Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.

I rise today in strong support of the continuing resolution. With government funding set to expire on Friday, this legislation is necessary to ensure we avoid a harmful government shutdown. There is no other option.

The bill before us extends government funding until either January 19 or February 2 depending on the agency. It also includes temporary extensions for critical expiring programs, such as Community Health Centers, the National Flood Insurance Program, and others that are important to rural regions like Kentucky's Fifth District.

Plus, on the heels of Veterans Day, it ensures that we continue providing critical resources to our military, defending America around the world, and takes care of our country's heroic veterans.

While a CR is not my preferred method of conducting business, a government shutdown right before the holidays, does our Nation no good. We need more time to complete our fiscal year `24 to give the House a better negotiating position with the Senate so we can eventually pass full-year appropriations bills.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge Members to vote for this CR.

Mr. Speaker, due to events in my Congressional District in Kentucky, I missed votes the evening of November 6, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 599, and YEA on Roll Call No. 600.

When our Founding Fathers chose a bold, new, and innovative self-rule government, it was met with deep skepticism by the world's monarchs. They said self-rule is only a dream. Our Founders said they are right; it is the American Dream.

Now it is our dream. We are in charge. The speakership of the United States House of Representatives is the crucial outpost for the well- being of the people's government, the keeper, if you will, of the dream.

Sir, if you wish to assume this awesome responsibility, please raise your right hand.

Mr. Rogers of Kentucky then administered the oath of office to Mr. Johnson of Louisiana, as follows:

Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God.

(Applause, the Members rising.)

Congratulations, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the memory of my good friend, former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist, who also served alongside us, in this House chamber for 12 years, as the U.S. Representative for the 7th District of Tennessee. He was a trusted leader and treasured friend who will be deeply missed.

He accomplished a rare feat that every elected leader aspires to, winning every election in his path of public service, including 6 terms in Congress and 2 terms as the 47th Governor of Tennessee. Don was an original ``Reaganaut,'' first elected to Congress in 1982 during President Ronald Reagan's Administration. As a successful business owner and entrepreneur, his expertise and personal insight were invaluable in his leadership on the Ways and Means Committee, where he stood firm on conservative American values.

His love and compassion for the people of Tennessee led him from Capitol Hill to the Governor's Mansion in 1994. Unwavering in his convictions, Gov. Sundquist took on monumental issues, including welfare reform that lifted 40,000 families out of poverty, a comprehensive crime bill focused on victim's rights, expanding broadband to every public school and library in Tennessee, and earning National accolades for the state's economic success on his watch.

In addition to his courageous public service, he was also a proud veteran of the United States Navy. Of all the honorable titles that have been etched into history beside his name, Don's most cherished were husband, father, grandfather and friend. Thanks to our longtime friendship in the U.S. House, Don later introduced me to my beautiful Tennessee bride, Cynthia. He and his First Lady Martha graciously hosted our wedding at the Governor's mansion in 1999, remaining constant friends all the while. It is for his dedicated friendship and partnership in public service that I shall be eternally grateful. My wife Cynthia and I offer our heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the entire Sundquist family and the people of Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Whitley County High School Colonel Baseball Team and Coach Jeremy Shope for winning the 2023 Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Championship at the Kentucky Proud Park.

The Colonels brought home the 13, Region's-first-ever state baseball title, returning top honors to the mountains for the first time since 2001. Rising from defeat after a district championship loss, Whitley County closed out the season with an impressive 39-4 record, defeating LaRue County, South Warren, Henderson County, and finally beating the Shelby County Rockets 2-1 to earn the state tournament crown. Our mountain student athletes have a long-held legacy of competing with tremendous grit, talent, and pride, and I am personally proud of their determination and tenacity to show the entire state what our students are capable of achieving.

When Coach Shope took over the helm of the baseball program in 2018, the Colonels had not made a tournament appearance since 2005. The team has since improved by leaps and bounds, steam rolling past their opponents, winning the regional title in 2021 and 2023, and sweeping the state tournament this

year with skillful plays that they have tirelessly trained for.

The Colonels were visibly determined to bring the state title back to the mountains. Grant Zehr, a senior pitcher, dominated the baseball mound with 96 pitches in the final game, earning the MVP award for the tournament. Bryce Anderson scored the first run thanks to an RBI ground out by Sam Harp, who scored again in the sixth inning by courageously stealing home plate, a rare feat at any level of competition. The team's stellar defense then held the Rockets to one run, securing the highly coveted banner for Whitley County High School.

