Glenn Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, 73 years ago, Nazi Germany's forces formally surrendered, marking the end of World War II in Europe. Today, we commemorate Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day. Celebrations erupted throughout the world on May 8, 1945, to mark the end of the Second World War in Europe. From Paris to London to New York and in small towns everywhere, people poured into the streets to join the revelry. Old photos showed ticker tape parades and streamers galore, exciting and proud crowds were cheering the German surrender. The war was over in Europe, and so many American GIs would return home to be with their loved ones. It would take another 4 months and the use of two atomic bombs before Japan surrendered and World War II ended for good. Mr. Speaker, the end of the war in Europe meant an end to nearly 6 years of war--a war that cost millions of lives; a war that destroyed homes, families, and cities; but a war that stamped out hatred and bigotry for the greater good. VE Day is one that shall never be forgotten.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Centre County 4-H Robotics Club for winning the FIRST Robotics Competition and being the first Pennsylvania team to capture the title. The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a 6-week period to build game-playing robots that weigh up to 120 pounds. The Centre County 4-H Robotics Club was 1 of 405 teams from 22 States and 7 countries to compete in the late-April event which was hosted at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Each team earned a spot in the contest based on competition performance throughout the year. This year, the Centre County 4-H Robotics Club earned its spot by winning its first regional competition at the Greater Pittsburgh Regional in March. The championship entailed 10 rounds of qualification matches in six divisions. The top eight teams in each division drafted an alliance of four robots to compete in a single-elimination playoff to determine the division champion, at which time the Centre County team joined forces with Stryke Force from Kalamazoo, Michigan; Team Rush from Clarkston, Michigan; and Lake Effect Robotics from Kingston, Ontario. Mr. Speaker, this is an amazing accomplishment on many fronts. The Centre County 4-H Robotics Club has created state-of-the-art technology, they have worked together with interstate and international peers to achieve success, and they have built long-lasting career skills. I am incredibly proud of this club, and I want to highlight each team member: Tom Sowers, Mary Davis, Tate Geiger, Hannah Strouse, Petr Esakov, James Hanagan, Nathan Tack, Thad Valentine, Griffen Josephs, Roger Nagel, Emily Christensen, Zach Jester, Lachlan Sneff, Isaiah Adu, Ben Servey, A.J. Marsala, Braydon Button, Alex Mullen, Eli Johnson, and Lee Conklin. The club had numerous mentors and community supporters who helped them to achieve this first-place international finish. This is especially important today, on National Teacher Appreciation Day. This week we celebrate America's hardworking, dedicated, and passionate teachers, who inspire scores of students. To all of our teachers and mentors, especially those who helped the Centre County 4-H Robotics Club bring home gold at the FIRST Robotics Competition, we salute you. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly congratulate the Centre County 4-H Robotics Club on this outstanding achievement in Centre County, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, and, quite frankly, in the world. Congratulations.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day was last Saturday, the last Saturday in April. Today, President Trump announced that nearly 1 million pounds of prescription drugs were disposed of at sites across the country. The Drug Enforcement Administration, in partnership with Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement, businesses, medical offices, Federal agencies, and first responders hosted events to collect and safely dispose of unneeded medication. National Take Back Day happens twice a year, and each time, thousands of pounds of prescription drugs are returned, helping to prevent incidents of drug abuse and misuse across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, unneeded or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue. Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that nearly 19 million Americans 12 years of age or older abused or misused prescription drugs in the past year. According to the CDC, most people who abuse prescription opioids get them for free from a friend or relative. We must continue our fight against the opioid epidemic, and the biannual Take Back Days are an important one step in doing so.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National Park Week to celebrate America's treasures, our national parks. For 1 week each April, the National Park Service joins with the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, to celebrate National Park Week. This is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, and take in all the beautiful public lands our Nation has to offer. National Park Week began last Saturday, April 21, and runs through Sunday, April 29. The theme for National Park Week in 2018 is ``Park Stars,'' celebrating everything from starry skies to superstar volunteers, park features, and resources. Parks, programs, and partners nationwide invite people everywhere to explore stories, experiences, and sites that brighten the national park system and public lands. Parks across the country have hosted a variety of events throughout the week. Today is Military and Veteran Recognition Day. The National Park Service employs more than 5,800 Active-Duty veterans in a wide array of careers. Mr. Speaker, our national parks are truly remarkable, and I encourage everyone to experience their breathtaking beauty. Happy National Park Week.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. We have been down this road before, and yet, again, we are witnessing attempts to remove rural America's connectivity to the national air transportation system. Those who would look to scrap the Essential Air Service program often fail to acknowledge reforms that have been put in place to modernize and streamline the program. This reauthorization does the same. Mr. Chairman, for too long, rural America has received the scraps of our suburban and urban counterparts. Last year, the Airport Improvement Program, another program, not the Essential Air Service, issued more than $264 million in grants to 95 airports in 31 States. Among them, $2 million was issued for Sacramento International Airport in Sacramento, California, to purchase five zero-emission electric shuttle buses to take passengers between the airport parking lots and the terminal buildings. Mr. Chairman, these types of projects are nice, but the fact is that $2 million is about equal to the amount a small rural airport requires for commercial service for 2 years. Let's get serious here. Striking the Essential Air Service program is bad for rural America. It is time to stop the witch hunt on rural America. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, let me just deal with some of the rumor mongering that is happening within this Chamber. One of the things I hear is that the nutrition title of the farm bill results in a significant number of individuals from receiving SNAP. Frankly, Madam Speaker, that is absolutely false. Actually, without this change, a significant number of families experiencing food insecurity will continue to not be eligible for the needed nutritional support they have, being food-insecure families. The 2018 farm bill and nutrition title updates the archaic asset test that prevented hungry families from accessing SNAP for decades. In fact, Madam Speaker, many of these asset values have not been changed since the 1970s. We change them and we index them to inflation. This update to the asset test will allow individuals and families experiencing food insecurity to have more in savings, assets, the value of their vehicle, without affecting their SNAP eligibility. Additionally, for Active-Duty military households, SNAP's income determination will, for the first time, provide an exclusion of up to $500 monthly of their basic housing allowance. We have a number of folks serving Active Duty who are military and joined late in life and came with a spouse and kids. It is very difficult for them to live on what the salary would be of an entry- level member of our military. This is the first time that we address that issue in this farm bill, H.R. 2, that will be on the House floor in a few weeks. There is a criticism out there that the nutrition title creates an excessive and unneeded new government bureaucracy to implement the SNAP employment and training. Madam Speaker, that is false. The farm bill nutrition title grants States the flexibility to provide services to best meet the needs of their State. While it provides an education and training slot for everyone who wants one, the States already have the springboard in place available through a combination of SNAP education and training, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and State programs. Under this proposal, States are granted the flexibility needed to provide services that best meet the needs of their States. There is no one-size-fits-all mandate. SNAP education and training leverages willing and able partners--I have mentioned many of those already this evening--One-Stop CareerLinks, community colleges, State human resources service. Also, local, State, and national employers, where someone who is food insecure and living in poverty could have the access to be able to do an apprenticeship. They could go to work and be trained through this program. Finally, Madam Speaker, there are some who have said that more than a million people will come off SNAP over the next 10 years. It has been presented as a negative thing. We are talking about folks who will be coming off because they have achieved greater opportunity. We are talking about some folks who perhaps are on there just because they took a SNAP pamphlet or called an 800 number. And if those folks are truly eligible, they just need to do the application; they show the income; they meet the asset test; and they will have SNAP. Those families, those kids, will not come off SNAP. They will have the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Part of those, though, that I think the CBO talked about are folks who truly do have a higher income and are really not eligible for this program, and those folks will come off if they choose not to fill out the application or they fill out the application and they are not eligible. But many of that million-plus that CBO talked about that will be coming off SNAP, it is because they have gotten good jobs; it is because they have taken advantage of the education and training programs that we are now providing greater access to under this 2018 farm bill and, specifically, the Nutrition Title. Helping our fellow citizens to be able to achieve greater opportunity, to achieve the American Dream, to prosper, to have a living wage, that is not a bad thing. That is something that we should celebrate. Madam Speaker, we are going to bring this farm bill to the floor here in a couple of weeks. I hope all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will take the opportunity to read it, to actually see what is in it. I look forward to working with them to help in any way in terms of helping them with that process, and I look forward to successfully passing farm bill 2018 out of the House of Representatives in the weeks to come. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, last week, the House Agriculture Committee marked up and approved H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. Along with the critical farm supports, the farm bill also authorizes and provides funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, and formerly called food stamps. SNAP is the primary Federal nutrition assistance program for those in need and ensures that no American goes hungry. As a young, married man, I saw the value and the importance that a Federal nutrition program, such as SNAP, provided when times got tough. Coming from central Pennsylvania, I always say that the worst part of growing up in a rural area is that everyone knows your business. By the same token, the best thing about growing up in a rural area is that everyone knows your business. And when times get tough, neighbors always help neighbors in need. And that is how I think about SNAP. No matter if you lived down the longest rural country lane or in the middle of New York City, SNAP is about neighbors helping neighbors. Despite the rhetoric that has been espoused by some over the past few weeks and months about the nutrition title, I would like to discuss this important legislation, what H.R. 2 actually proposes to do to improve SNAP. Over the past 3 years, the Agriculture Committee has held 21 bipartisan hearings on SNAP, while hearing from 81 witnesses. We have done our homework. We have heard directly from those who are impacted the most. We also had not one amendment from my Democratic colleagues to the Nutrition Title during the committee markup. It is a sad legislative process when not only do critics dismiss the 21 hearings, but they also fail to engage in the constructive amendment process to improve the bill where they see shortcomings. Republican Members acted to improve this bill, introducing 20 amendments in committee. Let me address work requirements and job training. And, clearly, I think we can all agree that putting individuals on a path to prosperity, helping them get better access to what I like to call skills-based education, is the best way to assist an individual, to assist a family to achieve food security. I am hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree with that. Much has been made by some about work requirements, though. These work requirements have been on the books as a part of SNAP and, previously, the Food Stamp program since 1971, even though some States chose to waive them for many able-bodied adults who did not have dependents at home. In other words, some States have been circumventing work requirements. I like to say it as circumventing providing access to opportunity for the people who are the most vulnerable, the people who need it most, the people who are living under financial stress. Some States have been circumventing those work requirements for adults who are work capable and don't have children for years. H.R. 2 strengthens and streamlines these work requirements for able- bodied adults. These folks are work capable. This bill also makes a historic investment into SNAP Employment and Training, and also an existing law, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, that this body, in a bipartisan manner a number of years ago, passed as a reauthorization to the Workforce Investment Act. By coupling these work requirements with job training activities, we can encourage a pathway out of poverty and, quite frankly, a pathway to long-term self-reliance. While education and training and the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act already exist, H.R. 2 provides States with a