Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend from Texas for his remarks talking about Sam Johnson, one of the great American heroes that we have the honor here of serving with. That tap code that you just heard was really the lifeline, the lifeline for so many of the almost 600 POWs, the vast majority in the Hoa Lo Prison. So while you heard those taps, those taps were actually the communication system that allowed those POWs to have some sort of contact with another human, and, I would argue, probably saved many lives.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to my good friend from Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for coming and joining us in honoring these really incredible servicemen, each with an incredible story, and really as we talk about it, actually, Mr. Speaker, I came to the floor yesterday. Yesterday I came to this very spot to talk about my uncle. My uncle is one of the Alcatraz 11, lives not far from the Capitol here in Washington. He was flying off the USS Coral Sea in an F-8 Crusader and was shot down on a low-level mission, flying about a thousand feet above the ground.

Now, for those, Mr. Speaker, that don't know what an F-8 Crusader is, it is a jet that can fly at Mach 1.72, nearly twice the speed of sound. When it filled up with smoke after he was hit, he had very little time to eject. He ejected. His parachute opened about 35 feet above the ground, and he broke his back on impact.

Now, this is an incredible story. Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of being shot down. That was one of the darkest days, I would argue, certainly in our family; but for American servicemen, and certainly aviators, that is certainly a very dark day.

Today, February 12, marks a very different day, a day for us to rejoice because it was the day that marks Operation Homecoming, the day that over 600 American POWs would eventually be released, and February 12 was the day that those first POWs would be released from the Hoa Lo Prison.

The Hoa Lo Prison, Mr. Speaker, was a prison that was built by the French, and unspeakable things happened at this prison. What is incredible to me is not the darkness of what happened at the Hoa Lo Prison, a prison that we know today as the Hanoi Hilton. What is remarkable to me is the fact that these servicemen relied upon faith and honor to get them through, and largely each other.

So I just want those that may be tuning in to put themselves in the place of an American aviator, jumping on board a jet. Put yourself, perhaps, in the cockpit of that F-8 Crusader.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I am not revealing any news when we talk about American servicemen and -women being a little bit cocky if they are out there flying. I think some might think they are invincible. Well, the world changed certainly for my uncle and for many on the day of their captivity. They no longer had their aircraft. They no longer had their sidearm. They no longer had their uniform. All was stripped from them. They were issued, in essence, a pair of pajamas and a pair of sandals.

Little did my uncle or Sam Johnson or Nels Tanner or Jim Stockdale or Jeremiah Denton or John McCain or many of the other POWs realize how long this conflict would continue. What they did know was that each and every one of them, as an American fighting man, was going to return home with honor.

Many of you may know, Mr. Speaker, the story of John McCain. His father was very high up in the United States Navy. The Vietnamese knew that they had a prize when they had John McCain, and he was offered early release. They were going to give him a free pass home and comfort to be back here in the United States. The devastation that would have done to the POWs, the morale would have been devastating, and so he turned them down. The Vietnamese said it was going to be very bad for you now, Mr. McCain, and indeed it was. He, as well as the other Americans in captivity, would endure years of torture.

The big four, Mr. Speaker, was name, rank, serial number, and date of birth. And these men would be tortured for additional information. Every person--at least everyone that I know--has their breaking point, and certainly American POWs are no different.

They set up a system. They set up, in essence, a military operation, following rank. Jim Stockdale was the highest-ranking officer and, therefore, sent word out that if they were broken, to be able to stiffen their back up and give no additional information next time.

That tap code system that you heard the gentleman from Texas talk about, the 5 by 5 matrix, A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J--they eliminated the K because they needed to have a 5 by 5 matrix. Rows and columns--first the row, then the column. So B is first row, second column. And really, the way they did it is, ``shave and a haircut, two bits'' is how you started this conversation. So most Americans know that if you give the rap, they are going to respond with two taps. And that is when you knew there was an American on the other side of the wall. If they got any sort of a different response, they knew that it was most likely not an American and, therefore, they were going to stop their communication.

What was going on through those walls was literally like hundreds of woodpeckers going nonstop, day in and day out, letting people know that it was okay, that they had them. They knew when someone was coming. They could hear the keys rattling and they knew that their comrade was going to be taken out and tortured and beaten. So when they got back to their cell, that tap code would go, letting them know that there was somebody there for them. Incredible.

Now out of the hundreds of POWs that went to North Vietnam and were captured, there was a crew of the 11 greatest threats to camp security, according to the North Vietnamese. They became known as the Alcatraz 11. My uncle, Bob Shumaker, was one of the Alcatraz 11, along with Admiral Stockdale, who was shot down in 1965. He was the senior U.S. officer present during the camps. And he was considered to be a big troublemaker, no question.

Also, George Coker, who was shot down in 1966. Jeremiah Denton, a United States Senator from the great State of Alabama, was shot down in 1965. Harry Jenkins was shot down also in '65. Sam Johnson, whom we talked about, whom we have the honor of serving with here in the United States Congress, was shot down in 1966 on his 25th combat mission. George McKnight was shot down in 1965. James Mulligan was shot down in 1966. Howard Rutledge was shot down in 1965. Ron Storz of the Alcatraz 11 was the only one who did not make it home alive.

Nels Tanner has a unique story. He was the last of the Alcatraz 11. Nels Tanner got his ticket to Alcatraz by making the Vietnamese look bad. When he was being tortured and they were trying to get information about who was his commanding officer, Nels Tanner told them it was ``Ben Casey'' and ``Clark Kent.'' Well, here in America, everybody knows Ben Casey and Clark Kent are not real figures. And when word got back to the Vietnamese that they had been made a joke of, he got his ticket to Alcatraz.

Mr. Speaker, I want people to understand Alcatraz for a minute. The reason why these 11 men went to Alcatraz is because they were the thorn in the side of the North Vietnamese. They were the ones that resisted the hardest. They were the ones that caused the problems.

The American fighting men in the Hoa Lo Prison, the Hanoi Hilton, they also caused problems, but these 11 were singled out. And they went into a cell that was--at most generous--about 4 feet by 9. Just imagine that, 4 feet by 9. It is about yea big, at 9 feet in front of you. The Alcatraz 11 spent, on average, about 2\1/2\ years in this prison camp. They were able to get out of their cell for 15 minutes a day to be able to go empty their sanitation bucket. They ate in their cell. And they had a tremendous amount of time.

