Tim Walberg

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I am going to say from the outset, I certainly appreciate my good friend. I want to join, as I have all along, in support for my good friend and colleague from Flint in making sure that we do something about what has gone on there, the pain and suffering that they have gone through needlessly. I am proud to say that I have been supportive and have traveled to Flint and have been supportive of the legislation we have moved from this House. We look forward when we hear possible good reports of optimism that something will be coming from the Senate, that we will do something further in dealing with that problem. I want to stand with my friend on that. I think there are questions that have to be addressed relative to public health, but in this legislation, that goes way outside of what we are talking about. First of all, in committee, as well as in the Committee on Rules, this amendment wasn't offered. I think it wasn't because it didn't need to be. Nothing in this legislation precludes an agency from communicating on these issues, whether it be lead poisoning in the water, Zika, or opioid abuse. Nothing precludes that from taking place. In fact, that is what we are encouraging, when agencies are promulgating a rule and a proposed rule has been put forward that they put forward the facts. That is all. They have a power way beyond the general public to get information out, but, in turn, the general public ought to know that when they have an opportunity for public comment that agencies will honestly listen to what they are offering, and that the American public and American free enterprise system will be heard, and then the opportunity for Congress to interact as well with the bureaucratic agencies, and ultimately a rule will be promulgated and put in place that makes sense for all concerned, and people are protected. That is what this bill does. It goes against agencies such as EPA. On the waters of the U.S., EPA and organizations should have been assisting Michigan and their environmental protection entities in dealing with issues of lead poisoning. Rather, on waters of the U.S., they were putting out releases, public statements through media, social media, saying: ``Choose clean water,'' ``clean water is important to me,'' ``I support EPA's efforts to protect my health, my family, and my community.'' Send that back in the rulemaking process. They were lobbying, and we have laws against that. This beefs that up and makes it very clear that the bureaucracy will listen to us to meet our needs, to make sure we are taken care of, and ultimately society works well. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to oppose this motion to recommit and vote against it, vote it down. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for the concerns. I think we really want the same thing. We want to make sure that in the process of doing regulation rules, that they fit the need, but I guess I would add to the point that as limited as possible in order to keep the liberty, opportunity and growth in our country is what I would feel to be necessary. We have regulatory agencies that are--because of their strength, their power, and their pervasiveness--able to direct the course of regulation under the guise of having public comment, under the guise of seeking that advice and even best practices; yet behind the scenes are using resources with some of the abilities they have today with social media and other things to lobby for a particular proposal before they have even looked at the comments from those that have to deal with it, whether it is a corporation or whether it is a farmer or whether it is a union. As a former proud United Steel worker myself, I understand that regulations are important to make sure that protections are taken. But as a steelworker, I wanted to know that I had a job to come back to at a site to come back to. The place I worked at in the south side of Chicago is no longer there. Many of the reasons were because of bad decisions by the corporation, but also a regulatory climate that made it difficult to compete. So all we are asking here is that there be full transparency, that Congress gets more involved in saying yes to good ideas from the agencies or saying no to bad ideas from the agencies, in listening to people and making sure that their concerns are met first and foremost. That is all I ask. Mr. Chairman, that is why I ask support for H.R. 5226, I believe a commonsense and, yes, a bipartisan proposal to put transparency back into the system and integrity in the way we do our regulatory reform. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make the gentleman from Missouri, my friend, aware that I have no further speakers and I am prepared to close. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bishop), my good friend and colleague.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my friend and colleague from Missouri. I appreciate his concerns, appreciate the list. But in that list, I didn't hear anyone that would have to live directly under the new regulations that are being proposed or people that would offer comment with great concerns of how it would impact them. I am thinking of the agriculture community in my district, major community in the district, with great concerns about waters of the U.S. and the impact that it would have in doing away with the opportunity of the family farm, in many cases. So I don't see any significant problems with any ambiguity, if there be any, which this legislation might produce amongst agencies because we are always open to agencies coming to Congress asking questions. What did we mean? I think debates like this, that I appreciate, give an opportunity to look back and say this is what we debated, this is what we meant to do, and this is how you ought to carry it out. So the issue of any ambiguity that would come up from this legislation, in fact, I don't think it is a problem. It adds more insight. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins).

