Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished incoming chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee for the time.

Madam Speaker, I just want to say I do support this rule. I will revise and extend my remarks for the Record later on, but as someone who worked very long on appropriations bills, the problem has been historically that the Senate has blocked the passage of most of their bills.

This year, they did not pass a single one. This year, we passed seven before we had to shut down. None of us on appropriations want an omnibus bill. We all prefer individual, one-by-one bills, but in the absence of that, this is the aggregate of those bills added together, and I do support the rule.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you for all of your leadership and friendship over the years, and your very capable staff as well.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your retirement as well and wish you the best.

You know, I came to Washington to cut spending and hold the line on spending, and that is why I am supporting this bill today. This spending level is below last year's. When you combine the emergency spending with outlays, this is lower than last year, and it is a lot lower than the year before. So if you want to hold the line on spending, this is a good vote for you.

But the second part is the cavalry is coming, and next year there may be more cuts, and there should be more cuts. This bill holds the line on ObamaCare, which is something that we all have fought for. Virtually all Republicans fought to repeal ObamaCare and to end the President's amnesty program. No one is backing away from those objectives. There may be a debate on the strategy, but this bill makes sure that those debates will happen and that those votes will happen, again, Mr. Speaker, when the cavalry arrives. This bill moves that debate forward. It is a good thing.

It stops risk orders, which keeps the Obama administration from raiding private insurance companies to subsidize ObamaCare. It really hits ObamaCare where it counts. If you do not like ObamaCare, this is a good bill for you to vote for.

This bill puts Dodd-Frank in check. If you are concerned about the overregulation of the financial services industry, this bill challenges Dodd-Frank.

This bill supports our troops. We still have troops in harm's way all over the world. This bill supports them and actually increases their pay along the way.

This bill puts the EPA in check. The EPA has tried a backdoor power grab on putting a ban on lead in ammunition and fishing tackle. That would increase the cost and make it tougher for the average person to enjoy the great outdoors. This bill puts that in check.

This is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege of serving in public office for 30 years, 22 of which have been in the United States Congress. I have met many wonderful people, cast some tough votes, and made some difficult decisions. It has been an honor, a challenge, a great responsibility, and I have enjoyed it immensely.

For this I thank the Lord, my family, my extended family, staff, supporters, constituents, and friends. I am thankful tonight that some of them are in the gallery: my wife, Libby; son, Jim; daughter, Ann; son, John; Betsy and Trey. I also have some staffers who stayed up late to be here: Chris, Mary, Alexandra, Brianna, and Natalie. I thank them for hanging in here with me.

Madam Speaker, in the words of the great philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who in his masterpiece ``Sartor Resartus'' said this:

Sic vos non vobis. Thus we labor, but not for ourselves.

That is what I have tried to do as a Member of Congress, and tried to make a difference doing it.

I have often wondered what it would be like to cast my last vote. Today I have done that, and I wonder no longer.

In a minute, I will walk off the floor for the last time as a Member of Congress. I look forward to the next chapter in my life and the great things that lie ahead for our beloved country.

Once more, I thank God, my family, my staff, friends, and constituents. It truly has been an honor of a lifetime.

And now I end with this, that statement that thousands of Members before me have used:

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

Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege of serving in public office for 30 years, 22 of which have been in the United States Congress. I have met many wonderful people, cast some tough votes, and made some difficult decisions. It has been an honor, a challenge, a great responsibility, and I have enjoyed it immensely. For this I thank the Lord, my family, extended family, staff, supporters, constituents, and friends.

The job of serving in Congress is misunderstood, maligned, and widely criticized but public service is a noble calling if one remembers the key words ``public'' and ``servant'' he will be appreciated. ``Public'' meaning you are accessible, you are seen, approachable, and available. ``Servant'' meaning you have not forgotten for whom you work and have not forgotten your job is to help those who you represent. In the words of the great philosopher Thomas Carlyle stated in his masterpiece Sartor Resartus, ``sic vos non vobis.'' Thus we labor but not for ourselves.

Members of Congress have a lifestyle of airports, car rides, motel rooms, cell phones, laptops, and logistical houses of cards. Separation from family is routine. One cannot serve without a supportive spouse and family structure as well as a hardworking and dedicated staff. All must join together as a team. I have had great family support from Libby, Betsy and Trey, John, Ann, and Jim. My parents and all our staff has been there throughout my tenure.

I have often described congressional service as a three part job.

