Ron Kind

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to have my votes recorded on the House floor on Monday, February 2, 2015. Weather across the Midwest delayed my flight to Washington, DC until after votes had been called. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 361, H.R. 615, and H.R. 623.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of the career and retirement of James ``Jim'' Nissen. After twenty-six years as La Crosse District Manager of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and nearly 39 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mr. Nissen announced his retirement on January second 2015. Nissen held seasonal positions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, and South Dakota. He also held permanent positions in Indiana, Vermont, Utah, and Wisconsin. Each station offered new opportunities and challenges and developed his career from a student trainee to Refuge Manager. Mr. Nissen is not a native of the La Crosse, WI area, but according to his colleagues, ``no one knows this refuge better than he does.'' Nissen grew up in a duck hunting family in northeastern Nebraska, not far from the Platte River and among the prairie pothole country that produces much of the continent's canvasback ducks. Jim's career followed this regal bird across the country and in 1989, Nissen came to the La Crosse District after two years of overseeing the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge on the eastern side of Wisconsin. The Horicon position marked his return to Wisconsin; Nissen had been there in 1976 for the Canada goose dispersal program, where he not only helped manage the goose population, but also met his wife Ruth. The La Crosse position offered Nissen the chance to get back to a river-based assignment--his true passion. Nissen fell in love with the abundance of canvasbacks, also referred to as ``the king of ducks,'' that the Upper Mississippi River and La Crosse area boast during fall migration. ``I like rivers and canvasbacks and people,'' Nissen said, ``so it was a good fit.'' Each fall, the Upper Mississippi River allows Nissen to see nearly half of the world's canvasback population pass by his window during migration. ``It really is a world-class spectacle,'' Nissen said. During his tenure at LaCrosse, Jim received numerous awards and accolades including the Meritorious Service Award of the Department of the Interior in 2007. He has overseen multi-million dollar habitat enhancement projects funded through the Environmental Management Program; he has acquired over 2,500 acres of lands for inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge; he has overseen the construction of a LEED certified Visitor Center and office; and he is regarded as a leader in wetland and waterfowl ecology and management. Jim's departure will create a profound void in the Upper Miss' institutional knowledge. His energy, wisdom, humor, innate ability to remember dates, and his many discussions will be missed terribly by all who worked alongside him. I wish both Jim, Ruth, and their son Travis all the best in the years to come.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of the retirement of Bernard ``Berny'' Frank Balkonis, Jr. Mr. Balkonis was Vice President of Sales for Prairie Estates Genetics of Middleton, Wisconsin. Mr. Balkonis' retirement at the end of 2014 marked the conclusion of a 40 year career in the seed corn industry. The President of Prairie Estates Genetics, Ron Rogers, affirmed that Balkonis leaves a robust legacy as a fantastic mentor to forage managers and a valued member of the Prairie Estates Genetics team. Mr. Balkonis graduated from University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1975, working on dairy farms in the summer and during holiday breaks to make his way through school. After graduation and marriage to his high school sweetheart, Mr. Balkonis was recruited by Farm Supply (Growmark), and managed a store location in northern Illinois for five years. After his time with Farm Supply, he then joined PAG Seeds, a division of Cargill. During his time with PAG Seeds, Mr. Balkonis worked as a territory manager in southwest Michigan. After PAG Seeds, Paymaster, and Cargill combined to create Cargill Hybrid Seeds, Balkonis was moved to northern Michigan, where he became both territory manager and assistant district manager. While located throughout Michigan, Mr. Balkonis and his wife welcomed three sons into the world. In 1992, Mr. Balkonis was promoted within Cargill Hybrid Seeds to area manager for the eastern United States. Then, in 1996, Mr. Balkonis assumed the position of area manager for the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois and moved his family to Holmen, Wisconsin. In 2000, when Cargill Hybrid Seeds sold to Dow (becoming the entity Mycogen), Mr. Balkonis remained on as area manager. After his time as area manager with Mycogen, Mr. Balkonis took on the responsibilities of VP of Sales for Prairie Estates Genetics, where he would spend the rest of his career and begin the transition to the new role of grandparent with the birth of his first grandson Efraim. Mr. Balkonis will retire with his wife of 40 years, Claudia, in Trempealeau, Wisconsin, just 10 miles north of Holmen where they raised their three sons, Adam, Scott and Wade. I wish to extend the best of wishes to Berny as he steps into retirement and that next great adventure.