Kevin Yoder

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Madam Speaker, as we recognize National Police Week, I rise today for a somber occasion. I rise to honor the life and memory of Detective Brad Lancaster of the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department who was tragically killed in the line of duty earlier this week. As a veteran of the United States Air Force and a 20-year veteran of local police departments in the Kansas City metro area, he spent his career as a public servant, putting himself in harm's way in order to keep our communities safer. Two days ago, he was shot and killed while assisting patrol officers responding to a suspicious person call. He was only 39 years old. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones left behind after this tragic event: his wife, his mother, and his two daughters, who are just ages 9 and 10. Mr. Speaker, as the Kansas City community and Detective Lancaster's family begin to heal, let us never forget the selflessness and bravery of police officers across our country who work tirelessly each and every day to enforce our laws, protect our communities, and save lives.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of hardworking Americans trying to save money for their retirement without government intrusion. This week, I join a majority of House Members in voting to disapprove of the Department of Labor's new fiduciary rule that will make it harder for low- and middle-income families to save for their retirement. This extreme, partisan rule, if it is allowed to be implemented, will have a far-reaching negative impact on all Americans currently saving for their retirement. It is yet another attempted power grab by administration bureaucrats to impose more regulations that Americans do not need and are not asking for. It will narrow the options for retirees and drive up costs preventing smart investment. Estimates show retirement planners would have to spend up to $4.7 billion complying with the rule in the first year alone and another $1.1 billion annually thereafter. We all know who will pay for these costs: the consumer, the saver, the man and woman who are simply trying to invest in their future for their families. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to reject this new fiduciary rule and help all Americans retire with the financial security and peace of mind that they deserve.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, today is a great day for the Constitution. It is a great day for the spirit of bipartisanship in this Chamber. It is a great day for Americans everywhere who use modern technology, such as emails and text messages and cell phones, to communicate with one another. This day has been a long time in the making, and I want to thank the chairman and his staff, Ranking Member Conyers, my colleague Mr. Polis, and everyone who has worked on this legislation. This is the most cosponsored bill in the entire United States House--the most popular bill--because it is a commonsense piece of legislation that affects every American and will clear up a long-time hole in the law that has allowed the government to intrude on Americans' privacy. You have to go back to 1986 when this law was passed: Halley's Comet was passing by Earth; ``Top Gun'' was coming out as a new movie; Cabbage Patch dolls were flying off the shelves. It was a good time in America. It was also the time in which Congress last wrote the laws that updated the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. At that point, there were only 10 million Americans who even had email accounts. Today, there is an estimated 232 million Americans who have email accounts. It wasn't until 6 years later that someone sent the first text message in 1992. Yet, now, we expect 1 billion text messages to be sent every single year. The current law, which is the law that was written in 1986, allows an abuse of our constitutional rights by treating our digital information as if it is not private information--as if it can be searched and seized by the government without a warrant, without probable cause, without due process. The theory in 1986 was, if you left your email on a server, once it was left there, it was considered abandoned. It was like trash that was left out on the street corner, which didn't have an expectation of privacy anymore. We know the ways that Americans communicate today is in a way in which they expect that those transmissions are private, and they expect that the government will honor that and not search those emails or capture them for other purposes. The Fourth Amendment is being violated. Today, we restore the Fourth Amendment by treating digital information just like paper information, and we stand strong on the notion that Americans do have an expectation of privacy in their email accounts. I would think, if I and my colleagues would each ask our constituents if they expect that their email conversations are private, they would know that they are, and they would expect that they are. As we are debating this bill, Americans are sending emails and text messages back and forth, and they expect that their government is not reviewing those. What we do in this legislation is require a warrant. We say the government must have probable cause. They must go to a judge whether it is at the Federal level, the State level, or the local level. To review those pieces of digital information that are stored either in a drop box or on the iCloud--or just a text message that is sent back and forth--you have to have a warrant, and in a civil matter, you have to have a subpoena, and that subpoena is served on the individual. We have documents on our desks at home. The police can't kick in your door and go read those documents unless they have a warrant backed up on probable cause. We have a digital set of documents that goes around with us wherever we go. There is a file cabinet with us. When we store things, we are doing so not because we are abandoning it. We are storing it because we are wanting to protect it, and we are wanting to ensure