Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Dr. Robert Morris, a Board certified Ophthalmologist, a founding physician of Retina Specialists of Alabama, and the President of the Helen Keller Foundation for Research and Education. Dr. Morris also serves as Chairman of the International Society of Ocular Trauma and an Associate of Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dr. Morris, an outstanding professional and true humanitarian, is a leader in promoting better eyesight and vision care in Alabama and throughout the nation. It has been my honor to collaborate with him on a number of projects during my tine in Congress.

Dr. Morris' strong devotion to his patients and craft is evidenced by his ability to innovate new medical techniques including Vitreoretinal surgery while simultaneously managing a large clinical practice. He regularly contributes to national and international journals and conferences of vitreorenal surgeons and other ophthalmologists. His advanced training and surgical skills are particularly recognized in the treatment of severe eye injuries and surgeries of the macular (center of vision). Further, Dr. Morris pioneered techniques of temporary keratoprosthesis (TKP) vitrectomy to completely reconstruct injured or infected eyes. He has been consulted to treat patients who have suffered severe injury to both eyes resulting from terrorist bombs.

Dr. Morris has received numerous awards including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Best of Show Award in 2001 and 2003 for videos of macular surgery. He is a recipient of the senior honor award from both the AAO and the American Society of Retina Specialists for extensive contributions to scientific activities.

As a teenager, Dr. Morris had a goal of becoming an astronaut. A failed eye test for the ROTC during college in Purdue led him to shift his focus to pre-medicine. Dr. Morris subsequently enrolled in Medical School at the University of Alabama. Six months before graduation, Dr. Morris signed up for the Air Force, with the possibility that becoming a pilot might provide an alternate pathway to space. However, after serving as a reconnaissance pilot in the Air National Guard, Dr. Morris made the decision to fully devote himself to the pursuit of ophthalmology and his choice has changed innumerable lives for the better.

Dr. Morris' professional accomplishments and life story are most impressive, but it is his charitable service that is unparalleled. He is quite literally a miracle worker. As President of the Hellen Keller Foundation, he and his team devote many weeks each year to treating children who have lost their sight.

The Hellen Keller statue currently on display in the United States Capitol would not have been possible without the leadership of Dr. Morris. His tireless dedication was instrumental in ensuring the placement of this statue in the Capitol where generations of children will be inspired by Helen Keller's ability to overcome obstacles, including the loss of vision, to become one of our nation's most esteemed educators and advocates.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, let us commend Dr. Robert Morris for his accomplishments and professional and charitable service and wish him continued success in his many pursuits. He is one of Alabama's finest citizens and merits our appreciation for his dedication to his patients, charitable endeavors, the State of Alabama and the Field of Medicine.

Mr. Speaker, as I prepare to retire after 22 years in the House, I feel as I did when I first walked into this chamber as a freshman--it is an extraordinary privilege to be able to serve and being a U.S. representative is a humbling opportunity I never imagined I might have.

As Members of Congress, we see the Capitol Dome every day and I suspect that none of us ever fails to be inspired by its beauty and what it symbolizes. It is the incarnation of words attributed to Alexander Hamilton: ``Here . . . the people govern.''

In times of peace and war, prosperity and economic crisis, and social consensus and societal change, America stands unique among nations and in history. The phrase that perfectly explains this is ``American Exceptionalism,'' which I truly believe in. You see it in the leadership that America provides to the world, in the service of our troops and veterans, and in the spirit of our people.

In Congress, I have served with three Presidents and five Speakers and been in this institution for the final years of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks, the accounting scandals and later the financial crisis of 2008, and many other historic events. Frequently, the concern expressed in our nation was, ``Will we make it through?'' Each time, America demonstrated its resilience and the reason for that, in my view, is because of our freedom.

It has been my privilege to serve on three great committees: the Financial Services Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. My colleagues accorded me the honor of selecting me as Financial Services Committee Chairman, the first to come from my home state of Alabama since Representative Henry B. Steagall in the 1930s. Little did I know that my leadership term on the committee would coincide with the most severe financial crisis to test the U.S. since the Great Depression. During the depths of the financial crisis in the fall of 2008, we worked to prevent a repeat of that catastrophe by stabilizing our weakened banking system; I am proud of my advocacy

of the successful capital purchase program as a solution.

