Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, what a blessing it has been to serve in the United States Congress! Indeed, it has been a dream come true--an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of the people back home and the communities in which we live, work, worship, retire, and play.

Over the course of 18 years in Congress, we have been blessed to have accomplished a great deal together with the citizens of the Seventh Congressional District.

This job could not have been done without the people, purpose, and partnerships that have been integral to our work.

Indeed, none of this would have been possible without the strong support of my family--my wonderfully amazing, astute and astounding wife Dee, without whose wisdom, counsel, inspiration, analysis, steadfast partnership, and love I would have never been able to run-- much less survived--in public service; and my two sons, Joshua and Stephen, whose imagination, intelligence, and insight, as well as their proclivity for the pragmatic, practical, and positive aspects of politics and public service (not to mention patience with having to eat a lot of barbecue and chicken bog!) always kept our serious perspective for the future balanced with laughter and common sense.

And I would like to extend a personal token of my appreciation to my wonderful staff throughout these years. These individuals have graciously given their very best in the service of their country and our district, and I am grateful for their work and their friendship. Indeed, through teamwork and loyalty, they have demonstrated what it truly means to answer the high calling of public service.

I owe a special thanks to my colleagues here in Congress who have worked diligently with us, reaching across the aisle to find real solutions to our nation's greatest challenges and to help our great state to prosper.

It has been a blessing to serve alongside these men and women who have devoted their lives to public service.

Thank you especially to my friends in the Congressional Prayer Caucus and in the Congressional Prayer Breakfast for the friendships that have transcended party labels and focused on answering the call that the good Lord has laid upon our hearts to help the people back home and across the nation.

Second, it has been the purpose which has guided our actions:

My favorite Old Testament verse is from the Book of Proverbs (29:18 a): ``Where there is no vision, the people perish.''

During my 18 years here, we have sought to pursue a vision that offers hope to others and a bright future for our next generation.

It was in June of 1973, as rising high school senior, that I attended a student leadership seminar, the Washington Workshops Congressional Seminar.

I had just visited my then-freshman Congressman, Charlie Rose, and I meandered over to the Senate side to find the senior Senator for North Carolina, a white-haired gentleman who quoted Scripture as an old country lawyer, Sam Ervin, Jr.

He was conducting something called the ``Watergate hearings.''

All three national TV networks were there.

I waited in line and stood in the back of the hearing room on the day that John Dean began his testimony, which was the beginning of the end of the Nixon White House--a day I'll never forget.

I went home for my senior year of high school and came back to DC the next summer, 1974, as an intern for my Congressman. That was the summer that Nixon resigned.

I decided to major in political science as I headed off to the University of North Carolina that August, thinking that, ``maybe someday I'll get to come back to this place.''

And 22 years later, that dream came true.

``How could you be interested in politics?'' everyone asked. ``It's so dirty, so corrupt,'' they said.

I gave them the same answer then that I gave people when I first ran 18 years ago, that I still give today: ``If all the people with the right motives stay out of politics, then who's left to run our government?''

``If we who are serious about our faith and our vision don't become involved, then by definition, there is going to be a void.''

We should remember that so many times the world says, ``you must be successful,'' but the key to success is first being faithful.

We must be faithful to our calling--answering the call that God has laid upon our hearts.

``He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.''

If we are faithful in the opportunities we have, then God will grant success in His timing; after all, isn't that what really counts--how we are using our time during the time we have on this earth?

Third, it has been the partnerships:

In eastern North Carolina, we have demonstrated that public service is a partnership between constituents and the representative they entrust to speak on their behalf.

For us, this steadfast partnership has been forged by putting policy over politics, issues over ideology, dialogue over dollars, and cooperation over campaigning.

This partnership has transcended politics and allowed us to accomplish monumental tasks, such as quadrupling the number of veterans' clinics in our area, passing the tobacco buyout, expanding our military bases, establishing an economic commission to promote jobs and fight poverty--and ensuring that the North Carolina coast will continue to be an economic engine and environmental treasure.

We also have built new fire and police stations, town halls, and workforce development centers; opened new farmers' markets and senior centers; improved airports and the Wilmington Port; and expanded educational and recreational opportunities for our children and youth.

We have helped thousands of constituents from all walks of life in ways that have significantly impacted their lives. None of this could have been accomplished without the strong commitment of my family, the hard work of my staff, and--especially--the willingness of people throughout our region to put partisanship aside and work together to get things done for the betterment of eastern North Carolina.

