Chellie Pingree

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, Sandy Hook, Orlando, Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, and now Parkland. The common denominator between all these awful tragedies has been the use of assault weapons. Built to kill, these customizable weapons have allowed gunmen to slaughter dozens of innocent people swiftly, easily, and with no special training. Since the ban on assault weapons lapsed in 2004, far too many of these weapons have ended up in the wrong hands. There is no one solution to reducing the mass shootings and other forms of gun violence in our Nation, but reinstating the ban on assault weapons would be a critical first step. I urge all of my House colleagues to put public safety before the gun lobby and pass the Assault Weapons Ban of 2018 to keep weapons of war off the streets and out of our schools. I have heard from students across Maine who want to feel safe in their schools. They do not want their classrooms to look and feel like prisons. They do not want to live in fear that someone could enter their school with a firearm that is capable of committing mass murder. We owe it to the generation of students who are growing up against a backdrop of lockdown drills and mass shootings. We need to act like adults and protect them by banning assault weapons.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Hawaii for the time. I rise today as well in support of H.R. 2504, a bill that will end the practice of duplicative export inspections for sea urchin and sea cucumbers that are being shipped overseas. This is the second time that the House has considered this legislation in recent years. I want to thank Chairman Bishop; Subcommittee Chairman Lamborn; Ranking Member Grijalva; and my good friend from California, Ranking Member Huffman, for their support in bringing this bill again to the floor today. I also want to thank my colleague from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) for being here to speak in favor of this bill today. Also, in the bipartisan effort that we are making here today, I want to recognize and thank my colleague from Maine (Mr. Poliquin), who well knows the importance of this issue and who has been an original cosponsor of this bill, both in this Congress and the last. I think it is important to explain to the Members who are here today a little bit about why this bill is important and especially critical to our Nation's sea urchin industry. As a few Members may know, but most probably don't, the sea urchin industry in Maine brings in over $5.4 million to our State every year. It supports 600 jobs, which includes harvesters of the species. Also, we have businesses in Maine which process the urchins harvested here, as well as those imported from Canada and Chile, before being exported overseas. The need for this bill revolves around ending a duplicative inspection of exported product that is unnecessary and costly. Urchins imported to Maine from other countries to be processed are inspected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when they get to the United States. This scrutiny is necessary to ensure the integrity of the imported products. However, in recent years, the Fish and Wildlife Service has inspected products once again before leaving the country, usually in New York or New Jersey. This occurs before they are shipped to Asia and Japan, in particular, where they are considered a delicacy. I have spent the past few years working with my colleagues in the Maine delegation to better understand the impact of this policy on small businesses in our State and others where the urchins are harvested. I believe these extra inspections are unnecessary. There is really no reason why sea urchins should be treated differently than shellfish, which have been exempted from these export inspections for decades. This process often leads to costly delays and lost product, as urchins may end up sitting in hot warehouses waiting for days. At times, the Fish and Wildlife office closes right when a shipment arrives for inspection. The highly perishable product must then sit there because of bad timing. The Fish and Wildlife Service has worked with my office to try to find solutions, and I know they have tried to work with us on particular problems and trouble spots. But the continual delays, despite their best efforts and that of harvesters, means that the only real solution is to get rid of this duplicative inspection. Again, that is what this bill will do. This bill is a commonsense solution that will take away an unnecessary inspection, while ensuring that the Fish and Wildlife Service can continue to do their work and their jobs on other important issues affecting our coast and coastal communities. It will put our sea urchin and sea cucumber businesses on equal footing with their partners in the shellfish industry who do not have this extra scrutiny. It will help the hardworking men and women who harvest and process in this fishery to dedicate their time and efforts to that fishery, not to the bureaucracy. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, as we did in the past Congress.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to the Trump administration's proposal to lift a decades-old ban on offshore oil and gas drilling on our country's Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. This proposal has to be one of the most irresponsible actions of the Trump administration. Currently, 94 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is off limits to drilling, and rightly so, given the importance of protecting the economic and cultural value of the country's coastlines. The Trump administration has offered a staggering reversal, proposing to open up over 90 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf to oil and gas drilling. While Governors and lawmakers from both parties have risen to voice their opposition to this plan, this administration is moving forward at a breakneck speed. It has given a mere 60 days for the public to comment. In my home State of Maine, which has much to lose from this plan, we don't even get a full public hearing. This proposal's lack of transparency and fairness couldn't have been more apparent than when Governor Rick Scott of Florida somehow earned an exemption for his State. Everyone can see that this was less about protecting Florida's pristine beaches and coastline, as Governor Scott said, than a political favor