Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of The Moser Group and Wingate University for their extraordinary organizational and grassroots efforts to help victims of Hurricanes Irma in Florida and Harvey in Texas. This week, these two organizations will load two 18- wheeler trucks to deliver supplies directly to the affected areas.

Commitment to charity and compassion for victims of national disasters is truly what makes America great.

In North Carolina, we know all too well about the consequences of hurricanes: 98,000 homes and 19,000 businesses were destroyed by Hurricane Matthew, from which we are still recovering.

Organizations like The Moser Group and Wingate University are key to recovery efforts across the country. They are to be commended. Madam Speaker, God bless them as they continue to help people in need.

Mr. Chairman, earlier today the House passed a critical $8 billion disaster relief package that is intended to fund the immediate needs for Federal disaster relief.

Similar to Hurricane Harvey, a year ago, eastern North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Matthew. Our State suffered $4.8 billion in damage, including 98,000 homes and 19,000 businesses. 82,000 people have made applications to FEMA.

Mr. Chairman, although the package passed by the House this morning was for Hurricane Harvey relief, can you please explain how it will be also helpful for Hurricane Matthew victims?

I would like to be able to assure my constituents that Congress will continue to support their long-term disaster relief needs.

Mr. Chair, if the gentleman will continue to yield, as we consider the great plight in Texas of Hurricane Harvey, I also want to offer my sincere thanks for the outpouring of support that my State continues to receive, that they need after the devastation of Hurricane Matthew.

Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen, who has offered my State great support, and Chairman Carter.

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 445.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Monsignor John McSweeney, priest of Charlotte's St. Matthew Catholic Church, the largest Catholic parish in America, who retires this week after more than 40 years of ministry.

He was actually the first priest ordained in what was then the new Charlotte Diocese back in 1974. Monsignor McSweeney is committed to the principle of servant leadership and of helping each member of his parish find their special God-given role in life and in the church.

Despite his very public role, he often reminds folks that Jesus is the star of St. Matthew, not the priest. Monsignor McSweeney has another motto: ``You never say no to Jesus.''

And so, still listening to Jesus at age 75, Monsignor McSweeney is retiring from America's largest Catholic parish to move on to Haiti or Jamaica to live among the poor and minister to their needs.

May God bless Monsignor McSweeney in this next phase of ministry.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to also thank Chairman Thornberry and Chairman Sessions for making my amendment in order and allowing floor consideration.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple. It prohibits telecommunications companies that provide material support for North Korea cyber attacks from contracting with our Defense Department.

While my amendment is simple in nature, it strikes at the heart of what I believe to be the cornerstone of North Korea policy.

For far too long, China has enabled the North Korean Government to pursue nuclear development, global provocation, and egregious human rights violations. The Chinese Government is simply not a good faith partner on the issue of North Korea.

For example, there have been multiple public reports indicating that China's largest government-affiliated telecommunications firm, Huawei, has been subpoenaed by the Commerce Department as part of an ongoing investigation into whether it broke our export control laws by conducting business with North Korea.

Additionally, earlier this year, a similar Chinese Government- affiliated firm, ZTE, was hit with a record-breaking billion-dollar fine in connection with comparable North Korea-related export violations.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment is one of many steps that our Congress needs to take to demonstrate to China we will no longer tolerate its alliance and partnership with North Korea.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Laurinburg- Maxton Army Air Base in Scotland County, North Carolina, which played a vital but little-known role in World War II.

From 1942 to 1945, Scotland County helped prepare glider pilots for the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. Generals Dwight Eisenhower and George Marshall visited the base during the war to observe glider training.

On June 6, 1944, when more than 160,000 Allied troops landed during the Invasion of Normandy, glider pilots trained in Scotland County were among the vanguard as American soldiers silently soared down the French coastline through the thick fog powered only by the prevailing winds.

The brave glider pilots who trained at Laurinburg-Maxton Air Base helped secure Allied victory on D-day. Today I ask you to join me in honoring those soldiers as well as the Scotland County community, which supported these efforts.

Mr. Speaker, the previous administration's biggest homeland security failures were the lack of prosecution and enforcement for crimes committed by illegal immigrants. For far too long, the Obama administration failed to adequately punish illegal immigrants who committed felonies in the United States.

A simple deportation is not enough. The United States must prosecute and sentence all individuals who commit crimes and hurt Americans.

When we enforce the law, we create a deterrent mechanism for future bad behavior. Failure to enforce the law is a failure to the American people. That is why I support Kate's Law.

I thank Chairman Goodlatte for his strong work and leadership on this issue for the safety and security of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Charlotte's Providence Presbyterian Church and in celebration of their 250th anniversary.

Founded by Ulster Scots in 1767, the church was named ``Providence'' to express the founders' firm trust in the faithfulness of God to work all things for His purpose.

Members of Providence Presbyterian were part of the combative North Carolina militia, the Hornet's Nest, which courageously opposed Lord Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War.

For over 140 years, the church sponsored all schools in the community and, in the late 1850s, established Providence Female Academy, which was one of the few schools for women in the South.

