Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an exceptional central Arkansan, Eddie Martin, for his dedicated service to Habitat for Humanity.

At last year's Gratitude Gathering, Eddie was honored for his tireless efforts to support Habitat's mission of providing affordable housing to families in need.

Over the years, Eddie has exemplified service, and his creative ideas and hard work have raised over $350,000 for the organization in central Arkansas.

When faced with the challenges of the pandemic, Eddie helped organize zoom fundraisers and other creative events like a pickleball tournament and BAGGO, Brats N' Blues to make sure that Habitat's work continued to benefit lives across our community.

On behalf of all central Arkansans, I thank Eddie for his generosity, ingenuity, and service. Our community is better off because of Eddie Martin and his efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Westerman for yielding to me. It is such a pleasure to be with him, Congressman Crawford, and Congressman Womack in tribute to our late friend and former Member of Congress, Beryl Anthony.

His unwavering commitment to Arkansas and its people has left an indelible mark on our State and this institution. Born in El Dorado in 1938, Beryl graduated from El Dorado High School and, as Bruce said, went on to become an Arkansas Razorback. He came to the people's House in 1979 as Representative of the Fourth District, and he brought a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to the people of LA, lower Arkansas.

Over the next 14 years, he proved himself to be a tireless advocate, a thoughtful policymaker, and a champion for the working families in the Fourth District. As a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, he was instrumental in preserving Social Security's future through the Social Security Amendments of 1983.

I was a Senate staffer in the early 1980s, and I witnessed Beryl's dedication to the Natural State firsthand while working with the Arkansas delegation on the passage of the Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1984.

In a time when politics often divided us, Beryl understood the power of working across the aisle, and that dedication enabled him to achieve lasting results for his constituents. His commitment to bipartisanship became personal.

While attending new Member orientation in Williamsburg, Virginia, Beryl's daughter, Alison, met her future husband, Sam Bethune, the son of then Arkansas' Second District Congressman, Ed Bethune. Now, that is an Arkansas small-world, bipartisan love story.

Arkansas and our Nation have lost a great public servant in Beryl. My deepest condolences to Sheila, Alison, Lauren, and the entire Anthony family. It is a privilege to have witnessed

his service to our State and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an extraordinary Arkansan, my friend, Jim Shenep.

It is unbelievable that three decades after we started working together, it is time for him to retire.

I want to say how thankful I am for our three decades of friendship, and Martha and I treasure our relationship with him and his family.

It has been such a privilege to watch his continued success, starting when we were at First Commercial, then Regions, then Delta Trust, and now at Simmons.

He has always put his customers first, and that was at the heart of what we tried to build at Delta Trust, and I know it is at the heart of Simmons Trust Company.

I wish him well in his retirement and I wish I could be there with him in person to celebrate, but I wanted to thank him for his dedication to his customers and our friendship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 30th annual Red Mass of the St. Thomas More Society, which was held in Little Rock in October.

The St. Thomas More Society is a nonprofit organization of lawyers and judges dedicated to honoring the life of St. Thomas More, the Lord High Chancellor of England, who opposed Henry VIII's separation from the Catholic Church.

The Red Mass brings together lawyers, judges, and government officials to pray for the holy spirit's guidance over their work.

At this year's mass, Reginald Rogers was honored as the 2024 St. Thomas More recipient, an award that recognizes Catholics in legal professions who demonstrate exemplary character.

To my longtime friend from high school, Reggie, what a great recognition of his wonderful, caring approach to his professional and civic life.

Recognizing Aircare's Pedestal Humidifier

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Aircare's Pedestal Humidifier, which was recently named the

coolest thing made in Arkansas in 2024. Organized through a partnership between the Arkansas State Chamber and Arkansas Business News, this contest highlights the most innovative and noteworthy products manufactured in The Natural State.

Nearly 16,000 votes were cast in a highly competitive final round, and the Pedestal Humidifier emerged as the champion from a field of 16 products made by companies across our State. This product not only showcases Aircare's ingenuity but also reflects the broader excellence of Arkansas' manufacturing sector.

I congratulate Aircare and all the visionary companies that contribute to our State's growing reputation for high quality, innovative products. I look forward to seeing more achievements from Arkansas businesses in the years ahead.

Recognizing Maddox Berry

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a remarkable young athlete from central Arkansas, Morrilton High School's standout quarterback, Maddox Berry.

Maddox recently made Arkansas sports history by throwing a State record 11 touchdown passes in a single game, a feat that speaks to his skill, dedication, and poise under pressure.

The game itself was an offensive clash, with Morrilton and Farmington combining for 153 points and 1,519 yards, nearly setting an all-time State record. Despite Morrilton's narrow 78 to 55 loss, Maddox's performance stands as one of Arkansas' all-time great athletic accomplishments.

Maddox made central Arkansas proud, and we are all excited to see where his talents take him next.

Recognizing Point Remove Brewing Company

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Point Remove Brewing Company, an outstanding Arkansas business that has become a staple of our State's craft brewing industry.

Point Removed recently opened a new location in Russellville, furthering its impact on the local economy and the community. Based in Morrilton, Point Removed Brewing produced over 24,000 gallons of beer last year and partnered with Little Rock Central Moon Distributors to place its products throughout stores in The Natural State.

Point Removed Brewing is more than just a brewery. They are also ambassadors for The Natural State because the beers that they make are named after Arkansas landmarks, like Long Pool and Petit Jean State Park. They proudly celebrate our heritage.

As Point Removed Brewing opens this new location in Russellville, I hope they will continue to embody the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps our State growing.

Recognizing Hakeem Jordan

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a really brave, dedicated Arkansan, Hakeem Jordan.

This extraordinary central Arkansan heroically rescued 26-year-old Jelani Proctor of North Little Rock following a tragic car accident.

After witnessing the crash on Interstate 630, Hakeem immediately called 911. He ran to the site of the crash and rescued Jelani from his burning vehicle. He was treated at a Little Rock hospital, and is in stable condition.

Unfortunately, Jelani's father, Conrad, did not survive the crash. Martha and I send our condolences to the entire Proctor family during this difficult time.

Make no mistake, Hakeem's actions are nothing short of heroic. Without this incredible display of bravery and selflessness, Jelani would not be alive today. Central Arkansas stands better off because of our citizens like Hakeem.

Recognizing John Jumper

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate central Arkansan, John Jumper.

John recently won the 2024 Noble Prize for chemistry. John graduated from Pulaski Academy in 2003, and is the youngest chemistry laureate in over 70 years.

John and his research partners developed an AI model called AlphaFold2, which can predict the protein structure of nearly 200 million proteins.

Today, over 2 million people in 190 countries have used this technology to improve their understanding of proteins and their potential for antibiotic resistance and even decomposing plastic.

John's tremendous scientific success serves as an inspiration to us all. I am proud of his achievement. What a role model for excellence for all of our students across our city, district, State, and the globe. To those chemistry students out there: Study hard.

Concerns From Small Business

Mr. Speaker, I have heard many concerns from small businesses across Arkansas and across the country about the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, FinCEN's, new detrimental beneficial ownership reporting rule.

As many of you may know, this rule is required by the Corporate Transparency Act, a law that I strongly opposed and fought against its basic design.

As a former entrepreneur and small business owner, I understand the significance of this substantial new reporting requirement that forces small businesses to upload an individual ownership interest report into a new national database maintained at FinCEN, in my view, Mr. Speaker, potentially endangering the privacy of millions of American citizens.

The worst part is that the Biden-Harris administration has failed to properly educate and inform small businesses and millions of others connected to small businesses about this new rule and the harsh penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and even 2 years in jail for failure to comply by submitting the form by January 1 of 2025. That is right, Mr. Speaker. This form is due January 1, 2025.

Now, breaking news: Of the 322 million businesses in America that Treasury believes should be filing this new form, only 2 million have filled it out as of the first of October.

Certified public accountants are eligible to help small businesses make the necessary filings on a company's behalf, but the issue is that many CPAs are reluctant to make the filings given the high threshold for accuracy and the potential civil and criminal penalties for a mistake.

Further, in some States, filing such a form is considered the practice of law and therefore not covered by a CPA's liability insurance. This burdensome reporting requirement is due, as I noted, in just a few short weeks. That is why I am fighting against it in this House on this floor by using my position as vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee to delay this new beneficial ownership reporting requirement, the penalties, and the due date.

