Diane Black

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Dr. Larry Mason for his devotion and service to his community. Dr. Mason began his medical practice in 1972 in Albany, Kentucky, later moving to Byrdstown Medical Center (BMC) in Tennessee where he has practiced since 1982. His many professional accomplishments include, being named Chairman of Board of Directors Livingston Regional Hospital (LRH) as well as serving for many years as Medical Director of Pickett Care and Rehabilitation. Dr. Mason made many significant contributions to his community and will be greatly missed. He and his wife, Gina, reside in Livingston where they attend First Baptist Church, and together have three children, Luke, Lance, and Lindy, along with several grandchildren. We honor Dr. Mason today with his family, friends, and neighbors with deep gratitude for his service.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend Mrs. Lalania S. Vaughn for 20 years of service at Tipton-Rosemark Academy (TRA) as the Director of Fine Arts. In a career spanning two decades, Mrs. Vaughn has directed over 27 shows for the TRA Theatre Department and led the TRA choir to three Overall National Winner Awards in the Festivals of Music. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Vaughn has been selected five times as Outstanding Music Educator in Tennessee by the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts, served as President of the West Tennessee Vocal Music Educators Association in 2014 to 2016, and is a four time nominee for the Orpheum's Theater ``Outstanding Musical Direction Award,'' winning in 2016. Her desire to impact her community continues to extend beyond the halls of TRA, as she is a seasoned member of the National Association for Music Education and participates as a key soloist for Bellevue Baptist Church. It is due to the passion of servants like Mrs. Vaughn that young people across our country are equipped with the tools to follow their own dreams. I thank her today for her accomplishments and dedication to Tennessee.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, long before 2017, our Tax Code had become broken, complicated, and outdated. It no longer worked for our families or our businesses. We needed to rebuild confidence in our private sector and provide release for families. We needed to bring back America's competitive edge by giving job creators freedom from punishing high taxes. And when tax reform was signed into law last December, we accomplished that. In our bill, we doubled the standard deduction and lowered the rate for individuals, which means that parents and families are keeping more of their money in their pockets. We also dramatically reduced the tax rate for small businesses so they can invest in the people who keep their businesses moving. And now we want to make those cuts permanent. The Tax Foundation estimates that implementing permanent relief will create 1.5 million new jobs and increase our GDP by 2.2 percent. Permanent tax cuts will continue to encourage the economic growth that has put our Nation back in the front of competition. It will give taxpayers room to breathe when it comes to saving for life's unexpected challenges or emergencies, and it will allow our families to save money by expanding access to new and existing savings vehicles for their children's education. That is what tax reform is all about: allowing taxpayers to keep more money in their pockets so that they can choose what to do with their money. Americans know how to spend their money better than the government does. It is as simple as that. I am proud of our accomplishments, because it means people can breathe easier and with confidence. But we still have work to do to ensure that our Tax Code remains competitive, innovative, and better. Tax reform is boosting our economy, and we want to add to that momentum. So, with the bill that the Ways and Means Committee is working on, we have an opportunity to bring permanent certainty to millions of Americans, and we intend to do just that.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I missed the following votes because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 366; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 372; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 374; and YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 376.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, July 26, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 5515--John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. As a nation, we continue to face a growing number of threats that are becoming increasingly more complex and versatile in nature. This legislation substantially increases the funding for our military, gives our troops a well-deserved pay raise, and provides important tools in the fight against terrorism

