Kevin Yoder

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life of a long-time public servant in this body, one of my predecessors, former Third District Congressman from Kansas, Representative Larry Winn. Larry passed away on New Year's Eve at the remarkable age of 98, and he will be dearly missed by his family and the people of the Third District. Larry will long be remembered in our community and in the Halls of Congress as a devoted public servant. Representative Winn served in this body for 18 years, from 1967 to 1985. His time in the House spanned across nine Congresses and five Presidential administrations, from Lyndon B. Johnson to Ronald Reagan. He served alongside some of the great statesmen of his time. Larry's freshman class in the House included later President George H.W. Bush. Larry and his wife, Joan, became good friends with the Bushes, and Joan and Barbara Bush were proud members of a club for congressional spouses called the 66 Club. Larry became close friends with and greatly respected President Gerald Ford, who once visited the Third District and drew a huge crowd in my hometown of Overland Park. Larry also represented our State, along with one of our most prominent Kansans ever, Senator Bob Dole. Larry was known as a congenial Member who worked to find consensus and develop strong relationships with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. While he spent his entire time in Congress in the minority party, he made a priority of seeking out opportunities and friends on both sides of the aisle. Representative Winn served on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for many years, ultimately becoming the ranking member on the committee. During his time working on the Foreign Affairs Committee, the United States grappled with major world events such as the Cold War, the Vietnam war, and conflict in the Middle East. In addition to his role on the Foreign Affairs Committee, he also represented the U.S. as a congressional representative to the United Nations, appointed by President Reagan. In all of these roles, he was an excellent representative of our country to the rest of the world. Larry took tremendous pride in serving the people of the Third District. Constituent service was always one of his top priorities, and he believed that solving problems for his constituents was one of his most important responsibilities. If someone had an issue with a Federal agency, Larry and his staff would make sure that it got resolved. This principle of valuing and serving each individual constituent in the district is one that I try to follow to this day trying to fill his shoes. He lived a great life outside of Congress as well. Larry was an alumnus of the University of Kansas school of journalism and a proud Jayhawk. I have even heard that he taught lifelong Wildcat current Senator Pat Roberts how to ``Wave the Wheat.'' When World War II began, he was unable to join the military due to the loss of one of his legs in an accident; however, he still served his country admirably by building airplanes in Kansas City. Other accomplishments of his included serving as the director of the National Association of Home Builders and the founding of the Kansas City, Kansas, Chamber's Congressional Forum, which I have the privilege of regularly addressing and is still going on today, starting its 50th year. Larry was a mentor to me and so many aspiring elected officials in Kansas, dispensing valuable advice, and old war stories to help guide us along. He had a gift for humor and an ease with people that served him well in all of his endeavors. And most of all, he was a great man. While we will mourn the loss of Larry, I take comfort knowing that he is now being reunited with Joan, his beloved wife of 73 years, who passed away in 2015. Larry also leaves behind a large and loving family. His legacy will live on through his four children--Larry Winn III, Douglas Winn, Janet Payne, and Cynthia Burr--plus 8 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Larry's legacy will live on in other public servants whom he mentored and inspired. He left an indelible mark on this body, and because of his leadership here, Kansas and the United States is better off for it. On behalf of the United States Congress, we are thankful for Larry Winn's service to our country. He is in God's hands now. May he rest in eternal peace.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 4 of rule XVI, I move that when the House adjourns on this legislative day, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday, December 21, 2017.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of helping children who, through no fault of their own, have no health insurance. These are children who are ineligible for Medicaid, and their family cannot afford private insurance. CHIP, or Children's Health Insurance Program, helps these children receive coverage. In Kansas, more than 79,000 vulnerable children are enrolled in CHIP. That is why I have worked to preserve and strengthen it during my time in Congress. Last month, I voted for reauthorizing CHIP for 5 more years, through 2022. This invaluable benefit to kids in Kansas and across the country was included as part of a bipartisan bill called the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act, which passed the House last month and now awaits further action in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that the Senate will act quickly to pass this bill and reauthorize the important CHIP program to ensure that families and children who rely on this program remain covered.