from President Trump. Mr. Speaker, I absolutely have nothing against the Florida coast. But the State shouldn't have to be home to Mar-a-Lago to earn an exemption from this awful plan. All coastal States deserve this protection. My home State of Maine is one of them. If you measured every inch of our State's jagged coastline and islands, it would measure an incredible 3,500 miles. Those miles include some of the most beautiful places in the world and critical habitat for hundreds of species of fish and wildlife. That coast is also dotted with dozens of small towns filled with hardworking people who depend on a beautiful, healthy ocean to make their living. Two of my State's largest industries are tourism and fishing. Tourism in Maine is a $5.6 billion industry, 71 percent of which comes directly in from the Maine coast. Millions of people visit our State to experience our beautiful coastline, snug harbors, and stunning landmarks, like the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde. Our fishing industry and businesses that support it have even more to lose from this proposal. Thirty thousand Mainers make their living in marine industries. They include boat builders, ground fishermen, clammers, seaweed harvesters, oyster and mussel farmers, and, of course, lobstermen. Our world-famous lobster fishing industry alone brings in $500 million annually. I have had so many discussions with the lobster fishermen who tell me about all the difficulties their industry already faces. They want to pass their businesses on to their sons and daughters, but they worry about the future. Will the Gulf of Maine, which is already warming faster than 99.9 percent of the world's ocean waters, remain prime habitat for lobster? Will ocean acidification harm the lobster population and shellfish in ways we don't already know about yet? Do we really need to add the potential of an oil spill to the list of things that already keep them up at night? In Maine, we know the risk because we have seen the consequences. In 1996, a tanker named the Julie N. spilled about 200,000 gallons of heating oil in Maine's Casco Bay. It cost over $40 million to clean up and it caused lobster prices to plummet. About 200,000 gallons of spilled oil is a drop in the bucket when you talk about the spilled oil from the Deepwater Horizon, which spilled 200 million gallons into the Gulf of Mexico. The result on the marine environment was devastating. Shrimp, crab, oyster, and other fisheries in those States may never fully recover. The risks of this proposal to my State and others are simply too great. And for what? Our Nation is already the top producer of oil and gas in the world, and with fuel prices currently low, this proposal would not boost the economy. If this administration is really worried about remaining internationally competitive in the energy market, it should throw its support behind developing alternative energy sources instead of abandoning them. This proposal is unacceptable and irresponsible. I will continue to fight back against the environmental and economic harm it threatens for Maine and the Nation. I am proud to cosponsor legislation with my colleagues in New England to prohibit drilling off our States, and another bill to keep the drilling ban in place entirely along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. I encourage all my colleagues to do the same and to stop this terrible plan before it is too late.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I recently sat down with Mainers who are terrified of the Republican tax plan: In tears, a high school teacher listed the items she purchased for her students in need. Under this plan, she will no longer be able to deduct them. A cancer survivor told me how she now writes off thousands of dollars of medical expenses every year--no more, under the tax plan. A recent college graduate wondered how difficult it would be to achieve his career goals while paying off his student loan debt without a deduction for the interest. A dairy farmer talked about a tax exemption that has allowed farmers to have more control over their businesses by forming co-ops. That is gone under the GOP tax scam. In 10 years, one in five Mainers will pay more in Federal taxes under this plan. Their sacrifices and our national debt will pay for generous benefits to massive corporations, foreign investors, and the wealthiest of the wealthy. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to withdraw this thinly veiled handout to the one-percenters and bring forth tax reform that will actually benefit the middle class.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me the time and for all those wonderful compliments. I don't know that I have ever had that said about a bill that I have submitted, so I am very happy to be here today and to be able to support the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act. Mr. Speaker, as you heard, this bill offers a commonsense fix to frustrations that veterans in my district and across the country have experienced with VA's debt management system. Veterans in Maine have called my office shocked to find out that they owe VA money. Some are confused by the letters they receive. Others are told by VA that they have missed important deadlines to dispute, to seek forgiveness, or to create a payment plan for the alleged debt. Regardless of whether the debt is real or a mistake by VA, we shouldn't make it so hard for veterans to know their rights and obligations. We have seen single mom veterans who can't get a home loan and newly transitioned servicemembers who struggle to reintegrate with garnished pay, recouped tax returns, and reduced disability payments, all because of assigned debts they knew nothing about after notifications got sent to the wrong place or ``lost in the mail.'' In response, H.R. 3705 directs VA to work with veterans service organizations to develop standard notification letters that are written in plain language. It also directs VA to explore how to inform veterans of debts more quickly by sending notifications electronically, like an email, in addition to standard mail. It requires VA to study why so many veterans have not received notifications in the mail, as well as steps VA can take to improve its address database and the costs using certified mail. I thank Chairmen Roe and Bost and Ranking Members Walz and Esty for bringing this legislation to the House floor, and I urge its passage.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the following names be removed as cosponsors of the bill, H.R. 3941: Mr. Carbajal of California Mr. Price of North Carolina Ms. Fudge of Ohio Mr. Huffman of California Mr. Veasey of Texas Ms. Roybal-Allard of California Mr. Cardenas of California Mr. Loebsack of Iowa

