Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the formal partnership between the United States Air Force's 55th Wing and the Nebraska Air National Guard's 170th Group at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The anniversary occurred on the 3rd of June this year and was the first-of-its kind as the oldest association between the Air National Guard and an active-duty combat-coded Air Force Wing.

The first unit member of the 170th Group is now retired Air Force Air National Guard Major General Rick Evans who arrived at Offutt Air Force Base on June 3, 2002, to set up and command what was initially Detachment 1 of the Nebraska Air National Guard. Later, the 170th Group was formed to expand the mission capabilities of Detachment 1 into two squadrons: the 238th Combat Training Squadron which provided combat aircrew training support for the 55th Wing, and the 170th Operations Support Squadron which provided vital support to 55th Wing missions in the areas of weapons and tactics, intelligence, base operations, weather, and aviation resource management.

The extraordinary 20-year partnership between the 170th Group and the 55th Wing has enabled and sustained combat and sensitive reconnaissance operations supporting the War on Terror and other national missions around the globe. Today, the 170th Group is preparing to expand its mission yet again with two additional squadrons that will expand its aircraft maintenance and intelligence support capabilities.

I am truly honored as a former 55th Wing Commander to have witnessed firsthand the operational impacts of the 170th Group. These outstanding Airmen ensure the daily success of the 55th Wing's demanding global mission and are recognized across the Air Force community for their leadership in forging a world-class Active Duty and Air National Guard partnership.

I salute the visionary leadership of those who designed the 170th Group over 20 years ago and all those who have served in its units to the present day. Congratulations on 20 years of success and the many more to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the formal partnership between the United States Air Force's 55th Wing and the Nebraska Air National Guard's 170th Group at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The anniversary occurred on the 3rd of June this year and was the first of its kind as the oldest association between the Air National Guard and an Active Duty combat-coded Air Force Wing.

The first unit member of the 170th Group was now-retired Air Force Air National Guard Major General Rick Evans who arrived at Offutt Air Force Base on June 3, 2002, to set up and command what was initially Detachment 1 of the Nebraska Air National Guard. Later, the 170th Group was formed to expand the mission capabilities of Detachment 1 into two squadrons: the 238th Combat Training Squadron which provided combat aircrew training support for the 55th Wing, and the 170th Operations Support Squadron which provided vital support to 55th Wing missions in the areas of weapons and tactics, intelligence, base operations, weather, and aviation resource management.

The extraordinary 20-year partnership between the 170th Group and the 55th Wing has enabled and sustained combat and sensitive reconnaissance operations supporting the war on terror and other national missions around the globe. Today, the 170th Group is preparing to expand its mission yet again with two additional squadrons that will expand its aircraft maintenance and intelligence support capabilities.

I am truly honored as a former 55th Wing Commander to have witnessed firsthand the operational impacts of the 170th Group. These outstanding Airmen ensure the daily success of the 55th Wing's demanding global mission and are recognized across the Air Force community for their leadership in forging a world-class Active Duty and Reserve component partnership.

I salute the visionary leadership of those who designed the 170th Group over 20 years ago and all those who have served in its units to the present day. Congratulations on 20 years of success and the many more to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Staff Sergeant Lillian LaDae Clamens, who was born on May 9, 1972, in Omaha, NE. As a proud graduate of Omaha's Central High School, Lillian enlisted in the United States Army, and served as an Administrative Assistant Specialist from 1990 to 2007, eventually attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.

During this time, she served at stations in Korea, Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, Germany, Fort Sill in Oklahoma, and is a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While enlisted, she took advantage of her travels where she encountered many different people and made lots of friends from diverse cultures. She greatly valued the different perspectives on life she learned from the people she met.

Lillian was also an adored mother. She gave birth to her first son Ayinde in 1993 and later remarried to Sergeant Raymond Clamens and had two more children, Lana and Vitoria. As a devoted wife and a role model to her children, family was always at the center of her life.

