Raja Krishnamoorthi

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, investments into this particular industry are predicated on whether or not regulations are predictable. As a former small-business man, I can tell you that investments will not happen if there is an unelected commission that exists that might change the very rules and regulations upon which current investments have been made. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, as a small-business man, I can tell you that small businesses rely on the predictability of regulatory rules and the regulatory regime. This commission is creating unpredictability in the system. Therefore, it is going to stifle investment, it is going to prevent innovation, and it is going to further throw a monkey wrench into our National Airspace System. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, my second amendment to the SCRUB Act would protect the countless citizens, including many of my own constituents, who depend on airport noise restrictions to sleep through the night or learn uninterrupted in school. Thousands of my constituents near O'Hare International Airport benefit from these restrictions, as do the millions of people that live near major airports across the country. As the father of a 10-month-old baby girl, I can speak from experience to the value of an uninterrupted night of sleep. Many FAA noise rules are the product of careful discussions between airports and local authorities. While noise restrictions have a slight economic impact on air carriers, the economic benefit to surrounding communities more than outweighs this. The unelected commission created by this bill should not have the ability to overturn restrictions that have been carefully considered by local governments, the FAA, and airport officials. Without FAA noise restrictions, people and businesses would suffer, Mr. Chairman. This would decrease property values in my district, make it harder for people to start a business, and have a negative effect on people's health. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, these particular rules and regulations were crafted carefully at the local level, and I believe very strongly that this commission, which is a Federal commission, should not somehow upset the balance that has been achieved through local voices having a say in these particular regulations. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, the SCRUB Act should not have the ability to review regulations and rules that were developed by local people with local concerns in mind. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, my guest for the President's speech tomorrow is my constituent, Debbie Trueblood. Debbie reached out to my office to support the Affordable Care Act because she knows firsthand the difference the law can make in people's lives. Debbie suffers from a rare, potentially life-threatening genetic condition. The only treatments for the condition are a handful of specialized drugs that can cost more than $100,000 per year. Before the Affordable Care Act, Debbie could have been denied coverage because of her preexisting condition, and she would have faced medical bills greatly exceeding her salary. Because of the Affordable Care Act, Debbie is able to afford the treatment she needs to work, support her family, volunteer in her community, and be of service. Repealing the Affordable Care Act without effectively replacing it would rob millions of people like Debbie not only of their access to health care but also of their ability to contribute to our great Nation.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, recent executive actions have resulted in confusion, demonstrations, and late-night court rulings. Many executive orders have been announced with little notice, and the American people have had to wait hours afterwards to see the text. Federal agencies have also been blindsided by these orders. The Secretary of Homeland Security found out about the President's immigration orders through cable news. In some cases, the President himself has been uncertain of what his executive orders contain. Sir, we need transparency today. Congress has a responsibility to eliminate this confusion and make sure that executive actions are clear and transparent to all Americans. That is why I am introducing the Executive Order Transparency Act. This one-page bill requires that all executive orders be posted on the White House website 72 hours before each is signed. This simple bill is an investment in a working government, and I urge all my colleagues to join me.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, as debates over the meaning of last fall's elections continue, one fact is not in question: The American people want us to work together on commonsense, bipartisan solutions to grow our economy and create good-paying, middle class jobs. Neither party can meet this challenge alone. I am proud to say that Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher and I have joined together in founding the Middle Class Jobs Caucus to bring greater attention to these issues and to advance proposals to address them. The caucus will meet regularly to address a wide array of key issues facing working families, such as job training and infrastructure and transportation modernization. Every era of prosperity in our history has been built on a thriving middle class. In the plainest terms, middle class jobs mean a strong America. I encourage all of our colleagues to join us in helping families reach the middle class and stay there.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 66.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to President Trump's executive order against legal immigration. I was sworn to uphold the Constitution and I was elected to grow our economy and help unify our country. Unfortunately, this order is an assault on the Constitution, it harms the economy by harming working families, and it divides the country. On Saturday night, I went to O'Hare International Airport to help American, legal permanent residents be freed from detention. They are people integral to the success of our community and our economy. I ask my honorable Republican colleagues to stand with them and oppose the executive order.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, for millions of Americans, homeownership stands as a source of personal and economic security and is a defining part of the middle class life. Earlier this month, under President Obama, the Federal Housing Administration announced a plan to make mortgages more affordable for nearly 1 million working and middle class families who are buying their first homes. In his first hours in office, President Trump reversed President Obama's plan with an executive action that will cost Americans an average of $500 more per year to get a mortgage. Experts project that 40,000 families who would have bought homes will no longer be able to do so. The Trump administration's order to make mortgages more expensive will not strengthen our economy; it will not create jobs; it will not make America great again--but it will make life harder for working families.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Chairman, I am Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, and I represent the hardworking families of Chicago's west and northwest suburbs. I rise today in strong opposition to S. Con. Res. 3. Repealing without replacing the Affordable Care Act at the same time would devastate our economy and harm millions of middle class families. Within the Eighth District of Illinois alone, we could lose upwards of $550 million from our economy, and over 4,000 jobs. Before joining Congress, I ran small businesses in the Chicago area in the national security and technology sectors. I know firsthand how important health coverage is to our workers and to our businesses. Without the protections of the ACA, we will see fewer entrepreneurs take the risk of starting a business and fewer workers taking the risk of working for a startup. Middle class and working families need good-paying jobs and affordable health care. And, unfortunately, the bill before us today would rob them of both.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I am Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from the great Eighth District of Illinois. I have the honor of representing the hardworking families of Chicago's west and northwest suburbs. Before I took the oath of office last week, I was the president of small businesses in the Chicago area. As a small-business man, I stand here to say that repealing without replacing the Affordable Care Act would harm our economy and, with it, our working and middle class families. Across our Nation, repealing without replacing the Affordable Care Act would destroy up to 3 million good-paying jobs and destroy $1.5 trillion in economic activity. Across Illinois, repealing without replacing the ACA would cost upwards of 100,000 jobs; and in the Eighth District alone, repealing without replacing the ACA would cost upwards of 4,000 jobs. Middle class families need good-paying jobs and affordable health care. Repealing without replacing the ACA would, unfortunately, rob them of both.

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, I am Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from the Eighth District of Illinois. I have the honor to represent the hardworking families of Chicago's west and northwest suburbs. My constituents, like so many other Americans, are finding it harder and harder to get ahead. Creating good-paying jobs is my number one job, and growing and strengthening the middle class is my primary mission. I believe working and middle class families must be able to earn a living wage, have quality health care, and educate their children well. These challenges are not insurmountable, but we must address them immediately. We need to make sure that working and middle class families can achieve economic security. I believe that, if you work hard and play by the rules, you and your children can and should succeed in America. I look forward to working with all of my colleagues in this Chamber to make that a reality.