Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to a respected community leader and trusted friend from my congressional district, Philip L. Parker, for his outstanding leadership and service to the business community and the Greater Dayton, Ohio region.

Phil Parker became president and CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce on April 29, 1994 and retired on July 31, 2020. Before joining the Chamber, Phil was Executive Director of the Home Builders Association of Dayton and the Miami Valley.

For nearly a half-century, Phil has worked to make the Miami Valley a better place to live, work, and raise a family. When I served as mayor of the city of Dayton, and throughout my time in Congress, Phil and I worked together on many issues and community projects to advance our shared goals of promoting economic and job growth throughout Southwest Ohio.

During his 26-year tenure as president and CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Phil directed one of the 25 largest Chambers of Commerce in the nation. He oversaw the implementation of numerous transportation initiatives, such as the development of Austin Boulevard and much-needed improvements of U.S. Route 35 and I-70. Under his leadership, the Dayton Area Chamber was consistently recognized as one of the very best in the nation. In 1998, the Dayton Chamber was named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Phil has been actively involved as a local, regional, state, and national volunteer, serving more than 500 volunteer hours a year over nearly 46 years. The generous amounts of time and energy he has contributed to a variety of volunteer and civic organizations, including the Greater Dayton Jaycees, the United Way, and the American Red Cross, have benefited our entire community.

Phil has served on more than 50 boards over the years and currently sits on a dozen local boards including Greene Memorial Hospital, Soin Medical Center, Kettering College, and is a member of the Dayton Rotary Club.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Phil Parker as he celebrates his retirement. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking a truly outstanding citizen for his lifetime of service to the people of Southwest Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 147.

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the Fairmont High School Boys Bowling Team in Kettering, Ohio, which is in my congressional district, on winning the Division I state championship.

After nine previous appearances in the state tournament, this year's win was a fitting finish to an historic season that saw the Fairmont Firebirds bowling team bring home its first-ever state title. Months of preparation, practice, and experience enabled these talented athletes to out-bowl the competition and roll to victory in the tournament. These young men have set an example for all of us that success in life comes to those who are willing to set goals, and work hard to achieve them.

I congratulate Head Coach Jeremy Fleck and Assistant Coach Matt Mahaffey on their victory in the state championship, and especially the student athletes: Dayton Foster; Dylan Potts; Tyler Milton; Tyler Stegemoller; Colton Mahaffey; and Isaiah Shannon.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the young men on the Fairmont High School Bowling Team on their hard-fought victory. They have made all of us from the Miami Valley proud.

Madam Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the life and memory of John E. Moore, Sr., a distinguished community leader from my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, who passed away on January 7, 2021, four days before his 98th birthday.

John E. Moore, Sr. was a native of Birmingham, Alabama, whose family moved to Dayton, Ohio shortly after he was born. He graduated from Wilbur Wright High School in 1941. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in the 2261st Quartermaster Trucking Company in Bangladesh, during World War II. After the war, John earned a degree in business administration from the University of Dayton and went on to pursue graduate studies at Ohio State University.

He served for 35 years as a civilian employee at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He was the first Equal Employment Opportunity officer at Wright-Patterson in 1960, and became the first African-American chief of civilian personnel in 1972.

In addition to serving our nation, John was involved with his church and his community his entire life. He gained a reputation as someone to go to when you needed something done. He had an active role in numerous civic organizations, including the Dayton Foundation, the Out-of-School Youth Task Force, Sinclair Community College's board of trustees, the Montgomery County Job Center, and was co-founder of Parity, Inc., which provides a mentoring program for urban middle school students that has helped many underserved young people gain the skills and self- confidence to become successful, productive adults.

John E. Moore's name can be found etched along the sidewalks on the Dayton Walk of Fame, among a small circle of distinguished citizens who have impacted our city for the better. In 2014, the Dayton International Peace Museum named John a Peace Hero, in recognition of his leadership in youth, education, health, and civil rights. His lifetime of public service set an example for all of us who work to serve our communities and our nation. I am honored to have known him as a friend.

On behalf of all those whose lives were touched by John's friendship and community service, I offer his family my heartfelt condolences.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of Bootsie Neal, a remarkable woman and public servant from my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, who passed away on January 24, 2021.

Bootsie Neal was one of my dearest friends for over 25 years. Bootsie was born on September 9, 1952 in Newbern, Alabama and grew up in Buffalo, New York. She earned her bachelor's degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She moved to Dayton in 1974, where she spent the rest of her life, and earned a master's degree in postgraduate education at the University of Dayton.

