Bill Pascrell

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Chair, I thank the Speaker for allowing a vote on my amendment, number 17, which would for the first time include blast exposure history in service records. This would drastically improve the care our service members receive when they return from theater by identifying injuries sustained from blasts on the field. This bipartisan policy was recently recommended by the Center for a New American Security, and is supported by my co-chair of the Brain Injury Task Force, Congressman Thomas J. Rooney (R-FL), as well as independent researchers and brain injury advocates. The effects of our service members' repeated exposure to blast events are largely unknown and could take years to show up. Accurate records of blast exposure, including during training, are needed to improve our understanding of blast-induced brain injury. NDAAs in recent years have authorized funding for critical programs like DOD's Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program. Throughout the appropriations process, I hope to see continued funding for this and other brain injury programs at Defense, such as the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. This funding, coupled with this amendment, will allow us to further understand and improve the care provided to service members who have sustained a brain injury.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Lewis A. Opler, a doctor who dedicated his life to the care of others. He passed away Thursday, April 12th at the age of 69 in New York City. Dr. Opler was born in 1948 in Los Angeles but spent the majority of his childhood in New York. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemical Sciences. He went on to receive a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1975 as well as a Medical Degree in 1976 from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University. For 20 years, Dr. Opler served at the New York State Office of Mental Health where he'd go on to become the director of the research division and chief medical officer. Dr. Opler served on the faculties of Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York University School of Medicine and Long Island University. Dr. Opler's dedication to his work and helping those with mental illness made him one of the most distinguished professionals in his field. He helped to develop the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, which became the gold standard measure of symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. He spent his career treating and researching post- traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and other brain disorders. His work revolutionized the field and went on to be used in countless research studies and resulted in hundreds of research papers, books, and presentations. Dr. Opler was also an active member of NAIM-NYS, New York States National Alliance on Mental Illness. His actions there went well beyond that of the average doctor. He devoted countless hours to consoling individuals living with mental illness as well as their family and friends. He wrote a column for NAIM-NYS newsletter and for 30 years was an active participant in their fall educational conference. Among other titles, Dr. Opler was an accomplished writer and musician, he co-wrote the books ``Resurrection and Redemption: Overcoming Mental Illness and Regaining Dignity,'' with Harryet Ehrlich and ``Prozac and Other Psychiatric Drugs'' with Carol Bialkowski. Additionally, Dr. Opler worked as the medical editor for the book the ``Complete Pill Guide.'' During the Vietnam War, Dr. Opler was an outspoken member of the anti-war movement and performed many classic protest songs as well as his own songs during rallies. He was a classically trained violinist and knew how to play the harmonica, banjo, guitar and mandolin. Dr. Opler was a lifelong defender of labor rights, once leading a walk out for the rights of hospital residents. Dr. Opler's dedication and spirited empathy has left behind a legacy of generosity, kindness and loyalty. His memory will live on in his family, colleagues, peers and community. He was an honorable man who made this world a better place. I offer my sincerest condolences to his wife, Annette; his sister, Ruth; his children, Mark, Daniel, Michelle and Douglas; their spouses Stacy, Yamuna, Paul and Angela and his seven grandsons. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Dr. Lewis A. Opler's colleagues, family and friends, all those whose lives he has touched, in recognizing Dr. Lewis A. Opler's remarkable life of service.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I want to associate myself with the words of Scott Taylor, the Congressman from Virginia. This is National Police Week. I would like to see the passage of H. Res. 285. As a lead Democratic sponsor of this legislation and co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, I know the importance of enhancing and improving communication and collaboration between members of the law enforcement community and the public they serve. Thousands of law enforcement officers and their families have traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. While we give thanks every day to the men and women serving and protecting our communities, this week is a perfect opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to show America's law enforcement that we have their back here in the Congress of the United States and around the country. Every day our Nation's law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our families, our friends, our children, our neighbors, and our communities. The brave men and women who wear the badge understand the dangers of their job, but they heed the call to serve and willingly face those risks in order to create safe communities for all of us. Tragically, 360 names will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial here in Washington, D.C., this year; 129 of those lost their lives in the line of duty last year. Every name added heard the call to protect and serve and made the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind family, friends, brothers and sisters in arms, and their communities. As we remember and pay tribute for their ultimate sacrifice, we acknowledge the dangers inherent in the job our law enforcement officers do every day. This resolution before us recognizes the bravery and sacrifices of the men and women in blue. It recognizes that we must do more to enhance and improve communication and collaboration between members of the law enforcement community and the public they serve. It is my hope that during this Police Week, we can come together to honor the sacrifices made by law enforcement. Mr. Speaker, I thank the other lead sponsors, including Congressman Scott Taylor, Tom O'Halleran, and the Republican co-chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, David Reichert. Fourteen years we have been co- chairs. We are going to miss him when he leaves us. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Goodlatte for bringing this resolution to the floor, and I ask for a big vote on H. Res. 285.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bipartisan piece of legislation, the Justice Served Act, H.R. 4854. As the lead Democrat sponsor of this piece of legislation and co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, I want to thank Judge Carter for authoring this bill. Currently, funding is available through the Debbie Smith Act to reduce the DNA rape kit backlog. However, these funds do not address the growing backlog in the prosecution pipeline. Unfortunately, this backlog is occurring because resources are limited and there are not enough funds to reopen every case, even when DNA analysis has identified a suspect. That is not acceptable. In my home State of New Jersey, we are well familiar with this issue. Due to a lack of resources and regulations, the extent of the untested rape kit backlog in New Jersey is unknown. That itself is unacceptable. Addressing the rape kit backlog would bring justice for the many rape victims across our State and many others; victims like a 15-year-old girl who was assaulted while working at a deli in New Jersey a few years ago, and whose assaulter was finally brought to justice in 2013 using DNA evidence, but only after he assaulted another young woman. As a result, many of the rapists going undetected are repeat offenders. Countless assaults could be prevented and trauma spared if we caught these perpetrators the first time. And addressing the backlog can bring justice to the falsely accused as well. Last year, we learned the story of Rodney Roberts, a New Jersey man who was coerced by his own lawyer to plead guilty for the kidnapping and rape of a 17-year-old girl in 1996, despite professing his innocence. For 10 years, Roberts appealed to have his DNA tested against the original rape kit, but prosecutors claimed it was nowhere to be found. Eventually, the rape kit was located and the DNA evidence cleared him of all wrongdoing in 2014, after he served 10 years in jail. There are too many incidents in which an untested rape kit is lost, prosecutors do not have resources, and innocent people are harmed. To address this funding gap, the Justice Served Act authorizes the Debbie Smith Act to provide prosecutors with the resources and the funds to reopen, investigate, and close cold cases. Going forward, I look forward to working with Judge Carter to ensure that the Debbie Smith Act is properly funded so we can keep our promise to survivors of sexual assault. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the National District Attorneys Association, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and Debbie Smith for their support for H.R. 4854. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the Justice Served Act.