that we can keep it. We don't want to lose our Fourth Amendment protections because of that. This legislation would require that a warrant or a civil subpoena exist in order to read that information so that due process occurs. This is a great unifier. Quite often on the House floor, we are divided--Republicans and Democrats--and we are not able to find resolution on some of the biggest challenges that face us; but the Fourth Amendment in the Constitution has to be preserved. I am heartened by the fact that my colleague Mr. Polis and groups on the left and groups on the right and groups in the center and that America has come together on this legislation to say we are going to fix this, and we are going to ensure that this Congress modernizes its laws and that it does so in a bipartisan fashion so that we can put this bill on the President's desk and he will sign it into law. As we continue to advance, we must remember to advance the laws that this country utilizes, and as Americans communicate in different ways, we have to modernize the way the laws treat that communication. I am proud of the work we are doing in the House today. I thank the chairman and his team. I thank Ranking Member Conyers and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. This is a great day for America, a great day for the Constitution, and a great day for each and every one of us who uses email to correspond to know that the Fourth Amendment continues to protect us and to know that the Internet is not immune from the protections of the Constitution.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium, that took place early this morning. These brutal acts of violence have claimed the lives of at least 30 people and have injured at least 170 more. The people of Brussels woke up this morning, ready for another day in their life, only to have their world rocked by this sudden and unexpected attack. Some wished their loved ones goodbye for the day, only to never return. This is now the second time in just 5 short months that our friends and allies in Europe have been struck with a wide-scale terrorist attack. It is another chilling reminder that we are at war against radical Islamic terrorism. But it is also a reminder of the goodness in people. We saw people run into the flames, into the smoke, and against the flow of the terrified masses to give aid and comfort to the wounded. It is a reminder that we are right and just and that we must be ever-vigilant. Mr. Speaker, we must stand together in solidarity with the Belgian people as they recover, and we must stand together as a world against this ever-increasing threat to our freedom and way of life.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send my congratulations to Reverend Dr. Jarvis L. Collier on his 15th Anniversary at Pleasant Green Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas. I've known Reverend Collier for several years now. I met him when I was a brand new Member of Congress representing Wyandotte County in Washington. The Reverend has always been very kind to me and has welcomed me to Pleasant Green on more than one occasion, including having my wife Brooke and I join the United Prayer Movement to serve meals on Thanksgiving. His stated goal is ``to glorify God as a yielded instrument for preaching/teaching/modeling the redemptive love of God through Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit.'' I've seen how he lives out this goal firsthand. Visiting Pleasant Green Baptist Church I've seen the fruits of his labor for his congregation and community through spreading the good word, working on education initiatives and more. His leadership is truly an asset to Wyandotte County and the greater Kansas City area. Reverend Collier, thanks for your dedication and service these past 15 years and I look forward to celebrating many more milestones with you and the wonderful people at Pleasant Green Baptist Church.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to the victims of the tragic shooting last week in Hesston, Kansas. Renee Benjamin, Joshua Higbee, and Brian Sadowsky each saw their lives lost too early at the hands of a cold-blooded killer. Another 14 people were wounded, and some critically, before authorities arrived on the scene at Excel Industries and brought the violence to an end. As someone who grew up just a few short miles away from there, near Yoder, Kansas, and whose father went to school in Hesston, Thursday's shooting, sadly, hit close to home for me. My wife, Brooke, and I want to send our condolences to the victims of this terrible tragedy and their families. We also want to thank the first responders, police officers, EMTs, doctors, and nurses, who are all serving the Hesston community with skill and effectiveness in this time of need. Mr. Speaker, nothing that we do or say will ever be able to bring back the lives lost, but our prayers and support will hopefully be able to help the Hesston community recover and heal from this horrible tragedy.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the safety and security of every single American, and I stand in opposition to the President's plan to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Let me be clear. Bringing the world's most dangerous terrorists to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, or anywhere in the United States is a request that Congress cannot and shall not honor. The President, however, continues to try to move forward on this in spite of vocal American opposition and bipartisan legislation that this Congress has passed and that this President has signed into law which prohibits bringing these known terrorists onto American soil and closing the facility in Cuba. Mr. Speaker, nothing changes today. We will not put our national security at risk. We will not unilaterally disarm ourselves in the war on terror, voluntarily giving up intelligence-gathering capabilities and putting our communities in the cross-hairs of terrorists. What we simply ask is that the President, as Commander in Chief, execute the law and follow the Constitution. That's why, as a Congress, we must stand up and do everything in our power to stop the administration's transfer of these terrorists to American soil and to stop the President from closing the Guantanamo Bay facility.