Tim Walberg

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Amendment XXII, section 1: ``No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.'' Section 2: ``This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.''

Mr. WALBERG. ``Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly behaviour, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member. ``Each House shall keep a Journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of those present, be entered on the Journal.''

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act. This bill is a bipartisan and bicameral effort to provide more information about Federal programs and their activities online. The American people deserve to know what their government does with their hard-earned dollars. The Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act will make it easier to evaluate Federal Government spending by requiring Federal agencies to identify their programs, provide basic information like what their programs do, how they perform, and how much they cost. Agencies must do a better job of managing their programs and identifying areas where taxpayer dollars are wasted. The Government Accountability Office is tasked with reporting on duplication and continues to find new areas of duplication across the government. In 6 years, GAO has identified 250 areas and 637 corrective actions in those areas to reduce fragmentation, overlap, or duplication or address other opportunities for financial benefits. While only 41 percent of recommended corrective actions have been taken, GAO estimates this progress will result in approximately $125 billion in financial benefits and savings over 15 years. While GAO's work has been invaluable, their ability to look comprehensively at the Federal Government is inherently limited because of the poor reporting by agencies about their activity. Quite simply, Mr. Speaker, without better data, billions more will be lost. Current law, specifically the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act, requires agencies to report all their programs, their funding, and their performance information to the Office of Management and Budget. However, OMB's current inventory is incomplete and provides inconsistent information. This makes it more difficult and time consuming to identify areas of waste and inefficiency. The Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act establishes an across-the-board definition for ``program'' and requires the publication of detailed information on each Federal program. This change will allow American taxpayers and Federal watchdogs to better evaluate the effectiveness and utility of government programs. The Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act, Mr. Speaker, is an important and necessary step forward for the government in providing programs that are accountable, effective, and efficient. Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Lankford for his work on the Senate companion bill in the last Congress, which will be reintroduced in future weeks. I also thank Representative Cooper of Tennessee for his continued bipartisan support and cosponsorship on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of the rule and the underlying bill. Why? Well, the 21st Century Cures Act is a transformational piece of legislation that will allow us to discover and develop new lifesaving cures and treatments for some of the worst diseases. This act will offer hope to millions of patients and families, including Gale, a constituent of mine from Newport, who has been affected and afflicted with pancreatic cancer. Or Brandon, a boy from Rives Junction, who has been on a clinical trial for 8 years as he battles Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In addition to streamlining the FDA approval process and boosting NIH funding, the Cures Act includes significant provisions to update our mental health system and help States fight opioid addiction. I congratulate my good friend and colleague Chairman Fred Upton for his vision in tackling this challenge and for his tireless efforts to get this bill to the floor. The Cures Act is innovative; it is bipartisan; it is fully paid for and life changing for my constituents in Michigan and many others around this great country. I ask my colleagues to vote in support of the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his efforts tonight to call attention to this. Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity we are afforded here to speak of the impact of the Bible in our lives as well, and, more importantly, the impact the Bible can have on all lives. I was a young boy when I was encouraged to memorize a simple little verse, John 3:16, which said: ``For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'' When I put my name in that place in the world, it meant everything in the world to me. With Jesus Christ as my savior, it has impacted my life. Mr. Speaker, noted historian, Will Durant, once stated: ``The greatest question of our time is not communism versus individualism, not Europe versus America, and not the East versus the West, it is whether men can live without God.'' Mr. Speaker, that question, it now appears, will be answered in our own time. God has left us with a direct message on life and how to live life with God, and that message is the Bible, a book that is, sadly, being pushed out of the mainstream of our country in many ways. Sadly, we are seeing the results in broken homes, dysfunctional societies, upheaval that is going on. Sadly, those results impact us here in government as well. Yes, we can still read the Bible, but freedom to live it out is in question, and I wonder why. Dostoyevsky stated it this way. He said: ``When God is dead, anything is permissible.'' And Joseph Stalin suggested that ``America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold, its patriotism, its morality, its spiritual life . . . If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within.'' Mr. Speaker, these are sobering statements. The Bible that we honor in a special way today and throughout this week addresses the preceding statements with great clarity when it affirms in Proverbs 14:34: ``Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.'' This is why I believe a signer of the Declaration of Independence named Jonathan Whitherspoon declared it this way. He said: ``A republic once equally poised must either preserve its virtue or lose its liberty.'' Whitherspoon, who was also a minister, made this statement in the context of virtue being defined by God's truth as contained in the Bible. I am certain that he could have quoted Psalm 1, as it says: ``Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.'' It was words of a psalmist. Plainly, honoring the Bible in one's life brings success, while rejection of the Biblical truth brings defeat. Mr. Speaker, one of my favorite Bible verses, a verse that means a lot to me as I think at the end of each day and pray and ask certain questions in my own life, is II Timothy 2:15. It says: ``Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.'' In that simple, eloquent, little verse, it says in the end what matters. First, is God pleased with your day? Has his work been done well? And, finally, has the Word, the Bible, been used well? If the Bible has been used well by individuals or a nation, we will do well. John Clifford wrote a poem that I will end with today. In that poem he says this: ``Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith's door, and heard the anvil ring the vesper chime; Then looking in, I saw upon the floor, old hammers, worn with beating years of time. `How many anvils have you had,' said I, `to wear and batter all these hammers so?' `Just one,' said he, and then with twinkling eye, `The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.' And so, I thought, the anvil of God's Word for ages skeptic blows have beat upon; Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard, the anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.'' Isaiah 40:8 confirms: ``The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God,'' the Bible, ``stands forever.''

