Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the news that I recently received that Alabama's Second District has the 13th largest population of military retirees in the Nation.

It goes without saying that this is significant. At the end of last year, there were more than 16,000 military retirees living in Alabama's Second District.

But, Mr. Speaker, while I am glad that these retired servicemembers chose us, we are truly honored to have them. As their neighbors, it is our job to make sure that they feel at home, welcome, and, most of all, appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, to the 16,000 retired military personnel who call Alabama's Second District home, I join our State and community in thanking them for their service to our country. We thank them for sacrificing on our behalf. Now let us care for them. That starts with making sure that our veterans are receiving the care that they were promised when they signed up to put their lives on the line for this Nation.

If you are a veteran who needs any kind of casework assistance with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, or other Federal agency, please contact my office now. Do not put this off. My staff and I work for you. We are grateful for you. As the Representative from Alabama's Second District, I am here to fight for you.

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. 1865.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, today, this body will make tremendous progress towards ending online sex exploitation. This is a big deal.

I am proud to stand here as an original cosponsor of the important legislation we are considering today, H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act.

I have been so pleased to work closely with my colleague, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, on this issue, and I know that I am not the only person here who greatly appreciates her leadership on this. It has been sobering, to say the least, to hear some of the personal accounts of sex trafficking victims, and several from my home State of Alabama.

It is our responsibility to provide justice for these victims and to do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable members of our society from trafficking. This is modern-day slavery.

As it stands now, the sad truth is that criminals can easily and anonymously purchase women and children on the internet using various websites.

Thanks to broad interpretation of existing law, specifically section 230 in America's courts, these websites are, essentially, immune from State and local prosecutions. These websites make millions by enabling sex trafficking while facing very little risk of being punished for these crimes.

The bill we are considering today would change that by amending this law to ensure that websites that unlawfully contribute to the exploitation of sex trafficking victims are no longer immune to punishment.

H.R. 1865 will finally hold bad actor websites accountable for these unspeakable wrongdoings. The bill also provides increased criminal liability and, thus, deters websites and individuals from selling human beings online. Websites will no longer be able to turn a blind eye or actively conceal this horrific practice without facing very real consequences.

This legislation has been a work in progress for some time now, and I am excited today to have the opportunity to cast my vote in favor of it here today. I urge my colleagues to join me.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Mr. Chair, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner), my friend and colleague.

Mr. Chair, let me just say thank you to her for her tireless work on this effort.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers), our fearless leader, the chairman of our conference.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I again want to thank my colleague, Ann Wagner, for all of her hard work on this very, very important piece of legislation.

It is our responsibility here in Congress to provide the strongest, most effective tools possible to confront, punish, and, ultimately, prevent the horrific nightmare that is human sex trafficking. For far too long, we have seen a stark rise in the use of the internet to buy and sell trafficking victims and minors for sex.

This sick industry has been allowed to prosper because, due to broad interpretation of existing law, there have been no serious legal consequences for websites that turn a profit by selling human beings. Today it is incumbent upon us to stop this horrifying injustice by passing H.R. 1865 to finally give prosecutors the tools they need to crack down on sites that promote and participate in the human sex trade.

Mr. Chairman, I call on all my colleagues to support this legislation today and to send a clear message that we will no longer tolerate this evil, atrocious behavior, and we will no longer be complicit in letting these bad actors get away with these hateful crimes against humanity.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment,

although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chair, I support Ms. Jackson Lee's amendment requiring a GAO study. It is always helpful to require more information on the efficiency of a new law. This study will provide useful information to determine whether this legislation has proven to be the meaningful tool that we anticipate it will be. I commend Ms. Jackson Lee for introducing this amendment and for her commitment to combating sex trafficking.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

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

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

Mr. Chair, I have no additional speakers.

Mr. Chair, I support Ms. Jackson Lee's amendment, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the unveiling of the Tuskegee Army Air Field Hangar Historical Marker.

In 1941, the Tuskegee Army Air program was established to train approximately 1,000 of the first African-American pilots in U.S. military history during World War II. Along with over 13,000 support personnel, this group became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The most well known of the Tuskegee Airmen were the members of the 332nd Fighter Group and its four fighter squadrons. The Tuskegee Airmen's 332nd Fighter Group and 99th fighter squadron flew approximately 1500 combat missions, scoring 112 aerial victories, earning 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Distinguished Unit citations.

