Robert Pittenger

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of The Robesonian newspaper in Lumberton, North Carolina, and their exceptional public service during the massive floods caused by Hurricane Matthew. Last October, Lumberton was inundated with rain. The water treatment plant was under 4 feet of water; Interstate 95 was shut down; hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed. The devastation, which I witnessed firsthand, was unbelievable. The Robesonian's own offices were destroyed, and much of the staff suffered personal loss, slept in offices, went without showers; yet the newspaper continued to share vital information online and via social media. Mr. Speaker, during this emergency, The Robesonian's website and social media were the only way many residents of Robeson County could access updated information on shelters and water distribution. Thank you to the dedicated staff of The Robesonian for putting the community first and serving with distinction during the Hurricane Matthew floods.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Madam Speaker, just a few weeks ago, my family was blessed with the arrival of a beautiful baby girl, our 10th grandchild. If you have ever held a newborn, so defenseless and completely dependent on you, you will understand why the idea that some people advocate for the murder of little babies is unconscionable. Since 1975, the Hyde amendment has saved an estimated 2 million innocent babies by prohibiting taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions. Unfortunately, ObamaCare ignores the Hyde amendment and uses your tax dollars as subsidies for insurance policies which offer abortion services. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, which will make the Hyde amendment governmentwide policy and ensure future government programs don't support abortion with your tax dollars. God tells us that He knew us in our mother's womb. His gift of life is precious, unalienable, and must be protected.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of Ruth Samuelson, a long-time leader in the North Carolina House of Representatives and a former member of the Mecklenburg County Commission. Ruth is now in Heaven following a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Ruth infused her faith in God in all aspects of her family, political, personal, and civic life. Because of her vibrant faith and commitment to focusing on what truly matters, Ruth was known as a thoughtful mediator throughout her tenure in the North Carolina House, someone who approached tense, partisan issues with grace, yet never backed away from her convictions. In 2013, Ruth was in line for a top leadership role, but instead, she walked away, choosing instead to focus on her passions for family, faith, and philanthropy. Ruth's last public statement was: ``I want people to know that God is my good friend.'' May the Lord bring comfort to her husband, Ken; to her children, Bobby, David, Joy, and Alex; her four grandchildren; and the countless lives that she touched.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to voice my support for H.R. 5711 and to thank Congressman Huizenga for his leadership on this very important issue. This bill prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from authorizing certain transactions by U.S. financial institutions in connection with the export or reexport of a commercial passenger aircraft to the Islamic Republic of Iran. As the primary sponsor of terrorism throughout the world, it is imperative that we hold Iran accountable and do all we can to limit their abilities to promote this type of action and behavior. This bill confronts the same airline that has been sanctioned by the Treasury Department for transporting fighters and weapons on behalf of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. It is beyond me how the administration can be okay with allowing Iran access to airplanes which would only further their support of terrorism. I supported this commonsense legislation when it was marked up in the Committee on Financial Services, and I am proud to support it today. Thank you to my good friend, Congressman Huizenga, for sponsoring this legislation.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. I thank Congressman Lamborn so much for his leadership on this. What an inspiring evening. Mr. Speaker, as a little boy, I was taught that little song: ``Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.'' Now, I am no Cliff Barrows, but I have carried that song with me my whole life. In fact, I do want to make a testament about Cliff Barrows, for he went to be with the Lord today. Cliff Barrows--a great saint who led the crusades for Dr. Billy Graham for nearly 70 years--is now singing praises in Heaven. I was thinking earlier that Cliff will be greeting those tens of thousands of people who come forward, singing just as I am. As we look at the Word of God, we find truth. As we read in John, Chapter 1: ``In the beginning, it was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.'' Now, I didn't know that Word until November 2, 1969, at 10:30 p.m., on a Sunday night, when I gave my life to Christ. I wasn't too theological. I just said: ``Lord, I give up. You lead my life.'' When that happened, I had an insatiable desire to read the Word of God. I would stay up, when I was a senior in college, and I would read the Word of God at midnight and later on into the early morning because it fed my spirit, it fed my soul, and it gave me direction in my life. I didn't know much about the Bible. I went to church. I guess they drug me to church, for you can still see the heel marks in the ground. I knew a lot about church, but I didn't know a lot about His Word; so I went out to a place that was the Campus Crusade