Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Bob Hammerschmidt of Springfield, Missouri on receiving the 2014 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Ozarks Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Distinguished Citizen Award was created by the Boy Scouts of America in order to

recognize noteworthy and extraordinary leadership of citizens in communities across the United States. This award is only given out every few years to honor business and community leaders who have made substantial impacts in their communities and its residents. The Distinguished Citizen Award is a very prestigious award, which Bob Hammerschmidt undoubtedly deserves.

Currently, Bob Hammerschmidt is the president of the Springfield Region of Commerce Bank. Commerce Bank is located in Springfield, but its professional reputation precedes it throughout the state of Missouri. He is also the former council president of the Ozark Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Bob's community service includes an extensive and impressive list of organizations that have benefited by his service to the communities in which he has lived over the years.

Bob Hammerschmidt exemplifies the values taught by scouting, including the scout oath and law. These qualities include service to the community, good citizenship and strong leadership. Bob Hammerschmidt's track record makes it easy to see why his peers unanimously selected him as the recipient of the Distinguished Citizen Award.

I am honored to recognize Bob Hammerschmidt for his service and leadership to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Hannah Luce, Samantha Plouviez, and Meredith Waites on receiving the Girl Scout Gold Award.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. Being honored with the Girl Scout Gold Award is the culmination of a lot of hard work, dedication, and a commitment to serving others. Through their efforts, Hannah, Samantha, and Meredith have made our communities a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Girl Scouts today benefit from tangible outcomes such as a strong sense of self, practical life skills, healthy relationships, and feeling empowered to make a difference. In Southwest Missouri, Girl Scouts give back to their community with thousands of hours of community service each year.

Folks in Southwest Missouri should be proud to know that the Girl Scout program remains strong and provides a significant opportunity for girls today to learn and grow. I too am proud and honored to know that young girls like Hannah, Samantha and Meredith in the 7th District of Missouri are demonstrating positive values and strong leadership skills--and will continue to do so for years to come.

I again want to congratulate Hannah Luce, Samantha Plouviez, and Meredith Waites on receiving the Girl Scout Gold Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Congressman Mel Hancock as he is inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians.

Mel was a dear friend, neighbor, and dedicated statesmen during his years of public service in the United States House of Representatives. His legacy will forever be a part of Missouri through the Hancock Amendment and his service to the people he represented.

Mel spent his time in public life advocating for the proper scope and role of government as an instrument to protect our individual liberties. He understood that government is a useful tool, but when it is given too much power it can be used to undermine the interests and freedom of the average person. Like our founders, Mel was a wise, just, and honorable man who worked tirelessly to advance the cause of liberty for which so many of our ancestors have sacrificed so much to promote.

In 1977 Mel founded the Taxpayer Survival Association, a not-for- profit organization dedicated to advancing a constitutional amendment to limit taxes. He invested his personal effort, travelling across Missouri collecting signatures to put a ``Tax and Spending Amendment'' on the ballot. Through his hard work, the ``Hancock Amendment'' was added to the Missouri Constitution in 1980. Since then, Mel's leadership to secure the Hancock Amendment for Missouri has served as an inspiration for other legislative efforts around the nation.

After the passage of the Hancock Amendment, Mel continued his service to his state and his neighbors after being elected to represent Missouri's 7th District in Congress in 1988. During his time in Congress he served on the House Ways and Means Committee and advocated a balanced budget amendment for the federal constitution. Mel was a voice of prudence and reason in an unreasonable era.

He left Congress in 1996 to return to his home in Southwest Missouri, as was befitting a true citizen representative. Mel's towering stature had earned the deep gratitude of the people he served and would have ensured his continued re-election.

However, Mel believed that terms in office should be limited and had given his promise to the people that he would not serve more than four terms in office. With Mel Hancock, a promise made was a promise kept, something that Washington would do well to learn from today:

Only occasionally in life are we privileged to know someone as worthy of honor and emulation as Mel Hancock. Mel's well deserved induction in the Hall of the Famous Missourians is testament to a man who was a remarkable member of the House of Representatives and a true friend. May he forever live in the hearts of those whose lives he touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Paul Kincaid for his service to Missouri State University and on receiving the Virginia Carter Smith Recognition Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District VI.

Paul serves as the chief of staff and assistant to the president for university relations at Missouri State University. Paul serves as an important voice in the public affairs mission of the university, which is to instill in students the knowledge to be productive and competent leaders in the pursuit of careers in public affairs.

The Virginia Carter Smith Recognition Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VI is given to professionals who have shown outstanding service to CASE and who have retired or plan to retire. Paul plans to retire from Missouri State University in October.

I am honored to recognize Paul Kincaid for his service to Missouri State University and his 39 years working in higher education public relations. I know that education is a once in a lifetime experience, and with people like Paul at the university, its students are being prepared to excel in their chosen career paths.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor Leggett and Platt CEO David Haffner for receiving the 2014 Richard M. Webster Citizen of the Year Award by the Carthage Chamber of Commerce.

