Lee Zeldin

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to thirty six exemplary young men and women from the First Congressional District of New York who have been chosen to serve their country in various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States. These courageous individuals will put their lives on hold to ensure the security and welfare of their fellow Americans. Their unwavering patriotism, dedication to our nation's values and sacrifice in defense of our great nation is inspiring. Each of the following students has my deepest appreciation for their service to our country, and I ask my colleagues to join me in personally recognizing: Army, Howard Kyle, Bayport Blue Point High School; Army, Jennifer Baez, Bellport High School; Army, Henderson Coppin, Bellport High School; Army, Kelsie Lehmann, Bellport High School; Army, Dominic Nieves, Bellport High School; Army, Alex Martinez, Eastport South Manor High School; Army, Harlee Kealos, Longwood High School; Army, Maria Valdez, Longwood High School; Army, Jasmine Campbell, William Floyd High School; Army, Jocelyn Garcia, William Floyd High School; Army, Katherine Guzman, William Floyd High School; Army, Theresa Nguyen, William Floyd High School; Army, Ashley Troche, William Floyd High School. Marines, Patrick Alles, Bayport Blue Point High School; Marines, Christopher Feliz, Bellport High School; Marines, Coby Mayfield, Bayport Blue Point High School; Marines, Dominic Donnolo, Center Moriches High School; Marines, Jonathan Berni, Eastport South Manor High School; Marines, Brian Herrarte, Longwood High School; Marines, John Borrero, Patchogue Medford High School; Marines, Edward Calderon, Patchogue Medford High School; Marines, Daniel Fried, Patchogue Medford High School; Marines, James Miller, Patchogue Medford High School; Marines, Joe Tangel Jr., Patchogue Medford High School; Marines, Dominick Caputo, William Floyd High School; Marines, Bradley Ladolcetta, William Floyd High School; Marines, Nick Levantino, William Floyd High School; Marines, Travis Mazza, William Floyd High School; Marines, Marcos Oliverflores, William Floyd High School; Marines, Anthony Pizzuti, William Floyd High School. Navy, Dylan McCarthy, Bayport Blue Point High School; Navy, Anthony Donnadio, Patchogue Medford High School; Navy, Joseph Rodriquez, William Floyd High School; Navy, Peter Vu, William Floyd High School. Air Force, Alexander Parris, Bellport High School; Air Force, Julie Pandolf, Patchogue Medford High School. These enlistees will be recognized on May 17, 2018, at the fourth annual ``Our Community Salutes Brookhaven Town Enlistee Ceremony'' at Sunset Harbor in Patchogue, NY. Mr. Speaker, we, as a nation, are extraordinarily grateful to each and every one of these thirty-six individuals for answering the call of duty. Each of these young Americans has our eternal gratitude and we will never be able to adequately repay them for their service to our nation. It is my distinct honor and privilege to represent them and their families in the First Congressional District of New York. I wish them the best of luck in their respective branches and in all of their future endeavors.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, first off, with respect to my colleague on the other side of the aisle, it is very important for my constituents to have a voice. What is important to note here is that this route was extended by the FAA, put in the Federal Register, in the middle of a weekend. No one told me. No one told any of the local governments. There was no public hearing. There were no public comments accepted. Actually, the FAA, in this case, went out of their way to ensure that my constituents had zero voice whatsoever. That is under the current Federal law. Mr. Chairman, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment to address the deeply flawed North Shore Helicopter Route, which is impacting communities throughout Long Island, especially my constituents on the North Fork. The FAA's North Shore Helicopter Route, which was made mandatory through an FAA bureaucratic edict in 2010, represents everything that is wrong with our unaccountable Federal bureaucracy. It lacks fairness, transparency, and common sense. It is not a bright idea to mandate aircraft traffic bound for the tip of an island to make its transition over land when multiple all-water routes which mitigate the noise impact are available. In addition to being ill-conceived and misguided, what makes this FAA mandate so extremely unfair is that it shifts the majority of air traffic in the area over Long Island's North Fork, which does not have a busy airport or helicopter pad, and, thus, doesn't get any of the economic benefit that the air traffic brings to neighboring communities on the South Fork that have an active seasonal airport. To close these loopholes and address this unfairness, I offer this critical amendment that will force the FAA to reassess the North Shore Helicopter Route and work on replacing it with a true all-water route over the Atlantic Ocean. This amendment also requires the FAA to hold public hearings on the North Shore Helicopter Route in the communities impacted by this flawed route and open up a public comment period so the people who live with aircraft noise season after season can have a voice. The FAA has, for years, ignored my constituents and the law since long before I was even in Congress. By continuing to extend the North Shore Helicopter Route through emergency authority, the FAA has been waiving the requirements in the Administrative Procedure Act and other Federal laws and regulations that require public comment and the consultation of the impacted local governments before any major regulatory decisions are made. I represent a district that is almost completely surrounded by water, so it is common sense that aircraft departing New York City bound for airports on the East End of Long Island can reduce noise by following true all-water routes. My amendment also requires the FAA to enforce its own rules regarding altitude restrictions for the aircraft following this flawed route. This is not just an issue in my district, but also impacts residents who are impacted by noise in Nassau County and Queens. That is why I have partnered with my Democratic colleagues, Representatives Grace Meng and Tom Suozzi, on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for his support of this amendment, for doing everything in his power to ensure that my constituents have a voice, that they are heard, that they are represented, that they are able to provide their public comments, that they are allowed to have a hearing with the FAA. It really is very much appreciated by the residents of my district. And to my