Mo Brooks

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the great City of Florence, Alabama, as it celebrates its 200th Anniversary. I am honored to serve the people of Florence, which is located in Alabama's 5th District. By way of background, on March 12, 1818, General John Coffee saw the potential for a settlement on the banks of the Tennessee River, and he founded Florence, Alabama. General Coffee led the Cypress Land Company, and these visionaries established what they envisioned as a bold, new prosperous settlement. At this time, these founding fathers of Florence commissioned an Italian surveyor named Ferdinand Sannoner. In deciding on a name for the new settlement, he named it Florence after the beautiful and historic city of Florence, Italy. Through the years, the city grew steadily and many businesses and educational institutions were established in Florence. The city became known for having a legacy of industry, music and the arts, education, and architecture. Today, Florence stands as a testament to the Tennessee Valley's rich heritage, and I am proud to celebrate Florence today. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the City of Florence on this momentous occasion of its 200th Anniversary and wish the city the best for another 200 years.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize the City of Florence, Alabama, as it celebrates its 200th Anniversary. I am honored to serve the people of Florence, which is located in Alabama's 5th District. By way of background, on March 12, 1818, General John Coffee saw the potential for a settlement on the banks of the Tennessee River, and he founded Florence, Alabama. General Coffee led the Cypress Land Company, and these visionaries established what they saw as a bold, new, and prosperous settlement. At this time, these founding fathers of Florence commissioned an Italian surveyor named Ferdinand Sannoner to lay out the town. In deciding on a name for the new settlement, he named it Florence after the beautiful and historic city of Florence, Italy. Through the years, the city's population grew, and many businesses and educational institutions were established in Florence. The city became known for having a legacy of commerce, industry, music and the arts, education, and architecture. Florence stands as a testament to the Tennessee Valley's rich heritage, and I am proud to celebrate with the city's residents today. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the City of Florence on this momentous occasion of its 200th Anniversary. I wish the city the best for another 200 years.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. William Tate of Meridianville, Alabama on the occasion of his 90th birthday, and join Mr. Tate's family and friends in congratulating him on this momentous milestone. I sincerely wish Mr. Tate continued good health and contentment. As so many in our community know, Mr. Tate has led an extraordinary life full of accomplishment and service to others. Through his lifetime, he has shown exemplary dedication to his family, church, and farming community--all of which are undeniably stronger and more prosperous because of him. Mr. Tate transformed his small family farm into a thriving agritourism business visited by more than 60,000 every year, and all four of his sons have chosen careers in farming--a point of pride for Mr. Tate. Mr. Speaker, parenthetically, my own children and grandchildren have all enjoyed family and school field trips to Tate Farms. Mr. Tate's record of service to our community is exceptional. He has served in numerous civic and industry positions including on the Farm Service Agency Community Committee, Madison County Farmers Federation Board of Directors, Alabama Farmers Federation Cotton Committee, U.S. Department of Agriculture Cotton Board, Alabama Cotton Commission, and Madison County YMCA Board of Directors, just to name a few. As a member of Flint River Baptist Church, Mr. Tate has served as a Sunday School Teacher, Deacon, Trustee, and Deacon Emeritus, among others. Mr. Tate has set a fine example for others in our community to follow. In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Tate for his contributions to our community, and wish him a very happy 90th birthday.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, America cannot afford to be the world's orphanage because we simply do not have the money. America's 2015 deficit was $438 billion. America's 2016 deficit deteriorated to $585 billion. America's 2017 deficit deteriorated yet again to $666 billion. Now, thanks to last week's debt junkie spending bill, America faces a trillion-dollar deficit this year. By every account, America's deficit threatens a dangerous insolvency and bankruptcy that will destroy the America it took our ancestors centuries to build. Let there be no mistake about it, illegal aliens are a large part of America's debt problem. Per a recent Federation for American Immigration Reform study, illegal aliens are a $116 billion per year net tax loss to American taxpayers. Mr. Speaker, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. America tried amnesty in 1986, and it failed miserably, turning a 1 to 2 million illegal alien problem into today's 15 million illegal alien disaster. Why? Because amnesty does not stop illegal conduct; rather, it encourages illegal conduct. It baffles me that Washington's ``Surrender Caucus'' refuses to learn from history and anxiously seeks to repeat 1986's bad mistake, at great cost to America. And the cost is great. A 2015 Center for Immigration Studies report disclosed that more than 60 percent of households that have an illegal alien in them are on welfare, compared to only 30 percent of households with no immigrants in them. Consistent with that data, the Congressional Budget Office determined that the Democrats' Dream Act that gives amnesty to illegal aliens and that Democrats recently shut down the government over costs Federal taxpayers $26 billion. And that $26 billion net tax loss to Federal taxpayers does not include even larger State and local tax losses. By any measure, any amnesty, including amnesty for DACA illegal aliens, makes the illegal alien problem worse and, over the long haul, costs American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars America does not have, has to borrow to get, and cannot afford to pay back. Of course, the leftist mainstream media rarely shares these facts with Americans because it undermines their fake news narrative that Dreamer amnesty pays for itself. Mr. Speaker, the executive branch must do its job. The executive branch must catch and evict illegal aliens. It is that simple. Further, the executive branch must enforce section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which states that no person may seek admission to the United States or become a permanent resident if the individual, ``at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge.'' If the executive branch will simply enforce America's immigration laws, there will be no illegal alien problem and taxpayers will, over the long haul, save hundreds of billions of dollars that could be better spent on debt reduction or American citizens. Unfortunately, instead of insisting that the executive branch enforce the law, Washington's ``Surrender Caucus'' wants to give up and grant amnesty to illegal aliens, thereby, again, naively rewarding illegal conduct at great cost to American taxpayers. In so doing, Washington's ``Surrender Caucus'' betrays American families and taxpayers who must foot the bill for yet another bad mistake by Washington that is motivated by election-year politics, not America's best interests.