Mike Kelly

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I would just say, at this moment in our history, I thank the gentlewoman for standing up for every hardworking American taxpayer and doing the best we can to restore the faith and confidence of the American people that they can trust who it is that they elect to represent them and they can trust us to make sure that wrongdoers are punished and, once are asked to leave, are not allowed to come back in.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentlewoman. I often refer to the gentlewoman not as Representative Kaptur, but as ``Our Lady of the Lakes'' because, truly, we share a lot of the same concerns when it comes to an absolutely incredible gift from God that has been given to us. It is in our stewardship now. It was put in our care and custody with the idea that we are going to pass it on to the next generation in better shape than what we received it. I think when we look at the Great Lakes, there are so many things you can say about the Great Lakes. Oftentimes it is hard to sit back and say, what is it exactly that the Great Lakes represent? We have already said it is one-fifth of the world's fresh water, not one-fifth of America's fresh water, not one-fifth of the continent's fresh water, but one-fifth of the world's fresh water. It is 6 quadrillion gallons of fresh water. I have absolutely no idea what that figure would look like other than this: if you were to look at the lower 48 States and you were able to pour the water from the Great Lakes over the lower 48 States, it would cover it to a depth of 9\1/2\ feet. So when you put it in that perspective, all of a sudden it starts to make sense and you start to focus on it, and you say this truly is a gift from God. This is truly a gift that we have to look after. Too often it is said, well, you know, just let things go, because if you let them go, they will usually work out on their own. My goodness, nothing could be further from the truth. We have seen the great damage to the Great Lakes, and we have also seen that over the years we all of a sudden have become very much aware of it. I would just like to say in the district that I represent, Pennsylvania's Third District, Erie, Pennsylvania, Presque Isle was on the list, and it was one of those things that said this is an area of concern. So the attention was turned to what do we have to do to save Presque Isle. Now, in 2012 it was the first one of these properties that was taken off the list of concern through the efforts of not only the Erie community, but through the efforts of Congress, and also through the efforts of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Now, we stand here today, and as I have said, I have always referred to the gentlewoman as ``Our Lady of the Lakes.'' There is nothing more precious to us than this great amount of water that we have, potable water. If we were to turn our backs on it or for some reason to think that it is not important or that it is not critical or that it is not a gift from God that has been put in our care and custody and is up to us to protect, then we have fallen far from where we are as a people and as a nation. I would like to read one excerpt. A friend of mine named Art Grayhead is an Army veteran, Special Ops guy. He is also a Native American. To him, the Great Lakes represent not only a body of water, but also something precious and also something that has a much deeper religious meaning. He gave me a book called ``The Living Great Lakes.'' It is written by Jerry Dennis. I am going to read it because I think it is worded so magnificently by Mr. Dennis: To appreciate the magnitude of the Great Lakes you must get close to them. Launch a boat on their waters or hike their beaches or climb the dunes, bluffs, and rocky outcrops that surround them, and you will see, as people have seen since the age of the glaciers that these lakes are pretty darn big. It is no wonder they are sometimes upgraded to the ``Inland Seas'' and the ``Sweetwater Seas.'' Calling them lakes is like calling the Rockies hills. So when you see them and conceptualize in your head what it is that we are talking about and what it is that we are concerned about and what it is that has been put in our care and custody, none of us can ever turn away and say: ``This doesn't fall on our watch'' or ``We don't have to worry about the Great Lakes.'' We have to worry about the Great Lakes, we have to guard the Great Lakes, and we have to pass it on to the next generation so they, too, can enjoy all the benefits from it. We talk about the economic consequences and the environmental consequences. There is nothing in the life of everyday Americans that is more important than our Great Lakes. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio. She certainly has fought this battle for a long, long time. She has always been a great champion of the Great Lakes. So many of our Members who live around the Great Lakes champion it every day. But it is not just for us, it is not just for those States around the Great Lakes. It is for every single American. I thank the gentlewoman so much for her concern, her dedication, and more than anything her passion.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I can remember as a child my parents taking us to Lake Erie for summer vacation. I had no idea what I was going to see, but as we got closer to Erie, my dad said: See, Mike, there it is. There is the lake. I said: It looks like it is going to come crashing on us. Because, you know, as you get closer to those bodies of water, as the horizon, the water and the sky meet together, and as you are approaching it, it looks like: My goodness, I can't imagine anything this big. In the eyes of a child, I looked at it and I was completely taken away. I couldn't believe it. That has only increased as I have aged and I have watched that marvelous, marvelous gift from God that we have and that we have to protect. Again, I thank the gentlewoman. It is always a pleasure being with her on the floor talking about our Great Lakes. It is always a pleasure working with her. The passion she has to protect our Great Lakes is absolutely incredible.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Yes, ma'am.