Robert Hurt

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 450 on the Lamborn of Colorado Amendment No. 68 to H.R. 5538, Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Act, 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 72 Offered by Mr. Murphy of Florida

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to reiterate what Ms. Velazquez has said and recognize her hard work on this issue. Clearly, the time is right that we recognize that Puerto Rico, Guam, other territories, and possessions of the United States must be afforded the same protections that the Securities and Exchange Commission provides through the laws of the United States. I also want to commend our chairman, Chairman Hensarling, for his leadership on this issue, recognizing that, in this instance and in many instances, he looks for opportunities for us to work together in a bipartisan way. So I commend this to my colleagues. I certainly want to remind the body that this passed out of committee with a unanimous 59-0 strong bipartisan vote. You can't get any stronger than that. I ask that my colleagues support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5322, the U.S. Territories Investor Protection Act, and thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for her leadership on this issue. This measure would amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 to terminate an exemption for investment companies located in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and any other possession of the United States. Under current law, such companies are exempt from registration under the Investment Company Act if their shares are sold exclusively to residents of the territory in which they are located. This bill is about leveling the playing field, and it ensures that investment companies in Puerto Rico, Guam, and elsewhere are subject to the same rules as their mainland counterparts. Moreover, when the Investment Company Act was enacted, it was difficult and cost prohibitive for the SEC to travel to, inspect, and provide oversight for these companies. Now modern technologies allow the SEC to seamlessly gather information, and it is time that we update this law. When this measure was considered during the recent Committee on Financial Services markup, it received unanimous support, passing out of the committee by a vote of 59-0. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5322) to amend the Investment Company Act of 1940 to terminate an exemption for companies located in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and any other possession of the United States.

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 399 on agreeing to the Conference Report on S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote Number 389 on the Messer of Indiana Amendment No. 40 to H.R. 5485, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote Number 391 on the Mullin of Oklahoma Amendment No. 43 to H.R. 5485, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote Number 390 on the Palmer of Alabama Amendment No. 41 to H.R. 5485, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote Number 372 on the Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 21 to H.R. 5485, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote Number 298 on H.R. 5312. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote Number 297 on H.R. 4939. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote No. 295 on H. Con. Res. 89. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote No. 296 on H. Con. Res. 112. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' personal explanation

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Madam Chair, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 290 on the Blackburn of Tennessee Amendment No. 6. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Takano

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 277 on the Rush of Illinois Amendment No. 2 on H.R. 4775. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Pallone

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 273 on Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 767, Providing for consideration of H.R. 4775, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016; providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 89, expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy; and providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 112. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for Roll Call vote Number 229 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Bill (H.R. 4889), the Kelsey Smith Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks to commemorate the life of William R. Snead of Danville, Virginia, who passed away May 7, 2016 at age 92. Mr. Snead was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 during World War II and trained in Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was part of the 5th Brigade of Amphibious Engineers which was attached to the 29th Infantry Division that landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day June 6, 1944. Snead was a company engineer with the 5th Division that landed after the first wave of infantry hit the beaches of Normandy to carry out the logistical and supply tasks that were essential to the Allied conquest of Europe. Upon Mr. Snead's return from the war, he dedicated his life to farming in Pittsylvania County, later moving to South Boston, where he began to learn the trade of house painting, in which he would eventually start his own company, W.R. Snead Painting Company in Halifax until his retirement in 1984. Mr. Snead also served our community as a council member of the South Boston Church of God for many years, as well as a trustee, and taught their Adult Sunday school class for over 50 years. In 2013, I was honored to see Mr. Snead receive the French Legion of Honor for his service during the Second World War and participate in a ceremony honoring Mr. Snead in Halifax. We remain forever grateful for Mr. Snead's bravery and sacrifices--may he rest in peace. On the occasion of the passing of William R. Snead, I ask that the members of this House of Representatives join with me, Mr. Snead's wife Frances Jones Snead, his four children, ten grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, three great, great grandchildren, and the communities of Halifax and Pittsylvania in honoring the memory of a great American hero.

