Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Bob Henderson on being elected Commander of the Illinois American Legion, the nation's largest wartime veteran's service organization.

Mr. Henderson grew up in Central Illinois and served in the United States Navy from 1961-1965. He has been a member of the American Legion since 1967. He became Post Commander in his hometown of Homer in 1977, and later Adjutant and Finance Officer in Urbana in 1998.

Having completed electrician training in the Navy, Mr. Henderson continued to work in the profession after his discharge until his retirement in 2005, when he became further involved in the American Legion. He served as Department Historian before being elected as District Commander in 2010 and was elected as Senior Vice Commander for the Illinois Department in 2016. Last year, he was elected to serve as the Commander for the Illinois Department for 2017-2018.

Mr. Henderson is a remarkable example of a dedicated public servant. I am proud of his accomplishments and thankful for his service to our country. It is an honor to represent him in the 13th District of Illinois.

Mr. Henderson will be a strong leader for the American Legion and I wish him the best in serving his fellow servicemembers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and sacrifice of Petty Officer Logan Palmer from Decatur, Illinois.

Logan knew early on that he wanted to serve his country. He was an Eagle Scout and an active member of Life Foursquare Church.

After he graduated from Sangamon Valley High School and Richland Community College, he enlisted in the Navy as an interior communications electrician. In the Navy, Logan earned the National Defense Service Medal.

Although I never had the honor of meeting Petty Officer Logan Palmer, his family remembers him as a committed sailor, a loving son, and a brother.

Petty Officer Logan Palmer died serving and protecting our country, and for that, we remain eternally grateful.

This accident is a grave reminder of the risks our servicemembers and their families take on each day. I continue to pray for Logan's parents, Theresa and Sid, his brothers Austin and Kaleb, his sister Mattie, and all those who knew and loved Logan.

Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer this amendment which would prevent the Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration from using any funds to revoke service agreements--also known as exceptions--in place before April 14, 2017.

At its core, this amendment, supported by my colleague, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, is about reinforcing congressional intent, preventing further mismanagement, promoting good customer service--corrections we must make due to a bureaucratic failure at GIPSA.

Mr. Chairman, in the U.S., grain handlers are assigned a USDA- approved inspection agency based upon the grain handlers' geographic location. To utilize official inspection services, grain handlers must go through their assigned official inspection agency unless they apply for and receive an exception from GIPSA. Only with an exception may grain handlers receive services from an alternate inspection agency outside of their assigned territory.

During the drafting of the 2015 Agriculture Reauthorizations Act, one of my priorities was to provide for more opportunities for these exceptions to be considered and granted. That legislation passed this Chamber by a voice vote and included a provision which created a new process by which grain handlers could petition GIPSA for an exception.

When it was signed into law, I felt the provision accomplished my goal to provide grain handlers with greater opportunities to utilize exceptions.

In July of 2016, GIPSA reaffirmed my initial pleasure with the provision when it released its final rule governing the new exception process stating: ``GIPSA currently has 95 agreements for agencies to operate outside of their assigned territories and GIPSA will continue to honor those agreements.''

So imagine my surprise and disappointment when, in April of this year, GIPSA contradicted itself and released a directive opening a back door for official grain inspection agencies to revoke those 95 service agreements.

As a result of this directive, an official inspection agency can now unilaterally request that GIPSA or the USDA revoke a service agreement with neither the grain handler nor the alternate inspection agency having a say in the process.

This runs contrary to the original intent of the legislation, which was to provide grain handlers with greater opportunities to utilize exceptions, not less.

By supporting my amendment today, we can temporarily halt this misinterpretation. As it stands, GIPSA's interpretation of the law has caused many grain handlers to lose their service agreements--even though these grain handlers have operated under these exceptions for years.

This includes my constituent Scott Docherty of Topflight Grain Cooperative in Monticello, Illinois. Scott has been using the same grain inspection service for more than 20 years when GIPSA sent him a notice giving him less than 30 days to prepare for a change in service.

The issue at stake is a prime example of bureaucratic failure. In our current inspection process, the grain handlers are the customers, yet they are not given a say under the new directive, not granted enough time to plan for the disruption, and they are the last to find out about this drastic change in service.

They deserve better, Mr. Chairman. By supporting this amendment, we can reclaim congressional intent, prevent GIPSA from revoking the remaining service agreements in place before April 14 of this year, an outcome Congress never intended.

