Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, we woke up this morning to yet more horrific images of dozens of people killed by another chemical weapons attack in Syria.

Mr. Speaker, this included children who were gasping for their last breath as they perished because of the brutal, murderous dictator Bashar al-Assad, who decided that chemical weapons would be used to extinguish their life.

Mr. Speaker, for 6 years, we have failed in the Western world to address this horrific act. In fact, for the first time since World War II, we are accepting the use of chemical weapons as just a normal part of everyday life.

Mr. Speaker, the Western world, the free world, needs to stand up, needs to make clear that Assad needs to go, and needs to stand up for humanity, lest we see these images again.

We wonder how to defeat terrorism. Mr. Speaker, you do it by denying terrorists the recruits of the next generation, of which Bashar al- Assad is creating many.

Mr. Speaker, for today's vote series, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall 66 and rollcall 67.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding. I also want to thank Chairman Walden and Congressman Courtney for working with me to introduce this legislation and bring it to the floor for debate today.

Additionally, I appreciate the willingness of the associations impacted by this legislation, both the CAI and the ARRL, for working with our offices last Congress in order to come to an agreement on where this legislation needs to be in order to move forward in a bipartisan and a positive manner.

The legislation before us today is the same legislative text as H.R. 1301, which was able to gather over 100 bipartisan cosponsors and passed the House by voice vote in the 114th Congress.

The intent of this legislation is to remedy current law which prohibits the use of any antenna for amateur radio operators in certain areas with no consideration for the emergency ramifications that come about as a result. For some, this is merely a nuisance, but for others--those who use

their amateur radio licenses for emergency communications--a dangerous situation has been established by limiting the ability of hams to create effective communications for those in need.

For example, during times of emergency service, such as following a hurricane or a tornado, amateur radio operators are able to use their skills and equipment to create a network of communications that are utilized by first responders when other wired or wireless networks are taken down or are otherwise unavailable. This is a vital and lifesaving function.

Additionally, there are numerous hams that take their certifications even further by purchasing expensive equipment and going through extensive training to become part of MARS, the Military Auxiliary Radio System. I have personally used this system as a pilot in the military. What is amazing about MARS is that it gives our military members the ability to communicate both domestically and abroad when other systems are not available or are simply not able to establish communications the way that these hams are able to do.

MARS members are able to accomplish this not only due to their extensive training and knowledge, but due to their commitment to this program. MARS members must not only have access to expensive high- frequency radio equipment, but they must also file monthly reports and participate in a minimum of 12 hours of radio activity each quarter in order to stay in compliance with the requirements of this program. This is a great service provided by these individuals, and it is my hope that we can get even more amateur radio operators involved in the future with the passage of this bill.

Again, the purpose of this bipartisan legislation is to change current regulations hampering the ability of amateur radio operators to effectively communicate in certain areas, while respecting and maintaining the rights of local communities in which many of these hams reside. It is my hope that by passing this bipartisan legislation early in this session of Congress, that we will be able to get this legislation through the Senate and to the President's desk in short order.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I thank all my friends who helped work with me on this.

Mr. Speaker, I was reflecting the other day. Last week, we all joined together in this Chamber, we held up our right hand, and we swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

That is an oath I have taken both as a Member of Congress--now on my fourth term--and as a military pilot, something similar to that, talking about the importance of the military to protect and defend the Constitution. In both of these roles, I have seen firsthand the sacrifice that men and women of the military have been willing to make to defend their freedoms, to defend the Constitution, defend the country.

This last month was especially tough for our Nation's security and for our foreign policy. The 8-year decline of American global leadership, under the President, came to a head. A sad trend built by the Obama administration continued as the White House worked with our enemies and abandoned our friends.

For one, the recent ceasefire in Syria was reached without United States' input, ultimately empowering tyrants in Iran and in Russia. In fact, to think about the situation in Syria, I want to remind people there are half a million dead Syrians right now, innocent civilians. And I have heard people say, completely incorrectly, that it doesn't matter; they are all basically terrorists. Untrue. But let's say it is.

There are 50,000 children in Syria that did not get an opportunity to go be a teacher or a police officer or a firefighter or a doctor because of tyrants in Iran, because of Bashar al-Assad and because of Russia empowering them and using precision-guided munitions to hit innocent civilians and take their life away.

Last week, the U.S. abstained from a vote in the United Nations Security Council on the biased resolution targeting our ally Israel.