colleagues, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Congressman Suozzi, for everyone on the other side of the aisle who is showing leadership in supporting this effort, it is much appreciated, understanding that this was literally jammed through, in the Federal Register, without all sorts of not just courtesies provided, but worse, actually muzzling the voice of the people that they couldn't even share any--any--of their comments whatsoever. Summer after summer, the quality of life of East End residents has suffered due to the persistent issue of this noise. The FAA and Department of Transportation have sole jurisdiction over the aircraft routes that have impacted these communities, but from the route's planning to its continued use, they have flat out ignored the residents directly affected. I am urging all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to speak out on the urgent need for the appointment of a second special counsel in light of evidence that raises serious concerns about decisions, activities, and inherent bias displayed at the highest levels of the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation with regard to FISA abuse, how and why the Hillary Clinton email probe ended, and how and why the Donald Trump Russia probe began. The concerns of the American public are serious, and the issues requiring an immediate, unbiased, independent, and thorough investigation are broad. Mr. Speaker, the DOJ and FBI cannot be expected to investigate themselves. I acknowledge, with immense gratitude, that nearly every single man and woman in the DOJ and FBI conducts themselves daily with integrity, independence, patriotism, objectivity, and commitment to the rule of law. A special counsel is of the utmost importance to ensure that these historic, legendary, and necessary agencies move forward more respected and effective than ever before. Tonight I am joined by my colleagues from across this country, and we will hear from each and every one of them. Following these speakers, I will be going into much greater detail on the many specifics on why the Attorney General must immediately appoint a second special counsel to conduct a thorough and independent investigation of our significant concerns. Without any further ado, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gaetz) who has been a leader in this cause to fight for justice and equality under the law.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida, as he pointed out, and our next speaker signed as well at the end of February, February 28, a letter signed by over a dozen of our colleagues to AG Sessions calling for the appointment of a second special counsel. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Blue Star Mom Claudia Tenney for being here and for her leadership on this important cause as well. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my distinguished colleagues who we have heard from, and additional colleagues who will be out here shortly. We are laying out the very important case here tonight why a second special counsel is needed with regard to misconduct at the highest levels of the DOJ and FBI related to FISA abuse; how and why the Hillary Clinton email probe ended; how and why the Trump Russia probe began. Mr. Speaker, we cannot expect the DOJ and FBI to fully investigate themselves. I have a great amount of respect for everyone at the Justice Department who has served and continues to serve for all of the right reasons, as I mentioned earlier, integrity, independence, patriotism, objectivity, and commitment to the rule of law. A special counsel can ensure transparency and accountability so that these historic, legendary, and necessary agencies can move forward with their important mission better than ever before. The list of concerns that warrant an immediate and independent investigation is long and growing by the day. First, tonight I will discuss the misconduct with regard to how and why the Hillary Clinton email probe ended. Next, we will cover FISA abuse. And finally, we will discuss the manner in which the Trump-Russia probe began, was extended, continued, and became a special counsel probe. But before discussing each of these topics individually, it is important to address the political bias that has existed among individuals at the highest levels of the DOJ and FBI. First, there was FBI Agent Peter Strzok, who was the chief of the FBI's counter- espionage section. Additionally, there was Agent Strzok's mistress, FBI counsel Lisa Page. Aside from the fact that they were in love, it is important to note that these two individuals exchanged many texts detailing their personal biases, overcoming their better judgment in performance of their duties. Text messages exchanged between Strzok and Page during the period of August 16, 2015, to May 17, 2017, show substantial evidence of politicizing Federal law enforcement and improperly handling investigations within the agency. The texts contain egregious evidence of bias against President Trump, before and after the November 2016 election. Page would write: ``Trump should go F--- himself.'' Strzok would text: ``F--- Trump.'' Now, that is barely even starting to scratch the surface with those two. It is also worth noting that their texts, for some reason, were not stored within the FBI archives system, an egregious oversight blamed on a technical glitch. And even after these messages were partially recovered by the agency's inspector general in 2018, many unanswered questions remain regarding impropriety and bias. Then there was DOJ senior official Bruce Ohr, fourth in command at the agency. While the DOJ and FBI were improperly submitting FISA applications based on Fusion GPS' work on behalf of the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign, it was never disclosed that Bruce Ohr's wife worked at Fusion GPS, and that he served as the middleman between Christopher Steele and the Justice Department. Then there was FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose wife, Dr. Jill McCabe, was running for Virginia State Senate, and received $675,000 in donations from the Virginia Democratic Party and Common Good VA, the leadership PAC controlled by Democratic Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a long-time Clinton associate. These are just a few of the many highlights of partisan bias at the highest levels of DOJ and FBI. That list, and the evidence, runs much, much deeper. The Hillary Clinton email probe: While these various rogue agents were busy trying to obstruct Donald Trump from day one, they were failing to properly complete their investigation into the Hillary Clinton email controversy. During her tenure as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton violated Federal law and