Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Tuesday morning's fatal shooting at Reynolds High School is the 74th shooting at a school on American soil since a lone gunman's attack on Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December, 2012. The list of shootings, which includes 13 school shootings in the first 6 weeks of this year, was compiled and is on the Web site of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Earlier, my colleague, Ted Deutch, recited all 74 of them. Yesterday and two other times in the last 2 weeks, the House rightly held moments of silence. I and two of my colleagues did not stand, not because of disrespect for those who lost their lives; we abhor the loss of life, and we abhor the House of Representatives taking moments of silence and then returning to business as usual and doing absolutely nothing about gun violence.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today, the House will adopt yet another closed rule for these two tax extender measures, which will cross a new Rubicon, a new threshold. We are going to break the record for the most closed rules considered by a Congress ever, and we still have 7 months to go. The graphic that I am holding illustrates that--that we have the most closed Congress ever, which allows, among other things, that we don't deal with immigration reform, we don't deal with the minimum wage, we don't deal with unemployment insurance, we don't deal with universal gun background checks, we don't deal with dealing with banning assault weapons. This is a closed Congress. This may sound like inside baseball, but it is much more than just a procedural agreement. I have seen a lot of rules serving nearly 10 years now on the Rules Committee, but this is a new one. This rule limits debate during the appropriations process. It deems passage of a provision to ignore the deficit that this legislation will create, and it sets an all-time record, as I have shown, for closed rules. We managed to do this yesterday and now have it on the floor all in one rule. Congress has, as I have said, many important issues it needs to take up, including the things I have shown and reiterate now: immigration reform, raising the minimum wage, and extending unemployment insurance. 2.5 million people in this country are without unemployment insurance. If we were to pass it, it would create 200,000 jobs, and we stand around here and talk about creating jobs all the time. Closed rules prevent the House from working its will on these measures. That is the way it appears that leadership, what is left of it, wants it to be. My friends do make some Democratic amendments in order at times. Both parties have used closed rules when they have been in control, and that is true. That is the prerogative of the party controlling the House. But you can read these closed rules like a roadmap of my friends' priorities. In general, the only amendments made in order are those that are expected either to pass or fail along party lines. Over 30 House Republicans and 64 percent of Republican voters polled support immigration reform, but we can't get a vote. Where is the immigration reform bill? Where is the measure that will allow for us to answer many of the problems that this country is confronted with in reference to immigration reform? This week, as I have indicated, nearly 3 million Americans have lost emergency unemployment insurance since it expired in December, but we can't get a vote here on the House of Representatives' floor. The Voting Rights Act needs to be reformed in order to protect American voters, but we can't get a vote in the people's House. Leadership uses closed rules to prevent the House from working its will because they are worried about undermining their message, more worried about it than actually legislating. Today's tax extenders are a perfect example of how these heavy-handed tactics help the chosen few, but leave everyone else without recourse. There are at least 50 other tax extenders that we could have taken into consideration, but no, we choose these six because that is your agenda. Dozens of other provisions that expire at the end of 2017 and several others scheduled to expire at the end of this year have been skipped over in favor of these six extenders favored by businesses that are pretty substantial, and not necessarily the big corporations but many of the large S corporations. My friends across the aisle have passed up the chance--would you believe this?--to renew the work opportunity tax credit, which helps veterans get back to work, as well as the new markets tax credit, which helps revitalize communities. How do you do that? They have chosen to ignore renewable energy tax credits and tax credits to help working parents pay for child care. How about that? They have decided there is no reason to extend deductions for teachers' out-of-pocket expenses, qualified tuition, mortgage insurance premiums, or State and local taxes, a deduction that is critical for Floridians and the people that I represent. These six extenders will be the only extenders that the House votes on because these are the priorities of my friends across the aisle, priorities that may solidify your message, my friends, particularly your message with your base--and evidently you are confused about that particular matter--but you are more interested in them and assuring that you do nothing to help hardworking Americans. You are going to use the power of the closed rule to ensure that no other provisions get a vote, and you are going to become the most closed Congress ever, disallowing immigration reform, disallowing a minimum wage increase. There are States that are giving a realistic minimum wage increase to people. You tell me, how it is that people live on $7.35 an hour? Many of us have been to food shelters and seen people that are working, many of us have seen people that are living in shelters, working families living in shelters, and we won't even bring a measure here. Are you afraid to just say ``yes'' or ``no'' whether or not Americans ought to have an increase in their minimum wage at the Federal level? You let 2\1/2\ million people don't have unemployment insurance, can't meet their obligations, and we are not willing to help them, and you tell me that you will increase--you talk all the time about the deficit, so you are going to increase the deficit with some mumbo jumbo about money if it is not in the hands of, and disallow people that we know, if they were to receive unemployment insurance compensation, that they would spend all of that money and that it would, in fact, create jobs, and it would sustain small businesses if we were to do that. One presenter in the House yesterday, outstanding in his presentation, a friend from the other side, pointed out that he had come from a hardscrabble life and that his father one time had been on unemployment insurance. I said to him, and I believe it to be true, that you just proved my point. And I asked him did his daddy get a job after he was on unemployment insurance. And his answer was, yes, and I knew that is what it would be. Many people who are on unemployment insurance today, if we were to give them a chance, they would get a job. Get a life, Republicans, give people a chance. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My friend on the other side of the aisle may try to change the subject. Do that if you like. But I ask the gentleman: Is this a new record for closed rules or not? And I answer rhetorically because it is. And I don't deny that Democrats have used closed rules. I said it in my opening remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas, Judge Lloyd Doggett, my good friend.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Returning briefly--before I yield to my good friend--to the subject of open and/or closed rules, this is what Speaker Boehner promised right here in this Chamber in his own words: I offer a commitment: Openness, once a tradition of this institution, but increasingly scarce in recent decades, will be the new standard. You will always have the right to a robust debate in an open process that allows you to represent your constituents, to make your case, offer alternatives and be heard. It is unfortunate that my friends on the other side of the aisle campaigned telling the country how open and transparent they were going to be, and then when they do the opposite and are called out on it, it is just more excuses. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question I am going to offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 4582, the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act. Mr. Tierney, my good friend, authored that bill to help millions of people lower their student loan debt. The bill would allow borrowers to refinance Federal and private student loans to the lowest rates that are currently available to new borrowers. To discuss this proposal, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney), a distinguished gentleman, my friend and colleague.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would indicate to my friend from Texas that I am prepared to close. I have no further speakers at this time, and so I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is not all doom and gloom over here. There are provisions in the agriculture appropriation measure that I support. I appreciate the report language in support of the United States Department of Agriculture's pollinator programs. I, along with others, have been leaders in bringing the subject to the attention of Congress, something of vital interest to all of this Nation. I have been teased an awful lot about being the ``bee man'' because I bring up the pollinator issue all the time, but the fact of the matter is, if we don't have bees, we are not going to have food. I also appreciate the provisions related to citrus greening, which has been devastating to Florida citrus growers, as well as those provisions in this measure that address rural housing. I represent Belle Glade; South Bay; Canal Point; and Pahokee, Florida; and places where rural housing is really important, but I, along with all of my colleagues--particularly Joe Garcia, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Mario Diaz-Balart--have raised the issues with reference to citrus greening. The whole south Florida delegation has been involved in that particular area. I grew up in the citrus area. I saw the early-on stages of greening. If we don't do something about this particular problem--and this farm appropriations does deal with some of it--then we may have no citrus coming from the State of Florida. There are a limited number of days left on our legislative calendar, and we have many miles to go before we, as a Congress, have delivered on our obligation to help all Americans. We absolutely have an obligation to businesspeople, but we also have an obligation to help veterans get work; an obligation to ease the burden on teachers who use their own money to support their students-- our students; and an obligation to address forthrightly important issues, including immigration reform and raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment insurance. We should stop standing around here and thinking that we are doing something when we offer a moment of silence, which is right for victims who have died of gun violence and the grief that is coming through all of those families. You hear them begging for us to do something. We know that we can't solve all of those problems, but at least we could give them some assurance that we are trying to have universal background checks and that we are willing to ban assault weapons. Why would anybody want an assault weapon, other than a police officer or military person, and why should we permit them to be in their hands? We won't bring those measures down here to the floor, and we do so at our peril. 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 of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question, vote ``no'' on the underlying bills, and certainly vote ``no'' on this record-setting rule for closed rules, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I share your concerns as you expressed them with reference to the unaccompanied young people coming to our country, and I don't make any quarrel with you, but I would highlight the fact that it is believed by some that many of the places they are coming from--El Salvador, Guatemala, and Central America--the kids are running because of fright. I remind you that they already have TSP, and we did that quite some time ago for those Central American countries. We did it, rightly, then. I just offer that for information, and I thank my colleague for yielding.

