Anthony Gonzalez

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID-19 Cognitive Research Act. I was proud to introduce this legislation alongside my friends Ms. Wild, Mr. Kinzinger, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Meijer, Mr. Peters, Mr. Joyce, and Mr. Gibbs, and I thank each of them for their leadership on the issue. I also thank the two wonderful leaders of our committee, Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas, and their staffs for moving this important legislation forward. Before I get into the heart of the bill, I will take a minute to share a little bit about who Brycen Gray and Ben Price were. Brycen Gray was a 17-year-old young man from my district in northeast Ohio. Adored by his parents, Shawn and Tara, as well as his brothers, Ricky and Patrick, Brycen sadly passed a little over a year ago. Known for his quick wit and sense of humor with just the right amount of sarcasm, Brycen could inspire the kind of laughter that makes you cry. Brycen was loving, charismatic, and selfless. Brycen was the kind of kid every parent dreams of. Ben Price was a 48-year-old loving husband to his wife Jennifer, and a devoted father to their two amazing children Jett and Maya. Sadly, we lost Ben at the beginning of last year. Ben was a busy small business owner and farmer from the outskirts of Chicago, but his life revolved around his family, friends, and community. One of his passions was to jump-start the Special Connections of Grundy County, whose mission is to connect people with disabilities, like his beloved son Jett, to their community. Ben led by example and loved without reservation. Both Brycen and Ben tragically passed after battles with cognitive impairments caused by COVID-19. Despite having no history of mental illness, each of them began to battle symptoms such as anxiety, panic, and paranoia. The disease took Brycen and Ben from two of the healthiest, most vibrant people you could find to individuals so debilitated that they could not bear to live another day. While they fought to the bitter end, each chose to end their pain. There is no greater joy than being a parent. For those of us blessed to have children, we know it is the most important job any of us will ever have. To be sure, there are plenty of challenges attributed to the job. There is nothing more rewarding than watching your children grow, while at the same time there is nothing more terrifying than watching your children experience the tragedies that befell Brycen and Ben. That is why the health and safety of our children should always come first. That is exactly why I started working on this bill. If we believe in protecting our families, we need to act now and start finding answers to why COVID-19 can have such a significant impact on the brain. The legislation before us today is another important step in that effort. Thus far, we have learned that as many as one in three COVID-19 survivors experience a cognitive impairment following their acute infection. More alarming, nearly one in eight COVID-19 survivors are diagnosed with an illness for the first time. With nearly 80 million documented cases of infection in the U.S., the health implications could be massive. While anxiety, mood, and brain fog are among the most common symptoms, researchers have also uncovered a prevalence of serious complications such as psychosis, dementia, paralysis, and brain hemorrhages. Moreover, additional impairments related to cognitive syndrome like impairments in memory, executive function, attention, and speed of information are common among COVID-19 survivors. Despite the significant progress made by researchers to improve our understanding of COVID-19, it remains unclear how the virus alters brain function, who is most at risk, and what can be done to quickly diagnose and treat impacted patients. The Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID-19 Cognitive Research Act aims to close these gaps by accelerating our research efforts. Specifically, it authorizes the NSF to award grants on a competitive basis to support interdisciplinary research on the disruption of regular cognitive processes associated with both short-term and long-term COVID-19 infections. Grantees will be tasked with carrying out foundational studies on the effects of cognition, emotion, neural structure, and function related to COVID-19 infections, developing new tools to evaluate cognitive disruptions from COVID-19, and examining the relevance of psychological and psychosocial factors. In addition, the bill stands up a team at the National Academies to study and produce a report on the issue. We can't bring Brycen and Ben back, but we can ensure that their memories live on. I don't want to lose any more Americans because we weren't bold enough to take on an issue that might scare us, an issue we don't fully understand, an issue that is far more common than many in this body realize. No family should have to endure the tragedy of losing a loved one from COVID-19's cognitive impacts. The Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID- 19 Cognitive Research Act ensures we will do everything in our power to find answers and deliver solutions. We cannot afford to lose any more time. Again, I thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for their constant, incredible leadership on our committee. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, on Roll Call No. 267, I mistakenly voted Nay when I intended to vote Yea.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of our bipartisan amendment that includes both the JOBS Act and the College Transparency Act. Since I first ran for Congress, the number one issue that I hear in my district from employers is the lack of good quality candidates for good-paying jobs. From those days, I set out to try to find a way to close this skills gap and provide more opportunities for our local businesses and workforce. The JOBS Act does just that. The JOBS Act expands Pell grant eligibility to qualified short-term programs in high-demand jobs. This will help Americans access these programs and learn critical skills that lead to these good-paying jobs. This will be a collaborative process with our States working with local employers and community colleges to make sure that only quality programs that lead to wage increases qualify to make sure that Americans can find jobs after completion of these programs. On my way in this morning, I was actually speaking to an employer in my district, and I ran through the bill with him. And I said, what do you think of this? Would this help you? And his immediate response was, I have over 15 truck drivers that I am trying to hire, and I can't find anybody. These are the types of programs that the JOBS Act will enable. This is why I think it is a commonsense--and I am thrilled to say-- bipartisan component of the bill, and I hope that everybody will consider supporting it.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I missed a vote on H.R. 654, The Drug Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act, due to a timing conflict, as I was questioning witnesses at a Select Committee on the Climate Crisis hearing during the time of the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 321. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Baird (Walorski) Cooper (Clark (MA)) Crenshaw (Ellzey) DeFazio (Brown) Garcia (TX) (Escobar) Hice (GA) (Greene (GA)) Huffman (Stanton) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Lawson (FL) (Evans) McHenry (Budd) Meng (Jeffries) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Norcross) Napolitano (Correa) Ocasio-Cortez (Pressley) Payne (Pallone) Rodgers (WA) (Joyce (PA)) Rush (Underwood) Sires (Pallone) Wasserman Schultz (Soto) Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I, too, am pleased to be here today with my colleagues to recognize the life and incredible service of Sergeant Major Dan Altieri. Originally from the northeast Ohio community of North Canton, Sergeant Altieri served our country honorably in the United States Marine Corps for 30 years, ending his career as the regimental sergeant major for the 25th Regiment. His more than 10 overseas deployments included tours in Grenada, Lebanon, the Gulf war, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where he was with the Columbus-based Lima Company. When Lima Company was struck by a series of deadly attacks in 2005, surviving officers turned to Sergeant Altieri to help them deal with the unspeakable travesties that the war had brought upon them. A testament to his leadership and courage, his marines often said they would ``Follow Sergeant Altieri.'' Sergeant Altieri's service also extended right here at home, serving in the Stark County Sheriff's Office in Canton for 25 years as a deputy, keeping our community safe. Northeast Ohio mourns the loss of Sergeant Altieri, who was taken from us far too soon last week at the age of 62. We will forever be grateful to Sergeant Altieri's service, and our community and country are certainly better off having witnessed his kindness and leadership.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, 20 years ago, our nation experienced true evil. On a crisp Tuesday morning, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters went to work thinking it was just like any other day, not knowing in a matter of minutes that all of our lives would be changed forever. On that fateful day, we faced grave uncertainty and an insurmountable threat to our way of life unseen in decades. But while that day brought us immeasurable pain and suffering, it also brought us together as a nation. It showed us that even in our darkest hour, the United States will never back down and proved again that Americans will always rise to the occasion. As we come together to remember 20 years that have passed since this tragedy, I would like to reiterate to all those who served: Your sacrifices and service have not and will not be forgotten. Just as we will never forget September 11, 2001, we will never forget your patriotism in ensuring our nation remains free and safe. To the families who lost loved ones on that fateful day, we continue to grieve and promise to never forget their memory. May God bless those who lost their lives, those who risked their lives and are now dealing with the consequences today, and our brave men and women who continue to fight the global war on terrorism.