Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend, the ranking member, Mr. Nadler, for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this bill.

Many of my colleagues may not remember when the Civil Rights Act became the law of the land in 1964, but I remember. I was there. As a matter of fact, I gave a little blood during the sit-ins, during the Freedom Rides.

I remember the struggle, the fight, and the sacrifice of so many to protect the dignity and the worth of every human being. I was here serving in this very Chamber when the Americans with Disabilities Act became the law of the land 26 years later. Yet today, it is unbelievable; it is unreal; we are considering a bill that turns the clock backwards and strikes a devastating blow in the fight for civil rights.

Mr. Chair, I want to make it crystal clear for the record: there is no place in our country for the burden to be placed on those whose rights have and will be violated time and time again.

Mr. Chair, this bill is wrong, it is mean-spirited, and it is a shame and a disgrace that we would bring it to the floor. I urge each and every one of my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the words of the gentleman be taken down.

Mr. Speaker, I realize that this is a very difficult time for all of us, but we all need to be a little more human and a little more patient.

Mr. Speaker, in order to have civility among all of us, I withdraw my objection.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, Mr. Evans, for yielding, and thank you to the chairman of the CBC, Cedric Richmond.

Mr. Speaker, it is true that I grew up in rural Alabama, 50 miles from Montgomery, outside of a little place called Troy. It is true that my father was a sharecropper, a tenant farmer.

But in 1944, when I was 4 years old--and I do remember when I was 4-- my father had saved $300, and a man sold him 110 acres of land. We picked cotton. We gathered peanuts. We pulled corn.

Sometimes I would be out there working in the field and I would fall behind, and my mother would say: ``Boy, you need to catch up.''

I would say: ``This is hard work.''

And she would say: ``Hard work never killed anybody.''

I said: ``Well, it's about to kill me.''

But one day, 15 years old, in the 10th grade, I heard of Martin Luther King, Jr. I heard of Rosa Parks in 1955. The action of Rosa Parks, the words and leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., inspired me to find a way to get in the way. So 2 years later, I wrote a letter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1957, and I told him, in this little letter, that I wanted to attend a State-supported college called Troy State, now known as Troy University. It didn't admit Black students.

Dr. King wrote me back and sent me a round-trip Greyhound bus ticket and

invited me to come to Montgomery to meet with him. In the meantime, I had been accepted at a little college in Nashville, Tennessee, American Baptist College.

Dr. King got back in touch with me and said: ``When you are home for spring break, come and see me.''

So, in 1958, I boarded a Greyhound bus and traveled from Troy to Montgomery, and a young lawyer by the name of Fred Gray, who had been a lawyer for Rosa Parks and for Dr. King, met me at the First Baptist Church, pastored by the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, and took me in to see Dr. King and Reverend Ralph Abernathy.

Martin Luther King, Jr., said: ``Are you the boy from Troy? Are you John Lewis?''

I said: ``Dr. King, I am John Robert Lewis,'' but he still called me ``the boy from Troy.''

This man inspired me to stand up, to find a way to get in the way or find a way to get in trouble, in good trouble, necessary trouble.

He said: ``If you want to go to Troy State, we will help you, but we may need to file a suit against the State of Alabama, against Troy State. Go back and have a discussion with your mother and your father. Tell them their home may be bombed or burned. They can lose their land.''

I went back. My mother was so afraid and my father was afraid, so I continued to study in Nashville. From time to time, Dr. King would come and visit Nashville and speak at mass meetings and rallies. But he inspired me, along with Rosa Parks and others, to get involved.

He led the Montgomery bus boycott. For more than 381 days, people walked the streets; they shared cars and rides; they stood in unmovable lines; but they never gave up.

Dr. King inspired us to stand up. He inspired us to believe in the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence. We would be sitting at a lunch counter waiting to be served, and someone would come up and spit on us or put a lighted cigarette down our backs or in our hair, pour hot water or hot coffee on us, but we obeyed his instructions.

So I got arrested a few times during the sixties, 45 times, but I never gave up.

Just think, in 1961, the same year that President Barack Obama was born, Black people and White people couldn't leave the city sitting together to travel on a Greyhound bus or a Trailways bus through the South.

People were arrested, jailed, beaten, but Dr. King met us in Montgomery, sheltered us in a church. One night, while we were there in that church, when people were threatening to bomb the church or burn it down, he made a call to Robert Kennedy and told him about what was happening. Robert Kennedy communicated to his brother, President Kennedy, and the President put the city of Montgomery under martial law.

If it hadn't been for Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, and President Kennedy, some of us would have died in that church. But it led to the desegregation of public transportation all across the American South.

