Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire and ask the Speaker to inquire if my colleague is prepared to close. I have no further speakers at this time, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. My colleague just concluded his remarks by saying in 2011, 2012, 2013 they spent less, and he is correct. But in 2011, more people needed food stamps; in 2012, more people needed housing; in 2013, more people needed to get across safe bridges and safe roads. So I am not sure where the twain meets. I agree with my colleague that he and I have more in common than we do differences, but I hearken back to my earlier comment. He wants to spend or not spend on what he wants to spend or not spend, and I want to spend or not spend on what I want to spend or not spend. I want to spend on roads. I want to spend on children's education. I want to spend on people who are hungry. And I believe he does as well, but you cannot do that if you keep cutting everything all the time. Mr. Speaker, these bills and Chairman Ryan's budget are nothing more than base attempts to rally the fringe of the Republican Party, and I stand steadfastly against each one of these attempts to drag us down a Ryan road to ruin. To quote the great American poet, Robert Frost: I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence. Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled, and that has made all the difference. Mr. Speaker, friends, today we stand before two roads: one, a road to ruin paved with pummeling cuts to hurt the poor and attack middle class families, simply put, to protect the better off in our society, the real rich; the other road, a road that helps the poor ascend out from poverty, not a ladder out that has its ladder rungs with holes in it, as my friend discussed that ladder out, a road that helps middle class families more fully achieve their dreams, a road that helps our businesses and economy grow, a road that embraces our veterans and fights for them as vigorously as they fought for us. And if Fort Hood doesn't teach us anything about the mental health of our soldiers and our society, then I don't know what will. Unfortunately, I believe this latter road traveled by my fellow Democrats and by me today will be the road less traveled, and this fact will certainly make a significant difference for the millions of Americans trying to fully realize their dreams. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 1010, our bill to raise the Federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question, vote ``no'' on the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, the day before yesterday, I lost a dear friend. Carlton Moore was a former city commissioner and president of the NAACP. To his mother, Ada, and family, I offer my heartfelt condolences. I had the good fortune of witnessing Carlton's entire career. He served with distinction in our community, and he was a businessman par excellence. He was a visionary, and fortunately, many of the things that were his concepts did come to fruition. My community, Florida, and this Nation have lost a warrior for truth and justice.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the third anniversary of the ongoing conflict in Syria. As the war stretches into its fourth year and the regional humanitarian crisis shows little signs of improvement, the United States must do more to ensure that its aid is utilized to the greatest effect possible. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 140,000 people, including 7,000 children, have been killed. Nearly 2.5 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries, including 1.2 million children. Within Syria, nearly seven million people have been displaced from their homes and 19 million are in need of emergency food support. It is projected that by the end of this year, 75 percent of the Syrian population will need humanitarian assistance. The civilian population inside Syria faces systematic starvation, shelling of residential neighborhoods, government use of chemical weapons, and threats from improvised barrel-bombs filled with explosives and dropped by military helicopters into residential areas. In the dozens of refugee camps now surrounding Syria, food remains scarce, access to sanitation and clean water is limited, and diseases like polio--on the verge of eradication worldwide--have resurfaced. The United States has rightly pledged and contributed a combined $1.7 billion in humanitarian assistance since the start of the crisis. These funds are critical for the Syrian people caught in the middle of the conflict. Their survival, and indeed the future stability of the region, hangs in the balance. As a leader in the international community, we must ensure that these funds are used efficiently and distributed in a manner that reaches as many people as possible. I recently heard a story about a school in the Aleppo Province that continued to hold classes despite the war raging around it. When the school's funding inevitably ran out--and with international aid not immediately available--extremists in the area also fighting the Assad regime came forward with the resources that the school needed. In return, they demanded that the school dispose of its moderate textbooks for more politically-charged texts, and required the teaching of the Koran. Accepting assistance from extremist groups in exchange for loyalty is a decision faced by Syrians on a daily basis. For most civilians, the radical views expressed by the extremists