In 1991, Bootsie became the first African American woman to be elected to the Dayton City Commission, on which she served until 2004. Later in life, she inspired and became a role model for other women committed to public service and looking to run for office.

I had the privilege of working with Bootsie while I was Mayor of Dayton. Together, we worked to turn the city around. We shared a mutual interest in urban revitalization and redevelopment. We implemented a comprehensive strategic plan that laid the foundation for the economic revival of the urban core of our region. Our focus was rebuilding the business district with jobs, housing, and amenities, and restoring and revitalizing our neighborhoods.

Without Bootsie's leadership and partnership, we would not have balanced the city's budget for eight consecutive years, built the Dayton Dragons baseball stadium, the Schuster Center, and RiverScape MetroPark, All of these projects helped contribute to the revitalization and improvement of our city. Today, there are more people living, working, and enjoying downtown Dayton than there were twenty years ago.

Bootsie will be deeply missed by all of us who knew and loved her. I valued her wisdom and treasured her friendship. Bootsie's legacy of service through her sorority Delta Sigma Theta, as well as to the entire Dayton community, will forever be cherished. On behalf of all those whose lives were touched by Bootsie's friendship and community service, I offer her family and friends my heartfelt condolences.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chair, this amendment's language is so wrong that it was resoundingly rejected in the Armed Services Committee by a voice vote. It is very basic and easy to understand as to why it was rejected.

This missile, and it relates to a missile upon which there is a nuclear warhead, was put on the ground in 1973. Richard Nixon was President of the United States. The year before these were put in the ground, in December of that year, was the last time we were on the Moon, in 1972. This was just at the end of the Apollo program. This is technology that is incredibly outdated.

If you think about the Apollo program and the Moon launch, you think, well, the next technology is the space shuttle. That launched in 1981, almost a decade after these were put in the ground. Even the space shuttle is retired, yet he wants to resurrect these.

This is as ridiculous as saying, ``We are going to go to the Moon again. Let's go to the museum and pull out the Apollo mooncrafts. Let's just jigger them up again and put them up into space.''

It is not going to work. This is absolutely irresponsible, but it is not really about just trying to extend this life, because this has been studied before. This would be a study of a restudy of a restudy of a restudy.

In addition, this is not only a study. This delays the program.

Everyone wonders why nuclear weapons cost so much. They cost so much because we delay and delay and delay. This will be another one of those that would just continue the prospects of our having a decaying of our nuclear deterrent and, in addition to that, increased costs as a result of increased delay.

I know Mr. Blumenauer has been a very strong advocate against nuclear weapons. I understand his interest in trying to prohibit and thwart our efforts to modernize nuclear weapons, but if you look at what our adversaries are doing, what China is doing, what Russia is doing, it is absolutely irresponsible to say that a Richard Nixon-era missile that is in the ground, that has been there since we were last on the Moon, should just be refurbished and put back in the ground and expect that we are going to be safe.

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

Mr. Chair, we should turn to the experts when we talk about how long this can be extended. This amendment would try to take this Richard Nixon-era missile to 2050. General Hyten, who is the person who is charged with having expertise with this, came before us March 28, 2019. This year, he said all studies have been done. This cannot be extended.

The only reason this amendment is here is to try to delay doing what we need to do and what the experts say, which is not refurbish this missile but move forward with replacement.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop).

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

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

Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry).

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, we are blazing along on the timeline of nuclear weapons and missile development where we had a missile that was last placed in the ground in 1973 during Richard Nixon's second term, after he was elected to a second term. We now have a 1980 Jimmy Carter- era warhead.

The analogy of the B-52 doesn't apply to this technology. The B-52 is a plane that has been in continuous flight. We are not talking about a plane that has been put in a hangar since Jimmy Carter. These are items that we don't use.

Nuclear weapons are there as a deterrent to deter our adversaries. The only way we can deter our adversaries is to have them believe that any aggression against us would be matched with such overwhelming force that it would be at their great risk.

To the extent that we allow our nuclear deterrent to degrade, which we have with Nixon-era missiles and Carter-era weapons, we lessen our overall security. Now, this is--again, it sounds like just a study. It is not really a study. It is a study of a study of a restudy of a restudy. This has been studied so much, in fact, it is on a bipartisan basis that this W-84 warhead needs to be refurbished, needs to be redone.

Even the Obama administration had an analysis of all alternatives and concluded that the air-launched cruise missile and its warhead could not be sustained and had already experienced reduced survivability. Even the Obama administration said, Don't do this. They said, Move forward.

Now, once again, this is not about a study. This is about stopping the ongoing efforts of a program. This is about holding moneys back so that we don't modernize our nuclear weapons. Again, China is moving forward; Russia is moving forward. But here we are, on the floor of Congress, trying to stop our ability to match and meet those who might wish to do us harm.

This amendment needs to be defeated. This is an ancient 1980s Carter- era warhead. Even the Obama administration agrees it needs to be replaced. We should not jeopardize its funding. Every time we do this, every time we stop and say, Let's study this, our costs go up and our risks go higher and our security gets lower.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry).

Mr. Chairman, I understand that there are people who don't like nuclear weapons. I don't like nuclear weapons either, but I don't like nuclear weapons in the hands of other people. And, yes, there are those who say that we are in the middle of an arms race. But the reality is that we are sitting this one out. We are not in the arms race.

When we are debating on the House floor about a warhead from the Carter-era and a missile from the Nixon-era and we can't even talk about moving forward on funding, there is no race here. We are sitting this out. But our adversaries are racing, and I am concerned about what they are doing. That is why this is important that this be defeated.

But another aspect of this that is incredibly important is that this calls for an independent study. Independent: That is saying they don't trust the study that happened before. The study that happened before was the Obama administration. I think their answer was correct: We need to not study this and we need to move forward.

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

Mr. Chairman, this is very basic. You cannot have a treaty with yourself. You must have a treaty with someone else. If that other person steps out of the treaty, you no longer have a treaty.

Russia stepped out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The North Atlantic Council all came together and confirmed it. At the last NATO summit, every one of our allies confirmed it. The treaty is dead.

To have a treaty, now, where the other side has stepped out and it is only us that is left and say, by statute, we are going to shackle ourselves so that we are going to stay there has no reflection on reality.

Their violating the treaties aren't minor violations of the treaty. They have developed, tested, and deployed a weapon that violates the treaty. That means that they are once again deploying nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons for which we don't have a response.

Our response doesn't necessarily have to be go field one. We can continue diplomacy. But legislation is not diplomacy. By legislation, we are going to say that the United States shall forever, as long as the legislation stays in, be tied to a treaty that the person on the other side already left and deployed missiles that are pointed at our assets, our military people, our men and women in uniform, and our allies. This is folly.

Now, the Missile Defense Agency, by the way, issued a statement that says this affects our cooperation with Israel and our interceptor research with them.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, this is an amendment that would strike section 1646 of the bill and replace it with a determination by the Secretary of Defense as to a certification of need.

Madam Chair, this provision is a unilateral nuclear disarmament provision.

Now, the chairman has said repeatedly this is not a unilateral nuclear disarmament, but let's break down those words.

It is unilateral because it only applies to us. There is no one else. It is nuclear because it applies to a nuclear weapon. And it is disarmament because it requires the pulling of a nuclear weapon that is scheduled for deployment.

What we currently have in this bill is a requirement that the W76-2, which is a low-yield nuclear weapon that is currently headed for our submarines, be pulled and not be deployed, a weapon that our Department of Defense has determined that we needed and, in fact, last year, on a bipartisan basis, was funded and approved for deployment.

But now we are going to reverse course because now Congress is going to decide, for unilateral nuclear disarmament, to reach out and start pulling back nuclear weapons that are there to defend us.

Let's talk just for a moment as to why we need this.

Russia has adopted a new nuclear doctrine that is called escalate to deescalate. They actually believe that the first use of nuclear weapons is something that can deescalate a fight as opposed to escalate it. They have deployed low-yield nuclear weapons, and they have even practiced scenarios where they use low-yield believing that, because we have, usually, larger yield, bigger weapons, that we would be less likely to respond.

In fact, the BBC did a documentary where they began a scenario of an attack by Russia against the United States where it is a low-yield nuke against one of our aircraft carriers, and the assumption being we wouldn't answer back with a very large nuke.

The problem here that we have is that this is a step to reduce our nuclear arsenal which is there for one reason and one reason only, and that is to deter our adversaries so that they never think of using nuclear weapons.

This provision would take this unilateral nuclear disarmament out. It would put back in the bill a provision that requires the Secretary of State to determine that it is needed, and we would instead look to their determination, not the random determination of Congress.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, this is unilateral nuclear disarmament because we get nothing from the other side. I mean, if you are against this nuclear weapon, put a provision in this bill that says I strongly encourage the United States to negotiate with Russia that we both get rid of these nuclear weapons.

