Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Korean- American Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area (KAAW) and its President, Young Cheong Kim, on the occasion of the 2017 KORUS Festival.

As one of the largest festivals of its kind, the KORUS festival brings together Koreans, Korean-Americans, and others from our rich multicultural community to celebrate our dynamic and harmonious relationship. The festival provides not only the opportunity for us to experience the customs of the Korean culture, but also to recognize the shared history and partnership between our two nations. The need for that partnership to continue has only been made more evident in light of North Korea's continued provocative actions. As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, I look forward to continuing my friendship with KAAW and the Korean-American community as we continue to build on the success of our alliance and work together toward the achievement of our common goals. I will continue to do all that I can to ensure that the U.S.-Korea alliance remains strong and enduring.

It would not be possible to hold an event of this magnitude without the support and commitment of volunteers from the community.

It is my great honor to recognize the efforts of the following individuals and include in the Record their names:

Tae Chang, Lisa Choi, Ellen Choi, Ellen Kim, Daniel Chung, Ryan Chung, Angela Song, Anna Song, Lauren Lee, Julia Hyojin Chun, Sara Han, Paul Lee, Jacob Son, Jonathon Kwak, Jonathon Yun, Hana Amber Cridlan, Denay Williams Taylor, Diane Lee Taylor, Daniel Lee, Christian Lim, Lindsey Hyun Ah Lim, Youchan Kim, Jaewoong Lee, Brandon Kim, Jeonggin Lee, Kylie Kim, Soobin Lebow, Dalit Lebow, Grace Ham Eun Chong.

I would also like to give special recognition to Mr. Hosan Kim, who flew all the way from South Korea to organize and perform the role of Master of Ceremonies for this festival.

Mr. Speaker, festivals like KORUS are a wonderful example of the tremendous diversity we enjoy in Northern Virginia. Such a variety of different cultures enriches the lives of our citizens and fosters greater tolerance and understanding. I commend KAAW and the volunteers listed above for helping to bring such wonderful events to fruition, and ask my colleagues to join me in wishing them great success in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Arts Council of Fairfax County and the recipients of its 2017 Arts Awards.

These awards recognize the extraordinary contributions of those who support the arts in our community, including artists and arts organizations, as well as individuals and businesses in Fairfax County, the City of Fairfax, and the City of Falls Church. The economic benefit of that support cannot be overstated. During FY2015, total industry expenditures generated over $22.4 million in local and state government revenues, supported 6,952 full-time equivalent jobs, and generated $155.8 million in resident household income.

Each year, the Arts Council of Fairfax County honors a select group of individuals, companies, or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the local arts community. It is my honor to include in the Record the names of the 2017 recipients.

The 2017 Jinx Hazel Arts Award is being presented to Dewberry for its ongoing support of the arts in Fairfax County. In 1982, Dewberry was invited to design the new Filene Center at Wolf Trap after the original structure was destroyed in a fire. The new Filene Center stands today as one of the defining symbols of the strength of the arts in Fairfax County, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Additionally, Dewberry has made significant contributions to arts education at George Mason University's School of Music, and Mr. Barry Dewberry has been a long-time supporter of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra.

The 2017 Emerging Arts Award is being presented to the Washington West Film Festival (WWFF). WWFF emerged in 2011 as Fairfax's first professional film festival organization with a mission to celebrate the transformative power of film.

Since its beginning, the WWFF has screened more than 300 films through its annual festival in Fairfax, drawing over 16,000 attendees in its short history. In addition, the WWFF dedicates 100% of its box office proceeds to charitable causes.

The 2017 Arts Achievement Award is being presented to Dr. Daniel E. Sheehy. Dr. Sheehy is a musician, musicologist, educator, historian, and author, and has devoted his life to helping the world better understand itself by

experiencing its diverse music and cultures. Additionally, Dr. Sheehy is one of the world's most respected and honored authorities on the subject of Mexican mariachi music. Since 1978, in the basement of Daniel's home in the Baileys Crossroads area of Falls Church, some fifty musicians have rehearsed, performed with Mariachi Los Amigos, and gone on to form their own bands. It is not an exaggeration to say that the proliferation of mariachi music in Greater Washington, DC is a result of Daniel Sheehy.

The 2017 Arts Philanthropy Award is being presented to Mr. Todd Hitt. Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Mr. Hitt is committed to enhancing the economic and cultural vibrancy of the region in which he was raised. In 2007, he launched Kiddar Capital, a private equity company that stands at the forefront of built world technologies. Mr. Hitt's office features art by local area artists. He believes giving back to one's community is a core principle of citizenship. As a supporter of the arts and humanities, he not only donates a significant portion of his income to local nonprofits each year, but he has also helped raise additional funds for those organizations over the last five years.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the recipients of the 2017 Arts Awards and in recognizing and thanking the visionaries, leaders, and supporters who help to make our Northern Virginia communities rich with cultural opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Mr. Christopher Browne in recognition of his contributions to Fairfax County and the Northern Virginia region and to congratulate him on being named the 2017 Tower of Dulles Honoree by the Committee for Dulles.

Mr. Browne currently serves as Deputy Director of the National Air and Space Museum, which has historically been the most popular Smithsonian Museum. Last year, 7.5 million people visited the National Air and Space Museum, and it is on track to meet or exceed those numbers in 2018.

Prior to accepting this position, Mr. Browne was Vice President and Airport Manager for Washington Dulles International Airport, a position he assumed in 2005. This position was the culmination of a career in airport management, which began in 1988 when he joined the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority as an Operations Manager at Washington National Airport. After seven years in that position, he was promoted to Airport Manager at National, a position he held until accepting the Airport Manager position at Washington Dulles. His 29-year tenure with MWAA was marked by periods of massive construction and expansion, as well as Y2K and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. During his time at Dulles, he was responsible not only for overseeing a staff of more than 500, but also for managing a $400 million revenue stream, which included the profits from the Dulles Toll Road.

These profits were a critical component in the financing of the Silver Line project, which will finally bring to fruition the vision of a rail link between our nation's capital and its premier international airport.

Mr. Browne's tenure as airport manager of National and Dulles earned him multiple accolades, including being named Airport Manager of the Year in 2002. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives.

Prior to entering civilian public service, Mr. Brown served his country in uniform in the United States Navy, where he served as a Naval Aviator for seven years aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. During his naval career he amassed over 1,400 flight hours, made over 300 carrier landings, and graduated from the Navy's prestigious ``Top Gun'' Fighter Weapons School.

Mr. Speaker, Christopher Browne represents the very ethos of service to the community and our country. In addition to his multi-decade career with the Navy and MWAA, Mr. Browne serves on the Board of Directors of the Special Olympics of Virginia, as well as on the Boards of several area Chambers of Commerce. Mr. Brown has selflessly dedicated himself and his career to the betterment of our community, and his efforts are truly worthy of our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Christopher Browne on his accomplishments, and in thanking him for his immeasurable contributions to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the honorees of the 2017 Elly Doyle Park Service Awards. These awards, sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority Board in cooperation with the Fairfax County Park Foundation Board, recognize individuals and organizations for their extraordinary contributions to our environment and public park system.

The Elly Doyle Service Awards were established in 1988 in honor of former board member Ellamae Doyle's many years of outstanding service. Recipients have also been selected for the Eakin Philanthropy Award, named in honor of the family that donated the first parcels of parkland to the Park Authority more than 50 years ago, the Mayo Stuntz Cultural Stewardship, named in honor of a celebrated local historian and military veteran, the Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award, named in honor of a local champion of environmental education and protection, and the Harold L. Strickland Partnership and Collaboration Award, named for the former Sully District representative on the Park Authority Board. In addition, a special recognition will be given to Park Authority volunteers, who play an integral role in the agency's success.

