Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Doesn't this give corporations an opportunity to undo regulations that are established by our country or laws that are established?

Mr. TONKO. I think what you are pointing to here is a very important component of the agreement. We do lose the control, the direct authority, required of us by the constituency that places its trust in each and every Representative that is elected to come to Congress. They believe rightfully that we are going to have their best interests. We vote in accordance with what we hear from them about standards that should be maintained, established, and implemented; and to have that passed on to a court of whatever, of a format that is far removed from a given situation and may be looking at just greed as a factor, an unwillingness to pay abundantly well for what our standards should be maintained for just reasons, moves the process away from us with any control that we might have had taken away. I think that anonymity is a dangerous outcome as a result of this sort of agreement. So I think that, again, there is a lot of fine print in the agreement that has to be really examined and thoroughly reviewed so that we are not putting our situations at risk and our communities at risk. All in all, it is wanting to maintain standards that will respond to the needs of the environment. We know how critical that is. We know how much improvement is required and that we make great gains. But for those who signed into the process--some were actually directly communicating to the executive branch saying: let's get this fast track going. Why would you circumvent your role? Why would you, as a Member of the House, want to remove yourself from the process when we should be here reviewing, examining, recommending, and at least having some sort of input that won't pass it over and absolve ourselves of given responsibilities? So I appreciate, again, your yielding, Representative Pocan.

Mr. TONKO. I think there needs to be strong dialogue here. With the elections being early in November and probably some time to pass before we really gather again and reconvene as a base, as a body, as a House, and then with holidays consuming some of the time during December, it gives you precious little time to really have that dialogue--that conversation--that is so essential. Great things happen when we communicate, when we talk to each other and suggest these are concerns, and let's raise the given solutions that are, indeed, required to make it acceptable. That takes time. Quite literally, there has been no work on this. People have been advancing the TPP in its original--in its now-given format, and many people see weaknesses, loopholes, and concern for workers. There are situations where labor is not protected by union forces because the governments run the unions. And if you are a dissident to the cause then there are just extreme outcomes for individuals if you become that whistleblower or that critic, that dissident, you are then maybe finding yourself incarcerated. So it is important for us to clear up a lot of the issues, to correct them, and fine-tune them, everything from environmental standards, to worker protection, to the cost of pharmaceuticals, which has been raised many times over, and what it might do to the average pricetag out there. So there is not enough time. To rush and get that done, to beat the clock, so to speak, I think is a faulty bit of a scenario. It is not the way to do something as so critically important as this is.

