Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, in a Memorial Day recognition of the incredible heroism and sacrifice of Tokyo Raider William Farrow, The Lexington County Chronicle on May 24, 2012, published the following article by Ron Shelton on behalf of the South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation.

[From the Lexington Chronicle, May 24, 2012]

Memorial Day Recalls Courage and Legacy of Gamecock and Tokyo Raider

William Farrow

(By Ron Shelton)

Heeding philosopher Edmund Burke's oft-repeated quotation

``For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good men to

nothing'', Rich Lashley does plenty.

The retired psychiatrist, who for 25 years served at the

University of South Carolina's health center, believes the

Ultimate Sacrifice made by Tokyo Raider William Farrow, pilot

of Plane 16, can inspire others today as it has him for many

years. He ``talks up'' Farrow to any who will listen.

South Carolinian William Farrow, one of three Tokyo Raiders

executed by the Japanese military, had been a USC Civil

Engineering student only a few short years before his

untimely death. Lashley views the psychological discipline

and moral courage Farrow summoned in the face of his demise

are models contemporaries can apply.

``His legacy is as fresh today as it was seven decades ago.

Farrow left behind a personal creed that could be taken up by

any one of us,'' said Lashley, who volunteers at The

Cooperative Ministry's C.A.R. program. ``Over the years, as I

have learned more and more about Farrow, I feel this Memorial

Day, during the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid, is an

appropriate time to be taught by his lessons on life.''

Lashley, a lover of history, was well aware of Columbia's

ties to the famed Tokyo Raiders who 70 years ago rained bombs

on Japanese industrial sites in retaliation for that nation's

Pearl Harbor attack December 7, 1941.

``At first I knew only vaguely that one of the Raiders

studied at USC. The more I learned, the more fascinated I

became--that a kid so young would have had Christian

principles, and exemplified them so courageously. Memorial

Day is an opportunity to reflect on how we might handle such

a life threat. Surely, we all have wondered if we could

survive what POWs endure, all the while praying to be

spared,'' said Lashley, a member of First Presbyterian

Church.

Clipping articles, reading voraciously and making notes,

drafting documents over many years, Lashley now is well aware

Farrow wrote letter of comfort home to his family in

Darlington, reminding them of his abiding faith, even when he

knew he was to be executed.

While a student at USC, Farrow developed a personal creed

as manifestation of his spiritual searching and growth. In

Fall 1939 he was selected by the Civil Aeronautics Authority

for air training. He interrupted his studies the next year to

enlist at Fort Jackson, completed flight training at Kelly

Field, TX, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in July

1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, only months later,

plunged America into a war the nation had been determined to

sit out.

Farrow's fate was not set yet. The sixteenth plane he

piloted was not supposed to be included in the Raiders'

surprise attack on Japanese industrial sites. According to

Ron Shelton, vice president of South Carolina Historic

Aviation Foundation (SCHAF), that plane was to be held in

reserve.

``At the last minute, Doolittle made the decision to use

every plane available. With inadequate fuel supply to land in

friendly Chinese territory, because the Mitchell bombers had

to launch from the deck of the USS Hornet prematurely--and

from a greater distance from the target than planned--after

being discovered by a Japanese picket boat, Farrow's aircraft

went down,'' said Shelton, science curator emeritus, South

Carolina State Museum. ``Farrow and two other airmen were

ultimately executed by the Japanese.''

After his execution his mother found the creed, written

while at USC, in a trunk the teen had brought home from

college. Of the tenets, this one has been pulled out and

repeated most often:

Fear not for the future--build on each day as though the

future for me is a certainty. If I die tomorrow, that is too

bad, but I will have done today's work.

Farrow's poignant words were leaked out into the public and

swept the nation, through publication in various media. As a

Blue Star Mother, Mrs. Farrow was asked to address the nation

and read the creed on the Blue Network, and her message was

called Mother Courageous.

American president Franklin D. Roosevelt learned of it, and

praised it as an example to the nation; calling it An

American Creed for Victory Nationwide, newspapers as well as

church bulletins published it.

On January 27, 1943 USC President J. Rion McKissick used

Farrow's creed instead of his own words in his farewell

message to the winter graduating class. When McKissick

requested that all members of the graduating class who were

entering service to rise, nearly every man rose to his feet.

Farrow's Creed--as applicable, purposeful today as it was

70 years ago.

1. Stay in glowing health--take a good, fast one-hour

workout each day.

