Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as we approach Memorial Day 2013, I hope that everyone spends some time this holiday to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our nation's freedoms. We also need to thank those who serve today in harm's way for their dedication to the ideals and principles that made this country great.

I would like to take this opportunity to tell the story of one such man who performed heroic feats on the battlefield, and thankfully, is still with us today so that we may honor him for his service. That man is named C.W. (Dick) Weaver, Jr., and he lives in the Sixth District of North Carolina.

Dick Weaver is a man who was destined to receive honors for his leadership ability in many aspects of his life. He graduated in 1951 from Rankin High School in Guilford County, North Carolina, where he was Valedictorian and President of the Senior Class. As an athlete at Rankin, he was All Conference for two years in baseball and football. He then attended Lees McRae Junior College until he became a United States Marine. Dick was shipped overseas to join the Korean Conflict.

On March 28, 1953, Sergeant Weaver was subject to devastating enemy artillery fire. The unit received word that one of the men had been wounded and was lying helpless and unprotected. Under heavy artillery fire, Sergeant Weaver rushed to the stricken man and carried him to cover. He was painfully injured in his heroic act of courage. Sergeant Weaver, by his outstanding leadership, indomitable

courage, and selfless efforts on behalf of another, served to inspire all who observed him and upheld the highest tradition of the United States Naval Services. For his action, he was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart by the President of the United States.

Sergeant Weaver spent 11 months in a military hospital for his wounds. Joseph J. McCaffrey, in a letter to Sergeant Weaver's mother wrote, ``that his action inspired his men to get the wounded men out of danger.'' McCaffrey added, ``that he literally walked into an artillery barrage and certain death.''

Dick Weaver returned to Lees McRae and was graduated in 1957. He was student body president, Phi Beta Kappa, Best All-Around Student, Most Valuable Player in baseball, and the recipient of a prestigious Morehead Scholarship to the University of North Carolina, from where he was graduated in 1959.

After serving in personnel positions at Cone Mills, General Dynamics, and Duke University, Dick founded and served as president of Dick Weaver Associates from 1975 to 1995, and his company was rated by the College and University Personnel Association as one of the top three in the nation.

Dick Weaver has been a friend of mine for decades. As youngsters, we competed against each other on the ball fields of Piedmont North Carolina. In all the years that I have known Dick, I never really knew of the heroism he displayed in Korea. Dick is a humble and self- effacing gentleman who doesn't seek out the glory. I wanted to take this moment, as we celebrate Memorial Day 2013, to honor Dick Weaver and the countless others just like him who serve our country with dignity and distinction.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday our House Speaker indicated that it was our high honor to host Her Excellency, the President of the Republic of Korea. She expressed profound gratitude to us for our friendship with Korea and shared with us improvements realized by her country since the guns fell silent in 1953.

Many refer to the Korean war as the ``Forgotten War,'' but, Mr. Speaker, there was no evidence on Capitol Hill yesterday to suggest that this war has been forgotten.

The Korean President referred to this Chamber as ``this hallowed ground of freedom and democracy.'' The past came alive yesterday as our Congress hosted this very distinguished leader from Korea.

Mr. Speaker, America has the strongest military in the world because it is composed of patriotic volunteers--the men and women who put their lives in harm's way to keep our country safe. I want to recognize and congratulate a young North Carolinian who was recently promoted to Major in the U.S. Army. I have known Bryan T. Taylor since he was a child, and I served with his father in the North Carolina General Assembly and the United States House of Representatives.

Bryan was appointed to the United States Military Academy by the late Sen. Jesse Helms. At West Point, he served as captain of his senior class and on the West Point honor guard during the difficult year of 9/ 11/2001. He graduated in 2003 near the top of his class and was physics mentor in his third year. From West Point, Bryan took additional training as a combat engineer and was stationed in Korea near the DMZ. From there, he entered combat in Iraq and spent 12 months in Ramadi, where constant battle was waged by both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines.

