Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, during the unrest and riots in Haiti in June, Tim Floyd, International Peace Artist from South Carolina, presented a PeacePainting to the Musee du Pantheon National Haitien in Port-au-Prince. Haiti is the first country in the world to receive a PeacePainting.

Over the next several years, Floyd will paint a series of 195 paintings to gift to each country in the world. The art is called PeacePaintings195. Each piece is a two foot by two foot wood panel. The mixed media work uses acrylics, oil, and encaustics. Each painting is meditative using only muted colors with low contrast.

Floyd wants to spread peace with art because the language of art breaks all barriers. The goal is to spark conversations about peace. And through these conversations, actions. And through those actions, peace. Bonds of peace create unity between friends. Bonds of peace have kept communities together. Bonds of peace have caused countries to be allies.

Floyd studied art at the University of South Carolina. His paintings hang in homes and corporate headquarters across America as well as Germany, England and Italy. Art is his way of leaving bread crumbs of the journey of life to hopefully bring pleasure, encouragement and beauty to fellow travelers who are also passing through.

Madam Speaker, the following thoughtful obituary was published on July 3, 2019:

Sue Kolakoski Harlow passed away peacefully surrounded by

her husband, children, and sisters on July 2, 2019 in

Fairfax, Virginia. She was preceded in death by her mother

Jane Kolakoski and her father Charles Kolakoski. Sue passed

on the tenth anniversary of her father's death and joins both

of her parents in heaven.

Sue is survived by her beloved husband; Bryce (Larry)

Harlow, two children, Sandy Harlow and Bryce Harlow II, four

grandchildren, Elizabeth Miller, Josh Harlow, Katie Harlow

and Nate Harlow, one great grandchild, Lily Chichester and

four sisters, Paula Lassiter, Doris Deering-Kjellevold, Mary

Lewis and Janet Kolakoski.

Born on September 9, 1949 in Washington, DC, Sue was raised

in Arlington, VA. A lifelong teacher, Sue specialized in

elementary aged children with learning disabilities at

Stenwood Elementary in Dunn Loring before moving on to

Freedom Hill Elementary in Vienna. Earlier, she worked at

Tuckahoe Elementary in Arlington. A teacher for more than

twenty years, her love of children was boundless.

Sue and her husband Larry were married for nearly fifty-two

years having been wed on August 28, 1967 at Saint Agnes

Catholic Church in Arlington, VA. Sue and Larry met at

Yorktown High School. Following their marriage, they moved to

Norfolk, VA while Larry attended college, but returned to

Arlington in 1969 when Sue went to work for Senator Gurney.

In 1971, they moved to Denver, CO before returning to

Virginia in 1976. Sue and Larry raised their two children,

Sandy and Bryce, in Arlington and Vienna before moving to

their current home in McLean.

Sue loved life and all that came along with it. She had a

deep appreciation for her garden and loved her multitude of

flowers surrounding their home. Sue had an extreme love for

Mexican food and a good margarita. She loved animals,

particularly the kittens she raised over the years. Virginia

Beach was Sue's second home with her love of the ocean and

the sea air. But in particular, she had a lasting love for

her family and selflessly sought to enrich their lives on a

daily basis. She tolerated her family's obsession with

Washington sports and became a fan herself. She immersed

herself in every aspect of life and the members of her family

are better because of her.

Services will be held on Thursday, July 11 at 10:30 AM at

Saint Agnes Church, 2024 North Randolph St. Arlington, VA

22207. In lieu of flowers the family would like you to dote

on your pets, hug your family, and raise a glass to Sue.

Madam Speaker, in a climate of endless negative attacks, it is refreshing to read ``President Trump Is Delivering'' by the respected national columnist Star Parker in the Aiken Standard on June 24.

She has correctly identified success as being three criteria, the Constitution, Christianity, and capitalism.

``On all three fronts, Donald Trump is making America great again. The Supreme Court now has a solid conservative majority,'' with the environment friendly to Christian values to restore respect for life and family.

Regarding the third C, Harvard economist Robert Barro estimates that the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act added almost a third over the average GDP growth rate in the Obama years.

