Vicky Hartzler

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in firm support of the Conscience Protection Act. The validity and timeliness of this legislation could not be more important in light of recent events in California in which religious employers are being forced to violate their beliefs by purchasing health coverage for their employees that includes elective abortion. And as stories surface, such as those you have heard about today of nurses being forced to participate in abortion procedures or else risk losing their job, the time to correct this injustice is now. It is unthinkable that the government could and would force a person to act against their personally held beliefs, yet that is what is happening. In a speech in Notre Dame, in 2009, President Obama said: ``Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion.'' But those words have rung hollow as his administration has sided with those who violate the First Amendment. It doesn't have to be like this. The Conscience Protection Act addresses this discrimination. It gives legal protection to those who choose not to participate in abortions and upholds our most fundamental rights. There is no more noble goal. The government should not be picking and choosing our beliefs. Those who have had this happen to them deserve their day in court. This bill will give them that day. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the Conscience Protection Act and against coerced complicity in abortion.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that would limit the CFPB's ability to unilaterally enter into fiscally irresponsible contracts for the purpose of advertising. The CFPB has shown itself to be irresponsible with their spending and politically motivated with their choice of advertising firms. In fiscal year 2016, the CFPB has so far spent $15.3 million on Internet ads which have achieved questionable results. The CFPB is devoting a greater portion of its budget to advertising than nearly every other Federal agency. Moreover, nearly all the CFPB's advertising dollars, including a $12.5 million contract signed in February of this year, are going to a single advertising firm that just happened to be used by the Presidential campaigns of President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. This is reckless, out-of-control government spending at its worst, and it reeks of cronyism. Congress must act to rein in this abusive waste of taxpayer funds and stop the agency from throwing away money. We need to end this misuse of tax dollars by passing my amendment. And I thank the Rules Committee for making my amendment in order. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw).

Mrs. HARTZLER. I thank the Chairman. I really appreciate his support. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I would just thank the gentleman for giving some free advertising there to the agency and proving my point: that we don't need to spend over $15 million of taxpayer money on this. All these services are available already online. Consumers can find this information. This is about fiscal responsibility and accountability. We weren't even aware that the CFPB was spending this amount of money. As the chairman mentioned, there is no accountability for the agency. So Congress didn't know until a newspaper article did an investigation on it. That is how we became aware that this agency has spent 2.5 percent of its budget this year on ads, the second-highest level among all Federal departments and comparable regulatory agencies for this year to date. So this is egregious. There is no accountability. It is not needed. So I would urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I encourage all my colleagues to support this commonsense measure to save the taxpayer dollar and to curb irresponsible spending. More thorough oversight of the CFPB is necessary, and I believe this is a step in the right direction. So I thank the chairman for his support. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, June 21, 2016, I was unable to vote due to a cancelled flight. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On roll call no. 334, Yea. On roll call no. 335, Yea. On roll call no. 336, Yea.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, as our military has been severely shortchanged over the past few years from budget cuts, it has been stretched thin--too thin--and we must make some very significant decisions to ensure our military readiness remains at a level capable of addressing the expanding threats of today. We have seen stories of airplane parts being cannibalized from museum aircraft and units making do with old or degraded resources, and our military operations and troops are suffering as a result. We have also seen evidence of buildings in disrepair, falling apart, or unusable due to their poor conditions. This is true of the Army's old and aging ammunition plants like pictured here. These plants produce the small caliber ammunition and armaments required by our troops for training and combat operations. These critical facilities operate 24/7, 365 days a year, and they have little or no counterpart in the private sector, meaning any shutdown or production stoppage would have significant impacts and consequences for our men and women in uniform. At 75 years old, all four of these plants are in various states of disrepair and in dire need of modernization and upkeep. Failing to make this investment could result in the loss of 90 percent of all small caliber ammunition used by troops in every branch of our Armed Forces. Almost 90 percent of all small caliber ammo used by troops in every branch of our Armed Forces are produced in plants, and we must continue to provide the necessary resources to modernize these aging facilities. The plants' conditions are the result of devastating budget cuts which have forced valuable dollars into other programs and projects. They have been neglected too long, and we must act before it is too late. We are charged with making sure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to address the threats of today and prepare for those of tomorrow. This amendment makes this critical investment for our troops, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mrs. HARTZLER. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate your support. It is critical that we modernize these plants, and I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to bring attention to the research that the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives is conducting. On April 20 of this year, Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives Chairman Marsha Blackburn held a hearing on the pricing of fetal tissue and found broad consensus among witnesses that Federal law may have been violated when abortion clinics profited from the sale of baby body parts and the privacy of women may have been violated in the process. Let's take a look at what the panel found. First, and possibly the most shocking, is a Web site where one procurement business, whose name has been redacted, has set up an online order form. From this Web site, a user can select what type of parts they want: baby brains, baby tongue, scalp, reproductive organs. The quantity is then selected of the gestational period chosen. The user even has shipping options. This is truly appalling. This is online shopping for baby parts, and this procurement business has made it as easy as possible. But these procurement businesses are not doing this by themselves. They are only the middlemen in a transaction between the supplier--or abortion clinic--and the end user. As seen on exhibit B2, this procurement business markets itself in its brochure to abortion clinics as a way for the clinics to make additional income by allowing the procurement business technicians to collect tissues and organs from aborted babies immediately after an abortion is completed. The brochure uses the words ``financially profitable,'' ``fiscally rewards,'' and ``financial benefit to your clinic.'' The Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives' investigation revealed that the procurement business technician performs every conceivable task in the harvesting process immediately after an abortion. For this, the procurement business is charged a fee by the clinic, even though the clinics are not incurring any additional costs in the process, thus they are making money off of this horrific act. It is important to note at this point that the underlying statute allowing for the donation of fetal tissue assumes the tissue would be for transplantations and research and would not be sold. Further, in 1993, former Democrat Congressman Henry Waxman, who wrote the restrictions into law, stated on the House floor: ``This amendment would enact the most important safeguards to prevent any sale of fetal tissue for any purpose, not just the purpose of research.'' He went on and said: ``It would be abhorrent to allow for the sale of fetal tissue and a market to be created for that sale.'' So what have these clinics done? Well, just the opposite, it would seem. This shows an abortion clinic charged the middleman $11,365 for harvested baby parts or what they call POCs, products of conception, and blood. Exhibit D2 shows the abortion clinic charged the middleman again, this time $9,060, for harvested baby parts and blood even though the clinic did not incur any additional expense in the harvesting process. This is the very market Congressman Waxman called abhorrent, and he was right. It is abhorrent. How callous does one have to be to rob a baby of life and then charge others for the pieces of the corpse? This is beyond disturbing. Just as disturbing, the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives also found that women's privacy rights appear to have been violated in the process. After the online order form comes to the procurement company from a researcher, it goes to the procurement company's technician, who is embedded in the abortion clinic. The technician then, without their consent, reviews the woman's medical records to see if their baby's age and gender match that day's order. If so, the technician then goes to the woman, befriends her, and coerces her to give consent by lying to her--and this is a Planned Parenthood consent form--claiming that blood from pregnant women and tissue that had been aborted have been used to treat and find a cure-- find a cure--for such diseases as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, and AIDS. As we know, this is not true. From there, the procurement technician dissects the aborted baby in order to harvest the specific organs that were ordered and ships them off. The Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives' investigation into this issue is already illustrating that the clinics are turning the sale of baby body parts into a business, and they are making a profit doing so. No woman should be treated this way. No woman should have her private medical records given to a for-profit company so they can use her for financial gain. These practices are deplorable, and they must end.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of our national defense. There are some stark realities we must face in today's world of increased and emerging threats from around the globe combined with decreased military readiness from arbitrary and reckless cuts to our national defense. In the face of these challenges, we have a choice: either continue to let our military capabilities wither as our adversaries grow stronger or we can recognize that ever-changing global landscape and make sure our troops are prepared with the resources and training they need to keep Americans safe against today's threats and tomorrow's. The latter, Mr. Chair, is what this defense authorization does. From addressing the strike fighter shortfall with 14 additional F-18s that the Navy needs, to providing for maintenance of equipment and facilities so that museum aircraft do not have to be cannibalized for spare parts, to fully funding our troops' pay raise, which they have rightly earned, we have listened to the services and our commanders. They know what they need to do their jobs, to keep us safe, and to retain their people, and we have acted on their priorities. This bill also addresses shortfalls in training and provides for the modernization of critical national security programs. It makes sure soldiers are prepared at all of our bases, including at the Army's Maneuver Support Center of Excellence at Fort Leonard Wood, in my district. It ensures aircraft like the B-2 at Whiteman Air Force Base can continue to project power and the spirit of America around the globe. Mr. Chair, this authorization takes care of our troops, ensures the safety of the American people, and fulfills our constitutional obligation to provide for the common defense. I commend Chairman Thornberry, my House Armed Services colleagues, and the HASC staff for all of their hard work and leadership. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this responsible authorization.