In August, I supported the Protect Small Business From Excessive Paperwork Act, which would extend the filing deadline by a full year to January 1 of 2026, buying small businesses more time to even understand this is a new rule they are required to follow, much less be educated about it and figure out what the least costly way is to comply with it.

I also introduced my own bill, the Financial Privacy Act, to rein in the massive amount of personal financial information that FinCEN collects in the name of its anti-money laundering mission. That is an important mission, but this is a flawed methodology for fighting it.

I stand tonight on the floor to create awareness about FinCEN's reporting requirement to the American people and deliver this crucial message that time is running out.

Please know that the concerns of small business owners across the country are valid, they are heard, and I will continue to do everything I can, along with my colleagues here in the House, to push back against FinCEN's reporting requirement and that fast approaching deadline of January 1.

Tigran Gambaryan's Wrongful Detainment

Mr. Speaker, after almost a year of being wrongfully detained by the Nigerian Government, Tigran Gambaryan is now home here in America with his family in Georgia where he should have been all along.

Last February, Nigeria took Tigran into detention on money laundering and tax charges as leverage in Nigeria's goal of pressing Tigran's employer, Binance, into a relationship, a negotiation, a satisfaction of concerns that Nigeria had about Binance.

This deserves repeating, Mr. Speaker.

Nigeria arrested an American citizen with an American passport in Abuja on business and charged this American citizen with money laundering and tax evasion because the Government of Nigeria has a dispute with an international company, a crypto finance company called Binance.

While I was traveling to west Africa over the summer with the House Intelligence Committee, I visited Tigran in Kuje prison where I saw firsthand his deteriorating health condition.

Kuje prison, Mr. Speaker, is a tough place. It is where the Boko Haram terrorists were locked up and where there was a major Boko Haram attack and prison break. It is a tough place.

During his detainment in Nigeria, Mr. Gambaryan suffered malaria, double pneumonia, and had a herniated disc.

Mr. Speaker, Nigeria is considered a friend of the United States, yet their government's treatment of Tigran, who devoted his professional life to fighting money laundering and tax evasion as an agent of the U.S. IRS for over a decade, in my view, that treatment was unacceptable and shameful and not commiserate with a Nation that is on friendly partnership terms with our country.

It was well past time for the Nigerians to drop the trumped-up charges of tax evasion and money laundering against Tigran Gambaryan personally, which they finally did, Mr. Speaker, last month. Let me be clear: Tigran should have never been wrongfully detained by the Nigerian Government in the first place.

I thank my friends and colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, particularly Chairman Mike McCaul and Representative Rich McCormick who worked with me and led efforts to bring Tigran Gambaryan home to his wife and children for the holidays.

I am thrilled to report to this House floor that he is home safely with his family in Georgia, in Representative McCormick's district, and he is on the road to health recovery.

Mr. Speaker, let Tigran's case be heard, and let it be a clear example to the incoming Trump administration about how not to handle an American citizen who is wrongfully detained by our allies and friends.

Chevron Deference Reversal

Mr. Speaker, recently, in recent months, the Federal courts have taken decisions that are rolling back what is termed the ``Chevron deference.'' This dates back to the 1980s and the 1984 Supreme Court case that basically said that if an independent Federal agency issued a rulemaking and published it in the Federal register and put it in final form, that in effect it had the rule of law, that it was in compliance effectively with our statutes here in the House; in other words, that it is deferring to the agency that it is in compliance with the Article I power here in the House.

Recently, in recent years, several important cases of the Supreme Court are rolling that deference of 40 years ago back.

In a post-Chevron deference world, I believe balance must be restored, primacy must be restored to the Article I powers given to this body and the Senate under the Constitution and end the activist regulatory agencies that have grown too large, too out of control, and been, in this administration, weaponized against the American people.

This Chevron reversal did not automatically turn off the power of that administrative state, and it did not instantly empower Congress to be more directive of agency and Cabinet rulemakings.

Mr. Speaker, while various interest groups must continue to bring lawsuits in this area where they believe congressional intent is not being followed, Congress must be proactive in identifying areas where we can tighten statutory language and make congressional intent crystal clear.

I believe Congress needs to look at three big areas in this post- Chevron deference universe. First, we need to strengthen the role of Congress and consider changes to the Administrative Procedures Act and the Congressional Review Act to require more collaboration between Congress and even the administration about making sure that they are clear that we have the authority to approve or disapprove regulations.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, I think it would be good if the incoming Trump administration modeled good behavior here by actually, in every Federal rulemaking that a Cabinet agency or independent agency puts forward, they say they are in compliance with the intent of Congress, that they are following the statute and the statutory intent of Congress in designing that rulemaking.

I believe agencies should do regular reviews of all of their regulations to ensure they are not outdated, they are necessary, and that they ensure that they are tailored to limit their compliance impact, cost, liability risk, and other burdens.

I would encourage the Trump administration to work with Congress to where we can have the right kind of cost-benefit analysis on evaluating the true cost, both marginal and cumulative cost, of regulatory rulemakings.

We must increase the transparency of how agency rulemakings are made. We must tailor specific statutes so that it is clear that Congress, Article I power, is in charge, our intent is clear, and that we are seeing that the Cabinet agencies and the independent agencies are following that intent.

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 7 o'clock and 37 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Rep. Tenney's H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, which will address a profound injustice faced by Americans who return home after being wrongfully detained abroad.

As Co-Chair of the Hostage Task Force in the House alongside my friend Haley Stevens of Michigan, I have seen the unimaginable stress and hardships these Americans and their families face while being detained firsthand.

The last thing they should have to worry about when they return home is a notice from their own government telling them that they now face penalties and fines for missing tax deadlines because of circumstances entirely beyond their control.

This bill fixes that irksome issue and sends a clear message:

That the U.S. government stands by its citizens when they are put through these unthinkable circumstances.

With this measure, we are standing up for Americans who have already been through so much.

I am proud to see this commonsense measure come to the floor for consideration, and I urge my colleagues to support it so we can ensure these Americans have the relief they desperately deserve.

And, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for her leadership on this critical need.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Montana for yielding to me.

I have to start out, Mr. Speaker, and thank my friend Bruce Westerman, my colleague in the Arkansas delegation, for paying tribute on this tragedy that we witnessed in our central Arkansas area of a life lost of an honorable citizen doing the Lord's work, caring for kids every day, who tragically lost her life due to the drunk driving by an illegal alien who crossed our border more than one time without any repercussions.

I thank Congressman Westerman for his words in memory of Jennifer Morton. I join him with thoughts and prayers for her family, for her friends, for the loss of a skilled therapist at Arkansas Children's Hospital. However, Mr. Speaker, this is just emblematic of what we are confronting in this country: deaths like that, deaths from fentanyl, and massive human trafficking.

The Mexican drug cartels are making, truly, billions of dollars from those human trafficking fees of coaching, urging, pushing migrants across the southwest border of the United States to the point that there are millions entering our country illegally.

I thank my friend, Mr. Rosendale, for yielding me the time. My concern tonight that I want to highlight is the number of these that are potential terrorists in our country.

Just last year alone, 1 year, 169 individuals were caught on the terrorist screening database. That is more apprehensions, Mr. Speaker, than in the last 5 years combined. Isn't that an indication of just how open this border is?

The question is: Where are they once they cross into our country? What has become of them? They were encountered by Customs and Border Protection, they were encountered by TSA at an airport, but what has become of them? Those of us on the House Intelligence Committee and on the Homeland Security Committee have been tirelessly trying to get the answers to those most basic questions.

Since last fall, Congress has been requesting information from the executive branch to better understand the severity that this threat poses.

In my judgment, Mr. Speaker, it is a clear and present danger to our country, but how do we gauge that threat? How do we gauge the severity of it posed by known and suspected terrorists who have crossed our open southwest border at or between the ports of entry? Literally, with millions of got-aways, how are we supposed to extrapolate that risk? Is it greater because they obviously were avoiding detection, or should it be a ratio similar to what we witness today when they are encountered?

On numerous recent occasions, FBI Director Chris Wray has stated in Congressional testimony his concern about our open border and the increased threat of terrorism. He suggested that the threat of attack against Americans in the United States is at ``a whole other level,'' that is his quote, and that he sees ``blinking lights everywhere.'' That is his quote, Mr. Speaker, but it is from last fall, a year ago.

