Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to congratulate my friend, Mrs. Lillian Pinkus, on her being selected as the next president of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). I am confident that she will contribute greatly to AIPAC's mission ``to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of Israel and the United States.''

Lillian was born in upstate New York to parents who were survivors of the Holocaust. Even after being liberated from the atrocities of that time, her parents spent additional years in a deportation camp in Germany, awaiting the opportunity to emigrate to another country. As a result, Lillian grew up in a family that instilled within her a sense of appreciation for the blessings of freedom and opportunity that she and her siblings enjoy in the United States. She also developed an understanding of the immense importance of a safe and free homeland for the Jewish people.

A tireless advocate for the security and strength of Israel, the U.S., and the alliance between them, Lillian has served AIPAC with years of dedication. Prior to being selected president at the most recent annual Board meeting in Israel, she was a National Board Member. She also has been honored by Israel Bonds, an organization that allows Americans to invest in building up the modern State of Israel.

Lillian has now lived in Dallas with her husband, Jon, for over forty years. Together they have two married sons, Jared and his wife Samantha, and Aaron and his wife Pamela. She will become president- elect this March and take office as president during AIPAC's annual policy conference in March, 2016. I have enjoyed working with Lillian over the years on our common goal of ensuring the security of our ally, Israel; and I look forward to continuing our strong working relationship into the future.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating and wishing well Lillian Pinkus as she begins to serve as the president of AIPAC.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor Dr. Brian D. Smith. On November 1, 2014, Dr. Smith began serving as the eleventh president of Dallas Christian College in Farmers Branch, Texas. He will be formally inaugurated this Saturday, January 24, 2015.

Dallas Christian College was founded in 1950 and maintains a mission to educate and mentor students to be ``People of Influence, Under God's Influence, for a Life of Influence.'' I have no doubt that the strong work of the College toward this end will continue to excel under Dr. Smith's new leadership.

Dr. Brian D. Smith has a remarkable career in Christian higher education. He received a Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministry from Florida Christian College (FCC) in 2003. Two years later he earned his Master's from Lincoln Christian University in Contemporary Christian Theology and Philosophy. Smith received his Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Exeter in England in 2011. He has published several chapters in academic works.

During his initial working years, Smith remained with FCC, which eventually merged with another school to become Johnson University Florida. He quickly advanced from serving as registrar to Associate Dean of Academics and Institutional Effectiveness, then Vice President of Academics and ultimately Assistant Provost. During his time there, Smith led the university through the process of accreditation with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association for Biblical Higher Education.

His strong and faithful professional life made him the top contender when the Board of Trustees for Dallas Christian College took up the task of searching for a replacement for their preceding president, Dusty Rubeck. The chair of the search committee, Dr. Keith Keeran, reported that the applicant pool was remarkable and seven well- qualified candidates were interviewed, but only one reached the final interview before the Board. Keeran further commented that ``the Lord's hand was on the search process from the beginning.''

Dr. Smith has always prayerfully desired to spread the Gospel and loves serving that cause through the work of Christian higher education. He and his wife, Samantha, have four children together. I welcome them to the 24th District of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating and wishing well Dr. Brian D. Smith as he begins to serve as President of Dallas Christian College.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 42-year anniversary since the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade. Since then, millions of innocent lives have been lost.

This is also a time to renew hope, as Americans continue to advocate for the respect of all human life. Tomorrow, upwards of a quarter of a million people from across the Nation and many from my district will march from The National Mall to the Supreme Court.

In Congress, we are working to help their efforts. I am cosponsoring H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This legislation would limit abortion after the age at which evidence shows an unborn child can experience pain.

We must continue to stand for legislation that defends the right to life, without which all other rights are impossible.

Mr. Speaker, we must fight to defund and reverse the president's unilateral amnesty.

Last summer, our nation experienced the consequences of the president's refusal to enforce the law. His unilateral actions enticed tens of thousands to unlawfully enter the country. According to the statistics, a vast majority of them remain in the U.S. today.