He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant during that combat and returned home. After his promotion to Captain, he served in Central America, and in 2008 he returned to Iraq. His Major promotion service was held at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sgt. Karen Vannov and Lt. Col. Jeff Moran conducted the promotion service. Present at the ceremony were Bryan's wife, Sgt. Miriana Perez Taylor, his parents Charles and Elizabeth Taylor, bringing prayers and greeting from his mother-in-law and father-in-law Lucia Macias and Leoncio A. Perez.

I have nominated many young men and women to our service academies during my tenure in Congress. And I have known many brave men and women who have served their country with honor. On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, I would like to thank Major Bryan T. Taylor and the other hundreds of thousands of our military for their service and sacrifice in keeping our country free. May God bless them one and all.

Mr. Speaker, there is a school in the Sixth District of North Carolina that just won its third state championship this school year. Vandalia Christian School of Greensboro won state titles in basketball, soccer and cheerleading. I would like to take this time to congratulate all their squads.

The story of the boys' basketball team from Vandalia Christian School is all but ordinary. On February 23, the Vikings capped off the 2013 season with a 13-point win over Raleigh Christian Academy resulting in their first NCCSA Class 2-A championship in 28 years. The road was not easily traveled; they lost in the championship game the year before and one of their players, Will Zimmerman, was diagnosed with leukemia and had to undergo chemotherapy treatments through the rest of 2012. Considering the circumstances of making it deep into the playoffs just to meet defeat, and the tragic diagnosis of a teammate, you would have expected to see a demoralized team the following year. The Vikings, however, did the opposite. They turned defeat into a learning experience--and the strength of Zimmerman into spirit--and they carried his jersey to every game to lay over an empty seat on the bench giving them the desire to make a run at the title.

Lead by Head Coach Tommy Adams and Assistant Luke Adams, their hands were full with an incredibly tense game. Raleigh Christian nearly overcame a 20-point deficit despite having one of its senior players go down with an injury and transported off the court by medical personnel. Vandalia would hold on for the win thanks to the supporting cast of players including Tyler Metcalf, Houston Miller, Michael Fields, Andrew Owen, Chase McNeil, Aaron Whittman, Christian Gravely, Tyler Christian Daniels, Zachary Dark, Brandon McDowell, James Wagner, Ethan Willis, Will Zimmerman, and Nathaniel Hobbs. And behind the scenes, managers Kloe Atkinson, Kani Totten, Storm Somers, and Gabriel Fields aided the cause. Coach Adams said the circumstances surrounding Zimmerman gave the team added motivation to get back to the championship game. With his cancer in remission, we are proud to announce that Will sat courtside to motivate and cheer his team to victory.

Vandalia's varsity boys' soccer team also experienced success when it won the NCCSA 2-A state championship. It was the Viking soccer team's first title since 1994. They were coached by true Viking blood, VCS alumnus, Coach Jason McCall. With goalie Jeffrey Welker accounting for six saves, the Vikings took on Wilmington Christian on October 27, 2012, with a stifling defensive approach, shutting out Wilmington 2-0.

VCS scored both goals in the first half with a header by Houston Miller and then a put back by Joshua McClelland. Both goals were only separated by 10 minutes, giving Wilmington Christian an early uphill battle from which they could not overcome.

Assistant Coach Junior Hannig accompanied Coach McCall in their quest for the elusive state title with the assistance of first team all-state Joshua McClelland, second team all-state Michael Matthews and Houston Miller, along with Tyler Metcalf, Jasper White, Zachary Dark, Jake Stone, Cates Banner, Jeffrey Welker, Matthew Hobbs, Arthur Ascensio, Will Zimmerman, Andrew Strickland, Colton Toft, and Bradley Casey.

Every team will tell you that they need people cheering for them in their quest for glory. In the case of Vandalia Christian School, the teams with Vikings on their chests were supported by a cheerleading squad that also was crowned state champion this school year.

Lead by head Coach Kim Hazelwood, the VCS cheerleaders included Ally Crook, Morgan Kennedy, Alyce Lentz, Morgan McDowell, Victoria Johnson, Ali Willard, Leanne Powell, Grace Wilson, Lauren Michaels, and Ashley Pollard.