It is with great enthusiasm that I join the people of southern and eastern Kentucky in celebration of the Whitley County High School Baseball Team and the coaching staff for winning the state championship. Their achievement will undoubtedly encourage our young mountain student athletes to dream bigger, knowing the state title is always within reach with sheer perseverance, excellent coaching, and hard work.

Mr. Speaker, due to timing issues with the State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee markup, I was unable to vote on the MTR for H.R. 3564. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 288.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet on Monday next, when it shall convene at noon for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate National Police Week across the country, I rise on the House floor this afternoon to honor the memory of the five fallen police officers who we lost last year in eastern Kentucky.

Three police officers in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, paid the ultimate sacrifice when they were tragically shot in the line of duty on June 30, 2022:

Ralph Harlow Frasure, a 39-year law enforcement veteran who served as captain of the Prestonsburg City Police Department for nearly four decades and a beloved school resource officer at Prestonsburg High School.

William Edward Petrey, a 31-year law enforcement veteran who served the Kentucky State Police, the Prestonsburg Police Department, and, finally, the Floyd County Sheriff's Office.

Jacob Russell Chaffins, a young 28-year-old law enforcement officer who courageously served the Kentucky Army National Guard, the Prestonsburg Police Department, and the Prestonsburg Fire Department and became a U.S. marshal.

Their heroic deaths were the greatest display of love described in John 15:13: ``Greater love has no man than this: to lay down his life for his friends.''

It was with great courage of conviction that those three officers lived to protect the people of the United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and especially those in Floyd County.

Two hours west in my district, the London Police Department also grieves the loss of two of their brave officers last year:

Logan Medlock, a young 26-year-old officer with the London City Police Department, a volunteer firefighter for the Keavy Fire Department, and a former correctional officer, was struck and killed by a drunk driver on October 30, 2022. Officer Medlock worked in lockstep with his father, Randy Medlock, on the police force. Together, they strived to make the city of London a safer place to live.

Finally, Travis Hurley, a beloved 21-year veteran of the London Police Department lost a long battle with COVID-19 early last year.

The names of these five brave men will be engraved on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial here in Washington, D.C., along with the names of two other officers from my district:

Oliver Little, a Floyd County sheriff's deputy who died from complications after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty in 2021.

Dixon Allen Sasser, a veteran of the Harlan Police Department who was shot and killed in the line of duty back in 1918.

President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a former commissioner of the New York City Police Department, once said, ``No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his body, to risk his well-being, to risk his life, in a great cause.''

In a nation where police officers have been vilified in recent years by the actions of a few bad actors, may the lives of these fallen officers be a reminder of the outstanding integrity and sacrifice that the thin blue line represents.

We must continue to support our law enforcement officers across the country, ensuring they are fully equipped, adequately prepared, and never at the mercy of evildoers.

This Nation owes a great debt of gratitude for the valiant service of our fallen heroes. May their loved ones find peace and confidence in God's promise in Matthew 5:9: ``Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the distinguished service of veteran James C. Floyd, known best as Clarence, who has been inducted into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame and has been a pillar of the southern Kentucky veterans' community for decades.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend, James ``Jim'' Lacy, upon his retirement from The Center for Rural Development's Board of Directors in Somerset, Kentucky.

When I embarked on a mission to establish The Center for Rural Development (The Center) in southeastern Kentucky, Jim was one of the first local leaders that we recruited to help advise us on agricultural issues in our rural region. Jim was one of the original board members when The Center opened in 1996 and has remained a dedicated advisor for more than 25 years. The Center was designed to launch innovative programs in leadership, economic development, education, advanced telecommunications, technology improvements and public safety training, while also serving as a venue for performing arts and cultural events in the community. The Center is now an iconic centerpiece of southeastern Kentucky, thanks to innovative leaders like, Jim Lacy.

In addition to his service at The Center, Jim's expertise has been coveted by a number of Kentucky organizations, including Kentucky Farm Bureau Board of Directors, Kentucky River Resource Conservation and Development Council, Southern Kentucky Agriculture Development Association, among others.

When I consider the individuals who made the biggest impact in southern and eastern Kentucky over the last four decades, I count Jim Lacy among those who invested a great wealth of wisdom and worked tirelessly to make our region a better place to live. I'll close with this blessing on Jim's behalf from Numbers 6:24-26: ``May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of my closest long-time friends, Clay Parker Davis, upon his retirement from The Center for Rural Development's Board of Directors in Somerset, Kentucky.

When I embarked on a mission to establish The Center for Rural Development (The Center) in southeastern Kentucky, Clay was one of the first local leaders that we recruited to help advise the board on industrial development and financial issues in our rural region. Clay was the founding Board Chairman when The Center opened in 1996 and has remained a dedicated advisor for more than 25 years. The Center was designed to launch innovative programs in leadership, economic development, education, advanced telecommunications, technology improvements and public safety training, while also serving as a venue for performing arts and cultural events in the community. The Center is now an iconic centerpiece of southeastern Kentucky, thanks to the innovative leadership of Clay Davis.