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, Congress faces a debt junkie spending bill that risks an American bankruptcy that threatens the dissolution of our military. That is why a past Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and current Secretary of Defense have both identified America's debt as our greatest national security threat. America must learn from Puerto Rico, which suffered a debt default in 2016 that destroyed its economy and forced it to fire public sector workers, raise sales taxes to a record 11.5 percent, and close over 100 schools. Worse yet, Puerto Rico's insolvency meant it lacked the resources to protect itself from known hurricane risks like that of Hurricane Maria. Mr. Speaker, debt junkies don't care one twit about America's bankruptcy risk. I do. That is why today I will vote against their financially irresponsible spending bill that will likely trigger a $1 trillion deficit this year.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, Republicans won the House in 2010 in part because of the danger posed by America's 4-year string of trillion-dollar deficits. House Republicans sliced America's deficit to $438 billion in 2015, but then our finances took a dramatic turn for the worse. America's deficit surged to $585 billion in 2016 and $666 billion in 2017. Congress is expected to soon vote on a debt junkie spending bill that blows America's deficit sky-high by hundreds of billions of dollars in 2018 alone. Madam Speaker, there is a narrow path between adequate national security funding and avoiding a national insolvency that decimates our military and risks American lives. That path is as narrow as Zion National Park's Angels Landing Trail. One misstep left or right and you fall hundreds of feet to your death. The Senate spending bill is a debt junkie's dream, a nightmare, and a misstep that plunges America into disaster. It must not pass.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, roughly 4 years ago, Steve Mayfield was a respected high school football coach at Central High School in Lauderdale County, Alabama, who, in October 2014, was diagnosed with ALS. Steve Mayfield bravely fought his terminal disease and kept a smile on his face throughout his lengthy 3-year battle and ordeal. In a land of freedom and liberty, Steve Mayfield would have had two choices. On the one hand, he could abide by Food and Drug Administration regulations and recommendations and die; or on the other hand, Steve Mayfield could try experimental treatments that gave some hope of beating ALS and extending Steve Mayfield's life. Unfortunately, when it comes to terminal illnesses in America, there is no freedom or liberty. Steve Mayfield not only had to fight ALS, he also had to fight the Food and Drug Administration before he could try experimental but potentially lifesaving treatments. Sadly, Steve Mayfield lost both fights. Steve Mayfield was barred by the Federal Government from trying possibly lifesaving treatments and, not long ago, passed away. Steve Mayfield's son, Brooks Mayfield, from Florence, Alabama, was with his father when he passed away. It is in that vein, Mr. Speaker, that I call on the House to have a floor vote on Senate bill S. 204, the Right to Try Act, which passed the Senate last year, that restores the right of terminally ill patients to try experimental treatments that may save their lives. Brooks Mayfield's father might be alive today if the Right to Try Act had been the law of the land. Mr. Speaker, we must remember who we are as Americans. Our ancestors fought the Revolutionary War over liberty and freedom, yet, today in America, patients who are 100 percent certain to die are denied the freedom, the liberty, the right to decide for themselves whether to try experimental treatments that may save their lives. Every day in America, terminally ill patients and their families are told there are no options but death. By way of background, fewer than 3 percent of terminally ill patients in America have access to investigational treatments through clinical trials. While the Food and Drug Administration grants compassionate use waivers meant to allow terminal patients access to experimental drugs, only about 1,500 waivers were granted in 2016. What are other terminally ill Americans to do? Nothing? Just waste away and die without a fight? Patients shouldn't have to give up their liberty, their freedom, their fight against terminal illness merely because the Food and Drug Administration says so. Terminally ill patients shouldn't have to beg the FDA for a waiver, forcing patients to fight the Federal bureaucracy, when they are already fighting for their lives. The Right to Try Act gives terminally ill patients access to treatments that have successfully completed the FDA's phase one approval requirement but not yet completed the FDA's lengthy and complex full approval process that can take decades. Sadly, sometimes when treatments and drugs reach final approval, it is too late for too many patients and their families because the terminally ill patient has already died. Mr. Speaker, given the stark contrasts between life and death, between freedom and Federal dictates, between hope and hopelessness, the House should take up and pass the Right to Try Act, thereby giving a chance for life to terminally ill patients and their families. The United States Senate overwhelmingly passed Right to Try legislation last year. It is time for the House to do the same, thereby restoring freedom, liberty, and hope, and giving terminally ill patients across America a better chance to live.