Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

With Chairman Brady's leadership, my colleagues and I worked hard to combine our ideas to help Americans across the Nation have lower taxes, better careers, and more money in their family budget.

Over the past year, it has been a collaborative effort. I have listened to and worked with people and businesses about their ideas on tax reform from all across the Second Congressional District of Arkansas. With today's vote, we are one step closer to reforming our broken Tax Code.

Over the past several months, we have worked to reduce taxes on families and let them keep more of their money. For businesses, we want to have a more competitive tax system that promotes investment, which will spur our economic growth and family prosperity.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, H.R. 1 will raise after- tax incomes for hardworking Arkansans by over $2,000. Furthermore, H.R. 1 benefits families by increasing the child tax credit to $1,600, instead of $1,000. That helps over 50,000 taxpayers in my district.

By passing this bill, it could lead to the creation of an additional 5,000 jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill sponsored by my friend, Representative Sean Duffy.

He has worked tirelessly in crafting a solution here, along with Representative Luetkemeyer, Representative Ross, and our full committee chairman, Mr. Hensarling.

While the National Flood Insurance Program provides needed insurance coverage, it has numerous problems as currently constructed, and the 21st Century Flood Reform Act seeks to implement much-needed reforms in this program.

In addition to reauthorizing the flood program for 5 years, this bill provides increased transparency to the public, provides more information to people living in harm's way about past damages and the risk of flooding, ensures mapping is timely and accurate, ties rates to risk, gives consumers greater choice in flood insurance options, and incentivizes mitigation and risk reduction.

Currently, in Arkansas, we have one private insurer that offers flood insurance. A second underwriter is near approval by our Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr.

The benefits to the consumer through private insurance are significant, as noted by the Milliman study.

For example, one private insurer in Arkansas covers up to $2 million in coverage per occurrence, Mr. Speaker, as opposed to the NFIP, which limits coverage to $250,000, across all rating categories at premiums substantially below the NFIP.

Further, this private insurer can offer replacement value, reimbursement for living expenses if an individual or family is displaced by a flood. The NFIP does not.

For almost 50 years, the experiment in government-provided flood insurance has proven to be ineffective, inefficient, and indisputably costly to hardworking taxpayers. The time for action is now.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, and Chicago Tribune articles.

[From the USA Today, Sept. 7, 2017]

Make Flood Insurance Reflect Actual Risk

after hurricanes, taxpayers can't absorb ever increasing tabs: Our view

In 1968, in the wake of Hurricane Betsy, Congress decided

it had enough. Flooding was destroying too many homes,

leaving financial and physical devastation in its wake.

So lawmakers created the National Flood Insurance Program,

a government-run insurance fund for homeowners in flood-prone

areas.

And that's when things got really bad.

The NFIP has been losing money ever since. The program is

nearly $25 billion in the red and is running annual deficits

in the range of $1.4 billion. That's because it's a creation

of Congress and therefore sets its premiums according to what

is politically convenient rather than what is actuarially

sound.

With Hurricane Harvey devastating the Houston area, and

Hurricane Irma bearing down on the Southeast coast, the

program is certain to take a massive loss this year.

What's worse, the NFIP's woes are self-generating. Because

the premiums are well below what should be charged, this

effectively subsidizes construction in flood-prone areas. And

that means its losses grow as more flood-prone land is

developed.

Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005,

exposed just how costly and counterproductive the program had

become. In 2012, after years of debate, Congress enacted a

law that made flood insurance rates more reflective of actual

risks and expanded the areas considered flood-prone.

This generated Category 3 blowback from homeowners and the

real estate lobby, and in 2014 Congress passed another law

undoing much of the first.

Now, with catastrophic losses mounting and sea levels

rising, it's time to revisit the issue.

Making federal flood insurance more reflective of reality

would only go so far in dealing with the problem of building

in flood-prone areas. That's because many homeowners don't

have flood insurance and because much of the damage that the

government eventually pays for is not covered by the program.

(Private insurance typically covers damage from wind but not

water.)

With Katrina, for instance, the flood insurance payout was

$16.3 billion. But Congress passed supplementary spending of

more than $100 billion to provide intensive relief and

temporary housing, as well as fix broken levies.

With Harvey and Irma, the federal tab beyond of flood

insurance is likely to be even higher. Only an estimated 20%

of homeowners in the area affected by Harvey even bothered

with flood insurance, a number that has been dropping in

recent years. But making flood insurance reflect actual risks

is a vital first step in coming to grips with reality.

