Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the memory of a former staffer who served the people of Ohio's Fourth Congressional District for more than twelve years: Timothy Mills Johnson. Tim died on Sunday after a lengthy battle against multiple myeloma.

Tim was a native of Jamestown, New York, and took great pride in his hometown and his alma mater, Syracuse University. While at Syracuse, where he graduated with a double major in journalism and political science, he started working in radio. After graduation, he returned to Jamestown, where he anchored local radio and television broadcasts for many years.

A fellowship from the American Political Science Association brought him to Washington in 1994, where he began working for my predecessor, the late Congressman Michael G. Oxley. Tim handled a wide range of legislative issues for Mr. Oxley through the years, earning a reputation for professionalism in dealing with members, fellow staffers, outside groups, and constituents. He also put his communication skills to good use, working for several years as both legislative director and communications director.

Tim developed a solid grasp of finance issues during his time in Congressman Oxley's office, serving as liaison between the office and the House Financial Services Committee. Following Mr. Oxley's retirement, Tim moved to the staff of former Congressman Spencer Bachus of Alabama, Mr. Oxley's successor as the top Republican on that committee.

Tim was known all over the Capitol for his tireless work in support of the annual Congressional Baseball Game alongside Congressman Oxley, who played for and managed the Republican team throughout his congressional career. For two decades, Tim attended every practice, kept statistics, helped set lineups, and served as bench coach, in addition to working behind the scenes to coordinate press coverage and solicit donations for this exceptional charity event. He was a board member of the Washington Literacy Center, one of the many beneficiaries of the game's proceeds.

His passion for the sport of tennis rivaled his devotion to baseball. As president of the Capitol Hill Tennis Club, he introduced hundreds of congressional staffers to the game and encouraged them as they honed their skills. He helped coordinate the annual Multiple Myeloma Charity Classic, a tennis and golf tournament for members of Congress and others that has raised more than $1.2 million in support of multiple myeloma research.

Tim was widely praised as a mentor to younger staffers, always taking time to advise newcomers to Washington on how to be effective at their jobs and navigate the legislative process.

Tim's good humor, professionalism, and devotion to others will long be remembered. We are grateful that good people like Tim Johnson commit themselves to public service and actively inspire so many others to follow in their footsteps.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and, more importantly, for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging will host the 43rd annual Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Wednesday, May 16, in Columbus. I am honored to commend to the House one of this year's inductees, JoAnn Stillings of Richwood.

Mrs. Stillings' service to her community is a model we can all emulate. She currently oversees a commodity food box program for senior citizens in northern Union County, coordinating the schedule of volunteers and greeting each client personally.

Mrs. Stillings also helped create the North Union Personal Needs Pantry, which provides personal hygiene items to low-income families and seniors. She has been tireless in pursuing grant opportunities and holding fundraisers to support this important work, which has assisted more than 8,400 families in its decade of existence.

Mr. Speaker, selection for the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame is a high honor accorded to seniors who have devoted their lives to service to others. I am pleased to join in the accolades for JoAnn Stillings on her induction, and thank the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging for recognizing her many sacrifices and those of all of this year's inductees.

Mr. Speaker, the Owens Community College Alumni Association takes great pride in its annual Outstanding Service Awards celebration, now in its fifteenth year. The awards honor the selfless contributions of area police, fire, and emergency medical service professionals to our communities. I wanted to share the inspiring stories of six of my constituents who will be recognized at this year's ceremony.

For their heroism in confronting an assailant who had committed two assaults and was threatening to commit murder, Sergeant Bryan Bryant, Officer Gary McClure, and Officer Brent Riley of the Tiffin Police Department, along with Deputy Sheriff Luke Cantu and Deputy Sheriff Jeff Smith of the Seneca County Sheriff's Office, will be presented with the Outstanding Police Award. Under fire, these officers returned fire and neutralized the assailant, who later died at the hospital. Their actions prevented further injuries to members of the public. Deputy Cantu, who was shot in the shoulder, recovered from his injury.

