Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to honor Mrs. Eula Mae Brewer Prophitt on the occasion of her 110th birthday.

Mrs. Prophitt was born in Our Town, Alabama. When she was nine, she went to live with her brother, James William Brewer, and at 11, she began working at Avondale Mills in Alexander City. In fact, Mrs. Eula Mae Prophitt worked in textile mills including Avondale Mills, Mr. Vernon Mills, M. Snower Mill, Pepperell Manufacturing Company, Swift Spinning Mills, and Opelika Manufacturing, until she retired at the age of 66.

Eula Mae married Mr. Willis Guary Prophitt on March 10, 1923. They were blessed with four daughters, Ruby Frances, Mary Elisabeth, Willard Carolyn, and Dorothy Jeanette. Mrs. Prophitt has many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Prophitt served with her husband, a Church of God pastor, teaching young people in Sunday School for 37 years. She continued to independently maintain her home until age ninety, and now lives with her eldest daughter, Ruby. Mrs. Prophitt enjoys a little gardening and her beautiful flowers.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating Mrs. Prophitt's 110th birthday. She is a blessing to her family and friends, and they plan to celebrate her birthday this Saturday, May 10th.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a very special occasion today--the 50th wedding anniversary of Lynn and Glenda Martin.

Glenda Jean Dalton was born in Gainesville, Georgia, and Horace Lynn Martin was born in Anniston, Alabama. They met at First Baptist Church of Saks over 50 years ago. They were married at First Baptist Church of Saks on May 22nd, 1954, and they are still very active members today. Lynn also serves as a deacon and as the Church Administrator.

Both Lynn and Glenda attended college at Jacksonville State University. While there, Glenda got her Master's Degree in Education, and Lynn got a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and Math. Glenda taught at Wellborn High School until her retirement, and Lynn owns his own business in Anniston, Green's Art and Framing. He has also worked for several accounting firms over the years. Mr. Martin is also very involved with the Saks High School football team where he has carried the chains for the team for about 48 years. The Calhoun County School Board just voted to name the old high school gym after Mr. Martin. It is now known as the Lynn Martin gym.

Together, Lynn and Glenda have two daughters: Sheilah Brady and Dawne Vaughn. They have 7 grandchildren: Cory Wooten, Cassidy Wooten, Trey Brady, Jessica Vaughn, Aaron Vaughn, Peyton Vaughn, and Grayson Vaughn.

Please join me in congratulating this lovely couple on 50 years together. Mrs. Martin, a cancer survivor, and Mr. Martin set an example of love and service for the people of the Third District. The celebration will take place on May 10th at a reception with their friends and family members.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for the House's attention today to recognize Florence Bellamy who is retiring from the Phenix City School Board after 25 years of service.

Mrs. Bellamy has served on the Phenix City School Board since 1989, including terms as vice president and president. Mrs. Bellamy has also served as the Immediate Past President of the Alabama Association of School Boards, having previously served as President, President-Elect, Vice President, and District 4 Director. She has remained active within AASB, including leading or serving on the Academy Advisory Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, and the Executive/Legislative Committee. In 2001, Florence was named an All-State School Member, the association's highest honor. She has also achieved AASB's highest recognition in training, the Master's Honor Roll. In January of 2008, Mrs. Bellamy was honored with a ``lifetime Achievement'' award from her local Board of Education.

In addition to her dedication to education, Mrs. Bellamy has a passion for serving her community. Since 2000, she has worked as a Supervisor with the Russell County Department of Human Resources in the area of Adult Protective Services. She and her husband, Michael, have four children and three grandchildren. Mrs. Bellamy and her husband, Judge Michael Bellamy, are also active in their church.

Mr. Speaker, we join his family and friends in celebrating Mrs. Bellamy's retirement and wish her the very best.

Mr. Speaker, today ask for the House's attention to honor the Cleburne County 911 for their outstanding service to the citizens of Cleburne County.

