Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an outstanding individual, Mr. Vernon H. Hukle Jr. of Winchester, Kentucky, for his distinguished military service during World War II. Mr. Hukle served our nation in uniform from October 20, 1942 to November 20, 1945.

As a young man, Mr. Hukle began his service in the United States Marine Corps as a

Corporal within the 2nd Marine Division--8th Regiment--1st Battalion-- Company C 182. He entered the war against the Axis Powers by storming the deadly beaches of Okinawa and fought valiantly, sustaining serious injuries during combat.

On June 20, 1945, Mr. Hukle received two separate bullet wounds to his arm and leg. Throughout the heated battle, Mr. Hukle witnessed many of his comrades killed in action including the 10th Army Commander, Lieutenant General Simon Bolivor Buckner Jr. The battled raged on for two more days until Allied Forces were able claim victory in controlling the island on June 22, 1945. Mr. Hukle received two Purple Hearts for being wounded in action by an enemy of the United States.

Mr. Hukle embodies the best of America's ideals, values, and work ethic. He served this nation proudly, answering the call to prevent the Axis Powers threat from arriving on our shores.

Mr. Hukle's bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform protected our American freedoms for future generations. He is truly an outstanding American and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the life of an outstanding individual, Mr. Roscoe R. Cassidy of Preston, Kentucky. Mr. Cassidy served our nation in military uniform from June 3, 1942 to October 9, 1945 and recently passed-away at the age of 107.

As a young man, Mr. Cassidy began his service in the United States Army as a Private First Class assigned to Company E, 335th Engineering Regiment, Duty Soldier 188. During the United States' campaign to achieve victory over the Axis Powers, Mr. Cassidy fought his way from Tunisia, Africa, up through southern France, across Italy and did not stop until the Allies achieved victory in Germany.

Mr. Cassidy's valiant performance fighting in four major campaigns earned him great distinction, and for his actions he received the European Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon, four Bonze Stars, and a Good Conduct Medal.

After victoriously returning to his home in Preston, Kentucky, Mr. Cassidy began his career of farming and working for the Bath County Road Department. Mr. Cassidy enjoyed life and loved to dance while listening to country and bluegrass music.

Mr. Cassidy's bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform protected our American freedoms for future generations. He was truly an outstanding American, a protector of freedom, and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tireless advocate for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Mr. Bill Schweri, who is retiring from his position as the Director of Federal Relations at the University of Kentucky. As Bill retires, I want to personally thank him not only for the work he has done to better the Sixth District of Kentucky and the broader Commonwealth, but also for the relationship he has developed with me and my staff.

Bill has always been happy to spend the time to get to know my office, and we all have fond memories of working with Bill--not to mention remembrances of chatting about UK sports in the front office. Bill's ability to build lasting relationships is unmatched, and he leaves large shoes to fill.

Few people have contributed as much to our Commonwealth and UK as Bill has during his 42 years at the University including the last 20 as Director of Federal Relations. His contribution to the success of UK-- from the NCI designation at the Markey Cancer Center to advances in energy research to programs in agriculture and education--speaks for itself.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and the Big Blue Nation as we honor Bill Schweri and wish him a long, happy, and healthy retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Judge James D. Trimble, who has served his family and community throughout his lifetime while striving to put others before himself.

Judge Trimble chose to dedicate 30 years to the Menifee County School System. Of those, 22 were spent as a teacher and eight of were spent as a principal. Some of those years were even spent driving a bus throughout Menifee County and coaching the girls' basketball team. After retiring from the school system in 1994, he became a part-time tobacco farmer and worked part-time at the Frenchburg Job Corps for five years teaching driver's education.

