G.K. Butterfield

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate UNC-TV and WTVI- PBS Charlotte for being honored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as an American Graduate Champion. The American Graduate Champion award is presented by the CPB to public media outlets which demonstrate commitment to help increase awareness of the perils of dropping out of high school and to help communities implement solutions to the problem. UNC-TV has exhibited a wide variety of programming focused on improving educational outcomes for students throughout North Carolina including airing a weekly series titled ``Black Issues Forum,'' hosting a panel discussion before a live audience called ``Bridge to Success'' at Union Independent School in Durham, North Carolina, and participating in the ``virtual teacher town hall'' project with other groups throughout the country. I was honored to participate in UNC-TV's recognition of ``American Graduate Day'' on September 28, 2013. The valuable programming on UNC- TV has helped connect communities and identify practical solutions to educational challenges facing students, parents, teachers, and schools across North Carolina's First Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, I commend UNC-TV for its contributions to students and families throughout North Carolina. Encouraging students to stay in school has never been more important because a high school degree is a critical building block to success in today's competitive global economy. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating UNC-TV's great achievement by being recognized as an American Graduate Champion. Thank you very much.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Duke University Hospital, located in Durham, North Carolina for being recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as a 2013 Balridge National Quality Award Honoree in Leadership. Since 1988 the Department of Commerce has recognized numerous U.S. organizations from various industry sectors for their exemplary performances in innovative practices, dynamic management, financial management, employee and customer satisfaction, and commitment to excellence and proven results. This year, Duke University Hospital is being recognized, along with one other organization nationwide, for its best practices in leadership. Duke University Hospital delivers exemplary and innovative care not just to the entire Durham community, but nationally and internationally, by providing a remarkable facility of 924 acute care beds and 18 psychiatry beds. The hospital has a long tradition of excellence and has been repeatedly recognized for outstanding care by publications including TIME and US. News & World Report. In 2012 Duke University Hospital became the first hospital to achieve the top recognition by the state of North Carolina's Awards for Excellence program for outstanding businesses practices. The hospital ranks among the best facilities in the country for quality of care, and is one of the preeminent teaching hospitals in the country through their partnership with Duke University School of Medicine. Mr. Speaker, I commend the doctors, nurses, staff, and students of Duke University Hospital for their commitment to exceptional leadership and quality health care. Duke University Hospital continues to be a tremendous asset and partner with the Durham community. This reward is a testament to the innovation and leadership of Duke University Hospital and reinforces the ``City of Medicine'' moniker for the City of Durham. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Duke University Hospital's great achievement by being recognized as a 2013 Balridge National Quality Award Leadership Honoree.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Honorable Elaine G. Vann on 31 years of service to the Washington County Board of Commissioners, office of the County Manager, and the citizens of Washington County, North Carolina. On December 1, 2013, Ms. Vann will retire as Washington County Register of Deeds. Elaine Vann began her tenure in public service on September 13, 1982 as Assistant Register of Deeds, eventually becoming Certified on August 18, 1994. On January 3, 1995, Ms. Vann was selected to assume the unexpired term of Washington County's then-Register of Deeds Greta H. Barber. Since then, Ms. Vann has run for election five times and has been elected to serve as Register of Deeds on each occasion. Her nearly 19 years as Washington County's chief recorder of property records and vital statistics information have made her a strong force throughout the county and region. During her tenure, Ms. Vann served with 24 County Commissioners and seven County Managers. All along, she worked in earnest to implement changes made at the county level and also worked to keep pace with emerging technologies that fostered public disclosure and increased the ease with which citizens accessed information. To that end, she implemented a ``paperless'' office by scanning and digitizing documents and forms making working with the Register of Deeds uncomplicated and efficient and saving the county scarce resources. Ms. Vann was a member of the North Carolina Association of Register of Deeds (NCARD) and served District VIII on various NCARD committees. She has proudly served as its District Secretary, Vice-Chair and Chair. This year Ms. Vann was awarded the Shining Star Award by the NCARD at the State Conference in Pinehurst, North Carolina. A true testament to her active involvement in the community, Ms. Vann served as President of the Pungo River Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and was the first female board member of the Pungo River Volunteer Fire Department. She is a member of Zion's Chapel Church of Christ in Roper, the Washington County Executive Board of the Southern Albemarle Association, and the Family and Consumer Science Program Committee with the Washington County Cooperative Extension Agency. Ms. Vann and her husband, John, have two children--a daughter, Erin Vann Gaskill, and a son, Daniel Vann. Mr. Speaker, the work and contributions of the Honorable Elaine G. Vann will leave a lasting impression on Washington County. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering our sincere appreciation for her 31 years of outstanding and dedicated public service and best wishes upon her retirement.