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, it is reckless to propose this amendment. Not only does it allow them to come here on our own shores and live in our own neighborhoods, but the administration has estimated it would cost potentially $475 million just to move them here. It also removes the prohibition that these detainees could be transferred to Somalia, Libya, and Syria. We do not want these terrorists released back onto the battlefield where they could kill our soldiers. This is a reckless amendment. It needs to be defeated. We need to keep them at GTMO, use our taxpayer dollars wisely, and ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize heroes in our communities who ask for no recognition, too often receive none, and every day are deserving of it: our law enforcement officers. Their mission is simple: keep our communities safe. They are often overlooked, yet they are the first ones we call when we need help. It is a dangerous job. Each day these selfless servants put on a badge symbolic of their unique position to ensure the safety of the families and individuals of their communities, and they go do their duty. We enjoy the fruits of their labor without knowing of the tireless dedication that makes it happen. Whether they are encouraging a child to make wise decisions, patrolling a neighborhood, or stopping a crime, their tireless dedication is often taken for granted. They sacrifice so we don't have to. So, Mr. Speaker, to our law enforcement officers around the country and to their families whose sacrifices are not forgotten, I rise to say thank you. Thank you for protecting us. Thank you for defending us, for being ever vigilant, ever ready, and ever courageous. We appreciate you and stand with you as you serve as the guardians of our communities.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on roll call no. 118, NAY.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, in August of 2013, the southern portion of my district experienced a major disaster involving heavy flooding, which devastated infrastructure and caused significant hardship to many of my constituents. Unfortunately, the Federal recovery efforts to this devastated region added insult to injury. Local officials dealt with multiple teams conducting duplicative site visits due to lost paperwork, inconsistent messages between various survey and evaluation teams, and unnecessarily long delays in recovery and reimbursement. Such a response to any disaster is unacceptable, and change is necessary. Last year I introduced a bill to address the shortcomings of the FEMA response to the 2013 flooding in my district to ensure future disaster recoveries in Missouri and elsewhere are as painless and efficient as possible. My bill, which is included in this reform package, requires FEMA to create an action plan to address inconsistent guidance, inappropriate recordkeeping procedures, and overall mixed assistance to local officials. Additionally, it directs FEMA to issue a forward-looking report to identify new technologies that further aid the disaster workforce in partnering with private nonprofits as well as State and local governments in the wake of a disaster or emergency. FEMA processes need to be streamlined and consistent in order to help those recovering from a disaster feel supported and assured the relief will come in a timely, efficient manner. I rise today in full support of H.R. 1471, the FEMA Disaster Assistance Reform Act. Making sure Federal agencies have the proper oversight and resources they need is an important function of the U.S. Congress. This 3-year reauthorization is a shining example of a bipartisan, commonsense effort to make the people get the help and assistance they so desperately need in times of crisis. I want to thank the sponsor of this bill, Mr. Barletta, and the ranking member for including my language in the FEMA reform package. I encourage my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1471.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor and thank Mr. Gary Fulks for his work and service to Missouri's Fourth District. Gary is retiring as the general manager of Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative after 42 years of providing energy to communities from San Diego to south central Missouri. Mr. Fulks has been an outspoken leader for reliable and affordable sources of energy for the people of the Fourth District. Serving on the NRECA Transmission Task Force, the Southwest Power Pool Engineering & Operations Committee, the Executive Committee of the Southeastern Electric Reliability Council, and several other councils and committees, Mr. Fulks has been pivotal in enacting programs that are cost-effective and innovative, which have greatly benefited members and co-op employees. Under Mr. Fulks' leadership, Sho-Me Power has continued the legacy of progressively meeting the growing needs of Missourians and in providing wholesale power to nine distribution cooperatives. Increasing his impact on the region, he has helped start and operate Sho-Me Technologies, which makes available an extensive network of fiber-optic communications to members, many of whom are without other forms of Internet access. Thank you, once again, Gary, for your devotion and work for the benefit of the Fourth District. You are an example of the leadership that this Nation needs. I anticipate hearing of your new chapter in life and know it will benefit not only Missouri, but our Nation.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in admiration of a leader in Missouri's Fourth District, Mr. Daryl Veatch. Daryl has served tirelessly to provide reliable light and energy to Missouri members of the Osage Valley Electric Cooperative, of which I am a lifelong member. After 43 years, Mr. Veatch has resigned his position as the general manager of Osage Valley in Butler, Missouri. His passion for excellence was seen throughout all of his work: from the beginning at Grundy Electric Cooperative, where he served as a clerk, to his tenure as the president of the Missouri Electric Cooperative Human Resources Association, the Accountants Association, and a member of the Public Relations Committee. This year Daryl was honored with the esteemed A.C. Burrows Award given by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives for his leadership above and beyond the call of duty to strengthen and improve the economic and social conditions of his community. Part of going above and beyond for Daryl was being actively involved as a leader on the local Butler R-V School Board, the area Chamber of Commerce, and his Rotary Club. Thank you for giving your life to the service of the citizens of Missouri's Fourth District. I congratulate you on a job well done. I look forward to hearing of the continued impact you will have in and for our community.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on roll call no. 43, ``yea.''

