Steve Stivers

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. STIVERS. Will the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) yield for the purpose of a colloquy?

Mr. STIVERS. I am curious if you are arguing--because it sounds to me like the gentleman from Massachusetts is arguing that we only want to give people protections from administrative actions; we don't want to give them equal protection in the courts that they are getting from administrative regulations when they are acting in good faith. Is that what you are arguing?

Mr. STIVERS. If they are acting in good faith, they should still be allowed to be sued and they should still have all the penalties for a wrong comma----

Mr. STIVERS.--even if they are acting in good faith? I will yield the gentleman some time in a second. But is that what you are arguing? If there is a comma misplaced or they accidentally tried to comply, but in good faith made an accident, you think they should suffer all the slings and arrows in court, even though they wouldn't suffer any slings and arrows from regulators? I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) to answer that question.

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I didn't hear an answer there. But the point is people deserve equal protection during a grace period in the courts if they acted in good faith. The key here is good faith. It is written right into the bill. They deserve the same protections in court if they act in good faith that they deserve from administrative action from the regulators. They deserve the same help and remediation to get their deficits corrected as opposed to punitive action. The problem is, without that provision--and let me add this is a temporary provision until February 1, 2016. The good faith protections don't even last past February 1. It is the same protection for the same time period in the courts as from administrative action. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr).

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I would request how much time each side has remaining.

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time, and I would inform my colleague I am prepared to close.