2. Search our current, past, and future topics on aviation.

3. Work hard on each day's lessons--shoot for an ``A''.

4. Stay close to God--do His will, obey His commandments.

He is my friend and protector. Believe in Him--trust in His

ways--not in my own confused understanding of the universe.

5. Do not waste energy or time in fruitless pursuits--learn

to act from honest fundamental motives--simplicity in life

leads to the fullest living. Order my life--in order, there

is achievement, in aimlessness, there is retrogression.

6. Fear nothing--be it insanity, sickness, failure--always

be upright--look the world in the eye.

7. Keep my mind always clean--allow no evil thoughts to

destroy me. My mind is my

very own, to think and use just as I do my arms. It was given

me by the Creator to use as I see fit, but to think wrong is

to do wrong.

8. Concentrate! Choose the task to be done, and do it to

the best of my ability

9. Fear not for the future--build on each day as though the

future for me is a certainty. If I die tomorrow, that is too

bad, but I will have done today's work.

10. Never be discouraged over anything. Turn failure into

success.

Mr. Speaker, in Wednesday's Politico, Karen Agness, the director of academic programs at the American Enterprise Institute, wrote a column regarding recent college graduates and their search to find a job. Agness writes, ``Government data last year found that 53.6 percent of people under age twenty-five with a bachelor's degree--about 1.5 million people--were unemployed or underemployed. It is the highest percentage in more than a decade, reflecting just how far the economy is from recovery.''

Although last month's jobs report claims our unemployment rate has declined, people still do not have jobs. College graduates across the Nation are disappointed by the lack of job availability and frustrated with the Administration's failed policies. House Republicans have passed dozens of job creating bills and have a plan for America's Job Creators. I encourage the Senate to pass take up these pieces of legislation and help every college graduate find what they are looking for: a job.

In conclusion, God Bless our troops and we will never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, South Carolinans are grateful to pay tribute to Judge Mary Thomasine Grayson Mason who is an inspiration for achieving the distinction of being the Southern Lady who makes a difference. Her extraordinary talents were recognized by her dear friend, U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, who recommended her appointment in 1971 by President Richard M. Nixon as Federal Administrative Law Judge. Over the years during her residency in West Columbia she became a beloved friend of the Wilson family.

Upon her death this month the following obituary was published in the Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina.

Judge Thomasine Mason

Summerton, SC.--Judge Mary Thomasine Grayson Mason, widow

of Edgar Fleming Mason, died Friday, May 4, 2012, at her

homeplace in Summerton, South Carolina.

Born November 7, 1917, in the St. Paul community near

Summerton, she was the daughter of James Fulton Grayson and

Anne Gentry Grayson.

She graduated Summerton High School and attended the

University of South Carolina. She completed her undergraduate

degree in three years, graduating with honors from the

University of South Carolina in 1938.

Because her father did not consider the study of law a

proper career for a young lady, Judge Mason taught school in

West Columbia for one year. In 1940, she enrolled in law

school at the University of South Carolina, one of the first

two women to attend.

With war having broken out in Europe and fearing she may

not get to finish law school, Judge Mason sat for and passed

the bar exam during her junior year of law school. She was

admitted to the South Carolina Bar on June 12, 1941, and

graduated from law school June 1, 1942.

During World War II, she worked as a Civil Service

Representative assigned in Atlanta, Athens, and Charleston.

After the war and with her father's health failing, she

returned to Summerton and worked with her brother operating

the family farm, cotton gin, seed processing, and grain

elevator.

She continued her studies at North Carolina State College

earning a degree in Cotton

Classing and leading to her work as a cotton merchant. She

later practiced law in Manning and served as a trial attorney

with the Civil Division of the United States Department of

Justice in Washington, DC.

Judge Mason was elected to the South Carolina Senate in

1966 representing Clarendon and Sumter Counties. She was the

second woman to serve in the South Carolina Senate, and on

February 22, 1967, she was called to preside over a session

of the Senate becoming the first woman to preside in that

body.

In 1960, she served as a delegate to the Democratic

National Convention in Los Angeles and attended the

Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City in 1968.

She served the Clarendon County Democratic Party as a party

precinct secretary for more than a decade.

In 1971, she was appointed as a Federal Administrative Law

Judge for the Social Security Administration's Office of

Disability Adjudication and Review.

During her tenure, she was the first Administrative Law

Judge to sit on the Appeals Council as an Acting Member of

the Council, and she served as Hearing Office Chief

Administrative Law Judge for 17 years.

