Jared Polis

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary public service career of Dr. William H. Farland as he concludes his tenure as Vice President for Research at Colorado State University (CSU), one of the nation's top research universities. Dr. Farland received his undergraduate degree from Loyola University; a master's degree in Zoology from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a doctor of philosophy degree in cell biology and biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. At the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Farland rose to become the highest-ranking career scientist, appointed Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in the Office of Research and Development (ORD) and also directing the EPA's Office of the Science Advisor. His 27-year federal career was characterized by a commitment to the development of national and international approaches to the testing and assessment of environmental agents. Numerous executive-level committees and advisory boards within the federal government sought his expertise. Examples of his service include: Chairing the Executive Committee of the National Toxicology Program (NTP); serving as a Public Member of the American Chemistry Council's Strategic Science Team for its Long Term Research Initiative (ACC/LRI); and as a Member of the Programme Advisory Committee for the WHO's International Programme on Chemical Safety. Dr. Farland received numerous accolades for his public service including recognition in 2002 by the Society for Risk Analysis with the ``Outstanding Risk Practitioner Award'' and appointment in 2005 as a Fellow of the Society. In 2006, he received a Presidential Rank Award for his service as a federal senior executive. Dr. Farland's outstanding public service continued at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, where he oversaw record-breaking annual research expenditures in excess of $300 million, representing a third of the University's overall budget. Dr. Farland was also named to two prestigious National Academies of Science committees that address environmental issues' impact on human health and named an Academy of Toxicological Sciences Fellow. Dr. Farland has performed outstanding federal service, showing an unwavering commitment to promoting science in service of the public, and he has earned the trust and utmost respect of his colleagues and the citizens of Colorado as a member of the community of dedicated public servants at CSU. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor William H. Farland's distinguished service and want to express a deep appreciation for his dedication, sacrifice, and outstanding service to his country in the name of science and education.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. I thank the gentlelady for the time. Mr. Speaker, here we are, T minus 6 hours and 7 minutes till a shutdown of our Federal Government, the greatest country on the face of the Earth with such a dysfunctional Congress that we can't even keep our own government open. We'll be voting on a bill tonight that will lead to a government shutdown. Now, look, why will it lead to a government shutdown? It's because we have a separation of powers in our Constitution. This House of Representatives does not unilaterally run the country. We have a House; we have a Senate; we have a President. It takes compromise and working together to move forward as a country. These kinds of positioning bills are fine a month or two before a crisis, but with 6 hours left, all this bill that we will be voting on tonight will do is cause a government shutdown. I encourage my colleagues to reject this rule so that we can get to a serious discussion about keeping the Federal Government open rather than forcing a shutdown of the Federal Government tonight, which is what will occur if the House of Representatives passes this bill.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, as we watch this train wreck in slow motion, this Republican shutdown of government, I ask myself, in trying to understand what the Republican majority is doing: Why--why are they seeking to close down government? Is it because some of them are against government and want to see it closed and--I think it's been quoted--this is exactly what they wanted? That might be the case for a few of them, Mr. Speaker, but I don't think most Republicans want to abolish the United States of America Government. I think that's a position that very few Republicans hold. So why are they closing the government? Now, I understand that many of them don't like the health care reform, the Affordable Care Act, a law that was passed by the House and Senate, signed by the President, upheld by the Supreme Court; it's the law of the land. Some of them don't like that. Do you know what? Some Americans are uncomfortable with that. They want to learn more about it: What does it mean to them? How does it help them afford health care? How does it help their families? But the American people don't want to see our government close down over disagreeing with a particular law. That seems to be what my friends on the other side are arguing. They are arguing: Do you know what? We've been unable to repeal this law under the process set up by our Constitution. We've been unable to pass a bill in the House, pass a bill in the Senate, send it to the President, and have the President sign it. We've been unable to follow the Constitution to get what we want. So instead of doing that, we're just going to shut down government until we get what we want. By the way, we want a lot. We want to change a law that was passed by the House and the Senate and upheld by the Supreme Court that helps middle class Americans afford health care. We want to change the way that benefits are conducted. We want to change different tax systems. These are all policy discussions to be had through our process. In fact, some of these things have actually been passed by the House of Representatives and either have been