It is my honor to congratulate all the recipients of the Elly Doyle Park Service Awards and to include in the Record the names of the following individuals:

Harold L. Strickland Partnership and Collaboration Award: Fairfax County Department

of Neighborhood and Community Services and The Athletic Council;

Sally Ormsby Environmental Stewardship Award: Norma Hoffman (in memoriam);

Eakin Philanthropy Award: Jean and Ric Edelman, Volkswagen of America, Chantilly Youth Association, Timber Ridge at Discovery Square;

Student Honoree: Jennifer Ochs;

Special Recognition: Carol Melim, Patricia Moran, Denise McKittrick. Emiko Takeuchi, Freddie Mac;

Elly Doyle Park Service Awards: Kathy Trichel, Villamay Community Association.

Mr. Speaker, Fairfax County is regarded as one of the best places in the country in which to live, work, and raise a family, and our nationally-recognized park system has played a key role in that distinction. Our community has a strong commitment to promoting and preserving our environment, including our public parks and outdoor spaces, as the efforts of the individuals and organizations recognized tonight reflects. These are truly selfless actions done for the benefit of all and merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating them on receiving these awards and in wishing them great success in all their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 150th anniversary of First Baptist Church of Vienna, which has been a fixture of our Northern Virginia community since its founding. In 1867, shortly after the conclusion of the Civil War, Union Army Major O.E. Hine presented the founders of First Baptist Church with a deed to a small piece of land he owned for the purposes of building educational and religious facilities. Using lumber acquired from the Freedman's Bureau and from barracks that were being torn down, the first church building was erected on Lawyer's Road in the town of Vienna, where the congregation would remain until relocating to its current location on Orchard Street ninety years later in 1957.

Throughout its 150-year history, First Baptist Church of Vienna has served as the spiritual and religious home to countless worshipers. In addition to fulfilling its religious missions, the philanthropic work of the church and its members is extensive, both locally and internationally. Working with area churches, First Baptist has raised over $28,000 for tsunami relief in Asia and Africa, contributed over $53,000 to the Community Coalition for Haiti for earthquake relief in that devastated country, and

donated $5,000 to a build a new community college in Zimbabwe.

The congregation has also participated in the Rise Against Hunger campaign, which raised more than $14,000 and packaged 50,000 meals for communities around the world suffering from chronic hunger.

In our own Northern Virginia community, First Baptist has partnered with numerous nonprofits for a variety of charitable causes, including Habitat for Humanity, the Northern Virginia Clergy Council, OAR Fairfax, and the Shepherd's Center of Oakton-Vienna. Truly, First Baptist Church of Vienna is following the ethos of ministry and working for the betterment of all in our community. This ethos is prominent in Northern Virginia, and I am confident this is part of the reason why this congregation has remained here for as long as it has, and why it will continue to thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have been a partner with First Baptist Church of Vienna on many of these initiatives and have been fortunate to join them for worship many times. I commend Pastor Vernon C. Walton as well as former Pastor Kenny Smith for their leadership and devotion to their faith and our community. I also congratulate the entire ministry and congregation on this milestone, and ask my colleagues to join me in wishing them continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a finalist for the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal in National Security and International Affairs, Mr. Matthew Nims. Presented by the Partnership for Public Service, the Service to America Medals--or the Sammies--are highly respected honors to highlight excellence in our federal workforce. Nominees for the award must show a strong commitment to federal service, a significant accomplishment within their field that meets the needs of the American people, and excellence in customer service to citizens or other beneficiaries.

Matthew Nims, the Acting Director for the Office of Food for Peace at the U.S. Agency for International Development, worked with his team to distribute $1.4 billion in emergency food assistance to 20 million people in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and Nigeria, who are threatened by violent conflicts every day and fighting famine. The efforts of Mr. Nims and his team have saved countless lives under harrowing conditions.

