Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Fred Smith and FedEx as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the start of the company's operations in Memphis. Overnight delivery was the subject of an undergraduate term paper for Mr. Smith who notes that it earned an average grade. But he put the idea into Federal Express Corporation in Little Rock in 1971. On April 17, 1973, the company began operations in Memphis with 389 people and 14 planes and delivered 186 packages to 25 cities. Over the years, Federal Express became ``FedEx'' and became one of the largest and best known American-headquartered companies in the world. Many of my constituents, friends and colleagues go to work at its operations in Memphis every day, where it is the state's largest private employer. FedEx's work as a supporter of charities is legendary. It is a model for what a company can do for its community. I congratulate current and former FedEx team members and look forward to commemorating another 50 years--in Memphis.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the John K. and Katherine Johnson Auxiliary serving the Regional One Health Medical Center, the Memphis-based acute care hospital for the Mid-South region. On November 8, 1972, 54 women of what is now the Presbytery of the Mid-South met to discuss how they might best address the health care needs of women in our community, touring medical facilities to assess the situation. On April 9, 1973, 39 people gathered at Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis to sign the charter forming the John K. and Katherine Johnson Auxiliary, named after Idlewild's late pastor, a hospital chaplain, and his wife. Its mission was ministering to the needs of patients, assisting staff, promoting community health and welfare, and providing a bond of understanding and service for people of all races and creeds. Starting off with just a cart of snacks and magazines for hospital patients, the auxiliary grew to provide volunteers in the pediatric clinic, offer CPR classes, provide teen pregnancy counseling, and assist sickle cell patients. Over time, the auxiliary supported purchase of neo-natal equipment, orthopedic clinic waiting rooms, and staff education and training. In 1978, the auxiliary created the Mary Love Clothes Closet for the families of patients who arrive in Memphis with only the clothes on their backs. In 1983, the auxiliary created a gift shop which has generated more than $557,000 for various Regional One projects. One of the early initiatives of the auxiliary was a 1973 request to create a chapel for prayer and meditation. Eight years later, in 1981, the Alice H. Davies Chapel, named for one of the early founders of the auxiliary, was dedicated. I want to commend the generations of supporters of the John K. and Katherine Johnson Auxiliary for their selfless commitment to meeting both the critical needs and the incalculable hopes of patients and their loved ones. I also want to congratulate all associated with the auxiliary and its mission on this anniversary milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I was quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 and was unable to vote on March 27-29, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on the following:

H. Res. 260--Roll Call No. 165;

H. Res. 260--Roll Call No. 166;

Boebert of Colorado Part B Amendment No. 2--Roll Call No. 167;

Hern of Oklahoma Part B Amendment No. 5--Roll Call No. 168;

Jackson of Texas Part B Amendment No. 7--Roll Call No. 169;

Molinaro of New York Part B Amendment No. 9--Roll Call No. 170;

Palmer of Alabama Part B Amendment No. 10--Roll Call No. 171;

Perry of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 11--Roll Call No. 172; and

Perry of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 12--Roll Call No. 173.

I would have voted Yea on the following bills:

H.R. 1154--Roll Call No. 163; and

H.R. 1107--Roll Call No. 164.

Madam Speaker, on Monday, the horror, the terror, and the insanity of mass shootings came to our capital city, Nashville, Tennessee--most directly, the Covenant Presbyterian School.

Six innocent victims passed.

Three were children: Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs. All were 9 years old. All were loving students, friends, brothers, sisters, and parents.

The three adults were Mike Hill, a beloved custodian of 14 years, a father, and a grandfather; Katherine Koonce, the headmaster referred to as a saint; and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher who had a light that shone wherever she appeared.

Madam Speaker, for all those victims and the other victims--the classmates, the friends, and the staff of Covington Presbyterian and the city of Nashville--I ask that we have a moment of silence in their memory and their honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great civic-minded American hero and Marine Corps veteran, James Milroy ``Jim'' Brown, who passed earlier this month at the age of 92. Mr. Brown joined the Marines in Charleston, West Virginia, shortly after graduating from Clay County High School. While in the Marine Corps, he served as a machine-gunner in the Korean War, at the Pusan Perimeter, Inchon Landing, Wonsan Landing, the Chosin Reservoir and Hanhung in North Korea. Mr. Brown received the Purple Heart with Gold Star, Korean Service Medal with three Gold Stars, the Presidential Unit Citation with two Bronze Stars and the Combat Action Ribbon with three Gold Stars for his actions in the Korean War and often spoke of his participation in the historic Battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the strategic retreat of United Nations forces from North Korea.