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to explain my vote on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 in opposition to H.R. 240, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015. Although I support many aspects of this legislation, I was unable to support the final bill due to a number of troubling amendments. I am strongly in favor of funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), especially with the risk of terrorism we currently face as a nation. I applaud many sections of the DHS funding bill, including increased funding from FY 2014 for Customs & Border Patrol (CBP), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). However, there are a number of amendments added to this bill which run the risk of tearing families apart, and I could not support the final bill.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and retirement of William L. Berg. Mr. Berg, a lifelong resident of Wisconsin, is retiring from his position as president and CEO of Dairyland Power Cooperative. During his career, Mr. Berg oversaw a series of major transitions in the electric utility industry. He handled these transitions with confidence, leaving Dairyland better for his service. Mr. Berg's tenure at Dairyland was the longest of any CEO of a generation and transmission cooperative in the United States. Mr. Berg graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1971 and 1972, respectively. From 1972 to 1974, Mr. Berg was employed by the Wisconsin Electric Power Company as an engineer. Bill was hired by Dairyland in 1974, and assumed the duties of president and chief executive officer in 1990, just as the electric restructuring movement began. His leadership helped to guide Dairyland through the rapid changes associated with this period of restructuring and deregulation. Mr. Berg spent his career championing the values underpinning the cooperative business model. He believed that the strength of a cooperative comes from its members. His primary concern was always the interests of the cooperative's members, and by remaining focused on their fundamental importance, he was able to achieve great success as the leader of the cooperative. Mr. Berg is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. He spends his time serving on a variety of boards and committees, including the Board of Advisors of Viterbo University and its Executive Committee. He also serves on the Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee of the Surface Transportation Board of the U.S. Department of Transportation and is a member of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Environmental Task Force. Mr. Berg is a past-president and current board member of the National Renewables Cooperative Organization. He is also a past-president of the National G&T Managers' Association and has served on the Board of Directors of the Electric Power Research Institute. Bill and his wife, Cindi, live in La Crosse where they plan to remain active in their church and in other community activities after Bill's retirement. Together they have two children, Michael and Sarah, as well as five grandchildren. Bill and Cindi are keen travelers, enjoying hiking experiences across the continents. I wish Bill and Cindi all the best in the years to come.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the career of Major William E. Bruring. Major Bruring began his career with the Civil Air Patrol as a high school student in December of 1941. He joined the organization right after the Pearl Harbor attacks, when his mentor, Roy E. Kumm, began Civil Air Patrol organizational meetings in the 32nd Red Arrow Wisconsin U.S. Army Division. Major Bruring was just 18 years old when he joined. In Wisconsin, the Civil Air Patrol served many purposes. They towed aerial targets for student pilots, performed pre-flight training and handled other home front duties, such as war drives, collecting supplies and assembling medical kits to be deployed overseas to American troops in need of relief. Major Bruring also served as a paratrooper in the Army during World War II, volunteering for service when he graduated high school in 1943, and served in the Navy during the Korean War. When he returned home, he continued to serve in the Civil Air Patrol, and continues to serve in the organization today. Every Memorial Day, Major Bruring helps to coordinate ceremonies honoring America's veterans. On December 10th, 2014, Major Bruring was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest distinction awarded to civilians in the United States, for his dedication and service in the Civilian Air Patrol during World War II. He is but one example of the brave men and women of Wisconsin who serve their country. It is with great pleasure that I extend these words of congratulations, as well as words of sincere appreciation, for all that Major Bruring has done for western and central Wisconsin. His service, both as a civilian in the Civil Air Patrol and as a soldier in World War II and Korea, are worthy of the highest praise, and he is certainly deserving of the Congressional Gold Medal. I wish him the best of luck in the years to come.