However, if asked about my most satisfying achievement, it would be debt relief. The bipartisan agreement that emerged from Congress and the Clinton and Bush Administrations to provide debt relief to the world's poorest nations has reduced hunger, poverty and disease and lifted tens of millions of children and families from despair to hope. It is an example of what this institution is capable of doing at its finest.

As Dean of the Alabama congressional delegation, I have been honored to be part of a group of House Members and Senators that works across party lines to promote the interests of our state as a whole. Some of the projects that stand out to me are the construction of I-22 and the Northern Beltline, the creation of the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge, the location of the National Computer Forensics Center in Hoover, and especially the construction of the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, a shrine to our veterans and their families.

One thing that Members of Congress learn quickly is that their effectiveness is greatly enhanced by a high quality staff. Over the years, I have had many talented and dedicated individuals on my personal and committee staffs. In the past on this floor, I have noted the contributions of Larry Lavender, Warren Tryon, and Gerry Cashin. While time does not permit me to name every staff member, I would like to acknowledge loyal staffers who have been with me during my final year in office: Michael Staley, Tim Johnson, Brett Quick, Philip Swartzfager, Thomas Crockett, Summer Bravo, Brooks McClendon, Katherine Runkle, and Blake Lasuzzo in my Washington office and Christian Sanford, Ethan Vice and Pam Cook in my Birmingham office. Both the institution of Congress and bureaucracy of the federal government are large and complex, and experience matters when you interact with them on behalf of your constituents.

One thing I cannot stress enough is that I would not have been able to achieve anything without the support of my family. My wife Linda is my source of comfort, inspiration, and love. We are blessed with five wonderful children--Candace, Warren, Lisa, Stuart, and Elliott--and seven delightful grandchildren--Christopher, Madeline, Olivia, Rayner, Charlotte, Braden and Lillie. With great eagerness, I look forward to having more time to spend with my beautiful family.

In conclusion, I leave with great respect as well as with an abiding fondness for this institution. A departing hope is that while we vigorously debate policy, as we elected to do, we focus on doing so with respect and civility. My father gave me the advice, ``If you can't say anything nice about a person, don't say anything at all.'' That's not an easy thing to do in politics, but it's a good standard to aspire to. A benefit, I believe, would be an increase in public regard for this legislative body, which is vital in a society where consent comes from the governed. We should strive to make the public proud of their Congress; as Members, we should take personal pride in and honor the tradition of this essential institution.

The people of America look to us for leadership and, in turn, the nations of the world look to America for leadership. This is still President Reagan's beloved ``Shining City on the Hill.'' My hope is that during the time the people of Alabama have given me here, brief in the scope of our country's glorious history, I have been able to contribute in some small way to maintaining the Promise of America for our children, grandchildren, and the generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, it is the privilege of the State of Alabama and the City of Birmingham to be the site of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry, host to the second annual UAB Dentistry Cares Community Day held on Wednesday, November 5, 2014. UAB Dentistry Cares is an event that brings together UAB and community volunteers, sponsors and partners to provide one day of free dental treatment and oral health education to the homeless and underserved, giving priority to patients suffering from dental infections or pain. It was my pleasure to be able to see this event first-hand and the dedicated work provided by everyone involved, including the dental students, was truly impressive.

Recognizing that lack of Medicaid dental coverage for adults has created a pressing need for primary care dental treatment among the low-income, UAB School of Dentistry and Alabama Dental Association leadership have collaborated on initiatives such as an incentive program to encourage dentists to establish practices in rural and underserved areas of the state. In 2012, the groups also joined to establish the first UAB Dentistry Cares Community Day which was held in October 2013. The day-long event provided emergency dental treatment to over 300 needy adults. Services included examinations, blood pressure checks, x-rays, almost 100 dental cleanings and 130 dental fillings, and over 300 dental extractions, all at an estimated cost of $130,000.

The event has grown to include many sponsors and partners. This year, over 400 needy adults were provided with free dental treatment at one of four clinic sites around the Birmingham area. UAB School of Dentistry

served as the primary site, while Christ Health Center, The Foundry and Jefferson County Health Department dental clinics offered their facilities as an extension of the event.