The second week of April is designated as National Public Safety Communicator Week. This is a time to honor the telecommunications personnel in the public safety community. The Cleburne County 911's mission states that they strive to provide effective public safety services through the appropriate dispatch of fire, police, medical, and rescue units with the least possible delay. They live up to this mission each and every day.

Like all of East Alabama's 911 public safety personnel, Cleburne County's Public Safety Communicators provide local citizens with an invaluable service. They offer peace of mind, and they provide the highest level of emergency communications service possible.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking the Public Safety Communicators at the Cleburne 911 for their dedication to protecting the citizens of Cleburne County.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I reflect on the recent passing of a great American servant and defender, Mr. James Schlesinger. While I am sure that I don't need to enumerate each of his many accomplishments in the service of his nation--Chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Director of Central Intelligence, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of Energy--I would like to spend a moment reflecting on his remarkable service to the national security of the American people.

When I took over at the beginning of this Congress as the Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, which oversees, among other vital national programs, the nation's nuclear forces, I knew that I needed to find the best of this nation's leaders to seek their advice and counsel. Of course, Dr. Schlesinger was at the top of this list. I was grateful that despite struggles with his health, he took the time to come and conduct a seminar for my colleagues on the subcommittee and me. We are able to better do our important work because of the ground he tread in his lifetime of service and because of the counsel he lent us selflessly.

As the former Secretary told us, ``[n]uclear weapons are used every day . . . to deter our potential foes and provide reassurance to the allies to whom we offer protection.'' These are true words from the man the Wall Street Journal referred to as the ``Yoda'' of nuclear deterrence.

Mr. Speaker, we've lost a great advocate for this country's security. But, we are fortunate that we have his example and his work to guide us. Never more than today do we realize the value in what James Schlesinger stood for across his 85 years. We thank God that we live in a nation led and protected by such men as Dr. Schlesinger. I take the liberty of speaking for the whole House when I say to his family, thank you for allowing him to spend his life in service to his country.

I submit a Wall Street Journal op-ed (``Why We Don't Want a Nuclear- Free World'', July 13, 2009) and an obituary that appeared on the same page on March 28th.

[From the Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2009]

Why We Don't Want a Nuclear-Free World

(By Melanie Kirkpatrick)

``Nuclear weapons are used every day.'' So says former

Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, speaking last month at

his office in a wooded enclave of Maclean, Va. It's a serene

setting for Doomsday talk, and Mr. Schlesinger's matter-of-

fact tone belies the enormity of the concepts he's

explaining--concepts that were seemingly ignored in this

week's Moscow summit between Presidents Barack Obama and

Dmitry Medvedev.

We use nuclear weapons every day, Mr. Schlesinger goes on

to explain, ``to deter our potential foes and provide

reassurance to the allies to whom we offer protection.''

Mr. Obama likes to talk about his vision of a nuclear-free

world, and in Moscow he and Mr. Medvedev signed an agreement

setting targets for sweeping reductions in the world's

largest nuclear arsenals. Reflecting on the hour I spent with

Mr. Schlesinger, I can't help but think: Do we really want to

do this?

For nuclear strategists, Mr. Schlesinger is Yoda, the

master of their universe. In addition to being a former

defense secretary (Nixon and Ford), he is a former energy

secretary (Carter) and former director of central

intelligence (Nixon). He has been studying the U.S. nuclear

posture since the early 1960s, when he was at the RAND

Corporation, a California think tank that often does research

for the U.S. government. He's the expert whom Defense

Secretary Robert Gates called on last year to lead an

investigation into the Air Force's mishandling of nuclear

weapons after nuclear-armed cruise missiles were mistakenly

flown across the country on a B-52 and nuclear fuses were

accidently shipped to Taiwan. Most recently, he's vice

chairman of a bipartisan congressional commission that in May

issued an urgent warning about the need to maintain a strong

U.S. deterrent.