On October 10, 2007, Staff Sergeant Lillian Clamens was tragically killed by a mortar attack on Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq. At the time, she was 35 years old and had already served 17 years. Sergeant Clamens was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.

From the people who knew her best, Lillian was known as a woman who loved everyone who crossed her path and she demonstrated that when she sacrificed her own life to save others during the attack before she was tragically killed herself. As a soldier, she demonstrated the courage to defend American freedom, so that democracy may continue to grow and prosper for future generations to come.

This past spring, I was glad to see the City of Omaha honor our hometown hero by renaming a stretch of Caldwell Street as ``Lillian Clamens (Cobbin) Street''. The renaming of this North Omaha street near where she grew up, will ensure our community carries on her legacy and brings recognition to Sergeant Clamens' heroic service and sacrifice for others. We owe Lillian and her family a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an Omaha landmark, a fixture in Omaha's history and in the furniture retail world--Nebraska Furniture Mart--on the occasion of their 85th anniversary. In 1937, Rose Blumkin started the Mart--as it is known to those in the community--with $500 in the basement of her husband's shop. Since then, four generations of the Blumkin family have worked at the retail giant which is now also located in Iowa, Kansas City and Texas.

The largest retailer of home furnishings in North America, their flagship store hosts more than two million visitors a year, making it one of Nebraska's top tourists' attractions. Employing over 5000 workers, including 2000 in Omaha, the Mart contributed over $104 million in local payroll for the year 2020. In addition, it generates an average of $4.3 million in Omaha taxes and $24.4 million in state taxes.

As we gather on this 85th anniversary, we look forward to celebrating 100 years and the growth that the Mart will continue to have in Omaha and across the nation. Despite its large growth, the Mart is connected to the community, where it has a large footprint. I believe Rose Blumkin would be proud to see what her $500 has grown into and the impact it has made in the lives of those who work or shop here and would be excited to see what the future has to bear.

Congratulations to Nebraska Furniture Mart and the Blumkin family and I look forward to seeing their progress and growth 15 years from now.

Madam Speaker,I rise today to recognize David G. Brown, who is retiring from the Greater Omaha Chamber after 19 years of public service. David came to Omaha in 2003 after an already accomplished career, leading economic development organizations in the Midwest and South Carolina. Since coming to Omaha, he has overseen a period of extraordinary growth and prosperity within the business community that is nothing short of remarkable.

Over the course of his career, as CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, the metro region has seen an 88 percent increase in average Gross Domestic Product. Since launching the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, the Chamber has brokered 920 projects, which encompasses 47,000 jobs and $12 Billion in capital investments. For his efforts, the Omaha Chamber was deemed the Chamber of the Year in 2015 by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

David began his career at Dartmouth, where he majored in geography and minored in environmental studies. While there, he won the 1978 Ivy League football championship, and was awarded the Earl Hamilton Award for friendliness and humor. While he recognizes Chambers as mechanisms for economic growth, he sees his role as that of a catalyst for growth within the community. David has continuously given back by volunteering at local service organizations such as the Aksarben Future Trust, the Boy Scouts of America, the Greater Omaha Alliance for Business Ethics, and Opera Omaha.

David's tenure truly has embodied the motto of the Omaha Chamber: ``We Don't Coast''--David never let down his steam as he strived to bring the business community and the community at large to a place where people can prosper, and we can be very proud.

After retiring, he plans to spend more time with his family, including his wife Maggie, of 39 years, and their two sons Gregory and Elijah, but there is no doubt that he will continue to contribute his time and services to Greater Omaha and all of Nebraska.

I thank David for his service and contributions. It certainly does not go unnoticed, and the entire Greater Omaha Community is deeply in his debt.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the enduring friendship between the United States and Uzbekistan and to express my concern over the recent events that occurred in Karakalpakstan due to proposed constitutional amendments that revise Karakalpakstan's political position within Uzbekistan.

Since Uzbekistan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the world has witnessed its transformation from a once isolated and repressive nation into one that strives to modernize, address human rights concerns, ease political tension, and engage with the international community.

