Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's leadership.

The Trump administration is set to announce proposed regulations regarding the title X family planning funding stream, very similar to Reagan-era rules, to clearly separate family planning from abortion services. This is good news and something I have been strongly urging President Trump and Secretary Azar to do.

I think it is important to remind ourselves of something very basic: Family planning should determine when to begin new lives. Abortion ends lives. Abortion should never be considered an ethical method of family planning.

Under the new proposed rule, counseling or referral for abortion would no longer be required for family planning grantees, and colocation with abortion providers would no longer be allowed.

The Trump administration is doing the right thing, as President Reagan did, to ensure that taxpayer money goes to family planning centers that are not in the abortion business. For too long, Planned Parenthood has used title X as their personal slush fund.

I will continue to work to find legislative solutions to end taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, but until we are able to get legislation through the Senate--and we have gotten it through the House--this will be a significant step forward.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the Trump administration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Citizen Airmen serving in the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing, Air at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

Today I recognize their 25 years of dedicated support of the Department of Defense's C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS mission.

In 1993, the Air Force Reserve portion of the MAFFS mission was moved to the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado from March Air Force Base, California.

On October 28, 1993, two aircrews from the 302nd Airlift Wing's 731st Airlift Squadron and maintenance personnel from the 302nd Maintenance Group departed for Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center, California for their first MAFFS activation.

Since that first activation, hundreds of Reserve Citizen Airmen have trained, supported and executed the Defense Support of Civil Authorities Mission assisting in the tireless efforts of ground firefighting crews through reaching inaccessible areas by air, supporting the containment of hundreds of wildland fires and saving lives and property throughout the United States of America and Mexico.

In addition to supporting fire suppression efforts across the U.S., 302d Airlift Wing Reservists have responded to fires in their own backyards supporting suppression of major Colorado fires including the Hayman fire (2002), Waldo Canyon fire (2012) and Black Forest fire (2013).

Innovation is in their DNA, and it comes from the diverse experiences our Reserve Citizen Airmen bring to the mission. We honor all who work tirelessly to support and make this special mission possible both in the air and on the ground. We recognize the hundreds of hours of labor expended by the Reserve aircraft maintenance crews who ensure the MAFFS-equipped C-130s, call-signs MAFFS 2 and MAFFS 5, are mission ready. We honor the highly-experienced Air Force Reserve aircrews flying one of the most challenging missions in the U.S. Air Force.

When not supporting the wildland firefighting mission, the 302nd is always ready to answer our nation's call with the agility to shift to its tactical airlift mission supporting rapid global mobility.

Today, it is also important to remember the six Reserve Citizen Airmen who lost their lives in support of the MAFFS mission, specifically the crew of SUMIT 38, a MAFFS support mission from Boise, Idaho that did not make it back to Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado on May 13, 1995; and four members of the crew of MAFFS 7 from the 146th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard who were lost during a MAFFS mission in White Draw, South Dakota on July 1, 2012.

Today, the Reserve Citizen Airmen from Colorado's Peterson Air Force Base along with their Air National Guard counterparts continue to provide the surge support to wildland firefighting efforts when requested by the National Interagency Fire Center at a moment's notice. To make it happen, we seek the best and brightest minds from across the nation to fill critical career fields such as Air Force Reserve pilots and maintenance technicians.

Today, in 2018, the continued bravery, sacrifice, expertise and dedication to this mission by our Reserve Citizen Airmen has allowed for 25 years of unwavering support of the MAFFS mission by the Air Force Reserve at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

Mr. Speaker, two thousand eighteen marks the 60th anniversary of the creation of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, commonly referred to as ``NORAD.'' The United States and Canada, bound together by our history, our values, our economy, our environment, and our resolve to improve the lives of our citizens, have long enjoyed a close relationship that has allowed for continuous collaboration building a prosperous future for the people of both countries. The United States and Canada have stood shoulder to shoulder in defense of security for more than 100 years, as partners and allies in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, throughout the Cold War, in Afghanistan, and as part of the Global Coalition against Daesh; working together to advance our shared values.

