Floor Statements

Thank you to my good friend and colleague from Florida, and thank you to my good friend and colleague from Alabama for joining us, Mr. Byrne.

Mr. Speaker, this is a great opportunity to talk about what we heard in this Chamber, just slightly less than 24 hours ago, from this President, who is from my home State of Illinois. We heard a lot of ideas and a lot of talk and a lot of promises, but if it is anything like the State of the Union Addresses that I have had an opportunity to sit on in this Chamber over the last 2 years, we are not going to see a lot of action.

There was a lot of talk about the economy. The economy is getting better. Frankly, it can't have gotten much worse when you compare it to a few years ago. Of course, it is going to get better, but the reality is there are still 8.7 million Americans who are out of work, and 7 million Americans are in part-time jobs but are looking for full-time jobs.

The President's solution to many of the issues that were brought up was to tax more American families--to tax American families who have been saving for their children's college education to pay for a grandiose idea he has yet to give us the details on.

The President also talked about helping our heroes: our veterans. This one is personal to me because just a few weeks ago, the day we got sworn in for the 114th Congress, Mr. Speaker, we were able to unanimously pass a bill called the Hire More Heroes Act, which I sponsored. This wasn't an idea that came from Washington. It was an idea that came from Illinois. Brad Lavite, the superintendent of the Madison County, Illinois, Veterans Assistance Commission, came to me during the last Congress and said, Why is it that veterans who are getting their health care through TRICARE and through the Department of Defense count towards the ObamaCare 50-employee limit in the employer mandate?

I came here, took his idea, and garnered hundreds of cosponsors to put this on the floor of the House. It passed in the last Congress, but it got held up in the Senate. It passed unanimously in this Congress on day one, and that bill should go through the Senate and get to the President's desk. If he wants to help veterans get jobs, I hope the President signs that immediately when it hits his desk, hopefully, in no more than a few weeks.

These are the types of solutions that are bipartisan solutions that the President told us he wanted to put forth, but he talked to us in a manner that I didn't think was bipartisan at all. Most of his speech talked about what he was going to do. I would have rather heard the President talk about what we are going to do together because, frankly, that is what my constituents in Illinois want us to do. They want us to come here and govern together.

That is why I am so glad to be here and be a part of this Special Order with my good friend, Mr. Jolly. Hopefully, we can begin a good banter about discussing what our thoughts are on where America needs to go to move forward and work with this President but do it in a way that is a lot less confrontational than what we heard last night.

Will the gentleman yield?

I would like to know how many community colleges the administration contacted to talk about whether or not this was a good idea. The example that I have heard since this idea was put forth was that Tennessee is going to do it. Well, great for Tennessee, because they are probably going to use their lottery funds, from what I have read, to pay for it.

Let me give you an example in Illinois, where I live, the President's home State. Unless we are going to get a brand new crop of lotto players, if the lotto is going to fund it, then you know what? That money would be robbed from our K through 12 system to create what is tantamount to grades 13 and 14 in our community colleges, which may not have the faculty or may not have the facilities to handle the influx-- and then to top it off by taxing savings plans that many middle class Americans have been using to be able to send their children to college at a time when the cost to go to any college is rising exponentially much faster than the inflation rate.

I don't know if this is a conflict of interest or not because this is just a proposal from the White House, but I have a 529 plan. We have been saving for my three kids to go to college. And to be taxed now, after investing since they were very young--my daughter is now 17--I can tell you from the standpoint as a dad that I can empathize with many families who aren't in the financial position that we are able to be in because we are blessed enough to serve our districts in this institution.

It is flabbergasting to me to be able to hear the President talk about these great ideas. Frankly, I just don't know how many of us sat in this room last night and believed that it was going to get beyond the idea stage. And I don't know how much effort he is going to put in to try and pass this plan, but I would urge our colleagues to take a good, hard look at this and also never forget the possible impact it is going to have on our 4-year institutions, both private and public. I serve nine of those in my district in Illinois. What kind of impact is it going to have on those institutions when you take a good percentage of students that will now go, if his plan is implemented, to the community colleges, which provide a great education?

I would love to hear more about what you think and the impact it might have on the community college systems that you are so familiar with, Mr. Byrne.