Actions speak louder than words and why his warnings have our attention. The executive branch's lack of coordinated, fused action, in my judgment, contradicts what he said.

During the annual threat assessment hearing last March, in open forum, I pressed Mr. Wray on this commonsense question: Where are these individuals? How have they been handled? Who knows about it?

Mr. Wray at that time could not answer, and to date, the FBI's responses have been less than satisfactory to the Members of Congress on the House Homeland Security Committee and Intelligence Committee.

The information is trickling in, but it is not the comprehensive, coordinated response with actions that I believe, in my judgment, our Members are seeking.

House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner and House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green have joined me in pressing for these answers. We led a letter in April to the Government Accountability Office to review the process of identifying which terrorist watch list individuals are trying to come into our country and where they are once they are released. What is the policy there?

I have done more by adding language in the fiscal 2024 Intelligence Authorization Act to require Homeland Security and the FBI to regularly brief the Intelligence Committee on these policies, on these procedures, on just how these encounters, these individuals, are treated and how they are coordinated.

President Biden, Vice President Harris, and their agency heads bear the ultimate dereliction of duty and need to be reminded that border security isn't a partisan issue, Mr. Speaker. Border security is a national security issue.

Here we are just after the recent 23rd anniversary of 9/11, and it serves as a stark reminder that we need to immediately address where these terrorists potentially are in our country and ensure that a day like 9/11 never happens again.

Congratulating Dr. Margie Scott

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Margie Scott, the medical director of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, on a happy and healthy retirement.

Dr. Scott has devoted 26 years to serving veterans at the Central Arkansas VA, including 8 years as the director.

Dr. Scott orchestrated the challenging mission of providing care to nearly 70,000 veterans each year with an innovative and creative approach that has, over the years, modernized how the Central Arkansas VA operates.

The positive impact she has had is unquestionable, and the standard of care that she has set, I hope, will endure for many years to come.

I thank Dr. Scott for her steadfast commitment and service to our veterans. All of us in central Arkansas appreciate her tireless efforts that have led to veterans receiving the healthcare they rightfully deserve.

I congratulate Dr. Scott and wish her the best for a happy retirement.

Recognizing the 19th Airlift Wing's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize members of the 19th Airlift Wing's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team for their efforts in securing dangerous military explosives during a recent traffic incident on I-40 in central Arkansas.

Based out of Little Rock Air Force Base, the 19th Airlift Wing supports the largest C-130 transport fleet in the world, providing humanitarian relief to victims of disasters and essential supplies to troops in the heart of enemy territory.

Following a tragic accident involving a tractor-trailer carrying military explosives, the 19th Airlift Wing's EOD team sprang into action, along with our State's first responders, to secure the hazardous cargo and move it away from civilian populations while also restoring use of the highway, in short order.

I was proud to meet with the airmen during my recent visit to Little Rock

Air Force Base and thank them for their bravery during this incident. It was truly impressive. Hats off to these brave airmen from Team Little Rock. All of Arkansas is proud of their efforts and service to our country.

Recognizing Peggy McCall

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Peggy McCall for the nearly two decades of devoted work with Miracle League of Arkansas, an organization that provides opportunities for children with disabilities to play America's pastime.

While working at KIDsource Therapy, Peggy realized that children with special needs and their families should be able to make the same kind of memories at the ballpark that she had with her own children.

She partnered with Rotary Club of Little Rock's Club 99 in the spring of 2005 to bring a Miracle League field to central Arkansas, and that field hosted its first season that next year in 2006.

Since then, Peggy has been the cornerstone of Miracle League of Arkansas and currently serves as executive director of the organization.

In honor of nearly two decades of work to create unforgettable memories, Miracle League's field has a new name: Peggy McCall Field.

Peggy exemplifies passion and excellence for her work in our community, and all of Arkansas is better off because of her efforts.

Congratulating Lieutenant General Jonathan Stubbs

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Lieutenant General Jonathan Stubbs on becoming the new director of the Army National Guard.

Lieutenant General Stubbs is the first Arkansan and National Guardsman to be elevated to the rank of the Lieutenant General and the first to be assigned as the director the Army National Guard.

Governor Sanders had named General Stubbs as her adjunct general of the Arkansas National Guard.

General Stubbs' quality, his character, his work ethic, and his leadership sharpened as our own TAG and are now fully recognized nationally with this great honor of leading the Army National Guard across our Nation.

Throughout his 27 years spent serving the Arkansas National Guard, Lieutenant General Stubbs has demonstrated the extraordinary ability to inspire and lead those under his command.

Whether it is at home or deployed in defense of America's Constitution and interests, Lieutenant General Stubbs has exemplified dedication, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to our country.

Lieutenant General Stubbs knows what it takes to lead our brave men and women in uniform. Though we will miss him and his leadership at home in Arkansas, we look forward to the now impressive, positive impact that he will make in this crucial role in our national defense here in Washington.

Commending George H. Dunklin, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the exceptional work of a friend and great Arkansan, George H. Dunklin, Jr.

George has worked over the past four decades with conservation efforts to benefit Arkansas and the Natural State.

George has worked with Ducks Unlimited as an area chairman, president, chairman of the board of Ducks Unlimited, and has left a lasting mark on quality habitat preservation efforts for decades to come. He also has devoted time to serving as chairman of our Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

George has led a life of service to the people of Arkansas and its wildlife and their habitat. All of us from the Natural State thank him for his lifetime of hard work and tremendous dedication to waterfowl. Arkansas' reputation as a world-class place for outdoor recreation and field sports stands taller thanks to the efforts of citizens like George.

Congratulating Steve Finnegan

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend Steve Finnegan on his first year of his broadcasting debut with his own radio show on 102.9 KARN in central Arkansas.

Steve is a passionate and gracious host who always strives to tell the truth and make sure that Arkansas voices are heard each Saturday from 12 to 3 central time.

Prior to his newfound radio career, Steve proudly served our Nation in the United States Army, helped lead the American Legion in Arkansas, and in the early 2010s, was CEO of Green Blue Environmental, a service- disabled, veteran-owned small business, for over a decade.

Over the past year, he has taken an impressive veteran and small business owner background and brought his voice and expertise to the people of Arkansas and beyond across KARN's Arkansas signal and its streaming reach.

Steve Finnegan is a dedicated patriot both in his service and love of country and love of our great State of Arkansas and her people.

I congratulate Steve on an outstanding accomplishment. I look forward to the show's continued success in the years ahead.

Recognizing Master Sergeant Michael Hester

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Master Sergeant Michael Hester, a central Arkansan and member of the Arkansas National Guard.

This past August, Master Sergeant Hester was part of a six-person, all-National Guard rifle team that won the Dogs of War Trophy, a national trophy for marksmanship excellence.

Winning this revered trophy requires incredible skill and teamwork from all members of the team. Sergeant Hester served as a gunsmith and machinist for the team, playing a crucial role in the National Guard's first Dogs of War Trophy in almost four decades.

I speak for all central Arkansans when I say how proud we are of Master Sergeant Hester and his teammates for this significant achievement.

Recognizing Weston Wakefield

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Weston Wakefield, an Arkansas teen golfer representing central Arkansas at the 2024 PURE Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California.

Weston started golfing when he was 8 years old and is a member of First Tee, a youth development organization that teaches life skills to kids and teens through golf.

The PURE Insurance Championship is in its 21st year and brings teens from First Tee chapters all over the country out to world famous Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Golf Course for the PGA TOUR Champions Tournament later this month.

Weston will be competing against 79 other teens from across the country for the pro-junior title. We wish him all the best luck in this tournament and will be sure to watch his continued success.

Recognizing Curtis Ferguson

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Curtis Ferguson of Benton, Arkansas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my dear friend, Heide Harrell, on her nomination to be the next chair of the board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America. If elected, she would be the first Arkansan to lead the PRSA.

I had the privilege of working alongside Heide as she served for 5 years as the communication and marketing officer at my former company, Delta Trust and Bank. She serves as the director for communications for Central Arkansas Water, a metropolitan water system that serves over a half million residents.

Heide has more than 20 years of communication and marketing experience,

and just last year, she received the Public Relations Society of America's Crystal Award for her significant contributions to the PR profession.