Firefighter/Paramedic Kyle Blausey of the Fostoria Fire Division will be presented with the Outstanding Service to Community Award. Throughout his 17-year career with the department, he has become known for his proficiency in handling high-pressure situations. He put this ability to good use in coming to the aid of a pregnant woman who was unconscious and had no pulse. While she did not survive, her baby was saved thanks to Firefighter Blausey's work to stabilize her, transport her to the emergency room, and assist the emergency room doctors.

Mr. Speaker, this year's Outstanding Service Awards celebration will be held on Friday, April 27. I appreciate the opportunity to join the Owens Community College Alumni Association in recognizing the ongoing commitment and sacrifices of these and all of our first responders.

Mr. Speaker, the Ohio Military Hall of Fame will hold a ceremony at the Statehouse in Columbus on May 4 to mark the induction of its 2018 class. Selection for the Hall of Fame is a high honor that has been accorded to only a few hundred Ohioans since 2000. To be considered for induction, individuals must have been decorated for heroic actions in a combat situation. I am honored to commend to the House this year's 30 inductees:

Senior Chief Sonarman Edward C. Byers, Jr., currently living in Little Creek, Virginia, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Navy veteran of the War in Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal Joe C. Paul (posthumously), recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Ronald K. Westfall of Bloomingdale, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Corporal Donald A. Campbell (posthumously), recipient of the Silver Star, Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Nicholas W. Denman of Wooster, recipient of the Silver Star, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Major Larry N. Fealy (posthumously), recipient of the Silver Star, Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Wilford E. Frash of McConnelsville, recipient of the Silver Star, Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Thomas L. Henning (posthumously), recipient of the Silver Star, Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.

Hospital Corpsman Second Class Robert F. Holtz of North Royalton, recipient of the Silver Star, Navy veteran of the Vietnam War.

Staff Sergeant James L. Messerschmitt of Cincinnati, recipient of the Silver Star, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Captain Edgar C. Fell, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Chief Warrant Officer Second Class John E. Grafmiller of Upper Sandusky, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Captain John C. McFarren of Cincinnati, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War.

Chief Warrant Officer Second Class David A. Walls of Westerville, recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant John C. Babyak of Poland, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War.

Sergeant First Class Danny W. Bell of Cincinnati, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Persian Gulf War.

Sergeant Jack W. Born of Parma, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Captain Thomas P. Casey of Beavercreek, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Private First Class Clayton H. Compher (posthumously), recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of World War II.

Signalman First Class Conard J. Conway of Mount Vernon, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Navy veteran of World War II.

Private First Class Paul L. Feathers of Fremont, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Donald I. Jakeway of Johnstown, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of World War II.

Sergeant John P. Luft of Gahanna, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant John F. McAllister of Delaware, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant First Class Donald D. Schweitzer of Wapakoneta, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Specialist Roy R. Sprague of Kent, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Robert E. Watson of Batavia, recipient of the Bronze Star with ``V'' Device, Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.

First Lieutenant Walter A. Bettcher of Bay Village, recipient of the Army Commendation Medal with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Jack E. Kasee of Batavia, recipient of the Army Commendation Medal with ``V'' Device, Army veteran of the Vietnam War.

Captain Kevin B. Lombardo, currently living in Papillon, Nebraska, recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal with ``V'' Device, Air Force veteran of the War in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the memory of Firefighter Michael J. Aselage of the Fort Loramie Community Fire Company, who was killed in the line of duty on April 2, 1975.

Michael Aselage was born in 1950, the son of Bernard and Elizabeth Aselage. Upon graduating from Fort Loramie High School, he entered the United States Coast Guard, where he served for four years. In late 1974, following in the footsteps of his father, he joined the Fort Loramie Community Fire Company.

On April 2, 1975, Michael noticed a downed electric pole and wire lying across a portion of Ohio State Route 705. He immediately went to a nearby house to call the Shelby County Sheriff's Office for assistance. He then went back to the site of the downed wire to direct traffic around the hazard. He was killed when the door of his vehicle came into contact with the wire.

