Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I come to you today to recognize the grand opening of the Trinka Davis Veterans Village in Carrollton, Georgia on September 28, 2012. This is a momentous event for the 3rd district, and I am proud to help honor their great service to our nation's brave veterans.

The Trinka Davis Veterans Village would not have been possible without the $17 million donation from the Trinka Davis Foundation. Ms. Katherine ``Trinka'' Rynne Davis was a Carroll County business leader who was profoundly impacted after learning of the difficulties our veterans and their families face on a daily basis. She founded the Trinka Davis Foundation on November 9, 2004 and focused the majority of the funding on improving the lives of our soldiers and healing the trauma from deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Following her unexpected death, Ms. Davis left her entire estate to her foundation. Over $25 million was left to aid our veterans and their families. In working with the Atlanta VA Medical center, the Foundation developed the concept of the Veterans Village to best serve the needs of our local veterans in rehabilitating injuries and problems faced upon coming home; such as loss of limbs, traumatic brain injuries, depression, PTSD, unemployment, and loss of homes.

The Trinka Davis Veterans Village has been built to serve as both a medical office and community living center for veterans across Georgia. Through regional research, the Foundation Board learned that veterans in the Bowden and Atlanta area needed a Community Based Outpatient Clinic and nursing facility in Carrollton, Georgia. Without the donations from the Trinka Davis Foundation, the construction and operation of the village would never have become a reality. The facility anticipates around 3,000 veterans in the area will use the primary care services, and with 42 beds, rehabilitation will be more accessible than before. The facility will have a family-centered approach to treatment and will let residents and family members of the village be more involved in their care. The Trinka Davis Veterans Village will also provide home-based care for patients who cannot travel to the clinic.

I would like to thank Trinka Davis, who I know is smiling down from above, her wonderful Foundation and the Atlanta VA for their hard work and donations to make the Veterans Village possible. The Trinka Davis Veterans Village is a great step in improving veteran care in our great state and helps us to give back to our veterans who have given everything so that we can live free.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 537, 538, and 539.

I was unavoidably detained in Georgia due to a scheduling issue, and could not return to Washington in time to cast my vote.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 537, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 538, and 539.

Mr. Speaker, I have come to the floor today to honor Mr. Paul Rodgers Pierce, Jr., for his 25 years of service to the State Theatre of Georgia and the Springer Opera House.

Paul was born on January 19, 1953, in Anniston, Alabama, to Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Pierce. He attended East Rome High School and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1977. After graduation, he developed his passion for theater through working as an actor, director, designer, and booking manager on a number of national touring productions, such as the American Repertory Theater, Flat Rock Playhouse, and Circuit 21 Playhouse. Following his time on tour, he accepted the position of associate artistic director at the American Repertory Theater under the guidance of Mr. Drexel Riley, who was not only his mentor, but his friend.

Paul's adventures led him across the country when he accepted the position of managing director of Virginia's Wayside Theater, and then as artistic director of the Harbor Playhouse in Corpus Christi, Texas. Thankfully, his travels led him back to Georgia, where he became the artistic director of the Springer Opera House in 1988.

To say Paul was passionate about his job is an understatement. He expanded the artistic mission of the Springer Opera House and took its potential to new heights. Paul created the Spring Theatricals, a national touring company that reaches over 60 American cities annually. He hired Ron Anderson and created the Springer Theatre Academy that mentors and develops over 16,000 children and families through the year-round character education program. With Paul's additions, the audience of Springer has nearly tripled, and the bar for artistic excellence in the community has been held to a higher standard.

Paul has not only improved the artistic standards in the community, but the physical appearance of the Springer Opera House as well. Paul oversaw the National Historic Landmark Theatre's $12 million renovation in 1998 and has campaigned for over $11.5 million for the construction of the McClure Theatre for children's programs and education.

In his 25 years, Paul has helped put the Springer Opera House on the map. In 2008, the Georgia Council for the Arts declared it one of Georgia's top-ranked art institutions. Paul has served on with State Theatre of Georgia as producing artistic director with distinction and dedication and continues to further his mission through the pursuit of selfless innovations to improve the quality of life for the citizens and community of Columbus, Georgia

I'm proud to stand here today to honor and thank Mr. Paul Rodgers Pierce, Jr., for all he has done for the great State of Georgia, the city of Columbus, and all the children and families he has touched. Paul's devotion and commitment to theater is an inspiration to us all, showing us that with passion and hard work you can make a difference and leave a legacy that will never be forgotten. Thanks, Paul.