What can you do? The most important muscle that they exercised was their brain, which is why the tap code was so important. But they used other methods. They could cough. They could sneeze. They could try to do different things along those lines. They waved their hands in front of the door so that shadows would be indicative of those letters and they were able to communicate.

Mr. Speaker, let me just say, my uncle built his home in Fairfax Station, Virginia, in his mind long before any brick was laid. Brick by brick, he knew exactly how many bricks it would take. He knew exactly how many feet of pipe it would take. He knew exactly how much lumber. These were the exercises. He built it, tour it down. He built it and tour it down. These were the exercises that these men would go through.

At Alcatraz, Sam Johnson learned French through the walls. A product of Texas public schools, he might not have had the opportunity to learn a foreign language. So he used that opportunity in Alcatraz to learn French from Bob Shumaker. It is not the most ideal way to learn French, but the one thing they did have was time.

The Vietnamese tried to strip everything from these men, but there is one thing that they couldn't strip. They couldn't strip their faith. They couldn't strip their honor. And each was determined that they would return to the United States with honor. That, I think, is just remarkable.

One of the things, as we think about February 12, 1973, we cannot miss what was happening back here at home. Their spouses played a vital role and an active role not only with the government but also in the Paris Peace Accords, advocating for the release of the American POWs.

Mr. Speaker, Vietnam was not a popular war, a war that went into living rooms. But the one thing that the American public was able to unite and rally around was our American POWs. Bracelets were worn identifying American POWs and the day that they were shot down.

I have a bracelet, Mr. Speaker, in my office. It is sitting next to two pictures--one of the day Bob Shumaker

was shot down, February 11, 1965, and the other is this picture right here. This is the first time that he had an opportunity to see his wife and his son Grant, who was about 8 years and 3 months at the time, I think. When he had been shot down, his son Grant was only about 3 months old. This is the picture of them being reunited.

I know it is not the best picture for people to be able to view. But in 1973, the styles were a little bit different. So after the release, Bob Shumaker called his wife, Lorraine, and wanted to make sure that she dressed in the fashion of 1965. You can't see the go-go boots, but you can see the miniskirt. And that was how he had remembered her, and that is how he wanted to see her when he got off that plane.

Mr. Speaker, 8 years and a day for Bob Shumaker; 7 years plus for Sam Johnson; 5\1/2\ years for John McCain. Incredible stories. Torture.

I can tell you that some of America's finest servicemen tried to take their own lives because they thought they let their country down when they gave information to the Vietnamese. But they were pulled up by their comrades, by the men who were next to them in these cells.

There are a couple of others whom I think are particularly interesting, Mr. Speaker.

Everett Alvarez actually was the first American POW. He was a U.S. Navy commander and was held in captivity for 8\1/2\ years.

Douglas Hegdahl was really a unique case. Most of the POWs were aviators, whether they were flying for the United States Air Force or the United States Navy. Doug Hegdahl was a guy who was in the Navy but happened to be on a ship. He came up and happened to be standing on the deck. The ship zigged when he thought it would zag, and over the side he went. When he was picked up by the Vietnamese in civilian clothes, they thought he was a member of the Central Intelligence Agency. They put him in the Hoa Lo Prison, and he started to just get along.

One of the things with that tap code that they tried to do each and every day was they would communicate who was newly in the prison. And when you think about trying to memorize the names of all the POWs-- because if, for some reason, somebody were to be released or to escape, they wanted to make sure that the United States had the opportunity to know exactly who was in captivity. It was absolutely critical for them, critical for their families to be able to know that they were still alive.

Well, there were a couple of folks, Mr. Speaker, who were released early. I would say that was not necessarily the tack that many of the other POWs would have taken. Doug Hegdahl did not want to be released but was ordered to go because he had a photographic memory and knew every single POW, knew their hometown, their phone number. When he got back to the United States, he took his time to go to all of these places to visit the families of the POWs, to let them know that their son, that their husband, that their brother was still alive. He had memorized their addresses and phone numbers. He is really a remarkable man.

Bud Day, Mr. Speaker, another pilot that was shot down, sustained significant injuries while flying his F-100F. John McCain credits him for really saving his life. While in captivity, he was in really tough shape. Bud Day was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, as was Jim Stockdale.

Each and every one of these men--certainly the Alcatraz 11--were highly decorated for their efforts. But I think the thing that was most important to them was being able to return home with honor.

We look at today, Mr. Speaker--February 12, 2015--as a celebration honoring the legacy that these American fighting men have given us all, an incredible faith and a dedication to make sure that each and every one of them was going to return with honor.

There was a ceremony that happened on February 12 as they were discharged and marched out of the Hoa Lo Prison. They were determined to march in rank, as an American fighting force, and then were discharged one by one. The first one shot down would be the first one released. So that was Everett Alvarez. The second one was Bob Shumaker.

They didn't believe that this day had finally come. They saw that C- 141 come into Hanoi and really didn't start the real celebration until the 141 had lifted off of that tarmac and the first group of American POWs were on their way home.

Mr. Speaker, I am in awe every time I read stories of these men who did incredible things to endure and to overcome. It is an honor to be able to serve with one in this body, but it is also an honor to be able to stand here today on the day of Operation Homecoming and its 42nd anniversary and to say that America will never forget, America will always remember, that we stood by you then, and we look to stand by all of our men and women in uniform.

We are in the midst of a conflict right now in the midst of a war on terror. We must make sure that we give our men and women that we have asked to go out and defend us the tools necessary to protect our country and to do the job that we have asked them to do. I hope, Madam Speaker, that no one has to endure what these men endured in Hanoi.

I want to thank my colleagues who join me here today, but I also wanted to take this opportunity for those that may be tuning in to let the POWs from the Vietnam conflict know how much they mean not only to me, but to our country. We thank you, and we love you.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise as a son, a husband, a father of two daughters, a brother of three sisters, and I am proud to stand with 1 Billion Rising Lake County to end violence against women and girls everywhere.

