Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Ron Tilley for his seventy plus years of ministry and service to East Tennessee. I've seen some pretty impressive resumes in my time, but none may be as impressive as Brother Ron's.

Sharing my love for cars, Ron owned Tilley Lane Chrysler Dodge Dealership in Lenoir City where his business became a pillar of the community. In addition to owning a beloved local business, he is also a legend in sports as he was inducted into the Lenoir City Sports Hall of Fame. He was also an original member of the Kingsman Quartet.

If you ask Ron, all of this pales in comparison to his walk with Christ. In 1947, Ron was saved at the Broadway Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. He then went on to live a Christ-centered life serving as the music director for a number of churches and Christian organizations throughout East Tennessee. Since August of 2014, Ron has served as the Minister of Music at Calvary Baptist Church, where he is now retiring after seven decades of service.

I thank Ron for being a role model, friend to all, and most importantly a good steward of Christ. While he may be retiring, I have no doubt that he will continue his service to his community.

Please join me in congratulating Ron Tilley on his outstanding career and life as he begins a new chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the remarkable heroism of the 1st Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps and their actions during the Battle of Okinawa. One of those heroes was my father, who was a corporal, who is pictured here beside me.

April 1st marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the brutal Battle of Okinawa which began on Easter Sunday in the Pacific. The battle was the final and critical push to free Asia from the grip of evil.

The 1st Marine Division was tasked with clearing the northern half of Okinawa, accomplishing this mission swiftly. When reassigned to take the other half of the island, they faced fierce resistance from the Japanese, fighting in key locations like Sugarloaf Hill and Shuri Castle. At the base of Shuri Castle right there is where my dad is pictured.

While my father was fortunate enough to survive and return home to a grateful nation, his division endured unimaginable losses with 1,655 men killed in action. Their sacrifice is a solemn reminder of the bravery, sacrifice, and unbreakable spirit not only of the Marine Corps but of the Greatest Generation. We just don't know the sacrifices they made, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize my friend, the legendary musician, American, and east Tennessean, Kenny Chesney. Today is his birthday, Mr. Speaker, and I can't think of a more fitting birthday present for Kenny than the announcement that he will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

He was born in Knoxville. Kenny is a graduate of Gibbs High School, which is not a mile from my house, where he had a storied career in baseball and football. He went on to graduate from East Tennessee State University, Mr. Speaker.

Kenny has cemented himself in American history with his timeless hits. While I know the accolades mean very little to a man of his character, I am going to name a few of them anyway.

Kenny has won four Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year awards. He has had 33 number one hits and has been nominated for multiple Grammys.

I wish Kenny a happy birthday. I congratulate him on his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. I thank him for making east Tennessee proud.

I will always remember the first time he won Country Music Entertainer of the Year. He took his momma up on stage. I thought that was pretty cool. His dad, Dave, was a teacher at Bearden Junior High School where I attended. His whole family has just been wonderful to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring much-needed attention to an extraordinary ballplayer and young man and a Vol hopeful. His name is Alberto Osuna.

He was born in America, and he is affectionately known as Berto. He transferred to the University of Tennessee in January after an impressive career at North Carolina and Walters State Community College where he knocked out 45 home runs and knocked in 140 runs over three seasons.

Despite following all the necessary steps to secure eligibility to play for the University of Tennessee, the NCAA in their infinite wisdom has blocked his opportunity. Students at UT have painted the rock to my left here to show their support for Berto in hopes that he might play his final season with the Vols at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

He wanted to do something for his family. This is what this is all about. In over a minute I don't have time to explain it all, but this situation just isn't about Berto. It is about ensuring that student athletes are on a level playing field, Mr. Speaker, against the bureaucratic machine and nightmare that the NCAA has become and seemingly continues to let down the student-athletes they claim to serve. They just follow the dollars, Mr. Speaker.

I would urge the NCAA to take some serious action and grant Alberto the immediate eligibility he deserves and take the necessary steps to prioritize the well-being of their student-athletes, ensuring that opportunities for success are not blocked by unnecessary red tape.

Osuna left his whole life in Tampa to come to Knoxville and play for Coach Tony Vitello and the Vols. The NCAA needs to do the right thing. Free Berto. Give him the time he deserves on the field. The balls are stacked again this year, Mr. Speaker. They are coming off a national championship. They are winning again. It is not imperative that he gets on the team for them to win. It is just the right thing. NCAA should do the right dadgum thing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor 21 Christian men who were murdered for their faith.

In 2015, ISIS dragged them onto a Libyan beach, forced them to kneel, and beheaded them on video. In that horrific moment, they did not show fear. They showed faith.

