Peter Roskam

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 93, I was detained due to an unavoidable conflict. Had I been present, I would have voted aye.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, do you notice something? Did you notice that, as Speaker and the person who is presiding over this Chamber today, oftentimes you hear a great deal of difficulty between the two parties and a lot of wrangling and a lot of different positions and so forth that manifests itself in arguing and so forth, but did you notice something? You are hearing both sides of the aisle coming before you and coming before this House and saying the same thing, and that is we ought to move H.R. 529. There is a recognition, and I think my constituency in suburban Chicago is breathing a collective sigh of relief right now because they are saying: Hey, people are paying attention to things that matter to me and matter to my future and matter to my children, that is, they are taking a bill or a provision in the law that has been successful and they are improving it. They are bringing it up to date under the leadership of the gentlelady from Kansas (Ms. Jenkins), and she is joined by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis), and everybody is coming together around that idea that says 529s need to be protected and defended. And we need to make sure that they are kept up to date, because back home this makes all the difference in the world. I think this is one of these types of moments that is very significant and that we can build on. I thank the gentlelady for her leadership. I thank Mr. Davis for his, and I rise in strong support of this measure.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the incorporation of Rolling Meadows, Illinois. From its early origins, Rolling Meadows has been a model for other cities and towns to follow, through its continued dedication to building a friendly and welcoming community for residents and visitors alike. In the years since its founding in 1955 by Orrin Ford, Rolling Meadows has become a center of culture and commerce, serving as a home to families, businesses, professionals, churches and organizations that have made this a vibrant and thriving community. Over the years, Rolling Meadows has developed a well-deserved reputation as a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. Rolling Meadows has a lasting legacy of service and prosperity. On this special occasion, in addition to celebrating the incorporation of their town, the community will also be honoring 60 original residents and two local businesses that have operated for the entirety of the last 60 years. This impressive milestone is a testament to the strong foundation built at Rolling Meadows' founding and maintained still today. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing the 60th anniversary of the incorporation of Rolling Meadows, Illinois and wishing her residents a very successful year ahead.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank Chairman Ryan for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from California said that we needed to use agnostic scrutiny when we are evaluating these. I think it is a little bit ambitious to have a roomful of agnostics when we are all true believers. We all come in with an agenda. An agnostic, Mr. Speaker, would look at the four things in the bill that we are contemplating today and would say of all four of these things: Surely these are not going to get caught up and swept away in tax reform; surely, it is not going to be how we are treating food charities; surely, it is not going to be how we are dealing with conservation easements; surely, it is not how we are treating IRA contributions to charities; and surely, it is not trying to make private foundations and give them a sure footing. Surely, these are the things we can all agree on based on agnostic scrutiny. Did you notice something, Mr. Speaker? There is nobody on the other side of the aisle who has stood up today and said: The food charity thing? Disaster. I'm against that. Or: Conservation easements? Ridiculous. Look into that a little bit more. Or: The IRA contributions? Be careful there. Or: Private foundations, getting them all squared away? I'm against it. Not one person said that. So what was their argument? They wrap themselves up in process. But by wrapping themselves up in process, they have opened themselves up to criticism, because if we had gone a different route, if the chairman had taken a different path, they would have said: Chairman Ryan, why don't you start on things where there is bipartisan agreement? And here the chairman is bringing bills to the floor that have been enthusiastically, actively supported, Mr. Speaker, by our friends on the other side of the aisle. Why have they supported them? Because they are good ideas. This is where there is an incredible amount of common ground. There have been some false arguments made on the other side that are just not that persuasive, and the argument by the gentleman from Texas created the impression that if you vote ``yes'' on this, then we are not going to be able to afford meat inspectors. We are not going to be able to have bridges or a cure for cancer. It is somehow out of our reach. Spare me. Mr. Speaker, I am reminded at times like this of a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1790 to a man named Charles Clay. I am going to give you three lines from this letter that I have committed to memory because I think it deeply resonates where most Americans are when they look at our House today. Thomas Jefferson wrote this to Charles Clay. He said: The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches. We must be content what we can get from time to time and eternally press forward for what is yet to get. It takes time to persuade men even to do what is for their own good. Mr. Speaker, that is Jefferson's admonition--no stranger to vision, no stranger to the big picture as the author of the Declaration of Independence. We don't walk away from tax reform, the aspiration that we all have, but it is to say: Look, if we are going to be agnostically scrutinizing these things, even an agnostic would say this ought not to be caught in the crossfire. We ought to vote ``yes'' for this bill and move it along.