Will the gentleman yield?

Thank you to the gentleman for yielding, and you bring up a great point. This isn't just a border security issue because of an immigration issue. This is a border security issue because of a homeland security issue.

We have to make our border secure. We are going to have what our vision for border security is in this institution pass now to the Senate, and the President will get his wish. We will put a bill on his desk. It may not be the bill he wants, but my message to the administration--to the White House--is: come work with us.

In my first 2 years here, I just haven't seen that happen on a wide variety of issues. It seems like every idea that we come up with in this institution, even some that passed by huge bipartisan majorities, they threaten a veto. Well, that is okay, but that is not conducive to working together to find solutions, and that is what I think we are here for.

I think we, on this side, there are many of us who are out here to find solutions to the Nation's problems, not to create more problems, and that is exactly the message I hope to send to the American people tonight, that we are willing to work with the President on border security, on education, on a wide variety of issues, but we also have to have some response back, and that is what I think we are lacking.

If the gentleman would inquire how much time we have left.

Will the gentleman yield?

I am just excited to be able to talk about what happened at the State of the Union last night, our perspective. In closing, it kind of frustrates me that we didn't see real solutions to the exploding cost of higher education.

If the solution is what the President laid out, which is going to actually put more of a burden on middle class families by taxing their savings plans that they have been saving for--for sometimes decades-- that is a wrong approach to bringing down the cost of higher education to making Pell grants go further.

The President also mentioned another point last night about equal pay. Well, it would have been nice to have the President and the White House actually do that in the White House, where women make an average of 18 percent less than men, so it is not just enough to talk about it here in this Chamber. Do it when you have control over the opportunity to make things happen.

That is why I hope it is not just rhetoric on many issues, but I want to see action.

Mr. Speaker, later this month, on January 31, WSEC/PBS Springfield will celebrate 30 years of quality and educational television broadcasting in the Springfield and Jacksonville, Illinois area.

For three decades, PBS Springfield has delivered a service known for excellence in programming to the people of West Central Illinois. Their mission to impact children's literacy and their commitment to the lifelong learning of adults have impacted thousands of people across the viewing area.

Learning and literacy have been at the forefront of this station's values. Over the years, they have sponsored numerous events such as training workshops to help parents and teachers use television as a tool for teaching kids about music, art, and reading.

Over the past 30 years, PBS Springfield has enriched communities by building partnerships with local organizations. Through its First Book Program, PBS Springfield has impacted the hundreds of families by distributing free books to underprivileged children.

As someone who grew up watching PBS, and as the father of three children who also enjoyed their shows, I recognize the importance of educational programming for our children and I thank PBS Springfield for its commitment to education. To everyone at PBS Springfield, congratulations on 30 successful years on the air.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity today. Chairman Ryan, my colleague from the great State of Michigan, I thank you for your support for this piece of legislation.

Earlier today, a new Congress was sworn in, each of us swearing to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. A new Congress is another opportunity to do the people's work, to further the ideas and priorities of our constituents and put our Nation on solid footing for an even brighter future.

I am honored that this 114th Congress is opening with the Hire More Heroes Act, a bill that I have introduced and an idea that didn't come from Washington, D.C. It began with a constituent of mine, Brad Lavite, who is actually up in the gallery today. Brad had this idea, and as a superintendent of the Madison County Veterans' Assistance Commission, I am proud to have him here today to see the culmination of what that idea has turned into and the bipartisan support that you see for this idea on the floor of the House today.

Brad helps the nearly 35,000 veterans living in Madison County navigate the VA system and actually find other resources, including helping our veterans find employment. After explaining ObamaCare to veterans throughout southwestern Illinois and how it impacts their VA health benefits, he began wondering why they were subject to the employer mandate if they were not even in need of health care coverage. Brad raised his concern with me at one of our veterans advisory board meetings, and shortly thereafter we began work on the Hire More Heroes Act.

