J. Hill

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3125, sponsored by my friend from California (Mr. Vargas). His legislation would help strengthen the oversight over this issue that we are discussing today of using the Defense Production Act's authorities during this COVID-19 pandemic. It also would help streamline the use of those authorities so that we ensure that the Federal Government's response is coordinated effectively with State-led efforts. I was proud to cosponsor this bill with my friend from California. I think every Member of this House recognized that coordination challenge during the emergency, and it was challenging in some of our States to see surplus of supply in some States and not in others. So Mr. Vargas has attempted to focus in during the pandemic on enhancing that coordination when we are using the DPA. That coordination effort would work with private suppliers of medical items for more efficient and essential consideration when the U.S. is facing this kind of a public health emergency. Although the U.S. appears to be exiting the pandemic now, DPA authorities are still in use to address our critical medical needs. We must be especially vigilant as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc abroad, giving rise to potential new variants that the medical community will have to monitor closely. Of course, we are all now far more sensitized to the pandemic risks that may arise with little notice in the future. Mr. Vargas' legislation provides a blueprint for deploying the DPA more rapidly should we face a public health emergency in the years ahead, all while allowing for appropriate, active congressional oversight. I am happy to cosponsor my friend's legislation. I appreciate the bipartisan work that we have shared undertaking this item in the House Financial Services Committee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott) for introducing this bill, which has been bipartisan for several Congresses. According to data from the FDIC's survey of unbanked and underbanked households, 5.4 percent of U.S. households were unbanked in 2019. This means no one in the household had a checking or savings account. This translates, Madam Speaker, into 7.1 million American households that don't have that simple, straightforward needed access to a checking or savings account. While this is the lowest percentage rate since the FDIC began conducting that survey back in 2009, the number of unbanked and underbanked families is still disturbing. These statistics point to a staggering number of Americans who have limited or no access to traditional banking services. When I was in community banking before coming to Congress, there was nothing more empowering than having connection to and access to that financial system so that you can save for college, buy a home, acquire that first car that you have dreamed of, or just conduct your household's financing. So, over the years in Congress, I have supported efforts to improve financial literacy, particularly with my friend, Dr. Foster. As a banker, I certainly worked with volunteers, helping families understand the financial system and how they could have banking access. This is a key issue that both the private sector and the public sector work on, on a regular basis. Mr. Scott has suggested that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Office of Community Affairs continue to engage in these efforts and examine how to improve this situation. The Office of Community Affairs also partnered with the CFPB's Office of Research and the Office of Fair Lending to examine credit deserts, where we don't even have access to financial services, and better equip communities with the tools for financial education. Additionally, the Bureau's Your Money, Your Goals program offers a variety of materials to help consumers pursue financial empowerment and resources for organizations aimed at helping financially vulnerable individuals and families. This is a key issue and, particularly in my rural State, a bigger challenge for rural counties, as we have some counties without a single financial services office. Despite the progress that has been made, credit invisibility remains an important issue, especially given the pandemic's impact on American consumers. By further directing the CFPB's Office of Community Affairs to focus its work on the underserved, we are working to ensure those consumers are not overlooked. This bill reaffirms our goal in understanding credit invisibility and identifying better solutions to deliver resources. All Americans deserve access to basic financial tools that will help them achieve their financial independence, their pursuit of happiness. This bill takes an important step in promoting financial inclusion and providing access to all Americans. I thank my good friend from Georgia (Mr. David Scott), who is approaching the microphone, for his work on this bill, and I thank my friend, Mr. Cleaver, for leading today. I urge my colleagues to support the Financial Inclusion in Banking Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson), a distinguished member of the House Financial Services Committee and, as of today, the ranking member on our Fintech Task Force.