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, this is a very difficult speech for me to give. God works in mysterious ways. When you are an elected official, missed votes require an explanation. That is why I disclose this otherwise very personal, very private, and very humbling matter. On Halloween night, after votes, as I stood on the Capitol steps, my doctor called and said: Congressman Brooks, bad news. You have high- risk prostate cancer. I felt an adrenaline rush as a chill went up and down my spine. By way of background, prostate cancer kills almost 27,000 American men each year and is the third leading cause of cancer deaths behind only lung and colorectal cancers. Seventy-one percent of prostate cancer patients die in less than 5 years if the prostate cancer has spread beyond the abdominal cavity. In stark contrast, almost all prostate cancer patients live longer than 5 years if the cancer is discovered early and killed before it spreads. For example, my father discovered his prostate cancer early. He lived four decades after his prostatectomy. My grandfather discovered his prostate cancer too late. He died not long thereafter. After my doctor's diagnosis, I called my wife, Martha, who was back home in Huntsville welcoming trick-or-treaters and shared the bad news. That night was one of the loneliest nights apart in our 41-year marriage. I kept thinking about my wonderful family: What do I do next? How do I beat this cancer? Overnight, I formed a plan and began implementing it. In an emotional meeting, I informed my Washington staff of my cancer, that I was immediately flying to Huntsville after a CT scan that afternoon, and that, for medical reasons, I would be in Alabama the rest of the week. Based on advice from friends and doctors, I chose Dr. Scott Tully as my treating physician. Dr. Tully is widely respected and has performed more than 3,000 prostatectomies. On Thursday, Martha and I drove to Birmingham to obtain Dr. Tully's insight about treatment options and risks. He advised a radical prostatectomy. At Dr. Tully's direction, I undertook a heart stress test and a nuclear bone scan. Finally, I got some good news. My CT scan and nuclear bone scan revealed no cancer beyond the prostate. My heart stress test confirmed that I am strong enough to undergo the 2- to 3- hour surgery. Prostate cancer mortality data is compelling. Speed is critical in the fight against prostate cancer. In compliance with the 2017 House calendar that set end-of-year votes on December 14, and at some risk to myself, Dr. Tully and I delayed my surgery until December 15--this Friday--and set a postsurgery medical procedure for December 20. My plan was to recuperate at home during the holidays with my family and return to Washington for a full workload when Congress reconvenes on January 3. Unfortunately, last week the House Speaker abruptly changed the House voting calendar that I relied on to set my surgery. As a result, next week I will miss House floor votes unless I am unexpectedly medically cleared to travel. There are three insights from my experience that I wish to share with the public. First, don't ever, ever take your health or family for granted. During the holidays, enjoy your family because no one--no one--is promised tomorrow. Second, I encourage age-appropriate men to have regular PSA tests. While PSA tests do not diagnose cancer, my PSA spike persuaded me to have the prostate biopsy that revealed my high-risk prostate cancer early enough for me to enjoy a very good cure prognosis. Third, I ran for the Senate in 2017. I finished third out of nine candidates in the Republican primary. Had I won, I would not have had time for my physical and PSA test. I would not have had a prostate biopsy. I would not now know about my high-risk prostate cancer that requires immediate surgery. In retrospect, and paradoxically, losing the Senate race may have saved my life. Yes, God does work in mysterious ways.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Robert C. Harrison of Huntsville, Alabama in my district. He passed this life on October 25, 2017 at age 74 and leaves behind a wife, two children, their spouses, and four grandchildren. Throughout his life, Mr. Harrison exemplified hard work, commitment, and service. He established and owned multiple local business efforts, including the Bob Harrison Ford & Lincoln Mercury Dealership and USA Land Development & Consulting. Mr. Harrison was also a steadfast community volunteer, civil rights activist, and member of many civic and charitable organizations. He served as Vice President of the National Association of Black County Officials, Subcommittee Vice Chair of the National Association of County Officials Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, and a lifelong member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. To North Alabama's lasting benefit, Mr. Harrison was also elected to three terms as County Commissioner of Madison County, Alabama between 2004 and 2012. From that position, Mr. Harrison worked to bring economic improvement to the northwest area of Huntsville. A few examples of his legacy there include the Northwest Huntsville Community Service Organization, the Northwest Community Learning Center, and the Robert ``Bob'' Harrison Senior Wellness and Advocacy Center. I am confident that the 5th Congressional District of Alabama is better today for Commissioner Harrison's dedicated service. Today, I join with all of those touched by his life in offering my condolences and prayers to his family.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Organization for Women Educators on sixty-nine years of dedicated service, and proclaim October 2016 as Alpha Delta Kappa Month. Established in 1947, Alpha Delta Kappa's goals are to institute high standards of education, recognize outstanding educators, build a fraternal fellowship among educators and promote educational and charitable projects, enriching the lives of individuals everywhere. With a membership of more than 33,000 educators representing all fifty U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, and Australia, Alpha Delta Kappa is committed to educational excellence, personal and professional growth, and collectively channeling their energies toward the good of their schools, communities, the teaching profession, and the world. Women in education constitute a great portion of America's workforce and are constantly striving to serve their communities and America in educational, cultural, and charitable programs leading to harmony, happiness, and peace among all people. Since 2014, members of Alpha Delta Kappa have altruistically given to the communities they serve by raising nearly $12 million dollars and volunteering more than two million service hours. Alpha Delta Kappa members biennially award more than a quarter million dollars through eleven scholarship programs and have contributed more than $1 million dollars to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. I congratulate Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Organization for Women Educators on their many years of unparalleled success and wish them well as they continue to educate our children.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, only in the Halls of Congress does a $1.1 billion cut in subsidies for a mode of transportation allegedly result in higher costs to taxpayers. I would submit that there is zero evidence that Amtrak passengers cannot absorb higher fares to pay their own way. Mr. Chair, we are talking about $1.1 billion out of a $700 billion deficit for this fiscal year. We have to be responsible, we have to protect the future of our children and our grandchildren, and I urge the adoption of my amendment to do just that. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, America suffered four consecutive trillion-dollar-per-year deficits during the Obama and Bush administrations. The election of a Republican House in 2010 brought progress. The trillion-dollar-per-year deficits were cut to a low of $439 billion in fiscal year 2015. A $439 billion deficit is still horrible, but it is a whole lot better than a trillion-dollar deficit. Unfortunately, America's solvency has deteriorated since 2015. In fiscal year 2016, America's deficit exploded to $587 billion, $148 billion worse than the previous year. In fiscal year 2017, this fiscal year, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects the deficit will again explode to $693 billion, $145 billion worse this year than last year, and that is before the bill comes due for the Hurricane Harvey destruction in Louisiana and Texas. Congress will soon raise America's debt ceiling as a result, and within days thereafter, America's debt will blow through the $20 trillion mark. As a result of America's $20 trillion debt, we pay over $250 billion per year in debt service. How much is $250 billion? It is roughly five times what we spend on transportation for things like highways, bridges, and interstates each year. That debt service money is gone, no longer able to provide services to Americans; rather, it is spent to make amends for past government excesses and irresponsible spending. Worse yet, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that America's debt service costs will increase by another $600 billion within a decade to more than $800 billion per year. The question is then asked: Where is that money going to come from? What is going to be cut? Will it be Social Security, will it be Medicare, Medicaid, national defense? What? The CBO, America's Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, and the Government Accountability Office have all warned Congress and the President in writing that America's deficits and debt past are: ``Unsustainable.'' To be clear, in the accounting field, the word ``unsustainable'' is bad, really bad. It is the equivalent of a bankruptcy warning. It is a warning that America is headed to a debilitating insolvency and bankruptcy if we don't do better. In sum, Washington's financial irresponsibility is a betrayal of the American people, it is pushing America into a debilitating bankruptcy and insolvency that will destroy the American Dream for our children and grandchildren. It is in this setting that I have beseeched the House of Representatives to be financially responsible. Please support my amendment that eliminates Federal Government operating subsidies of Amtrak, thus forcing Amtrak passengers to pay their actual costs of riding on Amtrak trains. Stated differently, what policy justification is there for forcing Americans who don't use Amtrak to subsidize the travel of Americans who do use Amtrak? I know of none. How bad is the Amtrak subsidy problem? The Congressional Research Service reports that, from 1971 to 2015, Federal Amtrak subsidies totaled $78 billion in constant 2015 dollars. In fiscal year 2014, Amtrak had a net loss of $1.1 billion. Who will pay for that loss? America's children and grandchildren, that is who, because that is money we don't have, have to borrow to get, and cannot afford to pay back. Instead of allowing Amtrak to continue to run up debts and add to our national debt, we should force Amtrak to be self-sufficient, we should force Amtrak passengers to pay their own travel costs, and we must cut Amtrak from the government dole. We don't give these kind of subsidies to people who ride on airplanes, and we don't give these kind of subsidies in a lot of other means of transportation. Mr. Chair, I ask for a ``yes'' vote. Be financially responsible. Make Amtrak pay its own way. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize Velma Lee Sebring for her service over the last 74 years as a Sunday school teacher at Centerpoint Baptist Church in Scottsboro, Alabama. Mrs. Sebring began teaching Sunday school at Centerpoint Baptist Church in 1942. Having taught at the same location for approximately 74 years, she has surpassed the known Guinness World Record for the longest serving Sunday school teacher at one church. Mrs. Sebring began teaching Sunday school at Randall's Chapel United Methodist Church in 1938, meaning she has taught for a combined 78 years. I believe the education of our young people is of the utmost importance. As a son, husband, and father of educators, I have seen firsthand the sacrifices they make to invest in the future of our children. I appreciate and commend the work Mrs. Sebring has done on behalf of the North Alabama community, and I am confident that her work to support the spiritual needs of countless children over the years has made a lasting, positive impact on numerous generations. Mrs. Sebring was married to the late Bill Sebring of Scottsboro, and she has three children: Billie Ann Wallace of Northport, Nora Sebring of Scottsboro, and Robert Sebring of Scottsboro. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring and thanking Mrs. Sebring for her dedication and mentorship across North Alabama.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, our Republican Senate majority is killing our conservative agenda, our Republican agenda, and President Trump's agenda. The murder weapon is the Senate filibuster rule, an archaic accident of history created during the days of horse-and-buggy and slavery. The filibuster rule destroys the basic democratic principle of majority rule and obstructs passage of legislation unless a 60 percent supermajority of Senators agree. While today's 52-Senator Republican majority can abolish the filibuster rule anytime it wants, so long as the filibuster rule is in place, Republicans can pass nothing without the consent of Chuck Schumer and the Democrats. Think about it. Our Republican Senate majority has abdicated control and empowered Chuck Schumer and the Democrat minority to obstruct the will of the Republican House, obstruct the will of the Republican Senate majority, obstruct the will of President Trump, and obstruct the will of the tens of millions of American voters who send us to Washington. That is political suicide and an abject betrayal of the millions of American voters who sent us here. There will be no border wall because our Republican Senators empower Democrats to kill it. There will be no ObamaCare repeal because our Republican Senators empower Democrats to stop us. America's out-of- control deficits and debts will cause a debilitating insolvency and bankruptcy that destroys an America it took generations of our ancestors to build because our Republican Senators empower Democrats to spend money we don't have, have to borrow to get, and cannot afford to pay back. During 2015 and 2016, the House worked hard to address America's challenges. Over 500 of our bills never got so much as a single Senate floor vote. All that work wasted. The Senate filibuster rule is not in the Constitution. It is not a Federal law or statute. It exists