Andy Barr

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and note the recent passing of Officer Burke J. Rhoads of Nicholasville, Kentucky. On March 11, Officer Rhoads was suddenly and tragically killed in a car accident while on duty as an officer with the Nicholasville Police Department. Officer Rhoads was 35 years old and is survived by his wife, Melissa Suzanne Mason Rhoads, and his three children, Jacquelyn, Bryan, and Kevin. Officer Rhoads was a U.S. Army veteran and served on the Nicholasville police force for 8 years. We grieve the loss of this promoter of peace, advocate of laws, and sentry of safety and security in our community; however, we also celebrate and honor his life and his service. Inscribed on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial are the words ``in valor there is hope.'' Officer Rhoads helped to bring his community hope in knowing that they were safer on his watch. I thank Officer Rhoads for his service and devotion to our community.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life, and note the passing of Tyler Scott Brewer of Stanton, Kentucky, whom passed away on January 24, 2015 at the young age of 23. According to his friends and family, Tyler lived a life of adventure, compassion, servitude and the natural ability to touch lives. His love for his family, friends, music, and his Kentucky home was sincere and eternal. Tyler was an absolute joy to be around, a true free spirit, and had a network of friends that stretched from coast to coast. As a child, Tyler loved playing outside. He was especially fond of the days spent on Cave Run Lake with his family He attended Bowen Elementary School and was praised by his teachers for being an excellent student and an extremely caring person; even at an early age he was an advocate for those who were different or less fortunate. It was in elementary school where Tyler was introduced to one of his passions, Powell County Pirate football. Tyler started playing football in 5th grade and played all the way through his senior season of high school. He was a four-year starter on the varsity team while playing middle linebacker on defense and full back on offense. In addition to being an outstanding football player, he was also awarded the honor of Academic All State all four seasons of high school. Tyler graduated with honors from Powell County High School in 2010 and enrolled at The University of Kentucky (UK). While at UK, Tyler decided to join the Marine Corps. He left for Paris Island, South Carolina in March 2011 to embark on the most rigorous training regimen required by any branch of the military; training that molds a recruit into a Marine. His proudest moment was his successful completion of the rite of passage known as The Crucible. Along with being a model Marine, Tyler earned the rank of Corporal in less than 3 and half years. Tyler served one tour in Afghanistan, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he earned the Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal. Tyler left the Marine Corps in September 2014 to return to life as a civilian. Upon returning to Kentucky, Tyler enrolled in the welding program at Maysville Community and Technical College. He was extremely excited about the school but unfortunately he would never fulfill his goal of completing the program. Tragically, on January 24, 2015, the bright light known as Tyler Scott Brewer was taken in an automobile accident. Over 1,000 mourners visited Tyler. The outpouring of love from people all across the nation was historic for his small Powell County community and a testament to the amount of lives he touched and affected in such a short amount of time. Tyler was buried with full military honors and laid to rest at the Donnie G. Randall Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Stanton, Kentucky. Tyler Scott Brewer was a son, brother, grandson, great grandson, nephew, cousin, Marine, and a true friend to all. His kind and loving spirit will be missed, but his legacy will not be forgotten.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to discuss the negative consequences of the Dodd-Frank law, as well as reforms to the law that would represent much-needed solutions for middle class families in Kentucky and across the country. When this act was signed into law nearly 5 years ago, its supporters made many promises. President Obama claimed it would ``lift the economy'' and that it would help protect Main Street, not Wall Street. In both of these instances, the opposite has proven true. While the President is claiming victory on the economy, many Kentucky families and families across America are still hurting. Last year, the U.S. economy grew at an anemic 2.4 percent, the ninth year in a row of growth below the postwar average of about 3 percent. President Reagan also inherited a very difficult economic situation; however, if this recovery had progressed at the same rate as the Reagan recovery of the 1980s, the economy would be about $2 trillion larger, which works out to be about $1,500 more per family per year. This is hardly the boom that the President talks about. Growth this low for this long is simply not fast enough to lift incomes for most Americans. A primary cause of the weakness of this recovery is the avalanche of red tape coming out of the Obama administration, including the nearly 400 new rules and regulations arising from Dodd-Frank that are crushing small communities around the country. Dodd-Frank imposes costly and burdensome restrictions on community banks and credit unions that limit their ability to loan money to their customers, which is hindering economic growth and hurting low- and middle-income Americans the hardest. A community banker in my district told me that before Dodd-Frank, lending decisions were often made based on a business judgment about the character and the creditworthiness of their customers. People in small towns across America, they know each other, and local banks and credit unions are in the business of helping their neighbors. These institutions assume the consequences of their decisions at no risk to the financial system or to taxpayers who have been on the hook for bailouts. So they are willing to take a risk, both in terms of how to best help their customers achieve his or her dreams and how to provide a reasonable return for the shareholders of the bank or members of the credit union. But that same banker told me that, after Dodd-Frank, the government is making the decisions instead of the shareholders or the bank board, imposing a one-size-fits-all, top-down mandate on local financial institutions. Rather than working with people, this community banker now deals with mountains of paperwork and Federal regulators. The result has been a disaster. The number of community banks has declined by 9.5 percent. There have been far fewer new community bank charters, and less services and products are now offered to customers and consumers. The law created new, unaccountable bureaucracies on top of an overly complex financial regulatory system. New, unaccountable bureaucracies like the well-sounding but mislabeled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Financial Stability Oversight Council operate largely out of public view and are subject to almost none of the checks and balances imposed on