Jerry McNerney

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chair, how much time is remaining?

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chair, clearly everybody wants clean air, and I don't doubt that for a second, and I appreciate the effort that is being made to streamline the implementation of clean air. But my questions are: Is this going to be a message bill? Or is this something we are actually going to get signed into law? And my answer rhetorically is that if you want to get something signed into law, you really have to work on both sides of the aisle. Now, there are a couple provisions in the bill that I think are completely objectionable. There may be room for compromise. The 10-year extension seems out of bounds to me. Technology moves much faster than 10 years. The idea that technical achievability can be taken into account really does lose sight of the important aspect of the Clean Air Act, which is that we want to protect people's health. So among other things, if you want to actually get something done, if you want to actually work across the aisle and get something that we may get signed into law, work with us. Otherwise, I am going to have to put forward this amendment that replaces the ozone 805 and replaces it with something that actually works. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding an issue that Congress often decries but neglects: too many Americans are out of work because companies ship their jobs overseas without a thought for the workers and communities they leave behind. According to the group Public Citizen, the offshoring of American jobs has contributed to the loss of 4.5 million U.S. manufacturing jobs. But we have an opportunity to change that. I am proud to introduce the Stop Outsourcing and Create American Jobs Act and the Outsourcing Accountability Act. These two bills are designed to save American jobs by curbing outsourcing. By cracking down on tax loopholes that give corporations a break on the backs of American taxpayers, we can grow our economy and increase economic opportunities for the middle class. I hope my colleagues will join me in a serious discussion about how we can help our economy grow and help American workers. I welcome their support for these bills.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we are here with H.R. 23 again discussing attempts to override State and Federal environmental law. The House and Senate negotiated additional pumping flexibility in last year's WIIN Act. This group has stated for years that they just want a little additional flexibility in environmental law, which actually means weakening or eliminating environmental law. They ignore the damage this would cause to California's delta region, its families, and its farmers. We heard last year that governments are set up for the benefit of the people, but this means all of the people, not just a few people at the expense of others. The person nominated to Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior worked for Westlands Water District just last December. He would make decisions to pump more water to Westlands, the Nation's largest water district--a clear conflict of interest, and a clear threat to farmers and residents in the delta. This is also a clear example of what is wrong with H.R. 23. It will negate environmental protections; it will hurt one region to benefit another; and it allows corruption to seep into the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose H.R. 23 for these reasons.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, we see this bill every Congress. That is, every 2 years we fight this thing out. Let's talk about what it would do. It would weaken the Endangered Species Act--that has been a target of the Republican Party for decades. It will benefit one region while harming another. It will make a few people very wealthy. It will likely cause additional drainage problems for the Westlands and other water districts. It will cause ocean salt water to come farther inland in the California delta, poisoning farmland, destroying marinas, disrupting water supplies for cities along the delta, basically destroying the delta as we now know it. It will use precious limited water to plant evermore thirsty orchards in the desert. And it may expedite the creation of new dams with weakened environmental control. So let's look at what it won't do. It won't create any new water. So why do we have to go through this every 2 years? It is good political theater for some colleagues, but it is not going to get through the Senate. But all may not be lost. Here is a novel suggestion: work across party lines, work across northern versus southern California lines, and come to a compromise that will actually create new water and take all stakeholder interests into account. We need to take a holistic approach. It means actually funding recycling and above- and below-ground water storage that makes environmental sense. It means capturing stormwater, early leak detection, data collection, efficiency, and conservation. It is all of these things, all of which can be done in a cost-effective way that prepares us for the long-term. There are countless recharge, recycling, desalinization projects, as well as other storage projects that are ready to go and could create or save enough water for thousands of families in California. Instead of considering a bill that wastes water and that California opposes, we should be discussing how to most efficiently utilize the rain and snowpack we have, which can be done while protecting the environment. Let's oppose this bill and start working on legislation that can be signed into law and benefit everyone.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to be joined by a special guest from my district, Bishop Stephen Blaire, who had the privilege of leading us in our opening prayer. Bishop Blaire oversees the Diocese of Stockton, and he was appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1999, becoming the fifth Bishop of Stockton. Throughout his career, he has been a staunch advocate for workers' rights, commonsense legislation to reduce gun violence, and has promoted and worked towards social justice gains. As a newly appointed bishop, he followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, continuing to address the needs of Spanish-speaking parishioners by bringing more Spanish-speaking priests to the diocese and maintaining the ministry to migrant workers. I want to leave Members with some words of wisdom from Bishop Blaire that I believe we can all take to heart as we head into the Fourth of July holiday. When he was appointed Bishop of Stockton, he said that his vision was to build a church that was strong in faith but also strong in service to the community. As we head home to celebrate the birth of our Nation, let us remember that, as Members of Congress, our job is to build a government the American people have faith in because of our commitment to serving their needs.