Peter Roskam

Mr. ROSKAM

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

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, let me tell you a quick story. Andrew Clyde served three combat tours in Iraq, after which he returned home and opened a store in Georgia. Mr. Clyde had an insurance policy that only covered up to $10,000 in off-premised losses. So like any reasonable person, he never brought more than $10,000 in cash with him when he was making his nightly deposits. Do you know what happened next? The Internal Revenue Service noticed that he was depositing just under $10,000 in cash regularly, so they took all of his cash. That is $950,000. If you are like most people, you are confused when you first hear about this. As it turns out, Mr. Clyde was in violation of a Federal law known as structuring, which is the intentional avoidance of Federal reporting requirements by staying below $10,000 in cash deposits. This law was intended to catch large-scale criminal enterprises, mobsters, terrorists, and human traffickers, not veterans like Mr. Clyde. When structuring is believed to have occurred, the IRS can use its civil asset forfeiture authority to seize funds in question and force the owner to prove that the money was earned legally. Well, in this instance, Andrew Clyde earned the money legally and had a legitimate reason for depositing less than $10,000. So you would assume that Mr. Clyde would have ended this with the IRS talking to him and then saying: Oh, we made a mistake. Clearly you are not a mobster or a terrorist. Thank you for your service. Here is your life savings back. But, no, that is not what happened, Mr. Chairman. That is not how the story ended. Instead, the IRS threatened him with criminal structuring charges until he agreed to settle with the agency and give them $50,000, after he had already spent $100,000 in legal fees. He lost $150,000 simply because he wanted to make sure that his cash deposits were low enough to be insured. If that sounds messed up to you, Mr. Chairman, that is because it is. Now, here is the good news. The House recently passed, unanimously, H.R. 1843, the RESPECT Act. This bill prohibits the IRS from seizing funds from individuals, unless there is a probable cause that the money was earned illegally or connected to an illegal activity. But there is still the problem of those people who are already victims of this abuse by our government in civil asset forfeiture. Now, since we began our bipartisan investigation of the IRS's civil asset forfeiture practices a couple of years ago, the IRS has apologized for past behavior, which is good; they worked quickly to reach out to possible victims, which is good; and they subsequently responded to the 454 petitions that they received. As of March 1, the IRS returned over $6 million in seized funds. Good news. So far so good. But the plot continues, and here is where we are right now. It turns out that a majority of the petitions were actually referred to the Department of Justice. The IRS referred the DOJ 255 cases, and has recommended that the DOJ return $16 million to taxpayers whom they do not suspect of being conducted in any way to illegal activity. Unfortunately, the Department of Justice has not been nearly as interested in correcting these past wrongdoings. As of July, the Department of Justice responded only to 73 of the outstanding 255 cases. This is completely unacceptable. The Federal Government took legally earned money from taxpayers, and the Department of Justice hasn't given the majority of these people a response, including Andrew Clyde. The Roskam-Neal amendment, offered by myself and Mr. Neal, the ranking member from Massachusetts on the Ways and Means Committee, is very simple. It simply says this: No one in the relevant section of the Department of Justice can get a performance bonus until they finish reviewing the backlog of cases that the IRS has sent them. We are not asking the Department of Justice to do anything extraordinary, Mr. Chairman. We are simply asking them to do their job. And until they do their job, the bare minimum that taxpayers can expect is that we at least don't reward these people with bonuses. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his support. I thank the chairman for his assurance and his hard work on this. I am confident that this will be resolved. Mr. Chairman, I have got to tell you that the discussions that this House has made on a bipartisan basis with the Department of Justice have been obtuse and they have been ridiculous. I have been embarrassed by the interactions that I have had with senior staff members at the Department of Justice on this issue. The Ways and Means Subcommittee has been scandalized by this, and we are going to do something about it. So here, today, we are rising on both sides of the aisle to bring remedy, rescue, and restoration to our citizens. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1843) to amend title 31, United States Code, to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from carrying out seizures relating to a structuring transaction unless the property to be seized derived from an illegal source or the funds were structured for the purpose of concealing the violation of another criminal law or regulation, to require notice and a post-seizure hearing for such seizures, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material for H.R. 1843, currently under consideration.