From 2003 until 2006, Trimble served as Menifee County Judge Executive under the

motto ``Leave Menifee County better than you found it.'' As Judge Executive, Trimble was able to accomplish a great deal for Menifee County, reducing the county's debt from $900,000 to $600,000 in just three years. He secured a grant for two new garbage trucks; purchased a new boom mower for the county; and worked in conjunction with 911 Director Christy Wayman and Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) to obtain a new 911 system for Menifee County, which also received a two year raise for all county employees and $100 million in additional money for blacktopping from the Governor's office while Trimble was Judge Executive. Judge Trimble also worked with Gail Wright of the Gateway Area Development District office to receive funds from Community Development Block Grants and Appalachian Regional Commission for a new Senior Citizens Center for Menifee County.

Trimble has been happily married to Lucille Coldiron Trimble for 49 years. They have two children, Jami Miller and Jimmy Trimble; and three grandchildren--Travis Trimble, Kyle Miller and Bryce Miller.

Trimble is a proud member of the Frenchburg Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon and an adult Sunday school teacher as well as leading Wednesday night prayer meetings.

In his spare time, Trimble enjoys playing basketball in adult recreation leagues. He also enjoys the Bluegrass Games, and has taken home both gold and silver medals with his group. He is an active member of the Shift Masters Car Club, and coached Little League for five years while his son Jimmy played for ``The Royals.'' He has enjoyed volunteering with Habitat for Humanity as well.

James D. Trimble has devoted his life to serving those around him, and his service to Menifee County, our Commonwealth and our community is greatly appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 227th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention.

It is fitting and proper to accord official recognition to this magnificent document and this memorable anniversary; and to the patriotic celebrations commemorating the occasion.

Within its very body is the framework that has allowed our great nation to prosper. The Constitution has guided us through both challenging and prosperous times as a nation, and has united us in defining the values of America.

I urge all citizens to reaffirm the ideals the Framers of the Constitution had in 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights may never be regained.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Mr. James C. Russell, master distiller at the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and to mark the event of his 60th year in the industry.

Mr. Russell, or Jimmy as he is warmly known to family, friends, and acquaintances alike, is the living example of the maxim that you ought to do what you love. Born into a family of distillers just 3 miles from the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg,

Jimmy has been instrumental in the craftsmanship of nearly every barrel since he began working at the facility on September 10, 1954, when he was just 19 years old.

Since becoming master distiller in the late 1960s, Jimmy has been prolific, distilling more than 3 million barrels with his keen eye for detail and palette for flavor. When he is not in Lawrenceburg overseeing production, Jimmy is traveling the world as one of perhaps the most famous ambassadors for Kentucky's signature bourbon industry.

Mr. Russell has seen the ebbs and flows of the industry over the years and has been a key player in fostering the recent explosive growth of bourbon. Treated like a rock star wherever he goes, as adoring fans clamor for his autograph or a bottle of American Honey or his Russell Reserve, the indefatigable spirit of this Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer, or the so-called ``Buddha of Bourbon,'' will help guide the bourbon industry long into the future. Jimmy's son Eddie, himself a Hall of Famer, will ensure that the family's time-honored tradition of producing complex, finely honed bourbons continues into the fourth generation.

So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join Jimmy's friends, family, fans, and fellow master distillers in raising a toast to celebrate Mr. Russell's contributions to a distinctively American and Kentucky industry on this momentous anniversary. I know I speak for millions more across the country and around the world when I say that I look forward to enjoying the fruits of Jimmy's labor for many more years to come.

Well, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his leadership on title III of this package and the Mortgage Choice Act, and I appreciate the gentleman's yielding so that we can talk about why every Member of Congress should support this package of reforms.

Before I get to the substance, I do also want to thank the ranking member, thank her for voicing support for the underlying policies in this legislation. I want to thank her for expressing absolutely no concern about the substance of the policy in her remarks, and I would also like to thank the ranking member for her recognition that the Dodd-Frank law may very well have flaws, even for those who adamantly supported the passage of the bill, and for her acknowledgement that she would have no problem changing or dealing with some of the flaws of the Dodd-Frank law. Well, this is our chance, Mr. Speaker. This is the chance to deal with those flaws.

The legislation on the floor tonight is a package of four commonsense financial services bills that all share a common theme. They all have proven bipartisan support. They all have passed either the House or the Senate with unanimous or near-unanimous support, and, most importantly--put aside all of this procedure here--they all promote jobs.

