Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I am proud today to rise in support of H.R. 6157, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2019.

I, too, want to commend Chairwoman Granger, Ranking Member Visclosky, and every member of our subcommittee for their commitment in providing for the common defense. I am honored by the opportunity to work with them to fulfill our duty to our Nation and our warfighters.

Earlier this year, Mr. Chairman, this body and our President made a strong commitment to our military by passing necessary funding increases to meet our growing global threats. I am happy to report this bill continues that momentum by rebuilding readiness and giving our troops the equipment they need to combat near-peer threats.

Most importantly, this bill supports our warfighters through investments in training, recruitment, and retention, while providing them a much-deserved pay raise.

I am particularly pleased that the bill prioritizes funding for the total force. Mr. Chairman, as a 30-year veteran of the National Guard, I know firsthand the important role the National Guard and Reserve forces play in our national defense. They are no longer simply a strategic reserve. They operate side-by-side with members of the Active component every day, and this bill makes sure that they go into the fight with necessary training and equipment.

This is a good bill, Mr. Chairman, and I am proud to see it makes significant investments in Arkansas' defense industry and acknowledges the important role these Arkansas businesses play in supplying our Armed Forces.

With an ally in the White House, we can work with our colleagues in the Senate to provide our defenders what they need and deserve, and that is our unyielding support.

I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make a statement of strength today and to show our enemies that, regardless of our disagreements, we will always support our men and women who willingly go into harm's way to defend America's freedom.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this commonsense request from President Trump to responsibly rein in wasteful government spending.

While the budgetary rescissions tool has not been utilized by the White House for some time, the President's decision to use this approach today should be commended. It importantly sheds light on the need for fiscal responsibility. The amount of this proposed rescission should also help us scale the challenge that is before us.

Today, Mr. Speaker, the Nation's debt is in excess of $21 trillion. And that is not a stagnant figure; it is rapidly growing. It has grown in the short time that I have been at this microphone. This process helps us in Congress confront wasteful spending and draw back unspent funds on the discretionary side of our budget.

However, in order to slow down spending and actually have a chance at paying down any debt, we have to acknowledge what is actually driving the majority of this spending.

For years, Mr. Speaker, spending on mandatory programs has been on autopilot. It grows unchecked every year. Unsurprisingly, mandatory spending, including interest on the national debt, comprises the largest share of Federal spending.

It might surprise a lot of people who listen to this program or read these remarks that, in the pie of Federal spending, mandatory spending accounts for 70 percent of that amount. Without reform, in the next 10 years, it will grow to nearly 80 percent of all Federal spending.

Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker: There is a critical need for mandatory programs and the benefits they provide for vulnerable people. But unless we come up with real solutions, safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare will cease to exist.

So programs like Social Security and Medicare that people rely on now and those that they will rely on in the future will see those benefits quickly dwindle, CBO says, as early as 2026.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this modest effort on the discretionary side, but I caution that a sustainable and prosperous fiscal future is contingent on addressing the mandatory side of spending. The longer Congress takes, the more difficult those decisions will be.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Louisiana for hosting this very important discussion about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As has been mentioned many times in the last several presentations, there is no question that the tax reform plan passed in this Chamber and in the Senate and signed into law by President Trump is working.

Because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the economy is taking a turn for a brighter and much more prosperous future. Americans are getting to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. More jobs are being created, and wages are on the rise.

Since tax reform was signed into law, the good news keeps coming for hardworking Americans. American businesses are more empowered to invest in their workforces, expand their operations, and simply give back to their communities. In fact, more than 500 businesses, and counting, have increased wages, improved employee benefits, or awarded bonuses.

In Arkansas, the impact is very tangible. My friend from the Second District, French Hill, talked about what Entergy Arkansas has been able to do by providing energy customers across our State with $466 million in credits towards the cost of heating and cooling their homes.

Families in my district--Arkansas' Third--are seeing their taxes go down by nearly $2,000 on average, and Third District companies are benefiting Americans nationwide.

