bill. we will see what happens. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., september 29, 2021. i hereby appoint the honorable susan wild to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the order of the house of january 4, 2021, the chair will now recognize members from lists submitted by the majority and minority leaders for morning hour debate. the chair will alternate recognition between the parties with time equally allocate ed between parties and each member other than the majority and minority leaders and minority whip limited to five minutes. but in no event shall debate continue beyond 11:50 a.m. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee, mr. kustoff, for five minutes. mr. kustoff: thank you, madam speaker. last week, our community in tennessee experienced a horrific tragedy. on thursday, september 23, last week, a gunman opened fire at the kroger and 15 people were shot and one woman, olivia king, a mother and grandmother, died as a result of her injuries in the hospital later that day. robota and i -- row bertha and i are -- roberta and i are praying for her family during this difficult time. maureen frazier said, everybody needs to be more like olivia king. she was very kind, very generous, very christian and a rule follower. our hearts go out to all the victims, their loved ones, and everyone in the entire community who's been impacted. i want to quote the police chief, dale lane, who said we are one of the most resilient communities in america. i believe that is an absolutely true statement. we witnessed our brave heroes, law enforcement officers, federal agents, firefighters, e.m.t.'s, doctors, nurses, and other local officials spring into action. not a single person hesitated to act or tend to a person in need. their training and selfless actions helped save people's lives that day, there's no doubt about it, and i cannot thank enough everyone for their incredible bravery and courage that day. the collaboration and cooperation between all the law enforcement agencies and all the first responders was tremendous. these agencies included the police department, the fire department, the shelby county sheriff's office, the germantown police department, the germantown fire department, the memphis police department, the memphis fire department, the bartlett fire department, the bartlett police department, the fayette county sheriff's office, the de soto county, mississippi, sheriff's office, the f.b.i., and other federal law enforcement agencies. they worked flawlessly together to address and handle the situation in a timely and professional manner. i also commend the police chief dale lane's strong and effective leadership and like to thank his entire staff for their heroism. special commendation also goes to the fire chief buddy billicks and his men and women for their swift action that prevented the additional loss of life and, finally, i'd like to recognize the surgeons, nurses, and their staff for delivering the necessary and immediate care to these victims. lastly, i'd like to extend my appreciation to the mayor, stan joiner, town administrator james, and chairman for the municipal school board for their continued and strong leadership. mayor joyner issued a proclamation delayering tomorrow -- declaring tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. as a day of prayer and meditation for the town and her victims. the people of kerrville will remain kerrville strong. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from washington state, ms. strickland, for five minutes. ms. strickland: thank you, madam speaker. americans nationwide has felt the impact of this year's extreme weather from flooding to wildfires to record heat. in washington state, heat domes in june and august of this year have caused hundreds to die of heat exposure. roads and highways have buckled and shellfish broiled in their streams. the iconic mount rainier, one of the snowiest places on earth, was not immune to this. the unprecedented heat, nearly 40 degrees above the previous recorded high, has had a devastating impact on the mountain. this image shows mount rainier during most of the summer. its sides bare compared to its typical snow cover. for longtime residents of washington state, it's jarring to see mount rainier without snow on its peak. the mountain lost 30% of its total snow cover. this is a visual demonstration that climate change is real. the lack of snow became more notable as a summer progressed, and this heat is an ecological issue and an economic issue. washington state's shellfish industry is among the largest in the nation contributing $270 million to the state economy and supporting nearly 3,000 jobs. the heat dome this summer devastated shellfish farms that make up the core of this industry. shellfish growers reported shellfish baking to death, literally, in shallow water and on the beach. taylor shellfish, located in my district, reported losing 2,000 clam seeds. as our planet warms, the extreme weather events is becoming more often, costing lives and critically damaging our environment and our economy. against this backdrop, our need to pass transformational climate change legislation becomes even more stark and more urgent. we must invest in the electric vehicle infrastructure. we must dramatically expand public transit. we must build an energy grid using renewable sources of power. we have a once in a generation opportunity to create tens of thousands of jobs and build a sustainable society for future generations. my district, my state, and our planet depends on it. thank you, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from south dakota, mr. johnson, for five minutes. mr. johnson: thank you, madam speaker. october 11 is in south