Daniel Kildee

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership in bringing this legislation, which I support, to the floor, legislation that would fund the Department of Agriculture for the rest of the year. This bill would end part of the shutdown that this President has orchestrated and fund the Department of Agriculture, which helps people from going hungry and supports our farmers. With the shutdown of the Department of Agriculture, we are not implementing the farm bill that we passed here, which means we are not helping increase access to fruits and vegetables through programs like the Double Up Food Bucks program in Michigan. We are not helping struggling farmers sign up for crop insurance, our best risk mitigation tool. The agriculture industry is already being hurt by President Trump's poor trade practices. This is just another attack on them. Also, programs cannot proceed to address drinking water needs in our rural communities. We have places like Oscoda in my home district experiencing a drinking water emergency from PFAS. They have relied on the Department of Agriculture for help. That help won't be available. By passing this bill, we put thousands of Michigan workers back to work. We ensure families who rely on food nutrition assistance will get the help they need. Right now, they are only guaranteed that help through the end of February. Additionally, there are contractors who are essentially doing much of the same work as government employees but are not getting paid and will not see a paycheck when all of this is over. During this Trump shutdown, these hardworking employees don't know where their next paycheck is coming from. They can't turn to their parents like some can when they run out of money to pay their bills. They need help for healthcare. They need help to pay for childcare. They need to be able to cover their housing costs. They need to be able to buy food for their families. They can't plan for their own future when they don't know what they are going to be able to do next week. President Trump is using these families and farmers who work or depend on the Department of Agriculture as pawns in a political game. We may have disagreements, but we should never, ever shut the government down in order to achieve something that the President and his party are unwilling to submit to the legislative process.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the life of Don Krzysiak. Don and his family are longtime members of the Bay City community. Sadly, he passed away on Friday, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Lois, and their children, Tom, Donnie, and Melanie. Don founded Krzysiak's House Restaurant in 1979, with just a handful of employees, and grew it into the successful Bay City business that it is today. In fact, the very first event after I announced I was running for Congress was at Krzysiak's. He welcomed me with open arms and made me feel welcome in the neighborhood. I remember always buying paczkis from Don on Fat Tuesday. Every year, all the money he made from those sales was donated to the Salvation Army. Don was not just a small-business owner, but also an important part of our community. He helped people struggling to find employment and supported people coming out of jail trying to start a new life. Everyone who knew him at the family restaurant described him as more than a boss, but everybody's friend. He loved to spend time with his family and in his neighborhood, and he loved to listen to polka music. Before opening the restaurant, he served in the U.S. Army. His commitment to our country will always be remembered. Mid-Michigan lost a great friend and a bright spirit this week. The entire State of Michigan, the Bay City community, and I, personally, will miss him. Thank you, Don, for everything you have done. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House join me in a brief moment of silence in Don's memory.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1165, condemning the Assad regime and its backers for their continued support of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria: nearly half a million Syrians killed, 14 million Syrians displaced, and countless acts of atrocities from the Assad regime supported by its backers in Iran and in Russia. Clearly, it is right that Congress takes this step and acts. This resolution urges a political solution to this conflict, to ensure the Assad regime cannot use the air to target its own civilians. This resolution brings much-needed attention to the atrocities of this regime, which is responsible for horrific crimes, again, against its own people. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their hard work and advocacy for this resolution that seeks to hold this regime accountable, and I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation. It shines a bright light on what is happening in Syria and the crimes committed by the Assad regime, along with its backers in Russia and in Iran. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this resolution, and, again, I thank my colleagues for their work on this effort.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, during the campaign, then-candidate Trump came to Warren, Michigan, and promised workers: ``You won't lose one plant, I promise you that.'' Well, the President's promises ring hollow. Just this week, General Motors announced plans to close five plants, including factories in Michigan just miles from where President Trump made his broken campaign promise. These plant closures are symbolic of the Trump economy, one that does not work for the American worker. It works for boardroom executives. It works for wealthy shareholders. It works for corporations and the people at the top. I am a Flint, Michigan, kid. General Motors was founded in my hometown. We know what happens when companies move their jobs overseas. We used to have 80,000 auto jobs in my town--now, less than 10,000. These plant closures have a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of people. We need an economy that works for everyone, and we need a President who is willing to work with Democrats and Republicans to craft an industrial policy that puts America to work, that stands up for the American worker. No more hollow promises.