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Katherine Jennings Moxham who passed away on July 7, 2017. Katherine Jennings ``Kate'' Moxham, 46, a resident of Kennebunk, Maine, died Friday, July 7, 2017 at Maine Medical Center in Portland from injuries received in an accident while riding a bike from home to the town library. She was an advocate for education, literature, science, the environment and personal rights, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. Kate was born May 5, 1971 in Kingston, PA, the daughter of Donald Bryden Jennings and Freda Ann Lockyer Jennings, and is a graduate of Merrimack College in North Andover, MA with a BA degree in history. Kate was constantly seeking knowledge and educating. She loved reading, had a huge passion for libraries and learning, and was a constant advocate for both. She was vocal about what she stood for and fought for what she believed in. Having been awakened more recently (as she put it), Kate participated in the recent march for Women in Washington, DC, and in the March for Science in Boston. Bringing people together to make connections and develop relationships, within her family, her wide circle of friends and her community was a hugely important part of her life. She was always the brightest light in the room wherever she was. Her laugh was infectious and her wit kept others in stitches. And her heart was as big as could be. She would help others without them needing to ask on a daily basis. And if they asked, she was right there. One of Kate's passions was literature, and getting kids within her realm to pick up on that passion in any way she could. She was a volunteer at the Kennebunk Free Library, and served on its board of Trustees, including a term as board chair. Kate worked as librarian in the Kennebunk School System, at the Sea Road School library and also the Mildred L. Day School Library; created summer reading lists for all students from elementary grades through junior high, and created personal lists for students she knew so they would be challenged, intrigued, and enjoy the fun of a good book. First and foremost was Kate's love of her immediate family--husband Todd of 17 years, and sons Tyler (15) and Riley (13). She was a tireless advocate for Tyler and Riley in the school system and in life. She loved to travel and show them new places and things to expand their minds, and to show them how to live in a community, taking care of others. She was planning to go next spring on a service trip with Tyler to Mississippi with a team from South Congregational Church. Survivors include her husband Todd Moxham, two sons Tyler Moxham and Riley Moxham, all of Kennebunk, Maine.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Ranking Member for yielding and allowing me to reinforce my colleague from the State of Maine and say: if you haven't made your plans, it is not too late. Lobster season is just picking up. I highly recommend a visit to the Maine coast or anywhere in the State of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to provide the VA Choice Program with additional funds and to authorize several provisions to improve care for our Nation's veterans. Specifically, I want to recognize the authorization of a lease included in this bill for a community-based outpatient clinic in Portland, Maine, that will provide much-improved services to the veterans in that area. The new facility will be a huge step in improving the care for veterans in my district. The proposed facility will go a long way toward a more efficient, patient-centered approach to care and will provide a wide range of services, including audiology, dental, physical therapy, prosthetics, and women's health. Most of the veterans served by this new CBOC will be coming from the surrounding areas, and this new clinic will result in a much shorter commute for those veterans living in the most densely populated area of Maine. The entire Maine congressional delegation has worked for the authorization of this lease, including my colleague, Mr. Poliquin from Maine's Second District. I thank Congresswoman Brownley for introducing legislation earlier this year to authorize these leases and for her work on this issue. I am proud to support S. 114, and I thank Ranking Member Walz and Chairman Roe for their work on this legislation. The authorization of this lease represents a tremendous step for our State in providing veterans the proper care they have earned.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member very much for yielding to me today. I rise during this en bloc amendment debate to discuss an issue that is raised in the amendment about the importance of the DDG-51 to our Navy. In particular, I am grateful to our committee for the clear guidance and language that was provided in the fiscal year 2017 Omnibus Appropriations Act that was passed in this body just 2 short months ago. That language called attention to the need not only to support the DDG-51 program but to ensure we do so with a design and upgrade that is technically mature and fiscally responsible. It was clear in that language, and in report language that is included in the bill before us today, that Congress continues to expect the Navy to comply with the direction that the additional fiscal year `16 DDG-51 ship be contracted and completed as a flight II-A ship. Because there are concerns raised by the GAO about the new flight III design radar upgrade for the DDG-51, there needs to be a thoughtful process in place. Again, I want to thank the chair and ranking member who have been incredibly supportive of the DDG program in the past and the work that it brings to States like Maine and across the country.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, with all due respect, I think there are frequently moments when the administration overrides the opinion of the Congress or don't always agree and the administration gets their way. Take the decision the administration made this morning on military policy, which was contrary to the vote we took just this week on the appropriations process. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal).

