Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read to you a letter from a woman named Katherine from Levelland. Katherine's daughter, Taylor, has an aggressive form of childhood cancer, which requires treatments in Lubbock and Houston.

Katherine writes:

Along with the expense of her medical treatments, we have

the expense of keeping an apartment in Houston and traveling

back and forth. My husband owns a small car dealership in

Levelland, and we have a private insurance policy. We have

had this policy for over 4 years, and we were devastated to

find out that Taylor's policy is now being canceled.

President Obama said, If you're one of the 250 million Americans who already has health insurance, you will get to keep your own health insurance.

Unfortunately, we have not been given the choice to keep Taylor's health insurance. I wanted you to know our story so that when you are in Washington you can share it with others.

I wish that Katherine and Taylor's story were unique; but, unfortunately, I receive dozens of emails from constituents who tell me about lost coverage, lower benefits, and higher premiums. They are looking for us to make it right.

I will do everything in my power to fix this so as to ensure that mothers

like Katherine don't have to worry about losing critical coverage for their families.

Mr. Speaker, last week we learned even more distressing news about our economy: the labor force participation rate is the lowest since 1979, during Jimmy Carter's Presidency.

We refuse to settle for a ``new normal.'' Americans deserve better. And how do the President and Democrats in Congress plan to make things better? Well, they still insist on the full implementation of ObamaCare, which its own authors already describe as a ``train wreck.''

But the House is working to dismantle this unworkable law, and we're taking another major step this week. We are introducing legislation that will prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in the distribution of ObamaCare subsidies.

House Republicans will continue to work to protect Americans from the harmful effects of this law. It's all part of our plan to foster a strong economy and a more structured and secure future for all.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1155) to reform the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers, as amended, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 1155, as amended, currently under consideration.

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

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this important piece of insurance regulatory reform legislation today.

The most serious regulatory challenges facing insurance agents and brokers are redundant, costly, and sometimes contradictory requirements that arise when they seek licenses on a multistate basis. It has become clear that the main cause of these problems is the failure of many States to issue licenses on a truly reciprocal basis.

On average, multistate agents sell insurance in eight States. That means eight different applications, eight different procedures for admittance, eight separate background checks, and a multitude of inconsistent standards and duplicative processes. These requirements are not only costly and inefficient, but they hinder the ability of insurance agents and brokers to effectively address the needs of their consumers.

Congress recognized the need to reform the insurance industry's licensing system back in 1999 when it incorporated the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers subtitle into the Gramm- Leach-Bliley Act. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act did not provide for the immediate establishment of NARAB and instead included a series of provisions to encourage States to simplify the licensing process.

Unfortunately, the original NARAB that was passed in 1999 did not work. National nonresident licensing reciprocity has not been achieved, and the burden on insurance agents and brokers and the impact this burden directly has on consumers remains. Despite the best efforts of many stakeholders at making State-level improvements, it has become clear that true licensing reciprocity can be achieved only through additional congressional action.

The bill we are considering today, H.R. 1155, the NARAB Reform Act-- or as it is commonly referred, NARAB II--modifies the original NARAB provisions in Gramm-Leach-Bliley and immediately establishes NARAB as a private, nonprofit entity managed by a board composed of eight insurance regulators and five marketplace representatives. NARAB II provides for nonresident insurance agent and broker licensing while preserving the rights of States to supervise and discipline insurance agents and brokers. Overall, this legislation would benefit policyholders by increasing marketplace competition and consumer choice, and by enabling insurance producers to more quickly and responsively serve the needs of their consumers.

I'd like to thank my colleague from Georgia (Mr. David Scott) who introduced this piece of legislation with me earlier this year.

This bill has almost 90 bipartisan cosponsors and is supported by groups such as the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, and major insurance company trades. The legislation has passed this Chamber by voice vote twice before, and the Senate Banking Committee unanimously approved an identical companion legislation.

I ask that my colleagues support this practical and needed insurance regulatory reform by voting for the NARAB Reform Act.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Congress of the United States,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, September 9, 2013.

Hon. Jeb Hensarling,

Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Hensarling, I am writing concerning H.R.

1155, the ``National Association of Registered Agents and

Brokers Reform Act,'' which was referred to your Committee.

As you know, H.R. 1155, contains provisions within the

Committee on the Judiciary's Rule X jurisdiction. As a result

of your having consulted with the Committee and in order to

expedite the House's consideration of H.R. 1155, the

Committee on the Judiciary will not assert its jurisdictional

claim over this bill by seeking a sequential referral.

