Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Wallace Meeks. Wallace Meeks lived a life centered around the people he loved most: his family and his community.

A proud Northwest Georgian, Wallace called LaFayette home. Above all else, he was a devoted family man. He and his wife, Judy, shared 58 years of marriage and built a family that became his greatest legacy. Together, they raised three sons, Wally, Stacey, and Anthony. Wallace was also a proud grandfather and great-grandfather who was blessed to watch his family grow across generations.

The strength of a community comes from people who work hard, care for their neighbors, and put their families first. Wallace represented those values throughout his life, and his memory will live on through the many people who knew and loved him.

I am grateful for Wallace's life and the example he leaves behind. Mr. Speaker, please join me in keeping Judy, the entire Meeks family, and all those who loved Wallace in your prayers during this difficult time.

May God bless the Meeks family and bring them comfort in the days ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Ronnie Winters. Ronnie Winters lived a life of service to his country, his family, and the people of Chattooga County.

Ronnie proudly served our Nation as a Sergeant in the United States Army, serving in active combat in Vietnam with the 19th Brigade Combat Engineers from 1966 to 1968. His commitment to his fellow veterans continued long after he returned home through his involvement with VFW Post 6688 and American Legion Post 129.

At home, Ronnie was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He was a hardworking small business owner who understood what it meant to build something of your own. He used that experience to mentor young entrepreneurs and help others get their start in business.

Ronnie also cared deeply about the future of Chattooga County. He worked to strengthen the local economy through his service with the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority and gave back to local young people as a longtime member of the Summerville-Trion Optimist Club.

Ronnie Winters represented the very best of Northwest Georgia: faith, family, hard work, service, and love of country. His impact can be seen in the businesses he helped, the young people he encouraged, the veterans he stood beside, and the family he loved.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for Ronnie's friendship and for his lifetime of service. His legacy will not be forgotten, and I ask that you join me in keeping the Winters family in your prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule. This important legislation is required to allow Republicans in this House to advance important priorities for the American people, including funding legislation to keep our government operating.

Unfortunately, it has become clear, as the House has considered appropriations legislation on the floor and in Chairman Cole's committee, that Democrats are trying to hold our government hostage.

This legislation will make clear where Democrats stand. Will they vote against keeping the government working for the American people, or will they vote to keep us hostage?

Will they vote with me to fund important priorities, such as the programs that will allow communities in my district and many others to clean up and recover from years of PFAS contamination, or will they vote to hold hostage programs that will make Appalachia communities, like mine, healthier all to score political points?

I know where I stand. I know where leadership in this body stands. I promised my constituents that I would be a warrior for north Georgia, and I am proud to do that today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated public servant and outstanding law enforcement officer protecting Georgia's 14th District: Georgia State Patrol Corporal Emilee Shackleford.

Corporal Shackleford embodies the true spirit of the badge. She recently shared that at the beginning of every shift, she laces up her boots and places her badge over her heart, knowing she is giving her absolute full commitment to keeping her community safe. She entered law enforcement to make a deeply positive difference, and she is doing exactly that every single day.

Recently, Corporal Shackleford was the target of unfair media attacks simply for being highly effective at her job. For enforcing the law and holding unlicensed drivers accountable on our roads, referring any illegal immigrants she apprehends to federal immigration officials.

Media reports sought to attack her for being responsible for 78 percent of her agency's illegal immigrant arrests in Walker County.

I rise to praise her for being responsible for 78 percent of her agency's Walker County arrests, and hope that her colleagues will rise to meet her example.

In a time when the rule of law is frequently undermined, she refused to back down. She stood strong for public safety, and she has earned the overwhelming respect and gratitude of the citizens she protects, putting them first.

The people of Northwest Georgia are grateful for her courage, her resilience, and her steadfast service. It is my distinct privilege to recognize Corporal Emilee Shackleford today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 65th anniversary of the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, a remarkable milestone.

In the late 1950s, visionaries T. Harley Harper and Fred F. Starr championed a bold idea for regional cooperation. By 1961, that vision became a reality, launching the first multi-county organization of its kind in Georgia--and creating a model for the entire Nation.

What began as a pioneering association has evolved into the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission. Today, it proudly serves fifteen counties, forty-eight municipalities, and nearly one million Georgians. From economic development to workforce and aging services, the Commission tirelessly improves our citizens' quality of life. Furthermore, they operate with incredible efficiency, delivering a $38 return on investment for every single local dollar received.

Please join me in commending the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission on sixty-five years of outstanding official service to our communities and the great State of Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

First off, to my Democratic colleagues, I want to express my condolences for the passing of Representative David Scott. He was a great man and an example of what a statesman should be in this body. I am sending my condolences to his family, your party, and the Georgia delegation, as well.

I rise to explain this resolution to not only this body but my Democratic colleagues. In 2013, when I was 31 years old, I was stationed here at Andrews Air Force base in Washington, D.C., and I was diagnosed with cancer. I went through a 13-hour surgery and 2 weeks in an ICU room.

I am a kid who grew up in Appalachia, and I said a prayer to God with my wife, Kate, that if God gave me more time to be on this planet, I was going to leave Active Duty, return home to the Appalachian communities I grew up in, and fight for them each and every day. That was a promise that I made in 2013, and, Mr. Speaker, this resolution is a fulfillment of that promise that I made in an ICU room so many years ago.

I have dedicated my career to fighting for these communities.

Now, I have heard from our Democratic colleagues and in the previous statement they kind of joked about this resolution. I stand before you because I want to celebrate these communities. The Democratic Party, who was founded by Thomas Jefferson, now has forgotten this part of America. What we have seen under President Trump's leadership and Speaker Johnson's leadership is that this forgotten America, rural America, Appalachia America is forgotten no more with this leadership, and that is exactly what this resolution does to celebrate those communities that have been long forgotten by their party.

I rise today to celebrate everything that the Republican leadership has done in this body to lift up those communities that have been long forgotten. I want to make sure that those communities that sent me here to represent them--that was a promise I made to Georgia-14. That is the promise I made to Appalachia as a whole. That is the promise that I made to rural communities, that I will be a

warrior for them in this body. Anytime there is a chance for me to celebrate the positive work that we are doing in this body, and if there is a chance for me to celebrate those communities, I am going to take that opportunity.

I appreciate Republican leadership for allowing me to bring forth this resolution basically in less than a week of me being here. It is an incredible honor for me to, hopefully, pass legislation in this body celebrating those communities that their party has forgotten.

I rise today to fulfill not only a promise that I made so many years ago in an ICU room at Walter Reed to fight against rural poverty, to fight for Appalachian communities and rural communities, but I also want to raise awareness of the great work that the Republican leadership here has done under Speaker Johnson's leadership and President Trump's leadership.

One of the main things that I want to highlight is President Trump using those tariffs that were just mentioned, making sure that he is bringing manufacturing back to communities that have been hollowed out by 30 to 40 years of policies that had been put in place by the Democrats. Finally, good manufacturing jobs are coming back to districts just like mine.

This is the fulfillment of a promise that I made to God in a hospital room, and I celebrate these communities. Rural and Appalachian communities need to know that they will always have a warrior in Clay Fuller here in this body.