Jim Clyburn

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle).

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close this tribute tonight by acknowledging that this is the 50th year since Fritz Hollings' hunger tour. A lot of people may remember, in 1969, Ernest Hollings embarked upon a tour--or several tours of South Carolina. The first one was on Charleston's East Side, and it was my great honor to lead him, along with Sister Mary Anthony, on that tour so that he could see some of the anxiety, some of the wanting that was present in his hometown. He went from there to other places throughout the State, most especially, Beaufort, Jasper County. Many people may remember, he, after a tour with a Dr. Gatch in Beaufort County, Fritz wrote a book called ``The Case Against Hunger.'' That book was eye-opening to a lot of people. In fact, he made the case for significant expansion of community health centers throughout the South, and he made the case for what we now call the WIC program: Women, Infants, and Children. It was that book and that tour; and 2 years later, I took a tour with his classmate from The Citadel, John Carl West, who was my mentor in government. When West became Governor, he then took a tour. He wanted to retrace some of Fritz's steps and redouble the efforts to eradicate poverty. Poverty is still with us. Ill health is still with us. Hunger among children is still with us. I am going to be moving, at several points this year, to memorialize Fritz by calling upon my colleagues to redouble our efforts for children, for women, for infants, for the poor. I would hope that as we think about Fritz, we will think about that passage of scripture found in Matthew 25 where we are told that it is incumbent upon us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and do right for those who are less fortunate. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, back in 1966, at a healthcare conference, the late Martin Luther King, Jr., said: ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.'' I often think of the debate back in 2009 and 2010 when we were trying to pass the Affordable Care Act. I remember one day I was conducting a call-in program on the local radio station. A gentleman called in and said to me: I want you to keep your hands off of my health insurance. I like what I have got, and I don't want you and President Obama messing with it. I assured the gentleman that we were going to do nothing to interrupt his relationship with his insurance company or his policy. But then a little while later, a lady called in, and she said, Congressman, I don't have a question, but I would like to say something to the gentleman who just called in. I want to say to him that I had insurance for 30 years, and I thought I liked it, until I tried to use it. When I went for my second treatment for breast cancer, I got a notice, she said, from the insurance company that I had used up my lifetime of benefits. And then she said, I would like to say to that gentleman, Maybe he likes what he has because he has never tried to use it. And that is what you have reference to here when you talk about junk policies. What we did with the Affordable Care Act was to make healthcare accessible and affordable for all American citizens. We created the possibilities of States expanding Medicaid so that low-income people could have access to healthcare. And if you want to know a little bit about what can be done if we were to, in some way, get rid of the Affordable Care Act, just look at the States that have refused to expand Medicaid; the number of low- income people today who still do not have access to healthcare. Think about those middle-income families who had a family member get sick and find out that they are in bankruptcy because they are trying to pay the bills. The Affordable Care Act is an attempt, like everything else ought to be here. If we are talking about education, it ought to be accessible and affordable. If you are talking about housing, it should be accessible and affordable. Healthcare; accessible and affordable. And we all know that until we passed the Affordable Care Act, healthcare was not accessible and affordable for all Americans. We hear the slogan that takes place throughout this country. We don't need to Make America Great Again. America is great. It has always been great. That is not our challenge. Our challenge, it seems to me, is to make the greatness of America accessible and affordable to all Americans; apply it fairly and equitably. That, to me, is what this country is all about. So I want to thank you, my friend from California, Mr. Garamendi, I want to thank you for all the work that you are doing on H.R. 1884, because I think before we go home this week, we are going to pass a resolution, a resolution to condemn this administration for attempting to legally take away healthcare from so many citizens. And I want to close with this: You talk about preexisting conditions. I think that people tend to think about preexisting conditions in a way that deals with people that they know or can relate to. I want all of our listeners, and those looking on, to just think of what you are doing. If you say to a child born with diabetes, a child who didn't ask to come here, and even if that child could ask to come, they certainly wouldn't ask to come sick. Diabetes; born with it. And then the insurance company says that it is a preexisting condition and you cannot come on to your family's insurance policies. If we cannot see the wrongness in that, I am not too sure anything anybody says about anything can be ever wrong in your eyesight. So I want to thank you so much for the work that you are doing here. I want to thank the American people for keeping our focus on making healthcare accessible and affordable for all Americans.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution condemning anti- Semitism, Islamophobia, and bigotry against minorities. This resolution expresses our rejection of all attempts to weaponize words and sow discord and division. Make no mistake, our Caucus is unified, but unity does not mean unanimity. We are the most diverse Caucus in the history of Congress. We are a true reflection of who and what America is. Each of us brings our own familiar backgrounds and personal experiences to this august body. Those experiences help shape our values and our perspectives as we do the work of the American people. We learn from one another, and we do so following President Lincoln's declaration: ``With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in.'' This resolution condemns hateful expressions of intolerance, honors the heritages and experiences of all who serve in this body, and commits all of us to the continued search of a more perfect Union.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Chair, I thank my friend for yielding me the time. Madam Chair, let me begin my remarks, first of all, by welcoming to our Capitol today Miss Jennifer Pinckney and her two daughters. They are the wife and children of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, who, along with eight of his Bible study parishioners, lost his life to a demented white supremacist who said that he was interested in starting a race war. He entered their church, participated in the Bible study, into which they welcomed him. And, as they closed their study that evening and prayed for what they had experienced and for their next meeting, this gentleman, while their eyes were closed, opened his and slaughtered them. I find it interesting that my colleague has talked about the inconvenience of waiting longer than 3 days to purchase a weapon, without mentioning those poor souls of Emanuel AME Church. He has talked about people who might be inconvenienced; he has talked about something he read in the newspapers; but he has not mentioned them. Well, I am here today to say that the Members of this august body need to think a little bit about the value of those lives. Are they more valuable than the inconvenience a gun purchaser may have by having to wait 10 rather than 3 days to make a purchase? What would make one so anxious to purchase a gun in the first place? If you have got to have a gun right now, chances are you have no useful purpose, no redeeming value, in the purchase of that gun. Maybe we ought to participate here, as Members of this body, in helping this purchaser with a cooling-off period, which is all we are asking to do here. Charleston, South Carolina, is nicknamed the ``Holy City.'' Churches and steeples dominate the skyline of this historic city, which, until recently, had an ordinance that no building could be constructed higher than 55 feet, wanting nothing to obstruct its steeples. Faith is fundamental to the Charleston community. However, that faith was rocked in June 2015 when this lone gunman rushed into this Bible study, after having studied the most historic African American churches in the State of South Carolina and developing a list of five churches, one of which was Emanuel AME. He, by his own admission, selected this church because of its importance to the African American community, being the first organized place of worship in the South for African Americans. He selected this. This was a hate crime of the first order, and we are saying we should not inconvenience him. And we did not inconvenience him. We allowed him to get that gun after 3 days, when it was around the fifth day that they found the glitch in the system and found him to be ineligible to own a gun. We just had a gunman go into his workplace in Aurora, Illinois. He was ineligible to have a gun, but he was allowed to purchase the gun. When they found out that he was ineligible to have a gun, they then sent him a letter and said: Please bring us the gun back. You are not eligible to have a gun. Give me a break. No, he didn't return the gun, because he had no redeeming value in having a gun. And he murdered his coworkers. And you are telling me we should not inconvenience him. Well, my colleague, the chair of the committee, has laid out for you the procedure in this bill, a procedure that makes it a maximum, irrespective of what my colleague may say, it is a maximum of 20 working days, business days, that one would have in order to purchase a gun. I would hope, as we move forward here today, we would think about those poor souls of Emanuel AME Church, and we think about those 4,000 people, 4,200 people, who purchased guns in 2016 using this loophole, and the 4,800 people who purchased guns in 2017 using this loophole. Think about their families. Think about their children. And think about what we are about to do here today.

