Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the disaster supplemental package, especially as it relates to agriculture and rural development.

As chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I worked with the ranking member and other members who represent districts that have been impacted by this historical weather that is related to disasters to support bipartisan relief to the farming and rural communities.

From hurricanes to volcano activity, to deadly wildfires, this supplemental provides Federal financial relief to those most negatively impacted by the national disasters. While many of us favor limited government, there are times like these where Federal assistance is needed and is warranted.

Members from the Southeast to California, to Hawaii, to communities in between represent districts with agriculture and rural constituents who have suffered devastating losses to their livelihood. In my home State of Alabama, for example, producers of cotton to vegetables have lost everything. In Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, producers of crop or livestock lost their source of income now and into the future.

At a time when hardworking farmers invested limited dollars and countless hours of labor, their livelihoods were wiped out within hours by a once-in-a-lifetime storm. These farmers and producers take financial risks that are unknown to most Americans. Even if the delivery of this critical relief is delayed by the normal administrative process, lenders and bankers must see a signal from the Federal Government that financial support will be coming before the next crop-year.

I want to highlight, just briefly, those parts of the package that relate to agriculture and rural communities.

The agriculture portion of the bill totals $1.4 billion. A majority of the funding supports the hardworking farmers and ranchers who produce crops and livestock for food on our dinner tables. The package also provides funding for critical watersheds damaged by the hurricanes and fires. Lastly, the funding provides for basic nutritional needs for those who qualify in the Northern Mariana Islands.

In closing, I ask my colleagues to support this bill as we build America's communities impacted by these natural disasters.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Todd May, who has announced his retirement as Director of Marshall Space Flight Center.

Todd May is one of our nation's civil servants who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, management ability, and vision. He was appointed Marshall deputy director in August 2015 at the Nov. 13, 2015 retirement of Patrick Scheuermann, and was subsequently appointed Director.

The jobs Todd has excelled at are never easy, but the circumstances under which he took them, and excelled, are circumstances which represent especially challenging times.

During the early part of a new Administration, Todd, in 2011, led the Space Launch System (SLS) program. Despite different schools of thought in Washington, Todd took the program through a series of milestones, including a successful in-depth critical design review. Thanks to Todd's leadership, SLS was successfully handed off to the next manager when Todd was asked to be Marshall Space Flight Center Director.

Marshall has approximately 6,000 civil service and contractor employees, and an annual budget of approximately $2.5 billion. What some do not know is that Marshall has a heritage not only of excellence in launch development but also in NASA's other endeavors, including, for example, the engineering planning which allowed the Hubble Telescope to be re-focused and to reach its full potential.

One of Todd's other previous jobs made him very qualified for this part of Marshall's work as well. Todd served as a deputy associate administrator in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington from 2007 to 08, responsible for a $5 billion portfolio of robotic programs and projects, including more than 100 spacecraft at various stages of formulation, development and operations.

Of course, there is no pressure at all in being appointed as Director of Marshall Space Flight Center--unless of course you notice the statues of Von Braun, and all the Saturn rockets which seem to meet your gaze no matter what direction you are driving.

I am not surprised that Todd excelled again at this broad management task. He brought out the best in his managers, kept Marshall viable as a competitor in various projects, and leaves Marshall in good shape to continue its key role in NASA's human exploration programs. His leadership also extends to concepts which will bear fruition in the future, such as nuclear thermal propulsion.

Despite his many jobs at NASA, and national recognition for his work by Aviation Week, I know that this young boy growing up in Fairhope, Alabama still counts, as one of his most enjoyable achievements, his engineering degree from Auburn University, and the title of Distinguished Engineer, bestowed on him by the University.

I wish Todd and his family all the best, and I know that whatever tasks he puts his hands to, he will be not only a success, but also a blessing to his community and to this nation.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to go on the record as fully supporting H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. I was detained off the floor and missed the opportunity to cast my vote on a bill that indeed supports our farmers and rural America. I would like to reflect that I voted in favor of this bill, H.R. 2, the first time it came to the floor on May 18, 2018. I commend Chairman Conaway on passage of the bill on the House floor. This new Farm Bill will benefit consumers and producers, and all those who make our food supply chain abundant and secure.

Mr. Speaker, it is a bit disconcerting to hear a lot of my friends on the other side of the aisle say that any funds left over in the executive branch account should not be returned to the U.S. Treasury, which would reduce Federal borrowing; but instead, Congress should find some way to spend that money.

