Patrick Murphy

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California for his service, for his dedication to making it in America and continuing to support those in agriculture, those who are working so hard to feed this Nation, everything they bring. I want to thank the gentleman. I rise today as a humble Member of this body, representing the people of Florida's 18th Congressional District since 2013. Four years ago, I came to Congress to work as an independent thinker toward bipartisan solutions, making sure that we are moving our country forward but also moving our Nation forward. To that end, I started the Congressional United Solutions Caucus with likeminded Members from both sides of the aisle. Working together, we introduced major bipartisan legislation that would cut nearly $500 billion in government spending over 10 years by rooting out waste, inefficiencies, and finding some wasteful spending. I am proud that several of the commonsense measures outlined in the SAVE Act were actually passed as part of the House annual appropriations process, showing that both parties can actually work together to get our fiscal house in order. Furthermore, I have been proud of the bipartisan work of our State's delegation to put Florida first. Together, we passed major legislation that I introduced with Congressman Dennis Ross from Florida to improve the flood insurance market, giving Florida families more options for flood insurance coverage by bringing down the cost of those policies. As the founder and the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Citrus Caucus, I worked with my colleagues Tom Rooney and Vern Buchanan to secure almost $150 million for citrus greening research that is vital to our State's iconic orange industry. We also passed legislation to expand tax incentives for replanting efforts to help the local farmers impacted by greening. Just last week, the House passed the WINGMAN Act that I introduced with Congressman Ted Yoho from Florida to remove barriers that prevent congressional staff, who already are working closely with the VA and local veterans on their claims, from being able to update constituents in a more timely manner. This change would help alleviate the burden on VA staff, better serve the veterans by expediting the claims process, and help tackle the backlog of cases. We also brought Members together, not just from Florida but across the Nation, to bring attention to the crisis in our local waterways and highlight the urgent need for Everglades restoration efforts to help provide long-term relief to our communities. I will never forget how touched and humbled I was to see more than 100 Floridians make their trip to Washington. Some of those folks came up 14 hours by bus to have their voices heard at a historic congressional briefing on our waterways that I helped host in October of 2013. In the midst of a government shutdown, 22 Members of Congress, including Democrats and Republicans, Senator Bill Nelson, Leader Nancy Pelosi, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster came together with experts, community leaders, and residents to raise awareness for advocates of the solutions that are needed. Every day, I am given extraordinary opportunities to help the people of Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast. Every day, I am afforded an opportunity to make a difference in a person's life. I am proud that, over the past 4 years, we have assisted thousands of constituents, helping to return over $4 million in earned benefits for the district. Those are lifechanging results that partisan bickering cannot take away. Too often, the negative attacks and partisanship overshadow the issues that actually matter to American families. We desperately need a new era of politics with leaders who put their country before their party, who solve problems instead of pointing fingers, and who are committed to service. While the outcome of this past election was not what I had hoped for for our State or for our Nation, there is still a window of opportunity for new leaders to make changes in America that our country is clearly yearning for. Much of the system is broken, from the money in politics to the corporate influences and the gerrymandering. There is too much outside impact influencing our election process. I also agree that many laws and regulations could use adjustments to work better for the American people and for our country. But let us remember that the outcome of this past election was not a mandate for many of the policy actions that are being discussed right now. Instead, we saw a still-divided nation making it more important than ever that we have solutions that work for all Americans, not some Americans. That is why I hope to see a new focus on tackling climate change, tax reform, investing in our infrastructure, rebuilding the middle class, improving educational opportunities, and protecting our country from the threats of cyber attacks and terrorism, all things I championed during my time in this Chamber. But above all, I hope that we do not move our country backwards. That requires leaders who can unite us, not those using fear and lies to further divide this country. I will always be the first to say that we must work together--not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans. However, we cannot simply gloss over the hateful and divisive rhetoric that plagued our country this past year. The United States is better than this, and the world is watching. As an eternal optimist, I am hopeful that our leaders will work together to begin to heal these wounds and move our country forward together, showing that we are stronger than those who wish to divide us. That is what I will keep pushing for and hope that our leaders in Washington will join me in fighting for what is right for the American people. My commitment to our community, to the great State of Florida, and