Roger Marshall

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about one of my favorite topics: supper. Growing up a farm kid in rural Kansas, supper was always a great time, a special time. As a matter of fact, most everything I needed to ever learn, I learned at the supper table. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the celebration and importance of September as National Family Meals Month, a grassroots movement to raise awareness of the benefits of bringing families together around the supper table for frequent family meals. Family meals are at a critical intersection in our Nation. The will to return to the table exists, but families need a friendly familiar voice to show them the way. As a physician, a husband, a father, and now a grandfather, I can speak to the positive impact having one or more family meals around the table each week can create for families and communities. I believe there are Main Street issues, economic issues, and then there are suppertime issues as well. It is the issues at the dinner table we need to be more focused on. In my house, we traditionally have dinner each day at 6 p.m., no exceptions. My wife, Laina, has an open invitation policy at our dining table. Our family and friends, whoever is over at our house, knows they can always have a seat, and as my dad used to say: ``We will just throw another potato in the pot.'' But one rule, they can't be late. And number two, you have to leave your cellphone in your bedroom. We take the time to sit down without the day's distractions and discuss the issues impacting our lives and how we can provide support to one another. Frequent family meals create stronger family relationships and provide opportunities to connect with loved ones and talk about your day. Eating together feeds the emotional well-being of all family members. With the growing influence of social media and so many distractions, the table is one of the safe places left where families consistently can have a conversation together. It is our local grocery stores that are helping bring families back to the table. They work to provide busy customers like you and me easy mealtime solutions and to realize the health and social benefits they contain. With our very trusted neighborhood grocery stores assisting us with our mealtime challenges, I know we can get back to the table. Right now, let's each of us promise to have more family meals and to get together at least once a week, because at home, together, is how Kansans and Americans across this great Nation want, and need, to eat. Recognizing New Bilateral Trade Agreement

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about the biggest news of the week, a new story I have yet to see the national media cover. Yesterday, in New York City, the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Japan signed a bilateral trade agreement, a historic trade agreement. It is historic because the United States has never had a trade agreement with Japan. I want to, first of all, thank Prime Minister Abe and all the Japanese for their business. Their business is so important to Kansas agriculture, to Kansas farmers, and to Kansas ranchers. I thank the Prime Minister and his staff for working so hard on this historic free and reciprocal trade agreement and for getting it done in record time. The speed that this agreement was done shows and proves the commitment of President Trump to our agricultural producers that the President values agriculture and knows that we feed not just our Nation but the entire world. As many of you already know, Japan is the number one market for United States beef, pork, and wheat, all very important to Kansas farmers and ranchers. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Prime Minister and Mr. President for showing their leadership. Now, once again, I ask the Speaker of the House to show leadership and bring the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to this floor. That agreement is the most important issue that this Congress can be facing. I cannot control what the Chinese are going to do in trade negotiations, but we can control the USMCA trade agreement. That is what is important to Kansans. That is what Kansans want us working on.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, rather than focusing on bipartisan trade agreements, Congress is being put on pause for a charade, a charade that hopes to undo the will of American voters. Democrats aren't sure what they are doing in the Judiciary Committee today. You might hear that it is an impeachment inquiry, a meeting about rules for impeachment, or, perhaps, a group therapy session. We know Democrats are more interested in tearing down the President than in building up America. They will do anything to stop President Trump at any cost. Democrats want to throw the brakes on a thriving economy. They want to turn back the clock on record-low unemployment in Hispanic and African American communities, tax cuts for families and small businesses, and more, all in the name of bitter politics after a loss. They, the Democrats, embody the term ``poor loser.'' If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle were to abandon their tired and baseless attacks on the President, we could move forward in a bipartisan way to pass the USMCA trade deal, secure our borders, and reform our very broken immigration system. We can work on lowering the costs of prescription drugs and healthcare. Americans desperately need Congress to deliver these solutions. Unfortunately, House Democrats have chosen political divisiveness over the American people, party over country, and hate over hope and possibility. Republicans stand ready and waiting for Democrats to finish their infighting and impeachment circus. We stand ready to work with them to pass USMCA and further our economic prosperity. But until they are done playing political games with impeachment, we, and the American people, will be forced to wait, and all America is the loser.