But above all, Mr. Schlesinger is a nuclear realist. Are we

heading toward a nuclear-free world anytime soon? He shoots

back a one-word answer: ``No.'' I keep silent, hoping he will

go on. ``We will need a strong deterrent,'' he finally says,

``and that is measured at least in decades--in my judgment,

in fact, more or less in perpetuity. The notion that we can

abolish nuclear weapons reflects on a combination of American

utopianism and American parochialism. . . . It's like the

[1929] Kellogg-Briand Pact renouncing war as an instrument of

national policy. . . . It's not based upon an understanding

of reality.''

In other words: Go ahead and wish for a nuclear-free world,

but pray that you don't get what you wish for. A world

without nukes would be even more dangerous than a world with

them, Mr. Schlesinger argues.

``If, by some miracle, we were able to eliminate nuclear

weapons,'' he says, ``what we would have is a number of

countries sitting around with breakout capabilities or rumors

of breakout capabilities--for intimidation purposes . . . and

finally, probably, a number of small clandestine

stockpiles.'' This would make the U.S. more vulnerable.

Mr. Schlesinger makes the case for a strong U.S. deterrent.

Yes, the Cold War has ended and, yes, while ``we worry about

Russia's nuclear posture to some degree, it is not just as

prominent as it once was.'' The U.S. still needs to deter

Russia, which has the largest nuclear capability of any

potential adversary, and the Chinese, who have a modest (and

growing) capability. The U.S. nuclear deterrent has no

influence on North Korea or Iran, he says, or on nonstate

actors. ``They're not going to be deterred by the possibility

of a nuclear response to actions that they might take,'' he

says.

Mr. Schlesinger refers to the unanimous conclusion of the

bipartisan Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture

of the United States, which he co-led with Chairman William

Perry. The commission ``strongly'' recommended that further

discussions with the Russians on arms control are

``desirable,'' he says, and that ``we should proceed with

negotiations on an extension of the START Treaty.'' That's

what Mr. Obama set in motion in Moscow this week. The pact--

whose full name is the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty--

expires in December. But what's the hurry? Mr. Schlesinger

warns about rushing to agree on cuts. ``The treaty . . . can

be extended for five years. And, if need be, I would extend

it for five years.''

There's another compelling reason for a strong U.S.

deterrent: the U.S. nuclear umbrella, which protects more

than 30 allies worldwide. ``If we were only protecting the

North American continent,'' he says, ``we could do so with

far fewer weapons than we have at present in the stockpile.''

But a principal aim of the U.S. nuclear deterrent is ``to

provide the necessary reassurance to our allies, both in Asia

and in Europe.'' That includes ``our new NATO allies such as

Poland and the Baltic States,'' which, he notes dryly,

continue to be concerned about their Russian neighbor.

``Indeed, they inform us regularly that they understand the

Russians far better than do we.''

The congressional commission warned of a coming ``tipping

point'' in proliferation, when more nations might decide to

go nuclear if they were to lose confidence in the U.S.

deterrent, or in Washington's will to use it. If U.S. allies

lose confidence in Washington's ability to protect them,

they'll kick off a new nuclear arms race.

That's a reason Mr. Schlesinger wants to bring Japan into

the nuclear conversation. ``One of the recommendations of the

commission is that we start to have a dialogue with the

Japanese about strategic capabilities in order both to help

enlighten them and to provide reassurance that they will be

protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella. In the past, that has

not been the case. Japan never was seriously threatened by

Soviet capabilities and that the Soviets looked westward

largely is a threat against Western Europe. But now that the

Chinese forces have been growing into the many hundreds of

weapons, we think that it's necessary to talk to the Japanese

in the same way that we have talked to the Europeans over the

years.''

He reminds me of the comment of Japanese political leader

Ichiro Ozawa, who said in 2002 that it would be ``easy'' for

Japan to make nuclear warheads and that it had enough

plutonium to make several thousand weapons. 'When one

contemplates a number like that,'' Mr. Schlesinger says,

``one sees that a substantial role in nonproliferation has

been the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Without that, some and

perhaps a fair number of our allies would feel the necessity

of having their own nuclear capabilities.''