Indeed, I am grateful to all of the Democrats, Republicans, and Independents with whom we have successfully worked through nine general elections over 18 years.

People, purpose, partnerships: if we all remember these three ingredients and remain faithful to our calling, then we will have the recipe for success.

I close with the words of Adlai Stevenson, former UN Ambassador and Presidential candidate whom I quoted on the night of my first election in 1996, and which are a reminder of what has been a solemn and exciting duty:

``Trust the people, trust their good sense, their decency . . . their faith. Trust them with the facts. Trust them with the great decisions. And fix as our guiding star the passion to create a society . . . where no American is held down by race or color, by worldly condition or social status, from gaining what his character earns him as an American citizen, as a human being and as a child of God.''

May God grant us the wisdom and the will to find the way to be moving always to an even better and brighter day. And by His grace, we will!

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Marie E. Thompson, Audrey B. Lesesne, and William J. ``Billy'' Barker, my most senior staff, for their steadfast service, longevity of commitment and passionate performance in serving the constituents of the Seventh Congressional District of North Carolina.

These individuals have served faithfully with me throughout my entire Congressional career, and their exemplary service has truly made a difference in the many lives which they have impacted by their professional, prompt, and persistent service.

Marie Thompson's work on constituent services is unparalleled and has inspired other Congressional Offices to emulate her distinguished service.

Audrey Lesense's mastery of multiple responsibilities, sharp insight, and valuable institutional knowledge have been greatly admired.

Billy Barker's practical working knowledge and unfailing work ethic have been integral to the respect he has earned throughout our district by citizens everywhere.

These three individuals have proudly and graciously given their very best in the service of their country and our district, and I am grateful for their work and their friendship. Indeed, they--along with the many others who have served in our Congressional office over these past 18 years--have proven that teamwork and loyalty demonstrate the true dedication and determination they possess and the devotion to the people that they have given.

May God bless them and all of our staff, both past and present, for their strong, distinguished service to the people with purpose and passion--and for which our country, the people of our district, and I will forever be grateful.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Horace E. Stacy, Jr., of Lumberton, North Carolina, for his commitment and service to his community, state, and nation. Mr. Stacy is a veteran, public servant, community leader, honorable attorney, devoted family man, and he has been both a mentor to me and a dear friend to my family. I ask you to join me in recognizing his long and honorable career.

As Helen Sharpe and Bob Horne note in their article in The Robesonian, Horace was born to Horace and Lillian Stacy in my hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina, on September 14, 1929. Horace attended Lumberton High School where he started at offensive and defensive left guard on the football team. After graduation from Lumberton High in 1946, Horace began college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated in 1950 with an English degree after being inducted into the Order of the Golden Fleece, UNC's most selective honor society.

Horace went on to begin law school at UNC shortly after the Korean War started and after only one semester enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to serve his country. He attended the Air Force language school at Syracuse University for one year, where he learned to read, write, and speak Russian. While stationed in Germany during the Cold War he was a member of a security squadron monitoring Russian aircraft.

Horace returned to law school at UNC in 1954 and graduated in 1956. He was on the staff of The North Carolina Law Review and President of Phi Alpha Delta, a law school service and social fraternity. During his final year of law school he met Miss Joan Purser, whom he would go on to marry in 1957.

Horace joined McLean & Stacy law firm, where I would later practice early in my own legal career under his kind and knowledgeable mentorship. A brilliant jurist, Horace became a prominent attorney in general practice, both criminal and civil. He also became a distinguished civic leader. In 1964, the Mayor and Lumberton City Council appointed him to chair the first Tri-Racial Committee to help prepare for the pending enactment of the Civil Rights Act.

Notably, Horace has been an effective advocate for our state and local libraries. He served as President of Friends of the Robeson County Public Library, has been a library trustee since 1998 and was honored as the Public Library Trustee of the Year in our state in 2010. In 2004, North Carolina Governor Mike Easley appointed Horace to be a member of the State Library Commission of North Carolina, which he would chair for two years. The State Library is the main depository for North Carolina state publications and provides state government agencies with information critical to the formation of public policy.

Horace served as President of the Robeson County Bar Association in 1970. He was a member of the state Board of Law Examiners for 23 years and Chairman for five years. He served on numerous committees of the North Carolina Bar Association and in 2002 was inducted into the General Practice Hall of Fame. Ever a Tar Heel at heart, Horace also served as District Chairman of the Morehead Scholarship Selection Committee.