With civil war, violence, and terrorism threatening vulnerable populations in those four countries, getting aid to people who are suffering is difficult. Matthew Nims did not let such conditions deter him. According to his colleagues, Mr. Nims was ``out in front, meeting with, informing, coordinating, and leading hundreds of USAID staff, others in government and our international partners to choose the right approaches, prioritize the most critical situations, and get food to people swiftly and efficiently when lives were at stake.''

In South Sudan, for example, the economy was in a freefall, crime was rampant, travel was difficult, there were few functioning institutions, and some five million people were in need of food assistance. To function effectively under such conditions required Mr. Nims to assess the needs, ensure the safety of his team, find creative ways to deliver food, plan and manage the food distribution, and resolve the day-to-day challenges.

As a former Peace Corps volunteer and USAID employee in Indonesia, Guyana, and Afghanistan, Mr. Nims has brought a unique perspective to his role in the Office of Food for Peace and sees his mission as quite simple: ``We work to keep people alive. When there are hungry people out there, we try to feed them.'' I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Matthew Nims for his work to distribute food assistance to 20 million people in four countries who are fighting famine and other dangers, and in congratulating Mr. Nims for being a finalist for such a prestigious award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families on its 50th Anniversary. I also want to recognize the outstanding faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees for the extraordinary impact they have had on the education and lives of thousands of youth in the communities surrounding our Nation's Capital.

The growth of PHILLIPS Programs from their humble beginnings is astonishing. Years before the first federal laws were enacted to require all public schools to provide a free and appropriate education for all students regardless of disabilities, in 1967 PHILLIPS began in a two-bedroom bungalow in McLean teaching four students. The PHILLIPS Programs now include special education schools on four campuses, a vibrant home-based support program (Family Partners), and its newest career and technical education initiative, Career Partners, which launched in 2016. While all of these programs teach important job skills, they also teach employability skills (general skills in the areas of applied knowledge, effective relationships, and workplace skills) that are necessary for success in the labor market at all employment levels and in all sectors. In tandem with academic and technical skills, employability skills are crucial to career readiness.

At PHILLIPS Programs, the core of their philosophy and practice is the ethos that with the right support and commitment, all of its students will reach their full potential. PHILLIPS offers special education day school programs for students in elementary through high school in nationally acclaimed facilities for students for whom public or other specialized schools were not successful.

PHILLIPS serves a diverse group of youth from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The lives of the youth served by PHILLIPS have been affected by a variety of personal and neurodevelopmental circumstances, so PHILLIPS staff tailor their approach to each unique individual. PHILLIPS provides these youths a fresh start. They address each student's needs honestly with acceptance, respect, compassion, and a creative plan to make a better tomorrow. PHILLIPS focuses on the students' behavioral health needs, their emotional needs, communication needs, and beyond that their family and community needs. PHILLIPS builds a program around each child, rather than fitting that child into a particular program.

Mr. Speaker, for five decades PHILLIPS Programs have provided youth and families in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area with the opportunity to achieve their dreams through education, combined with a full menu of support services. PHILLIPS is continuing its tradition of support for youth with a focus on students transitioning from school to work through the expansion of career and technical education and workforce development, serving those others cannot. On behalf of the citizens of the 11th Congressional District, I congratulate each and every member of the PHILLIPS community on this momentous anniversary and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing them continued success and growth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the recent graduates of the Prince William County Public Safety Academy. These men and women will soon join the ranks of those who have served and continue to serve in the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue.

Since its inception in 1966, the Department of Fire and Rescue has led the way. In 1967, Prince William County became the first jurisdiction on the East Coast to implement the 911 System. That same year, Prince William became the first county in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the National Capital Region to implement a physical ability exam for career firefighters. In 1994, Mary Beth Michos was hired as Chief and became the first female fire and rescue chief of a metro-sized department. The Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue continues to maintain one of the most forward-thinking combination fire departments in the country, and its legacy of ``firsts'' continues. It is one of only three jurisdictions in the Commonwealth of Virginia with delegated training authority, granted by the Virginia Department of Fire Programs.

