Marlin Stutzman

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this resolution because it delivers on the promise that we made to the American people by extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and fulfilling President Trump's agenda. This is direly needed. For the past 4 years, the American people have lived through the longest sustained period of debt and deficit in our Nation's history. During that same time, Americans have also had to grapple with hyperinflation and record-high energy costs and grocery costs at the grocery store. This budget will usher in a new golden era that the American people are yearning for and where free enterprise can flourish, energy production is unleashed, and our fiscal health is restored. This budget does so by extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which delivered wage increases of 4.9 percent and the lowest poverty and unemployment rates in 50 years. This budget also achieves a deficit reduction of $1 billion over 10 years and achieves massive savings in our spending. Washington doesn't have a revenue problem. Washington has a spending problem. Mr. Chair, the American people sent us here to fulfill a mission, putting our Nation back on a trajectory toward success and prosperity. Passing this resolution is the first step in that process. This budget doesn't betray the middle class. It saves the middle class, and it empowers the middle class for a prosperous future. Mr. Chairman, I support this resolution, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. This is the first time that I remember where we are actually being fiscally responsible.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I applaud President Trump's decisive economic actions that have leveled the playing field between Hoosier businesses and the Chinese Communist Party. The CCP has taken advantage of hardworking Hoosiers by engaging in currency manipulation, undermining our manufacturing sector, and buying American farmland in an attempt to control our agricultural future. For too long the CCP has used the exchange rate of their currency as a dagger to be hidden under the cloak of what they describe as fair trade practices. They bought great American companies like Smithfield and masqueraded as a friendly neighborhood face, while silently gutting the already hemorrhaging mom-and-pop pork operations that are important to America's future and food supply. To top it all off, they tried to deal a lethal blow to the third largest industry in my State by attempting to purchase Indiana steel mills. Enough is enough. Trump has sent a clear message that America is finished with allowing the CCP to evade U.S. tariffs. Hoosiers don't want the CCP to control our farmland or our markets. It is time to change the unacceptable status quo that has taken hold and put America, not China, first.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a proud Hoosier representing the 3rd district of Indiana. We have beautiful landscapes and many storied histories, but above all we have terrific people who make up our fantastic district. Today, I'm proud to recognize one such Hoosier. Rita Price-Simpson has been on WRSW radio for 65 years. On that historic station, she has broadcast boys and girls basketball games and football games for 50 years. That is quite a milestone, and Rita is truly a remarkable woman. She has been inducted into the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame, the Indiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and the Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame. She has also received the Indiana Torchbearers Award from the Indiana Commission For Women and The Sportscaster of The Year Award from the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, along with that, she was named the Kosciusco County Woman of The Year. For her tremendous accomplishments, in fact, WRSW named her studio at the station ``The Rita Price Studio.'' Going along with all those honors, if you look closely at the basketball court at Tippecanoe Valley High School, you will see it has been aptly named the ``Rita Price-Simpson Court.'' To this day, she continues working in sales and broadcasts 65 basketball games and 10 football games every year. She is happily married with 3 daughters and 5 grandchildren. She has been president of the Mentone Chamber Of Commerce, and she is an active member of the Mentone United Methodist Church. But today she is recognized for the work she loves desperately, and obviously, Mr. Speaker, she loves and honors high school sports right here in her home state of Indiana. I'm proud to make her name known throughout our Nation's capitol . . . and the fruited plain.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, we, the people, are tired of watching billions of our hard-earned tax dollars being sent overseas carelessly, and we are tired of the lack of transparency that surrounds those decisions. The American people voted for accountability, and they voted to keep the government in check. The legacy media has painted Elon Musk as a tyrant and President Trump as a deceitful puppet master. Their attacks lean on the premise that Elon Musk was never elected by the American people. My response to them is: How many people elected Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee for President? How many people elected those woke bureaucrats who fraudulently doled out billions to foreign lands, even terrorist organizations possibly? Every dollar they wasted was earned off the sweat of the brow of the American taxpayer. Elon Musk, President Trump, and the Department of Government Efficiency have done more to save tax dollars for the American people in the past month than I have seen government do in decades. Instead of running them through the mud, they should be celebrated in the streets. The golden age of American fiscal responsibility is upon us, and I, for one, am excited to join the ride.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I represent one of the heaviest manufacturing districts in the country. In fact, my family employs Hoosiers who build and fabricate products for our great American economy. In 2017, President Trump laid out his plan to add rocket fuel to the American manufacturing sector. He enacted major tax cuts, eliminated regulatory red tape, and increased pressure on countries like China that have been eating our lunch for decades. During Trump's first term, we saw businesses return home at a record rate, supplying our country with a surplus of employment. You couldn't leave the house without seeing a ``help wanted'' sign. Trump knows how to make businesses successful, and following his lead, we will make America successful again. We need to support his efforts to deregulate. We need to use every tool available to level the playing field. We must create an appealing business environment so that our great manufacturing companies can feel confident to grow here rather than looking abroad. It is time to take pride in our abilities, our people, and the words ``made in America.''

