Alexander Mooney

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Ercelle S. Carter of Institute, West Virginia, who is celebrating her 100th birthday on October 25, 2015. Ercelle was born on October 25, 1915, in Fayetteville, West Virginia. She is one of two children of John Saunders and Harriet Agee Saunders. Growing up, she attended Levi Elementary, Boyd Junior High School, and graduated from Garnet High School in 1933. She enrolled at West Virginia State College and graduated with degrees in home economics and elementary education in 1937. On April 27, 1940, she married Ulysses Grant Carter. They were married for 53 years, until his death in 1993. Ercelle was a homemaker and a stay-at-home mom until 1959, when she began her professional career as a teacher at Shawnee Elementary School and retired from Mound Elementary in 1979. Ercelle has led an outstanding life, highlighted with her love of family and service to her community. I wish her many more years of health and happiness. Congratulating Evans Elementary of Jackson County, West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Evans Elementary of Jackson County, West Virginia, for the honor of being named a National Blue Ribbon School for 2015. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program was created in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell. The program was designed to celebrate achievements of both public and private elementary, middle, and high schools which have excellent performance or have substantially reduced the performance gap for disadvantaged student populations. This is a tremendous honor given to only two schools in West Virginia and only 335 schools nationwide this year. I am proud of the hardworking teachers, faculty, and students that achieved this honor. Their pursuit of academic excellence is inspiring, and I hope their success can be replicated across our State.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Donald ``Trae'' Sheehan III of Troop 165 of the Shenandoah Area Council in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. This accomplishment required leadership, service to his community, and a great deal of hard work. It makes me proud to see young West Virginians such as Donald work to better themselves and their communities as they prepare to become our nation's future leaders. I join with Donald's family and friends in congratulating him on becoming an Eagle Scout.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the time to recognize Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks on their 50th year as a national recreation area. Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area was established by an act of Congress on September 28, 1965, and has been enjoyed by families from all over the country ever since. It is located in Pendleton County in the eastern panhandle area of my district in West Virginia. I was lucky enough to have had the privilege to visit just last month. As the only true peak on the East Coast of the United States, it lures rock climbers from all around and boasts some of the most spectacular scenery on this side of the Mississippi. Let me tell you, it is even more beautiful in person. Don't take my word for it, though. I encourage everyone to plan a trip to this national treasure. Life at Conception Act

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the time to recognize the historic event that took place last week. On September 24, 2015, his Holiness Pope Francis became the first Pope to ever address Congress. I would like to thank all that were involved in this planning process that led to this significant event, especially Speaker John Boehner. It was truly an honor to take part in the first papal address to Congress. Pope Francis' message was one of hope and love, and it reminded us that we need to keep fighting for the sanctity of life, marriage, family, and religious liberty. Pope Francis clearly stated that there is a moral obligation to protect unborn babies. Protecting the unborn is one of the issues that compelled me to run for political office in the first place, and I am committed to continuing to fight in Congress. During his address, the Pope said: The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development. I am convinced that this is the best way, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity. I am proud to be the lead sponsor of H.R. 816, the Life at Conception Act. The Life at Conception Act is a necessary component in the long- term protection of the unborn. In the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court justices wrote that, since the beginning of life is not defined by law, it is open to interpretation. The Life at Conception Act simply defines by Congress that the life of a child begins at conception. Establishing personhood will protect the right to life of unborn children who are the most defenseless among us and need our protection. This bill sets a standard for promoting and encouraging a culture of life. If enacted, it would simply affirm that unborn children are deserving of protection. We currently have 122 cosponsors of this important bill. I encourage my colleagues in the House to cosponsor as well.