Heide exemplifies passion and excellence in her communications work and beyond, and I know she will excel if she is elected to this national role.

I congratulate Heide. All her friends, her former coworkers, and her current coworkers are very proud of this accomplishment.

Open Border Is Security Threat

Mr. Speaker, history has a way of ``upending'' best laid plans or the logical outcome; the wishful thinking; or even the old admonition that ``things work for the best''.

It was a beautiful calm day . . . until it wasn't--at 4:30 a.m. in Charleston on April 12, 1861; 7:55 a.m. Honolulu time on December 7, 1941; at 8:46 a.m. on that spectacular early fall day of September 11, 2001; and, horrifically, at 5:07 a.m. on an overcast cold morning of February 22, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Wishful thinking is not a strategy.

Across our Nation there is a growing movement of wishful thinking that somehow the United States is best when isolated from the world's woes of war, and authoritarian communism and radical religious fanatics who are ``committed to the death'' of America or Western Values.

I witness it on the floor of the House of Representatives.

I see and hear it in both mainstream and social media.

And I am face to face with it in regular conversations at home in Arkansas.

The consistent line goes something like this:

We should give no money to other nations because we are running huge deficits.

We should only spend national security money here on our borders and our defense, not the defense of some other nation's freedom or their sovereign borders.

We should abandon the United Nations because our contributions there just fund those who hate us.

We must end our support of Ukraine as Putin has no beef with us; Ukraine and Crimea are Russia's anyway; and Ukraine is a failed, corrupt state.

Some even argue why bother to continue to support Taiwan--it belongs to China anyway.

Of course, these type of arguments are not new.

We have faced these movements as a part of our politics since our founding.

In stark contrast, without allied financial support, no one denies that there would simply be no United States of America.

Our beacon on liberty would have been still born.

Yet thankfully the Continental Congress took the risk based on Benjamin Franklin's wise observation that ``we must all hang together, or most assuredly we will hang separately'' by dispatching Dr. Franklin and John Adams to French Court and the Dutch bankers, respectively, to achieve essential military and financial aid.

In a modern context we have learned the age-old maxim that appeasement does not work--and, as successive U.S. Presidents in both political parties have urged: peace is, in fact, achieved through strength.

Appeasement of Hitler was advocated by many in the 1930s, including famous Americans, flyer Charles Lindbergh and FDR's own ambassador to the United Kingdom, JFK's father, Joseph Kennedy.

These partners in a Munich Mentality were in stunned silence after Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Appeasement coupled with weak, ineffective security capabilities-- demonstrated by history, and reality--result in failure, misery and subjugation.

So, we must ask ourselves, what is the response to these arguments by these successors of Lindbergh?

Yes, our federal spending levels are unsustainable. We all agree on this.

And, yes, I will also agree that there could be tremendous improvements in the scope and effectiveness of U.S. defense spending.

But, our support of our allies' freedom, strategic foreign aid in key regions, and our global military and economic leadership are not driving our deficits.

Our deficits are driven by our unreformed mandatory spending programs and big government advocates that continue to initiate new massive, multitrillion dollar federal spending programs as well as enormous, often overdone and poorly structured federal intervention as in the 2008 financial crisis or the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Such intervention is always clouded by the fog of the ``unknown unknowns'' of the particular predicament.

To those Americans that continue to resist NATO, the United Nations, and are cool on our allies in Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, my message to them is that these institutions and alliances are a key to peace through strength.

America is a less prosperous place when we abdicate leadership. Global leadership without the United States is a ``Venn Diagram'' with no intersection. And, very importantly, to be successful, peace through strength is not achieved alone.

And this is the lesson of the post-Cold War decades. Looking at the world through the lens of the post war period of 1945 to 1995 is a mistake.

We now reside in a multipolar world with changing alliances and new risks.

The binary choice of Soviet Union vs. United States is dead.

In that post war period, the United States rode in as the cavalry in any conflict pitched as counter to our national interests or ``the heads we win, tails you lose'' cold conflict with the Soviets.

Today, achieving open seas, improved trade market access, deterrence of warfare and invasion on land, under the sea, in space or via a computer network are all at the core of the U.S. led global order.

But in a multipolar environment, accomplishing these agreed upon outcomes require more complex diplomacy and partnership.

To be against the global order is to be for chaos and expanding threats and destruction.

This will result in fewer sales and fewer jobs for the world's largest economy and her families--us, our home, our country, the United States.

I believe that to be for America First, then one must support U.S. diplomacy crafting flexible alliances that while built on the foundations of the post war period, are in no way nostalgic.

Standing against this global order of open seas, open markets, deterrence of invasion of sovereign nations, safe and secure use of cyber and space are the self-described ``axis of resistance''--China, Russia, Iran, North Korea.

And, in my view, their very active proxies around the world: state actors like Cuba, Syria, and Belarus, and nonstate fundamentalist terror groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISIS; and the Houthis.

Their coordinated malevolence has only grown since the 2002 now almost quaint description by President George W. Bush of this group of actors as the ``axis of evil.''

Unfortunately, through ``resets, unenforced red lines, and appeasement, the Obama Administration empowered this axis of resistance and any constraints imposed by Trump officials have, for the most part, been dismantled by the Obama 2.0 policies by the Biden-Harris administration.

Iran sells 80 percent of its oil--free from sanctions by President Biden--to China.

Iran takes this funding, and additional funds freed by President Biden in frozen accounts in South Korea and Iraq and uses it to build its weapons arsenal and spread its disorder:

Sending drones and missiles to Russia to kill Ukrainians.

Sending Shia militia to Iraq and Syria to protect the murderous Assad regime, and to kill Americans along with Syrian women and children.

Sending missiles and targeting technology to the Houthi rebels in Yemen to kill Yemenis, attack cargo ships and U.S. and Allied vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Sending money and weapons to Hamas in the Gaza Strip to kill Israelis and start the now 11-month long war.

Sending millions of dollars in weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon to attack and kill Israelis and, ensure that beautiful Lebanon is a bankrupt, failed state.

China and North Korea are aiding Russia with material necessary for its continued economic advance as it bombs children's hospitals in Ukraine.

North Korea and Iran continue to advance their offensive nuclear weapon capabilities.

And, in the midst of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia, according to public reporting, is launching a nuclear weapon in space in violation of treaties and as a threat to the entire global civilization.

The December 1950 Time magazine quoted one of Putin's role models, Lenin as saying--``the road to Paris lies through Peking'' signaling Russia will partner with China to advance global domination of communism.

Never has it been more true.

These new authoritarian axis powers have set out to achieve global domination by way of countering the United States and the rule of law and by poisoning the minds of millions with cyber warfare propaganda.

To preserve our economic vitality and opportunity for our future, the United States and likeminded peoples, must echo Churchill in his commitment to repel the Nazis . . .

We must commit to fight this toxic blend of communism and terror on the beaches, in the streets, on the seas, in the air--but also on the network and in orbit.

Failure to do so will impoverish our economic future and our American spirit best voiced by President Kennedy in his inaugural address when he promised:

``Let every nation know, whether it wishes well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to ensure the survival and the success of liberty.''

Or maybe, as we are in a multipolar world you may find an old Chinese proverb (a favorite of Mao's) more compelling: ``you have to choose between killing the Tiger or being eaten by it.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Genrietta Churbanova, a Little Rock native.

Genrietta was named Princeton's 2024 valedictorian, not solely for ranking the top of her class, but embodying the absolute best Princeton has to offer.

Joao Biehl, Chairman of Princeton's anthropology department, agrees that she is the most exceptional student that has come through his department in the last two decades.

Genrietta was also named as Schwarzman Scholar for 2024, which is awarded to those who want to deepen their understanding about China's political, business, and technological impact on the rest of the world.

Genrietta stated that growing up in Arkansas kept her grounded and helped enable her to go far and achieve her goals.

I am proud to call Genrietta an Arkansan. Her accomplishments and drive have made her more than deserving of this honor, and I am eager to watch her journey in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Mehmet Ulupinar for being awarded the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award.

Dr. Ulupinar received the award because of his service to Little Rock through his work as president of the board for the Arkansas Culture and Dialog Center, a nonprofit that aims to promote the understanding of diverse cultures.

He worked tirelessly to foster relationships between the diverse communities and law enforcement in Arkansas by providing educational, social, and cultural services.

