Chris Van Hollen

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the 20th Anniversary of the World Day of Road Safety Remembrance. Despite greater awareness of the dangers associated with traveling on the world's roads today and improvements in road safety, more than a million people die each year as a result of road crashes. These crashes remain the single greatest cause of death for healthy Americans abroad. In the U.S., more than 30,000 die in crashes, while more than 2 million are injured annually. The good news is that the number of road deaths is stabilizing even though the number of motor vehicles worldwide has increased. According to the World Health Organization, in the last three years, 79 countries have seen a decrease in the absolute number of traffic fatalities. The bad news is that road users around the world are unequally protected. The risk of dying in a road traffic crash still depends, in great part, on where people live and how they move around. A big gap still separates high income countries from low and middle income ones where 90% of road traffic deaths occur in spite of having just 54% of the world's vehicles. Europe has the lowest death rates per capita. Africa has the highest. Though road safety strategies are saving lives, the pace of change is too slow. More countries are acting on road safety, but further action is required. In its recent report ``Improving Global Road Safety,'' WHO has called for all new roads to be constructed to at least a 3 Star safety standard, using the International Road Assessment Program methodology. Initiatives will be presented this week among government officials, NGOs and international organizations during the 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of observing the World Day of Remembrance. Among the groups in attendance will be the Association for Safe International Road Travel. Since its founding, ASIRT has been a leading and powerful advocate in support of global road safety. On this World Day of Remembrance, we are reminded of how much progress has been made regarding road safety and how far we still need to go. I encourage my colleagues and the public to reflect on the importance of the task that lies ahead and to commit themselves to the work of preventing the needless deaths caused by road crashes.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the Sergeant Lawrence Everhart Chapter of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and the Frederick and Carrollton Manor Chapters of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution on their collaboration in celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Repudiation Act in Frederick County, Maryland. This event was a defining moment in our nation's history and established a critically- important precedent in our judicial system. On November 23, 1765, the twelve justices of the Frederick County Court took the bold and unprecedented step to repudiate ``taxation without representation.'' The British had passed the Stamp Act on March 22, 1765, which was to take effect on November 1st of that year. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper. This was the first internal tax levied directly on American colonists by the British government. Obviously unpopular, the Stamp Act raised the constitutional question of taxation without representation and the extent of the legislative powers of Parliament over the colonies. The most significant reaction to the Act was expressed in Frederick County. The Frederick Court unanimously ordered that ``all proceedings shall be Valid and Effectual without the use of Stamps'' because, first, a ``Legal Publication'' had not been made ``of any Act of Parliament'' and, second, there was no stamped paper in ``the province and the Inhabitants have no means of Procuring any.'' They further wrote ``that it would be an Instance of the most wanton Oppression to deprive any person of a Legal Remedy for the Recovery of his property for omitting that which it is Impossible to perform.'' This decision came to be known as the Repudiation Act and earned the justices the honor of being called the ``Twelve Immortals.'' Thanks to this extraordinary ruling, the constitutional principles of representative government and political self-determination, critical to the success of the coming American Revolution, became engrained throughout the colonies. Indeed, it is noteworthy that these early jurists established through their bold ruling the principle of judicial independence, striking down the decree of Parliament and reinforcing the obligation of courts to protect the rights and liberties of people. The judges' ruling set off great rejoicing in the streets of Frederick. A parade was held through the streets highlighted by a funeral procession. The community was so thankful for this decision that they covered a coffin in anti-Stamp Act slogans and symbolically laid the Stamp Act to rest. This year, on the 250th anniversary, the celebration will include a reenactment of the parade that carried the coffin containing the now- deceased Stamp Act through the streets of Frederick. The current Clerk of the Frederick County Court, Sandra Dalton, will read the words that were recorded in 1765. A new sign will be dedicated on the grounds of the City Hall, recognizing the courage of the twelve judges who protected the rights and liberties of all people. Mr. Speaker, Frederick County, Maryland has a proud history of patriotism and standing up against tyranny. I am proud that the community is gathering to celebrate this defining moment in our history.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, it is a sad commentary on the state of this House that the highway bill we are considering is being called a victory, and that the mere act of bringing a bill to the floor is a major step forward. As a nation with a D+ grade on infrastructure from the American Society for Civil Engineers, we need an ambitious plan to rebuild and modernize. We need to invest in transit, fix structurally-deficient bridges, connect people to jobs, and move goods across the country. We need to put people to work in every community bringing our transportation system into the 21st century. That's why I introduced a version of the President's GROW America Act that would have invested more in our infrastructure. Instead, we are considering a very modest proposal. It's a six year bill at current funding levels adjusted for inflation, with only three years of funding. The pay-fors include bad and inefficient policies like hiring private debt collectors to harass taxpayers. It dramatically cuts the TIFIA loan program and fails to provide adequate funding for transit. And it needlessly erodes environmental and community review of projects. This bill does have some positive provisions providing resources for major projects, continuing funding for bike-ped and Safe Routes to School, and strengthening Buy American requirements. I appreciate that my amendment to allow communities to protect consumers from predatory towing has been included in the bill. And I strongly support reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank to open up international markets for American goods. But I am disappointed that this bill does not go farther to improve and transform our transportation networks. As we begin conference negotiations with the Senate, we must significantly boost investments, eliminate problematic offsets, and restore meaningful project review.