Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today the House joined the Senate in approving almost $4.6 billion in taxpayer money to address the growing security and humanitarian crisis at our southern border.

We all share sympathy for the children and individuals who find themselves in suffering conditions at our southern border, but we should not confuse that the action that the House took today addresses the real crux of the problem at our southern border. Indeed, less than 5 percent of the funds that we approved will have a realistic impact on reducing the plague of illegal immigration that faces our country.

I call upon my colleagues and I call upon the Speaker, upon our return after the Independence Day recess, to take up this issue and send a clear message around the world that this country intends to enforce its borders and enforce its immigration laws.

Madam Speaker, I support and call upon the Speaker to allow us to provide the funding to build a wall at our southern border and support the President's efforts to control illegal immigration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a true Tennessee Volunteer, a daughter of Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District, and the new Head Coach for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team, Kellie Jolly Harper.

Coach Harper represents the best of Tennessee. She is known nationwide for her grit and her relentless pursuit of victory. No doubt these traits were instilled in her first by her coach and father, Kenneth Jolly, and mother, Peggy Simpson Jolly, and honed into championship ingredients by legendary coach Pat Summitt.

Coach Harper was raised in Sparta, Tennessee, a rural town in White County that has been and continues to be home to some of the hardest working people I have met. Her work ethic as a standout player for White County High School led to a starting position with the most prestigious women's basketball program of all time, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. Before graduating from the University of Tennessee in 1999, Coach Harper ran point for three of Coach Summitt's national title teams, including a perfect 39-0 season in 1998. Even more incredibly, she achieved all this success after suffering an injury to her knee that would have been career-ending for most.

Coach Harper is only the third Lady Vol head coach in the NCAA era of women's basketball. She returns to Rocky Top alongside her husband and Assistant Coach, Jon Harper, and their children, Jackson and Kiley. I have noticed her attention to her children throughout her start as Tennessee's Head Coach and I pray that she and her family enjoy a long and fruitful era in Knoxville.

I believe in the great promise of the Lady Vols basketball program and know that with this homegrown leader, the team is in great hands. I wish my sincerest best to Coach Kellie Jolly Harper and the Tennessee Lady Vols. She has certainly made her hometown and region proud. Welcome home, Coach, and Go Big Orange.

Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object.

Mr. Speaker, I am standing in a House chamber that is virtually empty. Nearly all of my 431 colleagues are absent as the Speaker of the House seeks to pass a $19 billion spending bill.

Our Nation is $22 trillion in debt. Trying to pass nearly $20 billion in new spending while the majority of Congress is not even in Washington reflects another act of irresponsible big government.

This is absolutely, without a doubt, wrong. It is no surprise that public confidence in Congress is at historic lows.

Every single Member could board a plane today, and this issue could be voted on in the next 12 hours.

We are each accountable to the American people, who entrusted us with their votes and sent us here to work on their behalf. I am accountable to the people of Tennessee, and I can say with confidence: Tennesseans deserve better than what is being attempted here today.

I never expected, when I came to Washington, that I would be asked to stay home while $19 billion is spent without my vote.

I urge the Speaker of the House, who is also not here today, to return to her

post and call Congress back to Washington to do the people's work, and I object.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Lafayette Church of Christ in honor of their 150th anniversary on June 19, 2019.

A longstanding pillar in the Macon County community, the Lafayette Church of Christ is widely known for its heart for service, love for others, and commitment to Christian principles. The congregation was founded by Isaac T. Reneau on June 19, 1869. Upon its founding, members met in various locations throughout Macon County. On January 11, 1874, the congregation held its first worship service in their first building on the town square in Lafayette. In 1963, a new building was constructed at 212 Church Street in Lafayette, which is where the congregation continues to meet. Today, that building is now part of a 9.5-acre campus that also includes a new auditorium, Fellowship Hall, and Refuge building for youth activities. However, the congregation's most enduring legacy will be its commitment to spreading the Gospel throughout its community.

