Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 4315, and I appreciate my colleague from urban northern Virginia for his insight on the Endangered Species Act. But those of us from more rural areas actually understand that the challenges that are presented in this law as it currently stands beg for reform.

This bill contains important reforms to the act, and it has been authored by Chairman Hastings, Congresswoman Lummis, Congressman Neugebauer, and myself. Within that is a provision that I had authored, which is commonsense legislation that makes the Endangered Species Act consistent with current law.

It reforms the ESA litigation process while enhancing wildlife preservation, improving government efficiency, and protecting taxpayer dollars. And I know that is something that my colleagues on the other side have expressed, they are concerned with wasting precious dollars that have been appropriated to the EPA.

Well, for too long, litigating attorneys have taken advantage of the Endangered Species Act, raking in millions of taxpayer-funded money. In many ESA cases, lawyers' fees climb as high as $300, $400, or even $500 an hour, with hardworking American taxpayers left to foot the bill.

In fact, I have a 2013 quote here from David Hayes, the Deputy Secretary of the Interior, who was so concerned about this waste of resources, that he said this: ``My major concern is timing, resources needs, the fact this has been fish-in-the-barrel litigation for folks who, because there is a deadline and we miss these deadlines and so, we've been spending a huge amount of, in my mind, relatively unproductive time fending off lawsuits in this arena.''

And I couldn't have said it better.

But even worse, these rates can be awarded in cases where the Federal Government has settled with these groups that may not have even prevailed in the court system. This does absolutely nothing to benefit the species or the people and is not productive. My section of the bill seeks to remedy this unconscionable problem.

Currently, the Equal Access to Justice Act limits the hourly rate for prevailing attorney fees to $125 per hour for veterans, small businesses, and the Federal benefit recipients. So it is time that we apply the same cap to the ESA citizen suits as well.

So in times of tight fiscal budgets and escalating national debt, taxpayer dollars should be prioritized for the protection and recovery of species, not

lining the pockets of highly priced lawyers.

With that, Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4315 and for the commonsense updates that are so desperately needed.

Mr. Speaker, as cochair of the Dutch Caucus here in the U.S. House of Representatives, I rise today with a heavy heart to express our condolences at the tragic loss of life of nearly 300 people on Malaysian Airlines Flight 17.

On that flight, there was one American and a number of others from Australia, Malaysia, and a number of other countries. But counted among those were 193 Dutch nationals. Just to put that in perspective, that is like having a country the size of the United States lose over 3,600 people. That is the impact that it has had with our friends in the Netherlands. This attack on innocent civilians can only be described, I believe, as an act of terror, as it was flying over Ukrainian airspace.

We are rising today jointly, in a bipartisan fashion, to express our condolences to our friends in the Netherlands. The Netherlands was the first nation to ever recognize our Nation, the United States of America, officially back during the Revolutionary War. And they have been stalwart partners and stalwart friends throughout the history of our country.

With that, I yield to my friend from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, today we humbly ask our colleagues to join us in a moment of silence as we pay our respects and honor the memory of all 298 passengers aboard MH17 that had their lives tragically cut short.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Medal of Honor Recipient, Corporal Duane Edgar Dewey for his commendable service in the Korean War.

Corporal Dewey was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He stayed in Michigan until he signed with the Marine Corps Reserve on March 7, 1951, at the age of 19. Corporal Dewey served in the United States Marine Corps from 1951-1952. During his years of service, Corporal Dewey served in Korea, where he was a part of the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Marines.

On April 16, 1952, Corporal Dewey was serving as leader of a machine gun squad with Company E, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, near Panmunjom, Korea. During a skirmish with enemy troops, Corporal Dewey suffered numerous injuries due to a grenade that

exploded at his feet. While Corporal Dewey was being treated for his wounds, another grenade was thrown that landed at the squad's position. Corporal Dewey grabbed the grenade and covered it with his body in order to protect his fellow soldiers. For his efforts, Corporal Dewey was the first person to receive the Medal of Honor from President Dwight D. Eisenhower on March 12, 1953.

Corporal Dewey stands as a shining example of bravery and determination that all Americans strive toward. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Corporal Duane Edgar Dewey for his service to the United States of America.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my friend from New York was pointing out that, at some point, we are going to move on from the IRS, but I want to point out that this section is specifically about the enforcement of what the IRS has been doing.

Last year, we learned that the IRS has been targeting American taxpayers for their political beliefs for the last 4 or 5 years. During this period, a culture of shading the truth was fostered and developed by directors and administrators throughout the IRS. Now this culture within the IRS has grown to one of stonewalling, doubletalk, and mistrust.