As indispensable allies in the defense of North America, on May 12, 1958, the United States and Canada signed an official agreement creating the bi-national North American Aerospace Defense Command and formally acknowledged the mutual commitment of both countries to defend their citizens from air domain attacks. This cooperation is an important element of United States and Canadian contributions to the collective defense provided by the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command enjoys a unique status as the only fully integrated bi-national military command. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, with three subordinate region headquarters located at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, for the Alaskan NORAD Region (ANR); Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, for the Continental NORAD Region (CONR); and Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, Manitoba, for the Canadian NORAD Region (CANR), along with three subordinate sector command centers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, for the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS); Rome, New York, for the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS); and Canadian Forces Base North Bay, Ontario, for the Canadian Air Defense Sector (CADS).

The missions of the North American Aerospace Defense Command are to provide aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning to defend North America. The North American Aerospace Defense Command and the United States Northern Command current operations center is connected to a worldwide system of sensors that provides the Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command with a common operating picture of aerospace and maritime threats.

The Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station hosts the Alternate Command Center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command. The Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command provides integrated tactical warning and attack assessments to the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command uses a network of space-based and ground-based sensors; airborne radars, fighters, and helicopters; and ground-based air defense systems to detect, intercept, and, if necessary, engage air domain threats to North America.

The May 2006 renewal of the North American Aerospace Defense Command Agreement added a maritime warning mission to the slate of responsibilities of the Command, which entails a shared awareness and understanding of the ongoing activities conducted in United States and Canadian maritime approaches, maritime areas, and inland waterways.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command provides continuous surveillance and defense of North American airspace from further airborne aggression or attack, as occurred on September 11, 2001, through the ongoing Operation NOBLE EAGLE mission. The North American Aerospace Defense Command will continue to evolve to address the ever- changing nature of the threats to North America and adapt to future shared security interests.

The outstanding service of United States and Canadian service members from Active Duty and Reserve Component forces and civilians serving at the North American Aerospace Defense Command is central to the ability of North America to confront and successfully defeat aerospace threats of the 21st century. The continuation of this successful relationship between the United States and Canada through the North American Aerospace Defense Command is paramount to the future security of the people of the United States and Canada.

Today, we therefore recognize the contributions made by the North American Aerospace Defense Command to the security of North America, commemorating 60 years of excellence and distinctive service by the men and women of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, reaffirming the critical missions of the North American Aerospace Defense Command headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and supporting the role of the North American Aerospace Defense Command in providing binational defense of the United States and Canada in the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3144, introduced by Mrs. McMorris Rodgers of Washington, was considered by the subcommittee I chair, Water, Power, and Oceans. It looks to provide certainty and reliability to the Federal Columbia River Power System in the Pacific Northwest. This system includes four large dams in the lower Snake River in Washington State that provide the region with a number of benefits, including renewable emission-free hydropower.

Despite all of these benefits, the power system has been mired in third-party litigation for decades. Some litigious groups have focused their efforts on removing the four dams in the Lower Snake under the false assumption that it will improve endangered species. In reality, however, these dams already have survival rates for salmon in the upper 90th percentile.

Most recently, a Federal court ordered round-the-clock spillover of the Columbia and Snake River dams that went into effect last week. These additional spills will do little to help the fish species, and in reality, do nothing more than leave the region's ratepayers to foot a spill surcharge estimated to cost up to $40 million per year.

This bill ensures that the power system is operated in accordance with the current operations plans until certain reasonable targets are met. It was found to be legally and scientifically sound by the Obama administration, and has resounding support among stakeholders in the region.

We need to ensure that science is guiding the operations of the power system and not judicial orders and special interest ideologies. We need a consensus approach by local stakeholders, not a mandate imposed by judicial fiat.

This bipartisan bill is supported by trade unions, the Farm Bureau, regional stakeholders, and a number of public utility districts.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this good piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4851) to establish the Kennedy-King National Historic Site in the State of Indiana, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4851, introduced by Congressman Andre Carson and cosponsored by Congresswoman Susan Brooks, would establish the Kennedy- King National Commemorative Site in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to include the site in the newly established African American Civil Rights Network, and it authorizes a special resource study to evaluate the national significance of the site and determine the suitability and feasibility of including the site as a unit of the National Park system.

On April 4, 1968, Senator Robert F. Kennedy had scheduled a speech in Indianapolis during his campaign for the Presidency of the United States. Just prior to giving his remarks, Mr. Kennedy was informed of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He then changed his planned remarks to, instead, inform the large gathering of Dr. King's death.

In this historic speech, he called upon Americans to embrace nonviolence in reaction to the news of Dr. King's assassination. Senator Kennedy stated: ``What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be White or whether they be Black.''