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, if a person deposits $10,000 or more into a financial institution, that institution must submit a currency transaction report to the Treasury Department. Avoiding this reporting requirement by purposefully staying below the $10,000 limit is a Federal crime known as structuring. Structuring was made illegal in 1986 to prevent large-scale criminal enterprises, terrorists, and money launderers from hiding their illegally earned money from authorities by consistently depositing just shy of that $10,000 limit. This makes complete sense. When structuring is believed to have occurred, the Internal Revenue Service can use its civil asset forfeiture authority to seize funds and force the owner of the funds to prove that they were obtained legally. Let me tell you, I am not laying awake at night, and neither are my colleagues here, worrying about terrorists and mobsters not being able to get access to their money. So far, so good. The law makes sense. But now let me tell you about somebody who had their money seized by the IRS. Andrew Clyde served three combat tours in Iraq, and then he came home and opened a store in Georgia. Mr. Clyde had an insurance policy that only covered up to $10,000 in off-premise losses. So, like any reasonable person, Mr. Clyde never brought more than $10,000 in cash with him when he made his nightly deposits. The IRS seized $950,000 from him. Now, just marinate in that for a minute, Mr. Speaker. Imagine trying to run your business, and one day the Federal Government comes in and takes away all of your money. You don't know why, but it is just gone. You would assume that the IRS would then talk to Mr. Clyde, hear his rationale, and say: Well, it is my mistake. You are clearly not a mobster or a terrorist. Thank you for your service. Here is your life savings back. But that is not what happened. Instead, the IRS threatened him with criminal structuring charges until he agreed to settle with the agency, and gave them $50,000, after he had spent nearly $100,000 in legal fees. Andrew Clyde lost $150,000 simply because he wanted to make sure that his cash deposits were low enough to be insured. We are here today to make sure this never happens again. The RESPECT Act makes commonsense changes to civil asset forfeiture practices. First and foremost, the IRS would have to show probable cause that the funds they are seizing were derived from or connected to an illegal source. Additionally, it would provide protections for taxpayers whose money was taken, requiring a hearing within 30 days of the money being seized. These commonsense steps prevent the Federal Government from acting with impunity and harassing the very citizens that they are supposed to protect. I want to thank a number of individuals for their work on this legislation. I would like to thank John Lewis, the ranking member of the Oversight Subcommittee. I want to thank my lead sponsor, Joe Crowley, the lead Democrat on this legislation. I want to thank Mr. Neal for his leadership, and I want to thank Chairman Brady. We have been at this for a long time. We first started investigating this issue at an Oversight Subcommittee hearing in February of 2015, and we made some progress. IRS Commissioner Koskinen apologized to the victims of this practice on behalf of his agency. In fact, a year later, he changed the IRS procedures to restrict the use of civil asset forfeiture cases in which the money was earned illegally, a commonsense decision that we will codify with this legislation. I am also heartened to say that in March of this year, the IRS finished its process of reviewing all 454 contested cases that occurred before the rule change. The agency either returned or recommended that the Department of Justice return approximately 80 percent of those funds. The IRS returned over $6 million to honest Americans who were victims of this government overreach. While the IRS returned over $6 million, they have also recommended that the Department of Justice return a whopping $16 million. Unfortunately, the Department of Justice still has a long way to go in tackling the backlog of undecided cases. We will be addressing this issue with an amendment in the upcoming appropriations bill. Mr. Speaker, in closing, Americans deserve a government that they can trust. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation to prevent future victims of abusive civil asset forfeiture practices, and fight for those who have been affected. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time,

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, we have no remaining speakers on this side, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I think Mr. Crowley and Mr. Neal hit the nail on the head, as did Mr. Collins. Let me just sort of sum up then. This is a story about a citizen, a citizen who is scandalized by the Federal Government that is there to protect the citizen, and the citizen said: Do you know what? This doesn't seem right to me. You don't get to do this. You can imagine what it was like for these people who got caught up in this and were told by IRS agents and Department of Justice lawyers the nature of that intimidation and how heavy-handed and aggressive that is. Yet these people said: No, no, no. That is not right. That is not the way this country is supposed to work. So they brought it to people's attention, and, Mr. Speaker, people on both sides of the aisle were scandalized by what they heard about this and were troubled by it and said: We can do something about it. So as a result of this, you have got something that is moving through. Look, it is a tumultuous time in our public life, and there are many deep divisions within this House and across the country about all kinds of issues. But do you know what? Nobody is here defending the status quo of how these people were treated. So the institution worked. The institution heard what was going on, and now people have come together on both sides of the aisle to move forward on this basis. I want to echo Mr. Neal's admonition to the Department of Justice. It is not good enough for the Department of Justice to go into a passive- aggressive mode and to say: Well, we are just going to wait these people out. That is not good enough. We need to make sure that the Department of Justice is acting forthrightly, is reviewing these cases, and is moving them with dispatch. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Neal, and Chairman Brady. I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush) be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1697, as his name was added in error.