I don't like nuclear weapons. I am just more concerned about the ones that are in the hands of the other guys than the ones that are in our hands.

Now, what is weird about this is that the determination by the chairman that we need to pull this weapon back after, again, bipartisan support for this weapon being deployed; is it because this weapon is dangerous? No.

Is it because our adversaries have it? Well, adversaries do have it.

Do we have it in other forms? Yes.

But yet, instead of those who are charged with our military policy deciding it, they want to decide it.

Now, again, this should be decided by treaty. We should require that the other side get rid of theirs if we are going to get rid of ours.

But the other aspect is, this is not just musings about Russia saying escalate to de-escalate. That is their nuclear weapons policy, and we have to be very concerned as to how that policy affects their calculus.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, how much time remains?

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

The provision that this amendment seeks to modify in the bill is a provision that Vladimir Putin would love. I can't imagine what it must be like when, in Moscow, they begin to tell Vladimir Putin that the United States Congress is looking to pass a law to limit our nuclear weapons arsenal; that we are going to look to pass a law to actually remove weapons that are scheduled for deployment; to remove weapons that Russia has; to remove weapons that are intended to change Russia's calculus, so that when they look to threaten our country, they know that we have the ability to respond to both proportionately.

And it is not a new weapon. There are other forms of low-yield nuclear weapons that we have. It is just this one that is being objected to.

By the way, the money has been spent. This weapon is on its way. This is not a destabilizing weapon. This is a weapon that keeps us safe.

Now, the concern with this, of course, once we begin unilateral nuclear disarmament--it is unilateral because we get nothing for it. Our other side is doing nothing. Nuclear because it is a weapon; disarmament because we are taking an armament out--is then when do we stop?

If Congress decides to do this, that we have the ability to just start pulling weapons, then is the nuclear triad at risk, Madam Chair?

Do we go pull our ICBMs?

Do we say that we shouldn't have this weapon or that weapon?

Shouldn't we be looking to those who actually have the expertise in understanding what our adversaries are doing; what our strategy is; what our nuclear weapons capabilities are and our adversaries' nuclear weapons capabilities; how those compare; what their procedures have been, and how they have been deploying?

All those should figure in to the expertise, not random decisions to pull nuclear weapons here on the Congressional floor.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I am disappointed by the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that is offered here on the floor today. This bill represents a significant deviation from our past sentiment of bipartisanship.

Now, the Senate has passed their bill by 86 votes, but not the House, not this year. This bill, in its totality, makes us less safe, which is why it does not have bipartisan support on this floor.

Chairman Smith said that we were able to negotiate through a few things, and that is right. But there are also some that we were not, and one of them is a big one, and it is why there is not one Republican who voted in the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces for the bill to come out of subcommittee, and not one Republican in the full committee voted for the Strategic Forces portion of this bill to be referred to the full committee and to this floor.

That is because it contains a provision that can only be described as unilateral nuclear disarmament. It is unilateral because it does not involve anybody else; it only inhibits us. It is nuclear because it involves our nuclear weapons; and it is disarmament because it recalls a nuclear weapon.

It prohibits the use of funds for the deployment of low-yield ballistic missile warheads that have already been funded and produced and are to be deployed on a bipartisan basis. Efforts by Congress to recall these assets from deployment is unilateral disarmament.

Now, even if you are against nuclear weapons, you should be against the

other side having nuclear weapons, and that means that you should be pursuing restrictions by treaty.

Imagine how this conversation is going to go in Moscow. Someone in the Kremlin is going to walk into Vladimir Putin's office, and they are going to say: Vlad, you have modernized our nuclear weapons. You have invaded our neighbors. You have threatened the U.S. and our adversaries and their allies. And now, the U.S. Congress has just voted to unilaterally pull the low-yield nuclear weapon that was scheduled for deployment.

Putin is not going to believe them. He is going to think that this is a joke, because no one would believe that the United States Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act would reward Russian aggression in this bill by pursuing unilateral nuclear disarmament.

I am comforted that many of these provisions will never become law. I never thought I would say this, but I am going to: Thank God for the Senate.

I encourage my colleagues to oppose this bill and oppose unilateral nuclear disarmament.

Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Republic of Azerbaijan on its 101st Republic Day. On May 28, 1918, the Republic of Azerbaijan was formed, becoming the first democracy in the Muslim world. Unfortunately, just a few short years later, Azerbaijan was invaded by the Russian Red Army in 1920 and was subsequently occupied by the Soviet Union.