rejected by the Senate or are awaiting action in the Senate. But that is the genius of the Founding Fathers in setting up our constitutional system in the separation of powers. It was to provide for a way to pass laws that had broad buy-in from the American people and had the checks and balances that have kept our democracy strong for over two centuries. Yet here today we are short-circuiting that. The Republicans are seeking to say: We are going to close down the entire Federal Government. This is the most powerful, strongest country that the Earth has, the freest democratic Nation. We are going to shut down the government. We are going to shut down because we can't pass our laws the way we want them. Do you know what? The country has had an election. The country has elected a President. This was discussed in the Presidential election. This was discussed in Senate elections over and over again. In 5 minutes, the government will shut down. This bill does nothing to prevent that. Until the Republicans change their mind, we won't have an operating Federal Government.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3204, the Drug Quality Security Act. The merits of this legislation are clear: it provides additional oversight of the preparation of compound medications. It institutes new labeling requirements and clarifies existing ones. And it helps us track products from manufacturer to consumer. Coloradans in my district will be safer when this bill is signed into law. But Mr. Speaker, this bill also serves as a reminder that despite the differences between Republicans and Democrats on so many issues, we still can come together to do the work of the American people. Last year, we saw the tragic results of unregulated and unsafe compounding. This year, we're seeing Congress respond by passing a bill supported by patient advocates, the public health community, and stakeholders at all parts of the pharmaceutical supply chain. No, this legislation isn't perfect. But it represents a significant step forward in protecting public health and safety, and it shows that we can join together to get things done. That's how this chamber should work, Mr. Speaker, and I'm hopeful that the my colleagues on both sides will continue to legislate by seeking common ground, rather than focusing on the issues that divide us.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, what on Earth are we doing here? This is the wealthiest, most free, greatest Nation on the face of the Earth, and we're seriously debating a Republican proposal to close down our Federal Government? Why are we doing this to ourselves? I understand that a majority of the people in this body, the House of Representatives, controlled by Republicans, don't like the Affordable Care Act. I understand that. It's been very clear. They've voted on repealing it 43 times. That's very, very clear. However, we have a system of government established in our Constitution. We have a separation of powers. The Supreme Court has ruled on the Affordable Care Act. We have a Senate that does not want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and we have a President that doesn't want to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That's clear. It was not repealed. This House can pass it as many times as we want. It still isn't repealed. So when this House doesn't get its way, it wants to shut down the entire Federal Government just because they couldn't get the President, who was elected by the people of this country, or the Senate that was elected by the people in the 50 States of this country, to go along with what this body wants? That's arrogant. That's harmful to the American people. That threatens to destroy wealth and value creation and jobs in our country. Whether it's pharmaceutical companies who rely on the FDA moving drugs through the approval process, whether it's our troops overseas, whether it's our patent offices, the private sector and the job creation engine of this country relies on the rules that we set in the marketplace. That's what the capitalist system is founded upon. The Republican Party, by shutting down the government just because everybody won't go along with what they want, is threatening to destroy wealth and value creation in this country, destroy jobs, and threatening our place as a global leader. I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this Republican proposal to shut down the government and let's move forward and pass the continuing resolution here in the House, by Monday, send it to President Obama, and let's keep this country moving forward.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, none of us ever want to be down here as Representatives and as a delegation talking about a disaster in our districts. But last week, Coloradans in an instant lost their homes and businesses, their hopes and dreams, and in some cases, tragically, their lives. Amid the despair and the disaster, people came together, helping dig one another out. Our sheriff's departments and the National Guard showed heroism, airlifting thousands of Coloradans to safety. Today we mourn the tragic loss of life and the lives devastated by the floods. Among those confirmed dead: Evelyn Starner, a nurse and a mother of three; Gerry Boland, beloved grandfather, retired math teacher, and well-known basketball coach at the local high school in Lyons; Danny Davis, father of five, skilled carpenter and outdoorsman; James Bettner, Broncos fan and family man. Joseph Howlett operated Jamestown's Mercantile Cafe for 18 years, which I have been to, and was well known. Carroll ``CT'' White loved stock racing cars and retired from the Coors plant in Golden. Wiyanna Nelson and Wesley Quinlan, 19- year-old sweethearts. Wesley, a graduate last year of Centaurus High School in Boulder, Colorado, who was swept away trying to save his girlfriend's life when their car got stuck. And Patty Goodwine who is still missing, and we pray for her return. I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Gardner).