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Pingree-Carbajal- Bonamici-Langevin-Lowenthal-Cicilline-Schneider-Beyer amendment, which is widely supported. All of the cosponsors of this amendment care passionately about the need for ocean planning, and I commend the leadership of my colleagues on this issue each and every year that we fight this battle for sensible ocean policy. We need, as a Congress, to recognize the importance of our oceans and ocean planning. Ocean planning works, and is working already in New England, where we have a success story of fishermen, lobstermen, Native American Tribes, local communities, and other stakeholders developing voluntary regional ocean plans. I have heard from many of my constituents working in Maine's island communities about the importance not only of ocean planning, but of eco-based management of our oceans, a core part of moving forward to a 21st century fishery. Our fishery is changing, and coastal communities want to be attentive to changes in our ecosystems to resource development and other uses for our oceans. For example, our plan in New England ensures that there is advanced ecological data available to help decisionmakers, enhance ocean stakeholder engagement through the collection of stakeholder- driven information, and facilitates agency coordination. The language in today's underlying bill would make it even more difficult for Federal agencies, State, and local communities to work together on the future of our ocean resources. For those of us representing coastal districts, this rider is a bad addition to the bill, and we need to strike it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider).

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, if my good colleague could guarantee me he could give me the votes on the floor, I would be happy to bring a bill like that forward to Congress. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to my colleague from California (Mr. Lowenthal).

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much to my colleague from Oregon for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I, too, want to rise in support, today, of the Perry amendment. I thank my colleague from Oregon and my colleague from Pennsylvania for their leadership on this important renewable energy issue. I also want to thank the chair of the subcommittee, Mr. Simpson, whom I am fortunate to also serve on the Interior Committee with. Mr. Simpson has worked hard on this bill to increase some of the levels of funding above the abysmal levels that were proposed by the administration's budget earlier this year. And also, to our ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, my friend from Ohio, I thank her for her commitment to renewable energy and our energy future. The amendment before us today would provide a modest increase in funding to the Department of Energy's Water Power Program. It is a bipartisan effort, and I am pleased to be part of that. It comes from the fact that many parts of the country are seeking the real benefits of tidal energy that generates incredible power, or of hydrokinetic power that taps the power of flowing water. In response to my colleague from Pennsylvania, in Maine, we think tidal energy is very sexy. The Department of Energy supports private sector research, development, and implementation of hydropower, pumped storage, and marine tidal energy. It supports cutting-edge research and makes sure that the office supports all three types of water-based technologies. Last year, nearly 100 teams competed in a competition for an Energy Department-funded wave energy prize, with 20 finalists coming from 10 States, showing the breadth of interest in this work. Congress needs to support multifaceted work at a level that will continue to allow for innovation. Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to support renewable energy, support water power, and support the Perry amendment.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the Norcross amendment, and I want to thank my colleague for calling attention to this issue and the importance of EERE. I represent the State of Maine, and we have over 3,000 miles of tidal coastline and millions of acres of forest. We are famous for our natural resources and the recreational opportunities that they provide, so it would be no surprise that these resources are providing our residents with an abundance of renewable energy sources. Our State's natural resources and our efforts have made us one of the leaders in renewable energy development. From solar, to wind, to tidal, to biomass, Maine is a leader in renewable energy. Because our State is largely a rural one, with many diverse energy needs in our rural and island communities, we are particularly attentive to rising energy costs and the need to have more ways to solve them. This amendment today would restore funds to the EERE account, and it will help the State of Maine, like so many other States like it that are working hard to move our energy policy to the 21st century. We have traditionally been in one of the most oil-dependent States in the country, but this will help us address rising energy costs with more tools and technologies at our disposal. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support renewable energy, and I support this amendment.