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my friend from Ohio (Mr. Davidson). He spoke to this issue of fintech, which I think is very important and has the ability to actually open up doors for underbanked families and unbanked families at a lower cost and a more accessible way through smart technology. I think that is going to be important. I thank, again, my friend from Georgia for his work on financial literacy. As a great Wharton graduate, he knows a lot about financial literacy, and I am proud that he shares it with all of our citizens and families across the country. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 707, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act. I thank my friend from New Hampshire, Congresswoman Kuster, for proposing it. I appreciate my good friend from Utah, Mr. Stewart, for cosponsoring and helping bring this to the floor today on a bipartisan basis. Sun Tzu, in ``The Art of War,'' stated: ``All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.'' That was the philosophy that led to the formation of the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company, known as the Ghost Army. H.R. 707 will award a Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Army's 23d Headquarters, Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company to honor their bravery displayed during World War II. The Ghost Army, unlike many other units, was comprised, as my friend from Missouri said, of civilian soldiers who had a proclivity for art, architecture, acting, set design, and engineering. During World War II, the 23d Headquarters Special Troops successfully tricked German forces into believing that 1,000 soldiers were a massive force of over 30,000, and they were able to put on 22 large-scale deceptions in Europe during World War II. Madam Speaker, now, this is an example where both sides of the aisle can agree that fake news can be good. They did this by using inflatable tanks, aircraft, and speakers broadcasting the sounds of men and military that were not there. The unit was able to pull German attention on these areas and away from the Allied force operations. This army, these men and women, are credited for saving thousands of lives. Madam Speaker, one of those might have been my father-in-law, who was in Patton's 8th Army as an engineering officer, trudging across from D- day to Germany. So we are all grateful, all of the descendants of those who served on the beaches and on the continent of Europe at the end of the war. Madam Speaker, I am a history buff as well, and anybody who has watched The History Channel's World War II documentary has undoubtedly seen the Ghost Army in action. The historic videos and Herculean photo of four men holding a tank over their heads is testimony to the Ghost Army's ingenuity and bravery in the World War. Madam Speaker, the Ghost Army of World War II deserves to be commended in this way, and I thank my friends from New Hampshire and Utah for their work. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Utah for his important closing words to support this important bill, H.R. 707. What better tribute to those families of the 1,000 who served in the Ghost Army, and those 11 who we still celebrate as being alive with us today than the recognition they deserve, because those 1,000 saved the lives of thousands more in the Allied force as we completed our task of ridding Europe of fascism. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends from Utah and New Hampshire for their leadership on this bill. I thank Chairman Cleaver today for guiding our debate, and I encourage everyone in the House to support H.R. 707. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart), the cosponsor of this important legislation to recognize the Ghost Army.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from Missouri for his leadership today on these House Financial Services Committee bills. I appreciate the hard work on a bipartisan basis on these measures. I have no additional speakers on the Republican side. I urge a ``yes'' vote. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, stopping and punishing bad actors for illegal insider trading is a top priority for House Republicans. This illegal activity hurts everyday Main Street investors as well as the integrity and efficiency of our markets. Trading on material insider information in breach of fiduciary duty is currently prohibited by court-made law under the antifraud provisions of the Federal securities laws. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC, and the Department of Justice have the power to bring insider trading cases, and both agencies regularly exercise this power. One body of insider trading law that has been developed is through the courts. Decades of judicial precedent are in place to protect investors and markets by punishing bad actors who illegally trade on insider information. Codifying nuanced case law and regulations that have been developed over the decades into a single statute prohibiting insider trading is a serious undertaking, and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Himes) has tackled this challenging task. To be explicitly clear, this legislation's intent is to codify, and neither expand nor contract, insider trading law as it is currently understood and interpreted by the Federal courts. Again, there should not be a single cause of action available under this law that would not otherwise be available to Federal prosecutors or SEC enforcement attorneys under the already existing securities laws. I underscore this point because both Republican and Democratic SEC Commissioners have expressed concerns about Congress drafting a statute that accurately captures this expansive body of law without expanding it. I agree with them. I think it would be tough to draft a perfect insider trading law. But with that said, I appreciate the gentleman from Connecticut's intentions not to expand the scope of current insider trading enforcement and his willingness to work with us in a bipartisan manner last Congress and again in this Congress. Specifically, Ranking Member Patrick McHenry's amendment last Congress, included in the base text of this year's provision, provides the needed changes to align the explicit personal benefit test more closely with Supreme Court precedent. It also clarifies ambiguous wording to ensure that judges and prosecutors know that this bill is not intended to expand or create new insider trading liability. Republicans will continue to speak out and support efforts to combat illegal insider trading. We look forward to working with our colleagues on the House Financial Services Committee and in the Senate, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a good debate. Again, I thank my friend from Michigan and my friend from Connecticut for the quality of that debate. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2655, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga).

