Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Sunday is National Ice Cream Day. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation designating the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day in the United States.

The sweet treat holds a special place in the hearts and refrigerators of many Americans. In fact, almost 90 percent of Americans have ice cream in their refrigerator as I speak.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania produces 10.8 billion pounds of milk annually, and 10 percent of our Nation's milk supply goes to the production of ice cream.

In the Fifth District, the Penn State Berkey Creamery has been researching dairy and producing ice cream for more than 150 years. They were the first collegiate institution in the United States to offer lessons on making ice cream; and in 1978, two men by the name of Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield took one of their courses and later went on to launch their company, Ben & Jerry's.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Penn State for being an industry leader, and in honor of National Ice Cream Day, I hope all Americans will celebrate with a scoop on Sunday.

Mr. Speaker, in 1918, a group of Pennsylvania crude oil and natural gas producers got together to form a trade organization. The Pennsylvania Oil, Gas and Minerals Association was formed. It is believed to be the oldest continuously operating oil and gas trade association in the United States.

In April 2010, members of the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association and the Independent Oil and Gas Association of Pennsylvania, IOGA, unanimously voted to merge the two organizations into a single, comprehensive trade association representing oil and natural gas interests throughout Pennsylvania.

The merger reunited two organizations that had split apart nearly some 30 years earlier to form the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association, or PIOGA.

A century later, industry leaders, supporters, and friends will gather to celebrate PIOGA. The centennial celebration will take place next week at the birthplace of the American oil industry, Drake well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in the Fifth Congressional District, to mark 100 years of the industry's growth and sustainability in Pennsylvania.

PIOGA represents nearly 550 members, including oil and natural gas producers, drilling contractors, service companies, manufacturers, distributors, professional firms, consultants, pipelines, end-users, royalty owners, and others with interests in the success of Pennsylvania's oil and gas industry.

The Commonwealth is blessed with abundant energy resources, particularly clean-burning natural gas. PIOGA works closely with pipelines, utilities, and end-users as well as those developing cutting-edge products and services that revolve around natural gas use.

PIOGA staff also works with educators to increase students' knowledge of energy issues that impact current and future generations of Pennsylvanians. Led by President and Executive Director Dan Weaver, PIOGA is a member-driven organization that works to realize the benefits of Pennsylvania's crude oil and natural gas.

PIOGA is based in Wexford, just north of Pittsburgh, with satellite offices in McKean County and Harrisburg. The association employs an eight-person staff, and each year, PIOGA hosts several conferences, seminars, public educational meetings, presentations, and community events at a variety of locations across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I wish PIOGA the best as it gathers in Titusville to celebrate 100 years of growth and sustainability in the Pennsylvania oil and gas industry. The industry has a rich history in the Commonwealth, and I know that, as PIOGA looks forward to the future, it will continue to uphold the high standards and expertise for which it is known in order to provide access to affordable energy for all and help to continue to fuel our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Zonta Club of Warren, Pennsylvania, as it celebrates 90 years of empowering women through service and advocacy.

Zonta International marks 100 years on the world stage this year, and the Zonta Club of Warren was one of the first clubs to be incorporated. The international service organization was founded in Buffalo, New York, with the mission of advancing the status of women.

The Warren Zonta Club has worked to improve the lives of women locally, nationally, and worldwide. Warren Zonta has worked with various community organizations throughout its 90-year history, and at its core, the club has worked to make Warren County a better place to live and work. The club spearheaded the local March of Dimes campaign for many years and worked with the Girl Scouts, the Salvation Army, and Warren General Hospital.

The word Zonta means honest and trustworthy and is derived from the language of the Native American Sioux.

Mr. Speaker, I wish the Warren Zonta Club the best as it marks 90 years of service, and I thank them for all of their contributions to Warren County.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, on Monday, I hosted and chaired a Listening Session on Organic Agriculture at our State capitol in Harrisburg.

Agriculture is a key economic driver in Pennsylvania and remains the Commonwealth's number one industry. One in seven jobs in Pennsylvania is connected to agriculture, a fact especially important in rural areas, generating some $7.4 billion in sales in 2017.

Yet agriculture in Pennsylvania and around the country goes well beyond our local communities. Our farmers not only feed, clothe, and provide energy and fiber for all Americans, but also to many other nations around the world.

Pennsylvania agriculture is diverse and encompasses a wide array of commodities and production methods. Monday's listening session was specifically focused on the organic agriculture sector in Pennsylvania.

I was proudly joined by my colleagues, Congressman Scott Perry and Congressman Tom Marino, as well as Pennsylvania's agriculture deputy secretary, Cheryl Cook. We heard from a number of expert panelists, including: Leslie Zuck of Pennsylvania Certified Organic; Dr. Kristy Borrelli of Penn State extension; Scott Sechler of Bell & Evans; Ken Rice, an organic livestock feed seller; Andrew Kline, an organic beef and milk producer; and Hannah Smith-Brubaker of the Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture Association, or PASA.