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Cuban people and against the illegitimate, violent dictatorship that continues to assault the basic freedoms and rights of the Cuban people. This photo here behind me is of two of my heroes, my abuelo and abuela. In 1960, they and their children were forced from their homeland by the communist regime for having the audacity to say no to Castro and his thugs. Sixty years later, that same regime and that same poisonous ideology wreak terror on the Cuban people as the people march courageously in the streets, knowing full well what brutality awaits them as they ask for the most basic of human rights. Yet, there are some in this body who foolishly wish to blame America for the plight of the island and the suffering of the Cubans. Let me say emphatically that the Cuban people are suffering and crying out for freedom because the communists have spent 60 years cynically destroying their country and trying to break the spirit of their own people. They will not succeed. I stand firmly against the Castro regime and any of their apologists, and I stand with the Cuban people who are crying out for freedom.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, after postponing 1 year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am excited that, on Friday, the Olympic Games in Tokyo will officially begin. What better way to mark this occasion than by recognizing the incredible accomplishment of Katie Nageotte, who will be one of the many Olympians competing in this year's summer games. A native of Olmsted Falls, Katie is a graduate of Olmsted Falls High School and Ashland University who will be representing our community and country in this summer's games, competing in the women's pole vault event. Her victory at the U.S. trials in the women's pole vault event caps a 5-year campaign to reach the Olympic Games, and she joins an elite list of northeast Ohioans to qualify for the games. I am incredibly proud of Katie for earning this opportunity to represent not only our community but the United States. Congratulations to Katie and her family. We look forward to watching her make northeast Ohio proud.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Brycen Gray, a talented and bright young man who was sadly taken away from us this past April. A native of Strongsville, in my district, Brycen was a student- athlete at St. Edward High School. Dubbed a comedian by his friends and family, he had the power to bring a smile and joy to everyone he encountered. Unfortunately, we lost Brycen in April. Following a battle with COVID-19, Brycen began to exhibit symptoms associated with COVID psychosis. Though he fought to the bitter end, he tragically passed after taking his own life. Mr. Speaker, when I hear these stories and when I talk to the family, it is impossible not to get emotional. We lost a gifted, talented young man. And the hurt and pain that is inflicted upon those left behind is something no one should ever have to endure. This is a moment where we should turn grief into action and actively find solutions. To start, we should work with the scientific community to gain a better understanding of the mental health implications of COVID-19 on Americans and other root causes of suicide, in particular amongst young Americans. This will help us look for further warning signs and make sure that young Americans get the help that they need. We must not let Brycen's memory be forgotten. I pray for his parents, Shawn and Tara, and his two brothers, Ricky and Patrick, and the rest of the Gray family that has had to battle this horrible loss.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago our country witnessed the incredible marvel of American ingenuity when NASA successfully landed its Perseverance rover on Mars, laying the groundwork for the next generation of space travel and exploration. Perseverance has four primary goals: determine whether life ever existed on Mars, understand the climate of the planet, characterize the geology of Mars, and finally, make any preparations necessary for human exploration. These goals are crucial not only for our Nation's eventual mission to send humans to Mars, but also for the continued advancement of mankind as a whole. Before making its journey to the red planet, Perseverance spent some time in my backyard in northeast Ohio. It was researchers and scientists at Cleveland's NASA Glenn Research Center that developed the rover's power source and oversaw testing the rover's parachute needed to land safely on Mars. Mars truly is the next frontier in space travel and exploration. I am incredibly grateful that northeast Ohio has added yet another chapter to our State's already rich history in space travel and exploration. I look forward to what Perseverance can teach us about this new unknown and what our next endeavor will be.