My friend from Arkansas, Mr. Crawford, talked about Walmart. Walmart is headquartered in my district. It increased its starting hourly wage to $11 for more than 1.5 million U.S. associates. The company also expanded parental leave benefits, provided a one-time cash bonus for eligible employees of up to $1,000, and is now empowering its employees to obtain a college education. All of this made possible by something as simple as allowing companies, businesses, and individuals to keep a little more of their hard-earned money.

Tyson Foods in my district, America's market leader in protein production, headquartered in Springdale, is also using this bill to invest in its people. Tyson Foods provided a one-time bonus to more than 100,000 team members of between $500 and $1,000.

So you can see, Mr. Speaker, thanks to tax reform, there is, indeed, a greater optimism about the Nation's economic future.

This fact was confirmed by the Congressional Budget Office's annual baseline, which echoed this apparent optimism. As a direct result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, CBO expects that employment will rise, wages and income levels will increase, and potential output will grow. Now, who can be opposed to that?

Even more good news. Unemployment, as has been mentioned, is at an 18-year low, and CBO expects businesses will continue to invest in the economy and, over the next 11 years, create nearly 1 million new jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I was a proud supporter of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and I am proud of the benefits it has brought to the American people. I look forward to witnessing its long-lasting benefits for America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a legend in Arkansas high school basketball.

Charles Berry, one of the State's most successful coaches, is retiring this year after 57 years on the court. He is an Arkansas native, grew up in Huntsville, served in the United States Air Force, and returned home to begin a remarkable career as a teacher and coach, the last 50 years at his alma mater, Huntsville High School, in the gymnasium that now bears his name.

The numbers speak for themselves: 1,367 career wins; 14 conference championships; six regional championships; two State titles, two times as a runner-up. He is a six-time Arkansas All-Star coach, and in 2007 was named the National Coach of the Year in girls basketball. His 2016 induction into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame was automatic.

His legacy as a coach is understood, but he is more than a coach. Charlie is a respected and dedicated mentor, educator, and person. He is simply one of the best.

Thank you, Charlie, for your many years of service to your community, and happy retirement, my friend.

Mr. Chair, today, my colleagues and I will vote on H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018. H.R. 3053 provides practical reforms to ensure that the federal government fulfills its legal obligation to dispose of nuclear waste currently present in 121 communities across 39 states. The federal government is 20 years behind in implementing this disposal program. As a result, current litigation costs have totaled more than $6 billion--mounting to nearly $800 million a year and approximately $34 billion in future liabilities. I am proud to support this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to vote for H.R. 3053.

H.R. 3053 reforms the program's broken financing mechanism. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 established the Nuclear Waste Fund financed through the collection of fee receipts paid by nuclear utilities and ratepayers. However, under current scorekeeping, these receipts are credited as offsetting mandatory receipts rather than discretionary appropriations in the federal budget. Consequently, the program cannot be adequately funded because the collected fees are not credited toward discretionary appropriations for future program expenditures.

Addressing the budgetary classification of these fees prior to the Department of Energy resuming their collection is a top priority. In order for this program to operate as intended, the collection of these fees must be classified as discretionary spending. H.R. 3053 accomplishes this by offsetting future spending for nuclear waste management as discretionary spending and ensuring long-term funding for the program. The circumstances of the Nuclear Waste Fund are unique due to the delay in implementation of the program and the resulting litigation. As a result, both the fee collections and the program's subsequent spending need equivalent budgetary classifications.

The scorekeeping treatment in the bill should not be viewed as a precedent for future legislative activity in other, unrelated programs.

We are 20 years behind fulfilling this program's promise. We owe it to the taxpayer, ratepayer, and nuclear industry to pass H.R. 3053 and uphold our legal and contractual obligations to collect nuclear waste. I support the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018 and urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, section 30104 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, Public Law 115-123, requires the chairs of the House and Senate Budget Committees to submit for printing in the Congressional Record committee allocations, aggregates, and other budgetary levels for fiscal year 2019.

Pursuant to section 30104 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, I hereby submit for printing in the Congressional Record: (1) an allocation for fiscal year 2019 for the House Committee on Appropriations, (2) committee allocations for fiscal year 2019 and for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028 for all committees other than the Committee on Appropriations, and (3) aggregate spending levels for fiscal year 2019 and aggregate revenue levels for fiscal year 2019 and for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2028.

