Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the baptism of Dr. Frank Gaskill and his two children, Olivia and Maddox, of Charlotte, North Carolina, this past weekend. On May 6, at the Myers Park United Methodist Church, I was able to celebrate a member joining the church of faith.

Dr. Gaskill is a psychologist and author, who has dedicated his life to helping children with Asperger's. After earning his bachelor of arts, master's, and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he went on to develop a practice that has been recognized as one of the most creative, innovative, and best run practices in the United States.

I look forward to the positive impact Dr. Gaskill will continue to have, and I am overjoyed by his commitment to his faith.

Dr. Gaskill, as you begin this new part of your life, look to Psalm 37:3, which reminds us: ``Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill H.R. 4301, A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 Tom Hall Street, in Fort Mill, South Carolina, as the ``J. Elliot Williams Post Office Building.''

James Elliot Williams was born in Fort Mill, South Carolina and lived an extraordinary life, in service to our nation. James served in the United States Navy for 20 years. During his tenure, James served in and during the Cold

War, the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War.

One example of his heroic actions occurred during the Vietnam War, when he and his men fought off enemy combatants behind enemy lines for three hours in South Vietnam. Under James' leadership, the American Naval force, killed roughly one thousand Viet Cong guerrillas, destroyed over 60 vessels, and disrupted a major enemy logistic operation.

James retired on April 26, 1967 as the most highly decorated enlisted sailor in the history of the United States Navy. He was the recipient of multiple awards during his service in the Navy, including the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Korean Service Modal and the United Nations Service Medal and during his last seven months in the Navy, James received every sea-service award for heroism.

On May 14, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, in the name of Congress, presented James Elliot Williams the Medal of Honor. In the 20th century, three sailors of American Indian heritage received the medal--James was one of the three.

Mr. Speaker it is my privilege to put forth this legislation with the entire South Carolina delegation--to honor the life of service and sacrifice of James Elliot Williams.

Mr. Speaker, William Allen Newman, 64, received his reward in Heaven on February 15, 2018, after a brief illness.

He was the loving husband for 43 years of Lucia Woodward Newman. He was born on February 24, 1953, in Sumter and was a son of the late Lonnie

Cullen Newman, Sr., and Frances Pollard Newman.

Al attended Bethesda Church of God where he was the bass player for the praise team. He also played in the band known as ``Chief Complaint.''

Al was the administrator of Northwoods Senior Living, which was a ministry for people with chronic or similar illnesses. He spent his life in ministry serving others.

He graduated from Southern Methodist College with a degree in Christian ministries. He graduated from Wilson Hall in 1971. He spent his life working with the visually handicapped, mentally challenged, and the underprivileged, trying to make a difference in their lives.

Join me in welcoming William Allen Newman into Heaven.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell you that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is working. It is working in South Carolina's Fifth Congressional District, and it is working across the country. It is working for individuals and families who are seeing more money in their paychecks each month, and it is working for the companies that are investing the savings from tax reform into their employees.

Over the past few weeks, I have spoken with and visited the businesses of South Carolina that are putting these savings right back into the local communities. Early this month, LPL Financial announced that they will be investing these savings into their employees by increasing its 401(k) match to 75 percent and reducing the time for new hires to qualify for this match by 6 months.

As Congressman Wilson said, this personally touches 2,000 constituents in the Fifth District of South Carolina. That is 2,000 more families that now have a greater opportunity to save and see the light of a brighter future ahead.

Mr. Speaker, just today, I visited a UPS store in Gaffney, South Carolina. Because of tax reform, UPS has announced over $12 billion in investments and an increase in pension funding.

During my UPS visit, I put on a uniform and assisted a delivery driver during a ride-along. I heard directly from the hardworking employees about how this news will impact them and all of their loved ones.

I don't think I speak just for myself when I say that we want jobs to come and stay in America. We want businesses to expand and to hire people in our communities. By reducing tax rates and simplifying the Tax Code, we are allowing companies to make these investments in their employees, in their communities, and in growing their businesses.

I look forward to continued opportunities to learn, see, and talk about the success of this tax reform. We promised fairer taxes, higher wages, and more jobs. As Congressman Wilson says, we have delivered.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight a pro-life pregnancy center in my own district, the Palmetto Women's Center.