Through his work, central Arkansas will be a safer, more connected community.

I thank Dr. Ulupinar for his great work in central Arkansas and I congratulate him on his outstanding achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I thank very much Chair Kim for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, what a marvelous signal it sends to the world and to the United States to have Young Kim as our chair on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the Indo-Pacific. She is a young woman born in South Korea, a proud American citizen, a proud American mom, and now Member of Congress and spectacular chair.

Mr. Speaker, to my other friend from California, Mr. Sherman, I think he has made some outstanding arguments on behalf of our bill, and I thank him for being an original cosponsor of H.R. 554, the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act.

I modeled this bill on the Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act included in our national security package, which the House passed and President Biden signed into law this spring.

The idea is very straightforward: If we want to see the world's Communists and autocratic dictatorships change course, we must expose their wealth, corruption, and financial privilege of their elites to the citizens suffering daily under their rule.

This approach certainly applies to China's Communist Party, as well. The CCP leaders sit atop an authoritarian state littered with cronyism, kickbacks, graft, bribery, and a colossal misuse of public funds.

If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, H.R. 554 requires the Treasury Secretary to publish the illicit assets of Beijing's senior-most leaders, including the names of financial institutions that maintain the accounts.

As Mr. Sherman noted, our 1979 recognition of the government in Peking, now Beijing, rests on the foundation that the future of Taiwan would be determined by peaceful means and that any other method, including boycotts or embargoes, is considered a threat to

peace and security in the western Pacific.

At a time when the Chinese youth face a 17 percent unemployment rate, Xi has failed to deliver a social safety net, and families are battered by sinking real estate debt. Let these corrupt officials explain to ordinary Chinese citizens how they acquired their riches on a government salary, even as they call on their public to support war across the Taiwan Strait.

This bill goes beyond just naming and shaming. It will also cut off access to the United States financial system for those CCP officials and their immediate family. This point is worth highlighting in order to convey the costs that Beijing will bear if they impose an embargo, boycott, or launch military action. Blocking Chinese leaders' use of the dollar will certainly be mirrored by restrictions from other major economies, as well. Further, for Chinese officials whose families profit from their ill-gotten gains, they too will find the world becoming a much smaller place.

In 2012, The Washington Post reported that most of China's politburo standing committee have children or grandchildren studying here in the United States, including CCP Chairman, Xi Jinping. Such privileges will be put in jeopardy if China decides to act against Taiwan. H.R. 554 guarantees it.

Let me underline one other detail of this legislation, which is central to how it works.

The bill triggers reporting on China's leadership, but it also contains exemptions for those who cooperate with the United States. If Chairman Xi engages in hostilities against Taiwan, the asset report required by this bill might leave out a number of his colleagues, but is this because the Treasury Secretary simply targeted other individuals or because the unnamed officials turned state's evidence, earning themselves an exemption from the U.S. sanctions?

No one in the CCP will ever know for sure.

By the same token, everyone covered by this bill has an incentive to turn against the politburo if they determine to take aggressive action in violation of their commitments against Taiwan before it is too late for them and they see their finances laid bare.

The legislation treats the CCP like the kleptocratic centrally planned Communist state that it is. It is the same way we frequently have defeated organized crime, sowing distrust and paranoia. We must do the same in Beijing if China moves against Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Sherman noted, no one wishes to see conflict involving Taiwan, but we want to deter China from their worst instincts of potentially taking hostile actions. We must signal those consequences clearly and early.

Earlier this summer, Taiwan recorded 66 Chinese military planes operating around the island setting a single-day record. Fifty-six of those aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone.

Last month, Taiwan's defense ministry reported to lawmakers in Taipei how Beijing is developing new weapons and tactics to pressure the island. It is up to Congress and the executive branch to communicate that war across the Taiwan Strait would destroy the global economy, impoverish the Chinese people, and now, thanks to H.R. 554, impose significant personal costs for the Chinese elite and high-ranking CCP members, but the time to do this is before the outbreak of any threats or hostilities.

Again, I thank Chairwoman Kim and my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee for endorsing this legislation during its markup.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all our colleagues to support this bill with a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize multiple testaments to the character of President George H.W. Bush on what would have been his 100th birthday.

Texas A&M Today's article entitled, ``Remembering the Character of George H.W. Bush'' induces remarks from the 41st President's former Chief of Staff, Jean Becket, and the author of his biography, Jon Meacham. The article said:

``Anniversaries are about more than just the person being

commemorated--they tell us about how we see ourselves at that

moment, Pulitzer-Prize winning author and presidential

historian Jon Meacham said Wednesday on what would have been

President George H.W. Bush's 100th birthday.

``Speaking to a crowd gathered at the Annenberg

Presidential Conference Center on the Texas A&M University

campus, Meacham said there's not been a single moment in

American history when the country has been more in need of

what the 41st president represented than now. During Bush's

remarks in 1990 commemorating the centennial of President

Dwight D. Eisenhower, he quoted a motto etched onto a plaque

that sat on Eisenhower's desk. `Gently in manner, strong in

deed.'

`` `It's hard to imagine a better description of Bush,'

Meacham said.

``Meacham spoke alongside Jean Becker, Bush's chief of

staff for nearly 25 years, as part of a three-day centennial

celebration hosted by the George & Barbara Bush Foundation.

In addition to sharing some of their favorite memories about

the president, the importance of character and the qualities

that defined Bush were the focus of much of their discussion.

``Bush, known for his humility, likely `would not approve'

of the amount of attention being paid to him this week,

Becker said. The former president's reluctance toward

discussing himself and his legacy was exemplified by an

anecdote Becker shared about a visit Bush made to his

presidential library and museum in College Station before it

opened in 1997.

``Bush was invited to walk through the library one last

time to point out any changes he wanted made before the

opening `In the car on the drive back to Houston, he turned

to me and said, `Jean, I have a big problem with the museum,'

she said. And he said, `Jean, it's too much about me.'

``Meacham said Bush had a similar reaction after he read

the former president a draft of his eulogy.

`` `The eyes were very attentive. He was listening to every

possible bit, let's be clear,' Meacham said I got to the end,

and he said, `That's great--awful lot about me.' ''

``Meacham, who wrote the 2015 biography ``Destiny and

Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,''

eulogized Bush at his funeral following his death in November

2018.

``Meacham said Bush's humility wasn't an affectation. But

he also acknowledged the complications of a man who wanted to

serve in a subtle and decent way, but `also wanted to bend

the arc of history in the direction he thought it should go.'

`` `If we overly canonize him, he loses the capacity to

teach,'' Meacham said, adding that it's important to

acknowledge that Bush was fallible.

`` `Bush represented a man who was driven by ambition, but

who ultimately put service above self,' Meacham said. He also

warned against `overly romanticizing a past in a way that

prevents us from rising to the occasion.' When putting

together his new book, `The Call To Serve,' Meacham said he

was thinking about what Bush's legacy means at this time.

`` `The easy answer is the climate,' he said `Here's this

decent, gentlemanly figure who represented a long-ago order.

All true. But it was 20 minutes ago--it's not impossible to

recover if we summon the same reserves of character. Because

character, as the Greeks taught us, is destiny.'

``Becker, who is also promoting a new book, `Character

Matters,' said she's often pessimistically asked, `Where's

the next George Bush?' This outlook is a mistake, she said.

`` `The people who think there are no more George Bushes,

yeah, there are,' Becker said `You just have to vote for

them. You all control this. Quit voting for people who don't

have character. . . . The people are out here, and they're

willing to serve. We just have to follow his example of `do

what's right for the country.' Not what's right for you, not

what's right for the party, but what's right for the

country.'

``Becker and Meacham's panel was attended by hundreds of

members of the public, as well as members of the Bush family

and alumni of his administration. Becker said the former

president would have loved that the centennial celebration

served as a reunion.

`` `He loved all these people. The party part of it he

would love, and seeing everybody, but he definitely would

complain to me and Jon, `Quit talking about me, talk about

other people,' Becker said.

``While Becker said Bush hated discussing `the L word'--his

legacy--the Bush School of Government and Public Service at

Texas A&M `is his legacy, and it was really important to

him.'

`` `He would be so proud of the Bush School graduates,

because they're doing exactly what he wanted them to do,' she

said `They're everywhere--the State Department, particularly,

the CIA, city managers. They're doing everything, and he

would be very proud.'

