Ted Yoho

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Bilirakis for the work that he has done. And I want to congratulate Chairman Roe for taking over the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I would also like to thank the committee staff for their diligence and help on this piece of legislation, as well as the co-leads of this bill, Representatives Rodney Davis, Kyrsten Sinema, and John Delaney. Last Congress, WINGMAN passed the Veterans' Affairs Committee unanimously in the House due to the bipartisan support of the Members of this Chamber. While it was disappointing that we were unable to get it across the finish line in the Senate, I feel confident, given the support this bill has witnessed early on in this year, with 175 Members in the House and 7 Members in the Senate, I am encouraged, and my hope is that we will see it pass the Senate this Congress and be signed into law by the President. Congressional constituent advocates worked diligently in our district offices to help veterans navigate the VA claims appeals system. But, they are hampered by having to wait weeks, months, and sometimes even years to receive documents from the VA that are often vital to helping the veteran reach a favorable resolution. WINGMAN will help to expedite the process by cutting out the middleman and providing direct access to the files our office already has permission to obtain. Currently, advocates must have a privacy release form signed by the constituent prior to acting on their behalf. This doesn't change. What changes is the wait time our offices, veterans, and their families must endure while the VA sends us the appropriate documents. WINGMAN will help veterans such as James, from my district, who had eight separate, but related, claims filed. He didn't know which files were attached to which claims, the dates they were received, which department they were referred to, or that he could have filed one single, fully developed claim. Had my staff had access to the files, which WINGMAN permits, they would have been able to assess the issue and update his claims without having to go on a wild goose chase for the documents with the VA system. Getting his case on track could have happened in a matter of days, rather than years. He is more than deserving of this, especially since some of his claims are over 6 years old. Another constituent lost her husband while he was serving this Nation. The VA was mailing all correspondence to his widow to an incorrect address. This resulted in an overpayment, which she was unaware of since she was not receiving the mail. The long-term result was a veteran's widow having her account sent to collections, which damaged her credit, and ended with her new spouse's tax return being confiscated. With access to the system files, our office would have had a clearer picture of the timeline of events and been able to direct and streamline our inquiry. Instead, our staff had to hunt down the relevant files from numerous branches within the VA and reassemble them like a jigsaw puzzle. When I hear the story of Sergeant Abraham or Colonel Bergman or Staff Sergeant Brian Mast behind me, these people have paid a price for their service to this country, and our country owes them a debt. As a country, we can do better by our veterans and their families. WINGMAN will not get rid of the claims backlog or solve all of the problems. What it will do, however, is make the process helping our veterans easier. Let's put the words ``customer service'' into our government. So I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the University of Florida's UF Health Shands Hospital pediatric heart transplant program for being named one of the best in the Nation. According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, this unit has had zero pediatric heart transplant deaths in the last 2\1/2\ years. Since 2006, the UF Health Shands Transplant Center has performed a total of 120 pediatric heart and lung transplants, making it one of the most active pediatric heart transplant programs in the Southeast. In fact, in the last year, U.S. News and World Report named UF Health number one in the State and fourth in the Nation for pediatric heart surgeries and cardiology. This recognition speaks volumes about the level of care shown by the physicians and their teams at UF Health, and I look forward to watching them continue to be a leader in patient care and innovation in the coming years. I must end with Go Gators.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Johnson for standing up and defending our Nation's Constitution again, not just in his service to our country during the Vietnam era, but here in Congress and his many years here. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. As a tireless advocate for the protection of our Second Amendment rights, I am disappointed, but not surprised, in the Obama administration's attempt to impair Americans' right to own firearms, by fiat, in its last days of existence. It is unconscionable and unthinkable that a President would do that to the citizens of this country. This rule claims to strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check but, in reality, acted as a gun grab on individuals who receive disability insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments. Participants in those programs should not be forced to worry that, in order to receive government assistance, they must sacrifice their constitutional liberty at the random whim of a government bureaucrat. The Second Amendment to our Constitution states very clearly that the right to keep and bear arms ``shall not be infringed,'' and Congress cannot stand by and allow unaccountable rulemaking from a previous administration to infringe on that right. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work, commitment, and character of Scott C. Graves, House Agriculture Committee staff director. Scott is my kind of man--intelligent, understanding, and a straight shooter. His rise from an intern on the House Agriculture Committee to the committee's staff director over 10 years speaks to his strong work ethic. Raised on a cattle ranch in Texas, his commitment to rural America is unquestioned--a view shared on both sides of the aisle. His work as a steadfast advisor to Chairman Conaway solidified his role as a leader who is both fair and firm. But it's Scott's character that I notice most. As a member of the Agriculture Committee for the past 4 years, I have had the privilege to witness that character as he balances not just the demands of committee members, staff, and interest groups; but of a growing family. Scott, thank you for your guidance, your example, and your friendship. I wish both Scott and his lovely wife Haley all the success in the world as they turn the page onto a new chapter in their lives.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today in support of the livelihood of an entire region of our country and industry that was unfairly targeted by the Obama administration in pursuit of an ideological agenda to do away with our Nation's abundant coal resources. The previous administration targeted the coal industry and, by extension, the hardworking Americans employed by the industry under the guise of protecting the environment. We all want clear air and water for our Nation's prosperity, but this rule is so strict, it makes it impossible for companies to continue to operate. It results in layoffs, closed businesses, and ultimately an entire region unemployed. Our Nation is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and we should utilize them all: oil, hydropower, wind, solar, and yes, clean coal, too. We must be prudent about how we regulate our energy industries because when one sector is pushed out, it is the moms and dads at the end of the month paying their electric bill that feel the impact the most. All Americans will be affected, but it will be felt more by the ones who can least afford it. That is why I am opposed to the rule, and I urge my colleagues to support the CRA.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Madam Speaker, life begins at conception. I believe it is our responsibility to protect the millions of unborn children whose voices go unheard. As a Christian and a father of three, I believe the lives of all children, including the unborn, are just as important as yours or mine. That is why I stand here today in support of H.R. 7. This bill safeguards the lives of unborn children who are robbed of their opportunity to experience the marvels of life. H.R. 7 closes loopholes that have permitted the subsidization of abortions by taxpayers who are morally opposed to the practice. Additionally, this bill also requires insurance providers who receive Federal subsidies through participation in the healthcare exchanges to report to consumers whether or not they will be subject to a surcharge that covers abortion services at the time of purchase. It boggles the mind that our Federal Government had the arrogance to skirt longstanding laws in order to trick the American taxpayer into unknowingly contributing to abortions in the first place. This bill has passed the House numerous times. The merits of the bill are clear. I urge my colleagues to support swift passage of H.R. 7.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, today I will reintroduce the WINGMAN Act, a vital veterans' bill that will expedite the claims process for veterans who come to our congressional offices seeking assistance with their benefit claims. The current process leaves thousands of veterans and their families remaining in limbo awaiting resolution on their claims. The status quo is unacceptable, and it must change. No servicemember should have to wait to receive benefits they have more than earned. This ends with the passage of the WINGMAN Act, which removes the middle man and allows staff to access these records directly, after obtaining a privacy release form without having to wait on the VA bureaucracy. I think if we just listen, this is about customer service. Yes, they are constituents, but they are also customers. Every Member of this Congress--all 535 Members--represents approximately 700,000 constituents, and I like to think that we are in the customer service business as is the VA, the Veterans Administration. If we can't service our customers, where else can they go? Last Congress, WINGMAN passed this House unanimously. It passed the Veterans' Affairs Committee unanimously, but it was held up by one Senator who thought he know more than the 435 Members of this body and that he knew more than the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Fortunately, that Senator from Nevada is no longer here, and we are resubmitting this. I am hopeful that this Congress--the Members of this Chamber-- will, once again, reform the veterans' claims process and that our colleagues in the upper Chamber will as well. Before I close, I would also like to take a moment to recognize Representatives Rodney Davis of Illinois, Kyrsten Sinema, and John Delaney for being coleads on this bill. All three of my colleagues have demonstrated their commitment to fighting for our veterans every day of every year that they have served in Congress. We have right now right over 150 cosponsors of this bill, and it is a privilege to have their support. I thank them for helping to lead the charge to enact this change and others that are so desperately needed to better assist veterans and their families. Without their support, WINGMAN would not have the broad, bipartisan support that it does now. I urge the remainder of our colleagues to support WINGMAN as well. Let our Nation's veterans know that we've got their six.