The Palmetto Women's Center is focused on uniting hope, health, and healing to women as they bring a child into their family. The center provides women with pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, Biblical counseling, education from nurses, connections within the community for access to resources, and much, much more. For example, the center partners with the Rock Hill Salvation Army to ensure that soon-to-be mothers can have access to maternity clothing and baby supplies.

The Palmetto Women's Center will be able to reach more women in my district as they begin operating in their new mobile unit. This will allow the staff of the center to travel throughout the district and provide women with the center's free services.

Palmetto Women's Center is working to lower the number of abortions in South Carolina and supporting women as they choose life for their children. I

applaud the work that pro-life pregnancy centers are doing, and I will continue to be an advocate for them and for life.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Reichert for his work on this.

As Chairman Brady said, this is very important. I have a lot of manufacturers in my district who really can't get parts in this country and they depend on other countries, and it is vital that they remain competitive. So I thank Chairman Reichert for his work on this.

I rise today to support the reauthorization of the Generalized System of Preferences program, or GSP.

In 2016, job creators and producers in my State saved $16 million on $422 million worth of imports. In 2017, producers in my State saved $17 million on GSP imports through reduced tariffs. These savings translate directly to how much companies can reinvest in their businesses and their employees.

GSP also provides the executive branch with effective enforcement strategies to make sure the United States is not being taken advantage of in trade deals.

President John F. Kennedy once said: ``A rising tide lifts all boats.''

This is the opportunity before us today. We can support American prosperity while helping lift others out of poverty.

I urge support of this bill, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 1153, the Mortgage Choice Act of 2017.

This bipartisan legislation is essential to help low- and middle- income families gain access to qualified mortgages. I commend Chairman Hensarling and Congressman Huizenga for their work on shepherding this bill through the legislative process.

Policymaking is complex, and Congress and Federal regulators do not always get it right. We need to sometimes make changes to address new issues and unintended consequences that arise.

As we have seen for the past few years, the Dodd-Frank Act--and let me add that there are many of us in the real estate business and on bank boards who saw the effects of Dodd-Frank not allowing banks to go into the communities that need them the most--contains certain provisions that fit one or both of these categories and must be changed through legislative action.

One of these policies is the CFPB's qualified mortgage, or QM, rule. The QM rule is intended to protect lenders from legal liability and provide compliance certainty for mortgage loans that are low risk and meet certain criteria. One of those criterion requires a mortgage loan's total points and fees not to be in excess of 3 percent of the loan's value.

Unfortunately, the points and fees rule often depends on who is making the loan and how title insurance is obtained, which is confusing for both consumers and businesses providing these services. Also, as has been mentioned, insurance premiums held in escrow are considered points and fees under the QM rule, which is ridiculous. That is like saying that a parent who puts money in for a 529 savings plan for his children's education is a car payment or a mortgage payment. It doesn't make sense, but it discourages consumers from using this important financial management tool.

H.R. 1153 would address these unintended consequences and provide clarity for borrowers and businesses. I am also confident that the CFPB, under the leadership of Mick Mulvaney, will ensure that this clarification is effectively implemented if this bill is enacted into law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense fix so that we can get the policy right and address the unintended consequences arising from the future rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart. In the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 16, four law enforcement officers were ambushed while responding to a domestic call in York County, South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, Detective Mike Doty, who had been with the York County Sheriff's Office for 12 years, was slain in the line of duty.

Today, Detective Doty will be laid to rest, and our hearts grieve and mourn at the loss of one of our bravest. Our hearts especially ache for all his loved ones: James, Katherine, Joshua, Patricia, Michelle, Christina, Diana, Shane, and his twin brother, Chris, who served with him. They will continue to remain in our prayers.

In the Gospel of Matthew 5:4, we are told that God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. May we take solace in this verse and always remember that the Lord is with us.

May God bless the family of Michael Doty.

Madam Speaker, as a father of 4 and now 16 grandchildren, I strongly support the sanctity of human life, and I believe that life begins at conception. Madam Speaker, a person is a person, no matter how small.

Whether a baby is still in the womb, if a child is born prematurely, or even if a child is born alive following an attempting abortion, they still have a life that is worth protecting.

Therefore, I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 4712, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, sponsored by my good friend, Representative Marsha Blackburn. This bill will be do so much to protect our most vulnerable. I will continue to support legislation and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support my amendment to H.R. 3326, the World Bank Accountability Act. I also want to thank the chairman of the full committee and Andy Barr, who is the subcommittee chairman, for introducing this legislation and working with me on this amendment.