Each member of the recruit class has successfully completed a rigorous application process, followed by more than 1,200 hours of exhaustive academic and physical training over the course of 28 weeks. Upon successful completion of this program, each recruit is eligible to graduate and become a Fire and Rescue Technician with the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue.

The training and certification required to achieve the status of a Fire and Rescue Technician cannot be accomplished without significant dedication and hard work. Today's graduates have completed more than 600 hours of the required coursework for certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Infection Control, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Emergency Medical Training (EMT-Basic), Firefighter I, Firefighter II, Emergency Vehicle Operator Course 2, Emergency Vehicle Operator Course 3, Flashover Simulation, Rapid Intervention Training (RIT), Mayday, Hazmat Awareness/Operations, Swift Water Rescue Awareness, Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) with Simulation, Rural Water Supply, Basic Life Support (BLS) Protocols, Rope Rescue Awareness, Vehicle Rescue Awareness, and Child Passenger Safety Seat Instillation.

It is my honor to include in the Record the following names of the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue recruit class graduates:

William Allen, Tyler Barnikel, Jadon Carr, Joshua Castellanos, Brice Deible, Samuel Gorham, Lucas Gray, Kurt Hagen, David Hufford, Brandon Jacobs, Jeremy Lonas, Damian Lyles, Corey Mcfarland, Seth McGregor, Marcio Midence, Jharray Neal, Adam Negvesky, Jordan Rigney, Christopher Sager, Dante Sanders, Ian Sheedy, Michael Smith, Jesus Tapia-Lima, Sophia Therriault, Robert Traver, Ryan Turlik, Brooke Wallace, and Nicholas White.

As the newest members of the Department of Fire and Rescue, the aforementioned graduates join the department as integral parts of the emergency response and community safety team.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the newest members of the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue. I am confident that recruit class 2017-02 will serve the residents of Prince William County with honor and distinction. In the tradition of their new firefighting family, I say: ``Stay safe.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Northern Virginia Football Hall of Fame (NVFHOF) and to congratulate the 2018 inductees and scholarship award recipients.

Participation in organized sports instills many values that will serve our youth well throughout life, including sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty, and the work ethic developed by striving for success and working to achieve a common goal.

For 28 years, the NVFHOF has recognized the efforts of players, coaches, officials, and cheerleaders from local youth and scholastic football programs, and has inducted a few exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to the game. In addition, the NVFHOF presents several student-athletes with scholarships to help defray the cost of college.

I commend the NVFHOF and congratulate the following students, coaches, and community leaders who are being recognized during the 28th Annual NVFHOF Awards Banquet:

$1,500 Scholarship Award Recipients: Kendall Malinchock, Nathan D. Leas, Charles S. Salette, Thomas A. Beamon;

Fairfax County Football Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees: Luke Bowanko (Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Centreville High School), Stephen A. Price (Coach, Westfield High School, Lake Braddock Secondary School), Ronald E. Decker (Coach, Vienna Youth Incorporated);

Football Official of the Year: Charles Foster;

Karl Davey Community Achievement Award: Valerie Armstrong;

Tom Davis Meritorious Service Award: Hossein S. Panah;

Gene Nelson Commissioner of the Year Award: Todd Casey;

High School Coaches of the Year: Tom Verbanic, Kyle Simmons;

High School Players of the Year: Nolan Cockrill, Spencer Alston, Dillon Spalding, Brian Cobbs, Ike Onwuka, Tyler Matheny;

Youth Coaches of the Year: Jason Goldsberry, Anthony Gutowski, Michael Molinar, Adam Guild;

