Jim Himes

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Cystic fibrosis is not a disease that affects a lot of Americans; but of the Americans it does affect, it compromises and, all too often, prematurely ends their lives. I had the good and great fortune to just meet with a number of my constituents, including some young constituents who are with me in the Chamber today, who are very concerned and involved with cystic fibrosis. We are an enlightened and good society because we invest the money necessary to solve the problems that affect our children, our people. We spend money on cures to eradicate diseases that compromise and end the quality of life for so many of our citizens. So as we do the hard work of getting our budget in order, I ask that this Chamber not erode that good work that we do.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HIMES. I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano).

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, my amendment is very simple. This bill that we are discussing today creates what we have come to describe as the IPO on- ramp, which, for emerging growth companies, would lift some of the more burdensome requirements that are perhaps more appropriate for larger, more established companies. Now, the question naturally arises, how should we define an emerging growth company? Currently, the bill specifies that a company with revenues at or in excess of $1 billion would not qualify, meaning revenues less than that, and you could qualify to be an emerging growth company. My amendment, Mr. Chairman, and my belief is that this is far too expansive a definition of emerging growth companies. It's not just my belief. We heard in the hearing which we held on this bill from Mr. LeBlanc that something more like $250 million to $500 million in revenues would be appropriate. I offered in committee the notion similar to this amendment that we make the cap $750 million in revenues. The Council of Institutional Investors has sent a letter to our leadership expressing the same concern about the billion dollar revenue number. And I would just read from that letter and quote: We note that some of the most knowledgeable and active advocates for small business capital formation have in the past agreed that a company with more than $250 million of public float generally has the resources and infrastructure to comply with existing U.S. security regulations. It's hard to know--a billion dollars in revenue is an abstraction. Let me give you an example. I have a list of the IPOs that have occurred in the last couple of years. Currently, what I think of as a fine company, Spirit Airlines, with some $800 million in revenues, would qualify as an emerging growth company. They went public in May of 2011. Spirit Airlines is an established airline with 2,400 employees. They clearly are a company that has the capability to comply with the full array of protections that are there for investors and others. And I would note that the letter that I read from, of course, is from the association that is there to advocate on behalf of our investors. So, Mr. Chairman, my amendment is common sense. It's supported by the hearing that we had. It's supported by the Council of Institutional Investors. It is common sense, dare I use that phrase, and, therefore, would urge adoption so that we get this definition right. It's a great bill. It is good that we are making it easier for small and emerging companies to go public and to not bear the full burden of the protections that are out there, but we should get this definition right. We should make sure that this is a benefit that accrues to truly small entrepreneurial emerging companies. And therefore, I think $750 million in revenue is a more appropriate benchmark and, therefore, I propose this amendment. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HIMES. Madam Chair, I rise today very excited about what we are about to do on this floor. As has been said over the course of many hours, we are about to pass legislation that will be good for the core strength of this country, for our entrepreneurs, for our small banks that we trust to provide credit in our communities. This is a good bill. I'm sorry it has been marred by a couple of things that have been the topic of much discussion today. I'm sorry that the Republican majority has used this debate as an opportunity to promote the canard--not my word, Bruce Bartlett's word, which I think means ``baloney''--that the main problem with our economy today is regulation. Bruce Bartlett, conservative economist and former adviser to President Reagan said: In my opinion, regulatory uncertainty is a canard invented by Republicans that allows them to use current economic problems to pursue an agenda supported by the business community year in and year out. We have an obligation to make sure that our regulation is good, that it keeps us safe, that it keeps our air clean, that it keeps our banks alive without quashing the entrepreneurship and economic vitality. We should do that every day. But what we have heard, the ideology, this notion that regulation is the problem in our economy is just what Bruce Bartlett called it, a canard. And I'm sorry that this bill has been spoiled by the antics of the Republican majority. I'm thrilled that this bill includes H.R. 1965. At the end of the day--I mentioned Reagan--Reagan said you'd get a lot done in Washington, DC, if you didn't care who gets the credit. There may be only one way to spell ``potato,'' but there are a lot of ways to skin a cat. And if we're going to skin this cat this way, I'm okay with that, because small banks need the flexibility to go public when they should go public; because we should, for those companies that want to go public, provide them with some relief from the regulations that might be more appropriate for larger companies. All of these things, though we have passed many of these measures on the floor, are important. And so, marred though it has been by the antics of the Republican majority, this is fundamentally a bipartisan, good bill, and it is a rare step forward for this House of Representatives, something that I think will cause every American to say they can get something done. And for that I'm grateful and urge the passage of this bill.