This Sunday, a portion of State Route 705 in Shelby County will be renamed and dedicated in Michael's honor. On behalf of the people of Ohio's Fourth Congressional District, I offer my condolences to the family and friends of Michael J. Aselage as they gather to celebrate his selfless service. I am grateful to the members of the Fort Loramie Community Fire Company for pursuing this honor in tribute to their fallen comrade.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. It is good to be with my good friend from New York and other Members of Congress here tonight to talk about why we need a second special counsel.

Nobody likes him. I don't like him, but I don't know of any other remedy. Is the FBI really going to be able to investigate themselves? Is the Department of Justice really going to be able to investigate themselves? And I understand Mr. Horowitz, the inspector general, is going to do good work, and he has done good work, but it is not the same. It is not the same.

The only way to get to the truth, I think, is to have a second special counsel look at all of this; all the Clinton investigation, all the Russia investigation, look at it all.

Understand a few things we have learned over the past few months and, frankly, the past few days with the very top people at the FBI.

James Comey misled the American people on both investigations.

Now, think about this. Mr. Comey, at the urging of then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, calls the Clinton investigation a matter, not an investigation, and misleads the American people.

We all know it was an investigation. As some of my colleagues have said, the last time I checked, he was not running the Federal Bureau of Matters; it is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was an investigation, but in an attempt to play it down, he misleads the American people and calls it a matter and not an investigation.

Then, when it came to our President, he allows the perception to exist with the American people that President Trump is under investigation when, in fact, he wasn't and had been told by James Comey, himself, that he wasn't under investigation.

Then, of course, there is the number two guy at the FBI, Andrew McCabe, who we have learned in the last few days actually misled the Office of Professional Responsibility, misled his boss, and misled the inspector general on two different occasions--four times, total. As they say, he lacked candor. He didn't tell the truth.

So we need a special counsel to look into all this and a host of other things. It was those guys, Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe, who were involved at the FBI when the whole dossier thing unfolded where they took an opposition research document, dressed it all up, made it look like it was legitimate intelligence, and took it to the secret court to get a warrant to spy on a fellow American associated with the Trump campaign.

They didn't tell the court two important things. They didn't tell the court who paid for the document, namely, the Clinton campaign and the DNC; and they didn't tell the court that the author of that salacious and unverified document, Christopher Steele, had had his relationship with the FBI terminated because Mr. Steele broke a cardinal rule: he went and told the press he was working for the FBI.

Now, if you and I go to court, we have got to tell the truth. We have got to tell the whole truth. But they didn't. They didn't.

Now, recently, there have been two appointments made at the Department of Justice by the current Attorney General: Mr. Huber and Mr. Lausch. Mr. Lausch has been named to help get the documents to Congress that we are entitled as a separate and equal branch of government to receive. Mr. Huber has been tasked with overseeing this whole Russia investigation.

While these individuals appear to be fine individuals, again, it is not the same because whom does Mr. Huber and Mr. Lausch answer to? They answer to Rod Rosenstein, who was involved in all this throughout all the Clinton investigation and throughout the Russia investigation. They answer to Rod Rosenstein.

Now, how do employees investigate their boss? Someone tell me how that works.

I have two final points.

When you think about probably the classic definition of the swamp, think about this: Rod Rosenstein writes the memo for firing James Comey. James Comey leaks a government document to The New York Times to create momentum for a special counsel, Bob Mueller, whom Rod Rosenstein appoints as the special counsel and oversees; and one of the elements they are looking at is whether there was obstruction of justice in the firing of James Comey.

You can't make this stuff up. You talk about the biggest roundabout I have ever seen.

We need a special counsel. Think about this as well: the Attorney General has said only in extraordinary circumstances do you name special counsel.

It is pretty extraordinary when James Comey, the Director of the FBI, has been fired; Andrew McCabe, the Deputy Director of the FBI, has been fired; Jim Baker, the former general counsel, has been demoted and reassigned; Peter Strzok, the deputy head of counterintelligence has been demoted and reassigned; and Lisa Page, FBI counsel, has been demoted and reassigned. Those are some of the top people at the FBI. Now, if that is not extraordinary, then I don't what the heck is.