One woman in three will be abused in her lifetime, totaling 1 billion across our globe. Mr. Speaker, 1 Billion Rising gives mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, neighbors, and friends who have suffered from abuse the opportunity to be heard and to join a supportive community.

Together, we must be the voice of those who cannot speak up and to take action to help those who are asking for help. We must take the lead on this issue and set an example for the world, ensuring that women everywhere can live and thrive without fear of becoming a victim of violence.

I am committed to taking action to stop abuse, no matter what form it takes, and I ask everyone to join me and rise with 1 Billion Rising to stand strong against these disturbing crimes.

Mr. Speaker, February 11, 2015. What is the special significance? We become involved in our routines and our responsibilities. We greet our colleagues, and the day continues. This was not the case 50 years ago.

A young Navy pilot climbed into the cockpit of his F-8 Crusader aboard the USS Coral Sea, readying himself for a mission over North Vietnam.

Now, imagine yourself, Mr. Speaker, as a young naval aviator. They are some of the best that we have in our Armed Forces--some may say a little cocky. They are actually able to fly a flying engine, in essence. An F-8 Crusader can go faster than the speed of sound. They can fly missions and actually land back on a ship at night in rough seas.

So, 50 years ago today, this young naval aviator boarded his F-8 Crusader and was going to fly a low-level mission about 1,000 feet above the surface. Yet, after he took on some fire, very quickly he realized that he was in some trouble. The cockpit filled with smoke, and he had a very short amount of time to exit the plane. His parachute opened at about 35 feet above the ground, and he broke his back upon impact. This young pilot's world had just changed--and dramatically. What was he going to do with the pain? His first thought was: ``When am I going to be killed?'' He was picked up very quickly and was marched by bayonet.

The interesting thing, Mr. Speaker, is that, as the second American aviator shot down over North Vietnam, he was a prize and, therefore, was photographed. While this may not seem lucky, it was actually very fortunate in the fact that his family now knew and the people back in the United States now knew that he was alive and in captivity. He was, indeed, one of the lucky ones because, as the POWs would mount over this conflict in Vietnam, many did not have that same luck.

On having broken his back on impact, he was looking for medical attention. The medical attention he received was a white robe and a bunch of cameras, taking pictures, and as soon as the cameras left, the extent of his medical treatment ceased. He was taken to the Hoa Lo Prison, which we now affectionately know as the Hanoi Hilton. He was the one who was eventually credited with naming the Hanoi Hilton.

As those who know who have been in captivity and as many of us have read, when you are in captivity, you are able to give your captors four basic--what they call the big four--pieces of information: your name, your rank, your serial number, and your date of birth. As we know, this obviously was not going to be enough.

Over the next 8 years and a day, this naval aviator endured some of the worst torture. At some point in time, everyone breaks, and the torture that they endured and that this man endured eventually had to give--whether it was sitting on broomsticks for days at a time or tying your arms behind your back and then having your elbows brought together by ropes and then slowly risen above your head. So he did give some additional information.

His father was a lawyer but also owned a farm in Pennsylvania. The Vietnamese wanted to know how many chickens did they have. At some point in time, he said: That is pretty innocuous information. I will let them know--19 chickens. He knew when he got back to his cell, and some of these cells, Mr. Speaker, were about 3 by 9, some 4 by 9. Now, just imagine spending 10 hours in a 4-by-9-foot space, not to mention 2\1/2\ years of solitary confinement, 8 years in captivity. So he gave this additional information, and as he went back to his cell, he realized it was going to get worse and worse. He tried to take his own life, Mr. Speaker, because he thought he had let his country down.

Communication, however, was a huge savior--a savior for himself and for the other men who would be in captivity--that sense of camaraderie, that sense

of making sure that your brain could continue to focus on other things, that message to keep them and their spirits up. They devised a tap code. It was a 5-by-5 metric of A, B, C, D, E and the next line of F, G, H, I, J. They left out the K because that would not make it a 5-by- 5-foot box.

His courage, his integrity, his leadership and loyalty to his fellow prisoners--his love of country--cemented faith wherever present. His valor in the face of the impossible ensured that he returned with honor.

Lieutenant Commander Robert Harper Shumaker--now Admiral Shumaker-- holds a near and dear place in my heart. He happens to be my uncle. When my wife and I had our first daughter, we decided to name her Harper after one of the most incredible people we know.

Mr. Speaker, my daughter gave me very clear instructions before I came here, and that was to let everyone know how much we love this American hero. In my office, I keep two pictures: one of the day he was shot down, and the other of the day he was reunited with his family. They were reminders to me not of the darkness and cruelty of war but of the power of faith and the strength of a brotherhood and the honor that no one could take away.

On the 50th anniversary of one of the darkest hours endured by an American aviator, let the record show that we stand and applaud this most revered American patriot.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the leadership and accomplishments of David Northern, Sr. He is a resident of Grayslake and a good friend. On January 25, Mr. Northern was presented with the Most Influential African American of Lake County Award for 2015.

I have known David for several years in his role as a community leader and as the executive director and chief executive officer of the Lake County Housing Authority. Under David's leadership, the housing authority has become a more effective, people-centered, and collaborative agency.

He and his team have found a balance allowing them to successfully serve those in need of housing while also being mindful to the fiscal effects on the county as a whole.

David is a kind and genuine person who feels a personal responsibility to his community. For David Northern, building a strong community is not just his job, but his passion.

I want to congratulate David on his well-deserved award and say that it is an honor to call him my friend and to recognize his contributions to the people of Lake County.

Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 51-53, I was unavoidably detained due to cancelled flights out of Chicago. Had I been present, I would have voted aye.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the importance of the legislation that we passed this week on human trafficking.

Sadly, my district is no stranger to this despicable crime. In both Lake and Cook Counties, we seem to have too many cases of human trafficking. In the Chicagoland area, up to 25,000 women and girls are victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

According to the Justice Department, as many as 300,000 American youths are at risk of becoming victims of sexual trafficking. The average age for girls that first become victims is between 12 and 14 years of age.

This legislation will protect our youth by establishing programs to help runaways and homeless children who are at the highest risk for becoming victims. The bills will also help address the issue by giving tools to health care professionals and law enforcement to identify and help victims of human trafficking, and to create programs to deter and prevent human trafficking in the first place.