I support Uzbekistan's sovereignty, independence, and efforts to implement democratic reforms. I am confident in Uzbekistan's ability to uphold the standards it has worked hard to attain in the face of this current challenge by protecting fundamental rights, including peaceful assembly and expression.

I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and my sympathies to those injured. I applaud the great strides Uzbekistan has made to democratize and I urge all parties to seek peaceful resolution to these tensions.

I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between our nations.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong opposition to this amendment and the extreme damage it would do to our national security. Need I mention that a nuclear-armed power just invaded its neighbor, a country that has modernized its ICBM force. Defunding the modernization of the land-based leg of our nuclear triad in this global environment should be unthinkable.

Here are the facts.

First, China is our pacing threat. It is on track to double its nuclear stockpile in the next decade, matching our ICBM force. At that rate, it may acquire the ability to strike all 400 US ICBM sites in one wave.

Meanwhile, Russia is rattling its already modernized nuclear saber to coerce the U.S. and our allies. Defunding the ICBM modernization at a time like this sends a terrible message to our adversaries and to our allies. To our allies, can they trust us with the nuclear umbrella when we have ICBMs that are 50 years old?

Secondly, our military leaders have stated there is zero margin left to delay modernization of this ground-based leg of our triad. The Minuteman III was built in the 1970s and had a designed lifespan of 10 years. Our airmen have worked miracles to sustain these weapons, but they have become far more expensive to maintain than to replace. The price tag for replacement is high, but it pales in comparison to a catastrophic consequence of failing in deterrence.

Finally, the ground-based leg of our triad has never been more important. New technology is likely to end the invulnerability of our stealthy nuclear submarines, while advanced air defenses and air-to-air missiles threaten our bombers' ability to strike.

ICBMs are always on alert. They are ready to strike anywhere, anytime. I recommend that we vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Madam Speaker, it is with great personal satisfaction that I commend the United States and Qatar on fifty years of diplomatic relations.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, I had the honor to command an expeditionary squadron that was based in Qatar. This enabled me to work closely with our Qatari allies, who worked closely with the American military. I gained great respect for their dedication to our shared missions. I was also able to establish friendships with a number of Qatari military leaders; relations that have been renewed every time I have visited Qatar in subsequent years.

America's relationship with Qatar was not originally based upon military or strategic principles. In fact, when the United States first established diplomatic relations with Qatar 1971, the new Persian Gulf nation was hardly a military power.

In 1916, Qatar became a British protectorate, which meant that Britain agreed to defend Qatar from all aggression by sea and support in case of a land attack. When Qatar declared its independence in September 1971, no one could have predicted that this small Persian Gulf nation would develop into an economic and strategic powerhouse.

It is a tribute to leaders and its citizens that Qatar has accomplished so much in so many different areas. Much of the credit goes to the royal family and other political leaders who allocated spending on social programs, including housing, health, education, and pensions. Over time this enabled the relatively small population of Qatar to become better educated, healthier and committed to the welfare of the nation.

Qatar's leaders were well aware of the nation's precarious position as a major energy supplier, but without the means to defend itself and its resources. Thus, the nation began to build up its defense capabilities.

In 1991, Qatar played a significant role in the Gulf War, particularly during the Battle of Khafji in which Qatari tanks rolled through the streets of the town and engaged Iraqi troops. In addition, Qatar allowed coalition troops from Canada to use the country as an airbase to launch aircraft from Qatar. Qatar also permitted air forces from the United States and France to operate in its territories.

In the aftermath of this, both nations agreed upon the need for a Defense Cooperation Agreement. This pact, which has subsequently been expanded, has served as the basis for military collaboration. In 1996, Qatar built Al Udeid Air Base at the cost of more than $1 billion.

Significantly, military cooperation between the United States and Qatar continued to expand. In 2003, Qatar served as the U.S. Central Command headquarters and one of the main launching sites of the invasion of Iraq. As mentioned, I was able to participate in this operation.