First there is Washington, D.C. work--committee hearings, legislation, debates, voting, interest groups, constituents, and dozens of others seeking your ear, favor, vote, attention, and attendance. The time passes quickly in the frenzy of the U.S. Capitol.

Second there are the home state demands. Primarily casework--fixing the problems people have with federal agencies. Helping the people who have been spun off of life's merry-go-round. For them we are their advocate--sometimes the first choice and sometimes that of last resort. Here again I have been blessed with a patient and sympathetic staff team as we work through thousands of VA claims, Social Security issues, passport emergencies, and all sorts of things from a goat in the post office to a nuclear bomb off the shores of Tybee Island.

Another part of home state work is plant tours, school visits, civic club speeches. From the coastal beaches to the Vidalia onion fields, the military bases to the Okefenokee Swamp, we have enjoyed our visits to the 41 Southeast Georgia counties that have been a part of Georgia's First Congressional District during my time in office.

Finally, the third part of serving in Congress is good old American politics. The campaign trail has elements of the above plus much, much more. No one is elected accidentally or reluctantly. To earn the right to represent 710,000 people, one must fully engage, shake all the hands, eat all the barbecue, and be sure your opponent has not made you look too bad on TV! It is spirited, emotional, and not for everyone, yet each year thousands of citizens run for office at the federal, state, and local level. I salute each of them for stepping forward and trying to make a difference.

During my time in Congress, I have seen many changes. The rise and demise of the fax machine, the daily delivery of ice, the arrival of email and the Internet. When digital photography replaced traditional film and drastically reduced the cost of photographs, visual recording of events--both still shots and video--exploded. I was elected when cell phones were rare. I leave with virtually every staffer having a smart phone which can do the functions of what rooms full of computers could not accomplish years ago.

I have participated in a number of high visibility, tough votes from impeachment to the use of force in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Contract with America, Obamacare, censuing, bailouts, and many cliff-hanger appropriations bills like the one we've debated today.

I served in Congress on September 11, 2001, when the world changed. I joined the masses as we exited the buildings, not realizing who the enemy was or the extent of the attacks. In our first chaotic briefing, we were told that 5 planes were involved and the fifth had crashed in Kentucky. Later that day when we returned to the Capitol steps to sing ``God Bless America,'' I have never known a more unified moment as an American citizen.

In the sensitivities that followed, we evacuated two other times for false alarms and once left our offices for weeks because of an anthrax attack. Today we are much safer because of the invaluable training that takes place at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick.

We have been able to move legislation of great importance to Georgia and the nation. From the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, the pond building program for our farmers, the Sidney Lanier Bridge, expanding access to Cumberland Island National Seashore, the fifth runway at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport and the Southeast Poultry Lab in Athens to better training, equipment, and facilities for our troops, expanding E-Verify, getting planes back in the air after September 11th, welfare reform and making Congress, agriculture, nutrition, health, education, and labor programs more efficient, we made a difference across a number of fronts.

At home, we sent the best and brightest to the military academies, attended rosebud plantings at Fort Stewart for soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice, opened four VA clinics, bolstered the research and education at colleges and universities all across Georgia, helped communities adversely impacted by shifts in our military's footprint, and expedited assistance for areas ravaged by wildfires and floods.

Through it all, we have stuck to the principles on which I launched my first campaign: limited government, personal responsibility, the right to life, and an unabiding belief in the American Dream. I maintained a 100-percent pro-small business and 100-percent pro-life voting record, an A+ from the NRA, the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a 96-percent lifetime rating with the American Conservative Union.

To my successor, Buddy Carter, and the 114th Congress, I have lots of advice but will do my utmost to not give it unless asked! However, I promise to be around for Mr. Carter the way former First District Congressmen Lindsay Thomas and Bo Ginn have been there for me.

Until I do retire I do have some unsolicited advice:

1. Remember we are a republic not a democracy. You are not sent to Washington to be a weather vane of popular opinion. You are expected to learn all about an issue. You must consider all arguments and consequences when formulating your decision to support or oppose.

Don't ever confuse your knowledge of an issue as being superior to your constituents' knowledge of life and experience. You must never tire of hearing his perspective.

2. Always be accessible for there is truly wisdom on the street ``Pressing the flesh'' is not just being in parades, it's talking and listening to people. Do not let any well-intended friend, staffer, or volunteer get between you and a constituent who wants to take you to task. Hear him out.

