Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the players and coaches of the Immaculata University Mighty Macs 1972-1974 Women's Basketball Teams on the occasion of their enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Led by their young coach, Cathy Rush, the Mighty Macs won the first three women's college basketball championships in 1972, 1973, and 1974 and this performance is considered the birthplace of modern college women's basketball. Rush is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, Class of 2008. In addition to the national championships, the Mighty Macs were the first women's team, along with the University of Maryland, to appear on national TV; first women's team, along with Queen's College, to play at Madison Square Garden, and the first women's college team to play outside the United States (Australia in 1974). Their inspirational story was made into a feature-length theatrical movie called The Mighty Macs and released by Sony Pictures in 2011.

The Mighty Macs are: Janet Ruch Boltz '73 of Glen Mills, PA; Denise Conway Crawford '74 of Havertown; Janet Young Eline '74 of Gettysburg, PA; Theresa Shank Grentz '74 of West Chester, PA; Nancy Johnston '76 (deceased); Barbara Deuble Kelly '77 of White Bear Lake, MN; Tina Krah of Indianapolis, IN; Patricia Mulhern Loughran '77 of Broomall, PA; Judy Marra Martelli '75 of Media, PA; Maureen Mooney '73 (deceased); Sue Forsyth O'Grady '72 of Drexel Hill, PA; Patricia Opila Penater '72 (deceased); Rene Muth Portland '75 of Bloomington, IN; Betty Ann Hoffman Quinn '73 of Ardmore, PA; Cathy Rush (coach) of Sarasota, FL; Mary Scharff '77 of Audubon, NJ; Marianne Crawford Stanley '76 of Raleigh, NC; Maureen Stuhlman of South Lake Tahoe, CA; and Marie Liguori Williams '77 of Hollywood, FL.

Mr. Speaker, in light of their outstanding accomplishments, history- making seasons, and enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing the players and coaches of the Immaculata University Mighty Macs 1972-1974 Women's Basketball Teams.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Clifford DeBaptiste of Chester County, Pennsylvania on his 90th birthday, 60 years as owner and proprietor of the DeBaptiste Funeral Home, and for his incomparable record of community engagement.

Clifford DeBaptiste first came to West Chester, Pennsylvania on a visit in the 1940's. After serving in the U.S. Army, he graduated from mortuary school and married his lovely wife, Inez Manning. They then opened the DeBaptiste Funeral Home in 1954 and, in 1965, moved the business from its original location to 25 South Worthington Street where it may be found today.

In addition to running a successful business for 60 years, Dr. DeBaptiste has made numerous other invaluable contributions to the Greater West Chester community and beyond, including serving as West Chester's first African-American Mayor from 1994-2002. Additionally, he has been honored by the NAACP for his business leadership and by the National Purple Heart Association for his service in the U.S. Army. In 2014, Dr. DeBaptiste was also coronated a Sovereign Grand Inspector General, the Thirty-Third and last degree in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Further, Dr. DeBaptiste chaired the Pennsylvania State Board of Funeral Directors for 13 years, received its President's Medallion for Service in 1991, and an honorary Doctor of Public Service Degree from West Chester University in 1999.

Mr. Speaker, in light of the 60 years of his incredible business record and service to the community, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Dr Clifford DeBaptiste, one of Chester County, Pennsylvania's most valued and respected citizens.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, on July 22, 2014, I missed four recorded votes on the House floor. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 433, ``yea'' on rollcall 434, ``yea'' on rollcall 435, and ``nay'' on rollcall 436.

I thank the chairman for his recognition and for his strong leadership on this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support this legislation and specifically to highlight section 4 of the bill, which would make permanent the hugely successful conservation easement tax incentive.

When the time comes for families across our great country to decide the future of land that has been farmed for generations or is blessed with abundant natural resources, the choices should not be limited to simply selling that land or struggling to pay bigger tax bills to hold onto what are likely their most valuable family assets. The extremely difficult decisions families make about their farms and their property ultimately affect not only their lives but also the quality of life for their neighbors and the character of their communities. Conservation easements provide property owners with another choice when looking for an alternative to selling their land.

Before expiring at the end of 2013, modest-income property owners, family farmers, and other landowners utilized this Tax Code incentive to voluntarily protect millions of acres of land across the country. I have been fortunate to meet many of the families in my district who have been able to preserve their property thanks to the conservation easement deduction.

They are folks like Don Hawthorne, who in 2006 donated a conservation easement on 28 acres of his land to the Montgomery County Lands Trust in order to preserve an active Christmas tree farm, a fruit orchard, and a blueberry patch prized by the local community.

He expressed his support for making permanent the Federal Conservation Easement Tax Incentive this way:

Knowing that farming will likely continue on this land long

after I am gone gives me peace of mind. It really would be

wonderful if the Federal tax incentive would be made

permanent so other farmers who choose to preserve their land

can benefit.