Al Udeid is now home to the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. In a region sensitive about the presence of U.S. military forces, it is notable that Qatar is not only allowing expansion of Al Udeid, but also funding it and managing the construction. In fact, the Qatari government has provided over $8 billion in funding for al-Udeid Air Base since 2003. After renovations and expansions, Al Udeid can accommodate up to 120 aircraft and 10,000 troops. The Al Udeid Air Base has the longest runway in the Gulf region, about 5000 meters or 15,000 feet.

President Joe Biden met in Washington with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on January 31, 2022. This meeting was the first that President Biden had with a regional leader since he became president. It was a clear signal that Washington views Doha as an important asset in the region. This was underscored when the President told the Emir that the United States would nominate Qatar as a ``Major Non-NATO Ally'' (MNNA).

This MNNA status recognizes the bilateral security cooperation between the United States and Qatar has matured to the level beyond the already deep defense partnership that had developed and nourished over the course of decades. The MNNA status recognizes Qatar's growing responsibility as a strong and enduring U.S. partner in countering violent extremism, combating terrorism, and deterring external aggressors. It also reinforces U.S. military access to Qatari military facilities, allows prepositioning of U.S. armor and other military materiel, and supports U.S. training of Qatar's military forces.

American officials have come to realize the potential Qatar offered to American interests in the region, both politically as well as militarily. Soon after the Gulf War, the emir announced his intention for Qatar to move more toward democracy and permitted more liberal press and municipal elections as a precursor to expected parliamentary elections. A new constitution was approved via public referendum in April 2003 and came into effect in June 2005. Economic, social, and democratic reforms occurred in the proceeding years.

In 2003, a woman was appointed to the cabinet as minister of education. In October 2021, Qataris voted in the Gulf Arab state's first legislative elections for two-thirds of the advisory Shura Council, and turnout was over 63 percent. There were women candidates and women have been appointed to seats in the Council.

Qatar has also been an invaluable asset on a number of diplomatic fronts. Qatar quietly assisted in ending the Israel-Hamas war in May 2021 and continues to be helpful in seeking to improve Israeli relations with Palestinians. Qatar is also working to reduce tensions between the United States and Iran.

Without a doubt, Qatar's most significant diplomatic and humanitarian efforts were in the evacuation of more than 100,000 people from Afghanistan after the American withdrawal. Qatar was uniquely positioned because of its ability to speak to various parties on the ground and its willingness to escort people through Taliban-controlled Kabul.

Qataris helped to vet individuals seeking to leave the country and organized aspects of their departure. Many of the flights that enabled people to flee were on Qatari airlines. In addition, a large percentage of the new refugees were brought to Qatar, which arranged housing and other shelter for them as well as food, medicine and other provisions. At one point, the Qatari military was proving over 50,000 meals per day to the newly arrived refugees. There are still thousands of Afghan refugees in Qatar, where they continue to receive much needed care and assistance.

On September 7, 2021, only weeks after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to Doha to acknowledge the transit and care of the evacuees from Afghanistan and to thank Qatar for its vital assistance.

Secretary Blinken complimented Qatar's efforts in the evacuation: ``. . . you've facilitated the safe transit of more than 55,000 people. That's nearly half of those who were evacuated in the entire evacuation from Kabul. These are massive numbers. And as I've said a number of times, we spend a lot of time back in Washington talking about numbers: the total number of evacuees, American citizens, and so forth. But you know better than anyone that behind each of these numbers is a real person, is a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a son, a daughter.''

Qatar's role did not end with the evacuation. Since the United States does not recognize the Taliban dominated government in Afghanistan, all American interests in Afghanistan are now being handled by the Qatari Embassy and other offices in Kabul.

While the military and diplomatic cooperation that has developed over the years is impressive and vital to the security interests of both nations, there are so many other areas in which the relations between our two nations have flourished over the course of the past fifty years.