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring attention to the burden ObamaCare has placed upon my constituents. They have seen their healthcare costs rise while their quality of care has lowered. It is imperative that we repeal ObamaCare immediately. I also emphasize to the folks here and at home that, as we repeal ObamaCare, we will make sure there is a stable transition period during the replacement so that people do not have the rug pulled out from under them. This transition period will give us the time we need to ensure our healthcare reform is full of truly patient-centered solutions that allow patients, families, and doctors to direct their health care. Congress must focus on the principles of affordability, accessibility, and quality to provide the American people with genuine healthcare reform, but we can only get to that point by repealing ObamaCare now. I promise to read the bill before voting on it, unlike how it was passed.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to speak in favor of H.R. 238, the Commodity End-User Relief Act. I thank Chairman Conaway for his leadership and his continued commitment to positive reforms through the Agriculture Committee. It has been a privilege to work with him on issues impacting our Nation's rural communities. I also thank Subcommittee Chairman Austin Scott for his work in bringing this bill to the floor yet again. This bill will provide much-needed relief to the end users of this country in the wake of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill. End users in the bill are the farmers and ranchers and public utilities across our country. When costs increase for them, they increase for all Americans. The farmer was not the reason for the economic recession that began in 2008. The rancher was not the reason, nor was the power company. So why bring them under the umbrella of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform? Rural America is not Wall Street. It is this view held by some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that has alienated so many in rural America. The Agriculture Committee has approved this measure four times through regular order in the committee. Its commonsense reforms have garnered bipartisan support in the 114th Congress and the 113th Congress. It is my hope that with this new administration taking office next week, these commonsense changes will finally be signed into law. I implore my fellow colleagues to listen to rural America. Remember, they are not Wall Street. I thank Chairman Conaway, Subcommittee Chairman Austin Scott, and Ranking Member David Scott for making this a priority. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) for hosting this Special Order. The American people have spoken, and it is time. The ACA, the Affordable Care Act--which it is not, and we know that. I want to take you back, a little history here. Back prior to 2009, before the Affordable Care Act came out, 85 percent of the people in America had health insurance either through their employer or on their own. Fifteen percent did not have health insurance. Yet, Congress, in their infinite wisdom, instead of fixing it for the 15 percent and getting them into the pool of people that had health insurance, said: No; we are going to change it. We are going to change it and disrupt the whole healthcare market and 20 percent of our economy. This is the epitome of legislative malpractice. This Congress was controlled by one party, the Democratic Party, through the House, the Senate, and the executive branch. They passed a 2,900-page bill at the end of the year that nobody read. You can't do that in any other business without going to jail. President Obama sold us a bill of goods on a lie. If you want to keep your doctor or your insurance, you can and your price will go down $2,500. Let me share three real-life stories. One was a 54-year-old man that came into our office, single, making a six-figure income, could afford insurance. He was going through the exchange. He changed his plan and wanted to pay for it right then. They said: Don't worry about it, we will send you a bill. They never sent him a bill, and his insurance got canceled. He could not buy insurance because it was through the exchange and the sign-up period had expired. He got fined whatever the fine was. He got fined trying to do the right thing. Another one is a friend of mine who owns a restaurant franchise. He has 500 employees. He says: I can't afford to pay for the health insurance. So he moved people from working 32 or 40 hours a week down to 26 hours. I could tell you a real personal story about a couple I know real well. They came to Congress. Their policy got canceled. Their premiums went up by over $11,000. Their deductibles went up and their coverage went down. I know that couple real well because it is my wife and myself. The American people have spoken and given us the majority for a reason, and that is to fix health care and allow the best healthcare providers, the best medicine, the best research and the institutions in America to provide that for all Americans and deliver that care to all Americans. The Republican Congress has a better way, and it starts with putting health care back into the hands of the physicians to the patients. It has a better way increasing access, the cure, the quality at a lower cost with a stable transition so no one is left out. And it starts with the repeal of ObamaCare. I appreciate Chairman Walker doing this. This is a message we are going to drive home and home and home. We are going to fix this, and the American people will be better off and our economy will be better off.