Lynn Jenkins

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford).

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I come today to the House as a supporter of the Default Prevention Act. Right now our Nation stands at over $18 trillion in debt, a number simply too large to comprehend. As the House, we have an obligation to the American people to rein in out-of-control Federal spending and put our economy on a sustainable path forward. However, while House Republicans will continue to act to reduce our national debt and restore fiscal responsibility to the Federal Government, we cannot put the full faith and credit of the United States Government at risk. The Default Prevention Act ensures that we will continue to pay our existing debt obligations providing the economic security and certainty that our economy needs. This legislation does not allow for an increase in the debt limit. It simply allows us to satisfy our existing debt obligations and avoid default, even if we reach the debt ceiling. This bill also protects Social Security beneficiaries and Americans with disabilities by ensuring that their benefits will continue to be paid on time. Hardworking Americans deserve to have their benefits protected, and this bill does just that. This legislation is a commonsense measure that protects Americans' credit and integrity. I urge all Members of the House to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), the author of the legislation.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita).

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, sanctions are about more than nuclear weapons. They are about the principles and values America holds dear. Iran continues to hold American prisoners hostage, sponsor terrorism around the world, and American soldiers have died because of the terrorist actions of Iran. And just this week the Iranian Supreme Leader said that Israel will be destroyed within 25 years. Now, every lawmaker must ask: Are we willing to put $150 billion into the hands of an Iranian regime who chants ``Death to America'' and wants to eliminate Israel from the Earth? We must ask: Are we willing to risk American lives on the promises of a leader who believes those same American lives are worth nothing? I refuse to sit idly by while this administration leaves the safety, stability, and security of everyone everywhere at the whim of Iran, whose neighbors fear them and allies consist of the Assad regime and Hezbollah. This agreement with Iran would threaten all that we hold dear. I encourage my colleagues to join the bipartisan opposition against the Iran deal and, instead, support the security of America above the dangerous desires of Iran.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. I thank the chairman. And I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to come to the floor today again as a supporter of the Hire More Heroes Act. This bill is as commonsense as they come. It exempts our heroes, those veterans and Active-Duty military from counting towards the President's employer mandate penalty tax. These veterans and Active-Duty military already receive health insurance through the VA and TRICARE. So requiring these employers to provide them with health insurance is redundant and could also have the unintended effect of discouraging employers from hiring these folks. This part of the President's healthcare law is clearly not drafted in a thoughtful manner. I urge my colleagues again today to vote in favor of this bill that would eliminate the unnecessary confusion and encourage businesses to hire more heroes. Finally, I urge the Senate to pass this legislation so that it can finally get to the President's desk.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership on this very important issue. I rise today in support of H.R. 3038. With the prospect of the highway trust fund dollars and spending authority expiring in just over 2 weeks, this bill is a critical step to give our States the certainty that they need to continue work on important infrastructure projects back home. This bill gives the House and the Senate time to work together toward a long-term highway package by the end of the year. It is also important to note that this bill includes provisions I have pushed for to help many small businesses by establishing a chronological set of due dates for them to pay their taxes. The current law fails to do this, which causes small business and their owners unnecessary grief, time, and money. I have worked during the past two Congresses on legislation to fix this problem, and I am pleased that the House is acting today to take another burden off the shoulders of small-business people. I urge support of H.R. 3038.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this amendment which would delist the lesser prairie chicken under the Endangered Species Act. I have long opposed this listing for many reasons because the rules unnecessarily restrict and hamper defense operations on Federal land under the species' habitat. In Kansas, we have a proud military tradition and a number of important installations, including Fort Riley. An enormous benefit to Fort Riley is its huge training areas which have no encroachment issues and are some of the largest and most cost effective in the Nation. Any similarly ill-advised listing affecting Fort Riley would potentially complicate this vital training area, amounting to nothing more than an overreach of the Endangered Species Act because it would imperil the actions taken by our military and hamper our local economies which these installations complement. Preservation efforts do not have to come at a cost to our national defense preparedness, and I urge my colleagues to pass this amendment.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, in this country, we often take for granted our ability to worship whatever faith we want without fear of government persecution. Yet, for those of the Baha'i faith in Iran, this basic human right does not exist. Simply being Baha'i in Iran makes you a target for frequent discrimination. The Iranian regime's appalling human rights record is full of cases of horrific treatment of anyone who stands up for their religious beliefs. Take the case of Saeid Rezaei, the Baha'i prisoner of conscience I adopted a few years ago as part of the Defending Freedoms Project. Arrested on false charges, he remains imprisoned on a 20 year sentence that would see him only released when the teenage son he left outside has already turned 31 years old. Rarely is outrage as justified as it is in this case of state-sponsored discrimination against members of the Baha'i faith. Today, on the seventh anniversary of the imprisonment of the seven Baha'i leaders in Iran, let us join together to highlight the ongoing injustices rampant throughout the actions of the Iranian regime and continue to stand up for the freedom of religion and beliefs across the world.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, as a CPA, I understand that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. Unfortunately, Washington has decided that a third certainty can be created when we combine those two separate terms. The death tax is an issue that, as long as it exists, will be seen as a provision by which politicians can pocket more of families' hard- earned legacies. I recently heard from one Kansan whose father-in-law, a farmer, passed away in 2005. Because these folks wanted to keep the farm in the family, they had to set up an installment plan with the IRS to pay the death tax. Even then, they have been forced to dip into retirement funds and sell other assets in order to make the payments and keep the land. Stories like this are the reason why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1105, which would permanently repeal the death tax. We need to stop treating death as a taxable event. The only solution to this problem, which faces family farmers and business owners in Kansas, is to eliminate the death tax, once and for all.