criminal background checks. The Child Care Protection Improvement Act helps protect children and gives parents peace of mind when it comes to sending their children to a childcare facility. This legislation is a perfect example of what Congress can accomplish when bipartisanship and meaningful collaboration take priority over politics. I encourage a ``yes'' vote on S. 2683. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller), who has been an architect of this piece of legislation.

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of S. 2683, the Child Care Protection Improvement Act of 2020, the same bill offered by my colleagues Representatives McBath, Keller, Taylor, Finkenauer, and Axne. In 2014, Congress passed the Child Care Development and Block Grant Reauthorization Act with broad bipartisan support and it required that States conduct specified comprehensive criminal background checks for all childcare staff members. As part of this crucial requirement, interstate checks must be completed in any State where the prospective employee lived over the last 5 years. However, given the variation of individual State laws and practices, interstate background checks have proven difficult for many States to complete. With only three States able to fully implement the Child Care and Development Block Grant background checks as of March 1st, 2020, it is time for Congress to determine the root causes of the roadblocks to interstate background checks. The Child Care Protection Improvement Act does just that by establishing a task force at HHS. The task force includes the FBI and respective CCDBG Federal agencies, as well as those who are operating State background check systems in order to determine the issues with the current systems. By establishing a task force, Congress can take action to improve the operability and preserve the resources of the grantees who are already burdened by the red tape in the interstate background check system. Approximately 1.3 million children receive a childcare subsidy from the Child Care and Development Fund every month. Their parents deserve the peace of mind that their children's caretakers have gone through comprehensive background checks. While good-faith efforts toward compliance have been shown and incremental improvement has been demonstrated, more can be done to expediently implement these crucial safety measures for our children. The task force established in this bill is a promising step to achieving criminal background check implementation in every State. I thank my colleagues for working across the aisle in crafting this legislation. I thank Chairman Scott of the Education and Labor Committee and Republican leader Foxx for helping bring this bill to the floor today. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Murphy), my friend and an important member of our committee.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Karen Harbin on her recent election to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU). Karen is the President/CEO of Commonwealth Credit Union, which has branches in Kentucky's Second District. A Certified Public Accountant, Karen is a past chair of the Kentucky Credit Union League's Board of Directors and is the current Treasurer. She is currently serving a 3rd term as the Governor's appointee to the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions Board. Karen has served on the Federal Reserve Bank's Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council and VolCorp's Asset Liability Management Committee. Passionate about health, Karen chairs her local American Heart Association's Heart Walk and is a member of the Corporate Council of the Shriners Hospital Lexington. Karen's vision and decision-making skills will be a valuable addition to the NAFCU Board and credit unions for years to come. I wish her the best of luck in her new role on the NAFCU Board of Directors, and I look forward to working with her.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of our colleague, Congressman John Lewis. Growing up and learning about Mr. Lewis' contributions to our country, I never thought I would one day have the honor of serving alongside him in Congress or the honor of calling him my friend. I will always remember the time I think several of us had the opportunity to watch the movie ``Selma'' with him. It was amazing to watch everything I had learned about in history class with someone who had experienced it. After the movie, as we were all kind of feeling empty in our stomachs and just the feeling from seeing the movie, I walked up to Mr. Lewis, and I asked him: What is it like to have your life portrayed upon the screen such as that? If you remember, the actor resembled him when he was younger. Mr. Lewis looked at me and he said: All I was thinking is that I had a lot of hair back then. That was Mr. Lewis for you, a giant in our history, but unfailingly humble and kind. I am grateful I had the opportunity to know him, and I will miss him dearly.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I was unable to vote in person due to a family committment. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 123; NAY on Roll Call No. 124; YEA on Roll Call No. 125; NAY on Roll Call No. 126; YEA on Roll Call No. 127; NAY on Roll Call No. 128; and NAY on Roll Call No. 129.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. John A. Roush on his retirement as president of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. President Roush often told his students, ``Do your best. Be your best. No regrets.'' I have had the privilege of getting to know President Roush during my time representing Danville and Centre College in Congress, and I can undoubtedly say that President Roush always did his best. I have always admired his work and appreciated his advice, particularly when I served as chairman of the Higher Education subcommittee. During his 22 years at Centre College, he oversaw a 40 percent growth in the student body population, without sacrificing quality of education or Centre's liberal arts values. He has helped build Centre's national reputation. My colleagues might know Centre as the host of not one, but two vice presidential debates during his time as president. President Roush's legacy will live on at Centre College for generations to come. Today is not only the first day of President Roush's retirement, but also his birthday. I congratulate him on his retirement, and I wish him and his wife Susie the best.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I was unable to vote in person due to a family commitment. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 130.