solely at the discretion of the Senate majority. President Trump understands the filibuster rule and that it threatens the President's entire legislative agenda. On May 2, President Trump urged our Republican Senators to end the filibuster rule, stating: ``Change the rules now to 51 percent.'' On May 30, President Trump reiterated: ``The U.S. Senate should switch to 51 votes immediately and get healthcare and tax cuts approved fast and easy. Dems would do it, no doubt.'' President Trump's pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Exhibit A in this murder trial is an April 7 letter to Chuck Schumer, of all people, and Mitch McConnell that lists the accomplices, those deaf ears, who are killing the conservative agenda, the Republican agenda, and President Trump's agenda. The letter states: ``We . . . urge you to . . . preserve existing rules, practices, and traditions as they pertain to the right of Members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate. . . . We are united in our determination to preserve the ability of Members to engage in extended debate when bills are on the Senate floor.'' Each Senator on exhibit A empowers Chuck Schumer and the Democrats to kill President Trump's agenda. Remarkably, even an Alabama Senator supports killing President Trump's agenda. Mr. Speaker, Republican Senators claim we need the filibuster to play defense when Democrats control the Senate. I submit that claim is myopic and shortsighted. In the past 90 years, Republicans have not had a single filibuster-proof Senate, while Democrats enjoyed filibuster- proof Senates in the 1930s, the 1960s, and in 2009. In those years, Democrats passed ObamaCare and forced great society welfare programs on us that busted our budgets, destroyed the work ethic, broke up American families, and threatened America with a national insolvency. Over the long haul and because of the filibuster, Democrats force their leftist, socialist policies down America's throats, while Republicans never have the power to reverse the damage done. That is the Senate filibuster legacy. Mr. Speaker, time is running out. America's future is at stake. Now is not the time to play procedural games. I agree with President Trump. Senate: End the filibuster.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Lieutenant General Larry Wyche, Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Materiel Command, and Senior Commander of Redstone Arsenal in my home state of Alabama, on the occasion of his retirement following more than 42 years of exemplary service to the United States Army. Lieutenant General Wyche began his career as an enlisted soldier rising to the rank of Sergeant and he will retire with three stars. Those stars were not easy to come by. They were hard earned. Lieutenant General Wyche has been critical in transforming the manner in which Sustainment is provided to our Nation's Warfighters and he has been a champion for the health and welfare of the Organic Industrial Base--our arsenals, manufacturing depots, and ammunition plants. Lieutenant General Wyche has shaped and led the day-to-day operations oflhe U.S. Army Materiel Command, a $58 billion logistics enterprise, staffed by more than 120,000 Soldiers, Civilians, and Contractors for more than two years. The command has a presence in all 50 U.S. states and 155 countries. As Senior Commander of Redstone Arsenal in my district, Lieutenant General Wyche was in charge of the security and well-being of the more than 70 tenants, Soldiers, Army Civilians, and Families. Under his watch, the quality of life for residents and employees alike greatly improved. Lieutenant General Wyche's many stellar achievements are too many to recite, but they have had far reaching effects at home and abroad. As a major, he deployed with the XVIII Airborne Corps to Haiti and did his part to restore democracy to that country during Operation Uphold Democracy. His bravery and courage were also tested in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Lieutenant General Wyche began his career earning stripes and retires having earned every one of his three stars. We thank him for his leadership. On behalf of all those touched by his service, we wish Lieutenant General Wyche and his wife, Denise, and their family, good luck, good ground, and Godspeed. Army Strong.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to welcome Bishop Joshua K. Lynn to the House of Representatives. I thank him for serving as today's guest chaplain. Joshua is the senior pastor serving Mastin Lake Church of God of Prophecy in Huntsville, Alabama. He also serves as the area presbyter, regional overseer, of north Alabama. Bishop Lynn earned his bachelor's degree and his master of arts in biblical studies from Clarks Summit University. He serves Huntsville not only as a pastor, but as a volunteer with the Covenant Christian Academy Athletic Committee. Bishop Lynn and his wife, Chrissy, also direct a summer youth program at Camp Boothe in West Blocton, Alabama. Bishop Lynn and Chrissy have been married for almost 18 years, and they have four children: Camille, Ava, Heidi, and Elias. I understand they are here with Joshua today. We welcome them to Washington. I appreciate the work Bishop Lynn has done and the positive impact he has had on north Alabama by providing care and support not only for the spiritual needs, but also the social and physical needs of our community.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement from the Department of Defense, I raise tribute to Mr. Richard S. Matlock for a 40-year career as a civil servant and distinguished member of the Senior Executive Service of the United States. Mr. Matlock was one of the Department of Defense's top Science and Technology Executives. In his most recent position, Mr. Matlock served as the Program Executive for Advanced Technology for the Missile Defense Agency. In this position, he led the development of the next generation cutting-edge missile defense technology and proved the benefit to the warfighter through realistic experiments in relevant environments. Mr. Matlock developed new missile defense capabilities that outpaced threats from potential adversaries and enabled the Ballistic Missile Defense System to defend the Nation, its deployed forces, and its friends and allies against ballistic missile attack. Mr. Matlock's portfolio inlcluded high energy lasers, advanced sensors, and future anti-ballistic missile interceptors. Mr. Matlock simultaneously directed a Department-wide missile defeat special program for the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Mr. Matlock's previous Senior Executive assignments included the Program Director for Ballistic Missile Defense System Kill Vehicles, Program Director for Modeling and Simulation, and Technical Director for Kinetic Energy Interceptors. Mr. Matlock's broad based career in government service included major acquisition and scientific positions with the Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, the Missile Defense Agency, the