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, Michiganders went to the polls and elected a new Democratic majority. Because of this, I have the privilege of welcoming four new Michigan Democratic Members of Congress, folks who are committed to passing meaningful policies that will help everyday Americans. This means reducing the cost of healthcare. Prescription drug prices are too high. No one should have to choose between filling a prescription and feeding their family. These new Members are ready to work to protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts that Republicans have been proposing. We are pleased that we are going to be able to have these new allies in this fight. My own hometown of Flint knows firsthand the price of failing to invest in infrastructure. It is important that this Democratic majority advance a broad and meaningful infrastructure bill to fix our broken roads and bridges, and to repair our damaged water systems. It is past time that we took on these issues. I am anxious to welcome these new Members of Congress who are committed to moving this bold agenda forward.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, this week, House Republicans are rushing through yet another tax bill that gives the superwealthy and the well- connected a big tax break at the expense of working families in my district. The first Republican tax bill already cost $2 trillion, exploding our national deficit and setting up huge cuts for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The overwhelming number of Americans do not support these massive handouts to the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations. They have already funneled these corporations almost $1 trillion in stock buybacks to shareholders--money that is not going to workers. This week, House Republicans are just doubling down on this deeply unpopular and dangerous tax scam. This latest bill has Republicans scheming to make tax breaks for billionaires permanent, handing tens of billions of dollars to the wealthiest 1 percent. This latest bill will add to our national deficit. Mr. Speaker, Democrats support real bipartisan tax reform that would give relief to working American families.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the recent indictments of two GOP House Members showcases this rampant culture of corruption symbolic of a government of, by, and for special interests and wealthy donors. Now, this week, Republicans are trying to rush through their tax scam 2.0, which explodes the deficit to give more money to wealthy donors and the richest Americans. Because of the first tax scam, some of the biggest corporations are now on track to spend $1 trillion on dividends and stock buybacks. Meanwhile, working class constituents struggle to keep a roof over their head, pay for healthcare, and put food on the table for their family. Democrats want real bipartisan tax reform that creates jobs, reduces the deficit, and is for the people, not just the ultra-rich. We want to clean up the corruption and make Washington work for the people again. This means strengthening our ethics laws to fight special interests. This means fixing our broken campaign finance system to end the influence of big-money donors, and this means empowering voters to demand a responsive, accountable government, one that protects the right to vote, secures our election infrastructure, and ends partisan redistricting.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, every American who works hard and plays by the rules should be able to retire in dignity, supported by the pension that they have earned. Instead of protecting these hardworking Americans, this Republican- led Congress prioritized tax cuts for the biggest corporations and the wealthiest Americans. Now some of the largest pension plans for workers are on the verge of collapse; 1.5 million Americans, including 43,000 in my home State of Michigan, are at risk. These workers have earned their pensions. They worked a lifetime contributing to them, and now they are having the rug pulled out from under them? Patricia from Michigan is one of those retirees. Here is what she told my office: ``I was a single mother raising one child. I thought putting money into the pension was my security. Now you want to take it away. I was never on welfare--I worked. If I lose my pension, I will not be able to pay for the basics: utilities, taxes, car insurance, food.'' So unless Congress steps up, pensions for Americans like Patricia will be cut. Let's vote on bipartisan legislation that I cosponsored, the Butch Lewis Act, which addresses this pension crisis. This legislation ensures that multiemployer pension plans remain solvent and continue providing retirees and workers with the retirement benefits that they have earned. It is long past time to take up this legislation.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank my House colleagues who visited my hometown of Flint, Michigan, last week to get an update on the city's ongoing water crisis. I want to specifically thank Leader Nancy Pelosi; Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn; Representatives Barbara Lee, Jim McGovern, Denny Heck, Dwight Evans, Jared Huffman; and, of course, the members of the Michigan delegation, including Sandy Levin, Brenda Lawrence, and Debbie Dingell. I want to thank them all for visiting Flint. I appreciate all my colleagues who have come to Flint to visit with families, and I am especially grateful that Congress passed much-needed help for this community as it struggles to overcome this water crisis. Today, there is progress in Flint, thanks to this body. Nearly 7,000 of those dangerous lead pipes have been replaced so far using the Federal funds that we provided. The recovery does continue. The Flint water crisis has faded from the national headlines, and this congressional delegation is a reminder that the crisis isn't over. That visit was an opportunity for us to hear directly from families that there is still much to be done. What happened in Flint is not some anomaly. It is a warning to the rest of the country and to this Congress that we have to do more to rebuild America's critical infrastructure. Otherwise, we run the risk of more Flint, Michigans to come.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2069.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the Quigley amendment to restore funds to prevent Russian interference in our elections.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, like many Americans, yesterday I watched and was dumbfounded by the words and the actions of the President of the United States as he betrayed our principles and our national interests on the world stage. Never before have we seen a President of the United States so quickly surrender our longstanding values and our national security interests to an adversary like Vladimir Putin. The President's pathetic performance was an embarrassment for the United States. Just last week, of course, his own Justice Department indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents for the very act that he denied ever took place. When he had a chance to take sides between American interests and the American intelligence community, he wrapped his arms around Vladimir Putin, a KGB spy with a history of jamming his opponents and killing journalists. This is outrageous.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of my bipartisan amendment that would provide $1 million for the United States Geological Survey to eradicate grass carp in the Great Lakes. Grass carp are an invasive species, one of the four species of Asian carp that pose an immediate threat to the Great Lakes and its coastal wetlands. Since being introduced in Lake Erie, the grass carp population has been increasing, threatening our coastal wetlands and our region's economy that relies so heavily on the health of the Great Lakes. Our coastal wetlands are important to Michigan's environment and the wildlife they serve as a natural water filter and habitat for fish and waterfowl. Since 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which has been supported by Democrats and Republicans in Congress, has helped to restore the wetlands the grass carp are now consuming. The immediate threat of grass carp in Lake Erie jeopardizes the investment and the goals of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This amendment is simple. It empowers and funds the United States Geological Survey to track and monitor grass carp so that we can stop their spread in the Great Lakes. By passing this amendment, the United States Geological Survey would have additional resources to find out where grass carp are breeding so we can know how to stop their invasion and remove them from the Great Lakes. Funding from this amendment will double our efforts in Lake Erie to ensure we protect our coastal wetlands, our wildlife, and the Great Lakes themselves. With this amendment, we have an opportunity to address this urgent threat of invasive species such as grass carp. Madam Chair, I thank my friend from Michigan, Congressman Walberg, for working with me on this bipartisan amendment. I also thank our friends on the Appropriations Committee--Congresswoman Kaptur, Congressman Joyce, and Congressman Moolenaar--who have also been involved and helped on this. And I, of course, thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their efforts in working with us on ensuring that this amendment receives fair consideration. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for his support, and I thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their efforts in dealing with this really important issue. It is particularly important to those of us who live in the Great Lakes region, but it is important to all of us. This is really not only a question of maintaining this ecosystem, but it is important to our economy. Madam Chair, I thank all of my colleagues for their support. I urge the passage of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, a Federal court has ordered the Trump administration to reunite every child under 5 years old who is separated from his or her family by today. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has no plan for family reunifications and will fail to reunite as many as half of those children who were taken from their parents. This is completely unacceptable. Last week I visited some of those young children, one who looked about 6 months old and many who were 3 and 4. At the facility I visited, caseworkers there were calling detention facilities around the country to locate those parents. They had to call the facilities to try to find the parents. Many of them did. But it is clear that the administration had no plan other than to separate these kids from their parents as a tactic to try to dissuade people who are seeking shelter from violence from coming to the United States. Shame on them. This will be a dark period in our history. It is a sad day.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, an incredible nonprofit organization in my hometown of Flint that is working to end hunger in the communities across my district. Each year, the food bank distributes more than 28 million pounds of food through 22 counties. In addition to providing that assistance, the food bank is doing important work to study poverty in America. It is clear through their work that the way we measure poverty in America doesn't give us the full picture. The way we look at poverty is incomplete. Many families in Michigan technically are above the Federal poverty level, but those families struggle to meet their basic needs, like a roof over their head, enough food on the table, and paying their utility bills. Congress has to do more to end poverty in this country. Instead of cutting childcare programs, healthcare, and ending tax incentives like the Earned Income Tax Credit, let's help families be self-sufficient. Let's focus on creating good jobs, raising their wages, supporting families with income that allows them to not focus just on the basic needs. This is something that we have to do. We are the richest country on the planet. We ought to be able to end poverty in America.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, my first real professional job was as a social worker at Whaley Children's Center in my hometown of Flint, protecting kids who had been the subject of child abuse, victims of child abuse. We knew then, as we know now, that the best place, ultimately, for those kids was to get them back in their family. We worked to reunite kids with their families. So it is particularly offensive to see the President of the United States, the Government of the United States, adopt policy that intentionally separates children from their families. This is child abuse. This is child abuse. Nothing else. The notion that a government would engage in this practice ought to offend everyone, and the idea that the President is congratulating himself for ending a policy that he, himself, ordered to separate children seeking asylum in this country from their families is ridiculous. Those who have sat silent as this has happened are complicit in this policy. Now, today, we will take up two pieces of legislation, neither of which deal substantially with the immigration problem. My God in Heaven, let's get this done.