Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a truly inspirational man, Lieutenant Commander Wesley Anthony Brown, the first African American to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. Sadly, Lt. Cmdr. Brown passed away on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. On Wednesday, June 6, 2012, a public memorial service was held in Annapolis, Maryland, where more than 250 people gathered to honor his life and legacy.

Lt. Cmdr. Brown was born on April 3, 1927 in Baltimore, Maryland to William and Rosetta Brown. During his senior year at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C., he was Cadet Corps Battalion Commander. He then went on to attend college at Howard University.

In 1945, Lt. Cmdr. Brown entered the U.S. Naval Academy as the sixth African American man admitted in its 100-year history. He would be the first to endure until the end the hazing, the torment, and the hostility bred by racial inequality. He would be the first to hold his head high and keep true to himself amid the tension. He would be the first to graduate.

Despite the publicity surrounding this great accomplishment, Lt. Cmdr. Brown remained humble throughout his life. He honored those in whose footsteps he had followed and he spoke words of encouragement to those who followed in his footsteps.

Lt. Cmdr. Brown served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as a Navy civil engineer. He worked on many construction projects all over the world until his retirement in 1969. He then worked as a facilities analyst at Howard University until 1988.

George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Lt. Cmdr. Brown went far in life because he treated people the right way-- with dignity, honor and respect even when he was not treated the same way in return. He has been an inspiration to all of us and we are blessed to have had him touch our lives.

Lt. Cmdr. Wesley A. Brown accomplished many things in his life but none of this would have been possible without the enduring love and support of his loving wife, Crystal; his children, Wesley, Jr., Gary, Wiletta, and Carol; and his seven grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, my wife, Vivian, and I would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Lt. Cmdr. Brown's family during this difficult time. May they be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Fiscal Year 2013 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill.

Although this measure is the smallest of the thirteen annual appropriations bills, it plays a giant role by funding some of the most vital areas of the United States Government.

In fact, the Legislative Branch Subcommittee is responsible for more than just the operations of the United States Congress.

The Subcommittee also is responsible for the preservation of our cultural heritage by the Library of Congress; the objective analysis of our budget and economic decisions by the Congressional Budget Office; the independent evaluation of the Federal Government's performance by the Government Accountability Office; and the publishing and dissemination of government information by the Government Printing Office.

In short, none of us here in Congress could represent our constituents effectively and make informed decisions in the national interest without the resources provided for in this bill.

As a Member of this Subcommittee, I want to commend Chairman Crenshaw and Ranking Member Honda for working together in a bipartisan fashion to craft this legislation.

I know that both of you were dealt a difficult hand with your Subcommittee allocation. Nevertheless, I am pleased that you were able to either level fund or provide small increases in the budgets of most accounts.

Many of the accounts under this Subcommittee's jurisdiction already have been cut to the bone. Further significant reductions would have seriously jeopardized their missions--some of which include finding cost savings and efficiencies throughout the government--and would have had an adverse impact on the services that we in Congress provide to our constituents.

I am glad that we were able to hold the line and prevent further harm.

I also am grateful by you and your staff's willingness to engage on the issue of the security of our District Offices and our District Staff.

I am especially pleased by the inclusion of report language I sponsored along with Representative LaTourette directing the House Sergeant at Arms, in coordination with the United States Capitol Police, to develop a series of recommendations and best practices on security features or enhancements for House District Offices to be made available to new and returning Members prior to the start of the 113th Congress.

Again, I want to thank Chairman Crenshaw and Ranking Member Honda on your work on this bill.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chairman, as you know, the allocation provides $71.7 billion for the FY 2012 Milcon-VA bill, which is equal to the FY12 enacted bill. In my opinion, the allocation is what we could have expected if the Republicans would have stuck to the bipartisan agreement that established $1.047 as the committee's allocation.

I've stated at every step of this process that I strongly disagree with the path that the majority has chosen to take. I just want to point out that the $1.028 trillion allocation puts House Republicans at odds with House Democrats, Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, and the White House. In fact, the Statement of Administration Policy recommends a veto of this bill because the overall 302(a) allocation fails to stick to the framework established by the Budget Control Act. I believe the lower allocation does nothing but slow down the appropriations process, and if it stands, will stall economic growth and impede job creation.

With that being said, I'm pleased to join Chairman Culberson as the House takes up the fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and related agencies. The Milcon-VA bill is critically important to the strength and the well-being of our military, our veterans, and the families who sacrifice so much to defend our country. In fact, Madam Chairman, I find it quite fitting that we're debating this bill after observing Memorial Day earlier in the week.

Working with Chairman Culberson and the members of the subcommittee, we've crafted a bill that will address the funding needs of military construction and family housing for our troops and their families, as well as other quality of life construction projects. In addition, it will provide funding for many important VA programs as well as agencies like the Veterans Court of Appeals and the American Battle Monuments Commission.

The bill before us today touches every soldier, sailor, marine, and airman. In addition, the bill will also impact military spouses, their children, and every veteran that participates in our VA programs.

I want to commend the chairman for his work. Together, we sat through numerous hearings, gaining valuable insight into the workings of all of the agencies under our subcommittee's jurisdiction. I would also like to thank all of our subcommittee members and recognize them for their hard work on the bill. We had a lot of contributions and a lot of input. I believe that the minority was treated fairly during this process, and I want to thank the chairman for ensuring this bipartisan result.

Chairman Culberson has already provided the funding highlights in the bill, and I won't repeat them all, but I would like to point out a few items that I think are very important.