to our Nation will always continue. Thank you to my constituents, to my colleagues, and to my team for an honor of a lifetime, serving the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach here in the United States Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and my friend (Mr. Jolly) for organizing this Special Order, for his leadership on this issue, and convening this important conversation on the need for immediate action to combat Zika. It is clear to us in Florida that Zika is not a partisan issue. It is about protecting our families and our children. Yet, 7 months after the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency over Zika and the administration submitted its request for $1.9 billion in emergency funds to combat the virus, no bipartisan agreement has been reached to pass a bill providing the resources needed for this fight. As the number of Zika cases continues to grow across the Nation, including more than 50 local transmissions in Florida alone, this prolonged congressional inaction is unacceptable. That is why over a dozen members of Florida's congressional delegation are calling on congressional leaders to take immediate action on a clean Zika funding bill. I was proud to lead this bipartisan letter with Congressman Jolly, and I want to thank those Representatives who have joined us. Our hope is that the rest of Congress will work together like our delegation and treat this matter with the seriousness that it deserves, taking action needed to protect the American people and public health. That starts with ending the political posturing and dropping divisive, unrelated policy riders and immediately passing a clean funding bill to provide the resources necessary to fight Zika. This is an emergency, not an opportunity to be exploited to score points against Planned Parenthood or to weaken the Affordable Care Act. Congress' delay has only made the problem worse and more expensive as babies tragically born with microcephaly will require a lifetime of care. The need for emergency funding could not be more urgent given the CDC Director's recent statements that current Zika funding is nearly exhausted, so we must find the bipartisan cooperation. We must pass a clean bill and get this done immediately. The people of Florida deserve it. This is even after the extraordinary move of reallocating over $80 million from research on Ebola, HIV, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions to prioritize Zika efforts. Beyond the funding, we also need to make sure the scientists and researchers working on developing a Zika vaccine have the necessary tools to do just that. For example, during a recent visit to Scripps Florida, a leading research facility in my Congressional district, I heard from their Zika research team about the need for location-specific blood samples for their ongoing work. Additionally, we must make sure that states and local partners have the resources needed to implement and maintain world-leading mosquito control programs to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. I am proud to have put forward the SMASH Act with my colleague, the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Clawson, who knows firsthand how important mosquito control districts are. The SMASH Act will support our local mosquito control districts to help fight the spread of Zika. Additionally, the bill provides grants to support the work of state and local health departments, our partners on the ground, for treating infectious diseases like Zika. To further bolster prevention, detection, and treatment efforts, Governor Scott should expand Medicaid in Florida. Up to one million Floridians could be newly covered if the governor would simply accept available federal dollars. These dollars would go directly to strengthening our public health and responding to Zika. This crisis requires collective action, with all levels of government working together on both immediate and long-term solutions to combat this virus. There are also a few simple steps Floridians can take to protect themselves. To prevent bites and the spread of mosquitoes, this includes wearing bug spray and draining standing water. Furthermore, it is important to remember that Zika can be sexually transmitted and the same safe sex practices that help prevent the spread of HIV will also prevent the spread of Zika. Zika and mosquitoes don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican. This is a serious health crisis that impacts all Americans. It is great to see growing bipartisan support in Congress to do the right thing, putting political posturing aside to move forward a clean funding bill to combat this virus and keep families safe. Again, I thank the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Jolly, and the rest of our delegation for showing the leadership needed to get this done and enlist Congress in the fight against Zika.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their hard work in staying up so late and doing our business here. I rise to offer the Murphy-Jolly-Castor-Clawson-Deutch-Graham- Hastings-Posey-Ros-Lehtinen-Wilson amendment to block the use of seismic airgun testing off Florida's coasts. As you can see from the list of cosponsors, offshore drilling is not a partisan issue. In our State of Florida, the health of our economy relies on clean waters and beaches. Seismic testing puts the health of our environment and, by extension, our economy at risk. Blasting seismic waves into the waters off our coasts is the first step in the wrong direction. Oil and gas exploration off the coasts of Florida poses too great a risk to our environment and to our economy. Seismic testing can have negative impacts on marine life, including endangered whales and dolphins, by disrupting their ability to communicate and navigate to find food as well as to locate mates and their young. It can also have negative