GIPSA's interpretation of the law may be wrong, but I do want to thank the USDA for working with me to ensure my amendment is not misinterpreted and accomplishes what I have sought to do. And that is, to prevent GIPSA from revoking the remaining service agreements. I look forward to working with them on finding a more permanent solution in future legislation.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Aderholt for his support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on August 21, the USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker near

Singapore, taking the lives of 10 of our sailors:

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Kenneth Aaron Smith of Cherry Hill, New Jersey;

Electronics Technician 1st Class Charles Nathan Findley, St. Joseph, Missouri;

Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Abraham Lopez, El Paso, Texas;

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Kevin Sayer Bushell, Gaithersburg, Maryland;

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Jacob Daniel Drake, Cable Township, Ohio;

Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Timothy Thomas Eckels, Jr., Manchester, Maryland;

Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Corey George Ingram, Poughkeepsie, New York;

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Dustin Louis Doyon, Suffield, Connecticut;

Electronics Technician 3rd Class John Henry Hoagland III of Killeen, Texas;

My constituent from Decatur, Illinois, Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Logan Stephen Palmer.

Although I never had the chance to meet Officer Palmer, his parents and his friends remember him as a committed sailor, a loving son, and a brother.

The service and sacrifice of these brave men is not lost on this House and will always be remembered by the country they dedicated their lives to serve and protect. This accident is a grave reminder of the risks our servicemembers and their families take on for our country and all of us each and every day.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join me in a moment of silence to honor these sons, brothers, fathers, and patriots for their service to our Nation and to pray for their family and friends during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of my friend, Steve Rockford, who passed away last week following his 5-year battle with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease.

I first met Steve when he came here to Washington, D.C., to advocate on behalf of more funding for ALS research, and I was really struck by his courageously uplifting demeanor in the midst of a very dark prognosis.

Steve came to my office, was all smiles, brought me this pack of cards where his card was on the top. As you can see right here, Steve leaves behind his wife, Tammie, and his five children.

While this terrible disease attacked Steve's body, it really never touched his resolve. He held a positive and inspirational mindset throughout not only the diagnosis and his treatments, but throughout his fight against ALS. He never let Lou Gehrig's disease bring him down.

Steve actually sent me text messages every day, and it is sad that I don't get them anymore, and we know why. His text messages would have Biblical verses, inspirational messages from a man who was fighting a disease that he knew he was not going to live through.

That tells you a lot about Steve Rockford, a former wrestling coach at Southeast High School in Springfield, Illinois. He is somebody who taught others how to lift themselves up. And while he was fighting the fight of his life, he taught me what it was like to be lifted up by someone so special.

ALS is a devastating disease. It attacks the body. It never stops relenting. It is estimated that 20,000 people have this disease at any given time, and only 20 percent of those affected with ALS live more than 5 years after diagnosis.

We must follow Steve's request to fund research at the National Institutes of Health to ensure that diseases like ALS are eradicated and that those afflicted with the disease have access to home health services and rehabilitation equipment.

While facing a debilitating disease and diagnosis, as you can tell, Steve did not despair, falter, or surrender. Steve Rockford is a hero to me. He is a hero to many in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. I am a better man for knowing Steve Rockford.

Please continue to keep his wife, Tammie, and their five beautiful children right here in this picture, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve, we are going to miss you. I am sure you are having fun up there.

Mr. Chairman, the Franking Commission, of which I am the chairman, is a bipartisan commission made up of an equal number of members from both parties that approve all the franking and mailing materials that go out. We were not contacted by the gentlewoman from New Hampshire about this amendment, and that is one reason I am opposed.

There are a number of reasons why I am opposed to the amendment, the chief of which this amendment is going to negatively impact two very large constituencies--people in rural America that I serve, and many of us serve, and also areas where there is not ready access to electronic communications. Many Americans who don't have access to electronic communications will be the most affected by the fact that Members of Congress cannot contact their constituents via mail.

By limiting how Members can communicate with their constituents, Members may be more likely to make mistakes and violate the franking rules. We want to make sure that the franking rules work. Currently, postcards, communications that are 4\1/2\ by 6, the size mandated by this amendment, as Chairman Yoder said, make up only 10 percent of all postal mail communications.

This amendment would severely limit what many Members, both Republicans and Democrats, are able to do. By reducing the size of any mailer to a postcard, Members of Congress of both parties wouldn't even be able to communicate via letterhead in a mass mailing, so this is an amendment that I oppose.

