Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Miss Greater Sampson County, Victoria Huggins, who won the 80th Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant this past weekend and will go on to represent our great State in the Miss America pageant this fall.

During the competition, Victoria also won first place in the Quality of Life Award which honors her dedication and work on her community service platforms.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a native of St. Pauls, Victoria is a member of the Carolina in the Morning team with the NBC affiliate WECT in Wilmington, North Carolina.

During her tenure as Miss North Carolina, Victoria will focus on her work advocating for Alzheimer's disease awareness.

On behalf of southeastern North Carolina, congratulations, Victoria. We wish you the best of luck as you represent our great State over the next year, compete in the Miss America pageant, and continue to enrich the lives of others.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 329.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that North Carolina is home to many great student athletes that serve as community role models.

One prime example is MacKenzie Gore, who graduated from Whiteville High School this month and has been named the 2017 Gatorade North Carolina Baseball Player of the Year. Not only that, he was just recently selected third overall in the Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres.

MacKenzie not only demonstrates athletic excellence, but also exemplary character and work ethic--the two primary traits necessary for great success. Very few have achieved as much as early in life. It is a culmination of years of hard work and commitment.

As with all who are in success, MacKenzie is blessed to have a big decision to make: go pro and play for the Padres or head to East Carolina University to play for the Pirates. Whatever MacKenzie decides, we are all proud of him and wish him the very best.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, June 15, I was absent from votes on account of attending funeral, and had I been present, I would have voted as follows: Rollcall No. 308--``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to make special mention today of the retirement of Craig Souza, a gentleman who has contributed decades of service to North Carolina through his leadership in providing quality health care facilities throughout the state.

Craig has served as President and CEO of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association since 1977. He is a proud graduate of East Carolina University (ECU) and has the distinction of having served as chairman of the ECU Board of Trustees.

Mr. Souza has served in a number of leadership roles, including his service on the UNC Board of Governors, as past president of both the American Society of Health Care Association Executives and the Association Executives of North Carolina; and as a member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, the North Carolina Social Services Commission and the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. He also served with distinction as deputy secretary of the North Carolina Department of Human Resources.

Throughout his career, Mr. Souza has carried out his service with integrity and dedication providing our state with valued leadership and counsel in every endeavor.

In his retirement, Craig plans to continue to enjoy spending time with family, traveling, playing golf, watching Carolina Panthers football, and cheering on his beloved ECU Pirates.

On behalf of the State of North Carolina, thank Craig for his years of commitment and service. I wish him the very best as he enters this next chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained at the White House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 235 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 236.

personal explanation

Madam Speaker, I rise today to make special mention of Pat Bradford, who recently stepped down as publisher and editor of the local paper she founded, the Lumina News.

The Lumina News has served as the voice of Wrightsville Beach and its surrounding communities since 2002. This local paper covers a wide range of topics but sets itself apart by covering matters especially important to coastal communities.

The Lumina News has consistently been ranked first in its North Carolina Press Association newspaper category. In fact, first in nine new top awards for 2016.

With her recent departure from the paper, Pat is focusing her attention on the very successful monthly sister publication which she co-founded, the Wrightsville Beach Magazine.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Pat in the past few years and will certainly miss interacting with her as publisher and editor of the Lumina News.

Congratulations to you, Pat, for your continued success in all these endeavors and for your continued contributions to the Wrightsville Beach community and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a North Carolina legend as he celebrates his 90th birthday this week. Mr. Carl Lamm, who many know as ``the Voice of Johnston County,'' has been a pioneer of the country music radio scene since 1946.

``Mr. Carl,'' as he is known, has been a disc jockey and co-owner of WMPM-AM in Smithfield, North Carolina, since 1958, where he plays a lively mix of bluegrass, Southern gospel, and old-time country. His daily programming is revered by tens of thousands throughout Johnston County, North Carolina, and all across the Nation.

In the seven decades Carl has been on the air, he has brought some of the greatest musicians, top athletes, and national political figures into our homes and businesses through radio to discuss current events, politics, our Creator, and much more.