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, every day hardworking American families are living with greater burdens placed upon them by their own Federal Government. As our constituents struggle to pay their bills and realize the American Dream, they do so under a weight of taxes and burdensome regulations from Washington. This week, the working guy or gal actually got a reprieve from one of these costly burdens when the Supreme Court placed a stay on President Obama's so-called Clean Power Plan. The $480 billion plan--yes, that is billion, with a B--would increase electric rates for millions of Americans. In Kansas, electric utility rates may spike by 30 percent. At townhall meetings with constituents, I rarely have a constituent come up and ask for a 30 percent increase in their electric rates, yet Washington will make Americans foot the bill once again. What do we get for the $408 billion in hidden taxes and higher electric utility rates? A potential one one-hundredth of a degree reduction in global temperatures. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Supreme Court for placing a hold on this Big Government tax on my constituents. Finally, a win for the little guy.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my good friend Ronnie Metsker for his appointment to serve the State of Kansas as Johnson County Election Commissioner. Ronnie is honest, trustworthy, sincere, and a true gentleman. He served with me as a member of the Kansas State House of Representatives from 2006 to 2009. He's been a long-time member of both the Overland Park and Northeast Johnson County Chambers of Commerce, as well as on the Shawnee Mission Rotary Board of Directors, working to bring more jobs and better paychecks to the community. He's fought for the best education for our children and future generations on the Shawnee Mission School District Committee for Excellence. But most of all, he is my friend. I want to thank Ronnie for making Johnson County a better place over the course of decades of hard work on behalf of the community. I should also mention Ronnie's wife, Susan, is a member of my district staff. Together these two make a great team and much have dedicated their lives to public service. There is no better person to ensure the integrity of the elections in our county. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of this great body, I send heartfelt congratulations to Commissioner Metsker.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, in 2010, Congress silenced the voices of a majority of hardworking Americans and ran roughshod over the House minority and jammed a bill through Congress that would put a wet blanket of mandates, regulations, taxes, and penalties on patients, doctors, hospitals, and small businesses, driving up the cost of insurance and health care for most Americans. Longer lines, less access, less innovation, and higher costs have been the hallmark of this bloated bureaucratic nightmare. Today the House will give voice to those who had this law and its expense thrust upon them. It is time to repeal and replace ObamaCare and move forward in a bipartisan fashion, passing legislation that will put patients back in control of their healthcare decisions, focus on competition and quality of care, reform our tort litigation system, and invest in innovation and research at the NIH, curing diseases, and reducing healthcare costs. The House will also defund organizations that engage in the horrific and sad process of dissecting and harvesting aborted baby organs and reinvest that money in organizations that are truly focused on women's health care. Mr. Speaker, by placing this bill on the President's desk, we have given voice to the defenseless, and we have focused on a better future of health care for every American.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the efforts of Chairman Rogers, his staff, and all my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee. This bill achieves many conservative goals, including ending the export oil ban, limiting the EPA to its lowest funding since 2008, freezing the IRS almost $2 billion below the President's budget request, denying any new funds to ObamaCare, resolving visa waiver concerns, supporting our national defense, and many other priorities. While cutting in certain areas, we were also able to reprioritize spending, and one of those priorities is funding for the National Institutes of Health. This bill provides the largest funding at NIH since 2003, and I want to thank Chairman Tom Cole of the subcommittee for his work in that endeavor. As we debate this bill, cancer is prepared to kill 600,000 Americans next year, and without new investment, we will be unable to find a cure for cancer or any number of diseases, like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and heart disease, that affect every family and every community in America. So I thank the committee for their leadership. Mr. Speaker, this bill represents the hard work of the committee and many others as it seeks to advance the conservative causes in a balanced way in a divided government. I urge its passage.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the very real and dangerous threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. For too long, our Nation has stayed on the sidelines, claiming ISIS was a junior varsity threat or that it had been contained. The unfortunate reality is that America and her allies are under attack by radical Islamic terrorists. Changing the subject or downplaying this threat gives aid and comfort to our enemy, which is bound and determined to strike innocent people around the world in their comfort zones. As we have seen in Paris or in San Bernardino, these terrorists are emboldened by the President's failed foreign policy. Weakness invites aggression, and only through strength will we have peace. This is a time for unity of purpose and strong leadership. We need our Commander in Chief to chart a course towards complete destruction of ISIS. Congress should quickly debate and authorize the resources necessary and military force to complete the mission. Mr. Speaker, we stand ready and willing to work with the President, but Congress will always put the safety and security of the American people first.