Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Technical Sergeant Joshua Coomer of Summersville, Missouri for his outstanding achievements and exemplary years of service to our Nation. Technical Sergeant Coomer first enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in May of 1999. During his career he served in two deployments, his first to Kuwait in 2000 and then to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in 2002.

On August 1st, 2014, Technical Sergeant will retire from the U.S. Air Force after honorably serving for 15 years. Throughout his career he has been recognized on numerous occasions for his distinguished leadership and commitment to uphold standards. He was named Military Training Leader of the Year in 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2012 in different groups for his outstanding performance in preparing future military personnel.

His superior officers speak very highly of him and I thank Mr. Joshua Coomer for his service to our Nation. It is my pleasure to recognize his achievements before the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Russell House for its 20 years of service to South Central Missouri. Since its founding in 1994, the Russell House has provided a safe haven for victims of domestic violence. In addition to shelter, the Russell House provides a wide range of free services to both residents and non- resident families as they transition to a life free of abuse. The Russell House also educates the community on preventing violence and intervention.

During the first years of service, the house could only shelter seven victims but thanks to the continued support of the Phelps County Family Crisis Services organization the Russell House now has the capacity to provide shelter for 64 people at any given time. Over the past 20 years of service to the community the Russell House has sheltered more than 2,000 adults and 1,800 children. I applaud the hard working staff and supporters of the Russell House for their hearts of service and dedication to the families of Missouri. It is my pleasure to recognize their efforts and achievements before the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. George Phil Wright of Rolla, Missouri for his years of exemplary service to his country through the United States Air Force. Mr. Wright's career as meteorological technician first began when he entered the Air Force as a weather apprentice in 1964. His active military service includes assignments in Illinois, Missouri, South Carolina and Turkey. Mr. Wright was a distinguished airman earning several awards including the Air Force Good Conduct Medal and Air Force Expert Marksman Ribbon. He also completed the Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership School at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey.

After ten years of active military service, Staff Sergeant Wright separated from the Air Force and was hired as a civil service weather observer at McEntire Air Force National Guard Base, South Carolina. He was later promoted to his most current position at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. At Fort Leonard he manages three weather technicians and provides weather support to 4th MEB, 1st of the 106th Air Assault Company, U.S. Army Engineer School, Military Police School, and the U.S. Army CBRN School. Mr. Wright has earned many awards and accolades during his time serving as a weather observer. On May 15, 2014 Mr. Wright will have completed 50 years of service to the United States Air Force Service. It is my pleasure to recognize his efforts and achievements before the House of Representatives.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to present this amendment to H.R. 3590 today, the Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act.

As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, I couldn't be prouder of the work that we have done to continue to protect our sportsmen's ability to enjoy the outdoors. As such, I am honored to offer my amendment that would ensure that sportsmen will continue to be able to use motorized vessels in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, a national park contained wholly within my congressional district in southern Missouri.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is a popular destination in Missouri for fishing, gigging, and trapping. These activities have traditionally been undertaken by individuals and families for generations. An economy has arisen in my district selling boats, motors, and other products to folks who want to gig, fish, and trap within the rivers.

Recently, the National Park Service has been discussing closing down areas of the park to motorized vessels and further limiting the horsepower of these vessels in other areas. The reduction of boat motor horsepower would limit the number of folks who could be on a boat and restrict access to families. Banning motorized vessels from areas of the park where they are currently allowed would further restrict the public's use and enjoyment of the park.

Banning motorized vessels would also exclude groups from using the rivers that simply have no other options, like the elderly and disabled veterans. Why would the Park Service resort to such drastic measures to block activities that are currently allowed? One explanation is that they don't want folks to be able to utilize the river as they have for the past decades.

My amendment would simply preserve the current park regulations as they are now and how they have been for the last five decades, preventing the Park Service from regulating sportsmen off the river. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was created for the enjoyment of the public, and it should stay with the public.

I yield to the gentleman.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield to the gentleman.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Donna Jean Kirby of Doniphan, Missouri for her outstanding service and involvement in Ripley County. In recognition of her hard work in the community, Ms. Kirby is receiving the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award. Ms. Kirby has volunteered her time with Relay for Life in addition to chairing the Christmas decorating committee of Heritage Park and pitching in at Independence Day, Labor Day, Timberfest, and other holiday festivities. She is a sister of Beta Sigma Phi sorority and supports a variety of other interests in the community, including working with a committee of local citizens to keep a local hospital open.