other government agencies. For example, the Bureau deemed Bath County, Kentucky, with a population of about 10,000 people, as nonrural, making it even more difficult for its people to secure loans from community banks and credit unions. Think about this: the ridiculous scenario of Washington, D.C., bureaucrats labeling one of the most rural parts of America as nonrural and hurting the people as a result. Shockingly, this unaccountable agency provided no valid justification for how they came to this conclusion, nor any means to challenge this arbitrary determination. After I introduced legislation, along with members of both parties, to address this issue, the agency, after more than a year of delay, finally relented and expanded its definition of rural to include Bath County. While this is a positive development for this Kentucky county, the process remains opaque, arbitrary, and not subject to appeal, and our rural communities continue to struggle with one-size-fits-all regulatory approaches for which they lack the resources to comply. This week, I will reintroduce the Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act, which would give individuals an appeals process by which to contest this designation. Dodd-Frank includes several other rules which are holding our economy back. Thanks to the Bureau's qualified mortgage rule, it is now harder for creditworthy low- and moderate-income Americans to buy a home. The Volcker rule has made U.S. capital markets less competitive internationally, creating unnecessary obstacles for U.S. companies to raise the funds they need to grow their businesses and create jobs. Despite the stated intentions of this law, community banks and credit unions have been left to comply with onerous new regulations intended to prevent a repeat of the financial crisis they did not cause.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, let's join together, cut red tape and unnecessary regulations that are holding our communities back. We can create real opportunity and encourage private sector growth by repealing this law and starting over.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take this moment to celebrate the life, and note the passing of Lt. Colonel Gerald K. Carman of the United States Air Force. Lt. Colonel Carman passed away surrounded by his family in Duluth, Georgia on August 7, 2014 at the age of 51. Lt. Colonel Carman is survived by his wife of 25 years, Dawn Murto Carman and his two sons: Bradly and Alexander. Lt. Colonel Carman is a fellow graduate from Tates Creek High School in Lexington, Kentucky. He earned his Bachelor's from the University of Kentucky and his Master's degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Soon after graduating, Lt. Colonel Carman joined the military and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force. He later became a member of 962d Airborne Air Control Squadron (AACS) based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska as an Instructor Pilot flying the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft. Lt. Colonel Carman then joined the 168th Air Refueling Wing based in Eielson AFB, Fairbanks, Alaska as an Instructor Pilot flying the KC-135 Stratotanker with the Alaska Air National Guard. He served a total of 26 years as an officer with our nation's Armed Services. Lt. Colonel Carman's passion for flying and love for aviation continued well past his Air Force career. He was a successful commercial pilot for two of our nation's major airlines: Northwest and Delta. We grieve the loss of this great American, but we also celebrate and honor his life and his service. Lt. Colonel Carman embodied the best of America's ideals, values, and work ethic. He also personified what it meant to be free by pursuing his dreams and teaching others the art and love of American aviation. Because of Lt. Colonel Carman's service to our nation, American freedoms are protected for future generations. He was truly an outstanding American and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life, and mark the passing, of an outstanding individual and a decorated World War II veteran, Mr. Thomas A. Massarone of Lexington, Kentucky. As a young man, Mr. Massarone began his service in the United States Navy and quickly rose to the rank of Petty Officer Third Class. Mr. Massarone entered the war in 1944 by fighting within the U.S. Pacific fleet and did not stop until the Allies achieved victory. Mr. Massarone participated in combat operations while assigned to the Navy's Southern Attack Force `ship-to-shore' detail, within the III Amphibious Corps (MA), in order to help liberate Guam. He was assigned a dangerous mission to search for and capture Japanese soldiers still at large on the island and then to guard the captured Japanese prisoners of war. In addition, Mr. Massarone was assigned the task of securing the Japanese Type C submarines located on the island of Guam. After helping the Allies achieve victory, he was honorably discharged from military service in 1948 and returned home to begin a successful 40-year career with IBM. Mr. Massarone became one of the original members of IBM's electric typewriter division and was instrumental in creating the ``Selectric'' typewriter, which helped pave the way for the use of typewriter keyboards as the primary method for people to interact with computers. Mr. Massarone spent his life giving back to his community. He helped form the first Little League baseball teams to play at the IBM Park in Lexington. He was particularly active with his parish, St. Paul Catholic Church, where he served as council president, chairman of the school board, and later became the oldest serving member of his church. Rising to the leadership position of Grand Knight within the Knights of Columbus in Lexington, Mr. Massarone devoted much of his time raising money for charities and helping others in need. As a member of the American Legion, Mr. Massarone committed himself to supporting local programs to mentor youth and provide support for service members and fellow veterans. Mr. Massarone embodied the best of America's ideals, values, and ingenuity. His bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform liberated the world from tyranny and secured our American freedoms for future generations. He was truly an outstanding American and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the University of Kentucky, which celebrates its sesquicentennial anniversary this month. As an original land grant research university and Kentucky's flagship public institution of higher learning, UK is the cornerstone of education in the Commonwealth, having prepared graduates of exceptional quality and character for 150 years. With humble beginnings in 1865, the school began as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky University. In the time since its founding, the University of Kentucky has maintained its traditional values while also extending and enhancing its multifaceted mission of teaching, research, service, and health care. The University of Kentucky has progressed from its early innovative roots to become a vibrant and diverse place of development and potential. Its faculty, staff, students, and alumni are deeply devoted to the University's central value of service to others. Students are civically engaged and most