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Connecticut for his vigorous defense, always welcome on the House floor, of Article I power here in the Congress. Both sides of the aisle are grateful for that, as we defend it on a regular basis. We thank him for his work. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets of the House Financial Services Committee to speak on the topic of this bill.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), for his hard work on this bill. I hope that we are able to get it over the finish line and to the President's desk. I appreciate Senator Thune working on this in the Senate. It is an important piece of legislation that will aid, as Mr. Sherman outlined, first-time home buyers. A majority of this benefit speeds up that process for the family who is trying to buy their first home or a home that is low enough in mortgage size to be insured by the FHA. This is something we want to do to speed access to the American Dream for low- to moderate-income families. I thank Mr. Sherman for his work, and I encourage all of my friends on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 3008, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of National Police Week and to honor the brave men and women in blue who selflessly serve in law enforcement across our Nation. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the officers back in central Arkansas, throughout the country, and right here in the U.S. Capitol who fearlessly defend our families and communities. Our communities could not run smoothly without the service and sacrifice that law enforcement officers make for us on a daily basis. The best way to ensure better community-based policing is to support our law enforcement agencies with the proper training and the proper funding that they need. I will always support our law enforcement here in Washington, and I hope that our country can bond where all our communities are proud like I am to back the blue. Once again, I thank all of our dedicated officers in this important week for their sacrifices and, importantly, their families' sacrifice as they serve all of our families on a daily basis.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to what has become the new normal here in Washington, D.C. Despite talks of bipartisanship and unity, Democrats have turned to a partisan, top-down, rampant spending style of governing with President Biden's infrastructure vision as the latest example. The fact is that the President's $2.3 trillion infrastructure vision really isn't about infrastructure at all. Only 5 percent is proposed for roads and bridges, and only 2 percent for airways, waterways, and ports. Instead, Democrats have proposed spending over half a trillion dollars on Green New Deal-style programs to fulfill a far left wish list. What is their solution for paying for all of this? Increasing your taxes. The tax hikes to fund this spending spree will only hurt workers and result in lower wages and suppressed economic growth. Madam Speaker, I encourage my friends on the other side of the aisle to stop posturing and work with us on this side of the aisle. Madam Speaker, we are ready to work with you across the aisle on a package that will truly make a difference to my constituents in Arkansas and people across our great Nation.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on H. Res. 130, Roll Call No. 121.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share the most important news of the past few days, which was not Oprah's interview with the Duke and Duchess. In fact, it was Pope Francis' historic trip to Iraq and his extraordinary meeting with Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani. Greeted by a release of white doves, Pope Francis, age 84, and the Grand Ayatollah, age 90, met for nearly an hour at the Grand Ayatollah's simple home in the city of Najaf. Together, they reinforced the Pope's and Islamic leaders' renewed formal and joint commitment to human fraternity. The Grand Ayatollah reinforced his belief that ``Christian citizens should live, like all Iraqis, in peace and security and with their full constitutional rights.'' In the aftermath of the undisputed victory by the Iraqi, United States, and allied forces over the murderous caliphate of ISIS, the Pope's visit gives validation to the future of Iraq and its historic cultural and geographic roots of the three Abrahamic religions. To the people of Iraq, we American citizens pray for safety, prosperity, and peace for you and your families.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the ranking member on the committee, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the PRO Act of 2021. Out of many features that would hurt employees and economic growth in Arkansas in this bill is a hostile practice banned by the National Labor Relations Act of 1959. This bill fully resurrects it. Yet, these unfair practices continued post-1959 in the construction industry. For example, Mr. Speaker, in 2004 the Eighth Circuit heard a hot cargo agreement case. In exchange for a no-strike pledge, a construction firm agreed to perform the work and agreed it would hire union workers, but they hired a subcontractor, who, while they didn't sign the agreement, agreed to use union labor anyway. They went on strike, Mr. Speaker, even though they hired union workers. This is the kind of unfair approach that does not deserve to be enshrined in this bill. As a result, the contractor received a cease and desist demand and workers lost the opportunity to work. I tried to amend this bill to remove this hot cargo bad idea, but the amendment was rejected by House Democrats. This is an example of how this party wants to go back to 1959 and instill this for all workers across our Nation. We need to oppose this bill.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I missed the vote and I would like to submit my vote for Roll Call No. 67. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 67.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to give thanks for the service of David M. Friedman, recently our Ambassador from the United States to Israel. As Ambassador, Mr. Friedman strengthened our bond with Israel, took our partnership to new heights, secured peaceful relationships for Israel in the Middle East, and was influential in moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Through his diligent work, Mr. Friedman set in motion the peaceful resolution of Israel-Arab conflicts. His hard work and service set the standard for building U.S. diplomatic relationships, and earned him a well-deserved nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. I would like to thank Ambassador Friedman for his service, and wish him success in his future endeavors.