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, my Republican friends continue to obsess with repealing a law that is making a difference and will make a significant difference in the years to come. I want to address some of the benefits that have accrued to my congressional district in North Carolina: Eight thousand young adults now have health insurance through their parents' plan; 150,000 individuals now have health insurance that covers preventive services without any copays, co-insurance, or deductible; and 138,000 residents in my district are saving money due to the ACA provisions that prevent insurance companies from spending more than 20 percent of their premiums on profits and overhead. Because of these provisions, 13,000 people in my district received a rebate of $87 per family last year and $158 per family the year before. Although Republicans have been relentless in their efforts to dismantle and discredit ObamaCare, the facts are uncontroverted.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Bernice Coleman Thompson on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Mrs. Thompson has been a trailblazer and leader in her church and local community her entire adult life. Mrs. Thompson was born in Salford, Alabama on September 24, 1933, to Daniel and Annie Coleman. At the age of 10, she moved to New York City where she would remain throughout her formative years. Mrs. Thompson earned an AAS degree in secretarial studies with an emphasis on the medical field from Brooklyn College. She also earned a B.A. in Psychology and M.S. in education with a concentration in Guidance and Counseling from Lehman College of the City University of New York. Mrs. Thompson has been involved in her church for almost seventy years. As a child, she was guided in her faith by her former Pastor, the late Reverend W. L. Harding of St. Luke Baptist Church, in New York City. In 1955 she wed her husband, the Reverend Randolph Thompson, now Pastor Emeritus of the Victory Baptist Church. Through the years, Mrs. Thompson has served in many different capacities within the ministries of a number of churches. She is most proud, however, of her service as a Sunday School Teacher. Mrs. Thompson has always been a trailblazer. She and her husband were actively involved in the Civil Rights movement and became leaders within the African American community in my hometown of Wilson, North Carolina. In the 1960's she was hired as one of the first African Americans to integrate and work for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) in Miami, Florida. She was also one of the first African Americans to work at the Wilson Memorial Hospital in Wilson, North Carolina. Mrs. Thompson is the proud mother of five children and three grandchildren. As parents, she and her husband fought for integration of public schools and their two daughters were the first African American girls to integrate the Wilson, North Carolina public school system. When Mrs. Thompson and her husband returned to New York City, she worked as a medical secretary at Columbia University's Medical School. She later worked as a high school guidance counselor at Walton and Morris High Schools in the Bronx, New York. Through the years she has received a number of awards including Guidance Counselor of the Year at Morris High School, the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club Church Woman of the Year, and the Meritorious Service Award for assisting and supporting her husband while he was a seminary school student at Colgate Rochester Divinity School. She has also been a member of the NAACP, United Federation of Teachers and their Guidance and Counselors Chapter. Mrs. Thompson's extraordinary life has been one of devotion and love for her family, church, and social justice. Mr. Speaker, I salute Mrs. Bernice Coleman Thompson on her 80th birthday and send her best wishes for the years to come.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Mrs. Johnnie Jacqueline Young Mims Sanders who will celebrate her 100th birthday on October 31, 2013. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering best wishes to Mrs. Sanders on this most historic occasion. Mrs. Sanders was born on the last day of October in 1913 in my Congressional District in Vance County in the City of Henderson, North Carolina. She has dedicated her life to improving the lives of generations of North Carolinians through teaching, ministry, and community involvement. Mrs. Sanders graduated from Henderson Institute in 1932. The Institute was established in 1887 and was the only secondary school in Vance County that was open to African Americans. She continued her education at my alma mater of North Carolina Central University--then North Carolina College for Negros--ultimately graduating with three degrees including a Bachelor of Arts in 1942, Bachelor of Science in 1946, and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education in 1951. Drawn to educating and shaping young minds, Mrs. Sanders served as an educator for 46 years. She was a teacher at Kittrell Grade School and Eaton-Johnson Elementary School. Following that, she served as a Media Specialist at both Eaton-Johnson and E.M. Rollins Elementary Schools and also coordinated the organization of the Enrichment Center while working in the Vance County Schools' Central Office. There is no doubt that Mrs. Sanders positively influenced the lives of countless young people while in the classroom. Outside the classroom, she has and continues to be one of the cornerstones of Shiloh Baptist Church in Henderson, where, ``Mother Sanders,'' as she is known, helps to mentor and advise young and old alike. For the past 93 years she has dedicated herself to her church and has been part of many ministries including teaching at the Baptist Training Union and singing in the Chancel Choir, often performing solos. Mrs. Sanders' kindness and dedication to her community reached far beyond the classroom and church. Over the last century, Mrs. Sanders has helped young people and adults continue their education, sponsored trips to state and national church conventions, and organized and funded recreational trips across the United States. She has even helped people in the community start businesses without ever expecting anything in return. She is a true humanitarian and Vance County, the City of Henderson, and our great state of North Carolina are privileged to count her as one of their own. For the majority of the last century, Mrs. Sanders has helped to improve the lives of her friends, neighbors, and strangers alike through her work with countless civic organizations. She has been a member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Foreign Missionary Convention of North Carolina, and the General Baptist State Convention just to name a few. And, even at the age of 100, she continues to serve others through her work with the Golden Age Club, the North Carolina Association of Educators, and as a representative for the Senior Health Insurance Program. Mr. Speaker, for the past century, Mrs. Sanders has lived a life worthy of emulating. Her dedication to education, her church, and her community deserve our highest praise. I ask that my colleagues join me in expressing our deep appreciation for the selfless way with which she has led her life.