More than 400 people--400 of us--arrested in Jackson, Mississippi. We filled the city jail, the county jail, and, later, the penitentiary at Parchman. But Martin Luther King, Jr., changed America forever. He taught us how to live and he taught us how to die. He taught us to be brave, to be courageous, to be bold.

If it hadn't been for Martin Luther King, Jr., I don't know what would have happened to many of us, happened to America. Many of us of color, whether we are Black, Latino, Asian American, or Native American, wouldn't be in this body. He opened up the political process.

He was a man who believed in the way of peace, the way of love, believed in the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence.

In a few days, a few weeks, we will commemorate his passing. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968. I was in Indianapolis, Indiana, with Robert Kennedy when we heard that Dr. King had been assassinated. We heard that he had been shot. Robert Kennedy announced that he had died. And I think, when Dr. King died, something died in all of us; something died in America.

He left us the way of peace, the way of love, the way of hope, and I hope that all young people and people not so young will commemorate and learn something about the teachings of Dr. King.

I want to thank the chair of our caucus, Congressman Richmond, and Mr. Evans, my friend and brother, for having the vision to hold this teach-in tonight; and I hope we will do more to explain to the American people and people around the world what Dr. King meant not just to Americans, but to the world community.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, taxpayers stood up and spoke out against Republicans lining the pockets of their donors by any means necessary.

Did you hear their cries? Can you feel their pain?

You did not, Mr. Speaker. You chose to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to their hopes and their dreams.

This bill is a shame and a disgrace.

Mr. Speaker, I urge each of you to be on the side of the people, on the side of history, and to vote against this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend and ranking member, Mr. Neal, for yielding me time.

I rise to oppose this conference report with every bone in my body.

This bill is a $2.3 trillion cowardly gift to Wall Street, the rich, and the wealthy. This bill was conceived in the darkness of the night and birthed with the help of their donors and funders.

This bill is not for the people; it is not of the people; and, Mr. Speaker, it is not tax reform. They reward their donors so that our children and grandchildren will suffer. This is not fair, it is not just, and it is below the dignity and the worth of this body.

Mr. Speaker, I have said on many occasions that you cannot get blood from a turnip; you cannot justify robbing poor Peter to pay billionaire Paul.

Mr. Speaker, when the bill comes due, the chickens will come home to roost.

I urge all of my colleagues to be on the right side of history and vote against this act.

I thank my good friend, the ranking member, Mr. Neal, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this conference report with every bone in my body.

This bill is a $2.3 trillion holiday gift for Wall Street, the rich, and the wealthy.

This bill was conceived in the darkness and birthed with the help of your donors and funders.

This bill is not for the people. It is not of the people, and, Mr. Speaker, it is not tax reform.

Working and middle class families, the sick, the elderly, and generations yet unborn will bear the burden of this reckless act.

To pay for this so-called tax cut, Republicans will destroy the hopes of those, who dream of affordable, quality health care.

To pay for this tax cut, Social Security, Medicare, and CHIP will be on the chopping block.

To pay for this tax cut, bipartisan repairs of transportation, affordable housing, and student debt will be out of reach.

To pay for this tax cut, every single federal program that matters to the American people will be dealt a crippling blow.

You reward your donors so that our children and grandchildren will suffer.

This is not fair. It is not just, and it is below the dignity and the worth of this body.

Mr. Speaker, I've said on many occasions that you cannot get blood from a turnip, and you cannot justify robbing poor Peter to pay billionaire Paul.

Mr. Speaker, when the bill comes due, the chickens will come home to roost.

I urge all of my colleagues to be on the right side of history and to vote against this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this Democratic motion, and I thank the Gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that your desperation for a political win is more important than the needs of our nation.

For a few days, you will celebrate this holiday gift for the rich and wealthy. But in January, Mr. Speaker, the bill will come due.

To cover the costs of these tax cuts, you will destroy the hopes and dreams of the American people, of working families, of the young and old, and of generations yet unborn.

Make no mistake, Social Security, Medicare, and CHIP will be on the chopping block cuts.

Bipartisan solutions for transportation, affordable housing, and student debt will be out of reach.

And with this tax cut, every single federal program that matters to the American people will be dealt a crippling blow.

Mr. Speaker, you cannot get blood from a turnip, and you cannot justify robbing poor Peter to pay billionaire Paul.

I urge each and every one of my colleagues to remember this moment, to remember this time, and to support this Democratic motion.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, Mr. Neal, for yielding.

I rise with a heavy heart to join him in opposing this mean-spirited, reckless bill.

Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago, I was elected to fight for and to serve the people of my district. Today, they are calling and begging for us to slow down and to do this the right way. In their heart of hearts, the public knows that the safety net will be used to pay for this reckless corporate tax cut.

Taxpayers know that this shameful deal destroys the hopes and dreams of

too many as it robs poor Peter to pay wealthy Paul. That is not right. That is not fair. That is not just.

Mr. Speaker, you cannot hide the truth from the sick, the elderly, the disabled for whom this bill may mean life or death. You cannot hide the truth from the middle class, working, and immigrant families who need every penny to make ends meet. You cannot hide the truth from teachers who try to lend a helping hand to students who struggle to get an education.

I, for one, refuse to hide the truth about this bill's attack on the separation of church and State.

Mr. Speaker, as we abandon our constitutional duty and sacrifice our moral authority, I fear that history will not be kind to any of us.

In another time, in another period, Members of Congress came together in a bipartisan fashion. They met, debated, and passed a tax bill that served the best interest of all people--not just a select few. They took their time. They did it right, and we should be doing it right.

Today, the Record must reflect the sad truth of this missed opportunity. H.R. 1 steals from our veterans, our seniors, our children, and from generations yet unborn All taxpayers expect, demand, and deserve better--much better--than legislation which would put politics before the good of the people.

This bill is a shame, a disgrace, and honestly, Mr. Speaker, it breaks my heart. I urge each and every one of my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an article about this bill's impact on graduate students in my district.

[From the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Nov. 16, 2017]

Opinion: Only Wealthy Can Afford Grad School Under House Tax Plan Up

for Vote Today

(By Maureen Downey)

Jenny C. Bledsoe is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in English

at Emory University, specializing in medieval literature. She

was featured in a New York Times story last week that

examined how the GOP House tax plan would impact a range of

American students. In this essay, Bledsoe focuses on the

change that makes graduate tuition waivers taxable income.

The tax plan is expected to come to the House floor today

where passage is predicted. The Senate, however, is not

expected to take up its own tax bill until after

Thanksgiving. And then House and Senate conferees will have

to hammer out their differences and come up with a compromise

plan.

Under the House plan, Bledsoe and other doctoral students

would be hurt by a new provision that would tax graduate

students on tuition wavers granted them in exchange for

working as teaching assistants or researchers. The tax

accountants hired by The New York Times estimated Bledsoe and

her husband would pay an additional $7,194 in taxes under the

House tax bill.

When I about this last week, some readers contended the

increase in the standard deduction will offset the

eliminations of these education deductions. However, some

reviews found that not to be true for graduate students.

Mr. Speaker, also, I include in the Record letters of opposition from the ACLU, Baptist Joint Committee, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Rachelle O'Neil, who served as a constituent services representative in my District Office for 15 years.

A Houston native who is proud of her Ragin'-Cajun roots, Rachelle is one of eight children born to the late Audrey Ann Colbert-O'Neil and George O'Neil, Sr. Her loving parents instilled a passion for education that inspires Ms. O'Neil to this day. In fact, Mr. Speaker, she recently graduated magna cum laude with master's degree in public administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.

While earning undergraduate degrees from the University of Houston in psychology and political science, Ms. O'Neil won the Mickey Leland Congressional Internship opportunity, which brought her to the U.S. Capitol where she worked in former Representative Carrie P. Meek's (D- FL) congressional office. The experience, which included meeting President Bill Clinton, cemented her passion in working on the behalf of the American people.

Within a few years of relocating to Atlanta, Ms. O'Neil joined my congressional staff, and Mr. Speaker, please trust me when I say that she hit the ground running. Rachelle assists constituents with judiciary, education, health, Social Security, child welfare, and transportation matters, and she is a tireless advocate for women and girls. Mr. Speaker, few people can match her passionate, fierce pursuit of justice and equity.

Over the years, Ms. O'Neil developed innumerable constituent service programs and initiatives, but perhaps none as personal as those that focus on future generations. Inspired by her time caring for Daniel, Princess, Annquenette, and TyRochelle, the children of her late twin sister, Michelle, Rachelle developed our office's Youth Council that sought to develop and engage young leaders in Metro Atlanta.

In her personal time, Ms. O'Neil puts family and service first-- caring for her nieces, nephews, and mentees in the Through Their I's Mentoring Program, the Motherless Daughters Foundation, the Hank Stewart Foundation, and Source of Support. She also manages to make friends during her world travels and pursue exciting adventures like skydiving, white water rafting, and zip lining.

Mr. Speaker, when I look at Rachelle O'Neil, I see the spirit of Barbara Jordan and the fire of Shirley Chisholm. I am so proud to have her on my team, and I thank her for the many years of tireless service to our office and Georgia's Fifth Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ms. Ruth Riley, who served as my district scheduler for 16 years.