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, on a cold Tuesday in January, an irritated President met with his National Security Council. During the meeting, the President was outspoken, and complained, We cannot continue to pay for the military protection of Europe while the NATO states are not paying their fair share and living off the fat of the land. We have been very generous to Europe, and now it is time for us to look out for ourselves. Mr. Speaker, that quote urging Europeans to pay their fair share in their own defense by way of their responsibility to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was not made by President Trump, it was not made by President Obama, or even George W. Bush. Mr. Speaker, that irritated President was John F. Kennedy. We are now nearly 60 years after that meeting, and 30 years following the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the USSR. Yet, the debate continues. Recently, NATO held a 2-day video conference with the theme of increasing NATO's funding for our core deterrence and defense activities. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the assembled allies that spending more together would demonstrate the strength of our commitment to Article 5, our promise to each other. And it would contribute to fairer burden sharing. Sound familiar? When then-candidate Donald Trump became President, only three of the then 28 countries were spending the agreed upon guideline figure of 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense. With President Trump's urging, today, 7 countries out of the now 30 NATO allies are meeting this important benchmark. The United States is joined by its longtime allies, Great Britain and Greece. Yet the only other countries meeting the benchmark are countries that know well the risk of Soviet--and now Russian--threats or threats from external forces of terror. These are the formerly enslaved countries from behind the Iron Curtain: Bulgaria, Estonia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania. As Americans, we salute their partnership, and we share in their renewed sense of freedom. Mr. Speaker, as we in the legislative branch of this government meet and confer with our parliamentary counterparts, as well as foreign ministers and finance ministers from our NATO allies, let us urge cooperation with our promise to defend each other, but, more importantly, urge the rapid adoption to achieve that fairer burden sharing, a goal so long ago argued for by President Kennedy.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise in celebration of Black History Month. I rise in honor of the memory of Daisy Bates, a native Arkansan and civil rights hero. Daisy Bates was born in south Arkansas in 1914 and moved to Little Rock in 1942. Active in the NAACP, Daisy and her husband, L.C., started the Arkansas State Press, a weekly newspaper, which they used to call attention to racial injustices. In the face of violent threats, Mrs. Bates courageously led the movement to desegregate Little Rock Central High School, recruiting and mentoring the Little Rock Nine. Daisy Gatson Bates became an icon in the fight to end segregation in the Jim Crow South. She was the only woman to speak at the 1963 March on Washington, led by Dr. Martin Luther King. Daisy Bates is a hero to Arkansans and Americans, and I am proud to honor her legacy today, and I look forward to her statue joining the pantheon of American leaders highlighted in the U.S. Capitol. NATO States Are Not Paying Their Fair Share

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record letters in support of my amendment from the National Association of Home Builders and the Associated General Contractors. National Association of Home Builders, Washington, DC, February 3, 2021. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy: On behalf of the more than 140,000 members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), I write to share our views on H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021. NAHB shares Congress's desire to align the national apprenticeship system with the needs of a 21st century workforce and ensure it better serves students, employers, schools, and other stakeholders. For decades, NAHB's workforce development partner the Home Builders Institute (HBI) has offered skills development opportunities and career and technical education to underserved, non-traditional, and at-risk populations through its Department of Labor (DOL)- recognized pre-apprenticeship curriculum. We appreciate the Committee on Education and Labor's engagement with us last Congress to address concerns we raised during the committee process. This has, in our view, improved the bill. However, we remain deeply concerned that the bill includes ambiguous language requiring eligible entities seeking access to robust new grant funding to partner with a labor or joint labor-management organization ``to the extent practicable.'' Consequently, this provision could restrict bona fide, respected training providers' access to grant opportunities or force them to partner with organized labor groups with which they have no purpose for affiliation. NAHB strongly supports Hill Amendment #29 which clarifies that entities may partner with an industry sector partnership or with a labor or joint labor management organization to satisfy the grant program's eligibility requirements. This will ensure access to critical funds by a diversity of registered training programs as employers seek to rebuild their workforces in the pandemic-ravaged economy. NAHB recognizes Congress's work to expand youth and adult access to instruction in the skilled trades and believes the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 is a step in the right direction. As the bill moves forward in the Senate, we look forward to working together to modernize the national apprenticeship system to ensure pre-apprenticeships remain a viable training tool for residential construction. Sincerely, James W. Tobin III

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