significant investment: tools and options to move people forward, to provide people an opportunity for upward mobility. Upward mobility really is the American Dream. It is a dream of opportunity. And for too long, many have not had those tools within reach. H.R. 2 does some tremendous improvements to be able to restore that pathway to opportunity. For some people, it may be for the first time in their lifetime. This isn't about burdening the States. It is about helping SNAP recipients. Those are people--our neighbors, our friends, our relatives--who are living in difficult, challenging financial times. Some of it is long term, may be living in poverty for generations-- intergenerational poverty. But for many, it is short term, as a result of bad luck or bad planning. Whether it is unemployment or underemployment, these individuals deserve an opportunity to move forward and to move upwards. It is about helping SNAP recipients climb the economic ladder and closing the skills gap. We know that the skills gap, Madam Speaker, is all too real for so many Americans who wake up in the morning and are wondering how they are going to make ends meet, how they are going to pay bills. They see the job openings that are there, estimated to be close to 6 million today and growing, the number of jobs. I am not talking about jobs that require bachelor's degrees, 4 years, or 6 years, or anything like that. These are jobs that largely require skills-based education. It may be a matter of supportive employment, which, by the way, H.R. 2 supports, where you can actually start earning a paycheck by going to work to be trained through apprenticeships, supportive employment. These are jobs that require maybe a certification, some experience or on-the-job training. All that can lead to pathways to greater opportunity. It is about giving the opportunity to poor people, the people who are living in challenging financial circumstances, folks that you would consider poor. It gives them the opportunity that they deserve to achieve not just food security, but economic prosperity. These new changes only apply to able-bodied adults who do not have children or dependents with disabilities. For children, it is for those under the age of 6. Therefore, the vast majority of SNAP recipients, children, the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women, or individuals with young children will not be impacted by these changes. People ages 18 to 59 who are able-bodied deserve a pathway to upward mobility, Madam Speaker. We don't provide them that today. But with these changes with the farm bill, with H.R. 2, we give them that hope, and we give them a pathway to upward mobility. There are challenges for different groups. We are talking about able- bodied folks who are ages 18 to 59. We all know folks who fall into that category. They may be family and friends and neighbors. Certainly, as Members of Congress, we all have constituents who have folks in those age groups that have fallen on hard times or are struggling financially, and they need food security. We provide that with H.R. 2, the farm bill 2018. But more importantly, we provide them a pathway to opportunity through providing better access to more effective education and training. We recognize the challenges. For those who are 18 to 29, and especially depending on their life circumstances, you are just working your way into the workforce, it is extremely challenging, and there are issues that are out there that may have to do with transportation. That is a fairly frequent one with younger individuals. Certainly, the lack of work experience, of being able to leverage what skills they have are, unfortunately, impacted by what skills they don't have--that skills gap. With what we do with this farm bill, we actually guarantee a training slot for each one of these individuals across the country, and we require case management. The case management that can be provided by those case managers helps people deal with those barriers that may be out there that stop people from making the most benefit out of the job training opportunities and the educational opportunities that will be provided. We are not talking about creating any new bureaucracies. It is about working with any willing and able partner that is in this business today, all of those agencies--called One-Stop Centers or CareerLink offices under the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act--that can help with this. It could be nonprofits. One of my favorite nonprofits that does just tremendous workforce development is Goodwill. They provide case management, and they have helped--I think the last number I looked at in 2016, they assisted over 300,000 people, some of them with special needs, to be able to get the skills to be able to fill that skills gap. And so we recognize the challenges of 18 to 29, but also let's look at the other end of the spectrum of folks whom we consider work capable, 50 to 59. It is very difficult if you lose your job during that age group, for many reasons, to be able to break back into the workforce. Sometimes employers are just looking to hire folks a little younger who they can pay a lower rate, or are unable to pay for the wisdom and experience, unfortunately. I think investing in that wisdom and experience is a good investment for employers, but many can be reluctant to do that. So we know that those individuals also need some extra help of breaking back into the workforce. This bill does that. This bill provides them that opportunity to have at least 20 hours of training a week. It also can be working 20 hours, and you wouldn't do the job training. But for so many, helping them retool all that experience in that age group to be able to find a new opportunity, to be able to take all the experience that you have developed and break into that workforce, that group would benefit. Madam Speaker, let me talk about categorical eligibility. I know that some have also questioned the proposed changes to what is known as broad-based categorical eligibility. We actually eliminate that. Under the current law, SNAP recipients are deemed eligible by qualifying for a noncash TANF or State-funded benefit. What does that mean? Well, that means that if I hand you, literally, today--no matter what your income is, no matter what your assets are--if I hand you a brochure about SNAP benefits and you take that from me, that makes you SNAP eligible, even though your income may be very, very comfortable at supporting your needs and the needs of your family. If I provide you information and you exercise that information to call a SNAP hotline, an 800 number, that makes you eligible for SNAP benefits, despite that your income might be very, very comfortable and well above the income requirements to be SNAP-eligible. Why is that a problem? Because every dollar that is utilized inappropriately--and that is what happens under those scenarios--takes food out of the mouth of people who are truly eligible, truly food insecure, truly hungry. We need to dedicate ourselves to making sure that every dollar is used appropriately. We don't take all the efficiencies, certainly, out of the SNAP program. We actually retain two other categorical categories. One is based on cash assistance. But the bottom line, those other two categories, those two application processes, which are more efficient, absolutely--less paperwork, that is not a bad thing--but at the same time, we know that with these folks' incomes and assets, they are SNAP eligible. We know that they are truly experiencing food insecurity. So, under this bill, categorical eligibility will remain for low- income households that are determined eligible for cash