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[Pages H8463-H8464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, last week the biggest news in Congress was
overshadowed by an impeachment circus. The Republican Study Committee
and our task force introduced a framework for personalized, affordable
healthcare.
Mr. Speaker, our current healthcare system is broken. It is simply
not working. Healthcare costs are out of control, and it is time we
modernize it.
We promise to all of America that we will deliver personalized
healthcare where you and your doctor will remain in control of your
healthcare. This is phase one of a two-phase plan which will protect
vulnerable Americans with preexisting conditions, chronic illnesses,
and serious health issues while reducing premiums, deductibles, and
overall healthcare costs.
Personally, I can't wait to continue working on these important
issues to improve the lives of Kansans and deliver for America.
National FFA Convention
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, today dozens of Kansas FFA members, Future
Farmers of America, are in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the start of the
2009 National FFA Convention. They will be joining students from
Pennsylvania to California and more than a dozen high school students
from my own district will be competing in various competitions,
including Clay Center, Kansas, FFA member Garrett Craig who will be
competing for a position as a national FFA officer.
Good luck to you, Garrett.
While it is known for agriculture education, Kansas FFA chapters are
thriving in rural America as well as urban school districts and have
introduced thousands of new students to agriculture and ag-related
career opportunities.
I want to wish all Kansas FFA students participating in Indianapolis
this week the best of luck and trust that Kansas will continue its long
legacy of
[[Page H8464]]
premier FFA leadership and achievement.
USMCA
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this morning I want to applaud the efforts
of my colleagues across the aisle on their efforts and the United
States trade team for getting closer to approving the USMCA trade
agreement. I remain very optimistic that we can get this passed in
Congress and that we can get this done this fall.
It is time to deliver the USMCA agreement for Kansas. We have waited
over a year, and it is now time to pass this agreement. This agreement
will mean thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of
increased exports for Kansas.
Today I want to remind the Speaker of the importance of the USMCA
deal and to please bring it to the floor where we can vote on it and
deliver for America.
China Trade War
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I want to applaud the administration's
effort on the China trade war. I want to applaud President Trump and
his trade team led by Ambassador Bob Lighthizer for all their hard
work. It seems like just yesterday they signed an agreement with Japan.
But they didn't rest on their laurels and have quickly moved on to the
significance of a Chinese trade agreement.
There seems to be more good news coming out of the White House every
day, and we continue to encourage the White House and the Chinese
leadership to develop this agreement and allow more agriculture
products into China. We look forward to future engagements with our
Chinese counterparts in the near future as well and continue to hope
that we can work toward a strong agreement yet this fall.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Mission
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to stop and congratulate
President Trump and the intelligence officers and the U.S. Special
Forces who risked their lives in a daring raid this weekend where the
leader of ISIS died by detonating a suicide vest killing himself and,
very sadly, his three children after he was cornered in a tunnel.
Mr. Speaker, I have to stop and ask the question: What type of a
person would sacrifice his own children?
ISIS is among the most depraved organizations in history. They have
committed genocidal mass murder and enslaved, tortured, and beheaded
innocent civilians.
Americans can all be encouraged by President Trump's Syria policy. He
has destroyed ISIS, and he has kept American troops out of harm's way.
President Trump continues to support the Kurds in eastern Syria where
he sent a military convoy on Saturday.
President Trump is keeping his promises: leading American foreign
policy abroad through strength and showing our enemies there is nowhere
for them to hide.
Rural Energy
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, this morning I want to stop and say thanks
to Mother Nature for all the blessings she has given Kansas, in
particular the fact that we are an energy rich State. She has given us
oil, natural gas, ethanol, wind, and solar production.
We want to stop and applaud the efforts of what the USDA and the
Department of Energy formally did last week as they began working
together to facilitate energy-related investments in America's rural
communities to encourage investments in our new and improved rural
energy production and infrastructure.
Additional focus on cybersecurity and grid improvements to secure our
rural energy networks are also happening. This work builds upon
President Trump's energy task force on agriculture and rural
prosperity.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the President so much for making rural America
stronger today.
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