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize one of my constituents from Western Pennsylvania, Mr. Charles Schmitz. Mr. Schmitz, known as `Charlie' by many, was originally from New York City but now calls his ranch in Crawford County home. Charlie gallantly served in our nation's military and spent three years in combat. He is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who continues to serve those around him with his selfless personality and admirable actions. During his service, Charlie sustained injuries which had a significant impact on his life and ultimately motivated the next part of his journey. In 1993, Charlie founded the WCJ Ranch, a Pennsylvania non-profit that provides regulated licensed shooting and hunting grounds free of charge to Combat Disabled Veterans, Disabled Veterans and Inexperienced Youth Hunters. In order to benefit as many veterans as possible, WCJ Ranch collaborates with other organizations such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. For twenty-three successful hunting seasons, Charlie has served as the ranch's founder, field guide and outfitter. Charlie has welcomed countless veterans regardless of their physical challenges, and provided them with the opportunity to hunt safely and enjoy the great outdoors to the fullest extent among other veterans. WCJ Ranch personalizes each and every hunt by accommodating the hunter's physical abilities. There are several handicapped-accessible deer and turkey blinds, accessible by wheelchair as well as specially-outfitted trails and bridges. Facilities are continuously being adapted and upgraded to accommodate the ever-changing needs of the hunters. Charlie adds new stands and special facilities every year for repeat hunters who frequent WCJ Ranch to ensure they have new areas to explore each time they visit. Everyone who has had the privilege of visiting WCJ Ranch has walked away changed for the better and sure of one thing--it's not just about the hunt. It's the overall experience which creates memories that last a lifetime. The camaraderie between the hunters and the staff leads to close bonds and beneficial relationships. It is the welcoming environment that Charlie has created where everyone feels safe and as if they belong. Charlie has displayed an unwavering commitment to the veterans' community and those in need. He used his personal experience and what helped him heal following his time in combat, and decided to create a similar outlet for other veterans where they could find peace. Charlie is an honorable man whose dedication continues to make a positive difference in the lives of so many.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman for referring to me as young and exciting. I am going to phone my wife to let her know that is the case. Mr. Speaker, I come before you today because I am in strong support of H.R. 3442. I think that sometimes we make this a Democratic versus Republican issue. Responsibility is not a political issue. It is a moral issue. Irresponsibility is the problem that we have. I wish we could go away from making political talking points into making solid policy positions that say: okay, fine, if we are going to increase our debt ceiling, tell me why you are going to get there. I come from the private sector. There are many times in my life I have had to go to lenders and tell them I need to borrow money. The first thing they would say is: give me your financials; let me look at the way you are running your company; let me see about what you are doing; then we will make a decision. Then they would come back to me and say: you know what, I am looking at what you are asking for, and you definitely need an injection of capital; but my question is what is your turnaround plan so you are not back here in 6 months or 12 months asking for more money on a failed model. The people's House, the Congress, is made up of both Republicans and Democrats. More importantly, it is made up of Americans. We are looking at a year when the tax revenues are the highest they have ever been-- $3.25 trillion--yet, we continue to spend $3.7 trillion to $3.8 trillion. Now people look at that and their eyes kind of roll back in their head. They say: I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. So you reduce it down to this, which I think is the most effective way of explaining it. Hardworking American couples sit down at the kitchen table. It is kitchen table economics. It is not all this other stuff. It is not all these hieroglyphics. The husband and the wife talk and say: you know what, Honey, we had a great year; I was able to bring home $32,500; what I want you to do is to go out and spend $37,500 or $38,000. They would look at each other and say: wait a minute, you told me you had a great year--and you did--but you want me to spend even more money than you brought in. We constantly tell the American people: you are going to have to tighten your belts; you are going to have to live within your means. And then, because we don't have to, we go out and borrow and raise the debt ceiling. Think about that couple that is increasing their debt load year after year after year--deficit spending--and we are crowing about the fact that you know what, we have cut our deficit spending by half a trillion dollars this year. Aren't we doing well? My question is: so where does that deficit spending go? It goes onto your long-term debt. You are digging the hole so deep that you will never be able to climb out of it, but you are feeling good about it because you were able to satisfy whatever your needs were at that moment. That is not only irresponsible, it is unconscionable. More than that, it is immoral for people to sit in this House as representatives of the American people who have been given the authority to tax, but they have also been given the responsibility to spend that hardworking American taxpayer's dollar. More importantly, once you have authority and once you have responsibility, you have got to be accountable not just to that person in the mirror, but, in my case, the 705,687 people that I represent in western Pennsylvania. Now, they are not all Republicans. They are not all Democrats. They are not all Libertarians. They are not all Independents. But they are all hardworking American taxpayers. Why do we have to reduce this down to a political-talking-points issue instead of talking about what is fundamentally sound economically? You cannot spend your way out of debt. You cannot continue to borrow irresponsibly and say: well, we have the power to do it. So when we ask the Secretary of the Treasury who else would you go to, that is who is responsible for it. I don't care who is sitting in there. I don't care who is in the White House. I care about sound, fundamental fiscal policy that protects this country going forward, not only those that are with us right now, but those that came before us and those that are going to come after us. We are putting ourselves in a position that is totally going to be unrecoverable. Why would we knowingly sit here and think if I can pin the blame on somebody else from the political opposite of me, I will somehow win an election? Is it really that important to win an election and lose the country? Is it really that important to have a political talking point that makes you feel good about what you said so you can go back home to somebody and say: you saw what I did on the floor; right? I would hope that the constituents would say: yes, I did. You just put me deeper in debt. You made it impossible for me to plan for my future. You made it impossible for us to remain one of the strongest countries in the world because debt will eliminate you. I don't care if it is a person. I don't care if it is a business. I don't care if it is a State or a country. We are quickly approaching the point of no return. To sit here and try to make it a political battle instead of survival for the United States of America is totally irresponsible. More importantly, it is immoral. This is not a political battle. This is a fight for the future of our country. This is a fight for sustainability in the greatest country the world has ever known. I do not think that any of us should ever turn our back on our responsibility because it just wasn't politically right.