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rabbi Steven Kushner upon his retirement from serving as the spiritual leader of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Since its inception in 1980 when two Bloomfield congregations--one reform and one conservative-merged, the Jewish community at Temple Ner Tamid has not just grown, but thrived, under Rabbi Kushner's tenure. Rabbi Kushner has been instrumental in the growth and expansion of the Ner Tamid congregation to hundreds of families serving three generations of members. In that time he has developed adult education, interfaith, social action, outreach, and family programming at the synagogue. Whether officiating at B'nai Mitzvah, confirmations, weddings, bris ceremonies, baby namings, or funerals, Rabbi Kushner has played an integral role in major life events of thousands of New Jersey families. His high-holiday sermons were always thought-provoking, and included the right dash of movie references or popular culture. By all accounts, Rabbi Kushner took his title very seriously. The word ``rabbi'' means Jewish teacher in Hebrew, and Rabbi Kushner is a tremendous educator. In fact, Rabbi Kushner helped prepare my Chief of Staff, Ben Rich, for his Bar Mitzvah almost three decades ago. And through leading his confirmation class trip to Washington, D.C., helped influence Ben's path toward what has been a long career working for the people of northern New Jersey on Capitol Hill. Rabbi Kushner is certainly a figure of respect in the Jewish community, and he has made his mark in the community at large as a distinguished and respected member of the clergy in Essex County and throughout New Jersey. Rabbi Kushner is past president of the New Jersey Association of Reform Rabbis, the Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey, and the Metro West Conference on Soviet Jewry, and also served on the Ethics Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). Rabbi Kushner is a member of Reform Judaism's Commission on Worship, Music and Religious Living, and chairs the Beth El Memorial Park Foundation of the United Jewish Communities of Metro West. He is a Trustee of The Blue Card, a unique charity that provides emotional and monetary assistance to Holocaust survivors and their families. A native of Michigan and long suffering Lions fan, Rabbi Kushner received a Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University in Detroit before earning a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Kushner has also received Certification in Pastoral Counseling from the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health in New York City, and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in March of 2002. Rabbi Kushner served on the faculty of Bloomfield College from 1983 to 2003. In May of 1995, the college honored him with a Doctor of Laws honoris causa degree. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the dedicated service given. Let us come together to join Rabbi Kushner's family, including his daughters A viva and Hannah, his friends, and the Ner Tamid congregation, clergy and staff, in congratulating Rabbi Steven Kushner on his retirement after thirty-eight years of serving the Jewish community of northern New Jersey and Temple Ner Tamid of Bloomfield.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to your attention the outstanding achievements of Joe Quattrone and his lifelong commitment to serving others. Mr. Quattrone was born in Reggio di Calabria, a town on the southern ``toe'' of Italy. He grew up the child of farmers, seeing the tyranny of Benito Mussolini firsthand. Just before the outbreak of World War II, Joe's eldest brother came to America, whom Joe would follow fifteen years later, settling in Steubenville, Ohio. Upon arrival, Joe began work in his brother's restaurant. Shortly thereafter, he became a naturalized citizen, and served in the United States Air Force for one year, before returning to the family business. In 1960, Mr. Quattrone made a visit to Washington, D.C. He fell in love with the area, and moved here with his wife Rita. He continued working in the food industry, this time for a friend, while picking up extra work in construction. After five years on the job, he suffered a fall resulting in an inability to continue physical labor. Still needing work, a friend suggested barber school, and the rest is history. After a brief time in a private shop, Mr. Quattrone landed a job in the Pentagon. He worked there for a couple of years before moving to Andrews Air Force Base. While on base, there came an opening in the barber shop in the House of Representatives. With the help of his Congressman from Ohio, the late Wayne Hays, Mr. Quattrone was hired and began his service to the men and women of the Capitol on March 2, 1970, and has remained ever since. In the 48 years Mr. Quattrone has served his country, longer than any current member of Congress, he has met and chatted with an entire generation of lawmakers. Frequent clients over the years included President H. W. Bush, Vice President Gore, House Speaker Tip O'Neil, and Senator Ted Kennedy. He was especially close to then House Minority Leader, turned Vice President and President, Mr. Gerald Ford, cutting his hair just days before his assent to his final office, about which Joe would later remark, ``He had no idea it was coming.'' They remained lifelong friends, an admiration that was surely mutual. When Mr. Quattrone began his work, there were sixteen barbers employed in House office buildings. Today, he is one of only three left, all of whom are now located in the Rayburn Building. But given his status as an ``institution'' in Congress, his clients aren't ready to let him go just yet. Mr. Quattrone will tell you that the most important, and his favorite, part of the job has always stayed the same: he still gets to meet and talk with people every day. For many of us here, including myself, Joe Q. is family. His dedication to the people of New Jersey and our Capitol has impacted the lives of many, and serves as a role model for generations of public servants. The job of a United States Congressman involves much that is rewarding, yet nothing compares to recognizing and commemorating the achievements of dedicated men and women like Mr. Quattrone. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, family, friends, all those whose lives he has touched, and me, in recognizing the work of Joe Quattrone and his dedication to keeping Washington looking sharp.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was tax day. Today is tax day. I call upon House Republicans to allow review of the President's tax returns. Now it is tax day again, so I want to reiterate and give my colleagues a vote for transparency. It was reported yesterday that the President filed for an extension on his returns, but while every President going back to Richard Nixon released his tax returns to the American people in the name of transparency and accountability, this President continues to keep his own finances shrouded in secrecy. He was told to disinvest at the very beginning of his administration by the Office of Government Ethics, Mr. Shaub. The President has not. Since February of 2017, I have been calling on the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, of which I am a member, to request the President's tax returns, which they have the power to do under section 6103 of the Tax Code. I called up resolutions, but 18 times the committee and the House have voted against seeing the President's tax returns--just seeing them. Today, I renew my call for this Congress to act to review the President's tax returns and out his conflicts and self-enrichment while in office. Why did President Trump support giving the wealthy and big corporations a giant tax cut in the tax scam just passed in the Congress in December? Why is he letting lobbyists for Wall Street and Big Oil write their own rules? Candidate Trump promoted himself as a successful businessman who would run the government like he ran his businesses. Well, let's take a look at the business. In Azerbaijan, he did business with the likely money launderer for Iran's Revolutionary Guard. This is a fact. In the Republic of Georgia, his partner was being investigated for bank fraud and money laundering. In Indonesia, his development partner was deeply involved in ``dirty politics.'' In Brazil, there were criminal investigations into his deals. The FBI is reportedly looking into his Vancouver hotel where one of the Trumps worked with a Malaysian family that admitted to financial fraud. And in New York, Donald, Jr., and Ivanka were investigated for financial crimes in their dealings with the Trump hotel in SoHo. When he became the President, he did not divest himself from his business. Since then, there is no question that Mr. Trump has profited from the taxpayers and from their government positions, as have the members of his Cabinet. The examples of self-dealing and quid pro quos are too myriad to recount. Here are just a few. January 23, 2017, Saudi Arabia held a party at the Trump hotel after renting rooms for lobbyists for 5 months. I know this is unpleasant to listen to, but we have a right. And I return you to April of 2014, when the Speaker of this House presently was the head of the Ways and Means Committee and dictated to us how they had a right, as a legislative branch of government, to go into the backgrounds, if not the tax returns, of Lois Lerner, who was being investigated at that time, and nothing happened to her, of course, but we argued the point on 6103. And he said, very specifically: This is our duty to oversee the executive branch of government. Well, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. It is, period, and that is what he said. So Saudi Arabia, on January 23, 2017, held a party at the Trump hotel.