Haffner is the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Leggett and Platt, a Carthage-based business with annual global sales of over $4 billion. Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the Board, Haffner served as Leggett and Platt's president from 2002 until 2013, and its Chief Operating Officer from 1999 to 2006.

Leggett and Platt, Inc. is one of the largest manufacturing companies in the United States and is listed on the S&P 500. Today, it manufactures a diversified line of products ranging from bedding materials, steel wire products, commercial fixturing, and commercial vehicle products. Through David Haffner's leadership, Leggett and Platt continues to expand its global reach with over 18,000 employee-partners and 130 facilities in 17 countries.

Even as Leggett and Platt expands globally, David Haffner and the entire Leggett and Platt team never forget its importance to the Carthage community. I am certainly proud to recognize David Haffner for receiving the 2014 Richard M. Webster Citizen of the Year Award, and I hope the leadership principles practiced by David continue to inspire the Leggett and Platt team and the Carthage community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas for yielding to me.

Every day, Federal agencies spend money advertising various programs without mentioning where the funding for these programs or their ads are coming from. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously said that sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants. The Taxpayer Transparency Act is about shining a light on how taxpayer dollars are spent by requiring executive branch agencies to disclose that these advertisements are paid for at taxpayer expense. Simply, this bill extends similar requirements already imposed on the House and the Senate to the executive branch.

It is time for government to start working for the people again. By providing more transparency in their spending, executive branch agencies will have to answer to the people. Americans have every right to know exactly how their tax dollars are being spent. As Members of Congress, we should all support an open and honest government, and this legislation does that by requiring executive branch agencies to be transparent with spending taxpayer dollars which promote Federal programs.

I urge the House to support this bill and look forward to further action by our colleagues in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Steve Jenkins on his 600th career win as head coach of Evangel University's men's basketball program.

Coach Jenkins reached this impressive feat in his 32nd season at Evangel University, a small Christian college in Springfield, Missouri. With this win, Coach Jenkins is now only the seventh active coach in the NAIA-I division to reach 600 wins.

Through his 30-plus seasons as head coach, Coach Jenkins' teams reached the NAIA national tournament 11 times, including a National Championship in 2002. His teams have captured seven Heart of America conference titles. He was honored as the NAIA National Coach of the Year in 2002, and was named Heart of America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on six different occasions. Coach Jenkins was inducted into the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013. On March 18, 2014, he will be inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame.

Coach Jenkins' legacy at Evangel University extends beyond his record as a basketball coach. A 1974 Evangel graduate, Coach Jenkins lettered in baseball for 4 years and basketball for 3 years. After pursuing graduate studies, he soon returned to Evangel in 1977 as head baseball coach for 6 seasons, and assistant basketball coach for 5 seasons. He was named head basketball coach in 1982, and on December 5th of this season, coached his 1000th game at Evangel University. In 1998, Coach Jenkins added the responsibility of being the men's golf coach, and is serving in that capacity for the 16th year. He has garnered two Heart of America Coach of the Year honors for men's golf. Steve and his lovely

wife Rhonda, also a graduate of Evangel, have three grown children-- Sarah, Jon, and David--and six grandchildren.

Coach Jenkins' exemplary devotion to coaching is only matched by his devotion in the classroom, his love of his family, and his strength in his faith. The Springfield community is justifiably proud of Coach Jenkins and the Evangel basketball program. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on his well-deserved victory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Navy Diver 1st Class Caleb Huff for his service to our nation and on receiving the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) 2013 Active Duty Sailor of the Year.

Caleb is based with the Navy Experimental Dive Unit located in Panama City, Florida. The mission of his unit is to develop solutions to enhance and improve manned operations in undersea and other extreme environments through biomedical research and testing and evaluating equipment and procedures.

Caleb was one of nine contenders selected from NAVSEA enlisted sailors to compete for the 2013 Active Duty Sailor of the Year. He won this tremendous honor after being interviewed by the NAVSEA committee over a five-day competition.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Caleb's family. His wife, Emily, and son, Mason, cheered him on as he competed for this honor and continue to provide him with support at home.

I am honored to recognize Caleb Huff for his service to our nation and on being awarded the NAVSEA 2013 Active Duty Sailor of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, which is February 7-14, 2014.

Congenital Heart Defects affect nearly two million Americans and are considered one of the most common birth defects within the United States. Each year approximately forty thousand babies are born in the United States with Congenital Heart Defects, while many remain undiagnosed for months or even years after birth. This dangerous condition can cause sudden cardiac death if left undiagnosed, which is especially harmful in young adolescent athletes who unknowingly suffer from this defect.

