Donald Beyer

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, in closing, I respect the concern about an overinterpretation of existing law that has been on the books for 40 years. The real challenge with section 107 is it throws out the entire exemption process and makes everything legal. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I simply add that we are not cutting the fossil fuel research and development, which we do believe in. This is a plus-up from last year of at least $30 million and 50 percent more than President Trump has requested. All we are simply doing is trying to appropriate to ARPA-E what was enacted by this Congress and, also, to point out that ARPA-E does not exclude fossil fuel research. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I find myself confused by the comments of my distinguished friend from California. Nothing has changed in the law in 40 years. This law has been applied under Democratic and Republican Presidents and administrations. The law is very clear that any normal farming use, forestry, agriculture or ranching is exempt already. It is only a wholesale shift from what the farm's original exemption was intended for that would require a Clean Water Act permit. So if a farmer is, in fact, going to turn out and develop houses, a subdivision, you need a clean water permit. But there is nothing in there that says you need a clean water permit to plow, to plant, or to use the land as it has always been used. My fear is that I don't know of any specific instances where there has been an overinterpretation of existing law, but section 107 would basically throw out the entire baby in order to fix an overinterpretation problem by one or two agents of the Department of Agriculture. Essentially, section 107 says everything is accepted under the Clean Water Act if it is agriculture, forestry, or ranching on that land. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to David W. Thompson, the President and CEO of Orbital ATK, Incorporated and the Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Orbital Sciences Corporation, for his extraordinary and ongoing contributions to the nation. Mr. Thompson has contributed nearly four decades of leadership in the advancement of space technology and national defense. History will note that he conceived and built Orbital Sciences Corporation as a pioneering venture that was among the first to demonstrate a new model of commercial funding, development and manufacture of space systems. Both companies have flourished in Virginia. Orbital ATK, headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, is the largest new space and defense technology company to emerge in the post-Sputnik era. Orbital grew from three employees and zero revenue in 1982 to become Orbital ATK with 14,000 employees and a $9 billion enterprise value. Orbital ATK is one of the world's top 10 aerospace and defense manufacturers. It is among the top five suppliers to NASA and it is a critical partner with the US Department of Defense. Orbital ATK's services to the nation include resupplying the International Space Station using its Antares launch vehicle and Cygnus spacecraft and providing essential national defense capabilities that include the company's key role in protecting America from ballistic missile attack. For over 36 years, Mr. Thompson has inspired new generations of engineers and scientists to conceive innovative space and national defense solutions through his exceptional vision, creativity, perseverance and dedication. Mr. Thompson's many awards include the National Medal of Technology, Virginia's Industrialist of the Year, High-Technology Entrepreneur of the year, the National Air and Space Museum Trophy and the Theodore von Karman International Wings Award. Mr. Thompson is a Fellow of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. America and Virginia have been abundantly blessed by the patriotism, dedication and achievement of David Thompson. David has enjoyed the loving support of his wife Catherine and daughter Maggie. I wish them Godspeed and continued success as David pioneers a new chapter.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Brigadier General William W. Way for his exceptional dedication to duty and service to the United States Army and to the United States of America. General Way is completing nearly thirty years of service to the country, most recently as the U.S. Army Reserve's Director of Government Affairs. Growing up in Southern California, and having family in the armed forces, national service was always on his mind. General Way started his career in 1982 as an intern for the U.S. Senate Banking Committee while a student at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was later commissioned as an Army officer in 1990 after graduating from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. General Way's military career began with an assignment in Europe in 1990 when 300,000 U.S. forces were stationed there at the end of the Cold War. He served overseas and stateside with front line armored cavalry, rocket, and missile units. His assignments included the 3d Armored Division (Spearhead) and the 4th Infantry Division (Ironhorse). As a Colonel, he was in command of the largest legal unit in the Army with 30 offices in 25 states, Europe and Puerto Rico. General Way also served in combat in Iraq and in a peacekeeping mission with NATO where he served with German and Austrian Army colleagues as legal advisor regarding crowd and riot control, psychological operations, and building partner capacity. After serving next as Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, he was promoted to the grade of Brigadier General. He also served as the acting Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, G-1. In addition to his diverse assignments he is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College, Air War College, and the Army War College. On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues today in recognizing and commending General Way for a lifetime of service to his country. We wish Bill, Eileen, Katie and Maggie all the best as they continue their journey of service.