Human trafficking for sexual exploitation is an epidemic that needs to be stopped. This is a first step, and we must remain focused to end human trafficking altogether.

Mr. Speaker, I am excited to recognize Harper Community College in Palatine, IL, which will be opening its new Career and Technical Education Center on January 23. This new building, with state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, will house some of Harper's fastest-growing technical programs such as manufacturing, welding, architectural technology, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), maintenance technology, law enforcement, and fire science.

Programs in this building will help provide students with the skills they will need in the future. These programs will help put people to work and support local employers who are seeking a highly-skilled workforce to compete in the 21st Century global economy.

The building will also house Harper's innovative Advanced Manufacturing Program. The program partners with 75 area manufacturing companies which offer paid internships to manufacturing students attending Harper College.

I applaud the Harper College community on the opening of its new Career and Technical Education Center, and I look forward to its continued leadership in bringing educational opportunities to students in the 10th District.

Madam Speaker, today, I stand in solidarity with the people of France, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of the ruthless terrorist attack that happened in Paris yesterday.

This rampage was perpetrated by terrorists who seek nothing but death and destruction for all of us who embrace something as basic as the freedom of speech. While we did not need it, this only reinforces and strengthens our resolve in the fight to defend our freedoms and our way of life.

It may be an uncomfortable truth, but the reality is that we cannot stick our heads in the sand and hope that threats from radical extremists will go away on their own.

Nowhere are the stakes bigger today, Madam Speaker, than in Iran. Iran and its nuclear weapons program, I believe, pose the number one threat to our national security.

Our resolve in confronting the Iranian challenge must never waver, and I call on this new Congress to act right away in ratcheting up pressure and sanctions on Iran. This is not a left versus right issue. This is a right versus wrong issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, and I know we've talked a lot and have heard from my colleagues about Sandy, and I certainly want to talk about that.

I want to talk about last night we were able to avoid the fiscal cliff. The American public, at least the constituents that I talk to on a regular basis, are looking for certainty. They're looking for us to find common ground. They're looking for us to be able to move the country forward.

I'm a small business owner, Mr. Speaker. I meet a budget and a payroll. I employ 100 people. For me, that's 100 families. It's a role and responsibility that I take very seriously.

And while I do believe that the Federal Government should play as little a role as possible in the lives of Americans, they do need to play a role. They need to be able to provide those things that Americans cannot provide for themselves, whether that be infrastructure, whether that be a common defense, justice. These are some of the things that I think we do share a lot of common ground with.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I spent some time in Long Island, New York, recently and also in New Jersey. The devastation that Sandy has caused that region is nothing short of remarkable.

And while I do believe that we have a spending problem that has been going on, frankly, in this House, on both sides of the aisle for a long time, there are those times when we need to come together as an American people and say we have Americans out there that cannot provide for themselves, that have been devastated, that need a helping hand.

And do I think that they will repay that? I do.

We have an opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to come together as Americans, Republicans and Democrats together, to try to help provide need.

My colleague, Joe Crowley, was just up here talking about devastation that happened on the beaches. Michael Grimm, and I'm sure most of the New York and New Jersey delegations which will follow up here, and those from Connecticut, will talk about devastation that was happening in their communities.

I do believe that we have a role to play, and I do believe that action needs to happen and happen quickly.

Now, there are many on my side of the aisle that believe that we shouldn't be spending a nickel more than we have to. And while I agree that we need to tighten spending, and that this body needs to treat spending and those dollars as if they were their own, we can't needlessly ask taxpayers to provide more resources only to have them squandered.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, these dollars will not be squandered. I believe that they are desperately needed. At a time when many Americans have lost hope, there is that opportunity for us to stand united together to provide that hope for the American public. It may be New York and New Jersey and Connecticut and Pennsylvania today, but it may be a different part of the country tomorrow.

Now, as we look forward, Mr. Speaker, as the 112th Congress comes to a close, we have a heck of a lot more work to be done as a country.

I, for one, hope that we can talk about reining in the out-of-control spending. But then, again, it's not going to happen with one party or the other. It's going to have to be about bipartisanship. And I do hope that we can bring pieces of legislation on this floor, like Simpson- Bowles, in that framework, that talk about revenue increases, whether that be through reforming the Tax Code and talking about where we can rein in spending, how we can reform things to make sure we have a social safety net, which is so vital. And I do believe that we need to have that social safety net. We need to strengthen that social safety net so that it's there for future generations.

I also think, Mr. Speaker, as we look at health care, we have to start thinking outside of the box. And certainly, I have enjoyed working with Rob Andrews on the American Center for the Cures, an idea that we need to be looking at how do we solve and cure some of these diseases that we spend hundreds of billions of dollars on treating each and every year, whether it be diabetes, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's. If we came up with a cure for these types of diseases, think about where we'd be then, and where we can put those additional resources into the very vital areas that our government needs to fund.

So I am optimistic, Mr. Speaker, that our best days are ahead. But I also know that people are fed up with the idea of this partisanship. And I fear that we're going further partisan; that we're anchoring to the extremes as opposed to coming to the center. My hope is that this body can focus more on what we agree on as opposed to what we disagree on. That's what the American public's looking for. That's what I hope this Congress can accomplish in the 113th, and beyond.

I want to take this last moment to thank so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their friendship, for their support, and I certainly look forward to continuing the friendship in future years.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 12 o'clock and 38 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, January 3, 2013, at 11 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, I want to first start off by thanking my friend from Missouri for his service and working with him on legislation in the past.

Just to pick up on what he said about our World War II heroes, we do need to put the country first. I think that certainly we're here on New Year's Eve and we're upon the fiscal cliff. What we do need to focus on is how do we find that common ground, because what we do know is I believe Democrats and Republicans alike want to put our country on a course to some fiscal discipline--we hope. Is there a course where we can find enough common ground to move it forward so that we don't have a downgrade, so that we don't spike unemployment, so that the markets don't go down.

