Maxine Waters

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 56) to establish an Independent Financial Technology Task Force to Combat Terrorism and Illicit Financing, to provide rewards for information leading to convictions related to terrorist use of digital currencies, to establish a Fintech Leadership in Innovation and Financial Intelligence Program to encourage the development of tools and programs to combat terrorist and illicit use of digital currencies, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased that this body will vote on H.R. 56, the Financial Technology Protection Act, which passed the House in the 115th Congress. This bill would strengthen and expand efforts to deter terrorists and illicit abuses of financial technology through interagency coordination and research through collaboration with private institutions and citizens. As stated in last year's National Money Laundering Risk Assessment from the United States Department of the Treasury, many cryptocurrencies are being designed to make virtual currency transactions untraceable and are increasingly being used by bad actors. The talent and technological capabilities to track these transactions must keep up so the government can identify terrorists, hackers, and other criminals who try to hide their activities and proceeds using cryptocurrencies and related exchanges. This bill would establish a public-private sector task force, a grant program to encourage the development of largely open-source tracking technology, and a whistleblower reward program to counter terrorist uses of digital currencies. Also, it would require the government to examine how state and nonstate actors, including foreign terrorist organizations, use these cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions, finance terrorism, and launder money. I thank Congressmen Budd and Lynch for reintroducing this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch), who is a strong leader and a strong voice on the Financial Services Committee and the lead Democratic cosponsor of this bill.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Massachusetts an additional 1 minute.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representative Budd and Representative Lynch for the work that they have put forth on this legislation, and I would like to take a moment to thank Mr. Lynch for not only this legislation, but all of the efforts that he has put forth on the Financial Services Committee that have benefited this Congress and our country. Let me just say that I rise again to encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for H.R. 56, the Financial Technology Protection Act. This bipartisan bill aims to improve our efforts to deter terrorists and criminal abusers of financial technology, including cryptocurrencies, through its support of interagency coordination and research and through collaboration with private institutions and citizens. The measure created by this legislation will give the U.S. a better understanding of how bad actors, including terrorists, use cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions, finance terrorism, and launder money. These state and nonstate actors are always looking for new ways to get around our protective and investigative measures, and this bill will help us to stay at least one step ahead. So, again, my sincere gratitude and thanks to Congressmen Budd and Lynch for reintroducing this bill, which was passed by this body in the last Congress. I would like to, again, follow up on statements that were made by the ranking member, Mr. McHenry, to remind everyone that the first three bills of this Congress that have been introduced by the Financial Services Committee are bipartisan bills where we have shown that we are willing to provide leadership and send a message to all of the Members of Congress that we have to work hard to try and get good, viable, strong legislation through this Congress, working together in ways that perhaps we have not done before. I am very pleased and proud to stand here as the chairperson of the Financial Services Committee, helping to make sure that the first three bills that we introduce are bipartisan and urging my support for these bills and this bill now that it is before you. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, on Sunday, January 20, the Los Angeles Rams--who play at the Los Angeles Coliseum and will soon be housed in my Congressional District in the City of Inglewood--defeated the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 NFC Championship Game. The Rams won the opportunity to face off with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII on February 3 in Atlanta, Georgia. Football is an all-American sport and is the most popular sport in America. As such, the Rams are congratulated by all of their hometown fans and admirers across the country for their spectacular victory in becoming NFC Champions. I commend these players as well as the players and staff of all NFL teams for their tremendous talent and for exercising their first amendment rights in support of criminal justice reform.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, today, thousands of air traffic controllers, who we know are essential to our safety and work in one of the most stressful work environments, have had to work without being paid for 34 days. Unions for air traffic controllers, pilots, and flight attendants released a letter today describing the impact of this shutdown. This is what they wrote: ``We have a growing concern for the safety and security of our members, our airlines, and the traveling public due to the government shutdown. This is already the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States, and there is no end in sight. In our risk-averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented.'' This is unconscionable. Mr. President, you took credit for this shutdown. You said you would accept the responsibility. You said you own this shutdown. Are you going to own and take responsibility for the loss of lives for a catastrophe that will be caused in the sky because you are holding the American people hostage for a political agenda that has no credibility whatsoever?

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, you have heard all of the facts about what is happening in the Treasury Department. I do not understand, for the life of me, why there is any elected official who would support delisting these companies and Deripaska. We are dealing with the enemy. We are in an investigation. Deripaska is a criminal. He is closely aligned with Putin. We know everything about him, and we know that he would benefit from this delisting. He would retain 45 percent of the shares or the ownership in these companies. Of course, he will use that to basically pay off the debts to the bank that he owes. I don't know why we have Republicans who don't understand this. Where are they? Why are they not down here defending what they are going to do with their vote? Why are they not down here explaining why somehow they are not putting this democracy first? This is not the first sanction that they are going to try to delist. Oh, they are coming with another in a few days. It has to do with Jamaica, and I know all about that. And they are going to keep coming. We should be implementing sanctions. This is about the invasion and the attack on Crimea. This is about all of the other atrocities that have occurred and have been implemented by Putin and the oligarchs of Russia. We need to stand up, and we need to say that, yes, we are going to have sanctions. They are going to be implemented. We are going to make sure that we don't align ourselves with the people who are undermining this democracy. They have hacked into our DNC. They have hacked into our State electoral systems. And here we have people who are willing to say that is okay; that is all right; let them continue to do what they do. The Republicans who did not vote on the Senate side need to be called out. This is serious business, and I want the Republicans to face up to it. Don't hide. Come on down here and defend your views.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, today is day 26 of the Trump Shutdown. Federal workers missed their first paycheck last Friday, and still there is no end in sight to this cruel and senseless shutdown. It is truly shameful that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are so desperate to secure taxpayer funding for an irrational border wall that they're willing to harm hardworking Americans and jeopardize national security by shutting down the federal government. This outrageous shutdown has furloughed 400,000 federal workers, and it's forcing another 400,000 federal workers to work without pay. Among those working without pay are 53,000 Transportation Security Administration employees, more than 24,000 air traffic controllers and other Federal Aviation Administration employees, 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents and customs officers, 42,000 service members in the United States Coast Guard, 17,000 Bureau of Prisons correctional officers, 14,000 FBI agents, and 6,000 Forest Service firefighters. These dedicated public servants go to work every day for the American people. These hardworking people keep us safe. They should not have to worry about how they will keep a roof over their heads and feed their families. My congressional district is home to Los Angeles/International Airport (LAX), the sixth busiest airport in the world and the third busiest in the United States. In 2017, more than 84 million passengers used LAX. All of these passengers depend upon the TSA's airport security screeners and the FAA's air traffic controllers to get them to their destinations safely. The Trump shutdown doesn't just affect government employees. An economic study in 2011 reported that operations at LAX generated 294,400 jobs in Los Angeles County with labor income of $13.6 billion and economic output of more than $39.7 billion. The economic vitality of Los Angeles County depends upon the safety and security of LAX and the TSA and FAA employees who work there. TSA employees are dedicated public servants who risk their lives every day to keep our nation's airports and travelers safe. On November 1, 2013, a Transportation Security Officer named Gerardo Hernandez was tragically killed in the line of duty during an active shooter incident at LAX. He was the first TSA employee to be killed in the line of duty, and my colleagues and I passed the bipartisan Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015 in his honor. Our President has forgotten the critical role these American patriots serve in our national security. Today, at LAX and airports throughout the country, Transportation Security Officers like Gerardo Hernandez are working without pay. The Trump Shutdown is endangering public safety, national security, and the livelihoods of the people whose job it is to protect us. Democrats want to end this shutdown now. On Day One, the new Democratic House of Representatives passed Senate Republican legislation to end the Trump Shutdown and re-open government. Despite the Republicans' relentless obstruction, Democrats have continued to take further action to re-open government, passing individual Senate Republican appropriations bills to re-open all government agencies. American families and workers should not be punished because of a policy disagreement in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump should stop holding the safety, security, and paychecks of workers in my district, and throughout the country, hostage. He must re-open the government immediately.