Robert Aderholt

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the long and devoted public service of Donald Ellis Williamson, M.D. After serving more than two decades as Alabama's State Health Officer and three years as the state Medicaid Commissioner, Dr. Williamson is stepping down from these positions next month. Dr. Williamson attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, graduating Cum Laude in 1979. He pursued his internship and residency at the University of Virginia, and was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1982. With his education complete, Dr. Williamson then began his long career in public health. After serving four years as the State Tuberculosis Control Officer in Mississippi (1982-1986), he held a series of positions in the Alabama Department of Public Health. He began as the Director of the Division of Disease Control (1986-1989) before serving as the Director of the Bureau of Preventive Health Services (1989-1992). On November 18, 1992, he started his service as the head of the Department. During his tenure, Dr. Williamson became known for addressing key public health issues, such as disaster preparedness and advancing the health of children, in the name of improving health for all Alabamians. For example, in recent years, he led the state health efforts related to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and also those related to the April 2011 tornadoes. He was responsible for the design & implementation of the state's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), known as ALLKIDS. This was one of the first Children's Health Insurance Programs in the nation and lowered the rate of uninsured children in Alabama from 20 percent to under 7 percent. He was also intent on doing a better job of reducing infant mortality and increasing children's immunization rates. I wish Dr. Williamson all the very best as he steps down from the Department of Public Health and moves into his new role as president of the Alabama Hospital Association. I know that he will bring fresh insight to the Association and carry the organization to new heights. I look forward to working with him in this new position.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Guthrie's Chicken based in my hometown of Haleyville, Alabama for 50 years in the 4th Congressional District, Alabama and the southeastern United States. In 1965 Hal Guthrie opened a drive-in restaurant in Haleyville serving hamburgers, barbeque, fish and fried chicken. Eighteen years after opening, Hal Guthrie decided to add chicken fingers to the menu, which included a family created dipping sauce. Guthrie did not know at the time that his decision would make his name known from one side of Alabama to the other. In 1982, the Guthries opened a second restaurant, this one just off campus of Auburn University. Not only was the Guthrie's chicken finger box popular with college students, people visiting Auburn for football games wanted a location in their hometown as well. The Guthries answered that demand by opening several more stores across Alabama and also in places like Athens, Georgia, Tallahassee, Florida and even Cleveland, Ohio. If there is one thing that comes close to being as big as football in the south, it's a love for Guthrie's chicken. A half-century after the first restaurant was opened by the Guthrie family, they are still a family owned and operated business. They are a shining example of American entrepreneurship. Having grown up in Haleyville and being in the 4th Congressional District, I am particularly proud of this great tradition and wish the Guthries another 50 years of great success.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I want to just mention to you that it is hard to believe that it has been 10 years ago, in the early morning hours of August 29, just a month from today, that Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast as a category 3 hurricane. With sustained winds up to 140 miles an hour and a storm surge over 9 meters high in some places, the impact to the gulf region was very devastating. While the economic cost of the storm is very difficult to measure, some estimates have put the damage over $100 billion. Hundreds of thousands of refugees scattered across the country. Most importantly, no price tag can be assigned to the loss of the nearly 2,000 lives that were lost. In the aftermath of the tragic storm, there were many hearings; there were many inquiries, studies, investigations, reforms, and policy changes that were conducted, and most of those were for good reason. The initial emergency response to Katrina was far less than what should be expected of our Federal, State, and local governments. However, this evening, I do want to thank my colleague for his allowing this, putting together this time. As he said, we are not here to talk about the failures, so much as we are here to talk about the spirit of the people that were affected. It is easy to sit back and to point fingers and to place blame, but this evening, we want to talk about and bring attention to the spirit of the people that were affected, both directly and indirectly by Hurricane Katrina. In the days after the hurricane, when it became clear that thousands of people would not be able to return to their homes, work began to find permanent shelter for these individuals. Thousands of refugees from Louisiana were given housing in manufactured housing that was purchased by FEMA and was stationed, actually, in my home State of Alabama in the State parks. The outpouring that came the following days of support from the local community was, I think, best described as just overwhelming. As soon as the people found out that the refugees were headed into our area, supplies were starting to be gathered together, and drives were started immediately as they were being organized. A member of my own staff organized one of those numerous drives on his own initiative. Thousands of pounds of food, of clothing, and personal hygiene products were collected. They were distributed to the people, and these people that were helped had little more than just the clothes on their back. I am also proud that, after this show of support, that many of the refugees decided to make the Fourth District, the district I represent, their home. In one particular case, a refugee from Louisiana ended up working for Desoto