It is up to Congress to use the power of the purse, Mr. Chairman, to rein in the IRS and force them to conduct their analysis in an unbiased manner. This is our constitutional tool. The IRS has proven itself to be unable to do so, which is why I am introducing this amendment that cuts more than $788 million from the IRS' budget. With the combined cuts in the underlying bill of $341 million, this will approximately cut the IRS' budget by 10 percent from its current funding levels. The underlying legislation takes a good step in the right direction, and many of the amendments, including the last one that was just adopted, are a step in the right direction, but I believe, unfortunately, that this doesn't go far enough.

We need to keep in mind that the IRS is one of the most feared agencies within the Federal Government--left, right or center. They can freeze bank accounts, garnish wages, and seize assets with a flick of a pen. Congress needs to utilize the power of the purse--our constitutional tool and responsibility, I might add--to send the IRS a message to put an end to this newfound ``business as usual.''

It is up to Congress to prevent the IRS from ever slipping back into its targeting practices. The best way to do that is to force them to consolidate their resources and prioritize. Congress, itself, has been forced to do this. Our own offices, Mr. Chairman, have been forced to do this over the last number of years, and there is no reason why the IRS cannot follow suit.

We cannot allow the IRS to be used as a political weapon because, as I had pointed out, it doesn't matter if an American's political views are left of the spectrum, right of the spectrum or somewhere in between. The IRS is one of the most powerful agencies that we have, and for them to be injected into this process as a political weapon is simply wrong. Political targeting is not the only example, however, and this is not the real problem I am trying to get at. I believe there is another problem, which is a tax on those who cannot defend themselves. Political targeting is only a part of the story.

The other one is, in 2012, a Taxpayer Advocate Service report found that 69 percent of individuals who claimed the adoption tax credit were audited by the IRS. Okay. That seems like a pretty aggressive move. Unfortunately, for the IRS, only 1.5 percent of the credits claimed were ever disallowed. The Taxpayer Advocate Service and the Government Accountability Office, the GAO, have both noted that the adoption credit claims represented less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all individual returns for the 2011 filing season. By comparison, the IRS spent approximately 3.5 percent of its total staff days on the initial reviews, correspondence, and audits of these adoption tax claims. Let me repeat that. One-tenth of 1 percent are the total claims, yet the IRS spends 3.5 percent of all of its staff days in pursuing these. This is not about tax cheats. This is about harassment. In essence, the IRS spent 35 times the number of work hours investigating adoptive parents compared to other tax filers.

West Michigan, which is the area I represent, is blessed to have one of the highest adoption rates in the entire Nation, hardworking families who want to bring another into their homes, someone who has been abused or neglected. They should not have to be burdened by the echoing footsteps of the taxman.

I am angry, Mr. Chairman. The American people are angry, and they should be. Clearly, the IRS has too much time on its hands and not enough focus. The recklessness with which the

IRS is acting by targeting Americans for their political views or as to whether they have adopted a child is simply wrong, and it must be stopped immediately.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I am stunned that my amendment would be characterized as zeroing it out. In fact, my amendment provides $4.16 billion for IRS enforcement budget.

I want to know what employer would reward unacceptable behavior. I think we have the answer, Mr. Chairman, and that is my colleagues across the aisle.

This is a 19 percent cut to the enforcement budget, 10 percent cut overall. This brings us back to 2004-2005 levels and, in fact, this House approved a budget last year of $3.87 billion, so my amendment doesn't even bring us down as low as what had been passed by the House just last year.

I urge passage of my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, on rollcall No. 397 there was a technical issue with my voting card and I was detained getting to the well of the House to vote by physical card. I would have voted ``yes.''

Amendment No. 22 Offered by Mrs. Blackburn

I thank my colleague from California for working with me on this. I am glad to hear the elevation that this issue is getting. In fact, on Monday I met with Andrie Shipping out of Muskegon, Michigan, in my district about this issue, among other issues regarding Great Lakes shipping.

I can tell you, though, that it seems to me as we passed the WRRDA bill just a short 7 weeks ago, as you pointed out, I was willing to compromise on that glide path. What I don't see currently is that glide path to the direction. We are, as you point out, nearly $58 million below what was laid out in that WRRDA bill.