They all promote durable economic growth in this country, and Members on both sides of the aisle and Members in both this Chamber and in the Senate agree about that. Let's stop the games in Washington, and let's get the American people back to work. That is what we have an opportunity to do here in a bipartisan way; so I call on my colleagues to support this bill.

This is a simple 14-page bill that is about fixing unintended consequences of the Dodd-Frank law. These fixes are technical corrections, and they are meant to clarify provisions in the law where, although congressional intent was clear, the authority provided by the statutory language led some regulators to enact or promulgate economically destructive regulations.

The four titles of this legislative package represent the hard work of a number of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Let me just go through those really quickly. Title I of the legislation is an important provision that clarifies the capital requirements applied to insurance companies subject to Federal Reserve Board supervision.

Mr. Huizenga did a good job explaining what this title does; but, just in summary, it is important that the capital rules for insurance companies are carefully tailored to the business of insurance rather than arbitrarily holding insurance companies to standards that are meant for banks.

I want to thank Congressman Gary Miller, a Republican from California, Congresswoman Maloney, a Democrat from New York, for their leadership--bipartisan leadership--for this Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act and for helping push this provision forward.

I would also like to further emphasize the bipartisan and noncontroversial nature of this title by noting that the Senate version of the Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 3.

Then there is title II. Title II is the text of a bill that I introduced in March which passed the House by a voice vote. This was a bill that no one opposed. This was a bill that simply incorporates bipartisan provisions of the Restoring Proven Financing for American Employers Act, and it is about jobs.

It is about restoring a robust and dependable commercial lending market to U.S. companies so that they can obtain affordable financing to expand their businesses.

Collateralized loan obligations, known as CLOs, have proven to be a critical source of funding for U.S. businesses for over 20 years. Today's CLOs continue to provide $300 billion in financing to U.S. companies on Main Street, including companies that are well-known to all of us in this room: Dunkin' Donuts, American Airlines, Burger King, Toys R Us, Delta Airlines, Goodyear Tire, and even a mattress company in Lexington, Kentucky, my home district, Tempur Sealy.

Because of this innovative source of financing, U.S. employers have expanded, jobs have been created, and our economy has grown; and, despite a proven track record with a default rate below even a half a percent, this valuable form of corporate finance is under assault because of the Volcker rule.

Further relief from the Volcker rule for these CLOs is necessary to prevent a fire sale in the CLO market that will cause significant losses for banks of all size. This defined, narrow fix which clarifies that the Volcker rule should not be construed to require the divestiture of any debt securities of CLOs prior to July 21, 2017, if such CLOs were issued before January 31, 2014, is a commonsense solution.

It clarifies that a bank shall not be considered to have an ownership interest in a CLO if such debt security has no indicia of ownership other than the right to participate in the removal for cause in the selection of a replacement investment manager or investment adviser of the CLO.

This title is a bipartisan commonsense fix to a real-world problem voiced by community banks and by companies on Main Street that want access to this affordable and reliable source of commercial credit. It prevents an unnecessary fire sale in the CLO market that would cause significant losses to banks currently holding these legacy CLOs, and it will help keep the cost of borrowing affordable in the future for Main Street U.S. businesses looking to expand, grow, and create much-needed jobs.

I want to personally thank Congresswoman Maloney and Ranking Member Waters for working with me to enact a CLO fix so that it could pass by a voice vote in April.

Then, also, title III, this is the fix that Congressman Huizenga helped pass, and Congressman Huizenga worked in a bipartisan way with Congressman Meeks to support this Mortgage Choice Act, and it passed the House by a voice vote--not a single objection--on June 19, and I won't go over the details which Congressman Huizenga has done well, but I will say that this measure will greatly advance our efforts to help the housing market and our economy recover as Members on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated with their support and supporting it by voice vote.