Youth Sports Players of the Year: Miles Greer, Stacy G. Funches II, Adil Lodhi, Michael Guruli, William Warter, Duncan Bangerter, Jalen Bogues, Wyatt Singer, Chris Clark, Cody Howard, Zack Holzworth, Benjamin Hammond, Xavier Micah Butler, Blake Johnson, Calvin Van Pelt, Angelo Romero, Jackson Stroud, Vincent Ordenes, Anthony Giordano, Trenton Johnson, Allan Starks, Adrian Mejia, Veronica Paige Counts;

Youth Cheerleaders of the Year: Emma Clare Holloway, Darcy Johnson, Nevada Elyse Whitfield, Hannah Rae Johnson, Winnie Gondek.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating the Northern Virginia Hall of Fame, as well as those students, coaches, and community leaders who are being honored at the 2018 Football Hall of Fame celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the recipient of the Devotion to Children Legacy Award, Mr. Mark Silverwood. Co-founded in 1994, by my good friend, Rosemary Tran Lauer, Devotion to Children seeks to raise awareness and support for high quality education and child care programs for children under the age of six who are from economically disadvantaged families, which is critical in ensuring these children become mentally, physically and emotionally healthy members of society. Both working and unemployed families need access to affordable, quality preschool, daycare, health and educational services, which are often unavailable to them without outside assistance. Devotion to Children

identifies those needs, and works to find solutions.

Each year Devotion to Children recognizes an individual who has made extraordinary contributions by promoting public awareness of the organization and local needs, providing funding for programs and services, and who has collaborated with other community organizations to support local children. I am pleased to join Devotion to Children in congratulating and thanking this year's honoree, Mr. Mark Silverwood, for his service to our community.

Mark Silverwood is President and CEO of Silverwood Associates, Inc. and Silverwood Management, Inc., affiliated real estate development and management companies, as well as a partner in Silverwood Investments,

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the West Point Leadership Ethics and Diversity in STEM (LEADS) Program, and to congratulate the students who have participated in the 2018 LEADS Workshop.

The LEADS program began in 2011 and was designed to engage students in the 6th through 10th grades to help prepare them for the challenging academic courses required for acceptance into top tier schools like West Point, focusing primarily on underserved and minority school populations. While a focus on STEM education has been a top priority in many schools, the West Point LEADS program adds another very important dimension--the role that ethics plays in effective leadership. In addition to robotics and coding workshops, students in the LEADS program also participate in activities to explore and begin their journeys to become not only educated leaders, but also ethical leaders.

Students from forty-five schools are participating in the 2018 LEADS program. I congratulate each of these students and am honored to recognize the following schools who have provided them with this opportunity:

BASIS DC; Bishop O'Connell High School, Colonial Forge High School, DC International School, Deer Park Middle Magnet School, Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School, Episcopal High School, Fairview Elementary School, Forest Park High School, Fort Foote Elementary School, Friendship Collegiate Academy, Frost Middle School, Georgetown Visitation Prep School, Great Explorations School, Hayfield Secondary School, HH Poole Middle School, Imagine Foundation at Morningside, Irving Middle School, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Lake Ridge Middle School, Langley High School, Lauren Hill Elementary School, Mark Twain Middle School, Mount Vernon High School, North Stafford High School, Oakcrest School, Oxon Hill High School, Patriot High School, Paul VI High School, Phillipsburg Middle School, Pinnacle Academy, Potomac Middle School, Rippon Middle School, Rodney Thompson Middle School, Samuel Ogle Middle School, Sidwell Friends School, South County High School, South County Middle School, St. Stephen & St. Agnes School, Suitland High School, Temple Baptist School, West Springfield High School, Westlake High School, and Williamsburg Middle School.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the schools and students who are participating in the 2018 West Point LEADS Program. I thank the West Point Society of DC, the MITRE Corporation, and the Rotary Club of Springfield, for their support of this vital program. I also would like to recognize Ms. Pat Walker Locke, who in 1980 became the first African American woman to graduate from West Point, for her critical role in creating and promoting the LEADS program, as well as for her decades of commitment to the growth and development of our future leaders. She has received numerous national awards and accolades in recognition of her efforts. Her support of all students, but primarily those in underrepresented communities, has improved the lives of countless children and is truly worthy of our highest praise.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 2017 MVLE Annual Award Recipients.