The chairman from Idaho has a very difficult job balancing all this, and he has pointed out that the nuclear energy program is the way that we are going to offset this. I will point out, though, that it is appropriated for $899 million this year, a level that is $36 million above the President's budget request, $10 million above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, and $243 million above the level proposed by the House Appropriations Committee for fiscal year 2014. So it doesn't seem to me we are exactly raiding that when everybody has said that we are overfunding that portion of the bill, and it seems to me that this is a great way of impacting our economy to help create jobs and to help create the momentum to continue to move forward.

So with that, I just want to thank the committee for working towards a solution. I know that I, too, had signed on to Mr. Boustany's bill earlier and have been a champion of this, and we are working towards a true solution on this.

I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and this critical maritime activity.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today to offer an amendment that will ensure a fair and open bidding process to supply our men and women on the front lines one of the most indispensable pieces of equipment that they use every day: their boots, their footwear.

My amendment would prohibit the use of funds by the Defense Logistics Agency to implement the 2012 Small Business Administration's interim rule in regards to footwear, preventing the Defense Logistics Agency from bidding the contract as a small business set-aside.

When the SBA released this new rule back in 2012, there was significant concern that they did not go through the normal rulemaking and public comment processes, and, therefore, more specifically, did not perform due diligence on how the changes would actually affect the footwear industry and the military supply base, which the SBA has even acknowledged.

This rule dramatically changed the competitive landscape amongst companies supplying those Berry-compliant footwear to the U.S. military.

There are very few footwear manufacturers actually located in the United States, and even fewer that manufacturer Berry-compliant footwear for our troops. Any reduction in this industrial base calls for immediate action to rectify the unintended consequences resulting from the SBA's changes to the small business size standards categories governing domestic footwear manufacturing for the U.S. military.

Congress has addressed the rule's impacts on defense procurement in the House report to the fiscal year '14 National Defense Authorization, which expressed concern that the SBA did not follow the normal rulemaking and public comment procedures and has not subsequently addressed the issue with footwear manufacturers.

It then called on the Defense Logistics Agency to use its discretion to maintain the manufacturer base.

This amendment would essentially codify the report language, ensuring that all businesses capable of supplying high-quality footwear to the Defense Department still can.

This amendment promotes competition, and it promotes fairness and consistency in the defense procurement process. And most importantly, it ensures that our men and women in uniform have access, regardless of who makes it, to the best equipment available.

I urge my colleagues to support this vital amendment.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I would agree with that, those sentiments of my colleague. We do need to make sure that we are maintaining a manufacturing base of not just large, not just medium size, but small companies as well.

I think, in this particular situation though, what we are trying to do is codify report language that identified a problem. The problem is that there is not a manufacturer that is going to be adequately able to supply that vital need of boots to our men and women in uniform, and that is why I put forward this amendment, and I urge passage of it as well.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3211) to amend the Truth in Lending Act to improve upon the definitions provided for points and fees in connection with a mortgage transaction.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 3211, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3211, the Mortgage Choice Act. As someone who worked in the housing industry for a number of years, this is a very important issue to me, and, more importantly, to my constituents in Michigan as well as, frankly, all of our constituents across the country.

Earlier this year, the Qualified Mortgage, also known as the (QM)/ Ability to Repay Rule, as mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act went into effect. The QM rule is the primary means for mortgage lenders to satisfy their ``ability to repay'' requirements.

Additionally, Dodd-Frank provides that a QM may not have points and fees in excess of 3 percent of the loan amount. As currently defined, points and fees include, among other charges:

One, fees paid to affiliated, but not unaffiliated, title companies; two, salaries paid to loan originators; three, amounts of insurance and taxes held in escrow; four, loan level price adjustments; and number five, payments by lenders to corresponding banks as they

interact with them, credit unions, and mortgage brokers in wholesale transactions--not in any kind of retail transaction.

As a result of this confusing and problematic definition, many affiliated loans, particularly those made to low and moderate-income borrowers, would not qualify as QMs and would be unlikely to be made or would only be made available at much higher rates due to heightened liability risks. Consumers would lose the ability to take advantage of the convenience and the market efficiencies offered by one-stop shopping.

I, along with Representative Gregory Meeks, introduced H.R. 3211, a strong, bipartisan bill that would modify and clarify the ways points and fees are calculated. I should note, Mr. Speaker, that of our nine original cosponsors, two of them were Republicans, seven of them were Democrats, and we are very pleased that this has seen wide and broad support.

This legislation is narrowly focused to promote access to affordable mortgage credit without overturning the important consumer protections and sound underwriting required under Dodd-Frank's ``ability to repay'' provisions.