In the case of allocations for committees other than the Committee on Appropriations and for the spending and revenue aggregates, the levels shall be consistent with the Congressional Budget Office's most recent baseline, adjusted to account for any legislation enacted since the date the most recent baseline was issued.

This filing is made for technical purposes as required by section 30104 the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Associated tables are attached. These committee allocations, aggregates, and other budgetary levels are made for the purposes of enforcing titles III and IV of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and other budgetary enforcement provisions.

If there are any questions on these committee allocations, aggregates, and other budgetary levels please contact Brad Watson or Mary Popadiuk of the Budget Committee staff.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and Mrs. Lowey, co- chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform, I include in the Record the rules of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. These rules were adopted during the Joint Committee's organizational meeting on April 17, 2018.

Rule I--In General

1. The provisions of subtitle B of title IV, division C of

the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123) governing

the proceedings of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and

Appropriations Process Reform (hereinafter ``Joint

Committee'') are hereby incorporated by reference and nothing

herein shall be construed as superseding any provision of

that Act.

2. The rules of the House of Representatives--to the extent

that they are applicable to committees and do not conflict

with the rules of the Joint Committee or subtitle B of title

IV, division C of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018--shall

govern the proceedings of the Joint Committee.

3. If a measure or matter is publicly available in

electronic form, it shall be considered to have been

available to members of the Joint Committee for purposes of

these rules.

4. In each case where authority is granted to the Co-Chairs

of the Joint Committee, such authority may only be exercised

jointly by the Co-Chairs.

Rule II--Meetings and Hearings

Meetings

1. (a) The Co-Chairs shall provide an agenda to the Joint

Committee members not less than 48 hours in advance of any

meeting.

(b) The text of any report and proposed legislative

language shall be publicly available in electronic form at

least 24 hours prior to its consideration.

Hearings

3. The Co-Chairs shall make a public announcement of the

date, place, time, and subject matter of any hearing to be

conducted not less than seven days in advance of such

hearing, unless the Co-Chairs determine that there is good

cause to begin such hearing at an earlier date.

Witnesses' Statements

4. (a) A witness appearing before the Joint Committee shall

file a written statement of proposed testimony at least two

calendar days before the appearance of the witness, unless

this requirement is waived by the Co-Chairs, following their

determination that there is good cause for failure to comply

with such requirement.

(b) Any witness appearing in a nongovernmental capacity

shall include with their written statement of testimony a

curriculum vitae and a disclosure of any Federal grants or

contracts, or contracts or payments originating with a

foreign government, received during the current calendar year

or either of the two previous calendar years by the witness

or an entity represented by the witness and related to the

subject matter of the hearing. These statements, with

appropriate redactions to protect the privacy or security of

a witness, shall be made publicly available in electronic

form not later than one day after the witness appears. Such

disclosure shall include:

(i) the amount and source of each Federal grant (or

subgrant thereof) or contract (or subcontract thereof)

related to the subject matter of the hearing; and

(ii) the amount and country of origin for any payment or

contract related to the subject matter of the hearing

originating with a foreign government.

Voting and Quorums

5. (a) Nine members of the Joint Committee shall constitute

a quorum for purposes of voting and meeting.

(b) Five members of the Joint Committee shall constitute a

quorum for holding hearings.

6. A record vote on any motion, amendment, measure, or

matter may be ordered upon the request of any member of the

Joint Committee.

7. The Co-Chairs may jointly agree to set a series of votes

on any amendment or agreeing to a measure or matter, or

postpone a requested record vote on such amendment, measure

or matter, to occur at a time certain. Reasonable notice

shall be given to members prior to resuming proceedings on

any postponed question.

8. No proxy voting shall be allowed on behalf of the

members of the Joint Committee.

Rule III--Questioning Witnesses

1. Questioning of witnesses will be conducted under the

five-minute rule. Each member of the Joint Committee shall be

allocated five minutes to question witnesses during the

initial round and any subsequent round of questioning.