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Duke University students Ms. Sarah Jones Dickens, Ms. Caroline Garriott, and Ms. McKenzie Johnson for being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as 2013 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Grant recipients. Since 1961, the Department of Education has provided funding for the Fulbright-Hays Program, which seeks to improve relations and understanding between the U.S. and foreign counties. Fulbright-Hays DDRA Grants are awarded on an annual basis to outstanding graduate students who wish to conduct research in foreign countries for periods of six to twelve months. Ms. Dickens plans to conduct her research in Cambodia; Ms. Garriott plans to research in South America and Europe; and Ms. Johnson plans to research in South Sudan. Duke University students received three of the 80 Fulbright-Hays DDRA Grants awarded this year. The Department of Education awarded $3 million to students on a competitive basis from 34 different institutions of higher education for the program in 2013. These achievements are a tribute to the exceptional academic accomplishments of these students and the innovative and quality academic environment at Duke University. Mr. Speaker, I commend these students and the faculty at Duke University for their commitment to academic excellence. The global approach toward education and the understanding of other cultures demonstrated by these gifted students is essential for achievement and success in today's competitive worldwide economy. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating these students' great achievement by being recognized as a 2013 Fulbright-Hays DDRA Grant recipients.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the passage of H.R. 2189, a bipartisan bill that will finally recognize the valiant service of Merchant Mariners that operated domestically during World War II. It has been my honor for the past three Congresses to introduce legislation that would recognize these brave Americans and correct an injustice that has remained for over 70 years. I would like to congratulate a wonderful North Carolinian, Mr. Don Horton, who has been the driving force behind my legislative effort for the past three Congresses. Tragically, Don's commitment to this legislation was due to the loss of his brother, William Lee Horton, Jr., on 31 March 1942 as a result of a German U-boat attack on his tugboat off the coast of Virginia. Many of the Horton family served on these tugboats and barges during World War II in support of the war. Don Horton has become the foremost expert on this forgotten segment of World War II and has worked tirelessly to see mariners like his brother gain the recognition as veterans that they rightly deserve and earned through service to their country. Finally, Mr. Speaker, after 70 long years, these mariners have a chance to receive the recognition they deserve for their service to our country. I implore my colleagues in the Senate to consider this legislation as quickly as possible and support its passage.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the passage of H.R. 2189, a bipartisan bill that among many things will finally recognize the valiant service of Merchant Mariners that operated domestically during World War II. It has been my honor for the past three Congresses to introduce legislation that would recognize these brave Americans and correct an injustice that has remained for over 70 years. The Merchant Marine were private citizens employed by freight shipping companies. In an effort to support the American war effort during World War II, those same freight shipping companies and their employees became an auxiliary to the United States Navy. Their mission was to transport bulk war materials including food, clothing, weapons, and even troops to all areas of conflict and coastal installations here at home. During the World War II war effort, many of these mariners were tasked with the critically important role of transporting materials along the U.S. coast using tugboats and barges. Although these mariners did not sail across the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans into areas of conflict, they still encountered the enemy while delivering cargo that kept the war effort moving forward. One tugboat, the Menomonee, operating just off the coast of Virginia on March 31st, 1942, was sunk by German U-Boat 754 tragically killing several members of the crew. This tragic story has been the impetus for the legislation I have introduced in the past three Congresses to finally honor this small group of unsung heroes. In fact, a North Carolinian, Don Horton, whose brother William Lee Horton, Jr. was on that tugboat and lost his life aboard the ship that rescued him from the ocean and debris, has been the driving force behind this legislative effort. William Lee Horton, Jr., was 17 at the time of his death while bravely serving his country. Many members of Don Horton's family served on these tugboats and barges during World War II in support of the war effort. Don Horton has become the foremost expert on this forgotten segment of the World War II Merchant Marine, and has worked tirelessly to see mariners like his brother gain the recognition as veterans that they rightly deserve and earned through service to their country. The ranks of these coastwise tugboats and barges were not solely operated by men, but