DOD Schools. The bill before us today includes $546 billion for the renovation and replacement of 10 Department of Defense schools. Madam Chairman, I believe that providing the funds for DOD schools will help our servicemembers' children get a quality education in a safe facility, and it will give our servicemembers and their families some peace of mind.

Medical Center Replacement. I was pleased that in the bill we were able to include $127 million for the second increment for Medical Center Replacement in Germany. As you know, a large proportion of serious casualties from the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters are treated there, and I'm pleased to see that we're making this important investment in Landstuhl.

Veterans Affairs. For Veterans Affairs, I'm very pleased that the bill meets the discretionary budget request in all areas of administrative expenses, research, medical care, information technology, and facilities. The bill contains $54.4 billion in advance appropriations for medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities at the VA, which is $1.9 billion above the amount included in FY12.

Madam Chairman, I strongly believe that advance funding provides timely and predictable funding for the veterans' health care system, and they don't have to worry about the exigencies of a budget not being agreed to or appropriations bills not being passed for their medical care.

Overall, the bill provides adequate funding for programs included in the bill. However, I'm especially troubled by one of them. Unfortunately, during the full committee markup an amendment was adopted that essentially nullifies the decisionmaking ability of the Department of Defense to use a project labor agreements business model. The sponsor of this language believes that it doesn't limit the Department from using PLAs. Unfortunately, that's not the case. I had the minority subcommittee staff check with the Department regarding this language. The Department confirmed that if this bill is enacted with the current PLA language included, it would prohibit the Department from soliciting bills for FY13-funded construction contracts where, as a condition of award, the awardee must negotiate a project labor agreement.

In addition, we do not know the effect this language could have on other agencies included in this bill. Using the Milcon-VA bill to address this issue is really the wrong place to do it. This language is purely an ideological and political provision that goes well beyond the scope of this bill. The Milcon-VA bill has always enjoyed broad bipartisan support and avoided divisive issues like this one, no matter which party held the gavel. I believe that including this language will only cause unnecessary complications and does nothing to help our servicemembers and our veterans.

Madam Chairman, please know that as we continue through the process I will work to address this issue because an item like this has no place in a bill that has always placed our troops, their families, and our veterans above ideology.

Before I close, Madam Chairman, I would like to recognize the staff for all of the hard work and the time that they have put into this bill. From the minority committee staff I would like to thank Matt Washington, Danny Cromer, as well as Michael Reed and Chris Chon from my personal office. From the majority committee staff I would like to thank Donna Shabazz, Sue Quantius, Sarah Young, and Tracey Russell.

I would also like to thank Mr. Dicks and Mr. Rogers, who serve as the distinguished ranking member and chairman of this committee and who set an extremely great example of how committees and ranking members and chairmen should work together. There's a collegial atmosphere, although we do have reasonable minds disagreeing on several of the issues. But we work together collegially, and I thank the chairman and the ranking member, Mr. Dicks and Mr. Rogers, for their example in doing so.

I reserve the balance of my time.

At this time I'd like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), the distinguished ranking member of the full committee.

At this time I'm happy to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

I yield the gentlelady an additional 30 seconds.

At this time I'd like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

At this time, Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, we have no more speakers. I yield back the balance of my time.

I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chairman, I agree with the gentleman that the Department of Defense should be doing all that it can to reduce energy costs and to help us be energy independent. The Energy Conservation Investment Program is a fairly small, but key, component of the Defense Department's energy strategy.

The goals are to improve supply resiliency, implement energy security plans, and alter energy consumption at individual installations. Investing in this small program helps the Department to reduce its energy costs and help meet its facility energy mandates.

The Department has been funding ECIP as far back as 2001, and the committee has seen great progress on energy savings. For example, at Fort Liggett, they are building a 1-megawatt solar grid which will help that installation ease its energy consumption.

ECIP is a cost-saving program I think all Members should be happy to support. Therefore, I urge all Members to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, and I'm delighted that the chairman has accepted it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment.

The language included in the bill says that none of the funds made available by this act may be used by any government authority or agent thereof awarding a construction contract on behalf of the government, and any solicitations, bids, specifications, project agreements, or other controlling documents, to require or prohibit bidders, offerers, contractors, and subcontractors to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations. Language currently included essentially nullifies the decisionmaking ability of not only the Department of Defense, but also the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Battle Monuments Commission, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and Arlington National Cemetery to use a PLA business model.

To put it another way, all of these agencies currently have two choices: yes, we want to use a PLA, or no, we don't want to use a PLA. Without this amendment, the agencies will no longer be able to make that yes or no choice. If this language is maintained, then every agency in this bill will literally not be able to make a decision on the business model that they want to use for their construction projects.

The language is a backdoor way to ensure that the project labor agreement business model is not available as an option for the Federal Government to even consider using on any of the construction projects in the bill.

Keeping this language would be a mistake since PLAs ensure that construction projects are built correctly the first time, on time, and as a result, on budget for the end-user. Furthermore, PLAs prevent costly delays that usually result from an unskilled workforce's lack of knowledge regarding the use of building materials or tools, as well as job site safety measures.

Furthermore, Mr. Chairman, we don't know the effect this language could have on VA projects. And I don't believe that this Congress should include any language that could further delay vital Veterans Affairs projects.

I find this language to be unclear and believe it will only add uncertainty and confusion to the construction process. I don't understand why we would take this option off the table. If a project labor agreement is good for Toyota, or Boeing, or Wal-Mart, why isn't it good enough for the Federal Government?