Mr. Chairman, again, I wish our colleague would have gone through the process. If she would come to the Franking Commission, we would be glad to take her ideas into consideration.

But this amendment severely limits the ability of Members of Congress to reach out to their constituents. Members would not be able to send a mailer on official letterhead. Members who budgeted their funds wisely and printed postcards that they then send to their Members that might not fit this size would be a waste of taxpayer dollars because they would not be able to use those.

Also, under this amendment, many end-of-the-year communications that my colleague has sent from her office herself would not be eligible under this amendment right now.

So let's make sure that we have a discussion at the Franking Commission level. We would enjoy debating this issue with Members, Republicans and Democrats, who equally make up the Franking Commission. We would like to take your concerns into consideration, but give us a chance to do that. I urge my colleague to do that in the future.

Mr. Chairman, again, I oppose this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3298) to authorize the Capitol Police Board to make payments from the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund to employees of the United States Capitol Police who have sustained serious line-of-duty injuries, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Harper), chairman of the House Administration Committee, whom I want to thank for allowing me the opportunity to manage this very important bill today. I couldn't ask for a nicer, more respectful chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

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

I do want to thank my good friend, Mr. Brady, for being here today, managing this bill on the other side, and I also want to thank the coach of the Democrats, who won this year. I certainly liked it better when we had the trophy.

But to be able to know that the thoughts and the prayers are with so many of our Capitol Police officers every single day and also, especially, the heroic actions of Agent Bailey and Agent Griner, what you and our next speaker did with this legislation makes all of us who were a part of this time very humble and thankful.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), our manager, the sponsor of this piece of legislation today.

(Mr. BARTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, the reason why we are here can't be stated much better than what my colleague Mr. Doyle just so eloquently delivered today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), one of our pitchers, one of our newest members of our congressional baseball team, and a good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker), our starting pitcher.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), my good friend who was there with us that morning, somebody whom I watched act heroically and his watchful eye on the entire process, somebody who can give us his personal anecdotes.

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

I thank my colleagues, Mr. Brady and Mr. Doyle, for the opportunity to come here today on this floor and show America the bipartisanship that we see and we witness on this floor every single day--not just because of a baseball game--to do what is right.

Mr. Speaker, I want to again thank my colleague, Joe Barton, for leading this effort--not only leading us as a manager of our baseball team, leading us as somebody who brings their son, their 11-year-old son to practice to have fun playing with a bunch of old guys who really shouldn't be playing baseball as much as we enjoy doing it, but to be able to do it, to raise money for local D.C. charities.

Joe, Jack, Barry, I, and the rest of us who were there that morning, none of us ever thought that, at approximately 7:09, we would hear the words: Run, he has got a gun. And it was mentioned by Mr. Doyle about those of us who dove in that dugout.

Let me tell you something, Mr. Speaker. I think I could have beaten Usain Bolt from home plate where I was standing to that dugout that day. I dove in that dugout not knowing where the shooter was, what the shooter's motives were, and what was next.

As I was working my way outside of that dugout, I saw Agent Bailey come onto that field in the line of fire to protect every single one of us who were there that day, and it wasn't just Members of Congress. It wasn't just people who this shooter may have politically disagreed with that morning that were there that day.

It was an 11-year-old boy like Jack Barton. There were innocent people walking in that park, walking their dogs, in the line of fire that morning because this person may have disagreed with what we do on this floor.

For those people who are watching today, understand, again, what we are doing here, which is what is right to help those heroes, Agent Bailey and Agent Griner, get access to the funds that all of America put forth on their behalf in less than 24 hours after that tragic shooting. Let us all remind them that we do get along; we do work together. It is not just when tragic moments like this happen. It is a lot more often than what you see.

In less than 24 hours after that shooting, the American people stepped up, and they did what Americans do in the wake of tragedies every single time we witness them.

We had already raised a record amount of money for local D.C. charities with this year's game, $600,000, $100,000 more than what was normal. And they sold, again, 10,000 seats. In less than 24 hours, the American people from all over this great Nation raised another $900,000 to go to local D.C. charities and to the Capitol Police Memorial Fund, which was added the last day.

They also sold 25,000 tickets. I think that game that night, we outsold like three major league games in attendance. We obviously didn't play as well as they did, but we outsold them.