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to address the thing that the gentleman has continued to talk about: good faith. Good faith is known in all 50 States. It has been enacted in the Uniform Commercial Code. It is kind of interpreted two ways. And, by the way, the defendants are the ones who have to prove they acted in good faith, not the litigants, not the people who bring the lawsuit, but the defendants have to meet one of two standards to prove they acted in good faith. Number one is a reasonableness standard. In general, they relied on something. They were reasonable in their dealings. The plaintiff does not have to prove anything, just the defendant. The second also uses reasonableness, but it is about intent. If they intended to comply with the standard, that is the other thing that the defendant brings forward. I want to be clear here. Nothing changes the standard for a plaintiff in this. So this whole argument about whether somebody can act in good faith and yet deceive people, any court in the land would say that can't happen. You can't deceive somebody and say you acted in good faith. That is not good faith. So we stand with consumers who want to close on their homes for the American Dream in a timely way. We also stand by those who are trying in good faith to comply with 1,886 pages of regulation. It is important to note that this is a temporary standard through February 1, 2016, to give people a grace period from both administrative actions and legal actions. You have to give them a grace period in both categories. If you only give an administrative grace period, as the other side of the aisle has argued, everyone will simply run to the courts and there is no grace period there for good faith efforts. Good faith is important. It means something. We stand with consumers. We do not stand with trial lawyers. This bill allows a transition period to occur and ensure that buyers and sellers can have closings during that period, and those that are acting in good faith will be protected from both regulation and litigation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Major William ``Bill'' Conklin Nosker. Bill was a member of the 1939 Ohio State Football Big Ten Championship team and a Major in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Bill was born in 1919 in Columbus, Ohio, and later moved to Upper Arlington. He was an active high school athlete, earning 14 varsity letters in four sports. He became one of the first athletes from Upper Arlington to play football at a major university and earned varsity letters three years at The Ohio State University. In 1940, Bill was named to the honorary All-Big Ten Team. Bill left one quarter before graduation at Ohio State in 1941, along with six other athletes, to serve his country in the Army Air Corps. Bill did obtain his degree a year later when he submitted a thesis paper to his professor. While in basic training, Bill was selected as the ``Typical Air Corps Cadet'' for a nationwide publicity recruiting campaign, but he was far from ``typical.'' As part of the 449th Bombardment Group, Bill was sent overseas at the end of 1943. He was the original commanding officer of the 718th Squadron stationed in Italy and is credited with 35 total missions as a pilot or copilot. His missions spanned all over Europe, including Italy, Austria, France, Yugoslavia and Romania. In August of 1944, Bill died in a plane crash as part of an air support mission for the invasion of Southern France, also known as Operation Anvil. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, three Oak Leaf clusters, and the Bronze Star during his service. Bill was a true American hero and I am pleased to honor his service to our country during World War II. I wish his family all the best this year as they recognize the 70th anniversary of when he was set to return home from war.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize World War II veteran Edward (Ed) L. Turlo, who passed away on September 25, 2015 at the age of 92. Ed was born in Chicago, IL on July 13, 1923. He joined the Army after graduating high school, entering as the highest rank a civilian could join the military. He became a member of the 79th Infantry Division in the Army and was sent to fight on the D-Day invasion at Utah Beach in France. After D-Day, he began volunteering for the United National Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (UNRRA), which helped displaced citizens find their country representatives. While Ed was stationed in Germany, he met his wife Lydia, whom he married after the war. Ed and Lydia returned to the United States after getting married, and he started college at Miami University in Florida. He earned his 4-year degree in 2\1/2\ years and was soon hired by Western Electric in Chicago, Illinois. While in Chicago, he continued his education at Northwestern University and earned a Master of Business Administration degree. His involvement in charitable work throughout his life had a focus on inner city youth. In Chicago, Ed was involved in the Hawthorne Club, where he frequently took underprivileged children to baseball games and delivered toys and clothes to needy children. He even spent time as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hawthorne Club. In 1962, Ed and Lydia moved to Columbus, Ohio where they began a family. In Ohio, Ed served as the senior vice commander and on the Honor Guard unit for the VFW Post #2398. He also continued his charitable work by serving at the local food pantry and taking students from the Ohio School for the Blind to the circus. In 2011, Ed was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame. Ed Turlo served our country bravely in World War II and remained committed to service after the war. Hundreds of youth were positively impacted by his work throughout his lifetime. His commitment to service should serve as an example for us all.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Taiwan National Day, known as Double Tenth National Day and celebrated every year on October 10th. Taiwan is a critical country in the Asia-Pacific region, and the people of Taiwan and the current President Ma Ying-jeou have been instrumental in improving relations between neighboring countries. President Ma has been a leader in finding peaceful solutions to the challenges they face, including building a cross-strait relationship between Taipei and Beijing as well as promoting the East China Sea Peace Initiative and the South China Sea Peace Initiative, both of which call upon the countries making claims in contested waters to share the natural resources in those waters. Taiwan's role in trade has also grown significantly over the past 20 years. Taiwan now ranks as the 10th largest trade partner of the United States. The economic expansion in Taiwan has raised the country to become the 10th ranked country in trade volume among the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economies and a leading supplier of intermediary goods in the region. There is no doubt that Taiwan is leading by example in the Asia- Pacific region, and I am grateful that the United States and Taiwan remain close allies. I wish the people of Taiwan all the best as they prepare to celebrate Double Tenth National Day.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Harkless H. Hutchings, who passed away on August 1, 2015 at the age of 98. As a Colonel in the Ohio National Guard, I appreciate his dedicated service to his country during World War II. Harkless was born in Rhodell, West Virginia on July 31, 1917. He attended Byrd-Prillerman High School in Amigo, West Virginia. Throughout his life, he attended many high school reunions to reacquaint with old friends. Harkless began his service in World War II in the Army and later went into the Air Force. He fought bravely in the Pacific Islands throughout World War II. Harkless tragically stepped on a landmine causing him to lose 80 percent of his hearing and sustain severe injuries to his feet. Harkless was sent to a special hospital in Arizona to treat his injuries. During his time in Arizona, he met many famous film stars of his era, including Clark Gable, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Harkless lived an extraordinary life of service to his community and country.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Charlie Company, a unit of the United States Marine Corps Reserves, who this year celebrates the 65th anniversary of the first time they left the United States to fight for our country in Korea. As a Colonel in the Ohio National Guard, I understand and appreciate the dedicated service of the Charlie Company. The Charlie Company was formed on September 1, 1947 comprised of many World War II Marines who wanted to continue their service. After the Korean War began, the 177 man Company was sent from Fort Hayes in Columbus to Camp Pendleton in California to complete training. By November of 1950, the men were sent out to South Korea. The Charlie Company faced combat action within two weeks of being in South Korea. One of the toughest battles they fought in was in the mountains of North Korea near the Chosin Reservoir, where they were ambushed and outnumbered by the Chinese Army. After several days, the Marines finally broke free. Five men were killed in action and over 45 Purple Hearts were given to the Company. Members of the Company also earned additional medals such as the Silver Star and Bronze Star. The Charlie Company has had an incredible history of serving our country bravely in battle and continues to serve today. I am honored to recognize and thank the former and current members of the Charlie Company for the service they provide our nation.