Mia Love

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following remarks regarding my absence from votes which occurred on December 2, 2016. A member of my immediate family experienced a medical crisis out of state, and I traveled to support him. As a result, I missed votes for the day.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Madam Speaker, my colleagues on the other side have said that the three House Committee investigations related to the sale of fetal tissue have produced nothing. Others have said that the State Attorney General investigations have also looked into the matter and have found nothing. They complain that this is a waste of time and they complain that it is a waste of money. First of all, there is so much that we don't know and the American people don't know and still don't understand about this industry. However, since the panel's investigation, we have uncovered alarming revelations about the fetal tissue industry and, because of this, there have been criminal and regulatory referrals. They have resulted in numerous investigations around the Nation, and I will highlight eight of these. First, the panel discovered that the University of New Mexico was violating their State's Anatomical Gift Act by receiving tissue from late-term abortion clinics. This is currently being investigated. Second, the panel made a forensic accounting analysis of StemExpress' limited production and determined that they were profiting from the sale of baby body parts. Now the El Dorado District Attorney and the United States Department of Justice are investigating this. Third, the panel learned that StemExpress and certain abortion clinics were violating HIPAA privacy rights of vulnerable women for the sole purpose of increasing and harvesting fetal tissue to make money. Fourth, the panel discovered that an abortion clinic in Arkansas violated State law when it sent tissue to StemExpress. This, too, is under investigation. Fifth, the panel discovered that a university in Ohio was trafficking in baby body parts, an illegal act under Ohio State law. Sixth, it was discovered that DV Biologics, another tissue procurement company, was profiting from the sale of fetal tissue and violated California State law. This case has been filed. Seventh, recently the panel learned that Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast violated both Texas and U.S. law when it sold baby body parts to the University of Texas. Eighth, the panel also learned that Advanced Bioscience Resources made a profit when it sold tissue to various universities. As elected Representatives, we are tasked with oversight of our government that enforces our laws. These eight referrals are proof of potential criminal activity in the fetal tissue industry. They justify the existence of the panel and their investigations. The work of the select panel is not over. More referrals will come, and we need to complete this process. Continued funding for the panel's unfinished work is needed. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to fund the investigative work and fulfill the obligations that we have to the American people and the rule of law.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Madam Speaker, we have before us a solution to regulation that causes real harm to an important financial institution, especially in my State, Zions Bancorporation, which supports the financial needs of many families and businesses throughout Utah and the Western States. Last year, Zions Bancorporation chairman and CEO, Harris Simmons, spoke about increased compliance costs his institution has to face as a result of the enhanced prudential standards requirements of the Dodd- Frank Act. Specifically, Zions has had to divert resources to add nearly 500 additional full-time staff to areas such as compliance, internal audits, credit administration, and enterprise risk management. Mr. Simmons also testified at the House Financial Services' Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee that these increased compliance costs are offset by reductions in other areas of the organization. Many of them are consumer-facing functions. In other words, Zions Bank had to move resources away from lending to customers and consumer service because of these extra regulations. Yet, Zions is one of the smallest SIFIs, with a business model centered on very traditional banking activities, primarily commercial lending with a particular focus on lending to smaller businesses. I support H.R. 6392. It allows banks like Zions Bank to get back to what they do best.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the outstanding achievement of the Salt Lake Community College men's basketball team, this year's National Junior College Men's Basketball champions. These 12 extraordinary student athletes, with the unwavering support of their four dedicated coaches, dominated the 2016 NJCAA Men's Basketball tournament, beating their opponents by an average of 18.8 points over five games in 6 days. Conner Toolson was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Head coach Todd Phillips was named Coach of the Tournament. These young men, who hail not only from Utah, but from as far away as Australia, exhibited more than just exceptional athleticism and skill. They were singled out for their good sportsmanship and kindness off court. Tad Dufelmeier was honored with the tournament's Sportsmanship Award. I congratulate the team on their championship win and for representing their school, their community, and the State in such an exceptional way. Go Bruins.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor National Police Week. We owe a great deal of gratitude to the men and women who serve our communities by putting their lives on the line every day. Utah has lost 139 police officers since 1853, most recently, Officer Doug Barney of Salt Lake County Unified Police Department. Officer Barney died in the line of duty on January 17. Officer Barney was a dedicated 18-year veteran police officer, and loved every moment of his distinguished career. His kindness deeply touched the families and the community and sometimes even the people he arrested. He was known for his humor and compassion as well as his toughness. Ten thousand people attended his funeral. The State of Utah is truly a kinder service-oriented place because of police officers like Doug Barney. I am honored to recognize all of them here in the House of Representatives.