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, yet again, to urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on today's vote to override the President's veto of H.J. Res. 76. It is unconscionable that any institution of higher education would engage in fraudulent misrepresentation to prey on student loan borrowers, particularly veterans who are able to qualify for GI benefits to attend schools. President Trump's commonsense rule would help students who were defrauded and suffered financial harm by any school, giving them the opportunity to individually make their case, ensuring due process for all parties. It would also save taxpayers $11 billion, compared to President Obama's last-minute, one-size-fits-all rule that did not hold schools accountable. As a member of the Education and Labor Committee and the former chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' today.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my friend, for yielding. Madam Speaker, the PPP program came out with astonishing speed. The President and the Secretary implemented the legislation we passed, bipartisan, in astonishing speed, but there were criteria to get the money because we were spending $350 billion. I did have smaller banks and smaller businesses who did not have experience working with the SBA, with the Federal Government, who needed to come up to speed. I think all of us, hopefully, were home, and I certainly was, talking to our small businesses, our small banks, getting them online and getting them ready. I had small businesses saying, I don't have my 2019 taxes prepared yet, and I have to have that to show my income for 2019. But it all came together right before we ran out of money, at least in my district. Everybody was in the portal or the small businesses were ready. And that is what we wanted, was $250 billion to go forward, keep the program running, and they would be flush today. Doing the things we are doing now today, they are important too, they are bipartisan, we agree, but we didn't have to have this interlude. So help is on the way. Our small businesses are now ready. It did take some time for some smaller banks and smaller businesses, but I am proud to say they are ready, and I am proud to vote for this bill today.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, as all of our colleagues came in yesterday and this morning and make an effort to get back, it was important that we were all home last week. I was home last week and got to talk to a barber, sole proprietor, has his own shop and had to close down because of the order. Now he is going to have an income. I talked to a businessman, who said, almost in tears: I am going to have to lay people off for the first time in 40 years of business. After this bill passes, he will not have to do that. And the businesswoman who says: I have a rent payment due at the end of the month; after this bill passes, she will be able to pay her rent. Mr. Speaker, I am humbled, and today, I am going to vote for the largest bill in American history. I think it should make us all a little nervous, but it is, after being home, listening to the stories of those in our communities, the right thing to do. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support our communities and support those making our country better, and I am here to say I am going to support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Fort Knox. Yesterday, the U.S. Army selected Fort Knox as a new corps headquarters called V Corps. V Corps will bring over 600 soldiers and their families to Kentucky. I like to say that Fort Knox has the assets and the attitude for this new corps. The assets are the training grounds, housing, schools, and other resources that V Corps will be able to use when they arrive in the fall. The attitude is that of Fort Knox and the surrounding communities. Kentucky is a great place to be a soldier, and I know that the Commonwealth will welcome these soldiers and their families with open arms. I want to thank Senate Leader McConnell for his steadfast leadership in helping Fort Knox get selected for the new V Corps. I look forward to continuing to work with Fort Knox, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Army.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 826, a rushed resolution to dismantle the Trump administration's Healthy Adult Opportunity Medicaid initiative. The Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid is simply unsustainable. It is bankrupting my home State of Kentucky. In the 114th Congress, I served as the chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Medicaid Task Force. We explored ways that would make Medicaid sustainable so that it can be fully utilized by vulnerable populations for generations to come. The Trump administration has proposed a commonsense option that will not affect funding for children, pregnant women, the elderly, or people with disabilities but, rather, give States flexibility for their Medicaid programs. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to make Medicaid sustainable and accessible to those who need it. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose H. Res. 826.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of World War II veteran John Robert Miller of Barren County, Kentucky. After growing up in Freedom, Kentucky, John Robert volunteered for the Army when he was just eighteen years old in June 1941. He served in the Pacific theater until World War II concluded in 1945. During his Army service, John Robert rose to the rank of technical sergeant in an artillery unit, and he witnessed General Douglas MacArthur stepping off the landing craft to make his triumphant return to the Philippines. Following his service in the Army, John Robert became a fixture in the Barren County community. He married his wife Christine in 1945, and they were married for 67 years until her death in 2013. John Robert was a farmer with hogs, corn, and tobacco, and he also worked as a crop insurance adjuster. John Robert served as a Magistrate on the Barren County Fiscal Court for three years, and he has served as an Election Commissioner since 1993. In 2016, John Robert was awarded the Patriot Award by Barren County Veteran's Association, and he was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Honor for Barren County Schools. I thank John Robert for his service to our country and to our community.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I was out of the chamber. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 24.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to provide for a motion to recommit on the Senate amendment to H.R. 550 so that minority voices can be heard on the critical issue of war.