The president is now going around the legislative process again to grant amnesty to millions more. He wants hard-working American taxpayers to fund this disastrous plan. My constituents will not stand for it.

The president's unilateral amnesty must be completely defunded. Americans' tax dollars should be used to secure the border and keep this nation safe--not to reward those who have broken the law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of The Keystone XL Pipeline Act.

The Keystone Pipeline represents a critical asset in our efforts to increase energy security and reduce our dependence on Mid-East oil. It would also further lower prices at the pump for American families.

Most importantly, the Pipeline would create thousands of jobs in Texas and across the United States.

The President has threatened to veto this legislation and ignore the will of the American people. Six years of stalling is enough.

The Administration should stop standing in the way of a stronger energy future and thousands of new American jobs. Keystone must be approved immediately.

Mr. Speaker, on December 3, 2014, Etihad Airways become the latest new airline to start service at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW), which I represent in Congress. Etihad's new service now connects DFW with Abu Dhabi and the world beyond. Though Etihad is only eleven years old, it has already become a trend setter in the aviation industry for service and onboard product offerings, winning its 6th straight ``World's Leading Airline'' award at the World Travel Awards this year.

Etihad and DFW based American Airlines enjoy codesharing and reciprocal frequent flier mileage agreements, making it easier for frequent fliers of both airlines to earn miles on their airline of choice and make connecting flights at DFW or Abu Dhabi. DFW is Etihad's sixth destination in the United States, further increasing ties between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Etihad serves the DFW/ Abu Dhabi route with a Boeing 777--which will be further complemented by the airline's $40 billion order for additional Boeing aircraft in the coming years equipped with General Electric engines.

I congratulate Etihad and Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport on this latest expansion of international service which will greatly increase travel options for my constituents and promote economic growth in North Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the administration's recent decision to extend talks with Iran into 2015. Iran is simply stalling and buying time, time that we and our closest ally in the region, Israel, do not have.

Many months ago, when sanctions were starting to have an impact on Iran, the administration relaxed them. All we have to show for these weakened sanctions is months of stalled talks.

It is long overdue to increase the pressure on Iran. I call for new and immediate sanctions with the teeth to force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Without new pressures, Iran won't see any reason to change its current course. Congress must act now in increasing sanctions to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove myself as a cosponsor from H.R. 5114.

Mr. Speaker, due to the delay in my flight arriving to Washington, DC yesterday, I was unable to make roll call vote 520.

On roll call vote 520, passage of H.R. 5162--To amend the Act entitled ``An Act to allow a certain parcel of land in Rockingham County, Virginia, to be used for a child care center'' to remove the use restriction, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues against the President's unilateral amnesty plan.

Unlike the President's amnesty, I support an immigration system that is accountable to the American people and the democratic process. Like most Americans, I believe immigrants who work hard, play by the rules, and contribute to our communities are good for our country.

Immigration laws should be properly controlled and strictly enforced, but under President Obama, this is not the case. Just look at the numbers: In 2012 alone, 11.7 million foreign nationals resided in the United States without authorization. Visa overstays are estimated to be up to 57 percent of that unauthorized population.

Unilateral amnesty ignores the will of the American people, it is unfair to legal immigrants, and it hurts U.S. citizens who are seeking jobs. Put simply, those who follow the rules should be rewarded, and lawbreakers should be punished. The President's executive amnesty does the exact opposite.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and celebrate the retirement of Rear Admiral Gary W. Rosholt, who has served in the United States Navy for over thirty-four years and, though with the U.S. Embassy at the United Arab Emirates at this time, resides in Irving, Texas.

Rear Admiral Rosholt's decades of service to our nation were notably preceded by his own father's career with the U.S. Air Force. Rosholt himself was commissioned during his years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering and was enrolled in the Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC). In February 1980, he completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training with Class 106.

In his commendable career, Rosholt served multiple tours in Naval Special Warfare, including assigmnents with Underwater Demolition Team 12, SEAL Team One, and Special Boat Unit 20. He also earned his masters of science degree in operations management at the University of Arkansas while on a shore duty assignment with the Chief of Naval Technical Training.

