Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives U.S. House 20240714

Host i have to leave it there. House is about to come in for the legislative morning, live coverage here on cspan. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2019] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] the spker pro tempor the house wl be in orde the chair lay before the hoe a cmucation from the eaker. The clerk t speers roo. Washiton, d. C. July 25, 2019. I hereby point the horab hen cuellar to act as speaker proempore on this day. Signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of t house of representatives. The speaker pro tempore pursut to t order of the house of january 3, 2019, e chair wi now recognize membersrom lis submitted by t majoritand minority leads for morning ho debate. The chair will alternate recognitionetween the rties. All timehallbe equay allocatedetween the pares anin nevent shl debate ntibeyond 11 50 a. M. Eachember other than the majoty and minority leaders and minority whip shall be limited to five minutes. Now t gentleman from texas, mr. Green, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Rise eaker, and still i because i love my country and i also rise because i believe that we are currently in a constitutional crisis. The executive branch of the honor ent is refusing to subpoenas lawfully issued by committees of the congress. The executive branch of the government does not respect the judiciary. We are in a constitutional crisis. We have a duty, obligation, and responsibility to do something about this. So i rise today, mr. Speaker, some 99 days after the Mueller Report was made public. The Mueller Report has been thoroughly vetted by the members of congress to the extent that we have talked about it. We have proclaimed that there are impeachable acts that are clearly indicated within the Mueller Report. The Mueller Report has been discussed at inif i nigh tum and ad nauseam by members of congress. Im not saying that Everybody Knows whats in it, but i do know there is a notion that there is a muller Mueller Report, and it has information that is antithetical to the president and would, in some circumstances, be such that we would bring articles of impeachment. I would also indicate that we are now one day since mr. Mueller testified before the congress of the United States of america, the judiciary committee, and intelligence committee. Mr. Mueller has written his report. He has testified before congress. And now the question really becomes what are we going to do . Will we seek additional testimony . Im not opposed to it. But i do believe this. At some point we will start to see evidence of what dr. King called the paralysis of analysis. I believe that we are now seeing the initial evidence if we havent seen it before of the analysis of paralysis. This paralysis is something that will stall us to the extent that someone will move forward and say, rather than impeach, lets defeat. I am not one of them. I believe that if we violate article 2, section 4 of the constitution then we ought to enforce that law. No one is above the law in the United States of america. We must honor article 2, section 4 of the constitution which deals with impeachment. If we do not, history will not be kind to us. It especially will not be kind to those of us who are in control of this house. We decide what comes to the floor. We decide what the agenda is. History will not be kind to us if we dont take up our duty, responsibility, and obligation pursuant to art igle 2, section 4 of the constitution. Mr. Speaker, we are at the cross corrodes of exhibit. Either we will hold exablet accountability. We will either hold the exec testifyive Branch Accountable or we will be held accountable i hope we do that which the constitution fully intended and that is proceed with an impeach. When you have a chief executive causing harm to society. This is a seminal moment in time for those of us who are in charge of this house. Either we will act or we will be acted upon. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the president. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. Foxx, for five minutes. Ms. Foxx thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the failure of some members of the house of representatives to condemn the global boycott divestment and sanctions, b. D. S. Movement, that seeks to sabotage and undermine the state of israel is appalling to me. Instead of empowering a movement that seeks to isolate israel, we should be supporting our greatest ally in the middle east. I have seen firsthand that b. D. S. Efforts violate the core goals of universities, which thrive, or should thrive, on open exchange and debate. And i reject the rationale of some members that voted against the resolution under the guise of free speech. H. Res. 246, voted on this week, echos many resolutions that i have broadly supported. In february, House Republicans put forth one such measure to reject antisemitism in all forms. Astonishingly, some house members expressed dissent during the voice vote on this motion. However, once a recorded vote was called, the motion passed 4240. This week the majority leadership took the path of least resistance from its far left members by putting on the floor another resolution to condemn antisemitism, but refusing to debate legislation with the teeth necessary to push back against the hateful b. D. S. Movement. Support of israel has long enjoyed bipartisan consensus, and real action against the b. D. S. Movement must be taken. I am and 195 other republicans signed on to a discharge petition for h. R. 396, the strengthening americas security in the middle east act, to bring this legislation before the full house for an up or down vote. H. R. 336 imposes direct and concrete penalties on the b. D. S. Movement by allowing state and local governments to adopt laws to divest public funds from groups or organization that is boycott israel. S. 1, the Senate Companion to h. R. 336, passed with strong bipartisan support, 7723. By passing h. R. 336, this house would send a clear message that the b. D. S. Movement antisemitic messages and actions will be met with firm consequences in the United States. It is important that we stand in opposition to the b. D. S. Movement and stand with our strongest ally in the middle east. We must reject the b. D. S. Movement with the full 40s of law and continue to support israel at the mesh shured strategy partner this body has long enshrined in our laws, our policy priorities, and our hearts and minds. I yield back, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from oregon, ms. Bonamici, for five minutes. Ms. Bonamici thank you, mr. Speaker. My home state of oregon, like much of the country, is facing a Housing Affordability crisis that is hurting families and the economy. I recently held six listening sessions in the district i represent and in every community, urban, suburban, and rural i heard from individuals, employers, local officials, and nonprofits who told me that the lack of Affordable Housing is having serious consequences around northwest oregon. Over the last several years, housing costs have gone up significantly, but wages have not. Available Housing Stock has not kept up with demand. Driving Prices Higher and higher. And much of the new housing that is being built is unaffordable for middle and middle and low income household. To afford a modest one bedroom unit at fair market rent, someone earning minimum wage would need to work 65 hours a week. In another county someone would need to work 81 hours a week to pay for a modest one bedroom apartment. 