I urge all the Members to vote ``yes'' on the Grimm amendment. It's sound, and it will help us to get our construction done on time and on budget and safely.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, veteran-owned companies do two really important things: First, they create jobs and provide positive impact on our economy. And most importantly, veteran-owned small businesses provide a great venue for unemployed veterans to find work.

Mr. Chairman, I believe that the government has done poorly in reaching the 3 percent contracting goal for veterans. For example, agency contractor awards are below 1 percent from 2003 to 2006. The most recent figures for 2009 show agencies awarded only 1.98 percent to service-disabled veterans. Agencies need to do better, and I believe this amendment will help the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs do a better job.

I support this amendment, and I urge its adoption.

I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

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

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word and to speak in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I have great empathy for the concerns that the gentleman from Texas has raised in his discussions about the amendment on hiring a national cemetery administration director, but I just want to address some of them because I don't think it's good policy, and I don't think it will make for the best management and operation of our national cemeteries.

Employees of the National Cemetery Administration are proud to serve veterans and to serve veterans' families in their time of need, and they do it with dignity and compassion. While the National Cemetery Administration has one of the highest percentages of veteran employees of any Federal agency--79 percent of the employees and 80 percent of its cemetery directors are veterans--the desire and the passion to serve our Nation's veterans is not limited to just veterans.

VA national cemeteries are nationally recognized for their commitment to excellence and top-rated customer satisfaction. Since 2001, the National Cemetery Administration has earned the American Customer Satisfaction Index's rating as a top-performing public or private organization in the country. This continues to be achieved by dedicated National Cemetery Administration employees, both veterans and nonveterans.

Who says a nonveteran cannot be patriotic and support the United States of America? If such an amendment passes, who would it impact? Most of our nonveteran cemetery directors have family ties with veterans. For example, one of our long-serving national cemetery directors had a father who served in the U.S. Army during World War II and saw combat in the Philippines, a brother who served as an Army infantryman in Vietnam, a husband who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and most recently a son-in-law in the Marines who served two tours overseas during Operation Desert Storm.

This bill will result in a child, a sibling, or a spouse of a veteran losing his or her job or being denied the opportunity for a promotion. These individuals supported their family members as they put their lives on the line for our Nation, and now they wish to continue to honor and care for the graves of veterans in their final resting place.

VA follows all Federal laws and OPM regulations requiring hiring preference for eligible veterans. This legislation would make VA vulnerable to litigation by the displaced cemetery directors through the Merit Systems Protection Board.

The NCA requires all new national cemetery directors to have completed a 1-year intensive internship program that provides comprehensive training in all aspects of cemetery operations and management. Even if qualified veterans could be hired within 180 days to

fill these critical positions, they would be coming in without the specific knowledge and skills to effectively run a cemetery to meet the needs of our veterans and their grieving families.

I think this amendment is well-intentioned, but I don't think that it would accomplish what is desired, and I think ultimately it will end up with chaos in our personnel system regarding our national cemeteries. I urge that this amendment be defeated.

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

Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, is it not true that if we adopt this amendment for new hires, that it still restricts the option of getting the best possible manager for the cemetery?

I yield to the gentleman.

That's what I thought. Thank you.

I withdraw my reservation.

Will the gentleman yield?

We have no objection.

I move to strike the last word.

I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment.

Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is intended to ensure that the environmental costs from the use of alternative fuels are at least no worse than the fuels in use today. It requires that the Federal Government do no more harm when it comes to global climate change than it does today through the use of unconventional fuels.

Section 526 precludes the use of fuels, such as coal-to-liquids, as well as unconventional petroleum fuels, such as tar sands and oil shale, unless advanced technologies, such as carbon sequestration, are used to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions. The corollary is that domestic production could be achieved with carbon sequestration. Further, the EIA predicts that these alternative fuels may well take decades to develop and that the additional fuel production capacity of these alternatives is unlikely to exceed 10 percent of the fuel supply by 2030.

A number of the reports have concluded that the potential adverse national security impacts of climate change, such as political unrest due to famines and droughts, may very well be severe. These consequences can outweigh the security benefits of the domestic production of these fuels.

The Department of Defense alone is the largest single energy consumer in the world. It consumes approximately as much energy as the nation of Nigeria. Its leadership in this area is critical to any credible approach to dealing with energy security issues in a way that will not result in dangerous global climate change. This prohibition provides an opportunity for the DOD to play a substantial role in spurring innovation to produce alternative fuels which will not worsen global climate change.

I urge Members to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, this is a very ill-conceived amendment, and I must stand in opposition to it.

The Davis-Bacon Act requires that workers on federally funded construction projects be paid no less than the wages paid in the community for similar work. It requires that every contract for construction of which the Federal Government is a party in excess of $2,000 contain a provision defining the minimum wages paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics. This is a pretty simple concept, and it is a fair one. What the Davis-Bacon Act does is protect the government, as well as the workers, in carrying out the policy of paying decent wages on government contracts.

I would like to just mention quickly that Davis-Bacon has no effect on the total cost of construction. Study after study reveals productivity makes up for any additional labor costs, essentially eliminating any cost savings if the law were repealed. But this amendment seeks to prevent Federal agencies from administering these requirements in statute. Let me give you a few examples of how this poorly thought-out proposal could actually play out in the real world if it's enacted into law.