State Department rules, regulations, and protocol by using a private email server in her Chappaqua, New York, home. She would transmit emails that contained sensitive information or classified material on this unsecured server. This use of a private server was meant to blatantly get around FOIA and to avoid having to turn over incriminating emails in the case of a subpoena. Her plan proved to be partially successful when various sensitive emails subject to grand jury and congressional subpoenas were destroyed through bleach biting and the destruction of hardware before they could be obtained by investigators. The FBI, led by then-Director James Comey, began an incomplete investigation into this serious issue. And according to transcripts obtained by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey was prepared to exonerate Secretary Clinton as early as April or May of 2016 when he began to draft a statement announcing the end of his investigation before up to 17 key witnesses, including former Secretary Clinton herself and several of her closest aides, were even interviewed. Cheryl Mills, who served as counselor and chief of staff to Hillary Clinton during her whole tenure as United States Secretary of State, was offered immunity from prosecution by the FBI during its investigation in exchange for access to her laptop that contained many of the questionable emails. Why? And after watching President Trump's personal attorney last week get a no-knock raid of his home and office, that is especially troubling how the scales of justice are just not equal under the law. That is a big problem. Back to Comey, now he contradicted those transcripts I mentioned when he stated during sworn testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on September 28 of 2016 that he made the decision not to recommend criminal charges for Hillary Clinton after she was interviewed by the FBI on July 2, 2016. That was a flat-out lie under oath. Former Director Comey, in the final draft of his statement, allowed Peter Strzok to replace ``grossly negligent,'' which is legally punishable under Federal law, with ``extremely careless,'' which is not legally punishable under Federal law. Federal law states that gross negligence in handling our Nation's intelligence can be punished criminally with prison time and/or fines. And then there was the infamous tarmac meeting on June 27, 2016, just days before Hillary Clinton would end up being exonerated. Attorney General Loretta Lynch had a covert meeting with Hillary Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, aboard AG Lynch's plane on the tarmac in Phoenix, Arizona. The likelihood of this conversation being just small talk was zero. And let's not forget that it was AG Lynch who insisted that the Hillary Clinton email probe not even be called an investigation. Instead, she insisted it be called a matter, as if the Clinton campaign were driving the bus of the investigation and calling the shots. Soon after, Comey violated DOJ rules and unilaterally exonerated then-Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a public statement to the media. One day later, on July 6, 2016, an announcement followed from AG Lynch that the DOJ investigation into then-Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would be formally closed, with no criminal charges. This seemingly endless trail of crimes and misconduct relating to Hillary Clinton's emails did not end there. In September 2016, the FBI, during an examination of the personal laptop of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, as part of an unrelated investigation into him sending sexually explicit messages to a teenage girl, discovered previously unexamined State Department classified emails belonging to his spouse, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The man within the FBI tasked with examining these additional emails was--guess who--FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose wife was then in the midst of a Virginia State senate campaign generously supported by Clinton operatives and Clinton-allied money. It then took until October 28 of 2016 for Comey to announce, via a letter to the chairmen of the relevant congressional committees, that he was reopening the investigation, an additional egregious delay after McCabe failed to even examine the illicit emails for at least 3 weeks after the FBI discovered them on Anthony Weiner's computer. The DOJ's inspector general is still conducting an investigation into whether then-FBI Deputy Director McCabe and other FBI officials sought to purposely delay the release of these illicit emails for politically motivated purposes. Hillary Clinton's privileged status her whole career, and especially during the Obama administration, as above the law doesn't end with her legal misuse of classified emails. Throughout the Obama administration, while she was serving as Secretary of State, and later as she was running for President, the Department of Justice also failed to fully investigate serious concerns surrounding the connection between her, her husband, and the Clinton Foundation to Russian-controlled company Uranium One, which received State Department approval to purchase American uranium mines in 2010. Also in 2010, while Russian state interests were working to both acquire a majority stake in Uranium One and to purchase American mines, Bill Clinton was paid $500,000 for a speech in Moscow by a Kremlin- linked Russian investment bank that was underwriting Uranium One stock. Nothing to see here, right? The Obama DOJ ignored an FBI probe on the matter. A confidential informant who worked with the FBI to uncover bribery and other corruption related to the Uranium One matter was threatened with reprisal by the Justice Department under AG Lynch when he tried to come forward in 2016. The Senate Judiciary Committee launched a probe in October of 2017 to investigate the Uranium One issue, including whether Federal agencies such as the State Department knew the FBI was looking into possible corruption before the deal was approved. Mr. Speaker, this again brings home the urgent need for an independent and fair investigation. Collusion with corrupt Russian actors is, indeed, a very serious concern and a threat to U.S. national security, especially when critical resources that impact national and global security, such as uranium, are up for grabs to questionable companies that were not properly scrutinized due to their connections with an influential family. FISA abuse: Mr. Speaker, there are also very serious concerns that, in October 2016, the FBI and DOJ used politically biased, unverified sources to improperly obtain a FISA warrant to spy on an American citizen. This warrant granted U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies sweeping power to collect bulk information and conduct ``about collection,'' which results in surveillance of a broad array of private communications from the past, present, and future, including those of U.S. citizens not specifically targeted in a FISA-authorized warrant. To obtain these warrants, FBI and DOJ officials submitted an unverified dossier prepared by Christopher Steele to the FISA court, failing to disclose that Christopher Steele was hired by the firm Fusion GPS, which was hired by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign to prepare this dossier, and that the source was unreliable and soon thereafter was going to be terminated as an asset. The FISA court was not informed that Christopher Steele was actively opposed to the election of Donald Trump, that he was the unnamed source cited in the media reports that the FBI used to corroborate his dossier, and that Fusion GPS had been hired to perform previous anti- Trump research efforts in 2015. The Woods Procedures, which are the FBI's mandatory vetting process required for all FISA warrant applications, instituted to ensure that all facts contained in an application are accurate and verified to clearly support probable cause for the warrant, was clearly not followed. Former-Director Comey then admitted in sworn testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 8, 2017, that material contained in the Steele dossier was known to be both salacious and unverified. Since FISA applications are rarely turned down and almost never subject to appeal, are presented in closed court with no public record where the government is not challenged by any defense, it is imperative that the government take extra care to validate the information being utilized to build their case before they take the extraordinary step of waiving rights of a U.S. citizen without his or her knowledge or the opportunity to defend themselves. These are secret documents submitted to a secret court to spy on an American citizen. The government has a responsibility not only to provide the best evidence they have in support of their case, but to also provide the best evidence that they have against their case. These deeply flawed and questionable FISA warrant applications utilizing illicit sources and politically biased intelligence were approved by DOJ and FBI officials at the highest levels before being submitted to the FISA court. It was further not disclosed to the FISA court, as I referenced earlier, that the wife of the fourth ranking DOJ official, Bruce Ohr, was an employee of Fusion GPS, and Christopher Steele directly transmitted the dossier and other information through Bruce Ohr for submission to the FISA court. Let's talk about how and why the Trump-Russia probe began. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, the Trump-Russia probe was launched because Donald Trump won the GOP nomination for President of the United States. It is clear why DOJ and FBI didn't want to turn over the memo opening the investigation. They didn't come up with a sufficient alternative justification to start the probe. The Trump-Russia probe was then continued because Trump became very close to possibly being elected President of the United States. It is clear why DOJ and FBI didn't want the Nunes memo released: they broke the rules and misled a FISA court to improperly secure a warrant to spy on a U.S. citizen. The Trump-Russia probe then became a special counsel probe because Donald Trump subsequently won the election, and the FBI Director then illegally leaked classified info to the media to trigger a special counsel appointment. Director Comey had prepared a series of seven memos containing classified information, including notes on his conversations with President Trump. He then admitted in sworn testimony to the Senate Committee on Intelligence in June 2017 that he had leaked this classified content to a personal friend and encouraged that friend to share the material with the press. That is a blatant violation of Federal law meant to protect sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. An investigation conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee later revealed that the personal friend of Director Comey was Professor Daniel Richman of Columbia Law School, and that Mr. Comey provided him with four of the seven memoranda, all containing classified information. Mr. Speaker, in closing, with all of this grievous misconduct at the highest levels of the DOJ and FBI, the blatant violations of the Constitution and law, and so many serious unanswered questions, this matter must be investigated by someone who can act independently from outside the Justice Department. The nearly 2\1/2\ years that the Trump-Russia probe has continued on with zero accountability still appears to be without any evidence that President Trump colluded with the Russians. These have been some of the most tumultuous years in the history of the FBI and DOJ, but with transparency and accountability, these awesome agencies can get everything back on track. In March 2018, former FBI Director McCabe was fired by AG Jeff Sessions, who noted that Deputy Director McCabe ``lacked candor-- including under oath--on multiple occasions'' and had partaken in ``unauthorized disclosure to the news media.'' This is among other violations noted in a report issued by the FBI Office of Inspector General after a wide-reaching investigation into McCabe's conduct. A myriad of other DOJ and FBI personnel have been fired, demoted, or resigned during these past few years: Former FBI Director Comey; chief of staff to the Director, James Rybicki; FBI General Counsel James Baker; FBI Agent Peter Strzok; FBI Counsel Lisa Page; FBI Special Agent Josh Campbell; DOJ senior official Bruce Ohr; FBI Assistant Director Michael Kortan; and Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik. The DOJ Inspector General's Office has undoubtedly done great work to uncover misconduct and expose bias, but the mission of the OIG is limited only to ``detect and deter waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct in DOJ programs and personnel, and to promote economy and efficiency in those programs.'' A fully independent special counsel has greater autonomy than an IG or other Federal prosecutors to run a nonbiased investigation and, if necessary, bring forth criminal charges. With so much at risk, including the integrity of our Federal law enforcement agencies, which are tasked with protecting our Nation and upholding the rule of law, the need is more urgent than ever. This is not about politics but about the principles that bind together our Nation and our constitutional system of government. Equality under the law and impartiality of justice is what brings all of us to the House floor tonight, urging the Attorney General of the United States to take immediate action through the appointment of a second special counsel. Too many questions remain unanswered, and too much is at stake. Mr. Speaker, I say to Mr. Sessions: It is very important to take this action and appoint a second special counsel. Mr. Speaker, at this point I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Brat), one of the signers of our late February letter to AG Sessions, a great leader in this cause.