Driven by love for his community and its people, Horace served as President of the Lumberton Jaycees in 1964 and 1965, and also chaired the Southeastern Regional Medical Center Foundation from 1998 to 2000. In 2005, he was instrumental in the founding of the Robeson County Community Foundation, which raises money and awards grants to nonprofit organizations. Horace's tireless service to his community through these and other leadership roles has resulted in his being revered as ``the Dean of Lumberton.'' Appropriately, he was selected to speak on behalf of Lumberton when the city won the All-America City Award in 1970.

A true brother in Christ, Horace has held several offices in Trinity Episcopal Church and served as chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina from 1970 to 1980.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the service, goodness, humility, and character that defines Horace E. Stacy, Jr. His life has created a legacy of civic service that will benefit the citizens of Robeson County and North Carolina for years to come. His personal mentorship and friendship has been a blessing to my family and me, but we are not alone. Horace Stacy gives of himself freely and inspires goodness in all who know him. May God bestow His richest blessings upon Horace and Joan Stacy, their three children, Robin, Jody and Mark, and their six grandsons.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Major Kevin Tann, United States Army, for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to the United States of America. Major Tann will be moving on from his current assignment as an Army Congressional Liaison for the House of Representatives to Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Army Congressional Liaisons provide an invaluable service to both the Military and Congress. They assist Members and staff in understanding the Army's policies, actions, operations, and requirements. Their first hand knowledge of military needs, culture, and tradition is a tremendous benefit to Congressional Staff.

A native of North Carolina, Major Tann graduated from Florida International University in 1999 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Army's Aviation Branch. He has served in a variety of assignments including service in Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, and the Pentagon. Major Tann was selected for the highly competitive Congressional Fellowship Program and has participated in multiple combat tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Major Tann's military awards include the Army Aviator and Parachutist Badges and Bronze Star Medal, as well as the Iraq Campaign Medal. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Florida International University; a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Florida International University; and, a Master of Political Science from George Washington University.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service of Major Tann as he proceeds to the next chapter in his remarkable career and continues to serve our great Nation. On behalf of a grateful Nation, I join my colleagues in recognizing and commending Major Tann for his dedicated service to our Country. For all he and his family have given and continue to give to our Country, we are in their debt. We wish him, his wife Joi, and his son Kevin, all the best as they continue their journey in the United States Army.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my good friend from Virginia, Subcommittee Chairman Randy Forbes. He has not only been an exceptional partner on this subcommittee but, more importantly, has been a dear friend throughout my entire time in Congress, and he has been an exceptional leader also of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, with whom I have enjoyed serving as cochairman. I know that the gentleman from Virginia will continue the great tradition of bipartisanship on this subcommittee, and I wish him, as well as those with whom we have served on our great subcommittee, the best in the future as they continue to serve our men and women in uniform.

This bill contains $15.65 billion for shipbuilding that will authorize two Virginia class submarines, two Arleigh Burke class destroyers, three Littoral Combat Ships, and provides an additional $800 million for a twelfth San Antonio class amphibious ship.

This bill also reaffirms Congress' support of an 11-ship aircraft carrier fleet, with the addition of nearly $800 million for the refueling and overhaul of the USS George Washington, something that I know Chairman Forbes and I share a passion about. These ships are critical to the United States' ability to project power and presence anywhere in the world.

This bill, Mr. Speaker, continues the long tradition of bipartisan support for our troops, for which this committee is known.

I am very humbled and honored to have been able to serve on this important committee for our Nation's security, and I want to thank the colleagues that I have served with over these last 18 years.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Adam Smith, my classmate, for their steady

leadership throughout this process. Both of these gentlemen have been great partners, and without them, we would not be here now to vote on this bill.

It has, indeed, been a privilege to serve with them, to serve with the committee members, and, most importantly, to serve our great men and women in uniform who serve all of us throughout this country and, indeed, around the world.

I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

May God's blessings be with those who serve our country and continue to stand night and day for our freedom. Let's show them our support. Let's support this bill and get it done today. God bless all of them, and God bless our Nation.

Thank you, Howard, for your spirit, service, and standard of statesmanship.

Howard and I have had a spirit of friendship that has been something we have always enjoyed together here on the floor. He has often asked me about what the latest score was or when the next game is that our beloved Tar Heels were playing in any sport--not just football and basketball but baseball and many other sports the team engages in.

But our spirit has gone even beyond that great school spirit and congressional spirit that we share to the spirit we have shared in our Lord and how God has touched our lives, and the fellowship together that we have had right across the hall in the Congressional Prayer Caucus and even on the steps of the Capitol here one evening several years ago. I am sure you remember that we shared that together, Howard.

Second is his service. In addition to his spirit of friendship and friendliness to so many people and the spirit that we have shared in our Lord is his longevity of service that he has given. But it hasn't just been mundane or in-and-out service. It has been a service done with life, laughter, and with latitude. He has life in what he does. He always shares a smile and makes you laugh and not take things so seriously that you can't enjoy what you are doing. We all should be able to enjoy this great opportunity of service.

He also takes the latitude to spend time with you and the latitude to literally work across the aisle, as symbolized by the comments you have already heard tonight and the friendships that he has across the aisle.

Third, with that spirit and service is also his standard of statesmanship.

Howard, I think about when we flew together with the Commandant of the Coast Guard. You being a Coastie yourself, we often talked about the importance of the Coast Guard and how we know it serves us well in North Carolina and nationwide. We flew down with the Commandant on his plane, and Howard came down to my district to honor Wilmington as the Nation's first Coast Guard city on the east coast. We shared that time together.

He was that kind of person that would travel and spend time with you. And whether it was on the coast in Wilmington or whether it was on the pitching mound together, as he and I and Representatives Foxx and Price shared at our alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill, just this past spring, he knew always how to show that friendship and to show that standard of statesmanship in every situation.

Thank you, Howard, for always bringing people together. With your disarming smile and your friendship you have shown what exemplary statesmanship is all about. You have shown that spirit of fellowship and friendship. You have given that longevity of service. Most of all, you have shown that standard of statesmanship to which we all should ascribe.

God bless you, my friend, my Christian brother, and my fellow Tar Heel. Thank you so much.

Mr. Speaker, the Friends of Scotland Caucus was founded to honor the spirit of freedom and the bonds of friendship, prosperity, and culture which our two great nations cherish and respect. It is in that spirit that I have joined my fellow Co-Chairman of the Friends of Scotland Congressional Caucus, Rep. John J. Duncan, in introducing H. Res. 724. This resolution voices the support of the U.S. House of Representatives for the peaceful, inclusive, and democratic way in which the Independence Referendum is taking place. Indeed, the future of Scotland must be determined by the People of Scotland, and we should support that effort.

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 485 on September 9, 2014, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Chair, during rollcall vote No. 486 on September 9, 2014, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Amendment No. 3 Offered by Mr. Bishop of New York

Mr. Chair, during rollcall vote No. 487 on September 9, 2014, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Chair, during rollcall vote No. 238, Blumenauer Amendment No. 24 to H.R. 4435, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``no'' when I should have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Chairman, the Seapower and Projection Forces portion of this bill continues this subcommittee's tradition of strong bipartisan support for our men and women in uniform. I would like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Forbes for working together in such an open and bipartisan manner.

This is a good bill. This is an extremely challenging time, we know, for the Department of Defense, given the fiscal constraints that it is being required to operate under.

With this bill, the Armed Services Committee has attempted to strike the difficult balance of providing for the current force while also looking forward to the requirements of the future force.

I am pleased in particular this bill includes provisions that restore funding for the refueling and complex overhaul of the USS George Washington, which is the first step needed to ensure we maintain the requirement of 11 aircraft carriers. This bill also authorizes two Virginia class submarines, two Arleigh Burke destroyers, and an additional 96 Tomahawk missiles.

This bill creates a national sea-based deterrence fund that is designed to provide the Navy with some flexibility when it begins construction of the Ohio class replacement submarine.

With this being my last defense bill before retiring at the end of this term, I want to thank my good friend Randy Forbes for his leadership as chairman of the subcommittee and his friendship through the years.

I also want to thank my friend and my classmate, Adam Smith, for his great leadership, and our gracious chairman, Buck McKeon, for the leadership that he has given our committee overall and for his friendship as well. I wish him well on his retirement.

I am glad that all of these gentleman that I have named and those that I have served with on the subcommittee and the full committee have together shared that position for making sure we do right by our men and women in uniform.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I support the passage of this defense bill. I urge other Members here in the Congress to do the same.

I pray God's blessings be upon all of those who serve and will benefit from this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as cochairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus in recognition and celebration of the annual observance of the National Day of Prayer.