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, on September 15, we began National Hispanic Heritage Month, one that celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans of Hispanic descent. I recently learned the story of a former Kansas City resident, the late Hector Berretto, Sr., who served as a voice for his local Hispanic community. Hector founded the Kansas City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and, later, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, to counter disadvantages of Hispanic business owners in the Kansas City area and around the country. The Hispanic population in the United States contributes enormously to our country, both culturally and economically. Most of the Hispanic individuals I have had the pleasure of knowing, many of them patients of mine, have been remarkably dedicated to faith and family and preserving their own culture centered around faith and family. Many of my OB patients were Hispanic women, often accompanied by their loving mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts concerned for the health of their family member and the baby. Every visit was a family event of great importance to the family. Now numbering over 55 million individuals, the Hispanic American population is projected to combine for an estimated buying power of $1.7 trillion in 2020. Hispanics are more likely than average Americans to open a business. Now with over 3.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States, millions more American workers have jobs, thanks to these industrious entrepreneurs. I am grateful for this opportunity to reflect on the unique contributions of the Hispanic American community to our great Nation and to Kansas. I look forward to continuing working with communities of all backgrounds in pursuit of our shared goal of a free and equal America, an America where anyone can live the American Dream if they are willing to work hard enough. Democrats Will Do Anything to Stop President Trump

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, on this day nearly 20 years ago our great Nation suffered a loss unlike any she has suffered before or since. Almost 3,000 American citizens were killed on September 11, 2001, and thousands more have died or become seriously ill since from their response that day, whether at Ground Zero or in the Middle East. Men and women, young and old were stolen from their families, their communities, and our country. As she always has during our darkest hour, this country came together in a courageous way. We were one people uniting to heal a terrible wound. May we all strive today to soon find that same unity--now, not just in times of tragedy. Americans and her people will be all the better for it. May God bless the memories of those who died on September 11, and may God bless this great country. Striving to Make Kansas a Better Place to Live

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, last week a socialist senator seeking higher office proposed increasing abortions across the world as a way to slow population growth and combat climate change. Worse yet, he directly stated that he wanted U.S. taxpayers to pay for these abortions. As many Kansans are coming to understand, this is just one of the many disgraceful and disturbing socialist agendas increasingly embraced by my colleagues across the aisle. There is no policy proposal at present which more represents the Democrats' quest for total control over every aspect of our lives than the Green New Deal. This deal is nothing more than a rebranding of overwhelming government control under the guise of environmental stewardship. Just ask its sponsor's former chief of staff who said, ``It wasn't originally a climate thing at all. . . . we really think of it as a how to change the entire economy thing.'' The Green New Deal demands we completely overhaul our energy and transportation infrastructure, which would kill the jobs of millions of Americans working in the oil, and gas industry, manufacturing, and aviation industries, to name a few. The plan would crush Kansas beef producers by placing a hefty tax on our farms with estimates costing nearly $2,000 per cow. The Green New Deal would be the greatest centralization of power in the hands of Washington elites in American history. But destroying America's means of energy and food production isn't all this radical socialist agenda seeks to do; as we learned recently, the new Democrat party's to-do list includes everything from banning private health insurance to plastic straws nationwide, positions numerous Democratic candidates for President have already endorsed. Democrats want to dictate what you can drink, how you drink it, what you can eat, and where you can work, and what healthcare you can have, all while you are forced to pay for abortions overseas. And don't forget about the proposed 90 percent tax rates on Americans either. We must emphatically reject this radical socialist agenda and work instead to implement innovative solutions to provide for greater prosperity and equality for all. Our children and our grandchildren's future and the future of Kansas and this great Nation depend upon it.

