Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4363, the DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021.

Improving transparency and accountability is an essential way for the America people to gain and have confidence in their government and the Department of Homeland Security.

Currently, there is no clear line of sight into DHS' purchasing decisions. Even though DHS is required to report some contract awards to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, it is not required to report them to other committees with oversight responsibilities such as ours, the House Committee on Homeland Security.

And most importantly, if the American people want to know where their tax dollars are going, that information is almost impossible to find.

Today, if someone wanted to find a DHS contract award, they would have to know how to use and navigate the cumbersome Federal data systems, and even then they may not be successful if they don't already know some key details about the contract.

Furthermore, DHS acquisition management is still on the Government Accountability Office's high-risk list. GAO reports that although DHS has taken steps to strengthen its acquisition requirements development process, DHS continues to face challenges in effectively executing its acquisition portfolio, with many programs not meeting the cost and schedule goals they establish.

I want to change this. The bill I am putting forward today will increase the transparency into these contracts. The DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021 requires DHS to have a public facing website where it will report all contract awards over $4 million.

To illustrate the current opaqueness of our oversight, I want to ask: Does anybody here know whether all the DHS contracts that should have been awarded competitively actually were? I don't know the answer. But I do know that competition and contract awards helps to lower the cost of services and technologies the Department buys, and to get the best return on investment for the American taxpayer.

To get at this type of information and to have more insight into DHS' awards more generally, this bill also requires DHS to include key aspects of each contract award it reports, such as the total amount it plans to spend; what the contract is for; what type of agreement it is; and whether the government competed the contract award.

According to the government's top 100 contractors report for 2020, DHS alone awarded over $12 billion to its top 100 contractors. And this is an increase in spending of $1 billion from just the previous year.

This includes everything from drones and IT systems to medical services at the border. With these significant levels of increased spending, it is crucial that Congress have better oversight of DHS contracts.

If this requirement would have been in place last year, the American people and Congress would have had that insight into nearly 1,000 contracts DHS awarded in 2020. We need to put this requirement in place now so that Congress can ensure better stewardship of taxpayer dollars next year.

With increased Federal spending across the board, it is more important than ever that this committee does its job to ensure DHS is being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. More accountability will make the Department a better business partner and a better provider of services to the public, and that is why I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I would like to thank Ranking Member Katko and Representatives Luria and Slotkin for reaching across the aisle and cosponsoring this bill with me.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose the unconscionable abortion on demand until birth act.

As a mother and a grandmother of two precious grandsons, I am sickened by the attempt to allow abortions on demand until birth.

As a pharmacist, I have seen countless women who struggle with infertility issues. All they ever wanted was to be able to give birth and to have and to hold those precious children of their own.

Contrast this with what is happening today.

My colleagues across the aisle, many of them are women. They are trying to make it easier to abort for reasons like bad timing or inconvenience. Under this law, every State will be a late-term abortion State, where abortions can be performed until birth for any reason with no accountability or protections for women.

This is heartbreaking to me, and it is heartbreaking to all of the women I have helped overcome fertility issues over the years.

I have talked to many women who have had abortions. Most of them think about that baby they aborted every day. What would their baby look like? What would their baby have grown up to be? Whom would they have married? How many children would they have had? How could that unborn baby have affected our country or our world?

There is such a sorrow that follows these women post-abortion. I want those women who have had abortions to know this: Nothing is wasted, and there is forgiveness from a loving God.

They can make a difference today, even now, by praying. I will continue to advocate on behalf of the right to life. I believe it is a moral and a God-given responsibility that we protect these treasured trusts from Heaven.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``no'' on this unmerciful and unthinkable bill. The sanctity of human life depends on it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against this unconscionable abortion on demand until birth act. I strongly oppose this extreme bill.

I am a mother and a grandmother of two precious grandsons, and I am committed to protecting the life of the unborn. As a pharmacist, I have helped many women overcome fertility issues to be able to give birth to these treasured trusts from Heaven, which supporters of this bill deem expendable and nonviable.