Rosholt served valuable roles in the Reserve component as well. He held a staff position in the Naval Surface Warfare Center,

White Oak, and was a Navy emergency preparedness liaison officer with the Director of Military Support and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense. He also commanded five units in the Navy Reserve: Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity Norfolk Detachment 406, Special Boat Unit 20, Naval Special Warfare Unit 4, U.S. Special Operations Command Detachment 108, and Naval Special Warfare Command headquarters.

In October 2008, Gary W. Rosholt earned his promotion to Rear Admiral and returned to active duty in the U.S. Navy. He then served as the deputy commanding general for Special Operations Command in U.S. Central Command. Currently, he serves as the Senior Defense Official and Defense Attache at the U.S. Embassy at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Rosholt is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia and, in a civilian setting, was also a consultant with a focus on Special Operations, particularly with regard to research, development, and acquisition programs.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in marking the retirement of Rear Admiral Gary W. Rosholt and thanking him for his long career of honorable service to the United States Navy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Walter R. Furnace on receiving the National Association of Federal Credit Union's Paul Revere Award. Walter received this award because he excels at promoting the credit union industry's most pressing concerns. In his work with the American Airlines Federal Credit Union (AAFCU), Walter has demonstrated great passion for supporting credit unions and their mission to provide members an opportunity to have a hand in the services they use for the financial wellbeing of their families. Walter's relationship building and strong work ethic over the years continues to prove successful. He works to build relationships not only with Members of Congress from his home state, but where AAFCU has fields of membership as well. His strong grasp of issues affecting credit unions and their members allows him to be an effective member of NAFCU's operations. I've had the pleasure of working with Walter for many years.

Walter uses his experience in public service as a former State Representative of Alaska to benefit those whom he serves by effectively advancing the priorities of credit unions in the public sphere. His past public service catalyzed his success in his current role, caring and doing what he can for his members.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I ask all my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing Walter Furnace as a recipient of the National Association of Federal Credit Union's Paul Revere Award.

Mr. Speaker, I have introduced legislation to prohibit TSA from accepting Notice to Appear forms as valid ID for clearing airport security.

Notice to Appear forms summon illegal immigrants to present themselves for removal hearings. They contain no real security features and can be easily forged.

After first denying it to the press, the TSA admitted to me that they were giving illegal immigrants special leeway by accepting Notice to Appear forms. This defies commonsense.

Those who violate our laws should never be held to a lower security standard than law-abiding citizens. It is a serious security risk. It is unfair to honest Americans. It must stop now.

I call on all of my colleagues to support this legislation. TSA must stop giving illegal immigrants special treatment.

Mr. Speaker, on August 1, 2014, I was off of the House floor for rollcall vote No. 480 on agreeing to the Senate Amendment to H.J. Res. 76--Emergency supplemental funding to Israel for the Iron Dome defense system. I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Corporal Jeff Paul of the Southlake Police Department in Southlake, Texas. Corporal Paul was honored yesterday, September 7th, by the Southlake Baptist Church during a special service for first responders. His years of selfless service, at times in the face of personal adversity, demonstrate his being an outstanding officer and citizen.

Corporal Paul was raised near Chicago but has lived in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, for 27 years. Paul began his career in law enforcement as a Police Explorer in the early 1980s and then quickly became a Public Safety Dispatcher. In 1983, he joined the Southlake Department of Public Safety and, after briefly being a Reserve Police Officer, became a full-time Police Officer. He helped implement the Southlake Police Department's first traffic division in 1989. Later on, in 2002, Paul became a Warrant Officer and Bailiff in the Southlake Municipal Court, and he continues to serve in that role.

In his time with the Southlake Police Department, Corporal Paul was trained as an accident reconstructionist and an Intoxilyzer operator. He is a graduate of the School of Police Supervision at the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration and has earned his Master Peace Officer Certification.

Paul is married with two sons and one grandson, and he thoroughly enjoys attending Dallas Stars hockey games as his favorite pastime.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in honoring Corporal Jeff Paul for his career of service and sacrifice.