Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 274, which was introduced by my colleague, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

This legislation condemns the government of Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of international covenants on human rights.

Following the Islamic revolution of Iran in 1979, members of the Baha'i Faith, the largest non-Muslim religious minority in the country, have been subjected to relentless persecution. In Iran, no rights or protections are accorded to those who are adherents of religions not recognized under the Iranian constitution.

The Iranian government refuses to recognize the Baha'i Faith as a religion and justifies persecution of the Baha'i under this pretext.

Iran has criminalized ordinary Baha'i religious practices of worship, religious training, and fellowship. It has also denied Baha'i people government pension

benefits, higher education, business licenses in about 2 dozen fields, and even the right of self-defense.

Mr. Speaker, I call on the House to pass H.R. 274 to show that this chamber and our Nation support the Baha'i people and stand with them in the face of Iran's tyranny.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize St. Lawrence Catholic Church of Greenville, Illinois, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.

St. Lawrence began as a mission of the Mother of Dolors in the 1850s but the first mass wasn't celebrated until 1868. At that time the congregation consisted of just a dozen families without an assigned priest. Eventually, the faithful were rewarded with a parish of their own in 1877, under the patronage of St. Lawrence the Martyr. The first church was erected a year later. A resident priest began to occupy the parochial residence in 1895, and shortly thereafter land for the church's cemetery was purchased.

In 1910, a fire destroyed the church shortly after the arrival of father John Enright, who went on to serve as St. Lawrence's pastor for 47 years. The congregation quickly set to work rebuilding and two years later a new church was dedicated, serving the congregation until a new church replaced it in 1994. In the interim, a rectory was added as well as a confraternity school.

To celebrate St. Lawrence's important milestone, the church held a ``Mass in the Grass,'' followed by a time capsule ceremony. Musicians performed during the celebration, which included activities, games, food, and a good deal of fellowship.

Mr. Speaker, since its start, St. Lawrence has had a strong presence in Greenville and been a focal point for the religious and spiritual needs of the community. I want to wish its pastor, Father Alan Hunter, and parishioners of St. Lawrence Catholic Church, the very best as they celebrate 150 years of service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the exemplary community service of Donnie McMaster, a resident of Westville, IL.

Donnie is a Boy Scout in Troop 234 and for his Eagle Scout project he focused his attention on improving the lives of our local veterans. Cannon Place is an apartment where formerly homeless veterans and their families now reside. Donnie expanded the entertainment opportunities of the residents by building four cornhole sets, a board game set, and a horseshoe pit. Donnie also added stepping stone walkways and fixed two flower beds. He then set walkways in mulch and bordered it with logs.

Donnie spent two months raising funds prior to starting the project, lining up local donors for the materials he used and raising money to cover the remaining parts of the planned improvements. His dedication and hard work means that today some of our veterans can spend time outside with their families enjoying the games and landscaping provided by this one individual.

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the efforts of Donnie McMaster to bring joy to our nation's veterans and congratulate him on completing his Eagle Scout Project. I wish Donnie success in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of the hard-working men and women of the Shawnee National Forest Service, the Lusk Conservancy District and the Pope County Board of Commissioners. Together these groups were able to come together to make the Lusk Creek Kayak Ramp to give Southern Illinois residents safer and easier boat access to Lusk Creek and to revitalize tourism in the area.

On October 27, 2016, I met with the Pope County Chairman of the Commissioner's Board, Larry Richards. Mr. Richards asked for my assistance in helping to get a boat launch ramp built on Lusk Creek, a project that would help both tourists and local citizens alike access the creek. A few days later, I called the Shawnee Forest Service about the project and they were eager to share their progress.

