Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

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 today to recognize Mars, Incorporated, and Mars Petcare's Fort Smith, Arkansas, facility which was recently honored with the Two Million Man Hour Safety Award from the Arkansas Department of Labor.

As a family-owned business since its founding in 1911, Mars has been a leading example of corporate responsibility practices that benefit their dedicated employees and the communities in which they operate.

Since Mars first opened the doors of its Petcare facility in Fort Smith in 2007, they have provided stable employment to over 200 Mars associates who are responsible for making food for our pets under the brand names Cesar, Nutro, and Sheba.

Impressively, Mars' Fort Smith facility has accumulated 2 million work hours over 5 years without a lost day away from work due to a work-related injury or illness, a direct testament to the great workforce in Fort Smith and the leadership of the Mars organization.

In addition to their excellent safety record, Mars has had a significant impact on my district's local economy. Recently, Mars Petcare announced plans to expand the Fort Smith facility, which is expected to generate an additional 130 new jobs over the next several years.

On behalf of everyone in northwest Arkansas, I am happy to celebrate this important milestone with Mars' Fort Smith facility, and I thank Mars for its continued dedication to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I consider it one of the great honors in Congress to serve on the Defense Appropriations Committee with some real champions for national security: guys like Rodney Frelinghuysen, the overall chairman; Chairwoman Kay Granger from the Defense Subcommittee; my friend Pete Visclosky, the ranking member. These are all people that have a heart and a soul for what we are trying to do here today, and that is to provide for the common defense. It is our constitutional duty. And guys like Mac Thornberry, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. A lot of champions here that believe in a strong national defense.

Mr. Speaker, not only does this bill rebuild readiness by giving our troops the equipment they need, but it also reverses Obama-era cuts to the developing defense platforms, stops troop drawdowns, and perhaps most importantly, gives our warfighters a much-deserved pay raise.

As a 30-year veteran of the Arkansas Army National Guard, I am particularly pleased that this bill provides the funding necessary to ensure the National Guard remains a fully operational force.

It is a good bill, Mr. Speaker, and with a willing partner in the White House and a pledge to rebuild our military, it marks the first step, an important first step our Congress has to take to complete our business from last year; and it gives our defenders what they need and deserve, and that is certainty.

Threats are growing. America must project strength. That starts with creating a military so strong that we never send our men and women downrange in a fair fight.

I call on my colleagues to stand strong against our enemies. Take this first step today in projecting power with our financial commitment.

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

I thank the distinguished chair of the Budget Committee for giving me some time to talk today. She is a distinguished person, a colleague, a classmate, and somebody I have the utmost respect for.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the House budget resolution and to recognize the very important first step we are taking in our country today regarding ObamaCare. By adopting this budget resolution, we will set into motion the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Last week, on this very floor, the minority leader, Ms. Pelosi, stood here and called ObamaCare a magnificent success. Yet, since being sworn into office in 2011, I have heard just the opposite from my constituents. Every single day, I have heard that ObamaCare is raising the cost of health care, is creating uncertainty in Arkansas, is hurting Americans, and that we need to replace it with real reforms that focus on the patient, not the government.

This law is not just bad for patients and healthcare consumers. ObamaCare's onerous mandates and endless regulations are hitting industry across the board. It stifles business; it squelches private sector job growth; it hurts our economy. Let me give you an example.

Mr. Chairman, Superior Linen Service, in my district, employs over 100 people. Prior to the enactment of ObamaCare, Superior Linen Service recognized the importance of having a healthy workforce and was already providing quality health insurance to its employees, and it was able to manage its payroll insurance benefits in-house for the entire 60 years of its existence. After the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Superior Linen Service could no longer manage the sheer amount of paperwork it took to prove that it was, in fact, complying with the law.

Let me be clear. Thanks to ObamaCare, the company provided no new benefits, but had to outsource its payroll and management at a cost of $100,000 a year. This is just one of many examples. This is an important day. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay respects to an admired, respected, and visionary educator, and a genuinely terrific person, Dr. Billy Bert Baker, of Gilbert, Arkansas, who passed away on Friday, January 6, at the age of 84.