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, my colleague says we are discussing some bill related to the Affordable Care Act or health care. It's simply not true that this House is working on health care. The Affordable Care Act is being implemented. It wasn't repealed. I know there was a candidate that ran for President against Mr. Obama that wanted to repeal it. Had he been elected, it still would have had to pass these Chambers. It didn't happen. Elections happened. The health care reforms are being implemented. I just met with some of the folks in the exchanges from my State of Colorado in my office earlier this morning. I realize the House of Representatives has voted 40 times--41 times--to repeal ObamaCare. It's just talk. The shopping period in the exchanges begins on October 1. Coloradans, like many across the country, are rolling up their sleeves, going to work and figuring out what the Affordable Care Act means. We even had bipartisan support in my State for our law that created the exchange as well. When Connect for Colorado goes online next month, more than 817,000 Coloradans will have access to choosing a health care insurance product through the exchange, more than 80,000 people in my district. Again, these things are just happening. I mean, this is information that I'm sharing here with the public. This has nothing to do with these bills that we're talking about, 40 repeals of ObamaCare, this redundant bill here today, where they like or don't like what the President is doing, they want to do it themselves they like what President Obama is doing so much. I mean, these things are nothing. These things aren't going to the Senate. These things aren't being signed. They are absolutely symbolic and a complete waste of time, while this body hasn't spent 1 minute on the floor in consideration of an immigration reform bill; not 1 minute, which is why I'm taking this time, instead of talking about nothing-- nothing, nothing, nothing--41 repeals of Affordable Care Act when it ain't going to happen because elections matter and have consequences-- nothing--not 1 minute on something, something big: securing our border, restoring the rule of law, reducing our deficit, shoring up Social Security, improving our national security, making sure that our system is aligned with our values. These are big deals. Not 1 minute. Not 1 minute. A lot of time on nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. That's what we're doing today; it's what we did yesterday. I sure hope it's not what we're doing tomorrow, but, sadly, I'm not optimistic. We need to act, Mr. Speaker, on so many pressing national issues. Surely we can spare 1 minute or 10 minutes or 15 minutes to discuss and pass the Senate immigration reform bill instead of this nothing. This nothing going nowhere, just like yesterday, just like tomorrow. We can do better, Mr. Speaker. This Nation deserves an institution in the House of Representatives that serves the people of this country, serves the people in addressing real issues that they face; people that are tired of the undermining of our law by people working illegally, people that are tired of families being torn apart, and people that are tired of a thousand people a day illegally crossing our southern border today, and yes, tomorrow because of the refusal of this body to allow even 1 minute to discuss or debate a bill on immigration reform. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POLIS. I would inquire if the gentleman has any remaining speakers?

Mr. POLIS. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and the underlying bill. This bill is redundant, and it's a waste of time. The Department of Health and Human Services already has a plan in place to review individual information submitted to health care exchanges and to ensure that no one is able to get health insurance tax credits that they aren't eligible for. So, instead of considering these redundant bills, let me talk about what we're not considering here today which would actually solve a problem the American people are demanding that this institution address. The time to pass comprehensive immigration reform is now. We can do it now. Instead of debating something that's redundant here today, there is a bill that has received more than two-thirds support in the United States Senate. If this body can act on it and can send it to President Obama's desk, finally we will be able to do something to create jobs and increase our competitiveness in the global economy, lower our deficit, ensure our security, and reflect our values as Americans and prevent the undermining of the rule of law that occurs every day, for we have over 10 million people in this country who are undocumented and lack documentation. They're violating our laws. This institution can fix that now. The Senate has acted. Let the House act. As economists across the political spectrum have found, the economic benefits of immigration reform are tremendous. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation, if we act now to pass the Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill, we would reduce the deficit by over $135 billion and, in the following decade, by over $600 billion. Why aren't we spending our time discussing that and passing that here on the floor of the House today? Further, the Senate bill is estimated to boost the output of the U.S. economy by 3.3 percent. It is a 3.3 percent increase to GDP and a reduction in the deficit. That's $700 billion in additional gross domestic product by 2023. As a June Wall Street Journal article citing Stephen Goss, Social Security's chief actuary, pointed out: The future fiscal immigration windfall is likely to exceed $4 trillion. We can shore up Social Security and protect our seniors, and we can prevent any cuts to Social Security by passing immigration reform now. That's what the country wants us to do. Why does it shore up Social Security? Because