The Tuskegee Army Air Field closed in 1947 and the facility's three hangars were relocated to municipal airports in Montgomery, Clanton, and Troy. However, the Tuskegee Army Air Field Hangar structure remains largely unchanged from the days of the Tuskegee Airmen.

On August 11, 2017 the Tuskegee Army Air Field Hangar was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. This Register includes historic, architectural, and archaeological landmarks that are deemed worthy of both recognition and preservation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to join many others in recognizing the Tuskegee Army Air Field Hangar for its historical significance to the State of Alabama and to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Senate is taking action to address

our illegal immigration problem, so I rise today to share some feedback from the people I represent in Alabama's Second Congressional District.

I recently held two telephone townhall events to hear directly from some of my constituents. Let me start by thanking every person who took the time to participate and ask questions.

During both townhalls, I asked everyone what their top priority was regarding our country's illegal immigration issue, and the vast majority of participants said they are most concerned about securing our border.

I couldn't agree more. I have always said that, in order to truly fix our immigration system, we absolutely have to start by securing our border. If I had a leak in my house, I wouldn't start by replacing the damaged drywall. I would fix the leak first.

Mr. Speaker, the same idea applies for our illegal immigration problem. We will only be able to make real progress towards fixing the issue once we secure our border once and for all.

I am proud to support these efforts in the House, and I stand ready to continue to work to tackle this problem where it starts: at the border.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 694, I call up the bill (H.R. 4712) to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a health care practitioner from failing to exercise the proper degree of care in the case of a child who survives an abortion or attempted abortion, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4712.

Madam Speaker, the pro-life movement in Washington today is so exciting. Forty-five years ago this month, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Roe v. Wade to make abortion legal and available nationwide.

While many abortion activists celebrate this anniversary, it represents a particularly somber occasion for those of us who advocate for life at all stages. Every year since this ruling, the pro-life community has gathered in Washington to march in peaceful protest, and that is exactly what brought thousands of passionate individuals here today.

I would like to extend a very sincere thank-you to each and every person who made this trip today to participate in the March for Life. For those individuals, their dedication to the pro-life movement is inspiring, and I and many of my colleagues stand with them.

I would especially like to recognize all of the individuals from my home State of Alabama who made the 12- to 13-hour trip. I am proud to have people like these Alabamians and others here to represent our great State and our Nation in this pro-life movement.

I believe it is only fitting that we take action today here in the House of Representatives to defend the defenseless as thousands of Americans are here to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. I am proud to stand here today as a cosponsor of the legislation that we are considering, H.R. 4712, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

I would also like to thank my colleague from Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn, for her leadership on this legislation.

At this point, I don't think that it is a secret that I am unapologetically pro-life, and I believe that our laws and our policies should assign the utmost importance to every life at every stage. I have been proud to stand here on the House floor many times in defense of the unborn, but this time we aren't even talking about unborn children. We are here to talk about those who have already been born.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is pretty simple. It states that, if a baby is born alive after a failed abortion, he or she must be given the same exact medical care that would be given to any other baby.

I know we will continue to play politics about when life begins and argue about the point at which the law should step in to protect it. And while I understand that not everyone agrees with my strong pro-life stance, I cannot fathom how any person could be opposed to legislation that protects babies who are so alive that you can look them in the eye.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), who is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who has served a long time as the chairman of the Pro-Life Caucus

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I would just like to point out that it is not currently Federal law, or the law in all 50 States, that a baby born alive after a failed abortion receive medical treatment instead of being left on the floor to die. That is why we are here today, to require under Federal law nationwide that a baby born alive after a failed abortion receives medical care and isn't left on the floor or in a trash can to die.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Budd).

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from North Carolina an additional 30 seconds.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Mrs. Noem).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold), who is also a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Banks).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman).

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the lead sponsor of this important bill, who has been such a fierce advocate for the unborn.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Of course, like so many of my colleagues, I support this measure, but it feels really strange standing here today in defense of living, breathing children, to have to make a case that a baby who survives an abortion and is born into this world should be treated just like a baby born any other way, but, unfortunately, we must.

There is currently no law mandating that a baby born alive after a failed abortion receive medical treatment instead of being left to die. That is why we are here, to require, under Federal law nationwide, that a baby born alive after an abortion attempt receives the

same care that any other baby would receive.