The site where Senator Kennedy delivered the speech is currently located in a city park established in 1961 and has since served as a community gathering place. In 1994, the Landmark for Peace Memorial sculpture was erected on the site of Senator Kennedy's speech. April 4, 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of Robert Kennedy's speech and Dr. King's assassination.

I commend Representative Carson and Representative Brooks for working across the aisle on this bipartisan and important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks).

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 835) to update the map of, and modify the maximum acreage available for inclusion in, the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 835 is a bill that I am very pleased to have introduced with bipartisan support from my friends, Congressman Scott Tipton and Congressman Jared Polis, both of Colorado. Specifically, H.R. 835 would increase the current 6,000 acres to 6,300 acres and allow the National Park Service to accept the donation of 280 acres currently being held by the Palmer Land Trust and Coalition for the Upper South Platte into the monument's boundaries.

The Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument was designated by Congress in 1969 to preserve and study one of the most diverse fossil deposits in the world and to interpret its geologic significance.

Located in a high mountain valley just west of Pikes Peak in my congressional district and 35 miles west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, the monument features detailed fossils of insects, plants, and giant petrified redwood stumps that teach visitors about prehistoric Colorado.

The park also maintains a collection of over 12,000 fossil specimens, conducts inventory and monitoring of the fossil sites, has ongoing collaborations, and continues to be the subject of scientific publications. Many of these extraordinary fossils from the monument can be found in some of the most prominent natural history museums in the world, with the largest exhibit of perhaps 10,000 specimens located close by here in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

The monument also offers a variety of recreational experiences, including sightseeing, stargazing, interpretive visitor center exhibits, hiking, picnicking, daily ranger-guided programs during the summer, junior ranger programs, and curriculum-based education programs for visiting school groups. It is truly an excellent addition to the National Park Service.

Expanding the monument will provide critical access to the park's western boundary for wildfire protection and opportunities for completing future hazardous fuel mitigation projects, while also providing additional wildlife habitat. In addition, the donated acreage could, and will, provide visitors with more recreational opportunities, including hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and wildlife watching, all with no supplement funding or staff needed.

The proposed monument boundary expansion has received unanimous local support from all stakeholders; including, the State of Colorado, the Friends of the Florissant Fossil Beds, Sanborn Western Camps, Teller Historic and Environmental Coalition, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Palmer Land Trust, Coalition for the Upper South Platte, the Pikes Peak Historical Society, and the Teller County Board of Commissioners.

This bipartisan bill is a great example for how the Antiquities Act should be applied, with strong local support, consensus, and engagement to identify and conserve the ``smallest area compatible with proper care and management of the objects to be protected.''

That language, Mr. Speaker, is from the original Antiquities Act itself.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Hawaii for her support and great work in committee. This is something that has a lot of bipartisan support.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask all Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman King for his endless and tireless leadership in reminding us of the humanity of the unborn. I am a proud cosponsor of the Heartbeat Protection Act. I am one of those 170 who have stepped forward to support this much-needed piece of legislation.

The development of an unborn baby is truly miraculous. Around 6 to 8 weeks, you can detect, through ultrasound, the heartbeat of the little child inside the mother's womb; 6 to 8 weeks. So I don't see how people can deny that an abortion is the taking of a human life.

How many lives would we save if we remembered that simple fact?

What if instead of rushing to abortion, which some people think is their only option, we instead turned our attention to addressing practical needs, the needs of a woman facing a pregnancy decision?

What if we empowered women to carry and raise their child?

Or what if we did everything we could to promote a stable and happy life for the child through adoption?

America was built on the principle that life is a God-given gift. Here, in Congress, it is our duty to protect

human life at all stages. I will continue to do so, and I know Representative King will continue to do so. I thank him for his leadership. I am glad that I can support him with this wonderful piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue and for putting this hour together.

Mr. Speaker, I have reviewed the secret memo in a secure setting. After having reviewed the contents of the classified memo relating to FISA abuses, I support its full release to the public. Americans deserve the truth, and Congress should always strive for transparency.

I am stunned at the previous administration's underhanded surveillance methods and misuse of power at the highest levels of the FBI and Department of Justice. This should never have been permitted to happen.

Moreover, all Federal agencies, including the FBI, should be held to a high standard and always be held accountable for their actions. The issues that the memo raises must be brought to light and dealt with responsibly.