All in all, it has been quite a year for the students, faculty, staff, and families of Vandalia Christian School. On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we congratulate Principal Jeremy Cordova, Athletic Director Luke Oates, and the basketball, soccer, and cheerleading squads of VCS for their state championships.

Mr. Speaker, if somehow America could combine in one human being all the qualities we admire in our fighting men--bravery, strength, skill, determination, loyalty, patriotism, and compassion for his fellow soldier--since the middle of the 20th century--its name would have been Kenneth Walton Simpson of North Carolina.

The list of men and women to whom America owes a debt of gratitude is long indeed, and prominent on that list is Kenneth Simpson.

This is a small expression of that gratitude to this honest-to- goodness American fighting man who, now an octogenarian, spent 23 years serving this country as a soldier, who performed his duties gallantly and with remarkable heroism, then retired without the array of military decorations that perhaps should have adorned the last uniform he wore.

The essence of this fighting man has been captured in a new book, Warrior: From Grenades to Greeting Cards, the True Story of an American Fighting Man, by North Carolina author Wilt Browning. Wilt is my constituent and friend and a noted journalist and author.

Simpson's story is the stuff of heroism, American style. It is as though he was from childhood destined to be a fighting man, and in his post-military career his fighting spirit remarkably wound up shaping an American industry in the second half of the century.

Ken once was perhaps the youngest American fighting man since the Civil War. At the age of just 14, he talked his way into the fight when World War II was raging. When the Navy found out that this seaman assigned to the destroyer escort USS Edwin A. Howard was far younger than he had claimed, they put him ashore in the Philippines. He spent two months hitch-hiking his way back to North Carolina in something of a Huckleberry Finn odyssey. He still calls that journey the greatest adventure of his life. ``What young boy wouldn't love an adventure like that?'' he still asks today, puzzled that most of us would find such a challenge daunting indeed.

Ken wasn't about to let a little thing like age keep him from serving his country, and when he turned 18 he legally signed on once again, this time in the Army. His fighting days had only just begun. He rose through the ranks as an enlisted man and then an officer, a man's man in charge of men. It was during the Korean Conflict that the rare commitment and courage of this man was most remarkable. Again and again, he led his men into battle and never lost a one though he on several occasions personally braved enemy fire to return to the battlefield to rescue wounded fallen comrades. Once wounded himself, he was ordered by doctors to recuperate far from the sounds of battle. He refused to leave his men, and returned to the front lines once again and to more battles.

To this day, Ken carries in his aging body the shrapnel from twice having been blown up by grenades, and he bears the scars that testify to the fact that he has faced and survived many battles.

He served our country for all those years as a military man, and then he served his fellow Americans as something of a rogue in the greeting card industry. And he did that so well that his efforts saved two major national companies from disappearing prematurely at the hands of corporate raiders and kept hundreds of Americans at work for years in the greeting card industry.

Simpson lives a quiet life now in a home atop Walker Bald, a tall mountain in western North Carolina, which he shares with his wife Laura. Though his steps have slowed and his hearing is no longer as keen as it once was--despite the concussions of nearby exploding grenades of the past--he remains the epitome of an American fighting man.

And America owes Kenneth Walton Simpson and fighting men such as him our sincere appreciation. On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, I am proud to bring his story to light through this statement in the Congressional Record and to highlight Wilt Browning's outstanding book about an outstanding North Carolina and American hero.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the House will consider the Path to Prosperity budget, reaffirming, once again, that the House Republicans are the only ones in Washington offering serious solutions to government's spending-driven debt crisis.

Americans at home must prepare a balanced budget for themselves and their families. Our plan would bring the same common sense to Washington once the budget is balanced over the next decade.

Our budget is not balanced by raising taxes on hardworking Americans, but by responsibly reducing spending on government waste and reforming mandatory spending to ensure that programs on which Americans rely remain strong for decades to come.

Our budget saves taxpayers $4.6 trillion over the next decade. The Senate Democrat budget, however, calls for $1.5 trillion in new taxes and $7.3 trillion in new debt.