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, this legislation requires States to submit a report on the number of patients served for opioid use disorder at institutions for mental diseases, their length of stay, and the care they received after they were discharged. My amendment would add two requirements to that report. The first additional element addresses co-occurring disorders. My amendment would require that States include information on the number of individuals suffering from these disorders, as well as the type of specific disorders from which they suffer. Co-occurring disorders are a terrible situation in which a person is simultaneously experiencing a mental illness and a substance use issue. This is especially prevalent in our veteran population, with the VA estimating that about one-third of veterans seeking treatment for substance use disorder also meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Co-occurring disorders can be especially difficult for doctors to diagnose because of how complex symptoms can be, with one often masking the symptoms of the other. As of 2016, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that more than 8 million adults in the U.S. had co-occurring disorders. Half of them did not receive proper treatment, and around one-third received no care for mental illness or substance use disorder. If we are going to get these individuals the help they need and deserve, we are going to need to know what care is needed and how large the existing treatment gap really is. My amendment will help to provide that data. The second element of my amendment requires information on access to community care for individuals suffering from a mental illness other than substance use disorder. For decades, our country has shifted mental healthcare services away from institutional care into community health providers. That is substantial progress that we certainly don't want to reverse or endanger. Make no mistake, passing this legislation will have a direct effect on access to community care for people with mental diseases. We should know how much and to what extent that is the case. My amendment will provide Congress with the data on whether that access is increasing or, as a result of this potential legislation, decreasing. We should not, in efforts to combat this epidemic, inadvertently create uncertainty or greater harm for other groups of people, especially such vulnerable groups as those with mental illness. My amendment will provide Congress with greater information for us to know if we are doing just that. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the comments of both of my colleagues. This is an effort to make sure that, as we take on this epidemic, whatever path we may take, we do so in a way that gets us the best information we can to determine whether or not we are making the progress that this intends. We have our thoughts about that. This legislation, and this particular amendment, would ensure that Congress has the information it needs. I encourage my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, this week, the House is voting on bills meant to address the opioid crisis, a crisis facing communities across the country. This crisis deserves our full attention and bipartisan action. Mr. Speaker, 115 people die every day from overdose. These are real human beings. I think of Katie Lethbridge, from my home community of Brendan Bye, lost to this terrible, terrible addiction, this terrible tragic disease. We need more than just the legislation that is coming before us this week. We need a serious commitment to treatment, to funding treatment, not just with direct funding to ensure that the programs that support treatment are in place, but actually making sure that people have healthcare coverage that includes coverage for treatment. When this House works to undermine the guarantee that people with a preexisting condition, which could include addiction, if it is taken from them, we are really not living up to the promise that we owe to these folks.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to recognize Dennis Williams as he retires from United Auto Workers after more than 40 years of service to the union and to our country. I have known Dennis for many, many years. Throughout his career, he has led the fight to protect the right to collective bargaining and to ensure that all workers, not just those in the union, have fair pay and safe working conditions. Like the UAW itself, Dennis has always been committed to securing economic and social justice for workers. His experience has carried him through the diverse sectors of the UAW, giving him expertise across the spectrum. He started at UAW Local 806 as a salvage welder, served in many positions--bargaining chairman, international representative, region 4 director--before becoming international president in 2016. Dennis Williams' service and success at the bargaining table led to a better quality of life for the UAW's more than 400,000 workers and 580,000 retirees, many of whom I am proud to represent in my home district. I am grateful to work with leaders like Dennis who have changed our communities for the better, and we will miss Dennis Williams' voice and his leadership in the union, but we know it won't be lost to the country as he begins this next chapter in his life. Congratulations, Dennis, on work well done.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, this is a bipartisan amendment. It is very simple. It would expand the House Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program so that more wounded servicemembers have the opportunity to continue serving our country by working in congressional offices. We need more veterans in public service. They bring unique perspectives and experiences, unlike any other. The veterans that I have been fortunate enough to hire in my office have given me invaluable support and allowed me to consider issues that are important to veterans in an important and much more enlightened fashion. Their voices are important in this body, more now than ever. By investing in the Wounded Warrior Fellowship Program, more veterans will get a chance to serve. Expanding this program will enhance the professional development opportunities for those fellows. We in Congress do talk a lot about ways to help veterans transition following their service in the military. This is an opportunity for us to actually do something about that and model what we think all employers ought to be doing. It is a simple way to expand opportunities for veterans. It increases the number of veterans in public service. Again, in my office, I have benefited greatly from the veterans that I have hired. It is a bipartisan effort to continue to expand this program. I ask my colleagues to pass this amendment. It is a small way to not only improve the function of our own offices but also say thanks to the brave men and women who have given so much for the freedom that we all enjoy.