However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding and

agreement that doing so will in no way diminish or alter the

jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary with respect

to the appointment of conferees or to any future

jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in

the bill or similar legislation.

I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming

this understanding, and would request that you include a copy

of this letter and your response in the Congressional Record

during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you in

advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Bob Goodlatte

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett), the chairman of our Capital Markets Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fincher).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Radel).

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

I yield myself the balance of my time.

I also want to thank the gentleman from Georgia. He has worked tirelessly on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, what I think is nice about this issue is that it's bipartisan. It's a good piece of legislation in that it doesn't expand government, and it doesn't cost the taxpayers any money. Ultimately, I think it's going to bring better choices for consumers and, I hope, for our small business people across the country. For example, in my congressional district, it is closer to three or four other States than it is to some of the cities that are within my State, for example, from Walipp to within a hundred miles of Colorado and within 100 miles of Oklahoma and Colorado and these other States. Basically, we have a lot of insurance agencies and agents who now will have the ability to do business in multiple States in a less cumbersome way, so I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bill.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, due to an unforeseen death in my family, I was absent for rollcall votes 287-290. Had I been present, I would have voted:

``Yea,'' rollcall No. 287 H.R. 2383. To designate the new Interstate Route 20 bridge over the Mississippi River connecting St. Louis, Missouri, and southwestern Illinois as the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge

``Yea,'' rollcall No. 288 H.R. 1092. To designate the air traffic control center located in Nashua, New Hampshire, as the Patricia Clark Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center.

``Yea,'' rollcall No. 289. On Ordering the Previous Question.

``Yea,'' rollcall No. 290. Providing for consideration of H.R. 1613, Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act; providing for consideration of H.R. 2231, Offshore Energy and Jobs Act; and providing for consideration of H.R. 2410, making appropriations for Agriculture, FY 2014.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman.

I rise in strong support of this amendment. In fact, part of the language of a bill that I had introduced is incorporated in this bill, and I appreciate the gentleman for including that.

What is this amendment about? It's about making sure that people that are on these programs qualify for them. That they're not automatically put on them because they're on some other program. It's also about reducing duplicative programs in the government, such as nutrition education and job training. We have job training in other programs.

But more importantly, what the American people understand is that our entitlement programs are growing at an unsustainable rate, and so we need to make sure that people that are on food stamps are actively looking for work. I don't think anybody argues with that.

The second thing is making sure that people that are on this program are the people that need it, and secondly, that qualify for it.

So this is a commonsense amendment and the American taxpayers deserve this kind of accountability. Anything less is unacceptable.

I thank the chairman, and I rise in support of H.R. 1947, the FARRM Bill.

This is a win-win. This is a win for the American people because they're going to continue to get the safest and cheapest food in the world.

It's a win for farmers and ranchers all across the country because now they will have a 5-year farm bill that will give them policy to make the important decisions they need to make to run their businesses and their farms and ranches.

And more importantly it's a win-win for the American people because this brings $40 billion worth of savings at a time when we're running trillion-dollar deficits.

There's been a lot of discussion about what this bill does and doesn't do. This bill does bring reform, reforming over 100 different programs. What this bill doesn't do is take one benefit away from a SNAP recipient who's qualified for that.

What we find is there's been some gamesmanship in this program. What we owe the American people is to make sure that the people who are on these benefits that are very timely for some folks, but make sure that they qualify for it. So those people that want to say this takes money away or food away from families, that's just not true.

I urge you to support this reform bill. It's good for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1256.

One of the things that I think people demand out of their government is transparency and regular order, and one of the things about this bill is there has been a lot of transparency and a lot of debate and discussion about it.

In fact, this bill was marked up in the previous Congress, both in the House Agriculture Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. You would have thought we would have just brought that bill back here and put it on suspension. That's not what's happening. It was sent back to the House Financial Services Committee and the House Agriculture Committee.

In fact, during that process in the Financial Services Committee, some issues that Mr. Frank, the ranking member of last year, brought up were incorporated into this markup. When it was over in the House Agriculture Committee--and I have the opportunity to sit on both of those committees--some changes that were recommended by the ranking member, Collin Peterson, were incorporated into that bill. In fact, that bill passed on voice vote in the House Agriculture Committee.

