Sanford Bishop

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 199th Infantry Brigade unit of Fort Benning for their accomplishments in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. The 50th anniversary of the activation of this courageous and noble unit is on June 1, 2016. The 199th Infantry Brigade, also known as the Redcatchers, was reactivated on June 1, 1966 at Fort Benning, Georgia as the only ``separate'' and ``light'' infantry brigade to serve in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. It also became the first integrated combat command in the history of the United States Army when Frederic E. Davison was named Brigade Commander on September 1, 1968. He went on to become the first African American to be promoted to Major General in the Army and commanded the 8th Infantry Division and the Military District of Washington. General Davison was the first African American to command a combat brigade, a division, and the Military District of Washington, in addition to being the first African American to attend and graduate from the Army War College. The members of 199th Infantry Brigade were truly groundbreaking in the way they helped to integrate the U.S. Army. The Redcatchers were a distinguished and honorable brigade that received many merits. The brigade earned several unit awards including the Presidential Unit Citation, Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal. Four members of the brigade were awarded the Medal of Honor, including Captain Angelo J. Liteky, a battalion chaplain, for his actions in saving the lives of wounded soldiers. Brigade General William R. Bond was the only commanding general killed in ground combat in the Vietnam War. The 199th Infantry Brigade was disbanded in 1970 but on June 27, 2007, the 11th Infantry Regiment was redesignated as the 199th Infantry Brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia. Today, the Brigade is responsible for the Infantry and Armor Branch Basic Officer Leadership Courses. The Brigade trains all the maneuver company commanders for all of the U.S. Army combat formations. In addition, the Brigade is responsible for the International Military Student Office, the Directorate of Training, and the Maneuver Center of Excellence Band. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing the members of the 199th Infantry Brigade for their steadfast courage and commitment to serving our country during the Vietnam war. The Redcatchers made significant contributions in safeguarding our liberties fifty years ago and we honor their outstanding valor and patriotic service that has helped make America the great nation it is today.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I extend my sincere congratulations to Ms. Linda Joyce Jordan for being this year's recipient of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP) Joyce Johnson Award. The Joyce Johnson Award was created by NASP as a tribute to co-founder Joyce Johnson whose mission was to make a difference for minority and women professionals in the securities industry. Ms. Jordan will be honored with this award at a luncheon during the NASP 27th Annual Pension and Financial Services Conference on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Linda Jordan has been a financial services executive for more than twenty-five years. When she started her career, there were few women and few minorities in the financial services industry. She joined NASP shortly thereafter and has since helped the organization promote opportunities for women and minorities in this field. Ms. Jordan has served on NASP's Board of Directors since 2003 and currently serves as secretary to the Board. She serves also as co-chair of NASP's Plan Sponsor Outreach Committee and she helped form NASP's Legislative Committee and the NASP Institute. Ms. Jordan most recently served as Managing Director with Mesirow Financial, an independent financial services firm headquartered in Chicago. For ten years, Ms. Jordan managed the Atlanta office and was successful in developing the firm's institutional relationships and improving its marketing and investment capabilities. She was instrumental in helping to grow Mesirow's $92.4 billion in assets under management to date. Ms. Jordan holds a Bachelor's degree in mathematics from Clark Atlanta University and a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech. She also earned a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. In addition to Ms. Jordan's career, she is also actively involved in the community outside of work. She served the City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority for more than twelve years. She also was the Chair of the Government Relations Committee of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Black MBA Association and the Chair of the Corporate Advisory committee for the National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA). In addition, she served as President of the Board of Directors for the YWCA of Greater Atlanta. She is an active member of the Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. A major milestone for Ms. Jordan was her induction into the Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni at Georgia Tech, making her the first African-American female to receive this distinction. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Linda Jordan for her contributions to the financial services industry, the NASP, and the community.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I have the deepest respect for the gentleman from Pennsylvania and for the gentleman who is offering the amendment, but I think that we may be just going a little bit too far here. Mr. Chair, this amendment will restrict the ability of the VA and the departments and related agencies funded in this act to use incentives to get experienced, talented, and capable individuals to take on difficult-to-fill positions. In other departments, they call these hardship posts. These are the jobs no one wants to do but are vital to the function of government. I think we can all agree that there are times when we need to provide incentives to those individuals whom we are asking to fill difficult jobs. At times, we need to take action to make a job more appealing, and sometimes we need to provide incentives to compete with the salaries that are typically paid outside of the Federal Government for some of the positions. I am concerned that this amendment will decrease the availability and quality of candidates possessing the competencies that are required for filling the hard-to-fill posts. We would not run a Fortune 500 company this way. Why are we limiting the ability of the U.S. Government to recruit and hire the best and the brightest? I respectfully urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, this is just another attack on organized labor and working people. The conduct that the gentleman wishes to prohibit is consistent with the National Labor Relations Act, and it is consistent with the traditions of this country. It is freedom of speech, and I think it ought to be allowed. I certainly object to this. I think that the working people ought to have an opportunity to express themselves and utilize fully the First Amendment, even in our VA facilities. I couldn't imagine that people who support the Constitution would want to muzzle working people and limit their ability to seek associations with like-minded people. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, the bulk of the request of the increase for the General Administration was intended for the establishment of the Veterans Experience Office. Up until now, the Veterans Experience Office's activities have been funded through the Office of Enterprise Integration. However, the FY 2017 budget proposes to make the Veterans Experience Office a standalone office within the General Administration and requests $72.6 million in funding and 204 full-time equivalents via direct budget authority. While we all support the Secretary's efforts to improve the way the VA interacts with the veterans, we had doubts about the wisdom of establishing a large, new office with regional staffing at this late date in the administration. It was decided not to include this funding. However, there is nothing in the bill that prevents the Secretary from continuing to fund the office in the way that he did in the previous fiscal year. Conversely, the amendment before us will prevent this office from being funded, period. I believe that the amendment is a bridge too far. While I don't support making the Veterans Experience Office a free- standing office, I also don't support taking the Secretary's flexibility away either. I believe that the bill is the right approach. I urge Members to oppose the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, again, this is another nasty rider. This is a rider that is totally unnecessary and inappropriate on this bill. It violates the Constitution. It certainly limits the rights of people in veterans facilities to be able to have freedom of speech and freedom of association. It is a bad proposition. I urge my colleagues to oppose it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I just want to let my voice be heard to congratulate the gentlewoman on her amendment. It has been adopted previously by this House. I think it is a great amendment. We support our homeless veterans. I congratulate the gentlewoman for offering the amendment.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney).