3. Engage with Members of Congress from all parties, philosophies, and geographic regions. Never pass up an opportunity to work with anyone who wants to make the world and America a better place. I did not always agree with my Ranking Members but we always had the highest degree of respect. I thank Jim Moran, Sam Farr, and Rosa DeLauro.

4. Respect the institution. Anyone can go back home, feign indignation and with a sigh denounce Congress. Yet as a Member, you can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. Choose wisely.

5. Be active--attend committee meetings, read testimonies and ask questions. Speak and participate on the House floor. Do one minute speeches, special orders, and preside in the chair if you're given the privilege. Run for leadership and caucus positions. Return press calls and say yes to interviews. If you're a Democrat, go on with Sean Hannity. If you're a Republican, don't be afraid to spar with Chris Matthews or Bill Maher. Whoever you are, return Stephen Colbert's call. These will give you a full experience and make you a stronger Member.

6. It's in America's interest for you to know what is happening in the world. Visit our troops in the faraway and hostile countries in which they are preserving our freedom.

7. Control your time and schedule. Your first priority is family. That includes birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and much more. Don't ever let your ambition get in the way of a school play.

8. Keep your mind in order and also your body and spirit. There are many Bible studies in Washington. Join one even before you get your committee assignments! Join the gym. The fellowship alone is worth it. Should you play on one of the sports teams, you can raise thousands upon thousands for charity. I would not trade my experiences on the baseball and football teams for anything I've done in Congress.

To sum it up, I will say this: as a teenager, I wanted a motorcycle. As I was trying to talk my parents into it a man gave me some good advice. He said motorcycles are all safer when you respect the bike. On the other hand, if you decide you are better than the bike, that's when you will have a wreck. To new Members of Congress, I say simply ``those who fare the worst are those who think they are better than their constituents.''

Let me conclude by thanking everyone who has been on the team with me. We had a great run, some wonderful experiences, some fun moments and helped a lot of people along the way.

Serving in Congress had always been a dream of mine. When I was in elementary school, my older sister Barbara was in junior high. Junior high was big time, almost grown up stuff. We were sitting at our kitchen table one night she pulled about two pieces of paper and said `let's write down the names of everyone you know. You can't list mom or dad, Betty or Jean. They can't be family.' She won the contest but it was a life changing exercise. I became interested in knowing people and making friends. That along with my mother's activism in the Clarke County Republican Party started this journey. I first ran for class president in the 7th grade. I lost to Susan Sims but the hook was set.

I've often wondered what it would be like to cast my last vote. Today I've done that. I wonder no longer. In a minute, I will walk off the floor for the last time as a Member of Congress. I look forward to the next chapter of my life and the great things that lie ahead for our beloved country. Once more, I thank God, my family, my staff, friends and constituents. It has been the honor of a lifetime.

So now I end with the statement that thousands of Members before me have used: Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing a lot of feigned outrage from the other side, but I want to point out a few things.

Number one, it was the President himself who said, over 20 times, why this action is illegal. I would invite the Democrats to read his remarks. There are over 20 different instances of it.

Number two, they talk about prosecutorial discretion, and this is okay, but as I understand it, you have that discretion when you run out of money and maybe you can't implement a finer point of a law, something that you are prosecuting. It doesn't mean you change the law.

I would invite the Democrats who think that we disproportionately pick on this President, I would invite them to look at the 1950s case during the Truman administration in which President Truman nationalized the steel business by executive order in order to avoid a strike.

It went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court found on a 6-3 vote that you could not change the law of such magnitude by executive order, and that was not a case of picking on poor little old Harry Truman. It was a case of standing up for the United States Constitution.

I would also like to invite the Democrats to look at the lawsuit that 17 States have now joined in saying that the President has violated article II, section 3, the part of the Constitution that talks about taking care to execute the laws, which this President seems to think is a pick-and-choose operation run out of his political office.

I would also invite the Democrats to go to Central America and talk to so many of the immigrants that I have. I have been to Honduras. I have been to El Salvador. I have been to Guatemala. I have talked to people, and one of our earlier speakers said that, ``You think there is some sort of magnet, that they come here because we changed the law, you are out of your mind.''

I would say go to Central America and talk to the folks. That is exactly why they come: because they get the word that it is easier to come here under those circumstances.

For those who think that relaxing our laws does not create a magnet, they need to go to Central America and talk to the people who would be taking advantage of this.