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks to commemorate the life of William Harvey Pritchett of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, who passed away May 7, 2016 at age 88. Mr. Pritchett was a man who believed in service to God, family, community and country. He was a faithful member of Bethel Baptist Church where he taught Sunday School and served as Sunday School Superintendent. Mr. Pritchett also served as a Deacon, a Trustee, Choir, and Chorus Member and in various other committee and leadership capacities both inside and outside of the church. Mr. Pritchett, a native of Danville, graduated from Langston High School, attended Danville Community College, and earned his associate's degree in business from Christian Brothers College in Memphis, Tennessee. He also served our country for two years in the United States Army during World War II. Mr. Pritchett retired as a District Manager for Universal Life Insurance Company, where he worked for twenty five years. Mr. Pritchett was the first African-American to serve on the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors and was a man who inspired many others to public service. He held the Banister District Supervisor seat for 20 years--first elected in 1991 and serving five terms before retiring in 2011. Mr. Pritchett also served six years as Vice Chairman and chaired the Board of Supervisors in 1996. Mr. Pritchett was a strong advocate for education and establishing a local recreation department in Pittsylvania County; he served as president of the Dan River-Blairs Civic League, served on the Pittsylvania County Social Services board, served as the President of the Chief Elected Officials of the Workforce Investment Act, and Chaired the Dan River Business Development Center Board. Mr. Pritchett is fondly remembered by all of his compatriots, including his successor, Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jessie Barksdale, who stated, ``It was very obvious to me that Mr. Pritchett just had a passion to help other people [. . .] If not for Mr. Pritchett, I am positive I would not have run for office of any kind.'' On the occasion of the passing of William Harvey Pritchett, I ask that the Members of this House of Representatives join with me and the entire Pritchett family including his wife of 63 years, Lillie G. Pritchett, son Cedric Pritchett, brother Nelson Pritchett, and the community of Pittsylvania County, Virginia in honoring the memory of a great leader.

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall vote No. 192 on approval of the Journal. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks to commemorate the life of William R. Snead of Danville, Virginia, who passed away May 7, 2016 at age 92. Mr. Snead was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 during World War II and trained in Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was part of the 5th Brigade of Amphibious Engineers which was attached to the 29th Infantry Division that landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Snead was a company engineer with the 5th Division that landed after the first wave of infantry hit the beaches of Normandy to carry out the logistical and supply tasks that were essential to the Allied conquest of Europe. Upon Mr. Snead's return from the war, he dedicated his life to farming in Pittsylvania County, later moving to South Boston, where he began to learn the trade of house painting, in which he would eventually start his own company, W.R. Snead Painting Company in Halifax until his retirement in 1984. Mr. Snead also served our community as a council member of the South Boston Church of God for many years, as well as a trustee, and taught their Adult Sunday school class for over 50 years. In 2013, I was honored to see Mr. Snead receive the French Legion of Honor for his service during the Second World War and participate in a ceremony honoring Mr. Snead in Halifax. We remain forever grateful for Mr. Snead's bravery and sacrifices--may he rest in peace. On the occasion of the passing of William R. Snead, I ask that the members of this House of Representatives join with me, Mr. Snead's wife Frances Jones Snead, his four children, ten grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, three great, great grandchildren, and the communities of Halifax and Pittsylvania in honoring the memory of a great American hero.

