Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I know I am not supposed to be able to recognize people in the gallery because it is a breach of the House rules, so I won't mention to the viewers that there are a lot of students in the gallery today seeing the political process at work.

This is an opportunity for everyone to get to understand what it means to affect public policy in this great country. We are glad. We want to hear more from students throughout this Nation about what they think our government can do to make this country better.

I just want to come here to talk about today being exactly a month since a parent's worst nightmare came true for many in Parkland, Florida: the school they send their kids to was attacked.

This issue is personal for me, as a parent and also as somebody who has experienced gun violence on a baseball field less than a year ago. I think about the same fear, the same smells, sounds, and now the same healing process that those survivors will be going through. But I can only imagine how processing those things as a teenager feels or the pain that their parents, especially those who lost a child that day, are feeling right now.

I believe the only reason all of us on that baseball field are still here today is because we had someone there who was protecting us and firing back. Boy, did David Bailey, Crystal Griner, and the Alexandria Police fire back.

That doesn't mean I believe all schools need the same kind of security measures, but I do believe all of our schools need to look closely at their security protocols and policies, and Congress should help them make the changes that they deem necessary.

There wasn't just one failure on February 14, and as such, there can't be just one solution. This bill is one part of addressing this issue, and it is something we can and should do right now.

This week, I met with Central A&M High School in my district to discuss school safety and what they need to make schools more secure. Following the tragedy at Parkland, they sent a letter to parents and students. It had a line that stood out to me, ``Safety is everybody's responsibility.''

They are right. Let's pass the STOP School Violence Act. It is only part of the solution. There are other issues we still need to address. But if you believe in helping to make our schools safer, you should vote for this bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Avery Huddleston, a first grader in my district from Mechanicsburg, Illinois.

Avery, along with his classmates at Tri-City Elementary School, collected more than twenty pounds of school supplies for students in Puerto Rico--where schools are still recovering after Hurricane Maria.

Avery was so excited to help students in Puerto Rico that he asked his friends to bring school supplies instead of gifts to his seventh birthday party. Soon, his whole class got in on the fun.

When Avery's mom learned that local Ameren crews were scheduled to go to Puerto Rico, she arranged for Ameren to take the box of donations with them. But when the crews dropped off the donations, they discovered that the school was still experiencing problems with electricity. Within thirty minutes, Ameren workers were able to restore the school's light and air conditioning after nearly six months without power.

Thanks to the kindness of a special seven year old and his classmates, students in Rio Grande not only have new school supplies, but now have their lights back on.

I'm very proud of Avery and inspired by his ambition to help others. He's a perfect example of the kindness we should show our neighbors every day.

Keep up the good work, Avery.

Mr. Speaker, I rise, today, to remember Tom Berns, a friend and respected community leader, who passed away last month.

After graduating college, Tom established the firm Berns, Clancy and Associates, which has grown into one of today's premier engineering firms in the area. Over the course of his career, Tom was considered by many to be an expert in civil engineering. He found great joy in his profession and shared it with others through teaching.

However, Tom is, perhaps, most known for his impact on the community. He was a member of over a dozen clubs, boards, and civic organizations, many of which he served as president or chairman. He served as village engineer for five different central Illinois towns throughout his lifetime and was also actively involved in his congregation, St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, for over 50 years.

In 2000, Tom became a Member of the Illinois House of Representatives, where he represented Illinois' 104th House District.

Tom knew what it meant to serve. He lived his life in a way that put others before himself, always looking for ways to help, to get involved, and to improve his community.

I am inspired by the legacy of Tom Berns and the numerous lives he touched throughout central Illinois. I pray for his wife, Jeannie, and their family during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to recognize the Springfield Clinic, one of the first multi-specialty clinics in downstate Illinois. With more than 400 physicians and advanced practitioners practicing in 80 medical specialties and sub- specialties, Springfield Clinic now proudly stands as one of Illinois' largest private multi-specialty clinics and serves nearly one million patients throughout the central Illinois region.