So finally my question, Madam Speaker, to those who would oppose such a measure is this: How is the life of one baby any different or less valuable than the life of another baby? How does anyone justify that?

I know that, as Members of Congress, part of our job is to debate with each other about issues facing our Nation. I take that job responsibility very seriously. I just don't believe this particular issue is up for debate.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4712. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago, we learned of the Department of Justice's decision to open an investigation in the appalling practice of abortion providers harvesting and trafficking aborted babies' body parts for profit--finally.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues surely remember, in July of 2015, senior Planned Parenthood officials were caught on camera discussing how abortion procedures could systematically be altered in order to preserve certain organs so that they could be sold to researchers. They talked of ``crushing'' here and ``crushing'' there, being careful to preserve little parts of a baby's body because they are valuable on the research market. They talked of menus for organs and how lucrative these arrangements could be.

It was sick, callous, and completely inhuman. It also happens to be against the law. Soon thereafter, several of my colleagues and I called for an investigation into these disturbing revelations.

But, Mr. Speaker, our demands fell on deaf ears. Attorney General Loretta Lynch turned a blind eye and didn't pursue an investigation. Even after multiple congressional committees referred their own investigations to the authorities at the Department of Justice, nothing was done.

At the time, I said it was disappointing, but hardly surprising. We all know how much political weight Planned Parenthood throws around in this town. But, Mr. Speaker, in this country, no one is above the law.

That is why I was so pleased to receive word that the Department of Justice, now under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, appears to be following up on the evidence and taking our calls for an investigation seriously.

In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd, who I am proud to say was formerly my chief of staff, requested unredacted documents from the committee's investigation into the suspected harvesting and trafficking of fetal tissue. He said, for now, the documents are for investigative use only, and a formal resolution may be required for further proceedings, such as a grand jury.

I appreciate the Department of Justice's attention to this, and I know I am not the only one who will be watching this closely.

When the terrible videos first surfaced in 2015, I immediately came to the House floor and stood right here in the well and spoke out about this outrageous activity. Someone later told me I was the first one to speak on the floor, and, Mr. Speaker, I will be the last, if I have to.

I said then: ``I promise . . . we are not done talking about this.'' Today, I am glad that has proven to be true.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, our Founders laid out certain rights in our Constitution, not to empower the government, but to empower the people. Certainly among the most fundamental of those rights we have as Americans is to keep and bear arms.

H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, simply ensures all law-abiding citizens who meet the requirements to obtain concealed carry permits in their home State can exercise the right to protect themselves in any State, provided that they obey the local concealed carry laws.

Mr. Speaker, some opponents of this bill claim that we are somehow making it easier for dangerous unqualified individuals to obtain and carry guns. That is absolutely not true.

If a citizen is currently prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm, this bill does nothing to change that.

On the other hand, Mr. Speaker, others will tell you that we are making it harder for law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment right. That is not true either.

H.R. 38 does nothing to infringe upon anyone's right to keep and bear arms. The bill simply ensures that our current National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, is enforced and working properly.

Those of us who respect the Second Amendment and dedicate our careers to defending it will always fight to protect this fundamental right from those who would erode it.

Mr. Speaker, we also have a responsibility to uphold and enforce our current laws to ensure dangerous people can't obtain weapons. In fact, it is precisely because we want to preserve our Second Amendment right that we must ensure our criminal background check system works properly.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill in order to ensure that those who obtain a concealed carry permit in one State are able to enjoy the freedom in any State and to make sure our current background check system is working the way it was intended to work.

Mr. Speaker, in the year 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, the armistice ending World War I was signed.

Originally known as Armistice Day, Congress passed and President Dwight Eisenhower signed a resolution officially designating November 11 as Veterans Day. Now, every year, Americans pause on this special day to recognize all those, young and old, who have served our country in uniform.

While we should honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans every day, this day provides a unique opportunity for us to come together as a nation and pay tribute to the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom.

This year I will be participating in my hometown of Montgomery's Veterans Day event, and I highly encourage you and your families to attend the festivities in your area. I can promise you that you won't regret it. For me, it is not only an opportunity to express my gratitude to those who have served, but it is also a chance for my children to meet veterans and to better understand the sacrifices that they have made for us.