This bill will help businesses hire more of our Nation's veterans by making a commonsense change to ObamaCare. In just a few months, the President's health care law will mark its fifth anniversary; 5 years of delays, canceled policies, costly Web site glitches, and increased out- of-pocket expenses for hardworking middle class families. Unfortunately, the law's problems don't end there. We continue to see its lingering impact on our economy as many small businesses delay hiring, cut hours, and, in some cases, reduce payroll. In fact, the National Small Business Association found that 91 percent of small businesses have seen increases in their health care costs, and two- thirds of their members listed ObamaCare as a reason for holding off on investing in people. And, Madam Speaker, I must remind everybody that investing in people is how we create jobs here in America.

The Hire More Heroes Act exempts veterans already enrolled in their own health care plans through the Department of Defense or through the VA from being counted toward the 50-employee limit as part of the employer mandate required under ObamaCare. By making this commonsense change to the law, we will not only provide small businesses with much- needed relief, but also help more of our veterans find work.

Despite receiving some of the best training in the world, post-9/11 veterans are consistently faced with higher unemployment rates than that of other veterans. So as more and more of our veterans return home, the Hire More Heroes Act will give those who have sacrificed and served our country a leg up in a very competitive job market. Last Congress, this legislation passed this House overwhelmingly by a count of 406-1, almost as bipartisan as you can get, but it was held up in the Senate.

The Hire More Heroes Act is just one example of the bipartisan bills that the House will bring up this Congress. Later this week, we will further the American people's call for greater energy independence and job creation by voting to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and by helping Americans by restoring the 40-hour workweek under ObamaCare. With a new Congress, and

if the President is willing to work with us, we have an opportunity to end the stagnation in Washington and make our government work for the people again.

I ask all of my colleagues to defend the oath that they have just taken and help hire more of our heroes by voting ``yes'' on this piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today, my home State of Illinois mourns the loss of a great friend and a great leader, our State comptroller, Judy Baar Topinka.

I awoke this morning to my phone buzzing incessantly, and I was sad to pick up that phone and hear the news that my friend passed away unexpectedly early this morning. Illinois has lost a great leader.

Judy was somebody who was an institution in Republican politics in my home State. She was the most gregarious politician I have ever met in my life. Judy was somebody who made everyone feel at ease walking through the State capitol in Illinois. I am proud to represent that State capitol now in Springfield, and it is going to be a sad day to walk into that capitol and not see Judy.

Mr. Speaker, Judy was somebody who knew no strangers. If she met you, whether you were standing out in front of the capitol building guarding the door or if you were the Governor of the State of Illinois, she treated you the exact same way.

She is somebody who inspired me to get into this arena of public service. As a young candidate for State representative in 1996, I had the opportunity to have many people tell me that I shouldn't run, but I had Judy Baar Topinka to thank for encouraging me to go for it. I lost that race, but I made so many friends like Judy.

Judy came to my hometown of Taylorville to do some campaign events with me one day. It was summer. It was a long day of events, and Judy went to my house to lay down and rest for a bit. I had a 1-year-old Boston terrier bulldog who decided that he really liked Judy.

He jumped up on that couch and started kissing her in the only way that my dog knew how. He went right to her face. Instead of helping Judy, we took pictures. Since that day, every single time I have seen Judy Baar Topinka, she asks me about that dog. In 2012, when my dog Bruiser passed away, Judy was actually sad when I broke the news.

Illinois is going to lose not just my friend, but we lose our comptroller who was just reelected. Illinois mourns the loss of Judy, and I stand here today--with no intention of coming to the House floor--to talk about my friend. I mourn the loss of my friend.

Illinois will never be the same without Judy Baar Topinka, and America will never be the same without leaders like her.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Hastings, and a special thanks to my friend and colleague Mr. Valadao for introducing this legislation.

Why is somebody from Illinois standing on the floor of the House to talk about a bill that affects California? Well, this chart says it all: California crops, 99 percent of the almonds, 99 percent of the figs. Go down this chart and you can see how it impacts every single family that I represent in central Illinois. 800,000 people in my congressional district go buy these products in our stores. The cost of not doing something to affect this historic drought is costing them and their families more to eat these products, healthy products, that come from the Central Valley of California.

When you have over 800,000 acre-feet of water being released, fresh water being released into the ocean, that is enough water for 800,000 families to use for a year. We are simply asking for flexibility that has a direct impact on every single family in this country. It has an impact on my families that I represent, and that is why I am so proud to stand here and support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize a good friend and a very important member of my hometown community of Taylorville, Illinois.

Dan Raab, the president and CEO of Taylorville Memorial Hospital, is retiring after 34 years in the healthcare industry. Dan started with Taylorville Memorial Hospital in 1995, when it was known as St. Vincent Memorial--it was also where my wife worked--and has served the community as CEO for 19 years.

With Dan's leadership and dedication, TMH has remained a staple in the Taylorville community. It is Taylorville's largest employer, and TMH has given so much back to the community. As a matter of fact, it spent $4.9 million in community benefits just in the year 2013 alone.

TMH is one of nine critical access hospitals located in the 13th District of Illinois, and they play a vital role in ensuring that rural communities are served so that our citizens get the health care they deserve.

As Taylorville and central Illinois continue to thrive, I know that TMH will be part of that success, and that is a direct result of Dan Raab's leadership. I want to thank Dan for his 34 years of service and congratulate him on his retirement.

My wife, Shannon, and I wish him and his wife, Mary, and their two children, Joe and Emily, the best of luck in the future and with his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Tom Bertrand as the 2015 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. For the last 13 years, Mr. Bertrand has served as superintendent of the Rochester Community Unit District in Rochester, Illinois. In his time with Rochester, he has served the school district as a teacher, coach, principal, and assistant superintendent before taking on his current role.

His dedication to the students and his many accomplishments in his time with the Rochester district make him a deserving recipient of this award. He has developed a nationally recognized anti-bullying program and has worked to improve the use of technology in the school district by both students and faculty.

I am proud to represent Mr. Bertrand and the Rochester school district. His commitment to his students is something to be recognized. I thank him for his service to the district and his dedication to public education.

Mr. Bertrand, congratulations on being named the 2015 Illinois Superintendent of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. May Berenbaum for being named a recipient of the National Medal of Science.

Dr. Berenbaum is a world-class entomologist at the University of Illinois, whose exceptional contributions to insect research have earned her this top award which she received at the White House last month.

A leading voice on the issue of pollinator health, Dr. Berenbaum has been critical to policymakers and to peers alike. After all, we have pollinators to thank for one out of every three bites of food that we have, and we have Dr. May Berenbaum to thank for being a leading researcher and enthusiastic voice in helping us sustain the pollinator population.

As a supporter of the National Science Foundation research and agricultural research, I come to the floor today, Mr. Speaker, to again congratulate Dr. May Berenbaum. Our area is very proud of you for receiving this honor.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Utah (Mr. Stewart) for introducing H.R. 1442, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act. I rise in strong support of this piece of legislation.

As Mr. Stewart said, this bill will increase transparency and give Americans more opportunities for public input and participation on Science Advisory Board activities.

I believe this legislation builds on the progress that we have made on improving the Science Advisory Board.

I represent a district where agriculture is the economic driver and a way of life. So it concerns me when I learned that farmers did not even have a seat at the table on the EPA Science Advisory Board.

And the EPA Science Advisory Board, Mr. Speaker, considers rules that impact agriculture.

By working together on the farm bill, my colleague Representative Peterson and I were able to ensure that farmers have a stronger voice when it comes to EPA regulations.

For the first time, agriculture interests will be represented within the SAB. I can report that EPA has made progress in standing up this ag-related committee, and I believe the voices and input provided by farmers and producers to the EPA will make for more commonsense policy.

H.R. 1422 will provide the public with more access to scientific information and more opportunities to comment on board actions.

This legislation also ensures that State and local government officials would be part of the Science Advisory Board. And as my colleague alluded to earlier, we cannot have a Science Advisory Board made up primarily of individuals who receive grant funding from the Federal Government to make decisions that affect them.

Again, I rise in support of this bill. I thank my colleague from Utah.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today and join the rest of the state of Illinois in mourning the loss of a great public servant, Brad Demuzio, who passed away this week at the young age of 50.

Brad was born in Carlinville in 1964, to the late state Senator Vince Demuzio and former state Senator and current Mayor of Carlinville Deanna Demuzio.