If it is not a little unusual when the new Deputy Attorney General writes the memo to fire James Comey and then names Bob Mueller as special counsel, and one of the things they are looking at is whether there was obstruction of justice in the firing of James Comey, if those aren't extraordinary and strange circumstances warranting a second special counsel, then, again, I don't know what is.

So let's just do the right thing. Mr. Sessions and Mr. Rosenstein should just do the right thing. The American people want this. If we get a second special counsel, then we limit the amount of time that they can look at this. We pick someone outside the swamp somewhere in the middle of the country. Let him or her run this investigation, say: Here is your time; go figure it out.

I believe, when they reach their conclusions, there is a much better chance the American people will accept that result and accept their findings. But if it is just the same old thing that we have been seeing, I think that is much tougher.

So this is what is needed. No one likes it; no one really wants these things to happen; but I see no other approach that will get the answers and hopefully provide the closure that the country needs to move on.

So I would just say to Mr. Sessions and Mr. Rosenstein: Do what everyone else in this country knows needs to happen. Name the second special counsel. Let's get the facts for the American people, and let's get moving.

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows this is a joke. It is all pretend and never going to become law. It is never going to happen. People are going to support it because voting for a balanced budget amendment is like voting for motherhood and apple pie. But everybody on this floor knows this is all pretend.

The time to deal with spending was 3 weeks ago. Three weeks ago was the time for political courage and some discipline. Some political will was 3 weeks ago, when we got a 2,232-page bill that we had 15 hours to look at. That was when we needed to deal with spending.

Fifteen hours to look at a $1.3 trillion spending package, the second largest spending package in American history, and we had 15 hours to look at it?

Oh, and guess what. Do you know how long we got to debate it? One hour. On a 3-page bill that is never going to happen, do you know how long we are debating this? Four hours.

The time for political courage was 3 weeks ago. The last vote we took before the Easter recess, $1.3 trillion of spending, funding things we as Republicans said we would never fund, not funding things we told the voters we were going to fund, and then we go home and we come back, and the first thing we do with 4 hours of debate--not 1, like we had on that bill--is a bill that is never going to happen.

It is no wonder Americans hate this place. It is no wonder they are cynical. I don't blame them. This ticks me off. There is just no other way to say it. More importantly, it ticks off the American people, and it should.

For the last 24 hours, everyone in this town has been focused on who is going to be the next Speaker. Let me tell you something, a much more important question than who is going to be the next Speaker, who is going to be the Speaker next year, is what are Republicans going to do this year? Are we going to get back to doing what the American people elected us to do on November 8, 2016? Are we going to get back to doing what we told them we were going to do, the mandate of that election, or are we going to keep doing pretend things like this?

Let's do what we said. We make this so hard. Let's just do what we said we would do. That will be good politics, and, more importantly, that would be good policy for the hardworking families of this great country.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues from Ohio and across the nation in paying tribute to the dean of the Ohio delegation, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, as she becomes the longest- serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives.

Congresswoman Kaptur has been tireless in her promotion of Toledo and the people of Ohio's Ninth Congressional District. I am grateful to my colleagues who have already spoken about her many accomplishments on behalf of her constituents throughout her congressional career.

I want to especially highlight her advocacy work on behalf of Lima's Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in my district, which is the only facility in the nation capable of producing large combat vehicles for the Department of Defense. Marcy has used her seniority on the House Appropriations Committee to stave off cuts to JSMC programs that would have devastated military readiness and destroyed the plant's supplier base. I thank her for her longstanding bipartisan work to save money for the taxpayer while keeping the skilled workers of JSMC on the job building modem, safer vehicles on which our servicemembers rely.

On behalf of the people of Ohio's Fourth Congressional District, I congratulate Congresswoman Kaptur on achieving this milestone. Her decency and civility are a model for all who commit their lives to public service.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, did the Comey FBI and the Obama Justice Department coordinate with the Democratic Party to go after the Republican Party? Did the FBI and the Justice Department work hand in glove with the Clinton campaign to go after the Trump campaign? That is the fundamental question. That is the fundamental question.