The Great Marsh area of Chester County has been part of Jim Moore's

family for many generations. It is the most biologically diverse wetland in southeastern Pennsylvania and home to 155 species of birds, 200 species of flowering plants, and perhaps, most significantly, the headwaters for Marsh Creek, which is the primary source of drinking water for Wilmington, Delaware.

Mr. Moore explained why conservation easements are important:

Open space is really about the next generation. We

preserved this land because we love it and want to share it .

. . and the tax benefits from easement donations make it more

feasible to do that.

This legislation before us includes language identical to a bill that I have been working on with my colleague, Mr. Thompson of California, to pass for a few sessions now.

Last session, our bill had over 300 cosponsors, and now has over 200 cosponsors here in the House this session, and for anybody to see that kind of consensus here in Washington, D.C., is noteworthy indeed.

I believe the conservation easement incentive enjoys broad bipartisan support in Washington because it works in our communities. Therefore, that is why I am urging our colleagues to support this important legislation today to provide property owners with the freedom, the opportunity, and the certainty they deserve when making critical choices about the future of their land.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pastor Steve Walker, the Family Ministry pastor for the Fairview Village Church in Eagleville, Pennsylvania, which serves thousands of area residents in southeastern Pennsylvania.

A native of the State of Washington, Pastor Walker received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and then proudly served in the United States military.

In 1991, Pastor Walker began working full time in the ministry, and since then, has served as a children's pastor in Tacoma, Washington; as an associate pastor in Topeka, Kansas; and as the lead pastor in Carson City, Nevada--all before starting his current position in Eagleville.

On a more personal note, Pastor Walker and his wife of over 30 years, Shari, have raised two terrific daughters, Ashley and Stephanie. Pastor Walker also demonstrated tremendous courage and unshakable faith as he battled cancer in 2003. He has since conquered the disease and has emerged from that battle with a renewed passion for serving the church, his congregants, and the community.

It is therefore my privilege to welcome Pastor Walker, his wife, Shari, and daughter Stephanie to the House of Representatives today and to thank him for serving as our guest chaplain.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, on July 8, 2014, I missed two recorded votes on the House floor. I ask that the Record reflect that had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 369 and ``yea'' on rollcall 370.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Camphill Soltane of Chester County, Pennsylvania on its 25th anniversary of exemplary service in providing educational, vocational, and residential services for young adults with developmental disabilities. This is a great milestone and a considerable accomplishment and I take great pleasure in being able to honor the men and women of Camphill Soltane for their dedication and outstanding service.

For 25 years, the men and women of Camphill Soltane have dedicated themselves to enabling young adults and adults with special needs to identify and pursue their interests, exercise their talents, and develop their skills that they may enjoy a rich and satisfying life and make valued contributions to the world. A member of the international Camphill Movement, which began in Scotland 70 years ago, Camphill Soltane continues the Movement's tradition of approaching the individual with special needs as a valued member of society worthy of love, dignity, and the opportunity to realize goals and dreams.

Camphill Soltane's varied residential settings on its 52 acre Glenmoore site, and affiliated houses in Phoenixville, provide opportunities for individuals with special needs to live as independently as possible within a supportive community environment. For the last quarter century, this groundbreaking model has served to foster relationships based on mutual respect while encouraging the ongoing development of life and social skills.

Mr. Speaker, in light of its 25 years of outstanding service, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Camphill Soltane for its invaluable contributions to the quality of life of the citizens of Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Madam Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chairman, I rise to engage the gentleman from Iowa, Chairman Latham, in a colloquy.

I yield to the gentleman from Iowa.

I thank the chairman. First of all, Mr. Chairman, thank you for your hard work on this legislation, but I do have a concern about funding for the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS, program that supports research of advanced alcohol detection technology. MAP-21 authorized and Congress provided $5.44 million for this program in fiscal year 2014. For fiscal year 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requested $5.72 million. Unfortunately, the report attached to the T-HUD bill specifies only $2.72 million for this program.

The DADSS program supports a cooperative agreement between the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety and the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration to work together to create a passive, in- vehicle technology that can determine the driver's--and only the driver's--blood alcohol content. If the driver is at or above 0.08, the illegal limit in all 50 States, the car would be inoperable.

The current operating plan for the program runs through 2018, and the goal at this time would be to have ready a commercially viable technology by then. While great progress has been made, more research must take place. Full funding for this research should be a priority for this Congress because each year, over 10,000 Americans are killed due to drunk driving--nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities.

Madam Chairman, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has called the DADSS program its highest legislative priority. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has looked at the potential of this technology and said it could save over 7,000 lives per year. Every major traffic safety group in this country supports this, including the National Transportation Safety Board. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has identified this project as one of its highest priorities.

