Kristi Noem

Mrs. NOEM

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding to me today. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of S. 3395, the Prescribed Burn Approval Act. This is a commonsense bill that will prohibit the U.S. Forest Service from authorizing prescribed burns in an area that is labeled an extreme fire danger except under circumstances that have local coordination. Unfortunately, we have seen instances where the Forest Service has acted recklessly by starting prescribed burns under extremely hazardous conditions. The Pautre fire in South Dakota is one such example. Despite the hot and windy conditions and being warned repeatedly from local ranchers and local officials that it was too windy and too dry to be starting a controlled burn, the Forest Service still carried out a prescribed burn that was intended to cover just 130 acres of dead crested wheatgrass. Within hours, the fire escalated out of control. More than 10,000 acres of Forest Service land, grazing association controlled land, and private land was consumed by the wildfire. Millions of dollars of damage was done not only to the land but to fences and families. Families were devastated. Multiple firefighting units and personnel were put in harm's way. This burn should not have occurred that day without the collaboration and additional precautions that such a burn will require. It should happen in consultation with local officials and those who know the land best, those who live on the land and work the land each and every day-- local farmers and ranchers. It only makes sense that the Forest Service has the responsibility to coordinate with local and State fire officials in circumstances where the threat of wildfire is high. This bill is a step in the right direction to make certain that necessary precautions are taken. Furthermore, this bill would add transparency and a degree of accountability to the Forest Service's actions by ensuring that Congress is aware of the prescribed burns that are done under hazardous conditions. I would like to thank Senator Thune for his work on this bill and the chairman for bringing this bill forward. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor.

Mrs. NOEM

Mrs. NOEM. I, personally, thank the chairman for considering this important bill, and I thank Representative Schakowsky for being willing to pursue policies such as this and get them signed into statute. That is the only way we can really be assured that they will continue into the future. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5332, the Women, Peace, and Security Act. I introduced this bill with Representative Schakowsky to increase and strengthen women's participation in peace negotiations and in conflict prevention globally. The threats to our national security are troubling, and groups like ISIL are determined to destroy us and our system of values. Russia and China are using economic and military forces to expand their global influences. Middle East instability is raising questions as to how the conflict will impact our global economy and America's national security. With so much occurring, peace negotiations are ongoing. At least one study showed us that, in conflict resolution processes, a peace agreement is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years when women are involved. Women can often encourage healthy choices within the home and can advocate for their children's education and welfare. Both of these help ensure greater stability by giving young people opportunity outside of conflict. Their roles in the global economy also help raise countries out of poverty. By bringing these perspectives to the negotiating table, different priorities often emerge, which make peace negotiations much more likely to address a conflict's underlying causes. We have seen this to be true in places like Northern Ireland, Africa, and Asia. With all of this in mind, I introduced the Women, Peace, and Security Act, along with Representative Schakowsky, and with Chairman Royce's and Ranking Member Engel's help. The bipartisan legislation ensures that women have a seat at the table when peace negotiations are ongoing. It makes sure that there is meaningful congressional oversight. This bill builds on existing U.S. initiatives while requiring a focused and long-term strategy with greater congressional oversight. Our legislation will help introduce further accountability. By doing so, I am hopeful that we can provide even greater sustainability outcomes during future conflict resolutions and peace negotiation processes. I thank the Speaker for considering H.R. 5332, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mrs. NOEM