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my deepest concerns for the health and safety of the women, children, all babies, and families in our great country. Recent undercover videos by The Center for Medical Progress unearthed some of the most alarming information that has been hidden from the American people for years. These videos deeply disturb me, and I know I am not alone. The practices uncovered in the Planned Parenthood videos are repulsive. I never dreamed I would be standing before this body questioning if our own government is a willing enabler in the profiteering from the buying and selling of aborted baby parts. It is wrong that Planned Parenthood continues to do as it pleases and that the American taxpayers are bankrolling that organization. We are spending $450 million a year funding Planned Parenthood. That is why I sent a letter along with 134 of my colleagues in the House of Representatives on July 27 that calls for a full investigation into Planned Parenthood by the Justice Department. Mr. Speaker, I speak for the people that I am blessed to represent from the Second Congressional District in West Virginia. I am here to say that taxpayers should not fund abortions. Supporters of Planned Parenthood continually point to other services that they provide. There is precisely one Planned Parenthood provider in all of West Virginia, located in Vienna, less than an hour outside of my district, right here. One. Does it even provide mammograms? No, it does not. However, we have more than 300 federally certified women's care facilities in West Virginia that do provide these essential services. Taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortions through Planned Parenthood. We should defund that organization from taxpayer funding dollars right now. Senior officials--on camera--were caught admitting to unethical, illegal activities in the selling of body parts. Let's define what we are talking about here. This is a baby approximately 16 weeks after the moment of conception. Human life begins at conception. This is a baby. Some would like to define it as something else--call it anything but a baby. They will call it a fetus, a blob of tissue, cells; but they do not want to call this little boy or girl a baby. However, you couldn't sell baby body parts, such as lungs, hearts, livers, as Planned Parenthood was caught doing, unless it was a baby. This is a baby. This is what he or she looks like. This is what taxpayers in this country--you, the taxpayers--are being forced to pay for, the killing of this baby and the buying or selling of her body parts. That is wrong. That is what we are standing against here in the U.S. House of Representatives, and we need your support in this. The Federal Government needs to stop enabling this black market business immediately. That is why I have cosponsored several pieces of legislation to make sure that the taxpayers and thousands of unborn children are protected from the activities and horrendous actions of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. H.R. 3134, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015, simply prohibits funding of Planned Parenthood for a year to allow for a full congressional investigation to take place. H.R. 3197, the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act of 2015--this bill will prohibit Federal funding of an entity that performs abortions, including Planned Parenthood. H.R. 3215, the End Trafficking of the Terminated Unborn Act of 2015-- this bill will prohibit any transfer of fetal tissue from aborted babies for a purpose other than disposal. This will prevent both publicly and privately funded research involving the remains of unborn children who were aborted. Finally, my bill, H.R. 816, the Life At Conception Act, would define life at the moment of conception, which is a biological fact. The abortion issue, actually, in this bill defunding Planned Parenthood--which our goal is to defund Planned Parenthood--does not actually stop abortion. I wish we could. Abortion is the taking of a human life. Defund Planned Parenthood is simply saying that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for those abortions. That is a widely accepted view of the majority of Americans, even those who may disagree with us pro-life advocates on the abortion issue. Many people think that abortion shouldn't be funded with taxpayer dollars. All of these bills are crucial to making sure that the American taxpayer is no longer footing the bill or condoning the barbaric practices of Planned Parenthood or any other organization like them that traffics in aborted baby body parts. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for these four vital pieces of legislation and remove taxpayer funding of abortion in the spending bills before us in Congress. That is our duty in the U.S. House of Representatives. We control spending in this Chamber. No one can tell us what to do. We represent the people in the districts that voted us into office. I am calling on the folks in this Chamber and in America to support the defunding of Planned Parenthood now. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Congressman Ken Hechler and Carol Hechler on reaffirming their commitment to each other in their marriage on August 8th. Congressman Hechler has honorably served the amazing state of West Virginia for over fifty years, first as a combat historian in the United States Army during World War II, then as the Representative of the 4th district and as West Virginia's Secretary of State. I am overjoyed that Congressman Hechler has decided to honor and uphold the sacred institution of marriage with his wife, Carol. I join with their families, friends, and loved ones in congratulating Congressman Hechler and his wife Carol on this momentous occasion. I wish the reaffirmed couple the best of luck, and long, happy lives together.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Brigadier General David T. Buckalew on a successful career in the West Virginia National Guard. Brigadier General Buckalew has honorably and selflessly served the people of West Virginia for over 44 years, and will be retiring on August 1, 2015. During those many years, Brigadier General Buckalew worked his way up in rank from an enlisted Guardsman to the Director of the Joint Staff of the West Virginia National Guard, and earned numerous awards and decorations in this time as well. We are all grateful for Brigadier General Buckalew's devoted service in protection of the freedoms we so enjoy as West Virginians. I join with West Virginia National Guard and Brigadier General David Buckalew's friends and family in wishing him a happy retirement, and thanking him for his service to our state, and country.