dakota native american day. now, when american turns its eyes to indian reservations so often, too often the focus is on poverty, despair, dysfunction. but there are wonderful stories in indian country as well. stories of hope, stories of opportunity, of hard work, success, entrepreneurship. and with that in mind, i want to talk to you about tashina redhawk, a 17-year-old member of the sioux tribe. she's a rodeo queen. she's my friend. let me tell you, madam speaker, she's impressive. tashina graduated early from high school and then when the pandemic hit and her college classes went online, rather than do what so many teens did, spending more time on social media or on video games, she decided to become an entrepreneur. it's just an amazing story. her local coffee shop had remained closed during the pandemic, and so tashina saw an opportunity. she wanted to save money for college. again, as i said, she's an excellent student. she wants to be a veterinarian. she knows that path is not going to be easy and it's going to take a few dollars in the bank and she knew that this business opportunity would give her a wonderful chance. here she is in front of tashina's coffee. she also wanted to make her hurt local community, her small town had the same amenities large towns do. i think we can all agree that a powerful cup of coffee is a great amenity. for first-hand experience, i can tell you her coffee really is excellent. she works so hard, madam speaker. long days, long weeks to make this business a success. tashina is passionate about instilling a sense of independence and hard work among other young people on her reservation. this woman is going places. i'm proud to say that she's my friend. her father sums it up well. he said she's not a victim. she is an advocate. now, tashina's story is one of many throughout indian country and throughout the state of south dakota that don't get the attention they deserve. i think of so many tribal leaders that i've met with over the years that choose self-reliance. leslie crow, our office's inaugural ben rifle fellow. she's a teacher. she's a college instructor. she's a small business woman. i think of lakota vogual, the executive director of the four bands community fund, and she works with tribal members to build economic opportunity on the cheyenne indian river reservation. i think one whose long-term service as a secretary of the tribe is a reliable source of leadership for her people. madam speaker, there are so many others. it's been clear to me that native american people across this country are resilient. and those that choose hard work and independence over reliance, they are so often successful and they are so often strong. they provide us a great opportunity. we can be more like them. we can be more like tashina and lakota and leslie and myrna. so this native american day, we should all take the moment to admire the hard work and the entrepreneurship, and we should follow their example. if there were more tashina redhawks, we would have a better nation. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. schiff, for five minutes. mr. schiff: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to pay tribute to a true public servant. we use that term frequently and often too casually but the individual i am speaking about unquestionably defines the term and sets an example we should all set to achieve. elizabeth jean beck juna has served as my casework manager for 20 years. she's served the congress and the american people for over 33 years. prior to serving my constituents, she worked for congressman glen anderson and congressman steven horn of long beach, california. it is worth noting that the bitter partisan politics of today have never touched elizabeth's commitment to service. she's worked for democrats and republicans without concern for political philosophy. it is that dedication that determination to help people and that diligence that truly makes her irreplaceable. elizabeth will be retiring on september 30. when she does, we will be losing one of the most effective and compassionate caseworkers in the history of the congress. yes, i know that sounds boastful but it's quite simply the truth. little did i know when i hired elizabeth in 2002 what a profound impact she would have on the lives of so many of my constituents and on me. elizabeth began her career in public service because when her brother returned home from the vietnam war he could find no assistance for his ptsd and agent orange-related illnesses. she decided it would be her mission to ensure that other veterans would not face a similar fate and often focused her efforts on helping veterans obtain the benefits they so richly deserved. she also felt an affinity for immigrants since she and her husband adopted five orphan children from tonga. that became her a local expert in international adoption. her compassion for all immigrants also led her to become a recognized expert in the field and she diligently advocated for all immigrants to be afforded all the benefits legally available to them. the number of constituents elizabeth has helped in a substantive manner are in the tens of thousands, and i'm probably undercounting. and she has mentored other congressional staff and given guidance and direction to everyone who's lucky enough to ask her to do so. not a week goes by that i do not hear from some of my constituents about this miracle or that that she accomplished on their behalf, whether it is large or small. as her retirement became known, my office received dozens of emails thanking her for her service and asking if she couldn't stay just a little longer. she has assisted the many studios in my district as well as the jet propulsion laboratory and the california institute of technology, but perhaps more importantly, she helped the individual constituent who needed a fierce champion for their cause, help navigating a bureaucracy that can seem arcane and senseless at times. elizabeth is a native californian, the daughter of wilbert and ellen beck. her family is surprised her husband, sons, adopted tongan children, molly, angela, michelle, jacob, and over a dozen grandchildren. she will be missed in our was office and by our constituents beyond measure and i can't her enough for her service. i want you to join me in thanking her for her unwavering dedication to the public service and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentlelady from north carolina, ms. foxx. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. the pro abortion lobby cheered last week as house democrats rushed through h.r.3755, the abortion on demand until birth act. throughout the course of debate last friday, i listened as my colleagues across the isle took to their bully pulpit and sang the prizes of the abortion industry in america. the talking points that afternoon were so disported from reality that is was as if members of the abortion lobby were the ones who wrote them. some members claim passing this bill was a duty that must be fulfilled to restore the rights of women. others claimed it was a duty that upheld the oath they took to defend the constitution. madam speaker, no matter the justification given, the american people can see this is yet another elaborate smoke screen coming from the majority. but what really shook me to my core was how abortion was being normalized in those moments. women's health is being used as a euphemism for abortion as if the health of the baby that is destroyed is inconsequential. not to mention that half of the babies that are aborted are female. you cannot claim that this issue is one of, quote, women's health, end quote, when that is the case. the same sentiment applies to the phrase, "reproductive freedom" that was thrown around multiple times. explain to me how the process of destroying an innocent baby resembles freedom for the baby? it's outrageous to link abortion and the concept of freedom together. these are the kinds of deliberate spin tactics that attempt to hide the horrors of abortion from the american people. no set of elaborate talking points from pro abortion advocates can truly mask the societal ill that is abortion. unfortunately, that only skims the surface of how abortion is being advertised. the less narrative on abortions has evolved to the point where this, a moral procedure, is now associated with pride. abortion is not prideful. it is not a form of empowerment. abortion is robbing a human being of god's most precious gift, life. when the left's narrative grows only more devious -- while the left's narrative grows only more devious, the voices of those who survived abortions or their parents chose life continue to be silenced. the stories of these men and women are invaluable and they deserve to be heard by everyone. that's the truth of the matter. madam speaker, republicans fundamentally understand that life begins at conception and ends at natural death. we believe that life is a precious and sanctified gift god bestowed upon us. i'm proud to stand alongside so many constituents of north carolina's fifth congressional district as well as my republicans in the people's house in fighting to protect life. the unborn deserve nothing less than unwavering advocates who stand for them. i'll always serve as a strong voice for the unborn, and i do not plan on stopping any time soon. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yield. charm -- the chair recognizes the gentleman from kansas, mr. man for five minutes. mr. mann: i wish to discuss this pack estate is the worst effects on the american people. it wants to reduce the deficit with the majority vote, not to let the majority party jam legislation through this congress. since january, speaker pelosi and house democrats have not used reconciliation for its purpose but pass the $1.9 trillion american rescue plan on party lines and now the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint. here we see the opposite of the intended use for reconciliation process and the opposite of the word "reconciliation" itself, this is division. bernie sanders, the chairman of the budget committee said under his budget no middle income family would pay more in taxes, that's not true. it includes damaging tax increases following on the shoulders of small business owners and farms. it would increase the national debt to $45 trillion by 2031. in addition to the devastating spending and tax hikes it would allow the federal government to intervene even more in our daily lives and kill countless jobs. unfortunately the senate version could be worse. right now the house version of the bill keeps stepped up basis intact which protects family farms from being taxed out of existence and does not include the requirement banks report to the i.r.s. all transactions over $600 which is patiently ludicrous. i'm prepared to offer an amendment on the final bill if either of these two provisions among others are changed. this is the largest tax and spend bill in the history of the country. only 1% has even been scored by the congressional budget office. it would result in a whopping $10, 600 per american in new spending. we're spending money we don't have on things that we don't need. and i urge this congress to join me in opposing this horrible legislation which would weaken our great nation and reduce our freedom. # madam speaker, i rise to discuss what i see is the path to healing and reconciliation in our country. we have a promise from god about how to heal our nation. it's