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, one hundred thirteen years ago this month, pioneers from Korea first journeyed to our shores in search of opportunity, prosperity, and freedom. These early Korean Americans worked hard in our growing country, started families, and established strong communities. Over the past century, Korean Americans have made strong contributions to our fields of medicine, engineering, research, and innovation, and have become respected community leaders and elected officials. 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. In response to the invasion of North Korean and communist forces in 1950, the United States led a global coalition to defend Korean sovereignty. Millions of American and Korean soldiers fought side by side and formed friendships during the conflict. Guided by desire to foster trust and mutual cooperation in the region, the U.S.-Korea alliance has stabilized a region subjected to terror by North Korea. Last November, I had the privilege of visiting the Republic. Over the course of my three-day visit, I enjoyed robust policy discussions with Korean leaders on numerous topics, deepening old friendships while forging new ones. It was evident to me that the U.S.-Korea alliance has never been stronger. The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) has brought economic growth to both of our countries, and American exports to Korea reached a record level last year. As I continue to reflect on my visit to the Republic, I am reminded of the deep and abiding responsibility all American leaders should feel towards preserving the U.S.-Korea alliance. The vigor and vitality of the Korean people and their commitment to democracy, a free market economy, and the rule of law--our common values--is simply inspirational. We owe that commitment to our esteemed Korean War veterans--the 1.8 million Americans who fought and sacrificed so much in that awful conflict to help birth one of the greatest democracies and alliances in the history of civilization. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate Korean American Day. As the co- chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, I am proud to recognize our nations' special relationship and the powerful contributions that Korean Americans have made to the United States, especially those who have served with distinction in our Armed Forces. In the years to come, the U.S.-Korea alliance will surely be tested but our faith and determination will never falter or waiver.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I strongly support H.R. 1644. I think it is really important that sometimes we actually talk to people who work in coal country, people who live in coal country, people who have generationally been part of coal mining. Too often I come to this floor in America's House and I hear all these different things that are going on. If you want to talk about health, let's talk about the health of our community. Let's talk about the tens of thousands of jobs that will be lost because of more regulations. We know that commodity prices will fluctuate. The one thing we know for sure is that regulation will not. It will forever put a price tag on this product that will make it impossible for it to compete on the open market. Yet we will sit here and we will talk about things that really aren't true, and we will say it in a manner that we say this is so bad, this product is so horrible, do you realize what it is doing? And my answer is, yes, I do. It employees tens of thousands of Americans. These are not, by the way, Republican jobs. These are Democrat jobs for the most part. These are American jobs. These are red, white, and blue jobs. This is about a product that has been the workforce of American energy. This makes it possible for America to compete anywhere in the world because of low energy costs. I would just ask my friends, while it may become a political issue and it may seem like it is a great talking point, you need to walk in those communities. You need to go into those schools. You need to go into those towns. You need to go into those homes. You need to go into those mines. You need to look into the faces and the eyes of the people who bring this tremendous product out of the ground and tell them what they have been doing generationally is horrible for the country. You need to tell them that the way they have been making a living, the way they have been putting a roof over the heads of their children, the way they have been putting food on the table for their kids, the way they have been putting clothes on their backs, and the way they have been preparing for their future is bad; you have acted terribly in doing this, and we need ought to spank you. Really minor adjustments--475 modifications. That is not minor; that is major. That makes the cost of this product go off the charts. It doesn't matter that it changes anything. This is one promise the President kept. When he was a candidate running for this office, he said: If you want to continue to make power, make electricity, by using coal-fired power plants, you can do that, but I will bankrupt you. He has kept that promise. Promise made, promise kept. He has turned his back on over a quarter of a million people who depend on coal for their livelihood. He has turned his back on an America that is looking to take advantage of gifts that were given to us by God--natural resources. We have not turned our back on health; we have not turned our back on the future of our children; but what we also will not do is we will not turn our back on onerous regulations that do nothing to make it better for our people. All we are asking for is to take a really good look at this. The stream protection rule, that doesn't make sense. The Clean Power Plan didn't make sense. It makes sense to some because it will put them out of business to say: All right. Fine. We need to do this to really hurt these folks.