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I am very disappointed that, instead of seeking to pass the most bipartisan bill possible, my colleagues would prefer to weigh down the bill that funds veterans and military construction with a divisive rider. PLAs can be an essential tool to allow large projects to be completed on time and on budget. They are a benefit to both employers and employees. A project labor agreement provides a single collective bargaining unit, which allows for easier management of a project. They provide a reliable and uninterrupted supply of workers. They provide uniform wages, uniform benefits, overtime pay. A PLA sets the terms and conditions of employment for all workers onsite, including the work conditions and the rules. In addition, a PLA prohibits strikes and work stoppages. It is insulting that some would seek to prevent the use of PLAs on this bill when it is one of the best tools available to guarantee that veterans are hired as skilled construction workers. The use of a PLA does not prevent nonunion small businesses from participating. They have to agree to the terms and to sign on to the PLA. In addition, the PLA does not make the project union only. Simply put, project labor agreements help both the government and the private sector increase the efficiency and the quality of its project by promoting a business model that employs a highly skilled workforce. Such a workforce ensures that construction projects are built correctly the first time, on time and, as a result, on budget. I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment. I would note that this House has repeatedly refused to adopt similar amendments on this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations and Happy Birthday wishes to Mrs. Mary Shipp Harrow and Mrs. Martha Shipp Averett, both of whom will celebrate their 100th birthday on Saturday, July 2, 2016. On that special day, the sisters will be honored with a birthday celebration at the Columbus Georgia Convention & Trade Center in Columbus, Georgia. The identical twins were born on July 2, 1916 in Cusseta, Georgia to the late Martha Walker Shipp and the late Quilbert Pinchback Shipp. They were raised in a Christian home where the twins were the oldest of eight children. From an early age, the sisters were active in their community and in their first church home, Harmony Baptist Church in Cusseta, Georgia. They completed their primary and secondary education in the Chattahoochee County School District. Mrs. Averett was married to the late Reverend Jessie Averett, Sr. and is the mother of six daughters: Geraldine Parris, Lucy Mae Baldwin, Essie Francis, Amanda Thornton, Ida Mae Boykins, and Martha Ann Patterson; and four sons: Jessie Averett, Jr., James Averett, Jeffrey Averett, and the late John Henry Averett. She has 21 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Mrs. Averett remains in the Cusseta community and is a dedicated and faithful member of Saint Paul CME Church. Mrs. Harrow was married to the late Isaac Daniel Harrow, Sr. and is the mother of five daughters: Evelyn Gash, Christine Jones, Pauline Talley, Beverly Caldwell and Gerri Jones; and two sons: the late Isaac Harrow, Jr. and the late Marion Harrow. She is the grandmother of 21 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and 12 great-great- grandchildren. Mrs. Harrow is a dedicated and faithful member of Galilee Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia. Mahatma Gandhi once said, ``Where there is love there is life.'' Mrs. Harrow and Mrs. Averett are a true testament that giving and receiving great love has resulted in long and prosperous lives. Their legacy is a love for God, a love for family, and a love for each other. The race of life isn't given to the swift or to the strong, but to those who endure until the end. Mrs. Averett and Mrs. Harrow continue to run the race of life with grace and dignity and God has blessed them over their lifetimes. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring these devoted sisters, beloved matriarchs, and outstanding women of faith, Mrs. Mary Shipp Harrow and Mrs. Martha Shipp Averett, as they, their families and their community prepare to celebrate their 100th birthday.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I must insist on my point of order.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order against the amendment because it proposes to change existing law and constitutes legislation in an appropriation bill and, therefore, violates clause 2 of rule XXI. The rule states in pertinent part: ``An amendment to a general appropriation bill shall not be in order if changing existing law.'' The amendment requires a new determination. I ask for a ruling from the Chair.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment that is offered by Mr. Blumenauer. Last year in Georgia, the general assembly passed and Governor Deal signed legislation that immediately legalized the use of medical marijuana to treat serious medical conditions. Georgia became the 36th State plus Washington, D.C., to legalize marijuana extracts to treat illnesses. I believe that we should not limit the Veterans Health Administration from providing optimal pain care for our veterans. If medical marijuana is legal in a State, then the VA should be able to discuss that treatment option and allow the veteran to make his or her own choice. I believe that the VA's published policy guidance related to the use of medical marijuana by our veteran patients, VHA Directive 2010-035, Medical Marijuana, has become outdated. I believe that supporting a veteran's right to use alternative methods to deal with pain is the right thing to do. Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment, and I urge its adoption. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I want to associate myself with the gentleman from Pennsylvania in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Do we have the text of the amendment?