In the past several decades, Americans have flocked to

coastal communities, many of them in parts of the country

prone to hurricanes. With the hit to taxpayers growing and

the danger increasing, restraint--even some reversal--of this

trend is needed.

While people in the hurricane zones deserve disaster

assistance and the nation's sympathy, taxpayers can't simply

absorb ever increasing tabs for flood losses. The government

needs policies that encourage people to build their homes in

safer places. Harvey and Irma are just the latest sobering

wake-up calls with that message.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, during National STEM Day, to recognize the importance of encouraging our youth to pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

As technology continues to advance, STEM occupations continue to grow and become more valuable to the development of our society. Over the past decade, employment in STEM occupations has outgrown non-STEM occupations by nearly 20 percent.

I commend the House's work in implementing the annual Congressional STEM App Challenge for students across our Nation. This competition allows students to compete by creating an idea for an app on a platform of their choice and is designed to engage student creativity and encourage their participation in STEM fields.

As a member of the Congressional STEM Education Caucus and the father of a STEM student in college, I will continue to support the growth of STEM education throughout Arkansas and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent from the House and missed votes on Tuesday, October 31, and Wednesday, November 1, due to a family commitment.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 591; YEA on Roll Call No. 592; YEA on Roll Call No. 593; NAY on Roll Call No. 594; NAY on Roll Call No. 595; YEA on Roll Call No. 596; NAY on Roll Call No. 597; YEA on Roll Call No. 598; and YEA on Roll Call No. 599.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to call attention to this topic that is so important throughout our Nation.

With one in eight U.S. women, or 12 percent, developing breast cancer over the course of their lives, too many of us know someone who has been diagnosed with this tragic disease.

I lost my mother as a result of breast cancer, and my friend and former district director, Jill Cox, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She attributes her strides in recovery to early detection and self-examinations.

Many women with breast cancer have no symptoms, underscoring the importance of how regular breast cancer screenings and self- examinations can save lives. No test is too early.

We all must continue to work together and move forward addressing breast cancer, and I urge my colleagues to continue their focus on this critical issue.

Cody Hiland Appointment as U.S. Attorney

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my good friend Cody Hiland's appointment as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

A native of Conway, Arkansas, Cody graduated from the University of Central Arkansas and the William H. Bowen School of Law in Little Rock. He served as the prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial District of Arkansas since 2010.

Before beginning his career in law enforcement, Cody was a partner at his own firm, a staff attorney and rural communication liaison for the Arkansas Public Service Commission, and the program director for the Arkansas Transitional Employment Board.

His experience and activism truly embody all that communities need in the fight against crime.

I am proud of this leader and consummate professional. He is devoted to law and order. He will be a great voice in reducing crime throughout central Arkansas.

I congratulate my friend, Cody Hiland.

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families 40th Anniversary

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families on the occasion of their 40th anniversary.

AACF was established in 1977 by 10 Arkansans, including our former First Lady, Betty Bumpers, who were passionate about the status of children in our State.

Over the past four decades, AACF has helped families throughout Arkansas to ensure that they have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy and productive lives.

Working to promote good public policy that makes kids' lives better, AACF played an integral role in the creation of ARKids First and the expansion of quality pre-K for at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds.

I would like to extend my congratulations to AACF and wish it much continued success for generations to come.

Springfield-Des Arc Bridge Dedication

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the joint efforts of the city of Conway, Faulkner County, the Faulkner County Historical Society, and Workin' Bridges, a nonprofit organization, that are collaborating to restore a historic bridge in Faulkner County, Arkansas.

The Springfield-Des Arc Bridge, an iron bowstring arc bridge, is the oldest bridge in Arkansas and one of the oldest of its type in the country. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

This bridge was originally constructed back in 1874 to facilitate travel between Faulkner and Conway Counties in the Second Congressional District.

Over the years, the bridge faced continued operational wear and tear, three major floods, and lost its flooring to a fire. The bridge was decommissioned when the road was rerouted to a new and better concrete bridge.

Faulkner County Historical Society and the city of Conway worked together to establish a restoration plan for the bridge and proposed to relocate it to Beaverfork Lake Park. The 146-foot structure was dismantled and transported to North Little Rock for cleaning and refinishing. The bridge now sits at Beaverfork Lake Park as a link between the swimming area and the fishing pier.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all those who have worked so diligently over the years to preserve this historic bridge and give it a new use for a new generation.

