Robert Aderholt

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I reserve a point of order upon the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 194, H.R. 4292--``To amend chapter 97 of title 28, United States Code, to clarify the exception to foreign sovereign immunity set forth in section 1605(a)(3) of such title.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall No. 195, H.R. 3584--``To amend the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to authorize privately insured credit unions to become members of a Federal home loan bank, and for other purposes.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall No. 196, Journal--On Approving the Journal. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay a special honor to Mrs. Rosalyn Fabianke, of Red Bay, Alabama, as the project director for the Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street exhibit entitled, ``The Way We Worked.'' It was held in Red Bay from September 14-October 25, 2013. Mrs. Fabianke deserves to be recognized for her unselfish dedication to this project. She is truly one who embodies the American spirit of community. Each year the Smithsonian Institution partners with Museum on Main Street and chooses six cities to host a traveling exhibit. This year, Red Bay was chosen as the inaugural city to display the exhibit, ``The Way We Worked,'' documenting how industry has shaped our country and how it has changed over the years. Each city is further tasked with taking the exhibits from the Smithsonian and incorporating them into the local culture. Through the creativity of Mrs. Fabianke and her dedicated volunteers, Red Bay integrated the exhibit with its library, museum, churches, local industries, and other aspects of the town's community life. Red Bay, a town of just over 3,000 residents, had a total of 6,692 visitors to the exhibit, coming from 41 States and four foreign countries. This number broke all previously held records listed by the Alabama Humanities Foundation for the number of people attending a traveling Smithsonian exhibit. Mrs. Fabianke's skilled leadership and guidance drove the momentum of this project and were influential in the success of the event. Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to honor Mrs. Rosalyn Fabianke for her role as the project director of this internationally viewed exhibit and for her enduring impact on her community and the great State of Alabama. I join her family, friends and colleagues in congratulating her on a job well done.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 56--H. Res. 447-- Supporting the democratic and European aspirations of the people of Ukraine, and their right to choose their own future free of intimidation and fear, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 57--JOURNAL--On Approving the Journal, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 58--H. Res. 475--On Ordering the Previous Question, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3193) to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to strengthen the review authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council of regulations issued by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, providing for proceedings from Feb. 13, 2014-Feb. 24, 2014, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 59--H. Res. 475--On Agreeing to the Resolution, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3193) to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to strengthen the review authority of the Financial Stability Oversight Council of regulations issued by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, providing for proceedings from Feb. 13, 2014-Feb. 24, 2014, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 60--S. 25--On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal features of the electric distribution system to the South Utah Valley Electric Service District, and for other purposes, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''; on rollcall No. 61--S. 540--On Passage to designate the air route traffic control center located in Nashua, New Hampshire, as the Patricia Clark Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center, had I been present, I would have voted ``no''; and on rollcall No. 62--H.R. 3448--On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide for an optional pilot program allowing certain emerging growth companies to increase the tick sizes of their stocks, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, every four years, on January 20th, all Americans celebrate the inauguration of a new President. It is a time of hope and a quadrennial reminder of the enduring nature of our democracy and the peaceful transition of power from one administration to the next. January is also a time for celebration and commemoration for a friend and ally, the Republic of Azerbaijan. This January marks the 24th anniversary of the events that marked the beginning of the end of Soviet rule over Azerbaijan, an occupation that existed for much of the 20th Century. This time period is referred to in Azerbaijan as ``Black January,'' when violent conflict erupted in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku on January 19-20, 1990 Soviet troops killed over 100 nationalist demonstrators and wounded another 700 Azeri citizens. When Soviet troops fired on innocent civilians, including old people and children, demanding freedom, it became a defining moment in recent Azeri history. Azerbaijan eventually declared its independence from the U.S.S.R. on October 18, 1991. In the report, ``Black January in Azerbaijan,'' Human Rights Watch put the events into a larger perspective: ``the violence used by the Soviet Army on the night of January 19-20 was . . . an exercise in collective punishment . . . intended as a warning to nationalists, not only in Azerbaijan, but in the other Republics of the Soviet Union.'' I ask the House of Representatives to join me in commemorating--with our friend and ally, Azerbaijan--the events of Black January in 1990, events which began in tragedy but culminated in the birth of an independent nation and ally of the United States. May God bless this nation as it continues to move forward.