It is hard to believe how quickly time passes, and throughout the years Ruth remains consistent and constant with a warmth and grace, which endears her to all. A daughter of Ohio and a proud political science graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Ms. Riley moved to Atlanta to pursue a promising career in the private sector. In 2001, I invited her to join my Atlanta staff in the trusted position of serving as the district scheduler.

As you well know, Mr. Speaker, scheduling is one of the most challenging and key positions in any congressional office. This is especially true in Georgia's diverse and vibrant Fifth Congressional District. Every year, Ms. Riley works with me to review thousands of requests. In fact, there are more invitations for speeches, visits, and tours in Georgia's Fifth Congressional District and the State of Georgia, than there are days in the year. It is never-ending work.

Within our office, Ruth plays a critical role through a brand and perspective that is uniquely her own. As a result, many staff seek her counsel and comfort on difficult days. We all appreciate Ruth's vibrant, work-life balance and love of life and art. Many know her appreciation of photography as a shutterbug enthusiast, passion for beauty as a licensed esthetician, and commitment to service through the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

I know Ms. Riley's family and friends play a critical role in supporting and shaping this dynamic woman, and I personally believe the cherished memories of Ruth's beloved grandmother, Ms. V. Blondell Pryor, contribute to her work ethic and kindness. For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I am particularly grateful to her family--especially her husband, James Preston Riley, Jr.; beautiful children--James Heru Thornton Riley, III, David Nkosi Erskine Riley, II, and Langston Amon Pryor Riley; and mother--Sandra Elizabeth Fletcher.

Perhaps most importantly, Ms. Riley is a constant champion and advocate for each and every person; she treats everyone with a distinct professionalism, courtesy, and compassion, which reflect her corporate experience and commitment to the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s vision of the Beloved Community. Ruth remains committed to protecting the principles of democracy and ensuring the access of the people to their elected representative.

It is for these reasons that I thank Ms. Ruth Riley for her trust, service, and commitment to my office and the people we serve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. For many years, I have been a proud member to serve on the Ways and Means Committee, the oldest committee in the U.S. Congress. Our committee has a responsibility to put people before politics. We have a commitment to act in the best interest of all, not just a select few. Most importantly, we have a duty to protect and preserve the United States Constitution.

Today, Mr. Speaker, it hurts my soul that our committee will pass a bill that attacks the constitutional principle that you are innocent until proven guilty.

Where is the reason? Where is the compassion? What is the purpose? How can you gamble with the livelihood of those who are most in need? How can we punish the sick, the disabled, and the elderly? How can we pass a bill that targets Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans? Mr. Speaker, how can you rob Peter to pay Paul?

Mr. Speaker, I urge each and every one of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this mean and spiteful bill. It should never have seen the light of day. The American people deserve better, much better. We can do better. This bill should not be on the floor of the House. It is not worthy of the paper that it is written on.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Hawaii for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. I am proud to join the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill) in sponsoring this legislation to update the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

In 1954, the Supreme Court issued a historic decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case, which desegregated our Nation's public schools. Unfortunately, the law of the land did not become the practice of its people overnight. It took the will of brave men and women and some very brave children, like the Little Rock Nine.

Parents swallowed the fear for their children. Strong, innocent little children put their bodies on the line to force the change that justice demands. The actions changed the heart and the soul of our Nation, and we must admit today that our country is a better country and we are a better people because of these children, the mothers and fathers, the teachers, and many of our citizens.

When Little Rock, Arkansas, leaders attempted to desegregate Central High School, the Governor fought back. He choose to stand on the side of hate and bigotry. It took a determined mayor, a strong President, the U.S. Army, and the Arkansas National Guard to protect these nine teenagers as they entered the school.

In 1957, Mr. Speaker, I was 17 years old, and I vividly remember those days. These young people inspired all of us to stand up, to speak up, and to speak out. And many of us started saying: If the children in Little Rock can do what they are doing, we, too, can do it.

For those of us watching on television, listening to the radio, and reading the newspapers, we were deeply inspired. We were moved to do something, to say something. I said to myself: We need to stand up the same way the people and students in Little Rock are standing up. I remember thinking that I could--that I must--find a way to get in the way.

Mr. Speaker, Central High is part of our history that must be preserved for a generation yet unborn.

I remember very well, a few years ago, I visited that school and walked through the halls with a young African-American student who was president of the student body, who the principal asked to escort me through the school. I felt like I was walking in a special place, almost a holy place. It brought tears to my eyes.