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support a bill that my colleague from Massachusetts, Representative Katherine Clark, and I introduced, H.R. 1462, the Protect Our Infants Act. I want to thank Representative Clark for her leadership, her hard work, and her commitment to protecting America's children. This bill has the support of 95 bipartisan cosponsors. It is a targeted effort to address a national epidemic of babies being born addicted to drugs. Recent data has shown that this issue, called neonatal abstinence syndrome, is sadly on the rise throughout the country. A baby is born with neonatal abstinence syndrome every 25 minutes, and symptoms can last for months and lead to weeks of hospitalization and have a lifelong impact. A report by the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the number of newborns diagnosed with NAS tripled from 2000 to 2009. In my home State of Ohio, the rate of neonatal abstinence syndrome grew over 600 percent between 2004 and 2011. It has taken a heavy toll on Ohio's healthcare system and Ohio's families. Treating newborns with NAS was associated with over $70 million in charges and approximately 19,000 hospital stays, and that was back in 2011. It has been on the rise ever since. This issue is especially devastating to our families and especially devastating to the youngest among us, the babies who are born addicted to drugs. I recently heard from a grandmother to three babies who were born with NAS. She was pleading for help for her innocent grandchildren, and she wanted to make sure we did something about this terrible disease. I am proud to say that the response in my district has been strong to our bill. There is a healthcare system called Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe, Ohio, and they actually have an incredible program which was piloted with a bunch of OB/GYNs, and they started with just 15 pregnant women who were addicted to drugs, and they have served those women. Now, they are on their second class to try to get those women off of drugs before they deliver. I am happy to report that, because of the support of the Adena Health System, none of the women in that group delivered a baby with NAS. Due to the success of the pilot, there is a permanent program that is starting now, and it already has a wait list, so I am really excited to say that there are people out there showing real leadership. Last week, I hosted my fourth annual opiate roundtable in my district to bring together a lot of issues, and we talked about this bill and how important it was, so I am so proud that it is on the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the Protecting Our Infants Act, H.R. 1462, to help our Nation's most innocent citizens. Again, I want to thank Katherine Clark for her incredible leadership on this bill and her commitment.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2015.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding. I also thank him for doing this Special Order. This message needs to get out. I also want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee, Steve Fincher, for sponsoring the reform bill that makes 31 meaningful reforms in the Export-Import Bank. I think it is important to note, we need to reauthorize and reform the Ex-Im Bank. Obviously, the Ex-Im Bank is about jobs. You have heard that message all evening. The charter did expire on June 30. Today, the Export-Import Bank can service existing loans, but they can't make new loan guarantees. That is why we need to act now to reform and reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. We are facing competition against 59 countries that have similar export credit finance agencies, and it is really important that we reauthorize our Export-Import Bank. The worst thing we could do would be to unilaterally disarm in a trade war against these 59 other countries and put our small businesses and job creators and exporters at a competitive disadvantage. I want to tell a story about one of the companies in my district called Davenport Aviation. It is a small exporter that sends aircraft spare parts to sub-Saharan Africa. Only 1 percent of exporters use the Export-Import Bank, but Davenport Aviation is one that really needs it because in places like Angola and places like Mozambique, there is a political risk, there is a credit risk, and only the Export-Import Bank can come in and take that risk and make that happen, because, as the gentleman from New York said earlier, it is probably pretty hard to get a bank loan to sell spare parts into Angola, Mozambique, and other places in sub-Saharan Africa. Davenport Aviation has thrived because the Export-Import Bank has been there. Now there are 12 jobs in Davenport Aviation, a company that started with just one person just 3 years ago. There are companies like that all throughout my district. J D Equipment exports tractors, and Showa Aluminum exports a lot of things using the Export-Import Bank. This bill that Mr. Fincher has created will help make sure those job creators can continue to make and create products that they export to other countries and create American jobs in the process. As you heard, the Fincher bill has 31 reforms that are meaningful. I am working on amendments that would create four additional reforms. One would be a reinsurance pilot that would determine the private sector price, an actuarially sound price of this credit insurance just so we could have that conversation. The second is a restructuring of the appointment process to make sure that minority and majority views are heard on the board of the Export-Import Bank. The third would be a report on any adverse impacts going on to American companies by loans that the Export-Import Bank guarantees. Finally, I have an amendment that would end the discrimination of coal and make sure that we can fund an all-of-the-above energy policy through our exports because export markets are an important place for energy and American-made energy. We need to make sure that we create jobs here to export the energy where possible. As you have heard, this debate is about jobs. The Export-Import Bank is about jobs. In fact, if we do nothing, America will lose 164,000 jobs; in Ohio, we will lose 15,300 jobs; and in my district, we will lose almost 1,500 jobs. So we have got to act. We need to act to reauthorize and reform the Ex-Im Bank. I am working hard to make sure we do that. I appreciate the gentleman from Washington. I appreciate the gentleman from Tennessee and everybody that is participating tonight. It is important to remember this debate is about jobs, and, in fact, the Export-Import Bank guaranteed $2.4 billion worth of exports in Ohio since 2007 and has helped make sure that 15,300 Ohioans had jobs. Thank you for this Special Order. Thank you, everyone, for participating. I urge my colleagues to support reforming and reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my mentor and friend Michael F. Colley, who passed away at the age of 78 on June 20, 2015. Michael Colley was born in Youngstown, Ohio and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from St. Charles Preparatory School, Michael attended the Ohio State University where he served as President of his fraternity, Kappa Sigma, and was a member of the baseball team. Michael continued his education at Ohio State after graduation in law school, where he earned his Juris Doctoral degree in 1961. Following his graduation from law school, Michael served in the Ohio National Guard and as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Columbus City Attorney's Office. Soon after, he went into private practice where he had an extremely successful career for his clients in personal injury, medical malpractice and product liability. Throughout his career, Michael served as president of state and national legal organizations: Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Michael is distinguished as the only person to serve as president of both the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Outside of the courtroom, Michael remained involved in his community and his alma mater. In 1968, Michael helped form the Direction for Youth and Families to help struggling youth and families in central Ohio. In 1991, Michael was appointed to the Board of Trustees for Ohio State and later served as Chairman of the Board. Michael rarely missed a Buckeye football or basketball game throughout his lifetime. Michael showed an incredible dedication to his community and public service throughout his life.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Moms2B program in Columbus, Ohio for receiving the Supporting the Safety Net Award from the Association of Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP). The award was given at the 2015 ACAP CEO Summit. ACAP works with not-for- profit Safety Net Health Plans in their efforts to improve the health of lower-income and vulnerable populations. Moms2B was founded in 2010 and began as a 10-week nutrition course. The program has now grown into a multidisciplinary program with a variety of healthcare professionals serving the neighborhoods of Columbus. The program is designed to address maternal and infant health issues in low-income communities with high rates of infant mortality. Specifically, there is a focus on helping pregnant women deliver full term, healthy babies. Moms2B also partners with a variety of organizations, including the American Red Cross, The Mid-Ohio Food Bank, the Ohio State University Outreach and Engagement, and many others in an effort to improve their outreach and care to the families in Central Ohio. Moms2B has enrolled more than 350 women into the program, and has seen great success in its short time in operation. Through August 2013, program participants had a 50 percent reduction in low birth weight babies compared to the Medicaid expected number. Winning the ACAP Supporting Safety Net Award is a true testament to the incredible impact Moms2B has had on families in Central Ohio. On behalf of the people of Ohio's 15th Congressional District, I thank Moms2B for all they do for our community and wish them continued success in the future.