take advantage of the volunteer, leadership, service, and activism opportunities on the University's diverse and creative campus. The University of Kentucky now looks to the next 150 years of higher learning, innovative discovery, transformative outreach and sophisticated care, as it honors the legacy of those who established its campus, nurtured its early work, upheld and enhanced its mission in the present, and who will deliver a new century of promise in the future. Athletics have also been an important part of the school's heritage, with the Kentucky Wildcats laying claim to more than 30 NCAA Championships and 270 conference titles across 22 intercollegiate sports. In particular, the University of Kentucky is home to the ``Greatest Tradition in College Basketball'' as the winningest program of all-time, in both the number of total wins and total win percentage. The Cats have also proven dominant in the postseason, with the most NCAA tournament appearances, the most tournament game wins, and eight national championships. There is no doubt that the University will continue to accrue both academic and athletic achievements into the 21st Century. I encourage my colleagues to join in congratulating my alma mater, the University of Kentucky on this milestone. Kentuckians are proud of the progress this distinguished institution has made over the past 150 years in preparing our nation's next generation of leaders for success, and look forward to seeing all of the prosperity that the next 150 years will bring. Go Cats.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a World War II icon, U.S. Marine Private First Class Franklin R. Sousley, of Fleming County, Kentucky. A graduate of Fleming County High School, Sousley chose to enlist in the Marine Corps where he was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion, as a rifleman. Private First Class Sousley landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. During the intense fighting, American forces secured Mount Suribachi. Shortly thereafter, Sousley, alongside five other fellow servicemembers, raised a large U.S. flag, so it could be seen over the island. An iconic photograph taken during this raising of the U.S. flag led to an immortalized symbol of the American bravery, perseverance, and sacrifice endured by members of the U.S. Armed Forces during the intense battles of World War II. Sadly, soon after this photograph was taken, Sousley was killed in combat by a Japanese sniper. His remains were laid to rest in the Elizaville Cemetery in Fleming County, Kentucky, in my district. Private First Class Sousley paid the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom for generations; however, his memory lives on in the timeless photograph in the image depicted in the Iwo Jima Memorial outside of Washington, D.C., and through the gratitude of all Americans.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold), my friend, for his leadership on this issue and for leading this special hour. I also want to thank my friend from Texas for honoring our colleague Sam Johnson, a true American hero who, through his service and sacrifice, his time in the Hanoi Hilton, his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, really showcased what it means to be a great patriot and an American hero willing to sacrifice for his fellow countrymen and for the freedom that we all enjoy. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of central and eastern Kentucky, I, too, rise today to recognize the 42nd anniversary of the release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam. I would like to honor the brave men and women who courageously wore our Nation's cloth and made great sacrifices in the name of freedom. As I walk into my congressional office, I am reminded every day of all the American servicemembers that never returned home from past wars by the POW flag that I proudly display outside of my office. Since the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Kentuckians have continued to answer our Nation's call to service. In fact, over 125,000 Kentuckians courageously and unselfishly served during the Vietnam era, and the people of Kentucky honor those who fought and died in Vietnam by commissioning the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which overlooks Kentucky's beautiful State capitol building in Frankfort. I would also like to recognize the organizations that keep the memories of those who have sacrificed much for our country alive, organizations such as Task Force Omega of Kentucky, Rolling Thunder, and the Kentucky Patriot Guard, who constantly remind us to never forget the servicemembers who have perished and have not yet returned home from Vietnam and other wars fought on foreign soil. While being held captive, American POWs found strength in each other, and as Congressman Dold and Congressman Olson pointed out, those taps were the way that those men in that prison kept each other's spirits alive. Through their struggle, they found resilience; through their faith, they found comfort; and through their patriotism, they found hope. We are so grateful to have these servicemembers home. As we know all too well from recent events in the Middle East, not all prisoners of war make it back to their family members alive, but we owe all of them a debt of gratitude. Unlike the veterans of World War II, Iraq, the Persian Gulf war or Afghanistan, those who served in Vietnam had a very different and unfortunate experience, many of them, when they returned home. Some were advised to change into civilian clothes and avoid contact with protestors, and it really hurt. They didn't deserve it. They deserve better. So for all of those veterans of the Vietnam war, including those who were POWs, we welcome them home because they deserve our respect, and they deserve to be welcomed home to a grateful nation. American servicemembers found hope in the fact that a grateful nation would not leave them behind and would do everything possible to bring them home. We, as Americans, still stand behind that promise today. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for the opportunity to honor the 42nd anniversary of the release of American POWs from Vietnam.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this important package, and I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) for his leadership, and I rise in strong support of his legislation, H.R. 37, the Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act. Indeed, this bill is about jobs and it is about economic growth. And it is about jobs on Main Street. Make no mistake about it: essentially the same legislative package passed the House last fall by a bipartisan vote of 320-102. If I may, I want to talk a little bit about title VIII of this legislation, which passed the House last April by voice vote, and it contains language from a bill I introduced in the last Congress, H.R. 4167, the Restoring Proven Financing for American Employers Act. I worked closely with my colleague across the aisle, Congresswoman Maloney of New York, to craft sound, commonsense, bipartisan language to clarify the Volcker rule while maintaining its original legislative intent regarding the treatment of collateralized loan obligations. Now let's just talk a little bit about the Volcker rule and what it does. As