effects on sea turtles, such as the endangered loggerhead, that have key nesting grounds along the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches in the district I am so proud to represent. Additionally, this practice has the potential to displace commercial and recreational fishing stocks. Estimates are that this practice can reduce catch rates in Atlantic cod, haddock, rockfish, herring, sand eel, and blue whiting by anywhere between 40 and 80 percent. This is unacceptable for Florida's fishing industry and the very livelihoods it sustains. Floridians from every political persuasion do not want to risk an oil spill off our coasts, as we are home to more coastline than any other State in the continental United States. That is why 30 cities from both the left-leaning and right-leaning parts of our State have passed resolutions that ban seismic testing. Those closest to the ground know seismic testing is bad for business in a State with over 280,000 jobs that are supported by healthy ocean ecosystems. Protecting our shores is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. It is a Florida issue, both environmentally and economically. I am proud that our delegation continues to stand strong against efforts to open the door to offshore drilling by working to block seismic testing off our shores. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to trust our State and our delegation. The Sunshine State is united. We do not want this. Support this bipartisan amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Graham), another champion for the environment and a champion for Florida.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the chairman's hard work on this bill, and I hope he will take a moment to consider the united front that we stand in Florida on a bipartisan measure to be against this. But we oppose this practice because of its many impacts on the State and the animals that move around. They are not simply off our shore. They are all over the place. I hope the gentleman considers that. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chair, I strongly support grant funding for construction of state extended care facilities included in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which will go towards facilities like the Ardie R. Copas State Veterans' Nursing Home in St. Lucie County, Florida. Our veterans should be receiving extraordinary care, and these facilities will provide those who fought for our nation with the long-term care they have earned. The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs recently resubmitted its grant application to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for construction funding for the State Veterans' Nursing Home in St. Lucie County. I am hopeful and urge that this bill will fully fund the new facility on Florida's Treasure Coast, including the costs to adhere to Community Living Center standards. This facility will be the first of its kind in Florida and fill an existing nursing home service gap in our state. I have been a strong advocate for the Copas facility, which will be a huge asset to our community and our veterans. The nursing home will provide health care, follow-up assistance, and long-term care services that we can be proud of, all while providing these services closer to home for many veterans. In addition to assisting veterans residing in St. Lucie County, it will also serve those in neighboring Martin, Indian River, Okeechobee, and Highlands counties as well as portions of six other nearby counties. This facility's location gives it the ability to reach approximately over 200,000 veterans with more than half of these veterans over the age of 65. These important grants will advance long-term veterans care on the Treasure Coast and across the country. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical funding.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 39 high school seniors from the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches of Florida for their admirable decision to enlist in the United States Armed Forces following their graduation this year. Of these 39 enlistees, one is an Air Force enlistee, nine are Army enlistees, nine are National Guard enlistees, ten are Marine Corps enlistees, eight are Navy enlistees, and two are Army Reserve enlistees. These young men and women have demonstrated the utmost patriotism by answering the call of duty. They should know that they have the full support of their communities, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the American people. With a deep appreciation for each student's service, I ask my colleagues to join me in personally recognizing: Kamarley Campbell, Alexander Harre, Rebecca Wise, Ivy Gagner, Shannon Hunter, John Reid, James Turner, Christopher Labeach, Melissa Martinez, Chelsea Cobb, Nickolas Poskin, Dylan Reinhardt, Nicolas Sangricco, Jacob Crawford, Brett Marshall, Nicolas Key, Luke Spadafora, Lazaro Palenzuela, Zachary Odell, Kenneth McDonald, Nicolas Rivero, Sean Saake, Cameron Manochi, Carlton Epstein, Karina Derouen, Victor Marques, Colton Mullins, Sarah Fairchild, Anthony Brito, Jacob Barber, Corey Boyce, Justo Rolando Alvarez, Logan Griffith, Cristian Nicolls, Cristian Hodges, Alex Mahan, Myles Wilkerson, Chase Krusbe, and Elizabeth Bonhomme. These enlistees will be recognized on May 3, 2016 at the fourth annual Our Community Salutes Enlistee Recognition event in Delray Beach. Mr. Speaker, we are grateful to each of these fine men and women, and to all who commit to defending our great nation by serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is my honor and privilege to recognize their courage, dedication, and commitment to service here today.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida and I thank the gentleman from Oregon for their tireless efforts to protect our environment. As the gentleman from Florida and I know firsthand, so much of our economy is based on our environment. Making sure that we have clean water and clean air is exactly what we need to be focused on. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, ensuring the party responsible for such oil spills is held liable. Hopefully, we get bipartisan support going forward. I thank the two gentlemen for their work putting this forward. I would also like to rise today in support of H.R. 2901, the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act. I was proud to put this bipartisan legislation forward with my good friend, another gentleman from Florida (Mr. Ross) to clarify that private flood insurance may be an available option for homeowners to satisfy mandatory coverage requirements under the National Flood Insurance Program. For Florida homeowners, this is a win-win, giving them more options for flood insurance coverage and using new competition to drive down prices and expand coverage options for consumers. The National Flood Insurance Program is an important tool that empowers and protects homeowners all across America. The Biggert-Waters Act of 2012 took an important step in opening up the market and allowing private flood insurance policies to satisfy mandatory coverage requirements under the program. However, as we have learned, sometimes even the best laid plans can have unintended consequences. With a lack of clarity as to which private flood insurance policies are allowed in the program, the market has not been able to expand, and consumers have been left with just one choice to insure their properties from flood risk: the National Flood Insurance Program. I recently heard from one of my constituents in Martin County, Florida, about how the premium for just 1 year of flood insurance coverage through the NFIP ended up being five times the price they expected it to be. To make matters worse, the maximum coverage was only half of what they paid for the home itself; yet they were required to purchase the higher priced plan that did not provide the coverage they needed because there were no other options. This highlights the urgent need to allow competition in the flood insurance marketplace to meet homeowners' needs and drive down costs. But to do that, we must allow the States to license and regulate flood insurance policies, exactly like homeowners insurance, car insurance, or health insurance. Yet, almost inexplicably, Florida's private flood insurance market remains restrained because homeowners are not given the choice to look to private market policies for more flood insurance options. The bank will not accept other policies because their regulators haven't approved them. This bill will solve this problem by allowing State insurance commissioners, who have long been considered by Congress as the most appropriate regulators of insurance, to certify private insurance plans to provide equivalent or better protections for flood insurance other than the NFIP plan. Everyone I talk to agrees that Florida's insurance commissioner is certainly better equipped to regulate flood insurance in our State than the Federal banking regulators. By breaking this down, we break down a major barrier to marketplace expansion. This legislation will foster more competition, greatly benefiting homeowners across Florida and the Nation. I thank the gentleman from Texas, Chairman Hensarling, for his leadership on this issue. I also extend my deep gratitude to the gentlewoman from California, Ranking Member Waters, for her relentless advocacy for consumers and for working with us to improve this legislation and produce a solid, bipartisan outcome. I appreciate all of my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee for moving this commonsense measure forward with unanimous, bipartisan support. I am hopeful that today it will be passed by the full House with similar support and will be swiftly considered in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2901, the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding constituent and renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Samuel M. Young, Jr. of Jupiter, Florida. Growing up in Caldwell, New Jersey, Sam ``Stump'' Young's strength on the High School football field led him to Princeton University, where he discovered a passion for scientific research that would last a lifetime. Sam chose to major in molecular biology at Princeton, an unlikely choice for the Princeton Tigers' star defensive tackle and one who challenged the assumptions of his professors and fellow students. As a postgraduate, Dr. Young studied at some of the leading laboratories in Germany and the United States before joining the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience in Jupiter in 2010, where he currently serves as Research Group Leader in Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function. At Max Planck, Dr. Young and his team use innovative techniques to create models of how synapses function, and their path- breaking research helps shed light on the causes of brain disease. On Sunday, April 3rd, I was honored to have Dr. Young deliver the keynote address at a ceremony I hosted to recognize 65 local students and recipients of this year's Congressional Award, the United States Congress' award for young Americans who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in four areas: volunteer public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. These young men and women exemplify the best values of hard work, determination, passion, and leadership, and I thank Dr. Young for sharing his story with them. I know that by following his example and pursuing their own passions--no matter what--they too will achieve incredible successes in life.