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, because June is PTSD Awareness Month, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary organization in my district that is making a huge impact on the lives of Maine veterans managing this challenging condition. Throughout my time in Congress, I have paid close attention to effective alternative therapies for the symptoms of PTSD, from service dogs to equine therapy, from book and writing groups to yoga and acupuncture. A group in my home State of Maine, called K9s on The Front Line, has created an extraordinary model. At no cost to the veteran, volunteer police dog handlers teach participants to train their own dogs or dogs selected from shelters to be PTSD service dogs. Many of these veterans have had years of therapy or drug treatment with limited success. Yet, in so many instances, the impact of these service dogs on both veterans and their families has been nothing short of miraculous. I am proud to honor my constituents at K9s on The Front Line for improving the lives of Maine veterans with PTSD.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Tom Allen, a proud World War II veteran from Augusta, Maine. At 94 years young, Tom continues to impress those who know him with his commitment to out-ski, and out-kayak the grips of old age and the passing of time. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Tom was a student at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. He, like so many other brave men from his generation, felt the need to serve his country. In June of 1942, seven months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tom willingly left Harvard and joined the United States Marine Corps. Recognizing his academic strengths, the Marines sent Tom to language school where be became proficient in Japanese. Upon the completion of his training, and with the war in full swing, Tom was sent to the Pacific Theatre where he first served in Saipan. In 1945, just months after the atomic bomb destroyed the city, Tom was reassigned to an intelligence position with the Second Marine Division and sent to Nagasaki, Japan. Among his many duties as an interpreter, Tom was tasked with working directly with the Japanese to uncover where they held their war materials in hopes of demilitarizing the Japanese War Machine. A year later Tom was honorably discharged from the Marines and chose to return to Harvard to complete his undergraduate education. At a relatively young age, Tom had accomplished more than most people do in their lifetime. His resume of resilience and his sense of determination are some of the many positive qualities Tom has maintained into his later years. Two years ago, at the age of 92, Tom was seen skiing in the mountains of western Maine. Less than a year later, at the age of 93, Tom slipped into a kayak for a paddle around Boothbay Harbor. Mr. Speaker, I truly admire Tom for his willingness to interrupt his Harvard education to answer our nation's call to serve. Lastly, I would like to thank him for reminding us all that age is simply a state of mind and that nothing is out of one's reach.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor an outstanding public servant, federal employee, and advocate in Maine's 1st District upon her retirement. After many years of service in the Washington headquarters of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Sally Blauvelt came to Maine six years ago to become the Field Office Director for USCIS. Sally has been instrumental in creating relationships with stakeholders serving the immigrant community in Maine. She has embodied the principles of common good, service to others, and social equity, engendering a respectful and customer-service focused environment in the local field office. And she has mentored a committed team of individuals who understand the challenges and hopes of those needing help and information, seeking to be of service whenever possible. Without fail, visitors to the USCIS office in my district are treated with dignity and respect. Sally Blauvelt understands that the arrival of new Mainers from across the globe adds diversity, vitality, and energy to communities across my state. I am sincerely grateful for her many contributions to my constituents, to Maine, and to our nation. My state has been all the better for Sally Blauvelt's decision to make Maine her home, and it is my honor to represent her in the U.S. Congress.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, the Ocean Passages maritime educational program and the state of Maine, home port of the schooner Harvey Gamage, would like to congratulate Commodore Lic. Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich and the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Havana, Cuba, on the occasion of its 25th Anniversary, being celebrated this month. For 25 years, the Hemingway International Yacht Club has welcomed scores of international visitors from around the world--and consistently promoted stronger ties between Cuba and the United States through cooperative sailing and maritime programs. Drawing on the long history of shared Cuban-American nautical traditions, symbolized above all by Ernest Hemingway's love of the sea and his adoption of Cuba as his second country, the Hemingway International Yacht Club has sought to keep alive the importance of Cuba's rich marine heritage. The schooner Harvey Gamage first sailed into Marina Hemingway in Havana in Feburary 2016--and members of the Ocean Passages program have worked closely with Commodore Escrich in promoting the participation of American sport fishing boats in the annual Hemingway International Billfishing Tournament. As Ocean Passages grows its educational and training programs in Cuban waters, we look forward to deepening that cooperation across the ocean we share. As the Maine poet Richard Blanco wrote in Cosas del Mar on the occasion of the restoration of bilateral diplomatic relations: . . . Today, the sea still telling us, the end to all our doubts and fears is to gaze into the lucid blues of our shared horizon, to breathe together, to heal together. Ernest Hemingway donated his 1954 Nobel Literature prize medal to the people of Cuba, saying ``this award belongs to the people of Cuba, because my works were created and conceived in Cuba, in my village of Cojimar, of which I am a citizen.'' It is in that spirit that Ocean Passages and the state of Maine congratulate Commodore Escrich and the Hemingway International Yacht Club and look forward to fruitful cooperation for many years to come.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I thought the Republican plan for repealing the Affordable Care Act and dropping 24 million Americans from healthcare coverage could not get any worse, but I was wrong. The latest iteration of TrumpCare still drops millions from their coverage, but will now make coverage worse and more expensive for those who can get it. I believe all Americans deserve protections for the coverage of essential health services and preexisting conditions, not just Members of Congress. Swiss cheese insurance plans that don't cover ER visits or prescriptions and charge you more if you have ever been sick aren't worth the paper they are printed on. This bill undermines our healthcare system in so many damaging ways. And for what? Let's not forget that the bill includes nearly $600 billion in tax breaks for drug companies, insurers, and the wealthy. Millionaires would get an average annual tax cut of more than $50,000 while hardworking families and older Americans would struggle to afford meaningful coverage. I won't stand for a bill that endangers the well-being of my constituents to benefit the very wealthiest Americans. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. PINGREE

Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituent, Jill Job Saxby, I'd like to include in the Record her proposal for evaluating the ethics of any health care plan that potentially risks access to care for millions of Americans. I submit that the American Health Care Act does not fulfill these considerations and I urge my colleagues to take seriously the ethical implications of their vote. Under this proposal, will more of the most vulnerable Americans be able to access quality, affordable health care? Health care is a basic and universal human need, which, if denied, harms persons and diminishes the community. The most vulnerable are those with the least power, status and resources in society. In the case of health care, the most vulnerable are those who suffer poorer health and shorter life expectancy because of poverty and social inequities that create barriers to accessing quality medical care and all the other contributors to good health (clean environment, healthy food, paid sick leave, reliable child-care and transportation). The most vulnerable would also include those with pre-existing conditions and lack of access to preventive care. The Golden Rule Test: Am I willing to trade places with those whose lives will be most profoundly affected by this proposal? The Golden Rule is found in all major world religions. It rests on the moral assertions that: 1) every human life has inherent worth and dignity and 2) because we are all in relationship with one another, my actions (or inactions) towards others have moral consequences for myself and for the larger community. The Golden Rule requires us to respond to suffering not merely with charity, but with justice. Charity is given by those who can afford it, out of surplus. Justice requires living in right-relationship with all persons, at all times. A just proposal will decrease social inequities and assure a single standard of care, with equal accessibility, to all persons. Does this proposal treat health care as a fundamental human need giving rise to a human right to care and alleviation of suffering? Health care is a basic and universal human need. Meeting that need is a precursor to a person's ability to exercise and enjoy the inalienable rights that our nation has recognized from the beginning: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There is a compelling ethical argument to be made that health care, by its very nature, should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold. We already recognize this in some of our long-standing public policies: We do not allow the purchase and sale of human organs for transplant. We have strict rules governing human clinical trials. We provide charity care. We restrict the freedom of sellers by regulating providers' education and licensing. We protect buyers with privacy laws. Such laws recognize that health care intersects with a dimension of human existence that is universally worthy of protection against the forces of the free market. Therefore, we must ask: how does it address the downside of free market forces, especially rising inequality? Who benefits? Who loses? Does it prioritize profits (a market good) or human health/alleviation of suffering (a common good and a human right)?