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor and in memory of those who gave their lives on that tragic day. Today marks 76 years since the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, where 2,403 Americans lost their lives. Many years have passed since that day, and, sadly, there are fewer and fewer survivors of the attacks left with us; however, it is vital that we never let their memory fade. In my own district, a group of Pearl Harbor survivors, other veterans, and community members have dedicated themselves to preserving the memory of this attack. Every year, the city of Mission, Kansas, hosts a memorial to observe this date. One of my constituents, Dorwin Lamkin, is a veteran, Pearl Harbor survivor, and has played a key role in organizing this event. I have had the privilege of attending this ceremony in the past, and I applaud them for continuing this important tradition. Let us never forget the fallen and the survivors of Pearl Harbor, and may we work every day to honor their memory and sacrifice.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the importance of adoption and what Congress can be doing to help more kids get adopted into loving, caring families. November is National Adoption Month, and it is time we talk about how the GOP tax reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, will help children in need of loving families by supporting those whose lives have been touched by adoption. Our tax reform bill preserves the adoption tax credit, which allows taxpayers to claim expenses related to the adoption of a child, including fees, court costs, and travel expenses. This credit ultimately helps get more children into permanent, loving families, and the credit costs only about $3.8 billion over 10 years, a small fraction of our overall budget. Mr. Speaker, I worked tirelessly with my colleagues to ensure that this adoption tax credit was included in the House's tax bill, and I am pleased that the Senate's version also preserves it in their draft. I urge my colleagues to work quickly to pass tax reform that preserves the adoption tax credit while bringing tax relief to all American families.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the month of November as National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and to highlight the need for continued funding to find a cure. In 1983, when President Reagan designated this month to help raise awareness for Alzheimer's, there were less than 2 million Americans who suffered from this disease. Today, there are nearly 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's. Finding a cure to this disease is a smart health policy decision we can make, and it might also be the most critical economic proposal. The cost of caring for Alzheimer's patients in the U.S. was estimated to be $236 billion in 2016, which is more than $200 billion greater than the total funding for research provided by the NIH for all diseases. Investments in research have led to some great news in Kansas. The University of Kansas announced that it will participate in the trial of a new drug intended to prevent or delay Alzheimer's. Further, KU researchers are continuing to work on other preventative studies. Mr. Speaker, as we must continue to provide resources that we need to find a cure for this disease, I am proud of the work being done at KU and across the Nation. We will continue to be relentless in our fight to cure Alzheimer's.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 591 on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2521--the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017, I am not recorded because I was home in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted aye.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Pastor Alvin Dupree--a man who dedicated his life to the service and the betterment of our country and community. Pastor Dupree grew up with eleven siblings in Kansas City, Missouri, where he learned the importance of family and patience. Upon his graduation from high school, Pastor Dupree selflessly joined the United States Army and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam. After returning home from Vietnam, Pastor Dupree continued to follow the call to serve when he joined Grace Temple Church in Kansas City, Kansas. At Grace Temple Church, he served in many capacities, including adjutant, deacon, minister, and eventually Pastor. He did this all with his wife, and later Co-Pastor, Linda Dupree by his side. Together, they served the Kansas City community faithfully for 30 years. Their compassion and service to those around them will not be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, Pastor Alvin Dupree leaves a lasting legacy in Kansas City. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this time.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the greatest antipoverty program in all of human history: the free enterprise system. Maybe the most remarkable achievement in human history is the fact that, over the last 40 years, about 80 percent of the world's worst poverty has been eliminated. We know the right combination of smart investments in things like research, education, infrastructure, and defense; fewer burdensome regulations; and simpler and fairer taxes creates the perfect environment for growth and innovation. So far this year, we have secured investments in things like boosting programs for early childhood education and Head Start, and medical research at the NIH. We have done away with job-killing regulations, saving hardworking Americans billions in compliance costs and millions of hours in paperwork. Now we have the opportunity to reform our Tax Code to help millions of Americans keep more of their hard-earned money, help small businesses create millions of new jobs, and help millions rise out of poverty. Mr. Speaker, now is the time to act. Let's get tax reform done and get tax relief to those who need it the most.