Mr. PASCRELL. February 28, Trump, who owns 12 golf courses, rolled back a rule limiting water pollution by golf courses. April 4, the State Department ran an online ad for Mar-a-Lago. Isn't that nice? September 19, reports reveal that the Pentagon spent more than $130,000 a month to rent at the Trump Tower, more than twice as much as the other tenants. I have got a whole list of these, Mr. Speaker. I won't bore you, but I will tell you this: We are going to enter them into the Record. This is not the America I know, and this is not the America you know. We have a right to put sunlight on the disinfection. That is our job. This is a checks-and-balance system, Mr. Speaker, and we need--not to take advantage of it, but we need to follow the rules. There are no personalities here.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, on April 16, 2018, I missed two roll call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted: YES on Roll Call Vote 140, H.R. 146--Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, as amended; and YES on Roll Call Vote 141, S. 167--National Memorial to Fallen Educators Act.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I speak today in support of the Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act, which would require that U.S. Customs and Border Protection ensures that personally identifiable information is not publicly disclosed during an international household move. Customs is currently required to adequately protect personally identifiable information that is provided on, among other things, international shipping documents. In order to fulfill this mandate, Customs currently maintains procedures that allow shippers to request confidential treatment of certain information. However, it can often take Customs several months to make a determination on such a request. Some determinations are not even made until after the information has already been publicly disclosed. That is the problem. As a result, personally identifiable information has been mistakenly disclosed to the public. This impact has been acutely felt by U.S. civil servants and military personnel, which make up a large percentage of international household moves. Disclosing this information has increased the risks that individuals may be the victims of identity theft and credit card fraud. In my view, the current system at Customs is not working as well as it could or should. I also do not believe that individuals should bear the burden of making a proactive request to Customs to ensure that their personally identifiable information is not publicly disclosed. We should be able to expect that our government will protect such sensitive information. This bill is intended to rectify the problems by mandating that Customs put in place a proactive system that will prevent personally identifiable information from being made public. I call on my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation that has support on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, today is tax day, as if you didn't know that, and newly filed FEC reports show that the President's campaign paid his businesses $150,000 in the first quarter of this year, including $68,000 to the Trump Hotel in D.C., and $58,000 for rent. Lobbyists in foreign governments continue to spend money at these hotels. We have no way of verifying what that income looks like or where it is coming from. Candidate Trump said on the campaign trail: ``My whole life I have been greedy, greedy, greedy. I have grabbed all the money I could get. I am so greedy.'' Since the election, we have witnessed not just his own conflicts of self-enrichment at taxpayers' expense, but petty graft from members of his Cabinet and his administration, lavish travel on military jets and first-class tickets for personal reasons, and expensive office decorations. Lobbyists have been welcomed into agencies to write their own regulations. His campaign and White House is filled with the ranks of people who already have pleaded guilty; Michael Flynn, who sold his connections to Russia and Turkish dictators while working for Mr. Trump; and so many other associates and their connections to foreign governments as leverage, and that is potentially a conflict of interest. Bribery and grift might have a place in a crime family, but it has no place in the Office of the President or in the Congress of the United States, and this Congress has been absolutely derelict and complicit in the unprecedented conflicts of this Presidency. Since February of 2017, I have been calling on the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means to request the President's tax returns, which he has the authority to do under section 6103 of the Tax Code. I have called up resolutions. Eighteen times the committee and this House have voted against seeing the President's tax returns. Why? Why did the President support giving rich people and corporations a giant tax cut? Why is he letting Wall Street and Big Oil write their own rules? Why are his children still running his company? Why has he not divested, as he was told to do by the ethics commissioner? President Trump seems to have an unhealthy admiration for authoritarian leaders. He seems to have a vision of turning America into an economy and government run by his own greedy and connected circle of oligarchs. But subverting our democracy for personal gain while Congress looks the other way is poisonous to our republic and our democracy and it is an anthema to our values. Today is tax day, the 452nd day of Mr. Trump's Presidency and the 452nd day this Congress has let him off the hook. I call on the chairman of Ways and Means to stop delaying and get Mr. Trump's tax returns now, like every other President for the past several decades. The American people demand it. We owe it to our democracy to shed light on his conflicts. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an article from New York magazine. [From New York Magazine, April 1, 2018] 501 Days in Swampland (By Joy Crane and Nick Tabor, Introduction by David Cay Johnston) On the day he took the oath of office, Donald Trump delivered two messages about what to expect from his administration. First came the lofty promise of his inaugural address. ``The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer,'' he vowed. ``For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished--but the people did not share in its wealth.'' The second message, which Trump delivered without speaking a word, was aimed at a much smaller, but very rich, audience. As the new president's motorcade left the Capitol, rolling past knots of supporters and protesters, it suddenly stopped three blocks short of the White House. Trump, the First Lady, and the rest of his family got out of their limos and took a three-minute turn in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue. This was no random spot. The very first place Trump headed after being sworn in--his true destination all along, in a sense--was the Old Post Office and Clock Tower, which only 12 days before the election had been repurposed as the Trump International Hotel Washington. The elegant granite structure, whose architectural character Trump had promised to preserve, was now besmirched by a gaudy, faux-gold sign bearing his name. The carefully choreographed stop sent a clear signal to the foreign governments, lobbyists, and corporate interests keen on currying favor in Washington. Oil companies, mining interests, insurance executives, foreign diplomats, and defense contractors all rushed to book their annual conferences at Trump's hotels and resorts, where Cabinet members graciously addressed them. After hiking the nightly rate to $653--32 percent higher than other local luxury hotels--Trump collected $2 million in profits from the property during his first three months in office. By last August, the hotel's bar and restaurant had hauled in another $8 million in revenue. And although Trump has pledged to give away any money his hotels earn from foreign governments, the plan contains a lucrative loophole: Employees at his hotels admit that they make no effort to identify guests who represent other countries, meaning that much of the foreign money spent at Trump's properties flows directly into his own pockets. On March 28, a federal judge allowed a lawsuit to go forward that charges Trump with violating the Constitution by accepting money from foreign governments at his D.C. hotel. In fact, although Trump refuses to disclose the details of his myriad business operations, he continues to enjoy access to every dime he makes as president. Instead of setting up a blind trust to avoid conflicts of interest, as other presidents have done, Trump put his two grown sons in charge of his more than 500 business entities. His sons regularly brief Trump about how the enterprises are doing. What's more, only 15 days after this ``eyes wide open'' trust was set up, Trump amended the fine print to allow him to take money out of the operation any time he pleases. The loophole, buried on page 161 of the 166-page form, stipulates that any ``net income or principal'' can be distributed to Trump ``at his request.'' Far from putting his wealth in a blind trust, Trump asked the public for its blind trust, effectively sticking his money in a piggy bank in Don Jr.'s room that he is free to raid at any