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 51 I had an unavoidable conflict. Had I been present, I would have voted aye.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 52 I had an unavoidable conflict. Had I been present, I would have voted AYE.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 53, I had an unavoidable conflict. Had I been present, I would have voted AYE.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I look at this from an entirely different perspective. I look at this as the House of Representatives asserting its will, speaking out, and saying, no, we are not going to be silent in the movement of the President of the United States. If we had done nothing, Mr. Chairman, then the subsequent argument in weeks to come would have been, well, you did nothing. You were silent. You waived your right to assert yourself. You have the power of the purse, and you did nothing. Well, clearly, we are not doing nothing. Clearly, we are taking it up. And now here it is. We are coming together and we are saying that we don't believe the President has this authority. We are asserting that, and this bill will be debated. But at the underlying level there is something absolutely incredibly significant and very bright that is happening, regardless of what side of the aisle you are on, because do you know what we are talking about? We are talking about defending a country that we all hold dear. There was a story I heard from an exchange student, Mr. Chairman, who came to visit the United States. She was asked about her time here-- this was a young college student--and they said: What made the biggest impression upon you during your time in the United States? She said this: The number of people who came up to me and said, ``What do you hope to do for a living? What do you want to do?'' And it was totally different for this girl, because the culture that she was coming from, that wasn't her experience, but she came to the United States and there was a brightness to it, an opportunity to it, and a freshness to it. She found it so exciting and so dynamic. That is what we are fighting about. That is what we are fighting for. We are fighting for a nation, to defend a great nation, and to celebrate a great nation. That is worth taking up. So, look, there are very big differences in this House in the direction to move. There are very deep differences in this House about how we need to deal with the immigration problem.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, we all need to realize the brightness of this moment. So I respect my colleague and his differences. I respect the other side and their differences. I think we need to go back to Thomas Jefferson, who said this, Mr. Chairman. Jefferson wrote a letter in 1790 to a guy named Charles Clay. He said: The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, and we must be contented to secure what we can get from time to time and eternally press forward for what is yet to get. It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good. Mr. Chairman, this is a game of inches. We need to prevail, we need to move forward, and we need to come together.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, there is an opportunity here for us to do a good thing, and that is to take a law that was well-intentioned but poorly executed and fix it and make some improvements. There has been all kinds of discussion over the past couple of months--highly-charged political discussion, really, on both sides, that makes false claims about different people's motives. I will tell you the motive of the sponsor of this bill, Mr. Young from Indiana, is to do this: to lift a burden off of people who find themselves not served by a law that they were told was going to serve them. They were told: ``Oh, this is going to be great. There is going to be no adverse effect on your job opportunities. In fact, it is all going to be terrific. Just sign up for it.'' As it turns out, Mr. Young recognized that that wasn't working out for people who were at the lower end of the economic spectrum, Mr. Speaker, so he decided to do something about it. He decided to introduce this bill. What it does is simply lifts a burden. It says we are not going to create a downward pressure on jobs. Instead, we are going to create an environment in which jobs are more buoyant, and they are more abundant, and there is more of them. Enough with the false claims and the straw man argument that this is somehow insidious and is taking something away. No, no, no. This isn't taking away. This is adding, and this is empowering, and this is life- giving, and we ought to support it.