Mr. TONKO. Congress has very little opportunity to adjust. It is basically a thumbs up, thumbs down. We can recommend. It is not like we can make major adjustments. The administrator overseeing the document will have to take that back and make recommended changes. You have to bring other nations together to get agreement because it is 40 percent of the world's GDP that is the audience for this given negotiated settlement. This TPP covers a huge portion of the world's GDP. So there are a lot of partners that would have a say in the process. We can recommend, and then the changes that we can inspire are quite mild compared to what needs to be done by the framers of the settlement.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), my good friend.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, the cosponsors of this legislation have struck a very sound balance between the interests of the homeowner associations and amateur radio operators. It is done in a spirit of bipartisanship. So for those reasons, I strongly suggest we support the measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1301, the Amateur Radio Parity Act. Mr. Speaker, I commend both cosponsors here, Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois and Mr. Courtney of Connecticut, who have placed common sense into this legislative format that will drive fairness, I believe, into the equation for amateur radio operators. Operators provide essential services in times of emergencies, and they should not be prohibited from building their facilities. They provide a very useful role in our given neighborhoods and communities. H.R. 1301 will provide for new rules that will help these operators navigate homeowner association restrictions when they are attempting to build their given stations. The bill, Mr. Speaker, strikes the right balance to ensure that homeowner associations can impose reasonable regulations for amateur radio towers, but it would also make sure that amateur radio enthusiasts can continue to operate. I do congratulate Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Eshoo for their work to come up with an agreement that everyone can support based on the efforts of the cosponsors of the legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5104, the Better On-line Ticket Sales Act, on which I joined in introducing with my colleague and friend from Tennessee, Mrs. Blackburn. This bill would target the unfair practice of using software bots by scalpers to automate the process of purchasing event tickets from online vendor platforms. As we saw at our legislative hearing on the matter in the Energy and Commerce Committee, the current lack of any Federal statute to deter the practice of using bots has turned the ticket industry in the United States into a rigged system. For instance on December 8, 2014, a single broker used a bot to purchase over 1,000 tickets for a U2 concert at Madison Square Garden within the first minute of sale. By the end of that day, the same broker and one other had amassed more than 15,000 tickets to U2 shows across North America. According to an exhaustive investigation by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, tickets purchased in this manner are then resold on secondary markets at an average of 49 percent above face value, though there are plenty of examples where the markup was more than 1,000 percent. The people in the capital region of New York and across the rest of our great country worked far too hard to save money enough to see a performance or a game. They should not be shut out from buying tickets online at a reasonable price because a computer program beats them to the punch. By following the example set by States like New York where unlawful ticket brokers have had to pay stiff penalties for their given actions, we can start to reel in these unfair practices and make sure that Americans have the access to events that they truly deserve. The BOTS Act expands upon the work of these States by prohibiting the intentional use or the sale of bots software and by barring any tickets acquired in this manner from entry into an event. This legislation would also establish civil penalties for this behavior on a national level, instructing the FTC or the Attorney General of a State to bring civil action against any persons found in violation. There is clearly a great deal more that can be done to protect consumers and bring more transparency to the ticket market, but I do believe the BOTS Act represents an excellent step in the right direction for bringing accountability and trust to this industry. I thank my colleague, Mrs. Blackburn, for her hard work on this measure. We have enjoyed working together to come together with this bill, and look forward to continued progress. I encourage my colleagues to support the measure.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4979, the Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2016, introduced by our colleagues Mr. Latta of Ohio and Mr. McNerney of California. As subcommittee ranker of Environment and the Economy that reports to the standing committee of Energy and Commerce, I am proud to support this legislation. H.R. 4979 would require the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to enter into a memorandum of understanding to ensure technical expertise is maintained to assist in the development of advanced nuclear technology. The legislation would also require the NRC to establish a framework for issuing licenses for advanced reactor technology. Nuclear technology has been largely unchanged for decades. Having our experts coordinate is the best way to support the private sector's development of new technology that may advance the industry in terms of waste, in terms of efficiency, and in terms of safety. Regardless of Members' position on nuclear energy, I believe there is unanimous agreement that there is no compromising when it comes to safety. We need high standards for safety, and I believe and hope that the enhanced cooperation between DOE and NRC required by this bill will help put safety front and center for the development of advanced nuclear technology. I congratulate Mr. Latta and Mr. McNerney for their work on this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney), a friend, colleague, and fellow engineer on the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I will just again reinforce what I think is a strong benefit here: bringing into the industry the efforts for resourcefulness, for efficiency, and for safety, all very key elements to this sector of the energy economy. The bill bears great benefits for the consumers of this country. I strongly support this measure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. When some of the early onset occurs. So, again, it affects all of us in a way that, while you may research Alzheimer's or dementia in a broader sense, it unlocks the door to untold possibilities of discovery, genetic discovery, whatever it might be, gene therapy, gene awareness that might come about that speaks to a plethora of issues that affect the brain. So many, many are graced with the opportunities of research. We as a nation can partner--the private sector, academia--with the public, with the government. It is the message that I hear as a contrast, government isn't an enemy force. Our domestic investment has shrunk in many ways. We need to ramp up the opportunities for hope, for discovery, for intellectual capacity, and for achieving our dreams. We can do that by this concerted effort to do it with our eyes wide open and with a sense of morality driven by the heart-filled and soulful attempts to really adjust our framework to go to those issues that require the partnership of our government.

Mr. TONKO. Yes. I again thank the gentleman from California for bringing us together this evening for discussion on what I believe are very high-priority items that face us in this Congress. I think it is important for us to speak with that anecdotal evidence and to put a human face on all of these discussions. We talk about illnesses like Alzheimer's, dementia, and neurologically based issues. There is also an issue of the illness of addiction that can be benefited; it can be responded to by research. So my pledge always to my district and, similarly, their request of me is to provide for that human empathy, provide for those stories, the countless stories of individuals who walk the journey that is so very difficult and how they could be assisted simply by the burning sense of hope that we can address, that we can bring to their lives, this focus and this commodity of hope that provides them the extra energy and the ability to walk their journey, walk straight through the bit of difficulty that faces them. We are a great Nation. We can be made even greater by our intellect investing in research, investing in student loan reform, and investing in Alzheimer's, a disease that can bankrupt the system. These are wise choices driven by human compassion and responded to, I hope, with a passion that you hear from the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi), and that all of us need to embrace as we walk this journey together and make certain our government is an effective government responding wholeheartedly to a given cause.

Mr. TONKO. I think, too, it speaks to the priorities, again, that we need to carve into the budget work that we do. We make a statement with the budget. We identify with the great public, the great many of us, as to what we believe are those champion issues and what we need to take into concern first and foremost. While we may have cast this into opposite ends of the age spectrum, what really strikes me is, when the Alzheimer's advocacy community comes to Washington on their given fly- in day, every year you hear of numbers going lower and lower in the population, so that you begin to wonder: Is this genetics, is it geriatrics, or is it environmental? What is driving it? But lower and lower creeps the age.

Mr. TONKO. I think that, certainly, there is no denying that the training of the workforce of the future requires all sorts of insertion of technology, hands- on, cutting edge, perhaps ahead-of-the-curve sort of mentality applied in the classroom, and that can happen when we invest and invest appropriately. You talk about the Secretary's plan--Secretary Clinton's plan. I believe she extends that beyond business. It can be social enterprise also, so you can help distressed communities with these startups and everybody wins. It's an across-the-board win situation. And, you know, it is the kind of focus we need for that front end of life, for that early-in-professional-development stages of our economy on the age spectrum scale. To your point, there also needs to be compassion expressed and concern expressed for the opposite end, for the more senior in our society. And you and I have seen what investments are required there, including those for caregivers who provide respite for what is a growing phenomenon there with Alzheimer's in the senior elements of our society.

Mr. TONKO. Right. Absolutely. I see it. It is the walk taken by many, many families that I represent. I have to share with you that it has touched my family also. So it behooves all of us to be there in this universal format to speak to what is a growing, growing problem. I was struck by the dollar figures you shared and the bankrupting of our situation with Alzheimer's and student loans. We are driving--we are driving such heavy burdens on to all of us as a society that it challenges us to come forward with some order of prevention and some order of hope that will be driven into the efforts that we currently share to speak more wisely and speak more compassionately to these situations. I am reminded that the brain is the least researched organ of the body. Now, that alone should speak to us forcefully. Think of not only Alzheimer's but the many neurologically based situations that affect numbers of people out there from the very young to the more senior, the most senior. The brain, as an organ, needs to be researched, and so we need to make certain that we share that message here in the halls of government. Let's bring the hope to the doorstep of individuals who are rendered hopeless at times, who see their loved ones crumble and become someone different. We know that we can invest in that research and that we do have the minds that can lead us in those research attempts and efforts. When we look at the budget for Alzheimer's, less than one cent of every dollar invested in speaking to and treating Alzheimer's disease is spent on research. We had put together legislation a couple of sessions ago now that require that we have these Alzheimer's townhalls and put together a plan as a nation to speak to conquering the effects of Alzheimer's. It meant that we have to have certain orders of budgeting done to speak to Alzheimer's. Then we further improved upon that with legislation that said that this budget is not going to be put together with its guidelines in an ordinary process. It was going to bring in the clinicians and the professionals who speak to the Alzheimer's issues as a disease, and they will put together this professional budgeting that will tell us from now to 2025 what that budget will be, what the demands on the system should be. So that, again, renders a budget that is speaking to the soundness of numbers for the investment made to conquer Alzheimer's. I think that is the professional approach to be taken. It is the compassionate approach to be taken. Now we are working on issues, on legislation, that will allow for coverage, Medicare coverage, for planning when you, as an individual, and better said, as a family, are impacted by Alzheimer's, let's do the planning. What should we expect? How do we walk through this with the greatest amount of dignity and effectiveness? That planning will be covered if this legislation were to be approved. So there are things we can do here. It really is a challenge, I believe, in these times to make certain that research dollars are available that will, again, study the organ in the body that is least researched, Representative Garamendi. I know that, by pushing our colleagues who share our beliefs on this issue, we can get it done.