currently structured, this rule will substantially disrupt the market for CLOs, a vital source of capital for mid-sized and emerging growth American companies that cannot cost-effectively access the corporate bond market. There are two negative impacts of this rule. First of all, it will have a serious negative impact on banks, many small- and medium-sized community banks, and it is estimated that banks will have to divest or restructure up to $70 billion of CLO notes under this rule if unchanged. Second, it will compromise credit availability for American companies that are beneficiaries of this innovative source of credit. Today, CLOs hold approximately $350 billion of senior secured commercial and industrial loans to some of the most dynamic, job- producing companies in America. One of these companies, Tempur Sealy International, the world's largest manufacturer of mattresses, foundations, pillows, and other bedding products, is headquartered in my district. So it seems to me that the medicine being prescribed by the Volcker rule, forcing banks to sell billions of dollars of CLO paper in a fire- sale scenario, and the loss of credit availability for a wide range of Main Street businesses, growing companies, job-producing employers would be a far more damaging result to jobs and the economy than the perceived disease, banks ever suffering losses from holding AAA CLO paper, which is fundamentally different and distinguishable from the mortgage-backed securities that led to the run-up to the financial crisis. It is important to note what this bill does and what this title does, and what it does not do. It doesn't do away with the Volcker rule. If you listened to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, you would think that we are totally doing away with the Volcker rule. That is not what this does. What it does is it grandfathers legacy CLOs and prevents a fire sale of these CLOs. So without the adoption of this grandfather provision, the Volcker rule would effectively operate to make illegal certain investments that were perfectly legal and safe when they were made. In other words, the Volcker rule as currently written applies retroactively to CLOs, attaching legal consequences to investment decisions made by private parties who did not anticipate these consequences at the time the decision was made. Such retroactivity will profoundly and negatively disrupt the plans and settled expectations of CLO investors, and this will create turmoil in the commercial credit market and force banks to sell billions of existing CLO debt. As a result, the cost of financing will increase and access to credit will dry up, and this will reduce liquidity in America's capital markets. Let me make a point here. Much has been said about Wall Street versus Main Street. This is about Main Street jobs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Independent Community Bankers Association, and the American Bankers Association all talk about how this will help. Our bill, our fix, will help community banks grow capital and support local economic development and job creation on Main Street. The Bipartisan Policy Center says that forcing a select group of banks to sell these assets over a short time is not the optimal solution. Such an action would create an environment of institutions forced to sell, and buyers who can purchase CLOs at extraordinarily cheap prices, and this would create unnecessary losses at banks and produce windfall profits for those who can demand to buy them at below market rates. The CLO provision represents a small and commonsense solution, not a rollback of Dodd-Frank by any means. It keeps the Volcker rule completely intact and simply provides phased-in compliance to banks of all sizes that made sound investment decisions, allowing for a finite universe of well-performing legacy CLOs to be sold or paid off.

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman. It will keep the Volcker rule completely intact, and simply provide phased-in compliance to banks of all sizes that made sound investment decisions, allowing the finite universe of well-performing legacy CLOs to be sold or paid off over an added 2 years rather than forcing these legacy CLOs into a fire sale. The proprietary trading ban is retained entirely for all new CLO issuances. So in conclusion, there has been a lot of talk about deregulation. As for the canard that deregulation was to blame for the financial crisis, that story line has been thoroughly debunked. The crisis was caused by the government's own housing policies, which fostered the creation of 25 million subprime and other low-quality mortgages, almost 50 percent of all the mortgages in the United States that defaulted at unprecedented rates. In contrast, CLOs were not the root cause of the crisis. CLOs performed very well during the crisis. Regulators have many tools to ensure bank CLOs do not pose financial risks. CLO AAA or AA notes, in fact, have never defaulted. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense Main Street jobs bill.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Chair, today I rise in support of H.R. 240, providing appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of this fiscal year. This legislation provides the funding necessary to ensure that all of the Department's critical missions have the resources necessary to be dutifully executed. But I also rise in support of the amendments to this legislation. And when considering the amendments that were made in order, I am reminded of the feelings of pride and patriotism that I witness when I attend naturalization ceremonies in my home district. When new citizens raise their right hand and recite the Oath of Allegiance, the aura of achievement and opportunity is palpable. These immigrants-turned- citizens have come to the country the right way. They have followed the rules, and they have earned that feeling of achievement. But it is America that benefits. These immigrants embody and have displayed the values we hold most dear: hard work, integrity, perseverance, and a commitment to be a contributing member of the American society. I strongly support these amendments because we are expressing the sense of Congress in these amendments that we respect naturalized citizens; we honor their hard work and dedication to the legal immigration and naturalization process. We should hold these new citizens up as models for how to immigrate to this country the right way. We should not punish them by using their very processing fees that they paid to accommodate illegal immigrants hiding from the rule of law. And that is why the President's unilateral executive action is so destructive. So I proudly join my colleagues not only in voting to defund the President's unconstitutional executive action but also to call upon his administration and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to stop putting the interests of unlawful immigrants ahead of legal immigrants. Let's reward those who come to this country the right way, not those who have broken the law. In conclusion, Mr. Chair, I again thank the Appropriations Committee and the chairman for this important work vindicating legal immigration.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. ``. . . or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.''