Mr. Speaker, I'm a small business owner. I employ 100 people. For me, it's 100 families. I meet a budget and a payroll. What they're looking for when I talk to people back home, they're looking for some stability, they're looking for certainty, and what we're doing here is not providing any of those things. And yet I do believe that there is a spirit of comity that we want to find that common ground and move forward.

I'm sorry that we're here on New Year's Eve and that we haven't solved this problem long ago. I will say, Mr. Speaker, that the House did send a bill in August over to the United States Senate. Going back to my time as a small business owner, I can just tell you, if I'd given something to one of the people that I work with, marked it ``urgent'' and put it on their desk months ago and it sat for month after month after month, something would be wrong. Well, in essence, Mr. Speaker, that's exactly what we've done. We sent something over to the United States Senate months ago, marked it ``urgent'' because this is talking about the direction, the fiscal direction of our Nation, and yet nothing is coming back.

Unfortunately, Washington works on brinksmanship. We don't want brinksmanship; we want stability. The world is watching, and we need to focus on the common ground to move things forward. We want to make sure that we can keep tax rates low. We want to make sure that we can bring additional revenue into the Federal Government. I believe that's going to be through growth. That's going to be sparking the American spirit, that entrepreneurial spirit across our country to bring more dollars into the Federal Treasury, to get more people back to work.

The thing that's amazing, Mr. Speaker, is there's a lack of leadership, a lack of leadership here in Washington, D.C., that's palpable. We need to move forward.

During the budget season, those on the other side of the aisle, myself, some of my colleagues on my side of the aisle, put forth a budget, the first bipartisan budget in a generation, based upon the Simpson-Bowles plan, talking about the need to bring additional revenue in, talking about the need to put spending cuts out there because Washington has this sense of spending, Mr. Speaker. Republicans have overspent; Democrats have overspent. I'm not here to point the finger. What I am looking for is a solution to the problems we face. My hope is that we can get those done today. The American people demand it, the American people need it, and the world is looking to America for leadership.

Mr. Speaker, on a different note, I want to rise today to recognize an extraordinary lady, a great American, one who raised four children and instilled in them a love of family and country, taught those around her the idea that your integrity determines your identity. In fact, she gave me that plaque, and it hangs in my room today.

I want to say it again, Mr. Speaker, because I think it is so very, very important: Your integrity determines your identity.

She also instilled a fantastic work ethic in those around her. A teacher, first of special needs children, then in English as a high school English teacher for a number of years, she left the teaching profession to have a family and then became an entrepreneur. She went into the private sector, helped people get jobs, put food on the table for families, and helped those families get an education.

Mr. Speaker, this great American lady celebrates a birthday today. I'm sorry that I'm not with her, but I am in spirit. Happy birthday, Mom.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the chairwoman for her leadership and for her friendship and her work on human rights abuses. I certainly want to thank the ranking member and my friend from New York as well.

Mr. Speaker, I've talked at length in this Chamber about the human rights abuses taking place inside the country of Iran. In response to this Iranian regime's oppressive rule, we have worked to promote democracy and human rights through a variety of legislative tools, and we have championed measures like the Lautenberg amendment to offer a lifeline to those individuals who seek nothing more than the freedom they cannot find in their home country.

Today I'm proud to stand here with my colleagues and encourage others to support House Resolution 134, officially condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i religious minority and for the continued violation of human rights. It's time for these continued violations of human rights to be fully exposed and to receive increased international attention.

The Baha'i population is Iran's largest non-Muslim religious minority. Over 300,000 Iranians consider themselves part of the Baha'i faith, yet since the Islamic revolution of Iran of 1979, members of the Baha'i faith in Iran have faced intense suppression solely because of their religious beliefs. Baha'is are unrecognized under the Iranian Constitution, and over 200 Baha'is have been killed in Iran since the revolution.

Additionally, Baha'is are wrongfully imprisoned and discriminated against throughout the country. Baha'is are barred from universities, banned from government employment, and excluded from the social pension system unless they deny their religious affiliation. Their marriages are not recognized; their property is confiscated; their holy places and cemeteries have been desecrated.

The situation has worsened considerably, Mr. Speaker, in the last year as the number of Baha'is in prison has roughly doubled, and there have been raids on the Baha'i Institution of Higher Education, an alternative education system that the Baha'i community developed to educate Baha'i youth who are excluded from the state's university system.

House Resolution 134 condemns the state-sponsored persecution performed by the Iranian Government and calls on it to release the seven imprisoned Baha'i leaders, six imprisoned educators, and all other prisoners held solely on account of their religious beliefs. Additionally, the resolution calls on the President and the Secretary of State to condemn the Iranian Government's continued violation of human rights. Finally, the resolution urges the President and the Secretary of State to utilize available measures to sanction officials of the Government of Iran and other individuals directly responsible for egregious human rights violations, including against the Baha'i community.

Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the importance of this issue, this resolution currently enjoys over 146 bipartisan cosponsors. On behalf of all those who are concerned about human rights abuses, and on behalf of the Baha'i community in the Tenth District of Illinois, which is home to the Baha'i Temple of North America--the beautiful temple in Wilmette is one of only seven, Mr. Speaker, throughout the world--I'd like to encourage my colleagues, my friends to vote in support of H. Res. 134's passage.

I thank you, and I thank, again, the chairwoman for her leadership.

Madam Speaker, the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, highlights an issue. And I think so often in this Chamber, actually, we talk about things that separate us, things that we have political battles and fights over. Unfortunately, on Friday, a tragedy occurred in Connecticut, taking the lives of far too many--20 children--and is a tragedy that knows no political boundaries. These are children that had their entire lives in front of them. On Friday, like many of us here, we were back at home in our districts. After hearing the news, many of us went to our schools to pick up our children to hug them just a little bit longer.

This is a tragedy, Madam Speaker; and, frankly, it highlights a number of issues that many of us have talked about on the floor today: it's about the mentally ill; it's about what we can do as a country to make sure that, yes, we have a Second Amendment. And many of us here even in this Chamber, Madam Speaker, are gun owners. But I do believe that we are all for responsible gun ownership. And I do believe that there are reasonable restrictions that can be put in place.