And that shows you what America is all about. It shows you what Republicans and Democrats are all about. It shows you that in the wake of a senseless tragedy, where we watched our friend lay on that field, not knowing what the outcome was going to be for Steve Scalise and his family, Matt Mika, Zack Barth, Agent Griner, and Agent Bailey, that those two saved the lives of everyone on that field that day.

Charging at gunfire is not something I ever thought I would do, and I didn't do that day. But thank God they were there, and they did. And those Alexandria police officers, the police officers I never saw arrive at that scene, thank God they were there.

Because it is the heroic actions of all of those officers, especially those two who I joked with when I walked onto this House floor when I would see them here, not knowing that we would have ever been a part of something that will bind us all together, a tragedy that happens one morning in Alexandria, Virginia, while a bunch of old guys are playing baseball.

We will forever be bound by what we saw and what we witnessed that day. There is not an hour in the day that goes by in my life that I don't think about what happened on that field that morning.

The smells, the sounds, the fear that all of us experienced that day could have been, as every speaker said before, much worse without the heroes who ran toward gunfire, sacrificing themselves for every one of us, and every innocent person in that park, in that field that day.

This is why we have got to make this technical change, Mr. Speaker. We are here. We are lawmakers. We write the laws. We can change the laws. And when this fund was set up, because of the tragedy that many still in D.C. witnessed that day with Officer Gibson and Officer Chestnut who were gunned down protecting innocent Americans in this building, this fund was set up to honor them, not knowing that years later--and today is the anniversary of that shooting--we would need to modify this bill to help two more of our heroes who were lucky and blessed enough to survive.

Today we are going to do that because of the leadership of Mr. Barton and Mr. Doyle. Let me go back to that day in 1998. I was actually a new staffer for a new Member of Congress named John Shimkus. I was sitting in the district office in Springfield, Illinois,

when I heard the news that shootings were happening in the U.S. Capitol--the fear as a staffer that went through me, wondering where my friend and my boss were. But I got to see it from out there. I never thought years later I would get to witness it as a Member of Congress.

And witness it, we all did, but also we learned from it, and we learned what America was all about. And today is our day in the U.S. Congress to stand up for those heroes who protected us that day and say: We are going to help you.

I, and my family, my kids, my wife, every family member who I was able to reach out to that morning, and all of those who I wasn't able to talk to, we cannot say thank you enough to Agent Griner, Agent Bailey, and the Alexandria Police Department for making sure we have the ability to make this fix.

I urge every one of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill. Let's send a message back to America that we thank them for what they did for our officers, and we thank them for allowing all of us the privilege to serve in this great institution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Rebecca Wattleworth, who was recently named a finalist for Illinois Teacher of the Year by the National Network of State Teachers of the Year.

Each year, this organization recognizes the outstanding teachers that help improve student learning and the teaching profession.

Mrs. Wattleworth is a math and science teacher at Warrensburg-Latham High School in my district. Like many in her profession, she takes a personal interest in her students, ensuring they have all the tools they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond, She has received many distinctions for her commitment to education, including previously being named a finalist for this same honor in 2012.

Mrs. Wattleworth is among the best educators in the state of Illinois and I am proud to recognize her dedication to her students and her community.

Congratulations Mrs. Wattleworth, on this well-deserved award. I thank her for all she does.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, July 13, 2017, I was absent from the House because I was unavoidably detained. Due to my absence, I did not record any votes on the Motion to Adjourn, first vote series, and second vote series. I would have voted ``aye'' on Roll Call 354, Roll Call 355, Roll Call 362, Roll Call 369, and Roll Call 371.

I would have voted ``Nay'' on Roll Call 353, Roll Call 356, Roll Call 357, Roll Call 358, Roll Call 359, Roll Call 360, Roll Call 361, Roll Call 363, Roll Call 364, Roll Call 365, Roll Call 366, Roll Call 367, Roll Call 368, and Roll Call 370.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, I was absent from the House during the second vote series because I was unavoidably detained. Due to my absence, I did not record any votes for the second vote series. Had I been present, I would have voted: nay on Roll Call Votes 350 and 351, and aye on Roll Call Vote 352.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero, Ray Heckler, who is being laid to rest in Arlington today with full military honors.

Ray began his service to his country as a private in the Army, and retired after 40 years as a command sergeant major in the Illinois National Guard in Urbana. During his time in the Army, he served in Germany, Berlin, Japan, Paris, Africa, Morocco, Casablanca, and Marcel in France. He was awarded the Bronze Star in France for his heroic and praiseworthy service on the field of battle.