Mr. Speaker, rather than turning on freedom-loving nations around the world, we must stand with them. Nowhere is this more important than in the fight against terrorism.

Before the holidays, a list went out from ISIS accounts with the names of churches in the United States that should be attacked over the holidays. Then, an attack in Berlin took the lives of 12 innocent civilians and injured more than 50 in a Christmas market. On New Year's Eve, there was a savage attack at a nightclub in Istanbul, killing 39 revelers and injuring dozens.

Both attacks were claimed by ISIS seeking to strike fear into freedom-loving people around the world. While we all must remain vigilant, we cannot give in to that fear, and we must continue to live our lives.

What we need right now, Mr. Speaker, is a renewed American moment, renewed American leadership after 8 years of decline. We need a Churchill moment. I think about Winston Churchill after the bombs rained down in London, and instead of hiding and cowering and talking about how terrible it is, he goes out on the streets, rallies the people, and says that you cannot shatter us. And the people unite behind him.

It is time for America to exhibit the same kind of leadership exhibited by George W. Bush in the bullhorn speech after the fall of the World Trade Center. He showed Americans unity, strength, resolve, and he reminded the world that our foundations will not be shaken even if you shake the foundations of our biggest buildings. And you can shatter our steel, but you can't shatter the steel of American resolve. I haven't heard speeches like that in quite a while from the oval office.

Mr. Speaker, it has been a rough election cycle for our country. It has been a tough, very divisive, and difficult time, but now it is time to come together. We are going to have our partisan differences and battles, and that is fine. That is what we are out here for.

But, Mr. Speaker, America needs to remember our mission, our God- given mission. I believe that is to be an example of self-governance to billions of people that don't have what we have, but are desperate for it.

We used that kind of leadership in the cold war as millions lived behind the Iron Curtain and saw what freedom could be. And there are iron curtains that exist today; terrorism, strongmen, a resurgent Russia--an iron curtain of soft expectations and low expectations of people.

For the last 8 years, we failed to articulate that mission. Mr. Speaker, we are a nation in need of remembering that mission, and it is my sincere hope that this will change very soon.

Mr. Speaker, on January 12, 2015 I missed recorded votes #17-19. I would like to reflect how I would have voted if I were present.

On Roll Call #17, I would have voted YEA (Passage of H.R. 203).

On Roll Call #18, I would have voted YEA (Passage of H.R. 33).

On Roll Call #19, I would have voted YEA (Approval of the Journal).

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Northern Illinois University from my district for its proactive leadership in creating safe, supportive living-learning communities by protecting all students from sexual assaults.

I commend NIU President Doug Baker for convening a Task Force on the Violence Against Women Act to bring together students, faculty, staff, administrators, public safety officials, and the DeKalb community on this important issue. To illustrate this collaboration, I would like to insert a student perspective into the Record offered by the President of NIU's Student Association.

Their hard work resulted in the Task Force Report which contains recommendations that enhance NIU's efforts in the prevention of sexual assault, provide support for sexual assault victims and survivors, and strengthen policies and processes related to student conduct and reporting. I am proud to say NIU is among the first universities in the nation to conduct such a comprehensive and public review.

My constituents' health and safety is a top priority. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hard work of NIU's Task Force and look forward to continuing to work with NIU on our shared commitment to campus safety.

Student Perspective

One of the most memorable days in a parent's life is the

one in which they send their child off to college. Parents

can only hope the well-being of their child is in good hands.

It is our duty as decision makers in the university community

to make sure we have a safe environment for our students.

This is why as President of the Northern Illinois University

(NIU) Student Association, I reached out to groups across

campus, from the NIU Police to our Health Enhancement

Department, to collaborate on a White House-initiated

campaign called ``It's On Us''. The It's On Us campaign

mobilizes students and advocates for their awareness of

responses to and prevention of campus sexual assaults, a

pressing issue facing our nation today. I commend everyone

involved with the campaign for making a positive change to

our campus culture.

It is exceedingly important to note this student-led

movement is the bottom-up companion to a top-down approach by

the university administration. I recognize and applaud the

efforts of NIU President Doug Baker and his administration

for their proactive approach to addressing sexual assaults on

campus, embodied in the work of the Presidential Task Force

on Violence Against Women Act. This task force and the report

created from it will play a crucial role in the health,

safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and

community members. It makes me a proud student to see NIU as

one of the national leaders paving the way on such

significant issues. Judging by the energy felt around campus,

I believe my fellow students agree.