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, let me make sure I have got this straight. We have got a bill before us today, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, that will increase our budget deficit by $53 billion because there are no offsets or pay-fors in this legislation; it will reduce the number of people receiving employment-based health care coverage by about 1 million workers; it will increase the number of people in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the health insurance exchanges, by more than 500,000 people; and it will increase the number of uninsured in our country by another 500,000 people--all at the same time when, again, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found in a recent analysis: ``There is no compelling evidence that part-time employment has increased as a result of the Affordable Care Act.'' What's not to like? Happy New Year, American workers. My good friend from Wisconsin recently said during the debate that he can't find a worse way to hurt working families. Well, you did with this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on it.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Rachel Stanley for her many contributions to the House of Representatives and specifically to my office. At the end of this year, Rachel will be leaving my office to pursue opportunities away from Capitol Hill. Rachel joined my staff in the fall of 2011 as my Legislative Assistant handling the tax and financial services portfolio. She hit the ground running and was invaluable from the start. Recognizing her growth in the office, she was promoted to Tax Counsel and will leave my office after serving for the past year as my Legislative Director. Rachel was particularly successful in working on the Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act, which provides flexibility for multiple employer pension plans by allowing them to opt in or out of Pension Protection Act funding rules. This allows for more money to be invested into businesses and communities. Over the past year, Rachel has served as my Legislative Director. Under her tenure, my office has a number of legislative accomplishments, including awarding the Medal of Honor to Alonzo Cushing, advocating for greater rail safety, and pushing for a tax code that encourages American manufacturing. Next year, Rachel will join the staff of Principal Financial, where she will continue to work on tax and pension policy. While I am sorry to see her leave my staff, I wish her the best of luck in her new role. Rachel embodies the term public service and has worked tirelessly to make our nation a better place, which has not been easy given the current toxic environment. It is unfortunate that we are losing such a competent and dedicated public servant. Mr. Speaker, on my behalf, thank you to Rachel for her service and dedication to not only the constituents of the Third District of Wisconsin, but to all Americans.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Travis Robey for his many contributions to the House of Representatives and specifically to my office. At the end of this year, Travis will be leaving my office to pursue opportunities away from Capitol Hill. Travis first came to Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant for Congresswoman Darlene Hooley, focusing on health policy. He joined the staff of Congressman Mike Thompson in April of 2008 as a Legislative Assistant. In 2009, he joined my staff as Legislative Director. From day one in my office, Travis worked tirelessly on health care reform. Through tough negotiations, he helped me lead the Quality Care Coalition and was successful in getting the Value Modifier for Physician payments included in health care reform. That provision incorporated quality and cost metrics as a factor in physician reimbursements for the first time. Additionally, he helped me successfully advocate for the small business exchanges and small business tax credits in the ACA, which were modeled after legislation that he had worked on. Apart from his successes during health care reform, Travis was integral on the staff level in negotiating the successful adoption of the SMART Act Secondary Payer Reform into law. Being in the Minority can make legislative successes fleeting, but Travis had the talent to work with the Majority to get meaningful things done in one of the most dysfunctional congresses of all time. As my Legislative Director, Travis effectively cultivated junior staff into successful Legislative Assistants who continue to be an asset to my team. Over the past year, Travis has served as my Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C. Under his tenure, my office was legislatively successful, despite being in the Minority in a very polarized Congress. I am proud that he has helped my staff to remain legislatively productive despite great challenges. Next year, Travis will join the staff of the American Hospital Association, where he will continue to work on important health policy challenges. While I am sorry to see him leave my staff after almost 6 years, I wish him the best of luck in his new role. Travis embodies the term public service and has worked tirelessly to make our nation a better place, which has not been easy given the current toxic environment. It is unfortunate that we are losing such a competent and dedicated public servant. Mr. Speaker, on my behalf, thank you to Travis for his service and dedication to not only the constituents of the Third District of Wisconsin, but to all Americans.