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this en bloc amendment and H.R. 1, the so-called For the People Act. It is hard to know exactly where to begin when considering how misguided this bill truly is. If this bill becomes law, we will have nationwide universal mail-in balloting, ballot harvesting, and taxpayer-funded elections where for every $1 of contribution from an individual, the Federal Government will kick in $6. Additionally, this bill eliminates the voter ID laws in all 50 States and effectively eliminates signature matching. The sad truth is that there are things that we could be doing on a bipartisan basis to improve our election process. In the last Congress, many of my Democratic colleagues supported auditing of election results. I agree and believe we could find genuine compromise on that important point. It is for all these reasons and many, many more that I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 1. It is a bad bill. Madam Speaker, I would like to remind my friend from Illinois that if it weren't for my participation, I don't know that we would have won that game.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Burgess for his leadership. Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, we will call up H.R. 1371, the Crush the Virus Act of 2021, introduced by my good friend, Mr. Tom Reed. This is legislation that is based off of the Problem Solvers Caucus- endorsed framework for additional funding in order to defeat the virus by making further investments into testing, vaccine distribution, PPE, and utilizing the Defense Production Act. In other words, this is a targeted solution that can garner bipartisan support--unlike what we are doing today--and show the American people that we are committed to working together to defeat the virus. To date, while Congress may have struggled at times to deliver timely results, we have come together each time to pass needed legislation to help small businesses, hospitals, and Americans impacted by the virus. This is the way Congress is supposed to work. But instead, House Democrats have embarked upon a purely partisan approach, pushing aside Republican lawmakers, like myself, who actually want to find common ground. And for what? A nearly $2 trillion bill that is not targeted for the coronavirus, includes policies that will hurt job creation, and in the words of Larry Summers--who is no Republican--is a ``step into the unknown.'' Madam Speaker, what the American people need is for us to put partisanship aside and identify targeted funding prior to spending $2 trillion of taxpayer dollars only weeks after this body enacted another nearly $1 trillion, much of which has yet to be spent. Madam Speaker, this is why the Problem Solvers Caucus came together earlier this year to identify, in a bipartisan way, the still outstanding funding that is needed to defeat the virus. The bipartisan agreement is the basis for the legislation we will bring up if we defeat the previous question here before us. My friend Tom Reed's bill, the Crush the Virus Act, will provide more than $160 billion in targeted aid, including: $11.5 billion for manufacturing and production of vaccines; $35 billion for the Provider Relief Fund; and $5 billion for the use of the Defense Production Act. This proposal will speed up vaccine distribution and administration in a timely manner and supports our brave frontline healthcare workers. I thank Mr. Reed for his leadership as co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus and for pushing this proposal. Madam Speaker, let me make a final point and a broader appeal to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. The American people sent to Washington the slimmest House majority in quite some time and an evenly split Senate. The message they sent was clear: It was not that you have some broad mandate to jam down a bunch of progressive policies, it was that they want us to actually work together, to come together and solve the problems in a bipartisan way. I think the message was clear. And the more the majority ignores it, the shorter their majority will be.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Hinckley Township Trustee Ray Schulte. Serving our community as a township trustee for 12 years, Ray defined what it means to be a public servant who always puts the community and the people he loves first. In addition to his service on the board, Ray was involved in many different aspects of the township, in particular, the historical society, among many others, including local charities. Ray truly loved his community and was passionate about making it a better place. Hinckley Township will certainly miss Ray's leadership, service, and positive outlook on life, though his work will forever be memorialized in our community. Ray's leadership will certainly be missed but never forgotten. I pray for Ray's wife of 29 years, Emma, who serves as chief deputy recorder of Medina County and is a constant presence for so many people in the Medina Courthouse. May God bless their three children, Michael, Christie, and Adam, and their four grandchildren during this challenging time. It is truly an honor to recognize such an individual whose class and love for community made us all better people.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Neil Armstrong's heroism not only inspired a generation during the Apollo era, but also continues to inspire generations today as we look forward to the Artemis program. As America looks to send the first woman and next man back to the Moon, and as we look to Mars and beyond, renaming Plum Brook Station would be a great gesture of thanks for Armstrong's service to the Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson).