Rule IV--Staffing and Records

Staff

1. The staff of the Joint Committee shall be appointed as

provided in sections 30442(b)(4)(I)(i) and 30442(b)(4)(I)(ii)

of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.

Records

2. The Joint Committee shall maintain a complete record of

all committee action, including--

(a) in the case of a hearing or meeting transcript, a

substantially verbatim account of remarks actually made

during the proceedings, subject only to technical,

grammatical, and typographical corrections authorized by the

person making the remarks involved; and

(b) the result of each record vote taken by the Joint

Committee, including a description of the amendment, motion,

order, or other proposition, the name of each member voting

for and voting against such amendment, motion, order, or

other proposition, and the names of the members of the Joint

Committee present but not voting.

Rule V--Content of Report

1. In the report required under section

30442(b)(2)(B)(i)(I) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018,

the Joint Committee shall include--

(a) with respect to each record vote on a motion to report

the Joint Committee's recommendations or accompanying

legislative language, and on any amendment offered to the

recommendations or language, the total number of votes cast

for and against, and the names of members voting for and

against; and

(b) a document, showing by appropriate typographical

devices the omissions and insertions proposed, the entire

text of each section of a statute that is proposed to be

repealed; and a comparative print of each amendment to the

entire text of a section of a statute that the bill or joint

resolution proposes to make. If the Joint Committee reports a

bill or joint resolution proposing to repeal or amend a

statute or part thereof with a recommendation that the bill

or joint resolution be amended, such comparative print shall

also reflect the changes in existing law proposed to be made

by the bill or joint resolution as proposed to be amended.

Rule VI--Public Access and Transparency

1. (a) Any report or legislative language approved by the

Joint Committee, the result of each record vote taken by the

Joint Committee, and any Committee Print published by the

Joint Committee shall be made available to the public in

electronic form.

(b) Not later than 24 hours after the adoption of any

amendment to the report or legislative language, the Co-

Chairs shall make the text of each such amendment publicly

available in electronic form.

(c) Not later than 48 hours after a record vote is

completed, the information described in clause 2(b) of rule

IV shall be made publicly available in electronic form.

2. To the maximum extent practicable, the Joint Committee

shall--

(a) provide audio and video coverage of each hearing or

meeting for the transaction of business in a manner that

allows the public to easily listen to and view the

proceedings; and

(b) maintain the recordings of such coverage in a manner

that is easily accessible to the public.

Mr. Speaker, over the Thanksgiving holiday week, the State of Arkansas and our Nation lost a devoted public servant with the passing of State Senator Greg Standridge of Russellville, Arkansas.

He was a 1985 graduate of Russellville High School. He was a Cyclone through and through.

Greg was coowner of CSI Insurance Agency in his hometown, was a longtime active member of First Baptist Church, and a member of the Russellville Football Booster Club. He found time to serve on boards for Workforce Investment, Pope County 911, Teen Challenge Women's Ministry, and the Pope County Fair. He was active with the Pope County Emergency Services Rescue Unit and was a volunteer firefighter.

Greg was elected to the Arkansas State Senate in a special election in 2015 and selflessly dedicated himself to improving Arkansas while fighting his long battle with cancer.

Mr. Speaker, as former President George H.W. Bush said many years ago, any evaluation of having lived a successful life must include a measure of service to others. Senator Standridge may have died young at the age of 50, but his life was truly well lived.

I join his wife of 26 years, Karen Standridge; their children, Hunter, Lakin, Cameron, and Breonna; his mother, Jewel Simcox; his late father, Marvin Standridge; his sister and my classmate, Jeania Evans; and other extended family members in celebrating Greg's life.

Mr. Speaker, we will always remember his infectious smile that could fill every room.

Mr. Chair, I thank the distinguished chairwoman of the Budget Committee for her outstanding work.

My friend from Tennessee talks about driving forward. I think we need to pump the brakes. You are driving right off a cliff with this budget.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition. It is my strong belief that our Nation has a debt crisis on its hand, and I am astonished by how many people on the other side of the aisle, Mr. Chairman, just refuse to acknowledge the problem. It is as if the problem doesn't exist.