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I am so excited to talk about Article I. Right now I am working on a project called the Article I Project in order to restore Article I back to the United States Congress. Today I rise on behalf of all of the Utahans in my home State who have expressed frustration with our regulatory state. For decades, Congress has essentially delegated many responsibilities to executive agencies. As a result, unelected and unaccountable agencies have impacted American lives more than the decisions have of their elected officials. In this Congress, for example, 146 bills have been signed into law after going through the House and the Senate. Meanwhile 3,378 rules and regulations were finalized last year alone, joining thousands of others that ultimately cost the American economy $4 trillion a year. Our Constitution is designed to preserve individual liberty, but this government instead seeks to increase bureaucratic influence. The American people deserve better. They deserve Representatives of their choosing who are empowered to make decisions. They also deserve to know that if those Representatives fail, they can hold them accountable and bring about change. At the end of the day, that is what restoring constitutional powers is about--giving the American people a voice. It is for that cause, especially, I am proud to fight.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. I thank Chairman Hensarling for his support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, economic freedom and personal freedom run hand in hand. In order to enjoy our personal freedom, Americans need access to credit as individuals, on behalf of their families, and in their businesses. That is why I am so proud to have introduced this bill. H.R. 3791 is a very simple bill to help small banks and savings and loan companies get access to the capital they need so as to make credit available in their communities. These small banking institutions are critical to the people and the communities in which they reside. They support the credit needs of families, of small businesses, of farmers, and of entrepreneurs. A community bank is often the principal lending source for many people whether they are purchasing a home, starting a new business, or purchasing a vehicle. In many counties around the Nation, a community bank is the only banking presence that residents have. When these community banking institutions are overwhelmed with regulations and mandates, many of which are meant for larger institutions, it is the hardworking middle-income and low-income families in those communities who suffer the most. Mr. Speaker, it is about people. Community banks give people the credit they need to pursue their dreams--to buy a home, to start a business. In fact, proximity to a community bank increases the chances that new small businesses will be approved for loans and will have the chance to succeed. By raising the consolidated asset threshold under the Federal Reserve's small bank holding company policy statement from $1 billion to $5 billion in assets, over 400 additional small bank and thrift holding companies will qualify for coverage under the policy statement and, therefore, will be exempt from certain regulatory and capital guidelines. These capital standards were originally established for larger institutions and disproportionately harm small holding companies. Many holding companies that are above the current threshold face challenges with regard to capital formation just when regulators are demanding higher capital levels. These exemptions provided in the policy statement make it easier for small holding companies to raise capital and issue debt. This bill is about making sure regulations fit the size of the institution. Mr. Speaker, a similar effort was passed into law during the last Congress under suspension in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate. That bill raised the threshold from $500 million, where it has been since 1996, to $1 billion. That legislation also extended the exemption to savings and loan holding companies. While we are glad that we were able to achieve that increase which helped, roughly, 500 small bank and thrift holding companies, we would like to extend those benefits further. H.R. 3791 would bring more than 400 additional small institutions within the scope of the policy statement. One success story that we have already seen from the previous increase was an instance in which 35 bank holding companies pooled their resources to issue debt under the policy statement. That debt was then downstreamed to the respective banks, where the capital was then used to make loans in the communities they serve, illustrating the great multiplier effect that the policy statement can produce. H.R. 3791 seeks to extend that flexibility and success to a greater number of small institutions and the communities they serve. Opponents of this increase have alleged that changing the regulatory threshold would put communities and the Deposit Insurance Fund at higher risk, but the policy statement contains several safeguards that are designed to ensure that small bank holding companies that operate with the higher levels of debt permitted by the policy statement do not present an undue risk to the safety and soundness of their subsidiary banks. Mr. Speaker, to sum this up, this bill is not about supporting banks. It is about supporting families, communities, and small businesses. It is about making sure that a small-business owner, like my constituent Jennifer Jones, has access to the credit she needs to expand her early childhood academy, where she teaches children to read before they reach kindergarten. It is about families who are sitting around their kitchen tables and are imagining the possibilities of renovating or of improving their homes. It is about that entrepreneur who is starting a restaurant and being her own boss. It is about the thousands of new jobs that will be created in those communities as a result. The raising of the threshold received widespread bipartisan support in the last Congress, and I hope that the people will receive equal support this time.