In 2010, as part of their ``leading the way'' initiative, all Springfield Clinic offices began working with the OpenNotes movement. This put them among the nation's leaders in integration of electronic health record technology, which enables clinicians to share their visit notes with patients through fully transparent medical records. This secure system encourages patients to become active participants in their health care by providing a convenient way to access and manage personal medical records, communicate directly with medical professionals, schedule appointments and prescriptions, receive email and text reminders for preventive care and upcoming appointments, and pay bills online.

This dynamic state-of-the-art system provides Springfield Clinic the necessary tools to expand patient services. However, we cannot hope to automate and streamline provider workflow unless more patients sign up for and participate in these portals. I'm proud to represent Springfield Clinic, which is on the forefront of this innovative approach to the doctor-patient relationship. Nineteen million patients are already taking advantage of their new ability to access medical information online through OpenNotes, and my hope is that this number only continues to grow both in my district and across the country. More and more medical professionals and citizens should take advantage of this patient-centered program so we can focus on what matters most-- patient care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to recognize the Springfield Clinic, one of the first multi-specialty clinics in downstate Illinois. With more than 400 physicians and advanced practitioners practicing in 80 medical specialties and sub- specialties, Springfield Clinic now proudly stands as one of Illinois' largest private multi-specialty clinics and serves nearly one million patients throughout the central Illinois region.

In 2010, as part of their ``leading the way'' initiative, all Springfield Clinic offices began working with the OpenNotes movement. This puts them among the nation's leaders in integration of electronic health record technology, which enables clinicians to share their visit notes with patients through fully transparent medical records. This secure system encourages patients to become active participants in their health care by providing a convenient way to access and manage personal medical records, communicate directly with medical professionals, schedule appointments and prescriptions, receive email and text reminders for preventive care and upcoming appointments, and pay bills online.

This dynamic state-of-the-art system provides Springfield Clinic the necessary tools to expand patient services. However, we cannot hope to automate and streamline provider workflow unless more patients sign up for and participate in these portals. I'm proud to represent Springfield Clinic, which is on the forefront of this innovative approach to the doctor-patient relationship. 19 million patients are already taking advantage of their new ability to

access medical information online through OpenNotes, and my hope is that this number only continues to grow both in my district and across the country. More and more medical professionals and citizens should take advantage of this patient-centered program so we can focus on what matters most--patient care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Thomas Howard for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

The son of Bob and Susan, Thomas is a sophomore at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, VA. Thomas has been an active member of Cub Scout Pack 194 and Boy Scout Troop 648. He is an active leader on the local and national level, most notably serving as Patrol Leader at the National Jamboree. He currently serves as Junior Assistant Scout Master for his Troop.

For Thomas' Eagle Service Project, he led a team of scouts, friends, and adults to create thirty-seven, 2x3' environmental awareness poster puzzles for the Fairfax County Park Authority and invested over two- hundred and thirty-four service hours. With his dedication and leadership, every Park Authority building in the county now has access to these learning tools.

In addition to scouting, Thomas is an altar server at St. Thomas More Cathedral, a National SeaPerch competitor, and Mission Manager for Bishop O'Connell's ThinSat satellite program.

I am honored to recognize Thomas for his achievement and wish him all the best in his continuing education.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of Rare Disease Day, I'm proud to recognize Grace Herschelman, a six-year-old from Hillsboro, Illinois who continues to be an inspiration for thousands across Illinois.

When Grace was three-years-old, she was diagnosed with Infantile Neuraxonal Dystrophy, a neurodegenerative disease that results in a loss of muscle strength, movement, and the ability to speak. At the time of her diagnosis, there were only 10 documented cases of INAD in the nation, and most children with this disease do not make it to their 10th birthday.

Throughout her diagnosis and regular therapy treatments, Grace and her family have been a source of inspiration throughout Illinois. They have increased awareness for this rare and terminal disease, and have raised more than $175,000 for research, with donors coming from all 50 states.