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, an issue close to my heart. Human trafficking is nothing more than modern-day slavery. Last Congress, the Foreign Affairs Committee shined a light on this scourge that affects millions around the world and passed into law the International Megan's Law, which attacks child sex tourism by child sex offenders, improves international law enforcement cooperation, and improves notices of child sex offenders traveling to the U.S. We have come a long way in creating awareness, but more must be done. According to the Polaris Project, from 2007 to 2015, over 25,000 cases of human trafficking were discovered in the United States, and 7,700 of these were minors. Over 100,000 calls were made to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline. We all know this is an issue that does not discriminate. It can affect everyone. In north Florida, over Christmas, a man was arrested for trafficking a woman across five county lines. This case started with him luring her to Florida over the Internet and ended when law enforcement were able to save the victim after seeing her in adult advertisements online. I want to thank all those who were involved in bringing this person to justice. On this National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, we in Congress will not look away. We will continue to fight the scourge called human trafficking.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, today I will reintroduce my bill, the State Sponsors of Terrorism Review Enhancement Act. This legislation passed the full House last Congress unanimously. I hope this Chamber will once again take up this commonsense legislation and pass it as soon as possible. The designation of a foreign government as a ``State Sponsor of Terrorism'' is one of the United States' most powerful statements that we can give on another statement. Besides imposing sanctions, the stamp of ``State Sponsor of Terrorism'' labels a state untouchable to the international community. This pariah status is much deserved as these are states that support the killing of innocent people as a matter of policy. Under current law, in order for a state to be delisted, the President of the United States only needs to certify that the country being considered for delisting has not engaged in supporting terrorism for a paltry 6 months. We are talking 6 months to be delisted. Considering the heinous acts of violence these countries have supported in the past, we should not be allowing them to be delisted after only 6 months. To address this, my legislation will--and, again, it passed last Congress unanimously--quadruple the time a designated country must refrain from sponsoring terrorism, before the President can remove it from the sponsor list, from 6 to 24 months; increase congressional oversight by doubling the time Congress has to review the President's proposed removal from 45 to 90 days; establish a uniform process through which Congress can disapprove of the President's decision to remove a country from that list; and require the administration to notify and brief Congress upon initiating a review of a designated country's potential removal from the list. This legislation will assert congressional scrutiny and oversight and hopefully bring to an end politically motivated delistings. Successive administrations--both Republican and Democrat alike--delisted countries based on their presidency's legacy rather than the facts. This will stop absurd delistings like that of North Korea in 2008. North Korea was delisted in exchange for their promises of dismantling their nuclear program. However, 9 years and 5 nuclear tests later, they remain off the list. This rescission from the list has enabled North Korea to engage in supporting terrorism abroad. By increasing the amount of time for a state to not be engaged in terrorism and increasing congressional oversight and scrutiny, my legislation will not allow mistakes such as this delisting of North Korea's to take place. I want to remind people that this passed unanimously, and we hope that we will get the support again.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate the other Gainesville--the University of Florida's Machine Intelligence Laboratory Engineering Team. On December 12, 2016, the University of Florida's Machine Intelligence Laboratory Engineering Team won a world championship and beat 12 teams from five countries at the Maritime RobotX Challenge in Hawaii. This team, which is comprised of UF students, designed a vessel that completed a number of different obstacles, including navigating through buoys and self-parking--all without human intervention. As a supporter of scientific research, I am proud of the inspiring work being done in Florida's Third Congressional District. The dedication displayed by these students and professors is an outstanding example of the success that comes from hard work. It is the dreams of the students and scientists, like these of today, that will propel them to go on and create the innovations of tomorrow that will make this country great again. I am honored to announce their accomplishments, and I look forward to witnessing their continued success. As a UF alumnus, I would be remiss not to say, ``Go Gators.''