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, and recognize the community and people who helped make the consolidation possible. In 1997, the governments of Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County opted to consolidate into one entity in the effort to help the city and county become a prosperous community in Kansas. That vision and foresight led to 20 years of growth and prosperity in the area. I've witnessed firsthand some great successes of Wyandotte County in the last 20 years--rebuilding neighborhoods, diversifying the local economy and expanding the tax base. The consolidation has led to a better quality of life for residents, and a booming tourism industry for the state. The Kansas Speedway really led the way out west and Sporting KG's Children's Mercy Park stands out as one of the best, state of the art soccer stadiums across the country and the world. Mr. Speaker, the Unified Government should be proud of their successes on this 20th anniversary. I'm honored to represent this county in Congress and to be a part of their enriched community. Thank you to the local leaders and residents who came together to make this vision a reality.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about our efforts here in the people's House to reform our Tax Code and reduce the burden of the Federal Government on every American. Right now, Americans know that our Tax Code is unfair, it is too long, and it is too complicated. It has been 30 years since we have made meaningful reforms, and the time for that change is now. House and Senate Republicans have announced reforms that will make the Tax Code simpler, with more than 90 percent of filers being able to do their returns on a simple postcard. We have asked to make the Tax Code fair for middle class Americans, lowering their rates and doubling their standard deduction. We have asked to give relief to low-income Americans by eliminating the lowest 10 percent bracket completely and cutting the 15 percent bracket to 12. We have asked to crack down on tax avoidance by ending the dozens and dozens of loopholes that only the wealthiest taxpayers and corporations can take advantage of. Mr. Speaker, we have a unique opportunity to do so much for hardworking families across America. I hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will join us, offer solutions, and make this a bipartisan effort to give the American people the relief they deserve.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act that the House is considering. This bill is a package of legislation that the Appropriations Committee has diligently worked on over the last several months that will fund our domestic and national security priorities. This is legislation that prioritizes conservative policies, invests in proven and effective programs, and reduces unnecessary and wasteful spending. It will fund the government in a fiscally responsible way, keeping a lid on spending as we have since taking the House majority in 2010. It will continue our work of rolling back burdensome, job-killing policies to help our economy grow even faster than we have seen over the last 7 months when we have added more than 1 million jobs. It includes many items that the House has already passed this summer, like the largest pay raise for our troops in 8 years and the most funding to care for our veterans in our Nation's history. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure to keep our government functioning efficiently and effectively for the American people.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague, Ms. Jenkins, and I appreciate her support in leading this legislation as we support S. 1616, a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Senator Bob Dole. Service, sacrifice, and statesmanship--these are the words that describe Senator Bob Dole, one of Kansas' proudest native sons and one of the greatest men to serve and walk the Halls of Congress. Born and raised in Russell, Kansas, Senator Dole attended my alma mater, the University of Kansas, where he excelled as a three-sport varsity athlete for the Jayhawks. His college career was interrupted by World War II, when he answered his country's call and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He would distinguish himself in the service, earning several decorations and becoming seriously wounded in combat in Italy. Although those wounds would cause a lifelong disability for him, Senator Dole did not shy away from the challenges they presented. He instead used that personal experience to help others, becoming a fierce advocate for disability rights and the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. His career in public service spanned over 46 years, with his first election to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1951 and ending with his Presidential campaign and retirement from the Senate in 1996. His legislative and political accomplishments during that time are almost too many to count. His top priority has always been service to others, whether it is people with disabilities, Kansas farmers, or his fellow veterans. Senator Dole has always put his country ahead of himself, and he stayed grounded in his strong Kansas roots. I can think of no one more fitting to be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal. As a member of the Kansas delegation, I am truly honored to follow in the footsteps of Senator Dole by serving our great State and our great country in Congress. He is an inspiration to me and an enduring example of what statesmanship and public service should look like. I ask my colleagues in the House to support this bill and to join me in working daily to uphold Senator Dole's legacy of service and civility in Congress.