Mr. Speaker, I come before you today with great sadness to honor one of Georgia's own, Private First Class Brandon D. Goodine. On June 7th, Brandon gave the ultimate sacrifice when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device by enemy forces in the Maiwand District of Kandahar province in Afghanistan while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Brandon was a beloved father, husband, brother, and son. He was taken from us much too soon, but not without accomplishing great things. He believed his greatest was his 3 year old daughter, Kathryn. Brandon became a father at a young age, but devoted his life to making sure Kathryn had everything she needed. In fact, his reason for joining the Army was so that he could be sure she was taken care of. Her birth gave him direction and purpose in life, helping him believe he could accomplish anything. Everything that Brandon did was for Kathryn.

Giving everything 110% was what Brandon did. He was just an all around great guy striving to make something of himself. Brandon attended Henry County High School, and later joined the Navy ROTC at Greenville High School. On May 2, 2011, he joined the Army and served as a scout with Bravo Troop, 4th Battalion, 73rd Cavalry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, NC. In his unit, he was a brother to his fellow paratroopers. They remember not only laughing and having fun with him, but his kindness and generosity. Going out of his way to volunteer or help someone was not unusual for Brandon. On June 7th, he was assigned to a mission to prevent the enemy from freely attacking peaceful communities. He bravely gave his life doing what he did best, helping others and giving them a chance for a better life.

His commitment to his daughter, family, and our country inspired his older brother, Christopher, to enlist in the Army 3 months later. Brandon's mother, Mandy, said she was not only proud to be his mother, but his friend. He was a hero to his family, a role model for his three sisters and brother, and, a loving father, a dedicated husband to his wife, Nicole. One of the biggest tributes to Brandon's life has been the support from the community. When Brandon was being transported home, flags were placed along the road to honor him and his sacrifice. He was laid to rest on June 18 by his close friends and family in McDonough, GA.

I am proud to stand before you to honor the life of PFC Brandon Goodine and to thank him for his service to our country. Brandon has left a lasting impression on all those he has touched, and his bravery will never be forgotten.

Joan and I extend our deepest sympathy to the friends and family of Brandon, and we will never forget his great sacrifice for our nation so that we may all live free.

Mr. Speaker, I come before you today with a great sadness, but with a sense of pride to honor one of Georgia's own heroes, Private First Class Brandon D. Goodine. On June 7, Brandon gave the ultimate sacrifice when his unit was attacked with an improvised explosive device by enemy forces in Maiwand district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan while he was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Brandon was a beloved father. He was a husband, a brother, and a son. He was taken from us much too soon, but not without accomplishing some great things. He believed that his greatest accomplishment was his 3- year-old daughter, Kathryn.

Brandon became a father at a young age, but devoted his life to making sure Kathryn had everything she needed. In fact, his reason for joining the Army was so that he could be sure that she was going to be taken care of. Her birth gave him direction and purpose in life, helping him believe he could accomplish anything. Everything that Brandon did was for Kathryn.

Giving everything 110 percent is what Brandon did. He was just an all-around great guy striving to make something of himself. Brandon attended Henry County High School and later joined the Navy ROTC at Greenville High School.

On May 2, 2011, he joined the Army and proudly served as a scout with Bravo Troop, Fourth Battalion, 73rd Calvary Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In his unit, he was a brother to his fellow paratroopers. They remember not only laughing and having fun with him, but his kindness and generosity that he showed them.

Going out of his way to volunteer or help someone was not unusual for Brandon. On June 7, he was assigned to a mission to prevent the enemy from freely attacking peaceful communities in Afghanistan. He bravely gave his life doing what he did best--helping others and giving them a chance for a better life.

His commitment to his daughter, his family, and our country inspired his older brother, Christopher, to enlist in the Army 3 months later. Brandon's mother, Mandy, said she was not only proud to be his mother, but a friend. He was a hero to his family, a role model for his three sisters, a beloved son, a brother, a loving father, and a dedicated husband to his wife, Nicole.

One of the biggest tributes to Brandon's life has been the support from the community. When Brandon was being transported home for the last time, flags were placed along the road to honor him in his sacrifice. He was laid to rest on June 18 by his close friends and family in McDonough, Georgia.

I'm proud to stand here before you to honor the life of Brandon C. Goodine and to thank him for his service to our country. Brandon has left a lasting impression on those he has touched, and his bravery will never be forgotten.

Joan and I wish to extend our deepest sympathy to Mandy, Dwayne, Kathryn, Nicole, and all of Brandon's family and friends. We will never forget his great sacrifice for his Nation so that we may all live free.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6079.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my bipartisan amendment to H.R. 4480 with my colleague from Iowa (Mr. Braley).

Like this legislation, the amendment we offer today would ease expensive and burdensome energy regulations and help save American jobs.