hour of the day or night. Trump's children are working hard to cash in on his time in office--especially with foreign investors. At taxpayer expense, they have flown to Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, Dubai, and India in search of licensing and real-estate deals, trading on the president's influence in exchange for investments. But the biggest complication of Trump's presidency--and the one he works hardest to keep secret--is the way his entire business operation is mired in massive debt. Rather than being independently wealthy, public records show, Trump and the business partnerships in which he is a leading investor owe big banks and foreign governments at least $2.3 billion--far more than his disclosure reports indicate. His largest single loan--for nearly $1 billion--is from a syndicate assembled by Goldman Sachs that includes the state-owned Bank of China If either Trump or Jared Kushner, who tried to shake down Qatar's finance minister for a loan, winds up needing to negotiate new terms on his ballooning debt, America could find itself being dictated to by a foreign government--all because the White House, thanks to Trump's business model, has become a true House of Cards. What follows is 501 days of official corruption, from small-time graft and brazen influence peddling to full-blown raids on the federal Treasury. But as even this initial glimpse makes clear, Trump isn't draining the swamp--he's monetizing it.--David Cay Johnston Trump's Hotel in D.C. 2016 12/7 Diplomats from Bahrain move the country's National Day celebration from the Ritz-Carlton to the ballroom at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. 2017 1/20 A watchdog group calls on the General Services Administration, a federal agency, to stop leasing the Old Post Office to Trump for use as the hotel. The agency's ethics division, which reports to Trump, rules that the $180 million deal is fine. 1/23 Saudi Arabia holds a bash at the hotel after renting rooms for lobbyists for five months. Trump's haul: $270,000. 2/25 The Kuwaiti Embassy, reportedly pressured by the Trump Organization, moves its National Day celebration from the Four Seasons to Trump's hotel. 3/1 The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association hosts a dinner at the hotel, drenched in Trump- branded coffee and wine. 3/22 The American Petroleum Institute holds its board meeting at Trump's hotel, where it meets with EPA chief Scott Pruitt. A month later, Pruitt suspends drilling regulations. 5/1 Rates at the hotel jump to $653 per night, a price hike of 60 percent since Trump's election. 5/21 A Turkish government council holds its annual conference at the hotel. The group's chair founded the company that paid $530,000 to former national-security adviser Michael Flynn for lobbying work. 7/17 E-cigarette-makers hold their annual conference at the hotel. Ten days later, the FDA announces it will delay federal oversight of e-cigarettes until 2022. 8/11 A federal agency accidentally posts the hotel's Q1 profits: $2 million. 9/13 Staffers for Linda McMahon, head of the Small Business Administration, try to cover up the fact that she addressed a business lobbying event at the hotel, avoiding images of hotel signs bearing Trump's name when posting photos of the event on Twitter. 9/28 The Fund for American Studies, a conservative organization, hosts a lunch at the hotel. The keynote speaker, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, thanks Trump's staff for helping him get confirmed. 10/4 At its annual board meeting, the National Mining Association is addressed by three Cabinet members: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, and Energy Secretary Rick Perry. ``Coal is fighting back,'' Perry exults over breakfast with the country's top mining executives. ``Clearly the president wants to revive, not revile, this vital resource. ``Five days later, the Trump administration announces the repeal of Obama's Clean Power Plan, which would have encouraged states to replace coal with wind and solar energy. The plan would have cut climate- warming pollution from coal plants by a third and saved taxpayers and consumers as much as $93 billion a year. The venue for the mining board's meeting: the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. 10/5 A commercial real-estate trade association hosts an awards gala at Trump's hotel, sponsored by a roster of prominent lobbying agents. 10/11 The American Legislative Exchange Council, a powerful conservative lobbying group with ties to the Koch brothers, announces that the venue for its 45th-anniversary gala will be Trump's hotel. The group requests corporate sponsorships of up to $100,000. 2018 3/5 The Independent Petroleum Association of America holds a three-day lobbying event at the hotel. 3/28 A federal judge declines to stop a lawsuit that accuses Trump of violating the Constitution by accepting money from foreign governments at his hotel. Mar-a-Lago ``The ornate Jazz Age house was designed with Old-World Spanish, Venetian, and Portuguese influences.''--From a state department promo online 2016 12/31 Mar-a-Lago hosts a New Year's Eve party with Trump, priced at $525 a ticket. His take for the night: $400,000. 2017 1/1 The resort quietly doubles its initiation fee to $200,000--a potential haul of $2 million. In return, club members get access to the president on a par with White House officials. 4/4 The State Department runs an online promotion for Mar- a-Lago, which is also picked up by embassy websites in England and Albania. 4/6 Trump and Ivanka meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago. That same day, China approves trademarks for three of Ivanka's brands. 6/16 Financial-disclosure filings show that Trump's revenues from the resort soared by 25 percent during his presidential run. 7/17 The administration increases the allotment of H2-B visas for foreign workers. Within days, Mar-a-Lago applies for 76 of the new visas--even though a local jobs agency has 5,100 applicants qualified to fill the openings. 11/10 The Republican Attorneys General Association, which has spent more than $75,000 at Trump's properties in five months, holds a reception at Mar-a-Lago. It later forms a ``working group'' to partner with the Trump administration to roll back environmental protections. 12/9 Oxbow Carbon, a major energy company that would benefit from the Keystone XL pipeline, holds its annual holiday gala at Mar-a-Lago. 12/31 Trump boosts ticket prices for his New Year's Eve bash to $750. Taxpayers foot the $26,000 bill for lights, generators, and tent rental. 2018 1/9 The Trump administration opens offshore drilling in all but one state: Florida, where oil and gas exploration could hurt business at Mar-a-Lago. 2/18 Reports reveal that Trump regularly solicits input from Mar-a-Lago members on everything from gun control to Jared Kushner's favorability. 2/26 An Israel-focused charity, the Truth About Israel, relocates its gala to Mar-a-Lago in appreciation of the president's support for Israel. Trump's Other Properties & Investments 2016 11/14 In a call with Argentina's president, Mauricio Macri, Trump reportedly pushes for approval to build a Trump Tower in downtown Buenos Aires Ivanka Trump, who oversees the family business with her brothers, sits in on the call. 2017 1/24 Trump signs an executive order to fast-track the Dakota Access Pipeline. He claims to have sold the stock he owns in the pipeline's builders--as much as $300,000--but offers no proof. 1/27 Trump issues the travel ban but leaves off Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt--countries where he has significant business interests. His company was paid as much as $10 million for use of his name on a tower in Istanbul, and he registered eight new businesses in Saudi Arabia during his campaign. 2/3 Trump, who owned as much as $5 million in bank stocks in 2016, orders the Treasury secretary to consider ways to roll back regulations on banks. The value of bank stocks soars nearly 30 percent during his first year in office. 2/14 Trump, who owned stock in large oil companies, allows oil companies to hide the payments they make to foreign governments in exchange for extraction rights. The move comes only two months after ExxonMobil, which lobbied for the concession, donated $500,000 to Trump's inauguration. 2/21 Angela Chen, a consultant with ties to China's ruling elite, buys a $16 million penthouse in a Trump-owned property. 2/28 Trump, who owns 12 golf courses in the U.S., rolls back a rule that limits water pollution by golf courses. 4/29 Overriding diplomatic concerns, Trump invites Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte to the White House. To gain favor with Trump, Duterte had appointed the president's partner on the Trump Tower in Manila as his economic envoy to the U.S. 5/7 The Metals Service Center Institute, which is pushing the Commerce Department for steel tariffs, holds its annual conference at Trump's resort in Miami. 5/16 The Republican Governors Association holds a conference at Trump's golf club in Miami, where members strategize with corporate executives over how to persuade the new administration to dismantle environmental regulations and enact other business-friendly moves. Trump's take for the conference: $400,000. 5/19 Trump proposes slashing HUD's budget--but retains a subsidy that has poured more than $490 million into a housing complex in Brooklyn where Trump has a financial stake. 