My relationship with Dr. Baker goes back decades. He was a family friend. After spending 17 years as a faculty member and administrator at my alma mater, Arkansas Tech, in 1974, he became the first employee of North Arkansas College in Harrison, served the college for more than 27 years, was its founding president, and retired at the age of 68.

Under his leadership, Northark achieved several firsts, one of the most noteworthy being the 1993 merger of Northark and Twin Lakes Technical College, the first consolidation of a community college and a technical college in Arkansas. Billy Bert was also instrumental in the creation of both Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville and the ASU--Mountain Home campus.

Dr. Baker's own unofficial motto was to ``help people grow, one at a time.'' That is exactly what he spent his life doing. He touched the lives of thousands--made them better men and women--and his legacy continues to enrich the lives of people throughout northern and northwest Arkansas through the institutions of higher learning that he envisioned decades ago.

Rest in peace, Dr. Baker. My deepest condolences are with Bonnie, your wife of 63 years; your two sons, daughter, grandchildren; and the entire Northark family in this time of great loss.

Amendment XX, section 1:

``The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.''

Section 2:

``The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.''

Section 3:

``If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of a terrific leader and public servant in northwest Arkansas, Rogers Police Chief James Allen, who passed away last Thursday after a long battle with cancer.

Chief Allen began his law enforcement career in 1977 as a patrolman and EMT for the Jacksonville, Arkansas, Police Department, and then served with the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Enforcement Division and the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office before moving to Bentonville in 1989, where he enjoyed 22 years of faithful and dedicated service as that city's chief.

In 2011, Chief Allen left Bentonville to serve my hometown of Rogers, where his leadership and professionalism were admired by all. He leaves behind a law enforcement community shaped impeccably by a firm but fair leadership standard.

Our two communities, Mr. Speaker, mourn with his family and friends, and it is with a heavy heart that we say good-bye to this respected law enforcement professional.

Rest in peace, Chief Allen. Our State and Nation are forever grateful for your service.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for bringing this collection of bills to the House floor.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Representatives Himes, Delaney, and Wagner for working with me on one of the underlying bills, the bipartisan H.R. 801, in the last Congress.

Mr. Speaker, in this new Congress, adding jobs to our economy is a top priority. And passing the Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act is an opportunity for us to create a better environment for private sector growth and job creation.

Title III, also known as H.R. 801, is no exception, and I am proud to rise in support of its passage.

A year ago this month, I came to this floor to speak on the underlying bill which passed overwhelmingly in this Chamber 417-4. While it is unfortunate the bill was never considered by the Senate, it is clear today that in the 114th Congress, its prospects are better.

Small financial institutions are essential to the communities they serve. They have a deep and abiding love for the towns they serve because these towns are their towns, and our constituents--small business owners, farmers, hardworking Americans--rely on these institutions to meet payroll, to purchase equipment, or to buy a car or home.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, these financial institutions have come under fire from Washington because of its regulatory overreach, forcing them to spend increasing shares of their resources to comply with onerous regulations--requirements intended for larger banks--instead of having the flexibility they need to serve their communities.

Let's be clear: small community banks and savings and loan holding companies were not the cause of the financial crisis, and I don't believe they should be treated as though they were the cause. I am not alone. In the 112th Congress, the House and Senate acted to eliminate some of these unnecessary burdens by passing the JOBS Act.

Among other things, the bill raised the registration threshold for bank holding companies from 500 to 2,000 shareholders and increased the deregistration threshold from 300 to 1,200 shareholders, better positioning these banks to increase small business lending and, in turn, promote economic growth in our communities; but due to an oversight in the JOBS Act, it did not explicitly extend these new thresholds to savings and loan holding companies as well.

As a cosponsor of the JOBS Act, I can say with absolute certainty that wasn't our intent, and I subsequently supported report language in the approps bill of Financial Services to clarify and ensure that savings and loan holding companies should be treated in the same manner as bank and bank holding companies. Additionally, Representative Himes and I have written to the FCC and asked that they use their authority to carry out our original intent.

In spite of these actions and the House passage of H.R. 801 last Congress, we are still without successful resolution to the problem. Today's vote can change that, Mr. Speaker, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill and the overall legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the retirement of Marion Ramsey of Rogers, Arkansas, and the closing of her business, Marion's Donuts, that became part of my daily routine 35 years ago.