These same women were desperate to have and to hold these precious children that this bill would make so easy to abort for such reasons as inconvenience, wrong sex, medical inadequacies, and bad timing. The uncompromising push to allow on-demand abortions until birth is heartbreaking. It would overturn almost all pro-life laws put in place by States to protect those unborn children, including late-term abortion bans.

We cannot allow this to happen. I will be voting no on the abortion on demand bill. And let me tell you, when I do, I will be thinking of all the precious lives that have been saved through the very pro-life protections that this bill seeks to overturn.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow colleagues who care about the sanctity of life to join me in opposition.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Horizon Credit Union's President/CEO Beverly Boling who has announced her plans to retire this year after 42 years of service to members of the credit union. Her retirement will be effective September 30, 2021.

Boling began her career in 1979 at what was then the Municipal Employees Credit Union, in the basement of the former city hall on Center Street. During her tenure, she has seen the credit union grow from having under $500,000 in assets to $65 million. She was instrumental in the 1999 merger of Kingsport Postal and Federal Credit Union to form First Kingsport Credit Union, which then merged with AGC Credit Union in 2014 to create Horizon Credit Union. Boling also worked to introduce many of the innovations customers now see as common place to Horizon Credit Union, including debit cards and credit union-owned ATMs.

The credit union industry and the local community have also benefited greatly from Boling's desire to help others. She served on the Tennessee Credit Union League Board and in the Upper East Tennessee Chapter of Credit Unions. Currently, she volunteers her time and expertise as Treasurer of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kingsport and Chairman of the Mount Carmel Block Party.

When Boling started at the credit union, she was the second full-time employee ever. Now, she leaves Horizon Credit Union in the hands of a tenured, capable team of people.

After she retires, Boling will embark on a life of adventure and exploration. Her plans include boarding a catamaran with Mr. Dana, her husband, and sailing to the Caribbean, Fiji and beyond.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Major General Gary Harrell, who is a distinguished veteran that has served our country in numerous combat operations and in both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. After an accomplished career in service to our country, Gary retired as the Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Special Operations Command. It is my privilege to recognize him for his service and to honor his sacrifice to our country.

Gary earned his bachelor's degree in industrial technology from East Tennessee State University in 1973. His distinguished career began shortly after when he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, where he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader and Anti-Tank (TOW) platoon leader. In 1977, having earned a Green Beret, he was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group in Panama.

Gary was deployed to Grenada during ``Operation Urgent Fury,'' and then took part in combat operations in Panama with ``Operation Just Cause.'' He was also sent to the Middle East during ``Desert Shield'' and ``Desert Storm,'' and as commander of the special operation Delta Force, he was wounded by mortar fire during United Nations relief efforts in Somalia, a story chronicled in the book and movie ``Black Hawk Down.''

In 2001, Gary was Assistant Division Commander for the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, and during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he led the largest special operations force assembled since World War II. He retired in 2008 as the Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Special Operations Command. Gary's awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal (with V- device and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters), and the Purple Heart among many others.

Gary is hailed as an expert in the special operations community, and he is highly respected by his colleagues and friends. He has been described as having ``unmatched expertise,'' and at his retirement ceremony in 2008, Lt. Gen. Robert Wagner stated, ``If it was complex, if it was difficult or critical to our nation, Gary was there.'' When being inducted into the ETSU ROTC Hall of Fame, it was said that ``to say General Harrell is a legend would be an absolute understatement.''

In retirement, Gary has served in several roles, including as Director General for King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) in Amman, Jordan and Senior Vice President of Special Operations and Intelligence Advisory Group for CUBIC Applications Inc. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been blessed with three children and six grandchildren. I am proud to join the chorus of Gary's family, friends, colleagues, and admirers in thanking him for his dedicated service to our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Navy Fireman First Class Paul E. Saylor, who, as a 21-year-old, was assigned to serve on the USS Oklahoma. The Oklahoma was moored at Ford Island in berth Fox 5 on Battleship Row of Pearl Harbor on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when it was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The ship sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize and resulted in the death of 429 crewman, including Saylor. His remains were recovered, but not identified and accounted for until Nov. 24, 2020.