After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, Azerbaijan regained its independence and has been a key international partner of the United States ever since. Together, the United States and Azerbaijan continue to work as partners in combating terrorism and transnational threats. Azerbaijan has played a vital role in assisting our NATO allies and has supported U.S. operations overseas, particularly in Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan is an important ally in bolstering European energy security--therefore, it is imperative that the United States continue to support initiatives such as the Southern Gas Corridor, which routes natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. Azerbaijan is a key partner in securing U.S. interests in the region.

Madam Speaker, it is for these reasons that I urge all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating Azerbaijan on the 101st anniversary of its Republic Day.

Madam Speaker, on May 22, 2019, I was unable to vote due to a classified briefing. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 222.

Madam Speaker, on May 17, 2019 I was unable to vote due to my daughter's graduation. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 215; YEA on Roll Call No. 216; and NAY on Roll Call No. 217.

Madam Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to the memory of a dear friend and a remarkable woman from my community in Dayton, Ohio, Mrs. Jean Ann Foward, who passed away on April 11, 2019. Jean was the wife of Dr. Derrick L. Foward, president of the Dayton chapter of the NAACP, the second largest NAACP chapter in the State of Ohio.

Jean was born in Springfield, Ohio on December 2, 1958. She spent most of her life in Dayton and attended Dayton Public Schools. She was highly recognized for her Spelling Bee talent at Jackson Elementary School. Jean graduated from Wilbur Wright High School in 1976 and pursued a degree in Business Management at Ohio University.

Jean married the love of her life, Derrick L. Foward, on July 11, 1998. Together they raised four wonderful children: Jayme, Letoia, Troy Jr., and Donte. Jean was a devoted wife and mother known throughout the community as the ``Wind beneath Derrick's Wings''--as she supported him throughout his community service career. She was sweet, mild mannered, and loved dearly by her family and friends. She catered and hosted several family, community, and political gatherings at their home, where she welcomed everyone with a smile.

Jean and her husband shared a passion for the cause of justice and civil rights for all Americans. She was an equal partner and an inspiration to her husband in the fight for human rights and equality for all people. She was more than just Derrick's wife, she was a leader in her own right.

Jean was an exemplary community servant and role model. She took pride in her neighborhood and was a member of the Northern Hills Neighborhood Association. Moreover, she participated in the annual Back-To-School, Stay-In-School school supplies event.

Jean loved volunteering for the City of Dayton Feast of Giving, where she served food to hundreds of people on Thanksgiving Day. She also participated in WDAO Radio's annual Feast of Love to feed the homeless and others during the Christmas holiday season.

Jean served for 13 years as Advisor of the Littlejohn Junior NAACP Youth Council. Because of her sound financial stewardship, the Littlejohn Junior NAACP Youth Council had a budget surplus from 2005 to 2018. Due to her commitment to youth development, the Littlejohn Junior NAACP Youth Council remains the only active NAACP Junior Youth Council in the State of Ohio.

Jean contributed greatly to the lives of many young people throughout the Dayton region. She exemplified phenomenal leadership in mentoring, training, and developing our youth ages 1 through 13. She encouraged them to be humble leaders and faithful community servants. During her tenure as Youth Advisor, she had the distinct honor of richly depositing hope, respect, integrity, discipline, and character into the lives of over 510 youth who joined the organization under her leadership.

Because of her outstanding community leadership, Jean was the recipient of numerous awards that include: the International Apostolic University of Grace and Truth (IAUGT) Appreciation Award (2002); the Dayton Unit NAACP President's Award (2011); the Youth Empowerment Award (2013) the Stellar Attendance Awards (2010 through 2017); the General Membership Award (2018); and the Christian Women Coalition Senior Citizen Trailblazer Award (2018).

I am deeply saddened by the loss of a long-time personal friend and outstanding public servant whose many contributions to the community she loved will always be remembered. The Dayton region was blessed to have benefited from the good deeds of this exceptional mother, wife, mentor, and civil rights champion. Let us remember Jean by following her example and committing ourselves to spreading love, serving our communities, and working with our neighbors to achieve equal opportunity and justice for all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I offer my heartfelt condolences and prayers to Dr. Derrick Foward upon the loss of his beloved wife Jean Ann Foward, and their children, family members, and their many friends. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring her memory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and applaud the Honorable Judge Walter H. Rice in conjunction with House passage of legislation to name the Federal Building and United States Courthouse in downtown Dayton, Ohio in his honor.