But today, Madam Speaker, it's not about that for us. Today, I rise because America is hurting. The country is looking for answers--answers that I'm not so sure will come immediately. As we look at the pictures of these first-graders, of these kindergartners, we ask, Why? Those answers won't come today. Those answers might not come next week. What we do know is that our job, our basic function, is to make sure that we try to provide an environment throughout our country where people can achieve their dreams. That ought to be something that, again, is not a Republican idea or a Democrat idea. That's an American ideal and the American Dream.

A very sick individual robbed 20 children and six adults of their American Dream. I would like to think that they're in a better place today. I take some solace in my faith that I don't understand the Grand Plan and that the good Lord does. But what I will say is that we all believe that this was a senseless killing and tragedy. I hope we can learn from it.

I hope those in Newtown, Connecticut, feel the warmth of the Nation that is sending their thoughts and prayers to them this day, especially as we look forward to the holidays in front of us. We will all say a special prayer for those that have been lost so needlessly in this act. I hope our country can come together. I hope we can focus on the American Dream and the opportunity for all children and all Americans going forward.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, this institution, the United States House of Representatives, enjoys a rich heritage that continues to inspire. Through these magnificent Halls and this great Chamber, celebrated American leaders have walked. Presidents have rallied a Nation, and monumental policy debates have echoed throughout the night to forge America's great history. This building right here is the fulfillment of what our Founding Fathers sought when skirmishes first broke out on the fields of Lexington and Concord nearly two-and-a-half centuries ago. It's what each succeeding generation of Americans has stepped forward to safeguard in its own way, and it is what we have been entrusted to build on and ultimately gift to our children. Here we are, working each and every day, to prove ourselves worthy of the country we inherited, the people we are here to represent, and the limitless future we hope to build.

Mr. Speaker, I decided to run for Congress just over 3\1/2\ years ago, the basement of my home serving as our team's first office. We didn't have much space or even a sign on the street, but we were all driven by the idea and firm belief that our country's best days are in front of us, that we can get our economy roaring again, that we can continue confidently as the best hope for leading the world. It has been quite a journey from that humble start to working here in the United States Capitol each and every day. But the great thing about America is that this story isn't so unique. Since our Nation's very inception, we have always been a place where what starts out as small gatherings of concerned citizens, of individuals getting together to discuss and plan how to make our country even better, can grow with hard work and dedication to actually achieve some of those very things.

I first ran for Congress, not because I wanted to be somebody, but because I wanted to do something. In fact, I wanted to do a great many ``big'' things. With so many millions of Americans struggling to find a job and economic security, I wanted to get this

economy growing and get our country back to work. With so many small businesses finding it harder and harder to keep their doors open each and every day, I wanted to fight for small business owners, like myself, and make sure that the Federal Government did a better job of helping to create an environment where small businesses and entrepreneurs can succeed.

With our country buried in debt and the problem only scheduled to get worse, I wanted to rein in the reckless overspending in Washington, D.C., and advance big solutions so that my children, so that our children, could be free to reach their potential without previous generations' debt obligations holding them back.

With threats to our national security growing by the day and with an Iranian regime defiantly pursuing its nuclear ambitions, I wanted to be not just a vote in the United States Congress but a leading voice. I wanted to be a true champion, advancing vital measures to keep our Nation and our allies strong and secure.

With the 10th District serving as home to so many great communities, great businesses, great schools, passionate leaders throughout our communities, bright people, and treasured natural resources, I wanted to provide the thoughtful, independent leadership in Congress that our district has had and so richly deserves. Then with our Nation seemingly torn apart by hyperpartisan politics and gridlock, I wanted to prove that we could still get things done if we were serious about working together in good faith and finding common ground solutions to move our country forward.

We've certainly gone through tough times recently, but I've always believed in the resiliency of the American people to make things better. We have been able to achieve great things because our natural instinct is to aspire to achieve great things. This is why I am here, and this is what I have worked to accomplish each and every day while I've been in office.

Now, these past years, we've made sure to hit the ground running because that's what the 10th District expects. Stretching north along Lake Michigan from the New Trier Township, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, and Glencoe to North Chicago and Waukegan, from Libertyville south to Glenview and Wheeling, Arlington Heights and Palatine east to Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, and Highland Park west through Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, and Long Grove, I've been fortunate to represent a diverse congressional district that asks its leaders in Washington to tackle a wide-ranging and ambitious agenda. With the help of so many good people and coalitions both at home in the 10th District and here in the United States Congress, we've been able to achieve a number of things that I will forever be proud of.

In the House of Representatives, we've kept a sustained focus on job creation and on creating a climate that better helps the private sector grow. I believe that this represents the best path to ensuring sustained economic opportunity and upward mobility for millions of Americans. The House has passed over 30 bills that have focused on job creation, and I am pleased that the House unanimously passed a jobs- focused initiative that I introduced, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act. This bill earned strong bipartisan support, and I look forward to its, hopefully, getting signed into law before year's end. But our efforts to help get people back to work most obviously don't start and end with legislation in Washington, D.C. Washington doesn't create jobs. The private sector, entrepreneurs, and small businesses do.

That's why, over the course of the last 2 years, we've put together a 10th District task force that is focused on jobs and have also hosted several highly successful jobs fairs back at home. These jobs fairs brought together local hiring employers with hundreds of job seekers and made a real impact on people's lives. We also organized and hosted educational events with local exporters and manufacturers, exposing them to how they can leverage the Export-Import Bank and new markets opened up by the passage of new trade agreements so as to grow their businesses and create new jobs right here at home.

I supported these things because I want to do everything I can to help businesses and workers in the 10th District and around the country succeed. I've been proud that my time in Congress has allowed me to continue to champion the cause of small business growth, to make sure that small businesses know that they always have a strong advocate for their issues with me in the United States Congress. Over the past few years, I've had the pleasure of touring and visiting literally thousands of small businesses in the 10th District of Illinois. I do this so that I can hear directly from our local business community, and more importantly from the thousands of constituents who work in these businesses, about what Washington can do better to help them.

We did employee town halls in places like the DoALL Company in Wheeling, at the Colbert Packaging in Lake Forest, and at Hollister in Libertyville. We talked ideas with business leaders like Steve Capp of Laserage Technology, Richard Zic of Dynomax, Inc., Jerry Larsen of Larsen Marine, and Matt Eggemeyer of Keats Manufacturing; and I always enjoyed visiting with our community's many storefront business owners, whether on Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville, in downtown Arlington Heights, or on one of the many beautiful main streets throughout the district.