The purpose of the underlying bill is simple: to ensure that the World Bank is effective in supporting projects abroad that work and actually reduce poverty. One aspect of the bill requires that the U.S. may withhold part of its funding from the World Bank unless the Treasury Department reports that the World Bank is emphasizing proven antipoverty solutions such as secure property rights, due process under the law, and economic freedom.

My amendment would make a small and positive change to the bill which clarifies that the World Bank should also focus on reducing government barriers to entrepreneurship in addition to the other requirements.

This simple modification is important for a couple of reasons:

First, multiple studies have found that entrepreneurship is an essential part of reducing poverty abroad because it gives people the ability to use their skills and God-given talents to foster innovation and create jobs in their individual communities. Foreign governments often create barriers to entrepreneurship through excessive fees, burdensome licensing requirements, and lengthy permitting processes.

Second, this modification is consistent with United States foreign policy, which, in part, is to promote market solutions to international poverty. This will ensure that individuals will have the capability to pull themselves out of poverty without excessive barriers put up by their government, ultimately improve the efficiency of United States development assistance and improve the economic situation in impoverished nations.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment. I appreciate the committee's willingness to work with me on this issue.

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

Mr. Speaker, Tuesday, January 2, 2018, is a great day for the mayor of Tega Cay, South Carolina.

Let me read the proclamation:

``Whereas, serving as an elected official in local government requires sacrifice, passion, and dedication; and

``Whereas, as George C. Sheppard was elected as the mayor of the city of Tega Cay on November 10, 2009, after serving 2 years as the city's mayor pro tempore; and

``Whereas, Mayor Sheppard faithfully and dutifully served as the city's mayor for 8 years; and

``Whereas, during his two terms as mayor, the city of Tega Cay prospered and solidified its place in the region.''

Mayor Sheppard, Godspeed in your retirement, and thank you for your service to the great city of Tega Cay, South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hensarling for yielding. This really isn't that complicated. The JCPOA is a failed policy that was put up by a President who had no interest in protecting this country as it should be. President Trump is finally bringing this back to this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4324, the Strengthening Oversight of Iran's Access to Finance Act. This important legislation is critical to hold Iran accountable and ensure the integrity of U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Roger Williams for his great work on this legislation. The Iran deal allows the United States to license the sale of passenger aircraft to Iran to update their civilian commercial airliner fleet. Despite the deal, Iran's behavior has not changed, and they still remain a principal state sponsor of international terrorism, a direct contributor in propping up the Syrian regime, and a major facilitator of money laundering.

However, enabling commercial aircraft sales could only fortify Iran's rogue behavior. Many, including the Department of Treasury, are concerned that commercial aircraft could be used for noncivilian purposes, considering the state-controlled airline, Iran Air, has facilitated Iran's destabilization of Syria by transporting missile and rocket components to the Syrian regime.

Justice Louis Brandeis once stated that, ``Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants,'' and that is what this legislation seeks to do. It simply adds a crucial layer of reporting requirements, certifying that the sale of passenger aircraft does not pose a money laundering risk or violate U.S. sanctions.

Iranian continues to threaten the stability of the Middle East, and it poses a threat to U.S. national interests. Holding Iran accountable and preventing them from continuing to destabilize Syria should not be controversial at all.

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully urge all of my colleagues to strongly support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise and note the celebration that we will be having not only for the birth of Christ for the month of December, but on December 10, this coming Sunday, I will celebrate the First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, under the leadership of Reverend Steve Hogg.

Let me give you a little background on the church and on Reverend Hogg. Reverend Hogg was born on January 14, 1958, in Roxana, Kentucky. I think his birthday will signify his 60th in January. He married Monieca on March 27, 1982. They have two children, Steven and Jacqueline.

The history of his service began in February of 1977 to November of 1977, where he was bus minister of the First Baptist Church in Whitesburg, Kentucky. From there he went to the Summer Missionary, First Baptist Church, from 1977 to 1980 and 1983. He was pastor of the Colson Baptist Mission from November of 1977 to March of 1984.

He then went and served as pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church from March of 1984 to December of 1987, where he began his ministry in the First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in December of 1987.

Let me just give you a couple of milestones for the church. First Baptist Church relocated in April of 2004 to an 84,000 square-foot phase 1 facility on 52 acres of land near I-77. Let me tell you, as a developer, we were involved in that area, and there were no shopping centers when the church moved out there. There were no hotels when the church moved there. There were no gas stations where the church moved. They literally moved out in an area of town on faith that this area was going to be where the church wanted to grow, and grow it has.