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, last week I completed my tour of all 105 counties in Kansas. I enjoyed meeting folks of all backgrounds and learning about their passions, concerns and what they need their representatives in Washington to do to deliver for Kansas. From Dodge to Topeka, Pratt to Leavenworth, the message I heard from Kansans is they want their way of live preserved. They want their representatives to fight alongside President Trump, reduce Washington red tape, and advocate for new and fair trade agreements so our farmers can feed the world. For the most part, Kansans just want a decent job with a good wage and a fair shot at the American Dream. Aside from the safety and security afforded to them, most would otherwise be happy to not have Washington involved in our day-to-day lives. Despite folks' disagreements on some issues, Kansans are a people who largely agree on the importance of faith, community, and hard work. After completing this tour of all 105 Kansas counties, I have a greater appreciation for the challenges of Kansans of all walks of life. Each conversation was an opportunity to hear an individual's story about the burden of securing affordable healthcare for a loved one, finding good workers to grow a small farm or business, finding a home to raise their family in, and protecting and nurturing the communities they love and cherish. I don't have all the answers or quick fixes for our challenges, but I will continue to strive to make Kansas a better place to live. Each day I am blessed with the opportunity to represent Kansas in Congress. I carry that message in my heart, that we are the breadbasket of the world and home to some of the best, hardest working and most decent people on Earth. Americans Must Reject a Radical Socialist Agenda

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I thank so much the gentleman, my friend and fellow colleague from Kansas, for leading on this issue and giving me the opportunity to speak about it. Certainly, times are very tough in agriculture, the toughest I have ever seen, the toughest, certainly, since the 1980s. The passage of USMCA, the NAFTA 2.0, is the single greatest thing Congress could do for our farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and workers. The President has delivered, and now it is time for Congress to deliver. Delaying the implementation of this program hurts agriculture across Kansas because the deal would enable Kansas producers to trade more commodities by opening the Canadian market up for American dairy, wheat, chicken, and eggs, some for the very first time. Additionally, this agreement will grow our business with our very top two customers, Mexico and Canada, meaning thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in increased exports for Kansans. Finally, the unprecedented standards for agricultural biotechnology will support 21st-century innovations in agriculture and lay the groundwork for future agreements with other countries around the globe. Some of the brightest thinkers in the world are in America, but these innovators have been robbed of billions of dollars over the previous decades due to intellectual property theft. USMCA can't be delayed any longer, as new protections for intellectual property will drive innovation and create even more jobs by strengthening protection of patents, trademarks, and secrets. President Trump's USMCA also levels the playing field for workers in my State by expanding guarantees for the enforcement of labor protections across North America. Future economic growth and jobs for Kansas and America are increasingly dependent on expanding U.S. trade and investment opportunities in the global marketplace. President Trump has delivered this incredibly bipartisan deal, and it is long past time for Congress to bring it up for a vote to usher in a new era in American trade. Mr. Speaker, it is now time for us to bring USMCA to the floor.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, the circus is back in town. I can hear the music all the way over here in the Capitol, the music of that merry-go- round going on in the Judiciary Committee right now, as we speak. Yes, Mr. Mueller is here now for the fifth congressional hearing on this same issue, on this witch hunt. This is a cheap, made-for-TV television movie that is now going back and reviewing everything, allowing Mr. Mueller to sit there and read the report that he submitted days and weeks ago. Mr. Speaker, the frustration is that, back home, we have done over 63 town halls, and I can count on one hand the number of times somebody has ever asked me about the Mueller report or Russiamania. What Kansans want is for Congress to stand up and solve the problems in front of us. The USMCA agreement, the NAFTA-2.0 agreement, is sitting on the Speaker of the House's desk. Nothing would do more for Kansas right now, both Kansas agriculture and Kansas manufacturing, than to get that agreement passed. It would mean thousands of jobs for Kansans. It would mean hundreds of millions of dollars more income for Kansans as well. We are tired of this witch hunt. We want to move on. We want to move on and fix problems. The problem is the Democrats don't want to challenge us on issues and on policy. Instead, they want to attack the President because their policies won't stand the test of the American public or the test of time. Bring Iran to the Table