Saylor was born in 1920 in the First District of Tennessee in Bluff City to the Reverend

Samuel and Mary Saylor. Reverend Saylor was a Free Will Baptist minister whose ministry took the family to both Unicoi and Carter Counties in Tennessee as well as Mitchell County, North Carolina before they settled in Johnson City, Tennessee. Paul was the third of four sons born to the Saylors.

Saylor's legacy included not only service to his country but his admirable character, as well. Letters that he wrote to his family during his year in the United States Navy revealed his intelligence, his strong work ethic, and his generous spirit.

Growing up the son of a Free Will Baptist minister during the Great Depression gave Paul a deeply personal understanding of the financial burden his family faced. Lower enlisted men received very little pay during the early 1940s however, Paul's letters indicated that he was sending money home to his parents showing a strong sense of responsibility. He also was driven to succeed as his writings revealed that he figured out early that if he studied hard and passed his exams he could be promoted. His time of service was just over a year, but he was quickly promoted to Fireman First Class.

Paul Saylor's remains were unidentified, like many others, until modem analysis revealed his identity, allowing him to be brought home for a proper burial on August 20, 2021. Although his life was tragically cut short, his memory will continue to live and generations to come will see his name recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Madam Speaker, please join me in honoring Navy Fireman First Class Paul E. Saylor's legacy and ultimate sacrifice to our Nation. He represents the spirit and sacrifice that has made the First District of Tennessee as well as these United States, great.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Lt. Colonel Gerald W. Boston Retired of Baneberry, Tennessee. Jerry was born in Oklahoma of Cherokee Heritage. The family moved to Tennessee where he spent his younger years growing up in the Mill Springs community of Jefferson County, Tennessee and he celebrated his eighty-sixth birthday on August 23, 2021. He attended Jefferson High School and then Carson Newman College. He graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corp in 1959.

His career in the Marine Corps led him to the war in Vietnam where he was commander of ground reaction forces involved in heavy fighting at the DMZ and the TET combat mission. He also served in Rota, Spain and later attended and graduated the ``Command and Staff'' College in Quantico, Virginia. Due to his experience and his training, he was sent back to Vietnam to serve as an Advisor to the Vietnamese Marines who were engaged in severe combat with the North Vietnamese Army. Later he was assigned to Hawaii and was Battalion Commander of the 2nd BN, 4th Marines. In 1982, he retired after serving his country for twenty-three years in the United States Marines Corp.

After his career in the United States Marine Corps, Colonel Boston transitioned to civilian

life and worked in California's Silicon Valley's high-tech industry working for ATARI and then Sun Microsystems, where be would go on to build high tech campuses across the United States. Upon retirement, he came home to Jefferson County, Tennessee where he volunteered and contributed greatly to the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and Baneberry City government.

Jerry's legacy of love includes his marriage to his wonderful wife, Marilynn, whom he has been married to since Valentine's Day in 1959, and their two children, Andy and Karen, who have given him and Marilynn four grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, Lt. Colonel Jerry Boston has served our country faithfully, along with his community and family and I proudly honor him.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Roland Dykes, III, a beloved pillar of Newport in Cocke County, Tennessee. Mr. Dykes is currently the Mayor of the City of Newport, having followed in the footsteps of his father. He is a graduate of Jacksonville University where he earned his MBA; the University of Tennessee- Knoxville where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1974; and Cocke County High School in 1969 where he graduated with honors. He retired from Quaker Oats/PepsiCo in 2012 and then worked briefly as an independent marketing consultant in the beverage industry before retiring for good in 2013 to pursue volunteer and political opportunities. His illustrious career includes stints working for such notable companies as Xerox, DuPont, AT&T, and Quaker Oats in positions of leadership ranging from District Manager, Regional Manager and Area Manager.