Finally, let me say this about leadership: in split government with three branches, equal branches, you don't get what you want. Leadership is pulling together the coalitions to talk to people and ask: ``What part of this law can we agree on? And what can we do about it?''

That is what leadership is about. The President has that opportunity to show leadership now that he is going to have a new Congress and a new Senate to work with. The way to get things done is to reach out and work with people and not to be in your face against them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant Colonel Michelle R. ``Shelli'' Brunswick for her 29 years of dedicated service to our country. In her most recent assignment, she served as the House Budget and Appropriations Liaison for the United States Air Force. In this role, Colonel Brunswick was responsible for Congressional interaction between the U.S. Air Force and Congressional Appropriations and Budget committees, Members, and staffers. She was the most seasoned Air Force liaison on Capitol Hill and an agent trusted to prepare the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Congressional delegation meetings and defense posture hearings with Members of Congress.

In her nearly three decades of active duty military service, Colonel Brunswick held numerous leadership positions that have helped shape Air Force acquisitions and ensured the ``tip of the spear'' was always sharp. Her duties covered the spectrum of Air Force operations and ranged from managing the careers of service members to serving as a direct representative of the Air Force charged with resolving issues pertaining to the President's Budget.

As a native of Clearwater, Florida, Colonel Brunswick's career in the Air Force began in 1985 after receiving her enlistment through the Basic Military Training program at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. After earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management in 1994, Colonel Brunswick received her commission from the Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama in 1997. In 1998, she earned a Master's degree in Business Administration and Management. While her active duty career had many different facets, Colonel Brunswick excelled in every assignment. These assignments included positions as a personnel specialist, project officer, project manager, program integrator, professor, and program chief.

Throughout Colonel Brunswick's 29 years in the Air Force, she always exemplified the Air Force core value of excellence in everything she did. As a testament to this, Colonel Brunswick was a Distinguished Graduate from the Officer Training School, one of a few handpicked program managers selected Air Force-wide to participate in the Air Force Institute of Technology's Education with Industry at The Boeing Corporation. She was certified in Program Management Level III per the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, a certified Space Professional Level III by the U.S. Air Force Space Professional Functional Authority, and earned the Project Management Professional certification.

Before joining the Air Staff, she was a Professor of Acquisition Management at Defense Acquisition University, where she co-authored a book on the future of Project Management. She served two deployments with Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq with the Defense Contract Management Agency and completed a joint Operation Enduring Freedom tour in Washington, DC and Cuba with the Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants under the authority of the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Colonel Brunswick became known for her exceptional ability to identify real issues and then move to solve them. As all great leaders do, she led from the front by setting the example for others to follow and has been a stalwart advocate for the Department of Defense. These traits will greatly benefit her and those with whom she serves now and in the future.

During her final tour at the Pentagon, Colonel Brunswick's superior leadership orchestrating and executing Hill appropriations strategy enabled enactment of four Air Force budgets, totaling $646 billion dollars, from Fiscal Year 2011 through Fiscal Year 2014. As the Air Force acquisition subject matter expert on Capitol Hill to the United States House of Representatives, she shaped the fiscal environment and executed over 400 Congressional events, resulting in broad support for the Air Force's top acquisition priorities including the Joint Strike Fighter, KC-46 Air Refueling Tanker, and Long Range Strike Bomber programs.

Mr. Speaker, Colonel Brunswick leaves a legacy of integrity, selfless service, and excellence that is of the highest standard. Her exemplary character and years of service have resulted in a career of which she and her family can be very proud. On behalf of the entire United States Congress, and along with Colonel Brunswick's parents, Marshall and Betty Harris, Doug and Margaret Goodman, and fiance, Jerry, it is an honor to recognize the career and service of Lieutenant Colonel Michelle R. Brunswick. My wife Libby and I congratulate her and wish SheIli and her family all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

And I wanted to also say, the gentleman from Maryland talked about a company, and I am not familiar with this company, but a company that is moving out of America because of our burdensome Tax Code. Does that not prove the point that we need tax reform as championed by Mr. Camp, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee?

We need a Tax Code that is competitive. This company is probably leaving to get away from a burdensome, complicated tax system that is killing jobs. Those jobs are going overseas. They need to stay in America.

Mr. Speaker, to create jobs, we have to have a Tax Code that is clear, fair, concise, one that creates jobs. But we also need a regulatory burden that does the same thing: one that is clear; one that is concise; one that uses cost-benefit analysis.