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman McKinley for his leadership on this issue and in our great State of West Virginia. I thank Congressman Barr for his great comments and for his telling some personal stories about how this affects real Americans from different States. Mr. Speaker, our great country is blessed with abundant natural resources. Unfortunately, President Obama has made a campaign commitment to destroy coal as a domestic energy source, and he is intent on fulfilling that promise. Just 2 weeks ago, the Office of Surface Mining, under the Department of the Interior, released its latest set of rules and regulations that will cripple the coal industry not only in West Virginia, but across the country. These new rules and regulations are over 2,500 pages in length. If you do not know exactly what that looks like, here it is, ladies and gentlemen. It is six folders full of new regulations--2,500 pages. This is what it looks like, okay? The Department of the Interior has given us 60 days to go through this. It is a lot of work. At the very least, a 120-day extension is needed beyond the current 60-day comment period. I have already joined Chairman Bishop of the Natural Resources Committee, on which I serve, and 43 Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Obama administration, requesting a 120-day extension of the comment period for the recently announced job-killing stream buffer zone regulation right here. My hard-working staff and I of the Second District of West Virginia have been going through this very hard over the last several days since it came out. We have been trying to look at all of the ridiculous regulations in this bill, and we have come across a couple of things that, I think, are worth pointing out so far. For instance, on page 1201 of the proposed regulation, it reads: Ensure that electric power transmission lines and other transmission facilities that are used for or are incidental to surface mining activities on the permit area are designed and constructed to minimize electrocution hazards to raptors and other alien species with large wingspans. The Office of Surface Mining is worried about protecting raptors and other birds from electrocution, so they have created a special regulation just to prevent that from happening. That is right. Here it is--required. We found on page 1201, buried within thousands of pages of regulations, that coal companies are to build special power lines to prevent ``raptors from getting zapped.'' I wonder if the environmentalists have the same concerns for their own projects. According to the Smithsonian, somewhere between 140,000 and 328,000 birds die each year from flying into wind turbines. On page 1100 exactly, we have even more new rules here. It reads: You may not conduct any surface mining activity that is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of threatened or endangered species listed by the Secretary or proposed for listing by the Secretary or that is likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat in violation of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. That is a long sentence with a lot of ``ors.'' This absurd regulation would prohibit mining near animals that the Director of the Interior has simply proposed for listing as endangered or as threatened. It would be one thing to prevent mining operations around animals that are actually endangered, but this regulation goes far, far beyond protecting endangered species. This is a stunning regulatory power grab that an environmental extremist Secretary will use to put miners out of business. Even more ridiculous is just the heart of this rulemaking, which is to fundamentally change the definition of a ``stream'' to include temporary streams. Temporary streams are, essentially, ditches that fill up with water when it rains, and the water goes away quickly. They are calling them ``streams'' now. A recent study from the National Center for Mining estimates that these rules will destroy as many as 80,000 coal jobs across the country. My colleague Congressman Andy Barr put some names to those stories of individuals who are losing their jobs. He just referred to them in his remarks, and I appreciate that. These are hard-working American taxpayers who are simply trying to provide for their families; and these idealistic, extremist regulations are putting them out of work. It is harming families not only in our States of West Virginia and Kentucky, but across the country. These new regulations would be catastrophic to the coal industry and to all of the hard-working American families who depend on coal to keep their energy costs low. The economy of the Appalachian Region and West Virginia, in particular, are uniquely threatened by these regulations because of our mountainous topography and abundance of small streams. Industry estimates say this administrative action could mean 45 to 79 percent of the coal reserves in the Appalachia would no longer be usable. The damage from such a critical blow to the industry would create a ripple of hardship in our State. I think my colleague Congressman McKinley mentioned this already, but over 90 percent of the energy consumed in West Virginia is produced by coal power, and distress in the coal industry will raise home energy prices and business energy costs for everybody. Low-income