To some, the big issue was making sure that we had smarter, better crafted regulations that take into account the unique nature of a particular industry. On this front, we've passed regulatory reform bills to improve the quality of this process and have written letters directly to Federal agencies to ensure that the rules are responsible and not excessively burdensome. We need regulation. We just want that regulation to be smart regulation and tailored regulation, not simply more of it.

Many employers talked to me about the importance of increasing manufacturing and trade opportunities. I've been very happy to advance these issues in Congress as part of a trade working group. I know that the trade agreements we passed with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia are already having and will continue to have a positive impact on manufacturers in the 10th District and around the country. I am also pleased that we recently made progress on improving opportunities with Russia, but we have much more work to do in order to level the playing field regarding trade.

Other small businesses talked to me about the need to have a highly skilled workforce that is better trained and prepared to take jobs in the 21st century. Out of this grew my legislation, the Back to Work Blueprint Act, which would inject a new idea into improving the Federal workforce training program and would ensure that skills developed by workers match with the needs of the employer.

These conversations with small business owners also strengthened my belief that we need to continue the promotion of STEM education in America's schools--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-- skills necessary to make sure students are prepared to take jobs in the 21st century.

Nearly every business owner shared the importance, Mr. Speaker, of access to capital and credit for their businesses. Capital is the lifeblood of our economy, and I am pleased that we focused in on this in this Congress with the passage of the JOBS Act and other legislation that came out of the Financial Services Committee. Of course, many employers and small business owners and individual workers talked with us about the importance of keeping the tax burden low and about making sure that our Tax Code was fairer and simpler. Over the past 2 years, I've been proud to champion this through my active support for comprehensive reform that is focused on low rates, eliminating the lobbyist loopholes, broadening the base, and focusing on economic growth.

I am confident that this will better help small businesses compete and create additional jobs.

We also heard from many small business owners--like Rick Woldenberg of Learning Resources in Vernon Hills--on the need to repeal the expensive and burdensome 1099 provision, which would have placed another unwelcome hardship on small businesses. I was

proud to get behind this issue very early on and was a cosponsor of the legislation and saw its passage through into law.

And finally, something that we've frequently heard from both workers and employers is the need for payroll tax relief. This is something which I proposed in legislation of my own, and which I was pleased to support in a different piece of legislation, to put more money into the pockets of hardworking Americans.

In essence, what we heard from our local businesses over the past few years developed into what was my Main Street Jobs Agenda, which I've talked at length about in this Chamber. With it's focus on pro-growth tax reform, increasing exports in manufacturing, access to capital for small businesses, making investments in infrastructure, utilizing domestic energy resources, STEM education, and implementing smarter regulations, I believe, Mr. Speaker, that this remains the best recipe for getting our country back to work.

Beyond our job creation efforts, I'm also proud of our leadership on confronting the Nation's debt crisis. Though not always popular, I refuse to accept the status quo of no budgeting, skyrocketing debt, and a sustained indifference to the reality that ignoring the problem only makes it worse.

With over 40 cents now borrowed on every dollar spent by the Federal Government, this is both a current crisis and a future one as well. Last year alone, we spent more paying the interest on the debt than we spent on the domestic priorities of education, transportation, and natural resource protection combined. This is unequivocally unsustainable, which is why I have dedicated much of my time and effort into reining in spending in Washington and championing a big, bipartisan debt reduction agreement.

I'm very proud of our efforts to introduce the first bipartisan budget in a generation. I want to thank Steve LaTourette and Jim Cooper for their efforts and leadership on this. I also want to thank Congressman Quigley for working with me to cosponsor and advance this legislation, which is based on the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles framework. Mr. Speaker, this budget ultimately failed to pass the House, but I remain proud of our bipartisan effort--for which the USA Today called us the ``Brave 38''--and I believe this type of thoughtful, independent leadership, this is the type of leadership that the 10th District deserves.

I also believe that the courage and leadership shown by the House to take on the difficult but necessary position of reining in entitlement spending deserves recognition. We know that Medicare stands out as a primary driver of our debt in the future. And, unfortunately, this future is not so far off. With one of Medicare's key programs scheduled to go bankrupt in the next 10-12 years, sustaining the status quo unavoidably means dramatic cuts down the road on those vulnerable Americans who need the program the most, crippling increases to the debt, and most likely both.

Instead, I believe we have a generational obligation to ensure that our children's potential is not crushed by a debt burden born out of the inability to govern responsibly. Ultimately, something as big as Medicare reform requires broad bipartisan support, so we're not there yet. We're not, but I do want to express my appreciation to Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and the House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan for recognizing that a solution must be found if we ever want to get this country on stable financial ground.

While many can find fault and issues with any proposal, we as Americans must applaud and encourage bipartisan solutions. We must strengthen our social safety net and ensure its long-term viability.

Of course, getting our debt under control impacts more than just what we do domestically. It impacts our ability to keep our homeland safe and free, and it impacts our power to provide leadership on the international stage.

The 10th District has a history and tradition of thoughtful global outlook and a special appreciation for the positive role American leadership can and must play in the world. This is a responsibility that I fully embrace and advanced.

I have been honored to work with the Armenian-American community to advance the Armenian Genocide Recognition Resolution here in this Congress. I want to especially thank Ken Kachigian, Ari Killian, and Greg Bedian, and all the people at All Saints Church and the Armenian Cultural Center in Glenview, Illinois, for their support in educating me about their key issues and concerns.

I also want to recognize the Bahai community in the 10th District, which helped me build support for the resolution I introduced bringing attention to the horrible mistreatment and atrocities of the Bahai people persecuted in Iran.

We put together a Human Rights Advisory Board which allowed us to better speak out about the mistreatment of religious minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh, especially in the Hindu community. And we supported numerous initiatives aimed at addressing human rights abuses taking place in Africa. I especially want to thank Dr. Richard Benkin for his commitment and help with regard to this area.

And of course we also focused on human rights and democracy promotion inside of Iran. But our work on Iran obviously did not stop there.