In addition to his service at The Center, Clay's expertise has been coveted by a number of Kentucky organizations and he has worn several hats, including Citizens National Bank President/CEO for 35 years, First National Bank and Trust Executive Vice President in Georgetown, YMCA President in Somerset, Kentucky Bankers Association Past President, Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Somerset, and the Somerset-Pulaski County Industrial Foundation, among others.

When I consider the individuals who made the biggest impact in southern and eastern Kentucky over the last four decades, I count Clay Davis among those who invested a great wealth of wisdom and worked tirelessly to make our region a better place to live. I want to personally express my deepest gratitude for his loyal friendship, trusted advice, and courageous leadership over the years. Recently, Clay has been in a valiant battle for his health, and I'd like to close with this blessing on his behalf from Numbers 6:24-26: ``May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my Kentucky colleague in the Senate Chamber, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who recently became the longest-serving party leader in American history. On January 3, 2023, Senator McConnell surpassed the record held by

Democratic Sen. Mike Mansfield of Montana. Since 2006, Senator McConnell has won the respect and trust of his colleagues who have rightly given him their vote of confidence nine consecutive times to lead the Republican conference.

Senator McConnell started breaking records early in his career. When he was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984, it was the first time that a Republican had won a statewide race in sixteen years. In fact, his election gave Republicans a newfound confidence Kentucky politics, and he remains the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history. His historic service is marked by courageous legislation, a stronger national defense, and a transformation of the federal judiciary. During his service as Majority Leader, he led Senate confirmation of three justices and 30 percent of circuit court judges nationwide.

Senator McConnell and I share a mutual mentor from southern Kentucky, the late Senator John Sherman Cooper. Senator McConnell's success in public service reflects the many values that Senator Cooper shared with us, including unwavering perseverance, wisdom in negotiations, visionary leadership, and astutely serving as a ``consummate bridge builder,'' as Senator McConnell once described our mentor.

Together, we have partnered on countless projects for the benefit of our fellow Kentuckians, and I count it a great honor to call Senator McConnell a close friend and valiant ally in public service. I applaud Senator McConnell on achieving this significant milestone in American history and I wish him continued success on behalf of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the memory of Bill Patrick, a tenacious public servant from Eastern Kentucky, a beloved leader of the Kentucky County Attorneys Association, and a champion for drug control policies and addiction recovery efforts in the Commonwealth.

Bill wore many hats with great success, serving in various public offices from Powell County to the state capital. He was magnanimous by nature and unafraid to effect change at an early age. When he was 26 years old, he was elected Powell County Judge Executive, courageously edging out a long-time incumbent to become the state's youngest top county executor at the time. Before his second term ended, Governor Wallace Wilkinson appointed him Commissioner of Local Government. However, his fast-paced victories didn't come without challenges. Bill valiantly battled alcoholism and spent a lifetime helping others do the same, offering his personal support through the 12-step recovery program and visiting individuals when their struggles intensified. He passionately shared his own testimony, planting seeds of hope where it was needed the most. Bill proudly earned his 21-year Alcoholics Anonymous Medallion just weeks before his battle with cancer proved to be too great a feat.

Even though we stood on opposite sides of the political aisle, Bill was a loyal friend and a stalwart partner for programs that would improve the future of Eastern Kentucky. As former Director of Kentucky's Office of Drug Control Policy, he was one of Operation UNITE's greatest allies, working diligently to develop life-saving efforts to drive down drug overdose death rates across Kentucky. It was evident that his own recovery fueled his courage of conviction as he led this arena with tremendous gratitude and humility.

We lost this Kentucky gentleman far too soon, but Bill's family and friends should be proud of the legacy he leaves behind. My wife Cynthia and I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Patrick family and we pray for God's peace and comfort in the days ahead.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Richard C. Maurer for his long-time service as a board member of The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky.

Dr. Maurer is Professor Emeritus of Community and Leadership Development for the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, where he has been on faculty since 1977. He was also the Assistant Director of Cooperative Extension Service for Community and Economic Development Programs for 15 years. His expertise in business retention, expansion, and community development have been valuable to the vision and execution of projects led by The Center for Rural Development.