``When it came time to choose a location for his

presidential library after Bush left the White House, there

was interest from several schools, including the University

of Houston and his alma mater, Yale University, Becker said.

But even though Bush did not attend Texas A&M, the university

``had his heart,'' she said.

``He loved service. That was his life motto, and he fell in

love with A&M the first time he came and gave a speech

here,'' Becker said. `It was sort of a slam dunk that it

would be here, and he loved it up here.''

``The ``41@100'' celebrations continue Thursday with the

grand opening of the Marine One/4141 Locomotive Pavilion. The

new 29,000-square-foot building at the George H.W. Bush

Presidential Library & Museum features the retired Marine One

helicopter used frequently by Bush during his time in office,

as well as the Union Pacific 4141 locomotive that led Bush's

funeral train from Houston to his final resting place on the

library grounds. The building will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.''

The Today Show's article entitled, ``Jenna Bush Hager shares letter to her late `Gampy' George H.W. Bush on his 100th birthday'' shared remarks that the former President's granddaughter had to say about her grandfather. The article said:

`` `He was gentle,'' Jenna said. ``He led with kindness. He

wanted to be the type of leader that listened.'

``Jenna Bush Hager is remembering her late grandfather, the

United States' 41st president, George H.W. Bush, on what

would have been his 100th birthday.

``On June 12, Jenna paid tribute to her late `Gampy' by

reading to viewers a letter she wrote to him about his impact

on her life.

Dear Gampy,

We miss you. We miss your letters and emails. We miss

racing through the waves of the Atlantic on your boat fishing

. . . laughing and debating around the dinner table.

We miss your rules: Don't be afraid to shed a tear when

your heart is broken or because a friend is hurting. Nobody

likes an overbearing big shot. As you succeed, be kind to

people. Thank those who help you along the way.

We miss your quiet compassion, like when you shaved your

head for the son of your secret service agent who had

leukemia.

We miss your belief that our country is greater when we

work together, and your lifelong dedication to our country as

one of the youngest navy pilots in World War II.

On this day, many of your grandkids--inspired by you--will

jump out of a plane. Your milestone birthday tradition that

you so proudly did in honor of the nation's military.

Gampy, you have been gone for eight years, but we feel you

still as we look into the sky and see a thousand points of

light . . . in simple acts of love . . . in the smiles of

your great grandchildren.

``Jenna's tribute had TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb in tears.

`` `The life lessons he taught that you summed up in that

short piece were incredible,' Hoda said `And what struck me

so, was the kindness. It's like, we're better when we're

kinder.'

`` `He was gentle,' Jenna said `He led with kindness. He

wanted to be the type of leader that listened.'

``George H.W. Bush passed away at the age of 94 in 2018,

less than 8 months after the death of his wife of 73 years,

Barbara Bush.

``Jenna and her twin sister, Barbara, were both greatly

influenced by their Gampy. Barbara chose to marry right after

getting engaged to Craig Coyne in 2018, so that her ailing

grandfather could attend.

``George H.W. Bush, like Jenna, loved putting his feelings

down on paper.

`` `He wrote us the most beautiful letters when he was in

his 70s, 80s, about being together, about how all he wanted

was us to come home and that that was what brought him the

most joy, was to be surrounded by his grandkids and his

family,' Jenna shared on TODAY on June 5.

George H.W. Bush and Barbara shared six children: Former

President George W. Bush, 77, Jeb Bush, 71, Neil Bush, 69,

Marvin Bush, 67, Dorothy Bush Koch, 64, and Pauline `Robin'

Bush, who died at the age of 3 from leukemia.''

The Wall Street Journal's article entitled ``The George Bush Century'' by James A. Baker III, the former President's Secretary of State, said:

``At a time of political dysfunction, the 100th anniversary

of President George H.W. Bush's birth provides an opportunity

to examine his leadership traits, which could help America

regain its national footing. Those qualities--which made him

the best one-term president in U.S. history and one of the

best ever--include these:

``Selflessness. Born into a family with a tradition of

public service, Bush put his nation above himself. He did so

as the 20-year-old son of an influential East Coast banker

who risked his life as a Navy pilot and was shot down over

the Pacific during World War II. As president he was

domestically rebuked for refusing to thump his chest after

the Berlin Wall fell. He reasoned that triumphalism might

hinder tense relations with the faltering but still dangerous

Soviet Union.

``Trustworthiness. What started as a wary relationship with

Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union's last leader, developed

into a strong, personal bond that Gorbachev credited with

improving relations between the countries. The two worked

together to reunite Germany, eject Iraq's troops from Kuwait

and negotiate two nuclear arms-reduction treaties.

``Pragmatism. Bush recognized that savvy responses were

often more effective than bold ones. Conservative in nature,

he preferred stability and calm. His decision against

marching to Baghdad in 1991 was driven by a pragmatic

assessment of potential risks of occupation. The decision,

much criticized at the time, proved wise.

``Respect for experience. Bush often advised aspiring young

politicians to avoid being like a Dalmatian in a fire house,

running every time the bell rings. Instead, he told them to

get a job, start a family and do other things that would

allow them to build a full life. By the time he became

president, Bush had worked in the Texas oil patch, raised

five children to adulthood, and served as a congressman,

ambassador to the United Nations, top diplomat in China,

director of the Central Intelligence Agency and vice

president. No one knew the world as thoroughly and clearly.

``Leadership by example. Always a workhorse rather than a

show horse, Bush let his actions speak for him. The ``kinder,

gentler nation'' he envisioned wasn't merely a political

bromide. He and Barbara Bush dedicated personal time to

support and promote education and service-oriented programs.

The Bushes didn't show class. They were class.

``Bipartisanship. He didn't mind butting heads with

Democrats, or with fellow Republicans for that matter. But he

refused to demonize opponents, and he always looked across

the aisle for bipartisan solutions, such as the Clean Air Act

and Americans with Disabilities Act.

``The political climate was far more temperate when Bush

was in the White House than it is today. Debates could be

rancorous, but they reached nothing like today's feverish and

destructive pitch. As I watch the calamity that American

politics has become, I yearn for the brand of wise,

courageous and humble leadership that George H.W. Bush

embodied. His virtues remind us of what we have lost--and can

regain if we follow his example.''

Joe Strauss, former Speaker of the Texas House, had this to

say about the former President in the San Antonio Express-

News article ``Celebrating President George H.W. Bush, who

governed with principle.''

``This week marks what would have been the 100th birthday

of President George H.W. Bush. It is a time to celebrate a

man who distinguished himself by what he accomplished and how

he led.

``Bush's presidency from 1989 to 1993 was highly

consequential: The United States won the Cold War, helped

broker the peaceful reunification of Germany and liberated

Kuwait from Saddam Hussein. Bush signed the landmark American

with Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act. Strength and

diplomacy abroad, combined with kindness and compassion at

home, defined his time in the White House'' . . .

``Sununu writes, ``President Bush's decades of integrity

and credibility allowed him to move these powerful leaders in

unison toward a common goal. They trusted his tactics and

strategy, and most importantly they trusted that he would

ensure that they shared the credit for the success of this

world-changing effort'' . . .

``Bush, however, did not waver. He said of one critic, `He

couldn't have been uglier and meaner. But that Just made me

more determined to do what was right.'

``As president, he agreed to a deficit-reduction deal with

congressional Democrats that reduced spending while also

making modest increases in tax rates. Because he had famously

promised not to raise taxes, Bush knew this decision could

cost him reelection, and in large part, it did. But the deal

also reversed growing deficits and paved the way for a

balanced federal budget in the years after he left office.

``Throughout his life, Bush demonstrated the moral fiber

that we should expect, if not demand, from great leaders.

Even many Americans who disagreed with his policies

understood that he put his service to others above any

personal gain or glorification--a style that is growing less

and less familiar in an age when we seem to measure elected

officials by their visibility in the media rather than their

effectiveness in office.''

Mr. Speaker, I stand tonight to spend a few minutes on this House floor paying tribute to a longtime friend. Before I do that, I yield to the gentleman from California, Mike Garcia, who has been an exceptional naval aviator, corporate executive, and now the distinguished gentleman from southern California.