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Brat) for being here and for all of his efforts. Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is a great pleasure to yield to Congressman Louie Gohmert from Texas. Oftentimes, for those who are at home who may be watching C-SPAN late on a weeknight like tonight, I will encourage them that all other nights when we are here, there is a pretty good chance that if they turn on C-SPAN late at night, Louie Gohmert will be standing where he is about to speak from, this wise man, educating us on his thoughts and reflections of our great country.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his leadership. Our next speaker is oftentimes at the very tip of the spear of the issues that matter most all throughout America. He certainly has met the tip of the spear here, bringing accountability and transparency to the maximum degree he knows possible. Mr. Speaker, I yield to Congressman Jim Jordan.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jordan for all of his remarks and his leadership on this issue. It is a great pleasure to introduce General Scott Perry of Pennsylvania--otherwise known as Congressman General Scott Perry of Pennsylvania--tonight to participate in our Special Order. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Perry and all of our speakers tonight: Congressman Gaetz, Congresswoman Tenney, Congressmen Brat, Gohmert, Jordan, Perry, and everyone who has been part of this cause. Just to recap, we, over the course of this hour, outlined all the main reasons why it is imperative for AG Sessions to appoint a second special counsel to look into FISA abuse, how and why the Hillary Clinton case ended, and how and why the Trump-Russia probe began. As Congressman Perry was just talking about the scales of justice, I remember when Hillary Clinton was publicly being exonerated just days after a tarmac meeting where her husband was able to meet with AG Lynch on her plane on the tarmac in Phoenix, Arizona. I was thinking of the people who had to go into court that day as defendants. Maybe they got caught making a right on red, and they are a defendant going before a judge. They are pleading, and they are being punished. And yet here you have all this evidence with the Hillary Clinton case and there would be zero accountability, that actually the decision would be made to exonerate Hillary Clinton before even interviewing her and well over a dozen others. There should be equal treatment under the law. The scales of justice should not be tilted based off of your last name. Cheryl Mills gets immunity; Michael Cohen gets his offices and home raided. If there was equal justice under the law, then there might be more understanding and a greater mandate for actions being taken. But President Trump is being investigated because he won the GOP nomination. That is why the investigation got started. The reason why the DOJ and FBI didn't want to release the memo is because they really didn't have much of a better reason. They were reaching, and they really didn't want to have to tell Congress why they started, because the real reason was because he won the Republican nomination, and they wanted to continue the investigation because he actually had a shot at winning. So they go to a secret court with secret documents to spy on a United States citizen desperate to try to find information loaded with bias, clear-as-day bias, an anti-Trump and pro-Hillary bias where their political bias is overcoming their better objective, and then expanding the probe and creating a special counsel because the President is elected. That is not how we do things in this country where you get investigated because you win an election, where you identify a person, and then you empower someone with authority to go out and try to find a crime anywhere. So with regard to FISA abuse--the end of the Hillary Clinton probe and the beginning of the Trump-Russia probe--it is imperative for AG Sessions to appoint a second special counsel. I appreciate everyone for tuning in during this hour. We look forward to continuing the effort until we get this done and over the top. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and thank the Patriot Guard Riders, who live on Long Island and all across our country. The Patriot Guard Riders, a nonprofit organization, consists of a diverse group of motorcycle enthusiasts and patriots who share a deep appreciation and commitment to honoring our U.S. servicemembers, veterans, and their families. Rooted in their unwavering patriotism and respect for our Nation's military men and women, the Patriot Guard Riders go above and beyond daily to ensure everyone, from our Nation's veterans to our communities' first responders and their families, receive the appreciation they deserve. When a veteran arrives at Calverton National Cemetery for burial in my district, the Patriot Guard Riders are there. On Veterans Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and 9/11 events, the Patriot Guard Riders are there. When our communities' veterans are returning from their Honor Flight trips to Washington, D.C., our Patriot Guard Riders are there. No matter rain or shine or snow, whether it is freezing cold or scorching hot, the Patriot Guard Riders are there. Last month, our Nation lost seven airmen in the line of duty, four of whom were from the 106th Rescue Wing on Long Island. As their families gathered at Gabreski Air National Guard Base to receive their sons, brothers, husbands, and our heroes, several dozen Patriot Guard Riders gathered to escort these fallen airmen from the base. It is in these moments, the most difficult moments in the lives of the families of these fallen airmen, when the Patriot Guard Riders, as detailed in their motto, stand for those who stood for us. The family members of these fallen servicemembers may not know the names of these Patriot Guard Riders, but recognition is not what drives them. As these fallen airmen were escorted from the base, a sea of American flags rose up to flank their caskets. As their families prepared to say their final good-byes, an unquestionable, unwavering sense of patriotism swelled, carried on the backs of the Patriot Guard Riders' bikes. They have especially made our Nation's heroes their priority when others have neglected to show their appreciation. Time after time, when a veteran of World War II, Korea, Vietnam has been buried without family or friends, you can count on the Patriot Guard Riders to have been there. We need more Pete Jepsons in our world, who is the senior ride captain for all of Suffolk County. There's Mary-Ann, LW, Wayne, John, Eugene, Susan, Nancy, Marc, Dennis, Richard, Warren, Karen, and so many others who would drop everything at a moment's notice to stand for those who stood for us. The Patriot Guard Riders are made up of hundreds of thousands of everyday people all across America. With the inspiration that consumes us whenever we see them in action, we should all aspire to the ideals and dedication each and every one of them embody. To our Patriot Guard Riders, thank you for your service to our great country.