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, thank you for bringing this critical bill to the floor today. I'd also like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Smith, for authoring this legislation. Coming on the heels of the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, this bill signifies our staunch support of life and the importance of preventing taxpayers' funds from being used to pay for abortion. For years, our government has had an uneven approach to federal funding of abortions. This bill would create a single, unified policy across all federal agencies. U.S. taxpayer funds are not to be used to pay for abortions whether it be funding for elective abortion coverage through any program funded through the annual Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act; funding for health plans that include elective abortion coverage for Federal employees; congressionally appropriated funds for abortion in the District of Columbia; or funding through the Peace Corps or federal prisons or federal immigration detention centers to pay for elective abortion. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act will do just what the title says. It will ban the use of federal funds for abortion or health plans that cover abortion. H.R. 7 prohibits abortions at facilities owned or operated by the federal government, and prevents federal employees from performing abortions within the scope of their employment. The founding fathers strongly believed that human beings are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among which is the right to life, and therefore the right to life of each human being should be preserved and protected by every human being in the society and by the society as a whole. It is our duty as Members of Congress to protect those who cannot speak for themselves.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. I thank the gentleman from Kentucky, Chairman Rogers, for the time. Madam Speaker, I also wanted to personally thank the chairman for his work and the work of his staff because shepherding all 12 of these appropriations bills is no easy task, especially as it comes down to the issues that are the most difficult to discuss and to come to a conclusion on. So, again, I thank the chairman for his work and that of his staff, and how he conducts his staff in these negotiations. I would also like to echo something that the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) said in his opening comments about one of our subcommittee clerks, Martin Delgado. He is retiring from the subcommittee after 16 years. As was mentioned, he is someone who knows the subject matter of agriculture very well. He has gone beyond the call of duty in his job as clerk of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. So he is someone that is going to be missed from this body. We wish him the best and wish him well in his new endeavors. Of course I do want to rise in support of the FY14 Consolidated Appropriations Act. This agreement encompasses the work of, as I mentioned, all 12 appropriations subcommittees and is the culmination of work that began last spring when we first started hearings on the President's budget request. I also would like to assure my colleagues that, contrary to what they may have heard, the bill has not only been read but that every word and every number has been scrutinized, and there are no surprises in this bill. As it has been said, this legislation, while funding the Federal Government for the remaining part of the fiscal year, continues to reduce spending and the overall spending level in this agreement is lower than the FY09-enacted spending level. Most importantly, it is $191 million less than President Obama submitted in his FY14 budget request. The Agriculture division of this agreement, which I worked most closely with over the last year, has critical funding for the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Farm Credit Administration. Funding in this agreement will ensure that American producers can continue to produce the most abundant and safest food supply in the world. Agricultural research is funded at $2.6 billion, which will help keep America at the forefront of cutting-edge research and competitive around the globe. I would encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege today to honor Mrs. Evelyn Stevens, a member of my staff for almost seventeen years. Evelyn is retiring this year after over 34 years of service to the U.S. House of Representatives. Evelyn began working for my predecessor, Congressman Tom Bevill, in 1979 and has worked continuously since then with passion and dedication for the constituents of the current Fourth Congressional District of Alabama. It would be difficult to count the number of constituents that she has helped during her tenure with the Fourth District of Alabama. Evelyn was married for almost 40 years to Milton ``Bud'' Stevens and has two daughters, Renita Rigney and Amelia Sutter. She has five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren with two more great- grandchildren soon to be born. She enjoys traveling with her daughters and takes the time to visit a different baseball stadium in the country during a trip they take every year. Evelyn is also an avid bowler, bowling every Tuesday evening with her team. Few people can look back on their life and see that they have contributed so much to the well-being of their fellow citizens and their country. Evelyn Stevens is one of those people. On behalf of myself and all the people of Alabama's Fourth Congressional District, I can never thank her enough for her hard work and dedication to serving the people of Alabama and the United States of America. May God bless Evelyn in the years to come.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 551, H.R. 185--To designate the ``Paul Brown United States Courthouse'' in Sherman, Texas, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall No. 552, H.R. 3205--Promoting Adoption and Legal Guardianship for Children in Foster Care Act, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall No. 553, on approving the Journal, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 554: On ordering the previous question--providing for consideration of H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall No. 555: On agreeing to the resolution--providing for consideration of H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' General Leave