State Park, where she had been housed. Finally, the resilience of Alabamians who lived along the Gulf Coast was also inspiring as well. Though the Gulf Coast of Alabama was not the hardest hit of the region, the Gulf Coast of Alabama was severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina. While there is still some healing that needs to be done, the Gulf Coast is not only back in business, but it has returned to life as usual and it is thriving. New shipyards are being constructed, new businesses are opening up, and tourism has returned to the region. This, I believe, is a testament to the spirit of the people of the State of Alabama as well as our neighboring States, Mississippi and Louisiana. As we move forward as a country and as a region, I hope that we will not only look to the lessons we have learned from the failures of this response, but also to the lessons we learned about kindness, the lessons of charity, being a good neighbor, and, actually, the spirit of this great Nation. So I want to thank my colleague from Louisiana for putting this time together to draw attention--again, not to place the blame on the individuals or organizations that we could point blame to this evening, but to the spirit and to the greatness of all those that were involved and to the kindness, the charity, and the spirit that arose from that occasion.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I also rise in support of H.R. 2393, which, as has been mentioned, provides a long-overdue repeal of the country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and poultry products. Over the years, this law has forced USDA to use limited resources to implement and enforce a program that has nothing to do with food safety, and there is little to no evidence that it has increased consumer demand, according to a USDA-commissioned survey. Serving as chairman of the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee, I am very aware of the economic harm that this burdensome law has already caused U.S. livestock producers, and more economic harm is on the horizon. The World Trade Organization, the WTO Appellate Body, has ruled in favor of Canada and Mexico and found the U.S. country of origin labeling requirements are in violation of international trade obligations. Both the Governments of Canada and of Mexico have clearly expressed their intent to seek authority from the WTO to retaliate. This could end up suffering economic impact in this country of almost $4 billion. The FY 2015 exploratory statement accompanying the omnibus appropriation bill directed the Secretary of Agriculture to provide a report with his recommendation for establishing a trade-compliant country of origin labeling program. In his response, repeal of this provision was a clear solution. I know that there are some here in the Chamber this afternoon that will not agree with the answer, but there have been ample opportunities to craft another labeling program that meets our trade responsibilities. This could have been addressed in the farm bill, or those individuals wanting a labeling program could have been working on it since last October, when the WTO ruled again that this law violated our trade obligations. We are out of time, and the repeal is the only option that we have at hand. I urge my colleagues to support the bill that is before us today in order to prevent harm to U.S. jobs, to prevent harm to the United States economy, and to protect the trading relations with our Nation's strongest partners.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and as someone who served as ranking member for this subcommittee back several years ago, I just want to express my support and the work for the Open World Leadership Center than the opposed amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas. I am sure it is well intended, but I do want to say that I think that this amendment is not going in the right direction. We do need to keep this partnership. It is a partnership. It is a relationship that has developed with these former Soviet countries. I think it is very important. It has served us well. It is a program that a lot of people say is duplicated in other agencies of government, but I will say it is unique. It is a unique approach to working across borders to highlight the critical role of the legislative branch in emerging democracies. I just want to say that I support this bill as it currently is and would oppose the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for her work on this bill and all of my colleagues who had a hand in it, particularly the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks) for authoring this important legislation. I think most people would be surprised to learn that the United States is one of only seven countries in the world that allows elective abortions to be performed after 20 weeks. Science has shown us that unborn children can feel pain. Some may argue against this; but then why would unborn babies, who are given lifesaving operations while still in the womb, routinely given anesthesia? 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. It is the duty of the Members of Congress to protect those who cannot speak for themselves. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the importance of the relationship between Kazakhstan and the United States. I recently had the honor of meeting with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Massimov to discuss Kazakhstan and its contributions to the international community when the Prime Minister visited Washington to attend IMF and World Bank meetings. The Republic of Kazakhstan is an important partner to the United States in Central Asia in many ways and is key to our interests in that region and globally. Led by President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan is a reliable partner on the world stage in the areas of energy and regional security, economic development and trade and political and regional stability. With a population of 18 million people and a size nearly four times that of Texas, Kazakhstan sits at the heart of Central Asia. The country is bordered by Russia and China and is strategically located near Turkey, Iran, India and Eastern Europe. Kazakhstan was the first post-soviet State to lead the 56-country Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) in 2010. As a Member