Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Colonel James A. DeLapp upon his retirement from the U.S. Army. DeLapp most recently served as Commander of the Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Colonel DeLapp, a native of Barrington, Illinois, has served our nation in the U.S. Army for over 24 years. Within this period of dedicated service, Colonel DeLapp assisted in military and peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as leading the Corps of Engineers Recovery Field Office mission to provide relief to residents of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Prior to his experience commanding the Mobile District, Colonel DeLapp served as Commander of the Nashville District of the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers. As Commander of the Nashville District, he managed improvements in navigation, flood damage reduction, hydropower, environmental stewardship, and recreation for the Cumberland and Tennessee River basins.

Colonel DeLapp graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from Kansas State University with a Bachelor's of Architecture Degree in 1994. In 2003, he earned his Master's of Science in Construction Management from Texas A&M University.

Colonel DeLapp has accumulated a commendable number of awards for his time served in the U.S. Army, including the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Superior Unit Award, as well as others.

The work the Army Corps does in Southwest Alabama and throughout our country is critical to protecting our local communities, ensuring the free flow of maritime commerce, and protecting our unique coastal ecosystem. Colonel DeLapp has played a pivotal role in ensuring that mission is accomplished on a day-to-day basis, and his leadership will be sorely missed.

On behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District and the countless people his leadership has impacted, I wish Colonel DeLapp all the best upon his retirement. His tireless service to our country will not be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a great Alabamian who tragically died the morning of Thursday, May 31 in a single-car crash near Atmore, Alabama.

At 10 a.m., an Alabama Army National Guard Humvee was involved in an automobile accident on I-65 that killed one soldier and injured the other. John Wesley Wardrop, 38, of Satsuma was killed when his 2009 military Humvee left the roadway and overturned.

Wardrop had devoted much of his life to serving our state and nation. He was a squad leader for the Alabama National Guard's 1165th Military Police Company out of Fairhope. At the time of the crash, he was on a mission preparing for his unit's annual training.

Wardrop was a staff sergeant for the National Guard. He served our country in the military for over twenty years and completed four tours of duty overseas.

Family members say that Wardrop was a man of steadfast faith. The night before his passing, he visited Living Hope Church in Saraland and made a donation to support the children's bible school program. He embodied what it means to be a servant leader.

Sergeant Wardrop left this worldly place helping others. That legacy of service and sacrifice is how he should always be remembered.

On behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District, I want to share our deepest condolences with his wife, Terri, and their two children, Madi and Logan. I hope you can take comfort in knowing that Sergeant Wardrop will forever be remembered for his service and sacrifice to our community, state, and nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Martha Lyon Peek upon her retirement as the Superintendent of the Mobile County Public School System.

Martha Peek, a native of Bayou La Batre, Alabama, has worked in the Mobile County School System for over forty years. Throughout her four decades, she has served as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and deputy superintendent. Notably, she was the first female superintendent to serve in the 180-year history of the Mobile County Public School System.

Her career in education follows behind a line of her family members who have been continuously serving in the Mobile County School System since 1908. She represents the third generation in her family to work in education, and her career carried on an important family tradition.

Martha Peek was formally named Superintendent in July 2012 after serving as Deputy Superintendent since 2008. Prior to that, she was Assistant Superintendent for Academic Affairs, Executive Director of School Improvement and Accountability, and Principal at Dixon Elementary School. Her career in education started in 1972 as an elementary teacher at Alba School before she went on to work at Fonvielle Elementary School and Brookley Elementary School.

During her tenure, Martha Peek oversaw the largest school system in the State of Alabama with over 56,000 students. She successfully changed the perception of Mobile schools, improved test scores, and increased the graduation rate. She should also take great pride in the strides she made in establishing signature academies to help connect students with the skills they need to thrive in the local workforce.

Beyond her work in the school system, she is an involved community and civic member. She serves as a board member for the United Way of Southwest Alabama and Junior Achievement of Mobile and as a representative on the American Heart Association's National Superintendent Roundtable. Additionally, she is a member of the Leadership Alabama Class XXVI. In 2015, AL.com recognized her as one of the Women Who Shape the State of Alabama.

On behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District and the countless students she impacted throughout her remarkable career, I wish Martha Peek, and her husband, Tyler, all the best upon her retirement. Her legacy will live on in the Mobile County Public School System for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 908 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 908 provides for complete consideration of H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

The rule makes in order 168 amendments to go along with the previous 103 amendments made in order by yesterday's rule.

That means the full House will consider 271 amendments to this year's NDAA. When you add in the 317 amendments considered in the Armed Services Committee, that means a total of 588 amendments to the NDAA will be considered this year.