Mr. STIVERS

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Warren E. Motts, the founder of the Motts Military Museum in Ohio. As a Colonel in the Ohio National Guard, I truly appreciate all that Warren has done to make the museum into what it is today. In 1987, Groveport, Ohio native Warren Motts established the military museum in his family's residence in order to preserve the history of our armed forces. As new exhibits were added, the museum was later moved to a larger facility on nearly four acres of land. After moving, the museum began receiving large donations from military families, which allowed for the acquisition of military vehicles, aircraft, and a World War II boat. In 2001, the museum had the funds to break ground on a new wing to add even more military artifacts. The new wing of the museum was completed in 2006 and items are still being added to this section of the museum. Today, the Motts Military Museum has exhibits for the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Desert Storm. The museum also has some historical NASA artifacts, medals, and a POW exhibit. It is a testament to Warren Motts' dedication that The Motts Military Museum has grown into an incredible facility for people all over Ohio to learn about the rich history of America's armed services. I thank Warren for all of his tremendous work in establishing this museum and ensuring it will continue to grow well into the future for our community and visitors to enjoy.

Mr. STIVERS

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

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

Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Chairman, I will be fairly brief. This is a followup amendment. We have already accepted the congressional intent that we will have a preference toward administrative enforcement. This is a followup limitation amendment that basically says we will not, for this calendar year, use the Private Enforcement Initiative. As the gentleman from North Carolina said, we can always come back; but I think we need to have time for this GAO study that I have requested to come back because I would assert that administrative enforcement is less expensive to taxpayers than private enforcement. It creates more certainty. It happens faster. It has less conflict of interest than the Private Enforcement Initiative. I would ask that my colleagues support this limitation amendment on the Private Enforcement Initiative for this year period. I reserve the balance of my time.