UAB School of Dentistry is among very few dental schools in the country to host this type of benevolent event through its partnerships with The Caring Foundation--BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama, Henry Schein, UAB School of Public Health, Alabama Dental Association, Brasseler USA, Courtyard Marriott & SpringHill Suites, OKU Honor Society, Oral Arts Dental Laboratories, UAB Health System, and numerous private supporters. In addition to the Alabama Dental Association and three companion sites, other event partners include the Birmingham District Dental Society, Cahaba Valley Health Care, Fortis Institute School of Dental Hygiene, Samford School of Pharmacy and UAB School of Nursing.

Since its founding in 1948, the UAB School of Dentistry has developed a rich history of healthcare innovation and gained an international reputation for excellence. With an accredited predoctoral and eight accredited postdoctoral areas of study, the School is a world class institution ranking number one in funding from the National Institutes of Dental and Craniofacial Research, with a 100% pass rate for students on National Board exams and a positive track record for community outreach and collaboration. The UAB School of Dentistry continues to supply the City of Birmingham and the State of Alabama with nothing but the world's most equipped and knowledgeable scholars and dentists, a tradition of research and rich community outreach experiences like UAB Dentistry Cares day of service.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the combined efforts of the UAB School of Dentistry and its partners who have given of their time and talents to provide critical dental care to Alabama's underserved. Let us congratulate UAB School of Dentistry and its partners on this successful approach to the pressing access to care problem in their state.

Mr. Speaker, first let me thank Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers--former Chairman Conyers--for those kind remarks. I have been fortunate to associate with both of you gentlemen over the past years and appreciate the confidence you have entrusted in me, and I take those kind words to heart.

I want to thank both of you for this legislation because, as we know in the legislative process, this went by regular order, which is how all bills should proceed. And the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), who was then my subcommittee ranking member, and now the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson) were both very cooperative.

We also know that good legislation has to have a good staff, and on the subcommittee, we were blessed by three fine individuals and their support staffs: Anthony Grossi and Daniel Flores on the majority side, and sitting over there next to Mr. Conyers is Susan Jensen. And they worked together. They worked for what was best. I saw no partisanship, no gamesmanship. It was a group effort.

They were also backed by the National Bankruptcy Conference, the Administrative Office of Courts, the Bankruptcy Judicial Conference, as well as the attorneys bar both for creditors and debtors, both for consumers and for the institution. They all came together. We had many people from the academic world, experts in bankruptcy, and they pretty much identified how it ought to go.

The history of all of this really is the financial crisis of 2008, which none of us want to go through again. Now, we may go through something similar, but we want to do everything we can do to avoid that, and that is what this bill is all about. It is to proceed under an established procedure rule of law, which separates the United States from many, many countries. This bill follows the rule of law.

If you look at Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and you see the total different paths that were taken, if you see in other bankruptcies where people were put out of jobs unnecessarily--and there were tremendous job losses--there was a consensus, in looking back, that that could have been avoided, much of that, except that bankruptcy didn't give us the tools to address it.

Now, there were two reasons, things that we have heard often during the financial crisis. One was that term ``derivatives,'' credit default swaps, straddles, a lot of these new financial instruments. The Bankruptcy Code simply had not been updated to address derivatives.

And then the global economy. You have almost every large bank holding company, almost every large financial company which have both foreign subsidiaries and domestic subsidiaries, so you have got multiple jurisdictions trying to handle pieces of this. And through, really, a consensus, we came together and said we are going to let the U.S. operating subsidiaries and the foreign operating subsidiaries--and that is where 99 percent of your employees work and probably where 99 percent of the transactions with customers, creditors, debtors, the general public, that is where they transact. We allow that to continue.

We put the bank holding company alone, through a single point of entry, goes into bankruptcy. So there are not these tremendous disruptions that we saw first with Bear Stearns and then in a cascading effect. We hopefully can avoid a lot of that.

I see my time has almost expired, but let me close by saying this: Dodd-Frank said let's go to GAO, let's go to the Federal Reserve.

I thank the gentleman from Virginia.

They actually called for us to have this procedure. And that part of Dodd-Frank--I have sometimes said ``the good, the bad, and the ugly''-- that was a good part. We needed to structure bankruptcy where it could handle these situations if at all possible.