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, we don't want war in Iran. We don't want war in the Middle East. We don't want war anywhere. Mr. Speaker, I try to talk to my parents every week--every Sunday, typically. My parents seldom offer me advice, but the last thing my dad recently said to me was, ``Roger, don't send our troops into battle.'' Mr. Speaker, we must, however, make every effort to ensure Tehran does not have access to nuclear weapons. We must stop them from fueling global terror and endangering Americans and our allies around the world. Like many other Kansans, I have served our country in uniform. None of us want war in Iran. That is not my goal, and it is not the President's goal. We must, however, guarantee Iran never has access to nuclear weapons and that they stop funding and arming terror around the world. They are very evil actors. They are not a normal country. They seek the destruction of the United States and our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel. I support any effort to bring Iran to the table for a deal that addresses both of these important goals. The best way to do this is to continue to apply maximum pressure on Iran. Mr. Speaker, Iran has been responsible for the death of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of American soldiers during the Iraq war through their supply of IEDs. They chant ``death to America,'' and as I said, they threaten our allies. This is an issue of great importance to the safety and security of this Nation. Mr. Speaker, if I haven't said it before, we don't want war. We just want Iran to act like a normal country. Normal countries don't take other country's ships hostage. Normal countries don't shoot down American drones. Normal countries don't ship IEDs to terrorists to kill Americans. Normal countries don't fund terrorism. We cannot sit idly by on our hands as we watch Iran seize ships and continue to hold the Nation hostage. Instead, I believe, like President Reagan and, before him, President Eisenhower, that we best have peace through strength. We need to keep the maximum pressure, keep the faith, work with our allies, and get Iran to the table. My fellow Americans, please join me in prayer as our Nation's officials make this effort to ensure peace and increase stability in the region.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, on July 20, 1969, people across the country and around the world watched in eager anticipation as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon. This historic event ended the space race and brought American innovation, determination, and leadership to the forefront of the global stage. This was American exceptionalism at its best. My brother, sister, and I never missed an Apollo liftoff. We all became very familiar with that countdown: Ten, 9, 8--ignition sequence--6, 5--fire the retro- rockets--3, 2, 1. Liftoff. We have liftoff. The rocket has cleared the tower. We watched in amazement as we sat in front of that little RCA black- and-white TV. It was like the whole room was shaking. We would sit and watch the TV set until we saw the rocket finally leave all the way out of sight. Apollo 11 was a 36-story-high rocket. It started its 8-day, 953,000- mile journey to the Moon and back. We all had toy rockets back in the day, and we would repeat that liftoff sequence over and over. My brother and I would climb our garage and launch our toy rockets. In Cub Scouts, we built rockets. In Boy Scouts, we built rockets. In our high school physics classes, we built rockets. We had contests to see who could fly their rockets the highest and the farthest. I have no idea how many young boys and girls were inspired to go into science because of the joy of watching rockets being launched to the Moon. That Apollo jargon took over our daily lives. Our teachers would say things like, ``Lunch is T minus 30 minutes.'' Or at the end of a tough test, they would say, ``Mission accomplished.'' As we celebrate this historic event, I think back to all the times I took my children to the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas, which displays one of the Moon rocks brought back by the Apollo 11 mission. This world-class museum and science center, number one of its kind, showcases American innovation in space and aeronautics and provides interactive opportunities to engage with historic events such as the Moon landing. In fact, they currently have a traveling exhibit called ``Apollo Redux,'' which allows visitors to sit in an actual mission control console from the Johnson Space Center where the Apollo missions were coordinated. It amazes me to think of all the advancements that have been made possible as a result of these Apollo missions. Aerospace and manufacturing revolutions have dramatically changed the way we build and fly airplanes. Research conducted by NASA has helped us to better understand our solar system, as well as our universe. In fact, Astronaut Nick Hague of Hoxie, Kansas, in my district, is currently conducting research on the International Space Station. We are proud of Nick, who will keep doing a great job for America. As a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I am proud to join my colleagues here today in honoring the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing and its legacy that we continue to build upon today.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and could be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Chair, I rise today because American farmers, grain handlers and exporters, as well as their customers around the world, depend on accurate, timely and cost-effective delivery of mandated impartial third-party Official inspection and weighing services administered by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) and its designated and delegated agencies. It is essential that the U.S. Official grain inspection and weighing system be recognized widely around the world for its impartial, consistent, reliable and timely measurement and certification of quality attributes and weights. The availability of accurate FGIS inspection results is also important to enable buyers and sellers to determine grain value and to facilitate market price discovery. Further, Official export inspections provide transparency and market information to the entire value chain that contribute to an efficient marketplace, while supporting food security and sustainable supplies. I share the concerns of many of my colleagues about language included in the committee report by the Majority for H.R. 3055 that puts Congress in the middle of an ongoing labor dispute, even going so far as to urge that USDA not require its grain inspectors to cross a picket line. This language is extremely troubling, and Congress should not be including it in any final committee report for the Agriculture Appropriations bill. Thankfully, the Minority was able to include its concerns about the situation which I would like to include in the Record: ``In addition to overall funding concerns, Republican Members of the Committee were disappointed by several policy provisions. Some of the provisions encourage violation of federal law or Congressional intent, at a minimum. For example, the Majority included language under the heading of the Office of the Secretary relating to Grain Export Inspection. The language ``strongly discourages USDA from requiring its grain inspectors to cross a picket line''. Such language is irresponsible when the Grain Inspections Act clearly obligates inspectors to conduct inspections unless the Secretary were to waive the requirement for safety reasons. Using USDA inspectors in a labor dispute and interfering with the export sales of U.S. product during an already turbulent international trade environment is completely unnecessary.'' Our producers, grain handlers, and the agricultural value chain as a whole has worked tirelessly to grow market share around the world and Congress should refrain from instructing USDA not to perform important services that are statutorily obligated under the Grain Standards Act.