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly a decade since I had the opportunity to address this body. In the time I have been gone, Washington has seen a lot of changes. Donald Trump was elected two times. Over 200 congressional districts have seen new Members take hold. Staffers no longer use BlackBerrys. As the old adage goes: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Washington's fiscal house is still out of order. Democrats are still out of touch with reality, just as we saw on our last vote 20 minutes ago on the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act. Conservatism is still in short supply, but Americans recognize Washington is broken, which is why they gave our party an irrefutable mandate to fix it. We must follow the lead of President Trump and Speaker Johnson in reducing government overreach and making this country great, healthy, and prosperous again. The old way of business has doubled our national debt since I was last in these Halls and has gradually substituted million-dollar spending packages with billion-dollar ones. The people have been clear: The Washington of old is out, and government for and by the people is in.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Indiana. It is great to be here on the floor with my colleagues from the Indiana delegation as we celebrate our bicentennial in Indiana. I also find it an honor that we get to be one of the last groups here on the floor discussing an issue here in this Congress, as we have wrapped up our business earlier today. I just want to thank Mr. Rokita, Mrs. Brooks, Mr. Messer, and others that I see here--Mr. Bucshon was here earlier--whom I count it an honor and privilege to serve with. This will be my last speech on the floor as I end my time here in Congress and look forward to going back home to Indiana again. So I come with some mixed emotions, frankly, but also very excited about what is in store for you all, what is in store for Indiana, what is in store for our country, as I have had the privilege to serve Indiana's Third Congressional District for these past 6 years. I know that, just as you all feel, we feel very privileged to be Hoosiers. Indiana is oftentimes thought of to be that flyover State in from the East Coast to the West Coast or vice versa; but so many wonderful things are happening in Indiana that we are proud of and that we feel, especially at this time as our own Governor, the Vice President-elect, Mike Pence, who has been our Governor for the last 4 years in Indiana, is showing and exhibiting the good policies, the good nature, the humbleness, the character and integrity that so many Hoosiers display on a daily basis. So I think that, as I leave, I am looking forward to watching you all continue to face some difficult challenges, but with a lot of opportunity in front of us. I know that Hoosiers all across our State and Americans are looking for leadership. I know that we have seen that in Indiana with our former Governor, Mitch Daniels. It was great to see our colleague, Mr. Clawson, here earlier, who is also going to be departing after this Congress. We have such great history. Of course, our sports history is one that we love to talk about and brag about. I also want to recognize my family: my wife Christy, and our sons, Payton and Preston. Payton, of course, was named after a football player in Indianapolis. He was one of those kids in Indiana that was named Peyton during a great streak by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. We have got such great ownership, great leaders in Indianapolis and across the country with the teams that we are proud of in Indiana, the Colts and Pacers. We have got a great college tradition. You turn on ESPN and you see, of course, Indiana basketball, Purdue basketball, Notre Dame. Valparaiso always ends up in the tournament at the end of the year it seems like. Of course, there are other teams that continue to exhibit that tradition that we have in Indiana of great basketball. Of course, our high school basketball is like no other State has. There is something really remarkable about high school basketball in Indiana. I also just want to quickly recognize a friend that happens to be here. Randy Lewandowski, who is the president of the Indianapolis Indians, our baseball team in Indiana. It is a AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He just happens to be in town, and I am proud of the work that he does to bring great baseball to our city and to our State. I am proud of the folks like Randy that work so hard to make Indiana a great place to live. Of course, our racing is also such a proud sport for us in Indiana. More importantly than all of that, look at the hardworking Hoosiers on a daily basis who go to work every day, whether it is in the factories, whether it is in the trucking industry. We are known as the crossroads of America. You have distribution centers all across the State. You think of the teachers that do such a remarkable job in teaching our children. As you get to know people across the State of Indiana, I have become just more and more proud to be called a Hoosier, have the opportunity to represent them, and to know that we all love life. We love liberty. We want to continue to protect the ability to pursue happiness as Americans. We know that life is difficult, life has challenges, but working together and working hard, keeping our head down and facing those challenges together as communities, as a State, and as a country, we can be successful. As we celebrate our bicentennial, I just know that Indiana has done so much for me and my family. I want to thank my parents, Albert and Sarah Stutzman; my brothers, Matt and Chris; and my sister, Lynette; and their families for the support that they have given to me in the time that I have had the opportunity to serve here. I know there are so many families across our State that support one another and are working to make life better not only for themselves, but for their families. Indiana also has the fourth largest National Guard in the country. We have, of course, Texas, California, and New York, but Indiana is one of the largest national guards in the country. And I think that shows the level of commitment that Hoosiers have been willing to sacrifice, to commit to the defense and security of this country. I appreciate many of our leaders in our State that have led a National Guard to show that we are willing to do our part and to help lead the way. As I think of traveling across the State, there are so many different parts of Indiana that we are so proud to have as part of our State. So I would just say to anyone listening and watching this, as we talk about our beloved Indiana, if you ever get a chance to visit, there is so much to do and see and enjoy, the nature, from top to bottom, from Lake Michigan in the northwest to the Ohio Valley in the southern part of the State, the beautiful farmland, and the rolling hills in the southern part of Indiana. We just have such tremendous tradition and, of course, the values that we all hold very dearly and know that we want to do our part to not only make Indiana great but to continue to make America great as well. So with that, Mr. Rokita, I really appreciate the opportunity, and I thank the gentleman for putting this time together as we reflect on our great State. I want to wish him the very best and the rest of our colleagues the very best as well in the future; and know that folks across this country can look to the gentleman for solid leadership, and appreciate all that he does.