50th Anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt Island

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is certainly a historic day, as it is the

159th anniversary of our 26th President's birthday--Theodore Roosevelt--October 27, 1858.

The National Park Service is also celebrating the birthday anniversary weekend with the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial on Theodore Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River across from Georgetown. That family-friendly program will be on October 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will include addresses at 2 p.m. by President Roosevelt's great-grandson, Tweed Roosevelt, and other academics, who will talk about the amazing legacy of our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt.

I thank, also, the National Park Service for their outstanding work on Theodore Roosevelt Island, restoring the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial that is out on the island. It is one of the best places to visit when families come to Washington, D.C., on its very peaceful and tranquil island location in the Potomac River.

The National Park Service, on this restoration work, collaborated with the Friends of Theodore Roosevelt Island and the Theodore Roosevelt Association. I congratulate them for their work; I congratulate them on the 50th anniversary of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial on Theodore Roosevelt Island; and, of course, my hat is off to Teddy on the anniversary of his birth.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 1 o'clock and 21 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, October 27, 2017, at 10 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, I thank our distinguished subcommittee chairman for yielding. I am proud to support my colleague from Kentucky on his bill, H.R. 3898, the Otto Warmbier North Korea Nuclear Sanctions Act.

I think it is important for all of us in this Chamber to know, as well as the people across this country, that there is no daylight between the two political parties in this capital, and there is no daylight between the United States Government and our Allied Governments around the world in working together to develop sanction regimes both bilaterally here in the United States and multilaterally across the world to end this nuclear threat.

For 24 years, Mr. Speaker, we have had three Presidencies--we are in our

fourth Presidency--dealing with this issue. This issue has not been handled. We have not sanctioned this regime. We have not enforced those sanctions. We have not obtained multilateral sanctions. We have not ever given the Kim dictatorship one reason to think that our government and our allied friends around the world are serious about ending the nuclear threat from North Korea.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Kentucky for standing up in the Financial Services Committee and leading the way for secondary sanctions. I thank my friends, Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel in the Foreign Affairs Committee, for their work with this administration to end this threat to not only north Asia, our economic allies, our national security allies, but also our friends around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National Suicide Prevention Month to call attention to this tragedy that is so prevalent and important throughout our Nation.

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, and, on average, there are 121 suicides per day. Far too many Americans, about one in five, are suffering from some form of mental illness, a problem that has disrupted too many families, caused too much violence, pain, and cost too many lives.

In Congress, we are working together on a bipartisan basis to bring needed reform to our mental healthcare system through the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act and the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act.

The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, led by Dr. Margie Scott, is one of nine systems nationwide currently involved in the Clay Hunt pilot program.

This program gives our VA employees the necessary tools to reach out to high-risk veterans and offer guidance while providing essential suicide prevention services. Dr. Scott and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System have made over 200 community connections throughout Arkansas to assist our veterans.

We all must work together and continue to move forward in addressing the issue of mental health and mental health access, and do what we can to save the lives of all American citizens and reverse this deadly trend of suicides.

Mr. Speaker, it has been 8 days since Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico and impacted the lives of Americans there, who are now in dire need. Power and communications remain down; food, water, and fuel are scarce; infrastructure continues to crumble; and Americans are dying. Tackling recovery is urgent.

I was pleased to see that President Trump has asked Brigadier General Richard Kim to go to the island and seek to lead. Because of the island's topography and isolation, this isn't a Houston, this isn't a New Orleans or a Florida. Rescue and relief isn't as easy as moving a convoy of power company trucks down the interstate highway. Logistically, this is much more difficult.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is time to set up a joint task force, with one person in charge, able to make decisions and not get ``stuck on stupid,'' as one Army general famously said. That general, Russell Honore, turned around the government floundering after taking charge of Joint Task Force Katrina.

On the ground, the joint task force can coordinate all public and private relief efforts, starting with putting our National Guard to work, reopening the air tower, clearing the roads, and opening a chow hall.

I continue to pray for Puerto Rico, but each of us must understand our beloved island's crisis is very different.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 327) to direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to provide a safe harbor related to certain investment fund research reports, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House is considering S. 327 today, the Fair Access to Investment Research Act.

This is the Senate companion to my bill, H.R. 910, that I had the pleasure of working on with my friend from Illinois (Mr. Foster) in this Congress and our colleague in the last Congress, now Governor Carney of Delaware.