for Christ. They had a mini seminary for 6 weeks, and I learned more there about the Word of God. I then ended up joining the Campus Crusade and was there for 10 years. I went through a couple of years of seminary classes, but the Word of God is what gave me stability in my life and is what gave me perspective in my knowing that He knew much better about me and my future and had a greater wisdom about my life than I knew and that the best that I could do was partake in His knowledge. The more I knew about Him, the greater my life and the more peaceful my life and the more direction I would have in my life to fulfill His God-given mission. So the Word of God is our hope. It is the hope for this country. Frankly, in reality, the more our Nation is right in a vertical path with Him, horizontally, we will be in good shape the more we are consistent with the precepts of His Word. Frankly, George Washington knew that. On one occasion, I was down at Mount Vernon. Many years ago, I was here, working with Dr. and Mrs. Bill Bright as they started the Christian Embassy back in the mid- 1970s, and we went down to Mount Vernon. In the casing was the Bible that George Washington read from. It was all marked through. He knew the Word of God. He studied it. I have read his diaries. He went every Wednesday night to vespers. He rode on his horse to church every Sunday. He committed himself to knowing the Word of God. That is why he became the great leader that he was. So I thank the gentleman, Mr. Lamborn, for his leadership, for his heart, for his understanding, for his perspective, and for committing himself to giving honor to the Word of God tonight.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. I thank the chairman for yielding the time. I also thank Congressman Poliquin for his leadership on this very critical issue. Mr. Chairman, we are frequently reminded that Iran remains the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism, spreading their terrorism throughout the Middle East and throughout northern Africa. Terrorism takes money. Training, recruiting, smuggling weapons, supporting sleeper cells, all of these are business activities of terrorist organizations which require major funding. For Iran, much of the funding comes when Iran's small network of tyrannical leaders pilfer Iran's economy. Iran's top political and military leaders control roughly one-third of Iran's economy, including large portions of the telecommunications, construction, airport, and seaport sectors. This cozy arrangement provides Iran's radical Islamic leaders with significant cash to export terror and evil, while leaving Iran's citizens to suffer the effects of a depleted economy. The Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act will shine a bright light on the rampant corruption and the self-serving behavior of the Iranian mullahs. Through this report, we hope to make international corporations aware of how their dealings with Iran are supporting terrorism and barbaric evil and to help the Iranian people fully understand how their supposed leaders are not operating in their best interests. Through this report, the American people will also better understand why President Obama's $1.7 billion ransom payment to Iran is likely to be used, again, to support terrorism and why President Obama's unyielding commitment to negotiate with Iran's corrupt leaders will ultimately make America and the world less safe. Iran is the new evil empire, a corrupt regime intent on spreading nefarious actions, destroying freedom, human rights, and free speech throughout the world. They exist by sucking dry the very people they claim to serve. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5461, the Iranian Leadership Asset Transparency Act.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5620, the VA Accountability First and Appeals Modernization Act, of which I am a cosponsor. We owe our brave veterans a debt we can never repay. As a small token of our gratitude, we have the privilege of providing veterans with appropriate care and benefits. Too often, the care provided at the VA expresses the opposite of gratitude and does not demonstrate the privilege of serving veterans. This legislation promotes accountability by allowing incompetent VA employees to be fired for poor performance or misconduct. This legislation will also help the thousands of veterans stuck in the appeals quagmire by providing veterans more options in the appeals process. Restoring accountability and transparency at the VA should not be a political issue. I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 5620.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and I thank the gentleman for the leadership he has shown this past year on the issue of terrorist group financing. I would also like to pay recognition and gratitude to Chairman Hensarling for his leadership on this, and Ranking Member Maxine Waters of California for her leadership. Particularly, I would like to make note of the ranking member of our Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch), and thank the gentleman for his great efforts and work. Our task force bills on the floor today are the result of a bipartisan, year-long series of hearings that focused on ways to improve and tailor our laws to better address the evolving threats posed by terrorist groups within our financial sector. My bill, the Anti-Terrorism Information Sharing Is Strength Act, cosponsored with Ms. Maxine Waters of California, helps clarify our current illicit financial laws with Mr. Lynch and provides much-needed technical corrections to ensure that our current laws work as originally intended by Congress. We must work to ensure that private financial institutions are not penalized for working with the Federal Government