of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and a Vice- President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, I have seen Kazakhstan's engagement and commitment firsthand. Kazakhstan has been a global leader in nuclear non-proliferation for 20 years--an achievement reached soon after its independence in 1991. In 1993, it was the first nation to dismantle its nuclear weapons and secure its nuclear materials under the Nunn-Lugar nuclear nonproliferation program, led by former Senators Sam Nunn (D-GA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN). Since then, it has remained a global leader and U.S. partner in non-proliferation efforts. Kazakhstan is also an essential partner in assisting the United States in counter terrorism efforts by serving as a supply route and operational partner and supporting the reintegration of Afghanistan into Central Asia, committing millions of dollars. It plays a unique role in fostering and solidifying positive diplomatic relations with regional powers and maintaining economic stability. The United States and Kazakhstan, among others, strongly support the Modern Day Silk Road initiative, which would revitalize the 2000-year- old Silk Road trading route that connected South and Central Asia to the Mediterranean. The New Silk Road would serve as a critical transportation, communications, trade, energy and cultural bridge between East and West, linking China and India with Europe and supporting the stability of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kazakhstan is central to its development. Domestically, Kazakhstan remains the melting pot of Central Asia, given its Kazakh, Russian, Turkish, Mongolian and many other cultural influences. Religious freedom and ethnic tolerance are key principles in its governance, with its diverse mix of people and traditions. In January 2015, Kazakhstan signed an agreement with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to initiate new national reforms for government ministries, the justice system, infrastructure development and green economy initiatives, political reform and human rights and democratic principles through transparency and accountability. Mr. Speaker, I believe that continuing to increase our relationship with the good people of Kazakhstan is important to our common interests, and I encourage my fellow members to participate in opportunities to travel to the region in order to become better acquainted with the progress that has been made in the country, and to encourage the continued political cooperation while taking advantage of the progress in opening the market to encourage joint investment.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the tremendous work of Karen Ratzow who has been on detail with the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee for the past year. Karen has been detailed to the Subcommittee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Budget Office. Karen has not only been invaluable to the Subcommittee's work this past year, but she has been diligent, had a tremendous work ethic, and very knowledgeable of the budget process. Karen is always eager to volunteer and lend a hand to whatever task may be needed. She quickly became an integral part of the team and she will certainly be missed. I want to thank Karen for her outstanding work and for her dedication to agriculture in the United States of America. She is a great example of the kind of public servant we should all strive to be. As her detail comes to a close, we want to wish her well. We look forward to working with her when she returns to her previous role at USDA.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor Camber Corporation for twenty-five years of business, and for their service to the community of Huntsville, Alabama and to many other areas both in our great state and across the United States. I am pleased to recognize this company for its many accomplishments. Camber Corporation, which is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, was established on April 2, 1990 with just three employees, including the company founder, Walter Batson. Today it has grown to over thirty offices, with personnel in many other locations across America and around the world. Over the years, the company has done widely varied work for a number of organizations, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Courts, the Department of State and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Center for Civil and Military Affairs. I know that no matter the company, this level of success is possible only with the efforts of many skilled professionals working together to achieve the organization's goals, and Camber Corporation is the first to recognize that its staff of over 2,000 employees is its greatest asset. These staff members can claim expertise in many vital areas including Engineering, Software Development, Information Technology, Training, Modeling and Simulation, Acquisition Management and Decision Support, and Operations. Due in great part to the service of these dedicated workers, Camber Corporation's products and projects now support both government and commercial customers throughout the world. Camber Corporation has been selected for numerous professional organization and Chamber of Commerce awards, including Best Places to Work in both Huntsville and Northern Virginia. I am honored to add my commendations to those already received. As an Alabamian and as an American, I am pleased to congratulate this company on the service it has rendered to the United States over the past 25 years, and on the contributions it has made to its home state of Alabama. I wish them many, many more years of success in the future.