During those dark and difficult times, the national historic site became a beacon of hope, an inspiration that we can never give up, that we can never give in as we strive towards equal rights and justice for all.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for introducing this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to stand with the gentleman from Arkansas and the gentlewoman from Hawaii and support this piece of legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, each and every one of us has a moral obligation to challenge ourselves to make this little piece of real estate that we call Earth better for generations yet unborn.

USIP does good and great work by teaching people around the world to strive to create a society at peace with itself and its neighbors.

We spend millions and billions of dollars on guns, bombs, and missiles. Can we spend just a few pennies, a few dimes, a few dollars on peace?

This world, this planet is, not ours to hoard, waste, and destroy. Mr. Chairman, I ask you: What is wrong with supporting the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence? What is wrong with teaching communities to respect the dignity and the worth of every human being? What is wrong with preventing conflict and keeping our military personnel safe and out of harm's way?

Mr. Chairman, on the question of preventing war and on the challenge of keeping peace, there should be no price tag, but USIP does good and great work on a shoestring budget. It is a small agency which teaches the way of peace, the way of love. Their small staff help communities solve problems through dialogue rather than weapons.

Mr. Chairman, this is not the first time that we consider an amendment to abolish the U.S. Institute of Peace, but I hope this will be the last. I urge each and every one of my colleagues to vote against this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I include in the Record a letter

from many of our colleagues supporting the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, March 27, 2017.

Hon. Hal Rogers,

Chair, Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related

Programs, House Committee on Appropriations, Washington,

Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members in this body to vote for peace and to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Brenda B. Wood, a premier broadcast journalist, one of the best in our region, who has been a newsmaker and news breaker in the Atlanta metro area since 1988. She decided to retire this year after dedicating over 40 years to her career, but I understand she will be returning to the small screen to work on special creative projects. We want to pay tribute to her as she moves into this next phase of her contribution to metropolitan Atlanta.

Ms. Wood was born in Washington, DC, graduated from Takoma Park Academy and got her degree in mass media from Loma Linda University in Southern California in 1977. She reported for several stations in Alabama and Tennessee following her graduation from college but was hired as the evening news anchor and reporter in the Atlanta market first by WAGA-TV, where she hosted an Emmy award-winning news magazine show called Minute by Minute. In 1997, she joined WXlA-TV as its 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. weekday news anchor and spent the next 20 years of her career at the station. Ms. Wood became a trusted voice on the air. We could depend on her to get to the heart of the issues and keep the metro area informed with all the news we needed to know to participate effectively in a democratic society. Her coverage was incisive, balanced, and comprehensive.

During her tenure, Ms. Wood interviewed top newsmakers like President Jimmy Carter, Egypt's former First Lady Jehan Sadat, Ambassador Andrew Young, Cher, the rapper T.I. and many others. She produced several award-winning prime time specials, including Remembering the 1996 Olympics, the year Atlanta hosted the games, A Conversation Across America, 50 Years of Change, Mission of Hope. Ms. Wood developed several special broadcast series like, Journeys with Brenda Wood, a news magazine show, The Last Word commentaries, and The Daily 11 at 7 with Brenda Wood, another award-winning primetime show.

She has taken home 20 Emmy awards and garnered many different honors. Most notably, Ms. Wood was named Georgia Woman of the Year in 2013, was granted the Legacy Award of the Atlanta Business League, the NAACP's Phoenix Award for Best News Anchor, and inducted into the Atlanta Press Club Hall of Fame in 2014, among a host of other honors.

Our community has loved to watch her tell the stories that gave meaning to our lives in the South and described our world so accurately. Ms. Wood never ceased to inform us, inspire us, and will always be a shining light for our city. We all will miss seeing her on the air, but know that Brenda Wood will continue to serve our community as a leader who can bring people and good ideas together.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from Georgia, the Honorable Karen C. Handel, be permitted to the oath of office today.

Her certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to her election.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome the newest member of the Georgia congressional delegation, Representative Karen Handel, serving the Sixth Congressional District in our beautiful State.

I want to congratulate Karen on becoming the first Republican woman ever elected to the House of Representatives from the State of Georgia. She was actually born in the District of Columbia, and was raised in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. So she is returning home.

She was president and CEO of the Greater Fulton County Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Deputy Chief of Staff to then-Governor and now Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, and Secretary of State of Georgia.

The Georgia delegation is Democrats and Republicans, but we are a family. We are trying to do our very best to serve the people in our district, in our State, and to work on behalf of the people of this great Nation.

I welcome Karen and her husband, Steve.

If you should need my help, please feel free to call on me.

I wish her well, and I look forward to serving with her.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Graves), my friend and brother.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. Handel).