Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the massive impact Brother Fred Wolfe had not only on the City of Mobile, but the thousands of individuals across the country who had the opportunity to meet him and spend time with him. Brother Fred was more than a pastor to me. He was my friend, my mentor, and my spiritual guidance for decades.

Brother Fred had so many wise sayings, and I'll always remember him telling me, ``You went through what you went through, and people need to know that, so they know they can get past it too.'' These words remind us that we all have a story to tell, and our stories matter.

God called Brother Fred to ministry during his study at the University of South Carolina. He went to work immediately, spending many of his days serving in small churches surrounding the university. Brother Fred went on to complete his Master of Divinity at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and later received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from what would become the University of Mobile.

Brother Fred's pastoral career took him to numerous church establishments across the country, from his native South Carolina, to North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and finally Alabama. He eventually settled in Mobile as pastor of Cottage Hill Baptist Church. Under the guidance of his 25 years there, the church saw attendance grow by thousands of members, and welcomed 5,500 baptisms.

Brother Fred's ministry left a legacy of faithful service to his community. While we deeply mourn his passing, we have no doubt he heard ``well done, my good and faithful servant'' when he met the Lord face to face. His service and love did not disappear when he took his final breath on earth. It is the priceless gift he gave all of us to sustain us until we meet again.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4009 offered by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, which authorizes the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour to establish a work on Federal land in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the enslaved individuals, whose identities may be known or unknown, who endured the forced voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States during the Middle Passage.

This effort is being championed by the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project, a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the enslaved and free African Americans who worked in, lived in, and built Georgetown.

In 2019, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated the Georgetown waterfront as a site of memory for historical places associated with slavery.

The bill requires the Georgetown African American Historic Landmark Project and Tour to follow the standard legal framework established by the Commemorative Works Act Committee. This is a great effort, and I applaud Delegate Holmes Norton for her leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman).

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6353, offered by Representative Wild, would authorize the National Service Animals Memorial Corporation to create a commemorative work on Federal land in Washington, D.C., to honor the heroic acts and sacrifices of service animals and their handlers.

The commemorative work would feature the contributions of animals, such as heroic service dogs, that have assisted humans for generations by serving as guides for those with disabilities and supporting law enforcement, search and rescue, and military personnel.

Some well-known examples of heroic dogs include Cairo, which was part of the Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden. H.R. 6353 prohibits the use of Federal funds to create or maintain this work.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Wild for her work on this legislation, and I urge adoption of this bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6734, the Keep America's Refuges Operational Act of 2022.

This bill introduced by my colleagues, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Wittman, and Mr. Graves, reauthorizes volunteer programs at our national wildlife refuges.

Specifically, this bill would reauthorize for 5 fiscal years several U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services programs, including those related to volunteer services, community partnerships, donations and gifts, and education projects.

The Fish and Wildlife Services currently utilize volunteers for tours, restoring the habitat, plant and animal surveys, staffing refuge stores and visitor centers, and all other activities.

While I believe more work needs to be done to improve our overall management of our national wildlife refuges, the volunteer activities that this bill will reauthorize are an effective tool to perform needed work without increasing costs to taxpayers.

Solutions such as this legislation are especially welcome during times like these when our national debt continues to balloon, and inflation continues to soar because of reckless spending pushed forward by the majority and the current administration.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7618, offered by Representative Brown, would designate the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust Museum at Zion Memorial Park in Bedford Heights, Ohio, a national memorial.

This memorial was dedicated in May 1961 and honors the 6 million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. It is one of the first Holocaust commemorative works in the United States, and it is surrounded by walls with the names of those who died in the Holocaust, along with the survivors who later passed away.

The memorial also includes the ashes of Jewish martyrs killed by Nazis from three concentration camps buried at its base.

I hope the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust Memorial will continue to bring peace and comfort to the families and the community who lost loved ones during the Holocaust.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2490, the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act. This legislation, championed in the House by my friend, Tony Gonzales of Texas, would establish a new unit of the National Park System to tell the history of this segregated education in Marfa, Texas.

Although there was no State law that mandated separate schools for Hispanic students, Texas school districts practiced de facto segregation through the mid-20th century.

Blackwell School was known originally as the Ward School and later renamed for its longtime principal, Jesse Blackwell, who arrived at the school in 1922. During Blackwell's 25-year tenure, the school grew from one building with 120 students to a multi-building campus with more than 600 students.

The original historic school building and grounds provide an authentic setting to the interpretation of history of segregated schools in Texas.

I commend Mr. Gonzales for his work on this important landmark. He has been a strong champion for this legislation, including writing House companion legislation that previously passed this Chamber with strong bipartisan support.

Madam Seaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales).