The overall goal of The Center for Rural Development is to provide opportunities to people in Kentucky's Appalachian Region so they can attain a college degree and acquire a good paying job without leaving the region and state that they call home. Dr. Maurer has helped us advance those opportunities, ensuring we remain on the forefront of rural broadband expansion, youth leadership opportunities, job creation, infrastructure development and much more. He has ensured that youth programs like Rogers Scholars, Rogers Explorers and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute continue to provide vital scholarships, introductions to community leaders, job opportunities, and a pathway to accomplish their dreams in our region.

I deeply appreciate his dedication and the investment of his time and talents to help revitalize southern and eastern Kentucky through his service on the Board of Directors at The Center for Rural Development.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Karen Kelly, one of the most dynamic female leaders in Kentucky politics, who has worked with me through various roles in southern and eastern Kentucky over the last 28 years. She has served as my District Director for Kentucky's Fifth Congressional District since 2013, and as she moves on to the private sector, I want to honor her today before my House colleagues who understand the immense value of having a fierce and loyal leader on the frontlines in the district while we are working diligently on Capitol Hill for our people at home.

Karen is the most recent of many incredible female leaders that I have been blessed to have on staff, starting with my very first Chief of Staff in Washington, Marty Driesler. Marty was a force of nature and was instrumental in many of my early successes in Congress--just as Karen Kelly has been in Kentucky for nearly three quarters of my tenure in Congress. Much of my staff in Washington and in Kentucky have become long-tenured experts in their respective fields, providing excellent aid to folks across Kentucky's Appalachian region, and trusted advisors during my public service in the U.S. House of Representatives--and chief among them being Karen Kelly.

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, ``If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.'' As we know well in Congress, the world of politics isn't for weak-minded, spineless individuals. To be effective, you must stand firm on the values you hold dear, even at the risk of losing popularity; however, Karen has managed to maintain both. In fact, she has become one of the most highly respected leaders in Kentucky because of her relentless commitment to her conservative values and her courage of conviction to do what's best for the people of our region, even when the going gets tough.

In 1994, Karen started out answering the phones and doing casework in my Pikeville office, quickly working her way up to become a Field Representative in my Hazard office. From day one she proved to be a highly motivated and promising visionary with an intense work ethic to accomplish any task that I set in her path. Soon after, I asked her to lead the Eastern Kentucky PRIDE organization, a non-profit environmental education and improvement task force to help clean up our hillsides, lakes, and streams across Kentucky's Fifth District. She quickly learned the complex ropes of grant funding and grew PRIDE's outreach operations in the schools. She also led the charge for more water and sewer project opportunities with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and exponentially grew volunteer cleanup participation.

In the early 2000s, I quickly realized that we had another crisis to clean up in Eastern Kentucky when a deadly scourge of prescription overdose deaths was ignited by a flood of overprescribed powerful painkillers in our rural region. When I considered the best person to give life to this multifaceted response, I tapped Karen to take on an unprecedented role and lead the nation's first rural holistic organization to combat the growing drug epidemic. Together, we named it Operation UNITE--Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education. She formulated my vision into a comprehensive task force that become a model for the rest of the country--and she didn't stop in Eastern Kentucky. Karen helped me coordinate with like-minded leaders in Washington on the issue to launch the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, putting Operation UNITE's efforts on the national stage. We welcomed approximately 750 attendees to the first Rx Summit in 2012 in Orlando, Florida, and today, it is the largest comprehensive convention of its kind, with four U.S. Presidents serving as keynote speakers, along with leaders from each ofNation's top agencies on illicit drug-related policies.

Nine years ago, I asked her to return to my Congressional office to help me reinvigorate and revitalize southern and eastern Kentucky just as the coal industry was targeted by a relentless regulatory war that led to the loss of more than 12,000 coal mining jobs. During that time, she helped me established the bipartisan SOAR initiative--Shaping Our Appalachian Region, with former Governor Steve Beshear. Her diligent work and coordination were invaluable to our early comprehensive efforts to formulate and lead the SOAR organization and gain the trust of our constituents as we worked hard to bring jobs and new industry opportunities to the region, including the state's largest rural broadband expansion project and much more.

I often remind folks that our best resource in Eastern Kentucky isn't coal, tobacco, or timber--it's our people--and Karen exemplifies that. Her sheer determination to improve our region through compassionate advocacy and excellence in project execution has made a resounding impact across our region. While she has rightfully earned recognition and many accolades for her public service, her quiet generosity behind the scenes is a testament to her heart for God. Over the years, she has personally taken some of our less fortunate youth under her wing, providing support and encouragement to help them take hold of their own destiny. Today, many of them are now following in her footsteps to become the next generation of bright young rising leaders.

I am personally grateful to have had such a wonderful leading lady by my side over the last 28 years and I wish Karen and her family the very best in years to come.