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. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Salvation Army of Broward County, Florida. In the coming week, the Salvation Army will launch the Open Door Project, a new homeless shelter in Fort Lauderdale that will focus on helping the chronically homeless. Our nation is currently faced with a harsh reality. Roughly 2 million Americans face homelessness every year. We have made great progress in reducing the number of Americans without a home, but there is much more to be done. The Open Door Project will be instrumental in helping vulnerable individuals in Broward County find shelter, support, and eventually, a permanent home. The Salvation Army of Broward County has been serving the South Florida community since 1926, tirelessly working to serve the needs of the less fortunate. The organization offers transitional housing, life- skill training, and a structured support system to help individuals and families escape the cycle of homelessness. With the launch of the Open Door Project, the Salvation Army of Broward County has again demonstrated its dedication to providing resources for anyone grappling with homelessness in the Fort Lauderdale region. The Open Door Project is a low demand facility. All they ask of their guests is their name, and do not require more private information. This ensures that individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, or those who would otherwise avoid these services can still find a safe place to sleep for the night. By providing homeless individuals with a safe bed and a meal the following morning, the Open Door Project will build a system of trust, in hope that these individuals may be comfortable seeking further help in the future. Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, I believe that ending homelessness must be one of our top priorities as a nation. Allowing men, women, and children to live on the streets is not a standard America should be willing to accept. I am pleased to offer my deepest appreciation and congratulations to the staff and volunteers of the Salvation Army as they continue in their mission to combat homelessness in Fort Lauderdale. I look forward to working with the Open Door Project in the future to advocate for those who so often cannot advocate for themselves.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution to express condolences and support for assistance to the victims of the historic flooding in the Western Balkans, which began on May 13, 2014. The record rainfall caused widespread flooding in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, and the Republic of Serbia, leading to thousands of landslides, massive destruction, and loss of life. To date, the flooding has claimed over 40 lives and impacted over 500,000 people across the region, particularly in western Serbia and eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The equivalent of three months of rain fell during the course of three days, making this the worst flooding event seen in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina since recordkeeping began 120 years ago. Tens of thousands across the region remain displaced or homeless and, according to the Red Cross, many lack access to clean water and electricity. The Bosnian Foreign Ministry has reported that the flooding has rendered 100,000 buildings unusable, and that 500,000 people have evacuated or fled their homes amidst the ongoing state of emergency. On May 27, 2014, the Government of Serbia declared three days of national mourning, having described the situation in the country as ``catastrophic.'' It estimates that at least 25,000 people have evacuated, particularly in the town and municipality of Obrenovac, and that the flooding has caused over 100,000,000 Euros ($140,000,000) in damage to the Kolubara coal mine that supplies the Kostolac power plant. Efforts continue to protect the Kostolac power plant and the Nikola Tesla power plant, which provides half of the nation's electricity, from the waters of the over-flooded Sava River. Furthermore, an estimated 100,000 landmines remaining from the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s have been lost or dislodged due to landslides, causing great concern for public safety. In response, the United States Government has provided assistance through the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to the Serbian Red Cross, as well as from the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Additionally, U.S. Embassy funds have been used to purchase sandbags and other material assistance, with Embassy volunteers dedicating their time to filling hundreds of sandbags in suburbs threatened by Sava River flooding. The United States Government has further provided OFDA assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as boats, food, and supplies through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Department of Defense. Mr. Speaker, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, and the Republic of Serbia share an increasing commitment to core democratic values, reconciliation, and European integration. The United States expresses deep sympathy to all those affected by the flooding in the Western Balkans for the terrible loss of life and massive destruction, as well as a continued desire to provide essential assistance along with that of other nations and organizations to help their countries recover from this tragedy.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Highways Bettering the Economy and Environment Act with my Co-Chairman of the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus, Representative Jeff Denham. This bi-partisan bill provides much-needed aid for the birds, bats, bees and butterflies that pollinate our food. The Highways BEE Act seeks no new monies and involves a limited federal role. This bill provides for existing authorities and finding sources to incorporate integrated vegetation management practices along America's highways, which includes things like reduced mowing and replacing invasive plant species with native forbs and grasses. This kind of roadside vegetation management provides much-needed habitat for pollinators and other small nesting animals. The Association of American State Highway and Transportation Officials Vegetation Management Guidelines advances integrated vegetation management principles and recommendations consistent with the objectives of this legislation. A number of states, including Minnesota are already doing this and reporting maintenance cost savings of 20 to 25 percent from reduced mowing alone. Mr. Speaker, there