Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, every year for 42 years, Congress has funded the Legal Services Corporation so that low-income Americans might realize our country's solemn pledge of justice for all. For military families, homeowners and renters, families with children, the disabled, the elderly, and nearly 112,000 veterans, investment in civil legal aid is one of the most effective ways to help Americans navigate the justice system.

The Legal Services Corporation allows millions of Americans to safeguard their basic legal rights at a minimal cost to the Federal Government. As the late Justice Antonin Scalia emphasized in 2014: `` . . . this organization pursues the most fundamental of American ideals, and it pursues equal justice in those areas of life most important to the lives of our citizens.''

This organization provides direct grants to legal aid providers across our Nation, including eight organizations in my home State of Pennsylvania. I am proud to support the Legal Services Corporation, which allows people access to justice even when they cannot afford representation. We must continue this program.

Mr. Speaker, this year, the Lower Bucks Campus of the Bucks County Community College celebrates their 10-year anniversary.

Located in Bristol, this vibrant educational hub provides many services to the lower Bucks County community. Offering day, evening, and Saturday classes, along with a host of cultural activities and civic-minded programs, the local campus provides an accessible, innovative, and engaging learning environment for students, faculty, and our entire community.

I am proud to recognize James Ewart, Rodney Miller, William Pezza, and Rose Marie Strippoli as the Lower Bucks Campus champions for their longstanding commitment to Bucks County Community College, the community, and the entire region. They know the value that higher education brings to our high school graduates and many others in the Lower Bucks community.

These leaders empower students with the skills and credentials they need in order to secure employment in their fields, arming them with the capability to adapt and respond to the changing needs of tomorrow's economy.

Congratulations to each one of them and to the Bucks County Community College on reaching this 10-year milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Giana Zambelli and Olivia Cameron. These two 9-year-old girls from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, spend their free time running a local Kool-Aid stand which they call Kool-Aid for Kenny.

The proceeds from their sales benefit the Kenneth Hopkins Memorial Scholarship Fund created in 2016, to award students currently pursuing a career in emergency services.

Mr. Speaker, Ken Hopkins was an emergency medical technician with the Bucks County Rescue Squad and a volunteer firefighter with the Croydon Fire Department. He passed away in June 2016, after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder from his time serving our community and saving lives as a first responder.

Mr. Speaker, the selfless acts of Giana and Olivia are truly inspiring to all of us. Their remarkable work continues to make Ken's dream a reality in the hopes that others continue to save lives and help those in need, just as Ken Hopkins did his entire life.

Ken, Giana, and Olivia are an inspiration to our entire community.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 450, I mistakenly voted ``nay,'' where I meant to vote ``yea.''

Amendment No. 39 Offered by Mr. Grothman

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment restores critical funding to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of DHS operations. Without this amendment, the OIG will have to reduce its workforce, significantly impairing its ability to complete its mission that everyone on this floor can agree is vital to our national security.

Mr. Chairman, these women and men work tirelessly to conduct audits, inspections, and investigations that combat fraud, waste, and abuse in one of our Nation's most critical agencies. With over 147 reports, 370 actions recommended, and 836 investigations, DHS OIG has proven to be not only worthy of every penny, but also a place where dollars spent turn into dollars saved.

I am proud to be surrounded by colleagues on the House Homeland Security Committee who join me in supporting the mission of the OIG, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this amendment, which is crucial to our national security.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sophia Boquist for earning her Congressional Award Silver Medal. These awards are given to outstanding young individuals who meet specific standards for voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and exploration. Sophia volunteered in a community award ceremony, cleaned a park trail, volunteered at the Travis Manion Foundation Heroes' Run and worked as a volunteer aide at the Ivy Hill Therapeutic Equestrian Center. Additionally, Sophia spent time developing her ability as a pianist and her skill as a diver. As a final step, Sophia showed great leadership in planning and executing a two-day canoe trip down the Delaware River. Sophia's commitment to public service and motivation to better herself should serve as an example to all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the work of the Council of Southeast Pennsylvania. The council provides resources and opportunities to reduce the impact of addiction, trauma, and other health-related issues for the five counties in southeastern Pennsylvania through intervention, education, and mobilization.

Established in 1997 by the council, PRO-ACT works to provided advocacy and residence for those suffering from the terrible disease of addiction. Through workshops and peer advocacy meetings for afflicted individuals and families, addiction victims can get back on their feet and learn necessary skills for both recovery and entering the workforce.