For 46 years, MVLE has provided employment opportunities and support services to individuals with disabilities, and thereby created an environment which has allowed its clients to live in dignity and as independently as possible. MVLE has achieved this success by partnering with local businesses, as well as with government agencies and other not-for-profit organizations. MVLE, its staff, and dedicated volunteers and supporters can be proud that they are making a positive difference in someone's life every day.

Each year, MVLE honors individual participants as well as business and community partners, who support MVLE's mission. I am pleased to include in the Record the names of the 2017 award recipients:

The President's Award is being presented to individuals who have shown outstanding progress toward gaining independence and self- sufficiency through participation in employment and community services. The 2017 President's Award recipients are Ivana Ardinoto, Willie Anne Belleh, Brittany Davis, and Jeremy Dustin.

The Chairman's Award is being presented to an outstanding business partner who has demonstrated excellence in hiring practices, creating supportive work environments, and supporting the mission of MVLE. The 2017 Chairman's Award recipient is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Office of Headquarter Operations.

MVLE also presents four Community Awards for Government, Employment Partner, Advocacy, and Social Responsibility.

The Government Champion Award is being presented to state Delegate Mark Sickles. MVLE presents this award to an outstanding partner who is committed to creating meaningful employment opportunities by building partnerships across government and business sectors.

The Employment Partner Award is being presented to Parkway Express. MVLE presents this award to an outstanding partner who is committed to creating meaningful community employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and military veterans.

The Advocacy Champion Award is being presented to Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay. MVLE presents this award to an outstanding partner who advocates for community integration by fostering partnerships across sectors to create futures one person at a time.

The Social Responsibility Award is being presented to First Virginia Community Bank. MVLE presents this award to an outstanding partner who supports MVLE through contributions and volunteer work.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending MVLE for its success in helping individuals with disabilities achieve independence and in congratulating the 2017 MVLE Annual Award recipients. The efforts of MVLE, its supporters, community partners, and clients are an inspiration to all and are worthy of our highest praise.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to the amendment offered by my friend Mr. Cuellar and our colleagues from Texas.

This amendment amends the Slot and Perimeter rules at Washington National Airport.

It provides a special carve out for airports in two cities.

It upends the current regime which was carefully crafted by Congress to maintain operational stability between the three DC-area airports-- National, Dulles, and BWI.

As a longtime representative of the area around Dulles and as someone who fought for an extension of Metro to Dulles, I have to admit I am offended by this effort which would do harm to commercial domestic passenger volume at Dulles--Northern Virginia's premier international airport.

Since Congress amended the Slot rule in 2000, passenger traffic at National has increased by 50 percent and traffic at Dulles has declined by 9 percent.

I ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment and refrain from inflicting harm on the area economies of their colleagues' districts.

Mr. Speaker, there is a word for what we are witnessing today, and that word is ``chutzpah.''

The majority is proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States just months after passing the Trump tax scheme, which

the Congressional Budget Office warned would increase the deficit by $1.6 trillion over 10 years. So having broken the bank and spent their way into default, they now want a balanced budget amendment to protect all the rest of us.

Like I said, chutzpah. One would think such devoted Reaganites might have learned the lesson already.

The majority has once again asked the American people to stomach a massive deficit increase on the hope and the prayer that tax decreases will pay for themselves.

That is the same trickle-down narrative we heard in the Reagan years and the Bush years, and it didn't work then, and it is not going to work now.

The 1981 tax cuts were so disastrous, for example, for Federal deficits, that Presidents Regan and Bush, Sr., had to enact legislation to raise taxes to make up for the shortfall in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, and 1990.

Other than that, yeah, tax cuts pay for themselves.

When President Obama took office, he inherited a deficit of more than $1.5 trillion in the depths of the Great Recession that President Bush gave him. That deficit was cut by more than two-thirds in President Obama's tenure in office.