to combat terrorism financing. Mr. Speaker, some Members of this body have been spreading some misinformation about our efforts, specifically regarding section 314 of the PATRIOT Act. Section 314 plays a vital role in enabling our law enforcement the ability to share information and intelligence about terrorist financiers with private financial institutions in an effort to put an end to illicit financing. Terrorist organizations, much like criminal enterprises, are becoming more sophisticated in terms of the methods they use to evade American and international laws to combat money laundering and illicit financing. As the U.S. Government considers initiatives to counter ISIS and other terror organizations, we must include financial components to ensure that these groups do not receive the funding necessary to conduct operations and to further promote fear, extremism, and violence.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Fitzpatrick for yielding and for his leadership. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) for his extraordinary support and skills and knowledge in these areas. It has really been an honor to work with him. Our proposal seeks to enhance a number of the tools the Treasury Department uses in its efforts to combat the financing of terror, money laundering, and the related illicit finance. Specifically, our bill helps specify the roles the Treasury Department plays, both domestically and abroad, to assist in the fight against terror finance. Over the past year, our Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing has received ample testimony supporting the role of Treasury in our larger strategic efforts to defeat ISIS and other global terrorist networks. Many individuals are not aware of the substantial role our Treasury Department plays in our embassies abroad. Treasury has several attaches abroad that are used to supplement foreign efforts to enforce financial laws and combat terror financing. This bill is an effort to support Treasury's role in our larger strategic efforts to defeat terrorist organizations and put an end to their operations. Mr. Speaker, the longer groups like ISIS remain on the battlefield, the more effective their messaging and recruitment efforts become. Congress must fully support our government's efforts to stop the flow of dollars and resources from funding terror. This bill will allow Treasury to report to Congress on its role in various countries throughout the world and, subsequently, the need to expand that role. It also will provide to Congress its advisability and the implications of turning the Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence--which includes FinCEN and OFAC--sanctions enforcement unit into a stand-alone bureau, similar to the FBI. Mr. Speaker, I commit this bill to our body, and I seek the full support in this truly bipartisan effort that we have had on our task force.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 321, I mistakenly voted ``yea,'' when I intended to vote ``nay.'' Amendment No. 32 Offered by Mr. McClintock

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 321, the fiscal year 2017 Defense Appropriations Act, I mistakenly voted ``yea'' when I intended to vote ``nay.'' This amendment prohibited the use of government data for our intelligence services, and I fully intended to vote ``nay.''

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call Votes Number 269, 270, 271, and 272 I am not recorded because I was absent from the U.S. House of Representatives. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: On Roll Call Number 269. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. On Roll Call Number 270. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. On Roll Call Number 271. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. On Roll Call Number 272. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in full support of this very critical amendment. The objective of this amendment is to prohibit the President of the United States from restricting funds to go to North Carolina. The President's emissaries have stated through the Department of Transportation, Department of Education, Department of Justice, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and, yes, through Valerie Jarrett and through his press secretary, Josh Earnest, that funds should not be dispensed to North Carolina until North Carolina is coerced into complying with the legal beliefs of the President and his political views. We believe that this is an egregious abuse of executive power and that the State of North Carolina should not be required to comply with the President's wishes. The President is not a monarch; he is not a dictator; he doesn't issue fiats. We are a constitutional divided government. This amendment I am offering today stops the President from bullying States, stops the President from bullying North Carolina. What he seeks to do in North Carolina, he has sought to do around the country. He has sent letters to the Departments of Education in every State giving them guidelines. Already 11 States in the country have sued the Federal Government over the abuse of these egregious powers. This is not a fight about a city ordinance with wording that was poorly edited or about a legislature. This is about a constitutional divided government. To that end, I would submit to our colleagues in the House of Representatives that it is critical that we address this and we rein in this President, who has time and again used his authority and abused his power; that we must submit to the President and to the will of the people that we are a country of the people, by the people, and for the people, and this is a constitutionally divided government. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker).