America, Mr. Speaker, deserves better. That's why the House Republicans have proposed the Path to Prosperity to get our economy back on track and create more jobs and opportunities for more Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on February 28, 2013, due to illness. If I was present that day, I would have voted ``yes'' for Rollcall vote 54 and ``no'' for Rollcall vote 55.

I was unable to vote on March 6, 2013, due to illness. If I was present that day, I would have voted ``yes'' for Rollcall vote 62.

Mr. Speaker, January is the traditional month in which New Year's resolutions are developed. I'm suggesting that President Obama and Mrs. Obama adopt a resolution in the event they failed to do so in January. President Obama and Mrs. Obama, it appears to me, Mr. Speaker, regard Air Force One very casually; and I believe that on some occasions two planes, at least two planes, have been dispatched to the same destination.

Air Force One, Mr. Speaker, belongs to the President and Mrs. Obama, but Air Force One also belongs to the American taxpayer, and I would welcome a New Year's resolution that would provide a generous lease of all future Air Force One dispatches with prudence, discipline and, last but certainly not least, fiscal austerity. America's taxpayers will be appreciative.

Incidentally, Mr. Speaker, Air Force One, designated by the Air Force as VC-25, incurred an operational cost per hour of $179,750. And on some occasions, additional aircraft accompanied Air Force One, naturally adding to the cost.

I'm going to now, Mr. Speaker, insert my oars into waters that involve the former Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton, during a recent Senate hearing. A Senator who was examining Secretary Clinton suggested or implied that the administration may have misstated the nature of the Benghazi attack, to which Mrs. Clinton responded: ``What difference at this point does it make?''

I submit, Mr. Speaker, that the survivors of the four Americans who were murdered in that attack would welcome any and all information surrounding that infamous invasion. The survivors are grieving, and any information that could illuminate in any way this tragedy that occurred in Benghazi would welcome any and all information, it seems to me.

Yes, Secretary Clinton, at this point it may well make a difference.

Mr. Speaker, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or ``AIA,'' which was signed into law on September 16, 2011, is the most substantial reform of U.S. patent law since the 1836 Patent Act. The AIA re-establishes the United States patent system as the global standard. The bill that we discuss today, H.R. 6621, makes necessary technical corrections to the AIA to ensure that the bill realizes its full potential to promote innovation and create jobs.

The AIA represented the culmination of nearly a decade of work by Members, key staff, and officials from both the Bush and Obama Administrations. The bill helps to bring our patent system into the 21st century and sets our nation's innovation infrastructure on the right path for decades to come.

At the center of our successful efforts to enact the AIA and this technical corrections measure over the last decade has been Blaine Merritt, the Chief Counsel of the Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.

Blaine has been a constant and tireless public servant, who has served the American people with quiet distinction and professionalism for nearly three decades. On the occasion of his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives, I want to note a few of his many contributions to our work and to the betterment of the American people.

A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Blaine's congressional career began in 1985 in our office where he began his public service as a Legislative Assistant. In 1988, he was promoted to Legislative Director, a position he served in until he was called to serve on the professional staff of the Committee on the Judiciary in 1997.

Once on the Committee, Blaine was appointed Chief Counsel to the subcommittee with oversight over our intellectual property laws and courts related issues in 2000. In that capacity, Blaine served three successive Republican Chairmen--Representatives Henry Hyde, Jim Sensenbrenner and Lamar Smith.

During his service on the Judiciary Committee, Blaine established himself and became recognized as one of our nation's foremost authorities on the law of patents, copyrights and trademarks as well as an expert on all matters that relate to the Federal judiciary and congressional procedure.

Blaine's contributions to landmark legislation are innumerable. Counted among the bills he helped to steer to enactment are the American Inventor's Protection Act (AIPA), the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the aforementioned Leahy-Smith AIA of 2011.

Mr. Speaker, I've been blessed to represent the good citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, from where Blaine hails, since 1985. Throughout my tenure, I and countless other Members of the ``People's House'' have benefitted from his sound counsel, seasoned judgment and quiet leadership.