Mr. Speaker, for this year's NDAA, a record number of amendments were submitted to the Rules Committee.

I want to thank both the majority and the minority Rules Committee staff, our Rules associates, and the staff of the Armed Services Committee for the many hours they put into this open and deliberative process.

As a member of both the Rules Committee and the Armed Services Committee, I have spent my fair share of time working on this piece of legislation.

Like years past, I want to again highlight the bipartisan nature of our work. This year's NDAA passed out of the Armed Services Committee on a bipartisan 60-1 vote.

That bipartisanship will continue here on the floor, where 176 of the amendments made in order are minority or bipartisan amendments.

The theme of this year's NDAA is to reform and rebuild our Nation's military. The bill supports an increase in top-line funding for the military, as we continue working to reverse the readiness crisis we faced for at least the last decade.

Any organization, including the military, is only as good as its people, and this NDAA authorizes a 2.6 percent pay raise for our troops, the largest increase in 9 years. This will help us retain and recruit the best and the brightest.

The bill also calls for increases in the size of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Naval and Air Reserves, as well as the Air Guard.

As vice chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, I am pleased the bill authorizes construction of 13 new Navy ships. This is a much-needed step, as we continue building towards a 355-ship Navy.

I am especially proud that this year's NDAA includes many provisions important to my home State of Alabama. From Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville to the Anniston Army Depot to Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass to Maxwell-Gunter in Montgomery to the Austal Shipyard in Mobile, this bill ensures that Alabama will continue playing a leading role in supplying, training, and supporting our Nation's military.

Sadly, we have lost far too many servicemembers to training accidents over the last year. The bill ensures improvements to military training and safety programs to help protect our servicemen and -women.

These efforts include repairing outdated equipment and ensuring the procurement of new first-class capabilities. This includes additional Stryker A1 combat vehicles, Army armored brigade combat team vehicles, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, C-130 Super Hercules aircraft, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, and advanced missiles.

The bill continues to build on Chairman Thornberry's priority of reforming the Pentagon bureaucracy to make it more efficient and effective. This includes streamlining buying practices.

From Russia to Iran to China to North Korea, the bill makes investments to ensure we are keeping up with our adversaries. The United States must stand ready to confront aggression around the globe, whether it is from major state actors or rogue terrorist organizations.

Importantly, this year's NDAA includes much-needed investment in our nuclear deterrent and authorizations for the Missile Defense Agency.

It authorizes funding for codevelopment and coproduction of missile defense and weapons systems with our key ally, Israel.

All told, I am confident that this bill includes the reforms and funding levels necessary to rebuild and empower the greatest fighting force in the world.

With this NDAA, we can hopefully continue to embody the strategy of peace through strength and support our servicemembers.

Mr. Speaker, if you ever need a pick-me-up or a shot in the arm, I encourage you to spend some time visiting with our servicemen and - women. These individuals come from all different walks of life and backgrounds. They all play different roles and have different jobs, but they are united by the common goal of defending and protecting the United States of America.

I distinctly remember a conversation I had with a group of sailors from my home State of Alabama aboard the USS John C. Stennis a few years ago.

After hearing about their various paths that led them to the Navy, I asked what I could do for them. One response was straightforward, but very poignant. She asked me to make sure the American people knew what they did and that we supported them.

That is exactly what we do with this bill. We bring together Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, from different parts of the country, and we unite behind the common goal of supporting the men and women in uniform who protect the United States of America.

With this bill, we can send a clear message to our sailors, soldiers, airmen and marines that the United States Congress has their back, that we are committed to the mission, and we will ensure that they have the right policies and the right resources to get the job done.

This bill also sends a message to our friends and our adversaries that America is back, and that while we prefer peace, we will not hesitate to do what is necessary to defend our country and protect our interests.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 908, and for the 58th year in a row, let's pass a bipartisan

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

Let's compare the records of the Republicans and the Democrats and who has the most open Congress.

As of May 23 of this year, Republicans in this Congress have provided for consideration of over 1,130 amendments on the House floor. Over 520 of those, or 46 percent, were Democratic amendments; 430, or 38 percent, were Republican; and 170, or 16 percent, were bipartisan. In the 114th Congress, the GOP majority allowed over 1,700 amendments. In the 113th Congress, the GOP majority allowed over 1,500 amendments.

In the entire 111th Congress, when the Democrats were in control, Speaker Pelosi, the Democrats, allowed less than 1,000 amendments to be considered on the floor.

Who is more open? Democrats have highlighted the number of amendments not made in order in this Congress. However, in the 111th Congress when

they controlled, their majority blocked nearly 3,000 amendments, with roughly 2,400 of those occurring in the very first sessions.