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am awaiting additional Members who would like to speak to this issue, but, in the intervening time, let me just say again I certainly, having majored in forestry and land management early in my academic career, love pictures of nature. We are not attempting to stop that from taking place. We are simply saying that the American public deserves the opportunity, in regulatory issues, to make clear public comments and to know, with transparency, what agencies are doing. To find out, with the new social media opportunities, that agencies like the EPA are using taxpayer dollars to purchase specific tools, electronic media tools, to engage in encouraging people only to comment positively about their rules, that is a great concern. So, Mr. Chairman, I think it is appropriate for us to put a little further block in saying taxpayers ought to be considered and agencies ought to listen to them, and not the other way around. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 5226, the Regulatory Integrity Act of 2016, a good government transparency bill. This bill is a simple concept, but I believe it will have an important and positive impact on the public's participation in the regulatory process. That positive impact will, in turn, benefit the regulatory process as a whole. Mr. Chairman, the public comment period is an essential part of upholding our democratic values. It ensures that Americans will have their voices heard in the Federal Government's regulatory process. H.R. 5226 helps preserve the integrity of the public commenting in two primary ways. First, the bill defines the parameters of how an agency should communicate when the agency is offering a proposal to the public and when asking that the public provide feedback. This bill requires agencies to do only what you should expect them to do, if the request for feedback was genuine and sincere. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 5226 requires the agency to, one, identify itself; two, clearly state whether the agency is accepting public comments or considering alternatives; and, three, most importantly, speak about the regulation in a neutral, unbiased tone. The people I represent in Michigan's Seventh District are ready to offer honest and thoughtful feedback, but they currently lack confidence that Federal agencies are actually open to their insights and constructive criticism. There may be no better example of this tendency to ignore the American public than the EPA's Waters of the U.S. Rule. The EPA not only overlooked the very real concerns of the countryside--concerns expressed by my constituents in Monroe, Jackson, and Lenawee County-- but the EPA actually engaged in a social media campaign to gin up support for their proposal. In fact, the Government Accountability Office found that the EPA undertook a ``covert propaganda'' campaign by soliciting social media comments in support of their proposed rule. GAO also told the EPA to report this violation to the President and Congress because ``the agency's appropriations were not available for these prohibited purposes.'' The public comment period is the opportunity afforded to American people to voice their concerns on proposed rules, and agencies must take their input seriously. Mr. Chairman, this bill simply tells agencies that they need to keep to the facts and avoid soliciting support when they ought to be soliciting comments. Mr. Chairman, the second way this bill helps to preserve the integrity of the regulatory process is that it establishes transparency requirements for the agency in how it communicates to the public. The bill requires agencies to post on their Web site some basic information about each communication the agency makes about pending regulatory action. For each communication, the public will be able to see a copy of the communication, the intended audience, the method of communication, and the date the communication was issued. Additionally, agencies will be required to post online a description of each regulatory action, the date the agency first began to consider or develop each action, the status of each action, and the expected date of completion for each action. Mr. Chairman, these basic transparency measures will allow the public to have a central source for all communication about a specific regulatory action so that the public can have a full and equal opportunity to understand the intent of the agency. It will also allow Congress and the American public to verify that communications to the public about regulatory actions are honest, unbiased, and compliant with the requirements of the bill. Mr. Chairman, although individuals may disagree about how much regulation is appropriate or how intrusive regulations might be, we should all agree that the public's participation is a vital part of legitimizing the rulemaking process. Without input from the public-- input that is fully considered by the agency promulgating the rule-- something fundamental is missing from the legislation itself. Unfortunately, we have seen over and over again agencies that seem to believe that the regulatory process is simply a perfunctory act of compliance necessary