The amendment, as is written, could prevent Federal agencies that use funds through this legislation from monitoring, investigating, transmitting conformances, and providing compliance assistance to existing Davis-Bacon covered contracts that were awarded prior to this funding legislation. Contractors requesting H2B visas could conceivably request non-U.S. workers receive permits for employment at wage rates not in concert with the Davis-Bacon wage rates of that locality. Procurement agencies may not be able to proceed with the award of contracts that were solicited in the prior fiscal period but awarded under this funding legislation. During the period covered by this funding, bidders could use wages as a method of undercutting the locally established wage

rates of that community that might promote the use of workers from different geographic areas. The amendment could prevent Federal agencies that use money from this appropriation from advising State, local, and other grant recipients of DBA application to federally assisted programs that would otherwise be subject to the DBA provisions.

This is not responsible legislation, and it's not responsible governing. I urge the defeat of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dear friend and a great man, Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. Shakespeare once said that: ``All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts . . . .'' Ambassador Andrew Young has played many parts in his lifetime including the roles of minister, civil rights activist, Congressman, Ambassador, Mayor and humanitarian.

Ambassador Young will be honored with an 80th birthday celebration on May 20, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia. This event will be a celebration of Ambassador Young's life and his dedication to uplifting humankind.

Ambassador Young was born on March 12, 1932, to the union of Andrew Jackson Young, Sr., and Daisy Fuller Young. His father was a dentist and his mother was a school teacher.

Ambassador Young attended Dillard University in 1947 for one year before transferring to Howard University where he received his Bachelor of Science and pre-med degree in 1951. After graduating from Howard, Ambassador Young originally wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in dentistry. However, a greater calling was in store for him and he entered the ministry. He received a Bachelor of Divinity Degree from Hartford Theological Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut in 1955.

It was while at Hartford Seminary that Ambassador Young was exposed to the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi. He became enamored with Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent social change. Later, while serving as pastor of a church in Thomasville, Georgia, Ambassador Young met a young Baptist preacher from Atlanta by the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at an Alpha Phi Alpha program at Talladega College.

In 1960, Ambassador Young joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He moved to Atlanta in 1961 and worked vigorously on voter registration drives. He was a gifted strategist who played a great role in organizing various civil rights campaigns in the 1960s. As we all know, these campaigns resulted in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Ambassador Young was with Dr. King on that tragic day in Memphis when he was assassinated.

Ambassador Young used his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement to fuel his later endeavors. He was Georgia's first African American to be elected to the Congress since Reconstruction. Additionally, in 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed him as the First African American United Nations Ambassador.

In 1981, Ambassador Young ran for and was elected Mayor of the city of Atlanta. He served two terms in this post, pushing many initiatives that still have his stamp on them today.

Additionally, in 1996, he served as the Co-Chair of the Committee that was successful in bringing the Olympic Games to his beloved city of Atlanta.

Ambassador Young has always had a humanitarian spirit and in 1996, along with Carlton Masters, he founded Good Works International, a consulting firm that promotes investment in Africa and the Caribbean. Ambassador Young has used this tool to continue his advocacy for civil and human rights around the world.

Dr. King once said, ``Life's most urgent and persistent question is: What are you doing to help others?'' Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Ambassador Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. for his lifelong legacy of helping others. My wife, Vivian, and I commend him for his service and thank his family for sharing him with the world for the betterment of humankind. As I stated earlier, Ambassador Young has played many rotes during the course of his life. And as the reviews come on the stage of history, there can be no doubt that Andrew Young has been stellar in each and every one.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to extend my personal congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Ira Lomis Flowers, a beloved citizen of Thomasville, Georgia, who will be honored at the 23rd Annual Black and White Scholarship Ball hosted by the Thomasville, Georgia Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc.

The upcoming Black and White Scholarship Ball will take place on Friday, June 1, 2012 at 1200 West Jackson Street in Thomasville. During the event, Mr. Flowers will be presented with the Joseph R. Jenkins Award, the highest award that can be bestowed upon a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc.'s Southeastern Province.

A native of Thomasville, Mr. Flowers is a graduate of Thomasville High School. Following high school, he went on to complete his undergraduate studies at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Mr. Flowers also has his Certification in Secondary Education in English and Reading from Valdosta State University.

Mr. Flowers spent most of his professional life working as an educator and serving as a positive role model and influential mentor to children in Middle and Southwest Georgia. Throughout his dynamic and distinguished career he served as the Director of the Francis F. Weston YMCA in Thomasville; CEO & General Director of the A.J. McClung YMCA in Columbus, Georgia; Executive Director of the Thomasville Community Resource Center; and Senior YMCA Director for the USA YMCA Institute.

Despite the multiple and pressing demands associated with his professional career, Mr. Flowers always has and continues to play an integral role in several social, civic and community service oriented organizations in Georgia. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. and has held memberships in the S.P. Masonic Lodge #118 and the Jones Masonic Lodge #118.

Mr. Flowers has achieved numerous successes in his life, but none of this would have been possible without the grace of God and the love imparted upon him by his late wife, Thedora Belinda Flowers, and his wonderful daughter Hope Allen Ellis-Flowers. He is also the proud grandfather of his adorable grandchildren Brianna and Christen.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. Ira Lomis Flowers, an outstanding individual who has tirelessly devoted himself to progressively developing the academic and social skill sets of youth throughout the State of Georgia.

On a personal note, my wife, Vivian, and I would like to applaud Mr. Flowers and his family for his distinguished record of service on behalf of our Nation's children and his outstanding legacy of service to the communities of Middle and Southwest Georgia.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Lewis-Johnson amendment. This amendment ensures that none of the funding provided in the bill will be used to facilitate a closure of the Department of Justice antitrust division's regional offices in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, and Philadelphia.