This week not only serves to raise awareness of Congenital Heart Defects to increase screenings and funding for research, it serves as a dedication to the millions of Americans diagnosed with Congenital Heart Defects, the challenges their families face, and for the families of those who have sadly lost loved ones to this condition.

Mr. Speaker, today I have the honor of introducing my friend, Reverend Dr. Andrew Chaney.

Reverend Chaney is a third-generation minister. He serves as the senior minister at the historic First and Calvary Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Missouri, a church that is a special place to me and my family. Reverend Chaney serves as an important spiritual voice for me and the Springfield community.

Congress has a longstanding tradition of beginning each session day with a prayer. I am privileged and honored to have the opportunity today to welcome Reverend Dr. Andrew Chaney to the people's House as he opened today's session with a prayer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Dr. Stephen Kleinsmith, superintendent, and Zac Rantz, director of communication, of Nixa Public Schools, on receiving the 2014 Leadership Through Communication Award.

It is important to keep the channels of communication open and the Leadership Through Communication Award recognizes a school district for their outstanding efforts in communicating with the families and communities they serve. It is jointly awarded by Blackboard, the National School Public Relations Association, and the American Association of School Administrators. This award is open to all school districts throughout the United States and Canada.

The Nixa Public Schools have engaged with their community to create a two-way street of communication. They have created a constant cycle of school administration transparency and community feedback.

When he joined the school district in 2000, Dr. Stephen Kleinsmith made communications a top priority. He has worked closely with Zac Rantz in revamping the Nixa Public Schools' communication systems. They have utilized social media, technology, direct messaging, and face-to- face interaction to engage with the Nixa community. They not only reach out to the parents of their students, but the local business community and taxpayers without children in the schools as well. The Nixa Public Schools have served as an example to school districts all throughout the State of Missouri.

I am proud of the initiative that Dr. Kleinsmith and Mr. Rantz have taken to make the Nixa Public Schools the best in communicating with their community. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating them on this tremendous honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the outstanding career of Dorothy Barker.

On November 26, 2013, Dorothy retired after an incredible career in sales and real estate. She began working with me at Billy Long Auctioneers and Realtors in 1988 and has been with Murney Associates, Realtors since 2002.

Dorothy is a beloved member of the community. She has been very active in her church, the Evangel Temple in Springfield, Missouri. She is also a proud and loving mother to three and grandmother to eight.

I am extremely proud of the work that Dorothy has accomplished. I am honored to have been able to work side by side with her for so many years, and anybody that has worked with Dorothy would be sure to agree with me. Dorothy has truly brightened the lives of many throughout her successful career.

Mr. Speaker, a constituent emailed my office this morning, and then she followed up with a call. She is fed up with ObamaCare.

She is battling cancer, which requires travel to a neighboring State. She told me her health insurance had been canceled due to the President's health care law. She was able to find a new plan, but will no longer be able to see her cancer doctor in Little Rock. She said:

My doctor and I are very concerned about the future

treatment if I have to change docs. How many other Americans

can no longer go to the treatment centers they need for

lifesaving care? This is absurd. I have decided to continue

my lifesaving treatments in Little Rock but will likely go

bankrupt in the process. Just a little more stress the Obama

plan has placed on thousands of Americans undergoing

lifesaving treatment. I am angry not only for myself, but for

everyone else who is going through this.

Mr. Speaker, we need to honor the promise President Obama made to the millions of Americans who like their plans but are now receiving cancelation notices.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Daniel ``Tiny'' Cross of Bolivar, Missouri, whose hand-carved hobo nickels have been included in the National Numismatic Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Tiny became interested in numismatics quite some years ago, collecting hobo coins, specifically, about a decade ago, and carving his own about two years ago. In 2003, he joined the American Numismatic Association and, became the district representative for the State of Missouri. While attending a numismatic seminar in Colorado, he met the collection manager for the Smithsonian Institution National Numismatic Collection, and she found his coins very interesting.

Unlike many numismatic artists, Tiny does all of his work by hand. A unique staple of Tiny's work includes golf hats carved on the bearded men on his coins. His work has captured the attention of many and will be a fantastic addition to the Smithsonian collection.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the Branson, Missouri theme park, Silver Dollar City, for winning the Golden Ticket Award for ``Best New Ride'' in the theme park industry for their new wooden roller coaster, Outlaw Run.

This prestigious $10 million wooden roller coaster was also ranked seventh among the Top 50 Wooden Coasters Worldwide by Amusement Today magazine's awards on September 7, 2013, at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California. Silver Dollar City was also voted as one of the Top 10 Best Theme Parks in the world--a first for Missouri.

As an economic driver to the famous entertainment town of Branson, Missouri, Outlaw Run created an additional 100,000 visitors during summer 2013.

These awards are a huge honor to Silver Dollar City. Silver Dollar City wanted to leave a worldwide footprint when it comes to family friendly destinations, and through hard work and determination was beyond successful.