very simple and from chronicles ii and the lord says my people called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, i will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and i will heal their land. it is almost as though god crafted this message for our present moment. i'm proud to be part of the crew of people on this earth who strive to live by god's promises, those who follow jesus. can you find us throughout kansas and from austin, texas, to hamilton, montana, from simmons, kentucky, to thompson, connecticut. in this country so many people advance against one another in jealousy and pride and they rush to judgment and they rob each other of the dignity and respect we owe our fellow citizens when we should be carrying each other's burdens. if we don't stop this behavior, we will incur the punishment it deserves. i think of my daughter when i tuck her in at night and my son when we go fishing. i don't want them to live in a country that is playing the dangerous game of division and hatred for the next 99 years. but a world of hope, peace and love. if our country keeps rejecting god, we'll only make it harder for ourselves to accomplish this. madam speaker, i rise today to commemorate the life of a truly great kansan, dr. jerry flinchbagh who died at age 78. he taught my ag class at the university which was the best i took in college and had a larger than life demeanor and was involved at some level in every farm bill going back to over 50 years and was sharp, witty and hilarious. the doctor did more for kansas farmers than possibly anyone else during his lifetime. his expertise in ag policy led him to meet every president from harry truman to george w. bush but wasn't interested in notoriety. he was passionate about his family and his field of study and his students who were his legacy and pride of joy. i was one of the 5,000 students the doctor taught over the span of 49 years, and i can picture him now, cigar in hand holding court in classroom in his office transed by transfixed young people, many who would become leaders in the very field they learned from him. i'd like to close who one of his quotes i think we all need to hear, especially in this deliberative body at the present time. he said, there are two ways to make public decisions, compromise or a dictatorship. there's nothing in between. with that, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. carter, for five minutes. mr. carter: madam speaker, i rise today to recognize the resiliency and the courage of julian stanford. julian is a 17-year-old high school student who was recently involved in a life-changing accident. while driving home after work on august 21, julian attempted to avoid an on-coming vehicle resulting in paralyzing injuries. julian was transferred to the shepherd center in atlanta, georgia, where his treatment has been centered around healing and prayer. prior to his accident, julian was an honor roll student and an active leader in his high school's republican party. known throughout his community for his laughter and love of music, julian's passion for life is truly inspiring. despite the extent of his injuries, julian continues to fight daily with his mom by his side. julian is a living miracle. whose determination is remarkable. i'm praying for julian and his family that he makes a full recovery, and i know he will go on to achieve great things. julian, we love you. you inspire us. keep up the good fight. madam speaker, i rise today to recognize september as national suicide prevention month. this important month is an opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives to suicide and share resources to fight the stigma surrounding mental health challenges. as a 10th leading cause of death in the united states, suicide affects americans from all walks of life. the challenges surrounding mental health can be complex but we owe it to our constituents to utilize every resource to better understand the factors contributing to suicide. a critical part in suicide prevention is equipping ourselves and our communities with the resources needed to fight this tragic occurrence. from engaging in open conversations about mental health, to checking on our neighbor, there are steps we can all take to help those in crisis. september may be suicide prevention month but community engagement and prevention efforts should be maintained year-round. i encourage everyone to educate themselves on the warning signs of suicide as it could save a life. madam speaker, i rise today with a heavy heart to remember and honor don and marjorie of glenn county, georgia, who tragically passed away on september 25. don and marjorie were aboard amtrak's empire builder train when it derailed near joplin, montana. don and maggie were known throughout the community for their service to the glenn county school system. marjorie was a teacher, a principal, a personnel director and assistant superintendent. she was loved by her students and peers to her dedication for educating our future generations. don was a retired st. simons real estate agent and school board member for four years. during his term, don focused on improving the school system so that all students in glenn county could have a positive learning experience. both cared immensely for their community and i'm thankful for don and marjorie's impact on georgia's first congressional district it. their irreplaceable presence will be missed by all. thank you, madam speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recollect ok i sees the gentleman from tennessee for five minutes. >> thank you, madam speaker, i seek unanimous consent to speak for five minutes and revise and extend. joe biden preached messages like healing our country and focusing on