If there is an event taking place in Ripley County, chances are Donna Kirby is helping out to make it happen. She has made Ripley County a better place through her hard work and dedication. Ms. Kirby is also a mother of two and grandmother of four. I am grateful that we have such enthusiastic and committed members of the community, such as Ms. Donna Jean Kirby whose hard work makes a difference in so many lives. It is my pleasure to recognize her efforts and achievements before the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Officer Chuck Stratton of Poplar Bluff, Missouri for his exemplary service to his community through the Poplar Bluff Police Department. Officer Stratton first served our country in the United States Air Force, and began working for the Police Force in 1984 as a reserve officer. Over the next 29 years Officer Stratton served in a variety of positions within the Poplar Bluff Police Department, excelling in all. His work investigating narcotics began as a Canine handler before joining the SEMO drug task force in 1990. Towards the end of his career, Officer Stratton worked in the Evidence and Accreditation departments, and lastly as the Chief of Police and Director of Campus Safety for the Three Rivers College System.

Officer Stratton has been an invaluable asset to his community throughout his long career, during which he served hundreds of search warrants. During his tenure at the Poplar Bluff Police Department, Officer Stratton supervised every single division of the department at one time or another. He obtained a grant to bring a Methamphetamine Laboratory Collection Station to the Poplar Bluff Police Department which is still in use today. He has been recognized many times by his own community and by larger institutions such as the FBI. I am grateful that we have such dedicated and hardworking members of the Poplar Bluff community, such as Officer Stratton whose hard work helps keep the community safe. It is my pleasure to recognize his efforts and achievements before the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, tonight southeast Missouri will welcome back Staff Sergeant Eric Summers for the last time. Sergeant Summers was tragically killed on November 13 while serving his country at Camp Pendleton in California.

Summers served 13 years with the United States Marines and is a war hero. He served five tours of duty in the Middle East and was highly decorated, earning the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.

Without men like Sergeant Summers willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, our country could not survive.

I would ask my colleagues and those watching to keep Sergeant Summers, his family, and all of our brave men and women in uniform in your thoughts and prayers.

Madam Speaker, next week, the National Park Service will begin holding public meetings on its ridiculous plan to limit recreational activity on the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri's Eighth District. I urge families and individuals across Missouri to attend these hearings and oppose the Obama administration's changes to the riverways.

Let me reiterate what I have said to the Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, and the Director of the National Park Service, Jonathan Jarvis, that we adamantly oppose the proposal to appease environmentalists by limiting the public use and enjoyment of our riverways. This proposal would hurt small businesses that rely on the riverways and keep my constituents from enjoying the riverways that belong to them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my constituents to attend public meetings in Van Buren, Salem, and Kirkwood to show opposition to the Obama administration's Park Service's attempts to restrict our access to our rivers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Angel Woodruff of Cape Girardeau, Missouri for her compassionate defense of others in her local community. Ms. Woodruff currently serves as the first assistant prosecuting attorney in Cape Girardeau County, and has become widely-known for her compassionate and diligent defense of victims of crime. She is known for encouraging victims to advocate for themselves, and to actively seek out the help of the law. Ms. Woodruff began her education studying English at Southeast Missouri State University, and continued on to earn a Law Degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She began working at the Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney's Office in 1998 and specializes in violent crimes, drug crime, domestic violence, and sex crimes. She believes that her job is more than just what people see on headlines and in court rooms, and seeks to help victims whose daily lives are affected by her cases on a personal level. Ms. Woodruff reaches out to victims and shows them that they are not alone, and that she is willing to fight for them.

In the words of the U.S. Attorney who hired her, Morley Swingle, ``A crime victim is lucky if she is assigned to the case.'' I am grateful that we have such caring and hardworking members of the Cape Girardeau community, such as Ms. Angel Woodruff. It is my pleasure to recognize her achievements before the House of Representatives and to encourage her to continue advocating for victims of crime.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Dolly Jewel of Cape Girardeau, Missouri for her achievements and impact in the community. For many years, Ms. Jewel has devoted both her time and her heart to the Alzheimer's Association in Southeast Missouri, to the great benefit of the community. Ms. Jewel hosts a monthly support group at the Lutheran Home, served on the Southeast Missouri Area Advisory Committee for Alzheimer's Disease, and has planned, coordinated, and implemented annual Walk to End Alzheimer's Disease events. Through these outlets she has sought to increase awareness of the disease, as well as raise money to fund medical research. Ms. Jewel's fight against Alzheimer's Disease became personal when she lost her husband to Alzheimer's in 1997, after an 8 year battle with the disease. Since then, Ms. Jewel is pleased that many advances have been made in the treatment of Alzheimer's, but she knows there is more work to be done.

As well as making a strong public effort in her local community to fight Alzheimer's Disease, Ms. Jewel also works to help lend support to others experiencing the disease. She takes pride in encouraging others to be open about their own experiences with the disease and to not feel embarrassed about acknowledging the disease. She adamantly insists to others that they are not alone, and encourages them to seek social support. Ms. Jewel has provided support and inspiration for many families affected by Alzheimer's Disease, and I truly admire her strength and dedication to helping others.

Mr. Speaker, today President Obama announced yet another delay to his health care mandate. The President is picking and choosing which parts of ObamaCare he wants to enforce. The President needs to stop picking winners and losers. ObamaCare is broken and cannot be fixed.

Republicans led the fight against ObamaCare because we knew the mandate would cause individuals to lose their health care. We knew monthly premiums would skyrocket, and we knew the quality of the health care of Americans would suffer.

For over 3 years, President Obama has made numerous statements to American families to sell his misguided health care law, and now he is asking Americans to trust him again.

My constituents in the Show Me State are not buying it, President Obama.

Mr. Speaker, ObamaCare cannot be fixed by delaying portions of the law. ObamaCare needs to be repealed.

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the National Park Service released a draft general management plan for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri's Eighth Congressional District. The general management plan seeks to limit my constituents' access to the rivers that they have enjoyed for generations.

This plan from the National Park Service would shut down public access points to the rivers, eliminate motorized boat traffic from certain areas, further restrict boat motor horsepower in other areas, close several gravel bars, and propose additional areas to be designated as Federal wilderness.

The outcry I have heard from my constituents is unanimous. They believe the Ozark National Scenic Riverways are already overmanaged and my constituents do not want the National Park Service to further intrude on their access to their public rivers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the park service to reject changing management practices on the Ozark National Scenic Riverways so that my constituents can continue enjoying their rivers.

Mr. Speaker, today, the Secretary of Health and Human Services said to Americans that we deserve better than what we have gotten with ObamaCare. America sure does deserve better.

This is the first time in the history of our country that American citizens have been forced to purchase a product that they do not want and which they

cannot afford on a Web site that does not work. But let me say, it is not just the ObamaCare Web site that is broken.

President Obama has repeatedly told American families: If you like your current health insurance, you can keep your coverage. Just this week, it was revealed that President Obama and his staff have known for over 3 years that millions of Americans will lose their current health insurance because of ObamaCare.

Furthermore, families in my district and across the country are feeling the sticker shock from soaring premiums. They are seeing reduced benefits, and they are being forced to make difficult financial decisions. Mr. Speaker, my constituents and families across America do indeed deserve better.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Dawn Dauer of Cape Girardeau, Missouri for her outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the local community. Ms. Dauer currently works as a Community Bank President for the Bank of Missouri and serves in the Young Bankers Division and on the Government Relations Committee of the Missouri Bankers Association. Outside of work, she is heavily involved in several different community organizations including the Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation Board, the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation Board, the Missouri Innovation Corporation Board of Directors, the Evangel University Alumni Board of Directors, the Old Town Cape Economic Restructuring Committee, the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, and Cape First Church.

Ms. Dauer enjoys being able to mentor students from Evangel University in their career and life decisions. She reaches out to young women who are right out of college or trying to find a career path, and guides them to be the best they can be. Ms. Dauer sees her volunteerism and work in the community as her own form of ministry. I am grateful that we have such caring and hardworking members of the Cape Girardeau community, such as Ms. Dawn Dauer. It is my pleasure to recognize her achievement before the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Julie Metzger of Cape Girardeau, Missouri for her achievements and impact in the community. A graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and St. Louis University, Ms. Metzger now serves as the Director of Case Management and Social Services at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She provides education, support, counseling, crisis intervention, and advocacy to patients and their families during difficult times. She has also published educational materials to help other volunteers and professionals in the social work field. Ms. Metzger also mentors and supervises student interns from a number of local universities. In addition to her social work, Ms. Metzger volunteers for many councils and foundations such as the American Cancer Society, Reach to Recovery, American Academy of Bereavement, the American Case Management Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Court Appointed Special Advocates.

Ms. Metzger has managed to achieve so much and help so many people, all the while fighting a battle with breast cancer. Having reached the five-year mark as a cancer survivor, she has used her experience to educate and support other women fighting cancer. Ms. Metzger has provided hope and inspiration for so many women and I truly admire her strength and dedication to helping others.