Finally, title IV, this is the fourth and final title of this package, and it is a provision that has broad support for Main Street and businesses of all sizes. Like other provisions of this package, title IV is meant to alleviate the unintended consequences created by Dodd-Frank. It is a technical fix that has proven bipartisan support and passed the House on June 12 with 411 votes in favor.

The provision simply clarifies and codifies congressional intent that Dodd-Frank was not supposed to impose margin requirements on end user derivative transactions. We are talking about nonfinancial companies that produce goods for the American people and simply use derivatives to hedge against commercial risk.

This provision is not about speculation. It is about promoting responsible risk-management practices among U.S. companies. In fact, failure to enact this provision could lead to more risk as companies may be deterred from engaging in hedging transactions.

It requires them to needlessly tie up capital that could otherwise be used to do more productive things like expand operating plants, perform research and product development, and ultimately create jobs. Again, this is a provision that previously passed the House with near unanimous support.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, what do we have here today? We have a package of four bills, 14 pages, unlike the 2,300 pages in Dodd-Frank-- 14 pages, each of which of these four bills--overwhelmingly bipartisan--each of which are vital to preserving and creating jobs, each of which are noncontroversial in nature, and two of these provisions previously passed the House by voice vote, a third passed with 411 votes, and the fourth is a commonsense critically important solution for the 75 million American families that rely on life insurance for financial and retirement security, a bill that passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

The substance and the policy behind these bills are bipartisan. It is solid. I would certainly expect that, if you would support the underlying policy, then you would support this commonsense package of bills to promote jobs and durable economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I thank the gentlewoman for her comments. I appreciate what she is saying about bipartisanship. Let me just make sure I clarify. I was referring to Congresswoman Maloney on the legislation that she and I worked on together, the CLO bill. So, in a very bipartisan way, I worked with her on that.

But to the substance of the gentlewoman's remarks, I appreciate what she is saying, absolutely, and that is what is such a shame about this whole situation because we have four bills that have been worked on in a bipartisan way. There shouldn't be any controversy about this whatsoever.

Let's do the business of the American people, get them back to work. Pass these bipartisan bills.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to celebrate the life and share the passing of a dear friend of mine and a devoted servicemember, physician, husband and father, U.S. Army Colonel Ben P. Bingcang.

Colonel Bingcang passed away at his home in Nicholasville, Kentucky on July 31, 2014 at the age of 67 and is survived by his wife, Cornelia C. Bingcang of Nicholasville, Kentucky; his three sons, Oliver, Alexander, Christopher; and a host of family and friends.

We grieve the loss of this great American, but we also celebrate and honor his life and his service to our country. Since receiving his commission in the U.S. Army Reserves with a rank of Captain on January 3, 1983, Colonel Bingcang spent the rest of his career providing medical care and comfort to service members and civilians alike. When Colonel Bingcang was not treating patients at St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, he was tending to the wounded on the battlefields and commanding hospitals during Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and, in more recent years, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Colonel Bingcang embodied the best of America's ideals, values, and commitment to service, constantly living by the motto of his home reserve unit in Kentucky in both his civilian and military life: ``Say it, Mean it, Do it!''

Due to Colonel Bingcang answering the call to serve his country, many lives were saved and comforted by his medical care and countless staff and patients' spirits have been raised by his loving personality. I am forever grateful for his friendship and service to our local community and our country. He was truly an outstanding American and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lexington, Kentucky native and businessman Warren P. Rogers for his efforts to find creative solutions to public infrastructure financing as a champion of ``P3'' public-private partnerships in Kentucky.

As the federal budget faces continued challenges with autopilot spending programs and a massive federal debt crowding out other spending priorities, we must continue to look for creative solutions to fund public projects. In Kentucky, Warren Rogers has worked with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Associated General Contractors of Kentucky, the League of Cities and several other organizations to champion H.B. 407, a bill that would clarify the rules to allow for private-public partnerships--often referred to as P3s--by the state and local governments in Kentucky.

These partnerships are already a tool used by 30 other states, creating greater private-sector involvement and investment in public works, leading to better predictability, less risk and less cost for taxpayers.