folks are going to struggle with this. Furthermore, approximately 60 percent of West Virginia State business tax revenue is derived from coal revenues. A significant decrease in these revenues would put a severe financial strain on the State budget, and it could potentially hurt crucial services in our State, like public schools, State-funded health clinics, and the funding of our law enforcement agencies. I want to continue to work with my colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee, and I thank my colleague from West Virginia and my colleague from Kentucky for cosponsoring my bill, H.R. 1644. It is also known as the STREAM Act. I want to first move it swiftly through committee before any real damage can be done by this harmful new rule. It is time that the administration wakes up and realizes that their regulations are hurting hard-working American taxpayers for no good reason.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, few institutions are as powerful and as secretive as the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve's monetary policy impacts the prices every American pays at the grocery store; the ability of businesses to obtain the capital necessary to create new jobs; and the value of investments the average American relies on to provide for their families, educate their children, and enjoy a secure retirement. Despite the Fed's enormous power, Congress continues to allow the Fed to conduct monetary policy in secret. While the Government Accountability Office is allowed to perform limited audits of the Fed, it is forbidden by law from auditing. In other words, the Congress has forbidden the Government Accountability Office from examining how the Fed conducts monetary policy, its most important function. Allowing the Fed to conduct monetary policy in secret is a failure of Congress' duty to carry out meaningful oversight of the Federal Reserve. Congress and the people we represent deserve to know the full truth about the Federal Reserve. This is why one of my first acts upon coming to this House was to cosponsor the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, H.R. 24, introduced by my friend Thomas Massie of Kentucky. This simple two-page bill authorizes a full audit of the Fed's monetary functions and is popularly known as ``Audit the Fed.'' The passage of this bill will allow the American people to finally get a better picture of the Fed's operations, including its dealings with large financial institutions and foreign central banks. Contrary to the claims of the Fed and its supporters, nothing in this bill gives Congress any new authority over the Federal Reserve. It simply allows Congress to get a retrospective look at how the Fed carries out monetary policy so that Congress and the people can fully understand, evaluate, and oversee the Fed's actions. Audit the Fed has twice passed the House by overwhelming majorities and is supported by almost 80 percent of the American people. Yet, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blocked the bill from coming to the floor for a vote in the U.S. Senate. Senator Reid's replacement as majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, is a cosponsor of S. 264, the Senate version of Audit the Fed, which has been introduced by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. It is finally time for a vote in the U.S. Senate as well. The passage of Audit the Fed is more important than ever, given the Federal Reserve's actions since the 2008 financial crisis. Following the financial meltdown, the Fed commenced an unprecedented program of trillion-dollar bailouts for Wall Street. The Fed's poor track record over the past decade is not an irregularity. Since the Fed's creation, the dollar has lost 97 percent of its purchasing power. Allowing the Federal Reserve to continue operating in secrecy may benefit certain well-placed individuals, but it has not benefited my constituents in West Virginia. It is time to bring transparency to monetary policy. It is time to tear down the Fed's wall of secrecy. It is time to audit the Fed.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, our coal industry is suffering in West Virginia because President Obama's regulations are artificially driving down demand for reliable and affordable coal. With power plants closing and home energy prices rising, our miners are suffering and jobs are being cut due to this administration's continuous overreach and interference. That is why Representative David McKinley's bill, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015 is so important to our communities in West Virginia. I am a proud original cosponsor. I strongly support this legislation because it allows States to adopt and implement their own coal ash permitting systems as long as they meet basic Federal standards. The States, along with their local communities and hard-working coal miners, know best how to implement coal ash regulations and will ensure that water quality and the environment are protected. Being able to recycle coal ash means we can turn our spent coal into useful products, like drywall and concrete. This means more mining jobs and a healthier economy for West Virginia and all of America. I urge my colleagues to join us in voting for H.R. 1734, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of meeting with Doug Erwin. Doug is an extraordinary member of our West Virginia community who started the charitable organization called Backpack Buddies. In the summer, Backpack Buddies gives meal supplements to children in elementary, middle, and high schools who received free or reduced lunches during the school year. Oftentimes, the meal that they receive at school is the only food that they eat all day. Doug became concerned about what these children did for food during the summer. That is when Doug started Backpack Buddies. For the last 3 years, communities in my district in the great State of West Virginia have come together to raise money to provide food to these children so they can get the extra help they need during the summer. Backpack Buddies is serving, now, over 1,600 children in Putnam, Boone, Cabell, and Kanawha Counties this summer. I would like to thank Doug, the business leaders in our community, and the volunteers who help make Backpack Buddies possible. War on Coal