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, the 115th Congress has a unique opportunity to clean the swamp, especially of Members who were convicted of committing felonies while serving in office and drawing a retirement check from the taxpayers. I reintroduced the Trust Restored to the United States Taxpayer Act, which eliminates the taxpayer-funded portion of congressional pensions for Members who were convicted of a felony while serving. I applaud the 10 fellow Members of the House who cosponsored TRUST, and, in doing so, demonstrated they were willing to hold themselves accountable to their employers, the American taxpayers. We are willing to hold ourselves to the same standards we hold those who serve in our military and elsewhere. If Members of Congress are serious about cleaning up Washington and are truly accountable for their actions then supporting this bill is common sense. If we break the law and break the trust of the people who have placed us in power as their representatives then we should be willing to forfeit the taxpayer-funded portion of our retirement. We are not above the law. If anything, we should be held to a higher standard. I encourage my colleagues to support this.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. ``. . . to provide and maintain a navy; ``To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces; ``To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions; . . .''

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Chairman, I stand here today with an urgent plea to my colleagues. We were elected by the good men and women of the United States who believe in our vision of America and who believe in our dedication to doing whatever it takes to ensure the American Dream is alive and achievable. It is for these reasons the REINS Act must pass. Federal regulations imposed on American the job creators and households, an estimated $1.9 trillion burden in 2015. Who pays that? The American citizen does. It costs on an average, as Chairman Goodlatte brought up, $15,000 per U.S. household. Could that money be better used to offset the cost of a college education or maybe the staggering cost of health care due to the Affordable Care Act? Let me give you a real-life illustration from my district. A couple of years ago, a constituent, a dairy farmer, was targeted by an incredibly vague, broad, and costly EPA rule called WOTUS, Waters of the United States. The EPA sued and won this case not due to environmental damage, but due to the vagueness of this rule and the determination in court. It cost my constituent over $200,000 in fines and court costs for a natural depression in his pasture that the EPA determined could qualify as navigable waters. The rule states that any water or any land that becomes seasonably wet is affected. I live in Florida. We get 54 inches of rain a year. That is my whole State of Florida. This is downright outrageous. This is just one example of the many times the EPA has overstepped its authority by enforcing vague regulations unfairly on individuals. The REINS Act will prevent these costly job-killing regulations from going into effect and safeguard against Federal bureaucrats imposing the heaviest burdens on the American economy, and this will increase the livelihood of the American people.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the nation of Israel, one of our greatest allies in the Middle East. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 11, Objecting to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 calls for a Palestinian state but not a Jewish state. It does nothing to condemn or stop the Palestinian Authority's pay to slay, as we have heard talked over and over again, that rewarded over $300 million to terrorists in Israeli jails last year for crimes committed against Israeli citizens and others. It legitimizes additional efforts to isolate and sanction Israel. It declares the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, where the City of David has been excavated, and the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site, as occupied territories. This is absurd. Furthermore, the Obama administration refused to veto it. This shameful move broke with years of bipartisan U.S. efforts to protect Israel from deeply flawed and biased U.S. resolutions. H. Res. 11 reasserts the U.S. position that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties. H. Res. 11 must pass to send a clear message to the outgoing Obama administration, to the U.N., and to the world that the United States stands with Israel.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and achievements of Leroy Baldwin. A true American original, Leroy Baldwin was born and raised in Ocala, Florida, on December 15, 1932. Not coming from a family with a rich ag background, Mr. Baldwin bought his first calf when he was 6 years of age from the money he earned delivering newspapers. Mr. Baldwin served honorably in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1955 during the Korean war. After the war, he pursued his lifelong project, the Baldwin Angus Ranch. Starting with 40 acres, the ranch now spans 620 acres and has taken the Florida Angus breed all over the world. Mr. Baldwin thanked God each and every day for the blessings his family and business enjoyed. God, family, and country are the words he lived by, words vitally important to our Nation today. We have lost a true giant. Mr. Baldwin, may God bless you, your family, and thank you for what you have done for Florida and our Nation's agriculture.