We consulted with the Comptroller of the Currency, with the Federal Reserve, with the FDIC, and this is a rare consensus. There is a bill over in the Senate by Senator Cornyn of Texas and Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania that is similar to this bill. Hopefully we will have a conference with the Senate and get this done.

Some people may say, well, it is not enough. Well, we need to do what we can do in a consensus way and do what we can. It is probably never enough. Sometimes it is too much. But at least this is in our general agreement.

With that, I would like to now introduce a memorandum on this bill which includes the section-by-section comments for the Record. This is basically a detailed narrative for the courts and those that would look at this to give illumination to exactly how this works.

H.R. 5421. The ``Financial Institution Bankruptcy Act of 2014''

The orderly resolution of financial companies presents

unique challenges to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code for many

reasons, including these institutions' interconnectedness

and, in the case of larger institutions, a potential to pose

``systemic risk.'' H.R. 5421, the ``Financial Institution

Bankruptcy Act of 2014,'' amends chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy

Code to address better the unique challenges presented by the

insolvency of a financial institution and better allow such

an institution to be resolved through the bankruptcy process.

Again, I thank the chairmen, the ranking members, and their staff for putting this together.

The resolution process for financial institutions is one of the pieces of unfinished business from the 2008 financial crisis, and we will finish some of that business hopefully before the year is out. The American people are hungry for us to do some good things in a spirit of bipartisanship, and they are getting that today.

Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed.

Madam Chair, I want to commend the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer) for what I consider a straightforward, commonsense amendment.

This is an amendment to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, what we commonly call the FACT Act. The FACT Act is known for a free credit report and the requirement on the three main credit reporting agencies to amend their records.

If you notify one of an error, they have to make an examination and then correct it. Financial literacy was also an important part of the FACT Act because you have your credit report, but if you don't have good financial literacy, it is not going to be a good credit report.

In 2003, the subcommittee--which I chaired at that time--passed this in the full committee, and we had bipartisan support. Judy Biggert--who is no longer with us--from Illinois, I think, was one of the leaders on our side, but there were many on both sides.

A commission was formed without almost any cost to the people, and it did a lot of good research on financial literacy, how to avoid bad financial decisions, debt load, what different financial products were there, where to turn in case of an emergency. It is called mymoney.gov. It is an excellent resource.

What we found--and Mr. Kilmer did a lot of work on this and Mr. Hinojosa and others--is that people are not utilizing that and that colleges and universities, when students apply for loans, they are not directing them to that site, which can actually save them money upfront. So what this does is it engages the colleges and universities and simply encourages them to have their students take advantage of them.

Particularly, there is an urgency today because we often hear that students are leaving school with high debt loads, and hopefully, as a result of this amendment and other steps that are being taken in this important legislation overall, students in the future can avoid some of the mistakes and not graduate with such a heavy debt load.

It is refreshing to have a bipartisan measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I would simply recognize Mr. Petri's and Ms. Tsongas' contributions in helping Mr. Kilmer with this amendment--and there may be others.

I want to express to the full committee chair our appreciation for supporting this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chairman, this is a very straightforward amendment, which I am joined by my colleague, Ms. Terri Sewell, in offering.

The chief judge of the Northern District of Alabama, Karon Bowdre, and the U.S. marshal who was appointed under the previous administration but who serves under this administration, Martin Keeley, have designated this statue as a security risk. We are more concerned over the opinions of the senior officials in that bill than we are of the GSA's in not having that statue located where it poses a security risk to the employees and visitors to that courthouse. Accordingly, I ask for the support of this important amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Thank you.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).

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

Offered By: Mr. Bachus

Amendment No. 4: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 294, on June 10, 2014, I inadvertently voted ``aye'' on the amendment to H.R. 4745 offered by Mr. Sessions of Texas. My intention was to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Representatives Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, Frank Wolf of Virginia, Xavier Becerra of California, Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, and Marcia Fudge of Ohio in recognition of Bread for the World's 40th anniversary. Bread for the World is a bipartisan Christian movement committed to ending hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.

Founded in 1974 by the Rev. Arthur Simon, Bread for the World began as a small group of Catholics and Protestants who realized that mobilizing people of faith to influence U.S. policies can address the causes of and help to end hunger. Today, Bread for the World has grown in size and influence, with over 72,000 members, 5,500 congregations and more than 50 denominations. Bread for the World is now the largest grassroots advocacy network on hunger issues in the United States.