He is an essential member, Mr. Speaker, of our Appropriations Committee and our House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Captain Russell ``Gnat'' Maynard

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California for his service as an F/A-18 Hornet pilot, a TOPGUN aviator, and the salute to his comrade, Captain Maynard. All of us lament the day that we lose close friends, and it is a special tribute to hear from Mr. Garcia.

Mr. Speaker, we come to this House floor tonight to pay our respects to a distinguished former Member of this body, a former Vice President, and a former President of the United States on the occasion of the centennial of his birth.

Mr. Speaker, today, we pay tribute to the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush on what would have been the week of his 100th birthday on June 12.

General Leave

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

Mr. Speaker, to start this tribute to George Bush, what better person to call on than the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas, someone who also moved to Texas to find her career and find her success just like George H.W. Bush did, as well.

Beth Van Duyne distinctly represents north Texas. She is a former mayor of Irving. She is a former official, the regional administrator for the Department of Housing and Urban Development for President Trump.

She has been at the top of her game in the executive branch, in this legislative branch, the House of Representatives, and in local government as a city councilwoman and mayor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne), my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her wonderful remarks about an extraordinary American, George H.W. Bush, our 41st President of the United States.

I think about the first time I got to meet this gentleman. Upon graduating from college back in 1979, I moved to Dallas, Texas, home to then a booming economy with lots of jobs in finance which, as a brand- new college graduate, was my hopeful profession.

That fall, I was invited by friends to join the committee of young people sponsoring an informal barbecue for a possible Presidential candidate. The candidate's name was George Bush from Houston, Texas. It was a terrific evening. I met Mr. Bush, and I made a lot of new friends in my adopted town of Dallas. Little did I know, just 10 years later I would be working for him in his administration as he became the 41st President of the United States.

Three years after meeting, in 1982, I took the advice of a good friend of George Bush's, Elvis Mason, CEO of the Dallas-based banking corporation for whom I worked, and accepted an appointment to move to Washington, D.C., and handle the Banking Committee staff responsibilities for Senator John Tower of Texas.

These were the exciting early days of the first term of President Ronald Reagan. While George Bush had not been elected President in 1980, he was selected to join President Reagan's winning ticket as Vice-President.

It was during this time that I learned firsthand of the incredible warmth and generosity of George and Barbara Bush. It was their custom to invite young staffers from Texas to events at the Vice-President's residence in Washington. I will never forget one holiday season where I was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with Barbara Bush, cross-legged, as she was telling stories to all of us assembled in the room.

Martha and I both volunteered for the 1988 Bush for President campaign and were thrilled when he was elected that November. His election as President witnessed the most qualified person in the history of our country to be elected to the role of Chief Executive.

Bush had been a standout athlete, a decorated U.S. Navy fighter pilot, as Congresswoman Van Duyne pointed out, and a pioneering successful business entrepreneur in the oil fields of Texas and in the cutting edge of the critically important niche of deepwater offshore oil and gas drilling.

At age 40, and the father of five children, George Bush was called to public service. First, he was elected the Harris County, Texas, Republican chairman. At the time, Republicans were in an ascent with the amazing special election win in May 1961 by John Tower to replace the Senate vacancy left by Lyndon Johnson becoming President Kennedy's Vice-President.

Bush's initial foray into the rough-and-tumble Texas elected politics was a flop. He was defeated in 1964 in a U.S. Senate race against the incumbent populist Democrat Ralph Yarborough. However, he dusted himself off and made a major rebound by announcing his candidacy for Texas' Seventh Congressional District in January 1966.

This brought about one of my favorite stories about the Bushes. After he announced his candidacy on a Saturday, the following Monday morning, Barbara was driving then 6-year-old Doro to school in her carpool.

One of the little girls in the car said to Doro: ``I saw your daddy on television last night.''

A third child in the car said: ``You did? What was he doing?''

Doro responded: ``Oh, you know, it was about that `erection' that he is going to have.''

Mrs. Bush's response was typical, as reported by biographer Jon Meacham: ``Needless to say, we have worked on the word `election'.''

Bush would go on to win that race for Congress and would be the first freshman to win a seat on the prestigious Ways and Means Committee since 1904. He served there with distinction in this House, but his itch and ambition were far higher. He once again took a risk like he did when he moved from the East to west Texas in the oil fields and in that first race for Congress that he lost.

Bush decided to throw his hat in the ring for the 1970 race for the United States Senate against the former Democratic Congressman Lloyd Bentsen. Bush's continued ambitions for the Senate were enhanced by his April 1969 visit with former President Lyndon Johnson out at LBJ's ranch near Austin to test out his idea of another try at the Senate.

The story went something like this: ``Mr. President, I have got a decision to make, and I would like your advice. My

House seat is secure, no opposition like last time, and I have got a position on Ways and Means. I don't mind taking risks, but in a few more terms, I will have seniority on a very powerful committee. I am just not sure it is a gamble I should take, whether it is really worth it.''

Well, President Johnson made a very characteristic reply to Bush. He said: ``Son, I have served in the House, and I have been privileged to serve in the Senate, too, and they are both good places to serve. So I wouldn't begin to advise you what to do except to say this, that the difference between a Member of the Senate and a Member of the House is the difference between chicken salad and chicken'' fill-in-the-blank. For effect, Johnson paused, and he said: ``Son, do I make my point?''

He did make his point for sure, but that didn't help George Bush win that Senate race. Between his leaving the House and being elected Vice- President of the United States in 1980, the now-former Congressman was appointed by Presidents Nixon and Ford to a series of senior critical leadership positions in our government: U.N. Ambassador for 2 years; followed by a year-and-a-half as chairman of the Republican National Committee, including during the Nixon Watergate resignation crisis; then moving to Beijing as our top diplomat just 2 years after the famous Nixon opening. He followed that by a key job at the helm as the 11th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1976 to 1977.

For George and Barbara Bush, this pattern of appointments made them wonder, is this a way to sidetrack him from his own goal, which was to be elected President of the United States. He viewed serving as the Republican National Committee chair at the height of Watergate a thankless task; and now to be called back from China to take over the CIA, which had been battered by a decade of hostile congressional investigations, exposes, and charges that ran from lawbreaking to simple incompetence. It seemed like truly, for him, a dead-end politically.

Bush's dad, former U.S. Senator Prescott Bush, had always told him that if the President asks, you have a duty to say yes. The Bush family moved back to Washington, D.C., to face the hostile Senate confirmation for a job he wasn't even sure he wanted.

However, with the Church Commission reforms being implemented by Congress crafting a new approach to intelligence community oversight, it ended up that he was, in fact, the right man at the right time.

In this Congress, I am privileged to serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the companion to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, both creations of the aftermath of that Church Commission and the need for greater, more intensive congressional oversight of the intelligence community. Having now served on this committee, I recognize the exceptional role these two oversight committees play and what a fine job George Bush did in his 12 months sitting in the corner office on the seventh floor of the CIA headquarters building.

It was an intensive 1 year. He testified before Congress over 50 times and made 21 public appearances. It was clear that he defended the important role of the intelligence community and rebuilt the morale that had been so destroyed internally by decades of bad decisionmaking and externally by the brutal battering ram of congressional investigation.

He ended up loving the job and deeply respecting the work of the officers and analysts. As he left at the beginning of the Jimmy Carter administration, he said: ``This is the most interesting job I have ever had. That includes Congress, the United Nations, Peking, and the RNC,'' so it is fitting that the CIA headquarters building in Langley, Virginia, is named for President Bush.

As George Bush entered the Vice-Presidency in January 1981, his extraordinary career was finally put fully to work. It was this 8 years of final exceptional preparation as VP that would be put to the ultimate test as the 41st President.

Ten years from our first meeting at that barbecue as a young person, in 1989, it was such a privilege to join his administration, first at the Treasury, and later as a member of his White House staff. While he was only in office one term, he achieved so many foreign and domestic wins, like witnessing the fall of communism and the resulting unification of Germany, or ejecting Saddam Hussein for his illegal invasion of Kuwait to domestic successes, such as cleaning up the savings and loan financial debacle of the 1980s; the amendments to the Clean Air Act, or the initiation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and highlighting the success of just ordinary Americans helping their fellow citizens every day through his still prominent Points of Light initiative.

Despite these exceptional legislative and policy successes, there were disappointments. For me, the first was the rejection by the United States Senate of John Tower, his friend, my old boss, to serve as Secretary of Defense. Tower would have been an outstanding Secretary, and the attacks on him were personal, not policy.