also women, as in the case of the Horton family. Don Horton's mother and sister, along with many other women, served alongside their male counterparts, but were never issued formal documentation for their service aboard these vessels because of an order by the War Shipping Administration. Many male Merchant Mariners that operated domestically were also never issued formal documentation or the documentation that was issued is extremely hard to find today because many of these documents were ordered destroyed by the U.S. Government. Currently, a certificate of shipping and discharge forms, continuous deck or engine logbooks, and shipping company records that indicate the vessel names and dates of voyages are the only documents that are considered acceptable to determine an individual's service in the Merchant Marine. In fact, by order of the Coast Guard Commandant, captains of tugboats and seagoing barges were relieved of the responsibility of submitting reports of seamen shipped or discharged. The deck or engine logbooks were turned over to the War Shipping Administration and were ordered destroyed because they were too ``voluminous to maintain, costly to keep, and rarely used for research.'' Shipping company records that indicate the vessel names and dates of voyages likely never existed because written communication relating to the movement of supplies and troops was strictly forbidden by U.S. military commanders. After 70 long years, the passage of H.R. 2189 finally offers these mariners a chance to receive the recognition they deserve. H.R. 2189 expands the acceptable forms of documentation used to determine eligible service in the Merchant Marine. The bill allows Social Security Administration records, validated testimony by the applicant or closest living relative, and other official records that provide sufficient proof of service. Mr. Speaker, estimates show that there are fewer than 2,000 of these mariners surviving today. It's time to finally recognize these mariners for their service to our country. I want to thank my colleagues in the House for supporting these brave men and women that served in the Merchant Marine during World War II, and I implore my colleagues in the Senate to consider this legislation as quickly as possible and support its passage.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Roanoke Electric Cooperative that recently celebrated its 75th anniversary delivering affordable electricity to rural eastern North Carolina. The Cooperative is headquartered in my Congressional District in Aulander, North Carolina and serves seven of the 24 counties I represent. The Cooperative grew out of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) created by President Franklin Roosevelt. REA's goal was to foster the construction of electric distribution lines so that rural areas of the country could avail themselves of the great benefits of electricity. Roanoke Electric Cooperative was chartered on September 30, 1938 and construction began immediately. By the middle of 1939, the 56 miles of electric distribution lines that had been constructed went live and provided electricity to 317 individual locations in rural North Carolina. Before the Cooperative existed, Americans living in rural areas began their day at sunrise and ended it at sunset. Every task--be it simple or complex--had to be done manually. Washing and drying clothes, farm work, cooking, cleaning, and even accessing water took time and effort that had been drastically reduced in urban areas due to the existence of electricity. Struck by the glaring inequity between rural and urban areas, then- Nebraska Senator George Norris said ``I had seen first-hand the grim drudgery and grind which had been the common lot of eight generations of American farm women. I knew what it was to take care of the farm chores by the flickering, undependable light of the lantern in the cold rains of the fall and the icy winds of winter. Those rural women were conscious of the great gap between their lives and the lives of those women whom by birth or choice lived in towns and cities with electricity in their homes.'' Now Roanoke Electric Cooperative has more than 2,000 miles of electric distribution lines and serves nearly 15,000 individual locations in its seven county footprint. The Cooperative is led by Curtis Wynn who serves as its President and CEO. Mr. Wynn is the first African American in the nation to serve an electric cooperative in that capacity. Under his visionary leadership, Roanoke Electric Cooperative has been recognized by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and has received the Community Service Network Award on two separate occasions. Mr. Wynn also serves on the Board of Directors for NRECA. Mr. Speaker, Roanoke Electric Cooperative has proudly and effectively served my constituents in rural eastern North Carolina for 75 years. I offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. Wynn and his team and ask that my colleagues join me in sending best wishes to Roanoke Electric Cooperative as it continues to be a vital and integral part of the lives of families and businesses in eastern North Carolina.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I support the idea of the House and Senate reconciling their differences on the farm bill and going to conference. It is certainly long overdue. I caution, however, that I will not vote for deep cuts in the SNAP program or the food stamp program, nor do I believe that Democrats will vote to take food away from those Americans who suffer from food insecurity. They have shut down the government, and now they want to shut down food assistance to the most vulnerable, many of whom live in my congressional district. Open up the government, open up food banks, open up Meals on Wheels for seniors, and give a hand to those who are hurting. It is good for families, and it is good for farmers.