Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record on behalf of my constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman. Rabbi Zoberman is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Born in Chu, Kazakhstan (USSR) in 1945, he is the son of Polish Holocaust Survivors. Rabbi Zoberman asked me to include the following remarks in the Record:

We remember lest the world forgets or denies the genocidal

tragedy that befell the Jewish people at the hands of Nazi

Germany and its collaborators of the greatest crime in human

history. We dare not forget the six million innocent Jewish

victims who were all begrudged their covenantal bond with

Israel's God of compassion, caring and love, ever prodding

the human family to rise higher and higher. So much that is

precious has been forever lost. Nazi ideology sought to

eradicate Western civilization's life affirming Judeo-

Christian system. We remember the survivors whose numbers are

now being naturally diminished, and their resilient spirit

that allows them to rebuild their lives with the affirmation

of life's undying goodness and the human capacity to overcome

evil. We remember the rescuers, those righteous gentiles, who

risked their own lives and the lives of their loved ones to

protect and save vulnerable Jewish lives. Last but not least,

we remember the liberators and heroes who paid the ultimate

sacrifice, fighting to preserve human dignity.

My Jewish friend, Ed Shames, is one of the greatest of the

Greatest Generation whose legendary legacy is captured in

Airborne (the Combat Story of Ed Shames of Easy Company) by

Ian Gardner. Edward David Shames was born on June 13, 1922,

in Virginia Beach, when it was but a rural community. He was

the youngest of the four children, of David and Sadie, who

ran the ``Shames Provisions'' country store, with the family

living above it. The father's sudden death at age 42 and the

Great Depression challenged the family. He grew up rowing and

fishing in Chesapeake Bay, target practicing with his

father's pistols and learning navigation when hiking with a

gift of maps and a compass from his sacrificial mother.

Shames went to great length to firmly train his third

platoon. Though his strictness was resented by some, it did

pay in saved lives. Not only did Ed hold the best record for

saved lives among the Division's 500 platoons, he also was

the Division's first to receive a battlefield commission

following D-Day. Furthermore, he was the first officer of his

Division to enter Dachau a few days following its liberation

and the horrors he faced are still with him today. The book's

sales proceeds admiringly go toward wounded warriors and

their families. I can personally attest to Col. Shames' keen

convictions, biting humor, and profound humility of a

soldier's soldier and a hero's hero. He was honored by the

French Government and the legislature in Richmond, Virginia.

As we celebrate Israel's 69th Anniversary, we look forward

with lasting gratitude to the 50th Jubilee of the 1967 Six-

Day-War miraculous victory, and the reunification of

Jerusalem, the Jewish people's eternal capital. We recall the

preceding gripping fear of another Holocaust, this time by

the surrounding and menacing Arab states begrudging the

triumphant survival of European Jewry's remnant which

includes my own family. At last, all of Jerusalem's holy

sites are safeguarded and respected. We pray for Shalom's

blessing of elusive peace to embrace Israelis and

Palestinians with the latter finally accepting the

exceptional return of an ancient people uprooted from its

native land by the Roman sword's power. For two trying

millennia, Israelis, never abandoned its divine bond with

Zion and Jerusalem, thus proving the superiority of the human

soul's power.

We marvel at Israel's world-class, astonishing

accomplishments and innovations in its brief and challenging

years of renewed sovereignty, even as it faces existential

threats from a nuclear capable seeking Iran, its proxies',

and the close presence of ISIS and Jihadist groups. The

genocidal tragic Syrian scenario is entering its seventh year

of massive human destruction and the greatest refugee crisis

since WWII. President Trump's military response to the latest

gas attack on the long abandoned Syrian civilians including

children, reminiscent of the Holocaust, is deeply

appreciated. New opportunities have emerged for rapprochement

between Israel and the Sunni Arab states. We bemoan the

precipitous and alarming global rise of anti-Semitism, the

world's oldest hatred that made the Holocaust possible. The

threats within the United States against Jewish institutions,

the desecration of Jewish cemeteries and anti- Israel/Jewish

activities in American schools make mockery of sacred memory,

justice and truth, while enabling aggressors to persist and

delay peace.

The United Nations, created in the wake of WWII and the

Holocaust, has shamefully turned into a bastion of anti-

Israel propaganda as we praise Israel's valiant defense as

well as staunch opposition to the destructive BDS movement by

American Ambassador Nikki Haley, a shining light in a house

of darkness. The unique bond of genuine brotherhood with the

United States, vital to both countries, is between the

world's leading democracy and the only democracy in the

Middle East. The constructive role of American Jewry cannot

be overstated.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment to the VA Accountability First Act. This amendment would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a semi-annual report to Congress on the reasons and costs of the transfer of any senior executive employees within the Department.