He worries about ``contagion'' in the Middle East, whereby

countries will decide to go nuclear if Iran does. ``We've

long talked about Iran as a tipping point,'' he says, ``in

that it might induce Turkey, which has long been protected

under NATO, Egypt [and] Saudi Arabia to respond in kind There

has been talk about extending the nuclear umbrella to the

Middle East in the event that the Iranians are successful in

developing that capacity.''

Mr. Schlesinger expresses concerns, too, about the safety

and reliability of U.S. nuclear weapons, all of which are

more than 20 years old. ``I am worried about the reliability

of the weapons . . . as time passes. Not this year, not next

year, but as time passes and the stockpile ages.'' There is a

worry, too, about the ``intellectual infrastructure,'' he

says, as Americans who know how to make nuclear weapons

either retire or die. And he notes that the ``physical

infrastructure'' is now ``well over 60 years'' old. Some of

it ``comes out of the Manhattan Project.''

The U.S. is the only major nuclear power that is not

modernizing its weapons. ``The Russians have a shelf life for

their weapons of about 10 years so they are continually

replacing'' them. The British and the French ``stay up to

date.'' And the Chinese and the Indians ``continue to add to

their stockpiles.'' But in the U.S., Congress won't even so

much as fund R&D for the Reliable Replacement Warhead. ``The

RRW has become a toxic term on Capitol Hill,'' Mr.

Schlesinger says. Give it a new name, he seems to be

suggesting, and try again to get Congress to fund it. ``We

need to be much more vigorous about life-extension programs''

for the weapons.

Finally, we chat about Mr. Schlesinger's nearly half-

century as a nuclear strategist. Are we living in a world

where the use of nuclear weapons is more likely than it was

back then? ``The likelihood of a nuclear exchange has

substantially gone away,'' he says. That's the good news.

``However, the likelihood of a nuclear terrorist attack on

the United States'' is greater.

During his RAND years, in the 1960s, Mr. Schlesinger

recalls that ``we were working on mitigating the possible

effects [of a nuclear attack] through civil defense, which,

may I say parenthetically, we should be working on now with

respect, certainly, to the possibility of a terrorist weapon

used against the United States. . . . We should have a much

more rapid response capability. . . . We're not as well

organized as we should be to respond.''

Mr. Schlesinger sees another difference between now and

when he started in this business: ``Public interest in our

strategic posture has faded over the decades,'' he says. ``In

the Cold War, it was a most prominent subject. Now, much of

the public is barely interested in it. And that has been true

of the Congress as well,'' creating what he delicately refers

to as ``something of a stalemate in expenditures.''

He's raising the alarm. Congress, the administration and

Americans ignore it at their peril.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Washington, Mr. Denny Heck, be removed as a cosponsor from H. Con. Res. 94.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to pay special tribute to a group of young people in my Congressional district from Heflin, Alabama. These boys and girls, the Heflin Taekwondo Tiger Pride Demo Team, recently traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to compete in a National Taekwondo competition. They were awarded with the 2014 Taekwondo United Demo Team National Championship, the highest honor.

The Tiger Pride team consists of 14 kids that range in age from 8 to 15. These students have shown tremendous dedication as they have practiced over the past 10 months to perfect a six-minute routine they performed at the competition. The Tiger Pride team competed against four other teams from California, Texas, Louisiana and North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating this team for their extraordinary efforts that led to their National Championship title.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Horseshoe Bend National Military Park on the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend took place during the War of 1812 in what is now known as Daviston, Alabama. On March 27, 1814, General Andrew Jackson led American troops into a day-long battle against a faction of the Creek Indians. Although the battle was trying, General Jackson and his troops defeated the Red Sticks.

March 27, 2014, will mark the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The area where the battle took place is now known as Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. From March 27th-29th, a celebration of the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend will be held. This event aims to recreate frontier life in the year 1814 and seeks to emphasize the importance of the battle in United States history. The Alabama Tourism Department named the event one of its Top Ten Events for 2014.

Mr. Speaker, please join me and the community of Daviston, Alabama, in celebrating the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

Mr. Speaker, with my Alabama delegation colleagues Robert Aderholt, Spencer Bachus, Mo Brooks, Bradley Byrne, Martha Roby, and Terri Sewell, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Charles D. McCrary. Mr. McCrary is retiring March 2014 from Alabama Power as the president and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. McCrary has served since October 25, 2001, as the 10th president and CEO of Alabama Power, which provides electricity to 1.4 million customers in Alabama. He joined Alabama Power during the summer of 1970 following his freshman year at Auburn University and has held various positions of increasing responsibility within Southern Company, including vice president for Southern Nuclear Operating Company, and later held the positions of president of Southern Company Generation, chief production officer of Southern Company and president of Southern Power Company.

Mr. McCrary was born in Birmingham in 1951. He graduated from Shades Valley High School and earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Auburn University, followed by a Juris Doctor from Birmingham School of Law and was admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 1979.

Mr. McCrary is married to the former Phyllis Brantley of Birmingham and the father of two sons, Doug and Alex.

Mr. McCrary has been an active leader in the community and state of Alabama while serving as chairman of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and on the boards of Regions Financial Corporation, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., Protective Life Corporation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Southern Research Institute and the Auburn University Board of Trustees.

Mr. McCrary has been a coalition builder and a leader in economic development for the region and state through his vision and commitment calling for greater cooperation between cities, counties and business leaders. He was instrumental in bringing several large industries,, to Alabama, including automotive, aerospace and steel manufacturers.

He implemented Target Zero, a safety program to ensure employees are properly trained and equipped to do their jobs safely, and the program has become a model for the utility industry. Mr. McCrary led the company and its customers through some of its greatest natural-disaster challenges, including Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which caused the largest number of outages in company history (825,701); Hurricane Katrina in 2005 with 636,891 outages; and the tornado disaster on April 27, 2011 with 412,000 outages. He made the decision to publicly announce restoration commitments after storms, a move that allowed the company to communicate to customers when they could expect to have power restored, making that practice standard today.

Mr. McCrary worked closely with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and managers to strengthen the relationship between the IBEW and management. He helped change the culture so management and labor have a mutual respect, creating a united front on behalf of all employees for various initiatives, including safety, employee morale and customer satisfaction and providing a business model throughout the industry.

Mr. Speaker, please join me and the entire Alabama Delegation in thanking Charles McCrary for his tireless dedication to Alabama Power. His service to our state is an inspiration. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Master Sergeant Shawn Edwards, a constituent of mine from Opelika, Alabama. MSgt Edwards is retiring June 1st from the United States Air Force after over 20 years of service.

MSgt Edwards began his career as a Security Forces member. He was responsible for guarding our nation's highest priority weapons. He spent ten years in this position with assignments in Grand Forks Air Force Base, Izmir Air Station in Turkey; and Kirtland Air Force Base. In 2003, he re-trained into the contracting career field. He has been responsible for the purchase and acquisition of supplies, services and construction to support the needs of the installation at which he is serving. As a contractor, he has served at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ramstein Air Base and Hurlburt Field. MSgt Edwards has also served his country in deployments to Camp Victory, Iraq, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan and Thumrait, Oman.

MSgt Edwards has served his country with honors for over 20 years. Some of these awards include: the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with four devices, the Air Force Achievement Medal with two devices, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Medal with one device, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one device, the Iraq Campaign Medal with one device, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal with one device and the NATO Medal.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Master Sergeant Shawn Edwards for his tireless dedication to serving America. His service to our state and country is an inspiration. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize a dear friend and former colleague of mine in the Alabama State House, DuWayne Bridges, for being named the 2013 Legislator of the Year by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs.

DuWayne Bridges is a resident of Valley, Alabama. He served our country as a member of the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam. He and his wife, Pat, have two children, DuWayne Jr. and Karen. They are the proud grandparents of nine children. DuWayne received his Bachelor's Degree from Faulkner University and his Master's Degree from Troy University. He is the owner of Bridges Travel Plaza in Cusseta, Alabama.