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the service and sacrifice of one of my constituents and my friend, Donald R. Boyer, who passed away on November 21, 2015. Don was a World War II veteran, fought bravely in the Battle of the Bulge, was captured by German forces, and spent many months as a prisoner of war, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart. After World War II, Don worked for the Chrysler Corporation as a zone real estate manager for 27 years. Throughout his career, Don found several ways to continue to serve our Nation and fellow veterans. He was commander of Post 370 and Second District commander of the American Legion, trustee of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 846, and was serving as local chapter commander of the American Ex-Prisoners of War when he unfortunately passed away. Don also served on my Veterans Advisory Committee for more than 5 years, providing great insight to issues involving our Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. Mr. Speaker, without Don's service and sacrifice, along with all the men and women of the Greatest Generation, our Nation would not be as resilient and flourishing as it is today, and we remain ever thankful for their service.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2646.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of lifesaving research at the National Institutes of Health. As we debate the priorities for the upcoming omnibus appropriations act, one of our top initiatives must be an increase in support for research to cure and prevent disease. Cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and more than 10,000 known diseases in our world affect millions of families throughout our country and in each and every one of our districts. This year, 600,000 Americans will die of cancer. The best defense to saving those lives is enhancing and supporting funding at the National Institutes of Health. Earlier this year, we passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which increased funding for the NIH by over $3 billion in FY 2016. Passing with 344 votes, it also had the support of both parties, including 170 Republican votes. Now is the time to meet the moment and to increase NIH by $3 billion in the upcoming appropriations act. Now is also the time to send a message of hope to each and every patient waiting for a cure, that Congress hears you, and Congress is going to do everything we can to find innovative cures and treatments that can ease suffering and save lives.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, America and her allies are under attack by Islamic extremism. The despicable act of terrorism the world witnessed over the weekend in Paris, France, serves as a stark reminder that the threat posed by ISIS knows no borders. French officials have indicated that at least one of the Paris attackers linked to ISIS was admitted into Europe as a refugee from Syria. Nevertheless, the administration has made it clear that, in spite of this, it will continue to seek to bring up to 10,000 Syrian refugees to America in the coming year. The President's refugee proposal places the interests of other nations ahead of the safety and security of the American people. Because we are unable to verify whether the next attacker is within their midst, we must halt the flow of any refugees into the United States from Syria. Mr. Speaker, in light of these attacks, now is not the time to open our borders to refugees from countries who wish to do our citizens harm. Congress stands ready to legislate or use the power of the purse should this administration refuse to change course on this misguided policy.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2015 World Series champion, the Kansas City Royals. Some of my fondest memories growing up come from listening to the Royals play-by-play on the radio while riding with my dad in his tractor as he plowed our family field at dusk. This year's playoffs run was filled with many exciting moments that will inspire lifelong memories for a new generation. It was particularly exciting for my family, as my wife delivered a beautiful baby girl, Eloise Jane, just hours after the Royals' World Series victory. Perhaps the most memorable moment for all of Kansas City was Eric Hosmer making a mad dash home to score in the 17th hour and 38th minute of the World Series, tying game five in New York, which the Royals would eventually go on to win. Mr. Speaker, this Royals team was backed by a proud and unified Kansas City, unifying both Kansans and Missourians. And these Royals embodied the Midwestern spirit. They worked hard, played as a team, always hustled, and never gave up. So, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House of Representatives, and for the first time since 1985, I would like to say congratulations to the best team in baseball, the Kansas City Royals, and their Most Valuable Player, Salvador Perez.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call Number 582 on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1853, to direct the President to develop a strategy to obtain observer status for Taiwan in the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and for other purposes, I am not recorded because I was absent due to the birth of my daughter. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, the month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I rise today to call attention and awareness to this disease and to recognize the many women and men in America who are fighting it. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 230,000 women and 2,350 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and over 40,000 women and men will, sadly, lose their battle. Every day brilliant researchers in our country are working towards a cure. We must honor their commitment with full funding of the National Institutes of Health to ensure that we are meeting our commitment to them and the millions of lives affected by cancer each year. That is why I supported the 21st Century Cures bill that passed the House earlier this year with a majority of each party in support. That is also why I am renewing my call to double NIH funding over the coming decade to recruit, retain, and invest in the people and research that will save lives, grow our economy, and save us trillions. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the ``moonshot,'' as our Vice President called it earlier this week. It is time for this Congress to make curing cancer its signature priority.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in defense of the Constitution. I rise today to stand for the Fourth Amendment and the right against unreasonable searches and seizures without probable cause. The Email Privacy Act, the House's most cosponsored bill to not have a vote, this week got its 300th cosponsor. My friend from New York, Lee Zeldin, became the latest Member of Congress to join this bipartisan legislation. With a majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats now supporting this bill, this is a bill whose time has come. Americans who use digital communication in texts, emails, and social media are being governed by a 1986 law, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which was written long before the Internet, as we understand it today, existed. Americans overwhelmingly agree that our email should have the same Fourth Amendment protections as our paper documents. We should require a warrant to read the content of Americans' emails, and we should pass the Email Privacy Act, H.R. 699. With 300 cosponsors and growing, it is time to act. It is time to show the American people that Congress will protect them and defend the Constitution.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the people of the Third District of Kansas and on behalf of American people who are counting on us to put their security before the obvious partisan politics of Washington, D.C. I also join a bipartisan majority, leaders of each party in each Chamber, to stand up and be counted as one of the many voices in this country in opposition to the President's deal with Iran. Like others who plan to oppose the ratification of this deal, I am not opposed to the idea of diplomacy, but I am opposed to the idea of surrender diplomacy. This administration asked us to trust Iran; but as Iran continues to be the largest world state sponsor of terror, as they continue to shout ``death to America'' and call for our destruction and the obliteration of Israel, our greatest ally, how can we trust Iran? With secret deals, side deals, and self-verification, this President's capitulation will lead to a nuclear Iran for the first time in history and an American endorsement of their efforts to get there. Well, the Ayatollah has convinced the President that it only needs nuclear capacity for peaceful purposes. But why does Iran need nuclear capacity at all? Iran has the world's fourth largest proven oil reserves, totalling 157 billion barrels of crude oil, and the world's second largest proven natural gas reserves, totalling 1.193 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. With such a robust energy sector, why should Iran, a nation that has consistently defied the international community on this issue, be granted the ability to proceed with a nuclear energy program? Why should we trust Iran? Have they earned the right to be trusted? Simply put, Mr. Speaker, this is a gift to the ayatollahs of Iran. For starters, it releases hundreds of billions of dollars in assets to the regime in Iran, giving them a gift basket full of cash to flood terrorist organizations which seek to harm Americans and our allies. The deal gives the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism a stamp of legitimacy and the means to expand its destabilizing influence through massive amounts of sanctions relief, even before Iran has demonstrated full adherence to the deal's term. It does, however, bring home the four Americans being imprisoned in Iran. When questioned as to why, this administration claims that it did not demand the release of American prisoners because it wanted to limit negotiations to just Iran's nuclear program. On the contrary, Iran won key nonnuclear concessions through the process. The deal grants amnesty to Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds force in Iran's Revolutionary Guard, who is one of the world's most leading terrorist masterminds and the man thought responsible for the death of at least 500 United States troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also lifts the conventional arms embargo on Iran in spite of public testimony from Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Martin Dempsey that we should do so ``under no circumstances.'' Lifting this embargo means Iran can begin to stockpile conventional weapons, and Russia and China can begin to legally profit off major weapons exports to Tehran. Yet perhaps the most troubling aspect of this deal is its inspections regime. Gone are the anytime, anywhere inspections that were required by Congress and outlined by the administration. In its place, a 24-day notice period for Iran, combined with secret side deals that this Congress has no knowledge of and in which the proponents of the plan are happy to be blissfully ignorant. Mr. Speaker, the proponents of this deal know that it does not make us safer or more secure. They know that we cannot trust Iran. They know that the verification process is weak and is built upon secret deals, they know we shouldn't lift the arms embargo, and they know that the hundreds of billions of dollars being released to the Ayatollah will end up on the battlefield in the hands of terrorists who will use it to kill Americans and our allies. Mr. Speaker, they know this is a bad deal. I'm proud to have my name listed along with Democrats and Republicans in a bipartisan majority opposing this deal. Mr. Speaker, those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. In 1994, we heard President Clinton sell his nuclear agreement with North Korea on many of the same talking points President Obama used in his speech to sell this deal with Iran. Yet in 2006, we watched as the North Koreans detonated a nuclear weapon. Mr. Speaker, there is still time to stop this, and I urge--I beg--my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote against this deal so we aren't watching Iranians detonate their own bomb just a few years from now.