Let me say, first of all, on the face of it, the amendment makes sense. It is already U.S. policy not to pay ransom. On June 24, 2015, President Obama issued a directive: It is the United States' policy to deny hostage-takers the benefits…

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me respond just to some of the things that we have heard from some of our colleagues. This was not a ransom payment. This was payment for a 30-year-old claim over a weapons…

Mr. Chairman, let me, first of all, say I appreciate Chairman Royce's consideration of my feedback during the markup, and I know he is well-intentioned with this measure. As he mentioned, I believe that the underlying legislation was too…

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment. The CHAIR. The gentleman from New York is recognized for 5 minutes.

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, in closing, let me say this: None of us likes the Government of Iran. None of us likes the idea of making payments to Iran, but this bill imposes a blanket ban on most forms of…

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in opposition to this bill. Let me start by underscoring my respect and admiration for our chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and my friend, Ed Royce. It is unusual…

Mr. Chairman, let me say that I appreciate my friend, Chairman Royce's words. We don't agree totally on this, but we do agree that the Iranian regime is a bad regime and they need to be checked. And I would hope that after this whole…

Mr. Chairman, I am offering this amendment because I do think there is a lot of common ground when it comes to this issue. My concern is that the administration really did not give Congress its due with respect to this payment. We were…

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Strike the text of the committee print and insert the following: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act…

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote. The CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York will be postponed.

Mr. President, we are reaching that time of year when some of our colleagues will retire, some may be retired without wanting to be retired, and we will have new colleagues coming to the Senate and the House next year. I wish to pause for…

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), someone who has been a sponsor of this bill, and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control the balance of my time. The…

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill addresses an issue that is worthy of being addressed. It surely would be taken up as part of overall tax reform. But this bill surely is not an emergency; and costing over…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the historic season of the Baltimore Oracles, my staff's congressional softball team and the victors of the 2016 Congressional Softball League championship. I was going to bring the trophy down, but…

Mr. Speaker, it is, indeed, an honor and a pleasure to recognize the lifetime achievements of Richard K. ``Dick'' Blake, who is retiring after 40 years of service on the Rockledge City Council. He is the longest serving elected official on…

I think that by not answering the question, I think you have answered it, which is effectively, under your testimony, you would see more abortions in the United States.

The American people deserve to know where candidates for President stand on something so foundationally intrinsic to the Republic founded on these core principles that all of us are created equal and are children of God.

The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 clarifies that infants who are born alive during abortions or attempted abortions are afforded all legal protections enjoyed by other persons in the United States.