to reach the end goal of whatever regulatory scheme the agency's staff feels is best. What we see when the agency diminishes the public input is that the rulemaking process is used by agencies to advocate for what should be a proposed rule rather than used to refine and improve upon the agency's existing thoughts. In fact, Congress originally established the regulatory process as a way to crowdsource the development of regulations long before the term ``crowdsourcing'' was even a thing. Mr. Chairman, this bill helps us return to our original intent of crowdsourcing regulatory efforts, by preventing agencies from boasting to the public about how great their proposal is, instead of honestly and earnestly asking for feedback, constructive criticism, and a dialogue about how best to solve problems. As a result, H.R. 5226 will restore integrity to our regulatory process. I appreciate the opportunity to bring the bill to the floor today. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5226.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5587, which will help people in Michigan and across the country find meaningful careers in the 21st century workforce by updating our career and technical education programs. As I met with students, teachers, and employers in my district, I have heard consistent support for improving CTE. I know how important it is to modernize this program for today's jobs, from touring places like Southern Michigan Center for Science and Industry in Hudson, Michigan; the Jackson Area Career Center in Jackson, Michigan; Monroe County Community College; and many more. We know that not everyone's path to success in the workplace is the same and, while many students pursue degrees at colleges and universities, many others know their sweet spot lies somewhere else. Career and technical education provides those individuals that opportunity and ensures our aspiring workforce is getting the hands-on training they need and they want. I am particularly pleased that this bill includes my provisions to address outdated and burdensome occupational licensure requirements which can come at the expense of lower income workers, young people, and entrepreneurs who lack the resources to overcome regulatory obstacles. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, nearly 1 in 3 jobs now require a State-approved license or certification; in 1950, it was 1 in 20. This bill will help create pathways to careers by encouraging States to review their regulatory climate and ensure it does not create unnecessary barriers for job growth. I commend the authors of this bill, and I am proud that it emerged from our committee on a unanimous 37-0 vote. I hope my colleagues will vote in support of this bipartisan legislation and work together to help every American pursue their personal paths to the American Dream.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, September 8, 2016, I was unavoidably detained and missed a roll call vote. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``aye'' on roll call vote No. 491.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the City of Bronson's Sesquicentennial celebration. The city of Bronson--located in the heart of Branch County--was first incorporated as a village in 1866 under the name Bronson's Prairie. Named for Jabez B. Bronson, who was the first settler to the area and later the first village postmaster, Bronson was officially chartered as a city in 1934. Known as the ``Gladiolus Capital of the United States,'' Bronson grows the finest gladiola flowers along with other diverse agricultural commodities on over 300 local farms. The city is also home to a strong industrial base, with a mixture of precision metal machining, tool and die, and automotive assembly, among numerous other manufacturing shops. With its many lakes and trails, farmer's markets, and concerts in the park, Bronson is busy with countless activities for all. Its yearly Polish Festival attracts visitors from throughout the region, featuring Polish food, vendors, crafters, and a parade. A gem of the community--the Bronson Public Library--remains as one of the few remaining Carnegie Libraries still in its original unaltered configuration. It is truly an honor to commemorate this exciting celebration for the people of Bronson--where family, friends, and neighbors proudly come together to make the community a special place to call home. Congratulations to the citizens of Bronson as they celebrate 150 years.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kimberly Bigos, a student at Spring Arbor University in my district. Kimberly created the moving piece of artwork displayed to my left. I have had the privilege to see it in person, and the picture doesn't do it justice. It is a life-size wheelchair made out of little toy green Army men, innocent as they might be. She used more than 1,000 Army men and spent more than 60 hours to finish it. The sculpture signifies all the aspects of military service, from fighting on the front lines in battle, to returning home with life- altering injuries, to the supreme sacrifice. America's veterans sacrifice so much and we often lose sight of the effects of their service. Kimberly's sculpture is a powerful reminder about real life for our wounded warriors. These men and women have displayed incredible courage and heroism in service to our country, and now it is time for us to serve them.