Mr. Chairman, from our discussions in the full committee markup of this bill, I understand that Mr. Wolf, the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, believes that this matter can be worked out and that Justice is perhaps willing to move on this. But I am deeply concerned that this action will seriously undermine the division's ability to enforce antitrust laws by limiting the number of boots on the ground, particularly in the Southeast and the Southwest. Accepting that this is a done deal and there is no room for negotiation by Congress will severely weaken our ability to enforce the antitrust laws.

Furthermore, given the already heavy workload of the Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York and Chicago field offices, the antitrust division will not have sufficient human resources to investigate and prosecute many regional and local conspiracies in the areas of responsibility that those four offices have, the ones that are slated to be closed.

I want to ensure that the antitrust division can continue to protect taxpayers and preserve integrity of our free market system. The regional offices in Atlanta, Cleveland, Dallas, and Philadelphia help facilitate these efforts, and they should remain open. Closing these offices, I believe, is penny wise and pound foolish. It puts nearly a hundred jobs at risk, and it poses only a $500,000 savings in fiscal year 2013. In fact, the proposal could end up costing money because it would transfer employees to regional offices with higher costs of living and higher salaries, like New York and San Francisco.

It's extremely important that we don't close these offices until a thorough review of the antitrust division is completed. When deciding to recommend these closures, the Department of Justice did not consider other more cost-effective options. Furthermore, if offices must be eliminated, all of the closures should be based on merit and productivity rather than on politics.

Let me speak for a moment on the Atlanta office which does better in terms of overall performance and productivity than say, for instance, some of the other offices which are slated to remain open. The Atlanta office obtained over $265 million in fines and restitution between FY 2000 and 2011. With an annual operating cost of $4 million, the criminal fines and restitution recovered by the office represent a return rate of 600 percent. Indeed, closing these offices is penny wise and pound foolish, and I urge adoption of the amendment for the good of our free market system and our capitalist economy.

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

Will the gentleman yield?

I appreciate the gentleman yielding, and I appreciate those comments. I think it is clear that this was an action by the Department, and it was not an action taken by the committee.

However, several of us on the committee have grave concerns about it, and we appreciate the chairman's agreement and his willingness to discuss it with the Justice Department and see if we can't get this situation corrected.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of Southwest Georgia's most respected public officials, Georgia State Representative Bob Hanner. Representative Hanner, first elected as a member of the Georgia General Assembly in 1975, recently announced that he will not run for re-election after serving 37 years in Georgia's House of Representatives.

His longevity of dedicated public service and steadfast representation of his constituents in Chattahoochee, Lee, Quitman, Stewart, Terrell and Webster counties, are just a few of the many reasons as to why Representative Hanner has been an invaluable member of the Georgia General Assembly.

Representative Hanner hails from Parrott, Georgia and is a graduate of both Gordon Military and Southwestern Colleges. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard in Vietnam from 1967 1968.

Following his collegiate career and military service, he worked in the private sector as a farmer and an estate planner. Prior to being elected to the Georgia General Assembly, he also served as a member of the Terrell County Hospital Authority.

Representative Hanner's first election to the Georgia General Assembly was in a September 1975 runoff in what was then the 130th House District. He successfully claimed 2,811 votes of the 5,442 votes cast in the special election runoff.

Over the course of his distinguished legislative career, he has served as a member of the House Appropriations and Rules Committees and as Secretary of the House Committees on Natural Resources & Environment, and Public Safety and Homeland Security. For the last 15 years, Representative Hanner has served as the Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee and he co-chaired a state-wide water management study committee.

In conjunction with his legislative responsibilities and other important duties associated with his public service, Representative Hanner has played an active role in several civic and community service organizations in Southwest Georgia. He is a member of the P.T. Schley Masonic Lodge #229 in Dawson, Georgia; the Terrell County Chamber of Commerce; and has served as a past director of the United States Jaycees.

It cannot be disputed that Representative Hanner has achieved numerous successes throughout his life. However, none of this would have been possible without the grace of God and the support of his loving wife, Linda. Mr. and Mrs. Hanner are the proud parents of three magnificent children.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting an outstanding legislator and one of Georgia's most respected public figures, Representative Bob Hanner, on the occasion of his well- deserved retirement.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to extend my personal congratulations and Happy Birthday wishes to Mr. Prince T. Jones, a beloved citizen of Albany, Georgia, who turned 100 years of age on Sunday, April 15, 2012. On Saturday, April 14, 2012 he was honored by his family and friends at a celebration at Morning Side Assisted Living Facility in Albany, Georgia in recognition of his 100th birthday.

Prince T. Jones, the youngest of six children, was born on April 15, 1912, to Daniel Jones and Julia Fields Jones. He grew up in the tiny town of Barboursville, Virginia and attended public school in Orange County, Virginia.

Following his academic training in the Orange County public school system, Mr. Jones embarked on a tenured and successful career as a farmer and later as a butler. He worked for several years at the prestigious Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. At the conclusion of his stint at the Farmington Country Club, he went on to work at Winholm Farms for 25 years before he retired in 1981.

Always pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, in order to better improve the craft of Christian discipleship, he served for many years as a Sunday School Teacher; Chairman of the Trustee and Deacon Board; and Treasurer for the Ministers and Deacons Union at Blue Run Baptist Church in Somerset, Virginia. It is worth noting that Mr. Jones was a member of Blue Run Baptist Church for 88 years.