Mr. Kildee offered some language that would limit the bill to the nine largest swap jurisdictions as was alluded to earlier. Those were incorporated into this bill.

The ranking member of the full committee did bring up an amendment, and interestingly enough some of her own Members did not support that amendment.

So what I would say about H.R. 1256 is that it's going to bring some certainty to a very uncertain process. The fact that it has been 3 years and these two agencies have not been able to come together and come out with a common rule doesn't make sense. I think it's one of the things that frustrates people about government, that two different agencies would have different rules about the same thing.

Then I think the third thing, too, as was alluded to by the chairman, is that these are important markets to our businesses, whether they be large or small. They rely on foreign participants to come into the markets and provide opportunities to hedge, whether it's crops or ingredients in the manufacturing process.

Basically, what we're doing is we're saying that the SEC and the CFTC still have the authority that was given to them in the original Dodd- Frank bill, but we need some harmonization not only within those agencies, but with the other countries that are involved in regulating the foreign entities, as well.

Mr. Speaker, it's the job of this Congress to pass a responsible budget that protects our seniors and offers a future for our generations to come, the same future that you and I enjoy today.

Like Goldilocks, the American people have three choices:

We have the Senate Democratic plan, which raises taxes, increases spending, and never balances. That's too much government.

Then we have the President's plan, which--wait. No. We don't have the President's plan yet, although it was due last month. He keeps talking about a balanced approach, but he leaves out one key component in his budget. It doesn't actually balance. That's not governing at all.

Finally, we have the House Republican plan, which takes a balanced approach to deficit reduction and job growth. A balanced budget isn't some fairytale. It's not just another Washington talking point. It offers real results for the American people. It will grow our economy, it will create 5 million new jobs, and it would increase the median income for Americans to over $80,000.

Republicans are offering a middle way to move forward, and I think the American people will find that this proposal is just right.

I thank the gentleman. It is indeed an honor and a privilege for me to participate in this recognition of our colleague but, more importantly, my friend, Sam Johnson.

You know, when I got to Congress, you get to know people, and particularly because Sam was in the Texas delegation, and people started saying, they'd say you know Sam's story, and they would begin to tell me a few things about Sam Johnson. So some of the things that you're hearing tonight are things you would have never heard from Sam Johnson because Sam doesn't talk about what he does. He just goes about doing the right thing.

In fact, he's got a history of serving this country. When you think about Sam Johnson, you think about service. You know, a lot of people serve. Sam has served in our military. He served in our Texas House, and now in the United States Congress, but not everybody serves with equal sacrifice. And when you think about Sam Johnson's life, you think about sacrifice.

How I learned more about Sam was an interesting trip that I took with

then-Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert. We flew to Vietnam to be one of the first delegations to have a Speaker of the House be in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam war. And so I decided on that trip that I would read Sam's book. So all of the way over there, I read Sam's book, and it was just by fate that I read the last page as we landed in Hanoi.

Tears streamed down from my eyes as I had been on this journey that Sam takes you through his book of sacrifice and pain, but also a man that had faith. And it was his faith that he relied on on a daily basis, and his commitment to his country and his commitment to those who were with him, and the fortitude that he showed of taking those sometimes daily beatings, and this quietness of solitude. As we landed there, I was thinking about Sam and his spending 7 years in those conditions and then coming back home.

But as you read that book, what you also know is another hero, and Sam would be quick to point out, and that was his wife, Shirley, who never gave up hope, never gave up on Sam because she knew the Sam Johnson that we've been talking about tonight. She knew that Sam wouldn't go down easy.

Sam, we're so proud of you and so glad to serve with you. One of the memorable points of that trip is just a few months before that, Sam himself had traveled back to Hanoi, the first time since he had left, and he had signed the guest book just a few pages over:

Sam Johnson back again, where I spent 7 years of my life.

It was an honor for me to sign just a few pages over. For a great American hero but, more importantly, for a great friend: God bless you, Sam Johnson, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bobby Moegle, a coaching legend from Lubbock, Texas. Coach Moegle was recently inducted into the 2012 Class of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame for his outstanding coaching career and contributions to the community.

Coach Moegle was the first baseball coach Monterey High School hired and he kept that title for the next 40 years. His career record was an astounding 1,115-267. He won four state championships in 1972, 1974, 1981 and 1996. Additionally, his teams won 33 district championships. In 1972 he was named the National Baseball Coach of the Year.