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Matthew D. Shank, who has served as Marymount University's sixth president since July 2011. With a strong commitment to Catholic higher education and an understanding of Marymount's diverse and inclusive learning environment, he began his first year by initiating a visioning process to clarify the University's identity and way forward. Input from the Marymount community contributed to the resulting vision, which states in part that ``Marymount University will distinguish itself through a culture of engagement that fosters intellectual curiosity, service to others, and a global perspective.'' In recognition of his focus on preparing students for the globalized environment of the 21st century, Dr. Shank received the 2012 Global Education Leadership Award from the World Affairs Council-Washington, D.C. Accepting the award on behalf of the University, he said, ``The Council and Marymount share a common goal: Both organizations educate young people about global issues so that they will be prepared for success as citizens of a complex, diverse, and increasingly interdependent global community.'' Under his leadership, Marymount University has created and implemented a strategic plan known as ``Building the Institution of Choice'' and a comprehensive marketing plan called ``Common Ground''. Dr. Shank also instituted an employee incentive program, Ideas at Work, to solicit cost-saving, revenue generating, and process- improvement ideas from members of the University community. President Shank is active in community and business organizations, serving on the boards of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Northern Virginia Technology Council, the Arlington Community Foundation, the Catholic Business Network of Northern Virginia, the World Affairs Council, Bishop O'Connell High School, and the Leadership Center for Excellence. He is an ex-officio member of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and a community advisor to the Arlington Free Clinic, Arlington Public Schools and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Council. In the academic community, he serves on the boards of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and the Washington Research Library Consortium. Most recently, Dr. Shank was named to the NCAA Presidential Advisory Group & President's Council. As Marymount's president, Dr. Shank is also a member of many academic organizations, including the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. At the end of his seven-year tenure, Dr. Shank's visionary leadership will have resulted in numerous milestone accomplishments for the institution. Chief among them is the crafting and implementation of the strategic plan, Building the Institution of Choice, which is in its final year of execution. The University's $40 million capital campaign goal will be met and exceeded at the end of this fiscal year, two years ahead of schedule. The Master Plan, which meticulously lays out the vision for campus growth and renewal, has been developed. The much- celebrated opening of the new Ballston Center was a highlight of the fall 2017 semester. A significant expansion in sports programs and alignment with a new athletics conference was approved by the NCAA in February 2018 with competition to commence in the Fall of 2018. Marymount University is a leading institution of higher education in my district and all who knew and worked with him and the University will miss his leadership, but we wish him great success in his future undertakings.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker: ``This is Carl Eggleston. There's always hope.'' So ends every voice-filled greeting on Carl's phone in the 36 years I have known him. No better few words describe the resilient, optimistic, and indefatigable man I love. I first met Carl Eggleston briefly during the congressional campaign of Ira Lechner in 1982. Carl was friends and political allies with the brain trust of the campaign: Darrel Martin and Linda Moore. A few years later, we worked very different parts of Virginia in Jerry Baliles' winning race for Governor. But my life changed completely when I visited Carl at his home in Farmville in the summer of 1988, at the beginning of my first-ever candidacy for office. Carl agreed to join my small team, and from that day forward, he was my constant companion. We traveled everywhere across the Commonwealth together. He introduced me to the most important players in Democratic politics and virtually every important African-American leader in the State. I discovered that Carl was universally respected and liked and that his endorsement helped immensely. In the coming years, we worked many campaigns together--some winning, some losing--always as trusted friends and allies. But the real Carl Eggleston story is so much more interesting than his long history in Democratic Party leadership. He was born in poverty to two loving parents in the Jim Crow South. The closing of the Prince Edward County schools, when Carl was 9 years old, is the tragic stuff of massive resistance legend. He stayed home for 3 years, schooled only by his mother, then spent a fourth year in a neighboring county trying to catch up. After high school, Carl apprenticed in a funeral home and caught the entrepreneurial bug. Bravely, in a business where families loyally cling to the funeral director who has buried their elders, Carl created his own funeral