6/16 Lynne Patton, an event planner and friend of the Trump family with no experience in housing, is put in charge of the HUD region covering New York and New Jersey--giving her a senior position in the agency that disburses federal subsidies to a Brooklyn housing complex from which Trump made $5 million in 2016. (Patton recused herself from matters involving the complex, after a congressional committee sent a letter to HUD.)* 8/2 Activists protest against JPMorgan Chase, which lobbied to slash the corporate tax rate while paying Trump $1.5 million a year in rent at one of his office buildings. 9/19 Report reveals that the Pentagon spends $130,000 a month in rent at Trump Tower--more than twice as much as other tenants. 10/9 Trump International Hotel in Chicago hosts a two-day conference for the manufacturing industry. 10/10 An insurance-industry trade association holds its four-day annual conference at Trump's resort in Miami. 10/16 GEO Group, the nation's largest for-profit prison company, holds its annual conference at the Trump National Doral. The company poured $450,000 into Trump's campaign and inauguration after Obama announced plans to end all federal contracts with private prisons. GEO also hired two of Jeff Sessions's former aides, plus a former Trump Organization employee, as lobbyists. The investment paid off: A month after Trump took office, he ended the ban on private prisons. GEO received a $110 million contract to build a new immigration jail in Texas, plus $44 million a year to operate it. Earlier this year, the federal Bureau of Prisons announced it would slash some 6,000 jobs and transfer more inmates to private facilities. 10/18 Defense contractor L3 Technologies holds its annual meeting at Trump National Doral. L3 depends on government largesse for 84 percent of its revenue. 10/19 In a break with tradition, Trump personally interviews candidates for U.S. attorney in the districts that cover most of his business dealings. For the New York position, he ultimately chooses one of his campaign donors. 11/7 Trump hawks his golf course during a major speech to South Korea's legislature. 11/8 A payday-lender lobbying group announces it will hold its 2018 annual conference at the Trump National Doral. Two months later, the administration announces it is considering scrapping a rule that requires payday lenders to stop taking advantage of clients who cannot pay off their loans. 2018 1/2 A judge rules that Starrett City, a housing complex in Brooklyn that Trump owns a stake in, can be sold to private developers. The sale is expected to net Trump $14 million after the administration approves it.* 2/21 Mississippi awards $6 million in tax breaks to a new Trump-branded hotel. Family & Friends ``The company and policy and government are completely separated. We have built an unbelievable wall in between the two.''--Eric Trump 2016 11/13 While appearing on 60 Minutes to discuss her father's election, Ivanka Trump wears a $10,800 bracelet from her jewelry company. After the interview, the company sends out a ``style alert'' promoting the bracelet to reporters. 12/6 Firm founded by Melania Trump's friend and adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff receives $26 million for helping plan the inauguration. 2017 1/5 Eric Trump jets to Uruguay to check on an unfinished Trump condo tower. The trip costs taxpayers $97,830. 2/5 Eric Trump spends $200,000 in taxpayer money to jet to the Dominican Republic to push for a Trump-branded project. The deal--which would put Trump's name on 17 high-rises-- violates a Dominican height limit for new resorts. It also breaks Trump's vow not to seek overseas deals during his presidency. The Dominican president personally approves the high-rises. ``Here in the palace, the president's thoughts are that this U.S president is angry and we better not get in his way,'' a former Dominican ambassador explains. ``We don't want to cross him.'' 2/6 Melania's lawyers, suing a British paper for libel, argue its reporting ruined her ``once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'' to monetize her position as First Lady by cashing in on ``multi-million-dollar business relationships.'' 2/9 Kellyanne Conway offers ``free commercial'' for Ivanka's clothing line on Fox News. ``Go buy it today, everybody.'' Trump refuses to discipline her, defying recommendation of his own ethics agency. 2/18 Taxpayers pay $16,000 to provide security for Eric Trump and Donald Jr. during their trip to open a Trump- branded golf course in Dubai. The event is invitation-only. 3/3 Jared Kushner meets with the CEO of Citigroup, which is lobbying to loosen financial regulations. Citigroup subsequently lends Kushner's company $325 million to develop a group of office buildings in Brooklyn. 3/9 Kushner fails to disclose his ownership of Cadre, a real-estate start-up. The firm's value shot up by millions of dollars after he entered the White House. 3/20 Eric's wife posts a photo on Instagram of the family's weeklong ski vacation in Aspen. Taxpayers were charged $330,000 for security details and another $200,000 for luxury lodgings. 3/20 Ivanka, refusing to place her assets in a blind trust, sets up shop in the West Wing. 4/24 Kushner's family tries to broker funding for his real- estate ventures with Qatar's finance minister. The minister declines. A month later, Kushner supports diplomatic actions against Qatar. 5/4 State Department and Voice of America promote Ivanka's book Women Who Work 5/5 Trump extends fast-track visas for foreigners who invest $500,000 in U.S. properties. The next day, Kushner's sister promises visas to Chinese investors if they put $500,000 into the family's properties in New Jersey. 5/17 Kushner's company is subpoenaed by federal prosecutors and the SEC for its promotion of the investment-for-visa program. 7/21 CNN finds that even after his family business apologizes for name-dropping Kushner at a marketing event in Beijing, it highlights his White House role in an online sales pitch to Chinese investors. 10/3 Kushner fined $200 for missing a disclosure deadline. To date, he has been forced to change his disclosure form 39 times for failing to mention potential conflicts of interest. 10/4 ProPublica investigation reveals that after Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance dropped a criminal investigation against Donald Jr. and Ivanka, their attorney arranged a fund-raiser on Vance's behalf, donating $32,000 himself and raising at least $9,000 more. 11/1 Apollo Global Management lends Kushner's real-estate company $184 million--triple the size of its average loan-- after meeting with him in the White House six weeks later, the SEC drops investigation into Apollo's finances. 12/3 Kushner is exposed for failing to disclose that his family's foundation--which he led for nine years--funded an illegal Israeli settlement on the West Bank. Just before Trump took office, Kushner tried to sway a U.N. vote against an anti-settlement resolution. 2018 2/20 Donald Jr. tours India to sell Trump-branded homes; several newspapers run an ad promising a ``conversation and dinner'' with him--for an additional fee of $30,000. Officials & Their Pals ``We are going to send the special interests packing.''-- Donald Trump 2017 1/19 During his confirmation as Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin fails to disclose a hedge fund he registered in the Cayman Islands to avoid paying federal taxes--the very thing he is supposed to collect as Treasury secretary. 1/24 During his confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Price fails to disclose an insider deal he got on $520,000 in stock in a biotech company. As secretary, he will be in a position to approve a drug the company has developed. 2/9 Reports reveal that a top White House aide, Chris Liddell, participated in meetings between Trump and the CEOs of 18 companies in which he held large amounts of stock--a possible criminal offense. The companies included Lockheed Martin, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase, and Dow Chemical. 3/16 Congressional investigators reveal that Trump's former national-security adviser Michael Flynn--who wanted to ``rip up'' American sanctions on Russia--failed to report $45,000 in fees he received from the Russian state media outlet RT. 4/14 The White House stops releasing logs of visitors, concealing trips made by lobbyists and corporate executives. In Trump's first two months alone, by one estimate, more than 500 executives and foreign leaders made unrecorded visits to the White House. 6/29 HUD Secretary Ben Carson tours Baltimore--accompanied by prospective business associates being courted by his son. One administrator on the tour later offers Carson's daughter- in-law a contract worth $500,000. 11/5 New reports reveal that during his confirmation hearings, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross failed to disclose that a shipping firm he owns a stake in has close ties to Vladimir Putin's son-in-law. His new job puts him in charge of American trade policy with Russia. 12/18 Under pressure from watchdogs, EPA chief Scott Pruitt terminates a $120,000 contract for a firm he has worked with in the past to dig up information on EPA staffers who had criticized him or his policies. 12/22 ``You all just got a lot richer,'' Trump tells wealthy patrons at Mar-a-Lago hours after signing a massive tax giveway to the superrich. The bill saved Trump $15 million in taxes and Jared Kushner $12 million. It also enriched much of Trump's inner circle--including Linda McMahon, Betsy DeVos, Steven Mnuchin, and Rex Tillerson. 2018 1/12 Performant Financial is one of only two companies awarded $400 million in contracts from the Education Department to collect on defaulted student loans. One notable former investor in Performant: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. 1/31 CDC chief Brenda Fitzgerald is forced to resign over her purchase of stock in one of the world's largest tobacco companies. She bought the shares a month after taking over the agency tasked with reducing tobacco use. 2/1 William Emanuel, a Trump appointee to the National Labor Relations Board, is investigated for a possible ethics violation after he votes on a case involving his former law firm. His tie-breaking vote would have made it harder for employees at franchises like McDonald's to hold their parent companies accountable for labor-law violations, but the decision is thrown out because of his conflict of interest. 3/29 ABC News reports that EPA chief Pruitt spent much of his first year in Washington living in a townhouse co-owned by the wife of J. Steven Hart, a top energy lobbyist. Hart lobbied the EPA on several policies last year, including coal regulations and limits on air pollution. Lobbyist & Other Sleaze ``We're going to end the government corruption, and we're going to drain the swamp in Washington, D.C.''--Donald Trump 2017 1/17 Scott Mason, a key member of Trump's transition team, returns to lobbying--one of nine transition-team members to violate Trump's pledge that he would bar such revolving-door moves for at least six months. One of Mason's clients, Peabody Energy, later helps dream up a coal-industry bailout promoted by Energy Secretary Rick Perry. 1/23 Trump appoints Jeffrey Wood, a lobbyist for a coal polluter, to prosecute environmental crimes like coal pollution. 2/6 Lauren Maddox, who guided Betsy DeVos through her confirmation process for Education secretary, is hired by a for-profit law school to help restore its access to federal student loans. After paying $130,000 in lobbying fees, the school gets its wish: The Education Department agrees to reconsider its eligiblity for millions in loans. 2/27 Billionaire Carl Icahn, an unpaid adviser to Trump, submits a regulatory proposal that would raise the value of his investment in an oil refinery. During Trump's first six weeks in office, Icahn makes an extra $60 million on the deal. 4/12 Marcus Peacock, a policy expert in Trump's budget office, takes a job lobbying the budget office for the Business Roundtable, which represents zoo of America's largest corporations. Trump makes no move to enforce the five-year moratorium he vowed to place on such revolving-door moves. 5/19 Trump nominates K. T. McFarland, adviser who once siphoned off $14,000 in campaign funds for ``personal use,'' as ambassador to Singapore. 8/1 A top aide to EPA chief Scott Pruitt, who oversees federal grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars, receives permission to work as a consultant for private clients. Despite his influence over public policy, the identities of his clients will be kept secret. 8/15 Two Trump campaign operatives register a new lobbying firm, Turnberry Solutions, named after the Scottish town where Trump owns a golf club. Its first client, Elio Motors, hires it to help obtain government handouts. 10/17 Whitefish Energy, a Montana firm that employed the son of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, is awarded $300 million in a no-bid federal contract to restore storm-battered Puerto Rico. 10/26 Trump nominates J. Steven Gardner, a coal-industry consultant, to oversee enforcement of strip-mining regulations. The Senate winds up rejecting the nomination. 11/8 Kirstjen Nielsen, Trump's pick to head the Department of Homeland Security, was guided through her confirmation by a lobbyist whose clients compete for DHS contracts. Privatizing the ``sherpa'' role in confirmations--work long performed by government staffers--opens up a brazen new frontier in corruption. The lobbyist, Thad Binge, oversaw the drafting of official policy memos and was included on emails between the DHS and the White House, enabling him to exploit internal information for private gain. Among Bingel's clients is an Israeli defense contractor being paid $145 million by DHS to build part of Trump's ``virtual wall'' along the Mexican border. 12/6 A photographer at the Department of Energy is fired after leaking a photo that shows Rick Perry receiving a confidential ``action plan'' from a coal magnate in March. The plan is a blueprint for the coal-industry bailout that Perry announced in September. 2018 1/12 Trump gives Kenneth Allen, a former mining executive who still profits from coal sales to the Tennessee Valley Authority, a seat on the TVA board. 1/29 Alex Azar, a former lobbyist who worked his way up to the presidency of a drug company, is sworn in as secretary of Health and Human Services. Azar, whose company hiked the price of insulin and other drugs under his watch, is now in charge of making drugs more affordable. 2/12 Carl Icahn, who served as an unpaid adviser to Trump, sells $30 million in steel stocks just before Trump announces tariffs on steel imports. 2/18 Dina Powell, who advised Trump on foreign policy, returns to Goldman Sachs only two months after leaving the White House. At Goldman, she will focus on ``enhancing the firm's relationships'' with some of the same foreign governments she advised Trump on. 3/2 Trump nominates Peter Wright, an attorney for Dow Chemical, to lead the EPA's regulation of chemical spills. Dow has 100 polluted sites that Wright would be in charge of cleaning up. Petty Graft 2107 2/28 The State Department spends $15,000 in taxpayer money for the grand opening of a Trump hotel in Vancouver, an event attended by Eric, Tiffany, and Donald Jr. 4/14 Trump jets to Mar-a-Lago via Air Force One at a cost to taxpayers of $142,380 per hour. For years, Trump heckled President Obama for taking vacations and golfing trips at government expense. If elected, he vowed, he would ``rarely leave the White House, because there's so much work to be done.'' In fact, during his first three months in office, Trump's taxpayer-funded flights to his private properties exceeded $20 million--on track to quickly surpass the amount Obama spent on travel during his eight years in office. Trump made more than 90 visits to his golf courses and played almost twice as much golf as Obama. His family joined in, requiring Secret Service agents to rack up an extra 4,054 days of taxpayer-funded travel to keep up. 5/16 Rick Perry and his staffers take a private Jet to a small-business forum in Kansas City, at a cost to taxpayers of $35,000, rather than taking a nonstop flight to the airport 45 minutes away from the event. 6/2 David Shulkin's chief of staff falsifies an email to suggest that the VA secretary needed to travel to Europe to receive an award. Shulkin's 11-day trip with his wife, most of which was devoted to sightseeing, cost taxpayers $122,344. 6/7 Scott Pruitt, the EPA chief, spends $36,000 in taxpayer money to take a military plane to New York. 6/24 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin marries Louise Linton and requests a military plane for their honeymoon to Europe--at a cost to taxpayers of $25,000 per hour. 6/26 Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spends $12,375 in taxpayer money to fly home aboard a private flight from Las Vegas, where he hung out with a hockey team owned by his biggest campaign donor. 7/7 Zinke uses $6,250 in taxpayer money for a helicopter flight from Virginia to Washington, D.C.--a three-hour car ride--for a horse-riding date with Mike Pence. 8/4 HHS Secretary Tom Price takes a private jet at taxpayer expense to St. Simons Island, an exclusive resort where he owns land. The trip, like many of the 26 flights Price took on corporate jets, could have been accomplished with a routine commercial flight. 8/21 Mnuchin and his wife travel to Kentucky aboard a government plane, at a cost to taxpayers of $33,000, to watch the solar eclipse. 8/30 EPA chief Pruitt spends $43,000 to build a soundproof phone booth in his office, enabling him to hold secret conversations with lobbyists and corporate executives. The Government Accountability Office is investigating whether the move violated agency spending rules. 9/29 HHS Secretary Price is forced to resign over the nearly $1 million in taxpayer money he spent taking military planes and private jets, often to visit family and friends. 2018 2/27 HUD Secretary Ben Carson spends $196,000 on a dinette set and lounge furniture, exceeding the $5,000 legal limit for office improvements. 3/7 Zinke spends $139,000 to renovate his office doors at Interior.