And think about what we have learned in the last several weeks:

First, we learned that the DNC and the Clinton campaign paid for the dossier. The DNC and the Clinton campaign, which we now know are one and the same, paid for the dossier. They first paid their law firm, who then paid Fusion GPS, who then paid Christopher Steele, who then paid Russians. This is a great irony.

We have Special Counsel Mueller investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 Presidential election, yet we know, just as sure as I am standing on the House floor tonight, the Clinton campaign paid Russians to do what? Influence the 2016 Presidential election.

They paid for the dossier. It has been reported--and I think it happened--but it has been reported the dossier became the basis to secure warrants at the FISA court. In other words, they took this dossier, this disproven dossier, fake news, National Enquirer, garbage dossier, they dressed it all up, they spruced it all up, they took it to the FISA court and then got a judge to say: Okay, that is enough to spy on Americans.

That is what has been reported. And all of the evidence points to that actually taking place.

So they used this dossier, this disproven dossier, to spy on Americans.

And then what have we learned in just the past 5 days?

Bruce Ohr, the Associate Deputy Attorney General; Bruce Ohr, four doors down from Mr. Rosenstein; Bruce Ohr, the top guy at the Justice Department, in 2016, during the campaign, is meeting with the guy who wrote the dossier, meeting with Christopher Steele.

Bruce Ohr, the top guy at the Justice Department, the Associate Deputy Attorney General, and four doors down from Mr. Rosenstein is also meeting with Glenn Simpson, the guy who founded Fusion GPS, the people who paid for the dossier.

So you have got Bruce Ohr, the top official at the Justice Department, hanging out with the guy who wrote and the guy who paid for the dossier during the campaign.

Here is the kicker. I mean, you can't make this stuff up. Here is the kicker. At the same time that Bruce Ohr is meeting with him, we learn that Bruce Ohr's wife is being paid by Fusion GPS, working for the people who paid Christopher Steele to write the dossier that we believe was taken to the FISA court to secure warrants to spy on Americans associated with the Trump campaign.

We know all that happened. That is all public. We know that is the truth. Now, what Mr. Gaetz is saying--and this is why I appreciate the work that Mr. Gaetz and my colleagues are doing on this--and what we are saying: Look, give us the documents. Answer our questions, for crying out loud. And if you won't, then appoint a special counsel--a second special counsel so the American people can get the truth.

Because if this, in fact, happened--and I think it did--where you had the Justice Department, the FBI working with one campaign to go after the other campaign, working with the Clinton campaign to go after President Trump's campaign, then that is as wrong as it gets. That is something that should never take place in the United States of America.

That is why this is so important. That is why the work that Congressman Gaetz and other colleagues are doing is so important.

Again, if you are not going to do the job, Justice Department, at least appoint a second special counsel so we can get answers and we can hold people accountable who did this in this great country.

Mr. Speaker, the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame will hold a ceremony in Dublin on November 9 to mark the induction of its 2017 class. I am honored to commend to the House one of these inductees: Donald E. Rospert of Bellevue.

A graduate of Norwalk's St. Paul High School and of Bowling Green State University, Mr. Rospert is a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War. He speaks regularly at area schools to share his experiences in Vietnam and instruct students on proper flag etiquette and display. He also participates in the color guard during Bellevue High School's home football games.

He and his brother, Kenn, cofounded the Wounded Soldiers Fund in 2005 to help local families with loved ones injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. The fund has aided more than a dozen area families.

Donn and Kenn also designed, created, and secured funding for Bellevue's Fallen Soldiers Memorial, and were instrumental in bringing The Wall That Heals (a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial) to Bellevue for display this year.

Mr. Rospert takes great pride in the work of the local branch of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, with which he was affiliated for nearly two decades. He personally mentored several local youths and remains in contact with one to this day.

Mr. Speaker, selection for the Hall of Fame is a high honor accorded to no more than 20 Ohioans each year. To be considered for induction, individuals must not only serve the nation honorably in the military but also reflect the high value of service to others in their post- military careers.