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, more than 700,000 high-skilled immigrant workers from India are in the United States today on temporary work visas. These people are working hard every day helping grow our economy and raising their children as Americans right here in our communities. But under our legal immigration system, they are essentially here as indentured servants, stuck in a cycle of temporary work visas, unable to change jobs or even start their own businesses to create more American jobs. They are stuck because of the arbitrary 7-percent-per- nation cap on employment-based green cards. Now there is a mother in Greenland whose unborn child will be able to obtain permanent residence in America before someone from India who has already been working here for years. That is absurd, and it is wrong. My bill, called the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, would fix this problem. It would transition us to a first come, first served, merit-based legal immigration system. It would help these people in need, and it would help create new jobs. Mr. Speaker, with more than 230 cosponsors, it is time to pass this bill and get this done.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Oklahoma (Mr. Russell) for continuing the tradition that he and others, particularly in Oklahoma, for some reason, have focused on cutting out government waste, finding sometimes small things, sometimes big things, and all things in between that we can reduce, cut, or eliminate that saves taxpayers' money. Mr. Chair, $1 million is big money in States like Kansas and Oklahoma and across the country. It is real dollars to the people who get up and pay their taxes to this country. There are too many million-dollar expenditures that happen in this government that are overlooked and unnecessary because they are not maybe big enough for folks here to take time to pay attention to. What Mr. Russell is doing today is standing up for fiscal responsibility, for efficiency of government, and for helping the environment. This is wasted printed paper that is unnecessary. I think it is a good government measure that will help modernize and make our government more efficient and effective. It is consistent with what this House has already done when it passed H.R. 195 earlier, which bars the distribution of the Federal Register to congressional offices and Federal agencies. That is in the Senate being marked up, maybe even today. This is a smart amendment. It is the kind of thing that we need to keep doing more of to save money for taxpayers. Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Russell for his work, and I ask my colleagues to support the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire's amendment on postcard sizes, primarily because this issue has yet to go through any sort of process. We don't have information on the floor to know how this would affect Member offices. It has not gone through the Franking Commission or come before our committee, so I don't think it is ready for consideration and debate. Franked mailings of standard postcard size currently only account for roughly 10 percent of the total franked mailings that Members send. This amendment would prohibit Members from sending mass mailings on their own letterhead. They wouldn't be able to send printed newsletters, fliers, letters, or regular or large postcards, among others. I think it would really have a dramatic impact on the ability of Members of Congress to communicate with their constituents. They wouldn't be able to send them a letter or they wouldn't be able to send them a newsletter. I certainly am about saving money and about making government more efficient, but this idea, I think, is not ready for prime time. I appreciate my colleague from New Hampshire bringing it forward, but I can't support it at this point, and I would oppose it. Mr. Chairman, I yield as much time as he consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate my good friend and colleague and co-chair of the Deaf Caucus, Mr. Takano from California, for bringing this amendment, and unfortunately, I cannot support it, Mr. Chairman, and we would ask that the body reject it. You know, Congress terminated funding for the Office of Technology Assessment in 1995, so some 22 years ago, but it is back from the dead to be here on the floor today to be reestablished. At one point, funding totaled over $20 million for the Office of Technology Assessment, but Congress did one of the things it has attempted to do in many areas, which is try to consolidate government, make government more efficient, make it do more with less, and so they transferred the functions from the Office of Technology Assessment over to the GAO. We have heard debate on this floor within the last hour about the value of the GAO and the great work they do and how the GAO is a trustworthy organization and how it is important that we continue to fund them, yet, in this instance, they want to take these responsibilities away from the GAO. In fact, in fiscal year 2008, a permanent technology assessment function within the GAO was established by a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Appropriations. They allocate at least $2.5 million per year to technology assessment, and they have established the capability to produce