bipartisanship in his campaign for president. his victory speech he ripped off a line from barack obama and said, quote, i pledge to an president who seeks not to divide but to unify. mr. burchett: who sees not red and blue states but the united states. these messages were blatant lies and his only intention is proven to govern on the democrat's party far left base. look at the ongoing farce on our southern border. the department of homeland security released thousands of unvetted haitian migrants into this country, no questions asked, even the president turned his back on border patrol agents over that bogus horse photo. our government wouldn't we-this way unless it was worried about backlash from leftists who want to open our borders and defund the immigration and customs enforcement agency. the border has been out of control from the moment joe biden stepped foot in the oval office. month after month after month we hear about border patrol agents encountering hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to illegally enter our country. president biden put vice president harris in charge of fixing our southern border but whatever she is doing to, quote, address the root cause of migration obviously isn't working. last week the white house press secretary whined about republicans giving floor speeches about the crisis at the border. i say to the press secretary, we wouldn't be down here raising haties if your boss would quit being so soft and start doing his job and enforce the dadgum border laws. chaos at the southern borders is one of many crises of joe biden's own creation. key stand here for hours and talk about inflation caused by reckless government spend, a failed exit from afghanistan that left 13 american service members dead, including one of my constituents, his family lives in my neighborhood, and much more. : they see joe biden standing idly by while this country is being destroyed. they think this president is grossly incompetent and not capable of running the executive branch. i even talked to democrats here in congress who are extremely concerned about these very issues. serious problems are getting worse. yet, joe biden doesn't show any interest in solving them. given this president's lack of interest and serving as chief executive, i am -- i could confidently say this president is mentally unwell and unfit for office. it's time for joe biden to step down. we need a leader that's worried about the future of this country. thank you, madam speaker. 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 gentleman from florida, mr. bilirakis, for five minutes. mr. bilirakis: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to discuss the ongoing border crisis. last week, president biden's homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas told congress the border is secure. this statement is absolutely false. the biden administration has embraced policies to open the southern border, not to secure it. in reality, these open border policies have created one of the worst border crisis in history. according to u.s. customs and border patrol -- protection, this august alone, 208,087 people were apprehended trying to illegally enter the country through the southern border, which is 317% increase from last august. it's really a big problem, madam speaker. and since february of 2021, the agency says more than 1.2 million people have been apprehended illegally crossing the border. that staggering statistics represents more than the entire -- actually piniella county which i represents. when i was at the border a few months ago, madam speaker, the c.b.p. agents made it clear they weren't even making a dent when it came to capturing the historic number of people who are illegally entering our country or was seizing the extraordinary volumes of drugs that are flowing across the border. that is truly unfathomable. when you consider that c.b.p. has seized 724 pounds of fentanyl and 595 pound of heroin so far in fiscal year 2021. these deadly drugs don't just stay in communities along the border. they are spread throughout the country into communities like mine in the tampa bay area. these drugs are ruining and claiming countless lives, madam speaker. in fact, florida currently ranks second in the nation for overdose deaths. these are our neighbors and members of our family who are dying. we have to take action now. in addition to drugs, weapons, humans are being trafficked through the border. human traffickers are making an estimated $15 million a day. i'm concerned for these victims. many of whom are children. the root cause of this crisis are clear. represent -- excuse me -- president biden's disastrous immigration policies are to blame. his administration stopped building the wall, brought back catch and release, and tried to get rid of the remain in mexico policy. the president himself has actually articulated a new openness towards new migrants, something people in south america say is the root cause of the crisis they're seeing. the situation at the border is dangerous. it's a dangerous, unmitigated disaster, madam speaker. especially now as our enemies feel embolden by what recently transpired in afghanistan. we have to secure or border as a matter of national security. thank you so very much for giving me the opportunity, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from ohio, ms. kaptur, for five minutes. ms. kaptur: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to highlight the work congress is undertaking to make historic investments in our nation's infrastructure and create millions of good-paying jobs in communities across our country, coast-to-coast, communities just like mine. cities like toledo, sandusky, lorraine, parma, far too long received