Players respected Coach Moegle both on and off the field. More than 100 of his players made it to the collegiate level and 20 signed professional contracts. Coach Moegle built a baseball program on the High Plains that was the envy of the region. His teams were usually considered to be among the best mentally and physically prepared on the baseball field. Their intense practices and weight training programs paid dividends in the form of consistent winning seasons.

Beyond his winning record, Coach Moegle was a great mentor for his players and students. He is still very highly respected in the Lubbock community and across Texas. Many of his former players acknowledge the skills and habits they learned under Coach Moegle prepared them for the many challenges of life that came after high school.

Mr. Speaker please join me in recognizing Coach Moegle for his outstanding coaching career. Monterey High School and the City of Lubbock were truly blessed to have someone of the character and integrity of Coach Moegle to teach our kids the lessons of baseball and life for so many years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American hero, Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle, who, unfortunately, was killed on February 2. Normally, you would think that this would be honoring a soldier who was killed in action. Unfortunately, Chris Kyle gave his life while trying to help a fellow soldier who was dealing with some big issues.

And so today my colleagues and I want to spend the next hour honoring the life and the sacrifice that Chris Kyle did and gave for his country.

This is a difficult time for me, not only to honor Chris like this, but Chris

Kyle was not only a Navy SEAL hero, but he was also a personal friend of myself and my family. And our warmest wishes and prayers and thoughts go out to Taya and the family in this difficult time.

Now, this will be a time today where we're going to reflect on Chris' life. And we had a tremendous outpouring of people who wanted to share stories about Chris, and we're going to share some of those.

I know Chris would have wanted this also not to be necessarily about him, but for the country that he fought for and believed in and loved so dearly. Chris was all American. Everything he did, his service to his country, was about his love for the country.

Not only did Chris love his country, he loved his family. He loved his friends and he loved his wife and children. So I wanted to talk just a little bit about Chris' career.

Chris spent 11 years as a member of SEAL Team 3, and of course his record is nothing but superb. He retired in 2009, and when he retired he had 255 kills, with 160 of those confirmed by the Pentagon, making him the most lethal sniper in American history. And one thing about that is that Chris was very unassuming.

I remember knowing a little bit about his background, but then meeting Chris for the first time and how humble he was and how down to earth he was, and he really didn't talk about records. He talked about people, and he talked about what his job was was to protect his fellow soldiers.

His ability in the battlefield was unmatched. His longest shot came in 2008 when he identified an enemy insurgent that was about to launch a rocket near an Army convoy. From 1.2 miles away, he fired his .338 Lapua Magnum rifle and killed the insurgent, potentially saving the lives of countless Americans.

Chris was awarded countless honors for his service. He earned two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation.

He was admired by people all over the country. And on this Monday, about 7,000 or 8,000 people gathered in the Dallas Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, Texas, to come and pay their respects for Chris Kyle. It was a great loss for our country. It was a great loss for his friends and family. They weren't just honoring an American hero. They were also honoring a husband, a father, a son, a team member, a comrade.

Chris was a born-and-bred Texas son and a devout Christian. He is survived by his wife, Taya, and two children, whom he loved and cared for deeply. In fact, he made the decision to leave the Navy in 2009 just so he could spend more time with his family at home.

After retiring from the Navy, Chris founded Craft International, a military and law enforcement training company. He also was intricately involved in numerous charities, including cofounding FITCO Cares Foundation, and other charitable events benefiting wounded and disabled servicemen and -women returning from combat.

He also wrote The New York Times bestseller, entitled, ``American Sniper,'' which chronicled his time as a SEAL sniper. Chris donated the proceeds to the families of some of the comrades that died with him in combat.

These examples really show that his sense of service was genuine and deep. He lived by the motto, ``It is our duty to serve those who serve us.'' It is our duty now as American citizens to remember this young man who served so bravely, to pray for his family in a time of mourning. America lost one of its finest sons and a true patriot. We keep Chris and his family in our thoughts and prayers, and we ask God to look after them.

We also pray for his friend, Chad Littlefield, who was killed alongside Chris, and for his family.

I am honored to have known Chris, and while he left this Earth at a young age, we know that God is watching over him.

Before I yield, I wanted to just make one point about the book that Chris wrote, ``American Sniper.'' It was a great book, and it really chronicled the sacrifice and the conditions that a lot of our men and women are under while they serve.