Under their plan, taxes are going to be raised nearly $3 trillion. We are going to continue to raise spending to the tune of over $6 trillion. We will have a meager $2.6 billion in deficit reduction, by the way, compared to our budget that does well over $6 trillion in deficit reduction.

Our Nation is $20 trillion in debt, and it is a complete absurdity to think that we could begin to relinquish this process if we enacted such a burdensome budgetary proposal that is being offered by our friends on the other side of the aisle.

This budget would also diminish our national security apparatus. It would end the global war on terrorism fund by 2019. Let's go ahead and telegraph that we are going to end the global war on terrorism fund by 2019. The only people who I know who would support that would be our adversaries.

It seeks to promote the collapsing Affordable Care Act by keeping those burdensome mandates in place. This resolution before us right now refuses to do anything about the runaway entitlement programs that are the primary drivers of the deficit and debt in the country.

Mr. Chairman, their budget just will never balance. Never.

It will give no reconciliation instruction so that we can finally get control and protect for long-term sustainability the social safety net program that many depend on.

The bottom line is, you either acknowledge we have a deficit and a debt crisis, or you do not. And if you believe as I do, you will refuse this budget, and you will support ours.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished chair of the Budget Committee for a job well done.

Mr. Chairman, I came to the floor today to weigh in on this budget debate.

I find it incredible that my friends on the other side of the aisle seem to be in a state of denial on the fact that this country, the greatest on the planet, is $20 trillion in debt.

These are the same people in opposition, Mr. Chairman, who will present a budget tomorrow that will add nearly $3 trillion in more taxes and more than $6 trillion in more spending. This debt is going to land squarely on the shoulders of our children, our grandchildren, and--let me just say it for the record--is so large that it is going to land on our grandchildren's grandchildren.

When does this insanity stop?

There is not an easy way out of the mess. This budget puts us on a path to fiscal sanity. It targets Federal spending that is outside the purview of the Appropriations Committee.

The budget ensures a strong national defense. It puts us on a path to fiscal sustainability, and it gives us the opportunity to do deficit reduction. The budget has progrowth policies that move us in a more sustainable direction.

I understand the opposition coming from the other side. Their answer, Mr. Chairman, as always, is: let's tax more and let's spend more. That is not a responsible course. It won't lead to a good outcome for this country.

Mr. Chairman, let me finally say that it is time we had a national conversation about the math problem facing this country. This budget starts that conversation. I encourage all my colleagues to support it, recognize where we are as a country, and resolve to do something about it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Brian C. Cooper, who is retiring from the Office of the Parliamentarian after 35 I years on Capitol Hill.

Brian is the son of Deloris and Ellsworth Cooper, and the youngest of seven children. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and has lived in the city (in the same house he grew up in) for his entire life. Brian is a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School, whose notable alumni include the Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Brian received a scholarship to the Community College of Baltimore (now Baltimore City Community College), where he received his degree in commercial and graphic arts.

Brian's first job on Capitol Hill came in September of 1982, when he was hired in the stock room of the Longworth Building, working in Publication and Distribution Services. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Brian held a variety of positions on Capitol Hill, including work at the House Post Office and , Document Room, before moving up to become staff assistant for the Small Business Committee and later the Government Operations Committee. In these roles, Brian learned the intricacies of the legislative process and the inner workings of House operations--skills that would serve him well when, in 1995, he was hired as an Assistant Clerk to the Parliamentarian.

Brian would spend the next 22 years in the House Parliamentarian's Office, and became Chief Clerk to the Parliamentarian in 2009. For over two decades, Brian has been a fixture at the House rostrum, dutifully assisting the presiding officer in timekeeping, recognizing Members on the floor, and preparing and reviewing reams of legislative paperwork for the House. Brian has also prepared the House for joint meetings to receive foreign dignitaries and other guests, and joint sessions of the House, including state of the Union addresses. As clerk, Brian also supervised House ``documentarian'' pages, and created the first computer network for the Parliamentarian.