The authorized funding level is not a tremendous sum when you consider the fact that drunk driving costs Americans over $132 billion each year, and I believe that fully funding this project and including the administration's request of $5.72 million--which is already included in the Senate fiscal year 2015 Transportation-HUD Appropriations bill--is a small price to pay for a project with this much potential.

I would respectfully ask the chairman that we work together to restore this critical funding.

I thank the gentleman.

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

Amendment Offered by Mr. Grayson

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company #1 of Berks County, Pennsylvania on its 100th anniversary of exemplary service to the Borough of Fleetwood by setting the gold standard for personnel training, emergency services, and community involvement. This is a great milestone and a considerable accomplishment and I take great pleasure in being able to honor the men and women of the Company for their dedication and outstanding service.

For 100 years, the men and women of the Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company have proudly and capably served and protected the thousands of citizens of the Borough of Fleetwood and Berks County. The nearly 70 active members of the Company bear the responsibility for firefighting, rescue and EMS services for the Borough of Fleetwood and surrounding areas These courageous volunteers have received extensive training in fire suppression, automobile extrication, general rescue, first aid, hazardous materials, aerial operations, and fire police duties.

In addition to training and serving the community during emergencies, Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company is also extremely active in various community events, including funding high school graduation scholarships, providing fire prevention programs at local schools, assisting in traffic control during special events, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE), and the Prom Night Out program.

Mr. Speaker, in light of its 100 years of outstanding service to the greater Fleetwood area, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Fleetwood Volunteer Fire Company #1 for its invaluable contributions to the quality of life and safety of the citizens of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the members of the Downingtown East High School Academic Team of Chester County, Pennsylvania on winning the Pennsylvania state academic competition on Friday, May 2, 2014.

This year marked the first time a Downingtown high school academic team has made it to the state competition since 2003 when the senior high school was split into two schools, Downingtown East and Downingtown West High Schools. Downingtown East advanced to the state competition following a thrilling first place victory in the Chester County Academic Competition. With this state championship win, the Team is now eligible to participate in the National Scholastic Championship held in Washington, D.C. on May 24th and 25th.

The Downingtown East High School Varsity Team includes: Neel Alex, Angela Cai, Varun Giridhar, Vis Lanka, Victoria Pan, Sarah Schieferstein, Neil Vinjamuri, Zack Weber and Nicholas Wu. The Junior Varsity team consists of: Erin Breslin, Nellie Butler, Megan Harley, Kaushik Manchikanti and Matt Roberts. The Teams are ably led by coach Daryl McCauley.

Mr. Speaker, in light of their outstanding accomplishment and commitment to academic excellence, we ask that our colleagues join me today in recognizing the members of the Downingtown East High School Academic Team of Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania on receiving the Growing Greener Communities Award bestowed by Natural Lands Trust and the Chester County Association of Township Officials.

East Bradford Township's 30-year-old Open Space Initiative, designed to protect natural areas and connect them through a trail network, has resulted in 6,000 acres of permanently protected land, 16 parks, and 26 miles of trails. In 2013 alone, the Township secured county funding for conservation easement on more than 80 acres of Township land, spearheaded a volunteer effort to plant 750 trees, commissioned stewardship plans for three of its sixteen parks, constructed more than two miles of trails, and organized the second annual Trail Blazer Race, the proceeds of which will be used to fund trail construction and maintenance.

Mr. Speaker, in light of the community's long-standing commitment to conservation and land preservation, and on the occasion of being honored with the Growing Greener

Communities Award, I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing the outstanding efforts of East Bradford Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleagues, Representative Lou Barletta (PA-11) and Representative Bill Shuster (PA-9), to congratulate the players and coaches of the Dickinson College Red Devils Men's Basketball Team of Carlisle, Pennsylvania on their incredible season which was capped by their advancement to the ``Elite Eight'' in the 2014 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

The Dickinson Red Devils won a program-best 24 games, including establishing a record of 15 wins in Centennial Conference play. The Red Devils scored a school record 2,335 points during the season and broke the single game record for three-point shots (17) in their win over nationally ranked Guilford College on December 28, 2013.

The Red Devils' 2013-2014 roster includes: Brandon Angradi, Jonah Brooks, CJ Burke, Steve Collins, Chris Cox, Zacc Dwan, Brian Erhhart, Brian Gerney, Ted Hinnenkamp, Adam Honig, Matt Jackson, Tucker Landy, Brian Lissak, Tom McInerney, Robert Picka, Gerry Wixted, and Pete Yingst. The Red Devils are ably led by Head Coach Alan Seretti, Assistant Coach Ethan Stewart-Smith, Student Assistant Adam Spinella and Scorekeeper Madeline Kern, with dedicated administrative support by College Athletic Director Dr. Les Poolman.