If you can't attend an event in person, I hope you will take time to reach out to friends and relatives who have served and let them know how much you appreciate them.

Mr. Speaker, this Veterans Day comes as services for veterans are improving both on a national level and locally in Alabama's Second Congressional District. I have been impressed by the leadership of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David Shulkin. He has been making the long-troubled department work better for those it serves.

Closer to home for me, the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System has improved its service rating and now ranks three out of five stars. This is encouraging news, especially considering that just a few short years ago the Central Alabama VA was one of the Nation's worst. Our VA now has the steady leadership of Dr. Linda Boyle, and there is no question that her guidance has made a difference in making this sustained progress.

I am eager to see it continue. We still have significant issues to address at our Central Alabama VA, which is why I will remain actively engaged in working to turn around the system.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to represent a district that is home to one of the Nation's highest concentrations of veterans and retired military personnel. One of the most rewarding parts of this job is being able to advocate for those who have served this Nation in uniform.

I take my responsibility to look after veterans very seriously, whether pushing for better policies or fighting to improve access to the VA medical services or going to bat on behalf of someone the bureaucracy has left behind.

So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by extending my sincere gratitude to everyone who has served this country and their families. Our country is great because of the men and women who were willing to sacrifice on our behalf.

Madam Speaker, I would like to start by saying I am heartbroken and shocked by the terror attack in New York this week. This atrocious act of hatred and violence has no place in this country, and we must make it clear that we will not stand for it.

I offer my sincere condolences to every single person who has been impacted by this senseless tragedy. My family and I will be in prayer for everyone who has been hurt by this act, whether physically or emotionally.

I also want to thank law enforcement officers who responded so quickly, who saved lives and apprehended the suspect. As scary as this incident was, we can all be reassured by the courage and professionalism of our law enforcement, the military, and the intelligence community that work together to keep our country safe.

Madam Speaker, it has been a busy 10 months here in the House of Representatives. We have passed more than 360 bills this year alone in a unified effort to deliver on our promises to the American people. Of course, many of those bills are aimed at rolling back the Big Government policies of the Obama era. So I would like to say we are doing a lot to make sure that the Federal Government does less.

As a limited government conservative, I am especially glad that we have taken action to return some of Washington's bureaucratic power to the American people. The last 7 years saw the emergence of a regulatory state that never stopped in its mission to grab power and impose its will at the expense of everyday Americans. This town is overrun with Federal agencies and departments where bureaucrats sit around every day concocting rules and regulations that might sound like a good idea but, in reality, end up weighing down businesses, destroying jobs, and limiting freedom.

In his 8 years, President Obama added 18,000 pages to the Federal Register, amounting to 6 pages added every day that he held office. This habit costs American households roughly $15,000 per year, each.

While President Obama is no longer in office, his regulatory state is alive and well, but not for long. Madam Speaker, the people of Alabama elected me to help put an end to that, and I am proud to report that is exactly what we are doing. The House is changing the game because the American people deserve better than to pay for unnecessary Big Government mandates. We have utilized the Congressional Review Act to strike 15 Federal regulations that were imposed by executive action.

What kind of regulations?

One extended intrusive, overreaching, and punitive environmental penalties on energy companies, costing tens of thousands of jobs, but not anymore.

One attempted to force State and local schools to use Washington's preferred teacher preparation programs, undermining local control--not anymore.

One restricted States' ability to enforce existing laws stopping otherwise able-bodied drug abusers from receiving unemployment benefits--not anymore.

One attempted to take away the Second Amendment rights of millions of Americans without due process by arbitrarily restricting Social Security disability beneficiaries from purchasing firearms--not anymore.

Finally, one attempted to force States to steer millions in Title X funding to abortion provider Planned Parenthood, even over the State's objections--not anymore, thank God.

These rules no longer exist because this Congress, working together with the Trump administration, struck them one by one. In all, 15 bills rolling back these Big Government policies have been passed and signed into law.

Madam Speaker, I am proud of the work the House of Representatives has done, and I hope it can give us momentum for tackling more pressing issues like tax reform and infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill, S. 585, the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017.

This bill strengthens penalties against those who retaliate against whistleblowers, adds protections and opportunities for whistleblowers placed on probation, and ensures Federal employees have a greater knowledge of whistleblower rights and protections.

