Robert Aderholt

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I rise in support of this en bloc amendment. I thank Chairwoman Lowey and Chairman Serrano for working with our side of the aisle, including many provisions that are important to many of our Members here on the Republican side. Included in this en bloc group of amendments are several NASA and science-related items that I wholeheartedly support. Congressman Babin's amendment enables the Office of Space Commerce and the Office, Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs to better assist American companies to be globally competitive, while still retaining necessary requirements for consultation with relevant agencies. Representative Foster's amendment emphasizes the need for NASA to move towards a demonstration stage of using safe, low-enriched uranium for power on the Moon and in space, including thermal nuclear propulsion to Mars. Madam Chair, I appreciate Chairman Serrano's decision to offer this bipartisan en bloc amendment, and I would urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the amendment. Unfortunately, there is a campaign that seems to be of fear that surrounds this citizenship question. It really should be an educational campaign. I would just like to reiterate some important facts about the Census itself. The proposed question regarding citizenship status only asks if a respondent is a citizen, as has already been pointed out. It does not ask if the respondent is here lawfully or not. Also, a person's response, if they are not a citizen, does not provide the government with any reliable information about whether they are lawfully present in the U.S. Furthermore, by law, the Census Bureau cannot, and it will not, disclose anyone's sponsor or share data from which any individual can be identified by ICE or any other Federal agency. Fortunately, the Census Bureau is deploying expert communicators and trusted messengers to conduct local outreach in hard-to-count communities and motivate each and every person to respond to the Census. A successful 2020 Census will provide a full and accurate and a secure account of every person who is living in the United States, while gathering the data vital to both understanding our Nation's changing demographics and bolstering enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The citizenship question does not threaten anyone. The bill includes the outreach sources needed to make this fact abundantly clear to everyone. Inclusion of this provision will only serve to sow more confusion and to make the allocation of the 2020 Census more difficult. For those reasons, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chairwoman, I rise in support of this amendment that is offered by the gentleman from Florida. It is in human nature to explore. Wernher von Braun and his team in Huntsville, Alabama, designed the rockets that took us to the Moon. The Marshall Space Flight Center which is just north of the district I represent in Alabama, put the shuttle through full-scale stress tests as part of its safety certification. Now, the Space Launch System rocket, the most powerful rocket in the world, is 80 percent assembled. With Orion on top--the capsule which allows deep space exploration-- the SLS will launch from Cape Canaveral. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon, we further honor it by pushing ahead with the SLS mission, which will land the first female American astronaut on the Moon's surface. Madam Chairwoman, I urge support of this amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I rise in reluctant opposition to the amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, as I mentioned, I do rise in reluctant opposition to the amendment. The U.S. Marshals Service's Federal Prisoner Detention account supports detention of all who are remanded to the custody of the Attorney General ahead of trial or sentencing. Of the largest segments of the average daily population of 61,000, 31 percent are held on drug charges; 24 percent are held on immigration charges; and 14 percent on firearm charges. Moreover, the detention of individuals for these offenses is on the rise. The U.S. Marshals Service cannot afford to see this account reduced by this magnitude. There are some dangerous offenders out there. Again, I think this is an important program, but I don't think it is in the best interest to pull this money from the United States Marshals Service, and, therefore, I urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition. I am opposed to the amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition, reluctantly, to my good friend from Michigan's amendment. As I said, there are some issues here that I think we do need to make clear. The amendment would reverse the July 2017 order from Attorney General Sessions, which included safeguards to ensure such adoptions are legal and conform to Department of Justice policy. Adoptions allow the Federal Government to recover funds that are proceeds of or that are connected to Federal crimes but where property happens to be discovered by local law enforcement. Moreover, this type of Federal and local cooperation fosters important collaboration between agents and officers. We should not return hastily to the Obama administration policy, but rather continue to review carefully the practice of forfeiture adoption as part of a broader discussion of asset forfeiture reform. Violent crimes, gangs, and drug trafficking are a growing and continuing problem. We should not take away a tool from law enforcement that it needs to combat criminal groups and make our streets safer. Madam Chair, I recommend a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, I rise to oppose the amendment. This proposal would prevent Federal law enforcement from enforcing current law and from protecting public health and ensuring community safety. Under the Controlled Substances Act, the Drug Enforcement Administration defines schedule I drugs as having no current acceptable medical use and a high potential for abuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there is no scientifically recognized medical benefit from smoking or eating marijuana plants. Claims of benefits from smoked or ingested marijuana are anecdotal and generally outright fabrications. It is established by fact that such marijuana use has real health and real social harms. This is true especially for young children with developing brains and those with impaired physical conditions as well as psychological conditions. New data shows crime and health problems from marijuana use and trafficking in particular in States that decriminalize its use. This amendment that is before us sends the wrong message about widely abused drugs in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration says more young people receive treatment for marijuana dependency than for alcohol and other illegal drugs combined. The amendment ignores the problems with abuse and sends the false message to youth that smoking marijuana is healthy. Mr. Chair, I urge rejection of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, I do rise in