immigration occurs at a young age. Immigration reform ensures that there are people paying into Social Security--young, healthy workers--particularly as baby boomers retire. As for immigrants, we're talking about people who are already here. Let's make sure they pay their taxes. By not taking this bill up, we are preventing people from paying into Social Security like they should and from paying their taxes like they should. They live in this country. They should pay taxes. According to The Wall Street Journal, immigration reform will result in an extra $600 billion into the Social Security trust fund and will result in over $4 trillion over 75 years. Another urgent reason that this body should be taking up immigration reform instead of redundant measures around health care reform is our national security. We currently have a porous border; and while progress has been made--in fact, in 2011, the number of illegal border crossings was the lowest since 1972--it was still 327,000. There were 327,000 people who illegally crossed our border. What does that say about our security as a country and about our ability to enforce our immigration laws when over 300,000 people have illegally crossed the border? There is a solution. It's ready to pass. Let's talk about it, not about redundant bills that don't do anything and aren't going anywhere. The Senate comprehensive immigration bill, while, of course, not perfect, includes unprecedented border and interior enforcement measures. The bill includes increasing the number of full-time Border Patrol agents from 21,000 to 38,405; mandating an electronic exit system at all ports where Customs and Border Protection agents are deployed; constructing at least 350 additional miles of fencing, bringing the miles of high-tech border fencing to 700; constructing additional Border Control stations and operating bases; mandating 24-hour surveillance of the border region; using mobile, video, portable systems as well as unmanned aircraft; and deploying 1,000 distress beacon stations in areas where migrant deaths occur. Look, it takes getting serious to secure the border, and this costs money. We can do it in the context of reducing the deficit by over $100 billion, such as the windfall from immigration reform that we effectively get to secure our southern border for free and reduce the deficit by $100 billion and improve the Social Security trust fund to the tune of $4 trillion, giving American seniors the security that they need in their retirement. That's what we can do by bringing the Senate immigration reform bill to the floor of the House right now. The Senate immigration reform bill also increases American competitiveness. Immigration is the economic engine that's grown our economy for generations. Unfortunately, under our current immigration system, it's not designed to foster job creation. All too often, it undermines American workers, takes jobs away from American workers, leads companies to offshore jobs, to outsource jobs overseas. I represent a district that has two excellent universities: Colorado State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder. They have great graduate programs in math, engineering, and the sciences. We graduate students with advanced degrees from countries all over the world such as India, Mexico, and China that have the skills that we need to keep America competitive and create jobs. Yet, the day after they graduate, without any access to a green card, many of these talented young Ph.D.s and master's degree students have to return to their home country. Guess what? The jobs follow them back home in the information economy. The employers don't care whether they're here or there, as long as they contribute to bits and bytes. We want those jobs here in America. We want that income here in America. The bipartisan Senate bill addresses that, as well. Another component that we have for job creation in America is a start-up visa. This is a way that entrepreneurs with ideas can come to America to start their companies here and employ Americans. For goodness' sake, do we want the great companies of tomorrow employing tens of thousands of people to be overseas just because we don't let the founders come here to start their companies? That's common sense. It creates jobs for Americans. Let's do it. We also have improvements to the EB-5 program to facilitate in foreign investment and raising capital for American companies to grow jobs here in America. This body should take up the comprehensive immigration reform bill now--not tomorrow and not in 5 minutes. Now. Let's do it so that we can finally move forward on creating jobs, improving border security, reducing our deficit, and shoring up Social Security. Another reason that we urgently need to bring up immigration reform now is because the current system is simply out of sync with our values as Americans, our faith values as Jews, Christians, Muslims, every other faith in our country, as well as our American values, the values of our Founding Fathers. Faith leaders from across the spectrum have been among the most vocal supporters of the Senate comprehensive immigration bill. Over the August recess, the Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition of faith groups, continued the drumbeat for a vote on the Senate bill and called for an end to the ``cruelty'' perpetuated by the current immigration deportation system. It's completely arbitrary. Young American children--American citizens, kids, 8, 10, 12 years old in my State and across the country--to our great shame, come home from school to find that their parents are in detention, their parents are not there, their parents are facing deportation proceedings. Why? Perhaps a taillight was out on their car. This is all at a cost to taxpayers of tens of thousands of dollars. They now wait in line for a costly deportation while their American child returns to a home with no parent. How does that reflect our