As Blaine embarks upon the next phase of his career, I hope he takes a little time to relax and watch his beloved ``Blue Devils'' basketball team that is undefeated and ranked number one in the Nation. I thank my friend for his invaluable service and wish him ``Fair Winds and Following Seas'' always.

Mr. Speaker, there is an old saying that goes, the ``third time is a charm.'' In the case of the football team at Northern Guilford High School, the new expression should be, the ``third time is perfection.'' That is because this football team, located in the Sixth District of North Carolina, just won its third straight state high school football championship. This time, however, the title capped a perfect 15-0 season.

On December 1, 2012, the Nighthawks of Northern Guilford High School defeated Charlotte Catholic 64-26 to capture its third consecutive NCHSAA Class 3-AA championship. Senior T.J. Logan led the way by rushing for an unbelievable 510 yards and scoring eight touchdowns. This was the third straight title for longtime Head Coach Johnny Roscoe. In 2010, Northern Guilford went 14-2 to win the first championship. In 2011, the Nighthawks completed a 14-1 season to secure its second straight title. This year, no one stopped the Nighthawks on the way to a 15-0 season that culminated in their third crown in three years.

What is left for Northern Guilford to accomplish following this three-year run? I'm sure Coach Roscoe, always the perfectionist, could point to many areas for improvement during the season and the title contest. But it is hard to argue against perfection. I think Ed Hardin, the outstanding sports columnist for the (Greensboro) News & Record stated it best: ``We might never see anything like this again in these parts,'' Hardin wrote, ``and in the coming years we'll look back and debate about this team. Was it the best we ever saw? Was the remarkably talented (T.J.) Logan the best player we ever produced in Guilford County? You could make that argument. The game played out like the season. Fast start, confounding moments and then brilliance.''

That brilliance was a team effort all the way and led by Coach Roscoe, who has been around football for four decades. Coach Roscoe was ably assisted by Brian Thomas, Ben Hepler, Richard Burton, Todd Sharp, Lee Meekins, Chris Vaughan, Chris Harris, and Justin Davis. All of these coaches will tell you that the Nighthawks' perfect season was also due to the fine efforts provided by Team Trainer Justin Ollis, Assistant Trainer Valerie Smith, Team Physician Kirstin Shepperson and Team Managers Jenne Livingston, Sydney Monroe, Taylor Phillips, Ashlyn Thomas, and Mercedes Wiglesworth, along with Ball Boy Britt Thomas.

Every one of the 2012 champion Nighthawks can take pride in the completion of this perfect season. They include: Tre Purcell, C.J. Freeman, Brett Welch, Cameron Harris, Mook Reynolds, Robert Willcox, T.J. Logan, AJ Love, Nick Jones, Austin Coltrane, Justin Wallace, Daniel Kelly, Matt Page, Burney Sindab, Tucker Hord, Molick Scott, Chris Ripberger, Malik Parker, Matthew McGarry, Max Maynard, Rory Bergen, Bernard Sindab, T.J. Ruff, Josh Parker, Johnny Loflin, Jacob King, Ryan Johnston, Nick Fryer, Mason Monroe, TyShawn Reese, Austin Simmons, Josh Covington, Max Klietsch, Dylan Hakala, Trey French, Eric Hong, Josh Steele, Kamen Smith, Chris Forlano, Trevor McKee, Steven Branz, Jalen Hollins, Malik Hampton-Prioleau, Andrew Keen, John Wagoner, Tristen Simmons, Alex Hasler, Carlos Williams, Terrell Headen, Bret Unkel, and Duncan Taylordean.

A winning season also requires support from school administrators and leaders and Northern Guilford has a winning team there, too. Congratulations are appropriate for Principal Will Laine, Assistant Principals Doug Foutty and Travis Ward, and Athletic Director Brian Thomas. All can take pride in three straight state championships.

Last, but far from least, we have to mention Nighthawk Nation. I am sure that everyone associated with the football team will tell you that Northern Guilford's formidable fan base spurred them on to victory. No doubt that the students, parents, faculty, staff, and supporters of Northern Guilford football are beaming with pride following a third state championship.