The United States and Qatar have extensive economic ties. As Qatar's largest foreign direct investor and its single largest source of imports, the United States has developed a robust trade relationship with Qatar, with over 120 U.S. companies operating in country. U.S. exports to Qatar increased by 47.7 percent from 2018 to 2019, totaling $6.5 billion in 2019.

The United States is a leading equipment supplier and partner for Qatar's oil and gas industry, and U.S. companies have played a significant role in the development of the oil and gas sector. In addition to energy, U.S. companies also export to Qatar's defense, aviation, ICT, healthcare, food, and engineering/construction sectors.

U.S. imports from Qatar include liquefied natural gas, aluminum, fertilizers, and sulfur. The United States and Qatar signed a trade and investment framework agreement and participate in annual bilateral Strategic Dialogues.

Qatar announced plans to invest $45 billion in the United States, which will result in an additional 50,000 American jobs.

But Qatar's financial dealings in the United States go well beyond investments and the import-export of goods and services. Qatar is extremely philanthropic. Qatar donated $100 million in aid to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005. After Hurricane Harvey hit the state of Texas from August to September 2017, Qatar's donated $30 million in aid to help rebuild Texas. Qatar and Qatari foundations have also made significant donations to worthy causes as autism, both research and care for individuals.

Qatar provides education for all of its citizens, and a majority of its college graduates are now women.

Major education ties have been developed over the course of the fifty-year relationship. Annually, hundreds of Qatari students study in the United States. In addition, six U.S. universities have branch campuses in Qatar's Education City complex. There are Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUQ), Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q), Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar), and Northwestern University.

In sum, over the course of the fifty-year relationship, the United States and Qatar have developed military and strategic ties, cooperated on major diplomatic initiatives, enlarged financial and economic relations, supported worthy causes and educational advancement for students in both countries.

Significantly, although our two nations located in different regions of the world, with different histories and cultures, they have been able to forge an enduring friendship based on many shared values. This will set the stage for the next fifty years and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Women's History Month and to honor Carol McBride Pirsch, who served 18 years in the Nebraska State legislature, and 8 years on the Douglas County Board of

Commissioners. Through her various roles in Omaha, she has dedicated her time and service to bettering our community.

As an Omaha native, she attended Beals Grade School, Central High School, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

One of only three women in the 49 member Nebraska Unicameral, Carol's most notable accomplishments include protecting and informing victims of crime by providing guidance and support to pass the Crime Victims Bill of Rights and the Truth in Sentencing bills.

In 1984 she was the first president of the Nebraska Coalition for Victims of Crime, an organization that established an ongoing statewide coalition for victims of crime, and a fund to establish victim/witness centers in Nebraska.

She also worked to protect homeowners with legislation that prohibited a lien from being placed on a home if contractors failed to pay sub-contractors for their work.

Carol valued the relationships she made while in office and believed most representatives were accessible, respectful, and willing to discuss issues. In the nonpartisan Nebraska Unicameral, she worked together to find solutions and pass bills that would benefit Nebraska statewide.

Active in her community, she was a member of the Omaha Community Committee, the Juvenile Court Nominating Commission, the Mayor's Commission of the Status of Women, Omaha Jaycees, several parent- teacher associations, many women's civic organizations, and the Centris Federal Credit Union Board. She was also involved in the Order of Women Legislators, the Omaha Area Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the YWCA, the Omaha Library Board, the Developmental Disabilities Council, the Women in Management Association, and the Nebraska Coalition for Victims of Crime. She did it all.

Although retired, Carol has encouraged many to get involved and feels that even if you have retired or are not in public service there are many roles and ways to serve our community.

But above all else, Carol believes her greatest accomplishment is raising her six children alongside her husband Allen, whom she married in 1954. They all earned bachelor's degrees and have additional education certifications and degrees because of the importance placed on education in their family.