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2472, the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility Act. This legislation would simply rename the NASA Plum Brook Station testing facility in Sandusky, Ohio, after Neil Armstrong. I want to first thank the esteemed Senator Portman from the great State of Ohio for his work on this legislation and his many years of service to our State. Additionally, I want to thank my colleague from across the aisle, and another fellow Ohioan, Congresswoman Kaptur, for her efforts on this as well. Ms. Kaptur is a tremendous leader within our State. While we may be on opposite sides of the aisle, we have always found ways to work together on behalf of northern Ohio. On July 20, 1969, the world watched in wonder as Neil Armstrong became the first man to ever set foot on the Moon. Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, Armstrong was the embodiment of a dedicated American. Serving as a naval aviator during the Korean war and participating in various test pilot programs, he was never one to shy away from a challenge. His courage was reflective of not only himself, but also that of the United States as we raced to beat Soviet Russia to the Moon. It is why, today, we move to honor Armstrong's legacy by renaming the Plum Brook Station at NASA's John Glenn Research Center to the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility. A staple of northern Ohio and a continuing symbol of American ingenuity, Plum Brook is home to an array of projects for supporting our country's endeavors into the unknown. Ranging from the world's most powerful space environment simulators to full-scale testing for launch vehicles, Plum Brook is critical to NASA's mission. Renaming Plum Brook after one of our State's greatest heroes is a fitting way to memorialize Neil Armstrong's legacy within the State of Ohio and to inspire the next generation of leaders in our quest to explore the universe. This legislation has already passed the United States Senate via unanimous consent and has the full support of the entire Ohio congressional delegation. I thank Senators Portman and Brown on this bill. I also thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for their help in bringing this bill to the floor today so that it can reach the President's desk. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1830, the ``National Purple Heart Honor Mission Commemorative Coin Act.'' I would like to thank Leader Schumer for championing this issue on the Senate side, and the Gentleman from New York, Congressman Maloney, for his work. We passed his version of this bill in the House back in September of 2019. Regardless of the chamber, I'm glad we have the opportunity to send this important bill to the President's desk. The National Purple Heart Mission opened in 2006. The Purple Heart Mission is a New York State Facility that is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of all Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across all conflicts. Enrollments at the National Purple Honor Mission are voluntary and submissions are made by Purple Heart recipients, their families, or friends. Currently, there are 4,783 Purple Heart recipients enrolled from the great state of Ohio, representing: World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. These courageous men and women are recognized by the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, because surprisingly, the federal government does not maintain a comprehensive list. In fact, the only award for which there is a list, is the Medal of Honor. Mr. Speaker, the National Purple Heart Honor Mission is an organization that deserves the recognition the commemorative coin will bring. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today relates to an issue that the President's Working Group on Financial Markets and the Securities and Exchange Commission are diligently working to address: the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's inability to inspect the audit work and practices of PCAOB-registered auditing firms in China. The mission of the PCAOB is to oversee the audits of public companies and provide the public with informative, accurate, and independent audit reports. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the PCAOB's rules impose requirements on firms that perform audit work for public companies, which include providing complete and timely access for PCAOB inspections. Conducting inspections in the United States is simple; however, conducting them internationally requires agreements with foreign regulators and firms. Over the years, the PCAOB has worked closely with their foreign counterparts on specific requirements for nearly all jurisdictions that have U.S.-listed public companies. This collaboration allows for joint inspections and enforcement matters. However, there are a few countries for which no such agreements exist. The outstanding jurisdictions include Belgium, France, Hong Kong, and China. The Board is currently working on agreements that would lead to cooperation in Belgium and France and expects to have a final cooperative agreement to facilitate access in the near future. China, on the other hand, has skirted these requirements. They have done so without showing any interest in allowing for such cooperation. As a result, the PCAOB cannot inspect the audit work and practices of firms in China and Hong Kong to the extent their clients have operations in mainland China. The Chinese Government has exacerbated the situation by prohibiting audit firms from providing this information without the consent of Chinese financial regulators. Mr. Speaker, this bill before us today prohibits the securities of a public company from being traded on a national securities exchange if the issuer has had 3 consecutive ``non-inspection years,'' that is, years that the PCAOB is unable to inspect a public company's auditors. During these non-inspection years, each company would be required to disclose the percentage of the shares owned by governmental entities, the governmental entities that have a controlling financial interest, and if any official of the Chinese Communist Party is a member of the company's board as well as any ownership by the CCP. As the title of this legislation suggests, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act is designed to prevent companies based in China and certain other jurisdictions from taking advantage of our deep and liquid capital markets while avoiding the scrutiny that comes with inspection of their financial statement audits. This situation is unfair and dangerous for investors. For that reason, the act should be read to apply to companies where the auditor that signs the audit report is located in a jurisdiction that does not permit PCAOB inspection access. Mr. Speaker, nearly 6 months ago, the President released the Memorandum on Protecting United States Investors from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies. The memo