We heard some tremendous testimony from the all-star panel, and I thank them for their insights. Over the past decade, organic agriculture has flourished around the Nation. From 2015 to 2016, the number of certified organic farms nationwide increased to more than 14,000, and the number of certified acres increased by 15 percent, according to the USDA.

Pennsylvania has been a leading State in organic agriculture with more than 800 farms across the Commonwealth. With some farms transitioning and others just starting out in agriculture, organic is being supported in a variety of ways. Through Pennsylvania Certified Organic, Penn State's extension activities, stakeholder organizations, and the State Department of Agriculture, many are working to help farmers who wish to transition to organic farming.

There have also been a variety of supports put in place at the Federal level. Title X of the farm bill is the horticulture portion of the law which covers specialty crops, local and regional foods, and organic agriculture.

The 2014 farm bill included $34 million annually to organic producers. This includes support for USDA's Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program, the National Organic Program, and the Organic Data Initiative. The farm bill also authorizes the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program, the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program, the Market Access Program, the EQIP Organic Initiative, and our bedrock agricultural conservation programs.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the House and Senate have been working diligently to write the next farm bill as the current law expires in September. Writing a new farm bill is timely, as rural areas have been hit hard by farm recession in recent years with the average farm income roughly half of what it was just 5 years ago.

Since both the House and Senate have passed versions of the farm bill, I look forward to working out the differences in conference. This new law will certainly continue to support both traditional as well as organic agriculture on many fronts, and I look forward to getting the final bill across the finish line.

Honoring World War I Heroes in Clinton County, Pennsylvania

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of two World War I heroes from Clinton County, Pennsylvania.

Private First Class Ira Cranmer Keller and Corporal Beale Marshall Darby are the hometown soldiers for which the county's Keller & Darby Memorial Park is named. Private First Class Keller was 24 years old and the first Clinton County soldier to be killed during World War I. Corporal Darby was only 18 years old and is the second hometown soldier to lose his life in the Great War.

Their families donated land in North Bend to be used as a public park, forever commemorating their sacrifice for our freedom. This Sunday, there will be a formal memorial and rededication ceremony. A World War I Soldiers' Commemorative Monument will also be unveiled in the park.

Mr. Speaker, a century later, we are celebrating the lives of these two soldiers and honoring the sacrifice that they made to this great Nation. To this day, the park honors these North Bend heroes, as their families intended. It is a place where we will always remember the sacrifices that come with our freedom, and we will never forget.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome members of the Penn State 4-H program to the Nation's Capital. This afternoon, students will share their 4-H experiences with me and discuss the importance the program has had in their lives.

4-H is open to all young people regardless of where they live, what their backgrounds are, or what interests them. From traditional activities for youth in rural places to after-school programs for city youth, 4-H has it all.

Last month, Penn State 4-H hosted the first Pennsylvania 4-H Science of Agriculture Challenge in State College. Scores of 4-H teams competed in the challenge that was based around the American Farm Bureau's Pillars of Agricultural Literacy.

First place went to the Westmoreland County equestrian team. The marketing team from Clarion County came in second. Third place went to the Armstrong County Idea Makers. Teams from Allegheny County and Washington County rounded out the top five winners.

Mr. Speaker, 4-H plays an incredible role in the lives of American students who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. I am proud that 4-H helps so many reach their full potential.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight one of my district's most innovative businesses, KCF Technologies.

KCF Technologies is an employee-owned technology company located in State College, Pennsylvania. Their passion is using technology to make the things we live and work with smarter.

Part of KCF's work focuses on improving the lives of our wounded warriors through self-powered prosthetic devices. These self-powered prosthetic limbs capture energy when the individual is walking and uses that energy to recharge the prosthesis.

KCF Technologies has created many of these innovative devices thanks to research funded by the U.S. Army Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center and the National Science Foundation.

Today, KCF Technologies is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to demonstrate its newest prosthetic technology. These electromechanical devices make life better for not just our wounded servicemembers, but for amputees of every age and in every walk of life.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this company, and I look forward to the new innovations KCF Technologies will produce in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Colonel John P. Lloyd, commander of the Pittsburgh District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Colonel Lloyd assumed command of the Pittsburgh District on July 29, 2016. As the commander, he is responsible for carrying out the district's mission within the Ohio River basin, which includes more than 328 miles of navigable waterways on the Allegheny River, Monongahela River, and upper Ohio River.