The seniors on this team will move on to their next adventures. For the returning Nighthawks, I am sure they have already begun their dreams of four in a row. If that happens, I plan to be back here again next year offering my own congratulations. For now, on behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we congratulate and thank the football team at Northern Guilford High School for showing us how perfection can be achieved. The third time is a charm indeed.

Mr. Speaker, on December 5, 2012, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand celebrated his 85th birthday. I would like to take this opportunity to express my well wishes to him and join the people of Thailand in commemorating this important occasion.

King Bhumibol acceded to the throne in Thailand on June 9, 1946. During his reign, Thailand has transformed into a prosperous, modern state, with a strong and growing economy. Thailand today boasts a robust agricultural sector, modernized manufacturing and services industries, and is increasingly becoming an influential participant in the global marketplace. King Bhumibol has played an instrumental leadership role in moving Thailand in this modernizing direction.

King Bhumibol has used his position to advocate for causes such as sustainable, human-centered development. Since the early 1950s, he has helped Thailand modernize by working hard to address critical development issues facing people, particularly those living in remote, rural areas. He travelled to virtually all corners of the country to meet and learn about people's problems and work with them on solutions. In addition to key projects in areas, such as public health, education, environmental preservation, and reforestation, King Bhumibol has specifically been focused on improving agricultural development, applying scientific knowledge to initiate development projects that have helped improve Thailand's agricultural output, and increase the food security and welfare of the Thai people, thereby contributing to the strength of the country's agricultural exports.

His hard work on behalf of the Thai people has not only earned him their love and respect, but the respect of leaders throughout the region and the world.

The end of this year brings much to celebrate. As we celebrate the King's birthday, we look forward to next year's marking the 180th anniversary of the U.S.-Thailand Treaty Alliance. Thailand was the United States first friend in the region and has remained a loyal ally for almost 200 years. President Obama recognized the importance of this partnership in his visit to Thailand in November. After his audience with King Bhumibol, he stated that the King is ``a leader of wisdom and dignity who embodies the identity and unity of this nation.''

On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we are pleased to congratulate our great friend His Majesty King Bhumibol of Thailand, and on behalf of the people of the United States of America wish him the happiest of 85th birthdays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6116) to amend the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to provide for direct appeals to the United States Supreme Court of decisions of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 6116, as amended, currently under consideration.

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

H.R. 6116 authorizes direct review by the United States Supreme Court of decisions rendered by the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands. I thank Representative Christensen for her work on this bill.

Created in 2007, the Supreme Court of the U.S. Virgin Islands is the equivalent of a U.S. State supreme court. It is authorized to review all final orders, judgments, and specified interlocutory orders of the Virgin Islands Superior Court.

Appeals from the Virgin Islands Supreme Court are made by petitions of certiorari to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Federal statute specifies that discretionary review by the third circuit exists for the first 15 years following inception of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court or until it ``has developed sufficient institutional traditions to justify direct review by the Supreme Court of the United States from all [of its] final decisions,'' whichever is sooner.

The third circuit's judicial council, Mr. Speaker, evaluates the progress of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court in 5-year intervals. Following extensive review, the council published its initial 5th-year report last April. The council recommends that the U.S. Supreme Court exercise direct review of all final decisions made by the Virgin Islands Supreme Court.

H.R. 6116 adopts the third circuit recommendation. The bill simply authorizes the U.S. Supreme Court to review, at its discretion, all final judgments rendered by the Virgin Islands Supreme Court.

The suspension version under consideration makes two technical changes to the bill as introduced. First, it clarifies that the U.S. Supreme Court may review final judgments of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court pursuant to cert petitions. In other words, the U.S. Supreme Court may exercise its own discretion to accept or reject cases.

Secondly, the suspension version expands the U.S. Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction through an additional reference to chapter 81 of title 28 of the U.S. Code. Chapter 81 sets forth the jurisdiction and venue of the U.S. Supreme Court. Judges, lawyers, and litigants look to it when they have questions about the Court's appellate jurisdiction. The creation of an additional reference to chapter 81 makes it easier to find the new law.