Grace and her family's story is just one example of why I support increased funding for the National Institutes of Health and legislation like the 21st Century Cures Act. Thousands of Americans are afflicted with rare diseases like INAD, and we as a nation must work to ensure that better treatment, cures, and hope are prioritized and possible for these patients and their families.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of Rare Disease Day, I am proud to recognize Grace Herschelman, a 6-year-old from Hillsboro, Illinois, who continues to be an inspiration for thousands.

When Grace was 3 years old, she was diagnosed with infantile neuraxonal dystrophy, a neurodegenerative disease that results in a loss of muscle strength, movement, and the ability to speak. At the time of her diagnosis, there were only 10 documented cases of INAD in the Nation, and most children with this disease do not make it to their 10th birthday.

Throughout her diagnosis and therapy treatment, Grace and her family have been a source of inspiration throughout Illinois. They have increased awareness for a rare and terminal disease and have raised more than $175,000 for research, with donors coming from all 50 States.

Grace and her family's story is just one example of why I support increased funding for the National Institutes of Health and legislation like the 21st Century Cures Act. Thousands of Americans are afflicted with rare diseases like those that afflict Grace, and we, as a nation, must work together to ensure better treatment, cures, and hope that is prioritized and possible for these patients and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Derek Leonard, who was nominated by the Chicago Bears for the 2017 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year award.

Nominees for this award are chosen for their character, integrity, leadership, dedication to their community, commitment to player health and safety, and on-field success. Derek Leonard exemplifies all of these qualities. Coach Leonard has coached the Rochester Rockets football team since 2006 with an impressive 133-29 career record, including a record seven State championships, the most by any public school in my home State of Illinois.

Derek is known for being one of the most gifted offensive minds in high school football, but Coach Leonard reaches beyond football with his message of faith, family, and football, in that order. He is a leader with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and ensures his players are equipped to become good men in life after they graduate from high school and walk off o that football field.

I am proud to have Coach Leonard as a friend, and I want to congratulate him and his family and his team on this honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Roger McFarlin, who retired at the end of last year after forty-five years of service as a family physician in my district.

Dr. McFarlin grew up in Hillsboro, Illinois, where he graduated high school in 1962. After finishing medical school in Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. McFarlin practiced in both Colorado and Montana before moving back to Hillsboro to be close to home.

Since then, Dr. McFarlin has taken care of hundreds of patients in the area, who, according to his wife, are not just their patients, but family and friends. For nearly fifty years, he's made house calls and hospital visits, and has become a familiar name to most in Montgomery County.

Dr. McFarlin has been an important voice in the healthcare community for over forty-five years. He previously sat on the board of directors for Hillsboro Area Hospital and was the medical director for the Montgomery Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. He also served on the board for the Montgomery County Health Department and is a longtime member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

He has been awarded the Hillsboro Education Foundation's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005 and also received the Rural Physician of Excellence Award from the Illinois Rural Health Association; true testaments to Dr. McFarlin's dedication to his patients and his commitment to providing excellent healthcare to families.

Dr. McFarlin plans to enjoy his retirement with his wife, Doris, on their farm. I'm thankful for Dr. McFarlin's many years of service to patients in Central Illinois. I wish him and his family the best as they start this new chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Harper for his leadership on this important piece of legislation. And I would be remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I didn't offer my thanks to our House Administration Committee's ranking member, Mr. Brady. I thank him for his leadership on this important issue, too. I want to thank my fellow colleagues on that committee for their hard work and diligence.

Mr. Speaker, no one should have to worry about sexual harassment when they come to work. This bill is vital to addressing this problem as we work to increase professionalism in the House and establish a workplace that is grounded in respect.

In Congress, we have got to lead by example. As a member of this committee, my colleagues and I held hearings on preventing sexual harassment in the congressional workplace and the effectiveness of the Congressional Accountability Act, which demonstrated the need for reform.

I am pleased to report that this bill continues the House Administration Committee's commitment to increasing transparency in the Federal Government. Last Congress, we worked hard to pass reforms that made House office spending more transparent and accountable than any other area of the Federal Government.