I am pleased that the House Intelligence Committee voted tonight to release the memo, but our work does not end there. We must continually strive for integrity and openness within all levels of government.

Mr. Speaker, there are some issues we debate here in the House that, frankly, should not be a matter of question in anyone's mind. One of those is whether or not a baby born and is outside of the womb deserves protection.

Sometimes abortion attempts fail and babies are born alive: its heart is beating, muscles moving, and lungs working. Tragically, some abortion providers then kill these infants directly or through neglect and exposure, and this is unconscionable.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act says that a baby who survives an abortion must be treated at a hospital with the same care as a baby born alive naturally at the same state of pregnancy. The bill includes criminal sanctions against any abortion provider who kills a baby born alive.

Mr. Speaker, killing a baby outside of the womb is unquestionably the taking of an innocent human life. I urge unanimous support of Representative Blackburn's bill.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is named after Taylor Force, and I wanted to say what a special honor it is that his parents are with us here today.

I would like to especially thank the Speaker and majority leader for bringing this legislation to the floor for a vote. I also want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel for their leadership and strong bipartisan support.

I introduced this bill last Congress and reintroduced it this Congress with Representative Lee Zeldin because we absolutely must ensure that American taxpayer dollars don't incentivize terrorist attacks on our own citizens as well as Israelis. This commonsense measure now has 170 cosponsors.

I think most of the American people are aware of Taylor's story by now, but it bears repeating again as we prepare to vote on this legislation in the people's House.

Last year, a 28-year-old American student named Taylor Force was visiting Israel on a school trip. While walking near the beach in Tel Aviv, a 22-year-old Palestinian stabbed him to death in a terrorist attack.

Taylor Force was an Eagle Scout, West Point graduate, and a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. He represents everything any parent could want their son or daughter to be.

As we know, Mr. and Mrs. Force lost their treasured son in this terror attack. They were left with only photographs and memories.

The terrorist who murdered Taylor was killed shortly after by the police, but the killer's family was left with something else: a lucrative financial reward.

The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, gives financial rewards for terrorist attacks. The more people killed in an attack, the higher the financial reward. Families of terrorists receive a pension for life, which is triple the average salary in the West Bank, as well as a receiving free tuition and health insurance, a clothing allowance, and a monthly stipend.

More money goes to these kinds of payments than go to the entire civil service of the Palestinian Authority. This must be stopped.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and send as strong and clear a message as possible that the United States will not allow our taxpayer dollars to be used to incentivize terrorist attacks.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Gosar for his leadership on this and other issues in the Congressional Western Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, mining in the Superior National Forest, where these leases are located, has previously been authorized by Congress on several occasions. First in 1950, and again in 1978.

With that bill--the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act-- Congress established a compromise in which mining was prohibited within the 1.1 million acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but specifically authorized in the Superior National Forest.

Likewise, U.S. Forest Service plans for these areas have identified mining in these Superior Forest locations as a ``desired condition.''

Despite this longstanding precedent, in December of 2016, the Obama administration abruptly canceled mining leases that have been held and renewed for decades in northern Minnesota. Then in January, the day before leaving office, President Obama signed off on a mineral withdrawal for an area spanning 425,000 acres, including 95,000 acres of State school trust fund lands.

There is a torrent of misinformation surrounding this bill, with alarmist groups begging that we ``save the Boundary Waters.''

Mr. Speaker, the Boundary Waters were saved in 1978. The low-impact mining arrangements that these mining leases entail do not endanger the Boundary Waters, which is itself protected by a significant buffer as well.

The bill reiterates--redundantly, I will add, but in order to make it crystal clear--that mining is prohibited in the Boundary Waters and the surrounding buffer. To say otherwise is a blatant falsehood.

A few other facts that you won't hear from alarmists but that deserve to be said: this bill retains the full protections enshrined across the array of environmental laws and regulations which apply to mine leasing, permitting, and operation. The most notable in this case are the National Environmental Policy Act--NEPA--and the Clean Water Act, which still apply, in full.

But the fact is that this bill is not about removing environmental protections, as some may have said.

Rather, what about when you don't actually remove any?