81 hours a week. Housing is foundational. It forms of the bedrock of a familys stability and security, and its vital to each persons full participation in society. The toll of this crisis on families and communities is devastating, and its also hampering economic growth. I heard time and again from employers who are struggling to attract workers in areas where housing was unaffordable or unavailable. Employees commuting long hours because they cannot afford to live closer to their jobs. In columbia county, for example, i heard how the lack of Affordable Housing for just one individual negatively affected the whole community. The county government recruited a highly qualified new finance director from another state. Only to have that person struggle to find a permanent place to live. After staying in an r. V. For four months, she finally had to quit in the middle of budget season because she could not find a place to live. Federal policies and resources are a vital part of addressing this True National crisis. Unfortunately, federal support for cost burdened individuals and families is severely insufficient and declining. According to the Oregon Center for public policy, more than 1 3 of Oregon Household are cost burdened. Thats 530,000 households spending more than 30 of their income on shelter, with some spending more than half their income for a place to live. Despite that tremendous need, only one out of every five eligible families receive any federal housing assistance. Wait lists at Public Housing authorities often stretch into years. At the federal level, we have many tools to help address these problems. Tax incentives, voucher programs, Public Housing and grants that empower nonprofits and communities that implement local strategies. But the resources congress provides are woefully insufficient. We need to do much more if we honestly want to make sure that every person in our communities has the dignity and stability of a roof over their heads. This crisis is why i support transformative legislation, like the American Housing and economic mobility act. T would invest 445 billion to create three million deeply Affordable Homes and cut rental costs by 10 . I also strongly support the ending homelessness act, to competitively address chronic homelessness by providing a surge of resource that is will drastically expand access to housing and Case Management that Integrates Health care and other supportive services. Our communities are better, and families will thrive when everyone has a home. Ultimately, any solution will require a determined and coordinated effort by all stakeholders, including community activists, developers, lenders, nonprofit leaders, and elected officials at every level of government. Congress must step up and be part of the solution. I ask my colleagues to join me today in committing to bold action to address the housing affordable affordability crisis in oregon and across the country. I yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Tomorrow thompson, for five minutes mr. Thompson, for five minutes. Mr. Thompson thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to recognize today, july 25, as National Hire a veteran day. In 2017, the nonprofit hire our veterans established a day to highlight the many talented men and women who served our country now seeking civilian employment. Hire our heroes serves as a Resource Bank for veterans to seek professional advice, discover new training opportunities, and search for new job opportunities. Our nations veterans are some of the most dedicated and selfless individuals that call this great nation home. While we may never be able to fully repay them for their sacrifice, the very least we can do is to help ease the transition back into civilian life. A big part of that transition is ensuring there are wellpaying, family sustaining Jobs Available for our men and women in uniform when they return home. The most recent numbers from the bureau of labor statistics show veteran unemployment at 3. 2 , the lowest rate since 2011. Thats great news. That does not mean our work here is done. As a proud father of an army infantryman, im proud to have supported legislation throughout my time in congress that ensures our active duty Service Military members and their spouses have the tools they need to be successful to successfully defend our country. Its critical we also support legislation that prepares our veterans for a just adjusting to life after combat. There are more than seven million open jobs across the country. Our veterans want to work and Serve Service is in their veins. They want to make an honest living and provide for their families. They want to learn new skills and be proud of the work that they do. Its important that we do our part to ensure these opportunities are available. We can bolster veteran Employment Opportunities with career and technical education. Many of the men and women seeking civilian employment are already highly skilled, highly trained. Their experienced literally under fire. The skills that come with c. T. Training can help expand our veterans existing skill sets and prepare them for careers in stem disciplines, nursing, construction, information technology, energy, cyber security, and many more. Mr. Speaker, our veterans have a huge part of what makes our country so great. They have chosen to risk their lives to protect our nation. We have the opportunity no the responsibility to provide them with the best possible care and to empower them with the necessary tools to make smart career decisions when we welcome them home. Hire our heroes says the best way to thank a veteran is to hire one. We should all keep this in mind as we celebrate our nations veterans today and for many more days to come. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. Ruiz, for five minutes. Mr. Speaker, there are people whose empathy and compassion glow like a beacon and others whose shine who shine like the sun. That was barbara keller, a blazing star of kindness and an inspiring local leader who lived to serve others, championing causes that uplifted the sick, the poor, and fought for thethe lgbtq com. For three decades, barbara called californias cochella valley home Coachella Valley home. Her and her husband broad awardwinning restaurants to coachella. It was her commitment to serving others that made her so remarkable. Barbara was a champion for combating hivaids female president of the desert aids project. Barbara was moved by the deaths and suffering of many h. I. V. Infected friends living on the margins, facing injustice and discrimination and their struggle to live. She brought hope and health care to so many individuals living with, affected by, or at risk for h. I. V. Or aids. As a doctor, i had the honor of working with barbara in the desert aids project for the underserved communities. Barbaras annual fuzz raisers was a fixture of the fundraisers was a fixture of valley. Ella barbara also lent her compassion to defending the health of patients while working with the aids Assistance Project and the loma linda childrens hospital. During her years of service to our communities, barbara also arts grow our deserts scene through organizations theater. My wife, monica, and i knew barbara as a dear, dear friend and a wonderful role model to our daughter skie and sage. I was skye and sage. I was constantly touched by her loving nature, her commitment to her higher purpose. Barbara most treasured her family and her greatest pleasure was being a loving wife, a mother, a daughter, and grandmother. Barbara devotedly cared for her aging father, marvin cohen, until he passed away in march at 106 years old. Never once telling him she was undergoing intense chemotherapy for breast cancer. Barbaras death soon followed april. Owing month on her and her husband was a love story few can claim. Barbara leaves behind her devoted husband, jerry, her son, brad, her daughters lindsey, lisa and kelly, and and ven grandchildren, her sister, carol. While barbaras passing deeply saddens me, her honor will live on in my heart and the hearts of the counseledless individuals whose lives she touched. An era of me first, egodriven, selfish ambition, barbara reminds us that love, kindness, and Genuine Service to others is possible. She is the embodiment of good, humility, strength, and outer and inner beauty. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she improved and inspired and she was a giant, a social architect, designing a healthier, kinder, more just community. Knowing barbara and calling her my friend was an incredible, unique, and beautiful blessing in my life, and her story must be told and recorded in our National Records so that generations to come can learn the vast potential of our national spirit. He will be missed. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. Dunn, for five minutes. Mr. Dunn i rise to recognize an ordinary man from bay county, florida, and im fortunate to have him as a dear friend of mine, mr. Grover davis. Grover was born into a fishing family in dierks 1941, in parker, florida, and he learned the value of hard work at a young age. He built fishing boats with his father and his brothers, leading his family to own the first charter fishing boats in panama city. When his father died, grover dropped out of high school and worked with his brothers to support the family. They made a living in the charter fishing business with young grover below the deck keeping boats running. He still you keeps the boats running 70 years later. He learned a lot about life at a young age. He met his wonderful wife, judy, at bay high school, and married her in 1961. By the 1970s, the davis family was managing the st. Andrews marina and grover became interested in a new Business Venture in 1974, he began Marine Transport services, which provided transport service for oil and Gas Companies in the gulf of mexico. Marine transport services has truly become a family affair, with his wife, judy, and his daughters, kim and kerry, joining him at the helm. Grover treats all of his employees like family. In fact, 50 of his employees started at Marine Transport right out of high school and still work there till this day. Hes unfailingly supportive of all of his employees. When they make a mistake, he doesnt let them go. Hes famous for sitting with them and say, did you learn something from this . His favorite phrase is, quote, theres only two kinds of captain. Those who have run aground, and those who are about to run aground. Grover truly leads by example in all aspects of his life and hes spent much of his life giving back to the community. Hes big supporter of a nonprofit that helps disabled children go on hunting trips, and routinely supported trips with the girls scounts when his daughters from growing up. Grover, his wife, judy, and his daughters have long since cemented their place in the foundation of our Community Back home. Hes always preached that honor is the most important value of people and no one person is better than another. He never asked anyone to do what he would not do himself. Dy and grover have two hildren, two grandsons and two greatgrandsons. They describe him as an amazing father and leader in our community. Hes the single most social man i know. A great storyteller. He always surrounded himself with his friends. If he sit still for more than a few moments, he was probably frying grouper for people. He loves people and they love him. I have to say grover is also widely known as a huge and very inventive practical joker. Hes been known to go to elaborate lengths to prank his friends. Hes also an amazing historian, especially knowledgeable about the minutia of world war ii. All of his friends and i count myself lucky to be among those, revere our time that we spend with him. Hes always entertaining, educational, and exceptional. One of his daughters recently said to me, daddy is so social and he knows so many people that he could cause a traffic jam in calhoun county. Thats a lot of personality. I spoke with him on the phone last week after he received his diagnosis of a rapidly progressing terminal illness. After sharing his terminal diagnosis with me, he lightheartedly promised that come what may, he would vote for me by absentee ballot next year. Mr. Speaker, as the current ain draws close on a life curtain draws close on a life of my friend, i ask we cast our attention on a man who lived an extraordinary life, a man who changed my community for the better, a man who cared for and supported many, many friends and family, a man whos quite literally larger than life. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing my friend who made me a better person, made my community a better place, mr. Grover davis. Grover, were praying for you, my friend, and for your family. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from new hampshire, mr. Pappas, for five minutes. Mr. Pappas thank you, mr. Speaker. This morning i rise in support of the 42,000 men and women of the United States coast guard, the vital public safety, humanitarian, and National Defense missions they perform, and this houses passage yesterday of the coast guard reauthorization act of 2019. Coast guard members are the First Responders of americas oceans, waterways, and coastlines, conducting varied missions often at a moments notice including search and rescue, securing our nations ports and waterways, and conducting Law Enforcement operations. In my district in new hampshire, weve been home to the coast guard since its founding and the Granite State has relied on its work to keep us safe and strong for generations. Last month, i had the privilege to meet with the coast guard cutter at that houma at the Portsmouth Naval shipyard. As i toward their you vessel and was struck with the Critical Missions and the challenges they encounter. Cutters like tahoma interdict drugs coming to americas shores. Their