Mr. Chairman, in my district and the surrounding area, we have the fastest-growing veterans' population in the Nation, specifically, with women veterans, Operation Enduring Freedom veterans, and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans. I am honored to serve in the district that has the largest population of Active Duty and veterans in the country.

Our own VA center, where I personally receive care, was previously rated as a one-star facility, the lowest rating available; this, by the VA's own rating system. Now, I am pleased to say the center has made strides and progress in many areas. However, the director in charge during the time of poor performance was simply moved to another facility to be a director there. We have to do better. We will do better. The VA Accountability First Act of 2017 is a wonderful and great start.

This amendment will contribute to more transparency, accountability, and oversight. We must continually and consistently hold the VA accountable for underperformance. Our veterans are sacred and deserve the same commitment to high standards they upheld as servicemembers.

We should never defend mediocrity at the VA; rather, strive for better service, care, and excellence.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe).

Mr. Chairman, I just want to state I thank the gentleman, and I thank the gentleman on the other side, as well, for his support. I think this is the right thing to do for transparency and for accountability for our veterans in the VA.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of the 2017 Defense Appropriations bill, a bill providing vital funding for the United States military and intelligence communities who continue to be engaged in responding, engaging, and destroying threats around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honor and the great responsibility of representing the largest concentration of Active-Duty military and veterans of any congressional district in the Nation. Who are they? Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, soccer coaches, neighbors.

Our district has thousands of the less than 1 percent of the Nation that has gone forth over and over to fight for us; the best among us, fighting the worst in the world.

In our district, Mr. Speaker, we have the largest naval base in the world, NASA, SEAL teams, Marines, Army soldiers, Air Force Combat Command, coastguardsmen, Oceana Naval Master Jet Base, national guardsmen, and many, many more.

Mr. Speaker, we are moving toward the smallest Army since World War II, the smallest Air Force ever, Navy ships not being properly maintained due to budget, Marine planes not combat-ready. This is unacceptable. Our Nation requires a military, but our force is voluntary. We owe them more.

We must take up this 2017 Defense Appropriations bill to help maintain a technological advantage. If we must send our men and women into harm's way, let us always send these warfighters with an unfair advantage.

This bill provides essential equipment, platforms, and upgrades. We must give our force and our industrial base predictability and stability, the right equipment, the right training, and the right military superiority.

This bill not only supports the warfighters, but their families as well

who, Mr. Speaker, are the very backbone of our forces and an integral part of the tremendous sacrifice that has taken place for our Nation. This bill provides important investments in traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention, sexual assault prevention, and much more.

Mr. Speaker, this bill gives a well-deserved pay raise, enhances health care, and eases the burden our Nation demands on military families moving forward. I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, due to travel with President Trump, I was unable to attend votes. Had I been present, I would have voted nay on Roll Call No. 122, yea on Roll Call No. 123, nay on Roll Call No. 124, nay on Roll Call No. 125, and yea on Roll Call No. 126

Mr. Speaker, due to my attendance of the dignified transfer ceremony of Chief Special Warfare officer Ryan Owens at Dover AFB, I was unable to vote yesterday. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 72; and YEA on Roll Call No. 73.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Chief Special Warfare Officer William ``Ryan'' Owens and his wife and his children.

The Department of Defense announced his death January 28 in the Arabian peninsula after wounds sustained in a raid against al Qaeda. It should also be noted that two others were wounded in the raid and three others injured in a crash landing.

I looked for my own words today, but I came across the profound writing of Andrew Stumpf, and I shall recite his powerful words today in honor of Chief Owens and his family: ``A Debt That Cannot Be Repaid.''

``In a country that most would struggle to find on a map, in a compound that few possess the courage to enter, men from my previous life took the fight to our enemy.

``In that compound, they found men that pray five times a day for your destruction. Those men don't know me, they don't know you, and they don't know America. They don't understand our compassion, our freedoms, and our tolerance. I know it may seem as if those things are currently missing, but they remain, and I know they will return. Our capacity for them is boundless, and is only dwarfed by their hatred for you. They don't care about your religious beliefs; they don't care about your political opinions. They don't care if you sit on the left or the right, liberal or conservative, pacifist or a warrior. They don't care how much you believe in diversity, equality, or freedom of speech.

