Dan Bishop

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to recognize my friend, Mr. Bo Biggs of Lumberton, North Carolina, on the occasion of his ascension to the chairmanship of the Golden LEAF Foundation, and in doing so, to acknowledge the significance to North Carolina of the organization he now leads. Bo is an indefatigable servant of his community and state in business, professional, and civic leadership. Bo's life of service includes Antioch Baptist Church of Lumberton, the Lumberton Rotary Club, of which he is past president, the Lumberton Area Chamber of Commerce, the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, the FreeEnterprise Foundation, the Retail Merchants Association, and still others. Time and again, Bo has invested himself in the State of North Carolina and its citizens, and that is why I am honored to recognize his new role with an organization that is committed to the same. I have seen firsthand the impact of Golden LEAF in North Carolina. It promotes cutting edge agriculture, creates new jobs, and provides scholarships for future leaders. The Golden LEAF Foundation has a 20-year history of investing in Carolinians with over 60,000 jobs created, $624 million in new payroll stimulated in economically distressed areas.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Charlottean Scott Brooks. Scott's life of work and service ended tragically and senselessly early Monday morning of this week when he was murdered outside his place of business in the NoDa area of Charlotte. Brooks' Sandwich House is a Charlotte institution since 1973, run by Scott and his twin brother, David. It is a modest place where you buy a burger all the way and eat standing outside at a table. Really good. Somehow, I had missed that hometown treasure until just 3 weeks ago when a friend invited me there for lunch. Scott spotted me as we came in and told the cashier our burgers were on the house--not because Scott was a fan, but because he was a nice guy. Scott was holding down the fort while David convalesced from an injury. That is what brothers like Scott do. I could not know then that Scott would be taken from us all just 17 days later. I am grateful for that brief meeting and for the opportunity to commemorate him to the history of our Nation. Scott's brother and his wife and child should not be mourning him this day, yet we all are. Scott Allen Brooks, rest in peace.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, at 2 p.m. today, the Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States will hear the Lumbee Recognition Act, which would afford the Lumbee Tribe long-overdue Federal benefits. Although the Federal Government provided partial recognition to the Tribe in 1956, the Lumbee remain excluded from Federal benefits and legal status. This bill is no symbolic gesture. No other recognized Tribe is denied the right to self-government and sovereignty. Full recognition will finally allow the 55,000 Lumbee I represent to have fair access to the benefits and programs available to all other recognized Tribes. As a State senator, I sponsored legislation to clarify the status of the Lumbee as a State-recognized Tribe to ensure access to appropriate grants and programs. Now, I am proud, as a United States Congressman, to continue to fight for the Lumbee Tribe on the Federal level. In fact, cosponsoring this crucial legislation was one of my first official acts in Congress. I applaud my colleagues, Representatives Butterfield and Hudson, for introducing this important legislation to right this fundamentally unfair wrong. I look forward to casting my vote on the House floor to give the Lumbee the recognition they so rightfully deserve.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I missed the vote on H.R. 5084. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 630.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, Congresswoman Wagner, for yielding. As the Representative of North Carolina's Ninth Congressional District, I am proud to represent 55,000 members of the Lumbee Tribe. When I served in the North Carolina General Assembly, just before this special election in September, I cosponsored legislation clarifying North Carolina's recognition of the Lumbee. It became law just in July. H.R. 4029 would allow the Lumbee to apply directly for homeless assistance grants instead of having to rely on nonprofits or other governmental entities. This commonsense proposal will empower the Lumbee to act directly to provide shelter and other services to their own members and will not cost the Federal Government one penny. The Lumbee are in the best position to help their own Tribal members, and this bill will empower them to do so. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4029.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, during the flurry of votes on November 12, 2013, I was recorded as voting YEA on Roll Call No. 610. On the following vote, I was listed as NOT VOTING on Roll Call No. 611 despite being present due to a misunderstanding. Had this issue not occurred, I voted, and it properly recorded, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 611.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Chair, I was momentarily indisposed and unable to cast my vote on this amendment. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea`` on rollcall No. 606. Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mr. Crow

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend votes between October 15 and 23 due to a long standing family committment. While this would not have changed the outcome, below is how I would have voted on each rollcall. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 556; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 557; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 558; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 559; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 560; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 561; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 562; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 563; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 564; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 565; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 566; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 567; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 568; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 569; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 570; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 571; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 572; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 573; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 574; and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 575.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I wish to commend Pastor Tommy Legrand, who has been a leader in our community for 50 years. After Tommy Legrand served our country, he served in a different capacity as a Pastor of the Faith Temple Church of God and Christ in Hamlet, NC. Starting with street-side sermons, Legrand has shepherded the church to become a figure in the local community. He has started several ministries within the church such as the Southview Learning Center, Faith Academy, Prayer and Faith Temple Food Pantry and Life Center which continue to serve countless members of our society. Pastor Legrand continued to follow his calling and later graduated from Shaw University with a Master's degree in religion and philosophy, and later from Family Bible Institute with a Doctorate in divinity 2015. As a prayer leader in the National Church of God in Christ and the Greater North Carolina jurisdiction, and even on his own radio ministry, Pastor Legrand is a true example of a life dedicated to service in every sense of the word. It is a pleasure and an honor to represent him in Congress.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend votes between October 15 and 23 due to a long standing family committment. While this would not have change the outcome, below is how I would have voted on each roll call. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on rollcall No. 576, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 577, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 578, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 579, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 580. personal explanation

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, having taken my seat in this Congress on behalf of the citizens of the Ninth District only last week, I am experiencing already that the majority is prone to theater, in this case, a show vote for which the majority lacks the two-thirds necessary to override a promised Presidential veto. It is the first time I have had an opportunity to vote on it, so I will take the opportunity to declare the southern border is indeed an emergency because Democrats have sundered and blocked effective border protection, border security, for over 30 years. It is not the emergency that is fake; it is this futile vote. It is the sudden, professed concern for men and women of our armed services. We saw it yesterday, the majority's concern for our armed services, when it preferred electronic medical records for illegals over EMR for our vets. Our servicemembers know who is protecting their interests and who has their backs. As for me, I am with the President.

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina

Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I am grateful for Representative Price, Representative Foxx, members of the North Carolina delegation, and for all Members. I want to say, just briefly, there is a cute, short blonde in that gallery up there. Her name is Jo Bishop, and I love her more than anything in the world. Right next to her is our only son, Jack, who needs to get back to North Carolina State University and do well in that test tomorrow. I thank my family members--my sisters, Mary Ann and Cecelia--and the large group of our supporters for their support. I am grateful for the voters of the Ninth District and for all the Members. Madam Speaker, I know that you and all the Members continue to feel this every day when you walk on this floor, the majesty of this place, what it represents and the history made here. It is an overwhelming experience. Madam Speaker, I look forward to getting to know all the Members and working together with you to make commonsense solutions to make the lives of Americans better. God bless you all.