``Optimism among the Nation's small businesses is surging, according to the recent National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index,'' with record-low unemployment among Hispanics and African Americans.

``President Trump's courage to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has changed the face of the Middle East . . . for the better.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding this time. I appreciate his leadership.

H.R. 553, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, is a bipartisan bill with over 365 cosponsors. In fact, it is rare that a bill garners this many cosponsors and was amongst the first to reach the new threshold for mandatory consideration under the Consensus Calendar. I am grateful that colleagues on both sides of the aisle support this legislation to repeal the ``widow's tax.''

Thank you to all of the surviving spouses and advocates who have worked diligently and tirelessly on this legislation. The bill would have been eligible for a vote this Friday.

Instead, Democratic leadership has decided to specifically bar this bill from independent consideration and include it in the flawed, partisan NDAA. In fact, the rule for the NDAA specifically states:

Rule XV of the Consensus Calendar shall not apply with

respect to H.R. 553.

Democratic leadership has essentially said, if the NDAA does not pass, the widow's tax doesn't pass.

Further, leadership has put this bill at risk of the conference with the Senate. Democratic leadership knows that it is not included in the Senate's version of the NDAA, and I am disappointed with the other side.

I even offered a bipartisan amendment with Chairman John Yarmuth to have this legislation be included in the NDAA, but they did not make that amendment in order. Instead, Democrats placed their own amendment in a partisan rule and are forcing the stand-alone bill to be barred from the Consensus Calendar.

This is partisan politics at its worst. This is heartbreaking for the 65,000 military widows who have worked tirelessly and very effectively to mobilize support behind the bill.

At the peak of their hopes that this bill would pass the United States House of Representatives this week, leadership now has put the bill in jeopardy. Instead of supporting our military and the military families, including those who have died and sacrificed for this country, the majority has chosen to violate their own rules and put the bill in jeopardy. This tactic cheapens the efforts of these military widows by turning their real-world plight into a partisan tactic.

A stand-alone bill in the Senate with over 365 House cosponsors would have had a better chance of passing and sent a clear and overwhelming message of support to these widows. Instead, we will be sending this over in a partisan bill, almost ensuring its demise in the Senate. This is a disservice to the widows who deserve better.

I am grateful for Ranking Member Tom Cole, who argued against making H.R. 553 as part of this self-executing rule. He is right that this shortcuts the process and is politics at its worse.

Our team followed the rules the Democrats set forth to have this overwhelmingly bipartisan piece of legislation set for a vote, and they decided to play partisan politics and remove it. Further, the Rules Committee failed to notify my staff and even failed to notify the community that would be most directly impacted by their actions: the widows who have worked tirelessly to generate support for H.R. 553.

The community, inspired by veterans service organizations, gave all, and this Congress can't even follow its own rules. It is sad how the majority has undermined this important bill in the manner they have done.

Barring this bill from independent consideration is outright wrong, and I ask that each of my Democratic and Republican colleagues think long and hard about the implications of this parliamentary gimmick.

Mr. Speaker, June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month.

As a member of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I am grateful to continue supporting families facing Alzheimer's. Additionally, I appreciate the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act that President Donald Trump signed into law in December last year.

Currently, there are more than 5 million Americans who live with Alzheimer's, with 16 million family members and friends who serve as caregivers. It is inspiring to know that 313,000 caregivers in South Carolina provide over 352 million hours of unpaid care.

South Carolina has extraordinary facilities to provide exemplary care for Alzheimer's patients in a friendly environment, including Carroll Campbell Place of Lexington Medical Center, honoring our late Governor.

Support and research are provided by the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's, with walks held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, with Taylor Wilson organizing the Midlands events.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the National Nuclear Security Administration announced a $5 million investment in workforce development at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to create jobs.

We are grateful that the Undersecretary for Nuclear Security at the Department of Energy and Administrator of NNSA Lisa Gordon-Hagerty announced the investment through the Workforce Opportunities in Regional Careers with the Savannah River Site Community Reuse Organization for Aiken Technical College, Augusta Technical College, University of South Carolina Aiken, Augusta University, and the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie.

I thank Rick McLeod, David Jameson, Dr. Sandra Jordan, Dr. Forest Mahan, and Congressman Rick Allen. We appreciate their commitment to partnership and look forward to continuing to work together.