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Greene Early College High School located in Snow Hill, North Carolina for being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School. Since 1982, the Department of Education has recognized elementary, middle, and high schools whose students excelled or showed significant academic improvement on state or national assessments with the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School designation. This year, Greene Early College High School is being recognized, along with 285 other schools nationwide, for its academic performance. Students from Greene Early College High School have demonstrated academic excellence by achieving 100 percent proficiency on North Carolina's End-of-Grade Tests, and by achieving a 100 percent graduation rate. These achievements have distinguished Greene Early College High School as one of the highest performing schools in eastern North Carolina. As a result, the North Carolina State Board of Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction named Greene Early College High School an Honor School of Excellence this year. Mr. Speaker, I commend the students, faculty, and parents of Greene Early College High School for their commitment to academic excellence. A solid educational foundation and high school diploma are essential for achievement and success in today's competitive global economy. The Blue Ribbon School designation is a great testament to the Snow Hill community's commitment to prepare their children for the future. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and celebrating Greene Early College High School's great achievement by being recognized as a 2013 National Blue Ribbon school.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Horsford for yielding me this time, and I thank him for all the work he does here in the House of Representatives and say he represents his district well. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor tonight, quite frankly, very frustrated. I am frustrated as I stand here right now. Our Federal Government is shut down. This is the seventh day of a shutdown that did not have to happen. This is political theater at its best--or at its worst. And who's paying the price? It's the American people who are feeling the pain. This shutdown has been engineered and manufactured by House Republicans. Anyone paying close attention to what's happening here in the House will come to the quick conclusion that it is not the Democrats who have manufactured this crisis; it is the Republican majority that has done so. There are votes on the floor tonight that could pass a continuing resolution to get this behind us. I can tell you that most, if not all, Democrats will vote for a clean CR, and many, many of my Republican friends would do the same. I dare not call my Republican friends by name, but there are many of them. I had two visit with me tonight on the House floor to say they are willing to do it. Yet Republicans feel that somehow they can use the budget crisis as a means for defunding the Affordable Care Act. It will not happen. It is the law of the land. It is fully implemented. It has been approved by Congress, signed by the President, tested by the U.S. Supreme Court, and it is now fully operational as of October 1. Open season for the health insurance marketplace began several days ago, and nearly 3 million people have visited healthcare.gov on the first day alone. Americans who before lived with the constant fear of financial ruin if they got sick because they never had health insurance flooded the Web site in huge numbers to sign up for coverage. Right now, there are more than 600,000 Americans living in a household forced to file bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills. More than 60 percent of all bankruptcies filed last year were because of medical bills that could not be paid. Many people forced to file for bankruptcy because of medical expenses actually had insurance but were hung out to dry by insurance companies that dropped them from coverage simply because they had that power. ObamaCare makes that a thing of the past. Beginning on January 1 of next year, Americans can no longer be denied coverage or dropped from coverage for having a preexisting condition. All plans must include coverage for outpatient and emergency services and maternity and newborn care, mental health, and prescription drugs. I am very proud of this plan. There will no longer be a yearly or lifetime limit on how much insurance companies will pay out for care. That the House Republicans would hold the Federal Government and its more than 4 million employees hostage over a law that, on all counts, seems to provide a great benefit to Americans defies logic. Mr. Speaker, this is not a game, though my Republican colleagues seem to think that it is. They are not working with any sense of urgency and don't seem to comprehend the seriousness of the Nation's fiscal crisis. Just yesterday, on national television, the Secretary of the Treasury, Jack Lew, warned us of what the consequences could be. This isn't about who wins or loses. We aren't keeping score, but the American people are keeping score, and they can't figure out Republicans' outright obsession with ObamaCare while the Federal Government isn't open for business. It makes no sense. Democrats have come to the floor for the past week asking and begging for House Republicans to permit a vote on the Senate's clean continuing resolution. I will repeat for the last time: It would pass this House tonight if the Speaker of the House, Mr. Boehner, will put it up for votes. The votes are here right now to pass the Senate version of the continuing resolution. I urge the Speaker of the House, who is a decent individual whom I have gotten to know over the years since I've been here, I hope that he will finally say to the extreme right in his caucus that he has done all that he could to lift up the issues that they care about, but now it's the future of the country that we must all care about. Speaker Boehner, this week, sir, please bring the continuing resolution to the floor and see if the votes are here. They will be here, and we can reopen the government, and then we can sit down and reconcile our differences. I thank all who are standing strong in this debate.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Thank you, Mr. Cummings, for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I was walking on the floor moments ago, and my colleague on the other side said that this failure to pass a CR was punitive behavior of this White House. I cannot allow that to go unanswered. The fact is that there are 260 votes right now in this Chamber to pass a clean CR today.