In 1933, he married the ``woman of his dreams'' Gertrude Mary Jones. They remained married for 66 years and they would go on to have three beautiful and loving children. Mr. Jones has achieved numerous successes in his life, but none of this would have been possible without the love and support of his late wife and his children's devoted mother. Together their legacy set sterling examples of family and parenting for their sons, Dr. T. Marshall Jones and the late Arthur Lee Jones; daughter Gladys Jones Saddler; their nine grandchildren; their nine great-grandchildren; and their great-great-grandson.

George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Mr. Jones has advanced so far in life because he never forgot these lessons and always kept God first.

The race of life isn't given to the swift or to the strong, but to those who endure until the end. Mr. Jones has run the race of life with grace and dignity and God has blessed him over his lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Mr. Prince T. Jones. On a personal note, I would like to not only congratulate Mr. Jones on becoming a distinguished centenarian but also express my profound admiration for his outstanding Christian stewardship and dedication to his church and family.

Truly to God be the glory!

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and honor to extend my personal and heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Michael L. Fowler, Sr., on being named Mortician of the Year for the 4th District of the Georgia Funeral Service Practitioners Association, Inc. A celebration will be held in his honor on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at 7 p.m. at Albany Technical College in Albany, Georgia.

Mr. Fowler was born in Columbia, South Carolina, to Roland and Rosie Fowler. Following his birth, Mr. Fowler's family moved to Georgia where he was educated in the Dougherty County, Georgia Public School System and graduated from Dougherty Comprehensive High School. After graduating from high school, Mr. Fowler would go on to earn a degree in Mortuary Science from Gupton Jones College in Atlanta, Georgia.

A Certified Funeral Service Practitioner and a Licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer, Mr. Fowler performs Trade Embalming for many funeral homes in Georgia and Florida. He also founded and currently owns Fowler's Removal Service. As a retired Death Investigation Specialist for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, he holds numerous certifications in the fields of Medicolegal Death Investigation, Death Scene Reconstruction, and Grief Management.

A strong leader with an exceptional work ethic, Mr. Fowler is the current President of the Georgia Funeral Service Practitioners Association. He also serves on the Georgia State Board of Funeral Service and is an active member of the Academy of Graduate Embalmers, Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, Albany Chamber of Commerce and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Of his many commendable qualities, one of the things I admire most about Mr. Fowler is his altruistic willingness to volunteer his time and lend his professional services to needy families who have lost loved ones to tragic accidents and natural disasters. As a member of the National Disaster Medical System's Disaster Mortuary Team (DMORT) and Kenyon International Service, Mr. Fowler has assisted in the morgue operations of mass fatalities associated with the Albany, Georgia floods of 1994 and 1998; the 1997 crash of Korean Airlines Flight 801 in Guam; the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attacks in 2001; the 2004 tsunami in Asia; Hurricane Katrina; Hurricane Rita; and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

In conjunction with his professional accomplishments, Mr. Fowler lives a life of service and faith. He has been a member of Evangelical Faith Ministries, Inc. for 45 years and has served as a Deacon for the last 33 years. Additionally, he founded the S.O.L.A.C.E. (Stretching Out Loving Arms Creating Encouragement) Program for impoverished and at-risk youth in Southwest Georgia. Moreover, he co-facilitates the Let's Stay Together Marriage Enrichment Program; is Board Chair of Love and Mercy Outreach Programs, Inc.; and serves on the Community Development Council for the City of Albany.

Michael L. Fowler, Sr., has accomplished many things in his life but none of this would have been possible without the enduring love and support of his loving wife, Rosa, and wonderful children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Fowler for his outstanding professional achievements, dedicated community service and many good deeds on behalf of families all around the world who have lost loved ones to unforeseen tragedies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a beloved educator, inspiring role model and gracious woman of faith, Mrs. Cecilia Arleen McIntyre Harbison. Sadly, Mrs. Harbison passed away on Wednesday, March 21, 2012. On Wednesday, March 28, 2012, Mrs. Harbison's funeral will be held in Columbus, Georgia, where her family, friends and colleagues will honor her life and legacy of good deeds.

Mrs. Harbison was born on February 21, 1950, to Jesse and Emma McIntyre in Thomasville, Georgia. Following her birth, the family moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where she attended Booker T. Washington High School and was voted ``Miss Sweetheart'' of her senior class. After she obtained her high school

diploma she enrolled in Alabama State University in the fall of 1968.

On December 20, 1970, she married Ed Harbison at the historic Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as a pastor from 1954 to 1960 and organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.

In 1973, Mrs. Harbison and her husband moved to Columbus, Georgia, where she continued her college education and later graduated with a degree in early childhood education from Columbus State University. She would go on to also earn her master's degree in counseling from Troy University. In addition to her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Mrs. Harbison also earned leadership certifications from the Georgia School Counselors Association in Crisis Intervention, Cultural Diversity, Drug and Alcohol Intervention/Prevention, and Family Counseling.

Dr. Maya Angelou once said that: ``I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.'' Cecilia used her life and educational skills to throw something back to her community. She served as an educator/ counselor in the Muscogee County School System; public relations official in the Gwinnett County School System; and as job developer for the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education. She was involved in many organizations that were dedicated to helping people to reach their full potential.

Cecilia loved her family and she loved her God. She knew that these were two loves that would put you on the path to greatness. Her special relationship with God began as a young teen at Bethany Seventh Day Adventist Church in Montgomery and continued when she moved to Columbus and became affiliated with the Sheppard Drive Seventh Day Adventist Church. In her later years, she continued her relationship with God as a member of Kingdom Metropolitan Worship Center. She was a special woman who supported her husband and children in all of their endeavors.