Mr. Speaker, I cherish Carol's friendship and I treasure the wisdom she has shared with me and others. I admire this wonderful lady, this great American patriot.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the enduring friendship between the United States and Uzbekistan, and to recognize the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our nations, including the 20th anniversary of the U.S.-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership. Uzbekistan plays a fundamental role in the development of an independent, resilient, and democratic Central Asia. It is a bourgeoning force for regional economic growth and a vital partner in strengthening regional stability and cooperation.

Since Uzbekistan's independence in 1991, with the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States and the international community have witnessed Uzbekistan emerge from what was once considered one of the world's most isolated and repressive countries into a nation of noteworthy transformational improvements.

Today, Uzbekistan strives to modernize and liberalize the economy; streamline its bureaucracy; ease political tension; address human rights concerns; and engage with the international community, attracting foreign investment. Our friendship continues to flourish. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce led its first certified trade mission to Uzbekistan to discuss advancing trade opportunities between the two countries, and to open new markets for U.S. business interests.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of State and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan launched a successful inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Uzbekistan Strategic Partnership Dialogue in Tashkent, inspiring a continued constructive exchange on critical issues.

I will continue to be a friend of Uzbekistan and support the great strides Uzbekistan has made to democratize. I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between our two nations.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act.

The United States Postal Service has been part of our society since Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General in 1775. However, with the ever-advancing digital economy, the Postal Service's financial difficulties are well known in modern times.

This bill takes the necessary steps toward addressing the financial and operational issues facing the Postal Service and properly updates them for the 21st century. A first-class postal system is critical for businesses and our economy; it keeps 330 million Americans connected.

This bill also seeks to repair the Postal Service's unsustainable health and retirement benefits by coordinating an enrollment into Medicare. Under current law, the Postal Service is required to annually prepay future retirement health benefits, an obligation Congress does not require of most other public or private entities. The Postal Service is bound by statute into this unmanageable system while still being required to work like a private business.

Congress tied their hands. We created this problem, and now it has been returned to sender. The package will not stamp out all the Postal Service's problems overnight, but it is grounded in established practices and will help deliver first-class-level results worthy of the legacy of Ben Franklin.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Black History Month and to honor the 15th anniversary of the Empowerment Network, a collaboration of thousands of residents and leaders and hundreds of organizations working to facilitate positive change in Omaha, Nebraska.

Formed in September 2006 and officially launched on April 27, 2007, the network seeks to collectively improve the economic landscape and quality of life for African Americans, North Omaha residents, and citizens of the greater Omaha area. The network is led by their CEO and founder, Willie D. Barney.

Willie Barney was born on May 15, 1968, in Hollandale, Mississippi, but spent his first years between Arcola and Greenville in the Mississippi Delta along Highway 438. He graduated high school from Mount Pleasant, Iowa, attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, and rose to become an executive in the media industry.

He and his wife, Yolanda, were married on June 27, 1998. Born in Tacoma, Washington, and raised in Kansas City, Yolanda also had a very successful career in the media field, working in major cities, including Kansas City, Dallas, and Atlanta. They both left their corporate jobs to become more directly involved in helping to build strong communities and to become entrepreneurs.

The Empowerment Network Collaborative is one of Omaha's catalysts that has helped produce measurable outcomes and results by working together to reduce gun violence, decrease unemployment, improve graduation rates, increase household incomes, and rebuild the historic 24th and Lake District and other areas of North Omaha, including the Omaha 360, Step-Up Omaha, the Village Strategy, and the Cradle to Career.

In addition to Willie's leadership, he and his wife are founders and owners of SMB Enterprises, LLC, a company that provides positive events, media, and entertainment in the greater Omaha area. SMB is the parent company of Revive Omaha Magazine, Revive Black Business Network, and the Revive Center Omaha. They also co-own the new Carver Legacy Center, a Black-owned financial institution.

Willie also serves as the president of WDB Resultants, LLC, a national consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning and marketing, communications, research, community building, and facilitation.

Willie's passion for improving communities is heavily influenced by his late grandmother, Leeanna B. Collins; his mother and stepfather, Betty and Willie Mullen; and his father and stepmother, Willie and Bertha Murry.