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Sarah Kaplan for her many contributions to the New Democrat Coalition. At the end of this year, Sarah will be leaving the New Dem staff to continue graduate school full-time. The New Democrat Coalition, which I have the pleasure to lead as Chair, is a group of 55 pro-growth, innovative solutions oriented Members of the House Democratic Caucus. The New Dems are committed to a growth agenda that speaks to Americans' hopes for a brighter economic future. Whether it's revolutionizing the ways we prepare people for the jobs of the future, encourage a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, or maintaining America's competitiveness in a rapidly-shifting global economy, the New Dems continue to work to advocate these priorities and modernize the policy and messaging of the Democratic Caucus. Sarah joined the New Dem staff in May 2013 as a staff assistant and research associate. She hit the ground rolling and was valuable at the start to the Members and staff of the Coalition. Recognizing her growth in the office, she was promoted to Policy & Member Services Aide where she assisted the New Dem Leadership Team and the Executive Director in strengthening the cohesion of the Coalition and advancing our policy priorities. Sarah was particularly valuable in working on the Coalition's innovation, education, national security, and trade policy priorities. Next year, Sarah expects to earn a Masters in Security Studies with a focus on Terrorism and Substance Violence from Georgetown University. After earning her graduate degree, she plans to continue serving our nation by rejoining government in national security policy. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Members of the New Democrat Coalition, thank you Sarah.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, this may be one of the last times I have an opportunity to address the current chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Camp from Michigan, and I just want to commend him for such a distinguished career in the United States Congress. He has been an honest broker on the issues, a good friend, and I know all of us are going to miss him terribly when he decides to retire and go on to other ventures in his life. We all wish him well. Mr. Speaker, I think all of us, it is safe to assume, are not happy with this process or the fact that we are here again at the end of the year trying to do a 1-year extension on tax breaks that will be retroactive to 2014, mind you, and not paid for. This is a lousy way to run a Tax Code. It is a lousy way to run a government. I think individuals and businesses, large and small, need greater certainty for the decisions they have got to make with their lives and their businesses, especially the investment decisions; and by doing things retroactively around here and maintaining that uncertainty in future years, it is not the right way to go. And, also, not paying for it. I think there are opportunities. Certainly the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget laid out a whole list of potential pay-fors that, if we had real interest, we could have very easily scrubbed the Code to find some offsets to pay for the $40 billion cost that this 1- year extension has today, rather than just adding it to the debt and deficit in our country. We have got to do a better job at that. But if this also means we have an opportunity moving into next year of being serious about comprehensive tax reform, something that is long overdue--again, with the leadership of the Ways and Means Committee and Mr. Camp and introducing his discussion draft proposal earlier this year, so a lot of a groundwork has been made--then this might be the pressure that we need to get the committee and this body to do what is long overdue, and that is reform an antiquated Tax Code to make it more fair, more simple, to make it more competitive in the global environment. I think that is a goal that, again, hopefully, we share, and it might be an avenue of bipartisan cooperation as we do move forward.

Mr. KIND. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I continuously hear from small business owners and farmers back home about the need for greater certainty and the need to revamp a Tax Code that has outlived its usefulness. It is riddled with inefficiencies. It is riddled with certain expenditures that have been included in it throughout the years due to powerful special interests who know how to work the Halls of Congress to get their special provisions in it, and who we are leaving behind are hardworking families back home and the small businesses on Main Street who can't hire their legion of lobbyists out here to protect their interests or to get their special provisions in. So as we move forward, hopefully this will be one of those areas where we can find some common ground and do what is right for our Nation. That would help jump-start the U.S. economy and put us in a much more competitive place, when it comes to the global economy, at the same time. I reluctantly support it. I think we could have done a better job. But I think it is also important for policy reasons to maintain these tax provisions until we get a chance to do comprehensive reform around here.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to have my votes recorded on the House floor on Monday, November 17, 2014. Weather across the eastern seaboard delayed my flight to Washington, DC until after votes had been called. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 5162 (Roll No. 520).

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to have my votes recorded on the House floor on Wednesday, November 12, 2014. Mechanical issues in Minneapolis delayed my flight to Washington, DC until after votes had been called. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 4194 (Roll No. 516).

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. I thank my friend for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I am not quite sure if I have been living in a parallel universe over the last few years, but I thought there was genuine concern in this body about getting a grip on our budget deficits, about trying to get our fiscal house put back in order. Yet here we are, in the eleventh hour, before they cut us loose for the fall campaign season, and we have another bill pending before this body that costs $573 billion--with a B--with not a penny of offset, with not a dime of it paid for. Then people wonder where these budget deficits come from. What is unfortunate is some of the policy proposals in this legislation I actually support. We have got five bills coming out of the Ways and Means Committee with some permanent changes to the Tax Code that I happen to agree with, whether it is the R&D--research and development--tax credit; the 179 expensing; the S Corp Modernization bill, which is a bill that I and my friend from Washington State (Mr. Reichert) introduced earlier this year to help with the S corporation businesses in this country; the bonus depreciation; and the repeal of the medical device tax--again, legislation that I and my friend from Minnesota, Erik Paulsen, had introduced because we didn't think it was a good idea for us to be taxing our domestic medical device manufacturers, especially on a pre-revenue basis. I always believed that, with these changes being made, they should be offset, that they should be paid for. That is the fiscally responsible approach to take, and yet we have a $573 billion bill with not one offset. This is following on the heels earlier this year of 15 permanent changes to the Tax Code being reported out of the Ways and Means Committee, at a cost approaching $1 trillion, with none of it being offset. I would submit that, if we went forward on that type of policy prescription, we might as well forget about comprehensive tax reform because we wouldn't have any tools left to do anything with. I give the chairman of the committee, Mr. Camp, who is going to be retiring at the end of this year, a lot of credit for having the guts to come out with a discussion draft on what comprehensive reform should look like. In that draft, he was making some tough decisions. He was finding offsets to lower rates and simplify the Tax Code in order to help us be more competitive in the global marketplace. That is not what is being done here today. I would request with the Republican leadership that, instead of cutting us loose today, what we ought to be doing is staying in longer and working on a true innovation agenda for our Nation, one that invests in quality educational opportunities for all of our students and good job training programs for workers in transition or for those looking to upgrade their skills so they can be competitive in the global marketplace, the crucial investments we have to make in broadband expansion, basic research funding through NIH and NSF grants and infrastructure modernization in this country, that is long overdue. We know we have to do it. Let's do it now when we need the jobs. That would be a true jobs package that, I think, we could rally around so as to get this economy humming again.