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Chairman, I submit to my colleagues in the House of Representatives that now is the time that we must stand. We cannot allow the President of the United States to continue to bully. We must wait on the adjudication by this court action with the Department of Justice. We must wait and allow the people to decide and make these determinations through its constitutionally divided government. I thank my colleagues, and I thank Mr. Simpson for his leadership on this bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Chairman, I submit this is a good amendment. I do believe that what we do with this amendment is prevent the egregious abuse of power by our President and allow the adjudication of this process to be completed by the Justice Department. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for this very sensible legislation. I appreciate his efforts in leading a bipartisan effort to reform U.S. chemical safety law that is decades in the making. I particularly thank him for securing amendments to section 9 of the TSCA law that remain in the negotiated text. These amendments reemphasize and strengthen Congress' intent that TSCA serve as an authority of last resort for the regulation of a chemical when another authority under EPA's jurisdiction, or another Federal agency, already regulates the chemical and the risk identified by EPA. As a unified whole, TSCA now makes clear that EPA may not promulgate a rule under section 6 of TSCA to restrict or eliminate the use of a chemical when: Number one, the agency either already regulates that chemical through a different statute under its own control, like the Clean Air Act, and that authority sufficiently protects against a risk of injury to human health or the environment; or Number two, a different agency already regulates that chemical in a manner that also sufficiently protects against the risk already identified by EPA. Mr. Speaker, in light of yet another regulatory overreach in the rulemaking at EPA, the new amendments to section 9 of TSCA are a welcome reform with the intent that it will help restrain the agency's unnecessary activities. These are commonsense, but important, protections given what EPA is likely to pursue.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the incredibly brave men and women in blue who serve and protect our communities. For example, Sergeant P.J. Wilson of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is a third shift supervisor. He and his team work the wee hours of the morning to make sure that we can sleep in peace. Officer K.S. Kodad works every weekend and most holidays because he knows that criminals don't always work business hours. Officer Tim Purdy recently sat down in a school parking lot to calm and reassure a potentially suicidal autistic student. Detective McKee recently helped solve a homicide from last summer, with all five suspects now in custody. Mr. Speaker, these are just four of the thousands of police officers who should be recognized for their important work. Today and every day, we should take time to say thank you to the police officers we encounter in our communities.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Firefighter Richard Sheltra of the Pineville Volunteer Fire Department. Firefighter Sheltra died a hero while battling a fire on April 30, but he was a hero long before he volunteered to step into that burning building. Firefighter Sheltra had service in his blood. He had great examples because his parents were also volunteer firefighters, all dedicated Christians attending Forest Hill Church. Whenever the call went out, Firefighter Sheltra dropped whatever he was doing to go help. So strong was his commitment to serve and protect the families involved that he was often first on the scene. Firefighter Sheltra was Pineville's Rookie of the Year in 2015. He was in the process of applying to the Charlotte Fire Department when he died at the age of 20. While Mr. Sheltra was an excellent firefighter, he was an even greater servant of God. Please join me in praying for Firefighter Sheltra's family and the Pineville Volunteer Fire Department during this time of immense grief and, also, asking God to protect all of the brave men and women who serve our communities each and every day.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 166 through roll call no. 172, I would have voted as follows: Roll Call no. 166, I would have voted YEA, Roll Call no. 167, I would have voted YEA, Roll Call no. 168, I would have voted YEA, Roll Call no. 169, I would have voted YEA, Roll Call no. 170, I would have voted NAY, Roll Call no. 171, I would have voted YEA, and Roll Call no. 172, I would have voted YEA.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address one of the Nation's greatest concerns: welfare reform. America's most important resource is our people. The last thing we want any of our citizens to believe is that they are forever stuck in a situation that they cannot rise above. Welfare reform was originally successful because it required work in return for assistance, gave more power and responsibility to the States in fighting poverty, and ensured that States were rewarded for reducing poverty instead of increasing dependency. Today, given the slow growth of our economy, many job seekers become frustrated when they are unable to find adequate work. This creates a system where many become trapped and dependent on State and Federal assistance. Solutions to welfare reform have to come from a local level, not from Washington. It is imperative that we encourage family values and education more than anything. Washington's primary role is to strengthen the economy, facilitate growth, and encourage a positive business climate, thus creating jobs and reducing dependency on State programs.