But what was also an important part of that book was that Taya would chronicle, from time to time, what it was like to be serving alongside Chris in a different capacity, and that is the spouse of one of our deployed men and women, and the pressures and all of the things that are involved in that and the stresses and the separation. And I think it was a great tribute to Chris and Taya to share that intimacy with us so that we could come to greater appreciate his service and her service to our country.

It is now my pleasure to recognize another gentleman from Texas, who Chris lived in his congressional district, Mr. Barton.

I thank the gentleman.

One of the things about Kyle is, you said he wasn't a public figure. Kyle was pretty unassuming. Sometimes people wanted to talk about these records that he had accumulated. Chris would always kind of shake that off. He said:

My service wasn't about trying to get a record. My service

was trying to help my country, and my job was to make sure

that the bad guys didn't get my guys.

I think that's the kind of man that he was.

One of the things that the gentleman mentioned was regarding the motorcade from Dallas yesterday to Austin, to the Texas State Cemetery. I saw some of the video of that, and it was just amazing, the patriotism all along that almost 200-mile trek of people that wanted to express their appreciation. Many of them never met Chris Kyle, but they knew what he stood for and what he meant.

As we go along, before I recognize another great patriot from Texas, I was going to read some of the emails that have been pouring in to me. This is one from Jim DeFelice, who is a coauthor of the ``American Sniper'' book with Chris. He sent an email, and I will read just a little of it. He said:

Of my many memories of Chris, perhaps this one sums up the

kind of man he was: On the morning of Hurricane Sandy, as I

was going out to check on the damage to our house in the

neighborhood, I received a text message from him asking if I

was okay and if we needed anything. Even though he was over

2,000 miles away, I knew that if I asked for help he would

have thrown a bag in the back of his pickup and driven up

within the hour. It was that kind of spirit, in everything he

did, that made Chris a great warrior, a great SEAL and a

great American. I am grateful to have known him.

It is now my honor to recognize Mr. Gohmert, the gentleman from Texas, for words he might want to speak.

I thank the gentleman, and I think the point that you make is extremely important about our families. As Members of Congress, we get an opportunity and many occasions to travel to the theater and to thank those men and women that are deployed and for their outstanding service to their country.

I know that my colleagues also do the same thing I do; that is, when you're around their families, you understand and they understand that this is a team sport. It's those families that support our military folks back home and keep the homefront going while our men and women go and do the job we ask them to do, which is an important part of making sure America has a strong defense.

I got an anonymous email from a person that wanted to express their thoughts about Chris. He says:

When veterans asked for help or wanted to meet with him,

Chris made time for them. When children needed him, he made

time for them. The week before he died, his wife was

marveling at how he could make time for so many different

aspects of his work while making time for his family and

still squeezing in time for children and veterans in need. He

shrugged and let this simple reply speak volumes of his

character, ``Kids and vets, right, babe?''

Chris was working hard, juggling many different things to make a living for his family. He worked hard mostly because he had already made the decision to give away more money than he had earned in his lifetime in order to support the families of the fallen. I think that says a lot about Chris. Chris wasn't caught up in material things. He wasn't caught up in honors. Every day, Chris had a servant's spirit

It is now my honor to recognize another great Texan, my neighbor to the south, Mr. Conaway.

I thank the gentleman.

If Chris were here and were standing next to me, I think one of the things he would say is, Randy, you need to talk about my team members.

He was a Navy SEAL. If you read the book or if you talk to a Navy SEAL--and I've visited with Chris--the SEAL team members, because of the things that they do together, have to trust each other explicitly. He lost some of his team members while they were serving our country. He grieved over that, and he thought about them a lot.

One of his teammates sent me an email that reads:

Chris Kyle is an American hero who will be sorely missed by

his brothers in arms, the great State of Texas, and the

entire United States of America. For the last week, we have

mourned his death, but I ask you today to take joy in his

life, to truly appreciate the time he was with us; and may we

continue Chris' legacy of service unto one another and

support our wounded veterans who are battling with PTSD.

Thank you to everyone for their support and prayers. God

bless America.

Now it's my pleasure to recognize the gentlewoman from the Fort Worth area, Ms. Granger from Texas, who has spent a lot of her career in Congress helping to make sure that our soldiers have the things that they need and supporting them.

I thank the gentlewoman.

As was mentioned, after Chris left the SEAL team, he went to Texas, and they formed a company called Craft International. The CEO of that company is a gentleman by the name of Steven Young, and he sent this email:

Chris was a true American hero in having devoted his adult

life to serving his country in combat as a member of the U.S.