Rather, what initiated this situation is an arbitrary overreach by the Obama administration at the last minute. It was looking to score political points on its way out the door by taking the near- unprecedented action of initiating a full mineral withdrawal. That was undemocratic, and the huge support that this bill and mining in general enjoys in Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District, where the Superior Forest is located, is proof positive. But Article IV of the Constitution vests Congress with authority over public lands, and it is now up to us to act.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this chance to clear the air on some of the misconceptions and falsehoods that have been tarnishing this bill. It really is unfortunate that commonsense, local issues like this one are being dragged into a national partisan brawl. Nevertheless, I hope my colleagues are able to see through the deception, recognize the clear benefits of mining in Minnesota, and vote ``yes'' on this important bill.

Finally, I would like to share some comments from the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota, who noted that ``H.R. 3905 changes no environmental review processes, relaxes no environmental standards, and specifically restates Congress' prohibition on any mining activity in the BWCAW and the surrounding protective buffer.''

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record their full letter.

Associated General Contractors

of Minnesota,

November 22, 2017.

Dear Congressman Walz: On behalf of the Associated General

Contractors of Minnesota and our over 400 member firms, I am

writing to urge your support for H.R. 3905, the ``Minnesota's

Economic Rights (MINER) in the Superior National Forest

Act,'' bipartisan legislation sponsored by Cong. Tom Emmer

(MN-6th) and cosponsored by Cong. Collin Peterson (MN-7th),

Cong. Jason Lewis (MN-2nd) and Cong. Paul Gosar (AZ-4th).

H.R. 3905 is currently on the agenda of the House Rules

Committee, on a path for House floor action in the coming

weeks.

In 1950, Congress took action to make land available for

mineral exploration and development within the Superior

National Forest (SNF) within the Iron Range region in

Northeast Minnesota. In 1978, Congress prohibited mining

within the region's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

(BWCAW) and an adjacent protective buffer zone, while

reaffirming that mining should be allowed and promoted in the

remaining area of the SNF.

H.R. 3905 aims to correct the injustices being thrust upon

the Iron Range by requiring congressional approval of any

mineral withdrawal or monument designation involving the

National Forest System lands in the State of Minnesota, as

well as providing for the renewal of certain mineral leases

and ensuring future leases in the area remain valid and

renewed as outlined by current law. Moreover, H.R. 3905

changes no environmental review processes, relaxes no

environmental standards, and specifically restates

Congress' prohibition on any mining activity in the BWCAW and

surrounding protective buffer.

H.R. 3905 would reaffirm long-standing Congressional intent

in the management and development of critical minerals in

Minnesota, eliminate bureaucratic delays in developing

environmentally-responsible mine projects proposals, and

restore the promise of future job growth and economic

opportunity to an economically distressed region of the

state.

We strongly urge your vote in support of H.R. 3905. Thank

you for your support of mining in Minnesota and the thousands

of good paying jobs that are sustained through safe and

effective management of these natural resources.

Sincerely,

Tim Worke,

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his great work throughout this whole process leading the committee and getting this to the finish line, but we need to push it over the finish line.

Mr. Speaker, for 56 years, this bill has been the primary way in which Congress executes its Article I constitutional duty to provide for the common defense. This year's bill finally begins to rebuild our military after a half decade of cuts which slashed nearly one-quarter of the defense budget. For 6 years, we have just been barely getting by: cutting resources as the world becomes more dangerous, asking more and more of those who serve, and putting off tough choices. We are at a key decision point.

This bill will continue to save billions of taxpayer dollars while cutting wasteful bureaucracy and streamlining acquisition, but it will also strengthen missile defense and, in many ways, make our military more focused on its core mission of preparing to fight and win wars.

There are so many good things in the bill, I can't go over all of them. I sincerely ask my fellow Members to support this NDAA.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the topic of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to come to the House floor tonight to celebrate National Bible Week.

This is an opportunity, for the next hour, to celebrate the tremendous influence of the Bible on the freedoms we enjoy today in America. We are truly blessed to live in a nation where we are free to worship and read the Holy Scriptures without fear of persecution.

There are many places throughout the world, unfortunately, where such freedoms do not exist. Americans have the right, under our wonderful system of government, to respect and study the Bible, or any other system of belief, if they so choose, or even no belief at all. That is the beauty of the American way, and I believe it is founded and goes back to the Bible.

In 1941, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared the week of Thanksgiving to be National Bible Week. Every U.S. President since has followed this tradition by declaring this time of year to be National Bible Week. The National Bible Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have designated the specific days of November 12 through 18 of this year as National Bible Week.