Unlike our Democratic colleagues who shut the doors and refused to accept the late amendments from Members, Chairman Sessions of the Rules Committee has made it a point to ensure that every single Member has the opportunity to submit their amendments and come to the committee to share their thoughts and concerns, oftentimes late at night.

Under this model of transparency and openness, the committee has spent countless hours listening and considering Member testimony. In fact, we have welcomed over 225 Members to testify at this Congress roughly 493 times and made in order over 1,130 amendments, including 521 from the Democrats, as I said. So I am glad to compare our record of openness with theirs.

Let's talk about the escalation in Afghanistan. There is a clear AUMF that authorizes what we are doing in Afghanistan. Under that AUMF, the military doesn't have to come back to the Congress to say: Pretty please, can we put more soldiers into that country?

I trust General Mattis. He knows what he is doing. He has a clear, legal authorization to do it, and I don't think it makes any sense for him to have to come back to us.

On the issue of the AUMF, which I know we will have more debate on during this rule debate, let me say one thing and say it clearly: I have cosponsored at least two AUMF bills, and those are in the Foreign Affairs Committee, not in the Armed Services Committee. We don't have jurisdiction over that. I wish we did. In fact, I have cosponsored a bill with a Democratic colleague to put jurisdiction in the Armed Services Committee so we can get something done. So I would dearly love for the Foreign Affairs Committee to come forward with a bill, and I am happy to work with the gentleman to see that that takes place.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), the newest member of the Armed Services Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Virginia's comments. He is the ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee in the House. I have the privilege of serving with him on that committee.

I spent 8 years on the Alabama State Board of Education, 5 years in the Alabama State senate serving on both of

our education committees, and 2 years as chancellor of postsecondary education for the State of Alabama. I care deeply about education. I know what it can do to better the lives of everybody in America.

I find many of the comments the gentleman made with regard to this bill very interesting, and I hope there will be a time when we can take those up and consider them, but this is not that time. We are here today to talk about the defense of the United States of America.

So, with all respect to the gentleman's comments, I hope that he and I can sit down with others later and talk about that, particularly what is the role of the Federal Government versus what is the role of State and local governments. But today let's talk about the defense of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).

Mr. Speaker, I have listened to the gentlewoman's comments, and she probably is unaware of the fact that we are presently undergoing for the first time in the history of the Department of Defense a full Department-wide audit. We are already getting some of the things that they have determined from that audit back. That audit is going to give us information we need to make some further changes in the management performance of the Pentagon. She probably didn't know we are already underway with that, but that is going to be completed in early fall of this year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Cheney), who is my colleague from both the Rules Committee and the Armed Services Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, the underlying bill authorizes what it authorizes with regard to these smaller nuclear weapons because we find our adversaries developing such nuclear weapons.

We are not developing them because we want to use them. We want to develop them because the mere fact that we have got them, we believe, is a deterrent to our adversaries using the very same weapons they have in their arsenal themselves.

So we are simply making sure that we don't have one hand tied behind our back if we get into one of these types of conflicts.

I understand what the gentleman is saying. No one ever wants to use a nuclear weapon. But to see your adversary have such a weapon and do nothing is not what we should do to defend the people of the United States.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I know that some of our Democratic colleagues--not all of them--would like for us today to be talking about a Federal takeover of local education. Some of my Democratic colleagues--not all of them-- would like to talk about doing away with the Second Amendment. But that is not what we are about today. We are talking about the defense of the United States of America.

Remember where we were 2 years ago, at the end of the Obama administration. ISIS still controlled vast swaths of western Iraq and eastern Syria. Iran had just gotten its hands on tens of billions of dollars that had been frozen--money that they were able to get because of the deal that President Obama cut with them. We now know that they have taken that money and increased defense spending, military spending, in Iran by 40 percent.

Two years ago, we had cut troop levels down to levels we haven't seen in decades. In fact, we cut the Air Force to the point it had never been since the founding of the Air Force. Our fleet had been cut down to less than 280 ships after it had been to at least 400 under the Clinton administration. Fifty percent of the Navy's jets couldn't fly. Our adversaries didn't fear us and our friends and allies didn't know if they could count on us.

We have begun to turn that around. ISIS is largely gone from Iraq. It is largely gone from Syria. It is obliterated as a conventional force after becoming a conventional terrorist army that controlled a big chunk of the Middle East. Gone. Slipped over into North Africa. We understand that. So we have to continue what we are doing to fight against them in those places. And, yes, we need an AUMF to do that.