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Miller, a fellow Floridian, for his support of this measure. Without his help and the help of his team--Maria and Cecilia in particular--we would not be here today. This is a monumental bill for our veterans. This comes down to customer service for our veterans. I feel we are in the customer service business. They are not constituents. These are people who have paid the price to defend this country, and it is time that we give them the service that they need. What this does is it gives us read-only access to a veteran's claim. We have already got a privacy form. We are on a secure system, and this just moves the claim through the process that much quicker so that we can find out why it is hung up. So many times, as the chairman said, the average time it takes for an office to receive the records they request from the VA is 6 months, and at times even over a year. What this will do is, we can look into there, we can read only that particular case, and we can say, You forgot to sign it, you forgot to date it, you forgot to check this box; and we can report immediately back to the veteran. It should free up the VA system. No single man or woman who has served and protected our freedoms should have to wait to receive the care and benefits that they have more than earned. Unfortunately, they have become statistics, nothing more than numbers on the page, so many times with the VA system. This ends with the passage of the WINGMAN bill. The WINGMAN removes the middleman and allows the staff to access these records directly without waiting on the VA. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues in the House to support this measure and be a good wingman and let our Nation's veterans know that we have their six. Again, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) for his help on this strong bipartisan bill.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Sinema for putting this on for 4 years in a row because this is such an important topic that we all need to be engaged in as a nation. Mr. Speaker, as Ms. Sinema and I came in together, she has hosted this Special Order, and I thank her for calling it to the attention of America. Last year, I remember we stood here on the House floor talking about 22 suicides per day, but the current figures say 20. I would like to think that part of that reason for a decrease in that is the effort that she has inspired people to be more aware of this issue. And I hope that the veterans out there, the people in trouble, are watching C-SPAN tonight and they are watching this presentation, this talk that is coming out of the heart of so many Members of Congress talking about this very important issue and letting them know that we are here and that we are aware of this. September is National Suicide Prevention Month. As a country, we need to use this platform to make it a national priority every hour, every day, every month of the year. With a reduction of two suicides per day, that is a great thing, but 20 is way too many. Suicide is among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. I urge all Americans to take the time to learn the warning signs and where to find help for someone who may be struggling. From the brilliant comedian Robin Williams, to bullied young kids, to the brave men and women of our Nation's military returning from the battlefield, suicide does not discriminate. Emotional pain and despair can set in and take root in the mind of all ages and across all demographics. We are focusing on our military because of the liberties and freedoms we experience in this country every day. I am shameful to admit that I take those for granted at times. But we only have those liberties and freedoms from the sacrifice, dedication, and commitment of the people that are willing to lay everything on the line for this country, along with their spouses, their children, and their family. Too many times, the signs of suicide go undetected, which leave those left behind asking: Why did this happen? What could we have done to help prevent this tragedy? I had a dear friend of mine who had committed suicide. I grew up with him. I saw him reach out, and in a busy world, we are all consumed. I feel guilty not putting a hand in there to do more to prevent that. I know his family has suffered, I know the people around him have suffered, and I know there is a void in my life that will never be refilled. I often wonder: Had I reached out, would things have been different? Often, the signs, as I said, go undetected, which leave those asking: Why did this happen? We can work beyond that. It is so important that we have an open and honest dialogue about the issue of suicide. The more we talk about it, the more we increase people's awareness that there is help and there are alternatives. Today, a disproportionate amount of our Nation's veterans are falling victim to suicide. After all they have given to this country, it is tragic and unacceptable that our Nation's veterans often suffer alone until it is too late for those around them to help. Sometimes it is out of pride, sometimes it is out of fear, but they don't want to reach out. As my colleague French Hill pointed out, at one point in time in this country, there were over 500,000 beds in mental health facilities, and