work saves lives and make our communities safer. The coast guard has been doing this work despite being chronically underfunded and resourced. They face cartels and smauglers , and studies show smugglers, and studies show only 20 of the drugs coming to shores are interdicted. According to leaders of the ast guard, the factor of not getting drugs is insufficient vessels and aircraft to support operations. At a time when our nation is facing a profound crisis of addiction, we can and must do more to make sure the coast guard is fully funded and make sure they have the resources to keep our country safe. Thats why yesterdays passage of the coast guard reauthorization act was so critical. This act supports the coast guard for the next two years with more than 11 billion in discretionary funding with each fiscal year, allowing them to address a backlog. An important bill was included, the fair and equal treatment of women in the coast guard act. This seeks to increase recruitment and retention of women in the u. S. Coast guard and improve gender diversity in this branch of the armed forces. This comes in response to a study commissioned by the coast guard that identified barriers to attracting, recruiting, and retaining women and recommended ways to improve gender diversity in the service. Its one important step to ensure that the coast guard can continue to attract our nations best and brightest. When we talk about keeping this nation safe, lets remember the incredible work performed by our coast guard close to home and around the globe. Lets show the coast guard members that congress has their backs and lets continue to work collaboratively to ensure the coast guard has the proper support and policies in place to carry out its missions. Thank you, mr. Speaker. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. Babin, for five minutes. I rise mr. Speaker, today with great uncertainty. I am uncertain that i can make it through this speech without being interrupted by a robocall, which has become a daily or rather sometimes an hourly nuisance. For far too long now, robocalls and spoofing have become a hindering plague upon the phones of millions of americans. I hear from constituents on a daily basis about how their lives are habitually interrupted by phony phone calls and how their cell phones, once seen as necessities, are now sources of frustration. In many cases, these calls are dangerous and disguised, seeking to steal valuable information by tricking the unsuspecting. In other cases, these aggravating calls disrupt important business and true leisure activities, disturb family dinners and even worse, they are not restricted by the time of day. These calls have been distracting, irritating, and deceiving americans for long enough, and thats why i introduced a bill called the double the enforcement and fines of everyone associated with terrible robocalls act, or in short, the defeat robocalls act. This bill ensures the harshest penalties for the individuals who are caught making Illegal Robocalls and spoofing calls. Simply said, the bill takes all the fines and penalties that those making robocalls currently face and doubles them. It is time we hold those who continue scamming americans all across the country liable for nair actions, their actions in a manner serious as their crimes. I call on my colleagues to continue moving swiftly to send a bill to the president s desk so we can restore Americans Trust when they answer their phones. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to honor the life of dr. Christopher columbus kraft who served as nasas first flight director and one of the agencys preeminent leaders. He passed away on july 22, 2019, at the impressive age of 95. Only two days after the 50th anniversary of the apollo 11 moon landing. It is impossible to overstate the vital role that kraft played in the formative years of nasa. After graduating from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1944 with a bachelors degree in arrest nautical engineering, dr. Kraft started work at the National Advisory committee for arrest nattics aeronautics. In 1958, president eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and spatial administration and tasked project mercury with getting america into space and putting a man into orbit. During this time, kraft essentially created the entire concept of Mission Control and successfully directed all six crude mercury mission, including those that made Alan Shepherd the First American in space, and john glenn the First American in orbit. In project gemini, kraft was promoted to the head of mission operations. Now in charge of a team of flight directors, he served on console during many historic moments, including ed whites first space walk in gemini 4. Achieving all this proved to the country and the rest of the world that america could succeed in space and certainly set the stage for the Apollo Missions to the moon. During apollo, chris kraft soon rose to the assistant Deputy Director of the manned spacecraft certainty, now known as Johnson Spacecraft Center which i proudly represent, and in 1972 was promoted to serve as the center director. Before his retirement in 1982 he contributed to a myriad of other projects, including skylab, the first Space Shuttle missions. While our Space Program continues to grow by leaps and bounds, and our hands and hearts reach outward for mars, we should remember the man on whose shoulders we stand and the great debt owed not only to by nasa and our nation, but also by our entire planet to this incredible individual. Thank you for your service to our country, flight. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. Loudermilk, for five minutes. Mr. Speaker, i rise today in recognition of the life and service of mr. James murphy. James is a 94yearold decorated world war ii veteran, as well as a native of the 11th coppingal district in georgia. Jim graduate interested Lanier High School for boys in 1942, and was an officer in the schools rotc program where he was preparing for a career as an officer in the u. S. Military. The rotc program is where jim learned valuable lessons that would serve him down the road during the war. In the fall of 1942, jim enrolled at georgia tech in atlanta with the hope of receiving an Army Officers commission through tech senior rotc program. At that time the United States was four years into world war ii and at the urging of army recruiters, jim and most his fellow rotc classmates, enlisted in the reserves because the military wanted them to complete college and officer training before going to active duty. However, that idea was shortlived because in march of 1943, president franklin d. Roosevelt called jims rotc class and others from across the nation into immediate active duty. They were needed as ground troop replacements and at that time jim was barely 18 years old. In the spring of 1943, jim reported to Fort Mcpherson in atlanta where he faced many challenges, but nothing more daunting than passing the military standard eye exam. I know youre thinking, how difficult is an eye exam . For jim it was nearly impossible because jim was blind in his left eye from birth. This