Mr. Speaker, 20 of these men were Coptic Christians from Egypt just trying to earn a living for their families. The 21st man, Matthew, who was from Ghana, wasn't even Coptic by birth. ISIS gave him a choice to walk away or die. He chose to stand with his brothers, knowing exactly what it would cost him. He knew it was better to die free than to live under tyranny.

That is faith, Mr. Speaker. That is true freedom. For 45 days, ISIS beat, starved, and tortured these men. They were offered food and money if they would just deny Christ, but they never did. Instead, as the terrorists raised their blades, their last word was the name of Jesus.

I remember my father had a Bible verse on his mirror that said if you deny me before man, I will deny you before the gates of Heaven. They did not deny their faith.

This month marks 10 years since their deaths. ISIS thought they were making a statement of fear. Instead, they showed the world what unshakeable faith looks like.

The Coptic and Catholic churches have honored these men as martyrs, as they should. Just as these men refused to abandon their faith, their faith has never abandoned them. One of the martyrs' widows said: Their blood mixed together, and as a result, we the widows are united.

These men weren't just believers. They were immovable. Their story should remind every American what real religious freedom means. May we never forget them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the incredible life of Mrs. Ann Rector Weigel, who passed away peacefully on December 17 at the age of 81.

She was born in Knoxville in 1943. She lived her life as a pillar of her church and her community where she met her loving husband, Billy, with whom she shared 56 wonderful years of marriage.

As a lifelong resident, Ann touched countless lives through her teaching career and her years of service as a member of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority at University of Tennessee, Nine O'clock Cotillion, Junior League, and Sequoyah Presbyterian Church.

Ann's love for her family knew no bounds. She cherished every moment, from attending field trips to celebrating milestones, and she found joy in the small things in life, like preparing her famous Sunday brunch every weekend.

She will forever be remembered for the light and love she brought into the lives of those who knew her. She is survived by her husband, a dear friend of my mine and my family's; their children; and grandchildren. She will be missed greatly by the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Master Sergeant Linda Faye Julian. Sergeant Julian enlisted in the Tennessee Air National Guard in 1975 and attended dental specialist school at Kessler Air Force Base.

She deployed in support of many operations and exercises with the 134th Air Refueling Wing. Sergeant Julian served her country with distinction during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

In 1987, she was selected as the Air National Guard Outstanding Medical Corps Airman of the Year. She was a great mentor to many young airmen who went on to have very distinguished careers in the medical clinic and the Air Guard, and she retired in 2002 after her distinguished career of 27 years.

She didn't stop giving when she retired. Sergeant Julian continued to serve her community through the Junior Service League in Blount County. She is passionately involved in charitable causes, including Toys for Tots and Meals on Wheels programs.

She touched countless lives with her kindness. She was proud of her three children and three grandchildren and was always happy to be surrounded by her loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Julian loved her country and her community. It is my honor to recognize Master Sergeant Linda Faye Julian as Tennessee's Second District January 2025 Veteran of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate and recognize the incredible return of my good friend, Mr. Mike Keith, as the next ``Voice of the Vols,'' to the University of Tennessee's Vol Network.

Born in Knoxville and raised in Franklin, Mike started his career as WUTK's sports director in 1986 where he provided dynamic play-by-plays and captivating sports analysis.

Months after his initial appointment, he was hired by the legendary John Ward. Mike soon became the ``Voice of the Baseball Vols'' from 1992 to 1998.

It is not in my notes, but I will note that I did throw out the first pitch one time, and they said it was incredibly accurate and incredibly fast.

Mike's career did not stop there nor did his hard work. In 1999, Mike took over the play-by-play duties for the Tennessee Titans, with his career as an NFL broadcaster spanning a quarter century.

Mike's accolades speak for themselves. He is a member of five halls of fame, including the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, TSSAA Hall of Fame, BGA Hall of Fame, Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame, the University of Tennessee Baseball Athletics Hall of Fame, and being named Tennessee's Sportscaster of the Year 12 times.

Mike has now returned to Rocky Top as the lead play-by-play announcer for UT football and men's basketball games. He is a pioneer of radio broadcasting and represents his alma mater well.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mike on his return.

Go Big Orange.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), my very good friend from Memphis, Tennessee, the home of Al Green.

We had a lot of good times in the State senate. We brought some famous people to the floor, such as our dear friend Steve Cropper, who is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Some of his guitars are in the Smithsonian. There were many others, Isaac Hayes.

Steve and I actually sang the theme from ``Shaft'' on the senate floor. I am sure somebody will dig for that, and hopefully, that has been erased from history.

We brought Isaac Hayes. I almost forgot about Isaac. We had a great relationship with those folks.