Specifically, my bill, H.R. 3211, would provide equal treatment for affiliated title fees compared with unaffiliated title fees. What that means is, for companies that are owned and integrated in, those same requirements and same designations would apply to those who are totally separate and independent companies. It also would clarify the treatment of insurance and taxes held in escrow. Now think about that. We are talking about taxes that no one makes a profit off of, that just literally get sent to the government, being counted in this points and fees definition. That, to me, just seems fundamentally unfair. And only--again, I might add--if they are an affiliated company versus an unaffiliated company.

These commonsense changes will promote access to affordable mortgage credit for low and moderate-income families and first-time home buyers by ensuring that safer, properly underwritten mortgages pass the QM test.

I would like to thank my colleague, Representative Meeks, along with many others, who have worked tirelessly to help fix this flawed provision currently being implemented.

Mr. Speaker, this evening, Congress has the opportunity to help more Americans realize a portion of the American Dream, not by some grandiose law or decree or something that is going to be big, but by simply reforming a burdensome regulation. Homeownership has been a pillar in American life for generations. Tonight, we can reaffirm that pillar and reassert that homeownership can and should be an attainable goal.

I urge my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 3211 and make the dreams of so many Americans a reality by ensuring that all consumers have greater access to mortgage credit and more choices to credit providers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, but I, too, would like to thank my friend, Mr. Scott from Georgia, for working with Representative Meeks to bring this to the forefront. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1679) to amend the Expedited Funds Availability Act to clarify the application of that Act to American Samoa, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials in the Record on H.R. 1679, as amended, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to also thank my colleague, Delegate Faleomavaega, for introducing this bill. This bill makes a technical change to clarify that the Expedited Funds Availability Act applies to banks located in American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as the other 50 States and contiguous States. It was an inadvertent error that these territories were not included in this act. This legislation remedies this error.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, with that, I would just like, again, to congratulate Delegate Faleomavaega for his leadership on this, and I am glad that we could get this done. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Daniel Krueger and his commendable service to Michigan's Western District as Ottawa County Clerk.

Daniel Krueger, the longest serving county clerk in the state, has served as the Ottawa County Clerk for over 35 years. During this time Daniel Krueger has proudly served the people of Ottawa County, as well as all of West Michigan.

Daniel Krueger received his Bachelor's in History from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. He then went on to receive his Masters Degree from Michigan State University. In 1978, Daniel Krueger was appointed to serve as the Ottawa County Clerk, and in 2012, he was elected as the Ottawa County Clerk and Register of Deeds. He is a member of the Michigan Association of County Clerks, and he has been on the legislative committee serving as chair and co-chair since 1990. He was also appointed to the board of the Michigan Association of Registers of Deeds in 2013 where he continues to serve.

Throughout his career, Daniel Krueger has worked to improve and enhance the efficiency of the county clerk's office. Beginning in 1980, Mr. Krueger initiated the computerization of court processes, and in 2006 he began the process of digitalizing all of the county court records. He has continued to work toward a paperless court process with electronic transmittal of records between county court offices, electronic certification of court documents, and online jury processes. For his efforts in promoting efficiency and the education of others, Mr. Krueger has been selected as County Clerk of the Year, and was selected as the Michigan State University Continuing Education's Clerk of the Year.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Daniel Krueger for his service to Ottawa County and the Western District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorable James D. Gregg and his commendable service to Michigan's Western District as a bankruptcy judge.

Judge Gregg served Michigan's Western District as a United States bankruptcy judge for 27 years. Further, his service to the state has been a long time commitment, as he has worked for Michigan communities for over 30 years.

After graduating from Wayne State University with his Juris Doctor, Judge Gregg chose to remain in Michigan to practice. He served as a partner of Varnum, Riddering, and Schmidt & Howlett in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1987, Judge Gregg was designated in The Best Lawyers in America. From 1995 to 2003, Judge Gregg worked with the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, ultimately serving as the organizations president from 2002-2003.

Throughout his career, Judge Gregg has been committed to educating students and practitioners about bankruptcy law. From 1994-1997, Judge Gregg served as an adjunct professor and taught bankruptcy law courses at The Thomas Cooley Law School. He has also been an education chair, a speaker, or a panelist at more than one hundred and fifty educational seminars for bar associations and professional organizations throughout the United States. In 2013, the Bankruptcy Section of the Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Michigan inaugurated the ``James D. Gregg Bankruptcy

Education Award'' to be given out to members of the local bar or bench who have done outstanding work to further the education among bankruptcy practitioners in the district. While Judge Gregg will no longer sit on the bench, he still plans to continue teaching bankruptcy law.