far fewer resources than needed to keep pace with life in this 21st century. as we look around our country right now, we bear witness to historic water shortages in lake meade. on the other hand, in my region of the country, historic high water levels in the great lakes. meanwhile, raging wildfires in california. we've watched power blackouts in texas. torrential rains and flooding in new york city, in dearborn, michigan, and rural farmlands outside nashville, as well as hurricanes that have been ravaging states throughout the gulf of mexico. truly, in this new century, we must set a firmer course to sustain life in our country and, yes, sustain life on mother earth herself. as a representative from the great lakes, i can say without a shadow of a doubt that lake erie and the economies and people who truly rely on it face growing environmental challenges unlike any we've seen before. the great lakes are the largest source of fresh water on earth, and surely on this continent. they are responsible for transporting our nation's heavy manufacturing materials from ports to factories, support our commercial and defense capabilities, and serve as a lifeblood for our industrial heartland. but the changing climate is impacting these majestic waters, requiring sizeable investments to correct and overcome. recently, the house transportation committee and infrastructure committee included $350 million for a new state-of-the-art -- get ready -- great lakes heavy icebreaker for our region. some members of congress said, oh, you have ice? let me tell you, in the winter, yes, we do. this investment will ensure that for decades to come, the thousands of miles of shipping lanes of the great lakes and st. lawrence seaway, our nation's longest coastline, by the way, are navigable, and that the materials that make our country run are able to be delivered and that our freshwater bounty is preserved for the future. i want to especially thank chairman peter defazio of the transportation and infrastructure committee for taking up this request from our bipartisan house great lakes task force. as co-chair of the appropriations subcommittee on energy and water, our members delivered the funding bill necessary to turbocharge investments in coastal resiliency across our country. in home weatherization programs as climate changes from coast-to-coast. to modernize the s the sue lock to focus on next generation energy, solar energy technology, and technologies we are inventing in hydrogen, in various types of thermal water technologies. there is so much where america will lead the world in inventions for the future. to succeed, we have to make sure these investments make it through this congress and that infrastructure investment makes it to president biden's desk. old infrastructure is crumbling as our climate is changing, we are running out of time. we know that a functions system between lake superior and the rest of the great lakes, for example, supports 11 million jobs. and we know clean energy technologies like solar and wind are vital to powering our nation. and providing clean and affordable energy, and building our future right here, right now at home. in northern ohio, we have brilliant workers that in -- in innovative companies like toledo solar and first solar that are delivering the evolutionary solar panels for every corner of our nation. we're literally building the change forward right now. providing for our domestic energy security and independence. but companies like these need workers. and workers need training and that is what the infrastructure and jobs bill will allow us to do -- build back better for america's tomorrow, as president biden knows we must. we are talking about good-paying middle-class jobs. we are talking about investing in climate resilience and environmental conservation that restores communities, puts people to work and ensures our families have wages and allows them to buy the vitals they need for life. thank you so very much and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from new york, ms. tenney, for five minutes. ms. tenney: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to honor the life and legacy of my former congressman, sherwood bowler. known as sherry. sherry passed away last week at the age of 84. after serving in the united states army, his love for his community and state led him to begin his career in public service. he was elected as the owe nighta county -- onita county executive in 1979 and was elected to serve our community in the house of representatives in 1983 and served until 2006. sherry was committed to representing our region to the best of his ability. he returned home whenever he could. in 2001, he was elected chair of the house committee on science. a coveted position that built on his love of nature and our environment. he actually led the charge to tackle the issue of acid rain and had tremendous success. he's remembered by his colleagues as a remarkable individual and never lost sight of the reason he was elected to fight for all of us in upstate new york. sherry was born in 1936. he spent his childhood in my hometown of new hartford, new york. prior to elected office, sherry graduated from utica college, a local favorite. he went on to serve as chief of staff to former congressman alexander perney and served under former congressman donald mitchell, before he served as county executive and later as congressman. he married his lovely wife mary ann and was immensely proud of his four children. i just wanted to share a few reflections on sherry. i obviously had the honor of working with him while i was a staffer for the assembly. i do live in our former congressman's home, alexander perney, and while sherry was his chief of staff, he often