[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2022)] [House] [Pages H23-H31] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1836, GUARD AND RESERVE GI BILL PARITY ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4673, ENSURING VETERANS' SMOOTH TRANSITION ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 860 and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 860 Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 1836) to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that the time during which members of the Armed Forces serve on active duty for training qualifies for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs now printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 117-25 shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs or their respective designees; (2) the further amendments described in section 2 of this resolution; and (3) one motion to recommit. Sec. 2. After debate pursuant to the first section of this resolution, each further amendment printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, may be withdrawn by the proponent at any time before the question is put thereon, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. All points of order against the further amendments printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules are waived. Sec. 3. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 4673) to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the automatic enrollment of eligible veterans in patient enrollment system of Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. An amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 117-26 shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs or their respective designees; (2) the further amendments described in section 4 of this resolution; (3) the amendments en bloc described in section 5 of this resolution; and (4) one motion to recommit. Sec. 4. After debate pursuant to section 3 of this resolution, each further amendment printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution not earlier considered as part of amendments en bloc pursuant to section 5 of this resolution shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, may be withdrawn by the proponent at any time before the question is put thereon, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. Sec. 5. It shall be in order at any time after debate pursuant to section 3 of this resolution for the chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of further amendments printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this section shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs or their respective designees, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question. Sec. 6. All points of order against the further amendments printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules or amendments en bloc described in section 5 of this resolution are waived. Sec. 7. House Resolution 188, agreed to March 8, 2021 (as most recently amended by House Resolution 829, agreed to December 2, 2021), is amended by striking January 21, 2022'' each place it appears and inserting (in each instance) ``February 4, 2022''. {time} 1230 The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Hayes). The gentleman from Colorado is recognized for 1 hour. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler) pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Colorado? There was no objection. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, yesterday the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 860. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1836, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, makes in order two amendments, and provides one motion to recommit. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4673, the EVEST Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The rule also makes in order five amendments, provides the chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs with en bloc authority, and provides one motion to recommit. Finally, the rule provides for recess instructions, suspension authority, and same-day authority through February 4, 2022. Madam Speaker, I am pleased we are here today to provide for consideration of two important bills to support our Nation's veterans. H.R. 1836, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act will make important improvements to the way GI Bill benefits are calculated for our National Guard and Reserve veterans. Since 9/11, our seven individual Reserve and Guard components of the United States Armed Forces have played a larger and larger role in military operations. Despite putting on the same uniform and taking on many of the same risks as their Active Duty counterparts, these servicemembers don't have access to the same benefits. Under current law, active component servicemembers receive credit for every day they serve while reserve component and National Guard servicemembers earn credit depending on their duty status. H.R. 1836 would expand eligibility for the GI Bill to count every day a servicemember is paid and in uniform toward benefit eligibility and ensure parity for National Guard and Reserve members. It only makes common sense. This service would include all training and general duty for which basic pay is warranted. These men and women answer the call to serve without hesitation. Our National Guard has stepped up these last several years to assist in the fight against COVID-19, help communities affected by natural disasters, as in Colorado, we had a terrible wildfire a week ago and the National Guard stepped up, and even protecting our Capitol following a domestic terrorist attack. It is past time these servicemembers have access to the GI benefits they deserve. [[Page H24]] I commend Congressman Mike Levin for sponsoring this legislation to provide parity, and I am proud to support this bipartisan bill. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 4673, the EVEST Act, to improve healthcare benefits for departing Active Duty servicemembers as they transition into VA healthcare and civilian life, again, something that is just common sense and I thought was already part of the law. Approximately 200,000 servicemembers transition out of military service each year. This service is difficult, demanding, and dangerous, and the transition from military to civilian life can be challenging for servicemembers who suffered a service-related injury or a traumatic experience. A recent survey of 10,000 veterans showed their chief concern in their first year after leaving the military is their health and their mental well-being. At this moment, veterans eligible for VA healthcare must choose to enroll in the VA's healthcare system using its online, phone, or in- person services. However, veterans are often confused regarding their eligibility status for enrollment despite all veterans being eligible for VA healthcare benefits for 5 years after separation from the military. A 2014 study found symptoms of PTSD can be significantly improved if veterans receive prompt mental healthcare, and for each year a veteran waited to initiate treatment, there was a 5 percent increase in the odds of their PTSD not improving or even worsening. Simply put, our veterans cannot afford to not get the healthcare they need and deserve. The EVEST Act requires the VA to enroll veterans in its patient enrollment system within 60 days of receiving relevant information and notice from the Department of Defense. This bill uses existing DOD systems through the Transition Assistance Program as well as VA's existing patient enrollment system to enable a warm handoff from DOD to VA. The bill would require the VA to provide veterans notice of enrollment and instructions for how the veteran can opt out if they so wish. Smoother access to VA healthcare has never been more important than it is today. It is time to shift the burden from the veteran to the DOD and the VA where it belongs. I thank Chairman Takano for introducing this commonsense legislation to improve the health of our recently separated veterans, and I also recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his service to the country as part of our military. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my good friend from Colorado for his kind words and also for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Madam Speaker, before I get into debate, I do want to talk about my good friend from Colorado. I know that he may be moving on in some months. I want to say I truly am looking forward to working with my good friend for the next few months. He is a gentleman and a good friend both on and off the floor. Madam Speaker, the rule before us today makes in order two pieces of legislation, H.R. 1836, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act of 2020 and also H.R. 4673, the EVEST Act. As a former Navy JAG, I am deeply committed to supporting the military men and women who make sacrifices every day to protect our freedoms, both at home and abroad. And that is why I am incredibly disappointed that neither of these measures received a legislative hearing in the House Veterans' Affairs Committee this Congress. Without input from the VA, VSOs, and other stakeholders, it is absolutely unclear the impact these bills would actually have, let alone whether these are actually workable bills. Take for example H.R. 1836. Republicans agree that we must address the benefit and equity for our National Guardsmen and simplify the law so that any time spent on Active Duty for service other than training would count towards GI Bill eligibility. But unfortunately, the broad expansion of benefits in H.R. 1836 could have very real impacts on retention in both the Reserves and Active Duty. Additionally, it would be helpful to hear from VSOs and other stakeholders about the impact that increased interest fees would have on veterans' access to housing. This is a real problem, and I don't think we have properly addressed it or debated it. These are issues that could have been explored. They could have been explored during a legislative hearing. They could have been explored to ensure a final product that meets the needs of our guardsmen and our veterans. At the same time, while I agree that we must support transitioning servicemembers and we must do it by connecting them with VA hospital care and medical services, this has been an incomplete legislative process that makes H.R. 4673 completely problematic. According to the VA 2022 Budget documents, 9.2 million veterans are enrolled for care and medical services while 7.1 million veterans actually receive treatment at VA or community care facilities. So given that the budgets are determined by historical enrollment versus actual utilization, increasing enrollment without understanding the impact on the VA healthcare system could create an imbalance between the budgetary needs and what reality will show. It would also be helpful to understand H.R. 4673's potential impacts on access to care for current veterans and the ability of VA staff and facilities to handle the influx of the new enrollees. To that end, last Congress we passed the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019. This required the VA to submit a strategic plan to provide a healthcare plan to any veteran during the 1-year period following their discharge or release from Active Duty service. This strategic plan is currently expected to be released early in 2022. So it would make a lot more sense to wait until we receive the strategic plan before we move forward with a legislative solution. Again, Madam Speaker, these are issues that could have been discussed at a legislative hearing. These issues could have helped ensure a veteran-focused approach to enrollment eligibility for VA healthcare. Instead, the majority is moving forward without a true understanding of the real-world impacts of these measures. I, therefore, urge my colleagues to oppose this rule. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would say in response to my friend, this is a situation in the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act where the National Guard and the Reserves are standing side-by-side with active military, and they are entitled to the same benefits that the active military has when it comes to the GI Bill. So that one, in my opinion, is a no-brainer. The other, and I would say, the VSOs, the veteran service organizations supporting the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act, H.R. 1836, are Student Veterans of America, National Guard Association of the U.S., Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, and the Reserve Officers Association of the U.S. {time} 1245 With respect so the EVEST legislation, H.R. 4637, again, here we are, people have acted with military service and then have to opt in as opposed to just let the system move quickly for them to become part of the veterans medical care and benefits system. And we have a number of different organizations that support that. VSOs supporting that are the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Disabled American Veterans, the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs, and the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), a distinguished member of the Committee on Rules. Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague, Congressman Perlmutter, for yielding. Madam Speaker, the bills included in this rule serve as an expression of gratitude for all veterans, regardless of their official service status. My State of North Carolina alone has nearly 12,000 National Guard members, each of whom deserves to be recognized [[Page H25]] for their sacrifice on behalf of our Nation. Reservists and National Guard members take on challenging, admirable, and oftentimes lifesaving work, especially throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We owe it to these exceptional Americans to provide gold- standard education benefits, medical care, and mental health support. A critical inflection point in all veterans' lives is their transition to civilian life. We know that during this period, veterans disproportionately face mental health crises. That is why in partnership with Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon, Congressman Bowman, Congresswoman Moore, I have offered an amendment to H.R. 1836 that takes proactive steps to offer support. Our amendment requires the VA to provide new veterans with information on the medical services they can access, including the mental health care and military sexual trauma resources to which they are entitled. My father served as a psychiatrist in the Air Force during the Vietnam era, a particularly challenging time for our veterans. He witnessed firsthand the need for mental health care among this population. In addition, one of the issues--military sexual trauma, leaving veterans with scars, both physical and psychological--is affected by this legislation. I have introduced other legislation on this issue and I am committed to helping veterans who have experienced this trauma access support. Veterans can't benefit from VA services unless they know about them. Unfortunately, many veterans lack information of the full range of resources available. Our amendment will raise awareness among transitioning veterans about VA services and the care they deserve. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, the rule, and the underlying bill. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, during my opening statement, I referenced the strategic plan that the VA is undertaking that we are supposed to get in early 2022. And the reason for that is we typically need data before we legislate, but we do have data on another topic, and that is the damage that our children are facing by being kept out of school. Madam Speaker, we have nearly 2 full years of data that show that keeping kids out of classrooms has caused massive learning loss, a mental health epidemic, particularly among our youth, and stressful situations for millions of families. Recently, children in Chicago have been forced to endure virtual hearings after the Chicago Teachers Union refused to do their jobs and show up for in-person classes. House Republicans believe schools should be open and that our children come first. In some municipalities, bowling alleys have opened before our schools. It is shameful. Madam Speaker, that is why if we defeat the previous question, I will personally offer an amendment to the rule to immediately consider H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania? There was no objection. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson), my good friend, the legislation's author, here to explain the amendment. Mrs. HINSON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding. Madam Speaker, our amendment would ensure that students are no longer kept out of the classroom and forced to learn from behind a screen. It would ensure that parents are able to return to the workplace. It would help combat the ongoing youth mental health crisis spurred by school closures. Madam Speaker, my bill, the Reopen Schools Act, would condition Federal COVID grants to schools on those schools actually being open and operating in the first place, which is what that money was intended to do. I am proud that my home State of Iowa--and I am thankful to our Governor, Kim Reynolds--for ensuring that Iowa students could go back to school. In Iowa, kids have been back in the classroom, where they belong, for over a year. They get to socialize with their peers and they get hands-on learning help from their teachers. They get to run and jump at recess. They get to raise their hands to ask and answer questions instead of clicking a button from behind a screen. They get to write on white boards during their lessons. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the rest of the country. So many students are still trapped behind screens. And what about the students who don't have regular computer and broadband internet access? What about students in households without computers or even households with only one computer where mom and dad are maybe trying to use it for work. Virtual learning means we are leaving behind our most vulnerable students, our rural students, our students with additional learning challenges, and even kids who have every virtual advantage are struggling. Families are struggling. Working parents are challenged like never before, and American kids are suffering and paying the price for it. As a mom, I have personally felt this pressure, and I know many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle know what it is like to have kids trying to learn at home while you are trying to work at the same time. So this is not a partisan issue. This is about our kids. This is about supporting working families. Kids need to be in school. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in defeating the previous question so we can reopen schools and prevent taxpayer dollars from keeping kids at home. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments of Mr. Reschenthaler and Mrs. Hinson about schools. But this, in a word, is the Congress of the United States. This is not the Des Moines school board or the Punxsutawney school board where they may have individual respective issues for their area. Madam Speaker, my wife is a teacher--as you are--and in Jefferson County, Colorado, the schools are open. Now, are people getting sick? Is there a lot of pressure on teachers? You bet there is. But those schools are open. So I appreciate the comments of my friends about wanting to open the schools in Chicago or maybe wanting to open them someplace else, but they are open. And so I am not exactly sure what they are railing against other than maybe the school board of Chicago or the school board of Des Moines. Madam Speaker, I yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, spoken like my good friend from Colorado, Mr. Perlmutter--who I really insist that he remain in this body for his astuteness and his way of analyzing--might I just take a quick moment to say that the schools of America are open. But today, the hospitalization rate for omicron is the highest ever since we have had COVID-19. And so I believe that school superintendents, teachers, parents, and others--like Madam Speaker--are making decisions for our children to be in school but also to be safe. Madam Speaker, I move on these two very important legislative initiatives, H.R. 1836 and H.R. 4673. I thank the gentleman from Colorado. I thank my good friend who has served in the United States military from Pennsylvania. I thank him for his service as well. Madam Speaker, I rise enthusiastically on this legislation for a number of reasons, but more importantly, I have worked extensively with the Guard, particularly the Texas National Guard. We in Texas can sometimes be called disaster alley as it relates to hurricanes and tornadoes, as it relates to COVID-19. And alongside of us on those battles, if you will, saving lives have been the National Guard. We are grateful for their service. They are citizen soldiers. I think we don't acknowledge that what the Guard is is individuals who put on the uniform, leaving being a bus driver or a teacher or a mechanic, lawyer or doctor; and in doing so, they sacrifice and leave their families. So I am excited about H.R. 1836 by Mr. Levin because right now in terms of education, it is Active Duty, those individuals in active military service, including full-time training and annual [[Page H26]] training. But H.R. 1836 will expand the eligibility criteria to include those training in full-time National Guard duty. They are on the front lines. In my hospital during COVID-19, it was the Guard that came as nurses and support systems when we were literally overwhelmed with patients. It is the Guard that is coming back again to be able to help us now that we are also at the peak. Texas Children's Hospital seeing more sick COVID-19-impacted children in their history, the Guard is vital. And I would just say that this is not about data. It is about the lives of our Guard. And I want to move to say how important it is to get our young soldiers on to the healthcare system under the bill of Mr. Takano as quickly as they come out. It is not about data, it is about saving lives. And that leads me to Governor Abbott's untimely and wrong policies in Texas. I will be seeking an official investigation from the department in Washington, the Secretary of Defense and the Pentagon. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, the issue is very clear. In his wrongheaded dispatching of our guard to the border--of course, this is a Federal responsibility, the southern border--we now have documented crises, guards committing suicide, guards not getting their paychecks, and guards having their education tuition slashed. Yes, that is what is happening in the State of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am a fighter for the Guard. They have worked without ceasing and question. And I demand that this Congress, this Committee on Armed Services, the Pentagon, investigate when the commander of a particular State abuses those individuals who have put on the uniform as citizen soldiers and who are in desperate need of our help. Suicide? Not getting your paychecks timely because you are dispatching people to the border without order and without understanding? Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, but I am calling upon my colleagues to help me, help these young soldiers with family members who, at this point as we stand here, are not getting the kind of treatment equating to their dignity, their service, and their sacrifice. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the Rule for House consideration of H.R. 1836, Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act, and H.R. 4673, EVEST Act. I thank Rules Committee Chairman McGovern for shepherding this legislation to the floor. I also thank House Veterans Committee Chair Mark Takano, for his stewardship of the committee and unwavering commitment to our nation's veterans. H.R. 1836, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act will expand eligibility criteria for certain education benefits. Current law defines the term ``active duty'' as those individuals who are on full-time duty in the active military service of the United States, including full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned. H.R. 1836, will expand eligibility criteria to include those training in fulltime National Guard duty, which includes the National Guard, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard, as well as those same members when performing active duty. H.R. 4673, the EVEST Act, would forward the goal of seamless enrollment in health care coverage. Specifically, this bill will require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to automatically enroll new veterans into VA health care, and notify veterans of their enrollment and instructions on how to un- enroll, if desired. I rise today to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States and risked their lives to defend our freedoms and way of life and took and lived the oath to ``support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic'' and bore true faith and allegiance to the same, an obligation they took freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. Veterans are truly heroes