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Shawnee, Kansas for receiving the ``2015 Employer Support Freedom Award.'' This distinction is the highest recognition given to employers by the United States Department of Defense and the nomination process is open to all Guard and Reserve personnel across the entire country. This year, there were nearly 3,000 employers that applied for the award, of which 15 were selected. The City of Shawnee employs service members from the Army National Guard, Army Reserves, and the Kansas Air National Guard. As these heroes well know, the city goes above and beyond federal requirements in its support of employees on military leave. For example, the city offers a service member reintegration program to ease employees back into the workplace after deployment; assists family members with chores during deployment; sends care packages to service members; recognizes service members publicly during city council meetings when they return home; and also pays the entire premium for benefits such as medical, dental and vision while the employee is serving abroad. Based on these same merits, Shawnee has also received other awards from the Department of Defense, including the ``Above and Beyond Award'' in 2014 and the ``Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award'' in 2005. All of these prestigious distinctions are a testament to the hospitality and level of dedication to our men and women in uniform and their families in Shawnee and throughout the entire Third District of Kansas. The 2015 Freedom Award will be presented on August 21st at the Pentagon by the Secretary of Defense. Thank you, Shawnee for your dedication to our troops and their service and sacrifice.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today saddened and horrified at recent media reports that Planned Parenthood, as an abortion provider, is harvesting or attempting to harvest and sell baby organs preserved in partial-birth abortion. It shocks and sickens the conscience of our Nation and each of us as human beings that these providers would use these innocent children, ripped from their mother's womb and their skulls crushed, to sell their organs for profit--organs that they have never even had a chance to use. It is a sad day. Mr. Speaker, we are becoming a more compassionate pro-life Nation each and every day, and all of us must speak out against these barbaric practices. We must ensure that these providers are prosecuted under the law, and we should pass whatever legislation necessary to ensure that we appropriately punish these heartless acts. We should also ensure that not one penny of American tax dollars goes to Planned Parenthood or any organization that performs or profits off of abortion. No organization which enriches itself commodifying unborn human life is worthy of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Mr. Speaker, let us come together as Representatives of the American people and declare with one voice that we will not tolerate or condone something so despicable.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2722.

Mr. YODER

Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the chorus of Americans who are calling out for support and research and innovation to cure diseases that affect every family and neighborhood in America. The rule that we have before us would allow us to debate the 21st Century Cures bill forwarded by the Energy and Commerce Committee on a unanimous, bipartisan vote. What this bill would do would increase, by over $8 billion, research over the next 5 years to be conducted by the National Institutes of Health. Each year, we spend over $700 billion on care for seniors through Medicare; yet we spend just $30 billion a year, roughly, annually, on curing or researching the cures for every disease that plagues our country: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, heart disease, diabetes. In all those diseases combined, we spend just $30 billion a year on research; yet we spend trillions on health care. We know, each year, 600,000 people will die of cancer. We know, each year in the United States, 700,000 people will die of Alzheimer's. These are real people, real families that are in anguish over these and many other diseases. It is not just a moral issue; it is an economic issue. By 2050, estimates are that our country will spend $1.1 trillion annually to treat health care for people with Alzheimer's alone, over $1 trillion annually; yet we spend just $562 million a year researching a cure for Alzheimer's, a true definition of penny wise and pound foolish. This 21st Century Cures bill increases our commitment to curing disease, as I said, by over $8 billion over the next 5 years. Each of us has a family member or a friend with a tragic story about one of these diseases. These diseases know no party affiliation; they don't know center of aisle versus the left or right side of the aisle. They know no State; they have no regional boundaries. They don't know the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending. To cure these diseases is a moral imperative for these families, but to cure these diseases is also an economic imperative. If we cure one of these diseases, our investment will pay for itself a thousand times over. The CBO can't score that; the CBO can't make any recognition of that. This is a savings bill.