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Michigan International Speedway, one of the Nation's premier racing facilities, located in my district in the heart of the Irish Hills. Over the course of its 48-year history, Michigan International Speedway has become a staple of southeastern Michigan and a destination for tourists across the country. Having hosted NASCAR races, music festivals, charity events, and statewide fairs, MIS is a true year- round entertainment venue. Through its charitable contributions and community efforts, MIS Cares has twice been named the NASCAR Foundation's track of the year. The economic impact of the speedway on the region is strong, producing over 5,000 jobs and generating more than $414 million in annual total economic activity. As an innovative and diverse venue, I commend Michigan International Speedway for its many contributions to the community and for continuing to create lasting memories for every person every time.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and the ranking member. I rise to support a bipartisan amendment that I have offered with my colleague, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell), which helps communities combat the opioid and heroin epidemic by increasing funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program by $2 million. Across the country, HIDTA officials are doing important work to curb drug trafficking and bring law enforcement and community stakeholders together to stem the tide of drugs like heroin and fentanyl. Providing these additional resources will allow for even more local partnerships to fight drug trafficking. I urge adoption of the amendment.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman. Mr. Chairman, I am not sure what bill my friends on the other side are talking about, but I am glad to be talking about a great bill that my friend, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer), has introduced. I appreciate his work on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to craft H.R. 4361, the Government Reform and Improvement Act of 2016. It includes a series of good government reforms that will provide more accountability and transparency to Federal bureaucracy that is sorely lacking each. I am proud the legislation includes two of my bills: the Senior Executive Service Accountability Act and the Midnight Rule Relief Act. The Senior Executive Service Accountability Act brings much-needed reform and gives agencies commonsense tools to hold senior leaders more accountable for their taxpayer-funded work. Specifically, the bill ensures employee performance is measured, eliminates loopholes that allow reprimanded officials from keeping perks like executive pay, and expedites the removal process for individuals who have been found to have engaged in misconduct. To be clear, there are many in the Federal workforce, including senior executives, who are hardworking public servants. We thank them for their hard work. However, as we have seen repeatedly in hearings before our committee, there are also bad actors who have grossly abused their position, and the Senior Executive Service Accountability Act is an important step towards holding these bad actors accountable and restoring public trust. The underlying bill also contains the Midnight Rule Relief Act. It establishes a moratorium period between the Presidential election and the inauguration on regulations that result in major costs or price increases for consumers and small businesses. Pushing costly regulations at the last minute has been an issue with previous administrations of both political parties. The Midnight Rule Relief Act will hold the current and future outgoing administrations in check to ensure small businesses in Michigan and across the country aren't faced with a surprise onslaught of excessive regulations that stifle wages, job creation, and economic growth. I want to, again, commend the work of Mr. Palmer and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for their great work to ensure a more accountable and transparent Federal Government. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4361.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, in closing, I ask my colleagues to support this. I appreciate the sentiment and the concern of the ranking member and the chairman of the committee, but this is an issue that has weighed concerns for too long. It is time to give the infrastructure improvements our direction. Afghanis understand that, I believe. SIGAR has proved the concerns, so I ask for support of my amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the chairman and ranking member's concerns, but 50 percent of the funds still remain to be used. They are there for that purpose. I think that is sufficient. Last year, 233 of us voted in favor of this amendment in a bipartisan fashion. I think that directs also the will of the House. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), my good friend and colleague.