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to stand here with my chairman from the great State of Washington, (Mr. Reichert). This is a bipartisan bill. The Generalized System of Preferences expired December 31, 2017. I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the legislation that would renew what I consider a very important program. This is a longstanding trade program, Mr. Speaker, that has enjoyed broad bipartisan support since 1974. Since the GSP already expired, it is imperative that we extend the program now. While this bill makes slight technical corrections, no real substantive changes were made in the existing program. I am open to having a debate on modifications that would enhance GSP in the future. I would have liked to have had it before this debate, had the time that we are debating right now and not have let the program expire, but, unfortunately, I am not in control of the calendar. I am pleased, however, that we agreed to work to renew this program in its current form on a bipartisan, bicameral basis. Established by the Trade Act of 1974, GSP promotes economic development by eliminating duties on thousands of products when imported from one of approximately 120 designated beneficiary countries and territories. This program not only supports American competitiveness and economic opportunity, but it also encourages developing countries in the program to adopt high labor standards, intellectual property rights, and the rule of law. So, as part of the current program, the committee known as the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee conducts an annual review of the articles, an annual review of all the countries that are involved, that are eligible for duty-free treatment under this program. This committee is chaired by the United States Trade Representative and comprised of representatives of other executive branch agencies. The law requires that the President take into account several factors when designating a country as eligible for GSP. These factors include whether a country has taken or is taking steps to afford workers internationally recognized worker rights--that is what the law says-- and the extent to which a country is providing adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights. Last year, the administration began a review of Bolivia's compliance, as an example, with the labor eligibility criterion due to concerns regarding the use of child labor and other labor abuses in Bolivia. The legislation we are considering today includes a new reporting requirement that will improve the effectiveness of congressional oversight of the administration's enforcement of these eligibility criteria and the progress made under effective investigations. Article I, section 8 is very clear of what the legislators in this House have as a responsibility. It is my hope that Congress can further strengthen the enforcement mechanisms of the GSP in the future. The program also boosts the competitiveness of United States companies and workers by reducing the cost of imports used to manufacture goods in the United States. In 2016, products valued at $18.9 billion entered the United States duty-free under the program. Since the expiration of the program, small- and medium-sized enterprises have borne the burden of higher costs of products imported under the GSP. Consider Primetac, which is located in Little Ferry, New Jersey, in my district. It is a family-owned business from my district that uses the GSP-eligible goods to support their industrial packaging business. When GSP last expired, Primetac was forced to raise prices to compensate for the new import taxes. This was no small increase. The company estimates it paid about $1.5 million in new tariffs during the program's lapse. This legislation would provide benefits retroactively to GSP-eligible imports so that small- and medium-sized American companies like Primetac can take full advantage of the benefits of GSP and boost their business' productivity It is critical that we act quickly. I also want to mention that the GSP is also intended to prevent domestic companies from being harmed. Under the current process, the competitive need limitation provision within the law imposes ceilings on GSP benefits for each product and for each beneficiary country. The GSP statute provides that a beneficiary developing country loses GSP eligibility with respect to a product if the competitive need limitations are exceeded and then no waiver is granted. In closing, I look forward to considering this legislation. With the successful passage of GSP, I hope that we will be able to issue a joint, bipartisan statement and continue working together to show the strong support for this program. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We have had expiration times in the last 5 or 6 years, but we always come together. We passed last week the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill in Trade. I think that is a good sign moving forward, working together in order to protect--not be protectionists, but protect American industries. I think that this is a very, very important move. I also think that extending it to 2020 is a great idea. I think this is very, very important, so I won't be back here next year anyway. We have a little foresight here. So I thank Mr. Reichert for bringing this to the floor. We worked hard to get this here. We hope we will get help from the other side of the building. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 2018 XXIII Olympic Winter Games being hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea, next month. I am proud of the many Korean Americans in the Ninth Congressional District who make the USA a better place to live. The Olympic Games serve as a forum for the international community to come together to build a peaceful world. In order to be a competitor in the Olympic Games, nations across the globe have to embody the values and ideals of friendship, solidarity, and fair play. It is no different in the diplomatic arena. Without these core values, the spirit of fair competition is eroded. The common bond that brings nations from all over the world to compete and build friendships serves as a forum to promote tolerance and understanding. Promoting these ideals is critical to these increasingly troubled times, and I believe the results can make our world a more peaceful place. The upcoming Winter Olympic Games presents a significant opportunity for the United States of America to lead the fight against international conflicts and to promote peace. This is our legacy. Our Nation can use this opportunity to work with the international community in a way that shows that we can come together in the spirit of healthy competition, regardless of our differences. With the long shadow being cast by the provocations of Pyongyang and rhetoric from our own administration, the Olympic Winter Games came at the right time. They are an opportunity for the United States to speak out in support of resolving the current conflicts on the Korean Peninsula. While there are many issues facing the international community, all can agree the growing threat of nuclear conflict presents the most immediate danger. In order to deescalate the growing threat, and in the spirit of the Olympic Games themselves, I hope that our athletes' presence in South Korea will serve as a symbolic representation that our differences can be worked out on a neutral field. Further, it is reassuring that North Korea will participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics. If the reports are true, it will be encouraging to watch the two countries' athletes march together at the opening ceremony under a unification flag. That surpasses the consequences of empty rhetorical threats. We can do better than that. It took the Winter Olympics to thaw the ice between the two nations, who have not met in 2 years. This is a welcome sign of easing tensions after months of alarm over North Korea's nuclear program. As a result, this year's Olympic Games are already off to a great start. The Games will continue to be a reminder that, regardless of where someone is from, we can still set our differences aside for a better world, just like the first athletes who came together to start the Olympic tradition. It is my expectation that the Republic of Korea will host a successful 2018 XXIII Olympic Winter Games and that the hard work and dedication of the Korean people to this endeavor will be remembered by the international community. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to watching the men and women representing the United States of America bring home the gold.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, this habit of short-term funding extensions and kicking the can down the road--I heard that a few times--are irresponsible and have to stop. We need a long-term funding bill. Democrats have come to the table and offered bipartisan solutions. Republicans have dismissed them. Let's put a bill to help the DREAMers on the floor. This leadership is acting out of fear, and their intransigence and incompetence is going to lead to a shutdown. Instead of using 9 million kids as a bargaining chip, I bet the majority could pass a permanent children's health extension today. There are 9 million children at risk of losing health coverage, 200,000 of them in my home State of New Jersey, and we could save $6 billion. I cannot believe that this bill has an unpaid-for delay of the medical device tax, Mr. Speaker. That was part of the Affordable Care Act. That industry agreed to pay that tax. We just did a tax bill for corporations that added over $2 trillion in deficit. Last I checked, medical device companies are corporations.