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3839, the Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act. I want to thank the chairman of the committee and his staff for helping to move this bill through the House and the agencies involved for their constructive input. Their support means so much to me, to our veterans, and to all of their families as well. Those who have served, and the families that have sacrificed beside them, deserve our Nation's eternal gratitude. Since 1948, the Black Hills National Cemetery has been but one way that this appreciation is shown. The cemetery currently covers around 100 acres of land and is home to the Korean Veterans War Memorial. Most importantly, its peaceful landscape serves as the final resting place for hundreds of servicemembers and their families. Chief David Beautiful Bald Eagle is among the brave men and women buried there. Born in a tepee in 1919, Chief Bald Eagle served our country in World War II as a paratrooper and one of the legendary Lakota code talkers. We lost him earlier this summer, but his life continues to be an inspiration to the Lakota people and to those who knew him. Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth is also laid to rest there. This is a man who flew 400 combat missions during Word War II and earned numerous medals. He returned to the U.S., where he eventually became wing commander of the Rapid City Air Force Base. In 1953, that base was renamed to Ellsworth Air Force Base in his honor. We honor the legacy of those veterans and many others at the Black Hills National Cemetery, but the facility will not have the room it needs to continue serving future veterans without expansion. This bill will allow that expansion by transferring around 200 acres of adjacent land near Sturgis, South Dakota, from the Bureau of Land Management's jurisdiction to the Department of Veterans Affairs. My office has worked with these agencies and stakeholders in crafting the legislation, and all agree that this land transfer is necessary. The transfer of this land will provide the Black Hills National Cemetery with the additional burial space that it needs and assure today's veterans and servicemembers, as well as their families, that we will be able to uphold our commitment and offer this Nation's eternal gratitude for all that they have done. Again, I thank the committee and the chairman and my colleagues for supporting this bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mrs. NOEM

Mrs. NOEM. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today I support the National Bison Legacy Act because it is a very important bill to the tribes in my State and also to the heritage of South Dakota and the United States. It is a bill that I helped Representative Clay of Missouri introduce, and I thank him for all of his hard work on the legislation. It has been a long process, but we are finally here today to get it across the House floor. I am thrilled to sponsor this bill with my colleagues, to raise up an enduring symbol of our Nation's Native American heritage, the American frontier, and the resilience that has long distinguished America from others around the globe. The Tatanka is important both physically and spiritually in Native American culture. These animals offered food, shelter, tools, and clothing. Native Americans could make soap from the fat and homes from their hides. Every piece was used, which is why bison were, and continue to be, a symbol of survival and a cultural example of how to live in a healthy and productive manner. This bill recognizes that. There are also lessons to be learned about resilience from these animals. Bison roamed across most of North America before nearly being wiped from existence. Through the efforts of tribes, ranchers, conservationists, and others, the species has survived and can once again be lifted as a literal and cultural example of productivity from which each of us can learn. I am proud that my family has raised bison as well. They are majestic animals that represent the Plains that we are so proud of and that I am so honored to represent today. I want to thank the chairman and his staff for bringing this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mrs. NOEM

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 3724, currently under consideration.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 3724, Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act. With tax day just behind us, most Americans have finished their tax returns. They filled out form after form, giving the IRS some of the most sensitive information possible, including their Social Security numbers, their birth dates, wage data, and more. In 2014, the inspector general for the IRS released a report that raised serious questions about whose hands this information falls into once it arrives at the IRS. More specifically, an audit of the agency's hiring practices found that the IRS rehired hundreds of former employees whom the IRS had previously fired because of conduct problems. And we are not talking about small infractions. The IRS rehired employees who had falsified documents. They failed to pay their own taxes. They accessed sensitive taxpayer information without permission. To think that someone could inappropriately access tax information, get fired for doing so, and then be rehired just a few months later is completely unacceptable. But it has happened, and it has happened more than once. These stories border on the absurd. One employee had been absent without leave for a total of 8 weeks worth of work. As a result, that employee was fired, and the words ``do not rehire'' were stamped on that personnel file. Still, the IRS rehired that person. IRS leadership has failed to acknowledge its mistakes or change its processes. Instead, they stuck their heads in the sand. According to the inspector general, the IRS' response to the report was that it believed its current process was good enough. Well, I don't buy it, and if the IRS leadership thinks its current processes are protecting taxpayers, they need a reality check. The Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act is a simple, bipartisan fix to a serious problem. The bill does what the IRS bureaucracy in Washington won't: it stops the IRS from rehiring former employees who had been fired for cause. Now, my staff and I met with numerous frontline IRS employees from South Dakota who are sincere and hardworking individuals. My bill is not aimed at them. This legislation is aimed at the IRS bureaucracy in Washington and is intended to address a very real problem that they have refused to fix. There is no reason that IRS leadership in Washington shouldn't be held to the same standard to which it holds you, the taxpayers. With this legislation, we can hold the IRS accountable to us for its hiring practices and ensure a high-quality workforce for the agency. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have a gentlemen here to speak on behalf of my bill who has been a strong leader in bringing integrity to the IRS. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, we have another colleague here on the floor today who serves on the Ways and Means Committee and has diligently worked on IRS issues and has been a leader on bringing some clarity to the situations that we deal with in trying to bring integrity to the IRS. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci).