I again express my thanks to Mrs. Christensen for her work on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6116.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to express my thanks to Dr. Christensen and to my friend from American Samoa for their assistance, and Mr. Scott as well.

I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5934) to amend title 18, United States Code, to include certain territories and possessions of the United States in the definition of State for the purposes of chapter 114, relating to trafficking in contraband cigarettes and smokeless tobacco.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5934 currently under consideration.

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

H.R. 5934, the Stop Tobacco Smuggling in the Territories Act of 2012, was introduced by Mr. Faleomavaega, my good friend from American Samoa--and I apologize if I did damage to that. I thank him for his work on this issue.

Cigarette trafficking is one of the most lucrative smuggling operations in the United States and around the world. It is estimated that illicit cigarettes account for over 10 percent of the more than 5.7 trillion cigarettes sold globally each year.

Here in the United States, approximately 4 billion cigarettes sold each year are illicit. Cigarette smuggling is typically carried out by sophisticated,

large-scale criminal organizations that take advantage of the significant disparity between the taxes levied on cigarettes across the States. For example, Mr. Speaker, a pack of cigarettes that costs $13 in a high-tax State like New York will cost only about $5 in a low-tax State such as Virginia.

These differences create a highly lucrative market for individuals to evade the local sales tax and purchase cigarettes in one locality and transport them to another for resale below the market value. Criminal organizations are able to make a profit of as much as $1 million on just a single truckload of illicit cigarettes.

State cigarette taxes in the United States have been on the rise since 1992 and have increased more than 65 percent over this period; however, the States' gross tax revenues have increased by only 35 percent due in significant part to the illicit tobacco trade.

Exploiting the price disparity for a single pack of cigarettes between individual States has proved profitable for criminal networks. According to the Justice Department, this illicit activity costs the States and the Federal Government approximately $5 billion each year. This is money that could--and should--be put to better use.

Congress took steps to curb the sale of contraband cigarettes with the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act of 2009. The PACT Act prohibits the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products over the Internet, and it made changes to the criminal anti-cigarette smuggling statutes.

H.R. 5934, Mr. Speaker, provides a technical correction to ensure that the criminal prohibitions against cigarette smuggling apply to the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands in the same way that they do for the rest of the country. This is a modest but important change that will help to promote safety and tax revenues in these territories.

I again thank my friend from American Samoa for his work on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me and Mr. Scott in support of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no additional speakers. I reserve the balance of my time.

(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

In closing, I want to thank Mr. Scott as well, and my good friend from American Samoa. Eni, I apologize for my having fractured the pronunciation of your name earlier. But folks, this is a good bill that addresses a formidable threat, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the bill and support it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, I take this occasion to honor Jack W. Stanley--a great personal friend for many years--as he retires from 45 years of service in the cable television industry. Jack has been a true pioneer in the industry, helping to lead its growth from a service designed merely to extend over-the-air broadcast signals into hard to reach areas to what it is today--an industry that makes available to homes across the nation hundreds of linear video channels, on-demand programming, high-speed broadband services, digital telephone services, home networking and home security services. It is an industry that is driven by innovation and private investment. And Jack has seen it all and helped make it happen.

In any conversation with Jack, it doesn't take long to find out about his roots--rural Georgia. He is proud to be a country boy. His professional life to this day remains grounded in the clay of Dodge County, Georgia, where he grew up in modest circumstances on his family's farm and learned the lessons of hard work and respect for others that he has carried with him throughout his carrier. Jack graduated from South Georgia Technical College where he studied Electronics Technology and completed an Executive Management Development Program at Denver University.

Most recently, Jack has served as the Regional Vice President for Government Relations for Time Warner Cable with responsibility for North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Alabama. In this role, he has represented his company before various governmental bodies and coordinated its advocacy on important issues affecting the cable industry. Jack enjoyed many successes in this challenging role, including developing positive relationships with federal, state and local governmental leaders and helping to ensure consistent and fair regulatory treatment for cable operators.