Navy SEALs and in training our military and law enforcement

personnel after leaving the Navy. Chris was also an extremely

devoted family man, a wonderful husband and a loving father.

He gave so much of his time to charitable causes that

assisted military personnel and their families, and he died

while trying to help a struggling servicemember. We are all

saddened by his tragic death. America lost one of its finest

sons and a true patriot.

I think, again, there is a common theme here. Chris was always doing things for other people. As was mentioned, when someone was involved in a hurricane, Chris was saying, Do I need to go all the way to New York to help you? That was his motto--he was service-oriented.

It is now my pleasure to recognize another great Texan, one of our newer Members of Congress, Mr. Blake Farenthold.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

They're all great. Exactly.

I thank the gentleman. A couple of other emails here. This is from Jeff Staubach:

He was very appreciative of his friends and family. He

never hesitated to thank me for the smallest gestures. We

were lucky to have him fighting for us, risking his life for

us, and being our friend. About 2 months ago, I emailed him

and told him that we needed to go get a beer soon. It was

Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year's, SHOT Show. We

never pinned down a date. I wish I could grab another beer

with him, just to sit back and talk about our kids, what the

Cowboys will do this fall, and when we'd go shoot again

together.

I imagine what Chris would tell us today, and what Chris knew, because he was putting his life on the line every day, is that every day is precious. Every day is a gift from God, and that we must be a good steward of that day that he gives us. Chris Kyle, the day that he left us, left his house, thought he'd go out and shoot, maybe help this young man, and, unfortunately, actually lost his life doing that.

Mark Spicer, another friend, said:

I once asked Chris why he chose the SEALS, and he told me

it was because he had been told it was the hardest to get

into, and that typified the Chris Kyle we all knew. Chris

would hit any challenge head on and never flinch from hard

work and his unselfish devotion to those around him.

It is now my pleasure to recognize one of our newer members from the Texas delegation, Mr. Steve Stockman.

I thank the gentleman.

Another friend of Chris' said:

You are the definition of a true American hero, but you are

also the definition of a true friend. From the late nights to

the early mornings, you could always make me laugh. You have

ever changed my life and many others. You will forever be

missed, but never forgotten. We miss you, brother. Kevin.

Another friend of Chris' is David Feherty. David has been very involved in the Wounded Warrior program and was a friend of Chris'. An excerpt from his email, and I think he's talking to all of us:

So think upon this tonight as you lay yourselves down to

rest, and be thankful for the life and service of Chris Kyle,

whose spirit lives on in the lives of those who were lucky

enough to have known that sweet-hearted, straight-shooting

Texas prince. May he rest in peace, and our sorrow turn

quickly to happy memories. David Feherty.

It is now my pleasure to recognize a fellow Texan who also served our Nation in the Navy, Mr. Olson.

One of the things that Chris liked was he liked law enforcement people. He had a great deal of respect for them, and they knew that, that he had respect for them. What Chris knew was, just like he put himself in harm's way on a daily basis, that our first responders, our policemen and our sheriffs and those State troopers, that they put their lives on the line for our country and for our citizens as well.

This is a letter from Dan Parker. He is a law enforcement officer.

He says:

I first met Chris in 2010, at a ranch in Texas. I was told

just before I would meet him of the truly incredible deeds

that he was involved in during the war in Iraq as a soldier

and a sniper, and that he was a former SEAL. Being a law

enforcement sniper, I was really looking forward to meeting

him and was unsure of what to expect.

What I found was a great man who was truly humble, down to

Earth, and was a lot of fun to be around. I also found that

Chris truly loved his country and that he'd sacrificed much

for it and did not consider himself any type of hero, but

only doing his job with his God-given talents.

Chris also made it very clear he felt a deep sense of

responsibility to help any veteran or law enforcement officer

he could.

I now want to recognize Mr. Barton again for some remarks.

I believe that is correct. The gentleman is correct.

I thank the gentleman.

I want to read a few more of these emails I got. And I'm reading excerpts of them. And one of the things I'm going to do is put all of these in the Record so that the kindness that a lot of people have shown, and their love for Chris, can be reflected in our Congressional Record.