we are down to 50,000. I applaud the work of this Congress and Dr. Murphy, Tim Murphy, for bringing this to the spotlight. By shining a light on the veteran suicide issue, we as a nation start to understand the urgency with which we need to solve and prevent this epidemic that our veterans--not alone, but with their family and their friends--struggle with. Not recognizing the signs early enough all too often leads to that loss of life that if only we were aware of those conditions, those signs, and we reached out and we called, we let somebody know, we could have stopped that and saved a life, saved a family, and saved a veteran. Our government asks our men and women to please place themselves in harm's way. We as a nation must come together to ensure a strong support system is in place to help them when they come home. This begins with raising public awareness--like any campaign, if you don't have public awareness, if you don't bring this to the forefront, it stays in the shadows, and the condition goes on and sometimes increases--and eliminating stigmas associated with seeking help. This means connecting combat veterans with mental health providers. We heard the last speaker talking about telemedicine. That doesn't work for everybody; but for the person that doesn't want to go to a clinic or doesn't have access, it is a great way to go, and a lot of people prefer that. We see that over and over again. This means additional mental health resources. Again, I am proud that this Congress passed that bill and that the President signed it. And this means prioritizing a change in our Nation's approach to recognizing the needs of others who may be suffering in silence, as I talked about my friend. Congress and the VA are working to enact changes that will help save our soldiers, but we cannot do it alone, nor can they. It is the American people that will lead the way in changing the way society views, recognizes, and treats mental health conditions. I saw this at a seminar, and this was so important to me. The mental health issue is not a partisan issue. We need to remove the stigma from mental health. Heck, look at other diseases. Many times it is a chemical imbalance, just like a disease like diabetes or hypothyroidism. You take a medication and you treat it. We don't stigmatize those, so why is there this stigma around mental health issues? It is going to be us as a society saying it is okay, we are here. The diseases aren't stigmatized, like I said, so why are mental health issues stigmatized? To the men and women whose pain is yet to be known, I say to you I see you and I hear you. I acknowledge I may not feel what you are feeling, I may not feel your suffering, but I and others are here in the community offering our service and assistance in finding support and comfort in one another. It is together that we will survive. It is together that we survive as a nation. We need everybody involved in this. I urge anyone who is suffering to reach out to those around you and ask for help. This does not mean you are weak or deficient. Asking for help often is the greatest sign of a warrior or of a leader, the enduring strength and perseverance you possess and that often so many times inspires others, so many times it inspires others often unwilling to reach out for help. Whether it is out of fear, embarrassment, or humiliation, just know we are here and we welcome you home. My encouragement is that you call a local mental health clinic or your local VA or your Congress Member if you need to. We are here to help you. You are never alone. Your country depends on you, your spouse depends on you, your children depend on you, and we as a nation depend on you. I thank my colleague again, for the fourth year. I look forward to doing this with her next year so that when we report back, we are not at 22, we are not at 20, we are at 10. Ms. Sinema and I, this Congress, and our Nation can do that. God bless you.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and my colleague, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, for the kind words and for pointing out that, just 2 years ago, Cuba was caught shipping armaments to North Korea. I stand in support, obviously, of the bill, H.R. 5484, the State Sponsors of Terrorism Review Enhancement Act. This designation of a foreign government, as Mr. Royce has already pointed out, as a state sponsor of terrorism, is one of the United States' most powerful statements as a nation that we can stamp on another country. Besides imposing sanctions, the stamp of state sponsor of terrorism labels a state untouchable to the international community. This pariah status, as pointed out, is much deserved, as these are states that support the killing of innocent people as a matter of policy. However, under current law, in order for a state to be delisted, the President of the United States only needs to certify that the country being considered for delisting has not engaged in supporting terrorism for a paltry 6 months. As Ms. Ros-Lehtinen pointed out, just 2 years ago, Cuba sent missiles to North Korea. Considering the heinous acts of violence these countries have supported in the past, we should not be allowing them to be delisted for political purposes or whatever reasons after only 6 months. This increases the oversight of one of Congress' oldest committees, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and adds another layer of protection not just