He is incredibly thankful and grateful for his wife, son, and daughter and for the influence of his family from Mississippi, friends in Iowa, and partners in Omaha.

Yolanda honors the memory of her late parents, Morris and Mayumi Coppage, through her work ethic and passion for helping others.

Willie and Yolanda are parents to Nehemiah, an aspiring film director studying at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln; and Priscilla, a student at Central High School in Omaha, who plans to graduate in 2025, with keen interest in international business.

Mr. and Mrs. Barney walk in faith and highlight it as one of their most important priorities and the reason for their many blessings. In fact, they are associate ministers at Launch Church International and continue to live a life of purpose and serve the community. They are committed to seeing individuals reach their full potential.

In recognizing Willie Barney and the Empowerment Network, we shine a spotlight on entrepreneurship, hard work, and the will to transcend and achieve success within our communities through unity and collaboration.

Congratulations to Willie and Yolanda Barney, along with the Empowerment Network, on 15 years of service and being a major force for change in our community for the better.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to call upon my fellow Members of Congress to support H.R. 1179, which will award the Congressional Gold Medal to the survivors of the Iran hostage crisis and to the families of the former hostages who are, sadly, no longer with us.

Over 40 years ago, in November of 1979, protests in the Iranian capital of Tehran led to crowds storming the United States Embassy and taking the staff inside as hostages. Fifty-two Americans, made up of both civilian and military personnel, were made prisoners in our own embassy and became victims of a terrorist attack upon international law.

For over a year, the hostages were denied their basic human dignity with their captors inflicting upon them increasing physical and psychological torture, to include simulated executions. Madam Speaker, they would take these hostages and go through the motions of being executed, often pulling the trigger of an empty gun to instill fear. It was wrong. These brave Americans held strong throughout their harrowing ordeal, never once losing faith in each other or that they may return home to their families again. Their courage and patriotism are an inspiration to all of us today, just as it was to our Nation 40 years ago.

Through diplomatic success, all 52 of the hostages were released in January of 1981, free to return home to their loved ones and their country, with this January 20 marking the 41st anniversary of their freedom. Despite that, many of them have not recovered from their trauma; to this day still haunted by what they had to endure. Alongside having to carry these burdens for over 40 years, these 52 heroes never received proper recognition from their government for the sacrifices they were forced to make in captivity. They are true American heroes, and it is time that Congress acknowledges them as such, which is why I call upon my colleagues to support H.R. 1179. The awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to the survivors and the families of the deceased will not only bring justice to these patriots, but also demonstrate this Nation's commitment to protect those whose human rights would be violated.

This bipartisan bill is a symbol of our Nation's ability to come together to honor our heroes; currently there are 145 cosponsors of this bill with a near even split between Democrats and Republicans.

Additionally, I would like to thank the tremendous efforts of Commission 52 for helping to spread awareness of this bill and gathering support for it. Their commitment to righting the wrongs of over 40 years ago is an inspiration to all.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Native American Heritage Month and to honor the 35th anniversary of the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, a private nonprofit organization in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition provides community healthcare and services targeting the urban American Indian and Alaska Native population in the greater Omaha metropolitan area, Lincoln area, and Sioux City, Iowa, since 1986. Their rehabilitative healthcare services and their diabetes self-management program are nationally recognized. Currently, they are led by their CEO, Dr. Donna Mays Polk.

Donna Lee Mays was born in 1943 in Denver, CO, to a young WWII submariner Hosey Mays and his wife Tommy Lee Gadling Mays. Dr. Polk was only 7 years old when her mother was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver on Christmas Day. Dr. Polk credits her grandmother, Annie Lee Gadling, as her inspiration because of her spirituality and Wisdom. Dr. Polk firmly believes in having vision and that you have to be able to see how things can be. If you don't, Mr. Speaker, you don't work to effect change.