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Bunny Steinman. Bunny was a unique and wonderful soul. Hardworking, fierce, and warm-hearted, she was a pillar of the Florida Democratic Party. Her energy was contagious and if I had to pick one word to describe her, I think ``sparkplug'' would be most fitting. She wanted all Democrats to work hard--and led by being an outstanding example, with strength and a big heart. And those who worked with her like I did knew that she would never hesitate to let someone know if she saw them slacking. She pushed everyone to do their best out of love--because she knew that's what our party deserved. We are all going to miss her--not just her leadership in our party, but also her spirit that encouraged us all to do more for our community and our party. Her contributions to creating a better world for others will last forever. Bunny took so many people under her wing, and I am honored to be one of them. And it is through all of us that her memory lives on. Our community, the state of Florida, and our nation are better because of Bunny, as are the lives of countless individuals who knew her. I know that is true for me. I would not be where I am or who I am today without her support. Mr. Speaker, Bunny was a patriot who loved our country, and I was proud to call her my friend. Bunny, may the road rise up to meet you. You will be missed.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I along with Representatives Ted Deutch and Lois Frankel rise to recognize Ruth Berman and Constance Kurtz on the occasion of receiving the SAGE Pioneer award this Saturday, February 6, 2016. Ruth Berman and Constance Kurtz, affectionately known to all as Ruthie and Connie, are fierce, unyielding advocates and activists who have changed hearts and minds on LGBT rights, marriage equality, and women's rights. Since falling in love and coming out in the 1970s, Ruthie and Connie have risen to national prominence, successfully winning domestic partner benefits for City of New York employees in 1988. Additionally, through television appearances on The Phil Donohue Show, interviews with Geraldo Rivera and Bill Boggs, and their 2002 documentary ``Connie and Ruthie: Every Room in the House,'' they have connected with individuals worldwide and shown the personal impact of changing social climates. That commitment to the personal impact of love and acceptance continues through their work as certified counselors. In that capacity, they founded The Answer is Loving Counseling Center, where they have served for over twenty years. Additionally, they founded branches of Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) in Florida and New York. In 2000, they began serving as co-chairs of the New York State National Organization for Women (NOW) Lesbian Rights Task Force. I was privileged to introduce a bill this session with my colleagues Suzanne Bonamici and Ted Deutch to expand the Older Americans Act (OAA) to improve services available for older LGBT adults. This legislation recognizes LGBT seniors as a vulnerable population, which will open the door for improved health and longterm care services for elders in the LGBT community. I, along with Representatives Deutch and Frankel, have known Ruthie and Connie for many years. They are my constituents and my inspiration for the bill. For decades, their advocacy and leadership in the LGBT community has not wavered as they have aged, but the services available to them and other aging LGBT adults are profoundly unequal to those of other American populations. Their living message inspired the Ruthie and Connie LGBT Elder Americans Act of 2015 (H.R. 3793). For these reasons and more, it is with great please that we join SAGE (Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Elders) to recognize Ruthie and Connie for their lifetime of love and service.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Michael James Riddering. Mike, who dedicated his life to serving others as an American missionary in Burkina Faso, was tragically taken from this world far too soon at the age of 45, a victim of the terrorist attack that struck this West African nation on January 15th. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Amy and their children Haley, Delaney, Biba, and Moise during this most difficult time. Five years ago, Mr. Riddering and his wife Amy left their home in Hollywood, Florida to move to Burkina Faso to run the Sheltering Wings' mission in the town of Yako. Together, they helped women and children in need, running an orphanage, school, and medical clinic. While in Burkina Faso, the couple adopted two children, 15-year-old Biba and 4- year-old Moise. It was this commitment and service that led him to Ouagadougou on the day of the terrorist attack in the nation's capital. Mike had gone to greet a team of missionaries who were just arriving in Burkina Faso to work at the orphanage when the area was seized by Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists. We memorialize Mike's life by honoring him in the Congressional Record here today. But we honor his memory by recommitting ourselves to the truth shared by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a testament to how Mike lived his life of service: ``Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.'' Mr. Speaker, while Mike Riddering's life was cut short by those hoping to instill fear, hatred, and darkness in our world, his life of service, light, and love will never fade. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends and all the lives he touched both in South Florida and Burkina Faso. It is through them that his light will continue to shine on.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 44 on January 13, 2016, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Personal Explanation