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, while the Judiciary Committee should be focused on securing the borders and overhauling a very broken immigration system, they, instead, bring a clown and circus show to town. When I looked up yesterday and saw John Dean, it took me back to the hot summer of 1974, when we saw John Dean and his cohorts on our television screens for days at a time. In an era with only three television stations--that is right, Mr. Speaker, we only had three stations growing up--Mr. Dean was on all three of them for hours at a time, for days on end. Bringing another convicted felon, and a biased one at that, a person who has tweeted 970 times anti-Trump propaganda, to bring this criminal to these Chambers was yet another embarrassment to the majority party. All of America realizes the Democratic leadership has dug a deep, deep hole for itself and, for all practical purposes, has started this impeachment process and hearings. Nevertheless, in contradiction to public wishes, it appears the Judiciary chairman will continue to dig a deeper hole by calling such a slanderous, offensive witness and move forward with impeachment. After doing over 38 townhalls across the State of Kansas since January, everywhere I go, folks tell me the same thing: It is time to move on. Mr. Speaker, we have real problems that need to be addressed. My folks back home are dealing with floods and tornadoes. The farmers can't get their crops in the field, and China and the European Union are blocking us from exporting our commodities. All these things are things we cannot control. We have enough problems without the Washington swamp adding to our misery. Folks back home want our border secured. They want a fair, streamlined immigration system, which helps fill the 70,000 open jobs we have across the State. From agriculture, to the aircraft industry, to high-tech jobs, Mr. Speaker, we need more people who are able and willing to work. And we all know this immigration reform is exactly what the Judiciary Committee should be taking up as we speak. Instead of fixing real problems, the Democrat-controlled House just keeps digging deeper down this false impeachment hole they have initiated. Mr. Speaker, I want to stop and applaud the President for his most recent efforts to secure our borders. As we all know, over the course of less than 2 weeks--record time for diplomacy in this age--the President was able to leverage potential tariffs into real action by the Mexican government. That is right, real action with real results. Thanks to these efforts, Mexico is going to place 6,000 new troops to control their southern border. Additionally, Mexico has agreed to shelter, feed, and help those who apply for asylum in this country. This all matters to Kansans, and we thank the President for his efforts. This is huge. How huge is it? Well, I have been to the border, almost a year ago now, and I know a crisis when I see it. It was a crisis then and, by all measures, this crisis has literally doubled. Every day, on average, we are now apprehending almost 5,000 people crossing the border illegally. We are housing, feeding, and providing healthcare to over 40,000 people daily. We literally have run out of bed space. We now have over 900,000 people waiting for asylum hearings, of which only 10 percent have a legitimate claim. Even in the words of the most liberal of newspapers, the New York Times agrees this is a crisis: ``While lawmakers wring their hands and drag their feet, tens of thousands of migrant children are suffering. ``Congress needs to get serious about dealing with that suffering.'' Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that Congress won't do its job, that we won't secure the border, and that we won't overhaul a broken immigration system. Instead, the Democrats drive the agenda that started, for all practical purposes, an agenda that brings in the ghost of Christmas past, a convicted liar and felon, as their star witness for impeachment hearings. Mr. Speaker, I continue to learn lessons about leadership. Leaders must at times endure criticism and attacks and stay the course. Leaders keep their word, they demand results, and they hold people accountable. Leaders keep the ship moving into high headwinds. Leaders think outside the box. They use the tools given them. They don't make excuses. They never, never give up. Somehow, they always bring the light back to the objective, the goal at hand. When others won't lift, they lift the entire weight. They show the path, they shine the light, and they go first when others are afraid. Leaders don't repeat the mistakes of those who went before them over and over again. Mr. Speaker, great leaders all have their own unique style. One of my heroes was President General Dwight David Eisenhower, who was a visionary, able to move pieces around for the D-day invasion, but also had the vision to see the need for an interstate highway system, a space program, and civil rights. Another hero of mine is John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn, the mythical marshal from the movie ``True Grit,'' who often, when he couldn't get people to follow, well, I guess I would say, he just ran over them. Mr. Speaker, I thank our President for showing us what true leadership looks like, and what true grit looks like in real time, in real life. Mr. Speaker, we need the President to keep leading.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, an act that protects living babies who survive failed abortions, and ask for its immediate consideration in this House.