The Pittsburgh District's 26,000 square miles include portions of western Pennsylvania, northeastern West Virginia, eastern Ohio, western Maryland, and southwestern New York. Colonel Lloyd oversees 23 navigation locks and dams, 16 multipurpose flood damage reduction reservoirs, 80 local flood damage reduction projects, and other projects to protect and enhance water resources.

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of getting to know Colonel Lloyd during his tenure as commander of the Pittsburgh District, and he is a true public servant. He oversaw the Task Force Power Restoration effort in Puerto Rico after Hurricanes Irma and Maria tore through in 2017. He mobilized and deployed a specialized team of Army Corps personnel to rebuild the island's electrical system of power generation, transmission, and distribution.

Colonel Lloyd's team worked with FEMA, the Department of Energy, the power industry, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, and other stakeholders to restore more than 85 percent of Puerto Rico's prestorm power grid within 5 months. He displayed truly remarkable leadership.

Colonel Lloyd also took the time to travel to my district to meet with the Punxsutawney Borough Council to discuss modifications for its levees.

His expertise is second to none, and we have been fortunate enough to have Colonel Lloyd at the helm in the Pittsburgh District.

Prior to his assignment in Pittsburgh, Colonel Lloyd served in a variety of engineer command and leadership positions, including battalion commander of the 19th Engineer Battalion at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Before that, he served as the Army fellow assigned to the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Colonel Lloyd is a man with numerous military awards and decorations, and the accolades surely do match his commitment and dedication to his job.

I wish Colonel Lloyd the best as he departs the Pittsburgh District for his next assignment. He has done an outstanding job for the citizens of northwestern Pennsylvania, and it has been an honor and a privilege to get to know this fine individual over the past 2 years.

Mr. Speaker, today I welcome Megan Smith to the Capitol. Megan is the winner of the Pennsylvania Fifth Congressional District's Congressional Artwork Competition.

The annual art competition, organized by the Congressional Institute, showcases the artwork of high school students across every congressional district in the country.

Megan just graduated from Bellefonte Area High School earlier this month. Her artwork titled, ``Spoons,'' is a drawing of five different spoons on top of blue, pink, and white collage paper.

All of the winning pieces will be displayed for the year in the Cannon tunnel where they will be viewed by Members of Congress, staff, and the many visitors of the Capitol every day.

I am looking forward to spending time with Megan and her parents at this afternoon's reception where she and her fellow winners from across the country will be honored for their work.

I congratulate Megan and all of the students who participated in the competition, and I am excited to see all of the new artwork hanging in the tunnel.

Mr. Speaker, it has been more than a year since the House of Representatives unanimously approved the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act.

I am proud to see that, this week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will consider career and technical education legislation. It is welcome news that this important topic will be examined by our congressional colleagues in the United States Senate. Career and technical education, or CTE, has helped countless men and women acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in the workforce.

By empowering State and local leaders, improving alignment with in- demand jobs, increasing transparency and accountability, and ensuring a limited Federal role, we can modernize and strengthen career and technical education and help more individuals build successful and fulfilling careers.

Career and technical education can help restore rungs on the ladder of opportunity. All Americans deserve a good-paying, family-sustaining job, and they might just need some new skills to get one.

America is still facing a widening skills gap that puts our workforce at a disadvantage to succeed in a 21st century economy. Today, there are an estimated 6.7 million jobs that are open and available in the United States.

While companies across the country have openings for high-paying jobs, and are anxious to hire, many workers lack the skills and adequate education needed to qualify and compete for these jobs, Mr. Speaker.

We have also seen students pushed down the college-for-all pathway. That just doesn't work for some students. There are many different pathways to success and life in this country.

One of the biggest challenges facing career and technical education is the stigma associated with it. Through the years, we have seen wrongheaded claims that students involved in the trades lacked ambition. Those misplaced assumptions are slowly subsiding, but not soon enough.

CTE has established itself as a path that many high-achieving students choose in pursuit of industry certifications and hands-on skills they can use right out of high school, in skills-based education programs or in college.

By modernizing the Federal investment in career and technical education programs, we will be able to connect more educators with industry stakeholders and close the skills gap in this country. There are good jobs out there, but people need to be qualified to get them.

I remain dedicated to working with my colleagues in the Senate on this effort. All education is career education and every American deserves a fair shot at learning the right skills to obtain a good- paying job.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding student from Coudersport, Pennsylvania, who received an award from the Potter County Conservation District for being an outstanding FFA student.

Miss Lakota Timothy is this year's recipient of the Henry Staiger Agriculture Education and FFA Award. Henry was an agriculture teacher for many years in Potter County and was instrumental in developing the conservation district.

Each year, this award goes to the most involved and outstanding Spud Growers FFA student from Coudersport High School.