Mr. Rogers helped organize and co-chaired the Kentucky Chamber's P3 coalition and testified on behalf of the legislation before committees to encourage its passage. Ultimately, the legislation passed both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly with large bipartisan majorities--27-9 in the Senate and 86-9 in the House. While the Governor found cause to veto this legislation, the broad bipartisan support it enjoys will no doubt lead to its passage once again in 2015.

On behalf of Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District, I would like to thank Warren Rogers for his work to protect and improve Kentucky's public infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sheriff Rodney L. Coffey of Menifee County, Kentucky for his years of dedication and service to the citizens of Frenchburg, Menifee County, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and our great nation.

Sheriff Coffey has devoted over 20 years to the law enforcement profession. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Police Administration, graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice Training Police Academy, the National FBI Academy Class 229 and served eight years in the Navy Reserves.

He served on the Morehead State University Police Department for eight years prior to running for Sheriff. Elected Sheriff in 1998, Coffey served as one of the youngest sheriffs in the history of Kentucky. He was named Kentucky Sheriffs' Association Sheriff of the Year in 2003, served on the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Sheriffs' Association from 2007-2013 and was elected President of that same organization in 2014.

Soon after the devastating and fatal tornado that touched down in Menifee County two years ago, Sheriff Coffey invited me to see firsthand the relief and response efforts taking place. At a time of turmoil and tragedy, Sheriff Coffey provided a calming and helpful presence in the community. I remember him leading me into the Red Cross trailer where his wife and family were volunteering. His selfless devotion to maintaining the safety of the residents of Menifee County is truly heroic, and I am honored to represent him in Congress.

I commend Sheriff Rodney Coffey for his honorable service, his leadership in the community and his patriotic devotion to this nation. I am proud to call him a friend.

I thank the chairman for his excellent work on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, tonight, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed, with my support, a strong border security bill. And I rise in support of this second reform bill that would, if enacted, immediately and effectively address the humanitarian and national security crisis that has developed along the southern border of the United States.

This crisis, which will result in an estimated 90,000 unaccompanied children entering the United States illegally through the end of this fiscal year, representing a 1,381 percent increase since 2009, was entirely caused by the Obama administration's failure to secure the border, its unwillingness to enforce existing laws, and its disastrous 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which invited this surge in illegal immigration.

The action taken by the House tonight is a serious, bold, and thoughtful legislative response to President Obama's failure to secure the border and ensure that the laws are faithfully executed.

But there is a second and very important reason besides a policy reason why every Member of this House should support this legislation, and that is to vindicate the separation of powers.

There was a U.S. Supreme Court case in 1983 that dealt with an immigration issue, INS v. Chadha. And in that case, the Supreme Court talked about the procedure that the Constitution outlines to change the law, how legislation is enacted in accordance with constitutional command. And the court held that there was a single, finely wrought, and exhaustively considered procedure for enacting legislation. And unilateral executive memoranda from the White House is not the way to change the law.

So if you are interested in vindicating the separation of powers, if you believe that the way to change the law--even if you believe in the DREAM Act, even if you believe in the President's policy of deferred action--the way that we do that is through constitutional procedure.

So there is not just a policy issue at stake here, not just a humanitarian and national security issue at stake--the Constitution is at stake.

So I appreciate the House leadership for heeding the call that I and many of my colleagues made to stay in session and finish the work of the American people before the start of the August district work period.

I strongly urge the Senate and President Obama to do their jobs, stop trying to score political points, listen to the American people, pass this bill, and join the House in solving this very important problem.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Paul and Emma Esker for their many contributions to healthcare, education and the arts in Madison County, Kentucky. The leadership of both these citizens has been evident and invaluable to Richmond and throughout Madison County.

In particular, I would like to recognize the Eskers' dedication to the Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center and its Infirmary Association, and to Baptist Health Richmond. Mr. Esker served as a member of the Pattie A. Clay Foundation Board of Directors from 2005 to 2012, and has worked at the hospital as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist since 1973.