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to advocate for and support the recently passed H.R. 647, the ABLE Act, for the important benefits it offers to the disabled, and because of the additional clarity and equity it will provide for employers dealing with the IRS. Section 206 addresses an issue under current law and the interpretation of the IRS for employers that use the services of professional employer organizations (PEOs). For example, any PEO that qualifies as a statutory employer under the Internal Revenue Code is eligible to claim the Tip Tax Credit, instead of the restaurant for which the wait staff who directly perform the services and therefore earned the qualification for it. Under this system, some PEOs claim the credit themselves as the statutory employer, others administer the credit for the restaurants which they serve, and some restaurants claim the credit directly--only to be challenged in IRS audits. This provision of the ABLE Act provides important tax clarity for small businesses working with PEOs. I am pleased to have been able to help secure the passage of this legislation in the House of Representatives, and I urge its prompt consideration in the Senate.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my colleague, Congressman David Price, and the Members of the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) to recognize a dedicated public servant, Dr. Eric Rudenshiold, who recently concluded his service as staff director for HDP. As chairman of HDP, it has been my privilege to work with Dr. Rudenshiold to engage the legislative bodies of developing democracies around the world. During his tenure with HDP, Dr. Rudenshiold has been a passionate advocate for democracy building and an expert on global political development. He was instrumental in helping to stabilize HDP after a turbulent post-sequester period and his strategic vision has helped to put HDP on sound footing for the future. In addition to sewing as a knowledgeable and trusted counselor, Dr. Rudenshiold executed a massive logistical feat with deftness and charm, successfully working with high profile leaders on multiple continents over a period of many months to plan and conduct the HDP curriculum. This past September he helped organize a seminar with Members of Parliament from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kenya, Mongolia, and Pakistan, which explored ways to strengthen transparency and government oversight. In October, he led a foreign staff training seminar for HDP's partner countries teaching effective legislative oversight, budget analysis, committee operations, and constituent relations. Lastly, in November he developed a workshop for women Members of Parliament from Afghanistan, Albania, Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia, Honduras, Kenya, Mongolia and Peru offering tools and resources to grow their capacity as legislators and leaders in their home countries. Through Dr. Rudenshiold's hard work, HDP successfully executed a busy 2014 program and has laid the groundwork for an equally ambitious 2015 agenda. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing Dr. Eric Rudenshiold for his years of service in pursuit of the ideal of effective, representative democracy not just in the United States, but throughout the world, and in wishing him all the best as he embarks on new challenges and a new chapter.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Michael Wahl, who I am pleased to nominate for the Wave Maker Award for the 5th Annual Unsung Heroes of Public Health Campaign. This award recognizes individuals for their work on a major regional or national program that has had a significant positive impact on an important public health issue. Dr. Wahl has devoted his life to improving public health and safety in Illinois. Since 1998, he has served as the Medical Director for the Illinois Poison Cente--the oldest poison center in the United States. During his tenure, Dr. Wahl initiated the Poison Center Hotline, which currently treats over 90% of incoming accidental poisoning calls at home without a trip to a medical facility. The Hotline saves the State of Illinois $52 million in unnecessary health care costs each year and has prevented thousands of severe medical emergencies. Building on this successful model, Dr. Wahl has set up similar state hotlines for H1N1, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and currently Ebola, which provide the general public and health care providers with vital information during infectious disease outbreaks. Dr. Wahl and the Illinois Poison Center have also done important work in conjunction with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and law enforcement to observe trends in synthetic drug use and provide local officials with data and surveillance on these chemicals. Because of these initiatives, synthetic drug use in Illinois has not reached the high prevalence experienced by other states. Finally, Dr. Wahl lends his time and experience to the Illinois Department of Public Health Work Group to reduce the alarming rate of heroin use by prescription drug abusers. In these many challenging endeavors, Dr. Wahl brings an unparalleled passion for service and a commitment to improve lives throughout the State of Illinois. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in honoring Dr. Michael Wahl for his dedicated work in expanding access to health care and his innovative efforts to strengthen public health for the people of Illinois and congratulating him on his nomination for the Wave Maker Award.