Robert Aderholt

Mr. ADERHOLT

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

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

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, the instructions contained in the motion violate clause 7 of rule XVI, which requires an amendment be germane to the bill that is currently under consideration. As the Chair recently ruled on October 2 and October 3 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. So, Madam Speaker, I insist on my point of order.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I make a point of order against the motion to recommit.

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

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I would like for the motion to be read.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to address a couple of issues that have come up during our discussion here this afternoon. I've heard some of my colleagues across the aisle say they believe WIC has been underfunded. I do want to point out that all eligible participants are being served; and to my knowledge, no one has been turned away from the program. The FY 13 Ag approps conference agreement provided more than $7 billion for the WIC program. After sequestration and rescissions, the total equaled $6.5 billion. At the end of FY 13, WIC had carryover funds, or remaining funds, totaling nearly $300 million. Even with sequestration, WIC has been able to serve all eligible participants and still have funding left over for the end of the fiscal year by $300 million. Clearly, the program has received sufficient funding, and we have certainly made sure that to be the case. In closing today, I would hope that my colleagues would join me in support of this resolution. There's nothing cynical about what we're doing here. You can read the resolution. I have it right here. It simply continues to provide funding for the WIC program, and it provides certainty. It ensures that WIC clinics will be open, appointments will be kept, and food benefits will be provided. There's nothing, again, cynical about this. The only thing that's cynical about this is if you decide to politicize this bill. It's interesting that those who claim to be the defenders and supporters of this program are the very ones actually coming here this afternoon that are opposing the bill. My colleagues will have a chance to be cynical and vote ``no,'' but I hope they will not turn their backs on providing certainty for low-income women and children. All we want to do is to keep the program fully operational and fully funded. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. I'm the last speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. ADERHOLT. At this time I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Nunnelee), another member of our Subcommittee on Agriculture for Appropriations.

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

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

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton).

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Duffy).

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller), the chair of the House Administration Committee.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao), one of the members of our Subcommittee on Agriculture Appropriations.

Mr. ADERHOLT. I yield the chairman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the chairman of the full Committee on Appropriations, Chairman Rogers.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise this afternoon in support of H.J. Res. 75, which would continue funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or commonly known as the WIC program. The fiscal year 2013 Agriculture appropriations bill provided sufficient funding, even after sequestration, totaling $6.5 billion, to ensure that all participants receive both nutritious food and the nutrition services that are necessary for their health and their well- being. Before the United States Department of Agriculture completely shut down its Web site, information could be found on their Web site stating that short-term funding was available for WIC through the contingency reserve fund, carryover funds, and other available resources. While some States have indicated they have sufficient funds to at least work several more weeks, other States are not so fortunate. Many of us have seen headlines, perhaps received phone calls into our offices from constituents who have reported that their appointment at their local WIC clinic has been canceled or that clinics are being closed. Numerous times we have heard our colleagues across the aisle mention that WIC cannot continue without an appropriation for fiscal year 2014, and this will leave millions of women, infants, and children without proper nutrition. Now is a chance, Madam Speaker, for my colleagues to join us in keeping this important program fully functioning and operational. By passing the resolution that we have on the floor this afternoon, we will help 8.7 million low-income women, infants, and children who are nutritionally at risk to continue to receive the nutrition they need. This resolution will keep WIC clinics across the Nation open. No more appointments will have to be canceled. I believe that every Member of this House of Representatives believes that WIC participants need and should get the participation they need, and I would ask my colleagues to support this resolution, that we supply adequate nutrition for women, infants, and children as we move forward. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on H.J. Res. 75, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 371, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 75) making continuing appropriations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Thank you, Chairman Rogers, for giving me the opportunity to speak in support of H.J. Res. 59, which is the FY14 continuing resolution. Of course I think it's very obvious by the comments that the Republicans have made on our side this morning that we do need to keep the government open at its current sequestered funding level and continue to provide the vital services that our constituents have grown to expect from government, and certainly make sure that we don't have a government shutdown. As Chairman Rogers had mentioned, I chair the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Some may ask, why is it so important that we keep the government open? Can't we just go with another year-long CR? I'd like to provide some reasons why the FY14 Ag Approps bill that passed the committee provides great benefits to the taxpayer and why we don't need to go to a year-long CR, and certainly why we don't need to do a government shutdown. In the Ag Appropriations bill, we direct the States to be in full compliance with WIC and SNAP eligibility standards, and we increase oversight of vendors to rein in the costs. We require the USDA to report on strategies that are being implemented to help weed out fraud, waste, and abuse in the SNAP program. One thing that I hear a lot about is the new school meal regulation. We want to provide more flexibility for local school districts as they implement these new school regulations for meals for the students. We require the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to develop cost- benefit analysis of several Dodd-Frank provisions that are deemed to be duplicative and also very costly. We encourage the USDA to finalize an inspection rule that has proven to decrease illness-causing pathogens in poultry operations at a reduced Federal cost. I can tell you, representing a district that grows a lot of poultry and produces a lot of poultry, that is very important. So, in closing, Madam Speaker, let me just say I fully support H. Res. 59 and ask for my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the heroic actions of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Ola Lee Mize of Gadsden, Alabama, who resides in the Fourth Congressional District, which I'm honored to represent. Colonel Mize was with the 3rd Infantry Division and was awarded the Medal of Honor for outstanding courage in action on June 10 and 11, 1953, in Korea. His company was responsible for the defense of a vital position that was attacked by a well-organized enemy force. Colonel Mize charged through an intense barrage of fire to rescue a friend who had fallen. Following the successful rescue, Colonel Mize returned to his post and dug in. Although under duress, Colonel Mize held the line, fighting to keep his men safe. Colonel Mize protected his fellow soldiers, called in artillery support, and led a successful counterattack. It is for his unflinching courage and valor that I'm proud to honor and remember the actions of Colonel Ola Lee Mize. The Fourth District of Alabama, the State of Alabama, and the United States Congress is very honored to recognize the work that he did in Korea.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to honor Mr. Jesse Owens on the 100th anniversary of his birthday. James Cleveland Owens was born the son of a sharecropper on a farm in Oakville, Alabama on September 12, 1913. It's been said the family sold its only valuable possession, their mule, in order to travel to Cleveland, Ohio in search of a better life. A teacher at his new school, misunderstanding when James Cleveland told her his name was J.C., called him Jesse, and the name stuck.