United States Navy, the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, and the United States Air Force. While serving at the Missile Defense Agency, Mr. Matlock led the world's first destruction of a ballistic missile during boost using an airborne high energy laser. His expert management skills enabled the program to overcome numerous technical hurdles to accomplish a feat many leading scientists declared outside the laws of physics. Mr. Matlock also initiated a joint experimental plan with the United States Air Force to prove the utility of unmanned aerial vehicle systems in a missile defense role. As the Senior Executive responsible for developing, integrating, testing, and procuring advanced kill vehicles for all exo-atmospheric interceptors, Mr. Matlock defined a modular kill vehicle concept that decreased the number of system developments which reduced cost and risk. Mr. Matlock also redirected the agency's modeling and simulation approach by using state of the art open architecture frameworks that allowed plug and play capability of a disparate set of models from a diverse contractor base thus eliminating intellectual property loss and reducing the time required for model code rewrite. During his tenure with the Naval Sea Systems Command, Mr. Matlock led the development and implementation of a joint missile defense research program with the Japan Defense Agency which set in motion the joint deployment of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. Prior to employment with the Navy, Mr. Matlock was the Program Manager for Interceptor Technology Integration in the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (formerly the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization). Mr. Matlock developed the Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile, a primary building block for the Nation's missile defense programs. As Program Manager for this technology demonstration program, he established the experimental pathfinder for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program. Mr. Matlock also built, launched, and operated several earth observing satellites, proving the value of low cost rapidly fieldable microsatellites for complex missile defense and space control missions. Prior to joining the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization, Mr. Matlock held several positions in the Department of the Air Force, both as an officer and civil servant including Chief of Integration and Analysis at the Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory and Technology Director, Space Based Interceptor System Program Office at Air Force Systems Command's Space Division. Mr. Matlock's major awards include the Air Force Aerospace Primus Award, the Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for Missile Defense, the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, the Missile Defense Agency's Star for Program Management, the inaugural Missile Defense Technology Pioneer Award, the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award, and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service. Mr. Matlock consistently exemplified a true dedication to our Nation and its ideals. His vision and drive enabled fielding of a truly worldwide ballistic missile defense capability that will be part of this Nation's defense for decades to come. The Ballistic Missile Defense System is one of mankind's greatest technical achievements. Mr. Matlock created programs that matured technology, strengthened the Nation's industrial base, leveraged the capabilities of laboratories and universities, and grew a science and technology workforce that will meet the needs of the next generation of missile defense systems. Our Nation owes Mr. Matlock and his family a debt of gratitude for his outstanding leadership and service.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend President Trump on his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. For emphasis, the Paris climate accord is not now and never has been an agreement that binds the United States of America because it was never ratified by Congress. More specifically, the Paris climate accord, a treaty, was never ratified by the Senate pursuant to Article II, section 2 of the United States Constitution. Rather, in yet another example of disdain for America's constitutional Republic, the Obama administration refused to seek Senate approval of the treaty. By declining to move forward on a poorly negotiated bad deal, President Trump kept his promise to the American people to put America first. Lest there be any doubt, the Paris climate accord intentionally hurt America to the benefit of competitor nations. In a global redistribution of the wealth scheme, the Paris climate accord called for America to give away tens of billions of dollars to other countries. That is tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars on top of America's existing foreign aid giveaways. That is money America does not have, has to borrow to get, and cannot afford to pay back. That is nuts. America must stop borrowing money to send overseas to help other countries take jobs from Americans. Is that really so hard for the left to understand? The Paris climate accord undermined America's economy by putting American employees at a competitive disadvantage. By way of but one example, a comprehensive new study prepared by NERA Economic Consulting estimates that the Paris climate accord could cost the American economy $3 trillion in gross domestic product and 6.5 million industrial sector jobs over the next two decades. President Trump is right. America must lead by putting America's national interests first. The Paris climate accord failed to do that. By way of example, under the Paris climate accord, China and India, two of the biggest and worst polluters on Earth, have no new air pollution control obligations until 2030, at the earliest. Contrast the abysmal environmental record of China and India with that of America. And let's be clear, without a Paris climate accord, America's carbon dioxide emissions have been and are being reduced. For example, between the years 2000 and 2014, the United States reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 18 percent. Further, over the past 50 years, America has been the world's environmental leader. No country on Earth has done more to reduce pollution by cleaning our air, cleaning our water, and properly disposing of hazardous waste. That 50-year record is compelling evidence that America's focus on being good environmental stewards will continue, with or without the Paris climate accord. That is world leadership. I know of nothing that says we are going to stop being the world's environmental leader. That 50-year record is also compelling evidence that America can and will lead on our own without hamstringing ourselves with a badly negotiated, one-sided Paris climate accord that reduces America's wealth while costing struggling American families their jobs. In summary, I am proud that President Trump puts America first. America should not and must not yield even a smidgen of our national sovereignty to the dictates of other, lesser nations. Despite liberal climate-scare and socialist Democrat hysteria to the contrary, America has been and is, by almost every standard, the greatest Nation in world history. With an America First attitude, America will continue its 75-year streak as the greatest Nation in the history of the world, second to none.