Each year, Bread for the World members across the country conduct an Offering of Letters in their church. But rather than an offering of money, it is an offering of hand-written letters to Congress on one policy issue that will affect hunger in the U.S. and around the world. This successful advocacy tool has helped make tremendous progress in eradicating hunger and poverty.

Over the last 40 years, the faith community has played a significant role, which has resulted in policies that strengthened our national nutrition programs; provided debt relief to the world's poorest countries; reduced child mortality rates worldwide; extended tax credits for low-income working families; and developed a national strategy for maternal and child nutrition.

Bread for the World strongly believes that, with political will, we can end hunger within our lifetime. We applaud and support Bread for the World's goal of making hunger a national priority.

Mr. Speaker, please join us in congratulating Bread for the World for 40 years of advocacy, and urge that its members continue to be a voice for years to come for those whom Scripture calls ``the least of these.''

Mr. Speaker, let me commend the attention of the House to Colonel Tony Krogh, United States Army, for his extraordinary dedication to duty and selfless service to the United States of America. Colonel Krogh is retiring after an exemplary 28 year career in service to his country. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit Award, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medal, and the Humanitarian Service Medal.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Tony earned his commission as an Officer in the United States Army from the ROTC program at the University of Alabama, where he was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate. He served first as an engineer and later as a Models and Simulations Officer with numerous operational assignments in Germany; Fort Drum, NY; Fort McPherson, GA; and Saudi Arabia. His combat deployments include Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he served as the chief of current operations for Joint Task Force 7. He also excelled as the lead for a Partnership for Peace military exercise that involved planning, coordination, and execution with 42 countries. Because of his demonstrated superior understanding of Corps operations, he was selected by the Corps Commander as the interim Deputy G-3 and Deputy Chief of Operations.

In recognition of his superior performance, Tony was specifically chosen in 2005 to lead the Army's effort to integrate mission command systems. He skillfully led a Combat Identification effort that for the first time allowed common operating pictures across all services, reducing the risk of accidental deaths for U.S. and Coalition forces. Simultaneously, Tony led the effort for the Army's first ``Battle Command Strategy,'' published in 2006, which created a service wide battle command architecture that is still in use today.

Immediately after his training at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 2008, Tony was appointed as the Director of Simulation at the Aviation Center of Excellence. He leveraged his extensive technical background and operational experience to produce realistic training exercises that readied 21 aviation brigades for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. He provided the leadership and strategic vision for Aviation simulators and simulation programs across the U.S. Army, while managing a $1.8 billion service contract and the largest collection of high fidelity, full motion simulators in the world.

In 2010, having been recognized as the Army's foremost authority on training simulations, Tony became the first Colonel centrally selected to be the Director of the National Simulation Center (NSC). In that capacity, he provided the U.S. Army with state-of-the-art training simulation capabilities from individual soldier to theater level command exercises. Simultaneously, he was given the responsibility for the Army's efforts with Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) Integrated Training. His direct involvement created the most realistic and affordable training across camps, posts and stations the Army has ever known.

In July of 2012, Colonel Krogh was selected to serve as the Executive Officer for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs (G-8) where he swiftly established much needed procedures and high standards. After an extremely successful first year, he rebuilt the G-8's Initiatives Group and as Director, focused efforts on shaping and promoting Army equities across numerous communities at the strategic level.

Throughout his successful career, Colonel Krogh has been anchored by the strength of his wife and partner, Kim. Through her generous spirit and loving support, she has selflessly stood by Tony's side, taking care of their family through countless moves and stressful deployments. At every step of the way, Mrs. Krogh has sought community leadership and volunteer positions within military and local communities. Her endeavors include major fundraising for scholarships, Toys for Tots, and renovating youth sports facilities; volunteering for school programs, local animal rescues, and animal therapy for hospital patients and the elderly; and establishing community websites to link family members. In fact, Kim was selected as ``Community Volunteer of the Year'' in Heidelberg, Germany. Mrs. Krogh embodies the ideals we cherish: strength, loyalty, commitment and selfless service. Her sacrifices and accomplishments as well have earned our admiration.