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor FONA International, Inc., a company located in Geneva, Illinois, which was recently named the number one small/medium workplace in Chicago by Fortune magazine and consulting firm Great Place to Work. At FONA International, Inc. 97 percent of employees say they are proud of their workplace, have been offered training or development to further themselves professionally, and have access to a special and unique benefit system. This was only possible due to the leadership of Joe and Mary Slawek. Since FONA International's founding in 1987 the Slaweks has been the driving force behind its exceptional corporate culture which stresses retaining and recognizing its employees. The Slaweks have championed innovative programs and initiatives which have earned their company a spot on the National Association for Business Resources' list of Chicago's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for. FONA International, Inc. is currently celebrating 30 years creating and producing flavors for the largest food, beverage, and nutrition companies in the world. Their excellent work over the years has made them an industry leader and they have even been awarded the 2016 Food Quality and Safety Award by Food Quality and Safety magazine. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in congratulating FONA International, Inc. on being named the number one workplace in Chicagoland and for their legacy of achievement. FONA International Inc. is a company that truly cares not only for their customers, but also for their employees.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated public servant from Crystal Lake, Illinois, Dr. Gary Oberg. Dr. Oberg has been a school board member for the past 30 years and this past April he concluded his service to Crystal Lake School District 155. Since joining the board in 1985, Dr. Oberg has seen 36,000 students graduate from Community High School District 155, worked with six superintendents, and witnessed the transition from blackboards and overhead projectors to tablets and high-tech whiteboards. During his tenure, Dr. Oberg has been an exemplary leader and public servant. Dr. Oberg played a key role in building Prairie Ridge High School. While on the Building and Grounds Committee during that time, he helped incorporate principles of good environmental practices in its construction. He also oversaw the expansion of educational programs and schools including Cary-Grove High School's D and E wings, media center, and fine arts center, expansions at Crystal Lake South in 2003 and 2006, and the opening of Haber Oaks alternative high school in 2008. Dr. Oberg has represented his community well and has been a strong voice for the City of Crystal Lake throughout his time in office. His long service to the students and families of Crystal Lake and to McHenry County is truly commendable. Although he is retiring, Crystal Lake will continue to benefit from his involvement as a member of the community. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in congratulating Dr. Gary Oberg on 32 years of public service and in wishing him all the best for the days ahead.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Dundee Township Lions Club from the Sixth Congressional District of Illinois. In June, the club celebrated its 80th Anniversary. In the years since its humble founding in 1937, the Dundee Township Lions Club has become a champion of civic service, serving as a home to members who strive to create a vibrant and thriving community in West Dundee and the greater Kane County area. Over the years, the Club has contributed finances, time and talent to hundreds of community projects including the creation of pavilions at Randall Oaks Park, the first washrooms at South End Park, the Dundee Township Library room, and many, many more. From its early origins in the Township, the Lions Club has been a leader in community outreach and service, as well as an organization for other service organizations and community outreach organizations to follow. Through its continued dedication to building a friendly and welcoming environment, the Dundee Township Lions Club has built a reputation as an organization where all walks of life can come together to serve the less fortunate. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing the occasion of this 80th Anniversary. We join together to honor the Club's legacy of growth and prosperity, and to look ahead to the opportunities the future hold for the Dundee Township Lions Club.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Village of Wayne on being named one of the safest places to live in Illinois. The village of Wayne was named the seventh safest place on Niche's 2017 Safest Places to Live in Illinois. Working together, law enforcement, local officials, and the community have made Wayne a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. The residents of Wayne should never underestimate the impact that each citizen's positive actions can have. Everyday there are members of the community helping to change lives, while also inspiring their peers to do the same. I would be remiss to not also mention the wonderful job of the Wayne Police and volunteer Fire Departments. Day in and day out, the men and women of the Wayne Police and Fire Departments risk their lives to protect their community. Their bravery and courage are very deserving of our recognition and admiration and I am happy to see their service has led to Wayne being named one of the safest cities in Illinois. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing the village of Wayne and congratulating them on being named one of the safest places in Illinois.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to recognize Anna Ciamarra, a brave, strong, and exceptional young lady from Lombard, Illinois. Anna recently raised over $6,000 for childhood cancers. After visiting the doctor when she was 5 years old for a sore throat, Anna found out she had T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Since that time, Anna has had continuous treatment, including a minimum of two years of inpatient and outpatient therapies that include chemotherapy, lumbar punctures, transfusions and constant diagnostic testing. In spite of all these obstacles, Anna wanted to help others and bring awareness to childhood cancer. Last year, Anna and her family hosted lemonade stands for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a national childhood cancer foundation dedicated to funding research into new treatments and cures for all children battling cancer, and raised over $2,000. This year they were chosen as one of the foundation's National Lemonade Days Hero Ambassadors and thus far raised $6,900. This amazing figure is not only a credit to Anna's strength and resilience, but also the entire family's compassion and determination to help others. Anna is an inspiration to all and I am sure she will continue to be an advocate for those facing the challenges of cancer. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring and celebrating Anna Ciamarra's generosity and strength. Her advocacy on behalf of childhood cancer is commendable.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in recognition of the Illinois members of the men's and women's U.S. National Deaf Ice Hockey Team. Both teams competed in the 2017 World Deaf Ice Hockey Championships in April. Members of the women's team from Illinois, Maddie Gagliano and Hannah Garcia, tried out for the U.S. National Women's Deaf Ice Hockey team in March and were selected along with 15 other girls to play against Team Canada. The U.S. team ended up losing two hard fought games to Team Canada and although the team has disbanded for now, head coach Jackie McMullin believes Maddie and Hannah have plenty of opportunities to play the game they love. Max Finley, Ryne Kruger, and Derek Struwing are all Illinois residents who participated for team U.S. in this year's championships. The tournament was held April 19-29, with teams from Canada, Finland, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and the United States participating. The U.S. men's team finished first in the competition and won the gold medal in a thrilling 6-3 win against Team Canada. This important victory marked the first time the United States has won gold at the World Deaf Hockey Championships. Maddie, Hannah, Max, Ryne and Derek's participation in the U.S. National Deaf Ice Hockey Championships is truly inspirational. I know I speak for the entire state of Illinois and the country when I say congratulations and that we are all proud of them. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring the Men's and Women's U.S. National Deaf Ice Hockey teams.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 20th anniversary of Lazarus House, a charitable organization serving the homeless and those who are at risk of homelessness. Their services in providing hospitality, shelter, and education have made them a great contributor to our community. Since opening its doors on June 6, 1997, Lazarus House has continued to uphold its mission as a transitional living center through the hard work and timeless dedication of its original founder Darlene Marcusson, as well as its current Executive Director, Liz Eakins. Working together with various social service agencies, a large network of volunteers, and a generous family of donors, this organization has faithfully served those who are searching for a sense of hope and a future of opportunities. Treating their guests as gifts from God, Lazarus House has brought the Gospel to the forefront of their work. Its emergency shelter and outreach programs provide rent, mortgage and utility assistance, and most importantly, a support system for the homeless to call home. In helping their guests transition to independent living with the necessary skills for eventual success, Lazarus House has been a tremendous source of care and a ray of light for the future. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring and celebrating the remarkable achievements of Lazarus House. Their advocacy on behalf of the homeless is commendable.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lake in the Hills on being named one of the safest cities in the United States. The village of Lake in the Hills was named the seventh safest city on Neighborhood Scout's list of America's 100 Safest Cities. Working together, law enforcement, local officials, and the community have made Lake in the Hills a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. The residents of Lake in the Hills should never underestimate the impact that each citizen's positive actions can have. Everyday there are members of the community helping to change lives, while also inspiring their peers to do the same. I would be remiss to not also mention the wonderful job of the Lake in the Hills Police Department and Fire Department. Day in and day out the men and women of the Lake in the Hills Police and Fire Departments risk their lives to protect their community. Their bravery and courage are very deserving of our recognition and admiration and I am happy to see their service has led to Lake in the Hills being named one of the safest cities in America. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing the village of Lake in the Hills, Illinois and congratulating them on being named one of the safest cities in America.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Bartlett on being named one of the safest cities in the United States. The village of Bartlett was named the ninth safest city on Neighborhood Scout's list of America's 100 Safest Cities. Working together, law enforcement, local officials, and the community have made Bartlett a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. The residents of Bartlett should never underestimate the impact that each citizen's positive actions can have. Everyday there are members of the community helping to change lives, while also inspiring their peers to do the same. I would be remiss to not also mention the wonderful job of the Bartlett Police and Fire Departments. Day in and day out the men and women of the Bartlett Police and Fire Departments risk their lives to protect their community. Their bravery and courage are very deserving of our recognition and admiration and I am happy to see their service has led to Bartlett being named one of the safest cities in America. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing the village of Bartlett, Illinois and congratulating them on being named one of the safest cities in America

