Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) for his leadership on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3086, a bill that would make permanent the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which was passed a number of years ago, around the time when I came to Congress the first time.

The Internet is an essential part of our everyday lives. Americans use it to run small businesses, to do research, apply for jobs, listen to music, communicate with friends and family, check the weather and traffic, and a whole bunch of things. It is really a part of virtually all Americans' lives nowadays.

Madam Speaker, since 1998, Congress has made sure that access to the Internet remains tax-free. Unfortunately, this protection expires in November, as has been mentioned, at which point taxes will go up on every American who wants to get online.

Now is the time to make this policy of having access to the Internet free of taxes permanent. Now is the time to protect Internet access.

Madam Speaker, the Internet is an essential component of our economy. It drives innovation, job creation, and has resulted in a higher standard of living for virtually every American. The bill before us today provides certainty to Americans by making the current law of the land permanent and protecting access to the Internet from new taxes.

Madam Speaker, there is common ground in this Chamber today. We all agree that the Internet is an essential part of our lives and an incredibly powerful tool for communication, education, and job creation. Let's not make accessing the Internet more costly and more difficult.

Madam Speaker, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act protects all Americans' access to the Internet from new taxes, and I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment eliminates funding for the Denali Commission and uses the nearly $10 million in savings to pay down our $17.5 trillion national debt. It is a relatively small amount in relation to our national debt, but nonetheless, I believe it is a step in the right direction.

For those who don't know, the Denali Commission is one of seven regional commissions that help direct Federal funds to State and local projects. However, unlike the other commissions, the Denali Commission serves only one State, Alaska, making it a little more than an unnecessary middleman.

Many people would argue, including myself, that American taxpayers would be better served if Federal funds were distributed directly to the State of Alaska or to Alaskan communities.

After all, State and local governments are more knowledgeable and better equipped than the Federal Government to address the needs of local communities.

I am not the only one calling for an end to the 15-year-old Denali experiment. Last October, in his semiannual report to Congress, former inspector general of the Denali Commission, Mike Marsh, recommended that Congress eliminate Denali's funding in order to transition the Commission into a locally run and operated entity.

On Friday, September 27, 2013, The Washington Post ran a front-page article, this one here, entitled ``Fire Me,'' in which Mike Marsh, the inspector general, requested that Congress fire him and everybody that worked with him. He is quoted as saying:

I have concluded that my agency is a congressional experiment that hasn't worked out in practice. I recommend that Congress put its money elsewhere.

That is the inspector general for the Denali Commission.

Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget and the CBO have recommended the elimination of this Commission.

Additionally, as the former inspector general's report details, the projects funded by the Denali Commission are often wasteful and shortsighted.

For example, the Commission has spent millions on microsettlements. Records show that the Denali Commission spent $200 million to build facilities in 81 locations with a population of less than 250 people.

These 81 locations have a total population of less than 10,000 people. At 10,000 people, the Commission spent $57,000 per household. Think of that: $57,000 per household.

For nearly a decade, independent agencies have questioned the need for the Denali Commission. Agencies from the CBO to the White House have found 29 other programs that are capable of fulfilling the Commission's mandate.

The Republican Study Committee, Citizens Against Government Waste, Heritage, Cato, the American Conservative Union, National Taxpayers Union, and even President Obama have all targeted the Commission for elimination.

It is time that we heed these recommendations and eliminate funding for the Denali Commission once and for all. To do otherwise, I believe, would be imprudent and wasteful, especially when faced with a $17.5 trillion national debt.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford).

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 6, legislation calling for expedited approval of the exportation of natural gas to World Trade Organization (WTO) countries.

As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, I believe passage of this legislation is critical to strengthening the United States' presence in Asia, and encourages the growth of the American economy.

Several weeks ago, my Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the implications of increasing exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the Asia-Pacific region. The Subcommittee specifically examined the impact that doing so would have on our strategic interests in the region, as well as on the U.S. economy.

It is very evident that increasing exports of LNG would be immensely beneficial to both the U.S. and our strategic partners in the region, and I commend my colleagues for moving this important legislation forward.

The energy landscape is changing drastically in Asia. Asian economies are expected to be the largest consumers of energy in the world by 2035. Current models predict that China will account for nearly 25 percent of the total world energy demand alone. Japan is paying a premium for access to LNG, as a result of a near total shutdown of its nuclear reactors in response to the Fukushima disaster. And as India's economy advances, so too does its demand for energy and the price of natural gas. Vietnam, Taiwan, and others are also expressing strong interest in purchasing U.S. LNG.