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say, while I have much respect for my colleague on the other side of the aisle, I am opposed to the amendment. Let me reiterate again what this does. I understand that the other side of the aisle believes that we have already helped our community banks by raising the threshold from $500 million to $1 billion. However, we don't want to help our communities any longer or anymore? This, again, would give access and the ability for 400 small banks to help their community. And I don't want you to think about this as 400 small banks. Please think of this as how many thousands of people these small banks are going to be able to help--people who are going to receive access to credit that they need in order to achieve their dreams. It is time for us in Washington to stop giving people exactly what they need to stay exactly where they are and start giving them the opportunities to go beyond, to go to the middle class and beyond, if they choose; to have the opportunities to be as ordinary or extraordinary as they choose to be. This is going to help many people from all walks of life in all sorts of communities. And that is why I believe that we in Congress should do our job and give as many people access to this credit so that they can help their families.

Mrs. LOVE

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

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Elise Wardel, who became a U.S. citizen last week in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like many others, Elise came to Utah to attend one of our quality universities. She has now worked hard, paid taxes, and contributed to Utah's close-knit society and a thriving economy for more than 11 years. She has worked through some difficult processes, becoming naturalized, for more than 2\1/2\ years. She and her husband, Adam, are expecting their first child this coming April and are grateful to raise their child here in the land of the free and the land of opportunity. I am grateful to count her among my newest constituents and extend her and Adam my best wishes. People like Elise enrich our Nation. I am proud of them for taking the required steps to become U.S. citizens. I believe that Congress must do its job so that Elise and many others, like my father, can enter our Nation through the front door. As the child of immigrant parents, I welcome all of Utah's new American citizens and pledge to work hard so that they can have access to the American Dream like I have.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3134, to defund Planned Parenthood, and H.R. 3504, which requires that babies born alive during abortions get the same medical treatment as any other child. It is crucial that we stand for those who cannot speak for themselves: the unborn. These bills are critical to curtailing the horrific practices that include harvesting fetal tissue while babies are still alive. We, as Americans, value human life. We are fighting terrorists in Iran because we value the lives of people. Fighting for the unborn is no different. I demand a full investigation into Planned Parenthood's donation of fetal tissue and the removal of taxpayer funding for the organization. My colleagues will try to distract, distort, and divide us into thinking that this is all about women's health issues. This is, in fact, about saving American lives. Let me remind my colleagues that Black Americans make up 12 percent of the population and that the fetuses that are being aborted make up 78 percent of who is being aborted. We must act to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I know my job. Please do yours.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I stand before this body because I am outraged at the recent revelation by a Planned Parenthood director who speaks on video about harvesting an unborn baby's body parts to sell. She details the horrific and barbaric practice of aborting babies in such a cold, casual way as to preserve certain body parts for sale. Mr. Speaker, this is an organization that receives Federal funds to do their work. Is this what the taxpayers are paying for? Is this what they asked for? No. Given Planned Parenthood's official comments on video and the list of serious questions that are raised, I am calling for a full congressional investigation. I demand information about Planned Parenthood's donation of fetal tissue for research or for any other purpose and for Federal funds to be completely withdrawn. This is not over. We will press on. I will continue to remind this body that we work for the American people--not the other way around-- that we swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, and we will preserve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is un-American and absolutely unacceptable.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Madam Speaker, when it comes to the deal with Iran, I want to express how incredibly serious this is. That is because the stakes have never been higher. Are we willing to continue to gamble with America's future and American lives? Iran is a snake in the grass. Its leaders have made it very clear that they want to implement sharia law, not freedom. Iran does not value human life the way we do. They have actually shown that they are willing to support terrorists. They have shown that they are willing to hurt their own women and children. On the other hand, we have a President of the United States of America that said he will veto any efforts to stop this bad deal. That shows he has no interest in listening to the American people. How can we claim we are fighting terror when we are giving the leading state sponsors of terrorism a break to the tune of billions of dollars? At this rate, we will all but build the nuclear weapons for them in 15 years. Now that a deal with Iran is in place, here is what is most concerning: They will turn around and build a nuclear weapon anyway, funded by the profits made from the lack of sanctions. This is not a joke. This is not a game. Iran has a history of noncompliance. A great indicator of what is going to happen in the future is what has happened in the past. How do we know they will never change? How do we know they will change? We don't. Chances are, they won't change. Ronald Reagan was an advocate of peace through strength. He said that the world would experience peace when the United States was a beacon of strength. I ask you all to stand strong with the United States against Iran and against any administration that would like to silence us, the American people.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. As a mayor and mainly as a mother--I have three children in public schools-- I have found that the best solutions are found at the most local level. This amendment puts a larger footprint in the hands of the Federal Government and gives more power to the Federal Government, instead of our local agencies. I believe that the best people to teach our students are the people at the local level. I trust teachers and parents to make decisions for students. I made a promise that I was going to do everything I can to put the decisionmaking back into the hands of people, not into the hands of the Federal Government. I believe that this amendment actually puts it into the hands of the Federal Government and gives us a big step backwards. I believe that we, as people, when we are given more options, we can make better decisions; and when we make better decisions, we can do that at a local level and not at a Federal level. I ask that we vote against this amendment. I stand in opposition of this amendment.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Madam Speaker, I was not planning on speaking today. I didn't put my name on the list to speak today. I was actually sitting in my office, listening to the debate about this bill, and I started thinking of my three children. I started thinking about the decisions that we have to make in order to protect them, and I am disappointed that there is even opposition to this piece of legislation. I want you to know that we, as adults, have a voice. We are able to speak. We are able to speak in opposition to things, but we have children who do not have a voice. Those babies whom we know can feel pain do not have a voice. Now, I want everyone who is watching today--because I am not trying to convince my colleagues--to think of their children, to think of their nieces, their nephews, their grandchildren--the ones that they love. Would they inflict this kind of pain to keep them from coming into the world? We have a moral obligation in this country to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is time that we do our job--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I wish to stand with others in my district-- my constituents--and offer my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of David Marsh, who passed away early Monday. David became the victim of a senseless act of violence as he stood behind the counter of Lee Mart, the convenience store where he worked for 25 years in Murray, Utah. He was shot during a robbery. Many individuals are honored on this floor after receiving accolades and publicity, but I wish to honor David because of his consistent positive impact on others. He made a profound impression on those he met through his hard work and dedication. He was a wonderful father and role model who became a fixture in the community. His kind and loving nature made his family, friends, and acquaintances smile. It is people like David who make our Nation great. I hope that we can all honor the life of David Marsh by being engaged citizens and connecting with love and understanding to the people around us.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of a point of order.