are around 17 million acres of land where significant reductions in mowing and maintenance can reduce costs for cash-strapped states. The millions of acres of agriculture and wildlife ecosystems adjacent to these roadways will benefit from the increased pollinator habitat resulting from integrated vegetation management practices. To understand how worried we should be about declining pollinator populations, consider that rising global food prices have been the primary topic of discussion at recent G-20 meetings. This is the first time that agriculture has had the top spot at a meeting and is indicative of how serious the issue is. Food prices have already led to global riots overseas and a declining pollinator population will only make the situation worse. Seventy-five percent of all flowering plant species rely on creatures like birds, bats, bees and butterflies for fertilization. One out of every three bites of food that we eat, as well as $20 billion of products in the United States alone, derive from pollinators. If we don't solve these problems soon, we won't have any bees. Without bees, we won't have any food. The benefit to cost balance in the case of this bill is an easy choice.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Gordon A. Merritt on the occasion of his 85th birthday. I am proud to celebrate Dr. Merritt not only for his longevity, but more rightly for the amazing scope of his contributions to the Fort Lauderdale community and our country as a whole. Dr. Merritt has dedicated his life to the care of his fellow citizens and has served them in numerous capacities. He earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery in 1957 from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee and immediately entered the Air Force where he practiced for four years before returning home to Florida. Dr. Merritt and his family moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1963, and he has been a pillar in the community ever since. He opened his clinic in a predominately African American neighborhood, and was one of the first African American medical professionals to provide services to this underserved community. In addition to his work in the medical field, Dr. Merritt has been a tireless advocate for his community. He is a past Exalted Ruler of the Pride of Fort Lauderdale Elks Lodge #652, as well as a Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Urban League, and the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Dr. Merritt has also been a member of the Mount Hernon A.M.E. Church since 1964, where he has served as a Trustee. None of these great achievements would have been possible without the love and support of Dr. Merritt's wife Rose Legon, who together raised two wonderful children, Dr. Pamela Merritt and Portia Mehaffey. They are also the proud grandparents of four lovely grandchildren, Courtney, Cierra, Darby, and Addison. Mr. Speaker, to arrive at the great milestone of 85 years is no small thing. I am truly honored to share in this celebration of Dr. Merritt's many accomplishments and contributions. I wish him many more years of happiness and success.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend Diane Glasser, who currently serves on the City Commission for Tamarac, Florida. I have been lucky to work with Diane for many years to make Florida a better place for all Floridians, but, for over 40 years, I have been even luckier to call Diane a friend. It is a 40-plus year friendship that has meant the world to me, and I thank her for it. Diane hails from Mill Basin in Brooklyn, New York. She went to high school and college in New York, but then in 1973, we in Florida were lucky enough to entice her down our way--getting to avoid those New York winters probably helped us look like a good place to live too. Diane moved to Florida with her husband who was a 100 percent disabled veteran having served bravely in World War II. Diane's husband, due to the injuries he suffered fighting for his country, was unable to work, but this did not stop him from being a tireless advocate for veterans. I think Diane would agree that her husband's advocacy helped in part in laying the ground work for her future successes as an advocate for the members of our community. After working in the construction industry for 12 years, Diane was ready for something new. Mr. Speaker, my friend Diane turned her tremendous energy and insight to helping the members of her community by volunteering for her local Democratic Party. Of course, Diane was not going to volunteer here and there. No, instead, Diane, through dedicated effort, went from starting as a volunteer and worked her way to First Vice Chair of the Florida Democratic Party. In addition, she was elected to the Democratic National Convention as a National Committeewoman, and was appointed to the Electoral College. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Floridians and members of the Democratic Party, I would like to thank Diane for her tireless work in pursuit of justice for not only all Floridians, but all Americans. She is an inspiration to all of us who strive to make our communities a better place to live.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), my good friend and member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, as its ranking member.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I will yield myself 1 minute before yielding to the gentleman from Missouri. Mr. Speaker, last night in the Rules Committee, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) offered an amendment that was supported by all the Democrats on the committee. That amendment would have allowed for membership on the committee to be equally divided between Republicans and Democrats. It would guarantee minority signoff on subpoenas and depositions. It would guarantee equal distribution of money, staffing, and other resources of the committee. It would require the committee to establish written rules, specifically including rules concerning how documents and other information may be obtained, used, or released. I will offer a caveat there about the intelligence that you are about to get into with the select committee. It would guarantee equal access to evidence and materials of the committee. It provides for transparency of the committee's expenditures and budgeting, and it would ensure that a quorum for taking testimony or receiving evidence includes at least one minority Member. Finally, it would ensure that the minority has a say in decisions about extended questioning and staff questioning of witnesses. That would produce a bipartisan result that would be