technology assessments in many areas. They have hired scientists, engineers, and other technical specialists to respond to congressional requests. They produce three to four technology assessment reports each year. The GAO uses its technical staff to support other reports for Congress that have technology implications, such as privacy and vulnerability of computer components in cars. The GAO receives three to four requests per year specifically for technology assessments, and many others have a technology as an aspect. They have been able to testify on these topics recently on the Zika virus and on transfer of technologies developed with Federal research funds to the marketplace. They provide thorough and balanced analysis of critical technological innovations that affect our society, the environment, and the economy. And so creating another Federal agency that is going to require additional resources and to have it offset from investment in capital projects, to me, is the wrong direction. I think, in current law, we have more than enough resources heading in this direction. Taxpayers are counting on us to find ways to spend less money, to keep programs efficient, and so the idea that we create a new agency that has been gone for 20 years today and fund it for millions of dollars, to me, is inconsistent with the values we all, I think, espouse about making government more efficient, more effective. Mr. Chairman, with that, I would oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island. I, too, support the gentleman's efforts here, and, as a supporter of the BABIES Act, last year, H.R. 5147, I am happy to report, because of the language we included with the Architect of the Capitol last year, they presented a plan, which they are going to move forward with, which will install additional baby changing stations around campus, 54 of which will be going into House Office Buildings. And as a father of two little girls, I have used these changing tables myself in restrooms from time to time, as Mr. Ryan has. I know he has got a young son. And so we know how important these are and how families, when they need to make a change, they need to make a change. They need to have a space to do that. So we need to be family friendly here in the U.S. Capitol and in our House Office Buildings, and so I thank the gentleman for raising this important issue. It deserves attention. I will be happy to continue to work with the gentleman, as well as the Architect of the Capitol, to ensure that adequate number of changing stations are installed around the Capitol complex for families, for the 9 million visitors that come to this Capitol every year, that many of those have families with young children, that they are able to, as well as the Members of Congress like Mr. Ryan and ourselves and many others who have young children, use these changing stations as well.

Mr. YODER. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Mr. Kildee for his leadership in bringing this to this body's attention. I think the work of our men and women in service defending our Nation is the highest priority for this Congress, and our support for them in services, in healthcare, in helping them find work, in education, in training, all the things they need when they come home, I think we are unified in our support that they should be recognized as the heroes they are when they come back and leave service. Some of these men and women, in putting themselves in the field of battle have become wounded, and sometimes very severely. They have stood in the field of battle. They have stood up to our enemies. They have protected freedom around the globe and here at home, keeping us and our allies, our children, our families safe, keeping freedom and democracy safe; yet, when they come home, all too often, they don't have everything they need. All too often, they don't feel that the promises this government has made have been kept. So each and every day I think we are working on legislation to improve that. We have passed bills in recent weeks here to continue and improve veterans' programs, but the House Wounded Warrior Program is a great example of how this Congress is leading by example by creating 2-year fellowships for disabled veterans. The unemployment rate is higher for these men and women than it is for nonveterans, and disabled veterans in particular, and so this fellowship program provides a valuable job, a valuable experience, an opportunity for these men and women to help serve their country, which is in their DNA. It is who they are. When they are done serving on the battlefield, they can come serve in our congressional offices, and it provides a great service for us. They provide the opportunity for us to have an expert on not only veterans' issues and military issues, but many issues. They can cover a whole range of things, providing better services for us and our constituents. In our legislation, the underlying bill, we increased the total number of fellowships to 85 from 54 because there is a waiting list. This is a 57 percent increase over the previous number. And 79 Member offices are on the waiting list right now to participate in this program, so the demand is there. We certainly know that there are many veterans who would love to serve in this capacity, and so we are excited to support this amendment putting more resources into this program, and we are going to work with the gentleman from Michigan to make sure that we can open up slots in a timely manner to help make sure we get these men and women into the offices so they can serve. Mr. Chairman, we support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.