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the gentleman's motion.

Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask a few questions of my colleagues as it relates to health care. Has Congress made health care more accessible and affordable? Has the quality of care improved? No. Do hardworking families and our children deserve better? Absolutely. Now is the time to repeal and replace this disaster of a law. This law has hurt more poor and more middle-income families. I received a letter from a constituent. Mr. Speaker, the letter states: I wonder if you would like a real-life example of what ObamaCare is doing to families. My daughter and her husband are expecting their second child. They were planning on moving from their small apartment to a small home. Their insurance has doubled under ObamaCare, and they will pay $500 a month. Their deductible will be $10,000. They will have to pay each doctor for a phone call plus $50 copayment. No specialists are covered. They barely are getting by as it is. Because of their insurance costs, there is no chance of getting into a home or even a bigger apartment. How can insurance for everyone be of help if it causes such a financial burden on families? My daughter is so depressed. She isn't even excited about her upcoming child because she is so worried about their future. If we had the means to help, we would, but we don't. My heart breaks for her. How can Congress help? Sincerely, Paula. Now, people talk about tweaking ObamaCare. I ask: How do you tweak that to help that family? The American people deserve better, Mr. Speaker. Imagine a health care system that is centered in service. Imagine a health care system that is measured by outcomes, not by Washington dictates. I know that it is hard for some of my colleagues to contemplate, but imagine, if you will, for me, Mr. Speaker, a health care system where dollars and decisions are left with patients, their families, and their doctor. I see an American exceptionalism at work, where families and innovation and compassion drive the highest quality of care. Members of Congress, Representatives of the people, do not settle. Don't settle for just tweaking a bad program that hurts more than it helps, that controls more than it empowers. There are too many Members of this body that are content with just getting this health care law to be good enough. I am here to tell you that, for the American people, good enough just isn't good enough. I reject the downward spiral of mediocrity and government takeover of health care. I refuse to pursue the administration's path of fear, blame, and failure. I oppose this motion to recommit a bad health care law. It is time for us, for this body, to advance the policies and the principles which have lifted more people out of poverty, fueled more freedom, and driven more dreams than any other set of principles in the history of the world. I ask this body to come with me, boldly step forward and unleash that American exceptionalism that produces the health care solutions that this family is worthy of and every hardworking American in this country is worthy of. May God continue to bless this great, exceptional country. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOVE

Mrs. LOVE. Amendment XIV, section 1: ``All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.''