This is from Elizabeth Robinson, and she says:

I only knew Chris from a little under 3 years, but in that

time he stood up for me in one of my most confusing moments,

gave me encouragement that helped push me into one of my

toughest physical trials, and entertained many a moment in

the office with his fun banter and laughs. He was a hero of

such a grand scale, but that heroism trickled into the

everyday through his shining character that made everyday

encounters with him special.

I think that's one of the things about Chris that most of us will miss is Chris's sense of humor. He had a great sense of humor. As I said, he didn't take himself seriously, and his sense of service.

This is from Nathan Kirk:

I move forward with sadness, but equally with the

confidence in knowing that the path to healing is through

service to others, as evident by the life of Chris Kyle.

I will never fail you, Chief.

Semper Fi.

This is from Tommy Hicks:

Chris was a good father, a husband, a friend to many. But

through his service to our country in the Navy and after,

impacted many others, more than he would ever imagine. He is

the man everyone strived to be, a man who every American

should want their son to be, a man to whom everyone owes a

debt. May his memory be served for generations as a role

model to the youth of America.

I'm going to close out our time by reading something that I think exemplifies Chris, and it was a big part of his life, and I think it also says what Chris's code in life was, and that is the Navy SEAL creed. It goes like this:

In times of war or uncertainty, there is a special breed of

warrior ready to answer our Nation's call. A common man with

uncommon desire to succeed.

Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America's finest

special operation forces to serve his country, the American

people, and to protect their way of life.

I am that man.

My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon

me by the heroes that have gone before, it embodies the trust

of those who I have sworn to protect. By wearing the Trident,

I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way

of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day.

My loyalty to country and team is beyond reproach. I humbly

serve as the guardian of my fellow Americans, always ready to

defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not

advertise the nature of my work, nor do I seek recognition in

my acts. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my

profession, placing the welfare and the security of others

before my own.

I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability

to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of

circumstance, sets me apart from other men.

Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and

my honor are my steadfast. My word is my bond.

We expect to lead and to be led. In the absence of orders I

will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the

mission. I will lead by example in all situations.

I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My

Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally

stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up

every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength

to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am

never out of the fight.

We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of my

teammates and the success of our mission depend on me, my

technical skill, my tactical proficiency, and my attention to

detail. My training is never complete.

We train for war and we fight to win. I stand ready to

bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to

achieve my mission and the goals established by my country.

The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when

required, yet guided by the very principles that I serve to

defend.

Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition

and feared reputation that I'm bound to uphold. In the worst

of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve

and silently guides my every deed.

I will not fail.

I think that sums up the life of Chris Kyle.

I will personally miss him, and my thoughts and prayers go out to Taya and the family. We're going to miss Chris. But I think what Chris' friends would say and what Chris would say is: If I made an impact in your life, go out and impact somebody else's life.

May God bless Chris Kyle, may God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember Ted Schlossman, a great husband, father, and grandfather. He was an outstanding businessman, a volunteer in his community, and a friend of mine. Ted passed away unexpectedly Sunday, January 20, 2013, while attending a conference. I know the contributions he left us with will not be forgotten by his family, friends, or his community.

I had the privilege of knowing Ted for more than 20 years and his dedication and service to the housing industry has truly made a difference. Ted was not only a strong advocate

for the industry, but served in numerous leadership capacities. When you wanted something done, you wanted Ted on your team. It is fitting that Ted departed this earth on the way to chair a meeting.

Ted wore many hats in the residential construction industry throughout his career. He did everything from serving as a supplier of doors and windows to building houses in both Texas and Virginia. Before he moved to Texas in 1983, Ted served as president of both the Tidewater Builders Association and the Virginia State Home Builders Association in Virginia. Ted was also recognized for his service to the industry with numerous awards. In 2011, he was inducted into the Texas Association of Builders Housing Hall of Honor.

Ted lived the American Dream that so many of us strive for. He enjoyed a loving family and a thriving career. Ted has left a legacy that many people will enjoy for years to come through the homes he built and the lives he touched.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending my sincere thanks to Ted Schlossman, for leaving this world a better place than he found it. I am truly honored to recognize my friend and his accomplishments. He will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, this year, the Texas Tech University School of Law marked its 45th anniversary, and I rise today to congratulate the faculty, staff, students, and alumni on this milestone.

The School of Law was the first graduate professional school at Texas Tech, and it owes its existence primarily to the efforts of one man- Alvin Allison of Levelland. As Texas evolved from an agricultural state to one with a greater focus on industry and professional services, there was a growing need for lawyers. Mr. Allison saw an opportunity for Texas Tech to fulfill that role, and the idea for the law school was born.