assistance or ongoing services such as child care, transit, counseling. They are still in place. They are a part of H.R. 2. In short, SNAP recipients will continue to receive benefits as long as they meet the modernized asset test limits proposed in the bill. Those asset test limits, by the way, are modernized. They are brought into the 21st century. They have been around for decades, and they have prevented truly hungry people who are experiencing food insecurity from being eligible for SNAP benefits. For the first time, we have changed that so the most vulnerable, actually, are able to save some money and have some money. We are not going to punish them for having up to $2,000 in savings. It is a big change. In terms of total assets, in the past, if your assets were $3,000, you were eligible for SNAP. At $3,001, we take the rug and pull it right out from underneath you. We are going to take that to $7,000 and we are going to index it to inflation, Madam Speaker. For those folks who have a person who is an older adult, elderly, or a disabled person with a disability in the household, we are going to take that from $5,000 to $12,000. For people who are struggling financially, paycheck to paycheck, right now what our government does under the current SNAP program is if you have a vehicle that is worth $4,650 or less, you are eligible. If it is $4,651 in value, you are not eligible. We pull the rug right out from underneath you. We take that to a $12,000 value, in terms of vehicles. Madam Speaker, I am very proud of what we have done for the first time. Really since the Great Society created these poverty cliffs, where we fixed those. We have taken those poverty cliffs away. We have indexed them to the Consumer Price Index increases so that they reflect the realities of what people are struggling with financially. Without this farm bill, without H.R. 2, those poverty cliffs will continue, Madam Speaker. It is time to end the poverty cliffs. Let me deal with reporting issues. The nutrition title has never been about money. In this whole process, we have never talked about the costs--we have looked at good policy--but, rather, providing good policy that provides the best food security for vulnerable individuals. That has been our goal, and that is what we have achieved with H.R. 2. The nutrition title has zero sum program funding, and the overall budget impact is neutral. You hear all these outrageous claims. And I don't know where this political speak is coming from, although November is coming. Election time is bearing down upon us, I guess, because there are some in this Chamber for whom it is all politics now. They will throw hungry people under the bus for the purpose of politics in November. We shouldn't do that, Madam Speaker. This is work that we all need to be very serious about. I recognize that every bill can be improved. I was very disappointed that some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle here offered no amendments during the markup process, because I believe that they have got some great ideas. I would hope that they would work with us when we bring this to the floor in a couple of weeks. We will continue to refine this. There were some ideas that were mentioned, but more came in the form of criticisms and complaints during the farm bill markup in committee. It would have been better if it had been put forward in serious thoughts as amendments. A number of them I would have supported. But we have opportunities to improve. That said, to help with program integrity, there are also a number of proposals in the bill that will help combat waste and fraud. Waste and fraud in this farm bill is estimated to be annually in the neighborhood of $700 million. Madam Speaker, do you know how many hungry children we could feed with that $700 million that is wasted or fraudulently taken and used by folks who aren't eligible for the program? The impact that we could have with that $700 million would just be amazing, actually, and the amount of folks who are experiencing food insecurity could find food security and they could find greater opportunity as a result of that. So the nutrition title does work to better serve eligible children and adults and older adults who are food insecure by making program integrity improvements to prevent as much fraud and abuse as possible. Fraud and abuse of any amount takes food support away from our most vulnerable citizens. Fraud and abuse, again, is estimated to be $700 million annually. H.R. 2 addresses that. It incentivizes States, as they administer the SNAP program, to deal with it. All savings realized through the program integrity improvement are reinvested in nutrition title programs to better address food security. It is a win-win. Where States identify fraud and abuse, States will be able to retain 50 percent of the savings that they secure. Let me be clear, though: we expect them to invest that within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in order to further address the needs of their citizens in their States experiencing food insecurity. Today, we heard firsthand details from local law enforcement about alarming fraud that occurred in Jacksonville, Florida, related to SNAP. Unacceptable. I am so thankful the law enforcement in Florida have identified that, made those arrests, and are prosecuting. Between 2012 and 2017, there were some 22,000 fraudulent SNAP transactions that totaled some $3.7 million in taxpayer dollars. That is $3.7 million, Madam Speaker, that, if used appropriately and without fraud, would be able to meet the food insecurity needs of our citizens that are truly in need. They are at risk of hunger. These individuals created nonexistent businesses and accepted EBT payments with no legitimate product in return. 198 individuals have been accused of selling EBT benefits. Those are the electronic benefit cards that we use with the SNAP program today. Even worse, a number of these transactions involved the purchase and exchange of illegal drugs. Again, as a strong supporter of nutrition assistance and helping those who are truly in need, this kind of activity is entirely unacceptable. We take measures. We incentivize States to be able to identify, stop, and recover that waste, fraud, and abuse. Again, we have them retain 50 percent of what they are able to get, but we require them to invest that back into making sure the food insecure people in our country--men, women, and children--do not go hungry. This kind of activity is entirely unacceptable and only underscores the need for more accountability and modern reforms to the law. Madam Speaker, if I could inquire as to how much time remains.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today there are a lot of boys and girls in the Capitol who are dressed for success and ready to get to work. Of course, I am talking about Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. While my three sons are grown and my oldest has children of his own, I do have the privilege of having Seth Lewis Parrish with me today. Seth lives in Maryland, and thanks to the nonprofit Tuesday's Children, he gets to spend the day with me; or, rather, I get to spend the day with him. This is my second year in a row with my friend, Seth. I have had the privilege of hosting him for our Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Mr. Speaker, in 2009, Seth's dad was serving in the Army and lost his life a month and 2 days, Seth tells me, before he was born. Tuesday's Children uses its experience and expertise to help our military families work through their own losses. April is also the Month of the Military Child, so it is even more of an honor for me to have Seth here again with me today. He is a great young man with a bright future. He is a Cub Scout, hockey player, flag football player, and great kid.