Mr. KIND. Rather than this dog and pony show and the message piece that is before us today, right before the November 4 elections, I think the American people are a lot smarter than what some people give them credit for. They know we have a fiscal problem that has to be addressed, and I think most people would realize that, by coming forward with yet another bill at a cost of $573 billion, with no offsets and no pay-fors, it is only going to make the situation worse and truly jeopardize the economic opportunities for our children and grandchildren in the future. Instead of coming out with this legislation today, which is a grab bag for powerful special interests, let's do the tough, heavy lifting that needs to be done. Let's make these policy changes but in a fiscally responsible way, by finding offsets in the code to pay for them, so we can get our fiscal house put back in order and create the good-paying jobs that America needs today.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the McKeon amendment that would grant the President the authorization that he seeks to identify, train up, and equip moderate Syrian forces to stand up to ISIL in their backyard. I do so because I believe this is the best of the bad options that we face that could halt the advance of ISIL in that region and begin degrading their capability and guard against the rising threat that they pose to us and to those in the region. I do so for three reasons. I believe that the President needs a strong bipartisan hand coming out of this Congress this week that would help him continue to build the coalition of opposition to ISIL in the region. It is going to be one of the keys to the outcome--the successful outcome--of degrading ISIL's capability. We can't do this alone, and it will be determined by those in the region to stand up against this evil force. Secondly, I believe this is the best plan to help us avoid putting our own boots on the ground and our own men and women in uniform in what is, in essence, an ongoing sectarian civil war that has gripped that region for centuries between the Sunni and Shi'a. There is a lot of concern, especially from Guard and Reserve units in my congressional district in Wisconsin who have been activated, called up, and deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan. When I talk to them today, I can see in their eyes and hear in their voices how tired they are. They are concerned about another military intervention in this region. Finally, I believe this resolution under title 10 will enhance congressional oversight of the mission that is taking place there and, therefore, bring greater accountability but also bring a greater say of the American people in addressing this rising threat in the region. We are going to move away from the intel agencies running the show now and move it into the Pentagon, which brings us into the oversight capabilities which I feel has been lacking for some time in this endeavor. This is not an easy decision. I believe the steps that we can take with this comprehensive plan now can avoid further military intervention in the future. Again, I think it is the best option we face amongst a lot of bad options. May God bless our military personnel who will be in charge of carrying out this mission, and we all hope and pray for their success and safe return. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3043. I was an original cosponsor of this legislation. I commend my friend and colleague from California, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, for his leadership on this issue. We are trying to correct a wrong interpretation with the IRS that will treat Native Americans like we do other sovereign entities in this country. That is why this legislation would codify existing IRS practice and bring crucial permanence and clarity to tribes across the country. It levels the playing field for tribal governments, treating them more like State governments, and it also respects tribal culture, traditions, and practices. The bill excludes from taxation income received on tribal general welfare programs, many of which are identical to the tax-exempt Federal and State programs in the areas of health care, education, housing, eldercare, emergency assistance, cultural programs, burial assistance, and legal aid, and provides necessary deference and flexibility to these tribal governments so that they can develop programs and determine priorities that promote the general welfare in their own communities. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, this legislation doesn't cost taxpayers a cent--it has no budgetary impact--so we are not adding to the deficit. This bill is supported by numerous national organizations, including business and tribal organizations, regional tribal and intertribal organizations, and a multitude of State-based tribal governments. I want to just take a moment to thank the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, and the National Congress of American Indians for working tirelessly on this issue. My staff and I greatly appreciate their assistance in getting this in order for tonight. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. I, again, thank my friend for his leadership, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any further requests for time on this, but I would like, at this time, to have the following documents inserted into the Record: a letter of support for H.R. 3043 from the Ho-Chunk Nation, which is in my congressional district in western Wisconsin; a letter of support from the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin in Oneida, Wisconsin; and a letter of support from the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes, which is headquartered in Gresham, Wisconsin. Ho-Chunk Nation Legislature, September 9, 2014. Re Tribal Welfare General Exclusion Act (H.R. 3043). Hon. Ron Kind, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Kind: I am writing on behalf of the Ho Chunk Nation (Nation) to thank you for your co-sponsorship of the Tribal Welfare General Exclusion Act (H.R. 3043), a bi- partisan bill introduced by Representative Nunes and 54 other Members of the House. The Nation is reliably informed that House leadership is interested in bringing this bill to the floor during the very short September 2014 session. As you know, tribal members across the country have been harassed by the IRS seeking to force them to include in calculations of gross income the value of tribally-provided programs and services. This legislation is necessary to clarify that various programs and services provided by Indian tribal governments to their tribal members are not characterized as income for purposes of computing taxable income by the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS). To be excluded under H.R. 3043, tribally-provided welfare benefits must be available to any tribal member under established guidelines, are for the promotion of general welfare, are not lavish or extravagant, and are not compensation for services. The bill would also establish a Tribal Advisory Committee to provide education and training to IRS officials and staff and to help enforce internal revenue laws in Indian country. H.R. 3043 is strongly supported by the National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Finance Officers Association, Indian tribes across the country, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Joint Committee on Taxation has determined that, if enacted, H.R. 3043 ``would have a negligible effect on Federal fiscal revenues.'' For all of these reasons, we respectfully urge you to communicate your support for H.R. 3043 to Chairman Camp and Ranking Member Levin as well as with Republican and Democrat leadership. Thank you for your longstanding support for the Nation and, indeed, for tribal communities across the country, and your kind consideration of this request. Sincerely, Jon Greendeer, President. Heather Cloud, Vice President.