Specifically, this bill forbids a supervisor from taking or threatening to take action against an employee because they refuse to obey an order that would violate a law, rule, or regulation.

I want to thank Senator Ron Johnson for his persistence in pushing this legislation even after the former Senator Harry Reid shut it down last Congress.

What a poignant and meaningful gesture to name this bill after Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick, a VA employee who took his own life after being subjected to cruel retaliation from VA officials. I hope it puts in perspective the immense emotional burdens that victims of retaliation face.

Mr. Speaker, this issue is personal for me. Unfortunately, I have seen exactly what retaliation against whistleblowers looks like, how easy it is to get

away with it, and why we have to put a stop to it.

Last week marked the 3-year anniversary since the director of the central Alabama VA became the first senior manager in the country fired as a result of the wait-list scandal. That was a major step towards turning around one of the Nation's worst VA systems and restoring trust with the veteran population it serves.

Mr. Speaker, I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it would have never happened without brave whistleblowers inside the VA telling me the truth.

Two brave individuals in particular, Sheila Meuse and Rich Tremaine, told me the truth about major instances of misconduct and mismanagement when no one else would. Seeing no other way to achieve change, they finally told their story to the media, at great personal risk to their careers.

The stories that emerged from these exposures were almost unbelievable:

More than 1,000 X-ray cancer screenings were lost and unread for years, even though some showed malignancies. When alerted to the problem, top administrators tried to cover this up.

A pulmonologist manipulated more than 1,200 patient records but, even after being caught twice, was still given a satisfactory review.

A central Alabama VA employee took a recovering veteran to a crack house and bought him drugs and prostitutes in order to extort his VA payments. Even when caught, this employee was not fired until a year and a half later when we exposed it in the newspaper.

Mr. Speaker, this behavior is egregious, and, trust me, there is a lot more where it came from.

However, had it not been for the courage of those on the inside to expose this wrongdoing, the world might not have ever known. To me and to the veterans whose lives they might have saved, they are heroes. But that is not how they were treated by VA officials. They were treated as enemies and outcasts, all because they tried to do the right thing.

Rich Tremaine actually testified here before the Veterans' Affairs Committee, detailing the systemic way that some VA officials attempted to silence and marginalize him. The effects of him blowing the whistle on wrongdoing follow him to this day, far away from Montgomery, Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, my experience working to clean house at the VA taught me a fascinating and frustrating truth about the culture in some parts of the VA. The system routinely goes out of its way to protect those who don't do their jobs or even harm veterans, but then goes after those who try to stop that misbehavior.

For years, because of poorly written civil service laws and powerful unions, too many VA employees got the message that misconduct, negligence, and poor performance would be tolerated, but blowing the whistle on that kind of behavior would not be.

I have seen it too many times. All too frequently, VA employees caught for doing the wrong thing are reprimanded, shuffled around to different jobs, or allowed to quietly retire, but those who try to do the right thing by our veterans by shining a light on misconduct are persecuted, intimidated, or worse.

While I am proud of the work that we have done for the last 3 years to put an end to this unacceptable culture at the VA, there is much work left to be done.

Mr. Speaker, there is a reason why Federal employees face retaliation for speaking up. It is not because people are just naturally mean or because there is some kind of misunderstanding. The reason whistleblowers face systemic retaliation is because it works. When a brave whistleblower faces intimidation or persecution for their action, every other employee sees it, and they know what will happen to them if they tell the truth. It has a powerful, chilling effect--one we saw firsthand in Montgomery.

They retaliate because it works. That is just wrong, and it is time to punish those who do it with harsher penalties. We need to rethink our civil service laws in this country to make sure public servants live up to the honor and responsibility of the public trust, and I believe that this bill is another positive step in that direction. Mr. Speaker, that is why I urge my colleagues to bring it to the floor by supporting this rule.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition.

Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my strong support for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, or Micah's Law.

My colleagues who oppose this bill adamantly defend a mother's ability to have a late-term abortion and a doctor's ability to perform it. But, Madam Speaker, I have heard no mention of the third person in the room: the unborn baby.

I am astounded that the opposition chooses to focus solely on the two individuals who can speak for themselves, with no mention of the one who cannot. That is exactly what we are here to do today. We are here to speak up for those who can't speak for themselves. We are here to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Our bill seeks to do this by restricting abortions after 20 weeks, or at the 6th month of pregnancy, the point at which research shows the unborn babies can feel pain.