Mr. Brown regularly attended funerals for veterans in his full military uniform, honoring the fallen servicemen for their service, which was greatly appreciated by their families and friends. It was his way of giving back to his fellow veterans and the community.

After Korea, he was transferred to Marine Corps Aviation and trained as an Aviation Structural Mechanic in Millington, Tennessee. After that training, he served as an instructor in that school from 1951 to 1955. Mr. Brown served with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Okinawa, Japan, until 1956 and returned to Millington as an Instructor. In 1960, he was transferred to Beaufort, South Carolina, where he served until 1964. From 1964 to 1967 Mr. Brown was the Curriculum Supervisor in Millington. Mr. Brown served briefly in the Republic of Vietnam as the Wing Analyst Chief at the DaNang Air Base before returning to Millington. He retired from the Marines Corps as a Master Sergeant in August of 1970.

In 1967 Mr. Brown graduated from Memphis State University with a B.S. degree in Secondary Education. He earned his Master's Degree in Educational Administration and completed all the course work for his Doctorate in Education from the University of Memphis.

From 1970 to 1995 he served as an educator with Memphis City Schools, including as a Vocational Teacher, Administrator, and Vocational Evaluator. From 1995 to 2001 Mr. Brown served as a Commissioner of the Board of Education, Memphis City Schools. He was elected as Vice President in 1998 and President in 1999.

In addition to his civic and educational activities, Mr. Brown was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fleet Reserve Association, Marine Corps League, Optimist Club, Exchange Club, the Raleigh Masonic Lodge, and Memphians for America, an employer support organization for the Guard and Reserve.

America has lost a steady and reserved public servant and a grateful Nation takes note. I extend my condolences to his wife, Betty Sue; his sons, his grandchildren, his siblings, and his many friends and admirers.

Mr. Speaker, February 26 marks the 31st anniversary of the massacre of hundreds of people in the town of Khojaly, Azerbaijan. Khojaly, which is in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, was once home to 7,000 people. This was the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians during the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. On February 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces massacred over 600 unarmed people--including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people--and left less than 2,000 survivors. Hundreds more became disabled due to their injuries. More than 100 children lost a parent and 25 children lost both parents. At least 8 families were entirely killed.

Although a cease-fire was negotiated in 1994, it is my hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan can come together and find peace. Escalation of conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is not in the interest of the South Caucuses. Long-term peace, security, and regional cooperation would greatly benefit the region and the world.

Azerbaijan has been a strong partner of the United States and its allies. This cooperation has included sending significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the ongoing war with Russia; playing a leadership role in non-proliferation issues; providing troops to serve shoulder- to-shoulder with U.S. forces in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan; allowing transit of non-lethal equipment used by coalition forces through Azerbaijan to Afghanistan; construction of the Southern Gas Corridor from the Caspian Sea to Italy, thereby providing Europe with an alternative to Russian energy sources; and supplying 40 percent of Israel's oil. Azerbaijan also has a thriving Jewish community and has outstanding relations with Israel.

As Azerbaijanis throughout the world commemorate the massacre and continue to grieve the loss of loved ones, I hope they can find peace amidst this tragedy.

Mr. Chair, my friends on the other side of the aisle seem unconcerned about the threat the COVID-19 virus poses to public health. They have shown that consistently over the time of the pandemic.

They have dismissed the severity of the virus. The previous Republican Party President dismissed it, too, and tried to claim that you could just solve it with a light bulb going into your body somewhere or drinking some type of Clorox.

They have dismissed the science behind masking and social distancing. They have dismissed vaccinations. They have dismissed peer-reviewed science. They have condemned Dr. Fauci, who is an American hero who guided us through this pandemic that cost the lives of over 1 million Americans dying of COVID over the last 3 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that there are over 500 Americans dying each day from COVID.

I believe in science. I believe in specialists. I believe in doctors. CDC is the specialist here.

My colleagues on the other side are very concerned about China, but now they are not concerned about China--which has one of the biggest COVID problems of any place in the globe--having visitors come to our Nation without having been vaccinated.

This is a threat to the health of the American people directly from China. They are concerned about China, but not now.