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Michigan, and I rise to support his amendment which establishes a permanent use of priority funds for the Great Lakes navigation system. Mr. Chairman, the 2014 WRRDA bill included a temporary provision to set aside these funds for the Great Lakes to address the maintenance backlog. The Huizenga amendment continues this effort and ensures the 140 federally maintained ports and harbors on the Great Lakes, including the Port of Monroe in my district, have dependable funding as they continue to move over 200 million tons of cargo each year, and, I would add, Mr. Chairman, without producing any potholes, needing no guardrails or bridges. They sustain good jobs and drive economic growth in Michigan and across the country. I urge support of this amendment and the adoption of the amendment.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Joyce for his leadership on this amendment and his bipartisan efforts to ensure resources to protect and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem. In April, the House joined together to unanimously pass Mr. Joyce's amendment to formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program, the same goal as his amendment today. The Great Lakes are a vast, strategic resource, and a source of pride for the State of Michigan and all surrounding States, and our country, as well, as a whole, with this massive, very special resource. I encourage my colleagues to vote in support of this amendment and help protect and preserve the Great Lakes for the benefit of our environment and the economy for generations to come.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I want to remind my colleagues why this legislation is so important. We all agree our Nation's overtime rules need to be modernized and worker protection should be strengthened. That is not what we are debating today. Small businesses, nonprofits, and colleges and universities play a critical role in our communities. Right now, they are struggling to implement a fundamentally flawed rule under an unrealistic deadline, and many don't even know about the rule yet. At the very least, they deserve more time. More time would allow small businesses, nonprofits, and colleges and universities to make significant changes and mitigate the impact on workers, students, and individuals in need--for the positive, for the good. I urge my colleagues to provide that time, even if they stand by the Department's overtime rule. A vote in support of the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act isn't just commonsense; it is the right thing to do. Mr. Speaker, this is what we are intending to do. We are intending to do the best for our citizens, our employees, and our employers. Shouldn't it be worth an additional 24 weeks to make sure that this is implemented to the positive? Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a good friend, who has a special take on this.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler.)

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6094.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 897, I call up the bill (H.R. 6094) to provide for a 6-month delay in the effective date of a rule of the Department of Labor relating to income thresholds for determining overtime pay for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), my friend and colleague on the committee.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Augusta, Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), the chairman of the Small Business Committee.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just respond to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from California, that I appreciate the passion that he displays. None of us want to be grinches. My concern, however, is that at Christmastime it won't be the fact that they would get more money as a result of this. The fact is many will lose their jobs. There could be nothing worse at Christmastime than to lose jobs that they have had. I would also suggest that the reports that were listed are similar reports and probably from similar researchers that told us if we liked our insurance, we could keep it; if we liked our doctor, we could keep him or her. We are talking about an issue here that relates to people who are salaried. Most of the references that were made of employees by my colleague are people that aren't salaried. We are not talking about them. We are talking about people that are building a resume, an opportunity for flexibility, to meet the needs of their families, to have continued opportunity to grow in their work relationships and responsibilities. Some, as we heard in committee, come to us having started on the grill, went to assistant manager, and ended up owning corporations and leading them. So I think we need to watch those studies, as well, and what they purport and where they come from. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany), a good friend and a gentleman who understands it from another perspective.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Byrne).