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call for an end to the Trump shutdown. This Republican-imposed shutdown is threatening job creation, harming small businesses and leaving families with uncertainty and instability. It is shameful that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are so desperate to secure taxpayer funding for a senseless border wall that they're willing to harm hardworking Americans by shutting down the federal government. This outrageous shutdown is forcing 420,000 federal employees to work without pay. These dedicated public servants have been doing their jobs and serving the public without pay since December 22. They include about 14,000 FBI agents, 6,000 Forest Service firefighters, and 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents. Furthermore, thousands of airport security screeners and air traffic controllers are working without pay to protect the safety of the flying public at airports throughout the country, including LAX in my congressional district. In addition, 400,000 federal employees have been furloughed without pay. This includes federal workers at the Departments of Transportation, State, Commerce, Interior and Agriculture. These dedicated public servants are sitting at home wondering how they will pay their mortgages and buy food for their families. Yet, they want nothing more than to go back to work serving the American people. As the Chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, I am especially concerned about the impact of the Trump Shutdown on American homebuyers and renters. Millions of families that rely on Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) rental assistance programs are dangerously close to eviction and foreclosure due to lapses in funding. Families aspiring to become homeowners may see their Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or rural housing loans delayed or be unable to close on their loans altogether during the shutdown. In rural communities, very low-income, elderly homeowners who rely on HUD grants and loans to address health and safety hazards will not receive payments and may be forced to live in dangerous conditions. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the agency that investors and the public rely on to police Wall Street and maintain the safety of our capital markets system has furloughed roughly 94% of its staff, leading to a backlog of complaints that could delay enforcement actions. Companies looking to go public and enter the stock market for the first time may also have to delay their Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Meanwhile, our National Parks are overflowing with uncollected trash, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stopped conducting inspections of drinking water systems, hazardous waste facilities, and chemical facilities. If the Trump shutdown continues beyond January, about 40 percent of 40 million individuals and families across the country who are dependent upon the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Food Stamps, will see their benefits reduced. These are just a few examples of the harm being caused by the third shutdown this nation has experienced since Trump took office. It is time for Republicans to stop jeopardizing livelihoods, the financial system, and our economy by ending this shutdown immediately. It's long past time to end this Trump shutdown, and put America's public servants back to work serving the public.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle, but today I rise in support of H.R. 264, legislation that would reopen the Federal Government and put Wall Street's cop on the beat, the Securities and Exchange Commission, back to work. This President has all but closed the door of the SEC, furloughing 94 percent of the agency and essentially providing fraudsters and schemers with a free pass to swindle investors and small businesses. With such a skeleton crew of less than 300 staff, the SEC cannot possibly oversee the activities of over 26,000 registered entities, such as investment advisers, broker dealers, and stock exchanges. Worse, the SEC is unable to hold bad actors accountable through most enforcement actions, preventing harmed investors from obtaining relief. But the importance of the SEC goes beyond ensuring the rule of law. Businesses that are looking to enter the public stock markets may have to delay their initial public offerings because the SEC cannot approve their documents. Businesses seeking guidance from the SEC are left in legal limbo until the SEC can get back to work. The Trump shutdown is jeopardizing the integrity of our financial markets and the hard-earned savings of millions of Americans. So let's end this Trump shutdown and open the government so that the SEC and other agencies can get back to work on behalf of the public. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate some of the comments that have been made about the fact that we have been able to work together, both sides of the aisle on the Financial Services Committee, working on such things as the JOBS Act, but we can't do any of that. We cannot move. We cannot get to work for the American people because this President not only has shut down the government, but he took responsibility for it. He wanted everybody to know that he did it--that he not only did it, but he is going to continue to do it until he can bend us to his will and give him $5 billion-plus to put up a wall of some kind. We don't even know what it is. So I want to say to my friends on the opposite side of the aisle and to Mr. McHenry, yes, we are going to be able to work together on a lot of good legislation, but why don't you join with us and talk to the President and tell him to open up government, that we cannot continue to have the American people suffer in the way that they are doing, and our financial services agencies are unable to do the job that the people sent them here to do.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, allow me to try and explain exactly what is happening with this proposal by my chairman, Mr. Hensarling. Mr. Hensarling came to me and indicated that he wanted to add language to the reauthorization, the short-term reauthorization of the flood insurance program. I explained to him that I had an agreement with Mr. Scalise, and our agreement was that this would be a short-term reauthorization that was clean; that it would be added to the continuing resolution; and that we would see to it that the flood insurance program would not lapse. So Mr. Hensarling went to Mr. Scalise and Mr. Scalise agreed to it and, because he agreed to it, Mr. Hensarling moved forward. Following that, staff members pointed out that if the language is added that Mr. Hensarling would like to add, it was going to create a problem. It was going to create a confrontation; that we would endanger the ability to have short-term reauthorization and, if we do that, homeowners are going to be disadvantaged because they would not have access to the insurance that they need to satisfy the mortgages that they were trying to get. So we have had a long discussion and a long debate about what the Senate is going to do and, of course, our understanding now is that the Senate will not support the language that is going to be put in that is headed by Mr. Hensarling; and this was going to endanger the ability for us to get the short-term reauthorization. So, given all of that, and understanding all of that, yes, I made an agreement with Mr. Hensarling that, if Mr. Scalise agreed, that I would agree, but I want--and I have said to Mr. Hensarling, as we had a long discussion on the floor with some of the leadership, et cetera, that one of the things we want is, we want this short-term reauthorization until May, until we can get to work on long-term reauthorization for the National Flood Insurance Program. Yes, Mr. Hensarling is correct that we do have the possibility now for private insurers who write insurance for the national flood insurance, to do both, to be able to write insurance. But we do know that even if they are able to do it now, we are not saying that we should do anything to codify that in existing law. They are saying you should not do anything to codify that in existing law, simply because it endangers the ability for the support for the National Flood Insurance Program to be reauthorized through the short-term. So it is complicated and it presents a dilemma for everybody. But in the final analysis, no matter what, the real question becomes: Is it important for a short-term reauthorization of the national flood insurance; or do we allow it to get caught up in these agreements so that we don't have it, and then the real estate market is going to go crazy; homeowners who are trying to purchase insurance, because they can't get a mortgage without it, all of this will be absolutely undermined. And that is the essence of what is going on. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think that what Mr. Scalise said is the significant question about this issue, and that is: What do we do today to make sure that we have short-term reauthorization? If we have thoughts other than that, are we reexamining those thoughts in any way, or do we understand the danger that may be imposed upon our ability to get short-term reauthorization with any efforts that we are making to codify or place into law the ability for private insurers to participate in the program, along with the way that they participate for the National Flood Insurance Program? I think the significant question is what Mr. Scalise has said: Will we be able to support short-term reauthorization with whatever we do today? That becomes the question. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of this legislation, S. 3628, and the gentleman, Tom MacArthur, is absolutely correct. We have to do a short-term reauthorization. And because of the previous vote, some people are a little bit confused, but they do not have to worry. The previous bill that we voted on was one where Chairman Hensarling was attempting to add some language. That failed. So now we have a clean bill before us with one little correction in it, and I would simply ask for an ``aye'' vote so that we can get on with ensuring we have short-term reauthorization. And I am pleased to say that we have the support on both sides of the aisle to begin to work on a long-term reauthorization, and I think we are going to have good agreement on that. So I would simply ask for an ``aye'' vote today and get this out of the way so that we can move on. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Tom MacArthur is absolutely correct. I ask for an ``aye'' vote. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Tonko for the leadership that he has provided and the opportunity to rise to urge all of my colleagues to support S. 2076, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. I congratulate Senator Susan Collins for shepherding this bill through the Senate. I join together with my colleagues, Representatives Brett Guthrie, Paul Tonko, and Chris Smith, to introduce the House version of this bill in order to promote early detection and diagnosis, support caregivers, and reduce health disparities related to the care and treatment of Alzheimer's patients. As the House Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I know how devastating this disease can be for patients, families, and caregivers. Alzheimer's affects more than 5 million Americans, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There is no effective treatment, no means of prevention, and no method for slowing the progression of the disease. Alzheimer's is very costly to society. In 2017, the direct cost of care for Alzheimer's and other dementias was approximately $259 billion, with 67 percent of those costs paid by Medicare or Medicaid. At the current rate, the direct costs of care for these tragic conditions will reach more than $1 trillion by 2050. Most Alzheimer's patients require constant care and attention, especially when they are in the final stages of the disease. More than 15 million Americans provide unpaid care to family and friends living with Alzheimer's and other dementias. The Alzheimer's Association calculated that caregivers provided more than 18 billion hours of unpaid care for people with dementia in 2016, at an estimated value of more than $230 billion. Alzheimer's has a devastating impact on caregivers. Compared with caregivers for people without dementia, twice as many caregivers for people with dementia indicate substantial emotional, financial, and physical stress. The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act establishes Alzheimer's centers of excellence around the country to expand and promote innovative and effective Alzheimer's interventions. These interventions will support early detection, reduce the risk of hospitalizations and cognitive decline, support caregivers, and reduce health disparities. The BOLD Act will also improve data collection on the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer's and related dementias. So, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here with my colleagues today, and I would certainly urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take some of my time to tell Mr. Duffy: Just calm down. This is easy. We are all together on this. I want to make sure he doesn't damage himself in all of the display that he is doing today. It is disappointing that we find ourselves on the House floor yet again to temporarily extend the National Flood Insurance Program's authorization. The NFIP provides flood insurance coverage to more than 5 million families across the country. Communities rely on NFIP for flood maps and mitigation assistance, and small businesses rely on the NFIP to pick up the pieces when the inevitable storm hits. Yet the long-term stability of this critical program continues to fall victim to our inability to agree on a number of items. Mr. Speaker, Americans across the country are experiencing natural disasters of an absolutely catastrophic magnitude. Just this month, the Camp fire devastated California, amounting to the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. Current estimates are that 88 individuals have lost their lives and tens of thousands of structures, including over 13,000 single-family homes, have been destroyed. 2017 was an absolutely catastrophic year in terms of hurricanes. In 2017, for the first time on record, three Category 4 hurricanes made landfall in the United States. Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, the administration's National Climate Assessment, which is a report prepared by 13 Federal agencies and more than 3,000 scientists, recently documented the numerous impacts of our warming climate. According to the report, climate change is costing billions of dollars in property damage from sea level rise. High tide flooding has increased by factors as high as 10 in some communities, and fire season is now over 80 days longer than a couple of decades ago. Faced with these realities, we stand here today still lacking a credible plan to end the partisan problems that we have that has brought the NFIP to the brink of a lapse several times already in this Congress. I, too, and others, are disappointed that we have missed opportunities to responsibly help homeowners, businesses, and renters who all need access to affordable flood insurance by taking sensible steps to stabilize flood insurance premiums, deal with the NFIP's debt, and invest in up-to-date and accurate flood maps. Thankfully, the American people have demanded a change in Washington; and I am sure that, if we continue to concentrate on this issue, we can find bipartisanship and get something done. Given the critical importance of the NFIP to our housing market, I am pleased that we are taking this small step today of reauthorizing the program through December 7 to at least avoid its doors from shuttering. But our work is far from done. I have led the effort for years to provide long-term reauthorizations of the NFIP so that we could ensure the affordability and availability of flood insurance. I will continue to do so in the Financial Services Committee next Congress. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Financial Services Committee and someone who has been extremely active in monitoring the aftermath of the devastation from Hurricane Harvey.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crist), a member of the Financial Services Committee and long-time supporter of affordable flood insurance coverage.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), a friend from the opposite side of the aisle who is a true expert on flood insurance issues.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), who serves on the Judiciary Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Committee on the Budget.

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time

Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, while I would prefer a longer term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program, I strongly support today's extension to provide homeowners, businesses, renters, and communities with the certainty they deserve. Let me just say that I think we are all aware that for those people who are trying to obtain homeownership that live in flood zones, they won't be able to do it if they cannot get the insurance that is provided by the National Flood Insurance Program. And just think what that is going to do to the real estate market. So we have to do this in order to deal with the fact that this program literally shuts down at the end of November. And let me just say that I have been in cities and towns that have been devastated by floods and by storms, and I want you to know the time that I spent after Katrina, helping to get people who were abandoned on highways, putting them in buses, and traveling down through the various cities, was heartbreaking. I want you to know that I went up to Baton Rouge and I was in Mississippi, and I understand the pain and the destruction that is caused by these storms. And I am absolutely committed, make no mistake, I remain committed to putting partisanship aside and working with my colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle to come together on commonsense reforms that protect the continued affordability and availability of coverage, a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP that ensures that affordable flood insurance continues to be available to communities across our country. It must be Congress' priority when we start the 116th Congress. And let me just say, Mr. Speaker, that despite the fact that my colleague and chairman of the committee and I worked very hard to try and deal with some of our concerns and even differences, we not only both have demonstrated our commitment to long-term NFIP, and while we did not get exactly where we wanted to go, we were able to provide protection for those families who were in desperate need of insurance and to continue, even though we have had to do it on a short-term basis. So I would like to take this moment to just thank him for the opportunity that I have had to work with him. Now, everybody knows we didn't always agree, but they didn't know what we were laughing about as we sat next to each other exchanging a few jokes every now and then. So I am going to miss him as our chairman. I don't know if this is his last time on the floor and whether or not we are going to be able to put flood insurance reauthorization into the continuing resolution. If we are not, perhaps I will see him again, but I don't know. I just wanted him to know that his presence here in the Congress of the United States has been noted in the history of the Congress of the United States, and whether or not he was agreeing or disagreeing, he had a powerful voice on a powerful committee, and I am going to miss the times that I have spent with him, good times and bad times, and I just wish him well on his future. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.