This really, I think, is an indication of the serious problem of overspending that we have here in Washington, a problem that I think so many of our constituents sent us here to address.

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government is running an annual deficit. I think people know that. These repeated annual deficits have combined to create a staggering national debt, which currently stands at more than $21 trillion. These deficits are not free, but costly, because of the interest our country has to pay on these borrowed dollars.

Today, with this legislation, we mark a return to a legislative tool that both Republicans and Democrats alike have utilized to clean up accounts that went underutilized. The rescission tool that is being used in this legislation was commonly used in the 1970s, when it was established, all the way through the 1980s and 1990s, as a way to return unused, unobligated tax dollars to the U.S. Treasury.

To recap, the rescission bill we have before us today returns unspent dollars to the Treasury. Every dollar returned is a dollar that we don't have to borrow. Every dollar that does not need to be borrowed does not incur interest payments.

While I understand there is no perfect bill, this bill is an important step in restoring a measure of fiscal restraint. I am proud to stand with the President to clean up some old accounts and prevent waste as well as abuse.

Let me add that some of these accounts are worthwhile, but this is not a debate about individual accounts. This is about doing the necessary steps to clean up the executive branch's balance sheets.

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions about whether this line item or that line item might be something to rescind or not. To them, I would point out that we are in the middle of an appropriations process. We can work on these issues and we can address them. It doesn't mean that they are left off the table.

So I stand ready to continue to work with my colleagues as we face the challenges facing this Nation as we continue working on the Appropriations Committee, and I welcome the input of my colleagues as we continue on for FY 2019.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this first package of FY 2019 appropriations bills. This combined bill that we are talking about today is the start of the process, and it is a good example of how the House is doing its job.

We have had a lot of hearings and we have had a lot of meetings with administration officials over the last several months, and we have talked about their budget and how they justified it and how we are moving through the process.

The Appropriations Committee has now taken action. We have marked up and passed these bills that are before us out of the subcommittee. We have passed them out of the committee. The House has taken action with this legislative package that we will pass tomorrow, and now it is the Senate's turn.

Mr. Chairman, let me point out that the Senate has passed just two appropriations bills through subcommittee and full committee and had floor votes in the Senate since 2012, just two standalone bills in 6 years.

Mr. Chairman, certainly I think it is a real problem. The House is doing its job and it is time for the Senate to do theirs, and they may have to stay in session during the month of August to get their work done.

The President has promised that he will not sign another 12-bill package omnibus bill. We are doing our part here to ensure the process moves forward and that we have the bills to conference with the Senate once they are completed. So I urge my colleagues to support this three- bill package to fund our veterans' healthcare, infrastructure package, and these other important programs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 100th anniversary of the founding of Azerbaijan, known as Republic Day.

On May 28, 1918, the National Assembly of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence, and formed the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first secular parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world.

For over 50 years (1920-1971), Azerbaijan suffered under the weight of the Soviet regime. As they rebuilt from the wreckage of the failed communist empire, Azerbaijan grew into a strong and reliable ally of the United States.

Today, the Republic of Azerbaijan is not only a valuable partner of the United States, but also plays a critical role in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to render unconditional assistance to the United States after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. It also has a strong friendship and partnership with Israel, one of the closest allies of the United States.

Azerbaijan continues to play a key role in energy security and diversification for U.S. allies in Europe and Israel, including leadership on the Southern Gas Corridor.

On this 100th anniversary of the founding of Azerbaijan, the United States remains grateful for the strategic relationship and abiding friendship between our two countries.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor Mrs. Evelyn Hicks of Winston County, Alabama. Mrs. Hicks is retiring from managing her local school cafeteria at Lynn School in Lynn, Alabama which is located in the Fourth Congressional District that I represent. I am honored to recognize Mrs. Hicks for her dedication to ensuring our children have nutritious and edible food. It should also be noted that she was honored on May 23, 2018 at Lynn School with a reception for her many years of service.

Mrs. Evelyn Hicks was born in my home county of Winston to Truman and Alice Baughn. She is a graduate of Lynn School and has been a member of Concord Missionary Baptist Church for 57 years. She has been married to Roy Hicks for 52 years. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. Mrs. Hicks also served on the Winston County Board of Education from 2000 to 2004.

Mrs. Hicks also played a major role in providing my office with ``on the ground'' feedback into how school lunch restrictions were having a negative effect on her job of feeding children. Because of Mrs. Hicks's assistance, we have been able to roll back many of the harmful restrictions and provide solutions that give

kids healthy food, while at the same time providing food they will actually eat and enjoy.