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Madam Speaker, this piece of paper will never be the same. No matter how much you try, you can't remove the marks that are left behind. The paper may not have ripped, but once the damage is done, the scars remain. I saw this idea on the Web site of a new organization formed in Ridgefield, Connecticut, Students Against Internet Discrimination, or SAID. SAID formed in response to anonymous bullies at Ridgefield High School who were using Twitter to attack other kids from behind a wall of anonymity. Cyberbullying, kids using the Internet to intimidate, defame, or attack other kids, is a growing problem. Sophie Needleman, a senior at Ridgefield High, decided to create an outlet online for the legions of supportive, helpful, and decent students to speak out and speak up. With a few friends, she started a Facebook group for Ridgefield students to counter the actions of the bullies. Within 48 hours, it had 1,000 concerned students and adults who wanted to show that bullying has no place in our schools. I commend the students behind Students Against Internet Discrimination and the entire community of support behind this growing movement. For every bully out there, there are hundreds of adults and other students who will support this effort and offer help. Seek out a group like SAID and join the effort to stop the despicable practice of cyberbullying.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to offer my support for the STOCK Act, a bill that would make it illegal for Members of Congress to trade securities on inside information, a restriction that applies to pretty much everybody else. I'm a proud cosponsor of that act, but only partly proud. I'm, frankly, embarrassed that legislation is necessary to prohibit insider trading by all of us. I urge the Republican leadership to bring that bill to the floor now. Don't make us go through petitions and this and that and the other thing. Let's bring it to the floor now. And I urge the other body, the United States Senate, to move it now. My understanding is that Senators are attaching constitutional amendments and other irrelevant provisions to a bill that should be a ``no-brainer.'' If we can't get this done, we will have earned the scorn of the American people.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, in 9 hours the President will stand on this podium behind me to deliver the State of the Union address. I remember the first time he did that. I sat in this Chamber as one of our colleagues called the new President a liar. And that was not the low mark in the partisanship that has earned this institution its historically low approval ratings by the American public. We'll be sitting in bipartisan fashion today, and I guess that's good; but let's make it something more than symbolic. Let's think in our responses to this speech what is in this speech that we can find common ground to get done. I have a suggestion. I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, northern or southern, rich or poor, you need roads. You need railways, you need a good electrical grid for your economy to flourish. We're going to invest the money in those things at some point to fix them to be world leaders. Why not do it soon? Why not do it soon when it would help our economy and help millions of out-of-work Americans go to work with dignity. Improving our infrastructure is the way to improve our economy.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. I thank the ranking member. Mr. Chairman, I rise this afternoon, as I frequently do in this Chamber, a little incredulous at what it is that I'm hearing. I'm hearing stories about east Texas. I'm hearing about lattes, and I'm hearing that the number one reason American businesses are not hiring is because of regulations. It's baloney. There's not a fact in there. Here's some facts. I wish I had more time to get into these facts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which studies this stuff, asked businesses that have been laying people off, why? Regulations was a negligible answer. I would love to talk about Bruce Bartlett, financial adviser to President Reagan, Republican, who said that the notion that regulation is why this economy is on its back was just plain made up. If I had more time, I would like to talk about our former colleague, Sherwood Boehlert of New York, who said the House is moving forward with bills that would cripple the regulatory system, but they show how far a party enthralled by its right-most wing is willing to veer from what has long been the mainstream. I've got deep problems with this crazy idea that we should have Congress sign off on every regulation. But my biggest problem, Mr. Chairman, is that we're standing here today