support of the gentleman's amendment, and I appreciate his work on behalf of domestic manufacturing. This amendment would highlight the importance of the Department of Commerce antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations and the threat posed to American businesses from foreign companies selling products to the U.S. at less than fair value, commonly known as dumping, as well as the threat of imported goods from foreign countries that benefit from financial assistance from a foreign government in the form of a counter-vailable subsidy. This amendment would also encourage better utilization of resources to self-initiate these investigations, pursuant to U.S. law. Although most antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations are initiated following a petition on behalf of an industry alleging injurious dumping and/or unfair subsidy of imports into the U.S., antidumping and countervailing duty investigations can be self- initiated by the Department of Commerce from information that is made available. The self-initiation of antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations is an important tool in cases where a U.S. industry consists of small companies or is fractured and the members of that industry cannot meet the threshold necessary to file a petition. The United States needs to strongly enforce our trade laws and not allow our domestic manufacturing capacity to be degraded in the face of unfair trade practices that hurt American employers, workers, and communities. These investigations are crucial. They are important tools in the effort to ensure a level playing field that allows our businesses and our industries to compete. Mr. Chair, I think this is a good amendment. I ask that my colleagues support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, I actually rise in strong support of this amendment. I certainly understand the concerns about potential misuse of Census data. Thankfully, misusing Census data is a felony. It is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and by a $250,000 fine. Put another way, by law, the Census Bureau cannot disclose anyone's responses or share data from which an individual can be identified, by ICE or any other Federal agency. That is in current law. So I join my colleague in opposing the use of any funds that would be made available to violate the confidentiality laws that govern our Census. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chair, if a Member quotes a reference to a newspaper that impugns the character of a Cabinet official, does that violate the House rules?

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, last week, our friends in Azerbaijan celebrated Republic Day, honoring the 101st anniversary of the founding of their country. On May 28, 1918, the National Assembly of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence, and formed the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the first secular parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world. In 1920, the Bolsheviks invaded the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and established a Soviet government. Azerbaijan was forcefully incorporated into the USSR and suffered under the weight of the Soviet regime for many decades. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Azerbaijan restored its independence on August 30, 1991. The United States recognized Azerbaijan as an independent state on December 25, 1991 and established official diplomatic relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan on February 19, 1992. As they rebuilt from the wreckage of the failed communist empire, Azerbaijan grew into a strong and reliable ally of the United States. Today, the Republic of Azerbaijan is not only a valuable partner of the United States, but also plays a critical role in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to render unconditional assistance to the United States after the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. It also has a strong friendship and partnership with Israel, one of the closest allies of the United States. Azerbaijan, as a participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace program, has supported NATO's peace operations in Afghanistan by providing troops from the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan to assist with the missions since 2002. As we commemorate this 101st anniversary of the founding of Azerbaijan, the United States remains grateful for the strategic relationship and enduring friendship between our two countries. Furthermore, we look forward to this strong and close friendship continuing and even growing stronger in the many years to come.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I want to send my congratulations to the men and women of Lakeland Community Hospital in my hometown of Haleyville, Alabama as it marks 50 years of serving the people of Winston and Marion counties and the surrounding area. Lakeland Community Hospital first opened its doors to patients on Monday, May 19, 1969. Known as Burdick-West Hospital for many years, it was originally owned by Winston County and governed by a nine-member hospital board. The original name came from Mr. Fred Burdick, then Chairman of the Winston County Commission during the establishment of the hospital, and from Haleyville businesswoman, Ms. Ila West, who donated the property to the county on which the hospital sits. The hospital was a two-story structure, with 32 beds served by 5 doctors. Later, a third floor was added to the hospital to accommodate more patients. Mr. Tillman Hill was the first hospital administrator and the hospital thrived for many years under his direction. Five decades after it opened, Lakeland Community Hospital is truly living up to its name, as it is owned and operated by the community. Now a 49-bed facility, under the administration of Martha McCormick, the hospital is committed to providing high-quality medical care in a friendly environment. Lakeland's medical staff includes 8 skilled physicians representing a wide range of medical specialties. The hospital is also equipped with some of the most advanced medical technology available today and provides services such as CT scans, nuclear medicine, digital mammography, senior care and medical detoxification. These tools help their doctors properly diagnose and treat a wide variety of illnesses with greater effectiveness than ever before. Lakeland Community Hospital is the only hospital in Winston County, Alabama. Like many other rural hospitals, it recently faced the threat of closure. However, due to the hard work of the leaders such as Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri, the Haleyville City Council, the Winston County Commission and citizens of Winston County, the Haleyville Winston County Hospital Authority was created, and it has partnered with Java Medical to keep the hospital open and serving those in the area who need medical care. I want to send my congratulations to the administration and the leadership and staff of Lakeland Community Hospital for their 50 years of service to the citizens of the entire area. I'm confident that in the years to come, Lakeland Community Hospital will be there to provide high quality healthcare that is needed to Winston, Marion and surrounding counties.