By placing service-over-the-counter refrigerator units--which is a fancy

way of saying refrigerated display cases like you see in grocery stores and delis--into their own product classification, we can remove a burdensome regulation that could put this entire industry out of business.

Currently, these deli display cases are in the same classification as commercial reach-in refrigerators, similar to those you have in your home. This means that they must also meet the energy efficiency standards of those refrigerators. But that doesn't make any sense. These two types of refrigerators are designed for completely different purposes. Your refrigerator at home is only opened so many times. It has a light that comes on only when you open the door. These display cases are well lit. There's a lot of glass, which makes it harder to keep the energy efficiency at the same level as a reach-in refrigerator. And if you don't want to reach in and grab your popsicle and just come up with a stick, we need to put this in a totally different classification.

In my district, it's going to mean the cost of about 1,100 jobs. Across the United States, it's about 8,500 jobs that would be lost if these people are put out of business. As this bill does and as this amendment does, we think that it helps save jobs.

So with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, sometimes up here we have people that think they know more than the industry. This industry has jobs, it employs people, and they're trying to do the best they can with their technology. But we can't be up here and tell industry what's best for them if we don't know anything about refrigeration or the energy efficiencies that they're trying to do.

These folks are trying to do the right thing. They are trying to do it to the best of their ability, but with these regulations, they're unable to do it right now. All we're asking for is to save 8,500 jobs across this country. And with unemployment in Georgia above the national average, it's 1,100 jobs just in Georgia. So I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support this amendment, and let's save 8,500 jobs.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on his upcoming inauguration to a second term.

Taiwan is a strategic partner of the United States. The enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act more than 30 years ago is a testament to our relationship. The lasting ties between Taiwan and the U.S. are due, in part, to enduring personal relationships between our two countries.

Our shared love of liberty and respect for our citizenry, upon which our governments were founded, has been truly exemplified by President Ma Ying-jeou.

President Ma enjoys a unique relationship with the U.S., having graduated from two of our most celebrated universities (New York University and Harvard University). His continued leadership to enhance our mutual goals has had a lasting impact on all Americans.

We wish him and the people of Taiwan well in the future and thank him for the cooperation in meeting the challenges we have faced together as allies.

Our future challenges are great and we know we can count on Taiwan as a strategic partner to join us in meeting those challenges as well.

Mr. Chair, I rise to commend the Armed Services Committee on their good work in a number of areas in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, but I have a concern with the report language from section 815 that I would like to bring to the chairman of the committee's attention.

I certainly approve of utilizing competition to both improve contract performance and cost effectiveness of weapons systems. However, I want to bring to attention the fact that the C 17 and its F117 engines have been a model of modern sustainment. Today, time-on-wing for F117 engines has doubled since the start of this sustainment program while making multiple design and hardware upgrades.

Today, the F117 engines are sustained through an award-winning performance based on logistics contracts that minimize life-cycle costs with fixed fees based on flight cycles. This contract type requires comprehensive understanding and investment by the service provider, along with the engineering design expertise to develop and implement improvements in response to the actual mission.

I support the use of every practical means of providing for the efficient defense of this country in the protection of our warfighters. That includes the appropriate use of competition and any other contracting method that incentivizes positive outcomes for cost effectiveness and performance. In fact, the Air Force has taken steps to ensure these outcomes are achieved on the C 17 sustainment contract. As we push the Air Force and other services to extend the practices further, we must always keep reliability and readiness of the weapons system in mind.

I look forward to working with the chairman to address these issues in conference, and I yield to the gentleman from California.

I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is to reduce funding by $128 million for the Legal Services Corporation in the fiscal year 2013 CJS appropriations bill, bringing this funding down to only $200 million for FY13. The $128 million would then be moved to the spending reduction account for deficit reduction.

The main focus of the Legal Services Corporation, at least in the eyes of every farmer, rancher, poultry producer I have met, is to harass those in the agriculture business.

Some examples of this unwarranted harassment include filing surprise lawsuits against farmers for problems found related to housing and transportation, payment issues related to work visas and visa applications, border-crossing fees, et cetera, all without allowing the farmers and the migrant workers to attempt arbitration. Some of those are of Legal Services Corporation's representatives actively soliciting clients by knowingly trespassing on farm property or by waiting for migrant workers outside of Wal-Mart stores and other places and informing such workers that, if they sue their employers for even the most minor of issues, they will receive monetary settlements.

These lawsuits cost our farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees each year and, in some cases, cause their financial ruin. In 2008, in one specific case in Georgia, that of a farmer who did not want to mention his name for fear of retribution, his costs alone in legal fees were $525,000.