Today we are voting on a bill that will increase transparency of Member conduct by requiring the Office of Compliance to report on awards and settlements every 6 months and by holding Members personally responsible. This strengthens the dispute resolution process, enables employees to speak without fear of retribution, and ensures every House office has an antidiscriminatory and antiharassment policy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' and to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor Ayden O'Malley. Ayden is the daughter of Denny and Rosalind O'Malley of Nokomis, Illinois.

Along with many of her friends and hundreds of other young people from Illinois, Ayden traveled here to D.C. earlier this month to attend the March for Life. During their trip, Ayden was hospitalized after she experienced a serious medical episode.

After countless prayers and 5 days of fighting, Ayden gained her angel wings. As her mom said: ``So often answered prayers may not be the answers we want.''

Ayden was an eighth grader at St. Louis Catholic School, where she was on the honor roll, played volleyball and softball, and volunteered in her community as often as she could. Everyone who knew Ayden said she had a bright, vibrant spirit that brought joy to everyone around her.

While they were here in D.C., I met with Ayden's group, but, unfortunately, I never had the honor of meeting her. I admire Ayden's convictions and willingness to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

I ask this House to join me in praying for strength and healing for Ayden's family, friends, and the Nokomis community during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Tim Nelson, a beloved father, husband, community leader, and football coach who passed away on January 16, after a courageous battle against colorectal cancer since 2013.

Despite spending weeks receiving treatment in the hospital and going in and out of remission, Tim's resolve and bravery in his battle against this disease never wavered.

The support he and his family received in the Metro East and the River Bend never wavered either. A member of the Calhoun High School's 1992 State championship football team, Tim served as head football coach at Marquette Catholic High School in Alton and Dupo High School before returning to his home school, Calhoun High School, as an assistant in 2013.

Each of these communities and the entire region never stopped rallying around Tim and his family. I am proud to honor him and his life in this Chamber, and I ask you to join me in keeping his wife, Casey; and young son, Crew, in your thoughts and prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a valued member of the central Illinois community, Elizabeth ``Liz'' Leonard. Liz passed away on December 31, 2017 at just 64 years old, but her memory and legacy will continue to live on.

Liz touched so many lives in the Springfield community where she taught in the Springfield School District 186 for more than 27 years. She was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother. Liz was also actively involved in the Springfield Bible Church and was a ``Huddle Leader'' for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for over 20 years.

As so many people in the community know, the entire Leonard family was devoted to football. Liz's husband, Ken, and son, Derek, are high school football coaches for two rival teams in Illinois. The ``Leonard Bowl,'' played between Ken's Sacred Heart-Griffin Cyclones and Derek's Rochester Rockets, has become one of the most uniting high school sports spectacles in the state. I can only imagine the dilemma Liz found herself in while attending these games and deciding who to root for.

As someone who knows the Leonard family well, my thoughts and prayers are with them and all members of our local community as we remember the tremendous positive impact the Leonard family and Liz have had on so many of our school districts and communities.

I thank Liz for shaping young minds, supporting young athletes and Christians, and for being a shining light in all of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Silgan Closures, a leader in the manufacturing industry in Illinois' 13th District.

The Silgan Closures plant in Champaign, Illinois was awarded the 2017 Illinois Sustainability Award by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. Over the past year, Silgan has made significant changes to its operation in an effort to reduce energy consumption, making it a true example of the sustainability in manufacturing and a deserving recipient of this award.

By converting from injection molding machines to compression molding machines, Silgan was able to reduce the company's greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 2,900 metric tons. Silgan also began using rail to import their plastic resin, further reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Even small changes like switching to LED lightbulbs and using more environmentally friendly cleaning agents have had a significant impact when it comes to cutting down on energy use at Silgan's facility in Champaign.

As a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus, I will continue to support policies like Section 179(d) of the IRS code, which incentivizes businesses to become more energy efficient, and the Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act, which would expand 179(d) to include the installation of mechanical insulation. Businesses like Silgan Closures are an example of how incentivizing sustainability can produce results. I'm proud to highlight the good work that Silgan Closures is doing to lead the way in sustainable manufacturing in my district. They are certainly deserving of the 2017 Illinois Sustainability Award.