The Lafayette Church of Christ has a rich heritage of upstanding families and strong believers. In efforts to care for their neighbors, the congregation offers a food pantry, utility bill assistance, furniture for those in need, and eager volunteers ready to answer the call of those in their community. Following the devastating tornado that hit Lafayette in 2008, it is well remembered that the members of the congregation eagerly coordinated response crews to those needing assistance and their fellowship hall served as a resource distribution center for the community.

The Lafayette Church of Christ is faithfully led by Elders Bobby Bransford and Barry Doss, along with Pulpit Minister Jeny Mercer and Youth Minister Cameron Miller. Today, the Lafayette Church of Christ is comprised of 250 members and routinely hosts local chapters of the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and American Red Cross blood drives. The congregation faithfully follows God's Biblical commands and seeks to be Christ's church in its community. The congregation is anchored in knowing that God gave His only begotten Son so that through baptism, we might live. I pray that this group of Christians may continue under our Father's protection in preaching, teaching, and sharing the great story of Christ.

To my House colleagues today, I hope you will join me in congratulating the Lafayette Church of Christ on 150 years of service to the community and unwavering faith. I am confident their impact on Macon County will continue for generations to come

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Caney Fork Baptist Church in honor of their 213th anniversary.

A longstanding pillar in the Cookeville community, the Caney Fork Baptist Church, originally referred to as ``Brown's Mill Church,'' is Putnam County's oldest Baptist Church. Joshua Bartlett and his wife, Winnie Williams Bartlett, founded the church after relocating to Tennessee from Boonesborough, Kentucky, in 1806. They constructed a fort, and within it was the cabin first used to host worship gatherings for the Caney Fork Baptist Church. The congregation relocated in 1931 to Highway 70 East in Cookeville, which is where they remain today.

In the early days of Tennessee's statehood, churches far outnumbered preachers. As was common then, the Caney Fork Baptist Church hosted traveling ``revival preachers'' for their services.

Throughout its history, the congregation affiliated with the general tenets of the Baptist denomination. From 1865 to 1897, the congregation embraced the Independent Baptist Christian denominational beliefs; they affiliated with the Free Will Baptist congregation from 1897 to 1918; and in 1918, the congregation joined with the larger Baptist denomination. Today, the Caney Fork Baptist Church is affiliated with the Stone Baptist Association, the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, and the Southern Baptist Convention.

I hope my House colleagues will join me in recognizing the Caney Fork Baptist Church for their longstanding service to the community, commitment to strengthening family values, and unwavering faith.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, if this unanimous consent request cannot be entertained, I urge the Speaker and the majority leader to immediately schedule the born-alive bill so we can stand up and protect the sanctity of human life.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the 27 veterans from Tennessee who visited Washington, D.C., on May 1, 2019, with Honor Flight of Middle Tennessee. On behalf of a grateful state and nation, I was honored to welcome these heroes to our nation's capital.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 328.

I applaud my colleague, Mr. Casten, for his thoughtful leadership on this initiative.

For too long, the financial exploitation of our seniors has been swept under the rug. It is truly heartbreaking to hear stories of Tennesseans' parents, siblings, and friends being taken advantage of, often by those they trust the most. It is time to equip our friends, families, and neighbors with the knowledge and tools they need to guard against the heartbreak of their hard-earned security and stability being stolen in the golden years of life.

Age brings many of life's most difficult challenges, but financial exploitation should not be one of them. It is incumbent upon us to correct this injustice and encourage the many community partnerships which work to do the same, including the work of our

men and women in law enforcement, various nonprofit organizations, and affiliated regulatory agencies.

Scammers and deceivers hurt good folks across the Sixth District of Tennessee and across America.

My esteemed colleague from Illinois (Mr. Casten) and I urge our fellow Members to join us in standing against this despicable injustice plaguing our country.