This is the week set aside to recognize the Bible as a foundational building block of Western civilization, the Judeo-Christian heritage, and the legacy that motivated and shaped the founding of the United States. In this hour, we will hear from Members of Congress from various faith traditions and denominations speak about what the Bible means to them and what it means to the country. We are here, in keeping with tradition, to recognize National Bible Week.

Mr. Speaker, I am just going to speak for a couple of moments about my own personal experience and then turn it

over to some Members who want to share some thoughts that I think bear worth listening to.

When I was a freshman at the University of Kansas four decades ago, someone asked me if I knew what the Bible was about. I said, yes, I knew what it was all about. But I realized that my answer was actually pretty presumptuous because I had never actually read any of it.

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if this might be true for others who might be listening tonight. The only honest thing I could do at that point was to read the Bible for myself. I started by reading the Gospel of John in the New Testament. When I read it, I discovered that I hadn't known at all what the Bible was about.

In that Gospel, Jesus says: ``I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.'' And I ended up discovering a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who became my Lord and Savior.

Mr. Speaker, this is what I know from personal experience. It is better to read the Bible for one's self and not just to take someone else's word for what is in it. For me, it made all of the difference in the world. My life has been totally different since then as a result.

As King David says in the Psalms: ``The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.''

As we celebrate National Bible Week, we remember the importance of faith in both our private and public lives. We recognize the Bible's powerful message of hope. We cherish the wisdom of the Bible, and we thank God for providing this Holy Book that has truly been, in the words of the Scripture, ``a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.''

Mr. Speaker, at this point, I yield to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Missouri for her wise words and thought-provoking words.

I yield to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her heartfelt remarks.

Many of the early American settlers came to the New World with the express purpose of following the Bible according to the convictions of their own consciences. One of the first acts of Congress during the tumultuous beginning of our Nation was the authorization of an American-published Bible. The war with the British had cut off the supply of any Bibles from England.

Our Founding Fathers understood how important it was for the American people to have Bibles, so, in 1782, Congress reviewed, approved, and authorized the first known English language Bible to be printed in America.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for his wonderful thoughts. He quoted some of the Presidents in our great country's history. I have two more quotes along with that same line.

The gentleman mentioned Ronald Reagan, ``The Gipper.'' In his own National Bible Week declaration, he wrote when he was in office: ``When I took the oath of office, I requested the Bible be open to 2 Chronicles 7:14, which reads: `If My people, which are called by My name shall humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.' ''

The President said: ``This passage expresses my hope for the future of this Nation and the world.''

One last quote along this line. President Abraham Lincoln once said: ``I have but to say it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are found portrayed in it.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), who is my good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those profound and heartfelt words that he has just shared with us.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his words and for focusing our attention on the U.S. Constitution and some other great things, as well.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes). He won a special election and is one of our most recently elected and newest Members of Congress. I look forward to seeing him doing good things here for a long time to come.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to mention something about fulfilled prophesy. This is one of the reasons why we can believe in and trust the Bible.

People come here to Congress with all different kinds of backgrounds, including pastors. This diversity of background adds a valuable thread of experience and thought that helps us all.

One reason many people respect the Bible is that so many prophesies for telling future events have come true exactly as foretold. In the Old Testament, there are many predictions that were given to prove that, if a speaker were divinely inspired, those things that he predicted would come true; it would validate the words of that prophet.

The Book of Daniel, for instance, contains scores of detailed prophesies that were literally fulfilled. Skeptics have fallen back to the position that Daniel must have been written after the fact and is, therefore, not being honest.

In fact, the Book of Daniel is found in its entirety in the Greek's Septuagint and partially in the Dead Sea Scrolls, both of which we know predated the events that were prophesied. That means that the critics of the dating of the Book of Daniel are the ones who are not being honest.

The rise and fall of empires, the capture and destruction of cities, the destiny of kings all were prophesied in minute detail. Archeology and history have literally confirmed hundreds of such prophesies as having come true.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California (Mr. LaMalfa) for his sincere words.

When National Bible Week was started in 1941, even though that has only been 76 years, the Bible itself has been celebrated by Americans since the beginning of our country--in fact, before we were a country.

Our Presidents have been very vocal in their acknowledgment of the Bible and the DNA of who we are as Americans. Several have been quoted.