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a constituent from Warren County who has a truly remarkable story, an American story. Salsa Ananda Catherina grew up in rural Indonesia on the central island of Java. She was raised by her grandmother and uncle and lived in a house without electricity, where water came from an underground spring. Salsa left home at age 16 to go to work for Sony TV in Malaysia. Most of the money she made was sent home to help her family, primarily for her brother and his four children, but also to her uncle, who helped raise her. Salsa moved to Hong Kong at the age of 26 to work with families. She helped raise children, did cooking and general housekeeping. Again, most of the money she made was sent back to Indonesia to help her family survive. It was in Hong Kong that Salsa taught herself how to speak English, and, today, she not only speaks English fluently, but she is also fluent in more than six languages, all of them self-taught. It was in Hong Kong that Salsa met her future husband, Lincoln Sokolski, who was there on business. Lincoln is president of Whirley- DrinkWorks! in Warren, Pennsylvania. The pair dated long distance for 5 years, and in 2010, Salsa came to the United States on a fiancee visa. Salsa and Lincoln were married in Warren on July 10, 2010, on the beautiful grounds of the Crary Museum. Salsa's first job was as a volunteer at the Warren County YMCA. She helped greet guests and performed other customer service responsibilities. A year later, Salsa had done something she had never done before: she learned to drive. She obtained her driver's license and started working at Blair, in the packaging area. Salsa had never driven a car prior to moving to the United States. She would soon take a job at Whirley-DrinkWorks! in the office performing administrative functions, communications, and human resources. In her more than 5 years at Whirley-DrinkWorks!, she has become a highly valued and respected teammate. Salsa has also been recognized for her teamwork, positive attitude, and always coming to work with the highest integrity and loyalty to the company. In 2013, Salsa graduated from the year-long Leadership Warren program, which is designed to educate future leaders on how to work with nonprofit organizations and help them achieve sustained success. One key project her team took on was to help teach disadvantaged children how to read. Salsa and Lincoln are very active in giving back to the community with their time, leadership, and personal resources to help make Warren County a better place to live and work. Among the organizations the Sokolskis have worked with include the Warren YMCA, the United Fund of Warren County, Struthers Library Theatre, Warren General Hospital, Salvation Army, and numerous others. Mr. Speaker, Salsa Sokolski's story doesn't end there. On February 2, 2018, Salsa achieved one of her greatest accomplishments, something she considers to be her highest honor--she became a U.S. citizen. Mr. Speaker, I want to remark on what an incredible person Salsa Sokolski is. From working hard to take care of her family, to teaching herself more that six languages and giving back to her community, Salsa truly is impressive. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Salsa on achieving her American citizenship. I am proud to call her a fellow American.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman and my chairman from the House Education and the Workforce Committee for hosting this Special Order tonight on an issue that is impacting every ZIP Code in America. The gentlewoman's poster says it all. This is close to home: Life beyond opioids, and stability, health, and healing. The opioid epidemic is considered by many to be the worst public health crisis of our generation and, according to the National Institutes of Health, more than 115 people in the United States die every day from an opioid overdose. This epidemic is not an urban problem and it is not a rural problem. It is a national problem. No ZIP Code, as I said, in the country is immune from this crisis. This is an epidemic that transcends all socioeconomic classes, and all of America's people, all of America's diversity of families is at risk. Heroin and pain pill addiction doesn't discriminate on age, race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Your neighbor could be using heroin and so could their high honors high school student. Unfortunately, the people of Pennsylvania have seen some of the worst. Last year, the crisis surged when Pennsylvania experienced a 44 percent increase in opioid overdoses. It is just tragic what this does to families and how it steals lives and futures. Addressing this unprecedented rate of opioid-related death means that we must focus on nearly 2.2 million Americans who currently struggle with opioid addiction. No one person can beat addiction alone, and overcoming this epidemic will not only take a communitywide effort, but a nationwide effort. The breadth of this epidemic requires us to respond with a multifaceted approach. Congress has engaged many agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration, National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and Customs and Border Protection, just to name a few, to help combat opioid abuse. This crisis has torn apart families. It has weakened our workforce and overextended our healthcare system. As a nation, we must act with a unified urgency to help those who have fallen victim to addiction in every corner of the country, and we must not forget their families who have seen firsthand the crippling effects of this disease day in and day out. I know we are not only prepared to do so, but we are prepared to win this fight. I have had the opportunity to convene opioid crisis community roundtables throughout my congressional districts to hear firsthand from families, from healthcare providers, from law enforcement, from emergency medical services, from those who are involved in the treatment community, and the impact is just so significant. After coming away from these, I have also come to the conclusion, what is important to focus on really is the substance abuse behaviors. In one community in Clarion County, the issue at one time was opioids, and then it went to heroin. But when the heroin started to be mixed with other really deadly drugs and components, and so many people died within the user community, they moved on to the new--they went actually back to--they want to Suboxone, which is what we use to treat opioid and heroin abuse. And when the Suboxone--those who were dispensing that as treatment tightened that, the community found that they now had a crisis, they went to meth. So it is so important, as we work on this, we keep a broader perspective of dealing with the substance abuse behaviors, because the drug of choice will change, based on economics, based on availability; but this, our goal should be to increase awareness. Our goal should be, acknowledge there is a problem, and I think we have done that. In my work in healthcare and, specifically, I worked in acute psychiatric services for a period of time, I know that until you acknowledge you have a problem, you can't really deal with it. I think, across the board, in your communities, our States, at a local, a State, and national level, we acknowledge we have a problem, and that is an important first step. I am proud of what we have done here in Washington, legislatively and providing funding, but this is an all-hands-on-deck problem. It requires prevention. That is