DuWayne is a past Vice Chairman for the Alabama State Department of Mental Health and was elected as Chambers County's 1996 Gentleman of the Year. In 2000, DuWayne was elected to represent Alabama's 38th District, which encompasses Lee and Chambers counties. He serves as the Chairman of the Military and Veterans' Committee in the State House, and also serves as a member of my Third District Veterans' Advisory Board.

On January 10th, DuWayne was recognized as the 2013 Legislator of the Year by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs. He was recognized for his support of several bills that will benefit Alabama's Veterans. Among those bills was the ``Heroes for Hire Act'' which provides a tax credit to employers who hire recently deployed Veterans.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating DuWayne for his dedication to Alabama's Veterans. His tireless service to our state and country is an inspiration to legislators everywhere. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors outside of the State House as he retires this year.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to honor Mr. James Richardson on the occasion of his 110th birthday.

Mr. Richardson was born January 2, 1904, in Eufaula, Alabama. He is the oldest of 11 siblings. Mr. Richardson spent his early years behind a plow on his father's farm. As he got older, he learned to drive a tractor to plow the fields.

Mr. Richardson has two sons. He currently lives at Parkwood Health Care Facility in Phenix City, where he remains happy and healthy. He takes no medications, and he even has a daily exercise regimen. He states attitude is everything, and he tells everyone around him to treat everybody right.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating Mr. James Richardson's 110th birthday. 110 years of life is something we all can aspire to, and I am so honored to have Mr. Richardson residing in Alabama's Third Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Horseshoe Bend National Military Park on the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

The Battle of Horseshoe Bend took place during the War of 1812 in what is now known as Daviston, Alabama. On March 27, 1814, General Andrew Jackson led American troops into a day-long battle against a faction of the Creek Indians. Although the battle was trying, General Jackson and his troops defeated the Red Sticks.

March 27, 2014, will mark the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The area where the battle took place is now known as Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. From March 27th-29th, a celebration of the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend will be held. This event aims to recreate frontier life in the year 1814 and seeks to emphasize the importance of the battle in United States history. The Alabama Tourism Department named the event one of its Top Ten Events for 2014.

Mr. Speaker, please join me and the community of Daviston, Alabama, in celebrating the bicentennial of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

Mr. Speaker, today we ask for the House's attention to honor Circuit Court Judge George R. Greene, who is retiring from his position as the Circuit Court Judge in Russell County.

In 1975, Judge Greene began serving in the Russell County District Attorney's office as the Assistant District Attorney. He served in the position for four years until 1979, when he was appointed District Judge in Russell County. Judge Greene served as District Judge for over 18 years, and he was elected to this position in three different elections. In 1998, Judge Greene was elected to serve Russell County as the Circuit Court Judge. He has held the office of Circuit Court Judge since that election.

Judge George R. Greene is one of the longest serving judges in the state of Alabama, having served 31 years in the Judicial 26th Circuit. He is also dedicated to his community, and he is known for his selfless public service. He is involved in numerous civic and state public service organizations. One of his initiatives was the establishment of the Cora Reid Greene Home for Children, which provides protection and housing for abused children in the Russell County Area.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Judge Greene for his tireless pursuit of justice in Russell County. Join me also in wishing him the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the FY14 National Defense Authorization Act, and H.R. 3304, the underlying bill that would waive the time limit for the President to consider awarding the Medal of Honor to a handful of American heroes, including Mr. Bennie Adkins of Opelika, Alabama, along with several other deserving veterans. While this honor has long been delayed, we thank them by this action today.

I would also like to thank the hardworking men and women at the Anniston Army Depot and all they do for our

men and women in uniform. This bill will help provide them and all of the installations in the Third District with the certainty they need in the coming years.

As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I will highlight some of the important oversight the FY14 NDAA includes.

First, this bill fully funds the B-61 Life Extension program. The bipartisan and bicameral Armed Services Committees agree this program is vital to our national security, our strategic deterrent, and the extended deterrence we provide to our allies in Europe and Asia.