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, as a former Tuscaloosa County prosecutor and Madison County district attorney, I fully understand the importance of the rule of law that, in turn, protects us from anarchy, crime, destruction, and death. Without the rule of law, criminal brute force prevails. Unfortunately, leftist political forces who care more about inciting racial division for political gain and less about crime and terror victims regularly second-guess those who wear the uniform to protect and serve. For emphasis, antipolice, leftist political rhetoric has helped incite ambush-style attacks against police in places like Dallas, Baton Rouge, Des Moines, and Palm Springs. I support the Thin Blue Line Act because I appreciate the sacrifice of law enforcement officers, and because it is morally right to help protect officers who risk their lives to protect ours.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I recognize a constituent of mine, Cindy Cooke, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, of Huntsville, Alabama, for her service over the last two years as President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Dr. Cooke has an exemplary career of service with 42 years as an experienced nurse and nurse practitioner. As a nationally board certified family nurse practitioner, Dr. Cooke has provided care to patients for 18 years and for over 12 years exclusively to active duty and retired military members and their families Dr. Cooke has been involved in local, state, and national nurse practitioner organizations. Prior to her term as AANP President, Dr. Cooke was past President of North Alabama Nurse Practitioner Association (NANPA), the founding President of the Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama (NPAA), past American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Representative for Alabama, and past AANP Regional Director. Dr. Cooke has been active in speaking locally and nationally on various clinical and health policy topics. She was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in 2009. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners is a national professional membership organization representing over 225,000 nurse practitioners nationally. Under Dr. Cooke's tenure, AANP membership has grown to more than 75,000 members, making AANP the largest nurse practitioner organization in the world. Dr. Cooke has helped lead nurse practitioners in transforming patient-centered health care and has made tremendous strides in ensuring that policy makers and the public understand the care that nurse practitioners provide to millions of Americans each year. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Cooke on a successful term as President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and in thanking her for the excellent care she has provided to her patients, the nurse practitioner profession, and the constituents in the Fifth District of Alabama.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, fake news by the leftist Washington Post has gotten even more shrill and more irrational since Donald Trump became President. At a Republican meeting in Philadelphia, a felony was committed by the illegal tape recording and subsequent publication of my private conversation with Vice President Mike Pence about voter fraud. The Washington Post reported that I said: ``In my first election in 1982, Democrats rigged about 25 percent of the voting machines to vote for everyone on the ballot but me. That's 11 of 45 machines.'' Rather than reporting about my being a voter fraud victim or about something else I said that a Federal court decree opened the floodgates for illegal alien voting, The Washington Post did a partisan fake news hit piece and gave me, the voter fraud victim, a four-Pinocchio score on truthfulness. Mr. Speaker, I proudly wear The Washington Post four Pinocchios like a red badge of courage. I know what the truth was. I was there. Here are the facts: In 1982, I was a Republican candidate in Alabama House District 18 at a time when Democrats dominated Alabama. All 31 of Alabama's statewide elected officials were Democrats. Democrats held every partisan elected office in Alabama's Tennessee Valley. On election day, angry voters called me nonstop about rigged voting machines that would not allow them to vote for Mo Brooks. As a former assistant district attorney, I knew how to conduct an investigation. I talked with witnesses. I examined documents. Another attorney did the same. When the polls opened, 11 of 45 voting machines registered votes for all candidates on the ballot except for Mo Brooks. Not once was my opponent or any other candidate blocked on any machine. My hometown is the birthplace of America's space program and many of America's high-tech weaponry. We know math. Mathematically, if there were 26 candidates on the ballot, which there were, and only one name is blocked out, the odds of a particular candidate being blocked out are 1 in 26. If there are two machines that each has one name blocked out, the odds of Mo Brooks being blocked out both times is 1 in 26 squared, or 1 chance out of 676 chances. If there are 11 machines that each have one name blocked out, the odds that all 11 blocked names are Mo Brooks are 1 chance in 26 to the 11th power. Hence, the odds that my name, the only name, was accidentally blocked out on 11 different machines, as The Washington Post would have you believe, are 1 chance out of 26 to the 11th power, or 1 chance out of 3.6 quadrillion chances. Conversely, the probability that these 11 voting machines were rigged is 3.6 quadrillion to 1. The evidence is overwhelming. There was no accident. The voting machines were rigged. Who rigged the voting machines? In 1982, every single elected official with control over voting machines was a Democrat. In 1982, I was campaigning in a hotly contested race to be the only Republican legislator in the northern third of Alabama. I was the breach in the Democratic Party dam. Earlier in the campaign, the Democratic Alabama secretary of State, who is now serving hard time in Federal prison, notified me that I would be removed from the ballot because my paperwork was allegedly not in their files. Fortunately, I had date-stamped copies of the documents I filed, thereby forcing the Democrat secretary of State to back off. The Democrats had motive. The Democrats had opportunity. The Democrats had control. It is fake news for The Washington Post to cover up Democratic sins by suggesting otherwise. Mr. Speaker, The Washington Post's fake news hit piece begs a broader question: Why would The Washington Post even bother to write about an election they know nothing about that happened over 34 years ago? The answer: partisan paranoia. The Democrats and their media allies like The Washington Post are so paranoid and angry about President Trump's election that they are shrilly lying and lashing out against anybody, anytime, regardless of truth. The Washington Post: fake news, sad. As a footnote, despite the voter fraud, I won the election with 57 percent of the vote. In a court-ordered election just 1 year later, voters still angry about Democratic voter fraud reelected me with 82 percent of the vote. That is 25 percentage points higher than when the Democrats rigged the voting machines.