Seth Moulton

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, there is only one reason this bill is on the floor today: the President cares more about cutting a deal than keeping his promises. He promised we would lower costs. That turned out to be a lie. He promised we would expand coverage. That turned out to be a lie. He promised we would protect millions of Americans with preexisting conditions. That, too, was a lie. Back in Massachusetts at the Agawam Diner, I met a veteran named Clif, who told me when I was on my way to Washington for the first time to go to Washington as an American--not as a Democrat or a Republican, but as an American. To my Republican colleagues, heed Clif's advice today. Don't vote as a Republican. Vote as an American. Don't throw away your credibility to give a legislative victory to a President who will never stick his neck out for anyone other than himself. For what? To betray the people who trusted them? I urge my Republican colleagues to put country before party. Vote ``no'' on this ridiculous bill.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with Ms. Pingree of Maine, Mr. Poliquin of Maine, Ms. Tsongas of Massachusetts, and Ms. Frankel of Florida to celebrate the christening of the USS Thomas Hudner, DDG-116. This destroyer is named in honor of Captain Thomas J. Hudner Jr., a retired officer of the United States Navy and a former naval aviator. Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Hudner attended the United States Naval Academy after graduating from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. On December 4, 1950, Hudner and his wingman, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, were patrolling near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea when Brown's Corsair was struck by ground fire. Hudner intentionally crash-landed his own aircraft on a snowy mountain to help Brown. Brown died of his injuries and Hudner was forced to evacuate. Hudner received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions in trying to save the life of his wingman and received numerous military decorations including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal. Following the incident, Hudner held positions aboard several U.S. Navy ships and with a number of aviation units, including a brief stint as Executive Officer of the USS Kitty Hawk during a tour in the Vietnam War. He retired from active duty in 1973. Since then, he has worked for various veterans' organizations throughout the United States. In May 2012, the Secretary of the Navy announced that an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer will be named USS Thomas Hudner. On Saturday, April 1, the Hudner family, the Brown family, veterans from across all branches, elected officials and the community of Phillips Academy will gather for the joyous occasion of the christening of the ship. It is a ship that embodies the spirit of Captain Hudner's school--non sibi, or not for self. He leads his life in that spirit from Fall River, to Andover, to the Chosin Reservoir and on to his continued service to the veterans community. Together with Ms. Pingree, Mr. Poliquin, Ms. Tsongas, and Ms. Frankel, we wish our very best to the Hudner and Brown families, and to the Philips Academy community in the days to come.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to remind the gentleman from Ohio that the latest poll put the will of the American people at 17 percent in favor of this bill. I would like to read a message from my Republican constituent: ``The American Health Care Act would strain the fiscal resources necessary to support the Commonwealth's continued commitment to universal health coverage.'' This constituent is the Republican Governor of Massachusetts, who knows that TrumpCare destroys our ability to ensure access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage. Another Republican in my State, Governor Mitt Romney, worked with the Democratic legislature to create the Nation's first system to provide affordable, comprehensive health care. RomneyCare wasn't perfect, but Republicans and Democrats worked together to improve it, and they created a system with higher approval ratings than TrumpCare or even ObamaCare. We can do this. Health care should not be partisan. It should be about investing in our people, in our families, and in our future so that Americans can live healthy, productive lives. But that is not what this Republican TrumpCare bill does. Michael is a constituent from Gloucester, the old fishing city. He was prescribed OxyContin by his doctors, and then became addicted. But he was able to enter a treatment program through Medicaid, the kind of program that will be cut by TrumpCare. He is now back at work as an electrician, and he says that the Affordable Care Act saved his life. I am a veteran, and I get my health care at the VA. Sometimes it takes me weeks to get an appointment. If this Republican bill passes, it will throw 8 million veterans off private health care, forcing them into the VA, and creating even longer wait times. That is no way to treat those who have put their lives on the line for our country. Perhaps it's no surprise that this bill is being jammed down the throats of Congress and the American people like a dead fish. Nobody wants it and it will make a lot of people sick. What we should be doing here in Washington is coming together as Republicans and Democrats to have an open, honest debate, and improve the health care system. Everyone says Congress doesn't work--don't prove them right. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this terrible bill and to instead come to the table like we did in Massachusetts.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from California for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 274, the Modernizing Government Travel Act. This legislation is a bipartisan effort that demonstrates a consensus amongst all of us that the Federal Government has failed to keep pace with the technological advances and innovation that have come to define the 21st century. Despite the emergence of new technologies designed to improve the way we travel, today, some Federal employees are unable to be reimbursed for using more cost-effective, innovative modes of transportation when traveling on official business. Innovative ridesharing services supported by mobile apps have dramatically changed how we get from one place to another. Now, with just a few taps on a phone, we can access a variety of new transportation options like rideshare, carshare, and bikeshare that complement rapid transit, take more cars off our congested roads, and reduce fuel emissions. According to a recent study, 52 percent of people using transit for work-related travel chose to use ride-hailing services and other innovative technologies. While the General Services Administration allows agencies to authorize the use of these transportation options by Federal employees, it has not nor is it required by law to issue comprehensive guidance across the Federal Government. H.R. 274 would require the General Services Administration to implement regulations to allow Federal employees to use transportation options like rideshare and bikeshare for official travel. The GSA Administrator would be required to submit annual reports to Congress on the implementation of these regulations and the resulting amount of government savings. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Representative Hurd, for working with me on this legislation, as well as Representatives Swalwell, Issa, Meadows, and Bustos for their support. This is truly a bipartisan effort that will increase the Federal Government's engagement in the sharing economy while saving taxpayer dollars. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4352, the Faster Care for Veterans Act, which I introduced with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. The idea behind the bill is simple. Our Nation's veterans deserve the same technological innovations and level of service at VA healthcare facilities as patients in the private market. One such innovation is patient self-scheduling technology. Patients can log on to an app on their phone or on a Web site, indicate the type of appointment they need, select their location, and schedule their own appointments at a time convenient for them--no middle men, no obnoxious hold music, and no unending carousel of options on an automated phone menu; just a quick and easy medical appointment that works for your schedule. This technology is not just beneficial for patients, it is good for medical providers as well. In the private market, the introduction of patient self-scheduling has dramatically decreased wait times, saving time and money. The VA ought to chase these same innovations so our veterans receive the best health care and user experience in the world. As a Member of Congress, I declined congressional health care and pledged to receive my care at the VA. I receive excellent service from terrific doctors and nurses at my home VA facility in Bedford, Massachusetts. However, scheduling an appointment here in D.C. or at home in Bedford has never been easy. Dennis Magnasco, my veterans' liaison in my office in Salem, Massachusetts, learned this the hard way. Shortly after I introduced the Faster Care for Veterans Act, Dennis called our local VA hospital to make an appointment himself. He listened to the options on the automated menu and pressed one to schedule an appointment. After several more pushed buttons, rather than connecting him to the talented schedulers who work in the Bedford VA, the automated menu started over again. It went into an endless cycle. He hung up, and after multiple unsuccessful further attempts, he recorded himself doing this in a video. I put this video on my Facebook page, and the response was astonishing. Four million people saw the video, 35,000 people shared the video, and 2,000 people commented. People from all over the country shared their experience trying to schedule their own appointments at the VA. The frustration is nationwide. A veteran from Walcott, Arkansas, said: I can tell you this is for real. It happens every time I call. I usually give up and drive to the clinic 18 or 20 miles away so I can talk to a person face to face. A veteran from El Paso, Texas, said: This is exactly what happens every time you try to call for an appointment or even get general information about an existing appointment. This is exactly why lots of us vets end up giving up on the system. A veteran from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said: The longest I have been on hold with the VA was an hour and 45 minutes before I gave up. This is not an issue of quality of care, it is an issue of access to care. The Faster Care for Veterans Act is a solution. First, this bill directs the VA to conduct a pilot program to test commercial off-the-shelf self-scheduling technology at three locations across the country while allowing the VA to continue developing its inhouse solution. Second, the bill requires both the pilot program and the VA's solution to meet several capabilities currently available in the private market. These requirements will ensure our veterans get the same level of service as every other American. Third, the bill provides for an independent assessment to verify if the pilot program or the VA's solution meets the minimum capabilities. Lastly, the bill requires the VA to replace any system used by the VA that does not meet those minimum requirements with a commercially available off-the-shelf technology that does meet those capabilities. The bill is supported by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the American College of Neurosurgeons, and the American Osteopathic Association; and this bill is cosponsored by more than half of the House of Representatives. Our veterans are demanding a 21st century VA healthcare system. This bill is one step in that direction. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5625, the Modernizing Government Travel Act. While we may not agree on all things, I think there is consensus on both sides of the aisle that the Federal Government has failed to keep pace with the technological advances and innovation that have come to define the 21st century economy. Despite the emergence of new technologies designed to improve the way we travel, today some Federal employees are unable to be reimbursed for using more cost-effective, innovative modes of transportation when traveling on official business. Innovative ridesharing services supported by mobile apps have dramatically changed how we get from one place to another. Now, with just a few taps on a smartphone, we can access a variety of new transportation options like rideshare and bikeshare that complement public transit, take more cars off our congested roads, and reduce fuel emissions. While the Government Services Administration allows agencies to authorize the use of these transportation options by Federal employees, it has not, nor is it required by law, to issue comprehensive guidance across the Federal Government. Consequently, agencies and their employees may be unaware that they have the transportation options available to them for reimbursement. H.R. 5625 would require the General Services Administration to implement regulations to allow Federal employees to use transportation options like rideshare and bikeshare for official travel. The GSA administrator would be required to submit annual reports to Congress on the implementation of these regulations and the resulting amount of government savings. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd) for working with me on this legislation, as well as Representatives Swalwell, Issa, Meadows, and Bustos for their support. This is truly a bipartisan effort that will increase the Federal Government's engagement in the sharing economy while saving taxpayer dollars. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation to honor the memory of Dana Rhoden, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today as someone who supports the Constitution, including the Second Amendment. I stand here today as someone who believes in protecting our national security. In fact, I have risked my life to defend it. I stand here as someone who supports the will of the American people because that is my job. In my previous job, I was an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. Over the course of four tours in Iraq, I used guns every single day to do my job. In fact, guns saved my life. I do not want to take away guns from me or any other law-abiding American citizen. But I do want to make sure that terrorists, criminals, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill do not get guns they shouldn't have. All we need to do to accomplish that are two simple, commonsense things: background checks for all sales of guns with no loopholes that criminals and terrorists can exploit; and, second, if you are too dangerous to fly, you are too dangerous to buy. These simple, commonsense gun safety measures are supported by nine out of 10 Americans. So if we are going to do our job here in Congress, if we are going to follow the will of the American people, if we are going to protect our national security, and if we are going to continue to uphold the Constitution, then we should do these things. The reason that they are so important is because of the Americans who have been killed by senseless gun violence. Mr. Speaker, the following is a list of mass shooting victims from just 2016 alone: Antoine Bell, age 17. Raymon Blount, age 29. Ira Brown, age 20. Joshua Steven Morrison, age 18. Randy Peterson, age 64. Sean Marquez, age 19. Marvin Douglas Lancaster, III, age 21. Jennifer Jacques, age 42. Ernesto Ayber, age 29. Carlos Bates, age 29. Isaiah Major, III, age 43. Dwight Hughes, Jr., age 21. Trisha Nelson, age 28. Armando Curiel, age 17. Raul Lopez, age 19. Angel Lopez, age 20. Officer James Lee Tartt, age 44. Manuel Ortiz, age 28. Mary Lou Nye, age 62. Dorothy Brown, age 74. Barbara Hawthorne, age 68. Rich Smith, age 53. Tyler Smith, age 17. Emma Wallace, age 37. The Buckner family, including mother, Kimberly; father, Vic; 18-year- old daughter, Kaitlin; and 6-year-old daughter, Emma. A deputy sheriff, Corporal Nate Carrigan, age 35. Renee Benjamin, age 30. Josh Higbee, age 31.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, I was unable to be present for rollcall vote No. 231 on providing for the consideration of H.R. 5055. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Chairman, I would like to speak first about an amendment to be considered in a later en bloc regarding Special Immigrant Visas. I want to call attention to the urgent need to continue the Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghans who worked for U.S. forces. This bipartisan amendment, backed by several veterans on the committee, would remove the unfortunate narrowing of eligibility requirements included in the mark, which would prevent hundreds of Afghans whose lives are at risk because of their work for our country from even being considered for resettlement in the United States. The narrowing of eligibility intentionally excludes hundreds of Afghans who worked for the State Department, USAID, and U.S. security contractors in a number of capacities, many of whom face well- documented death threats due to their work with our government, regardless of whether that was with frontline troops or on an American base. By narrowing eligibility, the program would erode the expectations of hundreds of Afghan staff whose lives remain in danger because of their work for the U.S. mission and also make it more difficult to hire and retain qualified Afghan staff in the future who are essential to achieving our diplomatic and assistance goals. For that risk and sacrifice, the very least we can do is offer them a chance to stay live, to keep living, rather than abandoning them to the same enemies they united with us to destroy. One of the things I was most proud of as a Marine infantry officer was that we never let our enemies make us compromise our values. One of those values is a solemn commitment to our allies and to our brothers in arms. I urge your support on the floor in following through on our commitment to our Afghan partners. I also want to comment on the fact that the chairman of the committee and I worked to resolve some differences that we had on understanding the concerns of our diplomatic mission in Afghanistan. I appreciate very much his work with me on that to support our troops and mission overseas. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Sinema).

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters).

Mr. MOULTON. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield myself 2 minutes. I would like to discuss an amendment to come up in a future en bloc package. I joined a vast array of foreign policy experts and retired generals--and even Israel's own nuclear commission--in supporting the nuclear deal with Iran because, although it was an imperfect deal, nobody could articulate a better pathway to a better deal to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The nuclear deal, however, is only that--a nuclear deal. As when President Reagan was negotiating nuclear deals with the Soviets, we make these agreements with our enemies, not with our friends, and we must not forget that Iran remains opposed to us in a vast array of other ways. As with the Soviets, enforcement of the deal requires continued vigilance. My amendment would require the President to notify Congress whenever Iran conducts a ballistic missile launch and inform Congress as to the actions the President will take in response, including diplomatic efforts to pursue additional sanctions and the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution. While we have been successful in deterring Iran from building a nuclear weapon with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we must continue to apply pressure to deter further actions that destabilize this fragile region and threaten our allies. I urge a ``yes'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Mr MOULTON

Mr MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters).

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).