Mr. Speaker, it has been my honor to recognize Colonel Tony Krogh and his nearly three decades of dignified and distinguished service. On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues today in recognizing and commending his contributions and the mark he has made on the United States Army. We wish Tony, his wife Kim, and their two children, Mary Ashley and Erickson, all the best as they embark on their next journey.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of National Veterans Day in Birmingham, it is my privilege to inform this House that a distinguished American statesman and patriot, Senator Robert Dole, has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 National Veterans Award.

The National Veterans Award was created in Birmingham for America's first official National Veterans Day observance November 11, 1954 as authorized by Congress and tirelessly advocated by Raymond Weeks. Each year, the award recognizes an outstanding veteran who has made the greatest contribution to veterans and veterans organizations in America.

As one of the greatest of our ``Greatest Generation,'' Bob Dole embodies the values celebrated by this award and essential to the preservation of our freedom: duty, honor, and service to country.

Senator Dole's life story should inspire every American. As a young man, he left his home state of Kansas to answer the call of duty during World War II. He received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his valor in combat. As so many know, he was gravely wounded on the battlefield while leading a platoon of the 10th Mountain Division in Italy in April 1945.

Returning home, Bob Dole surmounted the challenge of physical injury and entered into a new form of service to his country: public service. He was elected to this House in 1960 and elected in 1968 to the U.S. Senate, where during his 28 years of service he earned recognition as one of the true legislative giants in the history of the chamber. He was the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 1976 and the Republican presidential candidate in 1996.

Throughout his service in elected office, Senator Dole stood as a principled voice for fiscal responsibility, free enterprise, a strong national defense and American values. He was skilled in working in a bipartisan manner on issues including hunger and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The National Veterans Award specifically recognizes his unwavering support of our troops in the field and his commitment to ensuring quality medical care for veterans.

After leaving government service, Senator Dole accepted a new mission that will stand as an enduring and indeed monumental legacy: the construction of the National World War II Memorial on our National Mall. His leadership of the national campaign for the memorial was instrumental in bringing this long-held dream to honor those who fought on overseas battlefronts and those who contributed here at home into magnificent reality.

At the dedication ceremony on May 29, 2004, Senator Dole said, ``What we dedicate today is not a memorial to war, rather it's a tribute to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm and city boys and that inspires Americans in every generation to lay down their lives for people they will never meet, for ideals that make life itself worth living.''

As a congressman, I have cherished the opportunity to welcome and express gratitude to veterans brought to the World War II Memorial by Honor Flight. Senator Dole is known for coming to the memorial to meet with Honor Flight groups, and I have personally witnessed how proud and privileged veterans from Alabama have felt to be in the presence of this American hero. It is altogether appropriate that Senator Dole has been recognized with his own bronze plaque at the memorial.

Senator Dole has always been modest about the immense contributions that he has made to the good of our nation, often minimizing them with his quick wit and willingness to share credit. But his steadfast devotion to the cause of freedom towers as sure and lasting as any of the glorious monuments in our nation's capital. With the support of his lovely and accomplished wife Elizabeth, he continues to provide wise guidance and inspiration to our country.

National Veterans Day in Birmingham takes pride in being the home to the largest and longest-running commemoration of Veterans Day in the U.S. The recipient of the National Veterans Award holds a special and esteemed place in this tradition. For lifelong defense of liberty and dedication to America, Senator Robert Dole honors us by accepting the 2014 National Veterans Award in the name of the veterans across many generations who have sacrificed to keep us all free.

I thank the chairman.

Mr. Chairman, one thing that I think we all, Republicans and Democrats, agree on is that you can't have a world-class economy with a third world infrastructure, and in many cases, that is what we have today. Putting money into highways, bridges, and other infrastructure improvements is one of the best investments that the Federal Government can make. The gentleman from Georgia said that, that it is a great investment, but when we put the money in for the projects, we need to get those projects underway.

Each infrastructure project in our country creates jobs--high-paying jobs--and they modernize our transportation system. Not only does it create jobs, but it increases fuel efficiency because it increases velocity. It saves fuel, which is good for our economy, and it makes us less dependent on foreign oil. It improves safety, which not only reduces costs but saves lives. Unfortunately, there is a major roadblock

out there in completing all of the work that we desperately need to do, and that is the excruciatingly slow process imposed by Washington on the permitting of new construction projects. Now, that is where, I think, the gentleman from Georgia and I disagree. He says there is not a problem.

Let me quote President Obama:

One of the problems we've had in the past is that sometimes

it takes too long to get projects off the ground.

That is not I. That is President Obama.

There are all these permits and red tape and planning and

this and that, and some of it's important to do, but we could

do it faster.

That is the essence of this bill. We can do it faster. We both acknowledge it creates jobs. We both acknowledge it helps our economy, our fuel efficiency, and it saves lives. We can do that faster. That means less fuel wasted, less time wasted, jobs created. Boy, we need those jobs now. Let me tell you how difficult it is on projects.

The Northern Beltline, which is part of the loop around Birmingham, was first added to the National Highway System in 1995. Only this month, 19 years later, did we commence that project when a Federal judge finally said enough is enough--enough delays, enough court challenges, enough roadblocks--and he ordered the project to begin. During that period of time, there were four environmental studies done. Look, our tax dollars are limited. There were four environmental studies that had to be redone from start to finish because they became too old. They became outdated. That is money that is wasted. We can't afford to waste money or time or lives in making this economy better and in creating jobs.

I will yield to the gentleman in just a minute. If I have time left, I would be glad to.

Mr. Chairman, imagine. This project in 1998 began to receive authorization and funding, but it just started this month. These were people, constituents--and not only those people living in central and north Alabama--whose commutes were longer. They were people traveling through Alabama.

I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Marino) for introducing this legislation. It will reduce the time it takes to review new construction projects and ensure that the permitting process is not endlessly held up in courts.

That is what the judge said in the case of the Northern Beltline. He said that this has been before the courts. Sometimes it takes people years to get their case to court. We don't need these unnecessary delays, legal expenses, and added environmental expenses.

We have done these same things in bipartisan SAFETEA-LU and MAP-21. Why are we all of a sudden saying this is a bad thing when earlier, in a bipartisan way, we approved very similar provisions?

Why in this Congress are we suddenly out here calling things dangerous that used to be bipartisan? I don't understand that. I don't think the American people understand this dysfunction.

I thank the Judiciary Committee, its members, Chairman Goodlatte, and Mr. Marino. This was too late for the people along the Northern Beltline, but it won't be too late the next time.

You cannot have a first-world economy with a third-world infrastructure. Putting money into highway, bridge, and other infrastructure improvements is one of the best investments that the federal government--or state governments--can make. Each infrastructure project in our Country creates jobs--high-paying jobs. And modernizing our transportation and infrastructure system not only creates jobs-- high-paying jobs. It increases fuel efficiency, which is good for the environment. It improves safety, reduces costs, and saves time.

Unfortunately, there is a major roadblock out there to completing all of the work that we desperately need to get done, and that is the excruciatingly slow process imposed by Washington on the permitting of new construction projects.

President Obama has even said, ``one of the problems we've had in the past is, is that sometimes it takes too long to get projects off the ground. There are all these permits and red tape and planning, and this and that, and some of it's important to do, but we could do it faster.''

Today, it sometimes seems incredibly difficult to get permission in a timely manner for even a small project. And when it comes to large projects--such as the construction of the Northern Beltline in the Birmingham area that I represent--the challenges are even greater. While construction on the Northern Beltline has finally begun this month, it took too long to get there, almost two decades from first being added to the National Highway System and over ten years since funding was authorized, and that has delayed the economic benefits that the project will generate for the region.

I thank the chairman.

Madam Chairman, when the law is against you, argue the facts. When the facts are against you, argue the law. When the law and the facts are against you, yell like hell and call your opponent names; and that is what we are seeing here.

This is a good law that we are proposing. The facts are on our side. And I have got to hand it to the gentleman from Georgia--crib- collapsing, baby formula-poisoning Republicans--you have done a good job, but let's go back to the facts. Get rid of the rhetoric, and talk about the facts.

The number one fact is that America is out of work. The chairman mentioned that. The gentleman from Kentucky, Andy Barr, talked about people out of work. This country needs jobs.

Now, you have accused us of being against the American worker. We want American workers; we want people to have jobs; and to be an American worker, you have to have a job.

We can talk about the wages, but when you are unemployed, there is no wage. You talk about the American Dream, owning a home. It's not anymore. It is just having a job.