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the safety and future of the American people is in jeopardy. Last week, the President made the irresponsible decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord. Military and national security leaders have asserted the need to address climate change as an imminent global threat. Removal from the Paris accord abdicates America's global leadership and increases the likelihood of climate disasters. However, where our President has failed, State and local leaders are stepping up and leading. For example, last week, California's Governor, Jerry Brown, brokered an agreement with China on reducing emissions. On the campaign trail, the President had a lot to say about China taking American jobs, but when he had the chance to pave the way to create American job growth, he failed. We must combat climate change and continue to deploy clean energy sources across the Nation that benefit our national security and create jobs.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, the President's fiscal year 2018 budget calls for the elimination of the Minority Business Development Agency. This is shameful and counterproductive to the progress that minority- owned firms have achieved. I led on this issue by sending two bipartisan letters to the House Appropriations Committee, joined by over 70 Members, advocating for Congress to fund the MBDA at fiscal 2017 levels, and recommending that the MBDA provide annual policy reports to Congress. The agency has one of the highest returns on investment in the Federal Government, helping minority-owned firms secure $40 billion in contracts and capital over the last 10 years. The 8 million minority businesses in the United States contribute $1.4 trillion in economic output to the economy. My home State of California leads the Nation with 1.6 million minority-owned firms, which represents 45 percent of all businesses in my State. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to continue funding the Minority Business Development Agency so that we can continue to see this progress in our economic growth and for the communities of our Nation.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I am going to follow up on the prior speaker. I rise in support of National Foster Care Month. This month, we renew our commitment to ensuring that the 420,000 youth who are in our Nation's foster care system have a caring family and the opportunities they deserve. I am proud to be a member of the Foster Youth Caucus, which is devoted to highlighting the efforts of all those involved with improving our Nation's foster care system. I also rise to celebrate Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day. Today, more than 100 former foster youth from across the country are in D.C., paired with Members of Congress as we conduct the Nation's business. I am privileged to host Shantell House and Jeremiah McWright from California. Shantell is currently a student at Mills College and is passionate about current and former foster youth. Jeremiah joins me from San Diego, where he is studying public policy and has the potential to become a great business leader, or even a politician. It gives me great pleasure to welcome Shantell and Jeremiah, along with all of the participants of the Congressional Youth Shadow Day, to our Nation's capital.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about infrastructure. I want to focus on one aspect of infrastructure that touches the lives of all Americans, especially in my home State of California, and that is water. I know firsthand the urgent challenges facing our water infrastructure. The crippling recent drought and subsequent record rainfall has prompted more discussion on a need for a smart water management strategy to improve drinking water, water reuse, and recycled water systems for communities across the United States. We must take meaningful steps to increase our water conservation, reduce unnecessary energy use, and cut costs for Americans. Let's commit to investing in technology and science-based solutions that will address the weaknesses in our water drinking systems from threats like climate change, crumbling pipes, and water source contamination. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to focus on legislation that will put Americans back to work building the systems we need to support the future of this great country.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, this is National Small Business Week, and I rise to celebrate the more than 27 million small businesses in the United States of America and the 31,000 that are in my congressional district. The men and women who own these firms are truly the backbone of our economy. Small businesses create most of the new jobs in the economy, supporting their families, employees, and communities. Small businesses want to grow and create jobs, but have difficulty accessing capital. Furthermore, too many people remain out of work through no fault of their own. We must do more to fight high unemployment rates by helping to ensure that small businesses have the tools they need to succeed and thrive. That is why I introduced H.R. 2313, the Small Business Relief and Job Creation Act. My bill provides tax credits for small businesses to hire people who were previously unemployed, and includes additional tax credits for small businesses located in high unemployment areas. I welcome my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 2313 to support small businesses across the country.