disability would disqualify him from serving in the military, but jim was not going to let that stop him from serving his country. He believed that service was his duty and after playing a few hand tricks during the exam , he passed. In march of 1944 jim was entered to cam National Park gainesville, texas, to join the 103rd infantry division. Since jim received so many artillery training, he was assigned a battery c of the Field Artillery battalion a howitzer unit. They trained long and hard knowing they were head for war. They learned the mission of artillery to support advancing infantry Ground Forces and combat and how to bracket your target area by trial and error much jims job was to be the Radio Operator when they were in gatt and a jeep driver when the battery was moving forward. Only a few months had passed since he was assigned to the division before he was aboard the u. S. S. Monticello heading for the war. The trip across the atlantic was anything but luxurious. The military packed the ship like a can of sardines and the twoweek voyage was full of severe storms. Inscribable sea sickness and fear of being torpedoed loomed in the back of their minds. After arriving in france it would not take long for his unit to see their first action. It occurred while they approached the mountains in northeastern france. One of jims Forward Observer Team was killed by rifle fire in the small town of barr. Which meant jim and the other member had to carry on the job a man short. For this they were later awarded the bronze star. Jim survived the record winter that developed in northern france, belgium, and germany during the war but did he not leave unkansas citied. On christmas night, 1944, after finishing, jim became very sick while singlehandedly manning a forward outpost. The pain came so intense had he to be transported to a Field Hospital and doctors determined he had a bad case of appendicitis. While jim was lying in the hospital, after appendix surgery, the battle of the bulk was just getting under way and bulge was getting under way. Going against doctors orders, jim put on his uniform, left the hospital and hitched a ride back to his battery. The rest of jims unit was amazed he came back. In the meantime his battery commander had learned he was blind in one eye. Jim was nominate the for the silver star, jim refused he felt any citation earned should go to the entire battery. Germany surrendered in may of 1945 marking the end of the war effort in europe but the war was raging in the pacific and thats where jim was sent. However, before jim got there the atomic bombs were dropped and world war ii was soon over. In jims own words, my distribute contribute shuns to world war ii from enlistment to discharge was two years, 11 months, 14 days of my youth. Including nine months in combat. For this i am proud and i have no regrets. I did not have to go to the war, but i believed it was my duty and i wanted to go. Jim will be the first to tell you his story is like so many others who fought in europe world world war ii. But in reading his memoirs, his selflessness, his duty to his contry, and his fellow soldiers was quite exemplary. Jim, on behalf of georgias 11th Congressional District antiUnited States house of representatives, i thank you for and the United States house of representatives, i thank you for your service to our nation and sacrifice for our freedoms. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california, mrs. Torres, for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise today as the first person born in gaut guatemala to serve in the United States house of representatives. I know the guatemalan people have lived through many difficult times. And i know this because i was born there during the civil war. My parents made the heartbreaking decision to send me to live with my uncle in the United States when i was a little girl. But through it all, the people of guatemala have not given up. They have continued to work to make a better life for their children and for their childrens children. They have worked for justice, r democracy, and they have won important victories. In 1996, the efforts of the guatemalan people ended the civil war. And in 2007, their search for justice led to the creation of the International Commission against impunity in guatemala. An Innovative Institution whose mission, to help rid the country of corruption and organized crime. Ring working with brave guatemalan judges, and prosecutors, they made Real Progress in improving guatemalas justice system. But then in 2015 guatemalans of all ages and political strifes took to the streets to call for the resignation of massively corrupt president perez molina. And they won. The long struggle of the guatemalan people has led to the country that is safer and more just. The countrys problems are far from resolved, but progress has been made. An today guatemala is at a crossroads. They have unfortunately been forced out. And the country is in the middle of an election season, but many guatemalans fear that the current government will be replaced by a new government that is just as corrupt as the current and the previous ones. And so many guatemalans feel like they are alone. And some are losing hope. But to the guatemalan people i say this. You are not alone. And you cannot give up. Many of us here in the United States congress understand your challenges. We understand what you are facing. And many of us refuse to believe the lies pedaled by the corrupt Political Class and the lobbyists. And many of us will continue to stand with you. And we will keep on fighting for your cause because we know that it is our cause, too. We know that a more just and democratic gut gaut guatemala is only in the best interests of ours as well. We know that you want for your children the same thing that we want for our american children. And i am confident that one day guatemala will have a government that is worthy of its people. A government that works to advance justice not to undermine and eliminate it. And one day the United States government will once again support the fight against corruption in guatemala. And together as partners we will work toward a brighter, more prosperous, and more democratic future. So in closing i say to my colleagues, we cannot give up on the guatemalan people. And to the guatemalan people, i say, do not give up on your future. Even in the darkness, we must look for signs of hope. In 1999, a brave an throw polgist was killed by a military death squad for speaking out about the abuses against indigenous guatemalans, but her sister, helen, worked to bring justice in her case and helped lead the effort to create secig. Now her daughter is going to be a member of the guatemalan congress. We must remember, pablos words, they can cut all the flowers, but they cant stop the spring. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. Fitzpatrick, for five minutes. Mr. Speaker, i rise today as the former f. B. I. Supervisory special agent and federal prosecutor and strong advocate for civility to speak on a topic that must be addressed. In our country, political discourse has disintegrated to a degree that is completely unacceptable. Political opponents label each other as enemies and differences of opinion are met with slander and oftentimes with violence. I have never remained silent on this issue. When White Supremacists murdered a 32yearold protester in shar clotsville, virginia, i expressed my outrage. When violent classes erupted in berkeley, california, in 2017. I spoke out. Recently in portland, oregon, a journalist was assaulted by members of the militant movement. This journalist was covering an ongoing protest and suffered a brain hemorrhage, requiring overnight hospitalization. Mr. Speaker, violence and hatred by any actor on any level is completely unacceptable. What is deeply trouble is the history of provoking and stoking political violence, along with encouraging civil unrest to dissuade those who do not share their beliefs from exercising their First Amendment rights. In addition to the incident in portland, antitha have tried to incite violence in washington d. C. , and several members in philadelphia right outside of my district were arrested following an assault on marine reservists. Charges they face include agra gated assault,et nick intimidation and conspiracy. They have no desire to protest peacefully, no desire to learn from other peoples experiences, no desire to be receptive to fair and rational ideas outside of their own. They resort to violence. I reent cently sent a letter to the attorney general demanding the department of justice initiate proceedings to designate antifa as a terrorist organization to protect the welfare of journalists and the general public as well and asked my former colleagues at the f. B. I. To do the same. Political violence has no place in our society. In my career in Law Enforcement, i have seen firsthand how violence erodes civil society. We must not give a pass to any organization that perpetuates a vicious cycle of hatred and ignorance. Antifa must be designated as a Domestic Terrorist Organization that they are. Mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan, mr. Moolenaar, for five minutes. Mr. Moolenaar thank you, mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, independent workers are vital to our country and the Strong Economy that we are enjoying today, with unemployment under 4 , wages rising, and americans keeping more of their own money thanks to tax reform. These millions of workers are pursuing the American Dream of working for themselves, including contractors, consultants, freelancers, and Small Business owners. They embody the principles and values of our countrys declaration of independence by truly representing what it means to be free, and they are found across every profession, income level, industry, party, race, religion, gender, and geography. Thats why im joining with the association of independent workers and calling for august 16 to be National Independent worker day. This special recognition of independent workers vital role in our nations economy is long overdue, and as more and more americans choose to take this career path, i will keep fighting to make sure washington stays out of their way and allows them to innovate and succeed. Im proud to support all of the independent workers in my district and throughout this great nation. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to pay tribute to the late dr. Russell kirk, a political theorist, moralist, historian, and literary critic, in honor of a Historical Marker being placed at his beloved home in my district in michigan next month. Dr. Kirk taught students for over 40 years about political theory, culture, and virtue. He also wrote more than 30 books, and today his legacy lives on through the Russell Kirk Center under the gracious leadership of his wife, annette. Dr. Kirk is considered one of the preeminent thinkers of his time and his book, the conservative mind, has shaped the modern ideas of american conservatism. Dr. Kirk found his true joy in addressing college audiences because he believed the key to the lasting success of the conservative ideas rested on shaping the cultural and moral beliefs of the next generation. In his books, articles, speeches, and interviews, dr. Kirks wisdom has shaped the thinking of generations of conservatives around the world. His ideas have personally helped me in forming my own belief, and its a privilege to pay special tribute to dr. Kirk and his legacy today. With that i yield back, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from nebraska, mr. Bacon, for five minutes. Mr. Bacon mr. Speaker, i rise today to celebrate the 25th anniversary of homestead senior care. Since 1994, when laurie and paul hogan founded it in omaha, nebraska, its provided personalized care, support, and education to aging adults and their families. Today, this network is the worlds leading provider of Inhome Care Services for seniors. With more than 1,100 independently owned and operated franchises that provide more than 75 million hours of care throughout the United States and 12 international markets. They employ 75,000 caregivers worldwide to provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the dedicated men and women of homestead senior care who for 25 years have enhanced the lives of seniors and their caregivers in the United States and throughout the word. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. Stefanik, for five minutes. Ms. Stefanik mr. Speaker, i rise today to honor Marylou Whitney, the queen of saratoga, who sadly passed away july 19 at the age of 3. 3. Rylou at the age of 9 marylou loved her community and gave so much of herself to it. She had a passion for horseracing and was a fixture of the saratoga racetrack. She hosted a yearly racing season ball for many decades where proceeds benefited track workers and local organizations like saratoga hospital. She was active and involved in philanthropy until her last months. Her generosity, energy, and compassion were unmatched. She was a founder of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and National Museum of dance. Marylou, often called marylou often called saratoga one of her homes. Its a Community Like no other, and marylou made it better for all of us. Her deep commitment will leave a mark on saratoga for generations to come. I want to express my sincere condolences to marylous husband, john, and her entire family. I consider it an honor to have known Marylou Whitney and an honor to speak in her memory into the congressional record. She will be missed. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to honor and celebrate the life of randy preston. Wilmington supervisor, former volunteer firefighter, former fire chief, and fierce advocate for the county and the adirondack region. After a long courageous fight with a brain tumor, randy passed away july 18. He was 60 years old. He was a bipartisan leader on behalf of essex county. He voted in favor of the interest of the people and let no one deter him. He was a champion for those that he represented. He was passionate about lowering our tax burden and ensuring we had ample funding for lifesaving emergency medical services. He was known not only for his staunch advocacy but for his sense of humor. His unapologetic convictions and his you willingness to shoot straight and be honest with people, whether a governor or a congresswoman. He was quick to tell me when he thought a policy was right for his community and just as quick to tell me when he thought a policy was wrong. I express my deepest sympathies to randys wife, michelle, and his entire family. Its a sincere honor to enter randy prestons achievements into the congressional record. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the hallowed halls of baseballs hall of fame in cooperstown, new york, welcomed six inductees last weekend. In 80 years, baseball has honored 232 players as the best of the best. Only about 1 of the 19,500 who played the game are enshrined here. As a proud new yorker, i can say they have 60 yankees and the bronx bomber behemoth include ruth, gehrig, dimaggio, jackson, and mar. Rise today to honor mariano rivera. O, the sand man, or the yankee pin honored them for 19 years. He was a 13time allstar, won five world series championships with the yankees, including being named m. V. P. In 1999. Mo racked up a record 672 saves. His cutter is legendary. He amassed 1,173 strikeouts, d had a postseason e. R. A. Of. 700, only allowing 11 runs. Thats less postseason runs than the number of people who have walked the moon. Mo was the very definition of automatic as he was so often described. Mariano is a man of faith and recognized the importance of Family Support through good times and struggles. Hes a mentor, a teacher, and demonstrates quiet leadership that is far too scarce today. Mr. Speaker, as a young boy in panama, mariano used a home made glove of cardboard, tape, netting. He had holes in his cleats when he tried out for the yankees. Through grit, hard work, dogged determination, mo achieved the very pinnacle the greatness in americas greatest game. Mr. Sandman, heres to you. I tip my cap. With that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana, mr. Gianforte, for five minutes. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to recognize two young montanan who is are among the best in rodeo. In this month, National High School Finals rodeo in wyoming, montana was wellrepresented with competitors from across the state. The National High School Finals rodeo drew about 1,500 finalists from 43 states, mexico, canada, and australia. Two montanans won buckles for placing in the top 10 in their event. Shay mcdonald of gardner took second in barrel racing, and Bryce Peterson of bozeman took fourth in bareback riding. Rodeo is a timehonored tradition in montana, and its part of our way of life. The outstanding work ethic and dedication of these Young Athletes allow them to compete and succeed at this high level. I congratulate shay and bryce on their accomplishments at the National High School Finals rodeo. You make montana proud. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Nd i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, mr. Bilirakis, for five minutes. Mr. Bilirakis thank you, mr. Speaker. I appreciate it so much. Mr. Speaker, i rise today to congratulate tarpen springs native and devout university of florida gator and inspired Greek Orthodox theologian archbishop nikitas who will be enthrowned this weekend in london in the as the Greek Orthodox as the archbishop in great britain. Archbishop nikitas had a blessed life which started with the retrieval of the gold cross in tarpen springs for the 1974 celebration of the epiphany. His proud parents, my uncle knew that he was destined for greatness. E has an extraordinary ecleezeiascal career. He is a worthy choice as the archbishop of great britain. I wish this son of tarpen springs, florida, and my constituent and my cousin a blessed ministry. Worthy. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Cong lso have another congratulatory message as well. I acknowledge a group of heroes who worked tirelessly to keep our country and communities safe. Public safety air cruise ensure the safety of our domestic airspace repeatedly operating in very hazardous conditions. They are also an essential form of support for First Responders during Disaster Response and rescue missions. Today, we honor the dedication and devotion that these Public Servants demonstrate and acknowledge those that have made the ultimate sacrifice. It is only right that a day you be set aside to recognize the thousands of men and women who have served in this role. To that end, i am reintroducing a resolution today to recognize july 26 National Public safety aviation day. Thank you, mr. Speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from washington, mr. Kilmer, for five minutes. Mr. Kilmer thank you, mr. Speaker. Almost seven years ago, austin tyce, an american journalist, disappeared in syria. Since the day he vanished his parents, family, friends, supporters have tirelessly worked to ensure no stone is left unturned and no avenue ignored in a Global Campaign to see austin return home safely. As we approach the end of the seventh year of austin ace captivity, we request that whomever continues to hold austin release him. Release him immediately so that he can return to his family and his friends. We also ask the assistance of the government of syria do whatever you can to help facilitate austins release. There is things that transcend politics and diplomacy, and needs no translation across different languages. Those are things like love and hope represented by a mother, a father who wake up each day with the unshakable faith in their son and the belief that today could be the day when they get the chance to hug him again. We ask for your help without the assignment of blame or mall list to anyone so that this year is the last that austin remains so far from home and from family. Thank you, mr. Speaker, i rise in support of the restore our parks act and i want to thank mr. Bishop for his leadership and partnership on this bill. I was lucky enough to grow up near one of the crown jewels of our National Park service, the olympic National Park, right in my backyard in the pacific northwest. I have seen firsthand how our public lands have captivated both visitors and residents alike, and served as key economic drivers for our local communities. And i think theres little doubt that our National Parks are some of americas greatest natural and cultural treasures. I am proud that my home state boasts not only olympic National Park but also Mount Rainier and North Cascade National Parks, true gems of the National Park service. Now, unfortunately, these crown jewels are getting rusty and they require our attention to return them to glory. If you visited one of our parks lately, youll no doubt have noticed that they are facing a good problem. In 2017, Washington State had a record 8. 