values? As Americans, what is the solution? Pass the Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill now. The Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill will halt more than 400,000 costly deportations, each one costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, tearing families apart. The bill removes the limitations to the number of visas that legal permanent residents can request for their minor children, for their spouses, ensuring that families aren't separated for years, for generations, while awaiting legal status. It creates a process to clear the estimated 4.4 million person backlog in the family- and employment-based visa system within a decade. It replaces our broken immigration system with one that works, one that reflects our values, and one that respects the rule of law in this country. The Senate-passed bill would help people like Gabriela, a 20-year-old woman in Colorado, undocumented, recently graduated from high school. Gabriela and her younger sister were brought to the U.S. as young children by their mother. They didn't have a say in the matter. They were brought here. Their mother was deported several years ago, leaving her two children behind. Gabriela is now homeless but has, nevertheless, taken on the responsibility for caring for her younger sister. The Senate bipartisan bill would ensure that families like Gabriela's won't be torn apart. That's not American. That doesn't reflect our values as a country, as a people. The Senate bill would also assist the young, courageous DREAMers, individuals who were brought to this country as children, completed high school, some college, even military service, grew up in this country, know no other country, and have no pathway to legal status, young people like Javier in my district that I represent who graduated from high school in Summit County. He was the president of the student body. Javier grew up in this country, was brought here when he was young, doesn't have documentation. Javier is an Eagle Scout. Javier is the first in his family to get into a good college, a 4-year university, but his lack of status has made it difficult not only to pursue his dreams of a higher education, but to figure out how he can live his life in a way that contributes to his country, the United States of America. If only we allow him to fully contribute, he will. Young DREAMers across this country will contribute great things to our Nation and make us proud if only we let them. It's time to stop talking about these redundant, senseless bills and bring up comprehensive immigration reform now. It's a big part of the solution to our fiscal problems: reducing the deficit, shoring up Social Security, and finally getting serious about enforcing our border and enforcing employment verification to prevent companies from hiring people illegally. It improves American competitiveness, creates jobs, and ensures that the great companies of tomorrow will be here in this country instead of overseas; that the people we need to make our economy grow, create jobs for Americans, are here and doing it legally; and to respect the rule of law in this country, rather than undermine the rule of law every day as our current travesty and broken immigration system does. Finally, we know, Mr. Speaker, that as a people we are better than this. We need an immigration system that reflects our values, our faith values, our American values, our founding principles as a Nation of immigrants and a Nation of laws. Mr. Speaker, today's debate is really not about the Affordable Care Act or even health care in general. It's politics. It's redundant. I would ask my friends on the other side of the aisle: Why are we not focused on fixing our broken immigration system when we have a bipartisan bill that two-thirds of the Senate has supported, that 75 percent of the American people support, that the President has expressed a willingness to sign? Let's bring that bill up, debate that bill, pass that bill, and solve a problem that the American people are crying out for a solution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Are we serious about border security? Is the border going to secure itself? There were 300,000 illegal crossings last year. That's almost 1,000 a day. That's 1,000 tomorrow. While Congress is sitting around discussing this stuff, that's 1,000 the next day. It's 1,000 the next day. Every day there will be 1,000 people illegally entering this country. Who knows who they are. Who knows if they represent a security risk. There's a solution. Let's get serious. Let's increase the number of Border Patrol agents. Let's implement high-tech measures at the border. It's not rocket science. Guess what? Our friends in the Senate have figured it out. They passed an immigration reform bill that includes provisions that get serious about enforcing our southern border that will substantially reduce--not eliminate--illegal crossings. It won't happen by itself. We have to pass it. We have to bring up that bill and pass it, rather than redundant measures that don't do anything. Mr. Speaker, the Coalition of Evangelicals have put together an excellent statement of principles on immigration reform. The evangelical Christian leaders have called for a bipartisan solution that respects the God-given dignity of every person, protects the unity of the immediate family, and respects the rule of law. Mr. Speaker, I submit this policy statement to the Record. Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform Our national immigration laws have created a moral, economic and political crisis in America. Initiatives to remedy this crisis have led to polarization and name calling in which opponents have misrepresented each other's positions as open borders and amnesty versus deportations of millions. This false choice has led to an unacceptable political stalemate at the federal level at a tragic human cost. As evangelical Christian leaders, we call for a bipartisan solution on immigration that: Respects the God-given dignity of every person Protects the unity of the immediate family Respects the rule of law Guarantees secure national borders Ensures fairness to taxpayers Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents We urge our nation's leaders to work together with the American people to pass immigration reform that embodies these key principles and that will make our nation proud. For signatories, go to evangelicalimmigrationtable.com. It's not only people of faith. It's every American who, as we stare in the mirror at night, a vast majority of whom know that our grandparents, our great-grandparents, perhaps great-great-great- grandparents from the Mayflower, somewhere along the line, Mr. Speaker, our predecessors, our parents and our grandparents, came to these shores seeking opportunity, hope, and freedom, just as so many immigrants do today. We can create a pathway to citizenship for people who are already here and who already contribute to our country to ensure that they do so legally instead of extralegally. Of course, getting behind those who are already in line in our current legal system. There is no citizenship that becomes anybody's right through this Senate immigration reform bill. It simply creates a line, a line behind those who are already in line, but a light at the end of the tunnel to show that some day those who aspire to give back to this country, to make this country wealthier and more prosperous, those who aspire to pay taxes, those who aspire to contribute to Social Security, those who aspire to live within the rule of law, are able to do so someday. That families are reunited now, not in 10 years, not in 20 years, and we don't have to ever again tell a young girl coming home from school, sorry, your parents have been removed over a taillight or because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time or because their workplace was raided because of an unscrupulous employer. We can and we must do better. The urgency is now. Not only are families torn apart every day, not only are there close to a thousand people a day crossing that border illegally, which will continue until we act, but we're costing Americans jobs and opportunities every day as well. Entrepreneurs and founders and folks that are looking at where to start their great next company that will employ thousands or tens of thousands of people are turning away from our shores. We're turning them away from our shores. Mr. Speaker, I call upon my colleagues to take up comprehensive immigration reform and pass the Senate bill now. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. POLIS. Okay. The hordes of people coming to speak on this bill were not apparent to me here, but I'm prepared to close, Mr. Speaker, seeing no speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, despite spending hours and days of debate here on the Affordable Care Act, repealing it, defunding it, it's being implemented. That's happening. Elections have consequences. As the Speaker of this esteemed body himself has said, to paraphrase, it is unlikely we'll repeal ObamaCare with a fellow named Obama in the White House. That's simply a truism. Yet here we are today discussing something that will go nowhere and does nothing, instead of something that goes somewhere and does something. This bill before us fails to replace our broken immigration system with one that works. If this bill before us today passes, I guarantee you that a thousand people will continue to cross illegally into the country tomorrow, the next day, and the next day. This bill does not secure our border at all. This bill does not reduce our deficit by over $100 billion. This bill does not reflect our values in our immigration system. This bill does not allow us to look in the mirror at night knowing that we are a Nation of immigrants and a Nation of laws, and we must reconcile those two. The Senate passed a bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill last June, a bill that holds true to these principles, these principles of fiscal responsibility, reducing our deficit, shoring up Social Security, the principle of national security, of finally getting serious about securing our southern border, implementing mandatory workplace authentication to ensure that employers are following the law, the principle of job creation and competitiveness, ensuring that the great companies of tomorrow are based here and that we have access to the talent we need to be great and grow our economy as a country. The Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill would grow our GDP by over 3.3 percent. This bill will not. This bill will not. And finally, this bill does nothing to address the concerns that have been raised by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, by the Evangelical Immigration Table, by faith-based groups in a broad coalition across this country, and by those who value our traditions and our values as Americans. This bill does nothing to reconcile our immigration system with our values; and the Senate immigration bill does. We can take it up now. We can pass it now. The President has expressed a willingness to sign it now. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question, to vote ``no'' on this restrictive rule and unnecessary bill so that finally we can bring forward the Senate immigration reform bill, pass it, and send it to the President of the United States to get serious about addressing problems the American people by an overwhelming majority actually want us to solve. The Senate bipartisan bill would bring people like Javier out of the shadows, reunite Gabriella and her sister with her parents, and provide them with an accelerated 5-year path to earn permanent residence so that they can contribute to making our country even greater. Mr. Speaker, today's debate isn't really about the Affordable Care Act, or even health care in general. What's happening is happening. Some people like it; some people don't. It's happening. This debate is purely politics. I ask my friends on the other side of the aisle, Why are we not focused on replacing our broken immigration system with one that works? My colleagues on the other side of the aisle, join me in voting ``no,'' defeating this rule, and defeating the previous question. Perhaps we can finally get to work on the people's business here in the House of Representatives and finally fix our broken immigration system and replace it with one that works for our prosperity, our security, and for job creation for Americans. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. POLIS

