Leonard Lance

Mr. LANCE

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act. My partner in this effort over several years has been the distinguished Congresswoman from California, Anna Eshoo. There may be no greater calling than to help infants thrive in the early days of their lives. Working together and getting this legislation signed into law is a matter of essential importance. This is good and important work and the kind of positive difference Federal efforts can make in the lives of many. We have a tremendous partner in the March of Dimes. For many families, the March of Dimes and its network and advocates across the country are beacons of light at dark moments. I thank the March of Dimes and their supporters for being the great defenders and fighters for mothers and for their infants. This legislation will keep up the momentum to help pregnant women. We need to reauthorize the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's research and data collection efforts and improve the Health Resources and Services Administration. Doctors and the public need to have the best information and care options available, and this bill does that.

Mr. LANCE

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6, which delivers greater resources, treatment, and mitigation tools to fight opioid addiction. I am especially pleased that a bill that I sponsored related to infectious diseases is included in the final package. I commend the Congressman from Massachusetts, Mr. Joe Kennedy, for being my lead cosponsor on this part of the overall whole. Infectious diseases complicate the lifelong path toward addiction recovery. H.R. 6 is one of the most important measures to pass this Congress. It should be supported unanimously.

Mr. LANCE

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 2926, a bill originally introduced by Representative Meehan of Pennsylvania, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. LANCE

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is a member of our committee.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, which Congressman Tonko and I introduced last year. This bill would streamline the Federal grant programs related to broadband deployment, and track how Federal funds are used to a greater extent than is now the case. I thank Congressman Tonko for his leadership on this important issue. Broadband internet is the lifeblood of the American economy, a critical tool for students, and an incubator for the next great innovation. This bill takes the right steps to ensure Federal broadband resources are working to expand access in underserved areas. Being able to have access to the internet means being able to unlock tremendous potential, and we have to make sure that all Americans share in this success. Many local economies are relying on Congress to get this right. In many areas of the country, the cost to deploy broadband infrastructure is prohibitive, which creates a need for Federal funding in cases where a market solution is not possible. With several different broadband support programs across several Federal agencies, there is no single, comprehensive system tracking where and how Federal funds are being spent. Access broadband creates an office within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, with the task of simplifying the application process for the various support programs, coordinating between the various agencies, and tracking the use and effectiveness of Federal broadband funding. By ensuring coordination, the office will help prevent overbuilding of broadband and make sure Federal funds are going where they are needed most, which should be unserved and underserved areas of the country. This bill and the other bills we have been considering reflect the broad and encompassing jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the important day-to-day work and oversight we maintain over a significant portion of the Federal Government. This type of work counts and these bills are important. Energy and Commerce accomplishments like reauthorizing the successful CHIP program, the Ray Baums Act, safely disposing of nuclear waste, and improving consumer protections, have been the pillars of our accomplishments this Congress, and this has occurred in a bipartisan capacity. Bills like the ones we are considering today, keep the wheels of many critical government functions moving. The ACCESS BROADBAND bill is excellent legislation and will improve broadband for many Americans. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3994) to establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LANCE

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume because, in my judgment, this is an important bill that we should all support. The Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act, or PIRATE Act, combats the very serious issue of unlawful broadcasting, often called ``pirate radio,'' and gives the Federal Communications Commission additional powers to issue fines on any person who willfully and knowingly broadcasts radio transmissions over AM or FM frequencies without a license from the Federal Communications Commission. I thank my colleague, Congressman Tonko of New York, for joining me in offering this bipartisan legislation. New Jersey, where I live, has one of the largest concentrations of pirate radio operators in the country. Pirate radio signals have been found to interfere with the emergency alert system and Federal Aviation Administration operations, causing significant harm to public safety. They also disrupt the business of licensed broadcasters who comply with the multitude of FCC regulations. Minority-owned broadcasters are disproportionately harmed by pirate radio operators in urban areas. Knocking down pirate radio broadcasts prevents these bad actors from interfering with the licensed broadcasters public safety officials rely on to transmit communications during times of emergency. These unlawful broadcasts are interfering with the news and information programming people count on and needlessly clogging the information highway at important times. It is time to take these pirates off the air by hiking the penalties and working with the Federal Communications Commission on enforcement. Chairman Pai and Commissioner O'Rielly have been able partners in making sure these broadcasts are stopped. This bill will give the FCC even more tools to take down these illegal broadcasts. This act increases fines tenfold for illegal pirate operations to $100,000 in an effort to boost the deterrent against these broadcasts. The bill further holds those who facilitate pirate operations liable, while also streamlining the enforcement process. It also takes a further step in instituting enforcement sweeps by requiring the FCC to conduct biannual enforcement sweeps in the top five radio markets with significant illegal pirate operations, which would include the New Jersey and major New York media market. I commend Chairman Pai for his leadership on this issue. Since 2017, the FCC has significantly cracked down on this illegal activity, and this bill will ensure future commissions continue this rigorous enforcement, helping to ensure that these illegal operators stay off the air. The issue of pirate radio operators is a more pressing public issue than it seems. We have to clean up the airwaves to make way for public safety announcements, Federal Aviation Administration conversations, and other important information. Radio frequencies are not toys for unlicensed broadcasters. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5709) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for enhanced penalties for pirate radio, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. LANCE

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I hope that everyone supports this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), the sponsor of the legislation and the distinguished chairman of the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am proud, today, to rise in support of H.R. 4881, authored by my colleagues, Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta and Congressman Dave Loebsack. New and exciting technologies are improving efficiency in nearly every sector of our economy. Rural America should not be left behind. The bill before us today focuses on the broadband needs of rural economies, our farmers and ranchers, to help take advantage of precision agriculture with improved internet access, GPS, and emerging technologies. Cutting-edge innovation like the Internet of Things, drones, and self-driving machines can assist in monitoring crops, reading soil, and more. Precision agriculture connects rural communities to the 21st century economy. This bill is a prime example of how the Energy and Commerce Committee is leading the way to close the digital divide. I thank Mr. Latta and Mr. Loebsack for their good work on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4881) to require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a task force for meeting the connectivity and technology needs of precision agriculture in the United States, as amended.

Mr. LANCE

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this bipartisan piece of legislation has reached the floor of the House. I hope and trust that it will be voted on in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion, and I commend the sponsors, a Republican and a Democrat, for working together on this needed legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation. It is completely bipartisan in nature. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a distinguished member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2345, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018. This critical legislation seeks to designate a new, easy-to-remember, three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention hotline. We all know by heart to dial 911 during an emergency, and we have faith and confidence that somebody who can help will be on the line. It shouldn't be any different for someone in a mental health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is on the rise across the country. Sadly, more than half of those who die by suicide do not have a known mental health condition. We also want to make note of the number of servicemembers and veterans in need of prevention services. We will work with our minority on this study to review how these patriots can seek help, whether stateside or overseas. You never truly know what battles an individual is fighting, and that is why a national three-digit suicide hotline could help make the difference between life and death. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to advancing this potentially lifesaving legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.