Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1180, the

Working Families Flexibility Act, introduced by my friend, the gentlewoman from Alabama (Mrs. Roby). The House will be considering the bill later this week to give private sector employees the same flexibility offered to many local, State, and Federal Government workers that have had it for many years now.

The legislation will give employees the option of choosing to receive compensatory time off from their employers instead of overtime wages. It does not change the 40-hour workweek, and it does not weaken employee protections. We are simply giving American workers more choice.

The bill does not allow for employees to coerce anyone into choosing one option over another. It would be a voluntary decision made between the employer and the employee. Everyone needs flexibility in their schedule to balance between work and personal time, and we should be giving American workers the option to choose what is most important to them: overtime wages or time off. It should be their decision, not the government's.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 1180, the Working Families Flexibility Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of communities across Michigan's First District that depend on Essential Air Service funding for industry, mobility, and economic success. I believe that, when it comes to protecting taxpayer dollars, we as Congress have a fiduciary responsibility to the American people. We owe it to them to evaluate what is working and what isn't and make the appropriate adjustments.

The Essential Air Service program is a great example of a program that is working, and I am proud to support it. EAS grants make it possible for 8 of the 10 airports in Michigan's First District to provide reliable air services, promote economic stability and job growth, and support a healthy tourism industry in the Upper Peninsula and throughout northern Michigan.

The benefits that this program provides to small towns and cities in Michigan and across the United States are well worth the investment, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure full Essential Air Service funding.

Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago yesterday, ground was broken on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Today, there are 58,272 names listed on that memorial. We still have work to do.

There are 1,615 names listed as MIA. As a Vietnam veteran, I want to call your attention to all of the men and women who served, the 2.7 million who served in Vietnam, a lot of whom are with us today, and a lot of those who will continue to celebrate the losses of our comrades.

Please remember that we all served honorably at the request of our government, and we will continue to serve as long as the cause is just.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet on Monday, March 27, 2017, when it will convene at noon for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

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

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 31 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until Monday, March 27, 2017, at noon for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Gallagher for his leadership on this issue, and the leadership across the board here as a Member of what we--I think most of us smile when we say the freshman class, because when I look across the experience level of all of the freshman Congressmen, no matter Democrat or Republican, what this country is blessed to have today, as Members of this 115th Congress, are people who come here with the sense of mission, a sense of purpose, a sense that we know what we have here in this country.

We may have disagreements as to how we are going to get to where we need to go, but we all agree that we need to go there. The question is: How do we do it?

One of the ways you create an environment where you have fresh ideas and fresh ways of looking at it is to change the people who are presenting and acting those ideas.

I find myself asking many times as we stand on the floor here: What would the Founders say if they were here today with us? How would they look at how we are enacting their vision of what it means to be a constitutionally-based Republic that is ``We the People''? How would they react?

I think there are probably a few things that they could not have imagined. Twitter or Snapchat might be one of them--pick your way of communicating across the spectrum that we now have today as our reality. I am not saying those things are bad. They are just the new reality that we have.

So how do we take what was given to us as a framework and move it forward?

Well, again, my colleagues have all eloquently very well stated that they believe that we need to have a higher turnover in Congress. Term limits is going to be a very good first step in ensuring that we maintain the freshness of ideas.

When you look at the challenges that face our country, we know that there are people out there who have chosen not to run, for whatever reason, because of the fact that they view they

can make more of a difference outside of Congress. That is too bad, because we need good people. We need them. We need them to be here, to be part of us.

One of the brutal realities as--author Jim Collins of ``Good to Great,'' you know, he talks about facing the brutal realities. One of the brutal realities that I believe we have to face is the professional politician. That wasn't written about anywhere 240 years ago. It just occurred over time.

It is our responsibility--especially as a freshman class, you can feel the passion that we believe is the right passion to be put behind term limits to begin to make the change necessary. So we are all in this together. In fact, I am proud to be a member of the freshman class, and I am proud of the fact that we signed a commitment to civility a couple of months ago that put us in a position where we are finding our voice. And what you are hearing today from our colleagues is part of that voice says: We need to do some things a little differently.