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I personally fought in the OB delivery room for 30 years for the unborn and newly born. I ask the Speaker to immediately schedule this important bill so we can protect these babies.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I am often asked about what I value in life, and I speak of the four pillars of my life: faith, family, community, and education. Today I honor faith. It is a thrill and honor of my life to have my pastor here today to help us open this Congress like we do every morning: with prayer. I honor Pastor Bill Johnson and all the pastors across the country. Today, the pastor who baptized my four children, who married my daughter, we are so glad, so proud to have him lead us and open this House. Mr. Speaker, there are many, many freedoms that we value, but there is nothing I value more than freedom of religion.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Trump administration's rule that will modernize Medicare part D and, as a result, lower drug prices, reduce out-of-pocket expenses for America's seniors, and make critical fixes to our systems that will help our local pharmacies. Across Kansas, there are 506 chain drugstores and 253 independent community pharmacists. These pharmacists are honest, hardworking men and women who often go above and beyond to ensure that patients know how to manage their medications. I have heard their stories, and they all share the same frustration: direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fees. In many instances in rural America, the only healthcare professionals left standing are my good friends and colleagues from the noble pharmacy profession, and these DIR fees are running them out of town. The increase of DIR fees over the last several years has raised out- of-pocket costs for our seniors and put our pharmacies at financial risk, often operating in negative margins. Far too regularly, pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, collect DIR fees from pharmacies months and months after claims. It is completely unpredictable and unfair, and the benefits all go into the pockets of the pharmacy benefit managers. Shame on them for doing this, but not anymore. This proposed rule will guarantee predictability by helping standardize the process and end the disparity between pharmacists, patients, and PBMs. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimated that seniors will save up to $9 billion--$9 billion--over the next 10 years, and the Federal Government will save nearly $17 billion over that same timeframe. I appreciate President Trump and his administration for addressing this concern and providing commonsense, financially responsible solutions. It is my hope and the hope of pharmacists across the country that this rule will be finalized quickly so that it can go into effect next year. I would like to recognize my colleague, pharmacist Buddy Carter, who may know this issue better than any of us, as our only pharmacist in Congress. I thank my colleagues Dr. Phil Roe, Morgan Griffith, and Peter Welch for leading on this issue and bringing it front and center for both the Doctors Caucus and the Energy and Commerce Committee members.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Chairman, the lengths that my colleagues across the aisle are willing to go to mislead the public and increase the political divide over healthcare is shameful and embarrassing. H.R. 986, which I refuse to call by its name, makes a mockery of Americans with preexisting conditions. Mr. Chairman, I practiced obstetrics for over 25 years, and do you know what the most common preexisting condition is? It is pregnancy. I came to Congress to protect people with preexisting conditions and to help patients. H.R. 986 just does the opposite. H.R. 986 prevents innovation. It drives the cost of healthcare up and will cause fewer people to have healthcare. Let me be crystal clear about this, Mr. Chairman. This bill has absolutely nothing to do with people with preexisting conditions. That is why I am proud to join Congressman Walden and shed light on this deceptive bill that the Democrats are pushing. Under current law, States do not have the authority to waive preexisting conditions using the section 1332 innovation waiver. It is that simple. Section 1332 waivers are working, and contrary to the Democrats' claims, patients are raving about the 1332 waivers for reinsurance. These waivers give States flexibility to provide Americans with affordable healthcare options. And in the seven States using these waivers, premiums have gone down by an average of 20 percent. They went down 20 percent, with Maryland achieving a 43 percent premium reduction. So I stand here today to discuss the facts and not the fiction. The 2018 guide from the President is making the process easier, helping States pursue innovation strategies that will help more people get coverage while delivering quality coverage people can actually afford and use. Most of us, including the President, are working towards a better healthcare future for all Americans, where patients and families, not bureaucrats in Washington, are in control of their own healthcare decisions. I ask that my colleagues across the aisle stop the partisan politics and come together to develop real healthcare policy solutions.