Listen to what Civil War hero Ulysses Grant gave as advice to Sunday school children: ``Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet anchor of your liberties; write its precepts on your hearts and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are indebted for the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide in the future.''

Then he finished with this quote from the Bible: ``Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for being here tonight and for those thought-provoking and very well- intended words.

As our next speaker comes to the podium, let me mention the issue of archaeology. Archaeology is one of the reasons why we can have trust in that what the Bible says is true. There are many archaeological discoveries which have validated Biblical accounts, giving trustworthiness to the Bible that we acknowledge and commemorate during this National Bible Week.

Time and time again, archaeology has shown that Biblical personalities, locations, and events actually existed in time and space. Claims by critics that a Biblical statement was simply made up have been debunked by later archaeological studies more times than we can say.

Jewish archaeologist Nelson Glueck has said: ``It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted or contradicted a Biblical reference.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those words. It is great that we have been hearing today from Representatives from all over the United States: from North Carolina on the Atlantic Coast in Georgia to California on the Pacific Coast, from Michigan on our Northern border to Texas on our Southern border. And we have been hearing America speak tonight, so I think that is very special.

Now, there are some who would prefer to gloss over the vital role that the Bible has had in the founding of our Nation and the implementation of this unique form of government, but none of our Founding Fathers were perfect. Indeed, there are times in our Nation's history when Biblical principles were not acted upon.

Yet, listen to what President Harry Truman said during his address to the Attorney General's conference on law enforcement problems: ``The fundamental basis of this Nation's law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days.

``If we don't have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government, which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State.''

Mr. Speaker, it has been an honor, and it has been a pleasure to commemorate National Bible Week this evening. As I said a moment ago, we heard from colleagues from all over the United States. I am grateful to these colleagues who have joined me to honor the Word of God. I am also thankful to the National Bible Association for their vision for National Bible Week and for their encouragement for our efforts today.

Mr. Speaker, the prophet Isaiah, thousands of years ago, wrote: ``The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever.''

How true. Civilizations have risen and fallen in those thousands of years since that was said, generations have come and gone, yet here today on November 14, 2017, we are still celebrating the enduring Word of God. We celebrate National Bible Week.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3043, the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017, sponsored by the gentlewoman from the State of Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers).

This bill simply intends to bring hydropower permitting into the 21st century by improving efficiency, accountability, and transparency within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and also reducing Federal duplication.

Hydropower is a reliable and emissions-free source of electricity that accounts for much of the Nation's total renewable electricity generation. In fact, only 3 percent of existing dams in the United States produce hydroelectricity. This illustrates the vast opportunity in this country for new hydropower generation.

In the Water, Power, and Oceans Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee which I chair, we have spent much of this Congress crafting and advancing legislation to capitalize on these opportunities. Legislation such as my bill, the Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Hydropower Development Act, is intended to promote pumped storage hydropower development at existing reclamation facilities. Mrs. McMorris Rodgers' bill in front of us today goes hand in hand with those efforts.

Even our friends across the aisle agree with our efforts to promote hydropower development. At a May oversight hearing in my subcommittee on the challenges facing hydropower, committee Democrats helpfully suggested that we should find ways to retrofit all nonpowered Federal facilities with hydropower. We should all agree that improving the permitting and approval process for these facilities would be the easiest way to achieve this goal.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers again for sponsoring this critical piece of legislation. She has been and continues to be a champion supporter of hydropower. Just last month, my subcommittee considered another bill authored by the Congresswoman-- H.R. 3144--that looks to provide certainty and reliability to several Federal hydropower projects producing electricity in the Federal Columbia River Power System that have been mired in third-party litigation, questionable and expensive judicial edicts, and onerous Federal regulations.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I believe Americans are compassionate people. I also believe Americans are angered by injustice, and I know Americans are eager to protect the defenseless.

In a past hearing before the Judiciary Committee on this bill, Dr. Maureen Condic said in her testimony: ``Imposing pain on any pain- capable living creature is cruelty. And ignoring the pain experienced by another human individual for any reason is barbaric.''

H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, gives us a chance to choose compassion by preventing abortions from taking place if the child is 20 weeks or older. Science proves that not only can these children feel pain, but since their pain inhibitors are undeveloped, they feel pain even more intensely than we can. In Dr. Condic's words: ``We simply have to decide whether we will choose to ignore the pain of the fetus or not.''

Mr. Speaker, I am choosing not to ignore their pain. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this compassionate bill.