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 21st Century Educational Safehouse Program for providing high-quality, innovative programming for the at-risk youth in Lexington, Kentucky since 2010. The 21st Century Educational Safehouse Program is an after-school program, coordinated by The Martin Luther King Academy, within the Fayette County Public School System, that provides a safe, drug-free environment for the most vulnerable youth in Fayette County. The program serves all middle and high school students in the district at three community based program sites. It also includes at-risk students from private, parochial, and homeschools located in Fayette County. To date, the 21st Century Educational Safehouse has served nearly 3,000 students. Students are recommended for the program by their school's Youth Service Center, Social Worker, Counselor, and/or community partner. The program's curriculum focuses on a variety of issues including, tutoring, mentoring, educational enrichment, STEM, college/career preparation, and the arts. Students show remarkable improvement in the areas of behavior, character, and academic ability at the conclusion of the year-long program. Our community benefits greatly from the program's passion for pro-actively educating the next generation. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the 21st Century Educational Safehouse Program's dedication to ensuring a brighter future for the at-risk youth in Fayette County. This program's positive impact on our community and our Commonwealth is far-reaching and I commend them for their honorable mission.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor, commend, and congratulate Dr. Michael B. McCall, founding president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), on the event of his retirement. Dr. McCall has led KCTCS all of the 17 years since its creation in 1997, and during that time has overseen the coordination of Kentucky's community colleges, technical institutes, and the University of Kentucky into an education system that is now the largest provider of postsecondary education in the Commonwealth. Dr. McCall, a strong advocate for a robust community college system even before coming to Kentucky, was recruited to KCTCS due to his knowledge, experience, and personal drive to see students succeed. As both an educator and an administrator, he has overseen the physical expansion of KCTCS and a dramatic upgrade in the system's academic quality. Dr. McCall oversaw 45 capital projects totaling approximately $500 million, giving 95 percent of all Kentuckians access to a KCTCS institution within a thirty minute drive. This enhanced presence has helped train the skilled workforce that Kentucky needs in order to compete in the modern economy. Under Dr. McCall's leadership, enrollment at KCTCS increased by nearly 110 percent, contributing to the education of more than 500,000 Kentuckians. Dr. McCall also established or integrated several specialized programs to provide specialized skills for emergency services and some of Kentucky's signature industries, including emergency medical services, fire and rescue science technology, automotive manufacturing technical training, coal mining, and horseracing. The high-skilled, high-paying jobs in these fields will reinforce the readiness of Kentucky communities to guarantee public safety, grow and develop our local industries, and expand Kentucky's competitive advantage. Dr. McCall's stewardship of KCTCS has provided the Commonwealth of Kentucky with an academic tradition that will benefit generations to come. I congratulate Dr. McCall on a terrific career improving the lives of my fellow Kentuckians as he enters retirement and wish him all the best for whatever the future may hold.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, also known as the ABLE Act, I rise today to commend the House for yesterday passing this important piece of legislation that will help millions of Americans reach their full potential. As the brother of a physically disabled sister who has lived with the challenges associated with being physically handicapped--over a dozen surgeries, hip and knee replacements, walking with crutches or walkers and sometimes reliance on a wheelchair--I know how difficult it can be for millions of Americans with disabilities and their families. I also know from my sister, who graduated from college, went on to seminary, married her college sweetheart, adopted a beautiful little girl, and now serves others as a priest in the Episcopal church, that the challenges associated with being handicapped can be overcome. The ABLE Act will help ease financial strains faced by millions of Americans with disabilities and their families and help them save for the future by creating tax-free savings accounts available to cover disability-related expenses. This provides families with a severely disabled child some peace of mind by allowing them to save for their child's long-term disability expenses. We are better off as a Nation when disabled Americans are given tools like the ABLE Act to not only achieve self-sufficiency but to contribute and give back to our society.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding individual, Mr. James T. Cecil of Lexington, Kentucky, for his distinguished military service during World War II. Mr. Cecil served our nation in uniform from August 26, 1942 to September 15, 1945. At the age of 19 years old, Mr. Cecil was one of 70 young men from Central Kentucky who voluntarily enlisted as a private in the Marine Corps with what was known as the Lexington Platoon. Today, Mr. Cecil is the only surviving member of the original Lexington Platoon. During the United States' campaign to achieve victory over the Axis Powers, Mr. Cecil entered the war by joining some of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific and continued to fight until the Empire of Japan signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on board the USS Missouri on September 2, 1954. Mr. Cecil was a member of the first wave of U.S. forces that stormed the islands of Saipan and Tarakan. He was delayed entering the battles on the island