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for all of his great leadership and mentorship throughout this process to get this bill to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4293, the Stress Test Improvement Act. It is critical bipartisan legislation that injects transparency, consistency, and fairness into the stress testing process. I especially want to thank my bipartisan supporter and partner on this important bill, Congressman David Scott of Georgia. Stress tests are one of the aspects of current law that are contributing to the climate of legal and regulatory uncertainty because the Federal Reserve has failed to provide the necessary transparency around this process. A stress test is a financial analysis performed internally by a financial institution or done externally by a regulator to assess if a bank can withstand stressful economic conditions. Stress tests, when done correctly, are an important way for banks and regulators to understand the ability of financial institutions to survive a contracting economy or weather a major economic storm like a recession. Ensuring that these tests are done right, with fairness and objectivity, is essential for protecting depositors and the overall financial system. That is why passing the reforms in this bill should be a priority on both sides of the aisle. Working together on a bipartisan basis, Mr. Scott offered an amendment to this bill that was accepted unanimously by the members of the Financial Services Committee, including the ranking member, and this bill cleared a committee markup with a bipartisan vote of 38-21. By focusing the bill on three core reforms, we are improving this important process to protect soundness in the banking system, while also reforming the negative unintended consequences and damaging overreach of Dodd-Frank. By striking the adverse scenario requirement from stress testing, these important tests can actually focus on real-world conditions to protect financial institutions and the customers they serve from threats to the stability of the financial system. By repealing the ability of the Federal Reserve to reject a company's capital plan based solely on a qualitative stress test, we are making the process more transparent and fair. This legislation ends the ability of regulators to arbitrarily reject a financial institution's capital plan without feedback or constructive criticism. These secretive rejections by regulators have done little to protect consumers and inserted more, not less, uncertainty into the financial system. By eliminating the midcycle review and shifting from biannual to annual stress testing requirements, we are lessening the compliance tax that has raised the cost of lending and hurt consumers who have lost access to the small business loans or mortgages that help finance their American Dream. Without needed reform, rather than ensuring financial stability, the Federal Reserve's stress tests are likely missing real risks while constraining the competitive flow of financial services that is critical to increasing economic opportunity. While a valuable resource, stress test results may be creating a false sense of security, while at the same time sowing the seeds of financial instability. In order to succeed, a stress test must build from an accurate forecast of the next macroeconomic storm, and even the best forecasts tend to be wrong. The Stress Test Improvement Act will make stress testing more effective by making the rules more transparent and fair. We are not gutting standards but making them work for the real world. This bill is a bipartisan team effort to accomplish these goals. Without transparency about what the stress testing rules are, there is no way to ensure the government plays by the rules. By subjecting financial institutions to a questionable regime that lacks accountability and transparency, regulators are failing to achieve the important goals that they are tasked with: ensuring safety and soundness. With the critical reforms in this legislation, we are upholding sensible standards for financial institutions, while clarifying the requirements for and the frequency of stress tests. To the hardworking men and women in my district and nationwide, it is common sense that banks ought to know the standards and tests their regulators are subjecting them to. By injecting some transparency and consistency into the stress testing regime, we are taking needed capital off the sidelines so it can be invested in the private economy to create jobs and wealth. I want to thank Chairmen Hensarling and Luetkemeyer for their leadership on this important issue. I also want to thank my Democratic partner on this important bill, David Scott. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, today we rise to honor the service and sacrifice of seven airmen fallen in the line of duty last week on the Iraq-Syria border. There are no words that fully describe the profound sorrow and immense gratitude that consume us today. There are no words to describe the emptiness this loss leaves in the hearts of communities all across our Nation. There is, however, no shortage of ways to describe these seven servicemen: selfless, heroes, patriots, and everything we aspire to be as a people, as a nation, and as Americans. These fallen airmen are the best of who we are. They are the embodiment of what makes this country the greatest in the world, the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our exceptional Nation. There is no doubt these brave men, and the so many who have fallen before them, are the reason we have the opportunity to stand here today in the well of the House of Representatives, in the heart of the United States Capitol, which should always serve as a beacon of hope and freedom for so many in our country and around the world. Each and every day, these