Last week, I, too, had the opportunity to meet the little boy this bill was named for: Micah Pickering. As many of you know, he was born at 22 weeks and spent 4 long months in intensive care.

Micah survived, and this year he is in kindergarten. You see, children like Micah, who are born prematurely, are treated as patients. Special care is given to reduce their pain and increase their chances for survival, just as it should be.

So, Madam Speaker, my question to those who would oppose this bill is this: What is the difference between a baby born at 6 months outside the womb and a baby at 6 months inside the womb? How can one be treated like a miracle they are created to be and the other be treated like medical waste? If a baby like Micah can survive outside the womb given the appropriate care, shouldn't we give other babies like him the same protection and chance to live?

I have listened to my colleagues on the other side call this bill extreme. I say to oppose this bill is extreme. If we won't stop abortions at 6 months of pregnancy when a baby feels pain, when will we stop them?

We have to draw a line somewhere. To say aborting a little baby who can actually feel the pain of the procedure being forced upon them crosses the line is a gross understatement.

Madam Speaker, I am unapologetically pro-life, and I oppose abortion at any stage. I will always fight to grant greater protections for life under the law. As a society, I pray that we will start assigning greater value to life at all stages in this country.

Madam Speaker, so often we get caught up in the policies of this issue and we forget that these are babies, for goodness' sake. They feel pain, and we need to protect them. That is why I urge my colleagues to oppose this motion to recommit and join me in supporting this underlying bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation, H.R. 3697, the Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act.

I want to thank Chairman Goodlatte and my fellow Judiciary Committee colleagues for prioritizing cracking down on illegal immigration in the committee this year. All the time, I hear from constituents who are frustrated by this country's unwillingness to address our illegal immigration problem. They are also fed up with hearing politicians promise to do something about it, only to offer excuses later.

Mr. Speaker, I believe this Congress and this administration have shown, over the last 9 months, that we are willing to do something about illegal immigration, and this legislation is a great example of our commitment to addressing this problem.

When it comes to cracking down on illegal immigration, I believe most of us agree that we should start by targeting dangerous criminals who put Americans at risk. H.R. 3697 is a commonsense measure that does just that by amending existing law to combat gang violence by criminal aliens.

Many Americans may hear this and wonder: ``What gang violence?'' The most notorious Latin-American gang is known as MS-13, which began in the 1980s, and has grown to an estimated 8,000 members in the United States. They have a violent history of organized crime in the areas of drug trafficking, kidnapping, human smuggling, sex trafficking, murder, assassinations, blackmail, and extortion.

To give you an idea of just how violent MS-13 is, the English translation of their motto is: ``Kill, steal, rape, control.''

Mr. Speaker, gangs of criminal aliens are terrorizing American communities, and it is our responsibility to do something about it. H.R. 3697 will amend the law to finally make a person's history of involvement in a criminal gang grounds for inadmissibility into this country--that means involvement in drugs, sex trafficking, kidnapping, murder, or any other awful crime spelled out in the law.

This bill would also allow law enforcement agents to automatically detain and deport anyone found to be a criminal alien gang member.

Our first priority must be to keep Americans safe. Our laws and policies should reflect our commitment to this responsibility. H.R. 3697 makes it crystal clear that criminal alien gang members are not welcome in this country, and if they should find themselves here, we are dedicated to getting them off the street.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague Congressman Mike Rogers to honor Mr. Jeff Rosser for his exceptional career in broadcast journalism and his almost 50 years in television news.

Mr. Rosser was named Vice President of Raycom Media Group in Montgomery, Alabama in 1999. He will retire this September after serving 18 years in this distinguished role.

Mr. Rosser received his Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalist from Brigham Young University and went on to work at multiple news outlets across the country in cities including Salt Lake City, Dallas, Tulsa, New York, and Boston. He then served as General Manager at WVTM in Birmingham, KDFW in his hometown of Dallas, and stations in Providence, Ft. Smith, Fayetteville and Oklahoma City.

Over the years, Mr. Rosser has been recognized as a leader in his field through many honors including serving on the ABC Affiliate Board of Governors, the National Association of Broadcasters Television Board of Directors, and the FOX Affiliate Board of Governors.