Joe Frascello,

President, Student Association,

Northern Illinois University.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for yielding the time. Thanks to the committee and the leadership for bringing this very important issue forward.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Diana Rudeen who was elected President of the Department of Illinois' Ladies Auxiliary Veterans of Foreign Wars on June 14, 2014.

Diana joined the Ladies Auxiliary VFW in 1992 to honor her father, James Contizano, who served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Over the course of more than twenty years of service to the Ladies Auxiliary VFW, Diana has served as the Junior Vice President and President of the Clifford E. John Post in Loves Park, Illinois.

As a veteran, I especially appreciate Diana's special commitment to helping veterans coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury, addiction, and homelessness. As her special project she has chosen the Rosecrance Treatment Center in Rockford, Illinois, which provides treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders, including PTSD, and gives veterans of the U.S. armed forces priority admission status. I am incredibly proud to represent men and women, like Diana, who selflessly serve our nation's veterans and their families.

Today, I am honored to join with the members of the Clifford E. Johnson VFW Ladies Auxiliary and the VFW Post to honor Diana's many accomplishments and her election as President. Over 21,000 women are members of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW in Illinois and it is a testament to Diana's character and commitment to be chosen as their leader. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 16th District of Illinois, I wish to express our sincere thanks for all of the hard work Diana and all the women of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW have done for our veterans and our community and to congratulate Diana Rudeen on her well-deserved leadership position.

Mr. Speaker, today, I join many of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle in support of giving the President the initial authority needed to confront ISIS and Syria.

I am actually surprised and disheartened by the opposition that some here in this Chamber have towards the amendment. To be clear, I have been as vocal a critic of this administration's lack of strategy in Syria as any other person. But that does not excuse us from what, I believe, is the right thing to do, which is to give the Commander in Chief the tools necessary to confront this evil.

I don't remember many of my colleagues from this body stepping forward a year ago, or even a few months ago, urging the President to do more in Syria. In fact, at the beginning of this year, I called for bombing ISIS targets as they moved into Fallujah and Iraq. By many I was called a warmonger or somebody eager to start another war in Iraq.

It is easy to come up with any excuse not to support an amendment. Some say it doesn't go far enough. I have heard from a lot of people here that say it doesn't go far enough. Some people say that it goes too far, it is too much. It doesn't include an authorization of military force, it doesn't include an overarching strategy for ISIS or Syria.

I reject those calls for a perfect strategy from a perfect President for a perfect outcome in Syria. That is simply not possible given the circumstances we now face, due to our previous inaction.

Mr. Speaker, to those who believe that the Assad regime is a partner in the fight against ISIS, I would remind them this regime has slaughtered nearly 200,000 of its own people. In fact, in Iraq, when we were fighting al Qaeda in Iraq, the Assad regime gave AQI safe haven in Syria to fight American forces. And look no further than Hezbollah--one of the greatest enemies of the West and one of the greatest enemies of Israel is strongly supported and enabled by the Assad regime. The Assad regime created the ISIS problem, gave them safe passage through regime- controlled territory and, ultimately, attacked only Free Syrian Army targets until the West looked over, and now they look like the savior of the West by attacking only ISIS. Let's not get sucked into that argument.

I support this amendment, not because it is part of a larger strategy in Syria that we would like to see from this administration but because it is a first step in addressing ISIS in Syria.

I ask my colleagues to support this first step that many have been calling for to train the FSA before it is too late. What would our enemies and allies think if we rejected the President's authority to do this?

I urge support of this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today in celebration of the DeKalb Municipal Band as they celebrate 160 years of concerts this December.

From humble beginnings as the Silver Cornet Band in 1854, the DeKalb Municipal Band has a history as interesting and unique as its many members. In its early years it was the official band of the Third Regiment of the Illinois National Guard, and was later renamed the DeKalb Military Band following the return of musicians who served in World War I. In the 1930s, Hopkins Park was built and the band found a permanent home for concerts. Since then, Hopkins Park has been outfitted with a wooden shell, funded by the band members themselves, which was eventually upgraded to the current concrete and steel band shell that includes seating for 3,000 to enjoy today's concerts.