Mr. Speaker, occasionally on this floor, we don't compliment our colleagues in the upper Chamber at the other end of the building, but we have to say today ``thank you'' to Senator Crapo and Senator Brown for advancing a number of securities-related bills in the last few days which we appreciate seeing coming back to the House, including S. 327.

This bill contains the same language as H.R. 910, which passed the House in May with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 405-2.

S. 327 also includes some Senate amendments that add some additional clarifications to the bill:

First, it clarifies the conflict of interest provision by precluding dealers from issuing research on affiliated exchange-traded funds.

Second, it carves out closed-end funds, including business development companies.

Finally, it includes a specific definition of ``affiliated person,'' which matches the definition of an ``affiliated person'' in section 2(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Since starting an investment firm back in the late 1990s, I have watched exchange-traded funds grow amazingly. ETFs have grown from about 100 funds, in the late 1990s, with over $100 billion in assets, to now over 1,700 funds with over $3 trillion in assets. Exchange- traded funds can average 30 percent of the trading volumes by value on any given day on our markets.

Yet, despite their growing popularity and increasing importance to retail investors, most broker-dealers do not

publish research on ETFs. This is due to anomalies in our securities laws and regulations. S. 327 tackles those anomalies.

Given the importance of ETFs to investors, and particularly retail investors, steps to facilitate research on exchange-traded funds are long overdue.

The Fair Access to Investment Research Act is simple. It directs the SEC to provide a safe harbor for research reports that cover ETFs so that these reports are not considered offers under section 5 of the Securities Act of 1933. This allows ETF research to be issued just like stock research on a corporate issuer.

This commonsense proposal, which mirrors other research safe harbors implemented by the SEC, would clarify the law and allow broker-dealers to publish exchange-traded fund research, thereby allowing investors to access that very useful and needed information in this rapidly growing and occasionally complex market of choices.

This bill also holds the SEC accountable to follow Congress' direction. The bill requires the SEC to finalize the rules within 270 days, and if the deadline is not met, an interim safe harbor rule will take effect until the SEC's rule is finalized.

Mr. Speaker, this issue is not unfamiliar to the Commission, as this proposal has been raised both by the Commission and by industry many times over the last two decades. With close to 6 million U.S. households holding ETFs, investors need access to this important research.

Having worked in the banking and investment industry for the past three decades, I appreciate Chairman Hensarling and the Congress' efforts to promote capital formation, reduce unnecessary burdens, and grow jobs and the economy. S. 327 is another step in that process.

I also want to thank my friend, Mr. Foster of Illinois, for working on this legislation, and our colleague in the Senate, Senator Heller of Nevada, for working with me on this bipartisan, commonsense fix that we worked on together for over 2 years.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments, and I do appreciate the work in the Senate that improved this bill.

I think it is important to note that this will make this research flow, and in no way will it, I think, confuse investors; in fact, it enhances their investment.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, over the past few weeks we have seen the unity, courage, and kindness the American people offered to those affected by the destruction caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and now Maria.

Today I would like to take a minute and acknowledge the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock, where employees extended help to assist with incoming calls from the VA in Houston, Texas. All calls were forwarded to Arkansas during the relief efforts.

While the Little Rock VA usually takes in 200 to 300 calls a day, in the days following the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, our VA team in Little Rock averaged 2,900 calls a day from those seeking refuge and help. Employees worked 8-hour shifts to provide 24/7 service.

I thank these Arkansans in the Central Arkansas VA for helping our neighbors in Texas in their time of need.

I thank the Chair for recognizing me for this Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, this week in Congress, we have considered in the House Financial Services Committee legislation that will increase and expand the sanctions against the government and the dictators in North Korea.

Mr. Speaker, the north Asian region and our allies there are of critical importance to the United States economically. South Korea and Japan are major economic partners of the United States. Both countries represent a major partnership in our security interests in north Asia, and so it is fitting that we continue to work in Congress, along with the Trump administration, to increase the financial sanctions and economic sanctions on the rogue government in North Korea.

For our citizens, it is important to trace back the history of U.S. sanctions and the relationship with North Korea. Going back four Presidents--Trump, Obama, Bush 43, and Clinton--we have been dealing with North Korea.

President Clinton agreed to a ``freeze'' and ``dismantlement'' of the North Korean nuclear program, Mr. Speaker; and as a result, the North Koreans agreed to inspections, and the United States, along with its allies, agreed to $4 billion in payments to the regime. That was in 1994, Mr. Speaker. We don't have much to show for that effort.