home: one client in year one, two or three the following year. He persisted against the greatest odds and competition, and Eggleston Funeral Homes are now 30 years old and thriving. The child of a racially and bitterly divided South, Carl ran for Farmville city council and was the first elected Black man since reconstruction perhaps ever. After one term, he ran for mayor and lost handily. I still marvel at the courage and the hope he must have had to stand for office in Prince Edward County, alone among all the counties in the United States to close its public schools rather than integrate them. One can only imagine the hostility Carl faced in the local population as he dared to lead them. Twice more, over the decades, Carl ran for mayor, getting closer each time, and earning the support and respect of much of Farmville's White community. So with respect for his many achievements, including the long years chairing the Prince Edward Democratic Committee, the Fifth Congressional District Democratic Committee, my greatest appreciation for Carl Eggleston is founded on his strong and generous character. He is the friend I treasure most. I have never heard him utter an unkind word about another person. He is unfailingly loyal, trustworthy, and patient. He works every moment. He is the quiet civil rights leader and political force who has been responsible for so much of the forward progress in Virginia over the last generation. On the occasion now of the publishing of his autobiography, I am proud to call Carl Eggleston my friend, and I know that you will enjoy and appreciate his story. Carl's life is proof that there is always hope.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I consistently hear a great deal from my constituents about pervasive, intrusive helicopter noise. I have carefully listened to them for years, through community forums, townhalls, letters, emails, phone calls, and the like. I have also worked with both the FAA and the Department of Defense on possible solutions. We certainly have a difficult balance to strike in the National Capital Region, but people shouldn't have to live under the constant thunder of helicopter noise. Helicopter noise, by all accounts, has gotten significantly worse year after year after year. Even those who are neighbors with the Pentagon have noticed it has gotten much worse. Last year, I had an amendment to the NDAA for the Department of Defense to conduct a study on mitigating the helicopter noise. We had excellent conversations. Colonels and majors came out from the Air Force, the Army, the Marines, and the FAA came out. We had big townhall meetings. In those conversations, we moved forward with a now completed DOD noise study. The Department of Defense has repeatedly informed me that they follow the FAA helicopter maps perfectly and that they fly at the required minimum altitudes. So as a solution, my amendment would require the FAA to simply review all the helicopter flight paths in the national capital region, including those used solely by the Department of Defense, to assess whether some of these helicopter trips could be safely flown at a higher altitude. If they can be, the amendment would also require the FAA to revise the official helicopter flight maps for this region to allow some relief for those communities that live below. Progress has remained very slow on this issue--glacial--and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment so that we can move forward with a responsible way to mitigate this helicopter noise. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, with great respect to the chairman of the committee, the many conversations I have had with the general who runs the Washington Military District, with the Air Force and Army colonels, with the Marine major, and with many of the helicopter pilots, none of them have suggested for a moment that national security, homeland security, or law enforcement were at risk here. In fact, the pilots said: We would be happy to fly higher as long as we have permission from the FAA. We are not interfering in the slightest with their ability to accomplish their mission. We understand their mission. We respect it. No one is saying that we can't protect not only our Nation's top executives, but also the military officers who need to fly in and around this region. What we are simply saying is that, in many cases, 300 feet, 500 feet, 700 feet is a more logical place to fly. We have had testimony that people have been in apartment buildings in Crystal City, looked out their window, and seen the helicopters fly below their window. This happens in Rosslyn, also. What we are simply asking is that the FAA responsibly look at whether--with lots of feedback from the Army, Air Force, Marines, from law enforcement, from the Secret Service--they couldn't, in fact, fly a few hundred feet higher than they fly right now. If they can't, we will accept that and do our best to move some other way. But, really, this is at the recommendation of our military leaders that the FAA examine this and find a way to move forward. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize Mr. Lawrence Manchio for his outstanding service and contributions to this country. Mr. Manchio is a veteran of the Second World War and a longtime Civil Servant, and today, April 24, 2018, he turns 100 years old. Lawrence Manchio, the son of an Italian immigrant and the second oldest of eight children, grew up on Metcalfe Street in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was an 11-year old and selling Times Ledger newspapers on the street the day the stock market crashed in 1929. As the country wrestled with the Great Depression, Mr. Manchio's father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and a young Larry Manchio dropped out of the eighth grade and took a job as a plumber's apprentice to help feed his family. In 1934, Mr. Manchio signed on with FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) clearing land to build Skyline Drive in Virginia's Shenandoah Mountains. When the work with the CCC ended, the Corps of Engineers in Pennsylvania hired him to help clean up damage from the Susquehanna River flood of 1936. When that project completed, Mr. Manchio relocated to Alexandria, VA to begin construction of National Airport and the Pentagon. Mr. Manchio lived in several boarding houses in the North End of Old Town Alexandria before settling down in a small home on Columbus Street. He walked four miles to and from the job site each day to save on bus fare. He met his wife, Diva DiFelice, while attending Sunday Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, and they married on January 23, 1942. A year later, Mr. Manchio joined the Army. After basic training, he joined his unit in Australia and fought with MacArthur's forces through New Guinea, Borneo, Morotai, and the Philippines. In 1945, Mr. Manchio landed in Japan with the 8th Army where his. unit was charged with guarding the Japanese Imperial Palace during occupation. He was discharged in 1946, and resumed working for the Corps of Engineers. As part of the Aqueduct Division, he was set to work building and developing the water supply system for Washington, DC., and Northern Virginia. By the time he retired in 1973, he was supervising the work of over 53 civil servants. In retirement, Mr. Manchio continued to serve his community and neighbors. He took pride in maintaining a meticulously landscaped yard, which received numerous beautification awards from the City of Alexandria. In May 2013, his wife of 71 years passed away, but he continues to enjoy the company and support of his son and daughter who both live locally. Mr. Manchio attributes his longevity to a Mediterranean diet, remaining physically and mentally active, and drinking a glass of red wine daily. He enjoys reading, keeping up with current events, and rooting for the Washington Nationals. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Manchio's dedication and service to his country is deserving of recognition and distinction. He is the highest example of a true American and a role model for us all. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Lawrence Manchio on reaching his centennial year.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Joe's Place Pizza and Pasta, which has been proudly serving Arlington and Northern Virginia for 40 years, beginning with its first location in 1978. Joe Farruggio came to the U.S. from his Sicilian hometown of Agrigento, Italy in 1970 to pursue the American dream. After opening his first location in Bailey's Crossroads in 1978, the family added additional locations with ongoing success, finally consolidating the locations to Arlington so family members could remain closely involved and ensure the superior customer service they proudly provide every day. Over time, Joe's Place has developed a reputation for the best pizza in town, along with a warm, friendly atmosphere and strong support for the community, especially our local schools and nonprofits helping others less fortunate. Many of Joe's staff have been with them for 10, 20, even 30 years. They and their many longtime regular customers truly are like family. The entire Farruggio family, made up of Joe and his sons Roberto, Enrico and Alessandro; his wife Rosa and children Rosario and Gabriella; Rosabel and her husband Anthony and daughter Gemma; Calogero and his wife Maria; Rosario, his wife Patricia and son Alessandro; Marisa and her husband Sami and daughter Sofia; Fortunato and his wife Maria; Franco and his wife Anna and daughter Isabel; Federica and her husband Max and sons Adam and Matteo, and all of Joe's dedicated, hardworking staff are proud of this 40th anniversary milestone and truly grateful for their success, for being part of the wonderful Arlington community, and for representing one local family's achievement of the American Dream.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to officially recognize the outstanding public achievement of Robert G. Stankiewicz. Mr. Stankiewicz has been in public service for close to twenty five years, the past ten with the United States Capitol Police (USCP). As the Telecommunications Manager, Mr. Stankiewicz was instrumental in the implementation of the new USCP Radio System, built the USCP Radio Team now better known as CapCom and developed the first USCP mobile radio system that provides much needed communications for DPD motorcades. He laid the foundation and brought in a very highly skilled and diversified group of technicians that will serve the United States Capitol Police well for many years to come. Mr. Stankiewicz's retirement marks the end of an era at USCP. He is the last of the originals. His dedication and commitment to the department cannot be measured. Even more important though are the friendships he developed that will last a life time. While his time at the United States Capitol Police has ended with his retirement, I know he will be just as successful in his future endeavors. I thank him for his dedicated service.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to officially recognize the outstanding public achievement of Dr. Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr. Since November 1996, Dr. Hamlin has served as Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Arlington. Under Dr. Hamlin's leadership, Macedonia Baptist has experienced continuous growth in membership which today stands at approximately 1,300 members. During Dr. Hamlin's time at the Church, he's led the development of Annual Leadership Conferences, major renovations of the upper level of the Church, the implementation of Before and After Care School Program and the partnership with the Arlington Housing Corporation for the development of thirty-six affordable housing units which opened in May 2011. Dr. Hamlin is a pillar of the Nauck community and Arlington is truly blessed to have had his service. Godspeed to Dr. Hamlin as he leaves Macedonia Baptist to take on a senior position at the National Cathedral.