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. It really comes down to this. We are at a crossroads in this country. We have to present really bold visions of where we think the country should be going. We need to talk about policies that are going to make America stronger. We need to talk about policies that put Americans back to work. We need to talk about policies that the American people can look at and say: Do you know what? There is a clear difference. There is a new day coming for America. There is a new way to run the government. There is a new way to look at regulations and understand that these aren't helping; they are hurting. I would just ask all of my colleagues very strongly to support H.R. 1644. Do the right thing for America. Forget about whether to wear a red shirt or a blue shirt. Think about the red, white, and blue that we stand for every day.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I, too, would like to add my thanks for the passion and the commitment he has made to the right-to-life movement and the protection of the unborn--both he and his wife--not just here in the United States, but around the world. I have seen that happen. But we are here tonight. It is hard to stand in America's House and think that we have to debate an issue that is so basic to who we are not as Republicans or Democrats, but as human beings. In the district that I represent, the biggest county is Erie County. In Erie County, there are 278,443 people, human beings. In 2014, abortions performed by Planned Parenthood ended the potential lives of 324,000 human beings. It is stunning here in America's House and in the United States of America, where we recoil at any action around the world where there is loss of life, especially when it happens violently and at the hands of people who have absolutely no regard for human life. We still shudder that Adolph Hitler was able to eliminate 7 million Jews. We have ended the lives of 57 million Americans that could be here today. We lost their lives. We lost their potential. We lost their value. The hypocrisy that drips from the people's House--America's House--when we have to stand and debate the right to life, the right of the unborn, and think that somehow this is an argument that we must win. This is something that never ever should have happened, not in America, not on our watch, not in our time. On January 22, hundreds of thousands of pro-life Americans will come to the Nation's capital. They will be little noted by the media, but they will be here. They come every year. They come here every year with one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to protect the lives of the unborn. When, America, will we stand up and take the responsibility for the heinous activity that we have allowed to happen on our watch? I thank my colleagues and I thank the gentleman for his passion and dedication to the lives of the unborn. We will never ever walk away from this responsibility to right a horrible wrong in the chapter of human history.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support. This is one of the things that I think really makes us a little bit different. It is about certainty. And where I am from, there is an old saying: If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Well, people who run businesses actually have to know where they are going before they start. So this does bring some honesty to what it is that we need to do. But in a time when people talk about ``I'' and ``me''--and that is what I hear most of the time--I want to talk about all the other people: the ``we's'' that got together. This is truly a joint effort between a lot of staff members. It is not just Members of Congress, but staff members. So, if I could just for a second thank the committee's tax team: George Callas, Mark Warren, Harold Hancock, John Sandell, Aharon Friedman, and Jennifer Acuna. They have put in unbelievable amounts of time on this to get this done not for the Republican Party, but for the American people. How refreshing it is at this time of the year to actually give back and do something for others--and do it in a way that just makes common sense to everybody out there who has to know where it is that they are going. There is something about certainty that gives us the confidence to go forward and that gives us that assuredness that we can actually get there. This is an incredible opportunity. This is really historic. So I want to thank Members on both sides. I think the American people will sit back and say: This is the place where these guys and girls can't get together on anything. I would just say that is not true. This is truly bipartisan. It has taken an awful lot of work by an awful lot of people. So I want to take time to thank them for what they did. They are incredible people and great patriots.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I think tonight is a great night for us all to get together. While we are very concerned about the cost to American taxpayers and the fact that we will be going away from our fossil fuels, which are so abundant, so accessible and so affordable, there is another issue that takes place at the same time. In the Paris protocol, we have heard the President say very clearly-- and he has used this many times before--that things aren't getting done at the pace that he would like and that he has a phone and he has a pen and, if Congress can't act, he will act. Well, I would like to suggest to the President, in fact, it is kind of shocking and stunning that a former professor of constitutional law would have a total disregard for the Constitution. I would like to tell the President that the Constitution is not a suggestion. It is who we are. It is what makes us an exceptional Nation. Now, the United Nations' Framework Convention on Climate Change is taking place right now in Paris. It is stunning that the legacy of one man would overshadow what is good for not only our country, but the world. Decisions made by this President and the commitments made by this President, he looks at it as an executive decision, not as a treaty, a treaty that requires him returning to the House and to the Senate. Particularly treating this as a treaty, it would take two-thirds of the Senate to concur with whatever it is that we are proposing. Again, as I said, this is a former professor of constitutional law. Yet, he continually defies it. He makes the House irrelevant. This is not, by the way, a Republican or Democrat issue. This is an American issue. This goes to the very framework and the very foundation of who we are as a Nation. So when you look at this, it is really hard to believe that there is such disregard. I would just say to the President that, if you go to article II, section 2, clause 2, it is very clearly stated: ``The President . . . shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur . . .'' Again, this is an overreach by an executive. It doesn't matter if it is a Republican sitting in the White House or a Democrat sitting in the White House or an Independent or a Libertarian sitting in the White House. It clearly is defined in our Constitution how these powers work.