Michael San Nicolas

Mr. SAN NICOLAS

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3589, the Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019. I thank the gentleman from California, Representative Thompson, for his work on this bill, which honors a man who, in addition to being one of our Nation's greatest athletes and the greatest American cyclist in history, exemplifies the virtues of sportsmanship, selflessness, and perseverance. Born in Lakewood, California, Greg LeMond is the only American cyclist to win the Tour de France officially, which he won three times. He is also the first American to win a major European cycling tournament and the youngest cyclist in history to be selected for the U.S. men's Olympic team. LeMond is at the pinnacle of American cycling history and ranks firmly among the most accomplished international athletes in U.S. history. In 1987, he suffered a horrific gunshot injury during a hunting accident, which left him with over 40 pellets in his abdomen. He was told he would never ride a bicycle again. Remarkably, in what remains one of the most astonishing recoveries in sports history, LeMond won the 1989 Tour de France on its final day, to win his third yellow jersey in 4 years. That victory--on the heels of gunshot wounds, an appendectomy, a broken wrist, and a fractured collarbone--is a testament to Mr. LeMond's tenacity and training. It still stands as the last time an American officially won the Tour de France. Above and beyond his considerable athletic accomplishments, LeMond has demonstrated a repeated willingness to sacrifice his own individual victories for the sake of his teammates. Outside of the world of sports, LeMond and his wife, Kathy, have worked through various charitable initiatives to support victims of childhood abuse and various childhood illnesses. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Thompson for joining me in introducing this bill this Congress and urge Members to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I am pleased to support this bipartisan bill, and I want to thank Mr. Thompson and all the bill's many cosponsors. For decades, Greg LeMond has exemplified the breakaway culture of American cycling and is the embodiment of talent, tenacity, and selflessness that is unparalleled in American sports. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1830) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, as amended.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1830, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act. I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney) as well as Representatives Takano and Gallagher for their work on this bill which would honor the Purple Heart Hall of Honor. The Purple Heart was established by General and future President George Washington in 1782 and is one of the oldest and most recognized American military medals awarded to servicemembers who were killed or wounded by enemy action. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York, just 2 miles from the town of Newburgh, where General Washington signed the order creating the Purple Heart. Its mission is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of the Armed Forces from the time of its creation. The Hall of Honor is a memorial to the brave men and women who have been wounded or died during combat, and work ensures that their sacrifices are not forgotten. Currently, there are over 200,000 names installed at the Hall of Honor. This bill would provide tangible support to the Hall of Honor by directing the West Point Mint to produce commemorative coins in recognition of the work of the Hall of Honor. Proceeds from the sale of this coin would fund improvements to the museum itself to help expand the understanding and respect for those who have served and sacrificed. Additionally, proceeds would go toward special projects like the Purple Heart Patriot Project, which provides resources for Purple Heart recipients and their families from all across the Nation to visit the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Museum. I thank Mr. Maloney, Mr. Takano, and Mr. Gallagher for joining me in introducing this bill this Congress, and I urge Members to vote ``yes.'' Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney), chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to again thank Mr. Maloney for introducing this legislation, and all the cosponsors. We must work to guarantee the stories of our Purple Heart recipients are not forgotten. This shows our commitment to this important mission and to helping future generations understand the recipients' sacrifices. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2852) to amend the National Housing Act to authorize State-licensed appraisers to conduct appraisals in connection with mortgages insured by the FHA and to require compliance with the existing appraiser education requirement, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2852, the Homebuyer Assistance Act of 2019, would make a commonsense update to FHA's requirements governing appraisals, to allow licensed appraisers to conduct appraisals for FHA-backed mortgages. The current requirement for all FHA loans to utilize a certified appraiser is simply outdated as it was put into place at a time when there were no minimum Federal standards for State licensure of appraisers, leaving concerns about consistency and competency across States. Now that we do have minimum standards for licensure, FHA's certification requirement is not only out of date and out of alignment with Fannie and Freddie, it is also creating market pressures for lenders to require certified appraisers for all loans, even if they are not FHA loans, just in case the mortgage switches to an FHA loan midway through the process. This, in turn, makes it harder for licensed appraisers to obtain work at a time when certain areas are experiencing appraiser shortages and when we are already struggling to recruit new appraisers effectively. There is simply no sound policy rationale to explain why licensed appraisers that are perfectly qualified to conduct appraisals for GSE loans are not qualified to conduct appraisals for FHA loans. This bill is supported by a broad coalition of not just appraisal industry groups but also lenders and housing advocacy groups that recognize that this is an unnecessary barrier. I thank Mr. Sherman for introducing this legislation and the Republican cosponsor, Mr. Duffy, for his support for this important bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I too thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman) for bringing this legislation forward and for the support of the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy). This bill removes unnecessary barriers to the home-buying process, which will help millions of Americans over time. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3620) to provide rental assistance to low-income tenants in certain multifamily rural housing projects financed by the Rural Housing Service of the Department of Agriculture, and to develop and implement a plan for preserving the affordability of rural rental housing, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3620, the Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2019, which will provide a comprehensive solution to address the imminent crisis of aging USDA multifamily rental housing that currently serves nearly 400,000 low-income families in rural America. Like HUD properties, these properties have suffered from years of inadequate funding, and according to the GAO, USDA does not have a coherent strategy to preserve these homes and prevent the displacement of low-income families. For these families, the homes we are trying to preserve often represent the only affordable housing in their communities. Without Congress providing the resources and tools the USDA needs to preserve properties in its affordable housing portfolio, many of these families will be displaced, not only from their homes, but from their communities. And even worse, some might fall into homelessness. To address this problem, H.R. 3620 would permanently authorize the Multifamily Housing Preservation and Revitalization Demonstration program that allows USDA to restructure loans for existing USDA multifamily properties, to provide incentive for private owners to continue to participate in the agency's affordable housing programs and provide those properties with further investment. To carry out the program, H.R. 3620 would authorize $1 billion in funding over 5 years. It would also require USDA to develop a plan for implementing the new funding and authorities available to them under this bill to ensure that a comprehensive strategy is in place to preserve these rural housing properties and avoid resident displacement. The bill would also establish an advisory committee made up of diverse stakeholders, including low-income tenants to include USDA on the implementation of its plan. Lastly, this bill includes the text of Congressman Vicente Gonzalez's bill that will add the Rural Housing Voucher Program to the list of covered housing programs under the Violence Against Women Act. Groups that represent both tenants and owners support H.R. 3620, including the National Rural Housing Coalition, the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing, the National Housing Law Project, the Housing Assistance Council, the National Housing Trust, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for introducing this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the sponsor of this legislation and the chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development and Insurance.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I, again, commend the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for bringing this bill before the House. We are committed to helping prevent and address homelessness wherever they may find themselves, and this bill will go a long way in addressing the need to prevent homelessness in rural communities. H.R. 3620 passed the committee by a vote of 57-0, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 281) to amend the Federal Reserve Act to require Federal Reserve banks to interview at least one individual reflective of gender diversity and one individual reflective of racial or ethnic diversity when appointing Federal Reserve bank presidents, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), the chair of the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion, for this incredibly important piece of legislation, and the Members on the other side of the aisle who also support this bill. For far too long, the Federal Reserve system has been very homogenous since its inception in 1913. This only partially changed when, in 2017, Raphael Bostic was appointed as the first African American and openly gay male to serve as Federal Reserve Bank President. Additionally, only six women have served in a similar capacity, despite America becoming more demographically diverse. To address this lack of gender and ethnic representation, H.R. 281 would require the Federal Reserve Bank to interview at least one individual reflective of gender diversity and one reflective of racial or ethnic diversity when filling Federal Reserve Bank president vacancies. To ensure accountability of this diversity effort, the bill would further require the Federal Reserve report annually on the applicant pool demographics. We must ensure the leadership of the Federal Reserve System reflects the growing diversity of our Nation and that gender and racially and ethnically diverse candidates are receiving serious consideration for president vacancies at the 12 Federal Reserve banks. Increasing diverse leadership representation will ensure that more perspectives are considered when making decisions about America's economic future. Again, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) for pushing this important bill and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 281. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), the sponsor of this legislation and the chair of the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Once again, I thank Representative Beatty for bringing forward this legislation. I am excited to read about the Beatty rule in future financial news, and I am excited to see strong bipartisan support for something that is just common sense. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.