We have also done something that is very important in rebuilding our military. We have told our men and women that we value them by giving them pay increases. This bill calls for another pay increase on top of the one we gave them last year. They have gone too long without real pay increases.

We are beginning to give them the equipment they need to do the missions that we have them to do. More ships, more jets, more ammunition, more missiles, more missile defense. We are going to make sure that our jets can fly.

Most importantly, we want to make sure that our men and women in uniform have the training, preparation,

and support they need so we don't have another year that goes by where we have more of our men and women in uniform who lose their lives in training exercises than they do in combat.

We are turning that around. We are leaving the sorry legacy of the Obama administration so that we can put in place a defense strategy for this country that will defend our country and, at the same time, protect the safety of our men and women in uniform. So that is what we are here today to talk about.

I believe that we will vote on this bill, the underlying bill, in a bipartisan fashion because, going back to the Kennedy administration, that is what we have done year after year after year. That is the message that we send to our foes, to our friends abroad, and, yes, to those men and women in uniform: that we come together, this Congress comes together, to make sure that we do what we are supposed to do in our job to defend this country.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 908 and the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to World War II veteran Paul Rosenblatt in honor of his 95th birthday.

``Mr. Paul,'' as he prefers to be called, is a Purple Heart recipient and the last remaining member of his unit, the 9th Armored Division. His unit successfully held the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen, releasing Allied forces into Germany that ultimately led to Germany's defeat.

Paul was born in Michigan in 1923 but raised in The Bronx, New York. After the death of his father, Paul began working at the age of 15. By 1942, Paul was living and working in Dayton, Ohio for the U.S. Army engineering unit as an aircraft mechanic's assistant. As a vital member of the engineering team, his personnel officer urged him to resist joining the Army and remain in his current position. Despite the opposition, Paul answered the call to serve and enlisted in the Army, where he was sent overseas as a mechanic for the 9th Armored Division.

After serving three years, Paul was discharged from the Army and returned to his position in Dayton. Here he met his wife, the late Millie Rosenblatt, who traveled with him throughout the country and world during his 43-year career as a civilian contractor with the Air Force. Paul, his wife, and their four children lived in Santa Maria, CA; Rapid City, SD; Laredo, TX; and abroad in Turkey, England and Israel.

By the 1950's, Paul finally had the chance to fly. He knew each part of the aircrafts he worked on, but was never given the opportunity to go up in the air. In Laredo, Paul and a group of his friends bought a plane together and named themselves ``The Flying 20.''

In addition to his work within the Army and Air Force, Paul is also a servant of his community. While living in Santa Maria, the Jewish community was holding services in basement of a Methodist church. Unsettled by this arrangement, Paul sought out a California Polytechnic Institute architecture student to design blueprints for a synagogue and launched a fundraising campaign. By 1969, Temple Beth El was constructed.

Paul finished his career at his dream job working at the American embassy in Tel Aviv and retired in Haifa, Israel with Millie. After 63 years of marriage, Millie passed away and two years later, Paul moved to Mobile, Alabama following a visit with his daughter, Shoshana, and her husband, Jake.

In the past three years, Paul has embraced the Mobile culture. Paul rode on the World War II float in a Mardi Gras parade, attended every showing at the Mobile Jewish Film Festival, and held season tickets to the Mobile Symphony.

For his 95th birthday, Paul celebrated accordingly by taking a trip to the air in a Stearman biplane, the same model he worked on as the mechanic's assistant before World War II. Family and friends gathered at the airway to celebrate this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District, I want to commend Paul Rosenblatt for his service to our country and community. America is a better place because of Paul Rosenblatt, and we will be forever grateful for his service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning, during National Police Week, to recognize and remember the men and women in blue, who protect and serve our local communities each and every day.

Law enforcement officers leave the safety of their homes each day not knowing if they will pass back through their own front doors when their day is done. They leave their families behind to ensure the safety of our loved ones at schools, in neighborhoods, and on roadways. These individuals are true public servants who answer the call and put their lives on the line.

Among their many roles in the community, law enforcement officers serve as role models for our children, keep the peace in our neighborhoods, direct traffic for football games, and are the first to respond when help is needed. Far too often we take their services for granted.

This week, I am proud that the House is taking up a number of important bills to support our local law enforcement. From legislation to prevent attacks on our officers to providing funding for additional resources, we are working to ensure that these dedicated individuals have the tools they need to do their jobs and keep us safe.

See, our law enforcement officers are heroes who put their lives on the line each day to keep our citizens from harm's way. National Police Week is a time for us to stop and show our appreciation to these heroes for all that they do for our communities. Our law enforcement officers serve selflessly, facing the many dangers of the job with courage and bravery.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to ride along with members of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office in southwest Alabama. It was an eye-opening experience.