Cecilia was a fighter. Throughout her illness, she never gave up and kept on fighting the good fight. The Apostle Paul as he neared the end of this life penned the following words: ``For I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith: Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.'' Cecilia fought the good fight, finished her course and always kept the faith. And by the grace of God she has now claimed her crown.

Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the almost 700,000 people in the Second Congressional District of Georgia, would like to extend our deepest sympathies to her husband, State Senator Ed Harbison, Cecilia's children, and other family members during this difficult time. May they be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

I am honored to join my colleagues in the Georgia delegation in paying tribute to one of our Nation's most tenured and preeminent broadcast television news anchors, Monica Kaufman.

For more than 30 years she served as the Channel 2 ``Action News Nightbeat'' anchor at WSB-TV in Atlanta where she used her superior media talents to educate, inform, and enlighten millions of viewers about current events that impacted our lives and influenced activities all around the world. Prior to becoming one of Atlanta's most watched and influential television journalists, Monica worked as a reporter at the Louisville Times and at WHAS-TV in Kentucky.

Madam Speaker, Monica is an award-winning journalist who has been recognized on numerous occasions for her outstanding professional abilities and remarkable occupational achievements. However, she is much more than just an accomplished journalist. She is a loving wife, mother, mentor, friend, and role model to me.

I would like to extend our personal congratulations to Monica Pearson and her family as they celebrate and reflect upon her outstanding career as one of our Nation's leading broadcast journalists and admired media personalities. Kentucky may have named her, but Georgia claimed her, and we are all better because she came our way.

Congratulations to you, Monica Kaufman Pearson.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and honor to extend my sincerest congratulations to Mrs. Helen Myers Long Cordell, a beloved citizen of Albany, Georgia, who will be celebrating her 100th birthday on Sunday, March 18, 2012. On this special and momentous day, she will be honored by her family and friends at a celebration at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany.

Mrs. Cordell was born on March 18, 1912 in Chipley, Florida to Albert Addison Myers and Meddie Fryer Myers. She spent her early childhood in Chipley but after the sudden passing of her father, the family moved to Albany, Georgia in 1924 before then moving to Rome, Georgia.

Mrs. Cordell is a graduate of Rome High School and she received a bachelor's degree in education from Shorter College.

As an advocate for quality education for all of our Nation's children, Mrs. Cordell served as a teacher in Columbus, Georgia from 1933 1944; at Albany High School in Albany, Georgia from 1946 1959; and at Albany Vocational School from 1959 1968. She was very dedicated to her role of properly instructing young people and helping them to reach their full potential.

As a testimony to her endearing charisma and her devotion to her pupils, the students and faculty of Albany High School dedicated their annual yearbook, The Thronateeska, to her in 1955. She also actively participated in various educational associations and was a member of many community organizations including the Albany Garden Club and Gold Star Wives.

During World War II, she married Master Sergeant Wayne C. Long on October 9, 1943. Sadly, Master Sergeant Long was killed while serving his country at the Battle of the Bulge on December 20, 1944.

On October 19, 1968, she married Joel J. Cordell, the longtime Superintendent of Dougherty County Schools. They were happily married for many years before his passing in 1988.

Always active in her church, Mrs. Cordell was a dedicated member of First Baptist Church in Albany for many years. Following her marriage to Mr. Cordell, she became a longtime member of Sherwood Baptist Church, where she sang in the choir and held a leadership role in the activities of the church.

As fate would have it, I had the great pleasure of serving in the U.S. House of Representatives with Mrs. Cordell's nephew, former U.S. Congressman Earl Hutto, who dutifully represented Florida's 1st Congressional District from 1979 until his retirement in 1995.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to Mrs. Cordell, a beloved educator and inspiring figure, as she and her loved ones prepare to celebrate her 100th birthday. I commend her for her exceptional work of educating the generations of young people who have grown into teachers, entrepreneurs, and leaders and helped build a stronger foundation for Georgia and for our Nation.

Happy Birthday Mrs. Cordell! May God continue to bless you and may you have many, many more years of peace and happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a woman of extraordinary class and remarkable grace, Mrs. Jo Avis Neal Freeman. Sadly, Mrs. Freeman passed away on March 2, 2012. Her passing leaves a tremendous void in the hearts of her family, friends and the Albany, Georgia community.

On Monday, March 12, 2012, a gathering of family members, friends, and colleagues will pay their respects to Mrs. Freeman at a memorial service that will be held on the campus of Albany State University.

Mrs. Freeman was born on July 21, 1953 in Washington, D.C. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Hampton University and a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Following her graduation, she worked as an administrator, manager and psychotherapist in the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area for more than 25 years.

The community of Albany, Georgia and the Albany State University Family gained a gem when she married Albany State University President, Dr. Everette J. Freeman in 2006 and moved to Albany. While in Albany, she continued her life's work by serving as a Clinical Supervisor for the Albany Community Service Board and more recently at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.

During her stint in Albany, Mrs. Freeman became actively involved in many local service and civic organizations. Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm once said that, ``Service is the rent that we pay for the space that we occupy here on this earth.'' Throughout her life, Jo paid her rent and she paid it well.

In her role as Albany State University's First Lady, she was very supportive of the student body and always represented the university with the highest level of class and grace. The student body truly believed that ``she was one of them'' because she connected with them in a very personal way.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I will always remember about Jo is her welcoming demeanor and charisma. She loved people and she never met a stranger. Her favorite song was: ``I Hope You Dance.'' This is truly a fitting song that represents the joyful spirit and dedicated resilience with which Jo lived her life and how we should all live ours.