of Okinawa for one day due to a Japanese kamikaze plane striking the naval ship he was aboard and causing him and his fellow service members to abandon ship. Astonishingly, after floating in the shark infested waters for about 45 minutes, Mr. Cecil was rescued by a nearby U.S. naval vessel. On June 20, 1944, during fierce combat on the islands of Saipan, Mr. Cecil received shrapnel wounds throughout his body caused by an enemy's exploding artillery ordinance. Because of a severe concussion that left him unconscious, Mr. Cecil was believed by his comrades to be dead. Miraculously, Mr. Cecil recovered and courageously returned to the battlefield, fighting until the Marines took control of the islands. When asked how he was able to make it through the dangers and challenges of war, Mr. Cecil said, ``I took it one day at a time, and I did what I was supposed to do.'' Today, he can still vividly recall his experience, and is often reminded of his involvements by gazing at a portrait of a Japanese officer whom he killed in combat. However, it was Mr. Cecil's discovery of a map in the officer's pocket which outlined many of the enemy's artillery positions that earned him a battlefield promotion from private to corporal. Mr. Cecil also earned a Purple Heart due to the injuries he sustained during battle. Mr. Cecil's bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform secured our freedoms for future generations. He is truly an outstanding American, a protector of freedom, and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, the American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. They want Congress and the President to work together in a bipartisan manner to deliver real solutions to the problems facing our country, one of which is our broken immigration system. So it is profoundly disappointing that the President has decided to ignore the will of the American people and act unilaterally to provide legal status and work permits to millions of people who have violated our immigration laws and are living in the United States illegally. We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws, and so there is a right way to reform our immigration system and a wrong way. Bypassing Congress, ignoring the Constitution, and issuing a unilateral executive order is the wrong way. It is unfair to those who immigrated to this country legally for the President to fail to do his duty to take care that the laws are faithfully executed. The Constitution and the rule of law matter. Instead of issuing yet another overreaching executive order, the President should join good faith Congressional efforts to solve this problem. The House has already passed bipartisan legislation to secure our border, which is what my constituents tell me is the most important first step. So I call on the President to follow suit. Stop dividing the American people, follow the Constitution, and work through the legislative branch to reform our immigration system the right way.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize an outstanding individual, Mr. Vernon H. Hukle Jr. of Winchester, Kentucky, for his distinguished military service during World War II. Mr. Hukle served our nation in uniform from October 20, 1942 to November 20, 1945. As a young man, Mr. Hukle began his service in the United States Marine Corps as a Corporal within the 2nd Marine Division--8th Regiment--1st Battalion-- Company C 182. He entered the war against the Axis Powers by storming the deadly beaches of Okinawa and fought valiantly, sustaining serious injuries during combat. On June 20, 1945, Mr. Hukle received two separate bullet wounds to his arm and leg. Throughout the heated battle, Mr. Hukle witnessed many of his comrades killed in action including the 10th Army Commander, Lieutenant General Simon Bolivor Buckner Jr. The battled raged on for two more days until Allied Forces were able claim victory in controlling the island on June 22, 1945. Mr. Hukle received two Purple Hearts for being wounded in action by an enemy of the United States. Mr. Hukle embodies the best of America's ideals, values, and work ethic. He served this nation proudly, answering the call to prevent the Axis Powers threat from arriving on our shores. Mr. Hukle's bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform protected our American freedoms for future generations. He is truly an outstanding American and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the life of an outstanding individual, Mr. Roscoe R. Cassidy of Preston, Kentucky. Mr. Cassidy served our nation in military uniform from June 3, 1942 to October 9, 1945 and recently passed-away at the age of 107. As a young man, Mr. Cassidy began his service in the United States Army as a Private First Class assigned to Company E, 335th Engineering Regiment, Duty Soldier 188. During the United States' campaign to achieve victory over the Axis Powers, Mr. Cassidy fought his way from Tunisia, Africa, up through southern France, across Italy and did not stop until the Allies achieved victory in Germany. Mr. Cassidy's valiant performance fighting in four major campaigns earned him great distinction, and for his actions he received the European Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon, four Bonze Stars, and a Good Conduct Medal. After victoriously returning to his home in Preston, Kentucky, Mr. Cassidy began his career of farming and working for the Bath County Road Department. Mr. Cassidy enjoyed life and loved to dance while listening to country and bluegrass music. Mr. Cassidy's bravery and that of his fellow men and women in uniform protected our American freedoms for future generations. He was truly an outstanding American, a protector of freedom, and an inspiration to us all.