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his contribution. I mean, it really does come down to, well, tonight we are talking about energy and we are talking about setting targets and timetables that will be very expensive for hardworking American taxpayers' money. I would like to remind the President that the money he is talking about committing is not his. It belongs to hardworking American taxpayers. This insane idea that somehow there is an endless amount of money to be thrown around the world for whatever reason possible and knowing that, really, the Paris protocol is nothing more than a conversation taking place in Paris. There is no commitment from these countries to do all these things. There is an ask for these countries to do these things. What they are asking is: If we do comply with these suggestions, these targets, these timetables, will we be subsidized by the United States of America? The President has been unbelievable to make the commitments that he continues to make. He does not have that power. Our Constitution clearly defines the separation of powers. It is clearly structured so that no one body can run roughshod over the other body. This has been a concern forever. Yet, this President consistently time after time disregards the House and the Senate. As I said earlier, this is not about Republicans or Democrats. This is about America and America's future. In this case, it is about energy. But as we go forward, what other overreaches will this Executive take? What other things will he do because it is about his legacy and not about the well-being of our country and our people. It is shocking. It is stunning that he would continue on this path. What is even more stunning to me is that the American people sit idly by and watch this happen day after day, week after week, month after month. In 7 years of watching this, they sit back and say: I am not sure that he doesn't have the power to do this. Well, let me tell you, it is clearly defined in our Constitution that this President does not have this authority. In fact, no President, no Executive has the authority to do what this President is continuing to do. As we meet here in America's House and we look at what can you do, because people back home tell me all the time, ``Look, I agree with you, but what can you do about it?'' and I know that for myself and my colleagues, we refuse to sit by idly and watch our Nation be given away and watch our Constitution be run over roughshod because of one man's legacy. This is not what is good for America. This is what is good for this administration and this President. That is not only shameful, it is unconstitutional and cannot be tolerated. That is why, with Senator Lee in the Senate and myself, we have come up with H. Con. Res. 97 that states any commitment of funds, hardworking American taxpayer funds, has got to come before the Senate for its advice and consent. As I said earlier, we can debate and we can talk and we can amend, but what we cannot condone is an Executive who has a total disregard for this House and for the Senate. As I said earlier, we need colleagues on both sides. This is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. This comes down to the very foundation of who we are as a country. If we turn our back on this, what will be next? The continual disregard for the Constitution is not only of grave concern to me, to my colleagues, but every single American, regardless of how you vote or how you register. That is not the issue, my friends. The issue is, when do the American people in America's House, with the Senate, stand up and say there will be no commitment of hardworking American taxpayer dollars unless it comes before the Senate as a treaty and gets the advice and consent of the Senate, two-thirds of which are required to pass this? I know we are coming to an end in Paris, and I know there is great concern of getting to Paris to find out exactly what the Paris Protocol is structured with, but I would just say this: Before you pack your bags and leave, take a copy of your Constitution with you. For those folks sitting back home and watching this happen, please, get out your Constitutions and look. For our schools, please start to preach and teach the Constitution, of which too many Americans are woefully uninformed.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I would tell you this, and I think if there is anything more telling of the view that this administration has, all you have to do is go back in time to March of 2015 this year when Josh Earnest, who represents the White House in all the briefings, was asked by a reporter in regard to the Paris Protocol and in regard to the climate control conference that would be taking place. This is so typical of this administration. The reporter looks to Mr. Earnest and says to him: Is this the kind of agreement that Congress should have the ability to sign off on? Now, you would think that somebody who works for a former constitutional law professor would have a little bit of an idea when it comes to speaking; and even while they may feel in their heart that they have a total disregard for this body, I don't think that they would be encouraged to speak out the way Josh Earnest did that day. Let me read what Josh Earnest said when the reporter asked him: Is this the kind of agreement that Congress should have the ability to sign off on? He looks him right in the eye and says: I think it is hard to take seriously from some Members of Congress who deny the fact that climate change exists that they should have some opportunity to render judgment about a climate change agreement. Is that not stunning? And not only stunning, but chilling that, coming out of the White House, the spokesman for the President of the United States again consistently expresses the attitude of this President in that: Are you kidding me? We are actually going to have the people's House, the people's Representatives weigh in on a climate change initiative? They are not qualified. They only represent the people. No. We will make that decision. And he again totally trashes the House of Representatives. By the way, for my friends who don't speak up when this happens to them, you got trashed, too, my friends. I have watched you stand and applaud a President who says consistently that: I do not need the House of Representatives to effect change. I will use my phone and