The church budget has increased from $490,000 to $2,637,000. They have had over 1,500 baptisms. They sponsored the first African-American congregation for membership in the York

Baptist Association. They sponsored a second African-American congregation for membership in the York Baptist Association.

Reverend Hogg has had a long and distinguished service to our State and country. He has served as president under the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 1993 to 1994. He served as the second vice president in 1992 to 1993. He has been chairman of the United Christian Baccalaureate Planning Committee. He has served on the executive committee of the Billy Graham Carolinas Crusade. He is a charter member of the city of Rock Hill No Room for Racism Board. He is the cofounder and State codirector of Changing South Carolina which led a movement to ban video poker.

The activities of the church that he has started include many contemporary worship services, the intercessory prayer ministry, and a ministry for the deaf. He started the television broadcasts of morning services, and he has live-streaming of the worship services. He has conducted eight capital fund campaigns. I could go on and on.

It has been such a pleasure seeing this church grow. I forgot to mention that when they decided to move to this new area of town, he didn't go with just a simple majority for the board of directors of the First Baptist Church. It had to be 80 percent or greater. How democratic is that?

It has been said that to be successful, you must have three things. You must have a self worth living with, you must have a work worth living for, and you must have a faith worth living by. Reverend Hogg has demonstrated he has had a successful life, and he continues to have a successful life. Godspeed for the First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, December is a special month. We celebrate the birth of Christ, but we are also celebrating a church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, that has done amazing things. It is a 30-year celebration for the First Baptist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It is also celebrating a pastor that has stood the test of time. He has done amazing things at this church.

Let me tell you what has occurred over the past 30 years.

The church relocated in April 2004 to an 84,000-square-foot facility. It was 52 acres of land. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you, when the First Baptist Church made that move, the land out there was a forest. You didn't see the shopping centers, you didn't see the fast food, you didn't see the service stations and the clothing stores that are there now. They took a chance on faith.

I remember when the board took that vote, it wasn't a simple majority. They had to have an 80 percent-plus in agreement of the board to locate there. If that is not democracy, I don't know what is.

The budget was $490,000. It increased $2,637,800.

They have had over 1,500 baptisms.

They sponsored the first African-American congregation for membership in the York Baptist Association in 1994.

They sponsored a second African-American congregation for membership in the York Baptist Association in 2017.

Let me tell you about Pastor Hogg.

Pastor Hogg was born on January 14, 1958. He was born in Roxana, Kentucky. He was baptized and ordained in the First Baptist Church of Whitesburg, Kentucky. He has been pastor of the Bethel Baptist Church. He has been pastor of the Colson Baptist Mission. He has been the summer missionary at the First Baptist Church. And he has been the bus minister at the First Baptist Church in Kentucky.

Some of the honors and offices that he has devoted his time and talent to have been the South Carolina Baptist Convention, where he was president from 1993 to 1994. He was president of the Pastor's Conference. He was chairman of the United Christian Baccalaureate Planning Committee. He was on the Billy Graham Carolinas Crusade Executive Committee. He was a charter member of the city of Rock Hill No Room for Racism Committee.

Some of the new things he has started while at First Baptist Church in Rock Hill were the contemporary worship service, deaf ministry, women and men's ministries, television broadcasts of morning worship services, live streaming of worship services, Sunbeams Day School, and conducted eight capital fund campaigns.

Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on, but these 30 years are something to remember. It is something that ought to be a milestone for the church--and it is. If anybody has stood the test of time, it has been Steve Hogg and the First Baptist Church, and I commend the congregation. It is a great day for our State and it is a great day for America. God bless America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of H.R. 1699. I spent 40 years of my career developing land and actually buying manufactured housing, which makes it possible for families who cannot afford a stick-built home, in many cases, to be able to buy a manufactured house. I have seen firsthand the critical role that manufactured housing plays in the development of local communities and the ability for a family to buy their first home.

As we have seen far too often, regulatory overreach by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has impeded and stopped, in many cases, the ability for consumers to receive financing for manufactured housing, and has placed unnecessary requirements on retailers. This legislation addresses this overreach by making commonsense reforms to increase the availability and financing for manufactured housing, while maintaining important protections for consumers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.