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I urge the Speaker to immediately schedule this important bill.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I want to acknowledge the lifetime of service Mr. Loyd Rutherford of Moulton, Alabama has given to the farm community in our nation and the difference he has made in countless lives. Mr. Rutherford currently serves on the board of directors for Alabama Farm Credit. He will be retiring on April 19, 2019 after almost 30 years of service to the board. In addition to this longevity on the board, he has served as Chairman of the Board for almost the same length of time, taking that title in 1995. He held that title until 2017. In addition to Mr. Rutherford's service to the state of Alabama, he has also served other parts of our nation. He served on the District Benefits Administrative Committee for the Farm Credit Bank of Texas. Rutherford also worked on the Farm Credit Benefit Alliance plan sponsor committee, which services both AgFirst Bank and the Farm Credit Bank of Texas, the Tenth District Farm Credit Council Board, the National Farm Credit Council board, and the Farm Credit Council Services Board. Mr. Rutherford retired from working 32 years with a local cooperative in Alabama. He is currently the owner and operator of JRL Inc., a construction and development company in Moulton, Alabama. He also farms cotton, soybeans, cattle and broilers. I want to commend Mr. Rutherford for his service, especially his time serving Alabama Farm Credit. The organization has helped an untold number of farmers, especially those just getting started in the business, to realize their dreams of making a career out of helping to feed America. He is married to Janice and they have three children, Jeffrey, Regina and Tanya, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. I am happy to congratulate Mr. Rutherford and I wish him all the best in his well- earned retirement from the Alabama Farm Credit Board of Directors. I know his leadership and knowledge will be greatly missed.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to Captain (Promotable) Jodie Woodrow Minor, Jr. for his exemplary dedication to duty and service as an Army Congressional Fellow and Congressional Budget Liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management and Comptroller). Later this afternoon, I will have the honor to serve as guest speaker for Captain Minor's promotion ceremony in which he will be promoted to the rank of Major. Born in Carrollton, Alabama, a town that was in the congressional district in which I represented for six years, Captain Minor enlisted in the United States Army as an Intelligence Analyst and later commissioned as an Adjutant General Corps officer after graduation from Officer Candidate School. He holds Associates Degree in Intelligence Operations from Cochise College and a Bachelor's in Business Administration from Athens State University. He also holds Master's degrees in Business Administration from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and in Legislative Affairs from the George Washington University. Captain Minor has served in a broad range of assignments during his 14 year Army career. His assignments took him across the country including Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Fort Carson, Colorado, and Washington, District of Columbia. He has two combat deployments encompassing over 27 months in Baghdad, Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2017, I had the privilege of having Captain Minor serve in my office for a year as an Army Congressional Fellow, and I found his assistance invaluable during his subsequent assignment as a Congressional Budget Liaison-Forward for the U.S. Army. Captain Minor worked tirelessly with Members of Congress and their staffs to accurately articulate the Army's budget positions to the Appropriations Committees. His professionalism, diligence, and commitment to the mission are unmatched, and his work both as a fellow and as a liaison very effectively represented the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense to the United States Congress. The foundation of Jodie's military success is his family. His grandmother, Joeita Simon of Carrollton, Alabama, provided the base of working hard and ``treating others the way you would want to be treated'', and this principle is so evident in all he does. His aunt, Sherry Anderson and mother, Vanessa Stewart have also had integral roles in Jodie's success. Jodie's daily inspiration comes from his three daughters, Jasmine, Taryn and Trey. As Baptist minister, his encouragement and strength also comes from his faith in Jesus Christ. Jodie serves as a model example and inspiration for all around him to continually develop: spiritually, mentally, and physically. Throughout his career, Captain Minor has positively impacted soldiers, peers, and superiors. Our country has benefited tremendously from his extraordinary leadership, judgment, and passion. I join my colleagues today in honoring his dedication to our Nation and invaluable service to the United States Congress as an Army Congressional Budget Liaison. Madam Speaker, it has been a genuine pleasure to have worked with Captain Minor over the last two and a half years. On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues today in recognizing and commending Jodie Minor for his service to our country. We wish Jodie and his family all the best as he continues to serve in the United States Army.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the joint resolution to overturn the President's declaration. I think it is very clear that there is a national emergency that exists on our southern border because of the high rate of unchecked, unregulated illegal immigration, illegal immigration that is directly contributing to the flow of drugs, human trafficking, and gang members into this country, not to mention the humanitarian crisis of those who feel compelled to make this journey to illegally enter this country. I think there seems to be some confusion among many of my colleagues and maybe many across the country about the action of the President. President Trump is clearly acting within the authority that is provided by Congress to confront a border security and humanitarian crisis that constitutes a national emergency. The threat to our border security is evident from the sheer number of migrants seeking to gain illegal entry into this country, and especially the number of criminal aliens in the form of cartels, traffickers, and gangs. These people will continue to take advantage of our weak borders for their own gain. I recognize that Congress has lawfully enacted the authority for the President to use military construction funds to support Armed Forces to engage in accordance with the National Emergencies Act. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to oppose this joint resolution, as the crisis at the border is real.