The ``doughnut shop,'' as I affectionately called it, was my favorite place to catch up on the latest city news--oftentimes, just plain ole gossip--and hear about the aches and pains and the latest trials and tribulations of those who frequented the establishment over time.

I have taken my boys there since birth, and it was nostalgic for all three of them to join me last Sunday, her last day of business, for old times' sake.

The Bible tells us there is a season for everything. I am sad that the ``season'' has come and gone for Marion's Donuts because, while I will find another place for my morning coffee, I am not sure how I will fill the void on the friendships forged down through the years.

Enjoy your retirement, Marion. Your customers are grateful for our time together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer special birthday wishes to someone very important to me, my father, Kermit Womack.

Dad turns 80 years old tomorrow, and it is a special honor to recognize him for his many outstanding accomplishments.

He is a 35-year veteran of the National Guard in Missouri and Arkansas. As an accomplished broadcaster, owning and operating five broadcast stations in Arkansas, his ``old school'' philosophy of community-involvement radio is legendary. He is also a dedicated cattleman.

Mr. Speaker, Dad is also a great family man. He raised seven children and taught them the important and valuable lessons of life, and he should know because, as a child in humble circumstances, Dad won a three-State FFA public speaking contest and a scholarship to pay his way through college.

Dad, on the eve of your 80th birthday, I want America to know the importance you have meant to your family, the communities you serve, the Nation, and this grateful Congressman. Happy birthday.

Mr. Speaker, since the U.S. Marshals Service was founded on September 24 of 1789, U.S. marshals have served this country with dedication and distinction, upholding its creed of ``Justice, Integrity, Service.'' I rise today to commemorate the service's 225th anniversary.

The U.S. Marshals Service will celebrate its birthday next week in my district by breaking ground on the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The museum will be funded in part by the sale of coins commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Marshals Service.

The museum's 20,000 square feet will highlight pivotal moments in our oldest Federal law enforcement agency's history and pay proper tribute to the heroism the marshals have shown over the past 225 years.

I speak for all of my constituents in the Third District of Arkansas and my fellow Arkansans when I say we are humbled to have the U.S. Marshals Museum make Fort Smith its home and honored to play a prominent role in the next 225 years of the U.S. marshals history.

Happy birthday, U.S. marshals.

My thanks to my friend from Texas for giving me the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Chairman McKeon's amendment, though I have grave concerns about the President's current plan to train and equip Syrian opposition forces in the fight against

Mr. Chairman, thanks to my chairman of this very important subcommittee for giving me the opportunity to speak on behalf and even a friendly gesture to my friend from New York down there, who reminds me, from time to time, about the Yankee dominance in baseball. It is great to have his association on this committee.

Mr. Chairman, our subcommittee is aware of our Nation's fiscal situation, and we closely evaluated the budget requests for the diverse group of agencies funded in this bill. We held numerous hearings. We listened to the agencies about their priorities and needs. We challenged them with tough questions that reflect the realities of the choices we, as appropriators, have to make on a daily basis.

Using this information, Mr. Chairman, the subcommittee produced a bill that provides a little over $21 billion in total funding and sees to it that every agency funded under the bill can carry out its core functions.

Take, for example, our Federal courts which, because of this bill, will have the resources they need to ensure that our courtrooms are safe and justice is served; or the Small Business Administration, which will be able to make entrepreneurs' dreams become a reality, leading to new business, more jobs, thriving communities, and a 21st century economy with the funds that the agency receives through this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, as Members of Congress, and especially as appropriators, we have an obligation to carefully steward each and every taxpayer dollar, and in this bill, transparency and accountability rule the day.

In this bill, the CFPB, an agency that has operated in the shadows with unfettered power and no accountability, is brought under the appropriations process. Agencies, Mr. Chairman, that have violated the public's trust and misused taxpayer dollars, such as the GSA and the IRS, they are held accountable. As an example, the IRS budget is returned to below fiscal 2008 levels, ensuring the agency does not have extra funding to target Americans

based on their political beliefs without hampering the IRS' ability to enforce our Nation's tax laws.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, I commend the gentleman from Florida, Chairman Crenshaw, and the subcommittee staff for producing a bill that is worthy of this Chamber's support. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.