Mrs. Evelyn Hicks has been, in every sense, a devoted and passionate advocate for the children she has helped feed throughout her many years through school nutrition. I am proud to call Mrs. Hicks a friend and a fellow Alabamian, and she is truly deserving of this recognition from the United States House of Representatives.

I wish her all the very best for the future in all that she is involved with.

Mr. Speaker, we have often heard stories of American soldiers and airmen in World War II being rescued by heroic men and women throughout Europe. Today I rise to honor just such a man and his family.

On April 9, 1945, 2nd Lieutenant Warren Aderholt, a cousin on my father's side, crashed his P-5l Mustang approximately 30 miles behind enemy lines in northern Italy near the town of Sarzana. The area was occupied by German forces and the local civilians had been warned not to assist the Allied forces. They were told that if they disobeyed this directive they risked being shot. Nevertheless, at great personal risk to himself and his family, Mr. Osvaldo Ghio rescued Lieutenant Aderholt. Mr. Ghio and his family gave Lt. Aderholt food and clothes and hid him in a secret hideout that he had constructed for just this purpose. The hideout looked like a large stack of concrete blocks, but inside was a place for Aderholt to hide.

Also, U.S. documents show that Mr. Ghio would personally remove mines from around the airport that the Germans had placed there. He would go through these mine fields at night so as not to be seen and would then give the mines to the Italian Partisans in their fight against the enemy. Had Mr. Ghio not removed these mines when Lt. Aderholt bellied his plane into the airport, he would have surely hit one as his plane skid in a crash landing.

Once the news that an American pilot had crash landed nearby, the Germans lined up the local citizens, including the Ghio family, and interrogated them. One family even had their home burned by the Germans. However, the Ghios continued to hide Lt. Aderholt until the coast was clear. Once the German troops left the area they led Lt. Aderholt to safety by hiking miles through the mountains to the front where American troops were advancing.

Members of Lt. Warren Aderholt's family will be traveling to Sarzana, Italy this month to meet the surviving daughter of Mr. Ghio, Rosalba. I would also like to recognize the painstaking research of Claudio Mischi, an aeronautical archaeologist, who did extensive research on what exactly happened in April of 1945 at this location. Mr. Mischi has done this painstaking research out of his extreme gratitude to the United States and the Allies that liberated his country. It should also be noted that Claudio Mischi is writing a biography on Lt. Aderholt's career as well.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize the courage of the Ghio family and their sacrifice to help rescue Lt. Warren Aderholt back on April 9, 1945, as well as all those who offered acts of kindness and assistance to the United States Military during WorId War II.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague, Mr. Shimkus, for this important legislation.

This is a bipartisan piece of legislation that, it has already been said, puts our country back on the right track in honoring that commitment that was made by the Federal Government to safely collect and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste.

It has been noted here this morning that, under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, Congress assigned the responsibility for spent nuclear fuel to the Federal Government; but today, because the Federal Government has failed to honor this commitment, spent nuclear fuel sits idle in 121 communities across 39 States.

It was back in 1987 that Congress designated Yucca Mountain as the permanent repository for nuclear waste, but despite collecting more than $40 billion from taxpayers, Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository has yet to be completed.

The legislation before us today offers important reforms for our country's nuclear waste policy. It utilizes Yucca Mountain as our main point of nuclear waste storage, while directing the Department of Energy to move forward with a temporary storage program as it works on the Yucca Mountain facility.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague again for his legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3053.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor former Alabama Congressman Carl A. Elliott as a historical marker is scheduled to be dedicated on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at his birthplace in Vina, Franklin County, Alabama, recognizing Congressman Elliott's contributions to his hometown, his state, and his country. I am honored to stand before this body of Congress and this Nation to recognize Congressman Elliott for his dedication to public service and as a former member of this body and someone who served years as Congressman in the district that I am now honored to represent.

Carl Atwood Elliott was the oldest of nine children of G.W. and Nora Elliott. He left home at 16 to attend the University of Alabama, working his way through college. He was elected President of the Student Government Association, earning his law degree in 1936. Continuing on his road to success, he was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1948 using the theme ``From Farm Boy To Congress''. For 16 years, he faithfully represented the families of small farmers, coal miners, and small businesses in his Northwest Alabama district. A lifelong champion of universal access to education, Congressman Elliott's Library Services Act of 1956 brought books to readers in rural counties. His National Defense Education Act of 1958 enabled millions of needy students to attend college. During the years that followed, he became a local writer and in 1972 was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by the University of Alabama. In 1990, Congressman Elliott received the first John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. His autobiography, The Cost of Courage: The Journey of an American Congressman, was published in 1992.