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of one America's and one of Alabama's most heroic sons, and his family. SPC Corey Garmon of Boaz and The United States Army. On July 11, 2012 while out on patrol in Kandahar Corey was almost killed in an IED blast. Losing both his legs and sustaining numerous other life threatening injuries he has battled back. Just recently he celebrated his alive date, marking the one year anniversary of brush with death. His lovely wife Megan has been by his side from the beginning, giving him the love and support to help bring him through these darkest of all nights. They are about to have their first child. We are not sure if this is blast related or not, but one of Alabama's brightest sons is a Gator fan. We hope in the coming years once he gets back home we can make him see the light. I submit this poem penned by Albert Caswell in honor of his valor and courage and his family's. In The Battle (by Albert Carey Caswell) In . . . In The Battle! All In The Fight! There are but all of those who but bring their light! Men of honor! And Men of might! Who so march off to war with hearts and souls of steel so very bright! To leave behind all that they so love and adore! As where they go, Angels so fear to tread so for sure! For no day is so promised all in war! All in this darkest of dread all the more . . . As all around them the red blood flows and pours! Where it's, one for all . . . , and all for one! A place to where fine hearts of Strength In Honor so run! For these are America's greatest of all Daughters and Sons! The Men and Women of Bronco Company, who for all of us so do what must so be done! For they so live by a code! As they so lock and load! A Code of Honor! A Code of Faith! While, all around them such darkness waves! As they so bravely stare death right in the face! As upon each new morn as they awake, not knowing if this is to be their last and final day! While, thousands of miles away . . . their families now so cry and pray! As they so ask our Lord, to so let their loved ones live just one more day! As somehow out into that darkness they make their ways! To a way of honor! To a way of faith! To a way of courage, that so makes the Angels pray! As they do battle upon each new day! As their families, the tears in eyes they make! And for all of those who upon battlefields of honor who've died! It's for all of you and your families we now so cry Because all in that Battle, all of your promises you did so keep! As you so pledged your fine lives away, to all of your Brothers In Arms all in this bond which binds you so very deep! For in The Battle, there is something so magnificent of so to speak! That Keeps Them Strong, Them So Keeps! That So Helps Them To So Fight On an On! That which will not allow their most courageous hearts, to so retreat! All In This Battle, This Battle Oh So Very Deep! And one such Southern Son, who to sweet home Alabama his fine heart so speaks! Specialist Garmon, whose heart so shines like the mid day sun! This BO from BOAZ, and he knows how to lock and load! And so lives by such a code! Who is but Army Strong! Who all for his Country Tis of Thee, his fine heart beats loud and long! Who so came out of death to rebuild his life just like a song! While, all in those moments between life and death . . . As upon him he could so feel but that hand of death! As it was in that moment Corey, when to yourself you so made a pledge! To win this new battle that which to you this war had left! With your two strong legs now gone, your most courageous heart would crest! As somehow it so helped you to move on only with what you had so left! As it was Life or it was Death, as you got up and out of the bed to our hearts catch! All at speed, as this Bama would not so rest, would not so heed! For you had mountains to so climb! And people to so inspire all in your time! And a great wife named Megan, so divine! And with the help of your fine wife, as she so stood by her man, so by your side! As together you've so passed one of the greatest tests of time! In our times, and in our lives . . . There are Battles that we must fight! Will we so find the strength and the courage, to somehow deep down inside all of our hearts to so nourish! The strength to so find! Or in a town called pity will we now so reside, and feel so sorry for our selves and begin to cry? Or will we like Corey, get up and so begin our climb? All with hearts of courage full, to once again to do Battle one more time! For moments, are all that we all so have! To change the world! To so make the good from out of the bad! To make a difference with it all! To so teach us! To so beseech us! To against all odds in the end still so standing tall! But your not perfect Corey, because you're one of the biggest Florida Gator fans of all! I wonder if that sticks in coach SABANNNNN'S crawl? Why you won't roll with The Tide at all? I'm sorry Lou, but out to this hero The Gator calls! And when you get back to Bama, there's work to be done! We've got to get you to roll with The Tide, or as a War Eagle fly high my son! Corey my son, you are just a young man! But already, look at what all in your short life what you have done! More than most anyone! And up ahead, there's so much more for you my son! Better to live life like a hero, all in your most heroic sun! Than to die in the darkness of a life, of which nothing you have done! Because, we will all die some day . . . but only heroes up in Heaven will so run! For life is but a Battle, that only with but hearts of courage full can so be won! And Corey, you are one of America's and Alabama's . . . Most Heroic of all Sons In life and in War . . . All In That Battle, will we be the ones to so bravely march forth? All in our most selfless quests, to ourselves to so ignore! Is that not who Heaven is for? Specialist Gorman, you are a real American Hero so for sure! For only The Few, will In The Battle so march off to war to so answer that call! And the last time I saw Specialist Gorman, he was walking tall!