An accomplished artist, Brian remains active in his artistic endeavors, which run the gamut from pencil drawings, watercolors, and oils, to photography, and architectural design. His retirement will offer new opportunities to continue these pursuits. His other retirement plans include travel and spending more time with family-- including his numerous nieces and nephews. A devoted Baltimore sports fan, Brian will surely find his way to Camden Yards many times in the upcoming years to cheer on his beloved Orioles.

A consummate professional, Brian has spent his career on Capitol Hill committed to assisting with an orderly and accurate legislative process, observed in a fair and nonpartisan manner. Brian is a quintessential institutionalist, always striving to continue the traditions and customs of the House, and' to pass on his institutional knowledge to others. The House of Representatives has known few individuals more dedicated to its proper functioning and legacy than Brian Cooper.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Brian C. Cooper, who is retiring from the Office of the Parliamentarian after 35 years on Capitol Hill.

Brian is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School and the Community College of Baltimore County, where he received his degree in commercial and graphic arts.

Brian began his Capitol Hill career in September of 1992, when he was hired in the stockroom of the Longworth Building, working in publication and distribution services.

Throughout the eighties and early nineties, Brian held a variety of positions on Capitol Hill, including roles on the Small Business Committee and the Government Operations Subcommittee. Through this experience, Brian learned the intricacies of the legislative process and the inner-workings of House operations, skills that would serve him well when, in 1995, he was hired as an Assistant Clerk to the Parliamentarian.

Brian would spend the next 22 years in the House Parliamentarian's Office and became Chief Clerk to the Parliamentarian in 2009. For over two decades, Brian has been a fixture at the House rostrum, dutifully assisting the presiding officer in timekeeping, recognizing Members on the floor, and preparing and reviewing reams of legislative paperwork for the House.

Brian has prepared the House Chambers for both visiting dignitaries and State of the Union addresses alike, and everything in between. If that wasn't enough, Brian also created the first computer network for the Parliamentarian.

An accomplished artist, Brian remains active in artistic endeavors, which run the gamut from pencil drawings, watercolors, and oils, to photography and architectural design. His retirement will offer new opportunities to continue these pursuits. A devoted Orioles fan, it is my hope that Brian will spend some of his well-earned free time at Camden Yards.

A consummate professional, Brian has spent his career on Capitol Hill committed to assisting with an orderly and accurate legislative process, observed in a fair and nonpartisan manner. He is a quintessential legislative resource for this entire body, and I am certain the House of Representatives has known few individuals more dedicated to its proper functioning and legacy than Brian Cooper.

On behalf of everyone affiliated with this, the people's House, including my colleagues gathered in front of me here as I speak, Brian, we are happy to celebrate this important milestone in your life, and we thank you for your dedicated service to the House and to America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of drug courts and veterans treatment courts in America.

No one disputes the issues of rampant drug use and abuse in our Nation and the tremendous hardship it is placing on families, on businesses, and our criminal justice system. Recently, I met a remarkable young man from Arkansas who epitomizes the critical need to expand these lifesaving programs.

Blayne was facing 20 years in prison because of a 10-year addiction to opioid prescription drugs that spiraled out of control while experimenting in college. Today he is a father to three beautiful children, owns his own home, and is giving back to his community--all because a drug court in Arkansas saved him.

This month is National Drug Court Month. Drug courts represent one of our Nation's most successful strategies for intervention.

I support drug courts and veterans treatment courts. I am counting on my colleagues to ensure they are properly supported and funded. The return on investment is incalculable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a small business in my district that is celebrating its 90th anniversary this week.

Matkins Flowers and Greenhouse in Bentonville, Arkansas, has served the northwest Arkansas region since 1927, when Henry Lenny Matkins, Sr., founded the company. Throughout the last nine decades, this Arkansas small business has persevered in good times and bad, and it serves as an example of how you make a small business sustainable with integrity, accountability, and hard work.

Working through the Great Depression, World War II, and the modern era, the Matkins family has continuously exhibited the importance of the family-owned small business to the American economy. Now in its fourth generation of leadership with Jim and his son Jeff, it is worth celebrating this important milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent this outstanding family and offer my thanks and admiration for the success of Matkins Flowers and Greenhouse.