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, 26 percent--that is how much Trump and Pruitt want to cut the EPA's budget, a starved agency cut again by a full one-quarter. That is massive cuts of staff, massive cuts to our health and safety, massive cuts to the EPA's ability to do its job. The day after they proposed those cuts, we learned that Mr. Pruitt likes to fly first class on the taxpayer's dime. Over one stretch last June, taxpayer-funded travel for Scott Pruitt and his aides cost at least $90,000. If the administration wants to look for cuts, maybe Scott Pruitt shouldn't be flying first class to his meetings. Maybe he should have to sit next to the constituents he represents. Madam Speaker, the EPA's mission is to protect our environment. President Trump's dirty budget wants to cut its budget by $3 billion. Madam Speaker, we need to be able to protect our health and environment and prioritize funding to do so. It doesn't look like Mr. Pruitt is capable of doing that, even from 40,000 feet in the air.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 173 years of service of the Prince Hall Universal Lodge No. 1 of Alexandria, Virginia. The Prince Hall Free Masonry began in Alexandria in 1845. Over the past 173 years, Universal Lodge No. 1 has worked on significant issues such as slavery, education and schools, church buildings, and the general welfare of African Americans. I greatly commend their many years of service to the Alexandria community.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 53, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 54, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 55, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 56, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 57.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 58 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 59.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. had I been present, I would have voted ``Yea'' on rollcall No. 29.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I rise to claim that climate change is real, that it is manmade, and that we have a responsibility to act bravely and constructively to minimize the damage it does to humanity and to the fauna and flora of our planet. The reality of our warming atmosphere, oceans, and continents has been established in thousands of peer-reviewed articles. This is scientific fact accepted by the governments of peoples of almost every nation in the world. But science is always evolving, and scientists continue to work diligently to discover the facts, the processes, and the implications for all of us. Mostly, what we learn is sad and destructive. Last Thursday, the peer-reviewed academic journal Science published a new study that concludes the frequency of coral bleaching has increased so much that reefs cannot recover between severe episodes. We need to focus on just the facts of climate change and then be wise enough and bold enough to act. Every Member of Congress must bear the burden of this responsibility.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, the tax bill we passed today has little in common with what Speaker Ryan described to us yesterday. Putting more money into the pockets of working people would be great, but that is not what they wrote this bill to do. I have grown a business, made payroll every 2 weeks for more than 40 years, and invested many millions of dollars in plant and equipment. I still voted ``no,'' though, because I was just wise enough to realize that without our people, our employees, we have nothing. I would be enthusiastic about a tax bill that actually put more money into their pockets instead of mine. We have 381 hardworking men and women on our payroll today. Not a single one will benefit from the doubling of the estate tax exclusion, but every one will be affected by the medical insurance premium rates, which this bill will drive up. Every one will be at risk when their minimal so-called tax cuts expire in just a few years. Mine, by the way, are permanent. Our children and grandchildren will suffer ever more greatly as we continue to balloon the Federal debt. This tax bill may be the greatest transfer of wealth from working Americans to the idle rich in the history of our country. Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad day for the country I love.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the outstanding contributions made by Ms. Amy T. Sajda, who will retire from the Defense Logistics Agency in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on February 28, 2018. Ms. Sajda's distinguished government career spans over 32 years, and her record of achievement during this period reflects greatly upon herself and upon the organization at which she has served, including her most recent role as DLA's Director of the Office of Small Business Programs. Her contributions to the national defense were significant and she will be missed as she moves on to new and exciting opportunities. Ms. Sajda, originally from Bellmawr, New Jersey, entered the Federal service working for the Defense Industrial Supply Center, a Major Subordinate Command of the Defense Logistics Agency, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in July 1985. There, she held a series of positions in contracting, eventually becoming a contracting officer in August 1988. Ms. Sajda attended Glassboro State College (now Rowan