Ruben Kihuen

Mr. KIHUEN

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time and for her tireless work on behalf of working families in America. Mr. Chairman, the Financial CHOICE Act is nothing more than a misguided attempt to return to the days where bad actors could put the entire financial system at risk. There is bipartisan support to provide regulatory relief for community banks and credit unions. Just last week, I met with credit unions in my district, and they talked about the need for thoughtful, tailored regulation. Unfortunately, that kind of thoughtful reform is not what is before us today. Instead, we have a bill before us that is a fundamental attack on working families in America. This bill will make it harder to go after bad actors in the financial markets by hamstringing regulators, and would completely gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It would eliminate important programs that ensure that taxpayers will not be on the hook for future bailouts. And it makes our financial system a whole lot less secure. The district that I represent was one of the hardest hit in the entire country during the financial crisis. My constituents sent me here to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes of the past, which is exactly what this bill does. Mr. Chairman, this bill has been named the Financial CHOICE Act, and I think it is a fitting name. Each of us here today has a simple choice to make: Do we side with the working families of America? Or do we side with the big corporations and the special interests?

Mr. KIHUEN

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, in 1988, Congress realized the danger posed by guns that can pass through security checkpoints undetected, and passed the Undetectable Firearms Act. The act, signed by President Reagan, has since been reauthorized under every single President, both Democrats and Republicans alike. When this bill originally became law, fully plastic guns were science fiction. But, today, plans for plastic guns are available online and can be produced at home with no technical expertise. Unfortunately, the Undetectable Firearms Act hasn't been updated since 1988, and glaring gaps exist. That is why today I am introducing the Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act. This bill will make modest changes to the original act to more fully adhere to the spirit of the law. Mr. Speaker, we need to be working to ensure that terrorists and criminals can't walk through security checkpoints with firearms undetected.

Mr. KIHUEN

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for their bipartisan work on this issue on behalf of our veterans and our country. It is very refreshing to see bipartisanship here in this body. Mr. Speaker, veterans have made the incredible sacrifice for our country. The Department of Veterans Affairs has the obligation to ensure that they have access to high-quality and affordable health care. I support the aim of S. 544 to make key improvements to the Choice Program as Congress continues to work on longer term solutions. While I am hopeful that this bill will help eliminate the problems and delays that veterans have experienced with the Choice Program, this program should be the option of last resort for veterans. In Ely, Nevada, a rural community in my district, the VA is considering not renewing its contract with the Ely Community Clinic, forcing veterans to rely solely on the Choice Program for access to care. Just this week, hundreds of veterans turned out at a forum in Ely to voice their opposition to using the Choice Program. Closing the VA clinic in Ely will be burdensome for many veterans in northern Nevada and central Nevada and could force them to travel hundreds of miles to get healthcare services that they rely on. These veterans have already fought for their country. They shouldn't have to fight to keep their VA clinic in Ely open. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, but it is not enough. We owe it to our veterans not to use the Choice Program as a crutch, but to make the proper investments in the health care our veterans deserve.

Mr. KIHUEN

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. KIHUEN. I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. Mr. Speaker, as a nation, we have the moral responsibility for providing for the men and women who have served our country. One of my highest priorities in Congress is ensuring that our veterans receive the care and benefit they have earned. It has been almost 3 years since a whistleblower shocked the Nation by disclosing 1,400 veterans languish without care at the Phoenix VA. Since then, many others have come forward to report excessive wait times, substandard care, and dirty facilities in VA hospitals all across the country. The issues we have seen at different VA hospitals have been completely disgraceful. However, what is even more shocking is that many of these whistleblowers have reported some sort of retaliation from hospital directors or the VA's Office of Inspector General, even though Federal law specifically prohibits harassment or retaliation of Federal employees who bring wrongdoing to light. The recent reports about VA employees facing retaliation is disheartening and it is unacceptable. We need to protect these employees who are trying to ensure that the VA is transparent and accountable to all of our veterans. Mr. Speaker, my amendment is very simple and commonsense. It merely builds upon existing language in the bill seeking to protect whistleblowers. Under the bill, a whistleblower can still be fired during the expedited procedure with limited recourse. This amendment would close that loophole. This amendment would also cover those who come forward to a central whistleblower office instead of just a special counsel. And, as my colleagues have noted numerous times on the floor today, one-third of our VA employees are veterans. This amendment also works to protect them from unjust firings without due process. We should never tolerate fraud, waste, or abuse on our Federal agencies. This is especially true when it comes to caring for our Nation's veterans. The brave men and women who have put their lives on the line should be provided with the best quality of care, and it is imperative that the whistleblowers who have stood up to protect our veterans should be fully protected from retaliation. We should provide whistleblowers with the confidence to step up and help make a change. Helping improve our veterans' health care is dependent in part on the encouragement and protection of whistleblowers within the VA. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I say this. No one in this body wants to vote on a bill that may give potential whistleblowers doubt about coming forward. Let's give them the assurance they deserve by voting for this motion to recommit, which will strengthen the whistleblower protection language in the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KIHUEN

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, I have a new name for the process Republicans are using to destroy the Affordable Care Act. Instead of repeal and replace, how about we name it ``we cut and gut''? Cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, and gut coverage for hardworking Americans. The bill would also undermine the Medicaid expansion in the Affordable Care Act. In Nevada, our own Governor Brian Sandoval, a Republican, made the decision to work with Democrats and expand the Medicaid program. Because we expanded Medicaid, 320,000 Nevadans now have health coverage, and Nevada's uninsured rate has dropped from 23 percent to 12 percent, one of the largest declines in the entire country. So, Mr. Speaker, I would ask my Republican colleagues: Do you really want to turn your backs on hardworking families just to give billionaires a tax cut that they don't need or deserve? Mr. Speaker, the silence is deafening.

Mr. KIHUEN

Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, the question that I have heard many times from my constituents deserves to be answered: With respect to General Flynn and Trump campaign aides, what did President Trump know, and when did he know it? How high does this go up? Now he is calling this fake news. Mr. President, this is not fake news. This is real. The American people deserve a transparent, independent investigation into Russia's involvement with the White House and President Trump. President Trump continually says he wants to protect our national security, but he ignores the real security threats within his administration. Even my colleagues across the aisle would rather focus on taking away health care from millions of Americans and thousands of Nevadans instead of investigating the clear and present danger in the Trump administration. Enough is enough. Protecting our national security is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It is an American priority.