Roland's legacy of community service is notable as well. He is a graduate of both the East Tennessee Regional Leadership program and Cocke County's Leadership program. Mr. Dykes has served as the President of the Tanner Preservation Alliance, an organization to preserve the first school for African Americans in Cocke County. He is a former President of the Tennessee Picnic Association, served on the Board of Directors for Newport Utilities and served as Chairman. He is the immediate Past Chair of the East Tennessee Development District and currently chairs the Policy Council of the East Tennessee Human Resource Agency. His civic and community service also includes being active with the Newport Kiwanis Club and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

His legacy of love includes being married to his wife, Rhonda, and they will celebrate 45 years of marriage on November 26, 2021. They have one son, Roland IV.

Mr. Dykes will be honored by the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service with the Cocke County Citizenship Award in September of 2021.

Madam Speaker, Roland Dykes, III has been a source of leadership, compassion, and support for the citizens of Newport and Cocke County as well as a strong community advocate for racial equality and positive change. I proudly honor him.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Jewell Bell, a beloved pillar of King University and Bristol, Tennessee. Ms. Bell has dedicated over 70 years of service to this excellent academic institution and the well-being of its students. Her tenure spans nearly half of King's 152-year history. She began as a maid in the women's dormitory. In 1961, while Bristol's public schools were still segregated, she was promoted to switchboard Operator and Supervisor and given a staff of 10 assistants. She was the first African American in the region to manage a switchboard, for which she became affectionately known as ``Ma Bell.'' In 1966, her son, Lawrence, Jr. became the first African American student to attend King. As the Executive Administrative Assistant for Communications, she remains the voice of King, answering calls and serving the President's office.

Jewell's legacy of community service is notable as well. She has earned the Algenon Sydney Sullivan Award, the YWCA's Tribute to Women Award, the first ever King University Lifetime Achievement Award, her own lane on the campus named after her, and being declared an Aide-de- Camp by former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, an honor that carries with it the title of Tennessee Colonel. In addition, King University offers a scholarship named the Jewell H. Bell Scholarship, which goes to help students who, as she describes, ``have fallen through the cracks and need a little extra help to stay in school.'' She has devoted many years of service to the YWCA of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, the American Red Cross, Slater Community Center, Healing Hands Health Center, and Lee Street Baptist Church. While her children were in school, she served on the PTA and was the first African American PTA Council President in the Bristol, Tennessee, city school system.

Her legacy of love includes being married to her late husband, Lawrence, for 50 years, three grown children, seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. In her words, she says ``my children are grown now, but King is still my home, the students are my family and I love them. Some of my family call me Gran, some call me GG, JB, Miss Jewell, plain Jewell, Mrs. Bell, or Ma Bell. I feel like God has enabled me to be here so long because of them, and I believe I've made an impact.''

Madam Speaker, Jewell Bell has been a source of wisdom, compassion and support for students and alumni, as well as a strong community advocate for racial equality and positive change and I proudly honor her.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and service of Mr. George Lawson of Sevierville, Tennessee. George was born on August 6, 1949 and passed away on Thursday, August 5, 2021.

He was bonded as a deputy in 1972 and was elected in 1976 to serve as a Constable for Sevier County. His years of service made him one of the longest serving elected officials in the State of Tennessee, and he loved serving his community and his church family.

Along the way, he mentored and inspired many young adults to serve in law enforcement including one, Matt Grooms; who went on to become a United States Border Patrol Agent and eventually an agent with the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Lawson was a self-employed business owner and his flexible schedule enabled him to serve his fellow citizens as their Constable.

For decades he served the citizens of Sevier County as a Constable with the familiar slogan, ``my services as your Constable are always as close as your telephone'' and as the times changed, he offered his personal cell phone to his fellow citizens to be available to them. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police and at one point served as a deputy Sheriff in Sevier County. He helped lives including his own Sheriff in one dangerous setting and pulled a woman to safety and saved her from drowning in the Little Pigeon River. He was a true public servant.