The church remains committed to service today. Part of the 250th anniversary celebration included making 250 dresses for young girls in Africa. Their motto is ``Rooted in Christ, growing in the Spirit.''

To Pastor Walt McCanless and the entire congregation, congratulations, and God bless this wonderful community of believers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of one of Charlotte's most exemplary businesses, Babcock & Wilcox, which today celebrates their 150th anniversary.

Boilers made by Babcock & Wilcox powered Thomas Edison's laboratories and New York's first subway.

During World War II, much of the U.S. Navy fleet was powered by Babcock & Wilcox boilers, and the company supplied components for the vital Manhattan Project. Later Babcock & Wilcox fabricated components for the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.

More recently, Babcock & Wilcox has become a leading innovator in emissions control technologies, helping to protect our air, water, and land by controlling emissions from hundreds of power plants and industrial facilities around the world.

In 2010, Babcock & Wilcox moved to Charlotte and became a vital part of the Charlotte region's growing cluster of industry-leading energy firms.

Congratulations today to Babcock & Wilcox's 5,000 employees on this 150th anniversary.

Mr. Chairman, I am here to support the Financial CHOICE Act, and for good reasons.

Under Dodd-Frank, North Carolina has lost 50 percent of our banks since 2010, while three community banks have consolidated just in the last month. Monthly banking fees have increased 111 percent.

As well, Dodd-Frank created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which even the liberal D.C. Court of Appeals calls unconstitutional and a threat to individual liberty.

Dodd-Frank has made the Wall Street banks even bigger and more powerful; and Dodd-Frank has contributed to the slowest, weakest economic recovery in 70 years, impeding access to capital and credit in the market for small business.

Maintaining the status quo is not acceptable.

The Financial CHOICE Act will impose the toughest penalties in history for fraud on Wall Street. It will end taxpayer bailouts for Wall Street and allow your community banks and credit unions to focus on serving you and your local business, which will help create jobs and grow the economy. The Financial CHOICE Act means opportunity for all Americans and bailouts for none.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, America pauses to honor the patriotic men and women who sacrificed their lives in support of our liberty.

For many, perhaps, Memorial Day has become just another reason for a cookout. But for more than 11,000 families in North Carolina, Memorial Day is very real. Their son or daughter or spouse or parent is among the 11,000 North Carolinians who died during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan.

Remembering the price of freedom makes me all the more grateful for the 17 students from my district who this year received appointments to West Point, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy. These students, many of them at or near the top of their class, are volunteering to dedicate at least 9 years to defend America. They know the potential risks and the ultimate sacrifice required by many.

To the families of those who died in service to our Nation, we extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude. May God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, I was in North Carolina attending to District related business. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 263, and YEA on Roll Call No. 264.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 249.

Mr. Speaker, I was absent from votes on Tuesday, March 28. Had I been present, I would have opposed S.J. Res. 34, and voted NAY on Roll Call No. 202.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his exceptional leadership on this very important legislation.

In 2012, 7-year-old Jamal Stevens was in his bed when a tornado tore through the house, tossing him onto the embankment along Interstate 485, hundreds of feet from his room.

The warning from the National Weather Service came 10 minutes later,

after the tornado had already touched down. This is because my hometown of Charlotte relies on radar nearly 100 miles away, meaning that the National Weather Service is using weak or inaccurate readings when issuing crucial safety warnings for Charlotteans.

In 2013, the current system provided a tornado warning, but for citizens in an entirely wrong neighborhood. More recently, a tornado in December of 2015 struck neighboring Union County with no warning from the National Weather Service.

Fortunately, our region has not suffered any fatalities due to the inadequate coverage, but we shouldn't wait for tragedy to act.

The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act requires the Commerce Department to identify weak coverage areas and identify solutions to the problem by improving existing government radars or incorporating non-Federal radars into the National Weather Service's operations.

Americans across the country rely on the National Weather Service to detect and provide warning for severe weather such as thunderstorms and tornadoes. But Charlotte is currently the largest metropolitan area without an adequate radar coverage. Addressing this shortcoming is an important step for public safety.

With that in mind, I do urge my colleagues to support H.R. 353. I thank the chairman so much for his support on this critical legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the American Health Care Act and, specifically, the critically important reforms to Medicaid, in addition to the other great reforms that will bring cost- effective health care to this country.

For 50 years, Medicaid has been a blank check to the States with little accountability and rampant fraud. During my time in the North Carolina Senate, we found as much as 20 percent waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid.

In response, I have worked with SAS, a major technology firm, to develop accountability and oversight. North Carolina is now a leader in Medicaid fraud recovery.

Under the American Health Care Act, Medicaid replaces an open blank check with commonsense per capita or block grant allotments for each State. This incentivizes States to follow North Carolina's lead and clean out the bad actors exploiting eligibility and the providers taking advantage of Medicaid at the expense of America's most vulnerable.

Conservatives have championed these reforms for decades. Now is our opportunity to bring accountability to Medicaid.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this great reform.