At every single traffic stop, the deputies had no idea what to expect. Every call was different, but each one came with an inherent risk of the unknown. Despite the uncertainty, the deputies always conducted themselves with respect and professionalism.

Whether it is a routine traffic stop or responding to a domestic call, these officers have no idea how their encounters will turn out. There is always the risk their interaction on the job can turn hostile and, in some cases, even deadly.

National Police Week is also an opportunity to honor the heroes who have lost their lives while serving our communities. In 2017, 136 officers were killed in the line of duty. Already this year, 54 officers have lost their lives while serving our communities. Sadly, one of these deaths occurred in my home State of Alabama earlier this year.

Mobile Police Officer Justin Billa paid the ultimate sacrifice when he was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call on February 20. At just 27 years old, Officer Billa left behind a loving wife, Erin, and a 1-year-old son, Taylor.

In such a time of immense grief, we saw the city of Mobile rally together to support the family and friends of fallen Officer Billa. You see, these officers are much more than enforcers of the law; they are an integral part of the community.

Mr. Speaker, I loved seeing the community wrap Officer Billa's family up in a shield of prayer and love, but we shouldn't just do that when we lose an officer, and we shouldn't just do it during National Police Week. Each and every day, we should show our deep appreciation to members of law enforcement, at every level, who put their lives on the line so that we can live in safe communities. May we not forget that we get to lay our heads down on our pillows at night feeling safe because of the brave men and women out there patrolling the streets.

Mr. Speaker, as we observe National Police Week, I can think of no better way to show appreciation for our men and women in blue than encourage every American to take the time to say ``thank you'' to your local law enforcement officers. May their sacrifices never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 830 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 830 provides for consideration of H.R. 5192, the Protecting Children From Identity Theft Act. The resolution calls for a closed rule, as no amendments to the bill were submitted.

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation is designed to reduce identity fraud by allowing financial institutions to verify the accuracy of a name, Social Security number, and date of birth before passing that information to credit bureaus.

This legislation is designed to target something known as synthetic identity fraud. This begins when a criminal combines a real Social Security number with fictitious information, such as a name and date of birth, to apply for credit with a financial institution that passes information to credit bureaus for a credit check.

Credit bureaus create a record based on the fraudulent credentials. Over time, this creates a synthetic identity based on the valid Social Security number but a false name.

Currently, children and other vulnerable individuals are more likely to be victims of synthetic identity theft because they do not drive, work, or establish credit. This makes it easier for an identity thief to misuse the Social Security number of a child without being detected.

Reports indicate that over 1 million children have their identity stolen each year. Studies show that children are 50 times more likely than adults to be a victim of identity theft.

This is a real and serious issue that is only becoming more and more common. According to TransUnion, a record $355 million in outstanding credit card balances was owed by people who it suspects didn't exist in 2017. That is up more than eightfold from 2012.

This type of fraud can saddle children with unintended debt and a flawed

credit history sometimes before they can even walk or drive a car.

That is why this bipartisan legislation is so important. The bill would require the Social Security Administration to create a verification system to match the name, Social Security number, and date of birth submitted by permitted entities against their official records.

This would allow financial institutions to verify the accuracy of the customer's personal information in order to guard against synthetic identity fraud.

Importantly, the bill requires that users of the verification system pay the full cost to limit any costs to taxpayers. Also, the bill ensures that the provisions do not distract the Social Security Administration from their core duties and responsibilities.

It is also important to note that the bill includes protections to ensure the verification system is secure and not subject to abuse or misuse. The consumer must also consent before their information could be subject to an inquiry.

This is bipartisan, commonsense legislation that solves a real-world problem, but I bet it will never get the attention that it deserves. This bill went through regular order. It passed out of the Ways and Means Committee on a 38-0 vote, and I hope it receives a similar vote here on the House floor.

Despite what some in the national news media would have you to believe, this type of bipartisan legislation actually happens all the time here in the House. The vast majority of bills we pass receive bipartisan support, and while that may not make for the best television, it is the reality of the work we do on a daily basis.

So I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the Protecting Children From Identity Theft Act, and let's work to solve a problem impacting Americans each and every day.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 830 and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the remarks of my good friend from Florida. I do want to note the presence on the floor of our newest member of the Rules Committee, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres). We welcome her to the committee.

I do think there are bipartisan things that we can do. The gentleman said one that I think is very important; that is, infrastructure. He and I have had this discussion before. The President wants us to do an infrastructure bill, and I think all of us want to do an infrastructure bill. I think there is some time here we need to take to make sure that we do get a bipartisan bill in that regard. I don't think it will pass without a bipartisan agreement, so I hope we do that.