I am pleased to join in the accolades for Mr. Donald E. Rospert and his outstanding record of service as he is inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, why, in 2016, would James Comey call the Clinton investigation a matter, not an investigation?

Last time I checked, he wasn't director of the Federal bureau of matters.

Why, in 2016, would then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, one day before the Benghazi report is due to come out, 5 days before Secretary Clinton is scheduled to be interviewed by the FBI, meet with former President Bill Clinton on a tarmac in Phoenix? Why would that happen in 2016?

Why, in the days just following that meeting with the former President, would Attorney General Loretta Lynch, when corresponding with the public relations people at the Justice Department via email, not use her real name and, instead, use the name Elizabeth Carlisle?

Again, it seems to me if you are just talking about grandkids and golf, you could probably use your real name.

Why, as we have learned recently, reported in The Federalist, why would the FBI be reimbursing Christopher Steele, the author of the dossier? Why would that be happening all in 2016?

You know, as the previous speakers have talked about, we have had this focus the last several months on potential Russia, Trump campaign collusion and influence, Russian influence on the election.

It seems to me we know something pretty clearly. The Obama administration Justice Department certainly tried to influence the election. I mean, I think we can see that without a doubt.

What did we learn today? The gentleman from Florida was talking about the dossier. What did we learn today?

It was reported today that the cofounder of Fusion GPS, Glenn Simpson, was meeting with the now famous Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, both before the meeting that she had with Donald Trump, Jr., and after the meeting she had with Donald Trump, Jr. I find that interesting. The story keeps getting better.

When James Comey is fired, he then leaks a government document, through a friend, to The New York Times. And what was his objective? What did he tell us?

Under oath, he told us this: Trying to create momentum for a special counsel.

Of course, it can't just be any special counsel. Who is that special counsel going to be?

Bob Mueller, his friend, his predecessor, his mentor and, maybe most importantly, as my good friend from Florida just pointed out, the guy who was running the FBI when the whole Uranium One deal was going down.

I mean, this is amazing. All we are asking for is for the Attorney General to name a special counsel to look into all these questions.

Why was it so critical that James Comey call the matter not an investigation?

Why was it so important that Loretta Lynch not use her real name when she is talking about the meeting she had with Bill Clinton on the tarmac?

Why was it so important that we get a special counsel, and that special counsel be Bob Mueller; so important that James Comey can leak a document, through a friend, to The New York Times, a government document? Why was all this so important?

All we are asking for is to name a special counsel to look into this; and we first asked for this 3\1/2\ months ago. Twenty members of the Judiciary Committee sent the Attorney General a letter on July 27, laying out all these questions and saying: Name a special counsel to look into it.

After all, the taxpayers, the American people, would like the answers. I know the ones in the Fourth District of Ohio would. I talk to them all the time.

For 2 months we heard nothing. So five of us went and met with the Attorney General asking about the July 27 letter, and would they appoint a special counsel. To date, we have got no answer, no response.

So I appreciate the gentleman from Arizona for organizing this Special Order. I appreciate my good friend from Florida, the gentleman from North Carolina, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, and the gentleman from Arizona who are going to join us as well this evening.

It is time for a special counsel to be named to get the answers for the American people on these fundamental questions. We haven't said them all. There are lots of other questions, but these are the fundamental ones. It is time we had a special counsel get to the bottom of this. That is what we have called for. That is what we want to see happen. We hope it does, and the sooner the better.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the many contributions of Dr. Marvin Krislov. Dr. Krislov is departing the presidency of Oberlin College and Conservatory tomorrow after ten years of distinguished service in that office.

A Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of Yale Law School, Dr. Krislov initially pursued a career in law, clerking for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. He then spent three years working at the White House Counsel's Office and then in various senior roles at the Department of Labor.

Dr. Krislov came to Oberlin College in 2007 after nine years as Vice President and General Counsel at the University of Michigan.

