Floor Statements

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time to thank my colleagues for coming to the House floor to this hallowed Chamber of the people's House and paying tribute to a distinguished Member of this House, a distinguished United States Senator, and someone who epitomizes the best of American character.

We were all inspired by the stories shared tonight, particularly I think by the touching tribute of a colleague in the Hanoi Hilton, Sam Johnson of Texas. I will remember that time for the rest of my days.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, let me just say that as John McCain communicated with Sam Johnson in the Hanoi Hilton, I say we salute this fine sailor and say God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the life of a teacher who continues to have an indelible impact on Arkansas, Margie Towery, who is this year's Greenbrier School District Teacher of the Year.

Margie has dedicated her life to serving and educating Arkansas' youth.

This is her 26th year of teaching, including seven at the nearby University of Central Arkansas.

Margie is a big advocate for STEM education, particularly for young girls, and even takes her students to local universities to participate in their STEM activities.

She started and led the Rhetoric Society at the high school until she became a full-time sponsor of the student council.

Teachers like Margie prove that education is one of the best investments that America can make.

I am proud to represent her and all the teachers of central Arkansas who are making a difference for our youth.

Arnold Hameister Retirement

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of a man who has had a major impact on conservation and preservation throughout Arkansas, Mr. Arnold Hameister.

Arnold recently retired after 37 years of service to the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

He started his career with the Forestry Commission in 1981 as a tower operator in Heber Springs, and 6 months later became a full-time ranger.

Arnold then moved his family to Conway, where he served as the county ranger until he was hired by Best Management Practices as a specialist.

He ended his decades-long career as the program coordinator for water quality.

Arnold and his family were recently honored at a celebration at the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Little Rock.

Arnold's service to the State of Arkansas and to environmental conservation will never be forgotten, and I join all Arkansans in congratulating him on a remarkable career and a well-deserved retirement.

Recognizing Tamika Edwards

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend, Tamika Edwards, who has just been named executive director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College.

Tamika has served her State and her country tirelessly throughout her whole career from her work as a former aide to U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln, to her role as the Director of Governmental Affairs for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

A native of our hometown, Little Rock, Ms. Edwards is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a two-time alumna of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, most recently in 2012 with her law degree.

Ms. Edwards' passion for ensuring all voices are heard will serve her well as she oversees the Social Justice Institute's crucial work of educating students and the community in advocating for equal opportunity, treatment, and respect.

So, again, I would like to congratulate Ms. Edwards on her new position of leadership, and I look forward to working with her.

Recognizing Neomi Rao

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Neomi Rao, the current Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, for her important work in reducing the power of the Federal administrative state.

Beginning in 2013, I outlined how our economic recovery was subpar in comparison to post-World War II recoveries, in part due to the wet blanket of the avalanche of Federal costs imposed by the previous administration.

In Arkansas, we have seen Federal regulatory agencies have devastating economic effects on our farmers, our small business people, nonprofits, schools, colleges, and State agencies.

Then comes Neomi Rao, and in her first year as administrator of OIRA, she led the way with the delay or withdrawal of 1,579 planned regulatory actions, leading to almost $8 billion in lifetime savings for the economy and the American people.

These successes have not stopped in 2018, where she has been working with every agency to set a negative regulatory cost allocation to provide our local businesses, farmers, and schools the relief that they need.

I commend Administrator Rao for her work at OMB in cutting red tape in Washington and giving control back to our States, our local communities, and our hardworking taxpayers.

Mr. Speaker, this Labor Day week, I recognize the achievements of a young woman from Arkansas, Ms. Sierra Holley. Ms. Holley is a student at the Conway Area Career Center and recently completed the SkillsUSA Championships, where she received a Skill Point Certificate in welding sculpture.

Sierra won the gold in our State's SkillsUSA Leadership Conference and received a travel scholarship from the MikeRoweWORKS Foundation to attend the national competition.

SkillsUSA's programs are integrated into career and technical education through a framework of personal, workplace, and technical skills grounded in academics.

More than 6,300 students from every State in the Union completed this year's championships, and Arkansas is so proud of Sierra's accomplishments.

SkillsUSA Championship events are a great way for middle, high school, and college students to immerse in the field of a skilled workforce.

Conway Area Career Center is located at Conway High School. I congratulate Sierra for her great achievement and that of her teachers at the Conway Area Career Center.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the University of Arkansas-Little Rock's new bike-sharing program and to emphasize its leading example of advocacy for active lifestyles.

I appreciate the efforts of Jim Carr, Chair for the University's Committee on Sustainability, who lead the initiative to bring the bike share program to the Little Rock campus.

This program has provided students, faculty, staff, and visitors a convenient and healthy way to get around campus.

Nearly 200 bright-orange bikes have been delivered to UA-Little Rock and have been placed near high-traffic areas, such as dormitories and Ottenheimer Library.