I would submit most of my colleagues on the other side are vaccinated against COVID, vaccinated against polio, vaccinated against all types of diseases, but all of a sudden, they don't want to give any authority to the CDC to protect us from countries that don't have vaccination requirements.

Science first. Dollars and sense, s-e-n-s-e. That is what we ought to have.

Mr. Speaker, I was attending the funeral of my constituent Tyre Nichols in Memphis and was unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on the following bills:

H. Res. 83--Roll Call 101 and Roll Call 102;

H.R. 139--Roll Call 103;

H.J. Res. 7--Roll Call 104; and

H. Res. 76--Roll Call 105.

I would have voted Present on the following bill:

H. Con. Res. 9--Roll Call 106.

Mr. Speaker, I am the Congressman who represents the great city of Memphis.

Right now much of the national media is looking at Memphis, as there was an awful killing of a 29-year-old African-American man by five police officers within the last few weeks. The five police officers have been fired by the police department for violating their oath. The DA will announce charges in a few hours.

It could be a situation where people want to exercise their First Amendment rights to protest the actions of the police department, and people should, but they should be peaceful and calm.

We have a new DA, we have a new U.S. Attorney, and we have a new police director. They are the right people at the right time to bring about reform and to deal with this case to see that justice is rendered.

I grieve for the life of Tyre Nichols whose life should not have been extinguished. He was an outstanding young man, and it is extremely sad that he was killed.

I pray for my city.

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

Mr. Chair, my amendment would prevent any new oil and gas production under the proposed plan if those activities will have a negative effect on the air quality.

I am a strong proponent of efforts to lower energy costs, promote energy independence, and create a stronger, more secure economy.

I recognize this will take a multifaceted approach, but it must include more investment in renewable energy sources and a smart transition away from oil and gas.

The fact is, for the past couple of decades the Federal Government has issued far more drilling permits than oil and gas companies have acted upon.

Nearly 80 percent of offshore oil is in areas that are already open for exploration, according to the National Resources Defense Council.

Oil and gas drilling is a dirty business, and we should think long and hard before we invite more of it on our Federal lands.

Drilling releases several pollutants that are making our air more smoggy and more dirty and harmful to breathe.

The toxic particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, ozone, and volatile organic compounds released by oil and gas drilling can lead to many poor health outcomes, including premature births, asthma, and heart disease.

It is often low-income and minority communities that bear the brunt of these awful effects. We should continue the work of the Inflation Reduction Act and create a new clean energy economy and not move backward with an empty political gesture that will ultimately do little to address oil and gas prices and our energy security and independence.

I might note that Exxon did a study in the early 1970s on these issues, and their scientists found that what has occurred with fossil fuels and the effect on our climate and our air was accurately predicted 50 years ago, but they didn't release it.

It has been found that what they predicted was almost exact, 50 years ago, on what this would do to our world climate, but they didn't release it.

We must protect our environment and the health of our current and future generations from the toxic effects of fossil fuel production.

Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Cohen

Amendment No. 129: Page 2, line 24, strike ``limitation''

and insert ``limitations''.

Page 3, strike lines 1 through 5, and insert the following:

``(2) Limitations.--

``(A) Total increase.--The plan required by paragraph (1)

shall not provide for a total increase in the percentage of

Federal lands described in paragraph (1) leased for oil and

gas production in excess of 10 percent.