I will use my pen, and I am tired of waiting for these people. Well, Mr. President, once again I say to you that the Constitution is not a suggestion. It is who we are as a nation. It is what makes us great. It is what allows the people to decide how they will be governed, not the government to decide how the people will be governed. This is such upside-down thinking. While I am concerned, as you are, with the abandonment of our fossil fuels and turning our economic revival upside down, I am more concerned with an administration that consistently turns upside down our Constitution, runs roughshod over the House of Representatives, disregards the Senate, and then sits back and says: This is the way it is going to be because I am the President of the United States. I tell you, Mr. President, you are the President of the United States. You take the same oath all of us take. If for some reason you can't remember what it is, please take a look at it and remind yourself who you are, what you are, and whom you represent.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pursue an energy agenda that maybe makes sense for America, a AAA strategy of energy, to reach self-sustainability and secure America's economic future. While we all agree on an all-of-the-above strategy, let's not turn away from an all-below strategy that makes sense for America, is truly unique, and makes us totally energy self-sufficient--energy below that is abundant, accessible, and affordable; centuries' worth of coal, oil, and natural gas that lie just below our surface; energy that makes America the energy envy of the world. It creates thousands of jobs, not just Republican jobs or Democrat jobs, but red, white, and blue jobs--jobs that truly make us energy self-sufficient, jobs that let us rebuild our families, our towns, our churches, our schools, and make us strong again in the world, rebuild our national security. As we speak here tonight and as the gentleman just referenced, our President is in Paris kicking off the Paris Protocol. Again, he promises to reshape America's future through upsidedown policies, the cost of which will be beyond astronomical, according to Bill Gates. This is another example of an out-of-control Executive who has placed his legacy above the wants and needs and the safety and security of the American people, the people he serves. It is not the other way around. The Paris Protocol must be a treaty; it cannot be another executive agreement. Let all those who participate in the Paris Protocol know that, without the advice and consent of America's Senate, the hardworking American taxpayers' moneys will not be squandered on an ill-fated agenda that the President lays forward. He sets timetables and targets--targets that are in direct defiance of America's future, that are in direct defiance of America's wellbeing, that are in direct defiance of America's economic recovery. This is another example of a President who is not only out of touch, he is out of control. He has lost his vision of what made America great and what would keep America strong as the future goes on, about American jobs and about American self-sufficiency when it comes to energy. These are truly renewable sources of energy. What do I mean by ``renewable''? They renew our economy. They renew our towns, our communities, our families, and our future. This is the renewable energy that America needs. This is the energy that America has, and this is the energy that America needs to make the most of. That is why myself and Senator Mike Lee have introduced a concurrent resolution, one that says no moneys that come out of the pockets of hardworking American taxpayers will be squandered on this agenda. Unless it comes with the advice and consent of the Senate, there is no agreement, there are no moneys, there is no way this President can promise other countries that these dollars will be coming. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for holding this Special Order on a very timely issue and an issue that we must win if we are to maintain our national security.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. You and I don't just talk this; we walk it. We have actually gone into the mines with these people. You and I have seen communities that have been shut down, not just mines that have been shut down--communities that have been shut down, families that have been shattered now and scattered across the country, people that have lost jobs that were generational jobs. This President has turned his back on coal, America's workhorse. We must reclaim it.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, I stand in strong support of H.R. 1737, and I will tell you why. It is because it is what I have done and what my family has done for almost 60 years. We are a third-generation automobile dealer. I can tell you that it is a people business, not a White person business, not a Black person business, not a Brown person business, not a Red person business, or a Yellow person business. It is a business that is done face-to-face. I have sat across the desk from many people, lower income people, who cannot afford to get a car because they don't have the ability to negotiate the auto loan. It is our business, and I am stunned by people who have never done what we have done who have somehow decided that we are racist and that we are overcharging people. We are doing exactly the opposite, and you are doing exactly the opposite. You are discriminating against the very people who need our help to buy cars. We negotiate the deal for them. We negotiate the cost down. So to stand here today and think that somehow this is racist--if I were a person of color, I would be offended that you would even begin to suggest that I do not understand how to negotiate and that I do not understand who to trust and who not to trust. Three generations of Kellys have sold over 150,000 cars. You don't do that by cheating people. You don't do that by being a racist. You don't do that by discriminating against people. You do that by working with people. It is stunning in this House--America's House--that we would reduce this down to an issue of color and not of cooperation. The ability to get these people transportation--private transportation-- falls on the shoulders of those who are the dealers. We negotiate in their best interest. How stunning to think that somehow we are these predators who are just taking advantage of these poor people who don't have any financial literacy. That, my friends, ultimately, is the biggest insult you could give people of color or people of gender. It is absolutely incredible to me that we would bring it to this issue. If you don't understand our business, please learn about it. I don't have to have a book of talking points in order to talk about what we have done our whole life. I stand in strong support of H.R. 1737 and in strong support of common sense and the American way.