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize Laura Whipple, an exceptional and accomplished young woman from the Sixth District of Illinois. Laura, a senior at Barrington High School has received the Girl Scout Gold Award. This achievement represents many years of diligence and personal accomplishment in supporting the ideals of Scouting. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest and most prestigious award in Girl Scouting and it is no easy feat. The award is presented to girls who aspire to transform a vision into an actionable plan with real results. Laura did just that. Laura's project was named ``Native Bird Houses''. This project addressed the inadequate number of shelters for native bird species in her local community. She worked tirelessly, with help from several volunteers, to create different types of bird houses, while educating members of the public on how habitat destruction and invasive species can severely impact the ecosystem. At last count, Laura built 38 birdhouses that will help maintain the avian community at Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington, Illinois. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing Laura for her remarkable achievement and wishing her well as she continues to make an impact with the Girl Scouts.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Wheaton on being named one of the safest cities in the United States. The city of Wheaton was named the thirty-second safest city on Neighborhood Scout's list of America's 100 Safest Cities. In fact, Wheaton has a long-held reputation as one of the top 100 safest cities. It was ranked 51 in 2014, 31 in 2015, and 21 last year. Working together, law enforcement, local officials, and the community have made Wheaton a safer place to live, work, and raise a family. The residents of Wheaton should never underestimate the impact that each citizen's positive actions can have. Everyday there are members of the community helping to change lives, while also inspiring their peers to do the same. I would be remiss to not also mention the wonderful job of the Wheaton Police and Fire Departments. Day in and day out the men and women of the Wheaton Police and Fire Departments risk their lives to protect their community. Their bravery and courage are very deserving of our recognition and admiration, and I am happy to see their service has led to Wheaton being named one of the safest cities in America. Mr. Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing the city of Wheaton, Illinois and congratulating them on being named one of the safest cities in America.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a distinguished public servant from the Sixth District of Illinois. Jeff Turner has dedicated his life to the Elgin community and his incredible service is a truly impressive feat which may not be replicated. As the recipient of the 75th Elgin Cosmopolitan Club Distinguished Service Award, he serves as a role model for us all and as proof that one dedicated individual can change the lives of many. As an active participant within his village serving on multiple boards and committees, Jeff still finds time to successfully manage In the Neighborhood Deli. As the owner of this award-winning deli, he has been instrumental in starting a community dinner program that serves all. Hosting a total of four dinners per year, he has provided a meal to more than 800 residents within the surrounding neighborhoods. With his passion for people and commitment to the well-being of others, Jeff has devoted countless hours serving those around him. Nonetheless, his work does not stop there. He has previously partnered with the Community Garden Network of Elgin and volunteered as an honorary chef for both the Larkin Center Children's Brunch back in 2010 and the Ecker Center's Wishes for Wellness Brunch this past year. Additionally, he has served as a co- chair for both Elgin's Green Expo and their Climate Change Organization Board. In 2016, Jeff was honored with the Harold T. Seigle Community Service Award, Elgin Junior Women's Club Outstanding Man of the Year, and the D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award. Through hard work and no small amount of perseverance, Jeff Turner has helped countless people and tremendously improved his community. Distinguished Members, please join me in congratulating Jeff for his years of service and many more to come.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, it has been a difficult week in northern Illinois. A little over a week ago, torrential rains fell on Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Four Illinois counties have been named disaster areas: Lake County, McHenry County, Kane County, and Cook County. As difficult as it is, it is an incredibly impressive thing to visit these communities, particularly Algonquin, Port Barrington, and Fox River Grove, among others, all in the Sixth Congressional District. What you will witness is literally hundreds of volunteers following through and filling thousands of bags of sand to help their neighbors. Municipal employees, first responders, local leaders, the Governor of Illinois, and members of the Illinois delegation have all come together in order to meet our neighbors' needs at this time. For those of you who are people of faith, I ask that you would pray for these families as they are going through this difficult time. Also, I commend those at home who have lent a hand.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Thornberry, and I rise today in strong support of the Lamborn amendment requiring a report on Iran's use of commercial aircraft to support terrorist groups in rogue regimes around the Middle East. The Lamborn amendment delivers a simple message to Iran, to Assad, and all companies considering selling aircraft to the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, and that is: Congress is watching. Congress is watching midnight flights take off from military bases in Iran and land in war-torn Damascus carrying terrorists, guns, and explosives, which will only be used to shed more innocent blood in the Syrian civil war. Congress is watching as Boeing and Airbus shake hands and cut deals with former leaders of Iran's National Revolutionary Guard Corps like Hossein Alaei, CEO of Aseman Airlines, who has called to destroy U.S. naval ships sailing in international waters. Congress is watching as iconic American and European companies are choosing to fuel Iran's terror campaign around the world. Mr. Chair, Congress is watching, and Congress will act to ensure that Western companies do not become complicit in the Syrian massacre. Please support the Lamborn amendment.

Mr. ROSKAM

Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Chair, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 355 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 361. Amendment No. 88 Offered by Mr. Rogers of Alabama