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, since I have no further speakers, I ask my colleagues to support this bipartisan piece of legislation tonight, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, my friend from Michigan. I hope his solution here today, given the dysfunction that we have seen in the process coming out of this Congress in recent years, is not just to come forward with a series of permanent changes to the U.S. Tax Code without paying for any of it and exploding our national debt for future generations to have to grapple with, but unfortunately, that has been the trend in the Ways and Means Committee over the last couple of months. I also want to commend the work that the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black) has done with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) in putting together this bipartisan bill. I am all for simplification of the Tax Code. I am all for streamlining these tax credits to make it easier for students and their families to better afford higher education. I am all for finding a bipartisan path forward to make sure that no student is left behind, that those doors of educational opportunity are there and open for all Americans, but we ought to do that the right way, not the wrong way. Unfortunately, the bill here before us today is the wrong way to approach the issue. First of all, it is one of 14 permanent changes to the Tax Code that have been reported out of the Ways and Means Committee now, exceeding over $800 billion, without any of it being offset and without a nickel of it being paid for--this on the heels of the last few years we have been trying to figure out a way to get our fiscal house put back in order. There has been a whole lot of shrill and a whole lot of crying on this floor about runaway budget deficits and the unsustainable debt that our Nation has accumulated and the fact that we have to borrow so much money from China. This bill compounds that problem. It doesn't solve it. This bill alone would add close to $97 billion to the national debt over the next 10 years. Again, none of it paid for, but there are also some substantive problems with this bill, too, that, unfortunately, due to a lack of hearings in the Ways and Means Committee, due to a lack of discussion and feedback from our universities throughout the country, is not addressed, not the least of which--and I have heard this from universities back in Wisconsin--that there is a significant administrative change hiding in this bill. Currently, schools can report either eligible tuition charges that are billed to students or paid to students. This bill takes away the billing aspect of reporting to the IRS. Now, that is probably a trend that we ought to pursue and should fix in the future, but to do it abruptly, given where the computer systems lie with their universities right now, is bound to cause severe disruption in regards to these tax credits for students. I am afraid that it has not been well-vetted, and it hasn't been thought through because, again, it is an election year, and we are racing these bills to the floor in order to do our press releases back home and score cheap political points with constituencies that would prefer to see legislation advance without paying for it; but it is something that we ought to fix before we burden the bursars' offices throughout the Nation and trying to revamp their computer systems overnight. They are telling us it is not going to work. Furthermore, the gentleman from Michigan has highlighted the impact this is going to have on our graduate students. The graduate students are affected by the streamlining of the education credits that are embodied in this bill because only 4 years are available under this legislation. It is expected to have a profound impact on the affordability of graduate education for students throughout the Nation. I don't think that has been vetted all that well either. It is because we are not doing regular order around here. It is an election year--I get it--and there is nothing easier in the world to bring permanent changes to the Tax Code that everyone would desire to see, but without making the tough decision and paying for it as well, while at the same time coming forward with budget resolutions that is cutting back on the availability of Pell grants for low-income students or workstudy programs for low-income students or TRIO or GEAR UP programs that are geared for low-income students.