I am proud to work with my constituent, Executive Director Beverly Haberle, and her administrative team, Cindy Mikalauskas and Stacey Conaway.

Mr. Speaker, I want to share the words of a man named Jim, who stated that, through PRO-ACT, ``A fire was lit inside of me, my spirit rekindled by hope.''

Recovery from addiction is difficult, and it is up to remarkable associations like the council to serve the southeastern Pennsylvania community and make sure that these people can successfully beat this devastating disease.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Avdhoot Baba Shivandji, a man who has dedicated his life to enriching the lives of others through sacred ancient Indian healing rituals. Also known as Babaji, he has deeply inspired many through his deep belief that each person comes into this world with vast potential. Through the innovative ancient integrative process of Shiv Yog Cosmic Medicine and Shiv Yog Cosmic Farming, individuals learn how to access their vast spiritual potential to create their own destinies. He has shared this knowledge through media and live conferences to millions of citizens from both our country and the world. In addition to educating others on his Indian healing practices, Shivandji teaches English on Indian television. Avdhoot Baba Shivandji is truly a selfless person, always looking to help others, and for that I commend him.

Mr. Speaker, with the fall season fast approaching, Bucks County's robust agricultural community is in full swing with the impending harvests, summer fairs, community projects, and recognition of the important work of the American farm family.

In a few weeks, Bucks County will celebrate their 69th annual Middletown Grange Fair. From Wednesday, August 16, through Sunday, August 20, attendees from across our community

will have the amazing opportunity to come together to enjoy live entertainment, timeless carnival rides, tons of local food, animal demonstrations, and 4-H projects on display.

Crowds will gather to see the antique equipment competition and exhibits in hundreds of categories ranging from a variety of vegetables, tomatoes, fresh flowers, and livestock to handcrafted quilts, jewelry, and woodwork.

Mr. Speaker, as an annual attendee, I have seen firsthand how the Grange Fair brings our community together to enjoy the refreshing success of our local agricultural community. It is an event that helps people gain a better appreciation of the importance of agriculture and how the agricultural industry sustains our local economy--not to mention all of the jobs that it creates.

We love our farmers in Bucks County. They have contributed so much to our community. They are an indispensable part of Bucks County's past, and they will remain an indispensable part of Bucks County's future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Morrisville 12U Softball Team. These incredible young athletes from our district won the Pennsylvania State title and advanced to the regional tournament in Bristol, Connecticut, to represent the entire State of Pennsylvania. Not only did these young ladies play an incredible season, of which they should be extremely proud, they did so while honoring a member of our community.

The team dedicated their postseason play to the memory of Ms. Donna Rossi, a committed league volunteer and supporter who passed away following a battle with cancer shortly before the first district game.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of the accomplishments of these young ladies: Ainsley McClure; Rowan Mulholland; Katey Brennan; Molly Milewski; Ella Visco; Laney Freiband; Caitlyn Martell; Ahlana Sesar; Quinn McGonigle; Emma Hause; Riley Mahony; Hannah Hawkes; Brielle Crawford; and managers and coaches Joe Sesar, Andy Mahony, and Tim Hawkes.

Each one of these individuals should be proud of the example they have set both on and off the field. They do credit to themselves, to their families, and to our community, and we are so proud of them.

Mr. Chairman, with my limited time, I just want to say Brendan said it well. He has done a fabulous job working with Congressman Meehan and me, all of whom have districts that have been impacted by this real tragedy, and I stand in full support.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, as an FBI agent, my job was to keep the American people safe from all enemies, both foreign and domestic.

On the national security front, those components include a sound counterterrorism strategy, a sound counterintelligence strategy, a sound cybersecurity strategy, a sound foreign policy, and a sound border security strategy.

Before us today, Mr. Speaker, is the issue of border security, an issue that, quite frankly, has been largely ignored over the past several decades by both parties. As a result, our national security remains compromised at a point in time where we live in a more dangerous world now than we ever have.

When you combine the fact that our enemies are now both more sophisticated and better funded, coupled with our border security apparatus which is underfunded, outdated, and compromised, this is a recipe for disaster for our Nation. The time is now to act on securing our border: north, south, east, and west--all of its components in all of our geographic regions.