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the substitute amendment to provide a bipartisan approach to this regulatory reform discussion. As a CPA and a small-business owner myself, I have seen firsthand the burden that unnecessary regulations can have on businesses, particularly small businesses. My substitute amendment would establish a regulatory improvement commission consisting of experts appointed by the President and congressional leaders of both parties to evaluate and provide recommendations for the modification, consolidation, or repeal of regulations that are unnecessarily burdensome. The commission would have an aim toward reducing compliance costs, encouraging growth and innovation, and improving competitiveness, all while protecting public health and safety. After opportunities for input and consultation from experts, industry stakeholders, and the general public, the commission would submit a report to Congress containing proposed legislation to implement its adjusted changes. If Congress chooses to act and the President chooses to sign the report, agencies would have 180 days to implement. My amendment is based on the Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015, which I was proud to introduce with the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Mulvaney) along with 14 cosponsors, 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans. Our bipartisan proposal rejects the partisan approach before us today in favor of a true, bipartisan compromise that all Members should be able to get behind. My constituents sent me to Congress with the expectation that I would be willing to work with anyone with a good idea. It shouldn't matter what party you have behind your name. Traveling up and down my district, I hear the same thing from all of my constituents, whether they are Republican, Democrat, Tea Party alike. They get that there can be a cost to protecting the environment. But in my district on the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches, they also know that having clean water is probably worth it. They also get that there can be a cost to protecting their workers and workplace safety. But many of them have had the same workers for many, many years, if not decades, and they know that the safety of their employees is also probably worth it. So what frustrates, I think, those constituents the most and those business owners the most is the unnecessary red tape and the excessive costs for the hoops that they have to jump through that don't make the air any cleaner and don't make the projects any safer. They expect Washington to work to fix that problem. That is why I have offered this amendment today. I know that some on the left are going to say that this goes too far and some on the right think it doesn't go far enough. But I also know that, in a divided government, the partisan bill before us will do nothing to help relieve the regulatory burden on the small businesses in my district and across this country. Riddled with poison pills, the SCRUB Act is a messaging bill, trying to send a message about one side allegedly not caring enough about jobs and the other side doesn't care enough about clean water or public safety. But that is not the message that the small businesses care about and the small businesses in my district want to hear. They want results. They want solutions to this. Their message shouldn't be that Congress doesn't care. So while I hoped that we would be able to pick up where we left off on this bill in the last Congress and find some areas where we can come together to solve problems for the American people, I understand that there are concerns with the amendment, and I do intend to withdraw it. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working together and to working with our friends on the other side of the aisle, getting back to getting things done for the American people. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw this amendment.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe. Seventy years after the Holocaust, we are seeing an alarming spike in anti-Semitic activity and violence targeting Jews throughout Europe. In the past year alone, there have been hundreds of violent acts targeting the Jewish community, including deadly attacks at a kosher supermarket in Paris and the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen. As a world leader, the United States must make every effort to work with our European partners to keep the Jewish community safe and secure. This resolution does just that by encouraging the United States to work with European governments to create partnerships with Jewish community groups to improve preparedness and responsiveness to anti- Semitic attacks, create open lines of communication to share information about potential threats, expand relationships with local law enforcement, and to help develop baseline security standards for Jewish organizations and facilities. It also urges European allies to appoint senior officials to coordinate efforts to combat anti-Semitism and hold law enforcement accountable for training to monitor and respond to anti-Semitic violence. Additionally, this resolution commends the work of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism and its efforts in promoting religious freedom around the world. As a member of the Intelligence Committee and the Bipartisan Task Force on Combating Anti-Semitism, I understand how crucial it is to the stabilization of communities in Europe that we forcefully stand up to anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism does not just impact the Jewish community. When this hatred flourishes, it affects all ethnic, religious, and other minority groups. Given the urgency of addressing this growing threat, I am proud to have prioritized working to combat the rise in anti-Semitism, leading my colleagues in writing to the Special Envoy calling for the U.S. to continue to be a global leader in combating all forms of hate. My colleagues also joined me in encouraging the United Nations to work with member states to curb anti-Semitism by enacting strong hate crime laws, expanding education on diversity and tolerance in their own countries, and encouraging heads of state to forcefully speak out about the dangers of anti-Semitism. This resolution furthers these efforts by highlighting the safety and security needs of Jewish communities across Europe and the role our European partners have to play in combatting anti-Semitism. I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in passing this urgent resolution.