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, recently we celebrated our national libraries. I rise today to discuss the important role they play across many Kansas communities. I have visited libraries throughout The Big First, stopping in Manhattan, Salina, Dodge City, Quinter, Great Bend, and Scott City. I recently visited the Marion City Library that was awarded the 2019 five-star honor for its welcoming facility with well-targeted programs. Communities from Colby to Abilene have partnered with organizations such as the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Smithsonian Institution to shine a spotlight on the great qualities and rich history that is unique to Kansas. These programs, run by our local libraries, are vitally important to our small communities and reached more than 27,000 Kansans in 2018. I am so proud of our Kansas libraries that are constantly going above and beyond.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 6 million Jewish men, women, and children who were violently murdered for their religious beliefs by the Nazi regime. This week remembers the victims who lost their lives to this evil regime and honors the survivors who beat the unthinkable odds. Sonia Warshawski, a Kansan from Overland Park, was a young teenager when Nazi Germany invaded her home in Poland. She was imprisoned, locked inside a Nazi concentration camp, and then later sent to the Auschwitz death camp. There, she saw human hatred in a way many of us today cannot comprehend. Sonia tells a story of waking up each day suffering from starvation and seeing thousands of bodies stacked where she was imprisoned. She watched as her mother was forced into a gas chamber. And still, through this torture and through it all, she never gave up hope or abandoned her faith. Sonia will not forget the hatred and horrific injustice that the murderous Nazi regime put her and millions of others through in the name of anti-Semitism and neither will this country. As the most well-documented genocide in human history, a genocide documented and confirmed by General Eisenhower, the evil and unimaginable torture throughout the Holocaust will forever haunt us. We must never tolerate or overlook anti-Semitism in any form. In 2017, I had an emotional experience at the Holocaust museum in Israel with my wife. There, we met and heard from many survivors and walked through the Hall of Names honoring the 6 million victims of the Holocaust. Sadly, we have recently seen the ugly face of anti-Semitism rearing its ugly head. We must continue to fight it with full force. It should be made abundantly clear to those with this deep hatred of Jewish people in their heart that this country has zero tolerance for this type of evil. Mr. Speaker, I stand with the survivors like Sonia and those who lost their lives during the darkest days in the history of our world, and I stand against anti-Semitism. Judicial Overreach

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss my disappointment at the judicial overreach by my home State's supreme court this past Friday. In a 6-1 vote, the radical Kansas courts ruled the State's constitution guarantees unlimited rights to an abortion. This verdict came in response to a 2015 State law that prohibits performing a dismemberment abortion procedure in the second trimester, except when necessary to save the life of the mother. Two doctors who performed this barbaric and painful procedure in the second trimester of pregnancy have challenged the law. As someone who has dedicated my career to bringing life into this world and has delivered 5,000 babies in my home State of Kansas, please forgive me and allow me to be graphic for just a moment. This horrid procedure literally tears the live baby apart limb by limb in the womb and then evacuates the dismembered baby body parts one at a time from the uterus. Then the person who performs the procedure pieces these parts back together to make sure they have removed the entire baby. This very pain-capable baby literally bleeds to death to end its life. Sadly, the method is used today in 95 percent of second trimester abortions, even though the child's heart is beating and the baby is breathing and, as I said earlier, is quite capable of feeling pain. It is despicable, and this procedure should be banned nationwide. It sickens me to the core that the Kansas Supreme Court violated the sanctity of life and voted to deny the rights of the unborn in our State. Today, I call upon our State legislators to quickly pass a constitutional amendment that overrules and protects these precious babies. Many of us have fought our whole life to defend the unborn. Now, we must all fight harder than ever. I ask for you to fight alongside me.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, enough. Enough. I finished my 16th, 17th, and 18th townhall this weekend, and everywhere I went across Kansas, my people told me, ``Enough of this.'' We have had enough of the Mueller investigation. We have had enough on the tax return issues. We have had enough Russia mania. Mr. Speaker, it is time to move on; we have all had enough. There are great things that we can move on to: We can fix healthcare; we can secure our southern borders; we can overhaul our immigration system; we can come up with a nationwide infrastructure plan. Mr. Speaker, this country is doing good. Our economy is strong, wages are up, unemployment is down, but we can go from good to great if you take this stranglehold off of this Congress and let us get back to work. Mr. Speaker, I am embarrassed by the performance of the Congress this far. We came from the most productive Congress, perhaps in history, to maybe the least productive. I have only been here a short while, but I have learned that this little bubble we live in has a very finite amount of oxygen. And right now, politics is taking up all the oxygen. Mr. Speaker, it is time to move from politics to policy. We have all had enough. It is time to move on.