directed the President's Working Group on Financial Markets to provide recommendations to address the issues with China. Three months ago, the President's Working Group released that report. The report comprehensively details a number of recommendations to level the playing field for all companies listed on our exchanges and improve disclosure on the risks of investing in emerging markets. The implementation of these recommendations would effectuate the intent of Senator Kennedy's legislation. Moreover, immediately following the release of the report, SEC Chairman Clayton directed staff to prepare proposals to address these recommendations in a comprehensive and transparent manner through the rulemaking process. Mr. Speaker, I applaud Senator Kennedy and his staff for their efforts and the President's Working Group on Financial Markets, as well as the PCAOB for their diligence. I also thank House Minority Leader McCarthy and House Committee on Foreign Affairs Ranking Member McCaul for their leadership on the China Task Force. Republicans have and will continue to fight against communism and the global threat the Chinese Government poses. Mr. Speaker, finally, I thank Mr. Sherman for working with me to have similar legislation included in the House NDAA and his work in bringing this legislation to the floor today. Again, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana, Senator Kennedy, for all his work in standing up to China, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time each side has remaining.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I simply urge my colleagues to support S. 945. Again, I thank everyone for making this legislation possible. I thank Mr. Sherman for his comments and his work and partnership on this important issue. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, I would simply urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1830, as amended, so we can honor our great Purple Heart recipients in Ohio and across the country. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1830, as amended by the Senate, also known as the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act. I would like to thank Leader Schumer for championing this issue on the Senate side and the gentleman from New York, Congressman Maloney, for his work. We passed his version of this bill in the House back in September of 2019. I am glad that we have the opportunity to send this important bill to the President's desk. The National Purple Heart Mission opened in 2006. The Purple Heart Mission is a New York State facility that is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of all Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across all conflicts. Enrollments at the National Purple Heart Honor Mission are voluntary, and submissions are made by Purple Heart recipients, their families, or friends. Currently, there are 1,095 Purple Heart recipients enrolled from the great State of North Carolina, representing World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. These courageous men and women are recognized by the National Purple Heart Honor Mission because, surprisingly, the Federal Government does not maintain a comprehensive list. In fact, the only award for which there is a list is the Medal of Honor. Mr. Speaker, the National Purple Heart Honor Mission is an organization that deserves the recognition the commemorative coin will bring. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7995, the Coin Metal Modification Authorization and Cost Savings Act of 2020. Mr. Speaker, title 31 of the United States Code establishes the monetary system on which our Nation relies. Section 5112, in particular, sets out the parameters by which the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to mint and issue the coins that we use on a daily basis in the United States. Those parameters are incredibly detailed. For example, there are provisions outlining the number of circulating coin programs, numismatic coins, better known as coins used to commemorate a person or event. The provisions even depict the metal composition requirements that every coin leaving the United States Mint must meet. In fact, different coins have different composition requirements. For example, ``The 5-cent coin is an alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel.'' One quarter and a dime must be ``clad . . . with three layers of metal. The two identical outer layers are an alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. The inner layer is copper. The outer layers are metallurgically bonded to the inner layer and weigh at least 30 percent of the weight of the coin.'' Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7995, introduced by my colleague, Congressman Amodei, from the great State of Nevada, would amend title 31. The bill would allow the United States Mint to research and make recommendations to Congress regarding changes to the metallic composition of those circulating coins we use every day. Once the Mint's research is complete, the Director of the Mint must report to Congress any proposed changes it seeks to make, including justifications for the changes. This report to Congress must include the following information. First, the report must describe how the proposed modifications will save taxpayer dollars. The report must describe how the modifications will be implemented without disrupting the current circulation of coins. Finally, the report must show that any modification will have minimal negative impact on the public. Mr. Speaker, let me make one thing clear. This bill maintains Congress' Article I authority over coins. The bill provides that if Congress, the entity constitutionally responsible for coinage, disagrees with or believes the modifications are too burdensome, it can stop the process. The bill provides for an expedited review process, similar to the Congressional Review Act, to stop any changes the Mint would make. This bill may seem like a strange idea. Why change the composition of coins? Isn't the old saying: If it isn't broke, don't fix it? Mr. Speaker, recent projections from the Mint estimate that the legislation would allow for potential savings of $4 million more annually by changing the metal composition of the nickel and potential savings of up to $14 million annually by changing the dime and quarter. These projected numbers do not account for the penny, which would undoubtedly increase the savings to taxpayers. Needless to say, these savings are not chump change. Mr. Speaker, I am not a coin expert. But I can say that if the Mint is able to save the U.S. taxpayer considerable money by altering the metal composition of circulating coins, we should give the coin experts the chance to make their case. H.R. 7995 makes sense. It is a commonsense cost-savings bill. It is for this reason that I support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. John W. Rose).

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, we have two speakers remaining.