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the resolution, but I think what we all support and what we all agree on is that individuals who are harmed by fraudulent practices should have their debts forgiven. And let's just look at where we are. This is 20 years this has been on the books. For 20 years, 60 cases were filed--60, I will emphasize that. Since 2015, at the end of the previous administration, 287,000 cases have been filed. So we all want to know if there is fraud. We don't want fraud. We don't want people harmed by fraud, individuals harmed by fraud to have to pay that back. And remember, the money is going to our hardworking taxpayers. So that is all this rules says. It says that there is fraud; you are harmed by fraud; and you don't have to pay it back as an individual. Let's just look at an example of that. What if the fraud of a school is they advertise a work placement rate of 85 percent and it is only 50 percent. Well, that is fraud. But if you were one of the 50 percent who got a job, were you harmed? You got your education; you got a job; you moved forward. Should the taxpayers forgive your student loans when you got the education and got the job that you were moving for? That is all. We are trying to make it reasonable. The 287,000 cases that are sitting before Secretary DeVos would be under the old rule. This is the new rule going forward, so people will know what it is and understand that, one, we are fighting fraud. If you were harmed by fraud and you can prove that as an individual, you still get your loans forgiven. I think it is reasonable. I think that it sets a process in place that people can understand. It has it going forward. I support the rule, and I oppose this resolution.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize former Highland Elementary School principal Anita Newman. Principal Newman served as an educator in the Daviess County Public Schools district for 36 years before she retired in 2012. She began her career as a teacher at Masonville Elementary School and joined Highland Elementary School as a teacher in 1978. After a stint as principal of Utica Elementary School, she returned to Highland Elementary School as principal in 1989. Principal Newman is a distinguished graduate of both Kentucky Wesley College and Western Kentucky University. I know that the new ``Anita Newman Way'' at Highland Elementary School, dedicated this month, will be a reminder of her lasting legacy on the hearts and minds of young Daviess County students. I thank Principal Newman for her service.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Articles of Impeachment on President Trump. My Democratic colleagues have been planning to impeach President Trump since he took office. After months of wasting House time on partisan investigations, they have been unable to produce evidence that President Trump committed a crime. I will vote ``no'' on today's Articles of Impeachment. I look forward to getting back to the business on behalf of Kentuckians.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the consequences of the drug pricing bill H.R. 3. There is no doubt we must act to lower prescription drug prices for Americans and for Americans to pay only their fair share. However, this bill is not the right path. We often hear stories about the way other countries pay for their drugs and other country payment systems. What you don't often hear are stories about patients who are unable to receive care and access to lifesaving drugs because of the limitations in their country. For Louise Moorhouse, we have examples of how much less is offered in these other countries, but it is personal. For example, Louise Moorhouse is a teacher in England. Hope was within reach when she enrolled in a trial for Kuvan, a drug used to treat PKU, a rare genetic metabolic disorder. If left untreated, the disease can result in mild to severe neurological issues. When Louise was in the clinical trial for Kuvan, she was able to eat and function like anyone else. Sadly, Louise discovered after the trial that the drug that helped her live a more normal life was not covered by the United Kingdom's National Health Service. Despite the agency's acknowledgment of the drug's efficacy, as the drug is not covered by the NHS, she no longer has access to this drug. Instead, she has returned to taking 80 pills a day, in conjunction with a highly restrictive diet. In the United States, we have access to innovative drugs. The keyword is ``access.'' When people talk about H.R. 3, what they want to say is that we can completely transform the way we pay for drugs and never talk about or never even acknowledge the way we completely transform the way we receive and have access to drugs. We know that from the Congressional Budget Office. There are other studies that say we can lose 100 different cures that are coming down the path. So, as Americans want relief from prescription drug prices, Americans also want access to these innovative drugs. President Carter is alive today because of access to one of his experimental drugs that are becoming lower cost and more affordable for everyone. My point is there doesn't have to be a choice. We can have both. We can have lower prices and not completely lose access to these drugs and continue the great innovation that we have. That choice is H.R. 19. It is a bill that will be on the floor tomorrow. Every bit of it is bipartisan. Every single piece of it has a Republican and a Democrat cosponsor. It is something we know the Senate will take up and the President will sign and give relief to the American people and continue to give access to the great innovations that we have. Madam Speaker, I hope that we can take that bill up tomorrow, and I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. GUTHRIE

Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3. Two of the issues that I often hear about back home are robocalls and drug prices. Last week, despite ideological differences on both sides of the aisle, we came together to address robocalls. I am disappointed that the same cannot be said for drug prices. Republicans, Democrats, President Trump, doctors, pharmacists, patients, we all want lower drug prices. Yet, the Democrats have chosen to pursue partisan poison pill legislation that will go nowhere. I was proud to cosponsor the Lower Costs, More Cures Act, a bill that includes only bipartisan solutions to lower drug prices. My Democratic colleagues have agreed to these provisions in the past. The Lower Costs, More Cures Act will allow the continuation of lifesaving innovation in healthcare research while lowering drug prices for Kentuckians. Mr. Chairman, I oppose H.R. 3, and I urge my colleagues to support the Lower Costs, More Cures Act.