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H.R. 6199, the Restoring Access to Medication Act (RC No. 377). Expanding health savings accounts will give direct assistance to families suffering from costly Obamacare premiums, and I am pleased to see provisions of my bill to provide first-dollar coverage for chronic diseases in this legislation. It is paramount for Americans to have access to the best and most affordable health care possible, and I remain dedicated to fighting for patient-centered reforms that promote choice and freedom.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, July 19, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H. Con. Res. 119, which expresses the sense of Congress that a carbon tax is not in the best interest of the United States. Like any federal mandate that intervenes in our economy, a carbon tax would reward special-interests at the expense of American families. Further, carbon taxes are regressive and would disproportionately burden lower and middle class families.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H. Res. 990, Supporting the officers and personnel who carry out the important mission of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (RC No. 337.) It is disheartening to see my Democrat colleagues in Congress demonizing the men and women who make a daily sacrifice to secure our borders. As an original co-sponsor of this legislation, I am proud to support the heroic officers who carry out the important mission at our border to preserve our national security and protect our families.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, July 12, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H.R. 6237, the Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 (Roll Call No. 326.) As a nation, we continue to face a growing number of threats that are becoming increasingly more complex and versatile in nature. This legislation is paramount to our continued efforts to protect the American people and keep our homeland safe from acts of terrorism.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call vote No. 328 on Fridy July 13, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H.R. 50 the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, June 29, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H. Res. 970, a resolution to compel the Department of Justice to comply with the request of the House investigators and turn over the remaining documents regarding the FBI's investigation of Russian influence over the 2016 election. The accusations of FBI abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act have serious consequences for our Fourth Amendment and the American people deserve nothing less than complete transparency.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes because I was unavoidably detained. I wish to reflect my intent and strong support for the following legislation to address the opioid crisis. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 2851, Roll. 268; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 5735, Roll. 266; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 5890, Roll. 263; and YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 5891, Roll. 264.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 219, NAY on Roll Call No. 220, NAY on Roll Call No. 221, NAY on Roll Call No. 222, YEA on Roll Call No. 223, YEA on Roll Call No. 224, NAY on Roll Call No. 225, NAY on Roll Call No. 226, YEA on Roll Call No. 227, and NAY on Roll Call No. 228.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, May 24, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage of H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. This legislation provides our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to protect our freedom at home and abroad, and fully funds the highest pay raise for our troops in the last nine years.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Tuesday, May 2, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye'' on Roll Call No. 216, final passage of S. 2155--the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. This legislation provides sensible reforms that will allow community banks to devote more time and resources to better support small businesses and families.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the congregation of Rockland Baptist Church in the year of their 150th anniversary celebration. Since its founding, Rockland has been a beacon of light in the Hendersonville community and has been a sanctuary for countless lives, touching the hearts of all who enter. Pastor Leslie Stratton has faithfully served at Rockland Baptist Church since the fall of 1997, being preceded by Reverends Shipp, A.O. Kenry, Sam Bryant, Drew Bateman, Tom Mills, Frank Harrison, Albert G. Jones, O.C. McClain, Willie L. Scott, Floyd Prude, James K.L. Alexander, John A. Perry, and Lloyd S. Peoples. Under his leadership, Rockland faithfully executes Christ's command in Matthew to ``love your neighbor as yourself'' through their ministries and active community involvement. Rockland's mission statement is ``. . .to provide Christ centered ministries, where people can be redeemed to a personal relationship with Christ, reconciled to God and His People, restored to wholeness and well-being, and revived for a full life of involved service to others.'' God is alive and working throughout our nation, and it is through the ministry of churches like Rockland that His hand is tangibly felt in our neighborhoods. I join the entire Rockland family and pastoral staff in celebrating this wonderful occasion. Rockland Baptist Church continues to be a pillar of hope in our community, and on behalf of the 6th district of Tennessee, I ask that you join me in congratulating and honoring this congregation for their continued faithfulness to Hendersonville. They are a shining light for the Lord and we are thankful for their gift.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H.R. 5447, the Music Modernization Act. The music industry is extremely valuable to Tennessee both economically and culturally. This bill recognizes the valuable work of songwriters and will help the music industry better serve its fans.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for Roll Call votes on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for the following bills: S. 447, the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today Act, H.R. 4744, the Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, and H.R. 4681, the No Assistance for Assad Act. Together, these bills promote America's obligation to protect religious freedom and human rights around the world.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, there are 3 million registered nurses in the United States that comprise our nation's largest health care profession. Today I rise to honor National Nurses Week May 6-12, 2018, and my friends working within Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. When I first became a nurse more than 40 years ago, I took an oath to ``devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.'' I still consider the words of that oath today in the decisions I make as a Member of Congress--particularly in matters of protecting the most vulnerable among us. In that same oath, we also pledge ourselves before God to practice our profession faithfully. Nursing is not simply an occupation--it's a calling, and those are powerful words that we carry with us day in and day out. Every day, registered nurses are working to chart a new course for a healthy nation and it is a privilege to honor them, and celebrate the ways in which they inspire, innovate, and influence to provide safe and high quality patient care. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and I am proud to recognize the outstanding men and women of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. We should show our appreciation for our nation's registered nurses not just during National Nurses Week, but at every opportunity throughout the year.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 and Wednesday, April 18, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for the following bills:

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Work is dignity. That is what our goal should be; not having people depend upon the government. When you ask somebody what they do and they can tell you what they do, they are prideful. Because after you ask someone their name, what do you ask them? What do you do? We want everybody to be at work, not where 1.65 people employed in the private sector, one is receiving welfare assistance. That is not dignity. This must be addressed. My budget last year began this processing of addressing mandatory spending, and we need to build on that progress. I agree that offering a constitutional amendment should be done rarely and reluctantly. Our debt burden threatens the kind of country that we leave behind for our children and grandchildren, and we must end this borrow-and-spend cycle that has gone on for far, far too long. Ensuring future generations have the same opportunities that we have today means making hard choices. No more delays. No more denials. I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution.

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, fiscal conservatism means cutting spending where possible and, in turn, spending responsibly. Yes, it is a balance. In our homes, we have to do it; in our businesses, we have to do it. When the economy goes down, you don't spend as much in your business or your home, so you have to be balanced and responsible. Today's vote is timely. The CBO's recent report confirmed what many of us already know: Washington has a spending problem. The budget deficit will near $1 trillion next year, and trillions more are projected indefinitely. Only a decade ago, the Federal debt held by the public was 39 percent of GDP, maybe even too much at that time, but today it is 75 percent, and it is expected to surpass 96 percent over the next decade. Does anybody think that that is sustainable? At what point does the debt become so severe, that we stall our economic growth? Maybe we cannot answer that question today, but we all know that point looms on the horizon when we must answer that question. If we don't act, we or our children, or perhaps, in my case, even our grandchildren, are going to find out the hard way. The burden of our borrowing is going to fall on our future generations, hurting their ability to flourish. I wonder how many of us want to look our children or our grandchildren or maybe, in some cases, our great-grandchildren in the eye and say: We weren't responsible enough to do that; we are going to leave that burden to you. I could not, in good faith, support the recent budget cap agreement, nor could I support the most recent omnibus bill. In fact, I voted for the Cut, Cap and Balance Act during my first year in Congress, which would have capped the future spending based on the GDP, and I am very proud of that vote. That same year, I supported the Budget Control Act, which reined in the years of high level discretionary spending. Some of my colleagues across the aisle are trying to use this resolution to attack the tax cuts, but tax cuts are not the problem. Our economy needed a jolt, and that is what we did. In fact, let's just look back a couple of years at what our economic growth was; didn't even make it out of 2 percent. Many quarters we were down at 1.5 percent. We are up at 3 percent now. Is that not something that is worth jolting the economy for? Where jobs are being created; that just didn't happen out of the horizon. That is because of tax cuts that we see the jobs being created. And by the way, people are having more money in their pocket as a result of that. We will continue to see economic growth from our tax cuts for years to come. As a matter of fact, I was just with a group of people not long ago that were talking about how a small business owner, a lady that had a pizza shop that started out in that organization as washing dishes, serving pizza. She then bought it. And you know what she has been able to do because of this tax cut? She has now bought a second business; someone who started out as a dishwasher. That is what our tax cuts are doing. Spending is the problem. Our mandatory spending has been projected to nearly quadruple by 2040. Our population is aging. Our workforce participation rate is stagnant. For every 1.65 employed persons in the private sector, we have one person who receives welfare assistance. When people need assistance, we want to give them assistance. But work is dignity.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 133.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to welcome Minister Jeremiah Tatum from Cookeville, Tennessee, to our Nation's Capital. In Congress, we begin each day thanking the Lord for His provision and asking for continued guidance, protection, and wisdom. It is a great privilege to have a fellow Tennesseean lead us in this sacred tradition today. Minister Tatum was born in Los Angeles County, California, and comes from seven consecutive generations of preachers. His call to ministry began 27 years ago, and he is currently serving his eighth year as the pulpit minister of Willow Avenue Church of Christ in Cookeville. In addition to local work, Minister Tatum preaches abroad and serves overseas with foreign missions. He encourages young men to become preachers and believes he has the best job in the world. Our community is so grateful for his service. He is married to Amber, and they have three children: Luke, Daniel, and LyssaBeth. I know his family and the Willow Avenue congregation are very proud to have him with us today, and I thank him for opening our day in prayer.

Mrs. BLACK

Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 69 for final passage of H.R. 1892, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which took place Friday, February 9, 2018, I am not recorded because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on this bill.