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize and honor Mr. Billy M. Bolton for 50 years of service to Community Spirit Bank, the City of Red Bay, and the State of Alabama. I am honored to recognize this individual for his accomplishments. When looking for model public servants, one need not look any further than Billy Bolton of Red Bay, Alabama. For 50 years he has been involved with and held leadership roles in local, regional, and statewide organizations that have impacted the lives of countless Alabamians. He served on the Red Bay City Council before being elected twice as Mayor of Red Bay, leading the town to some of its most prosperous years. He has served on various regional committees such as the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments and the Northwest Community College Scholarship Board. His efforts have also had a statewide impact from his time with the Alabama Bankers Association, the Bear Creek Development Authority, and the Alabama division of the American Heart Association. Arguably though, Mr. Bolton's greatest service is that to his country. He served with honor in the United States Army from 1966-1968, during a period of our Nation's history when military service was not always considered popular. Professionally, the name Billy Bolton has been synonymous in Northwest Alabama with Community Spirit Bank since 1965. Mr. Bolton, as Chairman, President, and CEO, has played a leading role in the bank's growth and success to become one of the strongest and most recognized financial institutions in the region. Community banks are deeply involved in local affairs, as some of the biggest supporters of schools, civic organizations, and town projects. Through Mr. Bolton, Community Spirit Bank has been a staple in Red Bay and Northwest Alabama, bringing economic stability and promoting the arts and cultural growth to citizens and visitors alike. Of all his accomplishments though, he would say his greatest has been his strong relationship with God and his devotion to family. Mr. Bolton is a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Red Bay where he serves as a deacon and on various committees. He and his wife Judy have been married for 50 years. They have three children: Tammy Montgomery, Karla Wright, and Brad Bolton; and six grandchildren. Mr. Bolton has instilled in his family the importance of service and they are all respected citizens in the Red Bay area. Mr. Bolton was honored on March 18, 2015 at the Red Bay Arbor Day Celebration with a Sunset Red Maple tree planted in his honor. This tree will be a visible reminder to all who see it of his contributions and the importance of Mr. Bolton's public service. I am proud to call Mr. Bolton a fellow Alabamian and to represent him in the United States Congress. He is truly deserving of this recognition.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for letting me speak on this motion. As a past chairman of this Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I know firsthand how important it is for the funding for Homeland Security to go forward. The bottom line is the House has done its job. Back in December, the House voted to fund the Federal Government for the fiscal year. We kept the funding for the Department of Homeland Security on a continuing resolution so that it would not lapse. By doing so, we were making a promise to the American people, a promise that once the Republicans had full control of the Senate, we would work together as a Congress to ensure that the President's unconstitutional and dangerous actions would not go unchecked. Every President takes an oath under the Constitution that the laws of this land will be upheld; however, the concern that we have now is the President is directing Federal employees to take unlawful actions. The House position on this bill provides proper funding. It defends the President's unlawful actions. The House has voted, the Senate has voted, and--as my colleague from Florida had said earlier--once that happens when you don't agree, you go to conference, and that is how you legislate. I urge my fellow House Members to support the actions laid out by the Speaker so that we can move forward with this so that we can go to conference and act like true legislators in how the Founding Fathers in their wisdom meant for this to move forward.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize and congratulate the success of the Fort Payne High School Real World Design Team, known as the ``Fort Payne 7.'' The ``Fort Payne 7'' team, with assistance from sponsor Hannah Turner, competed in the Real World Design team state challenge in 2013 and the national challenge in 2014. The 2013 Real World Design Challenge was to design an unmanned aerial vehicle that detects agricultural pests in a one-mile by one-mile cornfield in Fort Dodge, Iowa. After winning the state challenge, the team utilized the summer and fall months to complete the national challenge. The national challenge was held in Washington, D.C., on November 15, 2014. The national challenge team was made up of members Hunter Vezertzis, Noah Wofford, Matthew Wilding, Joshua Johnston, Hunter Terry, and Regan Anderson with Hannah Turner as the team coach and sponsor. Since then, the team has expanded with the addition of Jayden Parris, Ansley Grider, Harley Tate, and Emma Simpson. We are very proud of the ``Fort Payne 7'' and I want to congratulate them on their success, hard work and dedication. Competitions like these and the lessons learned will serve these young people for many years to come. I look forward to forwarding the students and their continued success.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the Appropriations Committee (Mr. Carter) for his leadership in putting a great bill and a comprehensive bill before us this morning that deals with protecting the homeland. I am presenting today, along with my distinguished colleagues--in particular, from South Carolina (Mr. Mulvaney), and also Mr. Barletta from Pennsylvania--an amendment that defunds the President's unconstitutional executive actions on illegal immigration. As it has been noted here last night and this morning, back in December, the House voted to fund the Federal Government for this fiscal year, FY15, but we kept funding for the Department of Homeland Security on a continuing resolution. By doing so, we were making a promise to the American people. It was a promise that once we had a Republican Senate, we would work together as a Congress to ensure the President's unconstitutional and unilateral actions would not go unchecked. Today, this promise has been kept with this amendment before us today. At this time, I would like to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta), the cosponsor of this amendment, who has been very helpful in crafting this amendment.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Mulvaney), who is not only a cosponsor of this amendment but who, again, was very instrumental in this amendment taking place.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa).