For the bulk of his working career, Jack served in a variety of operational roles in the cable television industry, including successfully leading cable systems in Georgia, Texas and North Carolina. He served as Division President of Time Warner Cable's Greensboro Division, where he managed a staff of some 700 employees. Under his leadership the Division was top-ranked in customer satisfaction and consistently exceeded the established business metrics.

He is known among his peers as an innovative leader who is committed to exceptional customer service and who has the ability to forge positive relationships with consumers, employees and public officials. In 1988, Jack developed the first set of service standards for Time Warner Cable, which quickly became the basis for national industry standards and are still in use today. This commitment to customer service was recognized with a Chairman's Award and the National Public Affairs Award of the Maryland and Delaware Cable Association. As anyone who has worked with him will tell you, Jack always has the customers' interests foremost in his mind in any decision impacting the business.

Jack carried this customer commitment over to his service to the industry. He served four separate terms as President of the North Carolina Cable Telecommunications Association where, in addition to being a terrific leader and gracious colleague, he was instrumental in establishing a college scholarship program to help provide higher education opportunities for children of members of the cable industry. Providing opportunities for others has always been a driving focus of Jack's career.

Jack has also been an active leader in the community. He was appointed by former Governor Jim Hunt to represent the cable industry on a task force where he was instrumental in establishing a partnership between the Association of Public Telecommunications and the cable industry in OPEN/Net, a virtual ``town hall'' that provided citizens direct access to state and local leaders via cable technology. He eventually served on the APT Board for two terms. He also served on numerous other boards, including the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, and the Greensboro Partnership.

Jack enjoys golf--and he's really good at it. You want to be on Jack's team in business and golf--especially golf! He has a passion for history, and realizes his most important accomplishment is his family, which includes twelve grandchildren.

The depth of his experience and knowledge about the cable industry is matched by the depth of his character and judgment. When you shake hands in an agreement with Jack Stanley, you do not have to wonder whether you have a deal.

A modest man, who came from modest means, he doesn't seek attention-- but he deserves it. Jack is a true Southern gentleman in the best sense of that term.

I join with all of the residents of the Sixth District of North Carolina in honoring Jack for his fine career and to wish him all the best as he enters, what I am sure will be, a very active and productive retirement.

Mr. Speaker, we are excited to report that a city in the Sixth District of North Carolina has been nationally cited for its efforts to promote literacy. This is a prime example of where hard work pays off for Southern Pines, North Carolina. The plan to improve reading through the resources of a coalition of business, government and civic leaders has resulted in Southern Pines being named as an All- America City.

Due to Southern Pines' development of a sensible and sustainable plan to increase grade-level reading proficiency by the end of the third grade, the National Civic League presented Southern Pines with the prestigious All-America City award on July 2, 2012, during the Grade- Level Reading Communities Network Conference and All-America City Award celebration. Southern Pines Library Director Lynn Thompson and her husband Bob Howell, Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Caroline Eddy, as well as PineStraw Magazine's Cos Barnes, accepted the award while representing Southern Pines during the conference in Denver.

With the efforts of leaders in the community such as The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines Public Library, and Boys and Girls Club expanding their summer reading programs, they have renewed the enthusiasm for elementary literacy. ``I think the award recognizes what a great community this is to live in,'' Mayor David McNeill told The Pilot. ``I congratulate everyone who has worked so hard on this project, but the kids are the real winners. The efforts that they will put forth to improve their reading skills will benefit them for a lifetime.''

Deserving thanks and credit for their hard work and effort towards elementary literacy include Southern Pines Public Library, Boys and Girls Clubs of Sandhills, Moore County Chamber of Commerce, Moore County Literacy Council, Moore County NAACP, Partners for Children and Families, Sandhills Children's Center, and United Way of Moore County. Also deserving recognition for this prestigious award is Southern Pines Town Manager Reagan Parsons.

On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we congratulate Southern Pines for being named as an All-America City. The city called its campaign, ``Southern Pines Grows Great Leaders,'' and we are thrilled that the National Civic League agrees with us that Southern Pines is a great place to learn and live.