Over the course of 2016 and early 2017, the Shawnee Forest Service and the Lusk Conservancy District developed a strong partnership. Together they completed an Environmental Assessment and began construction. They worked closely to address environmental concerns and create a sustainable, safe recreation area. This newly constructed project, finished in August of 2017, represents the only public developed access point on Lusk Creek upstream from the State Recreation Area Marina in Golconda, Illinois. I have recently visited the completed project, the Lusk Creek Kayak Ramp, and was impressed with what these different organizations in the area were able to come together to create.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Shawnee National Forest Service, the Lusk Conservancy District and the Pope County Board of Commissioners for this achievement.

Mr. Speaker, to my friend Richard Neal, I understand the frustrations of this debate and some of the processes, but this gives us a chance to come down to the floor and just talk about the basic policy of: Is a carbon tax good, or is it not good?

I can't speak to the process. All I can talk about is the policy.

Congressman Doggett was down here talking about national security issues. I deal with this quite a bit in my role as the chair of the Baltic Caucus and doing some NATO Parliamentary Assembly things.

Let me just speak briefly about a concern of what a carbon tax does in international energy fights and disbursements.

Here I hold a picture--and I wanted to get it on the chart, but I wasn't able

to--of an LNG terminal called Independence. Now, this terminal is in Lithuania, and they are able to decrease their reliance on Russian natural gas because they have built this import terminal.

They are able to now have two folks in which to import natural gas, thus relieving themselves of being extorted by the Russian Federation. A carbon tax would increase the cost of our exported goods to countries like Lithuania, making them more susceptible to energy extortion by the Russian Federation.

So in an international debate of an energy policy which the Russian Federation does extort--how do I know this? I know this because, in the early days of the reestablishment of freedom, a U.S. company bought a refinery in Lithuania.

So the Russians didn't like a U.S. company buying an old refinery, so what did the Russians do? They turned off the flow of oil.

So just in the international world, if we want to help our allies decrease their reliance on imported crude oil from the Russian Federation or, in this case, liquefied natural gas, a carbon tax will make that more difficult. So that is why I think it is important that we have this debate on the international perspective.

I also know that a lot of the organizations that are important to me--the American Energy Alliance, Americans for Tax Reform, the Farm Bureau, Western Energy Alliance, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, National Black Chamber of Commerce, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and FreedomWorks--all support the resolution that says a carbon tax is kind of the wrong way to go because it increases costs on everybody, from the goods that we sell till we transport them to the market, across the board.

So I appreciate the time. And again, we want to be the world leader in oil and gas exports, and a carbon tax will prohibit us from being able to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to speak about Mr. Jack Edward Schurman, a longtime resident of Shelbyville, Illinois, in my 15th Congressional District, a disabled veteran, an advocate for former military men and women throughout the Nation, and chairman of my Veterans Advisory Committee, and, I am proud to say, my friend.

Born in Iowa in 1939, Jack joined the Navy in 1959 and rose to the rank of yeoman third class before a disability cut short his service in 1964.

Jack made his way to Illinois, and, in 1976, he married Nancy Ellen Cranford. They raised two daughters, Kelli Ann and Kim Marie.

As chairman of my Veterans Advisory Committee, Jack has led our meetings for years, bringing valuable experience and perspective. Unfortunately, Jack's health has declined to a point where his mobility is limited, and doctors have declared that he should no longer live on his own, which is what he has done since his beloved wife passed away in 2016.

Jack is now in Mississippi, thanks to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which located a suitable residence for him near the home of one of his daughters.

Mr. Speaker, members of my Veterans Advisory Committee and I will miss Jack. We want to thank him for his tremendous service throughout the years and wish him the best of health and happiness in this next chapter of his remarkable life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Sacred Heart Church of Effingham, Illinois, on the occasion of its 125th anniversary.

Sacred Heart Church was first started when a few German immigrant families first came together for worship. The Masses were given originally in German but on January 1, 1892, Sacred Heart Church and School were officially established, and since they have given Masses in English.