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), a distinguished member from Pennsylvania.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe), the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, and my good friend.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kline), the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, a man who we will all miss next year, the wisdom, the leadership, the success that he has brought to this committee, a man who understands that we work together, but sometimes we press forward to do the right thing.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6094, the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act. I am proud to introduce this legislation to provide small businesses, colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations much needed relief from a fundamentally flawed rule that will do more harm than good. It is unfortunate this legislation is necessary in the first place. For over 2 years, Republicans have urged the Department to update our Nation's overtime rules responsibly. These rules serve as important protections for American workers, but the existing regulatory structure is extremely outdated and complex. The Department should have used this opportunity to modernize overtime rules for the 21st century workforce. They should have listened to the countless small-business owners, heads of nonprofit organizations, State and local leaders, and college and university administrators who warned that an extreme and partisan rule would lead to harmful consequences. But the Department failed to take a balanced approach and refused to listen. Instead, they stuck by a Washington-knows-best mentality and finalized a rule that was exactly what so many hardworking men and women had feared. The rule doubles the salary threshold for overtime eligibility and requires further automatic increases every 3 years. And then, to make matters worse, the Department even kept in place the same old regulatory maze that has existed for decades. As the administration pats itself on the back and rushes to implement a rule in just a few short months, those who will face the real world consequences are scrambling to meet the unrealistic December 1 deadline. Ernie Macewen, a South Rockwood small-business owner in my district, said he already opted to hire one less employee this year in anticipation of the rule. He said he has heard from other small- business owners who don't even know the rule exists. Karen Richard, who owns Culver's restaurants in Ann Arbor and Jackson, is worried the rule will limit opportunities for the young people she employs. Adrian College is trying to make tough decisions that could impact tuition and services for students, and the time crunch is making the process even more challenging. Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids is concerned the rule will undermine support for children in need. These stories aren't unique to Michigan. These are the types of stories that are unfolding across the country, yet the administration continues to quickly move toward the December 1 implementation date in total disregard for the challenges facing the small businesses, schools, and nonprofit organizations serving our communities. Mr. Speaker, the administration should abandon this rule before it limits opportunities for workers, hurts young people striving for an affordable education, burdens hardworking small-business owners, and jeopardizes vital services for vulnerable Americans. It is time to go back to the drawing board and work toward the balanced, responsible approach we have been fighting for from the start. Time is running out. The administration and Members of Congress should do the right thing and provide more time to those struggling to implement this rule before an arbitrary and unrealistic deadline. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation and to help deliver the relief small businesses, schools, and nonprofits in each and every one of our districts so desperately need. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize a remarkable couple, Matt and Sheryl Mohr from Hudson, as Angels in Adoption from Michigan's Seventh Congressional District. I had the privilege of visiting with Matt and Sheryl yesterday, and their love and compassion for vulnerable children is truly moving. In the past 6 years, the Mohrs have opened their hearts and home to 26 foster children. Along with their five biological children, they have also adopted five children and are in the process of adopting two more. That will make a total of 12 children. When asked what led them to begin fostering and adopting, Sheryl said: ``I felt that I had a lot more love to give away.'' Wow. Through their big hearts and unconditional love, Matt and Sheryl have forever changed the lives of so many children in Lenawee County. They are angels to the children they parent and incredibly deserving of this award.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 125th Anniversary of Sand Creek Community Church, a small country church committed to spreading the good news of the gospel. Located in Lenawee County, Michigan, Sand Creek Community Church is a passionate, close-knit, congregation that meets on Sunday mornings in a one-story, white framed building. The storied history of the church dates back to 1891, when the Free Will Baptist Church first incorporated in Sand Creek. From 1891 to 1920, the Free Will Baptist group--whose roots traced back to 1854-- called the church home. After the building remained empty for a number of years, the second and present congregation was established in 1943. After a letter of organization was circulated through the community, area residents came together to form a new nondenominational church, Sand Creek Community. Today, the congregation is guided by Pastor Jamie Driskill, who serves alongside his wife Heidi and two children, Elizabeth and Chloe. Pastor Driskill, who also works in the Special Education Department in Sand Creek Schools, previously served as a missionary in Budapest, Hungary with his family. Throughout the years, Sand Creek Community Church has earned a distinguished reputation for their service to the community. Through the Ladies Aid Society, Vacation Bible School, local charitable donations, and various missionary activities, the church has remained a consistent positive influence in the community. I wish to extend my deepest congratulations to the present and former members of Sand Creek Community Church on their 125th anniversary. Although they may appear to be a small country church, Sand Creek Community has been a bright light with great impact that continues to shine in the community. May God continue to bless and use the ministry of Sand Creek Community Church.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins).