Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a company in the Third Congressional District of

Alabama that has given out $500 bonuses to all their 500 employees as a direct result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Russell Lands in Alexander City is the first company in my congressional district to distribute bonuses as a direct result of the tax overhaul.

The historic tax reform legislation recently signed into law by President Trump is helping companies and hardworking families in Alabama and across America. Thanks to tax reform, U.S. companies are paying more than $3 billion in bonuses, and over 3 million workers have received a bonus or a pay increase because of the tax cuts.

I am proud of Ben Russell and his company for leading the way on this, and I am thrilled that his employees are receiving this extra money. This bonus is a car payment, a new washing machine, or savings for school. This bonus represents opportunity, and I don't think you would ever hear the employees at Russell Lands calling their bonus ``crumbs.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones for being named Alabama's Sheriff of the Year by his peers at the Alabama Sheriffs Association.

Sheriff Jones began his law enforcement career with the Lee County Sheriff's Office in 1975 while a student at Auburn University. His first work assignment was in the jail as a corrections officer/ communications operator and was later appointed to a road position as a deputy sheriff. He moved up the ranks over the years and was appointed as the Sheriff's Office Chief Investigator in command of the Investigations Division. Sheriff Jones was first elected Lee County Sheriff in 1998 and is currently in his fourth term.

His professional education and training includes the FBI National Academy (146th session), FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (58th session), National Sheriff's Institute (Class 00-1), Southern Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (1999), and the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection Seminar (2003). He also serves on the Law Enforcement advisory boards of the United States Attorney for the middle district of Alabama and the Alabama Attorney General. He has served as a governor's appointee to the Advisory Committee on Women in Criminal Justice, the Alabama Crime Victims' Compensation Commission and the Alabama Local Government Records Commission.

Sheriff Jones currently serves on the boards of the United Way of Lee County, the Lee County Youth Development Center, the Lee County Emergency Communications District and the Domestic Violence Intervention Center. His professional memberships include the FBI National Academy Associates, the Police Futurists International, the National Sheriffs' Association, the Alabama Sheriffs Association, the Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, the Alabama Jail Association, the Alabama Peace Officers' Association and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Number 21. Sheriff Jones' civic involvement includes membership in the Auburn Rotary Club and the Bleecker Puritan Club.

Along with his public safety duties Sheriff Jones has also served as an adjunct instructor of Criminal Justice at Auburn University and Southern Union Community College in Opelika.

The Sheriff of the Year honor was awarded during the 2018 Alabama Sheriffs convention for his outstanding professionalism, dedication and leadership while serving and protecting his community.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing Sheriff Jay Jones and thanking him for his years of public safety service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th wedding anniversary of Terry and Sherry Lovvorn on December 1, 2017.

John Terry Lovvorn and Sherry Lee Rogers were married December 1, 1967 at Shiloh Baptist Church in Graham, Alabama.

They made their home in the same house in Graham where Terry was born in 1946, and they still live in downtown Graham.

Terry has been a life-long farmer and was elected as Randolph County Commissioner in 2008. Sherry retired in 1998 after 25 years of teaching.

They were blessed with two children, Susan Rice and Joe Lovvorn (wife Jenifer) and are grandparents to Katie Rice, Luke Rice, Jackson Lovvorn and Landon Lovvorn.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the 50th wedding anniversary of Terry and Sherry Lovvorn.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 80th birthday of Benjamin Russell.

Mr. Russell is the Chairman of Russell Lands, Inc. He is married to Luanne Radney Russell and has one daughter, Adelia (Dedie) Russell Hendrix.

Mr. Russell started working summer jobs at Russell Corporation, a large textile firm in Alabama that was founded by his grandfather in 1902. He attended Mercer University and the University of Alabama and served in the Air National Guard--280th ANG, Maxwell Air Force Base. After college and active duty training in the Air National Guard, he was employed by Russell Corporation as a management trainee.

In 1970, he because president of Russell Lands, Inc., a private company owned by the Russell family. Russell Lands, Inc. had previously been a land and timber company, but has since become a diverse organization with more than 500 employees and is recognized as Alabama's largest recreational development company.

Mr. Russell is a member of the Business Council of Alabama, Alexander City Area Chamber of Commerce, First United Methodist Church and Willow Point Golf and Country Club.

Mr. Russell has been recognized for many honors and awards including: Alabama Humanities Award 2016; Heart of the House Award given by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama--2010; The Children's Advocate Award/Margie Curry Lifetime

Achievement Award--2009; Inducted into The Alabama Business Hall of Fame--2008; Indian Springs School's Outstanding Alumnus of the Year-- 2003; CARE Philanthropist of the Year--2000; Member, Alabama Academy of Honor--1997; Outstanding Philanthropist in Alabama--1994; First CARE World Humanitarian Award--1990; Alexander City Man of the Year--1975.

Mr. Russell turned 80 on January 18, 2018.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing Mr. Russell a very happy 80th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Courtney Wilburn for being named Alabama's 2018-19 Middle School Principal of the Year.

Courtney is the principal at White Plains Middle School in Calhoun County. She has served in that role since 2011. She has also served as a teacher and assistant principal and was Calhoun County's Principal of the Year in 2012.

Courtney was raised in the area and attended Anniston City Schools and graduated from Jacksonville State University. She has been working in education for 17 years.

On January 8th, she was surprised at an event at the school with the news of the honor.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Courtney on this distinct honor and thanking her for her service to education.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4577) to establish a working group to determine ways to develop a domestic canine breeding network to produce high quality explosives detection canines, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of passage of my bill, H.R. 4577, the Domestic Explosives Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017.

This legislation creates a working group on behavioral, medical, and technical standards for explosives detection working dog breeding and training programs.

This group will consist of the Transportation Security Administration, the Office of Science and Technology, private sector canine vendors and breeders, industry associations, leading veterinarians, and academics with firsthand knowledge of the subject matter.

The group's final report on standards should reflect the latest in canine science and will be presented to the TSA Administrator for further breeding development as well as canine procurement.

This bill is common sense. Canines are far more efficient than any machine and much more cost effective. The use of detection canines by the TSA is critical in keeping passengers over American skies safe.

With this in mind, why then, Madam Speaker, does the TSA procure the majority of its canines from European vendors in conjunction with the Department of Defense?

American canine breeders produce exceptional working dog lines, but the TSA's arcane procurement rules and training requirements create barriers to entry for American breeders and especially private sector vendors.

With the passage of H.R. 4577, the TSA will be required to incorporate findings and standards from the working group into its procurement process to create greater consistency and transparency for private sector vendors.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense bill and pass H.R. 4577, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), who is the chairman of the Transportation and Protective Security Subcommittee of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Madam Speaker, this is an area that we have spent a lot of time on in the Committee on Homeland Security over several years, and I can state without equivocation that there is no technology that is more effective at detecting explosives in our transportation systems than these canines.

It is a shame that we have allowed ourselves to become so heavily dependent on European providers for this very essential asset. This bill will go a long way in helping our country establish its own production of these essential assets for our use in keeping our country safe and secure.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Alexandria High School for winning the Class 5A State Title.

The Valley Cubs sealed their victory by beating Lawrence County High School on November 2nd at Bill Harris Arena in Birmingham in three sets for the Class 5A State Title: 25-23, 25-16, 25-13.

The Head Coach is Whitney Welch and Assistant Coaches are Kelli Johnson and Toni Hess. Players include: Kendal Bumpus, Madison Chastain, Kinsley Gregoria, Kaitlin Harvey, Anna Johnson, Kate Johnson, China Lane, Gracie Muncher (All-State Team), Aubrey Pope (All State Team), Kyleigh Rhodes, Taylor Spradley (Class 5A MVP), Kameron Simpson, Kayleigh Steen and Mattie Wade (All State Team).

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the students and faculty of Alexandria High School, the coaches, the players and all the Valley Cubs fans on this exciting achievement. Go Valley Cubs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Kopper Kettle explosion in downtown Auburn, Alabama.

Below is the 1978 sermon by Rev. Rod Sinclair at the Episcopal College Center after the explosion occurred:

The explosion at the Kopper Kettle has consumed the time

and attention of many of us this week, especially Sunday when

it occurred Monday and Tuesday when we were fixing ourselves

up and getting heat back into the building and into the

Steven's House. There have been many expressions of

gratefulness that no one in town was injured or killed and we

have all told each other where we were when we hear of or

felt the blast. We have even told each other about other

explosions, other calamities and what our reaction was to

them. And some of us have gone off into the world of metaphor

and analogy and compared the explosion at the Kopper Kettle

to what happens to a human being who gets poison in his or

her system, poison from unacknowledged anger or poison from

unexpressed resentment, and how the pressure can build up an

explosion.

The another type of explosion occurred to me, as it should,

being the preacher, which I like to look at this morning. It

is the explosion of the spirit and it can be more devastating

than what happened last Sunday at Magnolia and Gay.

The explosion of the spirit is what happens when all the

things we thought we believed in collapses, when the world of

meaning collapses, when the truths that we always thought

were true seem untrue, when doubt attacks every item of faith

and prevails, and faith seems counterfeit, and trust wanders

aimlessly hunting for a place to rest, and when other

people's piety bring charges of hypocrisy to our lips. The

explosion of the spirit can hit with the force of last

Sunday's blast or it can strike in a slow-motion version.

Decay is an explosion developing slowly. We can rebuild

stores and replace smashed windows, but persons who are

smashed by an earthquake under their house of faith have no

certainty that they can pick up the pieces, nor may they want

to, for their structure no longer has meaning. All that was

dear and cherished is splintered and smoking. Their faith is

gone, their dreams are smashed, and they have no basis for

hope.

What do you do if the explosion of the spirit strikes you?

First, I believe you must go to your most trusted friend, not

to talk, but to sit in silence--in the presence of the

other--in the presence of another human being. And the truth

of the presence may be the only truth that is verifiable.

Next, you must allow your friend to care for you. This is

more difficult than silence. Nor can it come too quickly.

This requires that you give permission to the other to enter

your shattered world. And with the entry may come judgment

(but surely not!) and may come abject embarrassment (Yes,

possibly that) or the painful admission that you are lost in

the woods and do not know the way home. (Yes, that too!) Your

trusted friend is there to listen, is not therapist,

counselor or father confessor (at least not then) and listens

to you talk, listens to the starkness of your confession that

your religious house of cards proved to be just that, listens

to the pain of your isolation--for you are in an empty, flat

land by yourself with not so much as four pegs to pitch a

tent for shelter. He listens to the description of your

futureless future. And the echo of the question ``What is

there now?'' continues to sound in your empty room.

But your friend does not answer your questions; eventually

you do. Yet no one can tell you when the eventuality will

happen. First, there may be nothing more than the

establishing of a routine; but even routine requires a degree

of faith. Later, there may be divine word, certainly not

acknowledged then as such. From deep within, from the center

of your center, may come the word: ``Life shall go on.'' And

you know the words are true and your house of meaning

receives another plank.

If and when the house is completed, that is, if and when

there is a day when you can say: ``I believe that the

following truths gives me meaning, and makes sense out of

existence, and are the grounds on which I will stake my

life,'' if there is a day when this can be said again, after

an explosion of the spirit my hope is that your statement of

what you believe would include the following:

First, a trust in God, trust in God as personal and loving,

God who loves you, who understands and who cares for you.

Believing that God understands and loves us is the life force

that prevents us from dying.

Secondly, a realization that Jesus of Nazareth reveals God

to us. We are not blocked or stumped in our search for the

knowledge of God. Jesus' love and forgiveness is the

indicator of God's love and forgiveness. Believing that Jesus

reveals God to us is the life force that guards our spirits

from collapsing.

Thirdly, a trust that God is present with and in us, and

that his spirit, his power, and his love are with us and in

us, his people. We are not left derelict or abandoned,

wondering if we shall ever be called for. Believing that

God's presence is with us and in us is the life force that

builds us up as a community of people seeking to be faithful

and prevents us from despairing.

To be able to base your life on those three assertions and

know they are true is to return from the land of shadow and

mist into the sunlight of a new day.

The person who experiences the bankruptcy of spirit that we

have spoken of and who later reclaims and rebuilds, who

begins again and whose faith grows from infancy to maturity,

has a lot to tell us. My guess is that such a person would

share with us such thoughts as:

No one else can say what's true for you. All truth is self-

validating.

Much truth, that is not yet perceived as truth, can remain

on the shelf: it may be claimed later on.

Having swallowed too much once before and exploded, it's

best not to bite off more than you can chew.

Courage to rebuild is an act of faith.

The process of discovering meaning is an element of meaning

itself.

My further guess is that as we met such a person, who had

believed again after being crushed by doubt, we could say

such words to him or her as:

When you speak, your words are genuine and true. We feel

accepted and respected by you.

Your faith is clearly shown in your behavior.

You will be a threat to those whose houses of faith are

held together by tape and wire and string and who pretend to

believe and who make a great show, but who on the inside are

full of emptiness and staleness, brittle-ness and dust.

You will cause a light to shine on sham religion and there

will be some who will be vindictive.

The explosion at the corner last Sunday can cause us to

look at the explosion that can come at tour centers, the

collapsing of our spirit, if we have carelessly claimed to

believe, or mimicked the belief of others, and have no faith

that is our own. The admission of our doubt, painful though

it is, can be the first step to regaining a life of faith and

can return us to authentic living in God's presence. God's

love is real and his commandments are sure and the community

of persons seeking to know what it is to be fruitful is a

rich place to set yourself. May He shed his grace on each one

of us as we seek truth and walk in faith. Amen.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Kopper Kettle explosion in Auburn.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Lanett High School for winning the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 2A football state title for the first time ever.

The Panthers sealed their victory by beating Leroy High School 33-15 on December 8 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the students and faculty of Lanett High School, the coaches, the players and all the Panthers fans on this exciting achievement. Go Panthers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention to recognize the life of my friend, Mr. Harold Deon Powell.

Harold passed away unexpectedly earlier this month in Italy while on an economic development trip with the Alabama Department of Commerce representing the State of Alabama and Macon County.

Harold was born on September 2, 1974 in Cleveland, Ohio to Harold L. and Willa Mae Powell. Soon after, his family moved to Shorter, Alabama, where he was educated in the Macon County public school system and attended Tuskegee University.

Harold lived in Shorter, Alabama and served as the Town Clerk of Shorter with his mother, Willa Mae, the Mayor of the Town of Shorter. He also served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Macon County Economic Development Authority.

Harold had his own local Sunday morning talk radio show on WBIL AM- 580 to keep his listeners informed with commentary on relevant news both nationally and locally. He was a licensed real estate broker and instructor and founded Powell Properties.

Harold was committed to his community and worked hard to make a difference. He was also very active in politics and served as the first African American National Vice-President and later President of the College Democrats of America. He worked on several Federal and local campaigns as well.

On November 27th, friends and family gathered at the Tuskegee University Chapel to celebrate his life.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in remembering and honoring the life of Harold Powell.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention to recognize the 50th Anniversary of Camp Lee in Anniston, Alabama.

The original campsite was purchased in 1930 by the Choccolocco Council, Boy Scouts of America, and maintained as a boy scout camp from 1931 to 1965 as Camp Zinn. This site was selected by General R.E. Noble and C.H. Young, Sr. for the Choccolocco Council. General Henry Zinn, who died in 1924, willed $10,000 for the purchase of the property.

As a result of the Boy Scouts' purchase of a new campsite in Dekalb County, Camp Zinn was for sale. On August 11, 1966, the Official Board of the First United Methodist Church accepted a gift of 1,000 shares of Phelps Dodge Corporation common stock from Mr. Arthur H. Lee, who the camp would later be named for.

At a September First United Methodist Church Anniston Quarterly Church Conference, a loan of $65,000 was authorized to purchase Camp Zinn from the Boy Scouts. In February of 1967, a loan was secured with the stock that Mr. Lee had given the church. The loan was satisfied and the stock redeemed.

At the time of purchase, the camp consisted of just the dining hall and kitchen, Green Lodge, the Guest House and several old tent sites and out-houses. In addition to the original buildings, the main lake across from the dining hall and the one-acre lake in Village 2 were already at the camp.

Since the purchase, the cabins, pool, additional lodges and roads have been built. Several other properties have been added to the camp since 1966 including Holly Springs Baptist Church property, the Kiker House and Lee Farm area. Camp Lee now consists of 382 acres.

Camp Lee provides a facility for those who seek Christ in an outdoor environment.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the 50th Anniversary of Camp Lee.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention to recognize the 91st birthday of Julius Grady Cox.

Grady was born to Annie and George Cox on December 3rd in Ayden, North Carolina. One of five children, Grady graduated high school at the age of 16 and joined the U.S. Navy as a medical corpsman in WWII. He was selected for Naval ROTC at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (API), now Auburn University, where he met his late wife Jean Ransom.

Grady earned degrees from API in Chemical Engineering and Mathematics and his doctorate in Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. Grady served at Auburn University as full professor, Dean of the College of Engineering and Executive Vice President.

Grady was also involved in the community and was a member of the Rotary Club, Civitan Club and Kiwanis Club. He is a member of Auburn United Methodist Church.

On December 3rd, he will celebrate his 91st birthday as well as enjoy ``Grady Cox Day'' in the City of Auburn, Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing Grady a very happy 91st birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this year's NDAA and commend the chairman for his outstanding leadership in getting us to the point we are today.

This year's bill takes the first step to fixing the broken national security space enterprise within the Air Force. In this bill, we streamline the current fragmented leadership structure, eliminating over 20 unnecessary internal Air Force boxes on the Air Force acquisition organization chart.

The bill empowers the commander of the Air Force Space Command with sole authority to organize, train, and equip space forces. It terminates duplicative and ineffective offices like the Principal DOD Space Advisor, the Defense Space Council, and the Air Force's A-11 office.

Most importantly, it is a step in a long path to getting space right for the betterment of our warfighters.

Hopefully, over the coming year, the Senate will focus on the chronic problems facing national security space and work with us to establish a separate Space Corps.

On missile defense, the bill ensures that we stay ahead of the threat, which, as we have seen over the last few years from North Korea and their two dozen missile tests, they are advancing rapidly.

Also, in this bill, we are authorizing more interceptors, accelerating research and development for advanced technologies, and improving acquisition authorities for missile defense systems.

And let's also not forget about what the bill does for our nuclear deterrent. All three legs of the triad will age out and begin retiring over the next decade, but this bill ensures the replacement programs remain on schedule.

On space launch, we continue the committee's dedication to the development of a domestic replacement for the RD-180 engines and to appropriately scoping the DOD investment in development of current or planned launch vehicles.

Finally, I am very pleased with the progress we have made toward getting some of the surplus 1911 pistols into the hands of collectors and off the government dime for storage costs.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention to recognize Miss Phenix City 2018, Stella Kontos.

Stella is a junior at Auburn University majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in Business. She is vice president of the College of Engineering and on the university's Dean's List. Stella is also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Cardinal Key, Lambda Sigma Honors Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority.

Seven years ago, Stella founded her personal platform S.T.A.G.E. (Science, Technology, And Girls in Engineering). Stella works to increase female student participation in Engineering. She's the student liaison to the ``100 Women Strong'' organization and has spent 1,200 hours speaking to over 5,000 students in 25 different classrooms and conference settings.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing Miss Phenix City 2018, Stella Kontos.

Mr. Speaker, the Civilian Marksmanship Program is an organization that was established initially by this Congress because we needed institutions to help people better understand gun safety and how to handle weapons. It has fulfilled a vital mission.

Fortunately, in recent years, we have been able to not have to fund it anymore by being able to self-fund through the refurbishment and sale of surplus weapons.

It has been their mission for a century. These 1911s are surplus pistols that were used up until the early nineties by our military. Since that time, statutorily, they were made available to law enforcement and allied countries.

As you might imagine, most law enforcement and allied countries would rather have new, modern weapons, rather than surplus. So we have approximately 100,000 of these weapons in storage at the Anniston Army Depot in my district. It costs us in the neighborhood of $50,000 or $60,000 a year in direct cost to store these weapons.

What the Armed Services Committee and this Congress in preceding NDAAs has repeatedly done has been to instruct the Department of the Army to start turning those over to the Civilian Marksmanship Program at 10,000 a year until the full 100,000 has been eliminated from our storage.

The CMP--the Civilian Marksmanship Program--takes those weapons as they get them, completely refurbishes them, and then sells them to collectors. These are not weapons that wind up on the streets. They generally cost between $800 and $1,000, and they are sold to collectors.

To be able to buy one, you have to go through the same background check as any other buyer. But not just anybody can buy these. You have to either be in law enforcement, the military, or an active member of a gun club.

These are not a danger to the public. In fact, this whole process of taking this money, the CMP then sells the weapons and it goes into their trust fund to allow them to continue to train Americans in gun safety, is a vital mission that we should be supporting. This Congress has repeatedly supported it over the years.

It is my hope that the full body will reject this motion by my friend and colleague, Mr. Langevin. It has been defeated repeatedly in the Armed Services Committee, and I hope it will be defeated again today.