talking about this. I hear endlessly about the uncertainty associated with these regulations. Mr. Chairman, I was shocked to look at my schedule tomorrow to see that the Republican majority is sending me home. And I'm going to talk to people in Connecticut tomorrow who are uncertain if after next month they're going to have unemployment insurance available to them because they don't have a job and they don't have money. And they may not have food on their table. Small businesses and an awful lot of Americans with jobs in my district are uncertain about whether they will see an extension of the payroll tax that we passed in bipartisan fashion. Except we're here talking about this, a fraudulent idea followed by a terrible legislative proposal, instead of dealing with the imminent expiration of unemployment insurance and payroll tax. Let's talk about those things. Let's remove the uncertainty for the people we represent. We represent people who have a lot of uncertainty about whether they'll have unemployment insurance or the payroll tax cut. Let's deal with that.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, for the last two years, Alan Gross, a 62-year old international development specialist and social worker, has been incarcerated in a Cuban prison. Today marks the two-year anniversary of his imprisonment. Alan traveled to Cuba on behalf of USAID to help the country's Jewish community expand its access to the Internet and establish an Intranet. This was a humanitarian mission, a mission to help a small and peaceful community improve its access to and use of the Internet. Alan's presence and actions posed no threat to the Cuban government. And yet, Alan has been held in a maximum-security military hospital facility in Cuba since December 2009. He has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, charged with ``acts to undermine the integrity and independence'' of Cuba. Alan's appeal to the Cuban Supreme Court was denied on August 5, 2011, formally ending his legal options for release. Mr. Speaker, today I rise and join my colleagues in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Alan Gross. Alan Gross is not a criminal, he is a humanitarian aid worker. Alan Gross is a man whose life work has positively impacted people across the world, including in the West Bank, Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and Haiti. Alan Gross is a husband, a father and a son who should be released and reunited with his family immediately.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Madam Speaker, 25 million people dead around the world, 14 million orphaned children on the continent of Africa alone. This is part of the toll that the human race has borne since the terrible scourge of HIV/AIDS began its deadly work a generation ago. Tomorrow, December 1, is World AIDS Day. I rise today to commemorate the millions of brothers, sisters, friends, and children that we've lost to this disease. I rise to commemorate the struggle of the 33 million people around the world who are living with this terrible disease today. And I rise to celebrate the new and real possibility that we could end AIDS in this generation. Madam Speaker, this government funded the PEPFAR fight which brought hope and health to millions of people around the world, and we have funded the research that allows us to say today that we could end AIDS. Madam Speaker, as we do the hard work of balancing our budget and governing this country, let's do what we need to do to end this disease and make sure that future World AIDS Days are all about celebration.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Madam Speaker, under pressure from the American people, the Republican majority in this House is running around with 15 or 20 bills that they claim to be jobs bills which, of course, they are not. If you look at them, you will see that they are bills that allow polluters to dirty our waters and to fill our air with toxins. Now, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which actually studies this stuff, asks employers, Why are you not hiring? Why have you gotten rid of people? Nowhere in those answers do we hear the words ``too much regulation.'' It's a canard. Bruce Bartlett, conservative economist and member of the Reagan administration, said that the Republican Party is taking advantage of the need for jobs to push a deregulatory agenda. It is time to get serious about jobs and not try to fool the American people that filling our water with toxins and making our air polluted is somehow good for this country or good for jobs.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a recent event in the Capitol Visitors Center. Two paintings, ``Discovery of the Hudson River'' and ``Entrance into Monterey'' by Albert Bierstadt, have been placed in the Capitol complex after years in the Members' staircase in the House. These works are part of the Hudson River School of painting, a movement that influenced not only American art, but our culture and environment as well. The Hudson River School was dedicated to an accurate depiction of landscapes, particularly emphasizing the untouched beauty of the land. Ultimately, these beautifully represented panoramas helped influence the environmental conservation movement and were used in 1916 to support the creation of the National Park Service. John Frederick Kensett, a member of this first indigenous American school of painting, has ties to my district. Born in Connecticut, John Frederick Kensett worked as an engraver before traveling to