People often ask me why I am friends with Congressman Cohen. He is probably my oldest friend up here, truth be known. He is correct that we did sponsor a bill to raise the speed limit. I think I asked for 85, knowing we would take 70, in the house.

In the week prior to that, I had actually brought Peyton Manning to the house floor, and I think I could have probably passed communism and gotten 100 miles an hour if I wanted to that week because that was the most popular I had ever been in the legislature.

Truth be known, the reason I am such good friends with Steve Cohen is I lost my daddy years ago, and my dad was my hero. He really was. He and my mama were exceptional people.

Steve was the first person to call my mama and offer his condolences. I always remembered we were at the graveyard working and trying to get the site at the veterans cemetery, and I remember mama said: Oh, Steve, you shouldn't have called. This is costing you money.

I will never forget that. That was my sweet mama. She loved Steve. She prayed for Steve. I don't know if it did any good, Mr. Speaker. I know it doesn't have anything to do about the bill, but I just think America needs to know about these things.

Mr. Speaker, yes, he is.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the TVA Salary Transparency Act.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is an American public power company providing electricity to over 10 million people in Tennessee and six surrounding States. TVA employs over 10,000 people, some of whom make millions of dollars per year. That is millions, Mr. Speaker, and this is in Tennessee.

Tennesseans deserve to know how TVA operates and compensates their executives, especially when TVA covers a region that is 65,000 square miles and the compensation is to the tune of millions of dollars.

There is no such thing as too much transparency, and I hope our friends in the media cover this. The TVA Salary Transparency Act requires TVA to report to Congress on the salaries of employees making more than $123,000 annually or the highest pay rate available for Federal employees. Specifically, TVA must report on those employees' names, salaries, and job responsibilities.

I have continuously advocated for greater transparency from TVA in other areas as a State legislator, as mayor, and now as a Congressman. Passing this bill is a step in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Representative Cohen for his work on this bill, and I ask my colleagues to support this bill. It will provide transparency to the millions of folks who rely on the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and Mr. Roy for bringing this important piece of legislation to us.

Let's be clear. H.R. 23 is very clear: The International Criminal Court, the ICC, don't believe Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorists or those that threaten to destroy Israel's way of life.

The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC for good reason and without accident. Mr. Speaker, it is a dadgum sham court is what it is. These decisions by the ICC are reckless, and they not only put Israel at risk, they put Americans at risk as well.

The United States, with our new Congress and new administration, is not going to put up with these international organizations putting us and our allies in harm's way. Hamas chose war, and dadgummit, Hamas got war.

The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, has made a parody of justice, and he needs to find his place or we will help him find it. I know when I get back to the office, I am going to get texts or contacts from people saying that my AIPAC handler told me to do this, and I will probably get my AIPAC handler in trouble, but I don't even know who the heck he or she is.

The truth is, this is right. America should be on the side of the right. Anyone standing in the way of this important piece of legislation, I think, owes the American public an explanation and owes especially your Jewish constituency an explanation.

I fully support H.R. 23, and I look forward to passing it here shortly.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of a very dear friend of mine, Lillian Bean. She passed away at the age of 81.

She was the former Knox County Circut, General Sessions, and Juvenile Court Clerk, an office she held for 18 years. She served with great integrity and pride and was truly a public servant as she was one of the people.

Lillian was a great leader in the Republican Party in Knox County, so much so she earned the nickname--and she really did earn this name--the ``bean machine.'' Lillian also had a bean soup recipe that she would can and give out to folks she cared about. My family and I were the recipients of that bean soup many times.

She served as president of Knoxville Women's Club and was given the honor of woman of the year three times by the Knoxville Women's Club for her volunteer spirit. If someone's name was in the paper, Lillian would clip it out and send it to that person just to let them know that she had read about them. I was fortunate enough to receive that many times

She always had little ways to show people she cared, and they felt it. Lillian was a proud Baptist, and I have no doubt that the Lord welcomed her with open arms and a smile on His face. She will truly be missed. I think the first thing she heard was, well done, thy good and faithful servant, when she closed her eyes for the last time.

Lillian and her husband, Richard, have been good friends of mine. As a matter a fact, at their daughter's wedding was the last time I ever saw my parents healthy. That was a wonderful time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor 11 brave airmen who were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their part in Operation True Promise on April 13, 2024: Lieutenant Colonel Willis Parker, Major Cody Gaby, Major Lance Welch, Major Stacy Sells, Captain Joshua Johnson, Captain James Spearman, Captain Andrew Weber, Technical Sergeant Gage Seymour, Technical Sergeant Joshua Osborne, Technical Sergeant Hunter Ricks, and Senior Airman Jonah Parham.

On April 13, 2024, Iran launched a salvo of missiles and drones at Israel. Iran's assault marked the first time the country directly struck Israel from within Iranian territory and was the single largest drone attack carried out by any country.