And 14 percent of our gross domestic product is absorbed by Federal regulations. Now, some of those are good regulations. We are not down here on the floor wanting to repeal some safety regulations for cribs. We are not trying to loosen the regulations on baby formula.

We are attacking--and let me say that there are good regulations; there are bad regulations; and then there are some really ugly regulations. $1.8 trillion is the annual price tag in complying with Federal regulations. That is not income tax. That is not health care. That is Federal regulations.

The Small Business Administration, not some Republican, said it costs $11,000 per American worker to comply with Federal regulations-- $11,000. We are not saying that all of that is bad, but we are saying that of the hundreds of thousands of Federal regulations--and, by the way, of that $1.8 trillion, $520 million of that burden was passed in the last 4 years, and there are $87 billion worth of regulations waiting just this year to be passed.

Now, the Federal Reserve and Treasury, they come to testify at the Financial Services Committee every year, and they say: If you can increase the gross domestic product by 2 percent, we can create jobs--2 percent, if we can grow it from 2 to 4 percent. Well, let

me submit that, of that 14 percent of the gross national product that is absorbed by Federal regulations, we can find one out of seven of those regulations to change.

I will close by telling you a good one. The chairman started by talking about the cement industry. The EPA proposed a regulation that would have put 200,000 American cement workers out of work.

When we asked why, they said it is because of mercury and arsenic in the air. And we had a map, and it showed no mercury or arsenic around any of our cement plants, and we said, well, where is this mercury and arsenic coming from? China and Mexico.

But our response wasn't to go to Mexico or China. Well, it was, really. Our response was to raise our standards or tighten our standards to be three times more stringent than the EU. It would have cost all the profits of the cement industry for 25 years to comply.

When I asked someone at the EPA and I said, Well, wait a minute, the pollution is not coming from our plants, it is coming from Mexico and China, they said: That is not our problem.

Yes, it is. Just like Andy Barr's problem, because his workers are being put out of a job, it is all of our problems. It is my problem. It is your problem. It is his problem. We are up here standing for the American worker.

If we grow this economy by 2 or 3 more percent, we won't have a problem with jobs, and these regulations will start that process.

Madam Chair, let me say this: the gentleman from Georgia has talked about these regulations all being necessary, but the President himself on the campaign trail said we need to repeal unnecessary Federal regulations. He stood right here in the House when he gave two State of the Unions and said we need to eliminate some of our Federal regulations, and he charged the Congress to do that. It has been part of his agenda. It has been part of what he has campaigned on and what he has brought to the Congress as his State of the Union message, and that is exactly what this bill does.

He said regulations aren't abstract ideas. They cost money. In certain cases, the benefit is simply not there. We are not talking about endangering public health. We are talking about regulations that endanger jobs unnecessarily.

Madam Speaker, no child is unwanted. Let me repeat that. No child is unwanted. There are millions of American couples today that are waiting to give these unborn children a home--a loving home. I don't know all the circumstances, but I do know that a lot of the unborn are little girls and little boys. I don't know about my colleagues, but I believe that God has a plan for each of those unborn children, and I don't believe that that plan includes terminating their life.

Now, that may not be a popular thing to say. But can't we focus on the unborn and the fact that there are millions of families out there, many of them childless, that would love to have these little girls and boys in their home?

Mr. Speaker, we welcome Bradley Byrne as the newest member of the Alabama delegation. We also welcome his wife, Rebecca, who is in the balcony with his four children: Patrick, Colin, Kathleen, and Laura.

Bradley asked me--and I think all of the Members will identify with him--do you ever get over the thrill of walking in this Chamber?

And the answer is, No, you never do.

Let me say this: we like Bradley, the delegation, and I think you know how important that is. He has a wonderful wife. We are very excited about his being here. He brings a wealth of understanding. He comes from an area with natural resources--very important in Armed Services. He served as chancellor of our 2-year college system. He can bring some insight to educational reform.

He succeeds one of our closest friends--of all of us on both sides-- Jo Bonner. Although we miss Jo, we welcome Bradley. That makes up for some of the loss of Jo, and I think you are going to get to where you know and appreciate this gentleman who has joined us today.

At this time, I yield to the gentlelady from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).