In January, in the State of the Union, 2002, President Bush 43 described North Korea as part of the axis of evil, including Iraq and Iran. Clearly, the North Koreans were not complying with Mr. Clinton's agreement, but the post-9/11 world of the United States had our government, our diplomacy, our military, our sanctions regime focused on the Middle East, focused on Afghanistan, Iraq, and, indeed, Iran.

And then you come to the period of President Obama, where his strategy with North Korea was one of strategic patience. We have had 8 years, Mr. Speaker, of strategic patience, and what have we got to show for that? Unprecedented numbers of ballistic missile flights, unprecedented numbers of nuclear tests.

So, Mr. Speaker, after over two decades, it was time for a change.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take the floor of the House today and thank the leadership of President Trump and his very capable national security team, led by Secretary Mattis, Secretary Tillerson, for ending strategic patience and for taking our country and the world in a different direction to end the nuclear ambitions of North Korea.

Now, the United States, on a bipartisan basis in this House and in the upper Chamber, in the Senate, along with the Trump administration, is fully onboard with using all the tools that we have to once and for all lead to denuclearization of the peninsula and end North Korea's rogue program to join the group of nuclear nations. They have taken themselves out of nuclear nonproliferation. They are a rogue nation.

I am very pleased to see Secretary Mnuchin at the Treasury focus on what

new financial sanctions under current law the United States can pursue by our Treasury Department.

I am very pleased with Chairman Royce of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ranking Member Engel, and the Financial Services Committee for their collaboration on legislation on how we enhance sanctions that the United States can place on people doing business with North Korea and North Korea itself.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate our Ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Haley, for not one, but two 15-0 votes in the U.N. Security Council on ratcheting up the pressure on sanctions. Those are important.

But the most important thing is, Mr. Speaker, whether it is secondary sanctions and sanctions in the United States put on others by the U.S. alone or multilateral sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council, the secret is enforcement. We must have enforcement.

When you look back over this two-decade period, you can't really come to the conclusion that we have ever seriously sanctioned the rogue government in North Korea, not to the extent that we have done with Iran, not to the extent that we did with Iraq, the two other partners in President Bush's axis of evil.

So the time is now, Mr. Speaker, to use all of our skills and abilities: diplomatically, as led by Secretary Tillerson; economically, as led by Secretary Mnuchin and our worthy, great leader, our Ambassador at the United Nations; and in military strategy with our allies, under Secretary Mattis. We have the support of the world now, Mr. Speaker, and this is no time to not bear down and get that kind of enforcement.

I was so delighted on behalf of the Congress and on behalf of the United States that, just yesterday, Prime Minister Modi in India and Prime Minister Abe, on a visit to India, reiterated their strong support for enforcement of the United Nations sanctions.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank this administration for taking a new look and taking North Korea's ambitions seriously and taking the issue of using all of our absolute capabilities, whether they are diplomatic, economic, or military, to end this rogue nation's nuclear ambitions.

Girl Scouts STEM Badges

Mr. Speaker, I rise today and come to the House floor to recognize the Girl Scouts of America, which recently announced that they are adding 23 new badges related to science, technology, engineering, math, and the outdoors. These new STEM badges come a month after Girl Scouts of the USA added cybersecurity badges to promote computer and internet literacy and cybersecurity. These new initiatives within the Girl Scouts were a reflection of its ability to adapt to the ever-changing skills essential to the development of our youth in this century.

As an Eagle Scout, I understand the importance of values and skills acquired through scouting, and I commend the Girl Scouts for encouraging our youth to explore these innovative scientific fields.

As a member of the Congressional Scouting Caucus, I will continue to support the good work of Girl Scouts of the USA, and I look forward to following its continued success for generations of young women to come.

Recognizing the Life of Adam McClung

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of a man who had an indelible impact on Arkansas and our Nation, Mr. Adam McClung, who passed away last month at 37 years young.

Adam was a husband, a father, and a champion of the cattle industry in Arkansas while he served as the executive vice president of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association.

A graduate of Greenbrier High School in the beautiful Second Congressional District, Adam attended Oklahoma State University, where he studied agriculture, business economics, and animal science.

In 2014, Adam was recognized by the White House and the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a ``Champion of Change.'' He was one of only 15 individuals from around our country to be recognized as a leader in his industry that year.