Madam Speaker, we know a lack of normalcy and barriers to participation in sort of age-appropriate activities increases vulnerability of trafficking, homelessness, and other negative outcomes that kids that are in foster care experience. This bill--and I appreciate the authors of this bill--would ensure that youth and foster care can participate in more age-appropriate activities and they are going to be better connected with their communities and their friends and less vulnerable, therefore, to becoming victims of sex trafficking.

In all this nastiness, negativity, and ugliness, I get to talk about a little ray of hope, though, as well. Bethany Christian Services, which is located in west Michigan and has operations in my district, is an example of an effective child welfare organization that dramatically improves outcomes for children in foster care.

Bethany comes alongside families who will walk with these kids at this time of crisis and welcome them unconditionally into their loving, caring homes. It is also an organizational model that has proven successful. Foster parents work with staff from community agencies toward identified goals for the children in their care, empowering these foster parents to dramatically improve outcomes for those kids that are in their care.

I thank the author of this, who is going to give this same opportunity to all foster children.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1726) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 1726, as amended, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1726, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers, introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey).

The bill authorizes the minting and award of a single gold medal in honor of this brave regiment. The medal would be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it would be available for display or loan, as appropriate.

Mr. Speaker, in 1898, the United States acquired Puerto Rico in the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American war. The following year, Congress had authorized raising a unit of volunteer soldiers in the newly-acquired territory.

In May 1917, 2 months after President Woodrow Wilson signed into law legislation granting United States citizenship to all individuals born in Puerto Rico and 1 month after the United States entered World War I, the unit was transferred to the Panama Canal Zone.

United States Army policy at the time restricted most segregated units

to noncombat roles, although this regiment was otherwise combat-ready and could have contributed to the fighting effort.

In June of 1920, the unit was redesignated as the 65th Infantry Regiment, United States Army. It would serve as the United States military's last segregated unit composed of Hispanic soldiers.

In January of 1943, 13 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor that sparked the entry of the United States into World War II, the regiment again was deployed to the Panama Canal Zone, before being deployed overseas in the spring of 1944.

Despite the regiment's relatively limited combat service in World War II, the unit suffered casualties in the course of defending the Pacific and Atlantic sides of the isthmus against enemy attacks.

Individual soldiers earned one Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, and 90 Purple Hearts; and the unit received campaign participation credit for its service in the Rome- Arno, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe theaters.

The story of the 65th Infantry Regiment during the Korean war has been aptly described as ``one of pride, courage, heartbreak, and redemption.''

Arriving in Pusan, South Korea, in September 1950, the regiment was assigned the mission of destroying or capturing small groups of North Korean soldiers. Its success led General Douglas MacArthur, commander in chief of the United Nations Command in Korea, to observe the regiment was ``showing magnificent ability and courage in the field of operations.''

Fighting as a segregated unit from 1950 until 1952, the regiment participated in some of the fiercest battles of the war. Its toughness, courage, and loyalty earned admiration of many who had even previously harbored reservations.

Mr. Speaker, the service of the men of the 65th Infantry Regiment is emblematic of the contributions to the Armed Forces that have been made by hundreds of thousands of brave and patriotic United States citizens from Puerto Rico, over generations, from World War I to the most recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and in many other overseas operations.

This honor is richly deserved. The bill has 301 cosponsors in the House, and a companion bill introduced by Senator Blumenthal in the Senate has 63 cosponsors.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for immediate passage of this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey), the sponsor of this great legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to reflect the comments of my colleague from Financial Services, as we have. As the son of a disabled World War II veteran myself, I certainly know what that Greatest Generation had done. No matter where they geographically came from, they fought for that flag that is behind you today, Mr. Speaker, and we appreciate the work that was done by them and by any of those colleagues that are here, and to my colleague from New York, especially her uncle in the service that he had to this fine Nation, and we want to say thank you for that.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge rapid passage of this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2203) to provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus, in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence, good sportsmanship, and philanthropy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 2203, as amended, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2203, a bill to provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus, in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence, good sportsmanship, and philanthropy, introduced by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi). This bill authorizes the minting and award of a single gold medal in honor of the life and work of the immensely well- known golf champion.