for America, but for the world community. To address this, my legislation will quadruple the time a designated country must refrain from sponsoring terrorism before the President can remove it from the sponsor list from 6 months to 24 months; it increases congressional oversight by doubling the time Congress has to review the President's proposed removal from 45 to 90 days; it establishes a uniform process through which Congress can disapprove of the President's decision to remove a country from the list; and it requires the administration to notify and brief Congress--and I think this is probably one of the most important things--upon initiating a review of a designated country's potential removal from that list. This legislation will assert congressional scrutiny and oversight and, hopefully, bring to an end politically motivated delistings. Successive administrations, as was pointed out, both Republicans and Democrats alike, delisted countries based on their Precedency's legacy rather than the facts. H.R. 5484 will stop absurd delistings like that of North Korea in 2008. As we have already talked about, North Korea was delisted in exchange for their promise of dismantling their nuclear program. However, 8 years and five nuclear tests later, as the gentleman pointed out, they remain off the list and threatening America with their videos and their acts of irresponsibility, North Korea, supporting terrorism abroad. By increasing the amount of time for a state to not be engaged in terrorism and increasing congressional oversight and scrutiny, H.R. 5484, hopefully, will not allow mistakes such as the delisting of North Korea to take place.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague. I stand in support of Representative Ros-Lehtinen's H. Res. 729. It is imperative that the United States finalize a new MOU with Israel on military assistance that provides for a robust defense posture of Israel while ensuring congressional oversight and scrutiny in the years to come. Israel continues to face a growing threat from not only state sponsors of terrorism like Iran, but also from terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas. Both Iran and those terrorist organizations are determined to destroy Israel. Israel, one of the United States' greatest allies in the region, is under constant threat; and the United States must stand strong and support her. Hezbollah has an estimated stockpile of 150,000 rockets and missiles. Let me repeat that. It has over 150,000 rockets and missiles, which Iran has made a commitment to add smart bomb technology. This constant threat is growing and needs to be countered by the passage of a robust, long-term MOU. This will ensure Israel's defense and military capabilities are able to meet these growing threats. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 729 and support the continued defense cooperation with Israel.

Mr. YOHO

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, in 2012, constituents of mine, the Welberrys, purchased a home in Cedar Key, Florida. Two years later, their Federal flood insurance was canceled retroactively due to a determination that the property was partially located within a COBRA zone. For over 12 years, this property was zoned outside of the adjacent COBRA zone, and, for 12 years, it was covered by the Federal flood insurance. Yet, as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife updates its maps, the Welberrys' entire retirement investment is threatened due to the government's inconsistency. The Welberrys' home did not move--just the map of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Mrs. Welberry pleaded: The government cannot be allowed to erase our life savings like this. If you want to talk about covering preexisting conditions, how many constituents are going through this nightmare? Congress needs to know. Chairman Calvert and the Appropriations Committee agree; and our amendment, which requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to conduct a study on how COBRA zones affect private property, was accepted last night. Congress needs to know.

Mr. YOHO

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

Mr. YOHO. Mr. Chairman, this bipartisan amendment will block funds from being used to engage in hostilities in Libya in contravention of the War Powers Resolution. This amendment simply reaffirms the constitutional role of Congress in determining when U.S. forces will be introduced into hostilities when the U.S. has not been attacked and is not in imminent danger of attack. What this amendment would do is reaffirm that the administration does not have authority to target anyone in Libya who is not ISIS or al Qaeda or an associated force to either without getting explicit authority from Congress. More than 4 years after a U.S.-led NATO military intervention helped Libyan rebels topple the authoritarian government of Muammar Qadhafi, Libya remains a failed state that is a terrorist safe haven. Given that, U.S. military involvement in Libya may deepen in 2016 to combat ISIS and potentially provide support to the national security forces of an emergent Government of National Accord. It is imperative that, before U.S. military involvement is increased, any administration come before Congress for an authorization. I want to reiterate that this amendment will not limit the ability to go after ISIS or al Qaeda. Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.