Furthermore, Federal LSC funding is redundant. According to a 2008 report--and I only use the 2008 report because there has not been a comprehensive report since 2008--for the Center for Justice, Law and Society at George Mason University, the total State, county and local expenditures for indigent defense services that same year were almost $4.5 billion. Federal defender organizations, which also use Federal funds for indigent defense services, received $849 million in Federal funds for the same purpose that year. Combined with the almost $351 million in funds that Congress appropriated to the Legal Services Corporation in 2008, the total amount dedicated to indigent defense services that year was almost $5.7 billion.

The American taxpayers do not want their money wasted on an organization like this. The agriculture community cannot afford to keep fighting the frivolous lawsuits that the Legal Services Corporation has filed, and we cannot afford to keep funding them in the current budgetary climate. Local legal services programs supplement the Legal Services Corporation's grants with funds from a variety of government and private sources.

This is not the only source of funding. Non-LSC funding sources include State and local grants; some interest on lawyers' trust account programs; Federal programs, such as title XX; the Social Services Block Grant; the Older Americans Act; the Violence Against Women Act; the Community Development Block Grants; and private grants from entities such as the United Way, foundations, and national, State and local bar associations. In addition, private attorneys accept referrals to provide legal services to the poor primarily through the Legal Services Corporation's funding of pro bono programs.

The LSC does not provide legal services directly. Rather, it funds local legal services providers referred to by the LSC as grantees. Grantees may include nonprofit organizations that have as a purpose the provision of legal assistance to eligible clients, private attorneys, groups of private attorneys or law firms, State or local governments, and certain sub-State regional planning and coordination agencies.

In its FY 1996 budget resolution, the House assumed a 3-year phase- out of the Legal Services Corporation, recommending the appropriation of $278 million. Here is what the budget report said:

Too often, lawyers funded through Federal Legal Services

Corporation grants have focused on political causes and class

action lawsuits rather than helping poor Americans solve

their legal problems. A phase-out of Federal funding for the

LSC will not eliminate free legal aid to the poor. State and

local governments, bar associations and other organizations

already provide substantial legal aid to the poor.

With that, I think this is a good reduction in order to start to eliminate the funding, and I hope that we can pass this amendment and then, further, the reduction.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague for yielding.

I want to again emphasize that, according to a 2008 report by the Center for Justice, Law, and Society at George Mason University, the total State, county, and local expenditures for indigent defense services that same year was almost $4.5 billion. Federal defender organizations, which also used Federal funds for indigent defense services, received an additional $849 million in Federal funds for the same purpose that year. Combined with the almost $351 million in funds that the Congress appropriated that year, it brings the total to $5.7 billion. Of that $5.7 billion total, only 6.1 percent was appropriated by Congress, assuming total non-Legal Services Corporation funding for indigent defense services has not increased since then.

My amendment to reduce the agency by $128 million down to $200 million would result in a 2.5 percent decrease in overall indigent defense service funding. Reducing the Legal Services Corporation funding to $200 million, as my amendment would do, would reduce overall CJS funding by 0.0039 percent. Mr. Chairman, if we can't cut 0.0039 percent, then we're going to have a lot bigger problems on our hands at the end of the day.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Westmoreland

Amendment No. 11: Page 74, line 13, insert ``(reduced by

$128,000,000)'' after the first dollar amount.

Page 74, line 13, insert ``(reduced by $128,000,000)''

after the second dollar amount.

Page 101, line 10, insert ``(increased by $128,000,000)''

after the dollar amount.

Mr. Speaker, I've come to the floor this morning with great sadness but also with a great sense of pride to honor the service of a Georgia hero, Private First Class Jonathan Frank Davis.

On March 29, 2012, Jonathan gave the ultimate sacrifice in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Jonathan was the son of Reverend and Mrs. Kerry Davis of Griffin, Georgia. His mother, Tracey, described him as tenderhearted, a tenderness that extended to both his peers and animals. His heart was so large that they now have numerous pets running around their home due to Jonathan not being able to turn away a single stray.

His nurturing and giving nature was one of the things that was loved most about him. As a child, Jonathan always stood up for his classmates who were being bullied, and many of Jonathan's peers remember that he was the first to come to their defense. He was willing to give his shirt off his back to help others and was always concerned about the well-being of everyone around him, especially those less fortunate.

Jonathan was playful and strove to make others happy, either by playing funny pranks on them or with his unforgettable smile that could light up a room. Jonathan attended Griffin High School, where he played soccer, and after graduation, he, like myself, married his high school sweetheart. Her name is Kristen.