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, on October 5, 2013 there will be a grand event in Durham, North Carolina honoring the five African American undergraduate students that integrated Duke University. On this special occasion Duke, along with the residents of Durham, students and staff of North Carolina Central University, houses of worship, non-profits, and community organizations will celebrate the 50th anniversary of civil rights achievements in Durham and the integration of Duke University. Nathaniel White Jr., Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke, Gene Kendall, the late Mary Mitchell Harris and the late Cassandra Smith Rush were the five fearless undergraduates who forever changed the fabric of Duke University. In 1963, these pioneers enrolled at Duke University, joining the African American students who had enrolled in Duke Law School in 1961 and the Divinity and Graduate Schools in 1962. This occurred at a time when there were only two African American professors. After graduating from Duke University, these five students went on to do great things that benefited our society. Nathaniel White Jr. became Director of the Public Health Sciences Institute at Morehouse College, Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke became a law professor and member of Duke's Board of Trustees, and Gene Kendall bravely served our country in the United States Navy. The late Mary Mitchell Harris became a performance counselor at Georgia Tech University and President of Education Consulting for Harris Learning Solutions and Cassandra Smith Rush went on to work for Southern New England Telephone. Duke has a history of producing some of our nation's finest graduates and counts the first five African American students among them. It is with great pride that I acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the integration of Duke University and the courageous students who changed the institution's history forever. It is with sincere pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in marking this important anniversary.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to say to my Republican friends, the issue is not whether you are winning or losing this debate. The American people are losing. This is day three. We ask you again to be reasonable. Let's reopen the government and then get our leadership from both parties and both Chambers into a room and not come out until they have a bipartisan agreement to fund the government in a responsible manner. Remember, Democrats, for the purpose of opening this government, have agreed to the Republican level of discretionary spending of $986 billion. That's the Republican proposal; and Democrats, including the President, have agreed to this level of funding through November 15. The votes are on this floor right now to pass the $986 billion CR right now. Prove that I'm wrong. Speaker Boehner, leadership requires that you say ``no'' to those who want to obstruct and shut down the government. You must say ``no'' to them and let us vote, up or down, a clean continuing resolution.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. I thank the gentlelady for yielding. Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. We are now in day two of a Republican- created shutdown. While my Republican colleagues drag their feet on allowing an up-or- down vote on the Senate's clean continuing resolution, vital research at the NIH has been halted, student loan processing has been delayed, and veterans can't apply for a VA home loan. The same bills that this rule will bring to the floor have already been debated and voted on. My colleagues are not being reasonable, to say the least. Because Republicans didn't get their way yesterday, they now bring the same bills up again, only this time under regular order. They will get their 216 votes, but they know and I know that this action does nothing to advance the ball. It does nothing to get us closer to a solution. I remind my colleagues that House Democrats are willing to accept a clean CR at the levels that House Republicans have demanded. It's not what we want, but we compromised in an effort to do the business of the people. The votes are here, Mr. Speaker, for a clean CR. Every Democrat, I believe, will vote for a clean CR. And many Republicans will do the same. We're asking you to compromise. Your refusal to compromise has shut down this government. And for what? Political theater. I repeat, the votes are here. Prove me wrong. In closing, Mr. Speaker, in my prior life, as many of you know, I was a trial judge. I presided over thousands of very difficult cases. So often, jurors could not agree, but they worked hard without a political agenda. They reasoned together and administered justice. Let us reason together. Let's get the CR passed today.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, which is the clean CR, and go to conference on a budget so that we can end this Republican government shutdown that is delaying student loans.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, the drama that has played out on the floor of the House would make for a great movie. I must remind my colleagues that we aren't in Hollywood, and their dangerous and thoughtless actions aren't without consequences. We are elected representatives of the United States of America. We are not actors. We are here to legislate. So I ask my Republican colleagues to stop pontificating to the cameras and get to the work of reopening the federal government. The Democratic Leader came to the Floor yesterday and pleaded with the majority to bring the Senate's amended CR to the Floor for a vote. Last night as midnight drew closer, my colleague from New Jersey Mr. Andrews asked the Chairman of the Rules Committee to do what is right and fair and bring the Senate's amended CR to the Floor for a vote. The Rules' Committee Chairman refused to acknowledge Mr. Andrews' plea. Shame on House Republicans for not giving members an opportunity to cast an up or down vote on the Senate's clean CR. Their refusal to move beyond Obamacare--a law that was upheld by the United States Supreme Court as Constitutional--and continue their insistence on dismantling the law--is absolutely astounding. Because for every time we vote on a bill to delay, defund, or dismantle Obamacare knowing what the ultimate outcome will be, is time that we could spend working on behalf of the American people to advance important policies. Instead my Republican colleagues insist on holding the American people hostage. This is a sad day for America. This is a sad day for America because of House Republicans' complete inability to lead. This dysfunction has been allowed to continue for too long. I remind my colleagues that House Democrats are willing to accept a clean CR at the levels that Republicans demanded. It's not what we want, but we compromised in an effort to do the business of the American people. Now we are asking you to compromise. Your refusal to do so has shut down the most powerful government in the world. And for what? Political theater. Republicans are harming the American people and they deserve better. Colleagues, vote no on these senseless resolutions and demand--demand a vote on the Senate's clean Continuing Resolution.