where education is so important. Prevention, education, treatment. We have to equip our youngest generation with decisionmaking skills, with discernment, so they have the filters to make better decisions when they are exposed to access, when they are approached by others, when they are preyed upon in terms of those who push drugs. We certainly need to equip our medical professionals to improve how they prescribe, how they dispense medications, and increase their utilization of alternative pain management. As a former rehabilitation professional, there are some great tools out there to help deal with managing pain. One of the things that, culturally, we have come to the point where we try to eliminate pain, and I think that is what has pushed us with the opioids into the situation that we are in today. And we need to equip our communities with evidence-based treatment, something closer to home. And so I do very, very much appreciate Chairwoman Foxx's leadership on education and workforce issues, and really appreciate her putting this Special Order together this evening and leading us as we address what truly is the public health crisis of our generation.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman's leadership on this. The fact that we had two great hearings, which were on top of a lot of the work that we have been doing as a Congress, this really is an all-hands-on-deck public health crisis, and we know that because of the work that we are doing in Education and the Workforce. This transcends education. It impacts the workforce in a significant way at a time when we have an estimated somewhere between 5 and 6 million jobs available in this country; and we have increasing job growth, and we have an aging workforce which is retiring, a significant number each and every year. This is an issue that impacts our national security because it takes individuals out of the workforce not able to pass that drug test, not able to be able to qualify. This is obviously an all-hands-on-deck because we see so many different committees and their members across both sides of the aisle who have been working on this, the amount of legislation going back. One of the more memorable ones is the CARA Act, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, that was like 16 individual bills--16 or 18, I don't remember exactly how many--that we debated on this floor and we passed on this floor. We rolled it into one package, and it was actually passed by the Senate, and the President signed it. It dealt with things from little unborn babies who were born addicted, a terrible situation with the suffering of those new babies because they were born to moms who were active addicts, to veterans that VA physicians--and there are some really great VA physicians. I don't want to paint them with a broad brush. But there were some that were referred to as the candy man because they dispensed the pills like Skittles is what it looked like, and their solution to everything was to medicate, and everything in between. Also, providing resources to our local communities so our local communities could engage in this, great programs that have been around for very long time like the Drug-Free Communities moneys that are used by parents and kids and teachers and community leaders who come together to deal with and confront this epidemic in their communities. I have a community up in Erie County, Iroquois School District, and it is a school district that has been devastated with overdoses. Most of the children in that school, a middle school--and it was heartbreaking-- either had a family member or knew someone who had died of an overdose. Some of the stories you hear, and one that really stands out with me because I have talked with this mom who was in my congressional district, her son, unfortunately, had a disease, Crohn's disease, and had to go through some surgery as a small child and endured that rather well. It worked out well. But when this young man turned about 16, 17, 18 years old, he had to go back and do surgery as a result, and this time, the painkillers they gave him he used basically one time and his life spiraled out of control. This was an athlete. This was a kid who did so well in school, but his life just went into almost a death spiral, and he wound up being incarcerated--and all because he wasn't wired to be able to handle these painkillers. That is a part of this battle. We need better science. We need better medicine so we can determine who can tolerate certain medications and who cannot, whose life would be transformed in such a negative way by using a painkiller one time. But that certainly is all a part of this battle. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this and thank her for hosting this Special Order tonight.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced a bill with my colleagues, Congressman Jim Langevin and Congressman David Young of Iowa, to modernize the charter of the National FFA Organization. FFA, formerly called the Future Farmers of America, was founded in 1928. Congress recognized the importance of FFA as an integral part of agriculture and, in 1950, granted it a Federal charter. The charter provides Federal authority to create an interagency working agreement that is focused on strengthening FFA and school-based agriculture education. It is important to note that only about 100 organizations have charters with Federal agencies, only six organizations require the respective government agency to select one member for the board of directors, and FFA is the only organization that requires a majority of its board of directors be chosen by its partner government agency. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5595, the National FFA Organization's Charter Amendments Act, makes updates to allow the National FFA to be a self- governing organization while maintaining its long-held relationship with the U.S. Department of Education. This amendment brings FFA, a great cornerstone of rural America, into the 21st century, and I encourage my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, April 23, the Army Reserve marked 110 years in service to the Army and the United States of America, evolving from the Medical Reserve Corps in 1908 to the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal Federal Reserve force in our Nation's history. I rise to say thank you to our soldiers, both past and present, and their families for serving all these years. In today's full-spectrum environment, America's Armed Forces must be prepared to respond quickly to capable and sophisticated high-end threats. They must conduct sustained counterterrorist operations, and they must deter aggression in multiple regions of the world while simultaneously defending the homeland. The Army Reserve has a congressionally authorized strength of 199,000 soldiers, more than 11,000 civilians, and 2,075 units. The Army Reserve accounts for 20 percent of the Army's organized units and provides nearly half the Army's total maneuver support. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly thank the Army Reserve for defending our Nation with honor and distinction for the past 110 years.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my condolences and my sympathy to the family of former First Lady Barbara Bush. Mr. Speaker, the Nation was heartbroken upon hearing the news that Mrs. Bush passed away last night at her home in Houston. She was 92. Mrs. Bush was widely admired and a beloved First Lady. She was a leader not only for her family, but for this Nation. She served as First Lady from January 1, 1989, to January 1993. She was known for her immeasurable kindness, yet she wasn't afraid to be outspoken--even frank--when the occasion called for it. She was witty and feisty, and above all else, she was Barbara: a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. This Nation will remember her as a fiercely and devoted matriarch of a great American family, but also as an advocate for all American families. Mr. Speaker, I leave you with the words of Barbara Bush: ``When all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family, and friends.'' May God bless Mrs. Barbara Bush.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today is tax day. Typically, Americans dread this day--the deadline for filing Federal income tax returns--thanks to a cumbersome, complex, and confusing Tax Code. But fear not. Thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, this is the last time Americans will file under the old system. Next year, taxpayers will be able to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. Approximately two-thirds of all households will see a lower marginal income tax rate in 2018, according to a recent analysis by the Tax Policy Center. Thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, American families can look forward to lower individual tax rates; a nearly double standard deduction, from $6,500 to $12,000 for individuals, and from $13,000 to $24,000 for married couples; and a doubled child tax credit increase from $1,000 to $2,000 per child. Mr. Speaker, these are just some of the benefits. The average American should be able to file their taxes without an army of accountants. I look forward to next year when the majority of American families will see a much easier tax process. It is pro-growth, pro-family tax reform; fair and simple.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Civil Air Patrol and the contributions this civilian auxiliary makes to our great nation. The Civil Air Patrol supports America's communities with emergency response; diverse aviation and ground services; youth development; and promotion of air, space, and cyber power. The Civil Air Patrol consists of 1,445 squadrons and approximately 58,000 volunteer youth and adult members nationwide. It is congressionally chartered and operates as a nonprofit organization. It is made up of 8 geographic regions, consisting of 52 wings throughout the 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday evening, I had the honor of speaking at the Pennsylvania Wing Civil Air Patrol's 2018 Conference in Grantville, Pennsylvania. More than 400 Civil Air Patrol members and cadets throughout the Commonwealth will gather there this weekend to celebrate this outstanding civilian auxiliary. Colonel Gary L. Fleming is the wing commander. Mr. Speaker, this year, the Civil Air Patrol is celebrating its 70- year association with the U.S. Air Force. Congress passed a law on May 26, 1948, designating the Civil Air Patrol as the official Air Force auxiliary. The Civil Air Patrol cadet program has been in existence for more than 75 years. Cadet programs throughout the country are making incredible impacts. Cadet programs attract more than 25,000 members, ages 12 through 20. The program educates youth in four main program areas: leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character development. It enriches the school curriculum through after-school programs. Programs offer orientation flights in powered and glider aircraft, as well as flight training scholarships. Activities and competitions are available for cadets at local, State, regional, and national levels. Opportunities for community development are available through the color guard and drill team, as well as emergency services missions. The Civil Air Patrol makes up about 10 percent of each of the U.S. Air Force Academy's classes. The cadets who have earned the General Billy Mitchell Award enlist in the Air Force, U.S. Army, and U.S. Coast Guard at higher pay grades. Mr. Speaker, the cadet program also offers college scholarships in several different disciplines, as well as an international air cadet exchange program. The Civil Air Patrol cadet program truly encourages our youth to reach great heights. They have been building leaders for more than 75 years, and I am so proud of the Pennsylvania Wing Civil Air Patrol Cadet Advisory Council for its incredible commitment to our youth. I wish them the best in advance of the annual conference later this week, and I look forward to joining them at that celebration as well.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, April is Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month. President Ronald Reagan designated this month in 1986. He said, in part: ``Despite the increasing importance of mathematics to the progress of our economy and society, enrollment in mathematics programs has been declining at all levels of the American educational system. ``Yet the application of mathematics is indispensable in such diverse fields as medicine, computer sciences, space exploration, the skilled trades, business, defense, and government. To help encourage the study and utilization of mathematics, it is appropriate that all Americans be reminded of the importance of this basic branch of science to our daily lives.'' Mr. Speaker, these words still resonate today. Math plays a significant role in addressing many real-world problems: internet security, sustainability, disease, and much more. Research in these and other areas is ongoing, revealing new results and applications every day in fields such as medicine, manufacturing, energy, biotechnology, and business. In our growing technological world, the study of math and statistics is one that will continue to be critically important. Happy Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today we commemorate the birthday of a monumental figure in our Nation's history, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, who was our third President, was the principal author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and is known as one of the country's founding farmers--Founding Fathers. He was a founding farmer also. Today marks the 275th anniversary of his birth. He played a monumental role in shaping American politics. While his legacy is not without complication, Thomas Jefferson projected a down-to-Earth attitude and desired to be seen as a common man. An intellectual, architect, philosopher, musician, and essayist, he was anything but common. He founded the University of Virginia in 1819. The university has kept the Jeffersonian values--discussion, collaboration, and enlightenment--relevant today. Its mission is to develop tomorrow's leaders and to ensure that they are well prepared to help shape the future of the Nation and the world. Students in Charlottesville will use Founder's Day to reflect on Thomas Jefferson's legacy and also acknowledge the growth that has been made in its history. Mr. Speaker, on this day, we remember a Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, and all the contributions he made to this great Nation.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Chairman Goodlatte, thank you for your leadership and your mentoring. Greatly appreciated. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, for someone who was incarcerated, that is difficult to overcome; but through the programs, it gave a great example of how that occurs. Contrast that also with what Mr. Faso from New York was saying about those cliffs, what I refer to as poverty cliffs. We try to incentivize folks to do better for themselves. We are making improvements because right now the way the program is, like most of our programs, if you make a dollar more than the limit, an arbitrary limit, the government pulls the rug out from beneath you. The fact that we are going after some of those, how much assets you can have and the value of your car--the folks who are most at risk need reliable transportation. I am just really proud that we are addressing all that, and I thank the gentlewoman for being a part of all of this. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer), who is a great member of the Agriculture Committee from North Carolina's Seventh Congressional District. Congressman Dave Rouzer is a man I am proud to serve with.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I think we are going to see many coming out in favor of this proposed farm bill and specifically the nutrition title. Two articles came out today. The first one is from USA Today entitled, ``Food-Stamp Work Requirements Will Lift Americans Out of Poverty,'' by our own agriculture chairman, Mike Conaway. He was joined by Lee Bowes who is the CEO of America Works of New York which is a training placement company. Also, there is an article that was published in The Wall Street Journal entitled: ``Working on Food Stamps: A House GOP reform would help the able-bodied get off the dole.'' Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record these two articles. [Apr. 12, 2018] Food-Stamp Work Requirements Will Lift Americans Out of Poverty (By Mike Conaway and Lee Bowes) There is a fundamental link between poverty and work. Individuals who hold full-time employment (https:// www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2017/ demo/P60-259.pdf) are 10 times less likely to be poor than people who are out of work during at least part of the year. But not every American has the skills and training needed to hold full-time employment. Teaching these skills takes time and resources, which is why for so long our nation has taken a piecemeal approach to supporting work and training to help move people out of poverty. Instead, we've focused the conversation on poverty around benefits--on the dollars spent and the meals served. Benefits are critically important and serve a vital role in the safety net aimed at catching people if they should fall into poverty. But equally important is a focus on helping these same people climb back out of poverty. That point is underscored by a 2016 poll from the American Enterprise Institute and the Los Angeles Times. Forty-one percent of the poor people included in the survey viewed their circumstances as temporary (http://www.aei.org/ publication/2016-poverty-survey/). People want to believe the American dream is attainable. That's why we need to shift the conversation on poverty in this country from one focused purely on benefits to one about improving futures. And as the House Agriculture Committee releases its new farm bill (https://agriculture.house.gov/news/ documentquery.aspx?IssueID=14904)--legislation that governs the policy for our nation's nutrition programs--that is precisely what we aim to do. Our proposal is straightforward: help those on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who are work-capable find employment to support their households. Under this proposal, work-capable SNAP recipients will need to work for at least 20 hours per week. That can take a variety of forms they can work, participate in a work program, or participate in a SNAP employment and training (E&T) program. This bill makes a significant investment in training and case management to guarantee access to an E&T slot to anyone who wants one. But to ensure this investment yields results, we're also making these work requirements mandatory. No more loopholes that create disincentives to work. We are equipping states with resources to arm participants with the skills, certifications and education needed to succeed in today's economy. And that's a critical point, because our economy is supporting more jobs and a higher standard of living for ALL Americans. Jobs that were once unavailable are now at an individuals' fingertips if aided with the proper training and skill set. SNAP recipients want to be beneficiaries of this economic growth. They want to take advantage of opportunities and meet the needs of our nation's businesses. It is also important to note that for nearly two-thirds of SNAP recipients (https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/able- bodied-adults-without-dependents-abawds-rules) who are currently exempt from work-related programs, nothing will change. That group includes seniors, those who are mentally or physically disabled, children and various other individuals who would not be subject to our proposed modifications to work. But for work-capable adults, if they want to receive benefits, they'll be expected to work. And if they don't work, they are self-selecting to remove themselves from the program. People will try to demonize what we are doing here and say that this proposal is too much, too fast, too soon. They will try to claim that this bill is about kicking people out of the program to save money. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Under this work proposal, only an individual who chooses not to participate in a guaranteed E&T slot will lose eligibility for SNAP. Others will claim that these modifications aren't needed because most SNAP recipients who can work, do work (https:// www.cbpp.org/snap-households-with-working-age-non-disabled- adults-have-high-work-rates-6). And under our bill those individuals can have the peace of mind that their benefits will not be compromised. While critics will say SNAP isn't meant to be a jobs program, we believe these modifications can support nutrition for families in need while also creating new opportunities that emphasize work and independence and provide the resources needed to move people forward. Advocating for the status quo has never and will never lift someone out of poverty. That's why we need to begin to define success differently-- not by how many people we serve, but rather how many people we aid in climbing the economic ladder.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, the timing is good for our approach here, isn't it? We have an economy where, for the first time maybe in 10, 15 years, we see wages rising and we see job creation. Even before this most recent economic surge, I guess for lack of a better word to call it, there are an estimated 5 million jobs that are open and available in the United States. These are jobs that most of them do not require a 4-year degree or a 6-year degree. These are jobs that require some skills-based education, maybe a certification, a specialization. It is kind of perfect with what we are looking at. There is some confusion that is out there. Some people are saying this is creating a brand new level of bureaucracy. I know for a fact that the people I serve with here wouldn't go for anything that is creating more bureaucracy. The fact is we are actually taking advantage of, first of all, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, WIOA. That is our Career Links. That is where people go today, where if they are unemployed or underemployed, to be able to get a job. That is where employers look to find qualified and trained employees. So we are going to be able to utilize that existing infrastructure. But community colleges, apprenticeships, and private companies that want to engage in training, there are a lot of opportunities out there for this. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), who is another absolute friend and leader of agriculture. She is a former teacher and leads our chair's Values Action Team which I am proud to be a part of. Representative Vicky Hartzler represents the Fourth Congressional District of Missouri.