Brad followed in his family's footsteps of public service as the Mayor of Carlinville from 1993-2005, working in the Cook County State's Attorney Office from 1984-1986, as a criminal investigator for the Illinois Attorney General's office from 1986-1999 and most recently as the director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police.

Perhaps one of Brad's greatest legacies will be his support, generosity and compassion for the law enforcement community, those he considered colleagues and friends.

In passing, Brad leaves behind his daughter, Brooke, his son, Blake, his mother, and countless other family members.

We send our thoughts and prayers to his family during this difficult time and thank them for Brad's service to the state of Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, it is great to follow my colleague, but we have some other colleagues here tonight that I want to make sure that they get an opportunity to talk about their experience with the two Members that we are here to honor tonight, Congressman Phil Crane and Congressman Lane Evans.

For that reason, I yield to my colleague from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Woodall).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia. The gentleman from Georgia mentioned the great legacy that Phil Crane left, and it was a great legacy that not only former Congressman Phil Crane left for those of us who follow him in Illinois, it is a great legacy for former Congressman Lane Evans that he left too.

My colleague from Georgia also mentioned what would a young Member of Congress say if Phil Crane were here today and the inspiration that he gave to all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague and my good friend from the great State of Illinois (Mr. Schock), one of the youngest Members of Congress to offer his remarks.

Thank you to my good friend from Illinois.

Mr. Speaker, I would remiss if I wasn't able to offer my prepared remarks on Congressman Crane and also Congressman Evans before we recognize some of our other friends who are here tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I want to say it is a privilege for me to be able to stand on the floor of this House to recognize the life and accomplishments of two great leaders from the State of Illinois.

Congressman Phil Crane was first elected in the 13th District of Illinois to represent the northwest Chicago suburbs in 1969, and he held that office for nearly 40 years. At the end of his career, he was the longest-serving Republican Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Crane was, in a word, a legend. He was one of those larger-than-life politicians that we often talk about or read about in history books but who rarely exists today.

We also take the time today to mourn the loss of former Congressman Lane Evans. Last week, former Congressman Lane Evans passed away after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Mr. Evans, a former marine, was elected in 1982, at the age of 31, and served the people of the 17th District for parts of three decades. In fact, over the course of his tenure, Mr. Evans served the many parts of Illinois that I am now lucky and proud enough to represent. During his 24 years in the House, he was a staunch advocate for our Nation's veterans and for America's working men and women, and his service to his constituents was second to none. He will be remembered as a fighter both for the people he represented and against the disease that eventually took his life.

It is fitting today that Republicans and Democrats together have come to the floor to honor the lives of two great public servants from Illinois and to thank them for their service to our country. We send our thoughts and prayers to the families of Congressman Evans and Congressman Crane during this very difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Republicans and Democrats coming to the floor of the House to honor these two great men, and it gives me great privilege to yield to my good friend and colleague from the great State of Illinois, Mr. Dan Lipinski.

Thank you to my good friend from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), who had the opportunity to get to know Lane Evans not only as an intern but also as a colleague.

I never had that opportunity to serve with either Mr. Crane or Mr. Evans, but I had the opportunity to be able to work for the dean of our Republican Illinois delegation, Mr. Shimkus, who was here earlier tonight, and I got to meet both of these men during my time in working for Mr. Shimkus in the late nineties and throughout the last decade. I can tell you that both gentlemen

were pillars of public service for very different reasons. They both served their State well. They served their districts well, and they served their constituents well.

As a matter of fact, I had the opportunity--and it might have been during one of the times that Mr. Shimkus mentioned. It was a flight that Mr. Crane was taking through Springfield that ended up in Vandalia, where Mr. Crane appeared at an event on behalf of Mr. Shimkus, and I got a chance to hear him speak personally. His passion for free markets, his passion for economic development and economic growth, and his passion for free trade was evident during his discussion. That was one of the few times I got the chance to actually experience what many, when I was growing up, experienced when watching Phil Crane, in person, run for the Presidency in 1980.