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to honor Carol Davis for her long commitment to the future of our youth and her belief in the power of education to improve our communities. Over the last 17 years, Carol Davis' leadership has been instrumental to the academic success of thousands of struggling students in my district. Ms. Davis turned her lifelong passion for helping children into reality when she became the CEO of Give Every Child A Chance 17 years ago. At that time Give Every Child A Chance (GECAC) was tutoring 125 students within the Manteca Unified School District and had 50 volunteer tutors. In her first year as CEO, Ms. Davis expanded Give Every Child A Chance to provide tutoring assistance to 325 students in need. 17 years later, Give Every Child A Chance reaches more than 4,500 students in 49 schools with more than 400 mentors and tutors. Carol Davis' outstanding leadership and vision has helped make Give Every Child A Chance the San Joaquin region's leading non-profit afterschool program and has greatly improved the lives of thousands of children. Carol Davis recently retired as CEO of GECAC. She is a highly respected and inspiring public servant of San Joaquin County. I wish Ms. Davis and her family well and thank her for her years of dedicated service to the students and families associated with Give Every Child a Chance.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, first, I thank Mr. Doyle for his opposition to S.J. Res. 34. I rise in opposition as well. The FCC's broadband privacy rules are commonsense rules. These rules give consumers the ability to choose how their information is used and shared by their internet service providers. According to the Pew Research Center, a large majority of Americans say it is very important that they control who has access to their information. Despite a loud cry from the American people that they want to be able to choose how their information is used, S.J. Res. 34 strips consumers of the power to choose how their ISPs use and share their information. This resolution also leaves consumers more vulnerable to attacks because their ISP will no longer be required to make reasonable steps to secure their personal information. In recent years, we have seen numerous data breach incidents that have jeopardized consumers' personal information. Some examples are Yahoo, Target, Home Depot, LinkedIn, and Anthem. The list goes on. Given the growing cyber threats that our Nation faces, it is critical that we do more, not less, to secure consumers' data. Strong data security practices are critical for protecting our consumers' confidentiality. This resolution would make consumers' data more susceptible to being stolen and used for identity theft and other harmful unauthorized purposes. Consumers want to be heard. They want more privacy. They want their information to be secure. We have an obligation to respond to their requests. I am appalled that one of the Republicans' first acts in this Congress after trying to take health coverage away from 24 million people is to attack consumer protections and weaken data security. Americans are just now hearing about this legislation, and my phones are ringing off the hook in opposition. I have to rhetorically ask the other side: Why are you pushing this? Americans don't want it. Your voters are beginning to pay attention. This is just after your humiliating defeat with the ACA repeal. I ask that you withdraw this bill and start listening to your constituents. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject S.J. Res. 34.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, since the implementation of the ACA, over 3.9 million women age 18 to 64 have gained health coverage through Medicaid. The ACA ended gender rating, meaning that the insurance companies cannot charge women more than they charge men for the same coverage. TrumpCare also eliminates Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, reducing access to health care for women. Millions of women rely on Planned Parenthood for both routine and lifesaving care, such as preventative services, family planning, and preventing unwanted pregnancies. When the GPO strips Planned Parenthood funding, health care of women will suffer. TrumpCare and its Medicare cuts also hurts seniors. Older Americans account for over 60 percent of Medicare spending. Insurance companies will now be able to charge more based on their age, which will increase premiums by thousands. Mr. Speaker, watching Republicans sell this bill is like buying a used car from a guy with a crooked smile, even they don't believe in it. I ask my Republican colleagues to withdraw this horrible bill and work with Democrats to improve the ACA instead of trying to sell this atrocity.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Federal investment into brain research. Congress' commitment to fund basic brain-related research and scientific discovery is critical to developing our capabilities to treat over 1,000 diseases and disorders that directly or indirectly affect 100 million Americans every year. Estimates put the economic burden of these diseases at over $760 billion a year. Addiction, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's, and other afflictions can only be overcome through increasing our understanding of how the brain works. Basic science is the foundation upon which all health advances are built. Federal agencies, such as the NIH, NSF, and DOD, are essential in advancement of brain research, as well as for so many scientific endeavors. Congress enacted the 21st Century Cures Act that provided support for a wide range of biomedical research efforts. I call upon my colleagues to stand with me in support of brain research into the new Congress. I also beseech my Republican colleagues to withdraw this terrible bill and work across the aisle to find a healthcare plan that will serve all Americans.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, since the ACA was enacted, California's uninsured rate has dropped by 54 percent. Over 263,000 people have gained coverage in the three counties in my district. But now my Republican colleagues want us to pass a replacement bill that will strip away health care for 24 million Americans. TrumpCare guts the Medicare program and creates a new, pre-broken system that rations health care for more than 76 million Americans. In my district alone, more than 64,000 people will lose coverage because of the provisions of the Republican replacement bill. It will take money away from our hospitals and eliminate 4,000 jobs in San Joaquin County alone. Working and middle class families will be forced to pay more for less. This will increase healthcare costs and decrease the quality of coverage available. Americans deserve access to quality healthcare coverage and health care that they can afford. I ask my Republican colleagues to withdraw this terrible bill and work across the aisle, for once, to improve the ACA that benefits all Americans. I strongly oppose this bill and urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. McNERNEY