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today, I congratulate the Neshannock Township Volunteer Fire Company on 75 years of faithful service to their community. Since 1940, the Neshannock Township Volunteer Fire Company has provided fire protection, emergency medical response, and technical rescue services to the nearly 10,000 citizens of Neshannock Township, as well as the surrounding communities of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The fire company, made up entirely of volunteers, responds to around 400 incidents per year, including structure fires, car accidents, medical emergencies, and hazardous material incidents. The volunteer responders complete at least 70 hours of training each year, with many members undertaking more than 100 hours of training annually. I commend these volunteer responders for donating their time and efforts, especially for selflessly putting themselves in harm's way to keep their friends and neighbors safe. Communities across America rely on the generosity and courage of men and women like volunteer firefighters to maintain the safety and security of their farms, neighborhoods, towns, and villages. I congratulate the Neshannock Township Volunteer Fire Company for reaching this significant milestone and I wish them many more successful years of service.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman. Madam Chair, I am fascinated. I have been here for 5 years. And the fact is that people who don't have any idea about how a business is run are constantly telling people how to run their business; they are people who don't have the foggiest idea of who auto dealers are or who our responsibility is to and the fact that all recalls are not created equal. There is not a single person in our business that would ever put one of our owners in a defective car or a car with a recall. But that could happen. That could happen. So if you are telling me that, because the wrong phone number is printed in an owner's manual, that is a recall, we have to get that car off the road, my God, can you imagine what would happen to this owner if they opened up that glove box and saw that? What a horrible situation to put them in. Now, you shake your heads and you say, no, that is not what is going on. Now, please, this is what I do. This is who I am. We are a third- generation automobile business, sold thousands of cars. And these people are not just customers. They are our part of our extended families. But somehow we believe that, if we can redefine, if we can tell people: ``This car has been recalled. You can't possibly get in it'' and you say: ``Well, what is the recall?'', well, you know what? One pound per square inch on the tire pressure is not printed correctly. That is horrible. How could that possibly be? You have got to get that car off the road. You are subjecting automobile dealers to the same things that you are subjecting rental car companies who don't have to worry about it because, by the way, as those cars come off the road in a recall, the factories pay them for those cars as they sit waiting to be repaired. There is no loss of revenue for a rental car company. That is why they are so happy about it. And what will they do with us when we take a car off the road? They will say: ``Send your customer to us and we will rent them a car.'' If you can't see the difference, if you can't see the unequal balance in it, then there is a problem here. If a safety recall is a safety recall, that is one thing. But if it is something else that is cosmetic, that is something altogether different, to group them all under the same umbrella and say: ``This is a problem. This is a problem hunting for some type of an issue and there is no issue here. There is none of us in our business that would ever put any of our owners in an unsafe car. But I will tell you what. I wish some of these ridiculous amendments would expire.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1090. I think that we don't have to go back too far to look at what is happening here right now. It is almost a message to the American people: You poor, poor people. You can't possibly understand how to handle your physical health decisions. The government is going to have to step in and tell you how to handle your financial decisions because you just can't do it on your own. So we attack those people who make a living of giving good advice to people who don't have the ability to navigate a very difficult terrain when it comes to their retirement. So who is always there to step in? That knight in shining armor, that parasitic leviathan that just can't wait to gobble up every single asset that the American people have. We talk about fiduciary responsibility. I would say that also falls in the House. Really, if you are acting in the best interests of those folks who you represent or those people whose problems you handle, you will probably get a chance to come back here. If you handle their retirement accounts the right way, they will probably keep you as their retirement adviser, and they will also refer you to other people who are having the same problem. Isn't it amazing that it always comes down to the government because they know so much better than everyday Americans about the way things should be done. When we have to go after some group, what we do is we raise the bar so high, we put so much responsibility on them that at the end of the day, they say: You know what? I can't pony up in this game anymore. I can't ante up. I am going to get out of here. Then who is left? Oh, my goodness, thank God for this safety net of a Federal Government that has done such a marvelous job with Social Security, that does such a marvelous job of protecting everyday Americans. This is not a Republican initiative, and thank God for the gentlewoman from Missouri, the Show Me State, to show us what is happening here right now. The Department of Labor does not have to get involved in this. As has already been said, this is a solution hunting for a problem. Why don't we just use good common sense? When it comes to lower income people and lower middle-income people, they look to those folks who do financial advising to help them get through that night, that dark night and get ready for retirement. Why in the world would we turn our back on the people who generate all this revenue?