Crew members of the 134th Air Refueling Wing courageously took off during this attack and offloaded tens of thousands of pounds of fuel to ensure the fighters remained airborne for the defense and protection of Israel. Due to the efforts of those 11 brave members, 99 percent of the drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted.

It is my honor to recognize these airmen as Tennessee's Second District's December 2024 Veterans of the Month.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate a very fine young man from Tennessee's Second District, young

Jack Felton. Jack is a proud member of the fall 2024 pledge class of the Sigma Chi fraternity at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he was recently initiated.

Jack graduated from the Webb School of Knoxville, where he served as captain of the baseball team and played shortstop. He thinks quickly, he has got steady hands, and he works very hard.

Jack is majoring in agribusiness. I know he will find success wherever his life takes him. I know his parents, and they have raised him well.

Jack has four sisters; three are here, and one sweet little girl is in heaven.

Jack has been a lifelong Vols fan, and he is fourth in the family to attend UT. He truly bleeds orange, Mr. Speaker.

I have no doubt Jack will continue to make his family proud by attending every single class, as his father did, and not staying out late when he should be in the library.

Mr. Speaker, as a reminder, one of our other fraternity brothers, Scott Davis, owned a bar on the Cumberland Avenue Strip, and its name was The Library.

I look forward to seeing all the great things he will accomplish, and I expect to see his pledge class at the top of the GPA leaderboard this semester.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Jack on his initiation. Go Vols. ``In hoc signo vinces.'' ``In this sign you will conquer.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9360) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 300 Macedonia Lane in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the ``Reverend Harold Middlebrook Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a post office I hope we can name in honor of Reverend Harold Middlebrook. He is a well-known figure in our community and a civil rights leader. He was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King. As a matter of fact, he was part of the Memphis Sanitation worker strike in Memphis, Tennessee. He was arrested multiple times for alleged violations, but as we know, those weren't real violations. He was exhibiting his constitutional right. He was at the Lorraine Motel when King was assassinated.

In 1986, he founded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission in Knoxville. For the record, every year they have the march, it is the coldest day in Knoxville. I always remember that because it is always cold.

Dr. Middlebrook has been a dear friend. I will say for the record that he has never voted for me, and he probably never will vote for me, but he is still my dear friend.

When I was mayor, I had him come to speak to the kids in my office, and we took him to lunch. I wanted them to know what they endured during the civil rights movement and what this country endured. I think it is more important than seeing it in black and white on TV or reading it in a magazine, but to hear it and see it from his eyes.

He spent his whole life befriending and mentoring folks in our community. He has been a dear friend to me and our Knoxville community, and he is a pretty dignified guy.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can pass this, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I am proud to support this bill to honor Reverend Harold Middlebrook.

I should have said in my notes earlier that there was an Urban League dinner, and Dr. Middlebrook, I thought, kind of had carried a heavy load his whole life. I remembered he was sitting off to the side. I was mayor of the county, and they asked me to come sit at the head table with all the, I guess, leaders.

Dr. Middlebrook was not at that table. My wife and I sat over at the side with Harold Middlebrook because I told him: You run with the ones that brung you, Preacher. He laughed and smiled. He told us great stories all night. I meant to say that, and I apologize.

I am proud to support this bill to honor my dear friend, Reverend Harold Middlebrook, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 709) to improve performance and accountability in the Federal Government, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, the Federal Agency Performance Act, which provides additional transparency, accountability, and priorities for the Federal Government.

Federal agencies have many different missions. To meet these missions, they are required to develop goals and objectives. Developing the goal is an important first step toward progress. However, we know that more must be done to ensure that these goals and objectives are being achieved.

The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993, as later modernized in 2010 by a reform act known as GPRAMA, collectively established a solid foundation of reforms to improve the overall performance and outcomes of Federal agencies.

GPRAMA addressed a number of issues, such as focusing attention on crosscutting management issues, enhancing the usefulness of performance information, increasing transparency, and ensuring leadership commitment and attention to improving the performance of Federal agencies.

S. 709 builds upon existing law to codify the performance management practices that have shown the most positive results.

This bill requires agencies to proactively assess their progress toward achieving their strategic goals and objectives. It ensures that merely developing the goal is not enough.

Agencies would be required to track their progress and develop plans to address identified risks to not achieving their stated goals. This bill also requires agencies to determine whether they need more evidence to better assess their progress.

Agencies would also be required to assign senior leadership attention to completing these efforts, a commonsense reform that ensures that the work gets done, Mr. Speaker.

I thank Oversight Committee members William Timmons and Ro Khanna for leading the House companion to this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Timmons), my dear friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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