So let's move forward; let's expand the debate; and let's make sure that we are inclusive in everyone who wants to get their opinion heard on this issue; and make sure that those who have questions about what we mean, we articulate it because in so many areas we have got big decisions to make. This is going to be a big one.

In the Marines, we accept the mission that is assigned; we plan and train for it, and then we execute it, and we get it right. And that doesn't mean we don't make a few tweaks in the process, but the bottom line is that we accomplish the mission.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask all of my colleagues to seriously consider getting behind support for term limits in the United States Congress.

Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to recognize Mr. Brett French as this year's individual recipient of the Distinguished Service Award (DSA). The Lake Superior Community Partnership's Distinguished Service Award is extended to businesses and individuals who support economic development in Marquette County.

After earning bachelor's and master's degrees from Central Michigan University, French served as a public policy and environmental consultant before settling in Ishpeming and beginning his career with American Transmission Co. (ATC), a high-voltage electric transmission system company. As the external affairs manager for ATC, French contributes to Marquette County's development by streamlining and enhancing access to affordable electricity for hundreds of communities across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Having been with ATC for 16 years now, French is responsible for developing, coordinating, and managing relationships between ATC and the Michigan-based customers and stakeholders who make ATC's work possible.

French participates in numerous community development organizations and remains devoted to improving American infrastructure and the quality of life in the Upper Peninsula. His commitment to economic development is exemplified through his service with Marquette County's Economic Development Corp., Dickinson Economic Development Alliance, and Operation Action U.P., where he works to identify and address regional opportunities that advance economic development in our state's most rural areas. French also understands the importance of learning the skills needed to succeed in today's economy. In conjunction with the Midwest Skills Development Center Advisory Board and NICE Community Schools, he has provided the guidance to equip the next generation of great leaders with the skills they need to succeed. French's commitment to his profession, community, and neighbors has been essential to his success, and I am confident that he will continue to inspire others in the community to take an active role in improving the quality of life in the Upper Peninsula.

Mr. Speaker, French's accomplishments in service to the Upper Peninsula cannot be understated, and his family and community can take pride in knowing that Northern Michigan is a better place thanks to his work. On behalf of Michigan's First Congressional District, I congratulate Mr. Brett French and wish him well as he continues to make a difference in the lives of others.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of H.R. 1259, the VA Accountability First Act.

This important piece of legislation targets vulnerabilities within the VA employment structure that prevent bad actors from being fired or demoted. This commonsense reform gives the Secretary of the VA the flexibility to dismiss or demote employees who are guilty of on-the-job inebriation, drug diversion, and sexual assault, just to name a few. Our veterans deserve quality care. They have earned quality care.

As chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, it is my highest priority in making sure that our Department of Veterans Affairs is working for the men and women who have worn the cloth of our Nation and made the sacrifices that keep us free: our veterans.

This bill moves the needle in the right direction, and I commend Chairman Roe for introducing it.

Mr. Speaker, it's my honor to recognize the Michigan State Police as they celebrate their 100th Anniversary. We

Michiganders are so grateful for Michigan State Police's century of law enforcement excellence, selfless service, and tireless dedication to communities across Michigan.

Originally organized as a temporary, wartime emergency force to provide domestic security during World War I, the force was formally reorganized two years later as the Michigan State Police. In April of 1917, a small band of 300 mounted men became the first Michigan State Police troopers, and over the last 100 years, they have become a world- class, professional law enforcement agency with over 2,900 members. In the First District, we are grateful to have ten Michigan State Police posts serving men and women in every community.