What started with nine families has since grown to a congregation of over 900 families, giving Sacred Heart Church a strong presence in Effingham. Over the years, generations of worshipers have called Sacred Heart home. The church's theme, ``Grounded in Faith, Focused on the Future'' reflects the proud heritage of the parish and the many local and international activities congregants are involved in. Whether by providing an education to its children, giving back through its community-based services, or extending Sacred Heart's ministry to South America, Sacred Heart Church has been a focal point for the religious and spiritual needs of Effingham.

The celebratory year is themed ``Faith and Family,'' and Sacred Heart Parish began its 125th anniversary last year with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki, followed by a Halloween parade and themed activities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an important milestone for Sacred Heart Church, and I wish it, and its pastor, the Reverend Michal Rosa, the very best as they celebrate the church's 125th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Sophia Hortin for being elected Illinois' State FFA President.

Sophia's love for agriculture began on her family farm just outside of Fisher, IL. Sophia embraces all aspects of farming from cleaning grain bins, raising hogs, and even field tillage work. However, her favorite job is hauling grain to local elevators, a job Sophia has done since she got her Class B license when she was 16.

Over the course of the next calendar year, Sophia will live in Springfield, IL and work out of the State FFA office. Sophia will be leading a historic group of young leaders as she heads up the first ever all-female Illinois FFA officer team.

After Sophia completes her year-long term as State President, she will enroll in the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with the ultimate goal of becoming a teacher and FFA adviser.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to send my most sincere congratulations to Sophia Hortin for receiving this tremendous accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the McCarter- Caisse-Vice-Hale Memorial Overpass in Paxton, Illinois.

On April 7, 1979, Illinois State trooper Michael McCarter was attempting to stop four speeding vehicles on I-57 and Paxton patrolman William Caisse was dispatched to provide assistance. One of the suspects fled to the overpass and opened fire on the two officers, subsequently killing State Trooper McCarter and Donald Vice, McCarter's brother-in-law who was riding along with him on his shift.

Paxton patrolman Larry Hale arrived to the scene as gunfire continued. A second suspect drew a rifle from the back of his pickup truck and fatally shot Officer Caisse. Hale was then shot in the leg and chest, but despite his

wounds was able to subdue the second suspect and eventually recovered.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to send my gratitude to these men for their bravery and service to their community. Their heroism and sacrifice will never be forgotten. God bless them and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the bicentennial anniversary of the Bankston Fork Baptist Church in Harrisburg, Illinois. The church was founded in 1818 by Wilson Henderson and Chester Carpenter.

The Bankston Fork Baptist Church has existed as a religious body for 200 years and has continuously given back to the community. After the church opened, they immediately started to spread their message of love, friendship and equality throughout the area. Bankston Fork Baptist Church is one of the oldest churches in Illinois and the church has occupied five different buildings in four different locations during its tenure.

I offer my congratulations to the members of Bankston Fork Baptist Church on their bicentennial anniversary. I wish them many more prosperous years in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Windsor/Stewardson- Strasburg High School Softball Team. The WSS Hatchets are now the 2018 IHSA Class 1A State Champions.

The Hatchets won the state title game 8-5 to cap off a season with a record of 28 wins and four losses before facing the Goreville Blackcats in an exciting championship game. The Blackcats had a terrific performance, mounting a comeback after facing a six-run deficit to begin the game. However, due to their stellar pitching and timely hitting, the WSS Hatchets earned a hard-fought and well-deserved victory.

I would like to congratulate the entire WSS Softball Team on their victory: Megan Schlechte, Machenzi Tabbert, Ava Bennett, Hannah Hayes, Mackinzee Reynolds, Carson Cole, Sydney Taber, Katrina Davis, Mackenzie Brown, Theresa Davis, Anna Schlechte, Taylor Rentfro, Calla Roney, Madison Everett, Kassie Vonderheide, Makenna Taber, Paig Rentfro, Maggie Kelly and their coach Craig Moffett. Congratulations on a superb end to a great season.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg High School Softball Team in winning the 2018 IHSA Class 1A State Title. I wish the team and their coach all the best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ludlow United Methodist Church of Ludlow, Illinois, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.