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, no collusion, no collusion, no collusion. That is right. After 2 years, Mr. Speaker, let me say that again: there is no collusion. After 2 years and a cost of more than $25 million, that is $50,000 a day spent on this witch hunt of taxpayer money, there was no collusion. And indeed, there was no pot of gold at the end of the media's rainbow; nothing besides fool's gold yet again. Mr. Speaker, how can you spend $50,000 a day on an investigation? As I think back, I may have been the first person in the Chamber to call this investigation for what it was: a witch hunt. Now, I am not a lawyer, but Kansas common sense would suggest if there was no collusion, no corrupt intent by the President, and no crime committed, there would be absolutely no case for an obstruction of justice charge. But I am sure Kansas common sense is the last thing on the minds of some Members of Congress. So now, during every waking hour for 675 straight days, Democrats and the media have had a field day smearing the President, his friends, and his family. They have hired 19 lawyers, 40 FBI agents, and issued nearly 3,000 subpoenas, all of which have further confirmed what we already knew before the investigation started: there was no collusion. Importantly, Mueller confirmed that no one with the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian Government. Additionally, we found out through this investigation the Russians made many attempts to offer to help the Trump campaign, and time and time again, the Trump team stood up and rejected Russia. I want the media, which spent thousands of hours painting a picture of collusion and conspiracy, to cover these Mueller findings that show the President stood firm against the Russian's multiple attempts. And I ask the Democrats, who misled the public for months, to come forward and speak the truth. Instead, what does the biased media and Democrats say in response to Mueller's verdict? Absolutely nothing. You could almost hear a pin drop as I walked through the Capitol today. It is so quiet. No Democrats are here today for morning-hour debate. What does that say? As I stand on the House floor today, I have one question for this Chamber and for this Nation: Can we please move on and work with our President, rather than against him, and focus on policy rather than fantasy?

Mr. MARSHALL

Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I had a young family in my office this morning, a wonderful, nice-looking 11-year-old boy who was in my office today with his dad, his mom, and several other people from southwest Kansas. He looked at me and he said: Congressman Marshall, will I be able to run cattle when I get older? My great-grandfather ran cattle; my grandfather ran cattle; my daddy ran cattle; and I would like to run cattle someday, but this Green New Deal scares me. He said: Will the Green New Deal keep me from running cattle? I had to say: Unfortunately, yes, it would. The Green New Deal would be the end of agriculture as we know it in Kansas. Agriculture makes up 40 percent of the economy of Kansas. For all practical purposes, it would be the end of the Kansas economy. Another large part of our economy is oil and gas, and the Green New Deal would be the end of that. I always try to think about the impact of something like the Green New Deal. First of all, it would triple your taxes. I think that would be well proven. But I always am especially concerned for that young family, maybe that family that I delivered 5 or 10 or 15 years ago, and they have two or three kids at home. How would the new Green New Deal impact them? First of all, their grocery bill is going to double or triple, I suppose. They would have to replace all the appliances in their home. Their utility bill is going to go up. Then I think about the price of gas. I always noticed in my obstetrical practice that whenever the price of gasoline got about $3 a gallon, women would suddenly ask: Do we have to come back this often? Quite a few of my patients live 60 or 90 miles from me, and it was quite a challenge to come visit us. When the price of gasoline got about $3 a gallon, they didn't want to come quite as often. I can't help but think what the Green New Deal would do to the cost of gasoline, if there is such a thing. I suppose we would all be driving electric cars. Where I am from, I only wish that we could hop on a train and take public transportation, but there are just not enough trains to go around in Kansas. We are lucky to have roads in most places where we live, so public transportation just isn't an option. All that being said, Mr. Speaker, I think, like the gentleman from Arizona, I want to leave this country and I want to leave the State of Kansas cleaner than I found it. I am so proud that Kansas waters and Kansas air are cleaner today than when I was growing up. I am very proud of that. I want to keep going in that direction. I am very proud that the carbon imprint from the United States is less today than it was in 2004, and I want to keep going in that direction. But it is my belief that innovation is what is going to drive this and keep us going in that direction. I am so proud of what the American entrepreneurs have done in Kansas and across this country, our ability to get more natural gas and to make all of our refineries cleaner. Where we produce electricity, so many of them are 97 percent cleaner. The issue of ecology is a worldwide problem. It is a problem that the United States cannot cure by itself. We need to be a leader and keep going in the direction we are going. I look forward to working with folks across the aisle to come up with real solutions that will really work for this country. I think that the American innovator will do great things and that better days are ahead for America.