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. First of all, I want to thank the gentleman from California for putting this together and, really, your leadership. You have been at this for years now, talking to other Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, reminding them about what a critical issue this is. Whether I am talking to constituents in my district throughout the State of Florida or people here in the House, we have to do more to help more people get access to quality and affordable education at all levels, but certainly higher education. When you look at what I would argue is one of the biggest problems in our country right now--and that is the disappearing middle class and this growing divide we have in our country--unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, as economies continue to evolve and progress, education becomes more and more of a critical component of that. Yet, you look at the policies and you look at really what is holding so many people back, just listening to the gentleman from New York here talking about that lack of opportunity and the debt that is holding so many people back from taking that risk to go ahead and become that entrepreneur, to be that innovative spirit that made America so great because they might have $100,000 of debt, they might have a family, they might have some kids, and they are so concerned about this debt, they don't want to take that risk. That is not what America is about. America is about taking that risk with having education to do it and then turning it into something great. And understanding that not every risk is going to always pay off, but you have to have that background, that education, to get you there. And if you are saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and overly complex methods to repay them, not being able to refinance, et cetera, then you have a problem.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, adding on to what the gentleman from New York said, not only should we be looking at those sorts of proposals, but we should be looking at some of the existing programs we have, like Pell grants. The numbers that we have been talking about, this skyrocketing cost of education has increased 200-some percent over the last decade. That is unsustainable. Yet look at what Pell grants have done. The maximum Pell grant has not gone up ratably in the same amount of time. So let's talk about expanding these programs. I think we need to really change the dynamic of the conversation to your point where it is really about return on investment. You know, we need to look at this from a business perspective: What is the best ROI of taxpayer money? I look at some of the bills that we have all worked on together here. One bill that comes to mind is called the SAVE Act. It is a bill where we identified $479 billion of wasteful, duplicative, fraudulent government spending. Let's start implementing and start finding those savings and putting that into education, ensuring that that return on investment for taxpayer money is truly there. We all know a dollar spent on education is going to come back in droves for future generations in this economy.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have, and I think it is a great topic to talk about, and one that we should be able to find bipartisan support on. Because of some of the conversations I have had with some veterans and folks in my district, we introduced some legislation that would help veterans with their application costs. It's not just the cost of education. Sometimes it is just getting there. And these application costs getting into college can be $200, $500, and it could be even more than that. So when you are coming back and you are thinking about a decision, you might only have a couple of hundred bucks and you might have to make a decision, I am only going to apply to one school. That is not, I don't think, the intent. You should be able to have some options and see what options come back to you where you get accepted, et cetera. So, in this legislation, the intent is to waive some of these fees for application costs for these veterans to help them get onto that higher education.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind those watching and our friends on the other side of the aisle that this is, I think, a great opportunity for bipartisanship. When I talk to voters, whether it is around the district or around the State, they are tired of seeing the nonsense. You know, they look at their jobs and they haven't seen a raise in 10 years. They look at their children who either maybe haven't gotten into college or do get into college and graduate and they have got hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. When they turn on C-SPAN, they see us bickering and arguing about nonsense. This is a serious problem. This is something that has to be addressed soon. It should have been addressed years ago. Let's stop the rhetoric and let's start talking to each other and solving these problems and making sure that, not only are we bringing down the cost of higher education, but we are making sure that those who do have the student loans are on an orderly repayment structure, one that makes sense, one that is reasonable per their income. Let's make sure that the dream of America is still alive for future generations.

Mr. MURPHY of Florida

Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 446 and 447. 446 Recommit--``yes,'' 447. Passage of H.R. 2898--``no.''