Mr. Speaker, in my very first speech on this House floor, I said that Iran posed the number one security threat to the United States. And thanks to the advice and counsel of so many good people in the 10th District of Illinois--community leaders like Sandy Perl, Keith Shapiro, the late Richard Schoenstadt, Janet and Gadi Cohen, Caryn Garber, Morrie Silverman and Lori Komisar, Richard Stein, Andy Hochberg, Steve Lavin, Rick Bachrach, Rabbi Aaron Melman, Peggy Shapiro, Rabbi Victor Weissberg, Marc Sacks, Steve Hefter, Andy Lappin, and so many more. Thanks to their passion, we continue to work on preventing this Iranian regime from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. We advanced many vital measures in this Congress on this issue, and I've been pleased to have the opportunity to act as a leading voice and a champion in Congress for strengthening the sanctions on Iran. So much energy has gone into these efforts, not just from me, but from many Members, and I will continue to urge that the United States ratchet up the pressure on Iran's nuclear ambitions until the threat is affirmatively and effectively dismantled.

Another focus of mine has been finding ways to strength the United States-Israel relationship. Whether it has been delivering speeches from the floor of the House Chamber, drafting and introducing resolutions affirming Israel's right to a secure border, traveling to Israel and meeting with Israeli officials, authoring letters and recruiting other Members to sign on in support, such as an early effort we led to show the commitment of House freshmen to fully fund our foreign aid commitment to Israel, including Iron Dome, in a tough budget climate, or cosponsoring and voting for critical legislation, I have looked to provide true leadership in support of our ally Israel's long-term security.

Finally, I've looked to provide the 10th District with thoughtful, independent leadership in Congress which it has had and I believe deserves. Our district is bound by deep-routed characteristics--namely, a desire for pragmatic, effective leadership, vigorous independence, and the ability to work with the other side of the aisle in a civilized and bipartisan manner.

On this, I'd like to especially recognize my two most recent predecessors for this seat, Senator Mark Kirk and John Porter. These men have served as valued mentors and friends. I've worked to carry on the proud legacy that they burnished for the 10th District. John Porter and now-Senator Kirk have helped me in ways greater than they even know, and I'm deeply honored to consider them my friends. To this day, they continue to care deeply about the people of the 10th District of Illinois. The quality of who they are and what they achieved is reflected in the appreciation that our area still has for these two incredible men. They set the standard by which the 10th District leadership is measured, and I cannot thank them enough.

The thoughtful, independent leadership that John Porter and Mark Kirk embodied are the same virtues that I

pledged to advance as I began my service to the people of the 10th District. I'm proud to stand here today and say that I believe that I've made good on this commitment.

On a number of issues, ranging from the environment, education, stem cell research, title X funding and women's health, gun control, and transportation infrastructure, I've never been afraid to break from any party and do what I believe is best for my constituents and district.

This is why I've consistently been ranked and considered as one of the most independent and bipartisan Members of this body.

Mr. Speaker, as an Eagle Scout, my Scoutmasters, Lee Getschow, Charlie Barnes and Artie Bergman, taught me to respect and love the outdoors, which is why I especially want to highlight our work to protect Lake Michigan.

Beginning with the first bill I introduced in the House, the Great Lakes Water Protection Act, along with my good friend, Dan Lipinski, Senators Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin, I'm proud of our efforts to keep Lake Michigan clean. This legislation would prohibit wastewater pollution from running into the Great Lakes, but our work to protect the 10th District's most cherished natural resource did not stop there.

We focused on supporting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through authoring and supporting funding amendments and advocating for the GLRI's importance in testimony before the House Budget Committee, all to make sure that this important program to protect the Great Lakes is adequately funded.

On a more local level, I'm proud that we've finally been able to facilitate the clean-up of Waukegan Harbor. The Superfund site which our community has been trying to restore and clean up for more than 20 years has finally started under our watch. So much work that went in to getting this accomplished has happened, and I particularly want to highlight and thank Susie Schreiber, Gerry Larsen and Cam Davis for their dedicated service to cleaning up Waukegan Harbor, getting, finally Lake County's gateway to the Great Lakes delisted as an area of concern by the EPA.

I also want to quickly highlight another cause which I've been proud to champion, and that's STEM education. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, these are critical educational fields that we need to make sure our young students are not only exposed to but have the tools to excel and compete in the global marketplace. This means giving these core areas extra attention.

And on that, I'd like to highlight the great work and dedication that Dr. Laz Lopez has given. As the principal of Wheeling High School, Dr. Lopez is ahead of the curve in advancing STEM education among his student, and I believe he's a model for students around the country. He's helped me greatly and has taken on the task of heading up my Educational Advisory Board, and for that I will forever be grateful.

In closing, it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to represent the people of the 10th Congressional District in the 112th Congress. I've never forgotten where I came from and what I came here to accomplish and the importance of governing for the people.

And while I'll miss many things, Mr. Speaker, I will miss most of all the many friends that I've made on both sides of the aisle, and my dedicated and talented staff, some of whom are here this evening: Eric Burgeson, my chief; Kelley Folino; Kim Brisky; Philippe Melin; David Stern; Kris Denzel; Eric Disilvestro; Heb Siam; Eric Miller; Daniel Serota; Mona Dooley; Stefani Zimmerman; Mike Traikovich; Jack Heyden; and Bryan Reed. They all worked tirelessly for the constituents of the 10th District, and I'm proud to call them my friends.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to seeing this next Congress address some big things, some big issues because there's simply too much at stake. As I think about our Nation's future, I'm reminded of a Winston Churchill quote: Success is not final; failure is not fatal. But it is the courage to continue that counts.

Each Congress brings a new opportunity to write the next chapter in America's exceptional story, but we must always remember that nothing is given. America's greatness must continue to be earned.

Our Nation has been built, generation by generation, through hard work and resiliency of the American people; and our generation must do our part to live up to this awesome responsibility. We must always be a country that stands for freedom and liberty, economic growth and opportunity for every American. And I remain optimistic that we can continue to make this country even better if we stay committed to these principles.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the people of the 10th District for the opportunity and honor to represent them in the United States Congress.

I yield back the balance of my time.