The U.S. has the opportunity to promote a more free market in the region, by selling natural gas that is less expensive than the gas supplied by other providers in the region who link their gas prices to the price of oil.

And consequently, shipping U.S. LNG to Asia may free up Malaysian and Qatari natural gas resources which, alternatively, could be

shipped to Europe and alleviate their reliance on Russian energy supplies.

Expanding LNG exports to include WTO countries offers the U.S. a chance to bolster our domestic economy and revitalize the U.S. manufacturing sector. In 2012, the increase in unconventional energy production resulted in over 2 million jobs and reduced our trade deficit by more than $164 billion over the last five years.

Increasing LNG exports stamped ``Made in the USA'' brings many benefits both at home and abroad. By passing H.R. 6, we are taking an important step that strengthens our long-term strategic interests in Asia, and also boosts our own domestic economy. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Committee on Foreign Affairs approved House Resolution 109 condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights. The resolution received wide bipartisan support in the Committee.

This resolution is of particular interest to me. The Baha'i people practice a religion entirely of peace that strives to create a society of global unity and oneness. The City of Cincinnati, Ohio is greatly enriched by the presence of the Baha'i Community. Their place of worship in Cincinnati is located about a mile away from my home. As a neighbor to the community, I have been witness to the gentleness and compassion of the Baha'i people.

The Iranian regime continues to persecute those of the Baha'i faith by charging, imprisoning, abusing, and murdering individuals on trumped up charges including alleged ``propaganda against the state.'' Human Rights Watch says, ``These transparently political charges make it painfully clear that authorities have targeted the Baha'i people not for any crime, but because of their religious beliefs.''

The followers of the Baha'i faith are denied the constitutional rights that others of the Iranian society are granted. In Iran, the Baha'i do not have the freedom to practice their religion, and their marriages are not recognized by the Iranian government. The rights of the Baha'i community are continually being violated in Iran.

The Baha'i faith is truly a religion of peace. The Baha'i is the youngest of the independent world religions, founded by Bahaa'u`llaah in 19th century Iran. At the heart of Bahaa'u`llaah's teaching, is the unification of all mankind and the building of a peaceful, global community. Bahaa'u`llaah once said, ``The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.'' The practice of the Baha'i encourages the dedication of one's life for humanity and the friendship with followers of all religions. The Baha'i seeks to establish equality of women and men and to eliminate prejudices.

Since the beginning of its existence, the Baha'i community has carried out the peaceful teachings of Bahaa'u`llaah, and has strived to created a wholesome and inclusive society for all people. They have worked to enable individuals to contribute to the betterment of humanity by practicing acceptance and harmony.

I would like to extend my recognition and appreciation to the Baha'i people of Cincinnati for their contribution to society. My hope is that the adoption of the House Resolution 109, will increase awareness of ongoing major human rights abuses in Iran.

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment would reduce section 8 spending across the board by 10 percent, $3 billion, and place the savings in the spending reduction account.

The section 8 voucher program, which was intended to provide temporary assistance for struggling Americans, has become, unfortunately, a way of life for far too many in this country. Many of our communities, like my community, Cincinnati, are struggling to deal with the program's unintended consequences in many instances in many neighborhoods.

As a result, the program is in need of serious reform. For example, to help reduce dependency on the program, we should establish time limits for beneficiaries, except for the elderly or disabled. The payments should not go on basically forever, as they do under current law.

To make certain that section 8 landlords are accountable to local communities, landlords should be required to comply with local laws and ordinances, and not be allowed to hide behind the HUD regulations when faced with complaints about their properties.

To make the program safer for both its recipients and the neighbors of those recipients, we need to ensure that convicted felons and sex offenders are barred from participation in the section 8 program.

If you are able to work, then you should have to work in order to be eligible for section 8 benefits. Until reforms like these have been implemented, spending more tax dollars on the Section 8 voucher program is akin to throwing good money after bad.

Faced with a national debt that exceeds $17 trillion and, in fact, is around $17.5 trillion now, continuing this funding is something we simply cannot afford.

Mr. Chairman, as we look for areas to reduce Federal spending, a broken program like section 8 that rewards government dependency with our tax dollars is a good place to start.

Those other things that I mentioned are things that we have offered in the past and intend to offer in legislation in the future. But relative to this particular amendment, this would just cut the funding by $3 billion, which is approximately 10 percent of the section 8 program.