I can't understand why there are Members of the House that oppose cost-benefit analysis on new regulations. It is a matter of common sense, because our regulatory burden, as much as the Tax Code, is driving jobs offshore. We don't need that.

One of the things that was lost in the debate earlier that I find just mind-boggling is the ability to fight forest fires, of all things. As Smokey the Bear says, ``Only you can prevent forest fires.'' Well, I guess towards this administration he is saying, ``Only you can promote forest fires through your ridiculous regulatory climate.''

And then let me say this. To create jobs in America, we need to have competitive energy. We need to use American energy resources.

As somebody who represents four military installations, I know well that it is not a matter of cheap and abundant energy for manufacturing and traveling and transportation purposes. It is also a matter of national security. Because when we depend so heavily on Middle East oil and oil from unstable anti-American countries, what we are, in fact, doing is funding both sides in the war on terrorism.

We need to develop American energy, and that is what this bill does. It is commonsense tax reform, commonsense regulatory reform, and commonsense energy reform.

I am appalled that the United States Senate has not had time to take up one of these bills. And, as Mr. Camp just outlined, as a matter of public record, the number of Democrats who have supported these pieces of legislation, we need to get the Senate moving.

I thank the gentleman from Texas for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the McKeon amendment and in support of the continuing resolution.

I want to say this: I have heard a lot of people say this process isn't good and that we haven't had enough hours of debate, but I would say to Members of Congress: Have we not, in fact, had days and weeks of debate? How is it that you are a Member of Congress if you haven't thought about ISIS and the situation?

In fact, have we not had 13 years to debate this very subject internally, externally, on the floor, in committee, and off the floor? We certainly have had a lot of time for deliberation on this.

Secondly, I want to say this: I am not certain that the President needs further approval from Congress, as I have gone back and read the resolutions of 2001 and 2002. I would also say, though, we should have a formal resolution. It would be good for the country, it is good for Congress, it is good for the education process, and it sends a very strong signal to our enemies.

Perhaps when the President sends it to us--and I hope he will in November or December--we will have an opportunity to have the debate again, and we can review how effective these airstrikes have been at that time, how effective is the training program, how well is it going, and what allies have actually stepped up and what have they contributed. Right now, we do not have the answer to those questions.

I will say another thing, Mr. Speaker: If we are going to fight this war because it is worth fighting, then it is well worth winning, and, speaking for myself, I want the Commander in Chief and our armed services to have all the tools that are available to them.

If that means having ground troops on the table, then I want to be sure that we send that signal because the last thing we need to do right now to our enemies abroad is say we are not going to do this or we are not going to do that.

We can't have a half-pregnant war. We have got to fight to win and wipe out this terrorist surge.

Thank you, Mr. Cole.

Mr. Speaker, I want to make three points about the continuing resolution.

Number one, as an appropriator, I would be remiss in my duty if I did not say we do not like continuing resolutions, because we on the Appropriations Committee have worked hard to pass our bills. We passed seven off the House floor, and the Senate was unable to move one single bill and, as a result, shut down the appropriations process.

The reason Members should be attuned to this is, during the appropriations process, you find out about a lot of programs that need to be discontinued, some that need to be modified, some that need to be enhanced, some that need to be limited altogether. We passed those bills on the House floor through a very vigorous amendment process, and that is a superior way to handle appropriations compared to the continuing resolution method, which just continues programs and really empowers more of the executive branch over the legislative branch.

I believe that Chairman Rogers and Speaker Boehner have worked very hard to return this body to the regular order process of 12 different appropriations bills. We were well on our way to having that happen when the Harry Reid Senate shut down the process, and that is why we are here with the CR today. I am hopeful that we can go back into these bills and improve on the continuing resolution, and I do stand in support of it.

Number two, let me say this about the bill. It has appropriate and important funding to take on the Ebola virus that has broken out in West Africa. This bill provides $88 million--$30 million for the CDC-- to put staffers on the ground and to address the needs there and then $58 million to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which is working on the possibility of 12 different vaccines for Ebola. They are not in the marketplace right now. We do not have a vaccine, and we need to do this research. That is why this amendment has been put in the continuing resolution, and it is something that all Members should be attuned to.

I want to remind the Speaker that 2,500 people have already died because of Ebola and that the number who have been infected is somewhere between 3,800 and maybe as high as 4,500, or even higher than that. Getting the number, itself, is very difficult to do.

Then, thirdly, let me say this about the use of force in the McKeon amendment that we are having, and I think Members do deserve to have a separate vote on this. It is important for the educational process. It is important for the discussion and the debate for the entire country.

As I have looked at the 2001 and the 2002 authorizations for military force, I believe that the President is probably right. I haven't come to a 100 percent conclusion on that, but I believe that he does have that authority. I think it would be far better off for everyone to have a separate vote, and I hope that we can have that happen sooner rather than later. But, in the meantime, this vote is very significant, and Members need not fool themselves that the McKeon amendment does help move this process forward.

When we talk about airstrikes only and training only, and when we have made this decision not to have ground troops, we do not need another half-pregnant war in the Middle East. If it is important enough to fight, it is important enough to win, and we need to give the Commander in Chief all of the resources that he needs to have this victory. People often say airstrikes will get the job done, and they point to the NATO operation in Yugoslavia in 1999--1,000 aircraft, 38,000 combat missions, 2,300 missiles--but the reality is that that war only ended when the President took the next step, and that was to commit ground troops. That is how important this is.

I want to be sure Members look back because that is the example where people say airstrikes alone are sufficient, when they point out the operation in Yugoslavia that was from March 24, 1999, to June 10. Even though we did not have ground troops, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Wesley Clark, said that he was convinced that the planning and preparation for ground intervention, in particular, pushed Milosevic to concede. We need to be very, very careful and mindful about this. If it is worth fighting, it is worth winning, and if it is something we are going to win, we need to give the Commander in Chief all of the tools that he needs to have a victory.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I join the chairman and Mr. Wilson in opposition to this, and I appreciate Mr. Fortenberry's withdrawing because of so much of what has already been said. This project actually is about 70 percent complete. It has been supported by three different administrations, authorized by Congress, and is written into an international nonproliferation agreement.

In fact, $4.7 billion has been spent, and this is money that has already been invested, and whenever we stop or put it on a cold start or cold standby, as this administration already has done, it ends up costing more money for the project.

The best thing to do is to complete this and send that signal internationally, but also to keep those jobs locally, which is so important for the Augusta, South Carolina, area.

I believe that if we, as Members of Congress, want to be responsible stewards of tax dollars, the best thing to do is to defeat this amendment, should it be offered, but, more importantly, get this thing completed.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this and appreciate his letting me speak.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Lt. Col. Billie Lenderman. Billie was born on May 19, 1949 in Atlanta, Georgia, attended Auburn University, and earned an MBA from Georgia College and State University. He served in the United States Air Force for twenty years. He fought during Desert Storm, served as a command pilot and instructor pilot in the KC-135, and retired in 1992 after acting as the Commander of the 912th Air Refueling Squadron. After his retirement, Billie worked as a program manager for TRW and as Chief Instructor Pilot of JSTARS training for the Air Force.

Billie served our country with honor and courage. His service to our country and his contributions to our community can never be quantified. His generation gave us the freedom that we've enjoyed all our lives. I am confident that his distinguished service record and many accolades do not even come close to telling his story. Like so many of his fellow soldiers, he returned home to start a family, raise his children, and pursue the American dream he fought for. Besides being the consummate American hero, Billie was a loving husband, devoted father, and doting grandfather.

My thoughts and prayers are with Billie's family during this difficult time. It's heroes and family men like Billie that make our country great. They will continue to bless us, and their memory will carry on. I feel honored to stand today and recognize the memory of Billie Lenderman. He will be truly missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Johnny Harris Restaurant of Savannah, which will celebrate the 90th anniversary of its founding this May. This barbeque joint has been a mainstay for the people of Savannah since it opened its doors as a simple roadside establishment on May 1, 1924, and it has always been one of my favorite spots in Savannah.

The Johnny Harris Restaurant is one of the oldest food service providers in the city. Much to the amusement of native Savannians, the restaurant has a long history of serving its customers with entertainment in addition to excellent food and legendary barbeque sauce. When Johnny Harris, founder and namesake of the restaurant, first moved to the Victory Drive location, there was a small zoo directly behind the property. His wife, Mrs. Harris, often took of the zoo's monkeys on carriage rides around the neighborhood to the delight of local children.

For Johnny Harris, the customer has always been the number one priority. It was the first restaurant in Savannah to install an air conditioning system for its dance floor as well as a revolving bandstand. It remained in business through the Great Depression and is exemplary of hard work, perseverance, and hospitality of Savannians. I am proud to congratulate Johnny Harris Restaurant as it celebrates this historic milestone.

Mr. Speaker, today, when the House passes the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, included in it will be the largest infrastructure project in the history of Georgia. Deepening the Savannah River from 42 to 47 feet will open up our port to lots of different countries and lots of different kinds of vessels from all over the world. 352,000 jobs are related to the Port of Savannah. The cost-benefit ratio is a dollar spent, five-and-a-half dollar return.

It has been studied by four different Federal agencies and signed off by four Federal agencies. In fact, there were 64 individual studies on environmental impact, historic impact, traffic impact, and nearly just about everything else under the sun.

It is a project that Georgia companies will greatly benefit from, as will all the Southeast, because 62 percent of what the port does is export goods and services. So it opens up the door to all kinds of new markets.

I have to thank the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on a bipartisan basis for all that they have done and thank Mr. Shuster for coming to Savannah three different times to look at this project personally.

We are very excited about this. Let's pass this bill today. Let's get the Senate to pass it. Let's get the House and the Senate moving, and let's get Georgians and the whole Southeast back to work.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to echo my colleague's comments regarding the ACT and the ACF river basin language. This language does not change current law or interpretation of current law and should not be reviewed by the courts or the corps as changing any current obligations.

We encourage the States to work amongst themselves to solve water use issues in this region. I would be remiss if I did not mention the Savannah River expansion project with its $174 million net economic impact to this Nation. I hope that the PPA is signed soon.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Edward H. Zipperer of Savannah, GA. Mr. Zipperer's ancestors immigrated to Savannah in 1734 from Salzburg, Austria, after the Trustees of the Georgia Colony invited the Zipperers from Salzburg to become part of the colony, which was settled only the year before.

Edward Zipperer was born in Savannah, GA, in the year 1931. He was raised on a farm on U.S. 17 South, adjacent to the Bamboo Farm. He went on to play football at Savannah High School and earn a degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Georgia in 1954.

In 1965, a few friends asked Edward to coach the Richmond Hill High School basketball team, one of only 16 integrated basketball teams in the state. While he had never played much basketball, his biggest concern in taking over was how to feed an integrated team on the road. His solution? He bought a hot dog machine with his own money and enlisted his wife to cook hot dogs for the team. Edward led the team to finish 10th in the state that year.

Edward served in the Georgia State Senate from 1967 to 1975 and was on thirteen separate committees during his tenure. He says his experience in the Georgia State Senate was ``a great education for a little ole country boy.'' Some highlights of his career as a State Senator are the constructions of Skidaway Island State Park, Fort McAllister State Park, and King's Ferry Ogeechee River public recreational area. It is obvious that he was truly committed to conserving and protecting the rich land of south Georgia for future generations.

Edward H. Zipperer has been an outstanding citizen and public servant for the great state of Georgia. Although he has been out of office for some time now, Mr. Zipperer is still very involved in public affairs and is a frequent visitor to my office in Washington, DC. I am proud to call him a close friend of mine and of the city of Savannah.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of the late Judge Huey Ronald Ham. Judge Ham was a dedicated public servant, a loving husband, and a wonderful father. He devoted his life to serving the greater good of our community. He was a high school teacher for Vocational Agriculture for thirty years at Brantley County High School. He was also the Chief Magistrate Judge from 1984 to 2000.

Judge Ham was born in Lulaton, Georgia, on October 2, 1937. After graduating from Nahunta High School, he attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA. Following Junior College, he attended the University of Georgia before joining the U.S. Army. After his honorable service to our country, Judge Ham returned to the University of Georgia and earned his degree in Vocational Education in Agriculture.

In additional to his professional success, Judge Ham was also considered a local history expert. He was the driving force behind the Geortner Mumford Library and the Confederate Wall in Waynesville. He helped locate a Confederate Army cemetery where forty soldiers are buried. Judge Ham also served on the 6th Senatorial District for the Democratic Party, the Airport Advisory Board, and a volunteer EMT. He was also appointed by Governor Zell Miller in 1994 to the Coastal Zone Advisory Board.

Judge Huey Ronald Ham passed away on April 7, 2014, at his residence following an extended illness. Judge Ham will be remembered as not only a great family man, but also as an outstanding public servant. I am truly honored to be able to call Judge Huey Ronald Ham a friend. He was a straight shooter who was always looking out for his community. He will be deeply missed by his community, family, and friends.