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, on the evening of November 3, 2015, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote 586. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' (By unanimous consent, Mr. McCarthy was allowed to speak out of order.) Legislative Program

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise to salute my constituent, Thomas E. Harr, as he steps down as Executive Director of Family Services, Inc. Under Mr. Harr's visionary leadership, FSI, which is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has developed into an agency that cares for vulnerable clients from cradle to grave, becoming, in essence, a caring, secondary family--giving true meaning to the organization's name. FSI provides high-quality service to foster health and well-being in the home, school and community as it serves more than 25,000 residents in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Mr. Harr has overseen this organization through a period of extraordinary growth, enabling the organization to be an effective safety net for the most vulnerable members of our community. Mr. Harr's tenure has been distinguished by his tireless efforts to make Family Services treat the ``whole'' person throughout their entire lifespan. His vision encompasses a holistic philosophy of human services. Long an opponent of fragmented silos of care and the lack of coordination between them, he encouraged his mental health clinic to integrate mental health, substance abuse and primary care services, including the treatment and management of co-occurring conditions. He spearheaded the partnership of his organization with a primary care provider and a reproductive health specialty clinic to address the then-unappreciated somatic consequences of having a mental illness. He reached out to another historic provider, GUIDE, which later merged with Family Services and brought with it an impressive array of youth services. The Family Services of today encompasses 31 programs and touches every sector of vulnerable residents in Montgomery County. Its excellence has recently been recognized by its receiving the first CARF accreditation in the County. Under Mr. Harr's leadership, FSI has seen the addition of a new child development center in 2000, an outpatient mental health clinic in 2001, a family multi-service center in 2002, and a hospital neonatal screening program in 2004, to name a few major projects. In addition, Mr. Harr oversaw the doubling of the agency's Head Start program, the opening of an additional child care center in another region of the County, and the creation of one of the County's first integrated care clinics. Mr. Harr has also been deeply involved with the needs of our vulnerable elderly population. Under his leadership, FSI opened a medical day program, an outpatient substance abuse clinic, an adolescent recovery club house, expansion of the adult psychiatric day program, and a school mental health and social service program. And, finally, he facilitated FSI's assuming a major role in the County's implementation of the Affordable Care Act, accepting a contract to run our region's health insurance navigator program. Prior to joining FSI, Mr. Harr served as the Chief of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services and Deputy Director of the Department of Addiction, Victim and Mental Health Services. Mr. Harr also had distinguished service in the United States Air Force. Mr. Speaker, Thom Harr is an extraordinary and exceptional leader whose pioneering spirit, passion and drive led him to fight for those who are unable to fight for themselves. His influence in our region is profound. I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest gratitude and appreciation to him for his outstanding service to our community. He has truly made a difference in the lives of countless individuals and families, and his impact will be felt, with grateful appreciation, for many years to come.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Export- Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act, and I applaud the triumph of democracy over ideology that it represents. The Export-Import Bank is, and always has been, about jobs. It's about the ability of U.S. companies of all sizes to grow their business by exporting their products, and to compete on a level playing field with their foreign competitors in global markets--many of whom continue to receive export financing from any one of the 85 foreign export credit agencies still operating around the world. The only companies hurt by the far right's crusade against the Export-Import Bank are our own companies, employing American workers, manufacturing products stamped ``Made in the USA.'' That didn't make sense in July, when the Export-Import Bank's charter was allowed to expire--and it doesn't make sense now. Which is why I am very pleased that a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives is at long last saying ``enough is enough.'' I'm proud to be a part of that bipartisan majority, and I call on the Senate to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank without delay.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), somebody who knows how to lead, who knows how to get things done, who knows how to find common ground, and who was a vital part of bringing us to the progress we are making today, the Democratic leader.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I have about four more speakers.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 10 seconds.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains on this side?

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). He is somebody who has been a key leader on budget and fiscal issues, someone from the great State of Maryland, and our distinguished Democratic whip.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a great member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), a distinguished member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), a distinguished member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Where we close is where we started. As we all recognize, this agreement is not perfect, but it certainly beats the alternative and is a positive step forward. It ensures the full faith and credit of the United States. We will pay our bills on time. It prevents damaging sequester cuts to our economy and allows us to invest more in education, in scientific research, and military readiness. It prevents a 20 percent cut to Social Security Disability beneficiaries, and it prevents a whopping Medicare part B increase for millions of American seniors. So, again, while many of us would like to see more--and I agree with those who have said that we need to invest more and address many of the other big issues our country faces--this is a positive step forward. Madam Speaker, I want to thank everybody who helped come together to make it possible. I urge its adoption. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), a terrific new Member of Congress.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), somebody who has been very focused on making sure we keep the full faith and credit of the United States.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Maryland (Mr. Cummings), the very distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I want to start by joining the comments of the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Mr. Rogers, in congratulating all those who came together to iron out their differences and produce this agreement. It is not a perfect agreement, but it is far better than the alternative, the alternative which we would have seen which would have produced great damage to the economy, as opposed to this agreement, which will help boost economic growth and make important national investments. What a difference a week makes, Madam Speaker. Just last week, we had on the floor of this House a bill that would have jeopardized the full faith and credit of the United States. It was a piece of legislation that says the United States Government only has to pay some of its bills, doesn't have to pay all of its bills. That would have been an awful precedent that would have put the economy at risk. Even worse, it said, well, when we decide which bills we are going to pay, we are first going to pay all the bondholders, like China and the folks on Wall Street, rather than our soldiers and our veterans and the doctors who provide Medicare to our seniors. I am glad we have gotten beyond that, Madam Speaker. This will ensure the full faith and credit of the United States. It will also lift the very damaging sequester caps that have been put in place that, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, were going to slow down economic growth over the next couple years. Instead, we are going to be able to make some vital investments in key areas: in education, in scientific research, in transportation, and in military readiness. Now, I know those decisions are going to be left to Mr. Rogers and the appropriators, and I wish them all the best in making those decisions. I hope we come back by mid-December with an agreement to go forward without further threats of government shutdown. This agreement at least provides the room and space to make those important investments. It also prevents a looming 20 percent cut in Social Security disability benefits and provides that reassurance to millions of Americans who otherwise would have been on the edge. It prevents what would have been a whopping increase in Medicare part B premiums for millions of seniors around this country, who would have been stretched extremely thin and probably not been able to make all their payments--whether they were mortgage payments, rent payments, or food payments--at the same time they were facing those huge Medicare part B premium increases. So that was addressed as well. Now, like Mr. Rogers, there are lots of things that I would like to have seen in this bill that are not included; but on balance, this is an important step forward, certainly a great improvement over where we were just a week ago. So, again, I want to express my gratitude to everybody who helped make this possible. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, may I ask how much time remains on this side?

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I agree with the gentleman that the investments in military readiness are important. I also believe the investments to help our economy grow and invest in education and scientific research are important. What the President said to the Congress is what the vast majority of the American public believed, that it is vital to have a strong national defense. But a strong national defense requires a strong economy. It requires an educated workforce. It requires investments in innovation and technology. It requires a 21st century infrastructure. So I am pleased that the President insisted that we make investments not just in the military, but also vital investments to help the economy grow, grow more jobs, which are estimated to be in the range of 350,000 in 2016 alone. So those are vital investments that also help strengthen America. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), somebody who has been on the front lines of making those important investments for our country, the very distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison), a distinguished member of the Financial Services Committee.