On the gun issue, as I think the gentleman knows, the bump stock rule was actually something put in place by ATF under the Obama administration, and President Trump has asked the ATF essentially to rescind it, and they are in the process of doing that. So I hope they'll do that.

We did pass, and this body is part of our appropriations bill for this fiscal year that has gone to the President and been signed, the Fix NICS bill. So there are gun legislation things, addressing these issues, that are moving forward.

He also brought up the very important issue of immigration. The President, I think, has made some very bold moves in that regard to try to get a discussion going so that we can have some bipartisanship here. It is clear that that is not going to pass both the House and the Senate without that. I hope that those negotiations and those discussions can somehow resume because they clearly hit a very bad spot. The President has shown his good faith. I hope the rest of us can reach back and find a way to address this issue.

But this issue is not just the Dreamers. It is also border security. If we are not willing to talk about that and chain migration and the others, we are not really talking about immigration reform; we are talking about one piece of it.

With regard to the AUMF, Authorization for Use of Military Force, I am a strong advocate, as I think the gentleman knows, for a new AUMF. Actually, I am a cosponsor for one of the bills that would provide for that. I have said, going back several years, that I think we have been operating in certain parts of the world without adequate authorization. And whether it is constitutionally required or not, I think it is the right thing to do.

However, I do not think the President had to have prior congressional authorization before the strike that was launched Friday night against Syria in conjunction with France and Great Britain. He clearly has that authority under Article II of the Constitution, to protect our servicemen and -women who are in Syria right now. So I applaud what the President did. I applaud the way he did it. But I am clear in my thinking that he did not need prior authorization from Congress to go there.

Now, I hope that we will get a strategy in general for Syria that fits into our overall strategy to the Middle East. We have been stumbling around in Syria for several years now. President Obama put out the so-called red line, and then the Syrians walked across it and used chemical weapons against their people. And we did nothing. All that did was encourage further bad behavior like what we saw in this horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians in Syria.

At least President Trump is doing something. And I hope that that something that he has done will send a loud message, not just to the Assad regime in Syria but also to Russia and to Iran, that the civilized world is not going to tolerate that sort of activity. And we don't care who does it; we are going to take appropriate action. The President had the authorization to do it, and I am glad that he did it.

We are not done legislating this year. I think the gentleman suggests that we are, but we have got some big bills coming before us. This week we will take up a major IRS reform bill. I am looking forward to that, this being tax day for so many of us. A good tax day for the vast majority of the people in America, by the way.

We will be taking up a reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. We will be taking up another farm bill. We will be taking up the National Defense Authorization Act that comes out of the Committee on Armed Services that I am in.

We have a host of legislation that we will be doing, and I think doing successfully, between now and when we have these midterm elections in November. So we are not done legislating by any means.

I look forward to continuing to debate these issues, but today we are talking about a very important bill that did come through committee in a bipartisan fashion and, I believe, is going to get broad bipartisan support here in this body, once more showing the American people that we can get the people's work done in the right way.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the remarks of my good friend from Florida. I certainly hope that there can be some further discussions and we can have something that comes forth on this floor that is truly bipartisan on the issue of immigration reform, including border security.

I know that there are some people, not including my friend from Florida, who would like to pass legislation that would repeal the Second Amendment. I hope that that legislation doesn't come to the floor because I do not think it would meet with the approval of the vast majority of the people of America.

I do strongly believe at some point we should be debating on this floor a new Authorization for Use of Military Force. But I will say again, the President did not need that authorization for what he did on Friday night, not because he was presuming to act under an old authorization, but because he had the inherent power to do that under Article II of the Constitution. If he is acting under that authority, he doesn't need extra authorization from us.

This bill, however, that we are talking about today is something we can all agree on, is something that is important for protecting young children and, yes, for protecting people who have just become immigrant citizens of this country. So I applaud the fact that we have come forward with this legislation. It shows that we are working together. I look forward to the debate on the floor of this House.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 830 and the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my strong support for this balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, the very first bill I introduced when the 115th Congress kicked off last year was a balanced budget amendment. With the national debt at over $21 trillion, it is no secret that the Federal Government has a spending issue.

Before coming to Congress, I served in the Alabama State Legislature. Like many States, Alabama is required to pass a budget that does not spend more than we have. We do it each year.

A balanced budget is not some far-flung idea. Families in southwest Alabama and all around the country sit around the kitchen table and figure out how to make ends meet. Small businesses face the exact same challenges. The Federal Government should be required to play by the same rules.