I would also note the agreement makes clear that the Congress will not provide one penny to implement the New START Treaty reductions unless the administration first comes up here and tells us what it plans to do and gives us a chance to say whether or not we agree.

Secondly, this bill provides a $358 million increase above the President's budget for our missile defenses, including our cooperation with Israel.

This bill also includes important national security space provisions. It ensures the U.S. is not relying on space capabilities of the People's Republic of China, and it promotes more cost-effective procurement of commercial satellite services.

Mr. Speaker, we would not be here today without the leadership of Chairman Buck McKeon. I want to thank him for his leadership and all that he does for our men and women in service. I also want to thank my friend and ranking member, Jim Cooper of Tennessee, for his dedication and professionalism this year. With another year, we may even see eye to eye on SEC football; but I doubt it. I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of the FY14 National Defense Authorization Act, and H.R. 3304, the underlying bill that would waive the time limit for the president to consider awarding the Medal of Honor to a handful of American heroes including Mr. Bennie Adkins of Opelika, AL along with several other deserving veterans. While this honor has been delayed we thank them for their service today.

I would also like to thank the hard working men and women at the Anniston Army Depot and all that they do for our men and women in uniform. This bill will help provide them the certainty needed in the coming years.

As my colleagues before me have made clear, this bill is a vital piece of legislation for the men and women of our military.

General Dempsey warned the Congressional Leadership this past Monday of the consequences for national security if the Senate were to choose not to take up this legislation.

As the Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I would like to highlight the important things this bill does in the areas of missile defense, nuclear weapons, and national security space.

First, this bill fully funds the B61 Life Extension Program (LEP) at NNSA and the associated tail-kit funding at the Air Force.

The bipartisan and bicameral armed services committees agree with the Administration: the B61 LEP is absolutely vital to our national security, our strategic deterrent, and the extended deterrence we provide to allies in Europe and in Asia.

There is simply no good reason to change course in mid-stream on this LEP, and we would incur great risk if a decision was made to do so.

I would also note the agreement makes clear that the Congress will not provide one penny to implement the New START Treaty reductions unless the Administration comes up here first and tells us how it plans to do that and we get a chance to state whether we agree. That is how this process is supposed to work: the President proposes and the Congress disposes.

The NDAA includes several provisions to control costs, improve efficiency, and prioritize nuclear modernization programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

The Armed Services Committee has been pursuing much-needed reform at the NNSA for several years, and this bill will continue to advance toward the end goal of an effective and efficient nuclear enterprise.

In response to major and repeated security failures at NNSA nuclear facilities, including the shocking incursion by an octogenarian nun at one of the supposedly most secure nuclear sites in the world, the bill contains several measures to improve security at NNSA.

These measures include a requirement for the NNSA Administrator to annually certify the security of nuclear weapons, materials, and classified information and the creation of a new Center for Security Technology, Analysis, Response, and Testing.

We will continue to watch the security issue very carefully, and ensure that those responsible for past failures are held accountable.

This bill takes several important steps to ensure U.S. strategic forces remain a top priority.

It ensures the Air Force will maintain the capability to deploy multiple nuclear warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), should technical problems or deteriorating international relations require doing so, and restricts efforts to unnecessarily or arbitrarily reduce U.S. ICBM forces.

The bill also requires that the long-range standoff cruise missile currently under development has both nuclear and conventional variants; the bill provides the Air Force the flexibility to develop these variants in a cost-effective manner.

I also highlight Section 266 of the bill, which expresses a strong Sense of Congress that the OHIO-class replacement ballistic missile submarine program, in particular the common missile compartment of this program, must remain on track so that it delivers on-schedule to support our British allies.

Britain and the United States have been partners in sea-based strategic deterrence for decades, and we must fulfill our commitment to this essential ally.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to ensure there is no confusion with respect to Section 3112 of this bill.