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I submit these remarks in recognition of the service and dedication of Mildred Jane Worsham and Landon Worsham to the Chatham Presbyterian Church and the entire Chatham community. Mildred Jane Worsham has been serving the Chatham Presbyterian Church congregation as their organist for over 70 years. Mrs. Worsham began playing for Chatham Presbyterian in 1945 at the age of sixteen. Over the years, she shared that duty with the late Augusta Parrish on an every-other-month basis, and she now serves as the sole organist. In addition to her duties as organist, Mrs. Worsham has also served as the church's longstanding session clerk, Choir Director, taught Sunday School, Bible School and Bible Studies, and Mrs. Worsham had the honor of being named the first female elder of Chatham Presbyterian Church and was one of the church's first female deacons. She was also a commissioner for the Presbytery of the Peaks, which included 129 churches spanning parts of Central Virginia, Southside, the New River Valley and Allegheny Highlands, and served as the Commissioner to the General Assembly of Presbyterian Church in the United States. Mrs. Worsham has also been a member of the Sylvania Garden Club, the Homemaker's Club, and assisted her husband's work as Chief of the Chatham Volunteer Fire Department for over 50 years. For decades, Landon Worsham's service to the Chatham community has extended far beyond firefighting. In 2013, I had the privilege of joining the Town of Chatham, Virginia to honor Mr. Worsham for his 60 years of service to Chatham as a volunteer firefighter, 50 of which he spent as fire chief. In addition to this tremendous accomplishment, Mr. Worsham has been an active volunteer at the Chatham Presbyterian Church, serving as the superintendent of Chatham Presbyterian's Sunday school for over 50 years and counting. Mr. Worsham is also an elder at the church and has served numerous times on the session. Mr. Worsham also served as a leader in the Chatham Lions Club and the Chatham Jaycees, as well as serving as the Vice President of the Pittsylvania County Fire-Rescue Association. He also served his country in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, and was wounded in New Guinea and awarded the Purple Heart. I ask the members of this House of Representatives to join with me and the entire Chatham community in thanking and honoring the service and dedication of Mildred Jane and Landon Worsham to the Chatham Presbyterian Church and the Town of Chatham, and to the surrounding counties and our great nation.

Mr. HURT of Virginia

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the HALOS Act is a simple, bipartisan, bicameral solution that will ensure that investors and companies can continue this commonsense interaction.

Mr. HURT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the HALOS Act. I first would like to thank the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, Mr. Hensarling, for his leadership on the JOBS Act and on this issue specifically. I would also like to commend the efforts of Representatives Chabot and Sinema. It has been an honor to be able to work with them on such an important issue, and it is an honor to be able to work with them to craft a sensible bipartisan bill aimed at removing a regulatory hurdle for innovative companies and startups seeking early-stage equity capital investment. Mr. Speaker, I represent a rural district in Virginia, Virginia's Fifth District, that stretches from the northern Piedmont of Virginia to the North Carolina border. As I travel across my district, a recurring theme that I hear from my constituents is that they are concerned about jobs and the economy. At a time when our economy is struggling, Congress must do everything possible to help small businesses achieve success. These entities are our Nation's most dynamic job creators, and their success is essential to our economy. Earlier this year Charlottesville, Virginia, was recognized as one of the Nation's fastest growing markets for venture capital investment. Over the past 5 years, the amount of capital invested in Charlottesville has grown over 150 percent. This type of investment can have a profound impact on a community, making it more attractive to other startup companies and ultimately producing more job growth. Indeed, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said it best when he introduced the Senate version of the HALOS Act: I have heard from local entrepreneurs and interested backers alike that the most important thing we can do to help these businesses is make it easier for angel investors to put capital behind them, and that is exactly what our bipartisan HALOS Act will do. In 2014 alone, angel investors deployed over $24 billion to over 70,000 startups. Many of these investments go into companies in their own communities and States. Beyond capital, angel investors often provide advice and guidance to help these companies succeed and create jobs. It is for these reasons that I ask my colleagues to support this bill. If enacted, the HALOS Act would amend the Securities Act to define an angel investor group and would clarify the definition of general solicitation so that startup enterprises would be able to continue to promote their businesses at certain events called demo days where there is no direct investment offering. The HALOS Act would alleviate the burden placed on startups with regard to privacy and compliance concerns, which often require entrepreneurs and startups to take on burdens that they do not have the means to handle. These burdens have a significant impact on an entrepreneur's ability to interface with investors because of the risk of violating Federal securities laws by having their interactions with investors being viewed as a general solicitation. HALOS would lift this burden and is an important step to continuing the success that this committee has achieved with the bipartisan JOBS Act. The JOBS Act made it easier for startup enterprises to market their securities to a larger pool of investors. Unfortunately, while implementing the JOBS Act, the SEC has classified events held by angel investors as general solicitations, requiring entrepreneurs and startups to verify accredited investor status. This jeopardizes the future of events like demo days where startups can interact with these investors and venture capitalists. The HALOS Act would simply ensure that angel funding remains available to startups by defining the term ``angel investor group'' and exempting an angel investor event from being considered general solicitation.