Mr. Rosser has been an invaluable asset to Raycom Media Group, being credited with helping to achieve numerous shared services agreements in Raycom markets and now overseeing ten Raycom television stations. He is highly respected among his peers and his talents will not be easily replaced.

Television news stations provide a great service to the communities that they reach. A Raycom Media Group affiliate, WSFA in Montgomery, provides Central Alabama with up-to-date, relevant news and I am thankful for Mr. Rosser's role in keeping the people of Alabama informed of what matters most to them.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to join Mr. Rosser's colleagues, family, and friends in congratulating him on his retirement and honoring his successful career. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, and I encourage my colleagues to support this rule.

As a pro-life conservative, I have long fought to make sure that taxpayers' dollars aren't being used to fund abortions or to fund abortion providers. Whether it is in the Appropriations Committee or here on the House floor, I have repeatedly made the cause for increasing protections for life under the law. Those fights haven't always been easy, and we haven't won every time. But Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the appropriations bill before us does contain important pro-life provisions.

First, the bill states: ``None of the funds made available by this act may be used to conduct or support research using human fetal tissue if such tissue is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion.''

We all remember the 2015 scandal that revealed how Planned Parenthood officials were systematically altering abortion procedures in order to preserve the organs of babies to sell them to researchers. I said it at that time, and you don't have to be staunchly pro-life like me to be appalled by the thought of harvesting and trafficking aborted babies' body parts for profit.

Our bill will prevent these atrocities from removing any incentives abortion providers might have to harvest and sell babies' organs. Instead, the bill directs agencies to find research using modern, more efficient alternatives to human fetal tissue.

To be clear, I am a strong supporter of the National Institutes of Health. Their research is critical for development of lifesaving medical breakthroughs. However, I believe we must set a clear line of distinction between what is acceptable and what is not.

Second, the bill expressly prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from steering Title X public health funding to abortion providers. Of course, the Hyde amendment has long made it against the law to actually pay for abortions with taxpayer dollars. But the Obama administration had a bad habit of pushing hundreds of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood in forms of grants and reimbursements for other services. This amounts to a pipeline of funding propping up the Nation's largest abortion provider. It is an abuse of taxpayer money, and I am pleased that this bill cuts it off.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my chairman, Tom Cole, for including these important pro-life provisions in our base bill for the first time.

It represents real progress for the pro-life movement, and I will continue to fight to see it through the process.

Mr. Speaker, I am unapologetically pro-life, and I believe that every human life is precious and our laws and policies should reflect that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. James D. Krudop, an exceptional

Alabamian who has made an enormous contribution to education in the State of Alabama. Dr. Krudop retired from Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in August, after serving there since 1978.

Born and raised in Andalusia, Alabama, Dr. Krudop graduated from Andalusia High School and went on to attain a Bachelor of Science Degree from Auburn University, and both a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy Degree from The University of Alabama.

Dr. Krudop has dedicated his entire professional life to the public education system. Since starting at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in 1978, Dr. Krudop has served as Dean of Student Affairs, Dean of Students/Administration, Dean of Student Development, Dean of the College, Dean of the College/Second-in-Command, President, Vice President and Dean of Administrative and Instructional Services, Vice President and MacArthur Campus Director, Vice President of the Greenville Campus, and Vice President and Director of the Greenville Campus, Interim President.

Dr. Krudop is highly distinguished in his field, having received a number of honor recognitions including the Phi Theta Kappa International Michael Bennett Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished Administrator Award.

Dr. Krudop has also attained membership and held leadership positions in an array of professional organizations including the Alabama Community College Association, the Alabama College System Financial Management Association, the Alabama College System Deans of Students Affairs Association, the All Alabama Team Program Committee, and the Alabama College Personnel Association.

Not only has Dr. Krudop shown unwavering dedication to education, but he has faithfully served his community through public service in both the Andalusia and Greenville Area Chambers of Commerce, the L.V. Stabler Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, the Rotary Clubs of Andalusia and Greenville, the Andalusia Health Services, Inc. Board of Directors, Andalusia First Baptist Church, and Andalusia City Council.

The Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees and the Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System have extended their appreciation to Dr. Krudop for his many years of service to public education by naming him Vice President Emeritus of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to acknowledge Dr. Krudop's impact on his community, the students of Alabama, and to honor him as a distinguished leader in his field.