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Wichita State Shockers on their victory against the Kansas Jayhawks this past weekend. Despite a valiant effort by the Jayhawks, the Shockers and Coach Gregg Marshall prevailed, just as my friend Congressman Pompeo predicted. In Kansas, we are proud of our State's rich basketball tradition, from James Naismith to Dean Smith, to Adolph Rupp, to Gene Smithson, to Jack Gardner, to Wilt Chamberlain, to Xavier McDaniel, to Mitch Richmond. I could go on and on and on. However, as two proud Kansas schools, the real victor here is the State of Kansas. We love the competition, but after the game is over, we are all one big family. My daughter currently attends Wichita State, I attended K-State, and I represent KU, so I know full well the pride we have in all our teams. So as the Shockers move on to the Sweet 16 for the second time in 3 years, I wish them the best of luck tonight and beyond.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 121, I call up the bill (H.R. 529) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 529 plans, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam), an esteemed member of the House Committee on Ways and Means and subcommittee chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), our majority leader.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of a point of order.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the gentleman's motion.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit. This motion would do the exact opposite of what this legislation is trying to accomplish. This bill is attempting to simplify 529s, but this motion would add unneeded complexity, leading to fewer people saving for a college education. It would burden all families who are saving as well as burden States and plan administrators with more red tape. As the former State treasurer of Kansas, I believe I can offer a unique insight from my experiences with 529 plan administration. This simply adds an undo administrative burden. It increases the costs, which would leave less money for students to spend on their higher education costs. It seems to mandate the increase of rates of return, and Congress should not be in the business of setting the risk of a personal investment. It increases administrative expenses, and it goes in the opposite direction of the underlying bill. I urge my colleagues to defeat this motion to recommit. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 529, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 529 plans.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Ryan for his leadership on this critical and timely issue and my colleague Congressman Kind of Wisconsin for 4 years of bipartisan efforts to encourage families to invest for their children's future. I rise today in support of H.R. 529, my legislation that reaffirms Congress' commitment to not only preserving, but strengthening, expanding, and modernizing 529 college savings plans. Currently, there are nearly 12 million 529 accounts open in all 50 States. Considering there were only 1 million accounts open in 2001, the growth in popularity of these accounts is truly remarkable and is still on an upward trajectory. The popularity of 529 accounts among American families is no mystery. Higher education costs across the country are rising at a pace that exceeds the rate of inflation, and folks are looking for ways to plan responsibly for the future. A 2014 Gallup Poll of America's top financial concerns showed that among adults between the ages of 30 and 49, ``not having enough money to pay for your children's college'' is a top concern for families, trailing only retirement concerns. It is natural that folks would turn toward 529 savings accounts. These accounts are easy to set up and use and accountholders can make a monthly contribution as small as $10 to invest to their children's future on a tax-deferred basis. The 12 million 529 accounts today have an average balance of around $20,000, which will go a long way toward helping families offset college costs and helping students to begin their careers with a lighter debt burden. When the President proposed a plan in his 2016 budget to tax future distributions from 529 savings accounts, Members on both sides of the aisle were appalled. His billion-dollar tax proposal on families saving for college would have completely eliminated the purpose of saving responsibly for higher education in the first place and would have inevitably moved more students toward student loans and other sources of financial aid. We fundamentally disagree with the direction of the President's policy proposal, and instead, we want to make 529 college savings plans more consumer friendly and reflective of the realities faced by students today. This legislation will make computer purchases with 529 plans a qualified expense. Computers are an essential part of higher education, and the law should be updated to reflect that. A Pew Research Center report in 2011 found that a vast majority of undergraduate, graduate, and community college students use some sort of computer to participate in a college experience that now features online courses, class work, and e-textbooks. I believe this is a commonsense modernization measure. The bill will also remove distribution aggregation requirements, which are an outdated burden on 529 plan administrators and States. When 529 college savings plans were originated back in 1996, the funds were taxed before they were deposited into the account and then taxed a second time when they were used to pay for higher education expenses. At that time, it made sense for plan administrators to aggregate accounts for beneficiaries with multiple 529 accounts in order to determine the taxable dollars dispersed among the accounts. However, the law was changed back in 2001 so that 529 savings are only taxed once now, before they are put into the 529 account. The only taxable funds at disbursement are for nonqualified expenses. According to a GAO report from 2012 that has the most recent data on the topic, nonqualified distributions from 529 plans only made up 5.3 percent of total distributions in 2010. Because of the past changes to tax treatment of 529s, it no longer makes sense for plan administrators to aggregate these accounts for tax purposes. It represents an undue burden, which could potentially raise the administrative cost for operating these plans. This is why this legislation will remove these requirements. Finally, the bill will allow a student who receives a refund on any 529 qualified expenses to redeposit those funds into their 529 without penalty. Refunds of 529 dollars could happen for any number of reasons: a student may withdraw from a certain course, may receive a scholarship offer or other financial aid after their 529 plans have already been used, or may have to withdraw from school because of an illness. Whatever the reasons, subjecting these funds to a penalty works against the spirit of 529 college savings plans, and this bill will correct that. These are sensible yet important improvements to 529 college savings plans that should receive resounding support from both sides of the aisle. As we continue our work in the House to empower hardworking families with bottoms-up solutions, I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan), the chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for engaging in this informative and productive debate. If America is going to remain competitive, I cannot imagine a more important thing than maintaining the affordability of higher education. There is much to be done, but today's vote is a critical and simple step that Congress should take to empower folks to save for higher education and, ultimately, to make it more attainable for more hardworking Americans. I hope that Congress passes this legislation today with the broad support that it deserves so that we can give American families an improved way to invest in their 529 college savings plans. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas

Ms. JENKINS of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 529, a bill that Congressman Kind of Wisconsin and I introduced to make sensible enhancements to 529 college savings plans. The 529 plans enjoy growing popularity, primarily with middle class families who are looking for ways to responsibly prepare for the growing cost of college. The 12 million 529 accountholders across the country are able to choose a plan whose funds will then grow and be withdrawn tax free to pay for college expenses such as tuition or room and board. H.R. 529 will make several technical changes to 529 plans that will allow students to purchase a computer using their 529 funds, remove the unnecessary distribution aggregation requirements from the accounts, and allow 529 funds to be redeposited if the student withdraws from college. These modernizations will allow 529 plans to help families get the most out of their savings. I ask my colleagues to join me in this effort.

Ms. JENKINS

Ms. JENKINS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today as a supporter and cosponsor of H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. I was a cosponsor of this legislation in the previous two Congresses, and I continue to support it after hearing from my constituents time and time again that they do not want their tax dollars funding abortions. In fact, the majority of Americans and the vast majority of Kansans oppose their tax dollars being used towards abortion. The specter of taxpayer-funded abortion has been exacerbated by the President's health care law, which offers subsidies to taxpayers in order to offset its high cost. These subsidized plans, bought through the health care exchanges, could allow for taxpayer-funded abortions to occur. Without this crucial legislation, we will continue to have a patchwork of provisions regarding Federal funding. This creates confusion, blocks transparency, and opens up additional loopholes. Longstanding provisions are reestablished under H.R. 7, which would apply uniformly across Federal programs, including the President's destructive health care law. I urge passage of this bipartisan bill.