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

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize the distinguished service of a constituent of mine, Lt. Col. Kendall Lemley, USAF Reserve. Lt. Col. Lemley has announced his retirement from the position of Admissions Liaison Officer for the United States Air Force Academy after more than thirteen years of guiding and advising our best and brightest young men and women. I've had the pleasure of working with Lt. Col. Lemley at numerous academy information nights, held for students interested in attending a U.S. Service Academy. He was always prepared and enthusiastic about speaking with students interested in military service.

Lt. Col. Lemley is a 1992 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy where he earned his B.S. in Computer Science. He also holds Masters Degrees from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology and Central Michigan University. In the midst of a busy career as a computer officer in the Air Force and an IT manager in the private sector, he always set aside time to assist my office and my constituents in their scholastic pursuits. I cannot thank him enough for being such a strong advocate of our nation's military, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, the year 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Union Institute & University, a private, non-profit, accredited university, designed exclusively for adults seeking academic programs that transform lives and communities.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with centers in California, Florida, and Vermont, Union's vision is to engage, enlighten, and empower motivated adults in their pursuit of a lifetime of learning and service. This forward-facing institution now serves 2,000 students around the nation and offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees and certificates. Union Institute & University pioneered many of the concepts now common in higher education, including distance and online education, individualized self-paced programs, and an abiding commitment to adults seeking transformative education.

Today, the university's 15,500 alumni--including the Most Honorable Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson Miller, and our esteemed colleague, the Honorable Congressman from Illinois, Dr. Danny Davis-- are transforming lives and communities, and making a difference wherever they live and work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw the attention of my colleagues to a statement made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoggan in which he noted the importance of April 24th to Armenian communities around the world, and expressed his condolences to the descendants of those Armenians who died in the violence nearly a century ago. The Prime Minister renewed Turkey's offer to participate in a joint historical commission, where Turkish, Armenian, and international scholars would come together to document those terrible events.

In his weekly parliamentary address to his party's legislators on April 23rd, Prime Minister Erdoggan stated Turkey's willingness to ``confront'' the historical events, and again called upon Armenia and the Armenian diaspora to join this effort.

I believe a process in which both parties are active participants will enable Turkey and Armenia to resolve many of the issues of conflict between them, and will allow them to move deeper into the 21st Century while building a constructive relationship, as neighbors should.

I hope my colleagues will join me in encouraging all parties to engage in the process.

The statement issued by Prime Minister Erdoggan follows:

The Message of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Recep

Tayyip Erdoggan On the Events of 1915.

The 24th of April carries a particular significance for our

Armenian citizens and for all Armenians around the world, and

provides a valuable opportunity to share opinions freely on a

historical matter.

It is indisputable that the last years of the Ottoman

Empire were a difficult period, full of suffering for

Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Armenian and millions of other

Ottoman citizens, regardless of their religion or ethnic

origin.

Any conscientious, fair and humanistic approach to these

issues requires an understanding of all the sufferings

endured in this period, without discriminating as to religion

or ethnicity.

Certainly, neither constructing hierarchies of pain nor

comparing and contrasting suffering carries any meaning for

those who experienced this pain themselves.

As a Turkish proverb goes, ``fire burns the place where it

falls.''

It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that Armenians

remember the suffering experienced in that period, just like

every other citizen of the Ottoman Empire.

In Turkey, expressing different opinions and thoughts

freely on the events of 1915 is the requirement of a

pluralistic perspective as well as of a culture of democracy

and modernity.

Some may perceive this climate of freedom in Turkey as an

opportunity to express accusatory, offensive and even

provocative assertions and allegations.

Even so, if this will enable us to better understand

historical issues with their legal aspects and to transform

resentment to friendship again, it is natural to approach

different discourses with empathy and tolerance and expect a

similar attitude from all sides.

The Republic of Turkey will continue to approach every idea

with dignity in line with the universal values of law.

Nevertheless, using the events of 1915 as an excuse for

hostility against Turkey and turning this issue into a matter

of political conflict is inadmissible.

The incidents of the First World War are our shared pain.

To evaluate this painful period of history through a

perspective of just memory is a humane and scholarly

responsibility.

Millions of people of all religions and ethnicities lost

their lives in the First World War. Having experienced events

which had inhumane consequences--such as relocation--during

the First World War, should not prevent Turks and Armenians

from establishing compassion and mutually humane attitudes

among towards one another.