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I just want to stand here in front of this House and this body to honor our Senator, Dan Coats, who served Indiana in so many different capacities. I actually have the privilege of representing his district, the Third District in northeast Indiana. We have such a long line of great leaders from northeast Indiana who have served here in Washington from our State, and Dan Coats, of course, exemplified a man of character, humbleness, and leadership. He followed former Vice President Dan Quayle. I also would like to recognize him as well. He is another man who showed leadership for our State here in Washington, D.C. Both of those gentlemen have been heroes and models for me growing up, watching both of them as they took time to come to Washington and show what Hoosier leadership is all about. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman again for honoring them today.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted Yea on Roll Call No. 601 (H.R. 5015), Yea on Roll Call No. 602 (H.R. 6427), and Yea on Roll Call No. 603 (House Amendment to S. 1635).

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 544, H.R. 5719, Empowering Employees through Stock Ownership Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, on February 12, 2016, due to a funeral in my state, I was absent for four roll call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: Roll Call Vote No. 79--McMorris-Rodgers of Washington Amendment No. 1--Yes. Roll Call Vote No. 80--Schrader of Oregon Amendment No. 3--No. Roll Call Vote No. 81--H.R. 2017, Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2015--Yes. Roll Call Vote No. 82--(Motion to Suspend the Rules and Concur in the Senate Amendment) H.R. 757, North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enforcement Act of 2016--Yes.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

Mr. STUTZMAN. I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe).

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer).