Congressman Carl Elliott was, in every sense, a devoted and passionate public servant. I am proud to call Congressman Elliott a fellow Alabamian, and he is truly deserving of this recognition that is to take place in his home county of Franklin near his birthplace in Vina, Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize and honor a monumental occasion in the history of journalism in Alabama's Fourth Congressional District, which I am proud to represent. On March 27, 1958, 60-years- ago, The Arab Tribune published its first edition.

The paper began that first edition by saying, ``With this issue--Vol. 1, No. 1 of The Arab Tribune . . . a new paper is born. We sincerely hope you will like it.'' I believe after six decades of publication, it is clear that the people of Arab and Brindlee Mountain more than like The Arab Tribune.

The Tribune began as a vision of Ralph Reed who put the first issues into print. Sadly, he died a short time later in a bus accident.

His brother, Ewell Reed, who was at the time an FBI agent, moved his family from Virginia to Arab, where he put down his badge and took up a notebook and pencil. He continued his brother's dream and turned The Arab Tribune into a success. Since 1970, Ewell's son Ed Reed has been the publisher of the paper.

The Arab Tribune has been in the Reed family for its entire existence and that has meant no corporate takeovers dictating news content from a faraway city. Quite the contrary, The Arab Tribune was and is community focused. Current editor Charles Whisenant, and the reporters at the Tribune, make sure the paper is focused on hyper-local content.

In our current world where people have access to large amounts of national and international news, it is ever more important that local, community newspapers continue to thrive. Our democracy depends on people being engaged, not just in what's happening in Washington, New York or Los Angeles, but also what's happening down the street and in their local government.

I congratulate the men and women of The Arab Tribune for six decades of putting the people of Arab and Brindlee Mountain first and foremost. And I wish them many more years of success as the ``Ledger of Community Progress.''

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to echo a few of the comments Members have already heard this morning.

The Appropriations subcommittees have, indeed, spent many months and countless hours in developing a bill that really and truly invests in our critical national needs, and that is from defense to rural infrastructure to major health crises, such as opioids.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, let me add that this division of the bill has solid wins for agriculture, for the food sector, for the healthcare community, and for rural America.

Members from rural districts with agriculture constituents, like I have down in Alabama, can be proud of the many accomplishments that are included in this bill. We are restoring funding and greatly adding to the needed infrastructure upgrades.

This bill also provides necessary relief for American farmers and ranchers, who continued to experience a significant reduction in income over the past few years.

This bill today contains a downpayment on ensuring that rural America is not left behind. The rural development account in this bill today contains $625 million of commitment to expanding rural broadband in an effort to close the rural digital divide for the 23 million Americans-- more than 40 percent of all Americans--who do not have access to broadband.

In addition to broadband, the bill invests in water and wastewater needs for our rural constituents. The bill provides a total of $3 billion in loan authorizations and $1 billion in grants--an increase of $500 million over last year--to provide clean and reliable water resources in rural America.

In closing, it has been said here this morning that there are a lot of concerns about how we have moved forward in this process and a lot of matters that have been added to the bill. But it is my hope that we, as we move forward, can take a different approach to the bills we are preparing as we look forward to the new fiscal year. But this is the process that we have today, and the simple fact remains that we have to fund the Federal Government. We have to do it, and we have to do it today.

In closing, I ask my colleagues to support this bill as we rebuild America's defenses and provide vital health and safety needs to all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and honor Judge John Hodges Bentley on the occasion of his retirement as Circuit Judge of the 25th Judicial Circuit of Alabama. I am proud to recognize Judge Bentley for his many years of public service on the bench and the practice of law. He is truly a man who embodies the American principles of hard work and devotion to one's community, state and nation.

Judge Bentley is a native of Kinston, North Carolina. After graduating from Grainger High School, he was appointed to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York where he graduated in 1972 and was commissioned into the infantry. While in the Army, Judge Bentley served five years on active duty commanding various infantry units on the East German-Czech Border during the Cold War. He finished out his active duty Army career as an instructor in the Leadership Department at Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Once out of the Army, Judge Bentley attended the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated in 1980. He practiced law for twenty-two years in Birmingham and Hamilton, Alabama, many of those years serving as the City Attorney for the City of Hamilton. In 2002, he was appointed to the bench as Circuit Judge of the 25th Judicial Circuit serving Marion and Winston Counties. Judge Bentley served in this capacity until his retirement on January 15, 2018.