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. I thank Chairman Luetkemeyer for his leadership on this bill, and I appreciate deeply the support and leadership of Congressman Cleaver. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in support of H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act, which contains provisions that expand housing opportunities while protecting American taxpayers. This bipartisan legislation provides commonsense efforts for streamlining and reducing regulatory burdens for organizations working with HUD. This bill looks to correct many wrongs within our housing system while also simplifying certification processes and providing permanent authority for direct endorsement for approved lenders to approve rural housing service loans. Mr. Chairman, condominiums are often the first step on the housing ladder for first-time homeowners. They also can be the most affordable and desirable option for single people, young families, and those looking to downsize. Unfortunately, current FHA regulations prevent buyers from purchasing condos. H.R. 3700 eases restrictions, allowing more opportunity for homeownership. This bill reins in duplicative and overly burdensome regulations, which not only create a slower process, but also increase government workload all without affecting any changes to direct spending. Mr. Chairman, housing assistance should be solely for those who need it most of all, and this bill takes aim at ensuring this. For the first time in 80 years, this legislation provides limitations on public housing tenancy for over-income families.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. Chairman Smith, thank you so much for your leadership on behalf of these individuals. Thank you, Chairman Royce, for your strong leadership as well. Mr. Speaker, right now more than 20 million people worldwide are caught up in modern-day slavery. We call it human trafficking. This isn't just a problem over there. In the city I represent-- Charlotte--Maria was trapped when she answered an ad for an aspiring actress. Rosa was snatched from a local gas station while waiting for a ride. My good friend, Antonia Childs, dreamed of owning a bakery before falling victim to human trafficking. Thankfully, Antonia was rescued and now leads a vital Charlotte organization rescuing women, including Maria and Rosa. As a Nation, we must take responsibility for our part in this horrific, multi-billion-dollar illicit industry. As Members of Congress, we must take an active role in ending human trafficking worldwide. That is why, on January 22, 2015, I became an original cosponsor in support of Chairman Smith's H.R. 515, the International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation. H.R. 515 ensures foreign countries are notified when an American sex offender who has previously abused children is traveling to that country. It encourages foreign countries to provide us with the same vital information when a sex offender is traveling to America. It attacks the sickening practice of child sex tourism by requiring the United States to notify other countries when convicted pedophiles travel abroad. It encourages President Obama to use bilateral agreements and assistance to establish reciprocal notification so that we will know when convicted child offenders are coming here. International Megan's Law takes valuable lessons we have learned about protecting our children here in the United States and expands those protections globally so all communities can join together to take the necessary steps to protect our children. Please join me in taking this important step to end modern slavery today.

Mr. PITTENGER

Mr. PITTENGER. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding. Mr. Speaker, taxpayer money should not be used for abortions, period. Taxpayer money should not be used to support abortion providers, period. As Americans, we are proud to support life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, in the last fiscal year, $554 million of taxpayer money went to support Planned Parenthood. In the same year, it was responsible for the death of 323,999 innocent babies, even dismembering and selling baby parts. These lost children are a deep scar on our Nation. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have countered that Planned Parenthood does more than provide abortions. Well, let's take a look at the facts. According to Planned Parenthood's own 2014-2015 annual report, cancer screenings are down 27 percent, family planning and contraceptive services are down 18 percent, and STD prevention and treatments are down 6 percent. Planned Parenthood's services declined in the same year that they received a nearly 5 percent increase in Federal funding. Mr. Speaker, we are accountable for American taxpayer dollars. H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act, defunds Planned Parenthood and shifts those same taxpayer dollars to the much larger network of community health clinics that do not provide abortions. This legislation will increase access to healthcare services for women while upholding and strengthening the value of life. H.R. 3762 also defunds the unmitigated disaster known as ObamaCare. President Obama said you can keep your health plan. Well, we found out millions can't. President Obama called this affordable. Well, it's not. Premiums have gone up. Americans deserve the freedom to choose the health plan that is right for them, not the one selected by President Obama. Please join me in supporting H.R. 3762 to protect taxpayer dollars from being spent on abortions while increasing access to healthcare services for women, as we also defund ObamaCare and its legislation.