Adam's passion and drive will be missed throughout Arkansas and the cattle industry.

He is survived by his wife, Chantel, and a daughter, Maggie Blair.

I extend my respect, affection, and prayers for the family and his loved ones.

Remembering Melvin Pickens, the ``Broom Man'' of Little Rock

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and remember the unrelenting, optimistic world view of Melvin Pickens, a constituent affectionately known around Little Rock as the ``Broom Man.'' Mr. Pickens passed away at age 84 in June, after battling numerous health issues.

The Broom Man earned his nickname over a 60-year tenure purchasing iconic, red-handled brooms at wholesale and selling them to passersby for $10.

I remember Melvin fondly at my many breakfasts at the Ozark Smokehouse Restaurant in Little Rock, and including my past broom purchases.

Through a never-ending battle with legal blindness, and an unexpected stroke, which made carrying brooms over his shoulder incredibly difficult, Melvin never ceased to retain a positive, hopeful attitude. His hard work, determination, and unyielding perseverance, and never quitting, enabled him to provide his late wife and four children a wonderful life. And all four of those children attended college.

The Broom Man is an everlasting testament to the value of having a rigorous work ethic, an optimistic world view, and being genuinely a caring person.

Recognizing Arkansas National Guard Staff Sergeant Tasheenia Wallace

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Arkansas National Guard Staff Sergeant Tasheenia Wallace for becoming the first woman to ever complete the Arkansas National Guard Infantry Course.

On July 26, Staff Sergeant Wallace graduated from the Infantry Transition Course, a 2-week residency training program at the Robinson Maneuver Training Center in North Little Rock. She was 1 of 22 people to complete the program, which allows soldiers who are already serving to change their current military occupational specialty to infantry.

Staff Sergeant Wallace now holds four different occupational specialties: administration, logistics, chemicals, and now hard-earned infantry. With this training, she is able to command a squad, usually composed of 7 to 10 soldiers.

My congratulations and best wishes to Staff Sergeant Wallace and her bright future defending our Nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago today, all eyes were on South Park Street that fronts the beautiful facade of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Just days before, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had called out the National Guard to prevent nine Black students from entering the school on September 4. Central High and its beautiful neighborhood had become ground zero in the march to end the five-decade legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson, ``separate but equal,'' to bring it to reality.

Now, just over 3 years after the Brown decision, it was time for action. In a few days, on the 25th of this month, we will celebrate the successful integration of Central High School, when the Little Rock Nine entered the school escorted by the troops of the 101st Airborne.

It is fitting today, Mr. Speaker, that we pay tribute to the Little Rock Nine, their defenders, and the successful end to separate but equal. We recognize this important milestone today on this House floor by passing a bill on the suspension calendar that expands the park boundary of the national historic site at Little Rock Central High School. This is a historic and important touchstone for all of those modern-day history travelers retracing the steps of the civil rights movement.

The Little Rock National Historic Site Visitor Center was opened in 2007 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High. Today's measure, H.R. 2611, is a simple one: extending the park boundaries to take in the houses that fronted the school along beautiful South Park Street so that future generations will be able to picture this tranquil street, an architecturally significant facade of Central High, and reflect back on those 21 days of trauma in September 1957.

I thank my colleague who is in our Chamber today, civil rights pioneer and courageous actor John Lewis, for his cosponsorship.

I thank our majority leader, Chairman Bishop, and the Natural Resources Committee for their expeditious treatment of this important measure, and I salute Senator Cotton for his leadership in advancing this important legislation in the United States Senate.

I look forward to President Trump signing this bill and again recognizing that we have to embrace our past and learn from our history.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Georgia Mjartan of Little Rock. She is the executive director of Our House and is stepping down after 12 years.

During her 12 years at Our House, Georgia was named ``Nonprofit Executive of the Year'' in 2011 and Our House was named ``Nonprofit Organization of the Year'' in 2015.

Under her leadership, Our House has seen extraordinary growth and plays an important role in our community, serving those who find themselves homeless or near homeless, while providing life skills, resources, and services to overcome their situation.

Our House empowers residents to succeed in the workforce, in school, and in life through hard work, smart choices, and community involvement. Our House will continue to thrive.

Georgia is a pillar of the community. She is a loving wife, mom, foster and adoptive parent of three beautiful children. I am proud to call her friend, and I wish her the best of luck as she relocates from Arkansas to South Carolina.