As a long-time biker, I am pleased to see the campus work to provide an alternative and convenient transportation option to relieve congestion and promote a healthier campus.

As a former board member of Bicycles Advocacy of Central Arkansas, I am glad to see UA-Little Rock's bike-sharing program as one more step on the path to a more vibrant, healthy, and bike-friendly community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of Crystal Certain, an art teacher at Conway High School, who is committed to making a difference in central Arkansas.

Crystal partnered with the Community Action Program of Central Arkansas to provide food to hungry children in our community.

She started by funding the project out of her own pocket and the practice grew into a classroom food-pantry project. Her students named it the ``Certain Little Free Class Pantry''.

Nearly 400 children at her school get nourishing food from her pantry project.

The Community Action Program of Central Arkansas is providing meals during the summer months and is operating the project from inside the agency's pantry.

In addition to providing meals, Crystal also provides students with healthy recipes that they can prepare for themselves.

I am proud to represent her and all of the teachers of central Arkansas who are making a difference in the lives of our young people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great Arkansan and one of the pillars of collegiate athletics in Arkansas--Coach Greg Harnden.

Coach Harnden is retiring after 21 years as the Athletic Director of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.

He helped facilitate Harding's move from the NAIA to the NCAA as well as Harding's move from the Gulf South Conference to its current home in the Great American Conference.

Throughout his 21-year career, Coach Harnden has brought numerous championships to Central Arkansas and attracted top talent to our state, making Harding University one of the top programs in all of NCAA Division II (two).

His impact has transcended the playing field as he has touched the lives of thousands of student-athletes from around the world.

I congratulate Coach Harnden on an incredible career and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the 19 Central Arkansas Veterans Affairs Healthcare System nurses who have been named to the Great 100 Nurses Celebration of Arkansas 2018 honoree list.

The selected nurses are chosen based on their concern for humanity, their contributions to the profession of Nursing, and their mentoring of others.

Each of the Great 100 nurses will receive a certificate and custom pin in honor of their accomplishment.

This is a record number of honorees from the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and I greatly applaud their work and their caring nature towards our veterans.

I am proud to represent these and all of our central Arkansas nurses who are making a difference in the lives of our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the name of each selected nurse.

The 19 CAVHS nurses are: Jackie Archer, RN; Jill Avery, APRN; Shelly Berry, RN; Matthew Bishop, RN; Lana Brown, RN; Pamela Cochran, RN; Kimberly Crutchfield, RN; Brandi Gause, RN; David Hathcock, II, RN; Shauna Haynes, RN; Pamela Horton, APN; Connie Jordan, RN; Meredith Morton, RN; Dara Penn, RN; Danielle Shelby, RN; Courtney Steele, RN; Amada White, RN; Sarah Wilson, RN; Salena Wright-Brown, Ph.D., MNSc,

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Vietnam War Veteran Joseph R. Gilliam.

Mr. Gilliam served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1969, and saw action in the Tay-Ming Province of Vietnam.

There he served as an Armored Track Commander and as the Second Section Sergeant with the 25th Infantry Division.

Mr. Gilliam earned a number of distinctions while serving, including a Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and a Purple Heart for injuries sustained when his Armored Personnel Carrier struck an Improvised Explosive Device.

We as a Nation owe Mr. Gilliam a great debt of gratitude for his service and sacrifice. It is brave men and women like him that enable us to rest easily at night.

I'm honored to present Joseph R. Gilliam replacement medals for his service in Vietnam and for his sacrifice to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Korean War Veteran Guy E. Carr.

Mr. Carr served in the U.S. Air Force from December 27, 1950 until November 3, 1953.

Mr. Carr was trained as a Senior Turret Systems Mechanic and Gunner, but upon arriving in Kunson, Korea he was retrained to be a flight systems engineer as they did not have a need for gunners.

He nonchalantly likes to state ``we only crashed once''while in Korea.

Mr. Carr flew 54 combat mission while serving in Korea, and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Air Medals, the United Nations Korean Service Medal, and the Korean Service Medal.

Mr. Carr truly exemplifies the Warrior Spirit that has seen our Nation through trying times.

I'm honored to present Guy E. Carr replacement medals for his service in Korea and for his sacrifice to our nation.

Mr. Speaker, America is better off. America is better off because U.S. crude exports have more than doubled since January 2017, and production is up 12 percent so far this year alone.

Since Congress lifted the 40-year ban on oil exports in 2015, U.S. producers now export between 1.5 and 2 million barrels of crude every day. Lifting the ban has filled pipelines and sparked a surge of investment in new technology and shipping infrastructure around the United States.

Today, U.S. crude imports have dropped 7.5 million barrels per day, as we rely on that increased domestic production and our friends in Canada.