Let me remind you, Mr. Speaker, that, in 1980, we had many Illinoisans vying to send to the Presidency; not only President Reagan, who was born in Illinois--in Dixon, Illinois--but we also had Mr. Crane, Congressman Phil Crane, and also John Anderson, Congressman John Anderson. It looks like Illinois was the center point of the Presidential election in 1980, and Illinois still, obviously, plays a great role in the White House today. This is an opportunity that we have to stand here to talk about bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., something that, when many people turn their TVs on, they don't see. They don't see the bipartisanship that we are seeing here tonight.

That chance to see Congressman Crane in action helped inspire me to want to become a Member of this institution. He served the 13th District that I am now blessed enough to represent--that district starting with Marguerite Church and Donald Rumsfeld and then Phil Crane. Then we had Robert McClory and John Erlenborn, Harris Fawell, and Judy Biggert, who served the 13th District of Illinois before I did. Now I get the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of people like Phil Crane and those aforementioned Members of this great institution, and it humbles me every day to know that I get the chance to follow in their footsteps.

With Congressman Lane Evans, I got a chance to know him and his successor, Congressman Phil Hare, who was once a fellow staffer for Lane Evans. We sat next to each other in Hillsboro, Illinois, talking about how Republicans and Democrats can work together to make sure that water infrastructure needs and sewer infrastructure needs are addressed in Montgomery County, Illinois. I now get a chance to serve Montgomery County, Illinois. I think back to that time when Lane Evans never thought he would leave the Rock Island area and the Adams County area and represent places like Montgomery County, Illinois, but he did, and he did it well. We got a chance to work together as fellow staffers-- Phil Hare and I and Jerry Lack, who was another one of his economic development coordinators in the district that I worked so closely with. Opportunities like that to see leadership in action and bipartisanship in action is another reason I wanted to be a Member of this great institution.

Lane Evans never thought that he would come down and represent areas like Pana, Illinois, and my home county, Christian County, Illinois. With Lane Evans, I remember the first time he was in Pana and actually called it ``Pannah.'' Do you know what? Lane Evans was the type of guy who could laugh at himself. If you make a mistake in this business, sometimes that mistake is turned into a 30-second ad, but Lane Evans was able to take that mistake and turn it into humor and to represent Pana, Illinois, extremely well.

Mr. Speaker, I learned a lot about constituent service from my former boss, John Shimkus, but I also learned a lot about constituent service from Lane Evans. Lane Evans taught many of us that it is the most important part of our job to make sure you answer every phone call, that you answer every time a constituent writes you a letter--or, in today's day and age, an email--and that you make sure you respond to their requests because members of our communities--the citizens of the 13th District of Illinois--don't call us at the beginning of their problems. They call us to help break through the bureaucracy of Washington, D.C., when they are at the end of their ropes, when they have already called the Federal agencies, when they have already not gotten the answers that they needed or deserved. What John Shimkus and Lane Evans taught me while seeing them in action was that responding to our constituents' needs is what matters most, and it is a part of our job that I appreciate the most.

Now, I mentioned Lane Evans came down to central Illinois in a new district that included a county that I now am blessed enough to represent. It is Macoupin County, Illinois. I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity in this time that we are honoring the service of Congressman Phil Crane and honoring the service of Congressman Lane Evans to honor another gentleman, another public servant from Macoupin County, Illinois, who also passed away unexpectedly at the age of 50 this week. His name is Brad Demuzio. Brad was the son of long-time State Senator--an institution in central Illinois--Vince Demuzio.

I got to know Brad when I got the chance to meet his dad, Vince, and Vince was a powerhouse in Illinois politics. We didn't share the same partisan affiliation, but what we shared was friendship and opportunities to serve central Illinois together. Vince passed away from colon cancer a few years back, and he was succeeded in the Illinois State Senate by his wife, Deanna, who happens to currently be the mayor of Carlinville, Illinois, and somebody I am blessed enough to be able to work with today. Before her, Brad Demuzio served Macoupin County and Carlinville as mayor for multiple terms. Brad was also the director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police. Brad served in that position until he passed away unexpectedly last week. Brad was a public servant, true and true, for his community and for our communities.