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and military service of Staff Sergeant Clayton E. Moneymaker, who, after service in the U.S. Army during World War II, dedicated 41 years of his life to the service of veterans in the Huntsville-Madison County community and the State of Alabama. Clayton Eugene Moneymaker was born on January 1, 1918 in Heysworth, Illinois to Mr. and Mrs. Lee Moneymaker. On August 10, 1943, at 25 years old, Clayton joined the U.S. Army and officially entered active military service on August 31, 1943. Clayton served honorably, and on January 8, 1946, separated from the Army having attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. In 1981, Clayton mortgaged his home to complete the purchase, construction, and completion of the new home for the Huntsville-Madison County American Legion Post 237. Clayton served his fellow veterans from 1982 to 2011 in numerous positions including as the American Legion Department of Alabama Commander, the District 12 Commander, the Division 1 Commander, and twice he served as the American Legion Post 237 Commander, spanning 19 years. In recognition of his dedication to veterans in our community, the American Legion Post 237 membership, living heirs of Clayton, the American Legion Department of Alabama, and the National Headquarters of the American Legion all agreed to rename the Huntsville-Madison County American Legion Post 237 as the Clayton E. Moneymaker American Legion Post 237. Clayton Eugene Moneymaker dedicated 41 years of his life to serving veterans in the Huntsville-Madison County community and the State of Alabama. Today I pay tribute to an extraordinary individual, Clayton E. Moneymaker, and express my sincere gratitude for his life of committed service to the veterans of Alabama.

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama

Mr. BROOKS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, President-elect Donald Trump opined in a tweet on November 27 that: ``In addition to winning the electoral college in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.'' As would be expected, a circus of leftwing, media pundits immediately pounced on President-elect Trump's opinion in an effort to silence serious discussion of the noncitizen voter fraud problem. For example, PolitiFact, a self-proclaimed purveyor of truth, gave Trump's statement a ``Pants on Fire'' evaluation and stated: ``Neither Trump nor his allies have presented any evidence of widespread illegal voting. In reality, studies have consistently shown that voter fraud is nowhere near common enough to call into question millions and millions of votes.'' The truth is, PolitiFact and its allies ignore contrary studies and information. But isn't that what you would expect of PolitiFact and its leftwing media allies that have, in effect, become the communications wing of the Democratic Party? A 2014 study by professors at Old Dominion University and George Mason University estimated that noncitizens vote 80 percent of the time for Democrats. Does anyone really expect Democrats and their media and pundit allies to object to or scrutinize illegal votes that may be the deciding factor in the election of Democrat candidates? Let me give but one example of how tens of millions of noncitizens are a threat to register to vote, and vote, in America's elections. Alabama is my home State. Our laws limit voting to American citizens. That sounds pretty reasonable to me, that only Americans should vote in American elections. In order to limit American elections to American citizens, Alabama code section 31-13-28 requires proof of citizenship to register to vote. The code lists 13 different documents that are conclusive proof of citizenship, things like driver's licenses, birth certificates, passports, naturalization documents, adoption papers, military service documents. Further, an American can offer any other document that is proof of citizenship. In January of 2016, the United States Election Assistance Commission approved Alabama's proof of citizenship voter registration requirement. The League of Women Voters then challenged proof of citizenship laws in the Washington, D.C., Federal courts. In an astonishing ruling in September of 2016, a mere 6 weeks before the election, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia entered a preliminary injunction that barred Alabama, Kansas, Georgia and, indirectly, any other State from requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. The Court of Appeals' ruling opens the floodgates for voting by tens of millions of illegal aliens and other citizens on American soil, thus blatantly undermining the American Republic for which so many Americans fought and died. The dissenting opinion of the Court of Appeals' Senior Circuit Judge Randolph well-described the Court's ruling, and I quote: ``Of utmost importance is that on the eve of a Presidential election, and elections for Federal office, a court has issued an injunction forbidding Kansas, Georgia, and Alabama from enforcing their election laws, laws requiring those who seek to register to prove that they are citizens of this country. ``That order is unconstitutional. ``In my view, the appeal should have been disposed on the ground that the League of Women Voters and their allies have not even come close to demonstrating the type of harm entitling them to an order suspending these State laws.'' Notwithstanding Judge Randolph's dissent, the bad guys prevailed. Now, what does all that mean? It means that, right before the Presidential election, Federal courts created a massive legal hole that empowers noncitizens to register to vote and, once registered, to vote in America's elections with impunity, thereby undermining and diluting the vote of lawful Americans and striking at the very heart of our democracy. It means that President-elect Trump may very well be right that he ``won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.'' Quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, we will never know for sure if hundreds of thousands or millions of noncitizens voted in the 2016 elections. Worse yet, if the leftwing media pundits continue to summarily dismiss and turn a blind eye to the problem, it will be harder to stop future elections from being stolen.