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bishop).

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 688, I call up the bill (H.R. 3724) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service from rehiring any employee of the Internal Revenue Service who was involuntarily separated from service for misconduct, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I have a friend and colleague here today who has fought daily for years for hardworking taxpayers across America and for his home district. I am proud to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions).

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas an additional 30 seconds.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz).

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, today, we are talking about a bill that will bring integrity to the IRS, which will better serve our taxpayers into the future. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I am ready to close.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. We have heard repeatedly from my colleague on the other side of the aisle about why we should not be spending time on this topic today, about why we shouldn't have dedicated an hour's worth of debate to making sure that we talk about H.R. 3724, Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act. I think he has forgotten about what kind of information the people of this country turn over to the IRS. They turn over their Social Security numbers, their financial information; a lot of the security that they have for their families, their homes, and their businesses they completely trust the IRS to take care of, to protect, and to make sure that they use in the correct manner so that they might abide by the law and pay their taxes like honest, hardworking Americans do. To say that we shouldn't spend time in making sure that criminals and people who are fired for misconduct don't have access to that information, to me, is silly. That is exactly what our job is. The IRS needs integrity, and we are here to bring it today. Mr. Speaker, the White House has issued a veto threat against this bill. They said that the IRS would be forced to fire people, because of this bill, if it were signed into law. I read the White House's Statement of Administration Policy on my bill, and the statement reads that it is unnecessary because current IRS processes already ensure that the agency does not rehire former employees who have significant conduct issues. I guess the White House didn't read the report, for the inspector general expressed concerns that the IRS continues to hire individuals who have significant prior conduct and performance issues even after the agency supposedly made upgrades to its hiring practices. I remind you, Mr. Speaker, that the inspector general's review of former employees who were fired for serious misconduct and who were then rehired included employees with histories of fraud, a falsification of documents, workplace disruption, absence, and an unauthorized accessing of taxpayer information. The inspector general identified approximately 140 individuals who are currently, today, with the IRS who had been previously fired for cause. We are talking about an agency that employs 80,000 people. Surely, it can find 140 people who haven't committed fraud or falsified documents. Mr. Speaker, the inspector general recommended that the IRS reassess its hiring practices to determine in what part of the process it should fully vet candidates in terms of their prior performance. In fact, the IRS was given an opportunity to fully respond to the inspector general's report. In its response, the agency insisted its processes were sufficient. Yet, Mr. Speaker, the agency still only begins to vet the candidates for employment only after the entire hiring process is completed and after a formal offer of employment has been extended. So, regardless of any changes the IRS has made to its hiring practices, the inspector general said he remains very concerned because IRS documents indicate it is hiring individuals who have significant prior conduct and performance issues. Mr. Speaker, because the IRS hasn't taken action is why we are here today. This bill is simple. It just says that the IRS cannot rehire employees who have been fired for misconduct. It is something the IRS should have taken action on; and because they didn't, that is why we are here today. It is our job to protect the taxpayers and to make sure their information is safe with the agency that they, by law, need to turn over to the IRS. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. NOEM