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 10. Now, why would I rise in support of this? If you hear the rhetoric from the other side, you are saying this is not a program that works; but if you compare the results, it does work. When you just hear that only 55 percent of people in D.C. Public Schools graduate from high school and yet if they have an opportunity to go to this other school, 89 percent graduate, my goodness, what more do you need to understand? Look, it is very evident about what is going on here. If you want our children to succeed, if you want our children to excel, and if you want America to be able to compete worldwide, then education is the answer. The true issue here is a moral issue and a civil rights issue. I really believe that President Obama, in 2008, was on to something. This is what the President said: The single most important factor in determining student achievement is not the color of their skin, it is not where they come from, it is not their parents or how much money their parents have. It is who their teacher is. Mr. Chairman, if there is one thing that has made this country exceptional, it is that we have allowed everyone the opportunity to rise from whatever level they started at to whatever level they can achieve. It is only possible through education. This program works. Mr. Chairman, $60 million is going to be equally divided between the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, D.C. Public Schools, and the D.C. Public Charter Schools. When we give this money to the parents of these children, when they get a chance to see their children excel, when they get a chance to see their children grow, and when they see a chance for their children to have great success, how can we sit in America's House and debate about is this really what it is all about?

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Park Geun-hye, president of the Republic of Korea, on the occasion of her second visit to Washington, D.C. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. As Korea has transformed itself in six decades from a war torn economy into the thirteenth largest economy in the world, as well as an indispensable ally and linchpin of regional peace and stability in Northeast Asia, it stands as one of America's greatest foreign policy success stories of the post-World War II era. Today Korea is the sixth largest trading partner of the United States, the fifth largest market for agricultural goods, and the third largest destination for U.S. foreign direct investment in the Asia- Pacific region. Bilateral trade between our two nations reached $101.3 billion in 2013 alone, cemented by the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Overall, American exports to Korea reached a record level of $44.5 billion last year. Trade with Korea injects billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, supporting thousands of American jobs. Next week, Korean President Park Geun-hye will be making her second visit to Washington, D.C. While I regret not being here to welcome her in person, I want to express my heartfelt welcome and convey my best wishes for her every success. I know that President Park's agenda for her visit will be important and robust. There are many challenges that confront us in the region, as shown by the recent incident along the Demilitarized Zone in which two South Korean soldiers were maimed by land mines laid by the North. Yet we shall remain resolute in countering North Korean provocations, and our iron-clad alliance will only be strengthened by President Park's visit. In addition, I look forward to hearing about expanded U.S.-Korea cooperation in other areas including energy, space, health and cybersecurity. Again, I offer my best wishes to President Park on a productive and successful visit and I ask my colleagues to join me with their own expressions of friendship and support.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Speaker, I was in my office watching the debate, and I thought, well, if I really thought I was innocent, if I really thought there was nothing that really went with what the other side is claiming, if I really thought I needed to wipe the slate clean, if I really thought that sunlight is truly the best antiseptic. Forget about the organization. Let's talk about the act. This is one of the most repulsive things you can watch. It turns your stomach to see our unborn--our born--listen, little boys and little girls being dissected and being sold. It is a criminal activity. So my question comes down to--and if you read ``Rules for Radicals,'' the best way to counteract a charge against you is to go after those who are attacking you and make them the bad person. I don't understand. In America's House, when we want to have a debate, when we want everybody in America to look and say that this was fair, we are talking about an investigation that, if we are false, if the claims are false, it would wipe the slate clean. Most people who think they have been wrongly accused of something say, ``Bring the facts out. Let everybody see them. Let's have the conversation. Let's have the debate. Let's really determine if this is really going on.'' Only someone who is afraid it may go against them would say, ``No. No. No. You can't do this.'' I want to tell you, as far as women are concerned and a war on women, I am the father of four children, three boys and one girl. But I have ten grandchildren, six girls and four boys. There is not one of them that, when it comes to how much I love them, it is gender-selective. I love them all in the same way. In a country that has always stood for human rights, in a country that has always stood for others, for the most vulnerable--and I will not disguise it and say it is not what I am. I am from conception to natural death. I am in favor of life. I will always be in favor of life. But to have this debate today and to say that you can't possibly do this because it is driven, it is a Republican agenda, because it is a war on women, if anything, this is a war for women. We have got to protect these people. If there is anything that is a preemptive strike in the war on women, it is gender-selective abortion.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Speaker, I would just ask all Members, not as Republicans and not as Democrats, but as members of the human race, and for a House that just abhors what is going on around the world and saying that this is horrible what is going on and we won't ever let this happen in our country, why would we be having this debate today? If you really want the slate to be clear, if you really want the world to see that there is nothing going on here, then let's have an open investigation so, at the end of the day--I don't care what organizations--they can walk away and say, ``See, we proved that we aren't who they say we are.'' Mr. Speaker, this is just so simple. Why would you argue against it? It actually works to their advantage if it is not true. If it is true, then why in the world would we use hard-earned American taxpayer money to fund illegal and criminal activity? That is just not who we are as Americans.