University), the University of Phoenix, and is the recipient of special achievement and performance awards, including the Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 2009 and the Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 2014. In 2014, she was selected into the Executive Development Program and attended the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia; a program designed to provide a Department of Defense framework for developing future civilian leaders. In 1991, Ms. Sajda joined the Defense Logistics Agency Headquarters as a procurement analyst providing contracting expertise and guidance to field contracting activities. From 1993 through 2006 she participated in numerous Procurement Management Reviews of DLA's contracting activities, ensuring the integrity of the procurement process; becoming the Procurement Management Review Program Manager in 2004. In 2007 Ms. Sajda was selected to implement the Base Realignment and Closure Act 2005 decision to transfer procurement management and related support functions for Depot-Level Reparable from the Military Services to DLA. Her procurement expertise and conscientious commitment to serving the warfighter facilitated the smooth transfer a year ahead of schedule at a savings of $357 million. Ms. Sajda reached a career benchmark in 2011 with her selection as DLA's Director of the Office of Small Business Programs. In this role she is responsible for increasing the amount of Federal contract dollars awarded to small businesses. Her guidance and vision propelled DLA to steadily increase the amount awarded to small businesses during her tenure culminating in award of over 33.5 percent of eligible contract dollars to small businesses in fiscal year 2017 for an Agency high $10 billion dollars. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize Amy T. Sajda's contributions to the Defense Logistics Agency and the American people, and I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating her on her retirement from civil service. She epitomizes the dedication and professionalism that make our Federal civil service a model all over the world.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a wonderful organization within my district. There are roughly 20,000 children in Fairfax County living at the poverty level. These children suffer both privately and publicly. Privately, they may not have enough food, no heat or no electricity. All hardships indeed. But when that same child leaves the home, they suffer public indignities that can seriously affect their self-esteem. When they go to school wearing the same dress for five straight days or shoes with holes in them, they can be targets of ridicule. When they cannot afford their senior dues, a sport's physical or a gym uniform, they are embarrassed. When they have to sit home while their friends are enjoying the prom, they experience pain. These situations are especially acute when poor children are integrated with wealthier children, as is often the case in Fairfax County. Seven years ago this month, my constituent and friend, Ron Fitzsimmons, formed ``Alice's Kids,'' a charity designed to give needy children the opportunity to feel a little bit more ``normal'' amongst their peers. They have built a network of approximately 500 teachers, school counselors and county social workers who contact Alice's Kids when they identify a child with a ``minor'' but nonetheless important need. It might be a pair of soccer cleats, glasses or summer camp fees. The child might not be able to afford their senior yearbook, wishes to take music lessons or needs a simple haircut. Within 24 hours, Alice's Kids either writes a check or issues a gift card to the referrer so the child can obtain the item. And the charity purposely does not interact with the family as they prefer to be anonymous to help the child maintain their dignity. I am pleased to see that this once small charity is now expanding. In addition to children in Fairfax County, they are now serving children in the City of Alexandria and in select schools in Washington, D.C. Even more exciting is that Mr. Fitzsimmons is carrying out his ultimate goal, which is to serve children all across the country as they are now helping children in San Antonio, Seattle, Miami, Charlotte, Nashville and several other cities working in conjunction with the national organization ``Communities in Schools.'' In 2016, Alice's Kids provided assistance to 683 children. But I am thrilled to note that in 2017, they have already served 767 children! This is the little charity that could. I want to congratulate Alice's Kids as they continue to provide much-needed assistance to children in the D.C. Metropolitan area and wish them luck in their efforts to reach as many children as possible.

Mr. BEYER

Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to officially recognize the outstanding public achievement of my constituent Miles David Moore. Mr. Moore is a reporter for Crain Communications Inc., the author of three books of poetry and the Film Critic for Scene4. I take this time to recognize Mr. Moore for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the IOTA Poetry Series. Begun in March 1994, sadly, September 10 was the last poetry performance at IOTA. In total, 275 readings covering countless themes occurred in the IOTA Poetry Series. Missing only two readings in all that time--one because of an ice storm, and another because of a water-main break--the performances were a critical part of the Arlington fabric of humanities, and Mr. Moore was a critical tie that bound the series to the community. Along with Mr. Moore, IOTA owners Stephen Negrey and Jane Negrey- Inge deserve tremendous credit for their commitment to the series which brought so much emotional and intellectual pleasure to so many in Arlington.