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tireless advocate for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Mr. Bill Schweri, who is retiring from his position as the Director of Federal Relations at the University of Kentucky. As Bill retires, I want to personally thank him not only for the work he has done to better the Sixth District of Kentucky and the broader Commonwealth, but also for the relationship he has developed with me and my staff. Bill has always been happy to spend the time to get to know my office, and we all have fond memories of working with Bill--not to mention remembrances of chatting about UK sports in the front office. Bill's ability to build lasting relationships is unmatched, and he leaves large shoes to fill. Few people have contributed as much to our Commonwealth and UK as Bill has during his 42 years at the University including the last 20 as Director of Federal Relations. His contribution to the success of UK-- from the NCI designation at the Markey Cancer Center to advances in energy research to programs in agriculture and education--speaks for itself. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and the Big Blue Nation as we honor Bill Schweri and wish him a long, happy, and healthy retirement.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Judge James D. Trimble, who has served his family and community throughout his lifetime while striving to put others before himself. Judge Trimble chose to dedicate 30 years to the Menifee County School System. Of those, 22 were spent as a teacher and eight of were spent as a principal. Some of those years were even spent driving a bus throughout Menifee County and coaching the girls' basketball team. After retiring from the school system in 1994, he became a part-time tobacco farmer and worked part-time at the Frenchburg Job Corps for five years teaching driver's education. From 2003 until 2006, Trimble served as Menifee County Judge Executive under the motto ``Leave Menifee County better than you found it.'' As Judge Executive, Trimble was able to accomplish a great deal for Menifee County, reducing the county's debt from $900,000 to $600,000 in just three years. He secured a grant for two new garbage trucks; purchased a new boom mower for the county; and worked in conjunction with 911 Director Christy Wayman and Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) to obtain a new 911 system for Menifee County, which also received a two year raise for all county employees and $100 million in additional money for blacktopping from the Governor's office while Trimble was Judge Executive. Judge Trimble also worked with Gail Wright of the Gateway Area Development District office to receive funds from Community Development Block Grants and Appalachian Regional Commission for a new Senior Citizens Center for Menifee County. Trimble has been happily married to Lucille Coldiron Trimble for 49 years. They have two children, Jami Miller and Jimmy Trimble; and three grandchildren--Travis Trimble, Kyle Miller and Bryce Miller. Trimble is a proud member of the Frenchburg Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon and an adult Sunday school teacher as well as leading Wednesday night prayer meetings. In his spare time, Trimble enjoys playing basketball in adult recreation leagues. He also enjoys the Bluegrass Games, and has taken home both gold and silver medals with his group. He is an active member of the Shift Masters Car Club, and coached Little League for five years while his son Jimmy played for ``The Royals.'' He has enjoyed volunteering with Habitat for Humanity as well. James D. Trimble has devoted his life to serving those around him, and his service to Menifee County, our Commonwealth and our community is greatly appreciated.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Mr. James C. Russell, master distiller at the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and to mark the event of his 60th year in the industry. Mr. Russell, or Jimmy as he is warmly known to family, friends, and acquaintances alike, is the living example of the maxim that you ought to do what you love. Born into a family of distillers just 3 miles from the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Jimmy has been instrumental in the craftsmanship of nearly every barrel since he began working at the facility on September 10, 1954, when he was just 19 years old. Since becoming master distiller in the late 1960s, Jimmy has been prolific, distilling more than 3 million barrels with his keen eye for detail and palette for flavor. When he is not in Lawrenceburg overseeing production, Jimmy is traveling the world as one of perhaps the most famous ambassadors for Kentucky's signature bourbon industry. Mr. Russell has seen the ebbs and flows of the industry over the years and has been a key player in fostering the recent explosive growth of bourbon. Treated like a rock star wherever he goes, as adoring fans clamor for his autograph or a bottle of American Honey or his Russell Reserve, the indefatigable spirit of this Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer, or the so-called ``Buddha of Bourbon,'' will help guide the bourbon industry long into the future. Jimmy's son Eddie, himself a Hall of Famer, will ensure that the family's time-honored tradition of producing complex, finely honed bourbons continues into the fourth generation. So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join Jimmy's friends, family, fans, and fellow master distillers in raising a toast to celebrate Mr. Russell's contributions to a distinctively American and Kentucky industry on this momentous anniversary. I know I speak for millions more across the country and around the world when I say that I look forward to enjoying the fruits of Jimmy's labor for many more years to come.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 227th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention. It is fitting and proper to accord official recognition to this magnificent document and this memorable anniversary; and to the patriotic celebrations commemorating the occasion. Within its very body is the framework that has allowed our great nation to prosper. The Constitution has guided us through both challenging and prosperous times as a nation, and has united us in defining the values of America. I urge all citizens to reaffirm the ideals the Framers of the Constitution had in 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through this guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights may never be regained.