commented to me what i had done with the house and i do -- and where i was -- what i've done with it, how much time he spent there and how he knew every corner of it working with our former congressman. i have a funny story about our family business. our newspaper, the mid york weekly, and also the penny saver, were located in the district and had the occasion to invite congressman bowler to visit us and to see our operations. and it was quite a fun day. we got to the back and in a newspaper business, as many know, we have an inserting operation where we put our fliers in the back of the -- flyers in the back of the newspaper and tended to be filled with retired farmers and people from our community, particularly very energetic senior citizens. and sherry got back there and was really excited to meet them all. one of them put him to the challenge to see if he could do the job. so sherry, without hesitation, took off his business coat, rolled up his sleeves, sat down and started inserting newspapers in our business. and they loved him for that. it was really a fun moment. and i think he had a really great time with our seniors and with a lot of our staff. and we are always grateful for him for coming to our newspaper. and also for his annual support of a publication, special publication we put out each february honoring our presidents, our vice presidents, our first ladies and, of course, our first dogs. sherry was always so supportive of us for that. and we just are so glad that we're able to honor him this week with so many great reflections and so many people reaching out to me in congress. and over the last week, it was really heartwarming to get those messages from members of congress. and i might add, on both sides of the aisle. and i've seen many tributes, even on the senate side. he'll always be fondly remembered by all of our colleagues and our republicans and democrats. earlier this week, i had the distinct honor of participating in his funeral service alongside previous elected officials from our region. also, other congress members. it was a solemn occasion honoring his life, but also a joyous one to celebrate all he achieved for our community. today, my thoughts and my prayers are with sherry's family. especially his wife, mary ann, who is also a devoted public servant. i ask that you please join me now in remembering sherry with a moment of silence in this great chamber where he served so many years. thank you, all. thank you, madam speaker. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. costa, for five minutes. . mr. costa: no matter where they live they deserve proper infrastructure for those in the 21st century and why we must pass the president's bipartisanship infrastructure package tomorrow. we're living off the investments our grandparents and parents made generations ago and in many communities that's no longer sustainable. in my home state of california, we are suffering from devastating effects of climate change, historical fires and droughts. but the farmers in the san joaquin valley also need an infrastructure that reflects their ability to put food on the dinner table every night. the devastating dry conditions and lack of water led many of them to fallow their field, hundreds of acres of productive farmland. it's simple as this, without food, our farmers and americans don't eat. it's a national security issue. therefore, we must fix our broken water infrastructure system. the only way to ensure farmers have water we need to feed our nation is build and improve more conveyance and storage facilities. this infrastructure package will help that as well as efforts we're pursuing on the reconciliation package so we need to improve and store water at times now. in addition to that we need to make other investments in rural and other areas by expanding broadband. broadband today is like rural electrification in the 19 30's and no american should be without broadband. we also learned from the covid-19 crisis without access to quality health care is critical and it's critical we have affirm -- ample physicians and nurses and make more protective equipment but can't make more doctors and nurses. so therefore we have a serious shortage of health care professionals. and that's why a part of this effort to build back america better is to provide medical schools in underserved areas and improve access to our nursing schools. that's critical. we must do that. in addition, investing in public transportation for our economy is just as essential. the united states is trailing other nations when it comes to modern investments and infrastructure on transportation, like high speed rail. it's time we bring our system into the 21st century. finishing california's high speed rail efforts along with four other -- corridors in our country will help our climate and reduce emissions that pollute the air. climate change is an important part of this essential package of investing in our infrastructure. we know with the results of droughts and fires and floods and hurricanes the climate is changing and we need to provide tools to address that. without critical investments that this infrastructure package we'll vote on tomorrow, our nation will suffer, making life better for our constituents is my top priority and should be the priority of congresspeople throughout the country. it requires us to focus on health and development of our communities and the economy needs us to support this effort. madam chairman, i ask how much time do i have left remaining? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has 1:30 remaining. mr. costa: thank you. excuse me. as we talk about building back better, let me also note we must pass a continuing resolution to ensure that government stays operating. shut down government is not an option. so we should act upon this in the next 24 hours to whatever extended date is agreed as well as lifting the debt ceiling. in the 17 years i've been here, i've never under republican and democrat alike voted to shut down government. that's irresponsible and we must also lift the debt ceiling. this is something congress in the previous administration has already created. and we don't want to be deadbeats. and the impacts of our economy would be devastating in terms of even contemplating shutting down government or not lifting the debt ceiling. so finally, let me make a comment. i was saddened to learn of our colleague, congressman boehlert's passing and served in his last term as he was chairman of the science committee and he was terrific and his focus on making sure americans address the needs of science in a changing world was always at the forefront as chairman of the committee. i went with him on an incredible trip to antarctica to explore the impacts of climate change. but beyond his accomplishments to the people of this country he was an avid baseball fan and loved representing cooperstown and had the best baseball collection i've ever seen. god bless you, sherry, and your family. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields and the chair recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania, mr. thompson, for five minutes. mr. thompson: thank you, madam speaker. i rise to recognize september as recovery month and it's important we draw attention as we continue the battle against the ongoing epidemic in our country. september continues to celebrate the gains made by those in recovery as well as promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices. it is also a time to focus on raise ago wearness and understanding of the mental health and substance use disorders. over the past month many of my colleagues supported purple ribbons to show our support for those in recovery. currently 23 million americans are in recovery from an addiction to drugs or alcohol. by recognizing national recovery month we can highlight the strength of the recovery community and show support to our health care workers, first responders, friends, family and community who support those in recovery. addiction to alcohol or other substance like opiod is an ongoing epidemic plaguing communities across the nation. we know addiction does not discriminate. it can happen to anyone regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status and why this year's recovery month theme is recovery for everyone, every person, every family, every community. we must highlight the works of faces and voices of recovery who promote national recovery month and continue to provide resources to those in recovery as well as friends and family. in my home state of pennsylvania, there were more than 5200 deaths due to drug overdoses this past year. now, these numbers continue to be highly alarming and we must continue to work to combat this epidemic. no one can tackle addiction on their own and by recognizing national recovery month, we're showing there is light at the end of the tunnel and with the right support, there is a road to recovery. throughout the month of september, faces and voices recovery encourages local communities to host events, that highlights services available for those in need. last week, venango county human services celebrated national recovery month at franklin's bandstand park. this event had family friendly activities where those who participated win prizes and enjoy refreshments and pin a ribbon on the recovery board. the event celebrated first responders, health care workers and others who support recovery. local vendors were encouraged to set up tables to share their programs. the evening ended in a landle light vigil to remember those who passed due to their addiction. by engaging our local communities we can continue to make recovery and those that support it possible. we can work together to change the way addiction and recovery understood to better support those struggling. as september ends, let's continue to elevate the organizations who provide resources and support to those recovering from addiction. thank you, madam speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields, pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the cha >> based on your experience to the supreme court, do the courts emergency proceedings provide parties efficient opportunity for briefing and presenting their arguments? >> i believe they do. always can use more time but i've been able oftentimes for example in the case i referenced earlier, we had less than 24 but we worked through the night and presented the strong case to the court i thought. and mr. smith's council is able to represent him well and he ultimately prevailed in that particular emergency proceeding. >> why would it be unusual or problematic for federal courts to resolve new and complicated procedural questions in the context of emergency application for relief? and i think it was clear from the information that it gave us it had serious questions that it did.

Related Keywords

New York , United States , Georgia , Montana , Afghanistan , Tampa Bay , Florida , North Carolina , Texas , Atlanta , Kentucky , Antarctica , California , Mount Rainier , Washington , Tonga , De Soto County , Mississippi , Haiti , Michigan , Connecticut , Mexico , Dearborn , Tennessee , South Dakota , Kerrville , Utica College , Ohio , Kansas , Americans , America , American , Haitian , Maureen Frazier , Glen Anderson , Barack Obama , Nancy Pelosi , Joe Biden , Peter Defazio , Sherry , Stanford Julian , Judy Chu , Steven Horn , Cheyenne Indian , Mary Ann , Olivia King , Elizabeth Jean Beck Juna ,