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, Republican extremists have put the Federal Government on the brink of a shutdown in less than 3 days. On yesterday, the Senate sent over a resolution that funds the government through November 15 using the sequester level of $986 billion. What is the Republican leadership going to do with this resolution that will keep the lights on through November 15? Are you going to continue to listen to the 40-50 ultraconservatives in your Conference whose agenda is to disparage President Obama and hold us hostage until we gut the Affordable Care Act, as the gentlelady from Tennessee just made reference to, and make deeper cuts that hurt the American people? Is this where we are headed? I pray for reasonableness on the part of my Republican colleagues. I know it's not all Republicans who are swinging the wrecking ball, but it's a critical mass within the Republican ranks that is beyond reason. A very sad day in American history is upon us. I urge Speaker Boehner to listen to voices of reason in his Conference and to pull together like-minded Republicans who can join with like-minded Democrats and get this done. The American people want compromise. They want it today.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Congressional Record the story of Stephanie, a mother from Roanoke, Virginia, a face of hunger in America.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Thank you very much, Mr. McGovern, for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) who just spoke, has finally acknowledged what so many other Republicans refuse to acknowledge: that they have made a political choice. They've made a political choice to defund the SNAP program. I'm glad that he publicly acknowledged that. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose H.R. 3102. The Republicans are determined to defund this program, a program that provides food assistance to low-income families and to more than 20 percent of my congressional district. The Agriculture Committee reported a bill that cut $16 billion from nutrition. The Speaker wouldn't schedule a vote. Why? Because the Tea Party said ``not enough cuts.'' The Republicans then increased nutrition cuts to $20.5 billion, and the Speaker crossed his fingers and hoped for passage. It went down on this floor in defeat. Not a single Democrat voted for it. Many Republicans said the cuts were not enough. Now here we are again today. The Republicans, driven by the irrational Tea Party, bring us another nutrition title that now cuts $40 billion from nutrition. My friends, I know that cutting the deficit is important to all of us, but do not reduce the deficit by depriving more than 3 million good Americans of the opportunity to eat. That's not who we are as a Nation.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Thank you very much, Mr. Pallone, for yielding time this morning, and thank you for your extraordinary leadership on our committee and for giving affordable health care to every American. Madam Speaker, I rise this morning to oppose H.R. 2775. This bill, if passed by the House and passed by the Senate and signed by the President, which I would say is highly unlikely, would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to certify to Congress that an income verification system is in place before any subsidies can be distributed for individuals to purchase health insurance through the marketplace. Here you go again--repeal effort No. 41. The Republican majority is obsessed with discrediting the President of the United States by using every procedural maneuver imaginable to weaken this law, which was passed by the Congress and upheld by the United States Supreme Court. I invite my Republican colleagues to read a report published by the Congressional Budget Office, which states that HHS already has in place sufficient safeguards for distributing subsidies to assist uninsured Americans with the purchase of insurance. This is not an honor system, Mr. Pitts. It is written into the law, and the Congressional Budget Office recognizes that we do have in place a system to verify the incomes. Madam Speaker, I am still fuming about the 15 Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee who on August 29 sent a multi-page investigatory letter to 51 community nonprofits that have been approved to receive navigator grants to assist the uninsured with the process. I simply do not understand how the chairman of a committee and a few like-minded committee members can author a letter to grant recipients, demanding that they answer questions and produce documents. I suggest that this letter exceeds the authority of these individuals to harass and to intimidate grant recipients. I urge the Republican majority to stop trying to discredit President Obama. Stop trying to defund and repeal the Affordable Care Act. It is the law of the land. Millions of Americans are benefiting from it today and will be in the future. You should be using this creativity and energy expended this morning to pass a budget and lift the sequester, which is hurting families and communities all across America. My friends, get serious; and let's stop playing games with the American people.