There was a time in the Illinois State Capitol when we had somebody who was mentally ill walk in with a loaded gun and fire a shot that killed a friend of mine, Bill Wozniak, who was guarding the door. Brad Demuzio helped lead the charge to make sure that we created an Illinois State Capitol Police force that secured the Illinois State Capitol to ensure that Bill Wozniak was the last person to be killed in the line of duty, guarding the Illinois State Capitol. Brad Demuzio worked with our secretary of state, Jesse White, to make sure that this police force was put into action.

That is true leadership. That is public service. That is why I stand here, on the floor of the House today, to also honor my friend who died way too young, at age 50--former mayor, former director of the Illinois Secretary of State Police, and my friend, Brad Demuzio.

So it gives me great pleasure tonight to honor these three great men because they are inspirations to me, and they are going to be inspirations to future generations of central Illinois' public servants.

Thank you, Phil Crane, for your service to this country and to our great State. Thank you, Lane Evans, for your service to this great institution. And thank you, Brad Demuzio, for your service to the great State of Illinois and Macoupin County.

And with that, I see no other Members down here to recognize the service of these great men, so, Mr. Speaker, I will take this opportunity to yield back the balance of my time.

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

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 46 minutes p.m.), the House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, November 14, 2014, at 9 a.m.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your service in this great institution.

Mr. Speaker, we are here debating this jobs package because our economy is stagnant. Our unemployment rate hasn't fallen below 6 percent since this President took office 6 years ago.

Although growing the economy may not remain a number one priority for the Senate, it may not remain a number one priority for the President, I assure you it is for millions of Americans who can't find a job or who continue to look for that job promotion or who feel their paycheck isn't going as far as it should.

My bill, the Hire More Heroes Act, is not a waste of our time, is not a waste of taxpayer dollars, and it overwhelmingly passed this House with only one ``no'' vote. You can't get much more bipartisan than that, Mr. Speaker.

It is part of this jobs package because the Senate has yet to take up this bipartisan bill that would help our veterans. This bill will help incentivize small businesses to hire more of our heroes. It takes away a punitive punishment in ObamaCare.

We have been told that we can't change ObamaCare, but this bill does, and it does it because any veteran who gets their health care through the VA or TRICARE wouldn't count toward a small business' 50-employee limit which would, in turn, incentivize small businesses who create the jobs in this country to hire more of our veterans.

That is not a waste of taxpayer dollars. That is not a waste of time. Frankly, we need to do what we can to stop what ObamaCare has been doing to small businesses and disincentivizing them from hiring more people and, therefore, lowering our unemployment rate.

This jobs package is crucial. This jobs package is something that we in this House should continue to push. I would urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to make sure that they call their colleagues in the Senate and say, ``Pass this bill.''

Pass this bill. Do what is right. Help our veterans. Help Americans find jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Paul and Margaret McNamara of Champaign, Illinois, for recently being recognized as Angels in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institution.

Dr. McNamara and Margaret are parents of six children, four of whom they have adopted. They made the decision to adopt because they understood that countless children across the globe are without a permanent family. After the births of their first two children, Daniel and Annie, they began looking into adopting children with special needs.

They adopted their son, Joseph, from South Korea, and then Jonathan from India. When they learned that Joseph's sibling, David, was in foster care in South Korea, they adopted him as well.

The McNamaras have been extremely active in their community, as well as their church, in providing information and support to families considering adoption.

Adoption is a selfless act of kindness, and it is truly an honor to have the McNamaras in my district. Their dedication and continued community support are unprecedented, and we should take a moment to appreciate those who adopt both at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, today, I have the honor to stand on the floor of the United States House of Representatives to wish my hometown of Taylorville, Illinois, in my home county of Christian County, a happy 175th anniversary.

I was only 7 years old when my parents moved our family to Taylorville, where my mom and dad were opening their very first restaurant. While my family has called Taylorville home for 37 years, I can say what made Taylorville and Christian County a great place to live when we first moved there still makes it a great place to live now.

My parents wouldn't have been able to achieve the American Dream without the support of friends and neighbors in Taylorville and Christian County, and without a doubt, I would not be standing here today if it weren't for the help and friendship of so many people throughout my years in Taylorville and Christian County.

As Taylorville and Christian County prepare to celebrate their 175th anniversary, it is an honor for me to be able to stand here today and offer my congratulations and best wishes.