As one of the most historic bands in the Midwest, the DeKalb Municipal Band keeps the tradition of providing music and entertainment to DeKalb and the surrounding communities alive with their annual summer concert series, including their July 4th Fireworks Spectacular. The commitment of the musicians, conductors, and volunteers who have helped the Municipal Band survive and thrive for 160 years is to be commended. DeKalb and the surrounding communities can take pride in the Band's historic traditions and I know we can all look forward to many more decades of music in Hopkins Park.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Illinois' Sixteenth District of Illinois, I wish to express our appreciation and sincere congratulations to all those who have helped make the DeKalb Municipal Band a success over the past 160 years.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Goodlatte for helping to bring this to the floor very quickly, also to the Majority Leader-elect Kevin McCarthy for his hard work and also to my good friend on the other side of the aisle, Representative Blumenauer, who has had a passion for this program since even before I got here.

Mr. Speaker, at a time when we just get debating a lot of tough things, it is great to see times when Republicans and Democrats can come together and do things for those that fight hard on behalf of our country and on behalf of theirs.

The Special Immigrant Visa program was designed to provide safe refuge to the countless brave Afghan men and women who willingly put their lives on the line and served shoulder to shoulder with our servicemembers in Operation Enduring Freedom.

This program is critical to our national security and to our servicemembers and veterans in any future engagement that will likely come at some point in the future.

The SIV programs provide lifesaving protections to those who served in U.S. missions and now are in danger as a result at the end of that service. The Taliban are hunting these people down as we speak here today.

Because it is in our national security interest to keep these promises and protect our allies and simply because it is the right thing to do, I want you to think about for a second: In a time of war, what can American soldiers and American marines, airmen, and sailors do in order to communicate with the local population and to get them on our side versus a very tough and determined enemy? Of course, the basic thing to that is to be able to speak to the local population.

So you think about, in many cases, these young men and women--these translators that, in some cases, wouldn't even put on anything to obscure their face and would stand side by side with American soldiers against Taliban in very tough areas, many of them, now as America withdraws its mission from Afghanistan and winds down its mission, now find themselves under threat every day.

Whether we agree or we disagree with the war in Afghanistan and anything like that, the reality of it is this: we all can agree that those that were willing to stand by us and to stand against this very, very bad enemy well deserve to come here.

We of course want to ensure that we are going through the proper process, and I want to commend the State Department for recently improving their ability to process these applicants and to do so correctly and safely. But I also would remind folks that when we talk about the United States of America and who do we want here, people who are willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and defend our cause and defend their cause are the ones we would like to see in the United States of America enjoying their freedom as well.

I mentioned earlier the threats that these people live under. It is estimated that multiple people are being killed every day who engaged in this kind of effort on behalf of the United States. So I want to commend everybody in this body for standing together to say that we need to stand with those who stood with us.

Recently there was a very interesting news special that talked about the reality of what was going on, and it interviewed a lot of these translators. Something that struck me the most was somebody who had been denied a visa, or at least it had taken a very long time to get, but he still had faith.

He stood up and said that he had faith that he was going to make it to the United States of America because the United States of America came to his country to help them, and he knows that the United States of America will do the right thing. It is inspiring to see that kind of belief in our country that we have, but to see it shared by people in war-torn areas.

So again to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, thank you. Representative Blumenauer, thank you for your friendship and your hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding again.

I won't take much time, except to say it is very inspiring--as I think it is important to note when it happens--to see both sides of the aisle talking about such a very important issue.

I think it is important to note that when we exit the shores of the United States, Americans stand together with those that stood with us.

This is going to be a very important message to our current allies, and, again, something that is important to understand, as we all know, as history repeats itself, that at some point into the future, and we hope it is far out into the future, America will find itself engaged in something similar again where we need the indigenous population to help us to give them freedom and to defeat evil terrorism, or whatever it may be at the time. This is a message that we are sending to future conflicts that we will stand with you.

This is also going to, Mr. Speaker, save the lives of American soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors in the future, as they have somebody that can help them to communicate with the local population and win the trust.

Again, for everybody involved, I want to just once again say thank you.

Madam Speaker, I want to say thank you to the chairman for yielding me this time. Thank you to both sides for your hard work. It is rare that we get compromises in Washington, and I appreciate the work you have put in, but I cannot, in good conscious, support this.

