Chris Pappas

Mr. PAPPAS

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2220) to amend title 40, United States Code, to modify the treatment of certain bargain-price options to purchase at less than fair market value, and for other purposes.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2220.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2220, introduced by Representatives Guest, Webster, and Pence, requires the General Services Administration to secure congressional authorization before it can exercise a prenegotiated purchase option in an operating lease. Currently, OMB rules stipulate that a lease cannot be scored as an operating lease if it contains a prenegotiated bargain-price purchase option. Operating leases allow agencies to budget their rent outlays annually, whereas capital leases require the agency to budget, upfront, the entire net present value of all rental obligations it will incur over the duration of the lease term. Unless GSA has full, upfront appropriations in hand, the agency must rely on operating leases that can be paid for year by year. But preventing an operating lease from containing a prenegotiated bargain-price purchase option means that if GSA wants to acquire the building at the end of the lease, the agency must pay fair market value instead of being able to negotiate a sales price at the beginning of the lease. In essence, the Federal Government ends up paying for the building twice, once when it leases the building and once when it purchases the building at the end of the lease at the current market rate. The scoring rules are designed to ensure that ownership risk stays with the lessor and that the lease isn't a mechanism by which the government finances its ownership of the property. But the effect is that the Federal Government is overpaying for buildings and not getting the benefit of equity that it has created for private-sector landlords. It is time to give GSA the flexibility it needs to make savvy financial deals for the Federal Government. I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Cohen for his sponsorship of this legislation, for the bipartisan support that it enjoys. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to adopt this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 390.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 390) to redesignate the Federal building located at 167 North Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee as the ``Odell Horton Federal Building''.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 390 designates the Federal building at 167 North Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee, as the Odell Horton Federal Building. The bill is sponsored by our colleague from Tennessee, Representative Steve Cohen, and it is cosponsored by the entire Tennessee congressional delegation. Currently, the Federal building in downtown Memphis is named for Clifford Davis, a former Congressman who was a member of the KKK, and this legislation would rename the building in honor of Judge Odell Horton, the first Black Federal judge and assistant U.S. attorney in Tennessee since Reconstruction, who was nominated by President Jimmy Carter and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1980. The history of America is replete with acts of bigotry, oppression, and hatred. We can't erase it, but we can make sure we don't honor it. I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. PAPPAS

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life and service of New Hampshire State Police Staff Sergeant Jesse Sherrill. Staff Sergeant Sherrill was tragically killed on October 28 when his cruiser was struck by a tractor-trailer when he was on duty working an overnight detail. This is an immeasurable loss for his family and community and the entire State of New Hampshire. Today, our State will pause for a celebration of life for Staff Sergeant Sherrill. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and their children and extended family. We must never forget his dedicated service to keeping our State safe and the burden borne by the Sherrill family. My thoughts are also with the men and women of the New Hampshire State Police and law enforcement community that has lost one of its own. Day in and day out, those who serve and protect our communities risk their own safety for all of us. We can never forget their sacrifice. I urge Granite Staters to take time to reflect on the legacy of Staff Sergeant Sherrill and to keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. Through this horrible tragedy, we must honor his example and keep his memory alive.

Mr. PAPPAS

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1917) to modify eligibility requirements for certain hazard mitigation assistance programs, and for other purposes.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher).

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Fletcher again for her leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to pass this commonsense piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bill introduced by the gentlewoman from Kansas (Ms. Davids) as well as the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves). Once viewed as only a figment of people's imagination, flying cars are now on the verge of becoming a reality and will take to the skies in no time, thanks to recent innovations in aircraft and propulsion technology. Advanced air mobility, or AAM, vehicles have the potential to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce the current burden on surface infrastructure, create good-paying U.S. jobs, and provide a more environmentally sustainable mode of daily transportation. In fact, last year, my home State of New Hampshire became the first State to safely allow roadable aircraft to use our roads, once they become certified for travel. But as these new aircraft emerge in an already complex U.S. airspace, we must ensure that they are safe, both for those on board and those on the ground. H.R. 1339, the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, would establish an interagency working group, bringing together the Federal Government, States and localities, the aerospace industry, labor unions, and other key stakeholders to plan and coordinate efforts to safely integrate AAM operations in our national airspace system. The interagency working group's recommendations on safety, security, and infrastructure needs will help support the deployment of this technology and advance U.S. leadership in this emerging global industry. This legislation has support from both sides of the aisle and the endorsement of several organizations representing the U.S. aviation and aerospace sector. Madam Speaker, I support this bipartisan bill, I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, we thank Holly as well for her contributions to the House and to this important issue area and wish her all best in her next steps. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this commonsense legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Graves and Mr. Guest for their leadership on this important issue. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3709) to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit to Congress a report on preliminary damage assessments and make necessary improvements to processes in the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and for other purposes.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3709.

Mr. PAPPAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3709, introduced and championed by Representatives Katko and Delgado, two colleagues of ours on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The Preliminary Damage Assessment, or PDA, Improvement Act would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to produce a report examining the PDA process and establish a more consistent training regime for FEMA personnel to effectively support State and local officials as they conduct these assessments in the wake of disaster. FEMA uses PDA findings to determine the extent of damage and the subsequent unmet needs of individuals, businesses, and the public sector in a disaster-impacted area. This bill will ensure greater consistency of PDAs across FEMA's 10 regions by creating a training program with a goal of ensuring a more consistent process of data collection and analysis. As communities across the country experience more extreme weather events, consistent and timely PDAs are more important than ever to the recovery process. Madam Speaker, I support this legislation and ask my colleagues to do the same. I reserve the balance of my time.