Mr. KIND. Somehow, some way, it became fashionable to cut those programs that have benefited low-income students, including myself. When I was a kid growing up, my family didn't have the financial means to send me to school, so I was able to qualify for a Pell grant, I did do workstudy all 4 years. Without that availability, I don't know where I would have ended up with my education. That is where we seem to go to first in the budget for cuts and then coming forward today on a bill that will add $97 billion to the deficit without paying for it and without vetting it the way it should be. We have still got time. Let's do this right now. I would encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' and give this body time to fix some of the deficiencies in the bill, but also to make the tough decision and do it in a fiscally responsible manner.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, here we are again. Over the last few weeks, the Ways and Means Committee has been bringing bill after bill to the House floor to make permanent changes to the Tax Code, but in a lot of the policy behind it, there is very little dispute and debate. It is the fact that they are bringing these bills to the floor without any pay-fors, without any offsets, and instead they are leaving this legacy of debt for future generations to have to contend with, or they increase our borrowing costs with China at a time when most of the discussion about this place has been about fiscal responsibility. It certainly must be an election year, because any limit to fiscal responsibility is out the door. Here again today, we have got five bills that would make five permanent changes to the Tax Code, none of which is offset. One would extend the charitable deduction for firms that donate food from their inventories. One would permanently extend the charitable deduction for donations of qualified conservation easements, a bill I have been particularly working hard to find a permanent fix in the Tax Code, having seen the good work that our land trusts in the Mississippi Valley Conservancy back home have been doing with those tax incentives in the Code. Another bill would extend the tax-free exclusion from income of charitable contributions from the individual retirement accounts, the so-called IRA rollover charitable contribution, something that the chairman of the committee himself actually eliminated in his comprehensive tax reform discussion draft that was introduced earlier this year. The Joint Committee on Taxation says you add all these five bills up, it is at a cost of over $16 billion. And again, not a nickel in it. There is no offset to pay for any of this. At a time when long-term unemployment benefits have expired in the early part of this year, the cost of this bill here today alone would cover 35 times the cost of those emergency unemployment benefits for the duration of this year--35 times. We are doing nothing to permanently change the so-called SGR, or the doc fix. We have sequestration hanging over our heads that is about to do more damage to our military and to the Federal budget, and no work is being done on that front. Last week, we passed legislation, scratching and clawing, trying to find a little over $10 billion in offsets for a temporary extension of the infrastructure investment we have to be making in this country to keep the highway trust fund funded, and yet here we are with another five bills that will cost us $16 billion. Apparently, some in this place don't even blink about spending that type of money. That is where we have got a problem--philosophically, I am afraid--as far as our approach to this. There are better ways of doing this. I think one of the ways that could help jump-start this economy is working hard, making tough decisions, and moving forward on comprehensive tax reform to make our Code more competitive globally. And now we have got an emergency situation of more companies here in the United States trying to find some small entity overseas where they are foreign shopping for a low- tax jurisdiction to avoid taxation here in the United States, and this place is doing nothing about that.

Mr. KIND. I would submit that between these five bills, the nine bills that have already come out of committee at a total cost of close to $900 billion, if we move forward down that track, there is no way, no ability for us to come back and address comprehensive tax reform in a fiscally responsible manner. I, again, commend the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Camp, for the courage he has demonstrated by offering that discussion draft, but in doing so, he had to make some tough decisions on what expenditures, what loopholes we would have to go without in order to pay for a lowering of rates. If we give the store away today and with the previous bills that were passed and what might be coming up tomorrow, there will be no ability for us to be able to seriously work on the comprehensive tax reform that our country desperately needs in order to put us in a more competitive position in this 21st century global economy. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to have my votes recorded on the House floor on Tuesday, July 8, 2014. Weather in the Midwest delayed my flight to Washington, DC until late that night. Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 4263 (roll No. 369) and in favor of H.R. 4289 (roll No. 370).