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. On a separate issue, Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago, President Obama sent two of his top cronies in his war on coal, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Office of Surface Mining Director Joseph Pizarchik, to my home State of West Virginia. The apparent purpose of their visit was to seek input for a new Obama regulation that is estimated to kill 80,000 coal jobs, but their rule had already been submitted for final review. They are not interested in hearing from West Virginians about the impact of their policies. Instead, they are checking a box. It is clear that nothing will stop this President from trying to implement his radical environmental agenda, and I will continue to do everything in my power to fight back on behalf of all West Virginians. That is why, this year, I introduced H.R. 1644, the STREAM Act, which will stop the President's antimining regulations. I also included a provision in the House budget resolution that calls for defunding that regulation, and I will work with the appropriators to make sure it is not funded. I hope my colleagues in this Chamber will join me in this fight.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of Congressman Johnson's amendment to cut $2 million from the Office of Surface Mining regulatory and technology budget and transfer those funds to the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. This amendment will cut funding for an office that has launched an all-out war on coal in my home State of West Virginia. The Office of Surface Mining's stream protection rule is intentionally designed to shut down all surface mining and a significant section of underground mining in the Appalachian region. A 2012 study found the rewrite of the stream protection rule is estimated to cost nearly 80,000 direct coal-related jobs. The coal industry is vital to West Virginia and my district. Coal supports over 90 percent of the power generation in my State. It is crucial that we cut the funding for the Office of Surface Mining before they can do any more damage. I thank my colleague for offering this amendment and urge its passage.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to the fiscal year 2016 Interior Appropriations bill that will help strengthen transparency and oversight at the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. My amendment simply provides $1 million in additional funding for the Office of Inspector General at the EPA. I thank Chairman Ken Calvert for working with me on this amendment. Under the current administration, the EPA has waged an all-out war on jobs in the beautiful Second District of West Virginia and on communities across America. With this backdrop, I think it is absolutely critical that we strengthen oversight and transparency at the EPA. Taxpayers deserve to know what is going on behind the curtain. The Office of the Inspector General plays a critical oversight role within the EPA. It is the independent office that works diligently to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. For example, a May 28, 2015, report found that two separate EPA employees were viewing pornography at work for up to 6 hours a day, and they were paid in the neighborhood of $120,000 a year while doing it. The same report found that Renee Page, who at the time was Director of the EPA's Office of Administration, allegedly sold jewelry and weight loss pills out of her office. But she didn't stop there with her abuses. She hired not one, not two, but 17 family members and friends for paid internships at the EPA. These are just two examples of the incredible abuses of public trust and of taxpayer dollars that occur at the EPA. Without rigorous oversight from the inspector general, these abuses might never have been exposed. My amendment provides additional oversight funding without increasing the budgetary impact of the fiscal year 2016 Interior Appropriations bill. We pull the money from the Office of Public Affairs, which is the office responsible for promoting the administration's radical environmental agenda, and use it instead for oversight. I would encourage my colleagues today to cast their vote in favor of my amendment.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would strike $2 million in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Policy and transfer those funds to the deficit reduction account. The Office of Policy is located within the EPA Office of the Administrator and is the primary policy arm for the Agency, or what I have been calling the regulatory nerve center. The funding for this office directly supports this administration's radical regulatory agenda that is putting an alarming number of my constituents out of work, and they are not shy about it. The head of the EPA's Office of Policy, Joel Beauvais, on October 13, 2014, boasted to a group of New York University law students that his office ``coordinates the process through which all of the EPA's rules are developed, including the clean power plan.'' Well, the so-called clean power plan is projected to increase energy costs by as much as $479 billion over the next 15 years. For my constituents in the beautiful