Judge Bentley is a member of the Hamilton First United Methodist Church and has served as both Lay Leader and Sunday School Teacher. Furthermore, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Emmaus Community. He is also one of the founders of the Weldy Home, an emergency shelter for abused, abandoned and neglected children.

He is married to Judy Sandlin Bentley, and they have two children, Carrie and Samuel, and four grandchildren, Lydia, William, Caroline and Jonathan.

Judge Bentley is very respected by the people of Marion and Winston Counties for his honesty and dedication, and I am proud to call him my friend.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to honor Judge John Hodges Bentley on his many accomplishments and for his enduring impact on his community, state and nation. I join his family, friends and colleagues in wishing him God's richest blessings as he enters the next chapter of his life in retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and honor Mr. Trenton ``Trent'' Jerome McCluskey on the occasion of his retirement as the Jail Administrator for Walker County, Alabama back on February 1, 2018. I am proud to recognize Mr. McCluskey for his many years of public service to our area. He is truly a man who embodies the American principles of hard work and devotion to one's community, state and nation.

Mr. Trent McCluskey is a native of Jasper, Alabama and a graduate of Walker High School. After graduating high school, he attended Walker State Technical College and then earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from International Bible College in 1985. He received a Criminal Justice Certificate from the University of Alabama in 1997 and his Juris Doctorate from the Birmingham School of Law in 2000.

Trent began his career in corrections in 1991 working for the State of Alabama Department of Corrections. His career could have ended prematurely in 1993 when he was stabbed by an inmate and thrown from the second tier of the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility. However, after an 18-month recovery period, he returned to work at the Walker County Jail in 1995. In 1999, one year after the completion of the new jail, he was named as the Jail Administrator where he served until January, 2018. As Administrator, he supervised the daily operations including up to 290 inmates, 43 full-time employees and a $2.5 million dollar budget.

Trent was also very active in his community and received a certificate of appreciation in 1997 from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He was also named Volunteer of the Year in 1994 from the Daybreak Spousal Abuse Shelter and received their Community Service Award in 1996. He was very active in the Jasper Chapter of the Lions Club International, serving as president from 2001 to 2002, Zone Chairman for District 34-L from 2002 to 2003 and District Governor for District 34-L from 2004 to 2005.

Trent has one daughter, Terina Michelle Preston, and four grandchildren, Peyton, Conner, Grayson and Ryland. He is highly respected by the people of Walker County for his honesty, hard work and dedication, and I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with him over the years.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to recognize and honor Trenton ``Trent'' Jerome McCluskey on his many accomplishments and for his enduring impact on his community. I join his family, friends and colleagues in wishing him God's richest blessings in the next chapter of his life in retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren) for arranging this opportunity for us to remember the life and legacy of Dr. Billy Graham, although I have to say it is not an easy task to find words that sum up his life, not because Billy Graham is not worthy, but because words and a few sentences seem incapable of describing a life that had such a large impact on, literally, the entire world.

I had the great opportunity to meet Dr. Graham just a few feet from here several years ago at one of the many Presidential inaugurations he attended.

While I only had that chance to meet him one time, Billy Graham was one of those people whom you felt like you knew. His honesty and his openness in preaching the gospel made him seem like a close, personal friend.

I have fond memories growing up in my hometown of Haleyville, Alabama, of being at my grandparents' home, and if a Billy Graham Crusade was being televised, you can rest assured that we were watching it around their television, regardless of what was on the other networks.

He was very clear in how he presented the gospel, that whosoever believeth in the son would have eternal life.

He will be greatly missed by a world that desperately needs more people like Billy Graham, but we can take great comfort in knowing that he has now made it home with his Maker.

Author James Allan Francis, in writing about the impact of Jesus Christ on the world, wrote this: ``All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this Earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life.''

That one solitary life, of course, is of Jesus Christ, who brought salvation to the world through faith in Him and in Him alone.

While no one could ever come close to having an impact on the world like Christ did, I believe the late Billy Graham was one of those great messengers, probably the best that we have seen any time in recent history, and he will long be remembered for the message that he gave about a personal salvation in Jesus Christ.