Mr. BARR

Mr. BARR. Well, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his leadership on title III of this package and the Mortgage Choice Act, and I appreciate the gentleman's yielding so that we can talk about why every Member of Congress should support this package of reforms. Before I get to the substance, I do also want to thank the ranking member, thank her for voicing support for the underlying policies in this legislation. I want to thank her for expressing absolutely no concern about the substance of the policy in her remarks, and I would also like to thank the ranking member for her recognition that the Dodd-Frank law may very well have flaws, even for those who adamantly supported the passage of the bill, and for her acknowledgement that she would have no problem changing or dealing with some of the flaws of the Dodd-Frank law. Well, this is our chance, Mr. Speaker. This is the chance to deal with those flaws. The legislation on the floor tonight is a package of four commonsense financial services bills that all share a common theme. They all have proven bipartisan support. They all have passed either the House or the Senate with unanimous or near-unanimous support, and, most importantly--put aside all of this procedure here--they all promote jobs. They all promote durable economic growth in this country, and Members on both sides of the aisle and Members in both this Chamber and in the Senate agree about that. Let's stop the games in Washington, and let's get the American people back to work. That is what we have an opportunity to do here in a bipartisan way; so I call on my colleagues to support this bill. This is a simple 14-page bill that is about fixing unintended consequences of the Dodd-Frank law. These fixes are technical corrections, and they are meant to clarify provisions in the law where, although congressional intent was clear, the authority provided by the statutory language led some regulators to enact or promulgate economically destructive regulations. The four titles of this legislative package represent the hard work of a number of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Let me just go through those really quickly. Title I of the legislation is an important provision that clarifies the capital requirements applied to insurance companies subject to Federal Reserve Board supervision. Mr. Huizenga did a good job explaining what this title does; but, just in summary, it is important that the capital rules for insurance companies are carefully tailored to the business of insurance rather than arbitrarily holding insurance companies to standards that are meant for banks. I want to thank Congressman Gary Miller, a Republican from California, Congresswoman Maloney, a Democrat from New York, for their leadership--bipartisan leadership--for this Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act and for helping push this provision forward. I would also like to further emphasize the bipartisan and noncontroversial nature of this title by noting that the Senate version of the Insurance Capital Standards Clarification Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 3. Then there is title II. Title II is the text of a bill that I introduced in March which passed the House by a voice vote. This was a bill that no one opposed. This was a bill that simply incorporates bipartisan provisions of the Restoring Proven Financing for American Employers Act, and it is about jobs. It is about restoring a robust and dependable commercial lending market to U.S. companies so that they can obtain affordable financing to expand their businesses. Collateralized loan obligations, known as CLOs, have proven to be a critical source of funding for U.S. businesses for over 20 years. Today's CLOs continue to provide $300 billion in financing to U.S. companies on Main Street, including companies that are well-known to all of us in this room: Dunkin' Donuts, American Airlines, Burger King, Toys R Us, Delta Airlines, Goodyear Tire, and even a mattress company in Lexington, Kentucky, my home district, Tempur Sealy. Because of this innovative source of financing, U.S. employers have expanded, jobs have been created, and our economy has grown; and, despite a proven track record with a default rate below even a half a percent, this valuable form of corporate finance is under assault because of the Volcker rule. Further relief from the Volcker rule for these CLOs is necessary to prevent a fire sale in the CLO market that will cause significant losses for banks of all size. This defined, narrow fix which clarifies that the Volcker rule should not be construed to require the divestiture of any debt securities of CLOs prior to July 21, 2017, if such CLOs were issued before January 31, 2014, is a commonsense solution. It clarifies that a bank shall not be considered to have an ownership interest in a CLO if such debt security has no indicia of ownership other than the right to participate in the removal for cause in the selection of a replacement investment manager or investment adviser of the CLO. This title is a bipartisan commonsense fix to a real-world problem voiced by community banks and by companies on Main Street that want access to this affordable and reliable source of commercial credit. It prevents an unnecessary fire sale in the CLO market that would cause significant losses to banks currently holding these legacy CLOs, and it will help keep the cost of borrowing affordable in the future for Main Street U.S. businesses looking to expand, grow, and create much-needed jobs. I want to personally thank Congresswoman Maloney and Ranking Member Waters for working with me to enact a CLO fix so that it could pass by a voice vote in April. Then, also, title III, this is the fix that Congressman Huizenga helped pass, and Congressman Huizenga worked in a bipartisan way with Congressman Meeks to support this Mortgage Choice Act, and it passed the House by a voice vote--not a single objection--on June 19, and I won't go over the details which Congressman Huizenga has done well, but I will say that this measure will greatly advance our efforts to help the housing market and our economy recover as Members on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated with their support and supporting it by voice vote. Finally, title IV, this is the fourth and final title of this package, and it is a provision that has broad support for Main Street and businesses of all sizes. Like other provisions of this package, title IV is meant to alleviate the unintended consequences created by Dodd-Frank. It is a technical fix that has proven bipartisan support and passed the House on June 12 with 411 votes in favor. The provision simply clarifies and codifies congressional intent that Dodd-Frank was not supposed to impose margin requirements on end user derivative transactions. We are talking about nonfinancial companies that produce goods for the American people and simply use derivatives to hedge against commercial risk. This provision is not about speculation. It is about promoting responsible risk-management practices among U.S. companies. In fact, failure to enact this provision could lead to more risk as companies may be deterred from engaging in hedging transactions. It requires them to needlessly tie up capital that could otherwise be used to do more productive things like expand operating plants, perform research and product development, and ultimately create jobs. Again, this is a provision that previously passed the House with near unanimous support. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, what do we have here today? We have a package of four bills, 14 pages, unlike the 2,300 pages in Dodd-Frank-- 14 pages, each of which of these four bills--overwhelmingly bipartisan--each of which are vital to preserving and creating jobs, each of which are noncontroversial in nature, and two of these provisions previously passed the House by voice vote, a third passed with 411 votes, and the fourth is a commonsense critically important solution for the 75 million American families that rely on life insurance for financial and retirement security, a bill that passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The substance and the policy behind these bills are bipartisan. It is solid. I would certainly expect that, if you would support the underlying policy, then you would support this commonsense package of bills to promote jobs and durable economic growth.