Madam Speaker, again, I urge the adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 820, the New Philadelphia National Historic Site Act, sponsored by Congressman Darin LaHood of Illinois, which would establish New Philadelphia as a unit of the National Park System.

New Philadelphia Town Site, located near Barry, Illinois, is the first known town in the United States to be established and officially registered by an African American.

The national historic site established by this bill will tell the inspiring story of ``Free Frank'' McWorter, who founded New Philadelphia in 1836. He was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1777 and spent the first 42 years of his life enslaved. He worked to save enough money to purchase the freedom of his expectant wife, Lucy, and ensuring the freedom of their child. Two years later, he purchased his own freedom.

The family moved to a pioneer homestead in Illinois, where McWorter founded a town called New Philadelphia where free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans lived, alongside European Americans in a region and an era intense with racial strife.

New Philadelphia was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009. New Philadelphia is also listed as part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

I commend Representative LaHood for sponsoring this bipartisan and locally supported bill. New Philadelphia will be a valuable addition to the National Park System.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

Madam Speaker, I urge the adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4358, the Little Manatee Wild and Scenic River Act. This bill, sponsored by my colleague from Florida, Representative Vern Buchanan, would authorize a study of the Little Manatee River in Florida to consider its inclusion as a component of the National Wild and Scenic River System.

The Little Manatee River, which has been designated an Outstanding Florida Water, transitions from a 10- to 20-food-wide creek flowing through an ash and oak floodplain forest to a 300-foot-wide tide- influenced river flowing through tidal marsh that empties into Tampa Bay.

The bill contains important provisions protecting private property rights that ensure that study cannot be used as a justification for new restrictive management practices unless Congress acts to officially designate the river as part of the National Wild and Scenic River System at a future date.

This bill is locally supported, and I commend Representative Buchanan for his work on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on Roll Call No. 420 on final passage of Senate Amendment to H.R. 5376, I am not recorded. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 420.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 420.

Madam Speaker, remembering those civil servants who dedicated their careers to the service of their constituents is important, and few Alabama politicians gave more in service than Representative Stephen A. ``Steve'' McMillan.

McMillan served for 42 years in the Alabama House of Representatives, representing Baldwin County. After first winning election in 1982, McMillan represented District 95 for his entire career and went on to serve numerous committees. McMillan leaves behind a legacy of working to pass legislation for the good of Baldwin County and the entire State of Alabama.

McMillan accomplished much, helping create the Fair Ballot Commission, the Baldwin County Judicial Commission, and the State Teacher of the Year program. McMillan also helped planning and zoning for unincorporated areas of Baldwin County, helped found the Alabama School of Math and Science, and helped create the Alabama Coastal Area Erosion Task Force and several laws to protect Alabama Beaches.

McMillan's service was not limited to the Alabama House of Representatives, as he held numerous leadership positions in the community. McMillan was past President of the Bay Minette Rotary Club, member of the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, member of the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber.

McMillan will be remembered as a fighter for his constituents who worked for the betterment of his community.

Madam Speaker, October 7 has been declared Edward O. Wilson day to honor Alabama native and internationally renowned scientist and educator.

Wilson was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Decatur Senior High School before going on to earn bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Alabama.

Wilson served as an entomologist for the Alabama Department of Conservation and taught at Harvard for over 50 years. Additionally, he served on the boards of the Nature Conservancy, The World Wildlife Fund, and Audubon.

His accomplishments include discovering hundreds of new insects and documented the arrival of the fire ant in America as a 14-year-old. Wilson wrote over 30 books explaining the natural world to the public and received more than 150 awards, including the National Medal of Science and two Pulitzer Prizes,

Wilson dedicated his professional career to promoting conservation of natural life in his native Alabama and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7900, the NDAA 2023.

We have worked across the aisle on this bill, and I take great pride in it. We have successfully fought back against the President's cut in our defense budget, obviously due to inflation.

For example, it gets the Navy back on track to build a large enough fleet to counter threats like China, with 355 ships. This includes much-needed ships that will be built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, and we are very proud of that.

It also takes care of our servicemen and their families by giving a 4.6 percent pay raise to counter Bidenflation. I encourage my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support the bill because it is critical to the defense of this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the situation that President Biden has us in right now on fuel.

On April 27, according to his texts, he is going to help bring the price of fuel down. The price of fuel has gone up since April 27.

In his texts, he is going to release fuel from our reserves. All it did was put money in Chinese pockets--950,000 barrels of oil--and someone has got to be answerable for that.

This gentleman pictured on the end, Mr. Seals, is an offshore oil producer, and Mr. Seals wants his job back.

Let's spend our time trying to get our energy released.

Don't go to Saudi Arabia, Mr. President. Let's stay here and let our people, Mr. Seals, get and drill. Release our energy.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.