Erik Paulsen

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3209) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the disclosure of certain tax return information for the purpose of missing or exploited children investigations, as amended.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3209, currently under consideration.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker and Members, this week we have thousands of members of the law enforcement community here in Washington to celebrate Police Week. Every day police officers throughout our country wear the uniform with pride, and they understand the tremendous responsibility that comes with it, putting the safety of others before the safety of themselves. They protect us, they protect our families, and they protect our neighborhoods. We owe it to these police officers to give them every reasonable tool possible to solve crimes and keep our communities safe. Unfortunately, police officers are currently being denied a critical resource when it comes to solving child abduction and missing children cases. While many may picture the perpetrators of these crimes as strangers, the reality is actually very difficult to fathom, and that is because every year there are more than 200,000 cases of children that are abducted by a parent or a relative. The psychological and emotional damage inflicted on a child in these cases can be devastating. Abducted children often are moved from city to city and prohibited from going to school or participating in youth activities due to a fear by the perpetrator of being caught. Many of these children are told that the parent that they are separated from is dead or no longer wants them. Statistics show that an abducted child is at a higher risk for physical abuse, and some psychologists believe that family abduction is one of the most devastating forms of child abuse. Here is the opportunity, Mr. Speaker. Research shows that, in a significant number of child abductions, the perpetrator will file a tax return using this child's Social Security number, providing a current address, and a potential case-breaking discovery. One report found that as many as 46 percent of these cases could be solved if law enforcement had access to this information. While this type of critical tax information can be accessed to solve other serious crimes, current law does not allow police officers to access Federal tax records to help them find an abducted child. Without such a valuable tool, it could be very difficult for law enforcement to solve these cases when the suspect has left the area and has taken action to conceal their new location. The bipartisan Recovering Missing Children Act will allow investigators to access this critical information and reunite families. This is a commonsense fix that fills the information gap, potentially solving thousands of cases and saving lives. It is endorsed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the National Association of Police Officers, the Major County Sheriffs' Association, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record two letters in support of H.R. 3209. April 7, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Hon. Sander Levin, Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman & Representative Levin: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we write to advise you of our strong support for H.R. 3209, the ``Recovering Missing Children Act,'' and to request that the Committee consider and mark up this legislation at the earliest possible opportunity. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that more than 200,000 children are abducted by their parents or other close relatives every year. According to findings from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, however, new addresses for these missing children can be identified as often as 46 percent of the time through analysis of taxes subsequently filed using either the suspected perpetrator's or the missing child's Social Security Number. Unfortunately, despite the value that this evidence would have in combating child abductions, the IRS is currently constrained from providing the relevant tax information to law enforcement. To the extent that law enforcement needs access to every available tool to aid in the swift recovery of missing children, H.R. 3209 would solve this problem by filling the information gap. Specifically, the bill would amend current law to add the case of a missing child to the list of exceptions that allow the IRS to release tax return information to law enforcement. Given the sensitivity of taxpayer data, the bill would limit the disclosure of relevant tax information solely to those law enforcement officers who are engaged in the recovery of a missing child or the subsequent investigation and prosecution of the alleged abductor. As a result, we believe the ``Recovering Missing Children Act'' strikes the proper balance between protecting taxpayer privacy and facilitating the ability of law enforcement to reunite missing children with their families. H.R. 3209 represents a commonsense solution to the unintended consequences of laws protecting taxpayer information that is limited to specific scenarios of child abduction. On behalf of our organizations and the men and women of law enforcement that we are proud to represent, we therefore stand ready to work with you and the other Members of the Committee to advance the ``Recovering Missing Children Act'' as expeditiously as possible. Sincerely, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Fraternal Order of Police; International Association of Chiefs of Police; Major Cities Chiefs Association; Major County Sheriffs' Association; National Association of Police Organizations; National Narcotic Officers' Associations' Coalition; Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Joe Courtney, for his leadership and bipartisan advocacy on this issue. I also thank my friend, Mr. Pascrell, who is on the Ways and Means Committee, for his leadership, along with Congressman Reichert, who is a member of the Law Enforcement Caucus, for getting behind this legislation, showing again that both parties can work together on meaningful legislation that improves the lives of American families. As we prepare for the National Missing Children's Day coming up on May 25, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill today so we can give investigators the tools that they need to crack the case and bring a missing child home. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert), who has long been an advocate for law enforcement and has always been on the front lines helping law enforcement with their initiatives and helping victims.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentleman.

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I won't go on too much longer. We have had great testimony and offerings today by folks who have been working in a very bipartisan way on a very key component that has been around for 5 years but will absolutely make a difference in solving missing child abduction cases. It is common sense, it is bipartisan, and most importantly, it will help reunite families with missing children. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about a genetic disorder, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, that has caused heartbreak for families across the country. The genetic mutation, found typically in boys, weakens muscles and leaves most sufferers confined to wheelchairs. Due to lung or heart failure, most afflicted with Duchenne pass away before their 25th birthday. However, there is hope with new medical advancement that could increase the lifespan and improve the quality of life for those living with Duchenne. A new drug was used in a medical trial where every participant was able to walk for 4 years after starting the treatment, and on top of that, there were no negative side effects. However, the FDA has yet to approve this new drug, even with such promising results. Mr. Speaker, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an awful condition that more or less guarantees a short life for those who live with it. Medical advancement is giving hope to those patients for a longer and a better life, but bureaucratic redtape is preventing those folks from accessing it. It is time for the FDA to remove those roadblocks and to move forward for a new, possible, life-improving treatment.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember somebody of unquestionable talent, somebody who appealed to and spoke to people of all types, ages, and cliques, and somebody who also never stopped finding different ways of expressing coolness. Of course, I am speaking of Minnesota's native son, Prince, who tragically passed away this last week in Chanhassen, my hometown. Prince was the personification of limitless ability and creativity, and, even better for Minnesotans, he was one of us. For me, the music of Prince was intertwined with growing up in Chanhassen. I remember spending time with high school friends after a football game or a soccer game. We would take the time to actually drive up his driveway, which we thought was kind of fascinating. We would head over to his house. We were a little entranced with his simple, purple, split-level house. The fact that the man responsible for some of our favorite songs and music was living right in our backyard seemed actually too good to be true. I remember my very first concert I went to was also Prince on his Purple Rain Tour back in 1984 at the St. Paul Civic Center. To hear his contemporaries tell the story, Prince's guitar playing simply was indescribable. If the best musicians of our day can't find the words to express how talented he really was, I certainly can't find a way to express the skill that he possessed. Of course, he was much more than his guitar playing. He could also sing and play numerous other instruments and write hit after hit. But what inspires so many is that it shows that greatness lives within us. Prince grew up in Minneapolis. He didn't have any formal classical musical training at an elite school, but he did rise to the top of the music world and never looked back. Even with all the stories that we have heard over the past several days and week about the greatness of Prince, more inspiring are the stories of him extending a helping hand to help lift others up in times of need, stories of how he was very active in our community. Just a few weeks before he passed away, he played a very surprise show with friends at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, a very popular venue and Minnesota favorite, where I worked as a high school busboy. Day after day we are hearing stories now of donations to schools, to different causes and, of course, to people. Those are the folks that Prince made happy in terms of their time of need. Prince had a giving heart. Ultimately, it is for these reasons that we have seen the outpouring of grief from around Minnesota, from around the country, and also from around the world. As we continue to remember Prince, the man, and his music, it is his words from one of his earliest top hits, ``1999,'' that helps put things in perspective. He says: ``But life is just a party, and parties weren't meant to last.'' While his party has certainly sadly come to an end, these lyrics remind us each and every day to live those days to the fullest and to set out to achieve great things. We will miss Prince Rogers Nelson. May he rest in peace.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the American Competitiveness Act to help our domestic manufacturers. Today there are American companies that must unfairly pay miscellaneous tariffs, or taxes, on the materials they need to make their products here in the United States simply because these materials are not available in the United States. Instead, they have to import these materials. The bill before us creates a new, transparent process for miscellaneous tariff bills, or MTBs, to be enacted. And just how important are these MTBs? Since the last MTB package expired in 2012, we have seen $748 million in additional taxes at the border for American manufacturers every year. That is a lot of money, Mr. Speaker. It is money that manufacturers could use to hire more employees, to grow their business or, of course, to lower prices for their customers. And this isn't speculation. The last MTB initiative supported 90,000 manufacturing jobs here in the United States. In Minnesota, it is manufacturers like 3M and Knitcraft and Honeywell that will see the benefits. I encourage my colleagues to join me today in supporting our manufacturers by voting in support of this legislation.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Minnetonka High School girls basketball team for winning the high school Minnesota State championship. The Skippers won the title with a very hard-fought victory over conference rival Hopkins by a score of 61-52. The Minnetonka team overcame history to win the title. Hopkins was seeking its fifth title in 6 years, while Minnetonka had only made the tournament once in school history. But this Minnetonka team was determined, right from the tip-off, and finished the game off with a strong run to secure the championship for the school and for the community. Mr. Speaker, this basketball team is blessed with a number of talented players who worked hard to get to this point, including some that will continue to play at the college level. But even more than that, they are student athletes who have lived up to their obligations in both the classroom and also in our community. The coaches, parents, and fans of the Minnetonka team are very proud. We wish them well in their accomplishment. Congratulations again to the Minnetonka High School girls basketball team.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 151, I was meeting with a constituent. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to applaud the bipartisan efforts to support our seniors through the passage of the Older Americans Act, legislation that I have supported. Our seniors have spent their lives working hard, raising their families, and giving back to their communities. The Older Americans Act shows what we can do when we work together. The bill improves services for seniors, especially those with the greatest social and economic needs. For example, it provides funding for the popular Meals on Wheels program. The bill saves taxpayers money by preventing very costly hospital readmissions and by helping senior citizens stay in their homes and communities. It also supports programs to prevent the abuse and neglect of senior citizens. Mr. Speaker, the Older Americans Act is a big, bipartisan win for our Nation's seniors. I encourage the President to sign the bill as soon as it hits his desk.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the heroics of Plymouth 17-year-old Urias Jah, who was recently recognized with the Citizens Award from Plymouth fire officials. After hearing shouts of ``Fire,'' Urias ran out of his apartment to see a fire spreading on the third floor of the complex and a woman on the second floor yelling for help. Urias was able to jump and pull himself up onto the second floor balcony and the third floor balcony with a fire extinguisher attached to his hips. He then was able to extinguish the flames, saving property and, potentially, lives. Two hundred people, Mr. Speaker, reside in the complex. When firefighters arrived, they were flabbergasted that the 5\1/2\-foot Urias would actually be able to scale the building. Mr. Speaker, Urias' selfless actions are heroic and brave. While our firefighters and fire departments do tremendous work, they can't be everywhere all of the time. His quick thinking stopped a fire that could have been devastating to so many. His Citizens Award is well deserved.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, Indiana has its basketball, Texas has its football, but in Minnesota it doesn't get much better than the annual high school hockey tournament. I would like to congratulate the Wayzata High School boys hockey team for taking home the title with a tough 5-3 victory for the championship over Eden Prairie. The Trojans, under Coach Pat O'Leary, fought back from a 3-1 deficit to claim their first ever State hockey title. The State hockey tournament is always a tremendous event, with fans from around Minnesota descending on St. Paul to fill up the Xcel Energy Center to cheer on their teams. The players at Wayzata should be very proud of their accomplishments on and off the ice. I want to recognize their commitment not just to their sport, but to spending time in the classroom and in the community to become outstanding student athletes. Mr. Speaker, the family, friends, and fans are very proud of the Wayzata High School hockey team. We offer them congratulations.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, today is Rare Disease Day. It is the reason why I am wearing this special tie given to me by Minnesotan Erica Barnes as part of the Chloe's Fight Rare Disease Foundation's Wear Something Rare campaign. Now, a rare disease is generally defined as a condition that affects fewer than 200,000 people, and there are approximately 7,000 different types of rare diseases which impact the health of about 30 million Americans, half of which are children. February 29, a day which is rare in itself, is also set aside to bring awareness and improve access to treatment and medical representation for people living with a rare disease. It is recognized by over 80 countries around the world. Mr. Speaker, there is more that we can do to help. The House passed the 21st Century Cures Act with strong bipartisan support to help lower barriers to medical innovation and provide critical funding to find cures and treatment for medical afflictions, including rare diseases. So on this Rare Disease Day, we raise attention to this issue and the need to continue our work to help those who are suffering from rare diseases.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, our Nation's correctional officers risk their safety every day in order to keep prisoners, visitors, and other officers safe. In most Federal prisons, there are only one or two officers on duty in a cell block, meaning officers are guarding nearly 130 prisoners with virtually nothing to protect themselves. We have seen the reality of this situation with the death of Correctional Officer Eric Williams, who was murdered by an inmate at a Pennsylvania prison. In addition, last year more than 2,500 weapons were confiscated from inmates in Federal prisons. The Bureau of Prisons is currently operating a 1-year pilot program that allows correctional officers in some Federal prisons to carry pepper spray for protection. Mr. Speaker, this week the House passed the Eric Williams Correctional Officers Protection Act, legislation that I have supported, to expand this pilot program to medium-security prisons and require a training course before they can use this pepper spray. We need to provide our correctional officers the tools they need to protect themselves and others.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, hardworking families in Minnesota and around the country want more flexibility, more choice, and lower costs when it comes to their own health care. Instead of a top-down approach, patients should be able to work with their doctor to determine what is best to meet their health care needs. One of the best tools to provide more flexibility for patients are health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts. HSAs and FSAs are a great way to save for future medical expenses. However, due to certain loopholes in current law, employers are often discouraged from contributing to their employees' accounts. That is why I have introduced legislation, the Health Savings Act, that would remove this loophole and encourage companies to contribute directly to their employees' HSAs and FSAs. The bill also would bring in seniors and Active Duty military personnel into the mix by allowing contributions to be made to those accounts under Medicare and TRICARE. It also makes commonsense fixes to the current rules regarding HSAs and FSAs. For instance, patients would now be able to purchase over-the-counter medications such as aspirin or allergy medicine without getting a prescription from their doctor first. Mr. Speaker, let's give the American people more choice and more flexibility. Let's pass the Health Savings Act.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Eden Prairie Girls Hockey Team for winning the Minnesota High School State championship last weekend. The Eagles prevailed in a tight contest over Maple Grove in the title game when Lauren Eberle scored the game-winning goal in overtime. The 3-2 victory marks the third State title for Eden Prairie in the last 11 years. Eden Prairie was led by goals from Anna Gravelle and Rachel Werdin, along with a strong performance between the pipes by Alexa Dobchuk. Madam Speaker, it takes commitment, it takes hard work, and it takes teamwork and dedication to achieve a State championship. This is even more especially impressive with the amount of time that these student athletes spend together in their studying, excelling in school, and participating in other extracurricular activities. Congratulations to the players, to the coaches, to the families, and to the fans of the Eden Prairie Girls Hockey Team. Our community is very proud of you.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Colonel Sandy Best, who will become the very first female general in the Minnesota National Guard, first in history with her promotion to Brigadier General next week. Best will command the Air National Guard units in Minnesota, including the 133rd Airlift Wing at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth. Colonel Best has served admirably as Director of Strategic Relations and also as Director of Government Relations for the Minnesota National Guard and her promotion is well deserved. Colonel Best will continue to play a critical role in helping to keep our country safe and secure, and will act as a leader to our military men and women in Minnesota. Not only that, but this historic event is a welcome precedent for our other Minnesota National Guard members, as I am sure many other women will rise in ranks following in her footsteps. I look forward to working with Colonel Best--now General Best in the future--as she continues to make Minnesota Air National Guard among the best in the country.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Claire Benton of Minnetonka for earning the Congressional Award Silver Medal. The Congressional Award is given by Congress to recognize initiative, service, and achievement in young people. In order to earn the Silver Medal, Claire needed to complete over 400 hours in voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. Claire served her community by volunteering at her local public library and spending time as a counselor at an adventure camp. She also reached the physical fitness goals by participating in cardiovascular and endurance activities that helped her increase her running distance from 8 miles to 20. Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Award was established in 1979 in order to inspire young people like Claire and recognize their efforts to better themselves. Claire's hard work and dedication inspire other young people to become future leaders in service to their community. Congratulations, Claire.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Maria Keller of Plymouth and Zakria Ghani of Maple Grove for being recognized as Minnesota's top youth volunteers by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. Maria, a sophomore at Orono High School, was awarded the top prize after setting up a program called ``Read Indeed,'' which has collected more than 1.7 million books and has provided them to underprivileged children. It is estimated that 800,000 students have received books from the organization. Zakria, a senior at Al-Amal School, was a finalist for raising critical money for the victims of a devastating fire in Minneapolis. His efforts resulted in raising $8,500 within one week after the fire in order to help the affected victims and residents. Mr. Speaker, the work and service by these young people to serve and assist others should be inspiring to us all, and thanks to their actions, countless people have been helped. Their selflessness will serve them and their communities well in the future, and these accolades are well deserved. Congratulations to Maria and Zakria.

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 56, I was not present due to a meeting with constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' personal explanation

Mr. PAULSEN

Mr. PAULSEN. Madam Speaker, the trafficking of young girls and boys continues to be a crime that plagues many of our communities. While I am proud to have led efforts last year to help pass important legislation to combat this problem, law enforcement on the ground needs to remain vigilant to stop this horrific crime. With the Super Bowl taking place on Sunday in California, concerns are once again being raised that traffickers will bring children in from out of town for exploitation. It is also an opportunity for law enforcement to reach out to these victims to try to bring them out of the shadows and bring traffickers to justice. That is why it is encouraging to see the FBI take a different victim- centered approach this year that focuses on first gaining the trust of young victims, sometimes as young as 12, 13, and 14 years old. This helps victims get the services they need and brings the traffickers to justice with their arrest. Madam Speaker, a victim-centered approach is the right way to attack this problem. I commend the FBI on their efforts during the Super Bowl this week.