``I'm sorry that you have never smelled the breath of a man who wants to kill you. I am sorry that you have never felt the alarm bells ringing in your body, the combination of fear and adrenalin, as you move towards the fight, instead of running from it. I am sorry you have never heard someone cry out for help, or cried out for help yourself, relying on the courage of others to bring you home. I am sorry that you have never tasted the salt from your own tears, as you stand at flag draped coffins, burying men you were humbled to call your friends. I don't wish those experiences on you, but I wish you had them. It would change the way you act, it would change the way you value, it would change the way you appreciate. You become quick to open your eyes, and slow to open your mouth.

``Most will never understand the sacrifice required to keep men from that compound away from our doorstep, but it would not hurt you to try. It would not hurt you to take a moment to respect the sacrifices that others make on your behalf, whether they share your opinions or not. It would not hurt you to take a moment to think of the relentless drain on family, friends, and loved ones that are left behind. Ideas are not protected by words. Paper may outline the foundation and principles of this nation, but it is blood that protects it.

``In that compound, a man you have never met gave everything he had, so that YOU, have the freedom to think, speak, and act however you choose. He went there for all of us, whether you loved him, or hated what he stood for. He went there to preserve the opportunity and the privilege to believe, to be, and to become what we want. This country, every single person living inside its borders and under the banner of

its flag, owe that man. We owe that man everything. We owe him the respect that his sacrifice deserves.

``Saying thank you is not enough.

``We send our best, and lose them, in the fight against the worst this world has to offer. If you want to respect and honor their sacrifice, it needs to be more than words. You have to live it.

``Take a minute and look around. Soak it in, all of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. You have the choice, every day, as to which category you want to be in, and which direction you want to move. You have that choice, because the best among us, the best we have ever had to offer, fought, bled, and died for it.

``Don't ever forget it.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of General Mattis. I rise to speak to my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat. I rise to appeal to the unity of our Chamber, unity of our voice to the world, unity for our men and women who voluntarily fight on our behalf.

Less than 1 percent of this Nation has gone forth for the past 15 years, over and over, sacrificing their youth, time with their loved ones, and sometimes their lives. Imagine you are standing there next to your spouse, best friend, or battle buddy at attention, and a flag- draped coffin passes you by, carried by an honor guard dressed in impeccable military uniform. Uncontrollable tears flow around the room as a ceremonial flag is tightly folded and presented to the stoic Gold Star family. ``Amazing Grace'' played on the bagpipes is at once the most beautiful and the most dreadful tone you have ever heard. You yearn to hear it again, and you never want to hear it again.

Men and women like General Mattis, who have been here, understand the true costs of war. Men and women like General Mattis will think deliberately and carefully about putting the military into harm's way. Men and women like General Mattis will fight very hard to put the tools and the leadership in the hands of the military members so that they may win.

Military members, perhaps more than our civilian counterparts, understand civilian control of the Armed Forces. For in every headquarters building that General Mattis or anyone else has served, there is a prominent display of pictures of civilian leadership above military commanders.

I am not naive to the politics. I, too, believe he should have been here yesterday, but those opposed have made their point. We were divided yesterday, but we can unify today. I ask that you rise above politics. I ask you to support General Mattis not just with your words, but with your vote. I ask that you show the same unity military members show each other every single day. Let's give them a leader on day one.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

A couple of weeks ago I stood in the Judea/Sumeria area in the West Bank speaking with numerous out of thousands of Palestinians working in factories, those who earn three times the salary that they would under the Palestinian Authority. They don't want their proudly made products boycotted. They don't want to lose their jobs. They don't want disruptive Palestinian Authority leaders to always speak for them-- whose own area has 40 percent unemployment and no opportunity.

The Obama administration had 8 years to show their true colors. But when they didn't get their way, they insecurely, naively, and cowardly lashed out at our greatest and strongest ally in the Middle East.

Women, religious minorities, LGBT, and Jews would not have equal rights, democracy, or peace in a Palestinian country. In fact, the Palestinian Authority punishes Palestinians by death if they sell their land to the Jewish people lawfully.

The current administration has used the United Nations to both legitimize a profoundly flawed Iran deal and delegitimize Israel. To think that settlements are the only thing that stands in front of peace is dangerously naive.

I urge my colleagues to stand with the bipartisan Royce-Engel resolution. I urge my colleagues to stand with Israel and to stand with the Palestinians in the West Bank.