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 371, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 77) making continuing appropriations for the Food and Drug Administration for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the gentleman's motion.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), one of our physicians here in the House.

Mr. ADERHOLT. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), who chairs the full committee of Energy and Commerce.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I make a point of order that the instructions that are contained in the motion violate clause 7 of rule XVI, which requires that an amendment be germane to the bill under consideration at the time. As the Chair recently ruled on October 2, 3, and 4 of 2013, the instructions contain a special order of business within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules, and, therefore, the amendment is not germane to the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I insist on my point of order.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller), who currently chairs the House Administration Committee.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), who sits on the Homeland Security Committee.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 77, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 77, which would continue the funding for the Food and Drug Administration. I think everyone here in the House agrees that funding for the FDA is necessary to this critical operation in order to support our Nation's public health and the millions of jobs associated with FDA activities. Most Members of this body may not realize it, but FDA-regulated industries account for almost 25 percent of the consumer spending in the United States of America. Fiscal year 2013 ag appropriation included total funding of $4.2 billion; $2.5 billion came from discretionary funds and $1.7 billion from user fees. Of greatest importance is the need to ensure that our constituents continue to consume safe foods and use safe and effective drugs and medical devices. Despite reduced funding levels overall for FY 2013, we were able to provide a strategic increase of $12.5 million for food safety activities and $10 million for food and drug safety inspections in China. These funding increases will continue under a CR. In addition to the funds appropriated for the FDA, this resolution that we are debating this afternoon would allow FDA to collect and spend drug and medical product user fees. Of course, the fees are charged to the industry to support such lifesaving activities for the review and approval of new and generic drugs as well as medical devices. This House has already passed a resolution to fund the public health activities at the NIH, and it awaits the Senate's approval. Also, USDA meat and poultry inspectors were deemed critical to our Nation's food supply and have stayed on duty during this temporary delay in funding. It is now time for this body to continue funding one more critical component of our public health infrastructure. The Food and Drug Administration touches every Member of this House, either directly or indirectly, and we need the entire Agency back at work. We need to also limit any damage to the millions of jobs impacted by FDA's work in the food and bioscience industries. Now is the chance for my colleagues here in the House to join me in keeping this important program fully operational. I would ask that my colleagues support this resolution that we're debating this afternoon. It will ensure that all critical elements of our Nation's food and drug supply will be protected. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would hope that all of my colleagues would join me tonight in supporting House Joint Resolution 77 that has been discussed here over the last hour. I understand that many of my friends across the aisle would disagree with the majority's decision to immediately fund the most critical function of government during the delay that we have in current funding. I recognize your preferences for a vote on all the government at one time; but you must recognize the truth of the matter is we don't have consensus in the House. Until the White House and the Senate are willing to sit down and negotiate a quick solution to this stalemate, I ask that my friends across the aisle join me in supporting the Food and Drug Administration, an agency that is on the front lines for our public health on a day-to-day basis. There are a number of us who would question why nearly half of the FDA is furloughed when nearly all of their work impacts the safety and protection of human life. However, the administration has chosen to cease activities related to food, to medical devices, and to human drug establishment inspections, infant formula notifications, and to laboratory research that are tied to public health decision-making. Most importantly, I would want to think that the administration is not playing politics with the safety of our Nation's food supply; but why is it that 87 percent of the Food Safety and Inspection Service is on the job while only about half of FDA's food safety staff are actually working, especially when FDA is responsible for 80 percent of the food supply? As I noted in my opening remarks a few minutes ago, I would speculate that many of our colleagues don't realize how the FDA impacts every single one of our constituents in one way or the other. From formula fed to babies, to blood transfusions needed during emergencies and routine surgeries, to drugs that extend the lives of the sick, to the domestic or imported foods we feed to our families, on every occasion, the FDA is there. Just 2 days ago, this body voted 407-0 to approve a measure that will provide backpay to furloughed Federal workers. This vote did not impact the critical needs of public health, yet an important vote, nonetheless. I would ask that each of the 407 Members who voted on Saturday for the backpay for Federal workers to now vote in favor of a bill that provides for urgent needs for our public safety and our welfare across the United States of America. Again, I urge my colleagues to support this joint resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.