Second District of West Virginia, that means an average electricity price increase of 12 percent. This is something we cannot afford. Yesterday, on the floor of this Chamber, we passed the ratepayer protection plan, which will stop the clean power plan, but the Office of Policy is coordinating more than just the clean power plan. The EPA issues about 150 new regulations each year, and this office is right at the center. Another rule that deserves attention is the EPA's proposed ozone standard. The National Association of Manufacturers found that this new regulation could reduce the United States' GDP by $207 billion to $360 billion annually, leading to 2.9 million fewer jobs between now and 2040. It is clear that the EPA, under this administration, will continue to promote their radical environmentalist agenda through an enormous number of rules and regulations. We have to slow this process, and that is why I propose this amendment to cut the Office of Policy funding by $2 million. I would encourage my colleagues today to cast their vote in favor of my amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the single greatest threat to the national security of the United States is Iran's drive for nuclear weapons. The result of the negotiations being conducted by President Obama and our Western allies will shape the long-term security and stability of the United States for years to come. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terror, a stronghold for terrorists whose very mission is to spread oppression. Iranian leaders have called for the complete annihilation of Israel, calling Israel a ``barbaric, wolflike, and infanticidal regime.'' Iranian leaders have said that the United States of America has ``no place among the nations.'' By its own declaration, Iran is not looking for a peaceful path of coexistence. There can be nothing more dangerous for America or our allies than a nuclear-armed Iran. That is why a bad deal with Iran, one that leaves the door open for Iranian nuclear weapons, must be avoided at all costs. In order to alleviate these concerns, the President and his national security team have said over and over that a bad deal is worse than no deal at all; but will that sentiment actually stop this administration from entering into a bad deal with Iran? What I have seen so far, through the framework agreement released in April, raises serious concerns. Under this framework agreement, not a single Iranian nuclear centrifuge will be dismantled. No nuclear facilities will be shut down. While some of Iran's nuclear infrastructure will be temporarily warehoused, most of Iran's nuclear infrastructure will remain completely intact. All of these factors point to a flawed understanding of a ``good deal'' by President Obama; yet this is the deal we may well be given. Twenty years ago, the United States was negotiating with another country on nuclear weapons development. During these talks with the Soviet Union and Gorbachev in the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan used the proverb ``trust, but verify'' throughout those discussions. I do not see this administration using that same tactic. In fact, it seems to me that in regards to Iran, the Obama administration is operating on the principle of ``trust and don't verify.'' As things stand, these ongoing nuclear negotiations are placing far too much faith in a country that has proven itself both deceptive and unpredictable. Mr. President, a good deal must contain the following five points: first, a deal that requires anytime, anywhere inspections; second, a deal that would only lift sanctions when Iran demonstrates compliance with its obligations; third, a deal must require Iran to provide a complete report of its past nuclear activities; fourth, a deal must require Iran to dismantle its nuclear weapons infrastructure; and, last but not least, a good deal must not allow Iran to become a nuclear state ever. Without these conditions in place, the United States will, without a doubt, be prioritizing a bad deal over no deal at all.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 160, the Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2015, also known as the medical device tax repeal. This bill would repeal the tax on medical device manufacturers that was put into place under ObamaCare. The medical device tax rate is 2.3 percent, and this is in addition to the State sales tax on common medical devices such as pacemakers, hearing aids, and insulin pumps. This tax hurts the very same Americans we should be helping. For example, 13 percent of West Virginians--the State I am blessed to represent--have diabetes. This 2.3 percent tax makes it more difficult for struggling taxpayers in West Virginia and around the country to access critical healthcare devices like insulin pumps. If gone unchecked, this tax will continue to weaken the industry's ability to grow and help people in need. It will also continue to hinder the development of lifesaving treatments and devices. I hope my colleagues will join me tomorrow in voting for the repeal of the ill-advised medical device tax.

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia

Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate all of the students who will take part in the Young America's National High School Leadership Conference from July 8th to 11th. At this conference, the students will learn leadership skills along with discussing the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values. It is extremely important for young people in the United States to learn about the virtues of these ideas. I join with the students' families and friends in wishing these young conservative leaders a successful conference, and excellent time in our nation's capital.