Remembered by those closest to him as being a helping hand whenever needed, Ray spent time with his community by working to construct and rehabilitate homes through Habitat for Humanity.

It is my honor to recognize Mr. Heckler and his devotion to our country. My thoughts and prayers are with his family as they mourn the loss of a truly courageous and selfless man.

Rest in peace, Ray Heckler.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Cinda Klickna, a friend, educator, public servant, and president of the Illinois Education Association. After a long and successful career, Cinda will be retiring later this year.

Cinda's career began in Springfield, Illinois, where she taught high school English and Advanced Placement Literature. In 1997, she was awarded the Illinois State Genealogical Society Community Service Award for her classroom's research of an abandoned cemetery at Lake Sangchris.

After leaving the classroom, Cinda started with the IEA as a legislative intern, working with the late State Senator Vince Demuzio, State Representative Richard Reilly, and State Senator Terry Bruce. Before becoming an IEA officer, Cinda served on the IEA Board of Directors, the National Education Association Board of Directors, and as president of the Springfield Education Association. Additionally. she has chaired committees on Partnerships for Educational Innovation and the Legislative Committee for the IEA, as well as the Membership Services and Affiliate Relationships for the NEA.

Cinda has been recognized as the first teacher to serve as the chair of the Education Committee for the Greater Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and her public service has extended to membership on United Way Board.

I am honored to recognize Cinda's accomplishments and her dedication to education and the Illinois Education Association. Best wishes for a happy retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Officer Nathan Miller, of the Jerseyville Police Department, who was injured in the line of duty while responding to a burglary alarm during the early morning hours of June 13, 2017.

After responding to the burglary call, Officer Miller pursued the suspect for several blocks before the suspect opened fire on him. Officer Miller was hit several times, and was immediately transported to St. Louis University Hospital.

The willingness of Officer Miller to put his own life on the line to protect his community is truly an act of bravery and has not gone unnoticed. Officer Miller was greeted with a hero's welcome as he returned home to finish out the rest of his recovery; the Jerseyville community lined the streets to show their support for the officer with signs and other ``back the blue'' decorations.

I ask that you join me in keeping Officer Miller in your thoughts as he makes a speedy recovery. May God Bless Officer Nathan Miller and all of the other first responders who work to keep us safe.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Richard Underwood, a veteran, a member of our Nation's Greatest Generation, an educator, and this is his 90th birthday.

Richard was born in Korea to his Presbyterian missionary parents and was a natural native speaker of the Korean language. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor, he was repatriated from Japanese-held Korea and attended high school in Brooklyn, New York, before enlisting in the U.S. Army and joining the Office of Strategic Services. In World War II, he served behind Soviet Russian lines in Korea and the liberation and division of Korea.

After his service in World War II, he returned to the United States, only to reenlist in the Army following North Korea's invasion of South Korea. As an interpreter in the Korean war, Richard and as his brother helped interpret peace talks at the end of the war.

After this military career, Richard returned to Korea in 1957 to head the America Korea Foundation; and in 1962, he joined the Korean mission of the Presbyterian Church and was assigned to the Seoul Foreign School as its principal and, later, headmaster.

Richard currently lives in Urbana, Illinois, with his wife of 65 years, Carol.

Richard, happy birthday, and thank you for your years of selfless service and sacrifice to this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Colonel Anthony Mitchell for his efforts as Commander of the St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Before his command ends in June of 2017, he will have overseen nearly $200 million in civil works water resource planning, design, construction, and regulatory functions in the states of Illinois and Missouri.

Mitchell began his duties as the 51st Commander of the St. Louis District in 2014 and has since then worked to provide leadership and direction to more than 700 military and civilian personnel, functioning to provide water resource engineering solutions to the 300 miles of the Mississippi watershed above the Ohio River.

Aside from his accomplishments in engineering, Mitchell's military decorations are praiseworthy as well. Featuring two Bronze Star Medals; the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, four Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, the Parachutist Badge and the Army Engineer Association's Bronze de Fleury Medal. Additionally, in 2012 Mitchell was recognized as the Black Engineer of the Year Award Recipient for Professional Achievement in Government. These awards are truly a testament to Mitchell and the level of dedication he puts in to his work.

Colonel Mitchell's commitment to the St. Louis District has undoubtedly contributed to the Mississippi Valley Region's excellence and I congratulate him on his many achievements and thank him for his work.