``(B) Impact on air quality.--The plan required by

paragraph (1) shall not provide for any entity to engage in

oil or gas production activities on Federal lands described

in paragraph (1) leased for oil and gas production as a

result of such plan unless such activities will not

negatively impact air quality.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in profound sadness to mark the passing of a daughter of Memphis and a world-renowned ambassador of American music and culture, Lisa Marie Presley. Lisa Marie passed on January 12 at the age of 54. Her life was celebrated this past Sunday at Graceland, in Memphis, where she is buried with her father, Elvis, and her 27-year-old son, Benjamin Storm Keough, in the mansion's Memorial Garden. Lisa Marie was born in Memphis on February 1, 1968, and the event made headlines around the world. She remained in the limelight throughout her life, bestowing her charm on her hometown by unveiling the U.S. postage stamp honoring her father in Memphis, leading her own musical career, nurturing her father's legacy, and remembering Graceland as a place of refuge even though she was there when her father passed away in 1977. As befits a rock 'n roll legend with 3 well-regarded studio albums, she was given a star-studded send off on a cold and dreary day with her mother, Priscilla, reciting a poem; Sarah, the Duchess of York and a friend, remembering her lost son; and Alanis Morissette, Billy Corgan, the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, and Axl Rose offering musical tributes. The service was bookended by Jason Clark and The Tennessee Mass Choir, who began with ``Amazing Grace.'' It was an honor to attend the celebration of her life in front of Graceland along with ``Elvis'' director Baz Luhrmann; actor Austin Butler, who portrayed Elvis in Luhrmann's film; Jerry Schilling, one of Elvis' closest friends and a family confidante; former Memphis and Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton; Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland; and an estimated 5,000 fans. I wish to express my deepest condolences to Lisa Marie's mother, my friend Priscilla, Lisa Marie's daughters, actress Riley Keough and twins Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood and Finley Aaron Love Lockwood, and all who knew and loved her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend a great American for her inspiring clarion call to support refugees. Jackie Autry, the widow of the crooning cowboy singer and

film actor Gene Autry, placed an advertisement in Tuesday's New York Times, warning that denying entry to refugees at the Southern Border will give the United States ``another black eye.'' She compared the errors being made today to the slaughter of Native Americans, the enslavement of Africans, and the denial of entry to the M.S. St. Louis with more than 900 Jewish refugees during World War II. ``The current tragedy at the Southern Border will rank up there with these three,'' she wrote. Gene Autry gave up a career in Hollywood and international stardom to fight for our country in World War II, Mrs. Autry noted, and he would be offended at the treatment of refugees ``turned . . . away in the freezing temperatures of Christmas Eve.'' She added: ``We can't find workers in this country, but Congress will keep refugees out who want to work.'' She called on all who can ``to protect those who need protection and do what is right.'' I could not say it better and am proud to amplify her thoughtful and courageous statement. Thank you, Mrs. Autry.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 33rd anniversary of the ``Black January'' killings in Azerbaijan.

On the night of January 20, 1990, approximately 26,000 Soviet troops stormed Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku in tanks and armored vehicles. The Soviet military bulldozed and open fired on innocent Azerbaijanis and peaceful protestors, including women and children. The attack resulted in 147 people killed, around 800 injured, 841 arrested, and 5 missing. I offer my thoughts and prayers to the families of those who gave their lives for the independence of Azerbaijan.

Despite these merciless acts, the Azerbaijani people continued to fight for their freedom and became independent in 1991. The United States was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence and fully established diplomatic relations on February 28, 1992.

As the co-chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I recognize the sacrifices of the Azerbaijani people in their steps toward a free-market economy and encourage a recommitment to the democratic values for which many Azerbaijanis sacrificed their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Vincent Astor, an early ``out'' gay activist, theatre historian and organist and a true icon of Memphis' distinct place in American cultural history, who passed last week at the age of 69. A flamboyant drag queen in his signature white wedding dress, Mr. Astor led Memphis gay pride events as ``Lady A.'' A 1989 founder of OUTMemphis: The LGBTQ+ Community Center of the Mid-South, Mr. Astor was a well-known supporter of events promoting local history, including the screening of vintage movies, lectures and heritage events. A native Memphian and a quick wit, he graduated from what is now Rhodes College and was for decades the organist at the keyboards and peddles of the Orpheum Theatre's 1928 Wurlitzer organ. He often gave tours of the historic theatre on South Main Street famed for its ghost ``Mary,'' killed by a trolley outside the theatre in the 1920s. Mr. Astor was also a large influence though a quiet voice in efforts to save the Orpheum and have it refurbished to its present glory hosting Broadway plays and musicals, concerts and other major public events. Gifted with a charismatic nostalgia, he literally wrote the book on Memphis' theatre legacy with Images of America: Memphis Movie Theatres (2013). In 2019, after advocacy by Mr. Astor, the Shelby County Historical Commission unveiled a marker outside Midtown's Evergreen Theatre recognizing the 50th anniversary of public drag pageants held there, and protesting a city ordinance against cross dressing. Mr. Astor will be buried in the historic Elmwood Cemetery under an obelisk he designed identifying him as both Vincent Astor and Lady A. I express my condolences to his many friends, colleagues and collaborators, and to the Mid-South LGBTQ+ community, all mourning their loss.