are not in line with their own moderate views. Many are simply trying to carry on with their lives. Organizations like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have had considerable success in distributing school materials, food, medical supplies, and vaccines. However, Syria is a war zone, and these large-scale operations are often not equipped to distribute materials and aid at the local level--like the school in Aleppo--where they are needed most. But, imagine if these organizations could know which schools had exhausted their resources, which hospitals were in immediate danger of running out of supplies, and which neighborhoods were being most affected by the lack of incoming food relief. Making this process more efficient is no small task, but it is possible. If we are to avoid greater catastrophe in Syria, it is also necessary. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict, I have urged Congress and the President's administration to increase cooperation with Syrian non- government organizations (NGOs) to get aid where it needs to go. Increased engagement with Syrian and Syrian-run groups is essential to expanding assistance inside Syria and making every dollar of foreign aid count. Syrian aid groups are now working in nearly every sector of the humanitarian response, delivering flour to bakeries, medical supplies to field clinics, and helping to protect refugees. Already, USAID and other NGOs in the region rely on information and distribution networks of local aid groups to deliver supplies to areas most in need. Empowering these Syrian groups will make our impact on the region even greater. These groups have the most at stake and work at great personal expense and risk. The Department of State and USAID should work together to establish training, capacity building, and aid delivery partnerships with Syrian relief organizations in order to expand their operations. With proper oversight and strict training on the international standards governing the delivery of aid, the United States can enable hundreds of Syrian civilians to take greater control of their country's future while assisting those inside Syria who are not reachable by other means. Mr. Speaker, the United States has shown leadership in providing aid for the humanitarian crisis in Syria, but we must do more with the international community and Syrian refugee host nations to improve our aid delivery systems while pressuring the Assad regime and its supporters. As the war drags on with no end in sight, time is in fact running out.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, where is it specifically in the rule stated that Members cannot display their iPads? What rule is it?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our past and current African American Senators. Following the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment, and beginning with the Reconstruction Era of our great nation, nine African Americans have served in the upper chamber of the United States Congress. Yet, the 113th Congress marked the first time in our nation's history that two African Americans served concurrently in the Senate. In celebration of Black History Month, U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina brought together a panel of past and present African American Senators. The Honorable James H. Billington, Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, the Honorable Roland Burris, the Honorable William ``Mo'' Cowan, as well as newly elected Senator Corey Booker discussed their individual paths to Congress. In their deliveries, it was clear that we have come a long way. Each of their unique stories represents the progress that this country has made. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Senator Scott for hosting such an important event. It was truly an honor to be in attendance.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, my good friend from Florida, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Just last week, I found myself standing here, managing a rule for two very similar bills. At the time, I thought we were on a merry-go-round, aimlessly moving in useless circles. I will stand by that analogy again today. When similar bills came before Congress last session, the Senate didn't pass them. The President said he would not sign them, as he has this particular legislation. It seems to me that these measures are a foregone conclusion. Ultimately, the same tired talking points might be a fun ride for some, but they will never actually take you anywhere. This kind of spinning in circles is a favorite tactic, it seems, of my friends on the other side of the aisle. For example, this Congress has already taken 109 antienvironmental votes. Last Congress, it was 247. These were votes against clear air, against clean water, and to destroy our planet for future generations. Under Republican leadership, we have also voted to repeal, as we did a day or so ago, the Affordable Care Act 50 different times, a law that, in many respects, has led to millions of Americans signing up for health insurance that didn't have it before. And I will continue to ask my colleagues: If you don't like that particular measure, where is yours that would replace it? And apparently, nothing is forthcoming, at least until this time. Based on the frequency of these quixotic votes, it is obvious that my friends across the aisle have given up or are not interested in governing or addressing any of the issues that are most pressing to this Nation. Consider, for instance, that there are 2 million Americans relying on Congress to extend unemployment insurance, with close to 200,000 of them being unemployed veterans who have sacrificed time and again for our country. Last week, I said the following: We should be spending the House's time on extending unemployment insurance, working on comprehensive immigration reform, and raising the minimum wage. My friends on the other side of the aisle have continued to ignore the plight of middle class and working poor Americans, immigrants hoping for a better life for their families, and denying the undeniable impact of climate change, just to name a few. We should be raising the minimum wage in order to give millions of hardworking Americans the pay they have earned. Nearly 5 years have passed since the last increase in the Federal minimum wage. Currently, a full-time minimum wage worker makes less than $16,000 per year, which is below the poverty line for a family of two or more. My friends did not take my suggestions last week, and I doubt they will take them this week. Instead, we are considering two more pointless bills that will go nowhere. One of them, the acronym for it is RAPID. That is correct. Rapidly and fastly, it will go nowhere. The first of today's bills, H.R. 2641, ignores the fact that, for more than 40 years, the National Environmental Policy Act has provided an effective framework for all types of proposed actions that require Federal approval pursuant to a Federal law, such as the Clean Water Act. H.R. 2641 is based on the assumption that the NEPA environmental review and permitting process results in project delays. However, when we considered this measure last Congress, the Congressional Research Service reported that delays in construction project approvals ``are more often tied to local, State, and project- specific factors.'' These factors include ``primarily local/State agency priorities, project funding levels, local opposition to a project, project complexity, or late changes in project scope,'' not to mention the litigation that goes on surrounding these measures. CRS goes even further, reporting that even most environmental project delays are not the result of NEPA, but actually due to ``laws other than NEPA.'' The measure undermines current regulatory protections and could jeopardize public health and safety by prioritizing speed over meaningful analysis. Now, turning to H.R. 2824, the other measure included in today's rule, which, like the 50 times that we voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, my Republican friends have done that, they have also offered 50 rules which are not open rules in spite of the fact that we began this session by the Speaker of the House saying that this would be the most open House that we have had. H.R. 2824 included in this rule is no more productive than the previous legislation offered. The legislation would overturn a court decision in order to block a buffer requirement designed to prevent damage to waterways from surface coal mining operations. These are protections that President Ronald Reagan put in place. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 500 mountains have been destroyed by the practice of mountaintop removal mining, more than 1.2 million acres of forest has been eliminated, and nearly 2,000 miles of streams have been buried or polluted by these mining projects. I wonder what part of knocking a mountaintop off do people not understand as destruction, and if it is to be, that it should be done carefully. These are protections for all of us in our society. As many as 60,000 additional cases of cancer in central Appalachia are directly linked to mountaintop removal, and more than 700 additional deaths from heart disease occur each year. Last month, West Virginia University scientists published a study confirming high air pollution levels around mountaintop removal coal mines, suggesting a link to the higher rates of cardiovascular disease, birth defects, and cancer that is seen in these communities. Instead of addressing these issues, H.R. 2824 would reinstate a George W. Bush administration rule that essentially prohibits the United States Department of the Interior from implementing any protections for streams against mountaintop removal and coal mining. Let me lift the comment of Judge Charles Haden in a case called Bragg v. Robertson. The judge says: When valley fills are permitted in intermittent and perennial streams, they destroy those stream segments. The normal flow and gradient of the stream is now buried under millions of cubic yards of excess spoil waste material, an extremely adverse effect. If there are fish, they cannot migrate. If there is any life form that cannot acclimate to life deep in a rubble pile, it is eliminated. No effect on related environmental values is more adverse than obliteration. Under a valley fill, the water quality of the stream becomes zero. Because there is no stream, there is no water quality. The Bush rule in '08 was vacated by the District of Columbia District Court on February 20, 2014. The Obama administration started to draft new stream protections upon taking office, into which the minority has conducted a long, fruitless investigation. Indeed, the years of investigation have uncovered no misconduct. The only results of the investigation are wasted time and taxpayer money, sending over 13,500 pages of documents, 25 hours of audio recordings, 19,000 staff hours, and costing the United States Department of the Interior and Office of Surface Mining approximately $1.5 million. We saw an example yesterday in one of our committees investigating the Internal Revenue Service for something that just simply has not occurred in any partisan fashion. And I can demonstrate that because, if one believes that the IRS only went after conservative organizations within the time period that was being investigated by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, then it was not during that period that my church, Mt. Hermon AME Church in Fort Lauderdale, received the same kind of notices that are being complained about; and what we did was what everybody has every right to do, which is make the necessary appeal, and we were successful in that regard. All of these partisan witch hunts need to stop. We are a better people than this, and we should be about the business of the people of the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, today's measure exists as partisan talking points, bumper sticker talk by my Republican colleagues, rather than serious legislation to move this country forward. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would advise my good friend from Florida that I have no additional speakers at this time and would be prepared to close. So I reserve the balance of my time if you have additional speakers.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, one of the sages of America who is often quoted is Will Rogers. One of the things that I paraphrase that he said was: Buy land, because we are not making any more of that. And I use it as an analogy for mountaintop mining, knocking off the tops of these mountains. We ain't making no more mountains. Although I guess we can because in Florida we have what we call trash mountains. So I guess we can build something up, but I doubt very seriously that the quality of it will be of the kind that we see with the mountain ranges of this great America. Mr. Speaker, these bills are about protecting special interests that happen to be near and dear to some of my friends across the aisle. We are here voting on tired, discredited, and destructive policies that have absolutely no chance of becoming law. This is a failure of leadership by my Republican colleagues and, quite frankly, a waste of time. We should not be considering measures that will help destroy this planet for our children and grandchildren. We need strong environmental protections to ensure that we have clean air, clean water, and clean food. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 3546, Mr. Levin's bill to extend emergency unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed across this country for whom it has run out. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is a very sad thing that we continue to let people languish without fulfilling our responsibility to them with reference to unemployment insurance. It is a detriment to this Nation, and it serves us no useful purpose to continue delaying this particular effort. While I do have the floor for a moment, I do wish to address legislation that I hope does come here with reference to our offering assistance to the people in Ukraine who should have an opportunity to make their own determination regarding their future and that we should stand with and, I am sure, are prepared to do so in an effort to assist them. Mr. Speaker, I had the good fortune of being the president of the Parliamentary Assembly for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. During that time, I went to Ukraine on three different occasions, and during that time, I had the good fortune to be the lead monitor after the Orange Revolution; so it is not that I don't have a clear understanding of much that is going on. But what I hope my colleagues here will do is recognize that the Baltics, the Balkans, and the near abroad of Russia and Europe are in need of clarity with reference to matters and not simpleminded, noncomplex answers to very difficult problems that Ukraine is now faced with. It is a nationwide, continuing problem for us. Mr. Speaker, apparently, we do have some other speaker en route, so I am required to reserve the balance of my time, as I anticipated I might be.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and will. I will close with what I said yesterday. When I was a child, Tennessee Ernie Ford sang a song about coal mining. It was that you load 16 tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. I have been in Appalachia, as have many of my friends. I went to school in Tennessee, and often had an opportunity to travel to Kentucky and other areas during that period of time, and I have been in West Virginia. I have seen the conditions that many people work in. I would only hope that they know that there are voices here who believe, just like throughout the rest of this Nation, in spite of the awesomeness of the work that they do in coal mining--and I might add as a footnote, there has been no deterioration in the job market with reference to coal mining--all that is being sought is that coal mining be done in a safe manner, and that the people living in those surroundings have the same kind of quality air, quality water, and quality food that is desperately needed by everybody. We need look no further than West Virginia and accidents that have occurred there. Nobody wanted that to happen. Indeed, what we saw were corporate dodges of people who had taken advantage of smaller communities. That needs to stop. I believe my colleagues here want to see to it that we have a situation where those who are working in these environments have an opportunity for safety and have an opportunity for clean air in their regions as well as water and food. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question, and to vote ``no'' on the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this legislation, which is a beginning step, and which I hope we will follow with all that we can to assist those Ukrainians who are courageous and forward leaning to be about the business of determining their own fate. I had the good fortune of being an election monitor immediately after the Orange Revolution, and I spent a lot of time talking to the people there. What I learned, if nothing more, is that they do have the courage of their convictions. What I want us to do, and what I beg my colleagues that speak about this matter to understand, is that it is extremely complex. It is nothing that you can put on a bumper sticker, and it is unfair to President Obama for people to take to this floor and allow that he is ``leading from behind,'' as I just heard a Member say. What that Member needs to understand is that it is not easy to make a determination in these kinds of matters. Whereas Putin is a dictator, Obama is in a democracy.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Monroe Udell and Ms. Linda Zakeheim, the owners of Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlour located in Dania Beach, Florida. Jaxson's has long been a staple in Dania Beach and this cultural landmark currently employs more than 70 people. Now, Monroe and Linda have taken it upon themselves to improve the standard of living for their employees. On February 24, 2014--the day of Monroe's 86th birthday--Jaxson's raised their minimum wage from $7.93 to $10.10 an hour. Monroe and Linda have always appreciated the work their employees do to create a top rated restaurant. This higher minimum wage will allow their employees to enjoy a better standard of living and improved economic security. It will allow them to contribute more to the South Florida economy. And, it will show other businesses in the region that paying a higher wage is possible, profitable, and the right thing to do. In 1965, Boisey Waiters, Dania's first African American City Commissioner, told me about Jaxson's, and I instantly became a fan. Monroe first opened the restaurant in 1953, and even then, it was a beacon. At that time, most establishments in Broward County did not serve colored people. Yet, from the very beginning Monroe took a stand against segregation by hiring and serving all restaurant patrons, regardless of race. That is why I was not surprised to hear that Monroe and Linda acted on their own conscience to help their employees afford a better lifestyle. Sixty-one years later, Jaxson's is still showing the way with their actions to better support their employees. The employees of Jaxson's have worked tirelessly to develop the reputation of a restaurant that provides excellent food, great ice cream, and a family friendly atmosphere. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to acknowledge and thank Monroe Udell, Linda Zakeheim, General Manager Jerry Smith, as well as all the employees working at Jaxson's. I wish them many more years of success.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Gwendolyn Louise McCord Hankerson, who sadly passed away on February 13, 2014. Born in White Springs, Florida to the late William Quinton McCord and the late Allie Mae King McCord, Gwen dedicated her life to giving back to her community. A graduate of Dillard High School's Class of 1949, she went on to receive a Bachelor's Degree in Education from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina in 1953. Gwen taught third grade at Carver Ranches Elementary School and later became the first principal of Dillard High Community School. In addition, she worked at numerous schools throughout the county, such as Lauderdale Manors, Nova Blanche Forman, and Norfolk Elementary. After retiring from Broward County Public Schools in the mid 1980s, she taught at Phyllis Wheatley Elementary in the Dade County School System. Building on her teaching career, she received her Master's Degree in Education from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, Florida, as well as a Doctorate in Social Psychology and Physiology from Eastern Pennsylvania University. Gwen made many significant contributions to her community through her passion for education. As a pioneer change agent, she was ``the first'' many times over in the political realm. Gwen was the first African American appointed to the Judicial Selection Board by Governor Lawton Chiles, the first African American appointed to the Personnel Advisory Board by Commissioner John Hart, the first African American female to run for office in the City of Lauderdale Lakes, the first female swimming coach for Dillard High School, and the first principal of Dillard High Community School. When Gwen retired, she continued to be a staunch educational advocate. She was one of the founding members and one of the original incorporators of the Sistrunk Historical Festival and the Lalee Terrace Rebuild Foundation. Furthermore, Gwen founded the Broward Branch of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She initiated the Elders Council of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center to gather stories about African American pioneers of Broward County for her book entitled, Across the