Mr. TONKO. Well, let me just make mention that--associating my comments with those that you just made about the opportunities for working families to have that tuition issue addressed, I believe that would cover some 80 percent of American families, which, to me, is a tremendously strong number universe.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for leading us in this Special Order to focus on what is a very strong concern that some in the House have for the costs of higher education. We have prided ourselves as a society on our intellect and our intellectual capacity. That has driven all sorts of entrepreneurship. It has driven new product lines, prototypes that are developed. It really provides for a comeback as an economy, based on the intellect that we can drive into the equation for us as an American society. So it is very important to be able to make certain that whatever those skills, those talents, those abilities, those likes, those passions are of students out there, that they pursue their intellectual development in a way that is not stifled or diminished by the cost of student loans. As you heard from Representative Garamendi, that loan activity-- student loan debt--rivals that of automobile loans and house loans. Something of the caliber of $1.2 trillion in debt for student loans is not a driving factor that will build our economy. It is one that will have people paying for years and decades for the experience of a higher education. People are adjusting their dreams, they are adjusting their goals, simply by looking at what debt they can assume or what the salary structure may be. That is telling us we are not fitting our skill set or our intellectual ability to the most appropriate journey that we can travel as students because of the debt situation. Now, there are many things that we can do. And that was outlined. Representative Garamendi, I look at the student population in New York. I look at the wonderful institutions we have: higher ed institutions, public and private sector, a community college environment that is tremendously strong. Many will suggest that is the campus of choice these days, for economic reasons and for very practical reasons. So we shouldn't limit that choice because we are not open to change in this arena. We have got to side, I believe, with consumers out there--that being students and their families--making certain that items like loan forgiveness, revisiting our loans and refinancing those loans so they are more affordable and forgiveness that comes for those that may start a business or a social enterprise and assistance that might be given them. I know Secretary Clinton has made mention of that in her campaign for President, making certain that in distressed communities there would be loan forgiveness, I believe, by as much as $17,500, and making certain that we are utilizing the strength of our intellectual capacity, driven by desires of students out there that can then champion the cause of the growth of our economy. But we have to be mindful of the debt with which they are saddled, that we may diminish those dreams, we may suffocate those dreams, simply by the lack of affordability of investing in one's future. So I stand with our colleagues in the House. I stand with Representative Garamendi on the issue of refinancing college loans, making certain that, if you can revisit the situation for your mortgage, why not be able to go forward and revisit that student loan debt that you assume? Again, in Secretary Clinton's package, she speaks of the opportunity for, I believe, some 25 million borrowers in this country to be able to save upward of $2,000 on their college loan simply by refinancing at today's rates. So there is an opportunity for us to be constructive and creative in responding to the needs of our students. We have got to do that. That has to be of utmost priority in this House and in this Congress so that we can go forward and alleviate, however possible, the burden of that student loan debt. No society can continue to function adequately and effectively without addressing the cost of that higher education. These are tools, the higher education opportunities are the tools in the kit that enable people to truly aspire to their dreams, to their goals, and to be able to utilize fully their given abilities that have been fostered and nurtured and brought to the forefront. That discovery is made through K-12, and it is denying that self-discovery of what your strengths are, simply by the cost of a college loan, that is diminishing that opportunity. So let's go forward. We know what to champion here in terms of forgiveness of repayment of direction that can be fostered by the Department of Education, where there can be, again, a revisiting of loans, refinancing those loans in a powerful way that enables us, again, to do the economically strong thing for this Nation and for individual students and their families. You know, as was made mention by the gentleman from California, these are loans that are visited not only years, but decades into the post- higher ed experience, where people are then hampered when it comes to other choices of growing a family, having a family, raising that family, maintaining a household. These are situations that we need to address so that the freedom of choice to these individual students is fully freedom, fully allowed to be addressed by them, as individuals who want to make choices for their future. Again, thank you, Representative Garamendi, for leading us in this Special Order.

Mr. TONKO. Would be able to participate in that program. I think that when we start to address those numbers, you can imagine the impact that that would have on revitalizing our economy, producing the talent that we need. You know, I am impressed with the startup businesses that students at various campuses that I represent are being offered, these wonderful startup opportunities that are tremendously creative and innovative, and that was all triggered by--the inspiration came through work in the classroom and in labs that they may have in pursuing their degree. This is the sort of climate that you want to grow, not shrink; and that is why these opportunities for these many, many families in this Nation--to have that benefit, that is how we prosper. Also, when we talk about Secretary Clinton's plan, I believe it is that there is the proposal to make certain that community colleges be free for all families, for all working families, making certain that we are in compliance with what the President has suggested many times over during his administration, the sought-for degree, that working knowledge of an associate's degree, where there is oftentimes hands-on experience through that matriculation. It is so important for us to recognize that community colleges oftentimes speak to the needs in an atypical fashion, where there may be individuals working and going to school, raising a family, going to school, keeping it close to home, so that there is affordability in that regard; and making certain that, again, we have that need for the business community, for the commerce community, to be met so that this hands-on training, educating, matriculating is made possible through the community college which oftentimes is the campus of choice. So I think it is putting all the dynamics of what is changing in our society into a working order. And I have to compliment Secretary Clinton for having that commitment, making that commitment to students, their families, our Nation, our economic resurgence, our recovery, and, certainly, to the innovation economy that finds us working within an international marketplace, where we can't afford to go backward or stand still. We need to go forward, and a plan like this will enable us to empower the engine of higher education that then takes us to new levels. We have talked about this many times over. There is a pioneer spirit in this Nation. I am a host community to the original pioneer spirit, I believe, in terms of an Erie Canal movement that sparked a westward movement and an industrial revolution. You see it with all sorts of tech valleys that have driven the economy. These are the dynamics of which we speak so often on this floor, that need to be heeded, need to be made priority in our agenda of getting work done so that this Nation can again stretch its opportunities to all the folks that we can so that we will then provide those opportunities which create that intellectual capacity.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, during this summer's historically long 53-day recess, I heard from many in New York's capital region about Congress' failure to pass commonsense gun violence prevention measures. They wonder why nothing will be done after 93 days, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, where we witnessed unfathomable horrors like the worst mass shooting in modern American history in Orlando, law enforcement's deadliest day since 9/11 in Dallas, and a gun homicide death toll of 4,100 Americans around the country. This is way beyond unacceptable. Each new report of a shooting, regardless of its scale, begs the question: What will it take for the House leadership to finally bring legislation to the floor that addresses the root cause of these tragedies? With more than 90 percent of Americans demanding congressional action to reduce gun violence, I am certain my colleagues on the other side heard similar requests from their constituents last month, imploring all of us to take a stand against the national gun lobby and to fight to make all of our communities safer places in which to live. I urge my colleagues to listen to these voices and to join House Democrats in debating and ultimately passing legislation that will prevent dangerous individuals from purchasing firearms.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in this wonderful House with so many of my colleagues to speak forcefully to the issue of unfinished business that is continuing to mount. The silence in the House now will be deafening for 52 days. The paralysis caused in the lives of too many shows a gross sense of insensitivity and disrespect. We are asking for action on several bills. We don't think that we should leave for these 52 days and, worse yet, close down session days before it was scheduled to close. We have a Zika virus crisis that is gripping the lives of many, and it is starting to have its presence felt in these United States, issues that will cost us tens of millions of dollars per child because of an inaction to address the Zika virus. We have a crisis in Flint that has not been responded to, where we have walked away from families and their needs for the given need of drinking water. I have a bill, the Aqua bill, that we need to address on this House floor. Let's do our business. Let's not walk away from our responsibilities. Let's be sensitive to America. No vacation if we have not done our work.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chair, during rollcall Vote No. 453 on H.R. 5538, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``yes'' when I should have voted ``no.''

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, America is hurting. The hearts of Americans are made heavier by the acts of violence that are driven by anger and fear and hate and insensitivity. We need to step up and heal as a nation with lives lost innocently, with the lives of those who protect us day-to-day lost tragically, with those pulled aside for routine traffic stops end up in a scenario where life oozes from them senselessly. America hurts. We need to come together as a nation. We need to understand that there is so much that unites us, far more than what divides us. Respect for each other must drive and compel and challenge us as a society, as a nation, to do far better. Congress needs to lead in that regard. We need to be part of that coming together to understand through intellect, concern, compassion, through our wisdom--through our hearts that are burning with love--that love conquers hate. We can accomplish that with the prevention of gun violence. Let's come together and heal.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. While this bill is not perfect and necessarily represents a compromise from all sides, it is a good first step in making the improvement to our Nation's mental health system. It has been a long road to get here, and the passionate debate we have had has only served to strengthen the bill and produce legislation that we can all support. In particular, I would like to highlight section 502, which is based on my Coordinating Crisis Care Act, which I sponsored. This provision would authorize a new grant program at SAMHSA to fund the development of real-time bed registry systems that will help get individuals in crisis the appropriate care they need in a timely fashion. By ensuring better coordination of crisis care systems, we can save lives and support individuals and families in their time of need. Looking forward, Congress needs to do more to heal a broken mental health system. We should pass additional legislation that would ensure vigorous enforcement of our mental health parity laws and to strengthen mental health and substance use coverage for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries. That is ultimately the key to quality performance here for the mental health community. Finally, we have to acknowledge that the current dysfunction in our mental health systems stems, in part, from decades of broken promises and a chronic underinvestment in community-based mental health services that simply cannot be solved by one single bill like this. We must do better, and I stand ready to help in that fight.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Chair, we know that. It is a great inspiration just by their tradition alone. We have an incredibly skilled workforce, the best in the world. Now we just need to make the investments necessary to ensure the products they manufacture will continue to be the best as well. Once again, I thank our colleague, Congressman Gibson, for this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.