Kristen is expecting their first child, and Jonathan talked all the time of how excited he was to become a father. He carried the sonogram of baby Benjamin in his wallet everywhere he went

and couldn't wait to teach their baby boy soccer.

Jonathan's unwavering courage, huge heart, and strong Christian faith are the reasons why he answered his calling to join the Army. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 73rd Calvary Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was pursuing a medical career after the Army and, having already completed part of his EMT and paramedic training, was on the path to attending medical school.

Jonathan was part of a scout group sweeping an area in Afghanistan and doing what he does best--protecting others--when his group came under enemy fire and he suffered fatal wounds. At only age 20, Jonathan was taken from us much too soon. On April 7, the First Assembly of God Church in Griffin, Georgia, celebrated the life of Jonathan, and he was laid to rest by his close family and friends.

I am proud to stand before you and honor the life of PFC Jonathan Davis and thank him for his dedicated service to our country. His endless generosity and brave spirit are among the many reasons he will be missed so much by all who had the privilege to know him.

Joan and I extend our deepest sympathy to the friends and family of Jonathan, and we will never forget his great sacrifice for our Nation and those that allow us to live free every day.

Jonathan, until we meet again some day, thank you, Brother.

I want to thank the chairman for yielding.

Let me say this to my colleague from Texas: that we have had a number of amendments here today that have tried to streamline this bill in order to make it even narrower and to take out any perception that it would be personal information and limit what government can do and be very explicit in the terms of what this sharing is, which is voluntary, which is narrowly drawn.

The chairman and the ranking member have done a wonderful job of working with other Members to allow these amendments to make this bill better. I am very disappointed. This amendment basically guts the bill--it expands it--when everybody who has been down here so far has been trying to narrow it. This just expands it even more. This is the type of amendment that people fear in that we would give Homeland Security the ability to intercept and keep the transmissions. That is totally out of hand.

I just hope that we will vote against this amendment and support the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, all-of-the-above energy. It's a plan first introduced by House Republicans when gas prices spiked during the summer of 2008. For the 2 years prior, congressional Democrats were following a green energy plan only, doing their best to completely eliminate the traditional forms of energy like petroleum, natural gas, and coal that account for 83 percent of our energy consumption.

When President Obama took office in 2009, he took up their flag and began pushing for his controversial cap-and-trade law that even he admitted would mean electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. He appointed an Energy Secretary that admitted on national TV that he wanted our gas prices at European levels. Well, they're both on their way. Since then, energy costs have doubled, gas prices have skyrocketed, and we are in a crisis in this country when it comes to our energy use.

Just as we saw in the summer of 2008, when these gasoline prices spiked and our energy costs rose, the price of everything else is soon to follow. When his cap-and-trade bill failed to get enough support in a Democratic-controlled Congress, he set out to have the EPA basically regulate the bill into law.

Over the last 3 years, the EPA has issued some of the most costly regulations on power plants in their history. By 2016, the Utility MACT regulation is expected to cost $9.6 billion annually in direct costs, and some analysts estimate its total indirect costs closer to $100 billion. The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule is expected to impact over 1,000 power plants across the country, and, by the EPA's own estimates, it's estimated to cost $2.8 billion annually.

With no business experience in this administration, I don't think they realize that when the cost of doing business goes up, business prices go up; and that affects every hardworking American taxpayer at the pump. When he turns on a light at home, when he buys a loaf of bread, when he goes to buy a U.S.-manufactured product, it costs.

According to the President's own Commerce Department, the Boiler MACT regulation in itself is expected to cost between 40,000 and 60,000 jobs. The impact of these regulations is already being felt. Last month, two utility companies announced the closing of 10 of their power plants as a direct result of some of the strict new regulations-- another move that will raise the price of electricity for consumers.

Yet it seemed as though the President had finally come around when he said in his State of the Union speech earlier this year, right here in this room: This country needs an all-out all-of-the-above energy strategy that develops every available resource of American energy.

It's not often that I agree with the President, but at that point I did.

Unfortunately, the President hasn't stayed true to his words. In fact, just yesterday the EPA announced their latest set of regulations that will effectively ban the building of any new coal-fired power plants by dramatically decreasing carbon dioxide emissions.

Whether the President and environmentalists like it or not, coal currently accounts for almost half of the electricity generated in this country. Effectively eliminating coal-fired power plants is only going to increase the cost of electricity to American families.

We can no longer allow the White House to say one thing and do another when it comes to energy. If the President truly supports the Republican all-of-the-above energy strategy as he claimed he did, then he needs to follow through.

It's time we start to take advantage of all of the God-given natural resources this country has and to have American-made energy, American- made power that will power this Nation.