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with quite a few Members to address the issue of gun control and Americans' Second Amendment rights. Mr. Speaker, I have the honor of representing the Third District of Indiana. In the Hoosier State, we cherish our constitutional right to bear arms. For many years I also had the honor of serving in the Indiana General Assembly, where I was proud to coauthor and get signed into law the lifetime concealed carry permit so that Hoosiers could protect themselves, their families, and their homes. Starting in 2013, in response to the push for radical gun control legislation from Senate Democrats, we founded the Republican Study Committee's Second Amendment Initiative here in Congress, which serves as a platform for House Republicans to share the most important facts about gun control and the Second Amendment. Tonight I will be joined on the House floor by many members of the Second Amendment Initiative and other proud Members who steadfastly defend Americans' gun rights. Mr. Speaker, we come to the House floor tonight to set the record straight. Yesterday President Obama announced his intentions to unilaterally pursue executive actions on gun control. Like times past, I wholeheartedly oppose the manner in which the President has chosen to pursue changes to current law. In fact, when reports surfaced this past fall that the President was considering executive actions on guns, I led over 30 of my House colleagues in sending a letter to the White House requesting information on what exactly he planned to do and why. My colleagues and I had a number of very simple questions. First, if the President is planning on closing the supposed gun show loophole, did the Vice President and his gun control commission recommend this policy for inclusion among the 23 executive actions announced by the White House in January of 2013? If so, why was it excluded from the announcement? Second, is the White House relying on any new data that was not available when those 2013 actions were announced? Third, does the White House have any evidence private sellers' transaction volumes and propensity for illegal sales are positively correlated? Fourth, does the White House believe this new policy would have prevented any of the recent year's major shootings? Finally, does the White House expect criminals to voluntarily comply with these new rules? The White House still has not responded to our letter. Tomorrow, the President plans to hold a Q&A townhall televised on CNN regarding guns in America. Mr. Speaker, I fear after this event, Americans will continue to be left with more questions than answers, like, first and foremost, why does President Obama insist on infringing on Congress' lawmaking authority? The reason we don't have any answers to the questions about this new gun control policy is because it was crafted in back rooms, out of view of the public, instead of in Congress, where we would have held hearings, committees would have reviewed the policy, and our constituents would have had the opportunity to comment on it. Mr. Speaker, in the event Congress would have held a hearing on this issue, we probably would have uncovered the glaring reality that there is no gun show loophole. If you were one of the 55,277 federally licensed gun dealers in America in fiscal year 2014, you would have been required, by law, to run background checks on individuals, no matter if you sold a gun at your place of business or at a gun show. Congress would probably also have come across the Department of Justice's study of inmates from 2001 that found that less than 1 percent of inmates, when interviewed, actually bought their crime gun at a gun show. In contrast to this, almost 40 percent reported acquiring their guns illegally, such as by theft. Members of Congress would have also found interesting a December 10 Fact Checker's column in The Washington Post which reported as true the fact that none of the past year's and month's tragic mass shootings would have been prevented by newly proposed gun laws. Due to the President's insistence on going it alone and pursuing actions that challenge the Constitution, today we introduced H.R. 4321, the Separation of Powers Restoration and Second Amendment Protection Act. Joined by over 60 colleagues in the House, this bill would render any executive action that violates the Second Amendment or infringes on Congress' article I responsibilities as having no force or effect, and to prohibit funds for such actions and established standing for Congress, State, and local governments, and for aggrieved persons to challenge such actions in District Court. This legislation is the House companion bill to Senator Rand Paul's bill S. 2434. Mr. Speaker, it is time the White House cut out the distractions. Stop blaming gun owners and start taking threats to Americans' safety seriously. Instead of continuing to blame Congress for not enacting new laws, perhaps the President should look to laws already on the books. Reports suggest that some Federal prosecutors are choosing not to prosecute straw purchasers as a matter of policy. These are the individuals that purchase guns and illegally give or sell them to individuals they know could not pass a background check. For example, in 2012, the U.S. attorney for Chicago announced a transition to focusing on interstate trafficking and other violations instead of these illegal straw purchases. On top of this solution, the President could also look to Congress for ideas. For example, States have been expanding concealed carry reciprocity to the point that Federal laws ought to catch up. I have a bill, H.R. 923, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would do just that. Mr. Speaker, in the coming months, I look forward to working with House Republican leadership on bold strategies to actually make America safer. At this time, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga).

Mr. STUTZMAN. I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho).

Mr. STUTZMAN. I thank the gentleman from Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice).

Mr. STUTZMAN. I thank the gentleman for the reminder from one of our Founding Fathers, and I appreciate your service to the citizens in Georgia. I yield to another Member from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk).

Mr. STUTZMAN. I thank the gentleman from Georgia and appreciate his comments tremendously. I think he made some very good points. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

Mr. STUTZMAN. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the 1-minute speech then.

Mr. STUTZMAN. I understand, but we are already at 9:17, and I have quite a few Members here to talk about the issue we have come to the floor to discuss.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. STUTZMAN

Mr. STUTZMAN. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman just mentioned that this is a partisan issue. This was a partisan issue back in 2009 when it was passed. This was forced through against the will of the American people. That is why you have seen over the past several elections that the American people want a repeal of ObamaCare and that we start over with patient-centered free-market health care. The fact is that I was at a Cracker Barrel a couple of weeks ago. I was talking to the waitress. The waitress approached me and she said: You know, ObamaCare was supposed to help me. She said: My premiums have gone up. They have doubled. My out-of- pocket expenses have gone from $500 to $5,000. She said: ObamaCare is not helping me. This is a story that we have heard time and time again. ObamaCare hasn't helped the American people. It has put a greater burden on the American people. Doctors are supposed to provide health care, not ObamaCare, not the Federal Government. This should be a relationship between the American people and the doctor that they choose, the doctor that they were promised that they could keep. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this reconciliation package is the right thing at the right time for our country. We need to start over. We need to fix our healthcare system rather than prolonging and continuing to enforce a Big Government agenda on the American people. I ask the Members of this House to support this legislation.