In today's world, deriving enmity from history and creating

new antagonisms are neither acceptable nor useful for

building a common future.

The spirit of the age necessitates dialogue despite

differences, understanding by heeding others, evaluating

means for compromise, denouncing hatred, and praising respect

and tolerance.

With this understanding, we, as the Turkish Republic, have

called for the establishment of a joint historical commission

in order to study the events of 1915 in a scholarly manner.

This call remains valid. Scholarly research to be carried out

by Turkish, Armenian and international historians would play

a significant role in shedding light on the events of 1915

and an accurate understanding of history.

It is with this understanding that we have opened our

archives to all researchers. Today, hundreds of thousands of

documents in our archives are at the service of historians.

Looking to the future with confidence, Turkey has always

supported scholarly and comprehensive studies for an accurate

understanding of history. The people of Anatolia, who lived

together for centuries regardless of their different ethnic

and religious origins, have established common values in

every field from art to diplomacy, from state administration

to commerce. Today they continue to have the same ability to

create a new future.

In is our hope and belief that the peoples of an ancient

and unique geography, who share similar customs and manners

will be able to talk to each other about the past with

maturity and to remember together their losses in a decent

manner. And it is with this hope and belief that we wish that

the Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the

early twentieth century rest in peace, and we convey our

condolences to their grandchildren.

Regardless of their ethnic or religious origins, we pay

tribute, with compassion and respect, to all Ottoman citizens

who lost their lives in the same period and under similar

conditions.

Mr. Speaker, career and technical education is critical to our economy.

I have a great program in my district, the Warren County Career Center, in Lebanon, Ohio. I have had the opportunity to tour the program a number of times. They do a great job.

Two success stories--Karie Lacy and Nick Cornett--both completed programs at the Warren County Career Center. Karie now owns her own salon and employs others; and Nick is working at a local robotics company, while working towards a degree in electrical engineering.

There are others like Karie and Nick across America who deserve access to programs that will prepare them for the workforce and lay the foundation for a successful career.

As we work together to strengthen our economy, we should support institutions like the Warren County Career Center. Programs like this, we should support all across America.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a strong supporter and cosponsor of H. Res. 418, urging the Government of Burma to end the persecution of the Rohingya people and to respect internationally recognized human rights for all ethnic and religious minority groups within Burma.

I want to commend the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), my friend and colleague, for offering this legislation, which is certainly timely, and we appreciate his leadership on this.

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, I believe it is imperative that the U.S. and the international community raise awareness of this ongoing crisis in Burma and of the need for its government to respect the human rights of all of its ethnic and religious minority groups, which it is clearly not doing at this time.

Last year, we held two hearings in my subcommittee to examine the deteriorating human rights situation and ethnic unrest in Burma. It has become abundantly clear that the political and social situation there is extremely fragile and that the continuing persecution of the minority Rohingya population is just, as was said, a profound crisis.

Some 140,000 displaced Rohingya have been forced to live in camps described as open-air prisons. Doctors Without Borders was forced out by the Burmese Government, and since then, nearly 150 Rohingya have died of medically-related causes.

This particular photo illustrates that the Doctors Without Borders' clinic is shuttered. They are gone. The people are not getting the medical care that they are entitled to, and people are literally dying as a result of this.

Further, mob violence has made a number of other international NGOs evacuate Burma for fear and for being, essentially, excluded by the government. They were doing good work for people who really needed it, who were in dire straits.

The Burmese Government has taken few, if any, steps to forge a peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous future for the Rakhine State. It is complicit in extrajudicial killings, rape, arbitrary detention, torture, deaths in detention, and for the denial of due process and fair trial rights for the Rohingya.

As these horribly repressed people who are afforded no identity by the Burmese Government have been forced into camps, the Burmese Government has confiscated their land, their homes, and property for redistribution to the Buddhist Rakhine majority.

A recent report by the group United to End Genocide found that nowhere else in the world are there more precursors to genocide--signs that genocide may well happen--than in Burma right now.

This is why I recently introduced H.R. 4377, the Burma Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2014, with my colleague from New York (Mr. Crowley), a Democrat. This legislation would place conditions on providing International Military and Educational Training or for Foreign Military Financing assistance to the Burmese Government.

In light of the Burmese Government's and military's complicity in these ongoing human rights abuses against the Rohingya and other ethnic groups, it is much too soon for us to be engaging at a level that provides U.S. foreign assistance to Burma's corrupt and abusive military.