Ludlow United Methodist Church was founded in 1868 by the Rev. M.L. Kurle and soon thereafter joined the Flagg Circuit. Initially, services were held in nearby schoolhouses. The first church building was dedicated on September 4, 1871. Throughout the years, various additions and remodeling projects took place as the congregation expanded. Currently, the church building is accompanied by an auditorium and parsonage.

With an extensive background in missionary work and community engagement, Ludlow United Methodist has impacted many lives for over a century and a half. This historic church proudly maintains its legacy of service to its congregants and neighbors, and I hope that it continues that legacy.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Ludlow United Methodist Church for this important milestone, and I wish it and its Pastor, Reverend Fred Sistler, the very best as they celebrate the church's 150th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, it is good to be on the floor with my good friend and colleague, the ranking member, Congressman Pallone. I know his heart is solid and I know he believes that we are challenging some privacy concerns, and I take that in the spirit intended.

As a Republican, I was an early supporter of one of our former colleague's--Sue Myrick's--Mental Health Parity Act. And the whole intent of that, for many of us, was to say mental health illness is an illness and should be accepted as an illness. But what we have done under the Federal code is to separate it. So I think the intent of what we are trying to do is not separate it and make it part of the health records.

We have heard the debate on both sides, but that is the basic premise from which I come. And we have heard the testimony of people for whom the information was not shared with the regular doctor versus the mental health, and then prescriptions occurring and then catastrophic events.

The intent of this legislation is to help patients and to help providers better take care of their patients. This is not about taking away privacy but taking care of people. It is about making sure people have the appropriate level of privacy for the services they are seeking.

We don't create extra privacy barriers so that people with heart disease, HIV, or diabetes can keep their doctors in the dark and withhold critical information relevant to the insurer benefits that they are using. This goes back to, as we have heard today, a 1970-era mandate.

Gary Mendell, the founder of Shatterproof, lost his son Brian, who was recovering from substance use disorder, after he tragically took his own life. Gary said the following about aligning part 2 with HIPAA:

The solution is not to keep this information out of

electronic health records and not available. The solution is

to end the stigma and to bring this disease and mental

illness into the healthcare system, just like diabetes,

cancer, or any other disease.

And I couldn't agree more with Gary.

He also said:

If there's an issue related to unintended consequences,

let's fix that.

I think in this piece of legislation, Congressman Mullin and Congressman Blumenauer intended to do that.

Gary also said:

Let's not keep this out of the healthcare system, unlike

diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, because then we just

perpetuate the situation that is causing it in the first

place.

I will continue. Individuals with opioid use disorder die, on average, a decade sooner than other Americans. This is largely because of the strikingly high incidence of poorly managed, co-occurring chronic diseases, including HIV/AIDS, cardiac conditions, lung disease, and cirrhosis.

Whatever we as a nation are doing to coordinate care for this highly vulnerable population is failing by any reasonable measure.

Mr. Speaker, an extraordinary array of organizations, hospitals, physicians, patient advocates, and substance use treatment providers have approached this committee to clearly state that existing Federal addiction privacy law is actively interfering with case management and care coordination efforts. Arguing against this legislation preserved a fatal and deadly status quo.

I support this piece of legislation, and I thank my colleague for the time.

Mr. Speaker, it is great to be here tonight to talk about something that we have talked about quite a bit. I am glad to see the gentleman has, obviously, the LNG terminal and the Lithuanian- flagged Independence. I also brought it down.

I don't have to be as complete in my comments, because I have heard the comments of easing and helping Europeans be independent of imported Russian natural gas.

Lithuania is on the Baltic Sea. I am the chairman of the Baltic Caucus. We have Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. I have spent a lot of time watching them and encouraging them in their actual leadership of Eastern Europe. They set out in 2014 to become independent of Russian gas. So they went through the process of getting the LNG terminal.