Lifting the ban has allowed us to be in competition with the two highest producing crude oil countries in the world, Saudi Arabia and Russia. According to the International Energy Agency, this year, the United States is expected to surpass Saudi Arabia and rival Russia as the world's leading producer of crude oil.

This comes as Germany is working with Russia on a pipeline that will deliver more than 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany. During the recent NATO summit in Brussels, President Trump was right to strategically question Germany's further reliance on Russia's natural gas.

Our liquefied natural gas and oil delivered to the Adriatic, North Sea, and Baltic seaports offer our allies in Europe strategic diversification both from OPEC and from Russian dominance for our friends in Western and Central Europe, their consumers, and their industries.

Mr. Speaker, America is better off. I commend President Trump for raising this important issue on his recent trip to Europe, and I am proud of our work in Congress to enhance America's global energy leadership.

Recognizing Dr. Dan Tullos

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a good friend and a key figure in education and communication sciences in Arkansas, Dr. Dan Tullos.

Dr. Tullos recently retired from Harding University, where he served since 1979 as a professor, program director, and chair of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. Under his guidance, the communication sciences and disorders program has grown from a major offered under the oversight of the Department of Communication to a separate department with two undergraduate majors and a graduate program.

Throughout his career, Dan has been honored by his colleagues, students, and industry leaders with well-deserved recognition and awards. Most notably, he was the 2015 recipient of the Frank R. Kleffner award, which recognizes an individual's outstanding contributions to communications.

For his devotion to youth development, education, scouting, and a better world that has improved the lives of countless individuals across Arkansas and the globe, I congratulate Dr. Tullos on his great career and his retirement.

Honoring Pat Downs

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding leader who has transformed the realm of nonprofits in Arkansas, Pat Downs of the United Way of White County.

Pat retired earlier this year as the executive director of the organization after 29 years of service. Her selflessness, passion, and work ethic inspire all who collaborate with her in White County, around the community, and in the workplace.

Helping raise more than $11 million for associated agencies, Pat's decades of leadership had an indelible impact on central Arkansas. I thank Pat for her outstanding service to the United Way and send best wishes for her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate my good friend, R.D. Kinsey, on becoming the first African American to be elected as commander of the American Legion Department of Arkansas.

Kinsey is a Vietnam-era veteran of the Air Force and a retired Federal civil service employee. He is the founding member of American Legion Post 74 and has been the post commander every year since that founding in 2004. He decided to step down this spring to seek the State commander's position.

He previously served as the vice chairman of the National Legislative Council of Arkansas and held numerous appointments on the National Legislative Commission. He is a member of the City of Sherwood Civil Service Commission and is the founding president of the Sherwood Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association.

I am proud of my friend, Commander R.D. Kinsey, who has proven his devotion to community and our State and veterans. He will be a great leader for Arkansas' American Legion.

Mr. Speaker, on March 7, 2017, I was sick and not present to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 128.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 331.

Mr. Speaker, a hardy congratulations to Chairman Hensarling and the ranking member for this exceptional package, the JOBS and Investor Confidence Act. I support it, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

This important bill includes H.R. 1585, a bill that I worked on with my friends from Arizona, Ms. Sinema and Mr. Schweikert, and a bill also supported and helped by Mrs. Maloney of New York. I would like to highlight title IV.

This bill expands the accredited investor definition by recognizing the ability to participate in a private offering should not be based solely on an asset or an income test, but that individuals who have the sophistication should also be able to participate.

I have spent much of my career helping small companies obtain funding, helping them do private placements under regulation D. This has been a long time in coming. It is a matter of basic fairness, which will provide greater investment opportunities for more Americans and help our businesses grow and invest their capital faster.

I encourage all my colleagues to support this good measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Mr. Howard Marshall, former Deputy Assistant Director at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Mr. Marshall recently concluded a 21-year career with the FBI, this after growing up in a household where his father, Brian, a resident of my district, was a special agent for 33 years. The Marshall family is visiting us in Washington, D.C., in the historic Capitol today.

During the early stages, Mr. Marshall worked in St. Louis, Memphis, as well as the FBI headquarters, where he worked on multiple task forces and supervised a public corruption squad.

In 2008, Mr. Marshall was promoted to FBI leadership as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas division, where he managed the white-collar crime and intelligence programs. After Dallas, he was promoted to the Inspection Division, where he led inspections of local field offices, as well as shooting incident review teams. Mr. Marshall was then appointed Special Agent in Charge in Louisville.

Recently, Mr. Marshall served as the Deputy Assistant Director of the Cyber Division, where he supported the mission to identify and defeat cyber threats targeting U.S. interests. Prior to the FBI, Mr. Marshall worked for the Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Little Rock, Arkansas.

We thank Mr. Marshall and his father, Brian, for their combined 54 years of public service to the American people and their service to the FBI, and all their fellow agents at the Bureau.