Mr. Carl has witnessed the evolution of radio from the glory days of the Grand Ole Opry to the digital age of the 21st century. To say that Mr. Carl Lamm is a radio legend is an understatement.

Carl Lamm, thank you for everything you have done for our State and for our country. Again, happy birthday.

Mr. Speaker, Scott Graves will soon be leaving his post as staff director for the House Agriculture Committee to pursue new opportunities, and it is my privilege to recognize his many contributions over the years to farm and ranch families all across America.

Scott has served as a trusted advisor to Chairman Mike Conaway for nearly twelve years. His start as an intern is a familiar one to many Capitol Hill staffers. In Scott's case, he started out as an intern for the House Agriculture Committee in January 2005. It was at that time when I first met Scott. I was a staffer myself back in 2005, working for U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole.

Scott's knowledge, sound judgment and strong work ethic eventually elevated him to staff director of the Committee where he has led efforts to increase innovation in agriculture, improve markets, strengthen our farm economy, reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, repeal the Country of Origin of Labelling law and much more. Without question, Scott has been a vital contributor to the many legislative successes of the House Agriculture Committee.

There's no doubt Scott will continue to have great success in his new endeavors. On behalf of the fine farm families and consumers all across North Carolina, thank you, Scott, for your hard work and dedication to America's farm and ranch families and our rural communities. You will certainly be missed.

``. . . provided, that the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

``This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.''

Amendment XIX:

``The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

``Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.''

Mr. Speaker, one of the best things we can do in Congress to create an environment for more good-paying jobs is to repeal ObamaCare.

Under ObamaCare, health insurance premiums have gone up, access to quality care has gone down, and doctors all over this great land are plotting their exit strategies--not to mention the chilling effect this law has had on our economy, resulting in lost jobs all over America.

It is a simple fact that if you are going to get the best product for the lowest possible price, you must have competition and transparency. We have very little of either in the health care sector today, and ObamaCare, with all its rules and mandates, has made it that much worse.

If we want to do right by the American people, we should allow individuals and families to buy insurance across State lines, let small businesses and other groups establish associated health plans so they can pool their resources and have the leverage to buy health insurance at lower rates, and we should let individuals and families set aside money in health savings accounts tax free.

Mr. Speaker, those are just a few of the simple, commonsense steps we can take to help drive down costs. The American people know that ObamaCare is not the answer, and those seeking a good-paying job definitely know it. So let's do what is right. Let's repeal this disastrous law and start anew.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 25 I was unavoidably detained during the time of this vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Connolly

Amendment IV:

``The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.''

Mr. Speaker, I have heard more than one person say common sense isn't so common anymore. Boy, isn't that right? Well, today, we have a unique opportunity to pass commonsense legislation that will truly help the American people and strengthen America.

I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 3, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act. It is projected this pipeline will create more than 40,000 good-paying jobs, and it will create far more good jobs indirectly by increasing our energy supply.

At a time when our families are struggling to make ends meet, it is irresponsible for the President to walk away from doing what is right for America. Building the pipeline will help us achieve energy independence. This is an opportunity to strengthen our position in the world, eliminate a key revenue source for our enemies, and strengthen our economy by lowering fuel prices even more.

I urge my colleagues in both Chambers and the President to support the Keystone XL Pipeline Act. This is an opportunity to show the American people that there is still a glimmer of hope for good old common sense.

Mr. Speaker, it doesn't take an accountant to figure out that our path of more spending and more debt must change. Our national debt has increased by more than $7 trillion over the past 6 years, now totaling more than $18 trillion.

That is why I am proud to cosponsor H.J. Res. 1 and H.J. Res. 2. Both of these bills would amend the Constitution to require a balanced budget. Families across North Carolina and America are required to live within their means, and they expect Washington to do the same.

I came here with a clear mission: work to get a balanced budget and do my best to reduce the size and scope of government, so that our small businesses and farm families can grow and create jobs.

On behalf of the fine citizens of the Seventh Congressional District of North Carolina, I am proud to be a cosponsor of both of these resolutions, and I encourage my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to join me in this effort.