I want to be clear about a few things. First, despite what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle believe, the answer to our debt issue is not to tax the American people more. We do not have a tax problem. We have a spending problem.

Second, the most serious drivers of the national debt are on autopilot. So-called mandatory spending programs must be reined in, and a balanced budget amendment would finally require Congress to tackle those programs head on.

Mr. Speaker, I know passing a balanced budget would be hard, but I didn't run for Congress because I thought the job would be easy. We were elected by our neighbors to make difficult choices and decisions.

We can make a strong step in the right direction by passing this balanced budget amendment, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Thomas Russo. Tom was born in New Orleans and grew up in Louisiana, where he received a degree in broadcast journalism from LSU.

I got to know Tom in his role as assignment manager at the WPMI television station in Mobile, Alabama. Tom was a consummate professional, always with a smile on his face and a contagious positivity about himself. In all of my experiences, Tom was a true joy to work with.

Tragically, Tom passed away, unexpectedly, on March 3 at the young age of 56.

To Tom's wife, Kristine, and his children, Ryan and Nick, please know that Tom helped make southwest Alabama and the world a better and happier place. His legacy will live on in each of you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Mobile Police Officer Justin Billa. Officer Billa was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty on February 20.

I am not sure my path ever crossed with Officer Billa, but it may have. We take for granted the work our police officers do on a daily basis.

Police officers hug their families good-bye and leave their home each day or night not knowing whether they will come home safe.

Each and every day, our law enforcement and first responders work to keep us safe and support our communities, but we far too often take their service for granted.

I can think of no better way to honor the life of Officer Billa than to encourage every American to take time to say ``thank you'' to your local police officers.

Mr. Speaker, I hope Officer Billa's wife, Erin, and their young son, Taylor, take comfort in knowing that they are loved. Justin's service and sacrifice to Mobile, Alabama, and to the United States will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and legacy of Ms. Jo Ann Flirt. Jo Ann was a vibrant member of the Mobile community. To me, Jo Ann was a dear and trusted friend.

Jo Ann attended both undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Alabama, where she went on to teach journalism and public relations. Upon returning to Mobile, she was a founding member and former president of the Press Club of Mobile and a founding member of the Mississippi-Alabama chapter of the Public Relations Society of Alabama.

Jo Ann was known for her immeasurable work ethic. She started two businesses in Mobile, the Public Relations Counsel Inc., an advertising and public relations firm, and the Mobile Record, a daily legal publication with real estate and other civil business news. She also founded a group called Alabamians Behind Local Education with the purpose of peacefully integrating schools in Alabama.

Jo Ann was also a passionate advocate and champion for historic Blakeley State Park, where she served as director for almost fifteen years. It would not be a surprise to see Jo Ann out working on various projects at Blakeley, in addition to her administrative tasks. As a true testament to her character, Jo Ann was regularly called upon to serve in her community and was well known for her determined, caring spirit.

Sadly, Jo Ann passed away on February 2, 2018 at the age of 85. So, to her family and friends who will miss her dearly, I want to extend my deepest sympathies and condolences. May they take comfort in the warm memories of Jo Ann and the lasting impact she had on so many.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate National Court Reporting and Captioning Week.

As an attorney, from firsthand experience, I can say that court reporters have had and continue to have an enormous impact on our legal system, both in a practical matter but also in an important historical sense. As we attorneys talk away, court reporters tirelessly capture every single word. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. Without their record, there would be no Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, or countless other legal decisions of importance to the American people.

Captioners also do wonderful work to help better the lives for millions of Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing by providing captioning realtime.

So, on National Court Reporting and Captioning Week, I want to thank the thousands of Americans who work in this industry for their hard work and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Prior to coming to Congress, I worked for 30 years as a labor and employment attorney in Alabama. I advised clients on how to prevent sexual harassment and how to navigate the process if a harassment claim was made. Quite frankly, I was shocked to see how complicated the congressional process for handling sexual harassment and other employment law claims was.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a shining example of how Congress should work. Chairman Harper and Ranking Member Brady engaged a bipartisan group of Members, including Representative Jackie Speier and me, interested in solving this problem. After months of thoughtful negotiation, we come to the floor today with a product that this House and the American people can be proud of.

Under this legislation, we will bring the congressional workplace into the 21st century and ensure that Congress plays by the same rules as the private sector.

There are far too many important reforms to mention all of them, but I want to highlight a few that I think are especially transformative.

First, the bill creates a fair and simpler process for employees to file an employment law claim and for the claim to be resolved. The bill creates

an Office of Employee Advocacy to ensure staff has access to legal counsel just as Member offices are provided. The process is also simplified to make the claims process smoother, faster, and fairer.