Lakota is the daughter of Scott and Wendy Timothy of Sweden Valley. Throughout her FFA career, she has been involved in numerous leadership and development events, including: forest evaluation, land evaluation, environmental and natural resources, dairy evaluation, livestock evaluation, and public speaking.

She also has presented at Kindergarten Ag Day and other community events where she teaches elementary students about various agricultural topics.

Mr. Speaker, Lakota has been an excellent role model to both her peers and younger students who are interested in agriculture.

I congratulate her on this outstanding achievement and wish her the best of luck in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two high school honors students from Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District chosen to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as delegates at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders.

The following students were selected to attend the event, which will take place June 29 to July 1 in Lowell, Massachusetts: Jacob Hulse of Tidioute and Brett Kelly of Lewis Run. These outstanding students were required to achieve a 3.5 GPA to be nominated for this prestigious honors-only program by their teachers or the National Academy of Future Science and Technology Leaders.

The event aims to encourage and guide the top students in our country who wish to devote their lives to the sciences and technology. Chosen delegates represent all 50 States and Puerto Rico.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Jacob and Brett on this tremendous accomplishment, and I wish them the best of luck as they continue their career paths to be future leaders in the science and technology field.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the beginning of Religious Freedom Week.

Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right and protected by our Constitution. The First Amendment's protection of freedom of religion, along with the freedom of speech and the press, afford us the opportunity to have open and thoughtful debates on the floor of the House every day, and it protects the space in which members of all religions can peacefully join together and solve the world's most pressing issues.

For thousands of years, people have sought the freedom to practice their religion without the fear of persecution. Since our founding, we have continued to recognize freedom for all.

Our great Nation and its foundation of freedom and liberty for all were conceived by individuals in search of religious freedom.

Mr. Speaker, the United States of America will always be a beacon of light in the world, and we will always

protect our fundamental unified commitment of religious freedom. It is a central part of what makes us exceptional and affords our citizens the right to live in a free society.

Madam Speaker, recently, I introduced

a resolution with Congresswoman Niki Tsongas to designate July as Park and Recreation Month. It is a fitting time to celebrate our Federal, State, and local public parks and recreation systems because so many Americans will visit them this summer.

H. Res. 941 recognizes the important role that public parks, recreation facilities, and activities play in the lives of Americans, and the contributions of employees and volunteers who work daily to maintain our public parks and recreation facilities across the Nation.

As a lifelong resident of rural Pennsylvania and an avid outdoorsman, I strongly support our Nation's park and recreation facilities. Our parks provide countless recreational and educational opportunities for individuals and families to engage in the outdoors.

This resolution simply recognizes and supports Park and Recreation Month and the many benefits that our parks provide to all Americans. Our parks generate opportunities for people to come together and experience a sense of community. They pay dividends to communities by attracting businesses and jobs, and increasing housing values. In the United States, public park operations and capital spending generate nearly $140 million in economic activity annually.

Ninety percent of people in the United States agree that public park recreation facilities and activities are important government services, a figure that displays a base of support that spans across all people in the country regardless of race, income, gender, or political party affiliation. Nearly 75 percent of Americans agree that it is important to ensure that all members of their community have equitable access to public parks and recreation facilities.

The most economically sound communities are those with ample and healthy public park and recreation facilities and activities. In fact, a key factor in business expansion and location decisions is the quality of life for employees, with a premium placed on adequate and accessible public parks and open space.

Madam Speaker, public parks and recreation facilities foster a variety of activities that contribute to a healthier society. People who use public parks and open space are three times more likely to achieve recommended levels of physical activity than nonusers.

Americans living within a 10-minute walk of a park have a higher level of physical activity and lower rates of obesity. Recreation programs in public parks provide children with a safe place to play, access to healthy foods, opportunities to be physically active, and enrichment facilities that help prevent at-risk behavior, such as drug use and gang involvement.

As schools recess for summer break, scores of Americans will visit public parks and recreation facilities to spend time outdoors with family, friends, and neighbors. We are blessed with beautiful outdoor facilities.

It is my hope that all Americans get out and enjoy the parks in their areas. They are tremendous community treasures.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on this first day of summer to recognize June as National Dairy Month.

From calcium to potassium, dairy products, like milk, contain nine essential nutrients that may help to better manage your weight and reduce your risk of high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers.

Whether it is protein to help build and repair the muscle tissue of active bodies or vitamin A to help maintain healthy skin, dairy products are a natural nutrient powerhouse. Those are just a few of the reasons that we should celebrate dairy not just in June, but all year long.

National Dairy Month started out as National Milk Month in 1937 as a way to promote drinking milk. It was initially created to stabilize the dairy demand when production was at a surplus, but it has now developed into an annual tradition that celebrates the contributions the dairy industry has made to the world.

As vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, I am proud that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is one of the largest milk-producing States in the Nation.

Happy dairy month.