I love the name. It is called the Independence so they can be independent and free. They have a history of being extorted by the Russians in the crude oil department. There is a refinery there called Mazeikiu Nafta, which a U.S. company bought and then the Russians turned off the oil.

So those are the extortions and the concerns. Now what they have is the ability to compete in the open market. They had their first LNG gas come from the United States earlier in 2017. They now have an ability to negotiate for the best price, which helps a lot.

First of all, it helps their citizens. It helps, obviously, their businesses. It also helps the allies in surrounding countries. What they have now been able to do is negotiate through the Baltic region of pipelines and storage, and we have had talks, as you know, on smaller export LNG vessels to be able to get to smaller communities.

We are a party of all-of-the-above technology. We believe in having the energy resources compete for lower prices. I am glad the gentleman from Texas came down here and is expounding the virtues of freedom it has provided for the Baltic countries, and I look forward to continuing shipping U.S. liquefied natural gas, which helps our balance of trades and creates jobs in America, to our allies and friends around the globe.

Mr. Speaker, on the week of the Congressional baseball game, one in which I will wear the uniform of the St. Louis Cardinals, I rise today to honor the life and career of Major League Baseball player Albert Fred ``Red'' Schoendienst, who passed away last week on Wednesday, June 6, at 95 years old. He was born 40 miles away from St. Louis, in my congressional district in Germantown, Illinois, on February 2, 1923.

Red grew up as one of seven children. His dad was a coal miner. He lived, in his early days, without running water or electricity. He married Mary Eileen O'Reilly in 1947. They celebrated 52 years of marriage before she passed away in 1999. Together, they had four children, 10 grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.

At 16 years old, while working on a fence, under the Civilian Conservation Corps, he suffered an injury to his left eye. That injury made it hard for him to read a breaking ball from the right side, so he learned to be a switch-hitter.

Red tried out for the Cardinals in 1942 and, at his induction ceremony at the Baseball Hall of Fame, he said he and his friends hitchhiked a ride to St. Louis on a milk truck and: ``I never thought that milk truck ride would eventually lead to Cooperstown and baseball's highest honor.''

He also spoke about his attitude toward playing the game. ``I would play any position my manager asked. Whatever it took to win I was willing to do. All I ever wanted to do was be on that lineup card and become a champion.'' And that Red Schoendienst was.

After his discharge from the military, Red started his major league career with the Cardinals in 1945 as a left fielder. The hometown kid finally had a chance to play for his hometown team. He played in 137 games and stole 26 bases that season.

In 1946, Red moved to second base, which is where he played for the rest of his career, and the Cardinals won the World Series at that time. It was the Cardinals' third championship in 5 years and Red's first.

In 19 seasons as a player, Red compiled a .289 batting average, with 84 home runs, 773 RBIs, 1200-plus runs. The Cardinals won the World Series in '46, '57, '64, '67 and '82. He spent 74 consecutive years in major league baseball as a player, coach, and manager, and spent 67 of those years as a St. Louis Cardinal.

I would like to end by also talking about Red and his family as individuals. Mary was very involved with reaching out to new players' wives, helping them adjust to life with a major leaguer. Mary sang the national anthem many times before Cardinal games, and organized the wives' charity group.

What Red Schoendienst said was: ``What makes baseball so great is you can't hold the ball for 24 seconds and take the last shot or run the clock down and kick a field goal. You have to get 27 outs, one way or the other. Time doesn't run out until you get that 27th out.''

One of his best friends was Stan Musial, and he sums up Red this way: ``A lot of guys had the privilege of playing with or for Red over the years, and I'm proud I was one of them. He is one of the kindest, most decent men I've ever known in my life. Even more important than having been his teammate or roommate, however, is having been his friend for so many years. They don't come any better.''

I can't say it any better myself, Mr. Speaker. We have lost a great Cardinal.