Judge Rice was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1958 and then attended Columbia University School of Law, earning a Juris Doctorate degree in 1962. Exhibiting the intelligence and hard work that would serve him so well throughout his career, Judge Rice also received a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business Administration that same year.

Judge Rice began his legal career in 1964 in Dayton, Ohio, as an Assistant County Prosecutor for Montgomery County. In 1966, he entered private practice, joining the law firm of Gallon & Miller. In June of 1969, Judge Rice returned to public service as First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office.

Judge Rice's distinguished judicial service commenced in November 1969 when his fellow citizens elected him Judge of the Dayton Municipal Court. He held that position until 1971, when he was appointed Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for Montgomery County. His exemplary judicial record and steady presence on the bench earned him re-election to the Court of Common Pleas in 1972 and 1978.

Federal officials took note of Judge Rice's impressive track record and experience, and President Jimmy Carter appointed Judge Rice to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. After confirmation by the United States Senate, Judge Rice was sworn in as a Federal District Court judge in Dayton on June 4, 1980. During his tenure, Judge Rice spent seven years as Chief Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, leading that bench from October 13, 1996 to October 12, 2003. He assumed senior status in 2004, maintaining a full docket.

A recipient of numerous awards, honors, and recognitions, Judge Rice received the Thomas J. Moyer award for judicial excellence in 2014. This award recognizes a current or former Ohio state or federal judge who displays outstanding qualities of judicial excellence, including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professionalism, ethics, creativity, sound judgment, courage, and decisiveness. In receiving the award, Judge Rice was lauded for his commitment to serving the needs of the most vulnerable in our community and for his efforts to encourage dialogue among his fellow citizens.

Judge Rice has been a tireless advocate for our community. He received the Citizen Legion of Honor Award from the Presidents Club of Dayton in recognition of his efforts as a champion of peace, inclusion, and civil rights. His volunteer efforts have included service with Wright Dunbar Inc., Inventing Flight, Aviation Heritage Foundation, American Veterans' Heritage Center, and the Montgomery County Ex- Offender Reentry Policy Board. He was a founding member of the Montgomery County Volunteer Lawyers Project and Dayton's Dialogue on Race Relations. He taught for many years at the University of Dayton School of Law and Wright State University, and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of Dayton in 1991 and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from Wright State University in 2000.

It is only fitting that the chambers in which Judge Rice continues his long service to the Dayton community, the state of Ohio, and the American public at large as a Senior Judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio should be in a building that bears his name. I thank Judge Rice, for his numerous contributions to the greater Dayton community and congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on Roll Call vote 437. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 437.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) as it celebrates 160 years of service dedicated to supporting women, girls, and their families across the United States.

Throughout its history, the YWCA has been at the forefront of the most critical social movements of the time, including civil rights, women's empowerment, pay equity, health care reform, and gender-based violence prevention.

The YWCA serves over two million women, girls, and their families each year, with 210 local associations across 46 states and the District of Columbia. The YWCA is the largest network of domestic violence and sexual assault service providers in the country, reaching over half a million women and girls annually.

In my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, the YWCA has been a champion in the community since 1870 on behalf of women and families seeking to escape homelessness and domestic violence.

The Dayton YWCA's mission of empowering women and eliminating racism is displayed through the programs and services it provides, including the only emergency shelter service programs for women and families who are victims of domestic violence in Montgomery and Preble Counties; a confidential 24-hour crisis hotline; and a mentoring program for teen girls, which inspires them to explore and achieve their highest potential.

In 1893, the Dayton YWCA became the first YWCA in the United States with an officially organized program for African-American women and girls.

As mayor of the city of Dayton, and as a Member of Congress, I have been proud to recognize the important contributions made by the Miami Valley's most influential women, who have made a difference in our community through their dedication to the YWCA's mission of ``empowering women, eliminating racism and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.''

Each year the YWCA Women of Achievement Award is presented to a select group of distinguished Dayton-area women, at a ceremony that coincides with our annual observance of Women's History Month. It has been my privilege to congratulate a number of these recipients, who embody the YWCA's 160-year mission to eliminate racism and empower other women.

Mr. Speaker, as the YWCA celebrates its 160th anniversary, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating this outstanding organization, which has worked so hard to improve the lives of women and girls in my community, and across our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote on September 12, 2018 due to inclement weather that caused air travel delays. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 394; YEA on Roll Call No. 395; and YEA on Roll Call No. 396