By this time next year, however, the Republican tax policy and President Trump's policies will have doubled the deficit in just the first 2 years.

This level of fiscal irresponsibility could rival that of the Bush years, when we went from a surplus to a deficit, from a $128 billion surplus to a deficit of $1.16 trillion.

Trickle-down theories don't work. They are a bad experiment for the American people. I urge rejection on the grounds of intellectual honesty and integrity of this balanced budget amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am in its present form.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to this bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to the committee.

If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended, and you are going to love it.

My amendment would prohibit Federal agencies that regulate financial institutions from tailoring their regulation of the financial industry at the request of and the personal gain of the President, the President's family members, or senior executive branch officials; something that ought to concern us in light of recent headlines.

This is a simple prohibition that in any other era would pass for common sense. Unfortunately, we have become inured to the daily outrages emanating from this White House, and we are learning how much our democracy depends on the morality and ethical behavior of individuals in the absence of institutional restraints.

When the President calls his friend to tip him off, if that is what happened, to a major announcement about steel tariffs, and that friend dumps affected stocks, there is no mechanism to prevent that from happening.

It just shouldn't happen. Morality and ethics dictate as much.

When a senior White House employee repeatedly violates the Hatch Act, allegedly, we depend on the President to punish and rein in that kind of behavior. If he doesn't, nothing happens, and the message to the rest of the Federal Government is that the politicalization of government institutions is okay as long as it is the President who approves your motives.

Now, of course, this institution, a coequal branch of government under our Constitution, could create consequences, but, of course, we won't.

Instead, we will continue to turn a blind eye to activities and behavior that are dangerous to our democracy, Mr. Speaker. Behavior that should concern any patriotic American.

In predicting inaction by this body, I am not engaging in idle speculation. This Congress has a proven track record of shirking its institutional responsibilities for basic oversight of the executive branch, irrespective of who is in the White House.

Take the President's tax returns. That which was once a norm, Presidents releasing their tax returns as a credential to be examined for Presidency, was overturned by the simple refusal to do so by this President.

We depended for so long on candidates and Presidents to self-govern, to self-report, that we didn't anticipate the scenario in which a President, so devoid of any sense of transparency and accountability, would simply say: No, I won't do that. And not so much as a whimper from the Congress.

A year ago, one might have said Congress would never pass the President's tax plan without insisting on first seeing the President's tax returns and how he might stand to benefit or not from the actions we took.

Well, we did just that. And in the process, we exploded the deficit by close to $2 trillion for good measure.

This should go without saying, but the corruption that is emanating in this time, in this administration, is not normal. It is not how the government should be run.

Neither President Trump, Jared Kushner, nor Ivanka Trump has divested entirely from their personal businesses. And our appreciation for divestiture as an anticorruption measure only grows in its absence.

The President's son-in-law and senior White House official, Jared Kushner, has been freelancing meetings with foreign governments while also seeking financing from those countries for his distressed property at 666 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He is taking meetings with financial institutions in his official capacity, apparently, and then turning around and securing, apparently, hundreds of millions of dollars in loans for his family business from those same institutions. This is not normal. It is not how government should be run.

We should not be selling our foreign and domestic policies to the highest bidder at a real estate auction. This Congress could hold hearings, could issue subpoenas, could create real consequence for these actions, but we see and hear no evil.

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on which I sit, is missing in action. We have requested multiple subpoenas for information from the White House on everything from General Flynn's activity while serving as National Security Advisor to Jared Kushner's conflicts of interest, or apparent conflicts of interest, and inability to obtain a security clearance.

Not a single subpoena request has been granted by the majority. The majority won't even give us a vote on those requests. It may seem tedious

and repetitive, but we need to get back to the basics of government oversight.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this simple, commonsense amendment to return us to regular order and to return to our duty as Members of Congress to provide vigorous oversight.

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

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