Between 1972 to 1985, Dr. Polk served as an affirmative action and equal opportunity officer at the Nebraska Department of Labor. She volunteered in the Nebraska Correction's system for 26 years and starred in her own TV show called ``Frankly Female, a show for and about women. She is the mother of four sons, Mark, Imani, Marcus, and the Honorable Judge Marlon Polk.

Dr. Polk earned her bachelor's degree in university studies, her master's in counseling psychology, and a doctorate in administration, instruction, and curriculum, all from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. In addition, she is a published author. She wrote her book, ``Black Men and Women of Nebraska, in 1981 to shine the light on prominent African-American individuals in our State.

She joined the NE Urban Indian Health Coalition in 1991 after leaving the Lincoln Indian Center. She continues to lead a team of over 50 employees. Programs and services include: Behavioral Health Substance Use Disorder Services, transitional housing, Nebraska Urban Indian Medical Center in Lincoln, and transportation. Dr. Polk also takes immense pride in the Eagle Heights Affordable Housing located in South Omaha and two community-based programs--Project Upstream serving families with children in Omaha Public Schools, and the Tired Moccasins a nutrition-based program for elders. Dr. Polk is thrilled about the inauguration of their new headquarters scheduled to open in the spring of 2022.

In recognition of the Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, we shine a spotlight on 35 years of helping elevate the health status and eliminating disparities of urban Indians and other underserved populations in Nebraska and Iowa through education, collaboration, advocacy, and health service delivery.

Congratulations to Dr. Polk and her team for 35 years of excellence and serving our great community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Build Back Better Act.

President Biden, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Chairman Bernie Sanders have made it clear they want to transform America. In fact, those are their words. They want to transform America using reconciliation, the so-called Build Back Better Act. They are trying to do it with a 50-50 Senate, a 3-seat majority in the House out of 435 Members, and a President that won by just two States.

Last November, the country did not vote for transformation, but for middle-of-the-road centrist policies and steady leadership. That is not what they got, and voters are mad.

Just look at the polling. The President sits at a 38 percent favorable rating. The generic ballot for the House favors Republicans by 11 points--the biggest margin seen in the history of this polling.

If there is any doubt, just review the recent results of Virginia where a Republican was elected; in New Jersey where a Democrat squeaked by in his reelection. A 12-point swing in Virginia and a 14-point swing in New Jersey in just one year.

Our Nation does not desire to be a giant welfare State with cradle- to-grave government oversight controlling their lives. Last year, the country didn't vote to give amnesty and government payouts for adults who illegally crossed our borders and jumped to the front of the line of those trying to come here through legal channels. The country did not vote to hire 87,000 more IRS agents for auditing every-day Americans to raise $400 billion to pay for their reckless spending spree.

We need IRS agents to provide customer service to those still waiting for their tax refunds, sometimes a year late, but not for more audits. Americans didn't vote to raise taxes on a third of the middle class, which is what the left-leaning Tax Policy Center stated is the case, while it also found that two-thirds of millionaires will now get a tax break at the same time because of the changes made to the SALT deductions in this bad bill.

Americans didn't vote to remove the Hyde amendment that prevented our tax dollars from paying for abortions, and they did not vote to remove work requirements for able-bodied adults to receive welfare benefits. Americans did not vote to impede and ban domestic energy and mineral production, or to increase our reliance on China and OPEC. Our citizens did not vote to raise taxes on natural gas that Americans use to heat their homes, and we did not vote to undermine our research and discovery of new drugs that can save people's lives.

Finally, Americans did not vote to give people earning up to $500,000 tax breaks for buying electric vehicles. The authors of this legislation have either misjudged or ignored where the country is at on these issues. This legislation is a total transformation, is what the President is saying, but it is a giant, welfare-State transformation. For these reasons, and many more, I will be voting ``no'' on the Build Back Better Act, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I pray that moderate Democrats will say no, and like many Americans, I am grateful that Senators Manchin and Sinema have been voices of reason and commonsense. We need more of their voices.