It concerns me that the administration still refuses to cooperate or to detail what its strategy really is for the future of military engagement with Burma.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 418 highlights its need for the U.S. and international community to continue pressuring Burma to end its blatant persecution and discrimination of the Rohingya population.

I want to, again, thank Mr. McGovern, Mr. Franks, Mr. Pitts, and Mr. Smith for cosponsoring this resolution. I believe the passage of the resolution will send a strong message to the Burmese Government, and I would urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4292) to amend chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, to clarify the exception to foreign sovereign immunity set forth in section 1605(a)(3) of such title.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 4292, currently under consideration.

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

I would like to thank Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Conyers, and my friend from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) for cosponsoring this legislation.

This is simple, straightforward legislation. It clarifies the relationship between the Immunity from Seizure Act and the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to encourage the foreign lending of art to the United States.

Currently, artwork loaned by foreign governments is commonly immune to Federal court decisions and cannot be confiscated if the President finds that their display is in the national interest. However, foreign governments do not have immunity when commercial activity is involved. This bill seeks to clarify that artwork imported into the U.S. for temporary display is not commercial activity and should thus be immune from seizure. Specifically, my legislation would revise the United States Code and make clear that the import of artwork is not legally considered commercial activity if three elements are met:

First, the United States, or an educational institute therein, and a foreign government must agree to the exchange of artwork;

Second, the President must determine that such work is of cultural significance and the temporary exhibition of such work is in the national interest;

And third, the President's determination must be published in the Federal Register.

In enacting the Immunity from Seizure Act, Congress recognized that cultural exchange would produce substantial benefits to the United States, both artistically and diplomatically. Foreign lending should be allowed to continue to aid cultural understanding and increase public exposure to archeological artifacts. This bill reaffirms our country's commitment to the foreign lending of artwork to American museums.

However, for artwork and cultural objects owned by foreign governments, the intent of the Immunity from Seizure Act is being frustrated currently by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. A provision of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act opens foreign governments up to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts for court actions if foreign government-owned artwork is temporarily imported into the U.S.

Similar to its Senate companion, this bill includes a Nazi-era exception which provides that immunity does not apply to cases in which property was taken in violation of international law, and those are things which are in question, and the action is based upon a claim that such work was taken in connection with acts of the German Government during the period of January 30, 1933, through May 8, 1945.

According to the American Association of Museum Directors, current law has led to, on several occasions, foreign governments declining to exchange artwork and cultural objects with the United States for temporary exhibitions.

In 2010, for example, the Russian Federation imposed a ban on state- owned art loans to American museums on the grounds that such works could be subject to legal action. As a result of this ban, several U.S. museums, which had loan agreements with the Russian national institutions, were forced to cancel long-planned Russian art exhibits.

In order to keep the exchange of foreign government-owned art flowing, Congress needs to clarify the relationship between these two acts that I previously described.

This legislation does just that: ensuring that museums, like the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Cincinnati Art Museum--both in my district--and other similar museums all across the country, may continue to present first-class exhibits and educate the public on cultural heritage and artwork from all around the globe.

Through the enactment of this legislation, we can secure foreign lending to American museums and ensure that foreign art lenders are not entangled in unnecessary litigation.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

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

I will be very brief. I would like to, first of all, thank the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Cincinnati Art Museum for bringing this matter to my attention.

I want to particularly thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) for his leadership on this bill, as well as to thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Goodlatte, and also the ranking member, Mr. Conyers, for their leadership.

Without having any additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2919) to amend titles 5 and 28, United States Code, to require annual reports to Congress on, and the maintenance of databases on, awards of fees and other expenses to prevailing parties in certain administrative proceedings and court cases to which the United States is a party, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 2919, currently under consideration.

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

I would like to begin by thanking Representative Cynthia Lummis and the Constitution Subcommittee ranking member again, Mr. Cohen from Tennessee, for introducing this important government transparency legislation.

Every year, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, the Federal Government, through settlement or court order, pays millions of dollars in legal fees and costs to parties to lawsuits and administrative adjudications that involve the Federal Government.

However, despite the large number of taxpayer dollars paid out each year through the Act, the Federal Government no longer comprehensively keeps track of the amount of fees and other expenses awarded, why these fees and expenses were awarded, and to whom these costs were awarded.

This is because, in 1995, Congress repealed the Department of Justice's reporting requirements and defunded the Administrative Conference of the United States, which is the agency charged with reporting this basic information to Congress--to us.