Mrs. Esker served as the St. Mark Catholic Church representative to the Pattie A. Clay Infirmary Association and as a member of its Board of Directors from 2001 to 2012. In 2013, she joined the board of Baptist Health Foundation Richmond. She also served the community as president of the St. Mark Catholic School Board and as a director of the Richmond Area Arts Council. She is a retired Radiology Technician who was employed at Baptist Health Richmond.

The retirement of Mr. and Mrs. Esker on August 1, 2014 marks the end of decades of quiet, selfless commitment to Madison County and beyond. Their service is a role model and inspiration to many, and has made a real difference to generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Bluegrass Community and Technical College, located in Lexington, Kentucky, on the celebration of its 75th anniversary.

Since its establishment 75 years ago, the Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) has set an example of excellence for central Kentucky and provided Kentucky's youth with strong higher education programs.

As the largest two-year institution in the State, BCTC offers daytime, evening and weekend classes at six convenient locations and online. With more than 11,500 students, BCTC has recently expanded to its third campus in Lexington--the Newtown campus--to accommodate its continued growth. The Bluegrass Community and Technical College is specifically designed to promote the advancement of academic achievements in young people. The BCTC education encourages students to achieve success at their own pace and to explore various technical programs to help further their careers.

BCTC's recent expansion is a testament to its continued success in the educational community and the positive impact it is making on students and employers across our Commonwealth. I commend BCTC for its dedication to education and community outreach, and I know that its varied educational services will continue to serve the people of our great district for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I appreciate her leadership as the chairman of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee and for her support of this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5062, the Examination and Supervisory Privilege Parity Act, and I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado, my friend, Mr. Perlmutter, for working with me in a bipartisan fashion to introduce and advance this legislation.

In central Kentucky, one of our signature industries is the auto manufacturing industry, and no place exemplifies this proud fact more than Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky and the plant that is located in my district in Georgetown, Kentucky.

With over 7,300 Toyota team members and their families dependent on these high-quality jobs in that facility, I am committed to doing everything I can to support these Kentucky workers. This legislation does that.

H.R. 5062 is, as my friend from Colorado said, a technical fix, but it is an important piece of legislation because it helps automobile finance companies like Toyota Financial Services, which finances over two-thirds of new vehicle sales for Toyota customers.

This legislation assures these consumer lenders that when they provide confidential and privileged information to their regulators in the course of supervision, the customary privilege or confidentiality of that information is not waived when shared with the State regulatory agencies.

This is necessary because the unintended fragmented structure of current law leaves privileged and confidential status of this information in question, and that poses a significant risk to auto finance companies.

Consumer access to finance is vital for new car sales and a healthy car market, and a healthy car market is good for the 7,300 automobile manufacturing workers in central Kentucky and all around America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation which, again, simply guaranties that when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau asks for confidential and privileged information from a captive finance company and then shares that information with a State regulator, that information shared will continue to be treated as privileged and confidential. I urge support for this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Alice Jane Ballew of Richmond, Kentucky for her commitment and service to the citizens of the City of Richmond and Madison County, Kentucky.

On the occasion of her 90th birthday, I am pleased to recognize Mrs. Alice Jane Ballew for her many contributions to Richmond and Madison County, Kentucky, and in particular to the Pattie A. Clay Infirmary Association and to Baptist Health Richmond. Mrs. Ballew has provided more than a half century of volunteer service to the Infirmary Association and the hospital, and has served on the boards of trustees of both the hospital and its foundation.

Mrs. Ballew was recently awarded the Kentucky Hospital Association's Health Care Governance Leadership Award for her positive and sustainable impact on the quality of health care in Richmond and Madison County. She has also received the Community Service Award from Richmond's Chamber of Commerce, the Outstanding Service Award from Jewish Hospital in Louisville, the Outstanding Community Philanthropy Award and the Kentucky Hospital Association's Award of Excellence.

I am grateful to represent such an outstanding, civic minded constituent.