A proud South Carolinian she has served her state and

community in numerous volunteer positions, including the

Board of Trustees of Clarendon Memorial Hospital for 16

years, the South Carolina State Mother of the Year Search

Committee, the Alumni Council of the University of South

Carolina Alumni Association, and the American Red Cross as an

Area Director for Clarendon County. She was a member of

Summerton Baptist Church, the Daughters of the American

Revolution, several garden clubs, and Alpha Delta Pi

sorority.

A member of the American Legion Auxiliary for over 60

years, she worked with Palmetto Girls State, serving as

director for more than ten years and as a counselor,

committee member, or legislative leader for more than 40

years.

In her professional life, Judge Mason was a member of the

South Carolina Bar Association, the Richland County Bar

Association, the American Bar Association, and the Federal

Executive Council.

In 2008 in recognition of her distinguished career as a

public servant and community leader, Judge Mason was awarded

the Order of the Palmetto by Governor Mark Sanford.

Active in sports and recreational activities throughout her

life, Judge Mason loved the outdoors and enjoyed spending

time on Lake Marion. At the age of 79, she decided she could

no longer continue to water ski, so she learned to drive a

jet ski.

She is survived by loving and devoted nieces, MaryAnne

Grayson Moore and her husband Nebraska Edward Moore, II, of

Summerton and Cora Gene ``Cookie'' Grayson Culbertson of

Lawrenceville, Georgia; great nephews, Nebraska Edward Moore

III and his wife Stephanie Faltus Moore of Summerville, Mason

Palmer Bethea Moore and his wife Jodi Woods Moore of

Belgrade, Montana, and James Fulton Grayson, IV and his wife

Susan Walton Grayson of Grayson, Georgia; a great niece,

Elisabeth Grayson Mills and her husband Alan Mills of

Gainesville, Georgia; and several great, great nieces and

nephews. Judge Mason was preceded in death by her brother,

James Fulton Grayson, Jr.; and her nephew, James Fulton

Grayson, III. The family extends grateful appreciation and

acknowledgment to caregivers Roberta, Tee, Willene and Maggie

and to Southern Care of Florence, SC.

Graveside services will be held on Sunday, May 6, 2012, at

3:00 p.m. at the Summerton Evergreen Cemetery with the Rev.

Brent Hutsell and Rev. Bob Ashba officiating. Pallbearers are

Thomas H. Gentry, Alton Truesdale, Nebraska Edward Moore III,

James Fulton Grayson, IV, Eugene A. Failmezger and R.P.

Felder, Jr. Following the services, the family will receive

visitors at the home located at 1664 Jack Touchberry Road,

Summerton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Summerton

Evergreen Cemetery, c/o Ellen Ardis, PO Box 366, Summerton,

SC 29148. Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, 304 N. Church

St., Manning, is in charge of arrangements, (803) 435 2179.

www.stephensfuneralhome.org. Visit our guestbook at

www.legacy.com/obituaries/charleston.

Madam Speaker, for the past 39 months, our Nation's unemployment rate has remained above 8 percent due to the administration's failed policies. Sadly, the average unemployment rate for our veterans is even higher.

Congress has developed a pilot program to help veterans find jobs. Veterans should be prepared to simultaneously meet the same standards and perform the same tasks in the military and industry as in the workplace.

In order to address this issue, Congressman Joe Walsh of Illinois has proposed an amendment for today's National Defense Authorization Act, providing for the Department of Defense to reform the pilot program, helping servicemembers apply the skills learned during their military service to the civilian workplace.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment for servicemembers, military families, and veterans.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Georgia.

As a 31-year veteran of the Army Reserves and National Guard, I fully appreciate the need for an age limitation. What we ask our young men and women to do is nothing short of incredible. The physical and mental toughness that is instilled in them as they enlist is something that becomes more challenging over time.

I appreciate the efforts of the gentleman from Georgia, that there are always exceptions, and I applaud those who maintain a high level of physical fitness and desire to serve their country, but that is only one requirement that the military provides. I know firsthand that age limitation will expand opportunities for younger servicemembers to serve in command positions.

I urge defeat of this amendment.

I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana. I oppose the amendment because it intrudes on the inherent responsibility of commanders to assess the fitness for promotion of servicemembers under their command. As a former president myself of the Mid-Carolina Mental Health Association, I appreciate mental health issues. Our commanders strive to be fair, and the service policies prevent prejudicial consideration of mental health treatment that carries no implications for performance and promotion qualification.

This amendment would require our commanders to withhold evidence of behavior that is clearly inconsistent with promotion. I am concerned whether it is even ethical to demand our commanders to ignore such information that they see as a risk to force readiness. A commander must make a recommendation on every individual regarding promotion eligibility. Once aware of facts that would clearly cause a commander to question a servicemember's fitness for promotion, it would seem impossible for a commander to render a recommendation that supports the member's promotion. It is unfair to ask our commanders to be so disingenuous.

The risk is that this amendment would routinely eliminate important factors from the promotion process that will result in the promotion of unqualified members over more deserving members. This provision attempts to replace the commander's judgment with that of an artificial standard that cannot account for the complexity of cases.

The role of commanders is pivotal in the promotion systems operated by the Armed Forces. The Nation invests immense trust in our military commanders in the most challenging of circumstances, and we must not betray that trust by limiting their responsibility to choose future leaders.

Don't tie the hands of our commanders as they assess their subordinates' fitness for promotion. Continue to put our trust in commanders and defeat this amendment.

I urge defeat of the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, today the House will debate the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2013. The House Armed Services Committee approved this bipartisan bill last week by a vote of 56 5.

Earlier this year, the administration announced an increase in the TRICARE enrollment fees by up to 345 percent. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, I am pleased the committee refused to authorize a provision to forward the administration's unfair proposal, which would destroy jobs.

Our brave men and women in uniform and their families have devoted their lives to defend our country. Their service to our Nation should be considered a prepayment of health care benefits and retirement.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and give our military families the fairness they deserve so they can work for peace through strength.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Welcome to Washington, Realtors and CPAs.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for your leadership on behalf of the military families, servicemembers, and veterans of our country.

The Military Personnel titles of the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act are a product of an open, bipartisan process. These personnel titles provide our warfighters, veterans, and military families the care and support they deserve, additionally ensuring that proposed drawdown plans do not cut to the heart of the Army and Marine Corps.

Specifically, this year's proposal will first authorize a troop pay increase of 1.7 percent, and extend bonuses and special pay; additionally, limit the end strength reduction for the active Army and Marine Corps; also provide significant new regulations for combating sexual assault within the military, and extend access to family housing and commissary and exchange benefits for troops who are involuntarily separated.

Additionally, we will extend some TRICARE benefits to members of the Selected Reserve who are involuntarily separated. And finally, make clear that the nonmilitary contributions to health care benefits through a career of service represent prepayment of health care premiums in retirement.

In conclusion, I want to thank Ranking Member Congresswoman Susan Davis and her staff for her contributions in this process. We are joined, of course, by dedicated members of the subcommittee. Their recommendations are clearly reflected in this mark.

Finally, I want to appreciate the service and dedication of the subcommittee majority staff, John Chapla, Debra Wada, Jeanette James, Mike Higgins, Craig Greene and Jim Weiss, along with my military legislative assistant, Chad Sydnor, and Military Fellow, Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant Michelle King.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4310.

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee met to mark up the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2013. Over the past year, the administration has targeted defense spending to shift to other programs, which destroys jobs.

Chairman Buck McKeon has successfully developed a bipartisan bill that will limit shifts. The Department of Defense budget accounts for less than 20 percent of our discretionary spending and does not contribute to our growing national debt. The legislation provides the support our brave servicemembers, military families, and veterans deserve as they dedicate their lives to defend our freedoms and protect our families from foreign threats.

This week, the House will vote on the National Defense Authorization Act. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and give military families the resources they deserve as they fight to promote peace through strength.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest jobs report. Sadly, for the past 39 months, our Nation's unemployment rate has remained at or above 8 percent. It is gruesomely clear that the President's failed policies are not working for young Americans but, instead, are destroying jobs, with 54 percent of college graduates under 25 unemployed or underemployed.

The most recent report confirmed that more than 500,000 of discouraged Americans have given up searching for a job in the last 2 months. If the labor force remained the same size as 2009, when the President was sworn into office, our Nation's unemployment rate would be at 11 percent. The President's policies are failing young Americans with shrinking jobs and growing deficits with devastating interest payments.

It is past time for the liberal-controlled Senate to take up the House Republicans' more than 30 bills which will help create jobs.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, in 2002, Yucca Mountain was approved as the location for our Nation's nuclear repository, which was previously authorized by Congress in 1987. In 2010, sadly, the President placed party politics over the interests of the American people and began the wasteful process of stopping the project.

Consumers in South Carolina have paid over $1.3 billion for the establishment of a national nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain. In order to establish accountability and to protect the people living in the Second Congressional District of South Carolina, I have introduced the Yucca Utilization to Control Contamination Act. This bill gives the administration two options: first, certify the Yucca Mountain project or, second, face fines to reimburse consumers across the Nation who have paid for its opening.