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

Madam Speaker, Sunny Sung-In Kim, 68, died on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at Sunrise at Fair Oaks in Fairfax, Virginia following a three-year battle with an aggressive meningioma. His final days were spent surrounded by his loving family, especially his five beloved grandchildren who serenaded him with music, song and laughter. Sunny was born on November 16, 1950 in Pusan, Korea during the Korean War. He enlisted in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, graduated basic training with the 218th Class and served from 1969 to 1972, having achieved the rank of Lance Corporal.

He emigrated to the United States in 1973, became a naturalized citizen and on May 11, 1975, he married the love of his life, Susan Bok-Ja Kim in Long Island, New York. Their wedding was officiated by the Reverend Dr. Young-Kyo Hahn (1902-1982), an historically renowned Korean Christian Scholar and civic leader who was a former Dean of the College and Graduate School at Yonsei University. Dr. Hahn led Sunny and his wife into the Christian faith, the Presbyterian Church and baptized them. Together the couple had two sons. In 1986, Sunny founded and was President of Grass Roots, Inc., a food service and catering business with multiple locations in the Financial District of Boston, Massachusetts. He retired to Haymarket, Virginia to be near his sons and grandchildren after nearly three decades of running the company together with his wife.

Sunny had a lifelong passion of service to his community and served as President of the Korean American Association of New England and the Secretary-General of the Federation of Korean Associations, U.S.A. He was also instrumental in galvanizing support for the creation of the Massachusetts Korean War Veterans Memorial at the Charlestown Naval Shipyard. Having never forgotten the 36,574 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect and defend freedom during the Korean War when he was born, he dedicated his life to honoring all Korean War veterans and their families. For his contributions to the U.S.-Korea alliance and the Korean American community, Sunny was the recipient of a Presidential Commendation by the President of the Republic of Korea.

An active member of the Korean Presbyterian Church in Greater Boston where he was an ordained Elder, Sunny's deep and abiding Christian faith was the foundation of his family. He instilled in his sons the virtues of generosity, graciousness and a heart of gratitude. An avid sports enthusiast, he was a devoted fan of the Washington Redskins and the Boston Red Sox. In the final years of his life, nothing brought him greater joy than cheering on his grandchildren while watching them play football, lacrosse and baseball.

Sunny is survived by his wife of 44 years, Susan Bok-Ja Kim, his sons Thomas (Nancy) and James (Susan) and his grandchildren Thomas ``TJ'' Kim, Rachel Kim, Samuel Kim, William Kim and Henry Kim. A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, June 12 at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, 9902 Braddock Road Fairfax, VA 22032 at 7:00PM. The Burial Service will be held on Thursday, June 13 at Fairfax Memorial Park, 9900 Braddock Road Fairfax, VA 22032 at 10:00AM. Memorials may be directed to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Wall of Remembrance in Washington, D.C. or to Open Door Presbyterian Church in Herndon, Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, last week was the 102nd anniversary and Victory Week at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

Under the leadership of Brigadier General Milford Beagle, Jr., and Command Sergeant Major Jeremiah Gan, Fort Jackson is the bedrock for building readiness for all components of the Army.

This week, the Greater Columbia Region is being honored as a Great American Defense Communities Award recipient. The Columbia Chamber of Commerce, led by President Carl Blackstone and Chairman David Lockwood, provided the nomination, citing Fort Jackson, the South Carolina National Guard, and McEntire Joint Air Base.

Fort Jackson is the Nation's largest basic training base, conducting over half of the Army's basic combat training, with over 60,000 soldiers per year and with about 10,000 soldiers in basic combat training at any given time. Fort Jackson also trains more than 60 percent of all women entering the Army each year.

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

Mr. Speaker, last week was the 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. 150,000 American, British, and Canadian fighting men landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the deadly struggle to liberate Europe from Nazism and stop the Holocaust.

Among the heroes were five brothers from Lexington, South Carolina. Sadly, only four came home alive.

Carroll Floyd Shealy was killed by mortar fire after jumping with the 101st Airborne Division.