The first class consisted of 72 students, who were trained to practice law, ``in accordance with the highest traditions of professional responsibility,'' according to an early history of the school. Today, students are still taught to fulfill their greatest potential as they serve their communities.

Texas Tech Law has grown tremendously since its founding in 1967, but it has remained true to its core principles. Although today's incoming classes are nearly three times as large as the first class, they maintain a focus on practical instruction to prepare students for professional success.

Students can take advantage of joint degrees and nationally recognized programs in advocacy, law and science, military law, and health law. Alumni have consistently high rates of employment and bar passage, and work throughout the state and the nation as lawyers and judges, public servants and executives.

Today, Dean Darby Dickerson is leading Texas Tech into the 21st century with an ambitious strategic plan. Thanks to her hard work, and the vision and dedication of her predecessors, generations of students will continue to flourish at Texas Tech Law. And our country will benefit from the expertise and passion that Tech's lawyers bring to their work.

I hope you'll join me today in congratulating Texas Tech Law on this milestone, and wishing them well for many years to come.

Guns up.

I thank the gentleman.

I rise this evening to talk about my young friend, Ralph Hall. One of the things about Ralph is that he is like the Energizer bunny. He's up just about every morning pretty early and walks. But most of the time you will see him down at the White House about 7:30 letting some constituent in for a White House tour or, in some cases, taking that constituent for a tour.

The thing about Ralph is he's never interested in Ralph; he's always just interested in you. If you walk up to Ralph, during that conversation it's going to come out, What can I do for you? What do you need? How can I help you?

What Ralph has done for all of his life is served. He understands that the roles that he's been allowed to serve in were really roles of servanthood. And he is the ultimate servant. He has the

servant's heart. It's a delight to be around him.

I've enjoyed serving on the House Science Committee with him. Sometimes there will be some adversarial conversations in a committee hearing, but Ralph has, always, a way to bring levity sometimes when levity is needed.

I woke up one morning here just a few months ago and I read in the paper: Ralph Hall Jumps Out of Airplane. Now that would shock some people, but I guarantee it didn't shock anybody in the Texas delegation, because we know when Ralph wants to make a point, he just goes ahead and makes the point.

Now, you've got this guy that gets up at 7 o'clock in the morning, he's down at the White House, he jumps out of airplanes, he goes back and forth to Dallas every weekend, and the question, Ralph, that all of us want to know, is: What kind of vitamins are you taking? Because we all want to be on whatever diet that you're on.

But what I wanted to say about Ralph tonight is Ralph is a Congressman to many people and the people in Rockwall, but to all of us, Ralph Hall is our friend. And we're very proud of our friend, and we're very proud to have the opportunity to serve with a great man like Ralph Hall.

My Ralph Hall story is: We were celebrating one of his birthdays on a Thursday--the Texas Republican delegation has lunch every Thursday--and somebody had brought a birthday cake in, and I think we had a candle there. We just had one to kind of commemorate all of the years. The fire marshal wouldn't let us bring all the rest of them, Ralph, I'm sorry. Anyway, he was making light of his birthday, and he looked at us and he said, The worst thing somebody can say to you on your birthday is, Doesn't he look natural?

What we know is that Ralph Hall is not a natural person. He's a supernatural person.

Ralph, we love you and we appreciate the opportunity to serve with you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6233. Like the chairman and the ranking member, I wish we were here debating the 5-year farm bill that was passed out of the House Ag Committee, which would have brought certainty and reform and would have saved the American taxpayers over $35 billion.

But the truth is we have a drought across this country. Over 75 percent of the areas that produce agriculture in this country are reporting either abnormally dry or worse conditions. That doesn't just impact farmers and ranchers; that impacts Americans who consume food products all across this country, driving food costs up.

So what we are doing today is doing something we should have done when we wrote the previous farm bill, and that is making sure that this program is extended for an additional year, and doing it in a way that is very fiscally responsible. In fact, we're going to save the American taxpayers $256 million by making some shifts, moving some money around and making sure that these farmers and ranchers that are going through this tremendous drought have the resources they need to continue and to help somewhat mitigate the increased cost of food for our country.

I hope that my colleagues will vote for this; but also, I hope in the future we will be back down on this floor debating a very important farm policy for American consumers and American farmers and ranchers.