George's legacy of love includes his marriage to his wonderful wife, Charlotte, and his children, Cindy, Tammy and son, Little George Stephen, who have given he and Charlotte seven grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, George Lawson has faithfully served his community and family, and I proudly honor him.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Honorable Tom Wright of Greeneville, Tennessee. Mr. Wright currently serves as Circuit Court Judge for the State of Tennessee's Third Judicial District. He was elected to the position in 2006 and reelected in 2014. Prior to his election as Circuit Judge, he served for eight years as the General Sessions and Juvenile Judge for Greene County, Tennessee, having been elected to that position in 1998. Judge Wright will be retiring September 1 to spend more time with his family, including two children, their spouses, and grandchildren at two separate Army bases, with the third grandchild coming soon.

Tom graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law with high honors in 1983 and was selected for membership in the Order of the Coif. Following his graduation from law school, he worked briefly for Campus Crusade for Christ before accepting a position as a Judicial Law Clerk for United States District Judge Thomas G. Hull.

Tom was in the private practice of law for several years following the judicial clerkship then accepted the position of Assistant Federal Community Defender for upper East Tennessee. He served as Federal Defender for six years before his election as Judge in 1998.

Judge Wright has been active with the Greeneville High School football team as their chaplain, Young Life, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He says, ``I thank God for the opportunity to mentor, teach, and encourage these folks in their faith. Serving the State of Tennessee and the people of the Third Judicial District has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am so incredibly grateful to God and the people of Greene, Hawkins, Hamblen, and Hancock counties for giving me the opportunity.''

Madam Speaker, Judge Tom Wright has been an outstanding judge and valuable contributor to the Greeneville community. I proudly honor him.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Hiram ``H'' Bowlin, who is a distinguished veteran that served our country in World War II and recently celebrated his 101st birthday on June 7, 2021. I extend my sincerest gratitude to Hiram for his dedicated service to our country, and I further thank him for his continued service to our community. I am delighted to wish him a very happy and joyful 101st birthday.

Hiram's service began when he was sent to Europe and assigned to the 94th Infantry, which was a part of the 3rd Army commanded by the great General George Patton. This infantry saw a total of 209 days of combat and participated in campaigns in Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes- Alsace, and Central Europe. Hiram served as a Communications Sergeant and was responsible for stringing ``commo wire'' to different command posts during the war.

He was discharged January 16, 1946, and he returned home to the U.S. on February 6, 1946. For his service, Hiram has been awarded the Bronze Star, the World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the M-1 Rifle Marksmanship Badge Medal, among other awards.

Hiram is described by his friends as a man of God who is beloved by his community. He often exchanges a warm smile and friendly wave with his neighbors as they pass by his home. He spent his 101st birthday surrounded by his friends and loved ones and even got the opportunity to ride in an antique fire truck that is as old as Hiram himself. When asked about the secret to living a long life by a local reporter, Hiram jokingly quipped, ``Keep breathing.''

Hiram is a blessing to everyone that knows him, and he has made a large impact on our community. He is known as a kind, caring man who loves Jesus. Veterans like Hiram are the backbone of our nation, and we owe them our sincerest gratitude. His service and sacrifice are a testament to his character and his deep love for our country. I want to extend my deepest thanks to Hiram for his dedicated service to our nation, and once again, wish him a very happy birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department in Sevier County in the First Congressional District in Tennessee which recently celebrated fifty years of protecting and serving their community. Fire protection in our great Nation began as an all-volunteer service and in Seymour that rich tradition of volunteer service continues today.

In 1971, Seymour was a small community comprised of family farms and some small businesses. The owners of those businesses made the wise decision to establish fire protection for their homes and businesses as there was no such service in the thirty mile stretch between Knoxville and Sevierville. And thus, with the purchase of a new Boardman Class A fire engine, the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department was born. In that first year, twelve firefighters responded to 24 calls for service and their engine was stored outside in a vacant lot at the corner of Chapman Highway and Old Sevierville Pike.