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

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

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is straightforward. It exempts from the bill any agency rule relating to the physical and cybersecurity of the bulk power system, including any emergency action to protect and restore reliability. The bulk power system is comprised of facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electrical transmission network to maintain reliability. Our Nation's electrical system touches each and every part of our lives, hospitals, schools, transportation, homes, businesses, and our national security. Our electrical system is the central element of our Nation's critical infrastructure because all other components of our infrastructure depend on it. The electrical system is composed of 640,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 6 million miles of distribution lines. This network is undergoing a transformation. There are an ever- increasing number of devices that are connected to the grid; technological advancements are allowing for efficiencies and cheaper production of power, whether it is renewable energy or natural gas; and consumers have more choices and more control. With increased digitization, automation and interaction also have enhanced grid flexibility and security. While these developments present tremendous opportunities, such as new jobs and reducing carbon emissions, they also pose additional physical and cyber threats to the transmission and distribution systems. Stakeholders across the system are facing numerous new threats and challenges in detecting problems, responding to intrusions, and keeping rates affordable while maintaining reliability. The long-term health of the electricity sector is now, more than ever, a shared responsibility between communities, consumers, industry, and government. Despite these challenges, the bulk power system is an example of industry stakeholders and the Federal Government working well together, when needed, and working independently, when needed and succeeding. Transmission and distribution providers have taken it upon themselves to establish industry-led standards, best practices, and supply chain management when it comes to grid security. They have worked well with NERC and FERC in developing Critical Infrastructure Protection standards for the bulk power system. These Critical Infrastructure Protection standards cover critical cyber asset identification, security management, personnel and training, electronic security, physical security, systems security, incident reporting and response planning, and recovery plans. There are 72 inactive CIP standards, and 11 that are now subject to enforcement. These standards aren't always perfect, but they do represent compromise and collaboration. A well-protected and reliable grid makes economic sense. Power outages and disturbances can cost more than $180 billion annually, and data suggests that electrical system outages attributable to weather- related events are increasing, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $20 billion to $55 billion annually. Electric companies are projected to spend more than $7 billion of their own money on cybersecurity alone by the year 2020, and are expected to invest nearly $53 billion to enhance the grid. These are significant investments, but essential investments as well. A more resilient, secure electric sector is something we all benefit from. It will continue to require investments at all levels, including from the Federal Government. We should enhance funding for our national laboratories that have partnered together via the Grid Modernization Lab Consortium. We should provide high levels of funding for the Office of Electricity and its mission to ensure the energy delivery system is more secure, resilient, and reliable. We must promote R&D that helps bring new, innovative technologies to the grid. We will always struggle to keep ahead of those bad actors who are seeking to attack us, but we can establish metrics, procedures, and technological capabilities that allow us to respond and adapt. I agree with many of my colleagues that we should work to identify and remove regulations that are no longer relevant. The Critical Infrastructure Protection standards have worked. My amendment ensures that Federal agencies will have the flexibility needed to respond to challenges without sacrificing any other necessary protections. I urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I have spoken on the House floor on specific science topics ranging from twin primes to measuring atmospheric carbon. Modern society depends on science. Farmers are able to feed much of the world's current population because of science. Without science, we would further strip our forests and pollute even more of our precious water supplies; and our Nation has the strongest military in the world because of science. But science allows for far more than just furthering our survival as it provides leisure, communications, and all things Internet. Today we depend on the science of yesterday, and, tomorrow, society will depend on the science of today. If we care about the short- and long-term future, then we need to support scientific research. We need to encourage collaboration with the scientists of other nations; we need an open and competitive science environment; and we need to make sure that all Americans have a basic understanding of science. Science is a part of our Nation's critical infrastructure, and I ask my colleagues to continue to support science funding to keep America great.