45 million park visitors, including families and campers and adventurers who came to explore our iconic landscapes. While they were there, these visitors spent more than 500 million. They supported more than 6,600 jobs. They created nearly 7 hundred million in economic 700 million in economic impact. The rise in vase tation has also strained our park resources like roads and interpretive centers, campsites and trails. That visitors rely on to access and truly experience our parks. If we as a country dont start investing in our parks, i believe we risk loving them to death. The National Park service manages more than 400 sites across the country. And is facing a nearly 12 billion backlog in necessary repairs. Washington state alone our National Parks suffer from nearly 400 million in repairs needed to restore historical structures, fix eroding trails, fix roads, update unsafe electrical and Drinking Water systems, and this significant maintenance backlog threatens the health and accessible and safety of our parks, their visitors, and their communities that depend on them. Thats why we need to take this opportunity to build on recent successes of investing in our public lands and turn our attention to passing the restore our parks and public lands out. Passing this legislation sponsored by my good friend from utah will establish a longterm investment in our parks that will create jobs and boost economies throughout Washington State and across this country. Analysis commissioned by the Charitable Trust shows investing in the maintenance of our National Parks could create or support more than 3,800 new jobs in Washington State alone. And 100,000 jobs across the country. Now, these Days Congress can hardly agree on what day it is or what color the sky is, but when 300 members of the house of representatives cosponsoring this bill and 40 members of the senate, it is Crystal Clear that this is an area that we might actually see some progress. My hope is that we can get folks behind this and get this done. With that, mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the chair recognizes the gentleman from utah, mr. Bishop, for five minutes. Mr. Bishop thank you, mr. Speaker. I thank mr. Kilmer for leading off on this particular issue. And all the work that he has happened to be doing on this particular concept. It is important. Im very happy that this bill has 300 cosponsors now here in the house. That is the largest bill, largest number of cosponsors that have ever supported a bill coming from the Natural Resources committee. Its also, i think, their own 10 other bills that have more cosponsors in the house. It passed our committee on a 362 vote. And is now awaiting the chance to being heard here on the house floor. There is a companion bill in the senate, not as good as ours, but a companion bill in the senate that already has a third of the senate as cosponsors of that. This is an idea whose time has actually come. We talk about the maintenance backlog ever our National Parks. And all of our public lands, including fish and wildlife land, b. L. M. Land, and national forests. Especially as we now enter august when there will be the largest participation of americans going out to visit these parks and public lands, it is important that their experience be a positive one and not be stopped by broken roads, lack of sewers, lack of facilities, lack of any kind of access that they may need. And that is why it is so significant. We have between around almost around 17 billion of maintenance backlog only in our parks. If you add up the maintenance backlog we have on all other public lands, including our national forests, it is 30 billion that we would need to spend just to get them to standard. Not to do any kind of really human moving it forward but get them to their they are workable and livable and enjoyable. That kind of backlog did not take place overnight. There are a lot of people that are simply looking at saying, well, look, lets just try and use the same old stuff we have been doing for a long time. Weep appropriate more money. That doesnt work. We have developed a significant problem that needs a significant new solution. And this solution is one that was coming out of actually the administration that has support of over 2 3 of the house, has support of a third of the senate. This is one of those things which all of a sudden this is a cool idea to solve an existing problem that we have ignored for a number of years. The goal of this is to take excess, thats the key word, excess royalties that are coming from Energy Production on all federal lands. All kinds of Energy Production whether its traditional or renewable, on shore, off shore, any kind of royalties coming into the federal government from those, if there is an excess, which means we take the commitments we have already to things like lwcf and after those are funded, if there is the excess, that excess goes into a fund to start working at these kinds of problems to solve our problems with public lands. The Restoration Fund only receives the amount after all these other programs have received that. If there is no excess in royalties, clearly that will happen, but if there is no excess in the royalties, then there is no money that goes into this program. Some people have said this is mandatory spending. No, its not. Mandatory spending by definition means you have to spend the money whether it appears or not. You have to find it from somewhere else. This is one of those programs that said if there is excess, then this program, then this money will go, the first billion of this money will go to fund our National Parks, our public lands. If there is no excess, then you dont have to fund anywhere else because there will be no money that goes to that. This is not mandatory in any way. It also some people are saying, well, maybe there should be an offset for this new program. This is really not a new program. The parks and public lands exist. The responsibility to make sure that they are viable and they are paid and they are sustainable, it already exists. This is an existing program. We are not taking anything from any other program for this. We are simply based on what is already our existing responsibility. If you were to try to go through a traditional approach of trying to appropriate more money through our budgeting process, that wouldnt have to have an offset. What we are talking about here is existing programs, existing needs, existing responsibilities. We have spent a whole lot of time buying up land. The federal government has bought federal government owns 1 3 of america already. It is easy to buy up more property. Its easy to establish a park because that sounds really cool and you get your name on it. It gives you a legacy. The hard part is maintaining that land. For heavens sake if we are going to take the responsibility and build a legacy to actually buy something and create something, we have to take the responsibility of maintaining it. And this is exactly what we are talking about. Which is why im so proud there are so many republicans and so Many Democrats who have realized this our obligation, this is our responsibility. We have to do it. This bill is extremely important because it is a proper approach to solving an existing problem. And i encourage, i encourage the leaders of this house to bring it to the floor soon so it can be debated and heard. With that i thank mr. Kilmer, who is the democrat lead on this. I thank you, mr. Speaker, for indulging me in this five minutes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until noon today