I am a veteran of Iraq. I saw many people that fought hard to bring the Iraqi people freedom, and I saw a war that was won in 2011. What we are watching happen in Iraq right now is the worst-case scenario in the Middle East. There is a march of jihadism and extremism that makes al Qaeda look like puppy dogs that is happening in Iraq, a President that is indecisive on what to do. We have genital mutilations ordered in Mosul just the other day by ISIS, and we are here in Washington, D.C., debating what we need to do to hamstring the President who is already indecisive enough about this.

When American military--American Marines and Army--get themselves into sustained combat, they often call on strong air support to help them win the fight. And that is why--as well as the strong Marines and Army we have, that is why we are so good at what we do. We are asking the Iraqi military to take back their country and take land but yet not providing them substantial air power that is needed to destroy this very evil cancer that is growing in the Middle East.

That is what we ought to be here discussing today is how to stop this cancer of jihadism and ISIS that is growing in the Middle East, how to stop that from growing, and ultimately prevent it from coming here to the United

States of America and potentially to our allies.

So while I, again, strongly respect and fully understand what my chairman is doing here and appreciate his hard work, I think instead of giving the President an ability to blame Congress for his indecisiveness, I think it is time that we stand up and say we have to defend our interest and defend people that want to defend themselves.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4092) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as the lead Federal agency for coordinating Federal, State, and local assistance provided to promote the energy retrofitting of schools, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 4092 directs the Secretary of Energy to develop a clearinghouse to publish information on Federal programs and financing tools that may be used to initiate, development, and finance energy efficiency, distributed generation, and energy retrofitting projects for schools.

In doing so, H.R. 4092 directs the Secretary to coordinate with appropriate Federal agencies on a collaborative effort to streamline communications and promote available programs and financing mechanisms.

Schools spend approximately $6 billion each year on energy costs, making it the next largest expenditure after personnel costs. Well- designed energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements can stabilize or reduce these operating costs.

In fact, the most efficient schools use three times less energy than the least efficient schools. H.R. 4092 makes it easier for schools to access information on Federal programs and financing tools for pursuing such energy improvements.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will inquire if the gentleman from Maryland is prepared to close, as I am.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleagues across the aisle, and I urge the approval of this.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 316) to reinstate and transfer certain hydroelectric licenses and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of certain hydroelectric projects.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 316 would provide the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, with limited authority to reinstate two terminated hydroelectric licenses and transfer them to a new owner, the town of Canton, Connecticut.

The licenses are associated with the upper and lower Collinsville dams on the Farmington River in Connecticut. Both projects are under 1 megawatt each.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will just say this is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4801) to require the Secretary of Energy to prepare a report on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and water use for potable hot water.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank the Speaker for the time today to discuss H.R. 4801, the Thermal Insulation Efficiency Improvement Act.

Today, millions of gallons of water and energy are wasted due to heating losses that could be prevented through the increased use of thermal insulation. The purpose of this legislation is to help identify opportunities in which we can maximize energy and water efficiency through the minimization of waste in our Federal facilities.

With the Federal Government being the single-largest consumer of energy in the country, the potential savings from the increased use of thermal insulation has the potential to be very significant in the amount of resources, both natural and financial, that can be saved.

For example, we have seen what the benefits of mechanical insulation maintenance in commercial buildings can be, with savings potentially topping $4.8 billion annually. That is enough energy savings to light nearly 4 million homes per year.

Up to this point, there have only been small-scale studies conducted to show the benefits such insulation can have on water and energy resources that are otherwise being wasted. The potential increase in energy efficiency is tremendous, as has been shown through the use of mechanical insulation, but this has not yet been demonstrated on a large scale.

That is why I introduced H.R. 4801 with Congressman McNerney. This legislation takes a step in the right direction in demonstrating the benefits of thermal insulation not only to the private sector, but to show the Federal Government how it can increase energy

efficiency and cost savings by applying these techniques in our Federal facilities. The bill does this by simply having the Department of Energy compile a study on the impact of thermal insulation on both energy and hot and cold water systems in Federal buildings.

I believe the addition of thermal insulation to the proper systems in our Federal facilities is both a relatively simple yet cost-effective way to reduce heat gains and losses that result in money simply going up in thin air. Estimates also show that thermal insulation saves up to 500 times more energy over its lifespan than its cost, which translates into fairly generous returns on energy efficiency. Simply put, thermal insulation saves energy, water, and money.

Once again, I urge passage of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to thank Congressman McNerney for working with me diligently on this. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I urge passage of the bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.