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

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Boulder Weekly--an alternative newspaper based in my hometown of Boulder, Colorado--on 20 years of publication, a challenging feat for any newspaper, even more so for a newspaper that's freely available to readers both in Boulder County, where print editions are freely distributed, as well as nationally over the Internet. They've had a number of in-depth, incisive reports that have uncovered human rights abuses within our own prison system in Colorado. They've given detailed coverage on the impact of organic farming practices and GMOs and fracking. It's very difficult these days to find a trusted investigative news source. The Boulder County community is very fortunate to have one in the Boulder Weekly, and I rise to congratulate them on their 20th anniversary.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Mr. Pete Mirelez, who served as a role model and mentor to his community. He was proud to be the first Hispanic Adams County Commissioner and stated that after his family and friends his second love was Adams County. Pete Mirelez was born in LaSalle, Colorado and was the first person in his family to receive a college degree, completing his studies at Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. Pete served as Adams County's first Director of the War on Poverty Program and was named Regional Director of the California Migrant Council in 1968. In 1972, Pete was named the National Director of the office of Economic Opportunity Migrant Division in Washington D.C., before becoming an Adams County Commissioner. During Pete's time as Adams County Commissioner, an edition of the Brighton Sentinel named him as ``one of the most influential people in Adams County". After serving Adams County, Pete was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as Representative to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Region 8, and served from 1979 to 1981. Afterwards, Pete served the Colorado Department of Transportation Highway Commission for twelve years until becoming a lobbyist for Adams County School Districts. Pete was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and mentor of mine who I was proud to also call a friend. He exemplified the American dream by showing that through education and service a person could create positive change in his community. His true public service will be missed.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bayaud Enterprises, a non-profit organization dedicated to instilling hope, opportunity, and choice into Colorado's disabled community by providing unparalleled job training and placement services. Founded in 1969, Bayaud Enterprises has been an invaluable resource to the community. This year alone, they have placed over 600 Colorado citizens into competitive positions. Bayaud uses an integrated approach to help find suitable employment for individuals with disabilities who have struggled to find work on their own. They conduct a comprehensive vocational evaluation to assess an individual's knowledge, skills, and abilities, and then, if needed, provide additional workplace training. Bayaud continues their commitment to our citizens in need by providing job placement and coaching to our community's disabled population. I applaud Bayaud's commitment to working with Colorado's business community and our government agencies to locate suitable employment for those that previously were unable to do this on their own. Bayaud's services lessen the impact on Colorado community's social systems and provide positive economic results. Most importantly, employment leads to a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction that one is contributing to their community. Mr. Speaker, I know that individuals with disabilities and the economy alike have benefited greatly from the excellent work Bayaud Enterprises has done over the last 44 years.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) on its 40th Anniversary. CRN is the leading trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies that supply services for the supplement industry--all of which are committed to responsible industry. CRN was formed in 1973 by three companies, with the primary objective to establish an association of dietary supplement companies with a strong commitment to science, research and a collaborative approach to working with Congress and government agencies on issues that affect dietary supplements and nutrition. As the respected voice of the dietary supplement industry, CRN has been at the forefront of supporting landmark legislation and regulation that benefit consumers; playing a key role in the passage of the Nutrition Labeling Education Act of 1990 and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). CRN worked collaboratively with the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission on the implementation of DSHEA, urging the creation and promulgation of Good Manufacturing Practices specific to dietary supplements, and created a voluntary, self-regulatory advertising review program to monitor false, deceptive and misleading dietary supplement advertising. For consumers, the ``Life . . . Supplemented'' campaign exemplifies CRN's commitment to helping individuals create a healthier lifestyle by offering actionable suggestions and educational information about the three pillars of a smart wellness regimen: healthy diet, exercise and dietary supplements. M. Speaker, CRN has created an environment that allows companies to responsibly develop, manufacture and market dietary supplements and nutritional ingredients that enable consumers to live healthier lives. It continues to serve as a credible and respected scientific resource for Congress, regulators, scientists, journalists and consumers on all matters related to dietary supplements, including demonstrating the health-related and economic benefits that dietary supplements can provide. As a co-chair of the Dietary Supplement Caucus, it is my pleasure to congratulate the Council for Responsible Nutrition on its anniversary, as well as the influence it has had on the dietary supplements over its 40-year history, and the promise it gives for industry and consumers alike in the years to come.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. I'm very pleased that finally we are taking action on the pressing issue of college affordability for constituents of mine across Colorado and Americans across our country. Absent congressional action, the current law today has effectively doubled the interest rate that our neediest families pay to be able to borrow money for afford college to 6.8 percent. I believe that the previous bill that passed the House was better than the doubling to 6.8 percent. It would save families money in the short- and medium-term while Congress worked through a final solution. But I'm very proud to say here today that this bill is far better. And I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, which has several features that are strong improvements over the original House-passed version, including a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan so that our students are not beholden to the fluctuations of the market when they can least afford it--after they graduate. This bill would keep interest rates low for our neediest students and their families, providing some certainty and some surety. Under this bill, the typical undergraduate student borrower this year will save $1,500 over the life of a loan. A graduate student will save over $3,000. This bill is a step towards making sure that our student loan system is not subject to the whims of Washington every week, with arbitrary expirations and control over the interest rate. We have to make sure that our students are able to plan their futures. This bill is but the first step in the much-needed reforms that we need as we reauthorize the Higher Education Act. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill to keep college affordable now, and I hope that my colleagues will be able to consider Representative Petri's and my H.R. 1716 bill as we look towards long-term solutions. The ExCEL Act, H.R. 1716, would replace this complicated array of loans, subsidies, deferments, forbearances, and repayment options with a single loan repaid through simplified and improved income-based repayment. One of our goals is to protect our neediest Americans. Income-based repayment is a better tool than interest subsidies. While interest subsidies are based on a student's family income before school, income-based repayment ensures that students are protected when they truly need it--when they graduate from school, if they go through tough times, or if they're in a service-related profession. Under the ExCEL Act, we include strong borrower protections so our neediest students after graduation will be paying effectively a zero percent rate for the balance of their payments. We need to pass this bill now and send it to President Obama to prevent our students this fall from paying 6.8 percent. I hope we can continue the discussion and dialogue about thoughtful student loan reform proposals like the ExCEL Act that address keeping college affordable for American families. I am so grateful the Democrats and Republicans have come together to, hopefully, pass a bill here today that will be able to be brought to President Obama for his signature to provide some commonsense and predictability by lowering the student loan interest rates from 6.8 percent, which they are under statute today, and putting us on a path toward fiscal sustainability. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. POLIS

Mr. POLIS. I thank the Chair.

Mr. POLIS. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his leadership on this important issue. Madam Chair, reports of the NSA surveillance program have broad and far-reaching consequences. Many Americans feel that our fundamental liberties as a country and our constitutional rights are threatened. In addition, it has ruined and hurt our reputation abroad--threatening our trade relationships with allies, threatening American jobs as a result, and putting in danger our cooperative security relationships that we need to fight the war on terror. The responsible thing to do is to show some contrition. Let's pass this amendment. Let's make sure that we can have a practical approach that shows that protecting our liberties and securities are consistent and critical for the United States of America. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. POLIS. Does the gentleman from Kansas have a formal designation of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Nugent)?

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, point of further parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, is it in order for a designee to offer an amendment on behalf of its sponsor on this rule?

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, is it in order for a designee to offer an amendment on behalf of its sponsor on this bill?

Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, I have a point of parliamentary inquiry.