From Alpena to Iron Mountain and Traverse City to the Soo, each Michigan State Police trooper takes on the sacred oath to serve and protect our families and homes when he or she puts on the uniform. You do more than protect, you inspire and build relationships in our communities through creative partnerships and programs ranging from direct engagement with Community Service Troopers to Teen Safe Driving programs that keep our most precious resource, our children, safe. It's your commitment to integrity, excellence, and courtesy that has led to real results in Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Michigan State Police for 100 years of service. Michiganders can take great pride in knowing that Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are better and safer places thanks to the work and dedication of the Michigan State Police. On behalf of my constituents and residents across the State of Michigan, congratulations, Michigan State Police, on 100 years of exceptional service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the freshman class's commitment to civility.

Before the Revolutionary War, a 16-year-old George Washington copied 110 rules for civil behavior out of his school book. The last of Washington's rules of civility, as they are now called, is this: ``Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.''

Conscience: That should be our guide in everything we do, both here in Congress and back home--for me, in Michigan's First District. Conscience is why, as a Member of the freshman class of the 115th Congress, I have made a commitment to open and civil debate.

We are facing many challenges in our country. And the folks here and back in Michigan, all across the land, on both sides of the aisle, have many different ideas about where we need to be and what we need to do to get there. That is democracy at work.

Being civil means that the best and most effective ideas have a real chance to be heard. If we truly desire to move forward as a country, we have to do it together. We must treat each other with dignity and respect. We must be civil.

This freshman class has dedicated itself across party lines to setting the example for ourselves and for our colleagues here in Congress and for all of our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I will uphold these standards, and I trust that my colleagues will also do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 512, the WINGMAN Act.

I am honored to represent the First District of Michigan, which, as a State, has a higher than average percentage of veterans, and the First District has double the percentage of veterans of the rest of the State. To advocate for these fine men and women who have served so honorably, we have the absolute imperative to make sure that they get the help that they need to cut through the bureaucratic red tape at agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

I have been serving in Congress for just over a month now, and, already, my office has been flooded with requests from veterans seeking aid in navigating the benefits claims process.

Unfortunately, the VA is notoriously plagued by a culture of complacency and inefficiency. Even something as simple as checking the status of a veteran's claim means that congressional staff members have to circle back around numerous times with VA employees before being able to provide the veterans in the First District with an accurate update.

As a veteran of the Vietnam war, I know that time is valuable to our veterans. We have to introduce more efficiency and transparency into the benefits claims process.

H.R. 512 is designed to cut out the middle step. The WINGMAN Act provides congressional offices with read-only access to veterans' records within the Veterans Benefits Administration. This commonsense bill allows our veterans quicker access to simple status inquiries, provides greater transparency for congressional offices, and allows the VA employees more time to work on completing these claims.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. The premise of this bill is clear: American taxpayer dollars will not be used to fund abortion in this country.

I stand here today as a husband, father, grandfather, and, most importantly, as someone who cherishes the God-given right to life. In a country founded on life and liberty, the act of abortion should not be condoned, and it certainly should not be subsidized.

It is fitting that the House consider this legislation this week as we prepare for millions of people to come to Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life rally where they will give a voice to the unborn. We must work together to move the pro-life message and pro-life policies forward to protect those who cannot yet speak for themselves.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, and stand up for the principles of life and liberty.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say thank you to the people of Michigan's First Congressional District for giving me the opportunity to represent them in Congress. I would also like to thank my wife, Cindy, and our children and grandchildren for their constant and unwavering support.

It is truly an honor and a privilege to be here, and I am so humbled to be doing the people's work in the House of Representatives. I came to Congress not only to restore common sense and fiscal sanity to the Federal Government but, most importantly, to serve the constituents of Michigan's First District and to be their voice in Washington.

We have a new opportunity ahead of us to bring industry and prosperity back to the American people, but it is up to us here in Congress to do the work and put in the long hours it will take to get there. My promise today is that I will work tirelessly for my district and do everything I can to make sure we are leaving a better country for our children and grandchildren.

Again, thank you to the people of Michigan's First Congressional District for this opportunity.