walking among us. I want to thank all of our armed serviceman and women for their selfless dedication to our protection every day. Today's Rule includes a very important bill that provides for our nation's reservists, H.R. 1836, Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act. When it is signed into law it will repair a disparity issue by placing the Guard and Reserve on equal footing with regards to GI bill benefits. This Rule, in which we further the benefits and recognition that our veterans deserve, also reminds us that we have an overriding duty to protect the health and dignity of those service today. For this reason, I would like to discuss the actions of the Texas Governor, because he is taking whatever steps he can to prevent local jurisdictions and municipalities in Texas from promulgating and enforcing any mandate that may be necessary to respond to and mitigate the substantial threat posed by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. It is no exaggeration to say that Executive Orders issued by the Texas Governor have consigned thousands of Texans to needless death and suffering. According to virtually all public health experts, these deaths and suffering could be alleviated by taking the simple but life-saving precautions of getting a vaccination shot, wearing a protective face covering, and maintaining recommended social distancing. To date, the COVID-19 virus has afflicted more than 35.3 million persons in the United States and more than 5.09 million Texas. In Harris County alone, the number is approaching 753,000 cases and already 9,821 persons have died of the virus, which represents more than 10 percent of the 76,839 Texas lives claimed by this lethal disease. To exacerbate matters, in March 2021, the Texas Governor launched the ill-fated and ineffective Operation Lone Star which he claimed was necessary to stem a so-called invasion of migrants at Texas' southern border. As of November 2021, more than 10,000 Texas National Guardsmen have been deployed to the southern border in pursuit of this folly. According to published media accounts, National Guard members who have been activated for Operation Lone Star are experiencing habitual pay delays and poor working conditions during the border mission, including being exposed to COVID-19, and many are missing the equipment necessary for safety and mission success. Finally, just last week the Texas Governor filed a frivolous lawsuit in federal court challenging the authority of President Biden, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to require that members of the National Guard be vaccinated against COVID-19. There is no merit to this nuisance law suit as demonstrated by the summary rejection of similar arguments raised by neighboring Oklahoma Governor Stitt. The Texas Governor's failure to comply with the policies intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among the Armed Forces will mean that there will be less military personnel available national disasters that have struck Texas in recent years, such as the winter freeze of last year. This will also mean that there are fewer personnel to respond to any attacks on the homeland. Encouraged by Governor Abbott's obstinacy, about 40 percent of the members of the Texas Army National Guard are refusing to get vaccinated, which puts at risk their colleagues and the persons they are sworn to defend and protect. This Rule governs debate of excellent and common-sense bills that will enhance the respect and benefits of our servicemen and women. We must also act to ensure that our servicemen and women are protected from COVID-19, both for their own safety and the safety of our nation. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate my good friend from Texas talking about suicide. If we want to talk about suicide, let's look at the youth of this country. Here is the statistic: The number of ER visits for suspected suicide attempts by 12- to 17- year-old girls rose by 51 percent in 2021 compared to 2019. Suicide attempts are up 51 percent. So let's talk about suicide and let's talk about the effect that these shutdowns are having on our youth. I know my good friend from Colorado said this is just an issue in Chicago when we were talking about Chicago. Chicago is just an example of the shutdowns. There are over 4,500 schools across the country that chose to begin the week of January 2 by shutting down, which clearly disrupted learning. {time} 1300 This isn't just a Republican stat. I have a New York Times article that has even more facts on this. Remember, it was President Biden who promised that he was going to shut down the [[Page H27]] virus, not shut down the economy and not shut down schools. He has actually done the exact opposite. Here is another statistic. More Americans have died from COVID-19 in 2021 than in 2020. That is under President Biden's watch. We can hear excuses all day long about what can be done, but the fact is this: This is a crisis that Joe Biden and the other party across the aisle own. There is no excuse. They control the White House and the Senate, and they have the majority in the House. This has been done on their watch. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Hern) to talk more about this topic. Mr. HERN. Madam Speaker, I thank my dear friend from Pennsylvania for yielding me 2\1/2\ minutes to speak about something today that we need to shed light on, which is an issue impacting an entire generation of students. Children from preschool age through college have been barred from their classrooms for the better part of 2 years now. Many of us have stated from the start that shutting down schools would create more problems than it would solve, and now the data proves us right. Still, some teachers' unions refuse to work. They refuse to put the well-being of the students' futures first. Americans are sick and tired of the Federal Government moving the goalposts and changing the ``science'' to fit whatever narrative they want. The President of the United States repeatedly caved to the teachers' unions, ignoring the needs of our students to the detriment of our children across the country. Now that he has seen the polling on school closures, he says the schools should reopen, continuing to move the goalposts. Suicide and self-harm among students hit record highs while schools were closed. Mental health problems are on the rise among kids of all ages. Test scores are abysmal. All of these issues trace back to the closure of our schools. When schools remain closed, our children are harmed. Parents are having to take their children to work, to their jobs, because they have no way of having their children cared for during the day. Students need to be in school environments for more than just an education. The social skills developed through their school years have a direct impact on the adults and members of society that these children will grow into. What will the next generation of leaders look like? What will the next generation of doctors, scientists, or engineers look like if this is their education today? In 20 years, our society will be dependent on this generation in the workforce and throughout our society. We are failing to prepare our children for it. The future of our Nation belongs to the children. Yes, it really is for the children. Can anyone in this Chamber look at the actions of the last 2 years and say we are serving our children's best interests? The answer is a resounding no. Madam Speaker, I urge consideration of Congresswoman Hinson's legislation to ensure our students are back in the classroom. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I would just respond to my friend from Oklahoma, as well as the gentleman from Pennsylvania. Obviously, they have some issues with their school systems if this is the problem that they are bringing up. In Colorado, schools are open. I can tell you that my wife, Nancy, is pretty stressed because COVID is still around and the teaching ranks have been hit by COVID. There is a lot of stress on teachers, but the schools are open. Maybe those gentlemen need to talk to their school boards. In Colorado, we believe in local control. In Colorado, we have kept these open. I would just suggest to the gentlemen to take a look at their own school boards instead of having some national standard that they want to create here about keeping schools open, because they are open. Madam Speaker, Mr. Reschenthaler mentioned something about the economy. Let's talk about the economy. Let's start with the stock market. The stock market is up 10,000 points since Joe Biden took office. Madam Speaker, 10,000 points. Do you know what that means? It is $1.4 billion per point. It means the stock market is up $14 trillion in 1 year under Joe Biden. Since Donald Trump lost, the stock market is up $14 trillion. If that weren't enough, let's talk about how many jobs have been added since Joe Biden won and Donald Trump lost. Madam Speaker, 6.2 million jobs have been added in the last year. Wages have increased by 4.7 percent, at levels we haven't seen for decades. We had the sharpest drop in unemployment since Joe Biden won and Donald Trump lost, over the course of the last year, down to 3.9 percent. The stock market is up. Jobs are up. Wages are up. My friends are complaining about the economy. Well, they have to complain about something, so that is what they want to complain about. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am actually glad the economy came up because this is truly a disaster. We can talk about the stock market, but I can tell you that the people in my district don't care about Wall Street. They are focused on Main Street. When everything they buy every day, whether it is bacon at the grocery store or gasoline at the gas station, costs more, it takes money out of their paychecks. Don't take my word. Let's turn to some statistics. The December jobs report was the worst of Joe Biden's Presidency, with the U.S. economy actually adding just under 200,000 jobs when it was projected to add roughly half a million jobs, grossly falling short of what all the economists were projecting. The December jobs report was the worst of the Biden Presidency. The labor force participation rates decreased for the following demographics. African-American men 20 and older declined in job participation. African-American teenagers, Asian Americans, and Hispanic and Latino Americans all had falling numbers under the Biden economy. Again, let's just look at inflation. Gasoline is up 58 percent. We haven't seen increases like this in gasoline since the last time that Joe Biden was in the White House. Car and truck rentals are up over 37 percent. As I referenced, bacon is up over 21 percent. Fish and seafood are up 10 percent. Eggs are up 8 percent. Coffee is up 7.5 percent. What this means is the real wages of American workers, which have stagnated, are even worse than they were before this Presidency because everything the American worker buys costs more thanks to Joe Biden and thanks to the party across the aisle's economic policies. I want to talk more about schools that were referenced. Let's talk about schools. I have a New York Times article. ``No Way to Grow Up'' is the title. American children are in crisis. It was published on January 4. This is a New York Times article. Among third through eighth graders, math and reading levels were lower than normal this fall, according to NWEA, which is a research group. Many children and teenagers are experiencing mental health problems aggravated by the isolation and disruption of the pandemic. Three medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recently declared a national state of emergency in children's health. What is really shocking about this is the party across the aisle claims to be the party of science. I think the party across the aisle has forever forfeited the right to call themselves the party of science because nothing that they have done has been based on science--maybe political science, but not real science. Here is the real science. Data now suggests that the many changes to school routines are of questionable value in controlling the virus' spread. Some researchers are skeptical that school closures actually reduce COVID cases in most instances. Here we have the so-called party of science using unscientific rationale to shut down schools, which we know is damaging kids both from an education [[Page H28]] point of view and a mental health point of view, damaging kids while having zero science to back that up. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Moore). Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act. As a father of four, I know just how important it is to families across the country that our schools stay open and our kids keep learning. I want to pause for a moment to highlight what we are hearing right now. I fully appreciate my Democrat colleagues talking about federalism. I am very supportive of that in the face of sweeping Federal mandates that are going to inflict an enormous workforce burden on all of our private-sector companies in my district with a Federal vaccine mandate. We are trying to say: Don't do that. That is not the right approach. I am hearing the same thing, that it is not the right approach to tell each school board what they are doing. Let me set just a clear concept of what we are talking about here. There is Federal money involved. We want school boards to make decisions--I have even incorporated it into my speech that I will share here in a minute--to use these Federal dollars that are designed to help keep schools open. We need to make sure that these schools stay open. Let's all embrace federalism. That is the goal. President Biden just realized it a few weeks ago when he said we can't solve this at the Federal level. We fully embrace that. In-person learning is critical for our children's well-being. From mental health to reading and math skills, American students are struggling. COVID is spreading, and we can embrace commonsense precautions, embracing federalism, like masks and testing, where relevant. But our kids need to be in the classroom. Rolling school closures are exacting a staggering toll on our children, particularly those with special needs or those who are already vulnerable or behind academically. Low-income families with parents who work outside the home are most at risk when schools shut down. Moms and dads race to find makeshift childcare just to be able to go to work and feed their families, and vulnerable kids fall further and further behind on their schoolwork. We cannot fail these students. Congress allocated $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund to help schools reopen and stay open. Those funds must be used to prioritize the expenses that keep schools open. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Utah. Mr. MOORE of Utah. Madam Speaker, I am grateful for Utah's educators and superintendents who are working hard to do what is right by our students. They are working hard; I see it. Families across the country are trying the best they can, and we must commit to supporting them in return. A vote for the previous question is a vote for our students and our future. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments of the gentleman from Utah, as well as my friend from Pennsylvania. They are focusing on schools. Okay, focus on schools. Obviously, I think local control of these school districts is the appropriate way to go and not kind of a Federal mandate. Obviously, we would like to see vaccines used more and COVID eliminated. If we got everybody vaccinated and people wore masks, I think that would be the direction we would go. What these bills are about, and what this rule is about, is the mental health of our National Guard and Reserve troops. We are talking about the National Guard, and we are talking about the Reserves. They may want to bring in a school bill, which is completely unrelated to the topic at hand, but what we are talking about here should have been either passed under some kind of an expedited fashion or it should be the law already. Obviously, they want to argue about something that is not before the body because they can't argue against these two bills. We want to make sure that there is parity that exists between the National Guard and Reserve and active military when it comes to the GI Bill and the ability of those individuals to take advantage of the benefits of the GI Bill, which will benefit this Nation greatly. My dad had a saying about the original GI Bill. He said: America has made many investments, but of the two best investments that America made, the Louisiana Purchase was second only to the GI Bill in terms of the value to America. Here we are, talking about all sorts of other things and not parity for National Guardsmen, Reserve officers, and Reserve troops with the ability to access the GI Bill. We are also ignoring the mental health issues that so many coming out of the military may experience once they are out of the Department of Defense, out of their active service. We want to make sure there is a seamless approach to them entering into the VA system. Madam Speaker, I understand my friends arguing about everything else, but what we have before us are very important matters that have to be addressed. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. {time} 1315 Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, again, I just want to reiterate that I have said if we defeat the previous question I will personally offer an amendment to the rule to immediately consider H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act, to help our children who are in school who are suffering. That is why this is now an issue. To speak more on that, Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Tiffany). Mr. TIFFANY. Madam Speaker, I want to say thank you to the gentleman from Pennsylvania for a few minutes here. I appreciate it. Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question and in support of the Reopen Schools Act. We are hearing today that, in terms of priorities here, what could be more important than schools and getting our schools open with the damage that has been done over the last couple years? During the early days of the pandemic many schools across the country were shuttered. But now some 2 years in, I believe we have the tools and resources to keep our schools open--something we all know is in the best interest of our kids. Since March of 2020, the Federal Government has provided $190 billion in pandemic aid to schools to upgrade their mitigation systems and get kids back in the classrooms safely. Unfortunately, last week the teachers union in Chicago decided to walk out on their students. The standoff has kept 340,000 students--the third largest school system in the United States--out of the classroom. Worryingly, we are now seeing other teachers unions across the country looking to follow their lead and pushing for a return to remote learning. So our colleague across the aisle here asked: What are we railing against? Aren't we in support of local control? Of course we are. But what we are seeing in the State of Wisconsin now is that the Department of Health Services, at the behest of the Governor, is pushing for more restrictions. A letter just went out today to all school districts across the State of Wisconsin: You should be putting more restrictions in place. It is very similar to what the Centers for Disease Control has done. It is extremely hard for someone at the local level to simply stand up against this onslaught of regulations and suggestions that you have to do this otherwise children are going to be damaged. How are you going to stand up against that when you are just a small, local school district? Even the Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, took a stand by saying that students have suffered enough and schools should stay open. I agree. Last year's school closures were extremely hard on parents and students leading to significant learning loss. That is a scenario we cannot afford to repeat this academic year. We owe it to [[Page H29]] our kids to get back to in-person instruction. H.R. 682 ensures that the additional $190 billion in pandemic aid actually goes towards what it was intended: getting kids back in the classroom. Madam Speaker, I just want to close by saying this: I remember back in April of 2020, a couple weeks into the shutdowns and lockdowns, we knew whom this was going to affect the most, and we knew that children are at very low risk. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Wisconsin an additional 10 seconds. Mr. TIFFANY. In fact, the head of the CDC at that time, Dr. Redfield, said that kids should be back in school. They are at less risk than the cold and flu with COVID. Kids should be back in school. Madam Speaker, I urge defeat of the previous question so we can consider this critical piece of legislation put forward by the gentlewoman from Iowa. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time each side has remaining? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Colorado has 9\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 8\1/2\ minutes remaining. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my friends wanting to talk about the Chicago Teachers Union because, again, they don't want to talk about the National Guard; they don't want to talk about the Reserve; they don't want to talk about the GI Bill; and they don't want to talk about mental health benefits or health benefits generally for veterans because they don't have any complaint about that. There is just a whole other conversation going on here. Again, I don't know what is going on in Wisconsin, whether the gentleman has a complaint against collective bargaining in Wisconsin; I don't know if it is the problem in Pennsylvania if there is an issue with collective bargaining. That is not the issue before the House today. Madam Speaker, we need to get these National Guard and Reserve pieces of legislation passed, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am a veteran in the Navy. I was a naval officer. I deployed to Iraq. I will talk about veteran issues all day long, and we can start by talking about the VA loan that needs reform so veterans can actually use this loan in a hot market where sellers simply will refuse to accept that loan. I will sit up here and talk about that all day, and I have been talking about veterans' issues. But let's just step back. We have had almost 1 year of one-party rule, one party controlling the White House, the Senate, and the House for 1 year. And what has that given us? It has given us an absolute crisis--a disaster--at the southern border. It has given us rampant COVID deaths that actually exceed what they were last year despite the fact that this President inherited from President Trump Operation Warp Speed which gave him three vaccines and a list of therapeutics that could be used. Despite all that, this is still an unmitigated disaster that Biden and his Democratic colleagues have created. We also have inflation and stagnation. American workers have less money to buy the goods and services they need. We have Russia poised to invade Ukraine. We have Communist China daily invading the airspace of the free and independent nation state of Taiwan. And don't even get me started on the fact that we ceded Afghanistan to the Taliban after 18 months of stability in a nation that saw zero American fatalities and stability for our Afghan allies, and we handed it over to the Taliban. That is what 1 year of one-party rule has given this country: an unmitigated disaster. Now, getting back to schools, I know that my colleagues on the left want to say that this is just an issue for Chicago or some other city. Forty-five hundred schools shut down the first week of January is a national issue. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Louisiana (Ms. Letlow) to talk more about it. Ms. LETLOW. Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so we can immediately consider H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act. I believe that this legislation is critical for our students, to ensure success in the current school year, and also address the learning gap that has arisen during this pandemic. As parents, we know that education is the most essential cornerstone in the foundation of our children's future. Throughout the past year I have heard from countless parents who had to put their lives on hold to assume the role of teacher in their child's virtual classroom, while other family priorities, including returning to work, took a backseat. As a former educator myself, I know how crucial classroom discussion is to the learning process. The statistics clearly show that students learn better when they are able to participate in person and interact with their peers and teachers, and not reduced to just a face on a screen. I also want to note that in rural areas such as my district, successful virtual learning is nearly impossible because of the lack of access to broadband internet. In my home State of Louisiana, our standardized tests show that the number of students in grades 3 through 8 who achieved the State's proficiency goals fell by nearly 5 percent during the pandemic. Over the past 2 years, Congress has appropriated billions of dollars so schools can take the necessary steps to reopen safely. I want to be clear: We are not asking schools to put either students or teachers into unsafe environments. We did not send States and districts that funding for them to simply shut their doors again. Madam Speaker, it is absolutely critical for us to move forward on this legislation to ensure that American students can continue to learn in safe, face-to-face classrooms across this country. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I would like my friend from Colorado to know that I have no further speakers and that I am prepared to close. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I would just like to thank the gentlewoman from Louisiana for talking about the need for broadband because in the American Rescue Plan there is funding for broadband for rural areas such as she represents as well as in the infrastructure bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time so my friend can close. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, as a former Navy JAG, I strongly support efforts to ensure our military men and women receive the care and benefits they deserve both during and after their periods of service. It is, therefore, incredibly disappointing to me that the two bills made in order under today's rule present numerous issues and numerous uncertainties that could have been addressed through what could have been just a robust discussion with the VA, VSOs, and other stakeholder groups. I really hope that moving forward we can just work together to ensure that through the legislative process we address the needs of our Nation's veterans. Again, I would urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question so that I can offer the amendment to Reopen Schools Act. So, again, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question and ``no'' on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to just recognize my friend for his service to our country both in the military and here in the United States Congress. I want to thank my colleagues for joining me here today to speak on the rule, the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act, and the EVEST Act and how we provide and care for our Nation's veterans. We have an opportunity through passage of both bills to improve the healthcare of our separating servicemembers and ensure our National Guard and Reserve component members receive parity in their GI Bill benefits to thank them for their service to [[Page H30]] our country. I again want to thank the Veterans' Affairs Committee for their work along with Chairman Mark Takano and Representative Mike Levin for sponsoring these important bills. As we kick off 2022 and continue the House's work for the people, I am glad we are starting with our Nation's veterans. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Reschenthaler, and the numerous other veterans who have served in this body for, again, service both in the military and service here in the United States Congress. I have always fought hard for our Nation's veterans throughout my time in Congress as my way to show my gratitude for their service and fulfill my belief that it is our country's responsibility to care for our Nation's veterans after they have cared for us. Madam Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question. The material previously referred to by Mr. Reschenthaler is as follows: At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 8. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 682) to encourage local educational agencies to resume in-person instruction at elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor; and (2) one motion to recommit. Sec. 9. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 682. Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous question. The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 219, nays 203, not voting 10, as follows: [Roll No. 2] YEAS--219 Adams Aguilar Allred Auchincloss Axne Barragan Bass Beatty Bera Beyer Bishop (GA) Blumenauer Blunt Rochester Bonamici Bourdeaux Bowman Boyle, Brendan F. Brown (MD) Brown (OH) Brownley Bush Bustos Butterfield Carbajal Cardenas Carson Carter (LA) Case Casten Castor (FL) Castro (TX) Chu Cicilline Clark (MA) Clarke (NY) Cleaver Clyburn Cohen Connolly Cooper Correa Costa Courtney Craig Crist Crow Cuellar Davids (KS) Davis, Danny K. Dean DeFazio DeGette DeLauro DelBene Delgado Demings DeSaulnier Deutch Dingell Doggett Doyle, Michael F. Escobar Eshoo Espaillat Evans Fletcher Foster Frankel, Lois Gallego Garamendi Garcia (IL) Garcia (TX) Golden Gomez Gonzalez, Vicente Gottheimer Green, Al (TX) Grijalva Harder (CA) Hayes Higgins (NY) Himes Horsford Houlahan Hoyer Huffman Jackson Lee Jacobs (CA) Jayapal Jeffries Johnson (GA) Johnson (TX) Jones Kahele Kaptur Keating Kelly (IL) Khanna Kildee Kilmer Kim (NJ) Kind Kirkpatrick Krishnamoorthi Kuster Lamb Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Lawrence Lawson (FL) Lee (CA) Lee (NV) Leger Fernandez Levin (CA) Levin (MI) Lieu Lofgren Lowenthal Luria Lynch Malinowski Maloney, Carolyn B. Maloney, Sean Manning Matsui McBath McCollum McEachin McGovern McNerney Meeks Meng Mfume Moore (WI) Morelle Moulton Mrvan Murphy (FL) Nadler Napolitano Neal Neguse Newman Norcross O'Halleran Ocasio-Cortez Omar Pallone Panetta Pappas Pascrell Payne Perlmutter Peters Phillips Pingree Pocan Porter Pressley Price (NC) Quigley Raskin Rice (NY) Ross Roybal-Allard Ruiz Ruppersberger Rush Ryan Sanchez Sarbanes Scanlon Schakowsky Schiff Schneider Schrader Schrier Scott (VA) Scott, David Sewell Sherman Sherrill Sires Slotkin Smith (WA) Soto Spanberger Speier Stansbury Stanton Stevens Strickland Suozzi Swalwell Takano Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Titus Tlaib Tonko Torres (CA) Torres (NY) Trahan Trone Underwood Vargas Veasey Vela Velazquez Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Coleman Welch Wexton Wild Williams (GA) Wilson (FL) Yarmuth NAYS--203 Aderholt Allen Amodei Armstrong Arrington Babin Bacon Baird Balderson Banks Barr Bentz Bergman Bice (OK) Biggs Bilirakis Bishop (NC) Boebert Bost Brady Brooks Buchanan Buck Bucshon Budd Burchett Burgess Calvert Cammack Carey Carl Carter (GA) Carter (TX) Cawthorn Chabot Cheney Cloud Clyde Cole Comer Crawford Crenshaw Curtis Davidson Davis, Rodney DesJarlais Diaz-Balart Donalds Duncan Dunn Ellzey Emmer Estes Fallon Feenstra Ferguson Fischbach Fitzgerald Fitzpatrick Fleischmann Fortenberry Foxx Franklin, C. Scott Fulcher Gaetz Gallagher Garbarino Garcia (CA) Gibbs Gimenez Gohmert Gonzales, Tony Gonzalez (OH) Good (VA) Gooden (TX) Gosar Granger Graves (LA) Graves (MO) Green (TN) Greene (GA) Griffith Grothman Guest Guthrie Hagedorn Harris Harshbarger Hartzler Hern Herrell Herrera Beutler Hice (GA) Hill Hinson Hollingsworth Hudson Issa Jackson Jacobs (NY) Johnson (LA) Johnson (OH) Johnson (SD) Jordan Joyce (OH) Joyce (PA) Katko Keller Kelly (MS) Kelly (PA) Kim (CA) Kinzinger Kustoff LaHood LaMalfa Lamborn Latta LaTurner Lesko Letlow Long Loudermilk Lucas Luetkemeyer Mace Malliotakis Mann Massie Mast McCarthy McCaul McClain McHenry McKinley Meijer Meuser Miller (IL) Miller (WV) Miller-Meeks Moolenaar Mooney Moore (AL) Moore (UT) Mullin Murphy (NC) Nehls Newhouse Norman Obernolte Owens Palazzo Palmer Pence Perry Pfluger Posey Reed Reschenthaler Rice (SC) Rodgers (WA) Rogers (KY) Rose Rosendale Rouzer Roy Salazar Scalise Schweikert Scott, Austin Sessions Simpson Smith (MO) Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smucker Spartz Stauber Steel Stefanik Steil Steube Stewart Taylor Tenney Thompson (PA) Tiffany Timmons Turner Upton Valadao Van Drew Van Duyne Wagner Walberg Walorski Weber (TX) Wenstrup Westerman Wilson (SC) Wittman Womack Young Zeldin NOT VOTING--10 Cartwright Cline Higgins (LA) Huizenga McClintock Rogers (AL) Rutherford Waltz Webster (FL) Williams (TX) {time} 1406 Mr. LONG changed his vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.'' So the previous question was ordered. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. MEMBERS RECORDED PURSUANT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 8, 117TH CONGRESS Adams (Brown (MD)) Auchincloss (Clark (MA)) Babin (Sessions) Baird (Walorski) Barragan (Beyer) Bass (Cicilline) Beatty (Kaptur) Bera (Kilmer) Bishop (GA) (Carter (LA)) Blumenauer (Beyer) Blunt Rochester (Brown (MD)) Bonamici (Kuster) Bourdeaux (Clark (MA)) Boyle, Brendan F. (Swalwell) Brownley (Kuster) Bush (Bowman) Butterfield (Kildee) Cardenas (Soto) Casten (Underwood) Chu (Clark (MA)) Cohen (Beyer) Cooper (Clark (MA)) Crawford (Stewart) Crist (Soto) DeFazio (Brown (MD)) DeGette (Brown (MD)) DeSaulnier (Beyer) DesJarlais (Fleischmann) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Doggett (Raskin) Evans (Mfume) Frankel, Lois (Clark (MA)) Gaetz (Boebert) Garamendi (Sherman) Gohmert (Weber (TX)) Gonzalez, Vicente (Correa) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Grothman (Fitzgerald) Hagedorn (Carl) Herrera Beutler (Moore (UT)) Hudson (McHenry) Jacobs (NY) (Garbarino) Jayapal (Raskin) Johnson (GA) (Raskin) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Jones (Jacobs (CA)) Kahele (Case) Katko (Meijer) Kim (CA) (Steel) Kim (NJ) (Pallone) Kind (Connolly) Kinzinger (Meijer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Lamborn (McHenry) Langevin (Lynch) Lawson (FL) (Soto) Lee (CA) (Khanna) Leger Fernandez (Clark (MA)) Lieu (Beyer) Lofgren (Jeffries) Lowenthal (Beyer) Mace (Timmons) Maloney, Sean Patrick (Jeffries) Matsui (Thompson (CA)) McBath (Trone) McCaul (Ellzey) McEachin (Wexton) Meng (Kuster) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Beyer) Nadler (Pallone) Napolitano (Correa) Ocasio-Cortez (Escobar) Omar (Bowman) Panetta (Kildee) Payne (Pallone) Pfluger (Mann) Pingree (Cicilline) Pocan (Raskin) Porter (Wexton) Pressley (Garcia (IL)) Price (NC) (Connolly) Roybal-Allard (Correa) Ruiz (Aguilar) Ruppersberger (Trone) Rush (Kaptur) [[Page H31]] Salazar (Gimenez) Sarbanes (Raskin) Schrier (Spanberger) Sewell (Cicilline) Sires (Pallone) Smucker (Joyce (PA)) Speier (Escobar) Stansbury (Jacobs (CA)) Stanton (Levin (CA)) Stefanik (Meuser) Suozzi (Raskin) Titus (Connolly) Tlaib (Khanna) Torres (NY) (Cicilline) Van Drew (Res- chenthaler) Vela (Correa) Waters (Takano) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Williams (GA) (Jacobs (CA)) Wilson (FL) (Cicilline) The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Dingell). The question is on the resolution. The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it. Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 219, nays 203, not voting 10, as follows: [Roll No. 3] YEAS--219 Adams Aguilar Allred Auchincloss Axne Barragan Bass Beatty Bera Beyer Bishop (GA) Blumenauer Blunt Rochester Bonamici Bourdeaux Bowman Boyle, Brendan F. Brown (MD) Brown (OH) Brownley Bush Bustos Butterfield Carbajal Cardenas Carson Carter (LA) Case Casten Castor (FL) Castro (TX) Chu Cicilline Clark (MA) Clarke (NY) Cleaver Clyburn Cohen Connolly Cooper Correa Costa Courtney Craig Crist Crow Cuellar Davids (KS) Davis, Danny K. Dean DeFazio DeGette DeLauro DelBene Delgado Demings DeSaulnier Deutch Dingell Doggett Doyle, Michael F. Escobar Eshoo Espaillat Evans Fletcher Foster Frankel, Lois Gallego Garamendi Garcia (IL) Garcia (TX) Golden Gomez Gonzalez, Vicente Gottheimer Green, Al (TX) Grijalva Harder (CA) Hayes Higgins (NY) Himes Horsford Houlahan Hoyer Huffman Jackson Lee Jacobs (CA) Jayapal Jeffries Johnson (GA) Johnson (TX) Jones Kahele Kaptur Keating Kelly (IL) Khanna Kildee Kilmer Kim (NJ) Kind Kirkpatrick Krishnamoorthi Kuster Lamb Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Lawrence Lawson (FL) Lee (CA) Lee (NV) Leger Fernandez Levin (CA) Levin (MI) Lieu Lofgren Lowenthal Luria Lynch Malinowski Maloney, Carolyn B. Maloney, Sean Manning Matsui McBath McCollum McEachin McGovern McNerney Meeks Meng Mfume Moore (WI) Morelle Moulton Mrvan Murphy (FL) Nadler Napolitano Neal Neguse Newman Norcross O'Halleran Ocasio-Cortez Omar Pallone Panetta Pappas Pascrell Payne Perlmutter Peters Phillips Pingree Pocan Porter Pressley Price (NC) Quigley Raskin Rice (NY) Ross Roybal-Allard Ruiz Ruppersberger Rush Ryan Sanchez Sarbanes Scanlon Schakowsky Schiff Schneider Schrader Schrier Scott (VA) Scott, David Sewell Sherman Sherrill Sires Slotkin Smith (WA) Soto Spanberger Speier Stansbury Stanton Stevens Strickland Suozzi Swalwell Takano Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Titus Tlaib Tonko Torres (CA) Torres (NY) Trahan Trone Underwood Vargas Veasey Vela Velazquez Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Coleman Welch Wexton Wild Williams (GA) Wilson (FL) Yarmuth NAYS--203 Aderholt Allen Amodei Armstrong Arrington Babin Bacon Baird Balderson Banks Barr Bentz Bergman Bice (OK) Biggs Bilirakis Bishop (NC) Boebert Bost Brady Brooks Buchanan Bucshon Budd Burchett Burgess Calvert Cammack Carey Carl Carter (GA) Carter (TX) Cawthorn Chabot Cheney Cloud Clyde Cole Comer Crawford Crenshaw Curtis Davidson Davis, Rodney DesJarlais Diaz-Balart Donalds Duncan Dunn Ellzey Emmer Estes Fallon Feenstra Ferguson Fischbach Fitzgerald Fitzpatrick Fleischmann Fortenberry Foxx Franklin, C. Scott Fulcher Gaetz Gallagher Garbarino Garcia (CA) Gibbs Gimenez Gohmert Gonzales, Tony Gonzalez (OH) Good (VA) Gooden (TX) Gosar Granger Graves (LA) Graves (MO) Green (TN) Greene (GA) Griffith Grothman Guest Guthrie Hagedorn Harris Harshbarger Hartzler Hern Herrell Herrera Beutler Hice (GA) Hill Hinson Hollingsworth Hudson Issa Jackson Jacobs (NY) Johnson (LA) Johnson (OH) Johnson (SD) Jordan Joyce (OH) Joyce (PA) Katko Keller Kelly (MS) Kelly (PA) Kim (CA) Kinzinger Kustoff LaHood LaMalfa Lamborn Latta LaTurner Lesko Letlow Long Loudermilk Lucas Luetkemeyer Mace Malliotakis Mann Massie Mast McCarthy McCaul McClain McHenry McKinley Meijer Meuser Miller (IL) Miller (WV) Miller-Meeks Moolenaar Mooney Moore (AL) Moore (UT) Mullin Murphy (NC) Nehls Newhouse Norman Obernolte Owens Palazzo Palmer Pence Perry Pfluger Posey Reed Reschenthaler Rice (SC) Rodgers (WA) Rogers (KY) Rose Rosendale Rouzer Roy Salazar Scalise Schweikert Scott, Austin Sessions Simpson Smith (MO) Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smucker Spartz Stauber Steel Stefanik Steil Steube Stewart Taylor Tenney Thompson (PA) Tiffany Timmons Turner Upton Valadao Van Drew Van Duyne Wagner Walberg Walorski Waltz Weber (TX) Wenstrup Westerman Wilson (SC) Wittman Womack Young Zeldin NOT VOTING--10 Buck Cartwright Cline Higgins (LA) Huizenga McClintock Rogers (AL) Rutherford Webster (FL) Williams (TX) {time} 1431 So the resolution was agreed to. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. personal explanation Mr. CLINE. Madam Speaker, I am not recorded because I was absent due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 2 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 3. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Adams (Brown (MD)) Auchincloss (Clark (MA)) Babin (Sessions) Baird (Walorski) Barragan (Beyer) Bass (Cicilline) Beatty (Kaptur) Bera (Kilmer) Bishop (GA) (Carter (LA)) Blumenauer (Beyer) Blunt Rochester (Brown (MD)) Bonamici (Kuster) Bourdeaux (Clark (MA)) Boyle, Brendan F. (Swalwell) Brownley (Kuster) Bush (Bowman) Butterfield (Kildee) Cardenas (Soto) Casten (Underwood) Chu (Clark (MA)) Cohen (Beyer) Cooper (Clark (MA)) Crawford (Stewart) Crist (Soto) DeFazio (Brown (MD)) DeGette (Brown (MD)) DeSaulnier (Beyer) DesJarlais (Fleischmann) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Doggett (Raskin) Evans (Mfume) Frankel, Lois (Clark (MA)) Gaetz (Boebert) Garamendi (Sherman) Gohmert (Weber (TX)) Gonzalez, Vicente (Correa) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Grothman (Fitzgerald) Hagedorn (Carl) Herrera Beutler (Moore (UT)) Hudson (McHenry) Jacobs (NY) (Garbarino) Jayapal (Raskin) Johnson (GA) (Raskin) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Jones (Jacobs (CA)) Kahele (Case) Katko (Meijer) Kim (CA) (Steel) Kim (NJ) (Pallone) Kind (Connolly) Kinzinger (Meijer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Lamborn (McHenry) Langevin (Lynch) Lawson (FL) (Soto) Lee (CA) (Khanna) Leger Fernandez (Clark (MA)) Lieu (Beyer) Lofgren (Jeffries) Lowenthal (Beyer) Mace (Timmons) Maloney, Sean Patrick (Jeffries) Matsui (Thompson (CA)) McBath (Trone) McCaul (Ellzey) McEachin (Wexton) Meng (Kuster) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Beyer) Nadler (Pallone) Napolitano (Correa) Ocasio-Cortez (Escobar) Omar (Bowman) Panetta (Kildee) Payne (Pallone) Pfluger (Mann) Pingree (Cicilline) Pocan (Raskin) Porter (Wexton) Pressley (Garcia (IL)) Price (NC) (Connolly) Roybal-Allard (Correa) Ruiz (Aguilar) Ruppersberger (Trone) Rush (Kaptur) Salazar (Gimenez) Sarbanes (Raskin) Schrier (Spanberger) Sewell (Cicilline) Sires (Pallone) Smucker (Joyce (PA)) Speier (Escobar) Stansbury (Jacobs (CA)) Stanton (Levin (CA)) Stefanik (Meuser) Suozzi (Raskin) Titus (Connolly) Tlaib (Khanna) Torres (NY) (Cicilline) Van Drew (Res- chenthaler) Vela (Correa) Waltz (Mast) Waters (Takano) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Williams (GA) (Jacobs (CA)) Wilson (FL) (Cicilline) ____________________