Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter), my good friend and a former member of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, would you be so kind as to advise how much time is remaining on both sides.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), a good friend of mine. He is the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My Republican friends argue that these bills will encourage growth and investment in our Nation's energy markets, local communities, and economy and are, therefore, important measures that we must address even as we face a highway trust fund that will become insolvent in a matter of weeks as well as another looming government shutdown in December. All the while, those same individuals refuse to authorize the Export- Import Bank's charter, an entity that has created and sustained 1.5 million American jobs since 2007 at no cost to the taxpayer. Passing a responsible budget, delivering on a long-term transportation bill, and reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank will encourage the growth and investment that my friends speak of. The time to deliver on our promises to the American people is long overdue. I call on House Republicans to stop wasting our time with legislation that rolls back long-held environmental protections--and stand almost certain veto threats--and take up the important measures that I mentioned. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to return to this notion of the previous question with reference to gun violence. I believe in the Second Amendment. I own a gun. When I was a child, at age 7, I had a Red Ryder BB gun. When I was 12, I had a single-shot .22 rifle. I believe in every citizen's right to own a gun, and I believe my colleagues here on this side believe the same thing. If every man, woman, and child is accounted for in the estimate of guns that are in this country, that would be more than 330 million. There are some people in our society who believe that somebody is going to come and take their guns. I wonder who that person would be. Would it be a President of the United States? Would it be the military? Are they going to go and take the guns from their moms, their brothers, their sons, their fathers? That is foolish. We need to stop this madness. Doing nothing in the face of all of this epidemic violence that we are experiencing allows that not only is this House dysfunctional in many of its particulars, but it is frozen in its indifference to the gun violence in this country. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an esteemed educator, community leader, and personal friend, Mr. Samuel J. Sworn, Jr. Brother Samuel was a community icon and a charter member of the Fort Lauderdale Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He sadly transitioned into the Chapter Invisible on October 5, 2015, surrounded by family, friends, and his beloved wife Millicent. Brother Samuel believed that mentorship, volunteerism, and philanthropy are the cornerstones of a thriving community and because of his efforts, the Fort Lauderdale Alumni Chapter continues to be a ``beacon of light'' and a positive influence in the lives of the people of Broward County. Brother Samuel was also a wonderful educator. For over 30 years, he served the students of Broward County, first as a Blanche Ely High School teacher, then transitioning through the Broward County system to become an administrator at Plantation High School. He had a knack for helping people and on June 13, 2009, Pompano Beach officials dedicated the new aquatic center Houston-Sworn Aquatic Center at Mitchell-Moore Park to honor his many contributions to the Pompano community. Mr. Speaker, I once again want to honor Mr. Samuel J. Sworn, Jr. for his dedication and commitment to education, our fraternity, his community, and most of all to his family. He was a kind human being whose legacy and memory will always live on. I was truly proud to call Samuel my friend and will miss him dearly.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H. Con. Res. 79, which seeks to add language to the underlying Continuing Resolution before it is sent to the President to eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for one year. H. Con. Res. 79 is nothing more than a political exercise in futility, and yet another attempt to appease extremists in the Republican Conference who are determined to limit women's access to critical health care services. This concurrent resolution is substantively identical to both the language in H.R. 3134, which the House has already passed and the Senate has refused to consider, and the Continuing Resolution that was rejected by a bipartisan majority of 47 to 52 in the Senate last week. With just hours left to pass legislation to keep our government open, we should not be hindering access to women's health care. Mr. Speaker, opposition to these political gimmicks is not limited to Democrats in Congress. Earlier this week the fight over defunding Planned Parenthood and similar scuffles facilitated by fringe elements of the Republican party lead to the resignation of the Speaker of the House, and has divided the Republican conference so fervently that we can again expect a very real threat of a government shutdown in December. The reality is, the Continuing Resolution we are currently considering does not provide one cent of federal funding for Planned Parenthood, as my Republican friend Representative Tom Cole, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, astutely points out. Knowing this, I am both bewildered and outraged that we are using precious time considering another bill designed to restrict the constitutional reproductive rights of women to satisfy the extreme political agenda of a few in Congress. Planned Parenthood has long served as a critical health safety net for millions of men and women. Over 90 percent of the services it provides are preventative in nature, including cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and family planning services. Indeed, each year Planned Parenthood centers provide an average of 400,000 cervical cancer screenings, 500,000 breast cancer screenings, and nearly 4.5 million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections. Defunding this important organization and its affiliates would do an immeasurable disservice to millions of Americans. Like it or not, the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade conferred upon women the right to do with their own bodies what they determine best until the point of viability. This decision acknowledges the notion that the choice to have an abortion is excruciatingly difficult, and belongs exclusively with a woman, in consultation with her doctor and god. To subject this right to the ideological whims of politicians flies in the face of years of Supreme Court jurisprudence and is an unconscionable affront to women's health.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend the most sincere congratulations to Broward County, Florida on celebrating its 100th anniversary. From the back-breaking work and ingenuity of the industrial age to the modernity of this tech-savvy generation, Broward County's progress is a stark example of the progressive spirit of America. It is truly my honor to represent such a diverse and unique county in the United States Congress. The theme of the centennial celebration is, ``Duende''. Duende is defined as the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm. That is exactly what Broward county has to offer. Whether you are one of the over 1.8 million people that call Broward County home, the tens of thousands that are winter residents, or the countless millions that visit for vacation, our county's charm is magnetic. The soul of this community comes from not only the beautiful 1,200 square miles that make up Broward County, but from the diverse and thriving culture found there. From the rich soil of the Everglades National Park to the white sandy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, it is as charmingly diverse as the communities that reside within its borders. Mr. Speaker, Broward County is undoubtedly a wonderful embodiment of the ``Sunshine State'' and all it has to offer. I once again want to congratulate the County on this momentous occasion of its centennial anniversary.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this measure.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I am going to offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 3611, a long- term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, to discuss our proposal, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to my good friend from Washington (Mr. Heck).

Mr. HASTINGS. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding the customary 30 minutes for debate. My friend, the gentlewoman from North Carolina, says that the minority speaks in a way that is hollow. I will tell you what is hollow: talk about regular order in this institution. The general public may not know that there is a methodology that allows for all proceedings to go forward. Customarily, a measure of this kind would have had a committee hearing and a committee markup. It did not, and that is not regular order. Mr. Speaker, we are now less than 48 hours away from another government shutdown, and instead of considering a continuing resolution, we are debating legislation that will limit a woman's access to health services and make it harder for Medicaid patients to obtain care. I wonder about States like Florida and Texas that did not accept Medicaid money under so-called ObamaCare having charge of Medicare and Medicaid. Like many of my colleagues, I am frustrated that we are again wasting precious time considering a bill crafted by ideological extremists, which, even in the unlikely event of Senate passage, would be vetoed by the President. To be sure, this frustration isn't limited to my friends on this side of the aisle. Just this week, the fight over defunding Planned Parenthood and similar scuffles facilitated by fringe elements of the Republican Party led to the resignation of the Speaker of the House. And on a personal note, I would like to thank the Speaker for his service and his forthright commentary regarding his leaving the House. In my judgment, he has done a credible job for this institution. He had people who would not let him do the things that were needed for all of us in this Nation. The Republican Conference is really divided so fervently that we can again expect the real threat of a government shutdown in December. All we are doing today, in the final analysis on that subject, whenever it comes up--and it may come up today and tomorrow--is to kick the can down the road again. The can ain't got no more space for kicking. But we continue to do that, and this time until December, even if we are able to avoid the one currently looming over our heads. Mr. Speaker, current Federal law already denies Federal Medicaid coverage of abortion except in limited circumstances, and Federal insurance coverage of an abortion is restricted. Instead of debating bills like the one before us today, we should be coming together to find a balanced and responsible way to fund the government, pass a budget that represents our constituents' priorities, and invest in this great country. H.R. 3495 seeks to amend title 19 of the Medicaid law to allow States to prevent qualified providers and institutions from participating in their Medicaid programs without a showing of cause or due process if they have any involvement--underscore that, ``any involvement''--in abortions, a standard which has been left undefined and certainly vague. Aptly termed the ``free choice of provider'' provision, title 19 currently mandates that Medicaid beneficiaries be permitted to obtain services from any qualified provider he or she chooses and is implemented in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' free choice of provider regulation. This regulation also explicitly states that under no circumstance can the free choice of provider protection be compromised with respect to providers of family planning services. In short, current Federal law was designated to guarantee that State Medicaid programs provide beneficiaries with the same basic opportunity and rights to choose and receive covered healthcare services from any qualified provider in the same way as any member of the general population seeking healthcare services. The legislative language of this bill is so broad that, if enacted, it has the potential to have a devastating impact on patient access by giving States the ability to kick any provider out of Medicaid, including entire hospital systems, if that provider has even an attenuated connection to abortion services. For example, it is entirely possible that, under this bill, a hospital could be excluded from providing any and all services in Medicaid if an obstetrician with admitting privileges at the same hospital provides, or even provided in the past, abortions as a separate part of his or her practice. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, an organization of over 57,000 physicians and partners in women's health, have come out publicly against this legislation, as have the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. I will include those endorsements against this measure in the Record. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC, September 28, 2015. Dear Representative: On behalf of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), representing 57,000 physicians and partners in women's health, I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 3495, the Women's Public Health and Safety Act. This intentionally vague bill should not be enacted into law. In falling far short of any standard for sound federal health legislation and policy, it would serve only to scare providers away from providing comprehensive, compassionate care to women, and leave women without the care they need. America needs more ob-gyns participating in the Medicaid program; this bill would do the opposite. I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 3495 when it comes to the House floor. Don't be fooled by the title of this bill. This legislation is nothing more than the latest in a string of attacks against women's health. Sincerely, Mark S. DeFranceso,

Mr. HASTINGS. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated that the bill falls far short of any standard Federal health legislation policy, and insisted that ``it would serve only to scare providers away from providing comprehensive, compassionate care to women, and leave women without the care they need.'' Moreover, the group maintains this bill would prevent OB/GYNs from participating in the Medicaid program. The reality is over 90 percent of the services of Planned Parenthood and similar organizations are preventative in nature, including cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and family planning services. Medicaid beneficiaries already have limited access to doctors, and this bill will only restrict access for the poorest individuals in our society. I said last night in the Rules Committee that wealthy women in our society don't have the problem of seeing the doctor of their choice. Under this particular measure, poor women will be further restricted from having the access to a physician of their choice as a Medicaid provider. Knowing this, the title of the bill, the Women's Public Health and Safety Act, is as ironic as it is patronizing. H.R. 3495 will punish the most vulnerable Americans and will prevent women from accessing the care that keeps them safe and healthy. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), my good friend.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just like to indicate to my friend from Maryland that, while there are 13,000 community health centers, many of them are overcrowded to begin with and can't provide even the daytime that you mentioned in Salisbury, all the services for various communities. But, more important, you are correct. Planned Parenthood does not do mammograms. But they did in the last year 500,000 breast screenings. I could offer up anecdotal information that allows--you can go downstairs right here to the House physician. The House physician doesn't provide all of the services, but refers you out to GW or to Walter Reed Bethesda. So referring out those women, if I were to pull up the anecdotal information of the number of women that did ultimately learn that they had problems, those statistics justify the continuation of this organization that provides compassionate services to women. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. DelBene).

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters), my very good friend who is the ranking member of the Committee on Financial Services and a real champion on both these issues that we are discussing here today.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

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

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from North Carolina says that we are discussing the Export-Import Bank because we are losing, as she put it, on the subject that is the base bill here today. We are not losing. This bill will pass the House of Representatives, and it will go nowhere. Why we are discussing the Ex-Im Bank is because we need American businesses to win. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), my classmate, who is a member of the Committee on Financial Services.

Mr. HASTINGS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to how I began my remarks today, and that is to say that the measure before us has not gone through regular order in the House of Representatives. There were no hearings, no markup. It just showed up in the rules for us. And somehow or another, that seems to be a pattern that is developing around here, where we are not legislating, we are rulemaking. In the final analysis, many Members and their constituents are being shut out. Mr. Speaker, the decision to have an abortion is obviously a very, very difficult decision for a woman, and it is one that must be made, in my judgment--and my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Polis) always says that it is not the Oversight Committee's--which is hearing right now, as we speak, from Planned Parenthood providers--or the Energy and Commerce Committee's decision for a woman's right to choose. The freedom of choice measure, since 1960, has been a part of Medicaid in this country, and now we would tear that fabric and divide this country with an issue that the only committee that should be in charge is the committee formed by a woman, her doctor, and God. There is no place for the ideological whims of politicians in that determination. I said last night I know where this is headed. I have seen it now for 22 years. What the ultimate objective is is not this legislation today or the legislation that we considered 2 weeks ago or legislation like this that they have considered. For 22 years that I have been here, it has been headed toward trying to reverse Roe v. Wade. Like it or not, the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade conferred upon women the right to do with their own bodies what they determine best until the point of viability. It is unfathomable to me and countless others around this country and the world that we continue to entertain attacks on poor women's health to satisfy the extreme political agenda of a few in Congress. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle often articulate their support for measures such as the one we are considering today by insisting that it is our duty to protect the most vulnerable in society. To those individuals I ask: How does eliminating critical health services to our country's most poor and preventing those same individuals from being able to see the doctors of their choice that they know and trust help them to accomplish this worthwhile goal? Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question and against this rule and the underlying bill. I want to ask us to get back to regular order and let us get into legislating. No, my colleague from North Carolina, we are not losing. We asked on the Export-Import measure to allow for American businesses to win. Everybody here knows that this legislation, once it passes the House of Representatives, is going to get lost in that nowhere forest. I said last night, and I listened to my granddaughter saying, ``Let It Go.'' The words are different to this particular situation today, but the title of the song should be heard as a mantra by the Republican Party on the subject of the rights of women and their choice. They should just let it go. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my colleagues of the actions Turkey, a longstanding NATO ally, is taking in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has proven to be one of the greatest security challenges of our lifetime. In 2013, Turkey designated ISIS and all offshoots of al Qaeda as terrorist organizations, including the al Nusra Front. The dangers Turkey faces have most recently been exemplified by the attack on Suruc on July 20, 2015, in which 32 people tragically lost their lives. Just a few days later, ISIS assaulted a border military post in which a Turkish soldier was killed. It is disheartening to see that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization has taken ISIS attacks against Turkey as an opportunity to restart its terrorist campaign against civilians and officials. Facing these threats, Turkey has become an even more active coalition partner against ISIS. Recently, Turkey opened its military base in Incirlik for manned and unmanned coalition air operations, and has also deployed its own aircraft for air strikes against ISIS targets in Syria. This cooperation has allowed our countries to more effectively combat the threat of ISIS. Mr. Speaker, I condemn the terrorist actions of ISIS and commend our ally for their furthered commitment in the fight against this terrorist organization. As a former President for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), I have worked closely with my Turkish counterparts, and know that the international effort has been bolstered by the steps Turkey has taken. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing these tremendous efforts by our ally, as we both move forward to combat the threat of ISIS.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Keiser University on opening its Flagship campus in West Palm Beach, located in my Congressional district. For a university that puts its students first, while serving the community and preparing professionals for the workforce, I am excited for the school's expansion. The 100-acre campus will provide its ever growing student population with dormitories, athletic teams, and other amenities. This bold move will also support students by giving them access to even more degree programs, High school students from all across America seeking a traditional college experience now have an opportunity to enroll and enjoy a rich multidisciplinary institution. Keiser University is the second largest member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and is a Level VI regionally accredited institution by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The University serves a rich and diverse student body in traditional, nontraditional and online formats. The University was founded in 1977, with the lasting intention to serve adult learners seeking career- focused education. In 2001, the school had fewer than 4,000 students; it now has nearly 20,000 students. The acquisition of the Northwood University campus is just one of many ambitious ways Keiser University continues to expand and serve the hardworking students of South Florida. Although the main campus is located in Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University now boasts 18 campuses located in Florida's major and mid- sized metropolitan areas and communities. The university has international sites beyond America's shores as well, with regionally accredited off-campus sites in San Marcos, Nicaragua and Shanghai, China. Keiser students can also access learning centers in Moldova, Taiwan and Seoul, South Korea. With over 3,500 talented and distinguished faculty and staff Keiser University has served nearly 60,000 hardworking alumni over the years. The university's committed philosophy of putting ``students first'' is reflected in its 60 programmatically-accredited academic offerings designed to prepare students for careers in business, criminal justice, health care, technology, hospitality, education, and career-focused general studies. Approximately 62 percent of students at Keiser University graduate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and healthcare fields. The university's students are pursuing degrees in over 100 doctoral, specialist, master's bachelor's, and associate fields as well as various continuing education programs. Keiser University's goals include continually improving and ensuring effectiveness of its programs, building students' analytical and technical skills, as well as maintaining an unwavering devotion to powerful research at the doctoral level. These goals have led to successful students, an improved economy, and satisfied employers. Annually, Keiser University has made a statewide economic impact of over $3 billion, as well as direct and indirect impacts for over 30,000 Florida jobs. It is no wonder that Keiser University is ranked 40th among colleges within the Southern Region of the United States. Aside from changing the lives of its students and touting an impressive staff, Keiser University has consistently given back to the community. They have a major involvement in, among other things, food drives for primary schools, seniors citizen assistance, and major job fairs for those who want to find a role in America's and the international community's workforce. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Keiser 13th overall and 1st in Florida for the category of Regional Colleges South, specifically for its service to our nation's veterans Moreover, Keiser University and the Keiser Mills Foundation have provided nearly $44 million in scholarship funds to academic and needs-based US and international students. Mr. Speaker, I once again want to congratulate the Board of Trustees of Keiser University, Chancellor Dr. Arthur Keiser, and Vice Chancellor Belinda Keiser, on opening their new Flagship campus. I wish them much success as they continue their perpetual dedication to students and commitment to quality, education and community service.