The President constantly talks about fairness. It is only fair that the people of South Carolina receive the services they have already paid for with hardworking taxpayer dollars promoting jobs.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Madam Speaker, our Nation's Social Security system is sadly approaching bankruptcy. The Secretary of the Treasury spoke on Monday, revealing that Social Security benefits are expected to become insolvent in only 21 years--3 years sooner than was projected just last year.

In a recent article in the Washington Post, Emily Miller wrote:

Thanks in large part to Mr. Obama's insistence, the

program's 2011 deficit of $148 billion was the second largest

single-year deterioration since 1983. If Washington doesn't

do anything to address the program's imbalance, the trustees

say it will take raising the payroll tax to 16.7 percent to

cover the gap.

This administration continues to take money out of the Social Security fund, shifting it for programs we cannot afford. It is past the time for Congress to act and stop Washington's out-of-control spending, which will ultimately result in higher taxes and more debt, destroying jobs and putting senior citizens at risk.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Welcome, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, to Washington for Supreme Court oral arguments.

Mr. Speaker, based upon their rigorous curriculum, retention and graduation rates, honors housing, study abroad programs, and enrichment opportunities for students, the University of South Carolina Honors College was recently named the number one honors program by the Public University Honors organization. This achievement will be published in ``A Review of 50 Public University Honors Programs'' later this month.

The University of South Carolina Honors College was established in 1978 and has more than 8,000 alumni spread across the world. Since its founding, USC Honors College students have won over 363 national awards, including the Rhodes, Marshall, Goldwater, and others.

The 2011 incoming Honors College class had an average SAT score of 1427 and an average weighted GPA of 4.61. Congratulations, Dr. Steve Lynn, dean of the Honors College, and university president, Harris Pastides, on their leadership and accomplishments.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, today, the House is expected to vote on the Small Business Tax Cut Act, legislation allowing for job creation promoting economic growth by cutting taxes for small business owners.

In an opinion piece published Tuesday in Politico, Steve Forbes writes ``Real economic growth has been pathetic during the Obama Presidency. Last year, the economy grew 1.7 percent. By comparison, the Reagan recovery was spectacular, growing at 4.5 percent in 1983, with nearly 3.5 million jobs. In just one month, September 1983, the Reagan economy added more than a million jobs, nearly as many as the economy grew for all of 2011.''

In order for our nation to recover from the economic recession, small businesses must be given the opportunity to grow and create jobs. The President and the liberal-controlled Senate continue to stall dozens of bills which would promote jobs. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill and help American families create jobs.

In conclusion, God Bless our troops and we will never forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, Captain Kyleanne Hunter served in the office of the Second District of South Carolina as a Military Fellow from January December 2010. After leaving our office, she served in the Marine Corps Liaison office on Capitol Hill. In the coming months, Captain Hunter plans to serve in a Reserve unit with the U.S. Marine Corps while attending graduate school at the University of Denver. She has been accepted into the very competitive Sie Fellows Program which will further her education in international studies.

Throughout her service, she consistently demonstrated her expertise and knowledge by providing timely and accurate information to the Congressional Members and their respective staffs. Captain Hunter was a vital asset for all matters relating to the Marine Corps in the House of Representatives. Members and staffers alike respected and trusted Captain Hunter's straightforward and dependable assistance. Her forthrightness and knowledge were key attributes in maintaining the Marine Corps' superb relationships with the many Members of the House of Representatives.

Throughout her tour, Captain Hunter personally responded to, or supervised hundreds of congressional inquiries, some of which gained national level attention. Through her exceptional inter-personal skills and broad knowledge in a wide range of military affairs,

she assisted the Director, Marine Corps Liaison Office, in gaining the Members' support and trust on critical issues.

Captain Hunter successfully planned, coordinated, and escorted an extensive number of international and domestic trips for Congressional and Staff Delegations. I had the pleasure of attending one such CODEL which Captain Hunter helped organize for the House Democracy Partnership to the Kyrgyz Republic. Her attention to detail and anticipation of requirements allowed our CODEL to focus on fact-finding and learning new information, which helped to guide critical decisions to support the people of the United States.

Through her exceptional personal efforts, Captain Hunter has contributed immeasurably as a member of my staff and also in the Marine Liaison Office here on Capitol Hill. I wish her well in all of her future endeavors. I look forward to hearing of her many future successes.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.