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Thank you, very much, Mr. Jeffries, for those very kind words and thank you for yielding me time this evening to talk about this very important subject. Mr. Jeffries, your leadership on this issue, the issue involving strong labor unions and bringing American jobs back to American workers is so critically important, and for that we appreciate your leadership. Mr. Speaker, the economic success of the United States is something that other nations every day try to emulate. The success of our country is not because of us here in Congress, the policymakers, but it is because of the hard work of so many Americans who helped build a strong and resilient Nation. The role of African Americans has been particularly important over the years. The role African Americans played in the early economic success of our country is one that is not well known to some people, but it was so vital to building the world power that we are today. Even before the Civil War, Black Americans were critical in helping to build ships and other seagoing vessels that were used to move agricultural goods and equipment to the growing Nation by serving as caulkers, a job that was dominated by African Americans. Those same shipbuilders formed the Caulker's Association back in 1838 to protect African American caulkers by negotiating for higher wages and safer working conditions from their employers. The Caulker's Association counted Frederick Douglass, who worked as a caulker in Baltimore, as one of its members. After the end of the Civil War, 4 million former slaves were set free. African Americans who were freed found it very difficult to find work because of racial tension. They were often used by White employers as strikebreakers so that their businesses could continue to operate while White employees were on strike. Well, as time went on, by 1902, at the turn of the century, more than 40 national unions didn't have any members, not a single one, who were African American. But as the quest for civil rights began in earnest, African Americans would soon find a home--a good home--with labor unions all across the country. By the 1930s, the Congress of Industrial Organizations welcomed everyone and counted both Blacks and Whites as members and was among the most integrated organizations in the United States at that time. By 1945, more than half a million African Americans were members of unions that comprised the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Labor unions played a critical role--we've heard that tonight--in the civil rights movement, and served as one means by which African Americans could fight for civil rights and fair pay and safe working conditions. Mr. Speaker, we recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. On August 28, 1963, more than 300,000 people, including myself, witnessed the call for civil and economic rights for African Americans. And on that hot day in August, we heard Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., deliver his historic ``I Have a Dream'' speech. The march was one of the largest rallies for civil rights in the history of our country, and it was organized in large part--I want to make this point--it was organized in large part by labor unions, including the Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the United Auto Workers. The large role labor unions played in organizing the March on Washington cemented their place in history in providing for racial and economic equality. In 2012, more than 14 million people were members of a labor union. But you know what? That is down from almost 18 million 30 years ago. That is very sad. Why is that? The U.S. economy and Federal and State laws have changed since the heyday of industrial manufacturing where unions could organize with relative ease. Jobs that once required a human being are now being performed by a machine. Good paying American jobs have been relocated overseas where labor is cheap and working conditions are not as heavily regulated. And, perhaps most damaging, have been the onslaught of disgraceful antiunion policies that we have sadly seen on television that have been signed into law in States all across the country. For African Americans, labor unions continue to be vitally important because they are committed to maintaining the hard-fought gains of opportunity and equality. Since their inception, labor unions have helped African Americans fight for equal rights and equal pay and safe working conditions. Now, African Americans are more likely than any other group to be a union member and earn more than 30 percent more than their nonunion counterparts. Labor unions will continue to be a vital part of our economy, and we must do all that we can to ensure that the labor movement thrives with the same intensity as it did 60 years ago. I urge my friends in labor to continue their work. It is appreciated. I recently visited the A. Philip Randolph Institute. Ms. Clayola Brown is the president. I went to their dinner just a few days ago here in Washington, and I wanted to commend them publicly for the work they are doing. I thank them for invoking the name of A. Philip Randolph who, as Mr. Jeffries said earlier, founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Let me also recognize the important work of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, headed by my good friend Bill Lucy, who was secretary- treasurer of AFSCME for many years. And now the Reverend Terry Melvin is carrying on the work of Bill Lucy. So I thank my friends in labor and urge them to continue the great work that they are doing in this country. Mr. Jeffries, I thank you for yielding me this time and for your leadership.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express that I intended to vote ``nay'' but was recorded as yea on Roll 430 on August 1, 2013 on Representative Murphy's (PA) Amendment No. 6 to H.R. 1582. The Rules of the House of Representatives prevent Members from changing votes after the fact, but I wish to state for the record that I fully intended to vote ``nay'' on Representative Murphy's Amendment. If enacted in law, Representative Murphy's amendment would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies from using the social cost of carbon (SCC) to estimate the climate benefits of rulemakings. Contrary to the intentions of the amendment, I fully support the use of the SCC by the EPA and other federal agencies to estimate the climate benefits of rulemakings. The SCC is important to interpret the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on agricultural productivity, human health, increased flood risk, and other factors which are important to my constituents in eastern North Carolina.