Tracks. Additionally, Gwen was a board member for the Literacy Coalition of Broward County, chairperson of the Lauderdale Lakes School Advisory Board, Vice President of the Northwest Democratic Executive Board, Treasurer of the Pride of Fort Lauderdale Elks Lodge, Temple #395, a member of the Order of Eastern Stars, an advisor to the Dillard High School Alumni & Friends Association, Inc., and a member of the Planning and Zoning Board for Broward County. Gwen was the recipient of numerous awards and honors. In 2011, she received the Rosa Parks Award and the Mildred Hastings Tenacity Award, which was named in honor of my late mother. A long-time member and officer of Mount Hermon AME Church, Gwen had the very first wedding there on June 11, 1954. She was happily married to Tommie Lee for almost 60 years. She is survived by her husband; four adult children, Charles Holiday, Sr., Kenneth Hankerson, Sr., Evangelist Allison Hankerson-Harris, and Attorney Terri Lynn Hankerson; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren. Mr.Speaker, the Hankerson family and friends, our nation, Florida, and Broward County have lost a remarkable person who made life better for humankind.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina, my friend, Ms. Foxx, for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, we continue down this path of considering bills that are going nowhere. I sincerely wish my friends on the other side of the aisle would stop this Conservative merry-go-round. The majority leader called this week ``stop government abuse week.'' Abuse? Really? My friends on the other side of the aisle have continued to ignore the plight of middle class and working poor Americans, immigrants hoping for a better life for their families, and denying the undeniable impact of climate change, just to name a few. This is even after shutting down the government for purely political purposes and playing a game of chicken with the debt limit; and yet, my Republican friends are calling routine government work ``abuse.'' That seems like a stretch to me. Abuse is when underregulated industries spill unknown chemicals into the West Virginia water supply. Abuse is when coal ash pours into the waters of North Carolina, when Wall Street bankers crash our economy after taking advantage of underfunded and overworked regulators; that is exactly the kind of abuse that the government needs to stop. You want to talk about abuse? Let's talk about today's measure. This bill will not make the regulatory process more balanced or transparent. It will strangle it in red tape. It will not make rulemaking more fair. It will tip the scales in favor of businesses with the most resources. Under this measure, improving access to health care and restraining the financial institutions that have unleashed havoc on our economy will become even more difficult. It is nothing more than poorly disguised political fodder aimed at stymieing the executive branch's rulemaking power in favor of some corporate interests that run amuck on the environment and American workers. Most egregious is the requirement for agencies to provide the private sector early consultation on major rules. This would give well-funded industry an unfair advantage not afforded to the general public and other stakeholders like public interest, taxpayer, and environmental groups. Clearly, the interest in amending UMRA only extends to certain privileged parties. If my friends on the other side of the aisle want to see what happens when you allow private interests to run rampant without any government regulations, they need only look to the smog-filled skies above China. This bill also politicizes independent agencies designed to protect the rights of hardworking Americans. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Securities Exchange Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as the Federal Communications Commission--I might add they kind of left out the Federal Reserve for some reason I don't understand--but all of those other agencies will all have to answer to the whims of politics. It also forces agencies to choose the cheapest regulatory option over the best. This is legislating the answer to the same kind of question that a homeowner has to decide when hiring a contractor: Do you want it done cheap, or do you want it done right? Look, I get it. I understand where we are in the Congressional cycle; but I think that it is unfortunate that my friends across the aisle would rather score political points and write bumper stickers than actually legislate. While I think it is a good thing that most of these partisan measures will never go anywhere, I can't help but point out that we should be making better use of our limited time here. We should be raising the minimum wage in order to give millions of hardworking Americans the pay they have earned. Nearly 5 years have passed since the last increase in the Federal minimum wage. Currently, a full-time minimum wage worker makes less than $16,000 per year, which is below the poverty line for a family of two or more. This is unacceptable. It is time for Republicans to end their relentless obstruction and to join Democrats in an effort to provide for the middle class. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I would advise my good friend from North Carolina that I have no further requests for time and that I am prepared to close or to reserve as she sees fit. Mr. Speaker, does my colleague want me to go forward and close or does she want me to reserve?