seven Americans answered the call of duty, to defend the liberties on which our Nation were founded, to defend their neighbors and communities, but, most selflessly, to defend the millions of Americans whom they would never know. Four of these airmen served with the 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton Beach, New York, located in the First Congressional District. This amazing unit is made up of the best of the best our Nation has to offer, with a long, rich history of service and sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, the families of these seven great airmen have the unwavering thanks and appreciation of every American across our country, but, most of all, they have our utmost respect. We stand shoulder to shoulder with every one of them as they go through, undoubtedly, the most difficult moment of their lives. Captain Andreas B. O'Keefe, Center Moriches, New York; Captain Christopher T. Zanetis, Long Island City, New York; Master Sergeant Christopher J. Raguso, Commack, New York; Staff Sergeant Dashan J. Briggs, Port Jefferson Station, New York; Captain Mark K. Weber, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Master Sergeant William R. Posch, Indialantic, Florida; Staff Sergeant Carl P. Enis, Tallahassee, Florida. Mr. Speaker, I request that the House now observe a moment of silence in memory of these seven dedicated, selfless, and courageous airmen.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Buck) for yielding to me. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this important rule and in support of the two underlying bipartisan bills that will improve our banking system and help grow our Nation's economy: H.R. 4293, the Stress Test Improvement Act of 2017; and H.R. 4061, the Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act of 2017. These are two essential pieces of legislation that cleared the Committee on Financial Services with bipartisan support. I am the sponsor of the Stress Test Improvement Act, alongside the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott), my Democratic colleague. Stress tests are one of the aspects of current law that are contributing to the climate of legal and regulatory uncertainty because the Federal Reserve has failed to provide the necessary transparency around this process. This bipartisan bill will inject transparency, consistency, and fairness into the stress testing process. Without needed reform, rather than ensuring financial stability, the Federal Reserve's stress tests are likely missing real risks while constraining the competitive flow of financial services that is critical to increasing economic opportunity. While a valuable resource, stress test results may be creating a false sense of security, while at the same time sowing the seeds of financial instability. In order to succeed, a stress test must build from an accurate forecast of the next macroeconomic storm; and even the best forecasts tend to be wrong. This is a bipartisan bill that was amended in the committee markup with unanimous support of every committee member, including the ranking member. The amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott) that we accepted focused the bill on core reforms to the stress testing process that will make the rules more transparent, effective, and fair. We are not gutting standards, but making them work for the real world. This bill is a bipartisan team effort to accomplish those goals. So is the other bill covered by this rule, the FSOC Improvement Act. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this rule, and I urge the passage of both of these important bills.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I am very excited to be here because I know just how many disabled veterans in our country are on wait lists for adult day healthcare and now will be getting a service that is just so important and overdue. I certainly want to thank Chairman Roe and his great staff, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, the ranking member and his team as well, everybody coming together working hard on behalf of our disabled veterans who need it most. I rise in support of S. 324. It is the Senate companion to my bill, H.R. 1005, which is a bill to provide adult day healthcare and save State Veterans Homes for veterans who are 70 percent or more service- connected disabled. This bill is an extension to the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, which currently provides no-cost nursing home care at any State Veterans Home to veterans who are 70 percent or more service-connected disabled. Medical model adult day healthcare provides comprehensive medical nursing and personal care services combined with engaging social activities for physically or cognitively impaired adults. Medical model adult day healthcare offers a complete array of rehabilitative therapies, including physical, occupational, and speech therapies, hospice and palliative care, social work, spiritual, nutritional counseling, and therapeutic recreation. The program is designed to promote socialization and stimulation and maximize the participant's independence, while enhancing their quality of life. The program is staffed by a great team of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals who evaluate each participant and customize an individualized plan of care specific to their health and social needs. Adult day healthcare is an alternative care setting that can allow some veterans who require long-term care services to remain in their homes as opposed to being institutionalized in a nursing home. Such veterans typically require support from some, but not all, activities of assisted daily living--ADLs--such as bathing, dressing, or feeding. In many cases, the spouse or their family member may provide the veteran with much of their care, but they require additional support for some of the veteran's ADLs. By filling these gaps, adult day healthcare can allow these veterans to remain in their homes and communities for additional months, or even years, and thereby lower the financial cost of caring for these heroes. Adult day healthcare also provides family caregivers support and relief to meet their other professional and family obligations and provides a well-deserved respite while their loved ones are participating in the program. In addition to thanking Chairman Roe for his leadership and support on this important issue, I also want to thank Senator Hatch for carrying this effort in the Senate, as well as Fred Sganga and the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook for their great efforts. That is a State Veterans Home located in the First Congressional District of New York, one of three places currently offering adult day healthcare.