Europe and the American West to study and paint. However, he is best known for the works he did upon his return to my state. The light-filled landscapes of the coast of Contentment Island became Kensett's signature. Kensett's contributions to both art and culture are lasting. He was chosen by President Buchanan to serve on the only United States Capitol Art Commission to supervise the decorations of this very building during renovations in 1859. He also assisted with the foundation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which continues to be one of the most prominent cultural institutions in the United States. Inspired by the Hudson River School's founder, Thomas Cole, Kensett was commonly seen as Cole's successor as the leader to this important movement. I encourage everyone to make time to appreciate these paintings and the legacy of the Hudson River School.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the participants of a 3,250 mile race across the United States organized to promote natural health care options. Called The Run, this is the first-ever endurance event organized to raise awareness about naturopathic medicine. The race will conclude tomorrow, Thursday, November 17, at the University of Bridgeport. Through a four month, ninety city journey, The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward has endeavored to promote the causes of natural medicine, including the benefits of sustainable, quality holistic health care and the importance of healthy lifestyle management and health maintenance. By running an average of 30 miles per day, Dr. Dennis Godby and his family have helped bring attention to the urgent need to transform our nation's health. I wish the best of luck to Dr. Godby, his family and team, and the students and faculty at the University of Bridgeport's School of Naturopathic Medicine as they work to improve the health of our country.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to address the persuasive and life-threatening challenges posed by domestic violence. Mr. Speaker, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, as many as one in four women over the course of her lifetime will experience domestic violence. This is a crime that knows no geographical boundaries, a crime which knows no class boundaries, and a crime which does not come to the family from without but comes from within and transcends generations as children are scared and then replicate the behavior that unfortunately they saw in their families. Mr. Speaker, around the United States and certainly in Connecticut. We've got wonderful organizations like the YWCA of Greenwich, the Center for Women and Families of Eastern Fairfield County, and the Domestic Violence Crisis Centers in Stamford and Norwalk doing wonderful work providing safety and comfort to victims of these crimes. We should support those organizations, Mr. Speaker. But each and every one of us as fathers, as brothers, as community leaders, as Members of Congress should stand up and say we will put an end to this terribly destructive force.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, November 4, 2011, I was unable to be present for rollcall vote 831 on H.R. 3321. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Peters) be designated to control the balance of my time.

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. If we've learned one thing in the last 5 years, it is that the body of financial regulation which keeps us, as a people, safe must not be static, must not be dead, but, rather, a living thing that evolves and changes, not just to make sure that innovations and new products and new businesses don't get us into the kinds of troubles that we've experienced in the last 5 years, but also to make sure that the financial services industry remains entrepreneurial, that people who want to start small banks, small asset managers, small businesses of any kind have an opportunity to get started, to raise capital and to do well. The securities laws that were established in 1933 and 1934 need to evolve and adapt to reflect the conditions in today's market. This is why I've introduced H.R. 1965. This bill would allow banks and bank holding companies to remain private to a point at which they believe it is in their interest to go public, undertake the fairly lengthy and complicated process of public registration at a moment when it makes sense for them to go into the public markets. The original securities laws stipulated that banks would have to register with the SEC when they had more than 500 shareholders. Our small banks, our community banks experience difficulties because as original investors move on or pass on and leave shares to their beneficiaries, very rapidly banks reach that 500 shareholder number and are required to undertake the very complicated, up-front processes, but also the ongoing reporting requirements associated with public registration. H.R. 1965 would very simply raise that threshold from 500 shareholders to 2,000 shareholders, again allowing these small banks to pick the optimal moment at which they go public, to allow them to continue to raise money in the private markets from private investors until such point that it makes sense for them to register and go public. Now, it might be asked, is this prudent? And the answer to that question, of course, is that the banks and the bank holding companies are very heavily regulated by their prudential regulators. From the moment they are chartered, they are overseen by State and Federal entities