This provision would create a Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation office within the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

This office is intended to bring some rigor to an agency that has regularly seen major nuclear facility construction projects hit with major cost increases.

My hope is that the office will lead to more accurate and timely cost estimates, and thereby help restore credibility to the NNSA.

Importantly, the purview of this office is not intended to cover the Naval Reactors program within NNSA.

Naval Reactors has a long history of program management excellence, and this new office is not meant to interfere with this success.

I have spoken to Chairman Mark Udall of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and he and I agree that this provision should have no impact at all on the function of the Naval Reactors office.

I will be working with Senator Udall and the NNSA to ensure there is no uncertainty about section 3112.

We both agree that if there is any such uncertainty, it will be clarified in the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act.

I also note Section 3117 of the bill would authorize the NNSA to carry out a ``modular'' approach to replacing critical plutonium capabilities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The replacement of these capabilities is at the core of President Obama's commitment to build a responsive nuclear infrastructure.

Further delay is unacceptable.

The Department of Defense has reviewed the modular approach, and the Nuclear Weapons Council has endorsed it.

The NNSA must begin executing this strategy immediately, and the Nuclear Weapons Council must ensure NNSA puts behind the effort the resources needed.

I understand a reprogramming proposal related to the plutonium strategy is still pending, and I will work with Chairman McKeon to continue to leverage this reprogramming to ensure NNSA begins executing this program immediately.

Second, this bill provides a $358 million increase above the President's budget for our missile defenses.

These funds are essential to reverse the damage done to our missile defenses under this Administration.

We have included authorization for a new homeland missile defense sensor and a new kill vehicle, as well as $20 million to continue the planning we started last year for the East Coast missile defense site.

Additionally, this bill includes funding for missile defense cooperation with our allies, including $188 million on top of the President's budget request for Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow missile defenses.

These increases are a reflection of the commitment of this nation to the security of our ally Israel.

And, it draws a line in the sand when it comes to allies entering into missile defense deals with China or in terms of the Obama Administration's efforts to induce Russia to join a missile defense deal.

The bill also includes important national security space provisions, such as a provision I authored to ensure the United States is not relying on space capabilities of the People's Republic of China; a provision to ensure the State Department is unable to proceed with an agreement to locate Russian satellite ground stations in the United States; and it promotes more cost-effective procurement of commercial satellite services.

This bill provides the continued support and advancement of critical national security space programs.

Our military forces have come to depend on space capabilities, such as missile warning, communications, and GPS.

Potential adversaries have taken note of strategic reliance on these systems, and they are developing a range of weapons to destroy and disable our satellites.

In response to these threats, the bill requires that an independent panel be established to review the U.S. space security and defense efforts, and provide recommended paths forward.

The bill also requires improved information sharing within the United States government concerning any intentional adversary counter-space actions against U.S. national security space systems.

Additionally, Section 220 and Section 915 provide support for the Operationally Responsive Space program, including responsive launch activities, to ensure that the Department is developing capabilities and means to respond to urgent warfighter space needs.

The Department's acquisition of commercial satellite services is in need of reform.

Over one billion dollars a year are spent on these services, and the Department currently procures them in the most inefficient manner possible, through one-year leases.

This year's NDAA directs the DoD to develop a strategy to enable multi-year procurement approaches and encourages the pursuit of a variety of methods to reduce cost and meet military requirements.

And our space capabilities would not be possible without an effective space launch program.

As the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program moves into the next phase, which is planned to be competitive, we will maintain close oversight to ensure the taxpayer's and warfighter's interests are protected. We can accept nothing less than the highest mission reliability when it comes to critical, multi-billion dollar national security space payloads.

Mr. Speaker, we would not be here today without the leadership of Chairman Buck McKeon.

I would like to thank him for his leadership and all that he does for the men and women of this country's armed services.

I would also like to thank my Ranking Member, Jim Cooper of Tennessee, for his dedication and professionalism this year.

While we may not see eye-to-eye on SEC football, he has been a pleasure to work with and I look forward to working with him to build on our successes this year in next year's bill.