Joe Lewis Shealy was wounded and nearly lost his leg after jumping in with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Muller Everett Shealy served in Normandy with the Army Air Corps.

Billy Ray Shealy and his twin brother, Bobby Rhett Shealy, both served aboard the USS Dale W. Peterson.

We owe them our deepest gratitude.

Today, congratulations to Bulgaria, recognizing the 29th anniversary of the first post-Communist election to implement democracy.

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

Madam Speaker, a biology teacher in the Second Congressional District has been selected as the 2019 Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year of South Carolina by the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT).

According to the New Irmo News, ``the award is given annually to a teacher who shows a passion for teaching biology. Each state, province, and territory recognizes an Outstanding Biology Teacher.''

Ms. Lauren Brown has been teaching biology for 9 years, the last five years have been at Spring Hill High School. She was also honored as the American Legion Teacher of the Year from Chapin Post 193. She has also served for three years as a coaching teacher with the University of South Carolina's Education program.

Our communities in the Second Congressional District are grateful for leadership like Ms. Lauren Brown's. Congratulations to Lauren for earning this distinct honor.

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

Madam Speaker, Lexington County and South Carolina were blessed with the Caughman Twins, Hampton and Raymond, as extraordinary civic leaders. Sadly, Raymond passed away March 28th and now Hamp passed away June 1st. Below is the loving obituary of June 3rd from The State newspaper.

Hampton Caughman (1927-2019)

Hampton Sox Caughman--Lexington. Funeral services for

Hampton Sox Caughman, 92, of Lexington, SC will be held at

4:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at Saint David Lutheran

Church with interment to follow in the church cemetery. The

family will receive friends on Monday, June 3, 2019 from 5:00

p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Caughman Harman Funeral Home,

Lexington Chapel. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be

made to St. David Lutheran Church Building Fund, 132 St.

David's Church Rd., West Columbia, SC 29170 or to ``Take One

Make One'' c/o SCDNR, P.O. Box 167, Columbia SC 29202 with

funds designated to Thomas Caughman Memorial. Hampton passed

away on Saturday, June 1, 2019. He was born on January 10,

1927 to the late Willie Morgan and Mary Catherine Sox

Caughman. In addition to his parents, Hampton was also

preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Betty Dye

Caughman, sisters Evelyn Segelken, Zela Boozer, Sue Shull,

Henry Etta Frye, Virginia Shull and brothers Henry Morgan

Caughman, Elford Caughman, Raymond Caughman and Kenneth

Caughman. He was also predeceased by his beloved grandson,

Army Specialist Thomas Day Caughman. Hampton is survived by

his son Hampton S. Caughman Jr. and his wife Jane Day

Caughman and their daughter Lisa Caughman. He is also

survived by his daughter Carol Caughman and her son Connor

Caughman Hild. Hampton was a WWII Army Veteran who served in

China from 1945-1946. In 1949 he began a 32 year career in

the retail grocery business as a partner in Frye & Caughman

Grocery in West Columbia. He opened the first supermarket in

Lexington in 1964, Hamp's Red and White. Hampton was one of

the organizers of the Food Retailer Association of South

Carolina, serving as its President from 1958-1959 and was,

South Carolina's Grocer of the Year in 1974. In 1961,

Governor Fritz Hollings appointed Hampton to the South

Carolina Dairy Commission and in 1975 when he tried to

resign, the Governor appointed him Chairman and he served in

that capacity until 1981. Hampton was one of the organizers

of the Lexington Rotary Club, served as its first President,

was Rotarian of the Year in 1971, and named as a Paul Harris

Fellow in 1990. He served as the Chairman of the Rotary Club

Horse Show for 30 years and was recently honored for his 50

years of service to that club. He and his twin brother

Raymond's hobby was tiding and showing Tennessee Walking

Horses. Every morning at 5:00 a.m., they would get up to

ride, feed and water their horses. Hampton was a member of

and President of both the South Carolina Walking Horse

Association and the South Carolina Horse Show Association,

and was named Horseman of the Year in 1977. Upon closing

Hamp's Red & White, he and his wife Betty opened Caughman's

Catering and were well known for their country style steak

and gravy and delicious banana pudding. Later Hampton earned

his real estate agent license and worked with McGee Realtors

until he retired in 2012. Hampton was very active in the Boy

Scouts of America and was given the Silver Beaver Award for

Distinguished Service to Boyhood in 1974. Hampton was twice

awarded the ``Key to the City'' by the Town of Lexington and

``The Order of the Silver Crescent'' by Governor Nikki Haley

in 2015. Hampton was a very active member of St. David

Lutheran Church for 92 years. He was Chairman of the Property

Committee for 60 years, sang in the choir and was very active

with the St. David Lutheran Men. Hampton was a very loving,

caring husband, grandfather, father, brother and friend who

will be remembered for always putting the concern of others

before him. He will be greatly missed by many people.

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.

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his landslide victory on May 23, as 600 million Indians went to the polls.

After the elections, Prime Minister Modi called for a ``strong and inclusive India.'' According to The Washington Times, Modi said, ``This election has become a movement of social unity,'' and that his government would work to earn the trust of all Indians, including religious minorities such as Muslims and Christians.

India's rising global standing is due in large part to the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, who has promoted free enterprise to create jobs. His reelection reinforces the strategic partnership between India and the United States.

Best wishes to Prime Minister Modi on his next term. India is appreciated as the world's largest democracy by America, which is the oldest democracy. India is well represented in Washington by Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

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

Madam Speaker, the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy is the champion of MEDISCA's 2019 Student Pharmacist Compounding Competition.

A special congratulations to Rebecca Caughman, Amee Shah, Jessica Shue, and their supervisor Kathy Quarles Moore for being a part of the winning team.

According to Kathy Quarles Moore, `this competition is comprised of three categories: the teams were required to develop a unique innovation piece to better serve patients, pharmaceutics knowledge, and a pharmacy compounding formulations portion where the teams had to come up with a formulation and then compound the medication based on a unique patient scenario.'

These are `National Champion Scholars and pharmacy student leaders that will soon be making a difference within the pharmacy profession.'

Congratulations to our Gamecocks. Best wishes to this team as they continue to reach new heights in the future.

In conclusion, God Bless Our Troops and We Will Never Forget September 11th in the Global War on Terrorism.

Madam Speaker, Thomas Bryte Hughes passed away peacefully in Lake Tahoe on May 18, 2019, surrounded by family.

A fourth generation Sacramentan, Tom was born on February 20, 1937 to Ruth Bryte Hughes and Gordon Stanley Hughes. Tom was the younger brother of Gordon Bryte Hughes (1935 to 2017).

After attending Sacramento High School and graduating from Menlo School, Tom enlisted in the United States Army, stationed primarily in Nuremberg, Germany. He recalled that time as instrumental to his formative years. Upon returning to Sacramento, he attended Sacramento City College, Sacramento State, then met Martha Reese. They were married in 1961.

Tom's 50 year career in the automobile industry began with his love of cars, and was influenced by his dear friends and business partners Rusty and Roy Jacobes.

Tom developed an early love of Lake Tahoe from trips with family and friends. He loved to share stories of his hijinks both on and off the lake, where he spent countless hours enjoying his boats, `Splash', `Tomsfoolery', `ML Crisis' and `Senior Crisis'. His family and friends were often encouraged to ``say goodnight to the lake'' with him at the end of an evening.

Tom was a Life Member of the Sutter Club, where he loved nothing more than his domino game over, lunch with friends, which he continued until the last week of his life. He also belonged to The Pioneers, Royal Order of Raccoons, The Grandfathers, Tahoe Yacht Club, and The West Shore Club.

Tom is survived by his wife of almost 58 years Martha (Reese), his children Jennifer Dowley (Doug Longyear), Howard Hughes (Katy) and Meredith Lyons (Carter). He was fondly known as ``Grumpy'' to his seven grandchildren: Meg and Tommy Dowley; Reese and Stephen Hughes; and Elizabeth, Katie and Molly Lyons.

Tom loved cars and boats, he loved Lake Tahoe, he loved his friends, and most of all, he loved his family.

A celebration of Tom's life will take place on Wednesday, June 5th at 11:00 a.m. at The Sutter Club. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Shriners Hospital for Children in Sacramento or the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society.