that are designed to keep them from any sort of fraud from imprudent activities, and so this is an industry that is already heavily regulated, even for these companies who remain private. I'd like to note that this bill provides relief to small banks by recognizing that unique characteristic, that they are regulated, and that they should continue to have access to the capital sources that got them started until they choose to go public. I will note that this bill passed with broad bipartisan support in both subcommittee and committee, and I'd like to close my statement by thanking Chairman Bachus and Ranking Member Frank, as well as subcommittee Chair Garrett and Ranking Member Waters, for their hard work and cooperation in putting this bill together. With that, I yield 4 minutes to the minority whip, Mr. Hoyer of Maryland.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago a railroad bridge over the Norwalk River in my district seized, causing delay and economic damage along the New York-Boston corridor, an artery for jobs, for economic prosperity, and for growth. It turns out that this is true around the country. The American Society of Engineers grades our infrastructure a D. Make no mistake. We are going to fix this because the American people are not going to tolerate bridges that fall down and roads that crumble. Meanwhile, thousands of engineers, electricians, and carpenters are out of work. Do you see the connection between out-of-work construction people and a desperate need to rebuild our infrastructure? All that is missing is for the Republican majority to pass a jobs bill which funds the investment in our infrastructure that will lead to economic prosperity and to jobs now. Every day that goes by in this Chamber without an infrastructure bill is a vote against safety and against jobs for people who desperately need them.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Madam Speaker, 2 days ago the United States Senate, the Republicans in the United States Senate, unanimously decided to not bring for consideration the jobs bill. I don't understand the workings of the United States Senate, and I don't understand the logic behind that decision, but I do understand why on a good day the approval ratings of the United States Congress are 12 percent. Maybe the bill wasn't perfect. The only justification for not bringing the jobs bill today is because you've got a better bill. So I ask the Senate and I ask the leadership of this House, there are 14 million Americans who today need a job; so if the bill's not perfect, that's fine; let's make it good. But let's do it today. The American people cannot wait on the politics of this institution. Let's bring a jobs bill to the floor today.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, today, we expect that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will apply for member status before the United Nations. This unilateral action is likely to complicate U.S. peace efforts. It also rejects the essential principle of solving the conflict through direct negotiations with Israel. History has taught us that a just and lasting peace must be negotiated. It cannot be imposed from the outside, lest it be built on an unstable and temporary foundation. The creation of a viable, autonomous and peaceful Palestinian state is essential, not only to address the aspirations of the Palestinian people, but also to ensure Israel's security in the region. A two-state solution is the only answer for sustainable peace, and while the negotiations to achieve that goal have suffered setbacks, that must be the objective. During a speech on Middle East policy at the U.S. State Department on May 19, 2011, President Obama stated, ``For the Palestinians, efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure. Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won't create an independent state. Palestinian leaders will not achieve peace or prosperity if Hamas insists on a path of terror and rejection. And Palestinians will never realize their independence by denying the right of Israel to exist.'' I agree with these sentiments.

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be present to cast my vote on Mr. Holt's amendment to H.R. 2218--Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act. I wish the record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote. Had I been present for rollcall No. 702, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HIMES

Mr. HIMES. Mr. Speaker, last night the Republican majority in this House, without the support of a single Democrat, did something very dangerous--and I am not talking about the pernicious cuts that would damage the least fortunate in our society. I am not talking about an ill-conceived balanced budget amendment that would surely result in our default. We should debate those things, and people of good will disagree how we do them. I am talking about the provision of that bill that will bring us back in 6 months to have this discussion again while Americans lose billions of dollars in their retirement accounts, while businesses and our markets face uncertainty. We will do this in 6 more months because of the Republicans. Now I am a House Democrat. Don't listen to me on this. Listen to the Wall Street Journal editorial page. That Murdochian mouthpiece of malicious malarkey wrote, ``Republicans are not looking like adults to whom voters can entrust the government.'' Mr. Speaker, according to the Wall Street Journal editorial page, that's just the way it is.