Mr. Speaker, Jack Nicklaus--nicknamed the Golden Bear--is a world- famous golf professional, a highly successful businessman, executive, prominent advertising spokesman, a passionate and dedicated philanthropist, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and a man with a common touch that has made him one of the most popular and accessible public figures in American history. He is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished professional golfers of all time. And I might add, on a personal note, his design up at the Grand Traverse Bay Resort this past summer humbled me in my golf game personally.

Mr. Jack William Nicklaus was born to Charlie Nicklaus and his wife, Helen, on January 21, 1940, in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington, Ohio. Young Jack took up golf at the age of 10, scoring a 51 at Scioto Country Club for the first nine holes that he ever played. I suspect that there are more than a few Members here that wouldn't mind carding a 51 right now.

Nicklaus amassed 120 victories in professional competition of national or international stature, 73 of which came on the Professional Golfers' Association Tour. His record 18 professional majors, the first of which he won 50 years ago with his win at the 1962 U.S. Open as a 22-year-old rookie, remains the standard by which all golfers are measured. He is the only player in golf history to have won each major championship at least three times and is the only player to complete a career Grand Slam on both the regular and senior tours. He also owns the record for the most major championships as a senior, with eight.

Jack Nicklaus has been the recipient of countless athletic honors, including being named Individual Male Athlete of the Century by Sports Illustrated, one of the 10 Greatest Athletes of the Century by ESPN, and Golfer of the Century or Golfer of the Millennium by every major national and international media outlet. He received the Muhammad Ali Sports Legend Award and first-ever ESPY Lifetime Achievement Award. He became the first golfer and only the third athlete to receive the Vince Lombardi Award of Excellence. He is also a five-time winner of the PGA Player of the Year Award. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at the ripe old age of 34.

But Jack Nicklaus is much more than a golf champion. His magnetic personality and unfailing sense of kindness and thoughtfulness have endeared him to millions throughout the world. He has also received numerous honors outside of the world of sports, including several golf industry awards for his work and contributions as a golf course designer, as I noted earlier, such as the Old Tom Morris Award, which is the highest honor given by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and both the Donald Ross Award given by the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the Don A. Rossi Award given by the Golf Course Builders Association of America. Golf Inc. magazine named him one of the Most Powerful Persons in Golf for a record 6 consecutive years due to his impact on various aspects of industry through his course design work, marketing and licensing business, his ambassadorial role in promoting and growing the game of golf worldwide, and his involvement on a national and global level with various charitable causes.

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows Jack Nicklaus, and most of us at least wish we had half the golf ability that he has, but it is important to remember his charitable and leadership works as well. The bill has 304 cosponsors in the House, and a companion bill introduced in the other body is being championed by Senator Portman. I ask for unanimous approval of this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2939) to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 2939, as amended, the bill currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise today in support of H.R. 2939, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres, introduced by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy). This bill authorizes the minting and award of a single gold medal in honor of this brave man.

Shimon Peres was born on August 2, 1923, in Wiszniew, Poland. The Peres family immigrated to Tel Aviv in 1934. All of the family's relatives who remained in Poland were murdered during the Holocaust during World War II.

Before Israel gained independence, Shimon Peres earned the respect of senior leaders in the independence movement in Israel, most notably David Ben-Gurion. In 1952, he was appointed deputy director general of the Ministry of Defense, and the following year, he became director general. At age 29, he was the youngest person to hold this position.

He was involved in arms purchases and established strategic alliances that were important for the State of Israel. He has served in numerous high-level cabinet positions and ministerial posts in Israel, including head of the Israeli navy, Minister of Defense, Foreign Minister, Prime Minister, and President, among others.

Mr. Peres has honorably served Israel for more than 70 years, during which he has helped harmonize the foreign policy interests of Israel and the United States. He played a pivotal role in forging the strong and unbreakable bond between our two countries.

Mr. Speaker, the founding generation of Israel was central to the development of that country, and Shimon

Peres was the only surviving member of that founding generation.

By presenting the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres, the first to be awarded to a sitting President of Israel, Congress proclaims its unbreakable bond with and its continual support for Israel as we commemorate the 65th anniversary of its independence and the 90th birthday of Mr. Peres.

Maintaining the strong mutual relations between the United States and Israel has been a priority of Shimon Peres since he began working with the United States in the days of John F. Kennedy.

Mr. Speaker, this honor is richly deserved. The bill has 294 cosponsors in the House, and a version introduced by Senator Ayotte had 81 cosponsors when it passed the Chamber on March 13. I ask for immediate approval of this important legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks), the lead Republican cosponsor on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield back the balance of my time.