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman of the committee and the ranking member for the work that has been done, and I look forward to supporting this important appropriations, but I rise to offer a bipartisan amendment with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones), the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie), the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Rigell), and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Nolan) that works to ensure the appropriate use of American taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan. This amendment is in keeping with the clear position of the House, as we have voted several times in bipartisan fashion, to limit funds for the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund, a program which has been poorly run and is lacking in oversight. Last year, the House passed my bipartisan amendment that would have prevented the Department of Defense from redirecting $50 million in funds from the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund to the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund. Unfortunately, the fiscal year 2016 omnibus did not retain the House language and provided DOD the authority to obligate funds for the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund through the end of fiscal year 2017. My current amendment would turn off this authority. Mr. Chairman, we have spent billions of dollars toward rebuilding the infrastructure of Afghanistan. In fact, Congress has provided $1.3 billion to the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund since it was created in 2011. However, funds have been slow to be spent, and as of March 31, 2016, $488 million of these infrastructure funds have yet to be expended. SIGAR has already expressed reservations about the Afghans' ability to even operate and maintain these projects upon completion. So, Mr. Chairman, I ask with almost 50 percent of funds remaining to be expended, why take away from other programs and give to this one? I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, our veterans face many challenges when they return home from war, both physical and psychological. All too often, the latter is overlooked. An estimated 22 veterans per day take their own life, many of them struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. One Michigan veteran, Marty Wills, is embarking on an incredible journey to raise awareness about PTSD and mental health issues. Carrying an American flag, he is walking more than 1,000 miles from his home in Michigan to North Carolina. Last week, he went through several cities in my district, including Jonesville, Hillsdale, Hudson, Adrian, and Blissfield. On Flag Day, as we commemorate Old Glory and the freedom and liberty she represents, let's also remember the brave men and women who fight in harm's way in defense of those freedoms. And when they get home, let's do everything we can to get our veterans the help they need for wounds, both seen and unseen.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 150th anniversary of Michigan's oldest theater, the Croswell Opera House. The Croswell, located in the heart of Adrian, Michigan, is one of the oldest continuously operated theaters in the United States. Named for Charles M. Croswell, an Adrian resident and Michigan's 17th governor, the auditorium first opened its doors in 1866 and has played host to many distinguished figures throughout the years, including Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, and Edwin Booth. Today, the 650-seat auditorium is an official Michigan historic site and has been restored to its original 19th century splendor. The Croswell is a gem within our community that continues to maintain its reputation as the epicenter for the arts in southeastern Michigan. Please join with me today in honoring all of those involved in the theater's fine tradition of excellence as we celebrate their 150th year anniversary.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of two amendments I offered to this year's National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment we are currently considering requires the DOD to report on the effectiveness of efforts to detect and monitor drug trafficking, specifically heroin and fentanyl, which is devastating my home State of Michigan and the entire country. The United States Southern Command is already doing important work to interdict drug runners and provide needed training to counternarcotic teams in Central America. My amendment would help quantify those efforts and see what more can be done to combat the heroin and fentanyl coming from this region. The second bipartisan amendment, which we will consider later today, requires DOD to verify it has sufficient access to Afghan accounts to guarantee effective audits. It is important that our military has access to financial information to protect U.S. funds from waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure taxpayer resources are being spent effectively. I appreciate these amendments being included en bloc. I urge the support of my colleagues.

Mr. WALBERG

Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Monroe Shocks and Struts--founded in Monroe, Michigan. In 1916, a humble mechanic and inventor, August F. Meyer, established Brisk Blast Manufacturing Company as a solution to combat frequent flat tires. Under the leadership of Mr. Meyer, Brisk Blast quickly became a leading producer of tire pumps. Two years later, Mr. Meyer partnered with Charles McIntyre, and the growing enterprise became Monroe Auto Equipment Company. The business soon perfected the first self-oiled, single-barreled tire pump, which increased sales to over two million a year. In 1926, the first Monroe shock eliminator was introduced and quickly became one of the best known shock absorbers in the world, used by the majority of American automobile makers through the 1950s. The emergent company soon became a world leader, as Monroe expanded internationally to Europe in 1964, Japan, Australia, and Mexico in 1972, and South America in 1974. Monroe was then purchased by global manufacturer Tenneco Inc. in 1977 and developed into the leading supplier to North American, Asian and European vehicle manufacturers. Today, Monroe has cemented itself as the global leader in ride control, having introduced products such as Sensa-Trac, Reflex, and the popular Quick-Strut units. Most notably, the innovative company still engineers and manufactures its products in North America, maintaining its global leadership as a domestic manufacturer. By partnering with a talented and highly committed workforce, Monroe is the predominant brand of vehicle ``ride control'' products. I offer my best wishes to my constituents and friends at Monroe Shocks and Struts as they continue to provide motorists across the globe with safety and control.