Additionally, as a result of their terrific performances, both senior guard Adam Honig and junior forward Gerry Wixted achieved individual honors by being named to the D3hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team. Head Coach Alan Seretti likewise was named Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, in light of their outstanding accomplishments and history-making season, we ask that our colleagues join me today in recognizing the players and coaches of the Dickinson College Red Devils Men's Basketball Team of Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

I thank the chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this legislation that strives to restore the coequal balance of power between the legislative and executive branches and would establish a procedure for making sure all Presidents are accountable for meeting their constitutional obligation to faithfully execute all duly-enacted laws.

Chairman Goodlatte, Congressman Gowdy, and members of the Judiciary Committee have done an outstanding job highlighting the need for such legislation and explaining to the American people why it is important to ensure the legislative and executive branches are functioning as intended by the framers.

The bill before us today represents a collaborative effort to craft an effective legislative response to a series of unilateral actions by the President that he has taken in the last few years to selectively apply, enforce, and ignore duly-enacted laws.

The Affordable Care Act--or ObamaCare--a law written and enacted exclusively by the President and Members of his party, has been delayed, amended, and effectively rewritten about two dozen times in the past year.

The law hasn't changed by coming to Congress and working with us on reasonable changes or following the legislative process we were taught in high school civics. No, the law was modified because the President and his administration simply declared it to be changed, in most cases, on late Friday afternoons or right before a major holiday like Thanksgiving.

Today's vote is not about rehashing the debate over ObamaCare. The President has also unilaterally acted to suspend enforcement of immigration laws, stop the prosecution of nonviolent drug offenses, and nullify sections of Federal laws and education.

It is as if the President thinks our laws are written in pencil and it is his job to take a giant eraser to the parts he doesn't agree with and then scribble in some new words that fit his agenda; or as George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley noted during his testimony recently:

President Obama's become the very danger the Constitution

was designed to avoid, the concentration of power in any one

of the branches.

If a President can unilaterally change the meaning of laws

in substantial ways or refuse to enforce them, it takes

offline that very thing that stabilizes our system.

After that hearing, I was able to introduce legislation to create a fast-track independent judicial review process that would settle disputes over whether a president has exceeded his constitutional authority and whether he has met his duty to faithfully execute the law.

The legislation today before us accomplishes those same goals. It represents a commonsense procedural reform that establishes a practical, effective solution to resolve serious questions of Executive overreach.

Our system of checks and balances was designed to prevent a President--or any other branch of the Federal Government--from being able to unilaterally declare a law by whatever that individual says it is at that point in time after the law was enacted.

No doubt Madison, Jefferson, and other Framers understood that allowing a concentration of power in one branch was a recipe for chaos and instability; so if Congress does not act and fails to hold a President accountable for executing the laws as written, how can we expect citizens to have any respect for the laws passed by this Chamber?

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to restore and preserve the delicate constitutional balance among the three branches of our Federal system and to take an important step in restoring the confidence of the public in our system of governance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Molly K. Morrison on the occasion of being honored with the Eighth Annual Rebecca Lukens Award by The Greystone Society of Coatesville, Chester County, Pennsylvania. As an outstanding candidate for this recognition, Molly was chosen for this honor for the same love of community she has as the award's namesake, Rebecca Lukens.

A Chester County native, Molly Morrison learned to appreciate the importance of land preservation by spending time on her grandparents' farm in northern Chester County, a place where her German immigrant ancestors had been farming since the early 1700s.

After pursuing an English degree at Ursinus College and Masters in Communications at Syracuse University, Molly worked at the Brandywine Valley Association and then for Chester County, where she served in a variety of positions over a 21-year period, most recently as Director of Policy and Planning. In that role, she oversaw the development and implementation of the County's nationally recognized open space program, as well as the policy development of and program implementation for planning, parks, water resources, and community development.

As President of Natural Lands Trust, she has been instrumental in creating conservation strategies for complex land transactions, including the acquisition of the 1,263-acre ChesLen Preserve in Newlin Township. In addition to providing strategic leadership and fundraising for a staff of 60, Molly oversees a network of 42 nature preserves and 361 conservation easements, totaling more than 44,000 acres. Molly has also served on a variety of boards, including the YMCA of Greater West Chester, the Chester County Art Association, and the Chester County United Way, among others.

Mr. Speaker, in light of her years of immeasurable contributions to the community and litany of outstanding accomplishments, I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing Molly K. Morrison on the occasion of her being honored with The Greystone Society's Rebecca Lukens Award.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, on February 25, 2014, I missed two recorded votes on the House floor. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 63 and ``yea'' on rollcall 64.