George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Jo went far in life because she treated people the right way--with dignity, honor and respect. We are all blessed to have had her touch our lives and the world is better because she passed this way.

Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the almost 700,000 people in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia, would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Dr. Freeman, Jo's daughters, grandsons and other family members during this difficult time. May they be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Madam Speaker, all the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players. Each has his entrance and his exit. One man in this time may play many parts. So it is with Donald Payne.

He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather, a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a leader. He led the CBC. He led the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and he was a friend. He was an extraordinary legislator. He represented the people of Newark, New Jersey, very well.

But one thing that I learned about Donald from personal conversations was that he was truly a family man, that he loved his family. He spoke with love about the sacrifices that he made upon the untimely death of his wife, about how he had young children. He determined that he was going to take care of those children himself, not farm them out to other family members. So he sacrificed--he did the PTAs; he did the hair; he did all of the things so that his children would have a good life. It seems that Donald's early life was difficult, and he was determined that his children would not have the difficulties that he had.

Donald was a great man. We have lost him. The family has lost a great man. We feel your pain; but the joy we share because we knew him will sustain us because we were blessed to know, love, be a part, and to share the life, as you did, with this great, great man. He was a friend. We will miss him as you will.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Madam Speaker, I come to the House Floor today to pay tribute to our beloved colleague, dear friend and one of our nation's preeminent humanitarian icons--the late Congressman Donald Payne.

I first met Congressman Payne nearly two decades ago and I will always remember him as a kind, welcoming and intellectually gifted individual.

In serving in this distinguished body with Congressman Payne over the past few decades, I had the pleasure of seeing him excel in multiple rolls and often under challenging circumstances.

As a former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and more recently Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, I observed firsthand his relentless and passionate advocacy on improving the standards of living for disadvantaged and disenfranchised communities of color all around the world.

And anyone who knew Donald Payne well, knows that one of his biggest priorities was doing all he could to improve the educational standing of our nation's students and young scholars. As a former teacher, he understood better than most in this body, the insurmountable tasks that our educators have in simultaneously instructing and mentoring our future leaders.

He used his senior position on the U.S. House of Representatives Education and the Workforce Committee to aggressively advocate on behalf of America's children. He remained engaged in exploring ways that we could close our nation's educational achievement gap; provide equitable funding for public schools; and make college more affordable.

As the Ranking Member of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, he worked extensively to protect human rights and provide vital humanitarian assistance to developing countries throughout the African continent.

Madam Speaker, today the world has lost an uplifting and inspiring public figure and a remarkable human being. Those of us who were fortunate and blessed to have known and worked with Donald Payne have lost a nurturing mentor and widely-admired colleague.

Congressman Payne once said, ``There is a lot of dignity in being able to achieve things without having to create rapture.'' This quote speaks not only to the symbolism of Donald's civil nature but to the substance of his lifelong mission of accomplishing good deeds through consensus rather than conflict.

Madam Speaker, I would ask that all my colleagues take time out of their schedules today to pay tribute to Donald Payne for all that he did and all the good things that his legacy will continue to inspire us to do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding community leader and good friend to me and the community of Albany, Georgia--Mrs. Kay Hind of the Southwest Georgia Council on Aging. On Thursday, February 23, 2012, the Georgia Council on Aging honored Mrs. Hind at a reception in the Georgia State Capitol Rotunda after she received the Distinguished Older Georgian Award on the floor of the Georgia House of Representatives.

The Distinguished Older Georgian Award was created in January 2003 by the Georgia Council on Aging and is bestowed to a Georgian who is at least 80 years of age and has made significant contributions to society through their occupational or volunteer efforts.

Mrs. Hind hails from Albany, Georgia and received her BS degree in Home Economics at the University of Georgia in 1951. After she graduated from college, Mrs. Hind worked as a Home Economist Extension Agent in Crawford County, Georgia and a year later she accepted a similar position in Lee County, Georgia.

For 44 years, Mrs. Hind has admirably served as the Executive Director of the Southwest Georgia Council on Aging, an agency that oversees programs for senior citizens in 14 counties in Southwest Georgia. This distinguished agency was incorporated in 1966 to address the needs of older people in Dougherty County, Georgia. Over the years, Mrs. Hind has successfully led the agency to meet the needs of the ever-increasing number of senior citizens living in southwest Georgia.

Due in large part to her successful professional career and her unyielding advocacy on behalf of America's seniors, Mrs. Hind has been recognized repeatedly for her occupational achievements. Mrs. Hind has received the Trailblazer Award from the 100 Black Men of Southwest Georgia; the Georgia Gerontology Society's John Tyler Mauldin Award; the Darton College Woman of Worth Award; and the Elsie Alvis Excellence in Aging Award. Additionally, she has served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging on four separate occasions.

Mrs. Hind has achieved numerous successes in her life, but none of this would have been possible without the support of her late husband of 39 years, Mr. John Carswell Hind and her three loving children-- Richard, Ken and Gail.

On a personal note, Mrs. Hind has served as an advisor and friend to me for many years and she has frequently given me wise counsel and sound advice. I am especially grateful to her for her unyielding advocacy and ongoing efforts in trying to secure a new, state of the art senior center in Albany, Georgia. Her tireless efforts in fighting for this new facility is just one of the many reasons that people throughout the state of Georgia and across our country have come to admire and respect Mrs. Hind.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Mrs. Kay Hind for her life of selfless service to the seniors and working families in Georgia and throughout our United States of America.