Mr. PASCRELL. What are we doing putting it in place in a tax law and a budget bill now and then a month later? Just this week, The New York Times ran a piece titled: ``Can Your Hip Replacement Kill You?'' The article describes a man named Dr. Stephen Tower, who was given an artificial hip with a defect in the device. It is in your bill. Doctors had to do a second surgery. They found cobalt leaking from the device, causing a condition called metallosis, destroying muscle, tendons, ligaments, harming Dr. Tower's heart and brain as well. Despite Dr. Tower's complaints to colleagues and the manufacturer, they continued to market it. How dare the Speaker of the House question why we want DACA in this legislation when he has got a bill that--32 million Americans use medical devices. There is no Federal FDA test for most of those devices. They have got the court, they bribed doctors, and it is in your bill, but we could not take care of those 800,000 people. Mr. Speaker, we need a different issue.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act has historically had broad bipartisan support in both Chambers of Congress as a means to bolster U.S. manufacturing and competitiveness. Right now, the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act has been expired for more than 5 years. I am pleased that today we are finally able to consider updating this bill. The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act is designed to provide relief to domestic firms by reducing or lifting tariffs on imported goods, as long as those goods are not produced here in the United States of America. It is estimated that this legislation will provide more than $1 billion in tariff relief to U.S. businesses. Many of these businesses are needlessly paying more to acquire inputs to manufactured products here in the United States. My home State of New Jersey will benefit greatly from this program, with firms projected to save more than $100 million over the course of a 3-year program. As a result, these New Jersey companies will receive a competitive boost and will be able to use their resources more productively, whether by raising wages or investing in research and development. Consider ICF Mercantile, located in Fort Lee, New Jersey, which will obtain duty relief on high-tenacity rayon yarn, an input for material used for naval defense systems. Unfortunately, this specialty yarn has not been produced domestically in 20 years. That means that removing the tariff here would help, not hurt, U.S. industry. New Jersey has a robust presence of chemical companies--it is our largest industry--employing directly or indirectly over 100,000 jobs. Several of those firms will receive tariff relief from numerous imported chemicals that I dare not try to pronounce. All of these folks who like their antipasti, their Italian subs, salad, or pizza with some extra heat will be pleased to enjoy tariff relief on little green pepperoncini, either packed in oil or not. The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act is also intended to carefully prevent domestic companies from being harmed. Under the current process, the International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce analyzed whether products are currently or could be eminently produced in the United States. If such production or potential for production was found, the ITC recommends excluding that product. The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act, which passed in 2016 with only two votes against it in the House, established the current process that invites U.S. firms to submit petitions that the ITC, the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection analyze, vet, and recommend to Congress for inclusion or exclusion. I would like to thank each agency for its hard work in coordination with Congress throughout the process. Boosting the competitiveness of American manufacturers and manufacturing workers should be one of our highest priorities in Congress. The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act is a program that helps do that, and I want to make sure its impact is maximized. This bill covers more than 1,600 products compared to the previous MTB, which covered only half as many products. Because this is the first time that this new process has been used, I am interested in reviewing both the process and, more importantly, the results, and working together with those who have constructive suggestions for any improvements that can be made. But I also want to note that this program is not enough. We, as a Congress and as a nation, need to be doing more in looking for opportunities to enhance American competitiveness meaningfully. The global economic environment is not just tough, but it is becoming more and more challenging and hostile to our companies and our workers. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting a bill that will provide some important relief to U.S. firms across the country. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the folks on the other side. We have worked very closely on this legislation over a number of years, and it is finally coming to fruition. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, on December 18, 2017, I missed three Roll Call votes because I was detained in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted: NO on the Motion to Fix the Convening Times--House GOP Leadership has offered a motion to change tomorrow's convening time to 10:00 a.m. (Roll Call No. 685); YES on H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act (Roll Call No. 686); and YES on H.R. 3979, the Keep America's Refuges Operational Act (Roll Call No. 687).

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, all on a postcard, simple as that. I say it is a postage stamp mentality. Many of them need counseling in economics. If they want to keep it simple, let's keep it simple. Very simple. How about that couple that wants to send their kids to college and put a second mortgage on their house. You can't do that anymore. You cannot do that. That is not a middle class legislation. That is the stick it to the middle class. Mr. Speaker, this is serious business. I will tell you what is simple. If you are born in a family with an estate worth more than $11 million, this Republican Congress is coming to your aid with a $3 million average windfall. And if this Congress actually still practiced oversight, we would know from his tax returns that Donald Trump and his family will see cuts worth millions of dollars per family. This is not good policy, Mr. Speaker--not at all--and it is dangerous.

Mr. PASCRELL

Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the United States Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant program, and the Fire Prevention and Safety programs. As an original author of these critical grant programs, I understand their importance to the firefighting community. It is often local firefighters who are the first on the scene before help from elsewhere can arrive. Our first responders provide immediate assistance to those in need; and these grants enable local firefighters across our nation to receive the training and equipment necessary to fulfill this important mission. The proper training and equipment provided to local firefighters by the AFG and SAFER grant programs and Fire Prevention and Safety programs can often mean the difference between life and death. It is unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, that it took so long for the House to act on reauthorizing these important federal grants. We have had nearly an entire year for the Majority to introduce a bill, have it considered in committee, and see action on the House floor. Or simply, we could have just considered S. 829, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent on August 2, 2017. I even introduced H.R. 3881, a House version of the Senate-passed legislation and co-led a letter with 153 members of this House to show support for reauthorizing these grant programs. However, no action was taken to reauthorize these critical grant programs until today. The bill before us today makes meaningful and technical changes to the administration of these grant programs. One important change this bill makes, that I know is significant to my home state of New Jersey and fire departments across the nation, is permitting the use of these grants to permit the use of grants to change the status of part-time or paid-on-call firefighters to full-time firefighters. However, unlike the Senate bill, the bill before us today continues to have a dreadful sunset clause. Typically, the Congress sunsets programs to ensure there is an opportunity to review the importance of a program's continuation and that there is no waste, fraud, or abuse. Since the establishment of these fire programs, there have been no major issues with waste, fraud, or abuse--and we certainly cannot dispute the major benefits these programs provide. So it is a wonder why some are insisting on sunsetting these critical grant programs in this bill. This sunset causes needless anxiety, which many have been feeling this year as the House is only now reauthorizing these programs just two weeks before they're set to expire. This is a situation where states and localities and tens of thousands of fire departments across our nation are left wondering about the future of critical funding they rely on to keep their communities safe. This sunset is unnecessary and we should eliminate it. It is not an understatement to say that the funding provided by these programs has saved countless lives. The federal resources these grants have provided fire departments with the equipment, training and staffing needed to swiftly respond to over 30 million calls annually. These programs also have improved firefighters' response capabilities and prevented numerous fires through safety programs targeted toward high-risk populations. Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues Congressman Peter King, Steny Hoyer and Dave Reichert as co-chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and for their tireless work on behalf of our nation's fire service. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues in this Chamber to support the reauthorization of these critical grant programs.