The Administrative Conference was reestablished in 2010, but the requirements to report the fee and cost payments have not been reenacted. Accordingly, there has been no official governmentwide accounting of this information since fiscal year 1994, almost 20 years ago.

This lack of transparency is troubling, given that the Equal Access to Justice Act is considered by many to be the most important Federal fee-shifting statute. Fundamentally, the Act recognizes that there is an enormous disparity of resources between the Federal Government and individuals and small businesses that seek to challenge the Federal actions.

Congress enacted the Equal Access to Justice Act to provide individuals, small businesses, and small nonprofit groups with financial assistance to bring suit against the Federal Government or to defend themselves from lawsuits brought by the Federal Government.

As the Supreme Court has noted, the Act was adopted with the ``specific purpose . . . of eliminating for the average person the financial disincentive to challenge unreasonable governmental actions.''

But how can we know if the Act is working well toward this end if we have no data on awards?

Without the data, this bill requires the Administrative Conference to compile and report that we have nothing more than anecdotal evidence as to whether the Act is working.

The legislation we are considering today will end this lack of transparency and will restore the reporting

requirements that were repealed back in 1995.

I want to, once again, thank Representatives Lummis and Cohen for introducing this bill. It is good legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis).

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Daines).

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Madam Speaker, having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Republican Study Committee's Back to Basics Budget for 2015.

The RSC's budget solves a problem that threatens the future well- being of this country, and that is the increasing size of the Federal Government's debt. The solution provided by the budget is simple. It requires the Federal Government to balance its budget in 4 years.

Similar to the Ryan budget, the RSC proposal reduces discretionary spending, reforms Social Security, simplifies the Tax Code, and cuts wasteful spending, among other things.

I am particularly pleased with the RSC's inclusion of two of my bills that seek to eliminate some wasteful spending. We eliminate the Commission to Nowhere, and we eliminate the MAP Act, and we save $10 million by doing that.

Time and again, the Denali Commission has been found to perform duplicative work that should be carried out by State and local governments. This view is supported across the board, from Citizens Against Government Waste, to the Heritage Foundation, to even President Obama.

In fact, the inspector general of the Denali Commission recently called it ``a congressional experiment that hasn't worked out'' and suggested that ``Congress put its money elsewhere.''

The waste within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Market Access Program is also disturbing. The MAP program, though intended to increase international consumption of American products, has financed lavish international travel and marketing expenses for some of our already most successful companies.

Under this program, taxpayer dollars have paid for international educational wine tastings from London to Mexico, and financed an animated series in Spain chronicling the adventures of a squirrel named Super Twiggy and his nemesis, the Colesterator.

Our national debt stands at over $17 trillion. Such debt puts our country's security, economy, and everything else at risk.

Let's pass this today.

Mr. Speaker, March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Sadly, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both men and women in this country, including over 2,000 Ohioans, but it doesn't have to be.

As the American College of Gastroenterology reminds us, colon cancer screenings can prevent cancer from occurring in the first place. In fact, evidence shows that colonoscopies could prevent over 50 percent of colorectal cancer deaths in the U.S. When colon cancer is detected early, the survival rate climbs to 90 percent. The American Cancer Society reveals that screenings have reduced the rate of colon cancer incidences by 30 percent over the last 10 years. Still, more needs to be done.

Mr. Speaker, as we observe Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, I urge all Americans, particularly those over 50, to talk to their doctors and ask if screenings are right for them. Cancer is a killer, and colon cancer can be more deadly than most, but we can fight back by taking proactive steps to diagnose and combat the disease at its outset.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Captain James Henry Cullen. Captain Cullen was born in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 9, 1923, and died in Springfield, Virginia, on September 9 last year. He grew up in Price Hill, attended Elder High School, and was a graduate of Xavier University.

Captain Cullen led a distinguished life and an honorable one as a devoted husband and father and as an accomplished naval officer.

As executive officer of the USS Guadalcanal, he oversaw the recovery of the Apollo 9 space capsule in the Atlantic Ocean. He also served as director of operations, Pearl Harbor, and chief of staff Third Fleet, with responsibility for antisubmarine warfare in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and was awarded the Gold Star.

Captain Cullen epitomized the term ``America's Greatest Generation.'' Our country has benefited greatly from his service, and as Americans, we owe him a debt of gratitude.

Full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery for Captain Cullen will take place on March 24.

Well done, Captain Cullen, and may you rest in peace.