Over the last decade, the Oberlin community has benefited greatly from his outstanding management skills and willingness to engage with students, who hold him in the highest regard. Hundreds took advantage of his standing offer to meet personally with any graduating senior seeking career advice.

To fulfill his desire to make the college more inclusive and accessible to students from every economic background, Dr. Krislov created the Oberlin Access Initiative. This initiative helped alleviate the loan burden of many lower-income students.

Dr. Krislov has been hailed for his fundraising efforts--especially his leadership of the most successful comprehensive campaign in Oberlin's history, which came in well ahead of its goal and ahead of schedule. This campaign has allowed for significant campus expansions and renovations.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Krislov will soon assume the presidency of Pace University in New York. On behalf of the people of Ohio's Fourth Congressional District, I offer him my thanks for his long and distinguished career at Oberlin. His legacy of innovative and earnest leadership will benefit Oberlin College for years to come. I wish him and his family every success as they move to this new chapter in their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a courageous career Navy man, Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary L. Rehm, Jr., who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of his fellow Americans.

Gary was born and raised in Elyria, in the Fourth District of Ohio. He followed in his grandfather's footsteps, joining the Navy straight out of high school and serving nearly 20 years, including a deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Gary was on the USS Fitzgerald when it was struck by a container ship off the coast of Japan on June 17. Amid the chaos, Gary jumped into action, battling the raging water that flooded one of the ship's berthing compartments, risking his own life to bring his shipmates to safety.

The sailors who admire him so much might use words like ``valiant,'' ``heroic,'' and ``noble'' to describe Gary's actions that day, but the words he would probably use to describe himself are found in the Navy's motto: ``Not for Self but for Country.''

Gary is survived by a loving family, including his wife, Erin; his sister, Jessica; his niece, Margaret Neal; and his parents, Gary and Anita.

For his profound sacrifice, this Nation owes Gary L. Rehm, Jr., and his family a tremendous debt of gratitude. He will be greatly missed, but the strength of his character, his selflessness, and the courage he demonstrated through his service will live on forever.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the admirable service of former Congressman Clarence J. ``Bud'' Brown, Jr., on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday on June 18.

Born in Columbus in 1927, Bud spent much of his youth in the Washington area, as his father, the late former Congressman Clarence J. Brown, Sr., represented Ohio's Seventh Congressional District in the House from 1939 to 1965. A Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Bud was a 1947 graduate of Duke University and a 1949 graduate of Harvard Business School.

Bud succeeded his father in Congress in 1965, representing the people of the Seventh District with distinction until 1983. Following his House service, he was tapped by President Reagan to serve as the nation's fifth Deputy Secretary of Commerce. He ably filled the role of Acting Secretary for several months following the 1987 death of Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldridge.

From 1992 to 1999, Bud served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the United States Capitol Historical Society, a congressionally chartered non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the heritage and history of the Capitol. The Society honored him with its Freedom Award in 2000, created to recognize those who advance the understanding and appreciation of representative government.

Throughout his life, Bud worked in various roles at the family-owned Brown Publishing Company, a vast nationwide network of local newspapers that was in business through 2010. Bud oversaw company operations from its headquarters in Urbana, Ohio, as President and later as Chairman of the Board for many years.

Bud and his wife, Joyce, are the proud parents of four children: Cate, Clancy, Roy, and Beth. Beth died in 1964 at age seven after a three-year battle with leukemia; Bud and Joyce established the Beth Brown Memorial Foundation in her name later that year. Foundation scholarships have helped hundreds of high school graduates from Champaign County study medical and related careers in college.

Bud and Joyce have both been active in promoting the Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, a 450-acre site south of Urbana that is considered a crown jewel of Ohio's natural areas. They were instrumental in building the Preserve's endowment fund and in making its new education center a reality.

This Sunday in Urbana, Bud's family and friends will gather at an open house in his honor. I look forward to joining so many other well- wishers on this occasion to thank Bud and Joyce for their years of selfless sacrifices.

Mr. Speaker, Bud Brown has been a personal friend and mentor for many years who has made service to others the foundation of his life. We are grateful that good men like Bud commit their lives to public service and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.