Each year, we take this opportunity to pause from the hurried pace of our daily lives to reaffirm our Nation's rich spiritual heritage and our commitment to maintaining and strengthening our great country's religious freedom. Throughout more than 200 years of our Nation's history, faith, prayer, and trust in God have played a vital role in strengthening the fabric of our society.

From the dawn of our country, when the first national call to prayer was issued, to that day on April 17, 1952, when President Harry Truman made the annual National Day of Prayer a permanent fixture, to this upcoming Thursday, when we will celebrate the 63rd annual National Day of Prayer in the Cannon Caucus Room right here on Capitol Hill, we have continued to turn to prayer as a guiding compass as we seek God's guidance and wisdom and healing balm for our land. It is from these historic underpinnings that our Nation has grown and thrived.

We stand here today on the shoulders of those Americans who have boldly fought for our rights to be able to assemble, to be able to speak out, and to be able to worship freely. One of our great opportunities as Americans is to be able to come together and say we want to be able to ask God for his blessings and his help upon our Nation so we indeed can be one Nation under God, as we say in our Pledge of Allegiance, and also a Nation that honors our national motto, which is not ``e pluribus unum,'' as some have mistakenly thought, but which is, ``In God We Trust.''

In fact, for all Members of Congress that would like, we have plaques being made and distributed that say, ``In God We Trust,'' just to reaffirm our national motto.

That is why I have joined with my friend and cochairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, Congressman Randy Forbes of Virginia, to introduce a bipartisan resolution, H. Res. 547. I hope all of our Members listening today will join us in supporting the National Day of Prayer and urging all Americans to come together to pray and reaffirm the importance that prayer has played in our national heritage.

We hear so much today about partisanship and bickering and asking why don't people get along. The one thing that I share back home, Mr. Speaker, which usually surprises people, is there is one group on Capitol Hill where all those labels are put to the side, and that happens every Monday night or Tuesday night, depending on the night we go into session, right across the hall in room 219, where there is no agenda except to pray and ask God for wisdom, like Solomon of the Old Testament.

So my hope is that as many Members and your staff--you will allow your staff to join us this Thursday morning to come together as we celebrate the National Day of Prayer.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, the true source of power is not found here in the Halls of Congress or in the Oval Office in the West Wing or in the chambers of the Supreme Court. The true source of power is found on our knees before the throne of grace, before almighty God.

It is in that spirit that I rise today to reaffirm this celebration of prayer in our Nation's history for the past, the present, and, God willing, the future.

Indeed, the power of prayer knows no bounds. May we be a Nation that does stand for our motto, ``In God We Trust.'' Indeed, we pray, may God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to rise today to pay tribute to North Carolina's Seventh Congressional District as home to recipients of the Purple Heart. So many of its residents have honorably served our nation in its times of need--all gave some and some gave all. As a reflection of Eastern North Carolina's pivotal role in war efforts past and present, and the deep personal sacrifice of so many of its residents, I stand to proclaim that North Carolina's Seventh Congressional District should be recognized as a ``Purple Heart District.''

As you know, The Purple Heart is one of the oldest and most recognized American military medals, awarded to service members who were killed or wounded by enemy action. In 1782, George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit to reward ``any singularly Meritorious action'' displayed by a soldier, non-commissioned officer, or officer in the Continental Army. This award was intended to encourage gallantry and fidelity among soldiers. General Douglas MacArthur (then Army Chief of Staff) revived the award on February 22, 1932, the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth. Since its inception and through several wars and conflicts, the Purple Heart has been given to more than a million wounded or killed while serving our nation.

North Carolina is home to the third largest military population in the United States. Because of its unique location between Fort Bragg, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, and Air Force Base Seymour Johnson, North Carolina's Seventh Congressional District is simply an exploding center for military life. It is estimated that there are over 50,000 Purple Heart recipients currently living in our great state, and a large percentage of these valiant men and women reside in the district I am honored to represent.

Mr. Speaker, Eastern North Carolina has dispatched thousands of its sons and daughters to fight the enemy; many have sacrificed their health and many have sacrificed their lives. We will never forget these sacrifices and are grateful for the valiant men and women who have been harmed defending our country and our freedom.

I ask that my colleagues to join me in recognition and appreciation of Eastern North Carolina's Purple Heart recipients past and present. Now, in the spirit of that appreciation, let it be known that North Carolina's Seventh Congressional District should be recognized as a ``Purple Heart District.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 131 I was unavoidably detained at the physician's office. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 115, 116, 117, I was unavoidably detained because of airplane mechanical issues on my return trip to Washington. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes'' on each of these suspension votes.