As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have spent time on the border with our brave women and men on the front lines, working with CPB officers and Border Patrol agents. I have spent time both on the ocean and in the sky with brave women and men in our Coast Guard. Mr. Speaker, they are pleading for our help, and shame on us if we do not deliver for them.

Their requests are simple: increase their manpower to provide them with a sufficient number of agents to interdict not just drugs and guns from cartels, but also criminals and terrorists who seek to do us harm; invest in the technology that they need to do their jobs, to include drones and aerial surveillance, infrared technology, heat sensors, motion detectors both above and below the ground, and an array of 21st century, high-tech options that serve as force multipliers along the border.

They need physical barriers in various forms along various stretches of the border in order to slow down the cartels and allow for sufficient response time for the agents to interdict. Moreover, we must invest heavily in a robust human intelligence program, giving our agents the resources they need to recruit human sources on the other side of the border to provide our agents with the advance notice of both the sources and the methods of criminal conspiracies that are forming along the border.

In addition, we must bolster the Office of Inspector General to crack down on border corruption through the use of drug testing, financial screening, and polygraph examinations.

Mr. Speaker, the concept of border security is a multipronged challenge that requires action on all fronts, not just one or two, and I urge my friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle: Please do not politicize this issue.

Securing operational control of our border is a national security emergency. My former law enforcement colleagues who are putting their life on the line every day while protecting our borders are asking for our help. Let us not let them down.

Mr. Speaker, for over a half century, the Lenape Valley Foundation has provided assistance, compassion, and hope to thousands of children, adults, and families within my district. They offer services related to mental health, substance abuse, intellectual disability, and early intervention.

I was pleased to meet with community leaders and volunteers during the groundbreaking ceremony at The Lodge at Lenape Valley Foundation, a new construction on the campus of Lower Bucks Hospital.

The new facility will provide more outpatient mental health services, including individual group and family therapy, an improved crisis call center, an improved crisis walk-in center, peer support, and Bucks County's only Crisis Residential Program.

I am thankful for the leadership of the Lenape Valley executive team: Alan Hartl, Walter Wolaniuk, Sharon Curran, Philip Braun, JoAnne Davis, Mary Dubyk, Mary Jane Fletcher, Traci Gorman, Angela Jacobsen, Marjorie Morgan, and Mary Ann Venezia, as well as board president, Robert Rogala; vice president, Lisa Bodine; secretary, Helene Cevasco Mathern; treasurer, Mark Strasburg; and all the board of directors.

I am proud to work with an organization which recognizes that everyone can grow and progress toward personal fulfillment, and we are proud to stand by their side.

Honoring United Way of Bucks County

Mr. Speaker, the United Way of Bucks County is dedicated to improving the lives through the caring power of communities. We all have a stake in making our communities healthy and prosperous. The United Way of Bucks County is committed to working together, advancing the common good, and creating a better life for all.

Madam Speaker, for more than 100 years, residents of Bucks and Montgomery Counties have trusted Grand View Health hospital with the well-being of their families. They are dedicated toward leading our community to a healthier future.

Following their Community Health Needs Assessment, Grand View Health has identified and prioritized a community health improvement program, which, over the next 3 years, will address health challenges present in their service area.

I am proud of the positive impact that Grand View Health has made in our community. I commend their board of trustees for their outstanding leadership and service to our community. Many thanks to Jeffrey Landis, Mary Anne Poatsy, Mark Schlosser, William Aichele, Jean Keeler, Michael Corrado, Marc Freeman, Nicholas Lindberg, Robert Pritchard, Gregory Shelly, and all the doctors, nurses, staff, and volunteers who make this a success.

Madam Speaker, Grand View Health's commitment to the people it serves reminds us that we are all in this together, and it is never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership on this bill.

Since 1944, the GI Bill has provided veterans the opportunity to invest in themselves and their future through access to education benefits.

My father attended college on the GI Bill following his service to our country, launching his life and putting our family on the path to success.

While the world has changed since 1944, the dedication and service of our men and women in uniform remains constant. These volunteer warriors stand ready to defend our Nation in theaters around the globe. While we can never fully thank them for their commitment, we must endeavor to assist them and their families wherever possible.

The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act improves and extends the benefits granted to veterans and their surviving dependents through the GI Bill, helping to ease the transition from Active Duty to civilian life by paving the way with new career opportunities and technical education.

This bipartisan legislation is a crucial step to investing in the success of our veterans and advancing the common cause of serving those who have served us so honorably.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member and the entire committee for their leadership.