credible. I am very pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), my good friend and a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. While I support research and development incentives and consider encouraging American businesses to research, innovate, build, and make it in America some of Congress' most important duties, I rise today in opposition to this rule and the underlying bill. Four months ago, my friends on the other side of the aisle allowed emergency unemployment insurance for more than 1.3 million Americans to expire. During the farm bill negotiations, my friends on the other side of the aisle insisted on cutting $8.6 billion from nutrition assistance programs. Last week, Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee insisted on removing a $12 million provision that would help foster children who are victims of sex trafficking. I find that ironic because this happens to be Foster Care Month. They also fought tooth and nail to derail disaster assistance to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, and almost succeeded. Furthermore, they have triggered a government shutdown and sequestration cuts that have drastically cut nondefense discretionary spending by $294 billion. And the reason offered for all these austerity measures still hamstringing recovery? Why can't the Republicans pass a bill to create jobs by improving our crumbling infrastructure? Well, deficit reduction, I guess, is the answer. Yet, this bill, a favorite of Big Business without question, will add $156 billion to the deficit. Tax policy in general, and then extenders package specifically, is about prioritizing the needs of our country. Dozens of temporary tax provisions that expired at the end of 2013 and several others scheduled to expire at the end of this year have been skipped over. They have passed up the chance to renew the work opportunity tax credit, which helps veterans get work, and the new markets tax credit, which helps vitalize communities. They have chosen to ignore renewable energy tax credits and tax credits to help working parents pay for child care. They have decided that it is not important to extend deductions for teachers' out-of-pocket expenses, qualified tuition and related expenses, mortgage insurance premiums, and State and local sales tax, a deduction which is critical for our constituents in Florida. My friends on the other side of the aisle would allow charitable provisions, including the enhanced deduction for contributions of food inventory and provisions allowing for tax-free distributions from retirement accounts for charitable purposes to expire rather than renew them. This bill today and the other extenders--there were six of them that were marked up by the Ways and Means Committee--are the six extenders favored by Big Business. That is why these will be the first and will likely be the only of the extenders--and there are 50-plus of them overall--that the House will vote on. That is why these are the measures my friends want to make permanent. While I agree particularly that the one that is being discussed should be made permanent, they have no problem increasing the deficit, so long as it is a policy that is a priority for them and for Big Business. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), my friend, who is the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), my good friend.

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

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, the American people will be better served if we addressed our broken immigration system, which has become a huge drag on our country's economic growth. If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 15, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, so the House can finally vote on something that will move this country forward. To discuss our proposal, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Caardenas).

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I am going to take my good friend's point where I made the statement that we would have an opportunity to finally vote on something worthwhile and take that ``finally'' out and replace it with ``something more worthwhile'' than some of the things that he pointed out that I certainly agree with, in many particulars, were certainly measures that were important to us. I can't resist adding to Mr. Caardenas' appeal with reference to H.R. 15 and point out that 40 percent of the Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or a child of an immigrant. Twenty-eight percent of all companies founded in the United States, in just the year 2011, had immigrant founders. Seventy-six percent of the patents at the top 10 U.S. patent- producing universities had at least one foreign-born inventor. Immigrant-owned businesses generated more than $775 billion in revenue for the economy in 2011. I could go on and on. I shall not. It is important, I believe, that if not this vehicle, some vehicle become the one that allows us to deal with things like the H-1B visa. For example, when we put the cap on it in the last tranche, we achieved that cap in 5 days. Availability of H-1B numbers is a growing problem for the U.S. STEM competitiveness again. It is something that we need to deal with, must deal with. Now, I turn, finally, to the research credit measure that we are dealing with. It is an important provision that should be extended. Since its enactment in mid-1981, as has been pointed out by my colleagues, Congress has extended the provision 15 times and significantly modified it five times. However, it is not just what we do that matters; it is how we do it that also matters. This will be the 57th closed rule, which means most Members will not even get a chance to make changes to the bill. This bill violates the revenue floor of the Ryan budget that Republicans passed only 3 weeks ago, meaning the Rules Committee will have to give yet another special waiver. Republicans have waived their own CutGo rule 15 times since taking over the House. Republicans insist that comprehensive tax reform be deficit neutral, but won't hold these permanent changes to the same standard. In fact, they are using these measures to hide the cost of comprehensive tax reform. They aren't just moving the goalposts. They are changing the game as it is being played. Madam Speaker, there is something inconsistent between what my friends say and what they do, and I find that very disturbing. Hiding behind a mantra of austerity only when it is convenient is, in my view, irresponsible and opportunistic, at best. Madam 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.