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 4903 currently under consideration.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of H.R. 4903, and I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen) for introducing the bill. We live in a Nation that is founded on the idea of free speech. The government does not control our media. It does not control who we decide to associate with. We don't live in a place where we should have to think twice before supporting a group that aligns with their views or making their political beliefs known to others. The heavy hand of the Federal Government should not control how an American shares their views. Yet, that is just what happened to nearly 300 groups that applied for tax-exempt status between 2010 and 2012. These organizations were small gatherings of like-minded people who wanted to discuss their views and educate the public about those views. They filled out the necessary IRS paperwork to become tax exempt, as it is required by the law. But months and even years after they applied, after answering intrusive questions, after providing mountains of documents, after having their activities monitored by IRS agents, after all of this, many of them still sat in IRS limbo. During the investigation, the Ways and Means Committee staff reviewed upwards of 1 million documents and interviewed dozens of IRS and Treasury officials. This exhaustive, years-long investigation yielded the information that we now know, that 298 applications for tax-exempt status were put on hold. Over 80 percent of them were right-leaning and only 10 percent were left-leaning. Thanks to the committee's investigation, we know that the former head of the IRS division that governs tax-exempt groups, Lois Lerner, was told that frontline agents noticed an uptick in groups referring to themselves with phrases like Tea Party. She said the Tea Party matter was very dangerous and suggested how to deny those applications. We know she inserted herself into the supposedly nonbiased procedures that she had created. She then bypassed even those procedures and singled out certain taxpayers for additional scrutiny and audit. We also know that the IRS bureaucracy in Washington went as far as setting up a surveillance program called a review of operations. In other words, an IRS unit in Dallas would monitor a group's activity, including their Internet postings, trying to build a case for an audit. Over 80 percent of the groups that were flagged for this surveillance were right-leaning and, of the groups actually selected for the audit, Mr. Speaker, 100 percent of them were right-leaning. When concerns about this activity reached Congress, my colleagues at Ways and Means asked multiple members of the IRS leadership about it. They assured the committee that all was well. We now know what was really going on. When Lois Lerner finally admitted in 2013 that the IRS had targeted taxpayers based on their political beliefs, the President went on national television and promised to help Congress get to the bottom of the situation. He later changed his tune and blamed the targeting on a few rogue IRS agents. If the Ways and Means investigation showed us anything, it is that the wrongdoing happened nowhere else but in Washington, D.C., and that the IRS employees on the front lines were not to blame. We must make sure that political targeting like this never happens again. By passing this bill to reaffirm American taxpayers' First Amendment rights, we take a step toward that goal. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. NOEM

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 673) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Internal Revenue Service should provide printed copies of Internal Revenue Service Publication 17 to taxpayers in the United States free of charge.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 673, currently under consideration.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H. Res. 673, and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman) for introducing it. The resolution is simple. It expresses a sense of the House that the IRS should make the individual income tax instructions widely available to Americans, free of charge. Mr. Speaker, the Tax Code is broken. It is too long, too complicated, too confusing, and too old. Taxpayers spend somewhere around 6 billion hours in complying with our Nation's confusing tax laws, and they spend over $30 billion on computer programs and professional tax preparation just to figure these documents out. It is absurd, and the solution is fundamental tax reform. My colleagues and I have been working hard to simplify the Tax Code and make it fairer for American workers and families, but it is a long and a difficult process. As we work toward this comprehensive solution that we need, the best thing that we can do is to make sure Americans have the information they need to comply with the law. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights reads that taxpayers have the right to be informed about how to comply with Federal tax law. This is something the IRS' Publication 17 document--or the individual income tax form instructions--says taxpayers have a right to as well. As we move more and more to electronic tax filing, this is a promise the IRS is abandoning in some cases. While e-filing may be an attainable goal for some, there are millions of Americans who are without the access or the ability to find the information online or to make sense of it. Recently, the IRS stopped making the income tax services available to libraries, post offices, and taxpayer service offices. Instead, it requires a taxpayer to order a copy and then to pay for it. This is unacceptable. The IRS, like many agencies, has faced reductions in budgetary allocations due to sequestration, but it is important to remember that budget reductions require prioritizations within an agency. Providing Americans with free access to the instructions that are necessary to file taxes should be a priority for the IRS. Until we have a fairer, a simpler, and a flatter Tax Code, we need to make sure the people have the information they need to file their taxes correctly. H. Res. 673 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Internal Revenue Service should provide U.S. taxpayers with free printed copies of IRS Publication 17, which is entitled, ``Your Federal Income Tax'' and provides individuals with general instructions for filing tax returns. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. NOEM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).