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I, along with my colleagues, Representatives DeSaulnier and Huffman, rise today to honor Gary W. Darling for dedicating 33 years to an incredible career as a water professional. Mr. Darling developed his technical background by graduating from the University of California, Davis and becoming a registered professional civil engineer. His academic pedigree led him to a long and productive career in managing and leading a water agency, numerous infrastructure projects, and building coalitions in Northern California. For 15 years, Mr. Darling managed the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Project, which is a crucial reservoir for our region's water supply and environment. He was a Project Manager during the planning and environmental review phases for the $1 billion Freeport Regional Water Authority and served for six years on the Board of Directors for the California Association of Sanitation Agencies. Notably, he served 11 years as General Manager of Delta Diablo, overseeing wastewater resource recovery services for 200,000 people across Antioch, Bay Point, and Pittsburg. Delta Diablo is proud to be an award-winning agency that is ``transforming wastewater to resources'' by investing in innovative solutions and partnerships. Mr. Darling also has a long and successful history of leading organizations. For more than eight years, he has led the 19-agency Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Coalition. Members implement regional biosolids management solutions to maximize renewable energy and minimize greenhouse gas emissions. To Gary's credit, this coalition has six pre-commercial bioenergy technology projects in development. Gary Darling has shown impressive leadership of the 22-member Western Recycled Water Coalition (WRWC) over the last nine years. This important coalition recruits members and facilitates collaboration to develop sustainable water supplies for their communities throughout the western United States. WRWC secured close to $35 million in federal funding that was leveraged with local and state funds to construct eight essential water infrastructure projects. The coalition also secured $4 million for feasibility studies and planning for 14 new projects. 2016 membership includes planning for 34 projects that will provide close to 200,000 acre-feet per year of sustainable water supplies. Mr. Darling and WRWC also worked with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, and others to pilot innovative new desalination and wastewater technologies to advance the wastewater resource recovery industry. In conclusion, we ask our colleagues to join us in acknowledging and thanking Gary Darling for his service and significant contributions to our communities and water supply. We congratulate him on his retirement and are looking forward to his future ventures.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to continue a series of cool 1- minute science topics. Today, I will speak about science-based innovations in the field of water rights. Previously, conflicts over water resource management have reduced agricultural productivity and distracted farmers with lawsuits and litigation. But researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed an online system for farmers to trade groundwater pumping rights. The National Science Foundation funded research that resulted in the creation of a new company, Mammoth Trading, which allows farmers to manage their lands and water rights to improve environmental conditions, improve resource allocation, and increase efficiency. These innovations demonstrate the power of science to increase productivity and positively influence the market. Congress should continue to encourage this type of ingenuity and innovation through R&D science funding.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 306, the Energy Efficient Government Technology Act, sponsored by the committee. It is also bipartisan, as my colleague from California mentioned, sponsored by Ms. Eshoo and Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois. H.R. 306 promotes the use of energy efficiency and energy savings information technologies and practices across the Federal Government, especially in data centers. The bill amends the Energy Independence Act of 2007 to require Federal agencies to coordinate with the OMB, DOE, and EPA in developing an implementation strategy for the maintenance, purchase, and use of energy efficiency and energy savings information technology. Ten percent of Federal electricity is consumed by Federal energy centers. H.R. 306 aims to keep that at 10 percent or even to reduce it. The legislation also sets out specific items for consideration in developing an implementation strategy that requires the establishment of performance goals for evaluating agencies' efforts. In addition, the bill would amend the 2007 act to require the DOE and EPA to collaborate with stakeholders in the implementation of data centers, efficiency programs, and other measures to improve data center energy efficiency. Again, the legislation was passed by the House without dissent last year as stand-alone legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it. I commend my colleagues Ms. Eshoo and Mr. Kinzinger.

Mr. McNERNEY

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, I want to congratulate the gentleman from Oregon on his new chairmanship. I look forward to working across the aisle on most of the issues. It is a good bipartisan subcommittee. I think we have a lot to accomplish. The Small Business Broadband Deployment Act, H.R. 288, unanimously passed the House last Congress on a bipartisan vote, unanimous. H.R. 288 provides a 5-year exemption from the FCC's enhanced transparency rules for small Internet service providers that serve 250,000 or fewer subscribers. This exemption comes with the understanding that there is a 5-year sunset on the exemption and that the FCC report to Congress with sufficient information to help us better understand the impacts on the consumers of a permanent exemption, of a possible permanent exemption. This data will also better inform us whether a longer term exemption is necessary and whether we got the definition of what a small business is right in this case. It is also worth noting that H.R. 288 would leave intact the FCC's 2010 transparency rules that consumers have come to rely on, such as what they are paying for, Internet speeds they rely on, data quality, and so on. At the same time, these modifications provide certainty for small ISPs while the FCC collects and reports relevant information to Congress. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the chairman for his work on this and for his willingness to compromise. As he pointed out, it was a process. It took both sides. I think he wanted permanent exemption, we wanted a less exemption, and it worked out. I think it is the right compromise. Five years gives businesses the predictability they need. It is a good place to be. In 5 years, we will see the report and whether it makes sense to continue the exemption or not. I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleague from Tennessee on assuming the chairmanship of the subcommittee. I look forward to our working together. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.