Over the last fifty years, as the community of Seymour has grown and gone from zero stoplights to eight and those family farms have developed into subdivisions, the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department has also grown to serve over 40,000 people, 400 businesses, 70 churches, 2 private schools, 8 public schools and Johnson University. The Fire District is spread across three Tennessee counties: Blount, Knox, and Sevier, covering a response area of almost 120 square miles. The Department now has six stations, 26 pieces of equipment and over 60 volunteers that continue to answer the call of duty. With all these changes, the original fire truck remains and serves as a reminder of the many volunteers who have responded to the call of duty over these last five decades.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department on fifty years of service. I am proud to represent these volunteers and the communities they serve.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Hyde amendment.

As a mother and grandmother of two precious grandsons, I am committed to protecting the life of the unborn.

Since enacted, the Hyde amendment ban on taxpayer-funded abortions has saved nearly 2\1/2\ million lives. We cannot understate the importance of this amendment in saving these precious, innocent lives.

I have taken care of young women with infertility problems for over 30 years, and they would love to cradle a precious baby in their arms. So many want to discard that precious child as just an unnecessary interruption in their way of life.

This is why we need to enact H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, to ensure these pro-life protections remain in place.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Dale Edward Whitehead,

who recently lost his battle with lung cancer after spending his life serving his community and his country. Dale graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences before going on to graduate from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business with a Master's Degree in Business Administration. He also attended the United States Defense Language Institute, where he was awarded an Associate of Arts Degree in Arabic.

Dale served as a Cryptologic Arabic Linguist, Sergeant E-5 in the United States Marine Corps from 1999 to 2004. Dale not only honorably served his country in Iraq, he was at the forefront of the search for weapons of mass destruction in Operation Iraqi Freedom. For his brave service, Dale was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (with Combat ``V''), the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation-Navy, and the Marine Corps Rifle Badge (Sharpshooter). After his return from Iraq, Dale worked as a program manager for 6 years for Poole & Associates as well as SAIC. In 2010, Dale joined General Dynamics where he became a Senior Program Manager and ultimately rose to the level of Director.

In 2014, Dale played an important role in Range Generation Next (RGNext) (a joint venture of General Dynamics IT and Raytheon) in bidding and winning the United States Airforce's Launch and Test Range Integrated Services Contract valued at $2 billion. The contract provided a sole prime contractor responsible for operations, organizational and depot-level maintenance as well as sustainment at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base. This was a significant and transformational contract which included the engineering support to all Space launch activities. RGNext was awarded this contract in April of 2015, and Dale was subsequently appointed as Deputy Program Manager of the contract. In this role he focused on mission and program leadership, organizational development, new business change proposals, and day to day management activities of the broad contract. Dale excelled in working with people and enjoyed the comradery of building successful teams in the workplace. His RGNext co- workers have shared with me that his constant mentorship helped them professionally and personally and they will forever be better for it.

As a non-smoker and fitness advocate with no family cancer history, it is strongly suspected by his doctors that Dale's terminal lung cancer was most likely due to his exposure to Yellow Cake Uranium and Burn Pit toxicities during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dale's life underscores the need for the U.S. government to support veterans like him, who have been exposed to dangerous agents in the theatre of war and now face sickness or even death. We must uplift our veterans and honor their sacrifice to our country.

Dale did an outstanding job while here on earth, and he served our country fearlessly. He made a difference in his professional career, and his many co-workers have described him as incredibly personable, a great supportive leader, a wonderful person, and a dependable friend whose love for his family was always self-evident. I believe one thing Dale had in common with my fellow East Tennesseans was his deep respect for his country that drove him to spend years in service both at home and abroad. Those who had the opportunity to interact with him have shared with me how very friendly and an openly giving person he was and will be remembered for all of eternity as. Dale will forever be cherished as a loving family man to his wife, Erin, and his sons Henry, Nathan, and George. Those who could find a way to describe him in a single short sentence would say he was and will forever always be a patriotic Marine veteran and a loving family man. All those touched by his life are better for knowing him.