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer), who is joining us from the Birmingham area and is a new Member of the House of Representatives.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner).

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), a new Member to this body.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, again let me just say before the gentleman closes, the amendment here before us today prevents any funds appropriated, or user fees collected by any Federal agency, to be used to carry out the executive actions that were announced on November 20, 2014, which would grant deferred action to an estimated 4 million people in the country illegally and unlawfully. Again, this goes back to a promise that was made by the Republican House of Representatives at the end of last year, and we addressed this issue saying that we would work on this issue, make a commitment to address this issue of the President's action when this bill came to the floor, and this is fulfilling that promise today. Again, I would ask my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the majority leader of the House of Representatives to speak, and thank him for his leadership.

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Fyffe High School Football Team on winning the Alabama High School Class 2-A Championship on December 5, 2014. Coach Paul Benefield, his players, and staff achieved the very difficult task of a 15-0 record during the 2014 season. I would officially like to congratulate them on their victory. Coach Benefield has spent 34 years in the coaching and teaching profession, winning many games and awards. In 18 years as the head coach at Fyffe, Benefield has won more than 200 games and 13 region and area championships. Now he can add to that list a state championship. I want to commend the fine young men who make up this championship team at Fyffe. They set a goal at the beginning of the season to take the Red Devils to the state championship, and that's exactly what they did. These players worked in the scorching heat of late summer and on many cold nights in the late fall, but they never lost sight of their goal. By beating Elba High School 28-17 in the championship game, the Fyffe Red Devils saw their goal realized and did much more. The win, and the hard work it took to get there, taught life-lessons these young men will carry with them for the rest of their lives. While the winning is certainly an important accomplishment, the struggle to get there will prove to be just as valuable. Again, I want to congratulate the Fyffe Red Devils on this great achievement. They have brought pride to their school, community, DeKalb County and to the Fourth Congressional District. I wish them continued success in the seasons to come.

Mr. ADERHOLT

Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 70th anniversary of a very important occasion. On December 16, 1944, two special people, Atley A. Kitchings and Betty Jane Langley, were married in Miami, Florida. So, today I would like to congratulate, pay tribute to, and honor these two great Alabamians. I first had the occasion to meet Atley Kitchings when I was a student at the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama in the late 1980's. Atley was an adjunct professor teaching communications law. We became friends while I was a student of his. In 1995, I was working as Assistant Legal Advisor to then-Governor Fob James, and Atley was doing some legal work in Montgomery when our paths crossed again. It was at that time that our friendship began to bloom. It wasn't long before my wife, Caroline, and I met his lovely wife Betty Jane. Atley A. Kitchings, Jr. was born in Louisville, KY on June 10, 1925. Betty Jane Langley was born on February 13, 1925 in Jackson, MS. Atley moved with his parents to Clinton, MS when he was 3 years old. He met Betty Jane in high school in Clinton, MS, and they began dating at Mississippi College, in Clinton, MS where they were both college students. World War II was ongoing, and Atley joined the Navy, participating first in the V-12 program at Mississippi College, and then earning a commission as an Ensign in the Navy after completing midshipman's school at Northwestern University in Chicago on November 22, 1944. Atley was assigned to Miami for further training, and on December 16, 1944 (the day the Battle of the Bulge began in Europe), he and Betty Jane were married at a Baptist Church in downtown Miami, FL. Atley shipped out a week later to lead the crew of a sub-chaser out of San Juan, Puerto Rico to hunt Nazi U-Boats, although they never found any. Atley left active duty in 1946, but he remained in the Navy reserves until 1978, when he retired with the rank of Captain. Atley graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and has had a distinguished legal career, including: a time in the US Attorney's office in Birmingham, AL, a 25 year career with AT&T, and time with several law firms in Birmingham, including his current firm of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliffe and Brandt. He still practices law at the age of 89! Betty Jane was an elementary school teacher in the early years of their marriage. Wanting to spend more time as a homemaker, she stopped teaching to raise the couple's two children, Jane Marlea and Atley Langley Kitchings. Both Atley and Betty Jane are individuals who have touched thousands of lives over the years and have been an inspiration to all those who have known them and that continues even today. So today, December 16, 2014, I would like to wish Atley and Betty Jane a sincere congratulations on 70 years of marriage. On Sunday afternoon, December 21, they plan to celebrate this momentous occasion with their family and friends in Birmingham, Alabama. May God grant them many more years together.