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, ObamaCare is hurting people by reducing choices, increasing costs, and making it harder for people to access quality, affordable healthcare. That is why I am proud to stand here today to support a bill that dismantles key provisions of ObamaCare and paves the way for better healthcare solutions. The Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act stops the government from forcing its citizens to buy expensive healthcare plans they don't want or need. It saves Americans money by eliminating many of the ObamaCare taxes. Additionally, this bill stops taxpayer funding for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. This one abortion provider receives over half a billion taxpayer dollars a year even though it has been involved in the harvesting and selling of baby body parts. It is time to stop all tax dollars flowing to abortionists and redirect it to healthcare providers who care for women without taking innocent life. Congress is listening to the people's calls. Now it will be up to the President to decide, does he support the people and women's health or does he support Washington mandates and tax dollars going to Planned Parenthood. I urge the President to do the right thing and sign this into law.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on rollcall No. 675, ``nay,'' on rollcall No. 677, ``nay.''

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to join with Representatives Rothfus and Kelly and all my colleagues here tonight expressing concern about the reports coming from the Conference of the Parties, or COP 21, talks in France of a planned end-around of the Senate. It is unacceptable to me that this administration is negotiating a major international agreement, promising vast sums of taxpayer dollars, with no intention of allowing the people's representatives to weigh in on a final agreement. While the President's team is in Paris trying to finalize a deal, we have been here listening to our constituents. That should be our goal: to listen to Americans and to fight to lower their electricity costs, not obligating taxpayers to send billions of their hard-earned dollars overseas to implement climate change schemes. Nor should we continue down this path of forcing rate increases on the hardworking families in America, yet that has been the President's plan all along, Mr. Speaker. In 2008, President Obama proudly announced his vision for energy costs in our country. He said: ``Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket . . . coal . . . natural gas . . . you name it . . . whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money, and they will pass that money on to consumers.'' His plan: make them pay more. Even though his cap-and-trade legislation failed in Congress, the administration has not given up and continues to ignore the voices of the American people by passing rules that implement them, despite the law, and by traveling to Paris to work a deal to inflict more mandates on the American people. Even now, with little support here at home, negotiators are working every angle to make sure a deal is secured, no matter how onerous it is to senior citizens and low-income families living paycheck to paycheck and for whom a rate increase will hurt the most. This agenda has been a hallmark of the administration when it finalized the EPA's recent Clean Power Plan rules on existing and new power plants, which amount to a disguised cap-and-trade program. But we are listening to the American people. Upon the start of the Paris talks, both Chambers of Congress passed joint resolutions against the EPA's Clean Power Plan rules for new and existing power plants to nullify the rules put in place which were done by ignoring the will of the people. Twenty-seven States have also taken the EPA to court over these two rules. It is important that we do this. Missourians rely on affordable energy. Americans everywhere rely on affordable energy, and to ignore their needs and wishes is irresponsible. We do not need extreme, arbitrary mandates that will cost hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 15 years, close power plants across the Nation, eliminate jobs, and close off access to reliable, affordable energy for the most vulnerable in our society. We need to promote policies that increase access to affordable energy, tap into the abundant energy supply, and create a reliable infrastructure supported by American labor and ingenuity. We need to make sure that Americans' voices are heard, which is why I proudly stand with my colleagues in support of Congressman Kelly's concurrent resolution requiring the President to send any agreement stemming from these talks in Paris to the Senate as a treaty for advice and consent from those sent here by the people to represent them. We need American energy policy that works for the American people, not against it. They deserve a fair process that upholds the constitutional authority of checks and balances envisioned by our forefathers. I urge my colleagues to stand up for the American people and support this resolution so the people's voices will be heard.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, I was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On roll call no. 601, YEA.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent that my amendment be modified in the form I have placed at the desk.