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, this is a piece of legislation that will provide a valuable and necessary service to our Nation's veterans, and I am urging my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. What goes on too often unnoticed in this House is the great staff that we have to help make these efforts possible. So, from the leadership team, I want to thank staff John Leganski and Kelly Dixon, and in my office, as legislative director, Kevin Dowling, and Matthew Scott. Thank you again to the great House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and we will all greatly miss Chairman Roe as he departs. Hopefully, maybe we will get him to change his mind, but in the meantime, I will just say we enjoyed serving with him, and I hope that he won't go anywhere for a very long time. He is a great leader for our veterans as well as being our ranking member.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hensarling for all of his leadership and for recognizing me to be able to rise in strong support of this bipartisan legislation introduced by my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee, Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer and Congressman Gregory Meeks. Like so many regulations imposed by the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, the current set of operational risk capital requirements imposed on America's financial institutions place a one-size-fits-all solution on banks, regardless of their capitalization, their various lines of business, and the customers they serve. The current standard under Dodd-Frank requires banks to look back and hold operational risk capital against discontinued business activities or products. In plain English, this means banks are being forced to hold capital to hedge against a fictitious risk of a loan or a product discontinued years ago. This is not an effective way to determine capital requirements, nor is it in line with the real risk these standards are meant to protect consumers from. This is hurting consumers by making credit less available in the marketplace, and this especially hurts the small- and medium-size hometown banks that our communities rely on. To my constituents on Long Island, and to hardworking American families across our country, the consequences of these misguided regulations are more costly loans and less available mortgages. These are the financial products that help small-business owners expand and hire or help families buy a new home. H.R. 4296 reforms operational risk requirements so they can be focused on a bank's current activities and line of business. This legislation keeps sound standards in place so that banks must avoid risky behavior while also freeing up needed capital so that it can be lent to consumers, not be needlessly held up in a vault to meet a misguided government mandate. By ensuring that capital standards are transparent, fair, and based on real-life economic conditions, this bipartisan solution removes a troubling roadblock to capital that would otherwise be allocated to consumers, homeowners, and businesses. Mr. Speaker, I want to again applaud the bipartisan teamwork of my colleagues Blaine Luetkemeyer and Gregory Meeks. I also want to thank Chairman Hensarling for all of his leadership on this important issue and so many others, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bipartisan bill.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the TRID Improvement Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill). I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation, which combines three bipartisan proposals that will improve the home buying process, protect intellectual property, and help emerging businesses thrive and create jobs. By reforming confusing regulations that make it difficult for prospective buyers or businesses to get title insurance, this legislation will help get more families into homes and help local businesses grow. By protecting the intellectual property of investors, we are improving the access to capital that is essential for growth and job creation in communities on Long Island, where my district is located, and all across our country. And last but not least, by reforming the outdated definition of what constitutes an emerging growth company, this legislation takes important steps towards fostering innovation and ensuring that new businesses are not discouraged from expansion and job creation. The sum of these important bipartisan solutions are more innovation, more hiring, and a more vibrant economy. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this important piece of legislation. I thank my colleague, Congressman Hill, for his leadership with it, and Chairman Hensarling and his great staff for all their efforts to get this bill to the floor.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my constituent, Ms. Tijuana Fulford, founder and executive director of the Butterfly Effect Project in Riverhead. In 2014, Ms. Fulford set out to establish a free program to provide young girls with the tools they need to achieve self-confident futures in hopes of bringing forth a generation of strong, independent, and knowledgeable women. This program has grown from 4 to 108 young girls with an ever-growing waitlist. These are girls who are empowered with the resources necessary to secure a prosperous future for themselves and their families. Through financial, educational, emotional, and career support, the Butterfly Effect Project is building community involvement and curtailing the effects of cultural and mobility limitations. With locations in Riverhead and Bellport, the Butterfly Effect Project is having such a positive effect on young girls from Riverhead, Flanders, Calverton, Mastic, Shirley, Bellport, Westhampton, Peconic, Patchogue, and West Islip. The Butterfly Effect Project has provided an invaluable service to our community. I applaud Ms. Fulford for her dedication, and I look forward to witnessing the growth of her organization and the bright future of so many of the young women it supports.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4771, the Small Bank Holding Company Relief Act, and I commend my friend from Utah, Mia Love, for her amazing leadership on this important issue and her tireless effort to bring relief to the community banks that lend to small businesses and families in my district and in towns all across America. By reforming the onerous one-size-fits-all regulations mandated by the Dodd-Frank law that roped small community financial institutions in with large global too-big-to-fail megafirms, this commonsense bill will give community banks and the customers they serve more clarity and allow them to focus on their important mission of lending to homeowners and businesses. This legislation also makes it easier for small- and medium-sized institutions subject to Dodd-Frank mandates to form new holding companies, fund existing holding companies, and make acquisitions by issuing debt at the holding company level. Now that they are subject to the Basel III capital requirements, many community banks have found it difficult to access and raise capital.

Mr. ZELDIN. The consequence of this choke hold on community lending means less mortgages, less small business loans, and less economic growth. H.R. 4771 fixes this and facilitates the ability of community banks and savings institutions to raise needed capital. I urge adoption of this bill.

Mr. ZELDIN

Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to two leaders, one from the First Congressional District of New York, from the North Fork. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Lyle Wells, whose family farm is over 350 years old. Lyle was taken from our community too soon. He was a leader, a former president of the Long Island Farm Bureau, and a one-time member of the Riverhead Town Planning Board. He positively led and left a great impact and legacy on the next generation of farmers who really do need to be better cultivated to give that opportunity to be able to thrive. Long Island Farm Bureau Administrative Director Rob Carpenter, talking about Wells' impact and a relationship going back decades, said: ``He would take all the time needed to explain a program to anyone who wanted to learn about farming--a legislator, a community member, another farmer. It's a big loss. You just can't replace a Lyle.'' It was also observed that everyone would start laughing because of his style of laughter. It was an honor that he graced our community and our town. Him having gone through life in this community made the rest of us better. That was the positive impact of Lyle Wells. A memorial service will be held for Lyle this Thursday, February 1, beginning at 11 a.m. on the hill at Wells Homestead Acres, located at 185 Phillips Lane in Aquebogue. We will pray for Lyle's family. We are thinking about Lyle, and he will certainly be looking over what hopefully will be 350 more years of great farming on that family farm. Paying Tribute to Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin