Mike Kelly

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I will challenge you to go home next week for Thanksgiving and tell people all of the positives about this, and say: I am so sorry. I could have voted for that. It is time now for America to rise to the challenge. As I said earlier, we exist in a global economy. I am tired of being somebody who happened to participate, when we have the opportunity to dominate. Never before, in our history, have we had the chance to change the future for every single American.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today I am very pleased to recognize my constituent, Vernon L. Wise, Jr. of Butler County, for his reception of the Pennsylvania News Media Association's 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award. Vernon is the former publisher and chairman of the board of the Butler Eagle. The paper's current publisher and general manager, Ron Vodenichar, nominated Vernon for this prestigious award, emphasizing the technological innovations he made as well as his commitment to the newspaper and printing company's family ownership. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes ``outstanding service and accomplishment spanning a career in journalism.'' It could not have gone to a more fitting recipient. Vernon is a member of the third generation (out of five generations in his family) to be involved in publishing the Butler Eagle. He began his career as a carrier, and continued working at the newspaper during high school and college. After attending Princeton University and serving in the United States Army during the Korean War, he returned to the paper, becoming president and general manager in 1968 after the death of his father, Vernon L. Wise, Sr. In the course of his long career at the Butler Eagle, Vernon published the newspaper, chaired the board, and founded Butler Color Press, which prints advertising circulars. In addition to his extensive involvement in newspaper publishing, Vernon has held leadership positions in the Butler County Chapter of the Salvation Army and the Community Development Corporation of Butler County. Vernon exemplifies the best qualities of a devoted newsman and an engaged citizen. He is a credit to Pennsylvania's third congressional district. I am very happy for him and Sarah, his wife of 64 years. I congratulate them and thank them for their contributions to the Butler region.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and the underlying legislation. We come here today, of course, as Members of Congress, but as we look at what happened in our country the last several weeks, one of the things that has been lauded very much is first responders, those who are rushing to the scene to help people who have been affected, who are going through pain and suffering. I would like you to consider today's legislation and the rule, as we are first responders. We stand for life. We stand for the ability, as a people, and there is no other nation in the world like the American people who respond when other people are in trouble, when they are suffering, when they are in pain, when their lives are in danger. And yet we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what we are doing to these children. These are little boys and little girls waiting to be born. If we do not stand for them, who will stand for them? If we are not the first responders, who will be the first responders? If it is not us in the people's House who go beyond the hypocrisy of a political statement and go about the reason we are here--it is the people's House because we defend those people--let us be the first responders when it comes to pain and suffering. Let us pass this bill and stop this inhuman activity that we are doing.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church of Meadville, Pennsylvania, and the important contributions it has made to the Meadville area for over 160 years. Since its foundation in 1849 by the Reverend Jacob Parmer, Bethel AME has advanced a vision of outreach and engagement through its vibrant faith community. The church's present location was constructed in Meadville. This site, according to Gary DeSantis writing in the Meadville Tribune on September 2, 2016, was once used by a former slave from Maryland named Richard Henderson to ``provide shelter for 500 or more slaves escaping the Southern slave holders.'' This stop on the Underground Railroad gave refuge to escapees traveling through the northern states on their way to Canada. As the challenges facing our country and our local communities have shifted over time, Bethel AME has been a constant presence in Meadville. Today its community outreach includes youth drama productions, a women's ministry, outreach to senior citizens, and many other valuable programs and ministries in Meadville. I am proud to represent the clergy and parishioners of Bethel AME in the House of Representatives. Their history and their present contributions to the community are a credit to the City of Meadville, to Crawford County, and to Pennsylvania's Third District.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment No. 156. Over the past 25 years, infant adoptions have decreased, and only about 1 percent of pregnant women choose adoption. While there are approximately 2 million couples waiting to adopt in the United States, there were only 18,329 domestic infant adoptions in 2014. Unfortunately, too many women who have encountered unplanned pregnancies report not receiving adequate information about adoption. Everyone facing an unplanned pregnancy should have access to timely, accurate, and noncoercive information about adoption that helps them make their own fully informed decision. In 2000, Congress authorized the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program. This program awards grants to adoption organizations to train healthcare workers who offer health services to expectant mothers and are trained to provide adoption information and referral. In the year 2000, the program annually delivered training to an estimated 10,000 healthcare workers nationwide. This program was phased out in 2010. This bill funds adoption awareness programs at $39.1 million. My amendment designates $5 million of that funding to restart the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program with the goal of ensuring that expectant mothers have access to timely, accurate information about adoptions. I also support the administration's effort to fund activities to improve hospital-based adoption support services for our expectant mothers. I urge them to continue this hospital-based program to ensure that mothers who wish to make an adoption have access to comprehensive support throughout the entire adoption process. Adoption is a bipartisan issue, and it is vital that individuals who are providing health services to expectant mothers are trained to properly provide adoption information and referral. Madam Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman. I do share her concern. That is why we are asking for $5 million of the $39.1 million be used to give expectant mothers the opportunity to learn fully and make a decision based on what they want to do. It is about education. It is about making them fully aware. But this is about adoption. This is not about anything else. This is not about taking anything away from anybody. This is about giving them the opportunity to understand the options that they do have in an unplanned pregnancy. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman's comments. What this is really about is 2 million couples willing to adopt children in the United States. It is hard for me to stand here today and say that it would be a much different world if people were really given the opportunity to understand what their options are and be able to fulfill the wishes of over 2 million couples in the United States who are looking to adopt a child. I think that is incredibly important, and I don't understand why we couldn't look at something like that and say this is about adoption. That is all it is about. Now, this is fully endorsed, by the way, by the National Council for Adoption. At this time, I would also offer my condolences to Ms. DeLauro for the loss of her mother. She is a fine lady, and I am sure that, no matter what, she will look back on the years she spent with her mother and cherish every one of those. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2210. This bill will designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Community Living Center in my hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania, as the Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA Community Living Center. This is something you have heard already, but I want you to understand something, and if we can look for a minute outside of the people's House into thinking of who we actually are as a people. This is a young guy, 22 years old, at the very beginning of his life. At a time when most of us are looking forward to so many great things happening to us, he put himself in harm's way. Now, when you think of what Sergeant Kusick did, it is incredible that this young man, on a hillside in Vietnam under heavy Viet Cong fire, and being seriously wounded himself, when asked: Listen, Sergeant, get on the helicopter. We can get you out of there. He said: ``No, because if I leave, my comrades cannot be saved.'' What an incredible place to put yourself in, a 22-year-old who just a couple of years earlier was in Butler, Pennsylvania, enjoying all that life has to offer, and all of the potential of that life, and putting the welfare of others and the safety of others before himself. That is an incredible position to put yourself in. We have already talked about the medal that Sergeant Kusick was given, and what it meant to everybody. But there is just so much about Sergeant Kusick, and all of these veterans, and all of these folks who have put themselves in harm's way. The one thing that comes out all the time is, there is no place quite as unique as the United States of America; there is nothing quite as unique as our men and women in uniform; there is nothing quite as unique as people who are willing to put themselves second and put the lives and safety of others first. That is just not something people normally do. Sergeant Kusick did that on that hillside, seriously wounded, working on the radios. He knew that if he didn't stay, the other people wouldn't get extracted. He stayed there, under heavy enemy fire, and watched what was going on, watched the helicopters come in to extract his teammates. And I think of it all the time: Where do people like Sergeant Kusick come from? And do you know where they come from? They come from all of these small towns and cities across America. They don't think of themselves as being unique. They don't think of their sacrifice as being exceptional. They don't think of what they have done as being out of the ordinary because it is just who we are as Americans. As I think about these things, I am called to bring out something that I have read, and this is in a different war at a different time. It is a dedication stone at the Korean War Memorial, not too far from our Nation's steps. At the point of the triangle leading to the American flag is a dedication which reads: ``Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.'' A country they never knew, and a people they never met, and they put their life on the line to defend those lives. That is incredible. I would just suggest to people, you can go around this world and hunt for other people like this, and you will find them, but you will not find them in as great numbers as you find right here in the United States of America. I don't know if Sergeant Kusick was a Republican or a Democrat. I don't know how he voted. I knew where he grew up, because that is where I grew up. I knew who he was because he is from the same area I am from. The only difference in all of us may be the town we grew up and our last name, but the rest of it is all the same. The same blood that coursed through Sergeant Kusick's veins is the same blood that courses through all of our veins. And he was so willing, so willing to sacrifice his life for saving others. Well, this didn't happen by chance. I have got to tell you that what we are doing today to honor Sergeant Kusick was due to the work of The American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and especially the tireless effort of the Third Congressional District Military-Veterans Advocacy group, and my friend, Sergeant Art Greathead, who tirelessly did the research on this. We ran through all of the things we have to run through, and for those folks who don't know, this is not an easy thing to do. This is hard work to get this done, to honor a hero. But that work was done by all of these folks in a way of saying ``thank you'' to one of America's fallen heros; ``thank you'' to one of American's heros who has been long forgotten in some circles, but not back home. We remember Sergeant Kusick. We honor Sergeant Kusick. We thank him for his sacrifice, and we point to a country that is forever grateful to our women and men in uniform for the great sacrifice that they make. But I want to go back to one other thing: 22 years old. Twenty-two, at a time when life is just starting, never again to be able to celebrate a birthday; never again to celebrate Christmas, or Thanksgiving; never again to celebrate a family reunion, but forever lost--but lost for a good reason. He gave his life so that others may survive. The way they were able to identify Sergeant Kusick's remains--by the way, the helicopter he finally got in after everybody else would have been extracted was shot down, went down in flames. There were dog tags on two of the remains that were recovered. The other body that was recovered did not have dog tags on, but do you know what Sergeant Kusick had? He had his radio pack. To the very end, Sergeant Kusick was doing what he was required to do and what he wanted to do, and he not only gave up his life but gave up his entire future. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this, and I can't tell you how much this means to the people of Butler, Pennsylvania, but more than anything else, to Sergeant Kusick for the sacrifice of a life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Robinson Fans, Inc. and its celebration of 125 years as a solely owned family business. Small businesses like Robinson Fans, Inc. are important to both the economy and the community of Pennsylvania's third district. This year, the occasion of its 125th Anniversary, is an appropriate time to celebrate the hard work and outstanding achievements of this small business. Robinson Fans, Inc., founded in Monongahela, Pennsylvania in 1892, has been operating in the town of Zelienople, Pennsylvania for over a century. This business has helped power locomotives, allowed commodity giants to dig the world's deepest mines, and employed numerous members of the community throughout the years. It has enhanced both the community and the economy, providing jobs and economic opportunity for generations of Pennsylvanians. Robinson Fans has been victorious through some of America's worst hardships, including the Great Depression and several recessions, an economic feat of enormous scale. It has survived and thrived through multiple generations with new management and operation tactics that kept the business successful. Robinson Fans is now on its sixth generation. This is a remarkable accomplishment, considering most companies do not last beyond 20 years and only 3 percent of family- owned businesses make it to the fourth generation, according to the Family Business Institute. As a supporter of small businesses like Robinson Fans, I am proud of its efforts and achievements in both the community and the economy. I am sure all my colleagues join me in applauding the valiant efforts of this business and other small businesses that continue to offer economic opportunity to our constituents and make our country a better place.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Borough of Saxonburg in honor of their 185th Anniversary. Located in Butler County Pennsylvania and home to approximately 1,500 residents, Saxonburg is a quaint town with a significant history. Named for the German state of Saxony, Saxonburg was founded in 1832 by immigrant John Roebling, an admirable architect and engineer. Roebling, whose presence can still be seen and felt today, is responsible for designing the town of Saxonburg and creating an agricultural community that offered immigrants a new life in America. Roebling revolutionized the art of bridge building when he invented the wire rope from his workshop in Saxonburg, which now serves as a museum and historical landmark for tourists. On July 16, 1842, Roebling was granted a patent for his wire rope invention, marking this year as the 175th Anniversary of Roebling's impact on bridge construction and worldwide transportation in general. Although Saxonburg has seen many improvements and updates, there has also been a collective effort to maintain its original and unique character. There are countless historic landmarks and structures that have been preserved and maintained, telling the story of days gone by. Saxonburg captured the designation of a historic district on the national level in 2004 and on the state level in 2008, which is a testament to the overall importance of this specific area. If you have the privilege to visit Saxonburg, you will gain a solid understanding of its iconic legacy and unique roots. Present day citizens of Saxonburg are justifiably proud of their past, especially as they reach these type of momentous milestones. Therefore, as the people of Saxonburg celebrate the anniversary of their founding, I congratulate them on the past 185 years of experiences and accomplishments and wish them continued happiness and success moving forward.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my amendment to H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, to prohibit Federal funds from being used to implement the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty unless the Senate first ratifies the treaty. This language is identical to the version of my amendment that was enacted into law in last year's NDAA and reflects the consistent will of the American people and the unified position of Congress in opposition to this misguided and dangerous treaty. The U.N. ATT is a deeply flawed agreement signed by the Obama administration in 2013. It would undermine our national sovereignty, harm our most vulnerable allies, and threaten the Second Amendment rights of every single American. Turning over our arms trade policy to the United Nations is just wrongheaded. The U.N. ATT would force the United States, the world's most important defender of liberty and democracy, onto equal footing with the world's worst dictatorships and terror sponsors. It would be readily politicized by bad actors around the world to try to stop America from providing arms to our friends and allies, including Israel, South Korea, and others. In short, just like gun control, it would stop the good from doing good without stopping the bad from doing bad. Congress has stood strong for the past 6 years on this issue. Together, we were successful at stopping the Obama administration from ever implementing this treaty or using hardworking American taxpayer dollars to promote it. Nevertheless, our work is not over. One of former President Obama's parting shots as he left office was to submit the U.N. ATT to our colleagues in the Senate for ratification, even though he knew it was dead on arrival. Regardless of who is seated in the Oval Office, renewing this ban is important because no Presidency is permanent. A future administration may well try even harder to put this treaty into effect. Fortunately, in Donald Trump, we now have a President who believes in protecting our sovereignty in every possible way. America should never cede its sovereignty to the United Nations to determine its arms trade policies. Therefore, in addition to supporting this amendment, I strongly urge President Trump and Secretary Tillerson to take the final step and officially withdraw the United States from the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty once and for all. It is time to tear it up. I urge my colleagues to stand with me in support of the Second Amendment and our Nation's sovereignty and vote in support of my amendment.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor and pleasure that we welcome President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to our nation's Capital on his first official overseas visit. The United States shares a special relationship with the Republic of Korea forged during the Korean War and solidified by the greater global struggle for freedom in the 20th century. The U.S.-Korea alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific region. It is a special alliance built upon the sacrifice of brave individuals who stood strong against the adversaries of liberty and freedom. Mr. Speaker, as the co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, I am proud to welcome President Moon Jae-in today. Our alliance will surely be tested, but our faith and determination will never falter or waiver. I thank him for his commitment to our common values, and I look forward to the work we will do together to strengthen the alliance even more in the future.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2866) to review and improve licensing standards for placement in a relative foster family home, as amended.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extent their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2866, currently under consideration.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak on H.R. 2866, the Reducing Unnecessary Barriers for Relative Foster Parents Act, introduced by my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker). Introducing this legislation, Congressman Smucker was joined by our Ways and Means colleague, Congresswoman Terri Sewell from across the aisle. The bill has strong bipartisan support, including mine. I am a cosponsor. And the Child Welfare League of America has strongly endorsed this legislation. So what does this bill do? Well, in short, the bill will reduce the bureaucratic process for placing children in foster care with relatives, when possible, and is in the best interest of the child. Now, this just makes common sense. Last year alone, there were almost a half million children in foster care, more than 16,000 children in my home State of Pennsylvania alone. Now, there are countless family members of these foster children who are not only willing, but they are ready to have these children placed in their homes when one of their relatives can't take care of them. As a matter of good public policy, we should be making the placement process much easier for family members, not more difficult, because it is often in the best interest of the child. Studies show that placing foster children with relatives solves many of the problems children face when being placed into foster care; moreover, it improves the outcomes for these children. Children are more likely to succeed when they can stay with a family member of their own and someone they are already familiar with and know. Children placed with relatives tend to spend less time in foster care and also experience much more stability. The problem is that, while current law allows States to waive certain licensing standards when placing children with relatives, many States have been slow to implement the law. One of the purported reasons is that caseworkers are slow or they simply don't know how to place children with relatives because of a lack of training on their part. Today, caseworkers may not be adequately trained regarding their ability to waive certain standards when licensing relatives. This has resulted in delays in placing children with relatives. And when these children are already facing a tremendous amount of turmoil and uncertainty in their lives, we shouldn't be tying them up in bureaucratic red tape. We need to do more to place these children with a loving family member whenever possible. Now, how do we do that? Well, Representative Smucker's bill, H.R. 2866, will help remedy this problem by making our foster care system more family friendly, by ensuring States take proactive steps to speed up the licensing process for relatives. Specifically, the bill would require Health and Human Services to identify reputable model standards for licensing foster family homes by October 1, 2018. States, subsequently, would need to do their part by submitting their plans to be in compliance with model standards for family foster care placement. Additionally, States would need to explain how caseworkers in their respective States are being trained. This commonsense bill is at absolutely no cost to taxpayers, but it would pay tremendous dividends for our Nation's children. Every child deserves to be raised in a loving home. The Smucker-Sewell bill will ensure that many more children can live safely and happily with loving family members when they cannot stay in their own home with their nuclear family. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important legislation. Passing this legislation is the very least we can do for these children. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. My feeling is the National Association for Regulatory Administration's Model Foster Home Licensing Standards would be a prime example of what HHS should consider.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Smucker), the sponsor of this important legislation, from my home State and a key member of the Keystone Coalition.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just want to take a minute because I think today is one of those days where the American people look to the people's House and say: Isn't it something that they can actually agree? Isn't it something that they actually think with their hearts? Isn't it actually something that they can come together on an issue that is so basic, so simple, and so easy to understand? We are talking about our most precious asset and the country's best hope for the future: our children. As I heard Ms. Sewell talk and Ms. Bass talk, I know in their hearts how they feel about this. I know this is not something they just thought about today or this week or thought this would be a good piece of legislation; they think it is good because it is good for American people. Mr. Smucker joined with Ms. Sewell to have this legislation come forward. It is a breath of fresh air for the people's House. This is legislation that protects children, legislation that puts children with their families in case they can't be taken care of in their own homes, and it is an incredible effort by both sides. I want to tell you what a great privilege it is to serve with you today and to be on the floor with you. Mr. Davis is eloquent. Ms. Bass, Ms. Sewell, and Mr. Smucker of Pennsylvania are good friends of mine. So it is good to be here today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.