The most disappointing and most controversial aspect of his Presidency, which contribute to the tough loss in 1992, was his decision in 1990 to include tax increases as a part of a major deficit reduction package. His 1988 campaign speech included his famous--made infamous--line: ``Read my lips, no new taxes.''

It blew up in his face. With a slowing economy, continued tough real estate markets following the savings and loan crisis, along with high gas prices resulting from Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. economy entered a brief recession. A combination of slowing economy and higher taxes was not a political winner.

After the Presidency, the former President and a very, very proud father witnessed two of his fine sons being elected Governors of Florida and Texas, and his son George going on to be elected the 43rd President of the United States. What a powerful legacy of service.

As I reflect on the life and legacy of George Bush, one always focuses on just what a good man he was, what a fine President he was.

My wife, Martha, who also worked for President Bush during his time in office, always described the President as the perfect person to put on that form we have all filled out a million times: ``In case of emergency, please call.''

George Bush was that solid business partner, that caring neighbor, that great, intimate personal friend. George and Barbara dearly loved their five children, George, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Doro, and honored daily the memory of a sixth, Robin, who died in 1953 at age 3 from leukemia.

Robin was such a tremendous inspiration in the Bushes' lives and in their lifelong dedication to philanthropic support for cancer research. Over their lives, George and Barbara Bush's efforts resulted in some $90 million being raised for research at Houston's MD Anderson.

To know George Bush and Barbara Bush is to be grateful for their compassion, patriotism, and tremendous sense of humor. Even in the gloom of the 1992 loss, a few days after the election, all the White House staff officers got a message that the President has invited you to an important meeting in the East Room of the White House.

We all assembled at the appointed time, and an offstage announcer said: ``Ladies and gentlemen, the President and Mrs. Bush.'' Then in walked Dana Carvey, impersonating Bush, holding Mrs. Bush's hand, waving his way into the East Room and up onto the dais. President Bush strolled in, laughing hysterically behind the pair.

President Bush and Dana Carvey then outdid each other, imitating President Bush's quirky, funny mannerisms. It brightened the spirits of the loyal White House staffers in the face of a historic Presidential campaign loss. The President's typical upbeat, optimistic outlook on life endeared his legacy in the hearts of all those assembled.

As we commemorate the centennial of the birth of this good man, devoted dad, and terrific President of the United States, we know that our country is better off because George H.W. Bush was born on June 12, 1924, and devoted his life to the betterment of our Nation.

Congratulating Mary Beth Hatch

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mary Beth Hatch for taking

over as chief of education for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Most recently, Mary Beth has been serving as the coordinator of school innovation in the North Little Rock School District, leading students and teachers on trips to learn outdoor skills.

In this position, she was working directly with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to bring innovative ideas to best teach our youth about nature and conservation. With over 18 years in public education, she decided it was time to educate more than just students in the classroom.

In her new role, Mary Beth will be responsible for guiding the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's educational efforts in conservation and natural resources.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mary Beth in her new role, and I look forward to the improvements that she will make in the Natural State.

Recognizing Dylan Silverman-Barnes

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dylan Silverman- Barnes, a rising senior at the University of Central Arkansas.

In April, for his honors capstone project, Dylan orchestrated the building of three new community gardens at Conway's Bethlehem House to provide fresh food to the homeless population in Conway, Arkansas.

Bethlehem House provides temporary housing to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in Conway. They can provide housing and dinner to nearly 40 individuals, including kids, on any given night, and the house serves more than 100 people annually.

Dylan, a dietetics major, was able to make this project a reality through a grant provided by Arkansas Interfaith Power & Light, a national organization that focuses on regenerative urban agriculture and environmentally conscious practices.

Dylan's project was 1 of 20 projects approved out of 300 applications and the only one in Arkansas. I thank Dylan for his service to central Arkansas and his service to others.

Thanking Dr. Larry and Carlene Davis for Investing in Nursing

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Dr. Larry and Carlene Davis for the creation of their new nursing endowment scholarship at the University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton.

This scholarship is in honor of their daughter, Sarah Woods, who has a master's of science in nursing and is currently a nurse in neighboring Oklahoma.

Larry and Carlene Davis' scholarship will help change the lives of many prospective nurses. The Davis family presented the foundation with more than $25,000 to distribute among full-time students in the practical nursing and registered nursing programs based on financial need. The scholarship ensures that talented students will have the opportunity to hone their skills, regardless of financial background.

I thank Dr. Larry and Carlene Davis for their generosity and their investment in future nurses for the State of Arkansas.

Recognizing Brad and Tara Peacock's Dedication to Farming

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Brad Peacock of Bald Knob, Arkansas.

Mr. Peacock and his wife, Tara, manage 1,500 acres of farmland known as Peacock Planting, where they focus on cultivating soybeans, corn, and rice.

In February 2023, the Peacocks were named finalists in the National Outstanding Young Farmers award. This past March, Brad joined other honorees on a trip to Washington, D.C., during National Agriculture Week to interact with lawmakers and advocate for a strong reauthorization of the farm bill.

The Peacocks' dedication to farming and passion for helping those around them truly make them outstanding farmers. I thank Brad and Tara Peacock for their important work to provide food for the Nation and the world.

Congratulating Truman Scholar Daniel Block

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Daniel Block, a proud native of Little Rock. Daniel is currently a student at Brandeis University and a member of Congregation B'nai Israel, Little Rock's Reform Jewish synagogue.

Last month, Daniel was named a Truman Scholar, an award for those dedicated to being future leaders in the environment, Tribal public policy, and healthcare fields.

His work at Zumwalt Acres, a farm in rural Illinois, not only leads the cause of carbon negativity but is also rooted in Jewish values of social justice.

Daniel is well deserving of this achievement, and I wish him success in his commitment and steps toward a sustainable future.

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

Mr. Chair, earlier today on Roll Call No. 239, I was recorded as voting AYE when I intended to vote NO.

Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mr. Mast

Madam Chair, I rise in support of the Central Bank Anti- Surveillance State Act.

The Constitution and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 create the foundation of our money and our economic policy in this country. Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution states that only Congress has the authority to coin money and regulate the value of such money.

Today, Congress is exercising its Article I authority to state clearly that the Federal Reserve does not have the authority to create a central bank digital currency.

This shouldn't be controversial. It shouldn't be partisan. We know that is the case. We will see how the vote falls today, Madam Chair, but this legislation is necessary, as you have heard this morning, because we live in a world where government can abuse the tools that they have.

As noted by the whip, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was freezing bank accounts of people protesting COVID-19 restrictions in his country. We read reports from the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government of how FinCEN, a bureau of the Treasury Department, pressured banks to screen private transactions of their customers for words like ``MAGA'' or ``Trump'' on behalf of Federal law enforcement.

Is that really the country we want to live in? They even tracked people, according to that subcommittee, if you shopped at Bass Pro Shops. I shop at Bass Pro Shops all the time in my district.

This kind of Big Brother-style surveillance of our financial lives by the government is alarming to Americans because it represents the political targeting of citizens in this country.

We don't need a retail central bank digital currency. We have a payment system that can capitalize on the private sector. For example, private sector payment stablecoins are a terrific innovation that will become a ubiquitous way for people to transact and expand and enhance the dollar dominance of our currency around the world.

Madam Chair, a vote for this bill is to vote to safeguard our freedom, protect our privacy, and preserve the integrity of our financial system.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) for yielding the time.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Mr. Ogles' commonsense resolution.

Yes, it doubles down on the views of Congress in this bill, no doubt. The underlying bill already prohibits the use of a central bank digital currency to implement monetary policy.

However, this sense of Congress further clarifies our intent. As Chairman McHenry just noted, the Federal Reserve is not permitted to develop, create, or implement a CBDC or to use a CBDC to implement monetary policy without authorization of Congress. Part of the reason we are here is due to the Fed officials having been ambiguous or noncommittal as to public statements related to their legal authorities under the Federal Reserve Act as it relates to a CBDC.

I agree with Mr. McHenry that certainly this Chairman, Jay Powell, has been quite clear to our committee that issuing a retail CBDC is not something he could do without an authorization of Congress.

That is why I think reiterating it in this resolution is an important step. I commend the gentleman from Tennessee for bringing this amendment. I hope all our colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support it and the underlying bill.