Second, the bill increases transparency by requiring that basic information about any sexual harassment or other claims be made public so the American people are fully aware of what is happening in Congress.

Third, the bill will ensure that Members of Congress, not taxpayers, are responsible for paying out sexual harassment settlements that they are responsible for.

Fourth, the related resolution paves the way for every congressional office to have a clearly defined antiharassment and antidiscrimination policy. This reform alone will result in greater awareness.

Fifth, the resolution prohibits Members of Congress from engaging in a sexual relationship with any staff member under their supervision and makes clear that sexual harassment is a violation of the Code of Official Conduct and will not be tolerated.

In closing, I want to again thank Chairman Harper and Ranking Member Brady for their leadership on this issue, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and the related resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I appreciate all of the work that she does on behalf of our Nation's military men and women.

Mr. Speaker, here we are again. Once again, this House will vote to fully fund our Nation's military and critical national security programs.

I have said this many times before, but I will continue saying it because the point is so very important: the global threat environment facing the United States today is greater than at any time since the conclusion of World War II.

North Korea is continuing to build its nuclear weapon program, which poses a direct threat to the United States and our servicemembers stationed abroad.

Terrorist groups, like ISIS and al-Qaida, may be weakened in Iraq and Syria, but their influence continues to spread to other areas throughout the Middle East and Africa.

The situation in Afghanistan is deeply concerning. Look no further than the recent wave of attacks by the Taliban in Kabul.

China is continuing to build up its military and exert aggression in the South China Sea.

Russia and Putin remain emboldened as they take provocative actions in Ukraine, throughout Eastern Europe, and even in the Pacific.

Other countries continue to catch up to our Nation's capabilities in the space domain.

Iran is showing more and more involvement in the Middle East and continues to support terrorist groups that threaten our allies, like Israel.

Not to even mention the evolving and serious threats posed to the United States by state actors and rogue actors when it comes to cybersecurity.

Despite so many real and wide-ranging threats, our military has not received the funding that is necessary to keep up.

As the gentlewoman said, we have the smallest Army since before World War II, the smallest Navy since before World War I, and the smallest and oldest Air Force we have ever had.

The military does not work like a spigot. You can't just turn it on when a crisis happens and expect everything to work and all of our servicemembers to be ready. Training takes time, and building equipment takes even more time. We have to prepare now for the crisis of tomorrow.

The commandant of the Marine Corps, General Robert Neller, put it best when he said:

``Marines don't get ready when the crisis occurs.''

``The instability of the current fiscal environment, compounded by current shortfalls in our operation and maintenance accounts, impact our ability to maintain a `ready bench.'''

Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson also recently stated that: ``We are stretching the force to the limit, and we need to start turning the corner on readiness.''

I could go on for hours talking about the real challenges facing our military. But, instead of looking back, I want this Congress to look ahead and solve these problems, instead of just continually talking about them.

This Defense funding bill includes $659.2 billion in full-year funding for the Department of Defense. That includes increases in military operations and maintenance accounts. That includes a 2.4 percent pay raise for our troops, which would be the largest in 8 years. That includes increased funding for missile defense systems and programs, which is so important, given the threat posed by North Korea.

That includes funding for 11 new Navy ships, including three littoral combat ships, which are built, in part, by Austal USA in my district. That includes critical funding for training and readiness operations.

That also includes much-needed money for research and development to ensure our military continues to have the most innovative and state-of- the-art equipment at their disposal.

All told, this bill would be a landmark step toward rebuilding our military, standing up to our adversaries, and supporting the men and women who work every single day to keep the American people safe.

Now, I hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle saying that this bill has no chance in the Senate. While I don't understand why our colleagues and the Senate would not want to fund our military, I have a strong rebuttal to that argument.

If the Senate wants to add nondefense programs to this bill or make changes, then they should take this bill up, make whatever changes or additions that they desire, and send the bill back over to the House. It simply makes no sense to just declare this bill dead and not take a vote on it.

I intend to talk to my two home State Senators about passing this bill, and I expect they will be supportive of this effort because they understand the need to fund our Nation's military.

But I reject the notion that we shouldn't be passing this bill and sending it over to the Senate. I am tired of the Senate not acting on our government funding bills, and I think we should keep sending funding bills over there until they take one up and actually pass it. This ridiculous crisis of funding our government from one crisis to the next must end.

So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and, once again, send a military funding bill over to the Senate. Here, in the House, we must continue to fulfill one of our most basic responsibilities outlined in the Constitution: to provide for the common defense.

With this funding bill, we can move back toward a position of peace through strength, and we can keep American families safe.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the rule and the underlying legislation.