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Steve Elza, the 2015 Illinois Teacher of the Year. Mr. Elza is an Applied Technology teacher at William Fremd High School in my district who teaches Automotive Technology classes and is the sponsor of the school Auto Club. He has worked in School District 211 and Fremd High School for over 7 years and strives to create an educational environment where students learn real-world skills they can take with them after graduation. I think we can all agree that teachers are in a unique position to mold their students, and good teachers can guide and inspire students to achieve. Speaking to his students and peers, it is clear that Mr. Elza is a great teacher. Day in and day out he goes above and beyond to create a classroom environment where students can pursue projects they are passionate about, an approach that energizes his students, expands their skillsets, and reminds them that learning can be fun. Teaching students to explore their interests, and consider their career prospects, Mr. Elza has had an outsized impact on the success of his students as they go out into the workforce as young adults. Evidence of his unique approach isn't hard to find. Through the Auto Club, students participate in various extracurricular activities like practicing maintenance repairs on cars of faculty members and competing in a national automotive competition held annually in Las Vegas. By engaging students to enjoy and apply what they are learning, Mr. Elza has broken through the bustle of busy young lives to really leave a mark on students. It's proven to be a winning formula. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues please join me in recognizing Mr. Steve Elza for his outstanding service and congratulate him on being named the 2015 Illinois Teacher of the Year.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, in listening to the debate and this discussion today, this is really a bill about real contrasts. The contrast, as the gentleman from Minnesota described a couple of minutes ago, is starting at a very high point, which is a sense of calling, a sense of patriotism, a sense of going forward and meeting a duty and joining the Armed Forces of the United States. That is one end of the spectrum. At the other end of the spectrum was the description that Mrs. Walorski had, and that was of Clay Hunt's experience. From one end of the spectrum to the other. As I was sitting and listening, Mr. Speaker, I was looking above your head. There is a clock over your head. If you look at these numbers, you have 22 people every day who are going to kill themselves, and we know that. If you think about that and if you look at that clock, you think, in a little bit more than an hour, there is going to be a terrible thing that is going to happen. The good news is that Tammy Duckworth from Illinois and Tim Walz from Minnesota and Jeff Miller from Florida decided to do something about it. The power of this is when you have that broad of a political spectrum that says we are not going to tolerate this, that we are going to make sure that this issue is not lost in the shuffle, that this is not a statistic, that this is not 22. Rather, these are people who are going to be named; these are people who are going to be discussed; and these are people who are going to be defended. So I am happy today to join with those who are asking for favorable passage of the Clay Hunt SAV Act.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Imagine that sense when you get the word that a new baby has been diagnosed with something that was completely unanticipated. That has been a situation that has been present in the lives of constituents, family, friends, and those of us who are nearby. I think there is a hopefulness today, Mr. Speaker, about what we are talking about. And there are so many people that have run for office with the idea of trying to get something done, the notion that you have this strong of a voice all coming together saying, You know what? We may not be able to agree about what time of day it is in this Congress, but we can agree that we all ought to come together to help those who are unable to help themselves or to help those who want to care for the ones who are around them. So it is also a good lesson to learn about the tenacity of Americans who have decided to substantively engage this place over a period of years. A number of minutes ago, we heard from the gentleman from Florida, Representative Crenshaw, who talked about introducing this back in 2006. He was tenacious, and he was joined by others, and they pushed and they pushed. Now they have accomplished something, and we are on the verge of, actually, a great moment. So I am here to celebrate. I am here to celebrate with my colleagues who took the initiative. I am here to celebrate others who came alongside. But most of all, Mr. Speaker, we are here to celebrate the lives of those who are being supported by this act.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Mr. Bill ``Tik'' Tiknis, a resident of Bartlett, Illinois, in my Congressional district. Bill Tiknis moved with his family to Bartlett in 1956 and dedicated his life in service to his community. Bill gave a remarkable 55 years of service in jobs including serving as Village President, Village Trustee, and the Founder and President of the Bartlett Chamber of Commerce. He was a volunteer Fire Fighter and later District Commissioner of the Bartlett Fire Protection District and was a Charter Member of the Bartlett Rotary and President of the Hanover Township Foundation. Bill's leadership in these roles left an indelible mark on Bartlett and has created a lasting legacy. Apart from his time spent in local government, Bill helped organize youth football in Bartlett and created the Bartlett Park District. While he was Village President, he helped preserve a town landmark by working to purchase Bartlett Hills Golf Club with overwhelming support from the community. The Village now has a ``Bill Tiknis Golf Classic'' in his honor. Recently, the Village of Bartlett has named the seventh of April as Bill Tiknis Day and Hanover Township Administration Center renamed their building the ``Bill Tiknis Campus'' at a ceremony attended by over 200 community members and leaders. He is a true living legend in the Village of Bartlett. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing Mr. Bill Tiknis as a wonderful example of citizenship and service and wishing him much success in his next chapter.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. I thank the gentleman from Arizona for yielding. It is interesting to listen to this debate. You hear one hyperbolic statement after the other from our friends on the other side. Two Members have used the claim that this is anti-science. One Member just said this is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Mr. Chairman, it makes you wonder, doesn't it, why the defensiveness about transparency, why the defensiveness about the truth, why the defensiveness about more participation as it relates to science, and here is the answer: they have got to defend something, Mr. Chairman, and they have got to defend something that is indefensible. What they have to defend is the orthodoxy that allowed the other side to create ObamaCare. The architect of ObamaCare, Jonathan Gruber, said this is a tortured way to make sure CBO scores it this way and so forth and so on, and they basically had to trick and manipulate and so forth. The irony is that the very folks who are claiming to shroud themselves in the truth are actually doing the exact opposite. Here is the point: I represent manufacturers. I represent all kinds of people who are in business and science, Mr. Chairman. What they want is to be able to participate in this process. They want to know that the regulations that are being foisted upon them from Washington, D.C., at least are based on good science and are not based on bumper stickers and other nonsense. They want to make sure that the decisionmaking is transparent and that it makes sense. This is a great bill. We should all vote for it.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Jerry ``JR'' McBride, husband, father, and dedicated public servant. JR McBride, who represented District 4 on the DuPage County Board, died October 24, 2014 after a long battle with cancer. He was just 47 years old. JR was the perfect definition of a public servant; dedicated to his constituents, above partisan politics, and devoted to doing the right thing for his community. He was chairman of the board's legislative committee and previously chaired the judicial and public safety, public transit, and technology committees. He was extremely generous with his time and valued his community service. JR was actively involved in various organizations, such as the Metropolitan Family Services of DuPage, Rotary Club, DuPage Chapter of the American Cancer Society, and the Glenbard West High School Booster Club. He was also a founding member of the Jubilee Board which raised funds for Outreach Community Ministries in Wheaton, IL. In short, he was always looking for ways to help improve the communities he served. JR graduated from Fenwick High School and earned a bachelor's degree from Loras College in Iowa. After graduation he joined his family's business, McBride Insurance Company. He eventually moved to Glen Ellyn in 1992. Mr. Speaker, and Distinguished Colleagues, JR McBride was a man who understood well his duty to family and community. He is survived by his wife, Becky; four daughters, Lauren, Molly, Abigail and Sara; a son, Marty; his father, Jerry Sr.; two sisters, Kara Brophy and Joy Gibson; and a brother, Bill. Please join me in remembering him as a shining example of how a caring, committed public servant can make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Burns & McDonnell, an employee-owned consulting firm with locations in Downers Grove and Chicago. Burns & McDonnell, which serves my constituents in the Sixth District, has been recognized as being not only one of the best places to work in the state of Illinois, but also in the nation. Since opening in 1994, the professionals at Burns & McDonnell have offered a full range of engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting services. Their clients include government, industry, utility and institutional organizations. Burns & McDonnell have been involved with many major projects around the Chicagoland area such as the Illinois Tollway, O'Hare International Airport, and countless others. With over 160 employees in their local offices, Burns & McDonnell ranked 14th in Fortune 100's ``Best Companies to Work For'' in 2014 and was named to the 2014's ``Best Places to Work in Illinois'' list by the Daily Herald Business Ledger, one of only sixty Illinois companies to receive this honor. Mr. Speaker and my distinguished colleagues in the House, please join me in honoring Burns & McDonnell for their legacy of excellence. Burns & McDonnell is a company that truly cares not only for their clients, but also for their employees.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Allison Hughes of Barrington, Illinois. Allison is co-founder of a charity called Heels on the Ground, whose mission is to improve and enrich the quality of life for the caregivers of America's wounded soldiers. Allison served our country for 8 years as an Army UH-60 pilot and was deployed in Iraq twice. Her husband, Special Forces Major Breg Hughes, was wounded on May 29, 2012 in Afghanistan when his Humvee drove over an IED, just days before Allison was due to give birth to the couple's second son. Breg sustained 3rd degree burns and severe injuries. While caring for her husband and raising two children, Allison has remarkably found the energy to co-found Heels on the Ground and work to support other caregivers. Heels on the Ground is a charity that seeks to provide support for caregivers through the creation of local support chapters, individualized mental and physical wellness plans, educational webinars, quarterly workshops for chapter leaders, and through Wounded Warrior caregiver retreats for small groups with the goal of developing skills learned in other channels. The goal is to teach caregivers how to manage the stress, anxiety, and the countless other demands that are placed on them in caring for their wounded spouses, often while juggling responsibilities for children, work, their own personal mental and physical wellbeing. Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in recognizing Mrs. Allison Hughes for her impressive service to our country as both a woman in uniform and caregiver to one of our wounded servicemen. She has truly set an example for us all to live by.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Magenium Solutions, LLC, an IT services firm based out of my hometown of Glen Ellyn, which has been recognized as being one of the best places to work in the State of Illinois. Magenium Solutions is a company dedicated to delivering technology based answers to hundreds of businesses nationwide. They are well known for improving the productivity of their clients, helping them to stay competitive and reducing costs through the use of technology. For the second year in a row, Magenium Solutions has earned the distinction of being one of the ``Best Places to Work in Illinois'' by the Daily Herald Business Ledger, one of only sixty Illinois companies to receive this honor. With more than 60 employees, Magenium Solutions strives to provide a work life balance, career growth, professional development, training, and incentives aimed at helping employees move forward successfully on their career paths. In addition, Inc. Magazine has ranked Magenium Solutions as one of the nation's fastest growing private companies. Mr. Speaker and my distinguished colleagues in the House, please join me in honoring Magenium Solutions for their legacy of achievement and care not only for their clients, but also for their employees.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mueller & Co., LLP, a certified public accounting and business consulting firm with locations in Elgin and Chicago. Mueller & Co., LLP, which serves my constituents in the Sixth District, has been recognized as one of the best places to work in the State of Illinois. For over 45 years, Mueller has cultivated personal and professional relationships with their communities and clients. Mueller & Co., LLP clients include privately held and publicly traded companies, local governments, nonprofit organizations from a wide variety of industries, and independent professionals. With over 75 employees at their Elgin office, Mueller has been listed in Crain's Chicago Business as the 19th largest accounting firm in the Chicagoland area. They have also consistently earned the distinction of being one of the ``Best Places to Work in Illinois'' by the Daily Herald Business Ledger, one of only sixty Illinois companies to receive this honor. Mr. Speaker and my distinguished colleagues in the House, please join me in honoring Mueller & Co., LLP for their legacy of achievement. Mueller & Co., LLP is a company that truly cares not only for their clients, but also for their employees.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Madam Speaker, moments ago, the House opened in prayer. Today, I am rising in solidarity with those who are calling for a worldwide day of prayer for Christians suffering in Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and across the Middle East. Radical Islamists have a phrase: ``first the Saturday people, then the Sunday people.'' Those who call for Israel's destruction are the same radicals who are persecuting Christians throughout the Middle East. Reported cases of Christians killed for their faith doubled worldwide from the previous year. Others have been kidnapped, forcibly converted, or exiled, while churches and holy sites have been destroyed. Iraq's Christian community has dropped from 1.5 million people in 2003 to only 200,000 today, and in Mosul--home of one of the world's oldest Christian communities--ISIS militants have overrun the city. They are using this Arabic symbol and are painting it on homes to identify Nazarenes, or Christians, who are told to convert to Islam, pay a religious tax, or be executed. Now almost no Christians remain in Mosul, a city with a 2,000-year relationship with the Christian faith. The situation is also dire in Syria and elsewhere. Middle East Christians need our prayers, our support, and our voices, and I am proud to stand with those who follow the Nazarene.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, thank you for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to rise today for this whole package but in particular H.R. 2807, which permanently extends conservation easement tax incentives. This worthy provision incentivizes property donations to groups who maintain the property for conservation purposes, encouraging good stewardship of our environment. Mr. Speaker, the area in Illinois that you and I represent, suburban Chicago and areas outlying, are incredibly significant. There are beautiful places in the five counties that I represent and the many counties that you represent, Mr. Speaker, and this is an opportunity for the Tax Code to work in favor of land preservation and open space and to do it in a way that is thoughtful, to do it in a way that is inclusive, and to do it in a way that ultimately saves and preserves these precious natural resources and uses them not just for our generation but for the generations to come. I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue, and I urge its passage.