Mr. CLYBURN. Let me just take this minute to go back to what I had prepared to say here today. In troubling times, many of us find solace in the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom--wisdom--to know the difference. The Charleston loophole is something all Members of Congress should have the courage to change and, by doing so, grant the American people the serenity they deserve in their schools, in their entertainment venues, in their neighborhood streets, and, God forbid, in their places of worship. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019. Charleston, South Carolina, is nicknamed the Holy City. Church spires dominate the skyline of this historic city, which, until recently, had an ordinance that no building could be constructed higher than 55 feet. In this city, faith is foundational. It is a source of strength and community that dates back centuries. However, that faith was rocked in June 2015 when a lone gunman punctuated his participation in a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church with gunshots fired upon the parishioners who had welcomed him, killing nine and wounding three others. The shooter targeted this place of worship because of its historic significance to the African-American community. This egregious hate crime shattered the sanctity of the Holy City, and in response Congress observed a moment of silence and all Americans offered thoughts and prayers. While a moment of silence and our thoughts and prayers are appreciated in times of tragedy, they do nothing to solve the underlying problem. The real tragedy in Charleston is it could have been prevented. The gunman acquired the weapon used in the massacre because of a fault in the law that is now known as the Charleston Loophole. The gun purchase was subject to a background check; however, when a glitch in the system caused the background review to take more than the three-day limit allowed by law, the gunman was able to purchase the weapon, although it was later found that he was ineligible to purchase a gun. The system failed to stop this gun sale to an ineligible purchaser and 4,864 others in 2017. It has been 25 years since the Brady Bill became law, and there has been no significant legislation enacted since to stem gun violence. Yet in 2017, 100 people were killed each day in this country with a firearm--which touches every district represented in this august body. A vote in support of the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019 extends the time allowed for law enforcement to conduct background checks. Under this bill, if the background check isn't concluded within 10 business days, the purchaser can request an expedited background check, which notifies law enforcement of the urgency of the review and starts an additional 10 business day period for the background check to be completed. While more than 96 percent of background checks are completed within three days--and 90 percent of Americans support background checks--this expedited review allows for law enforcement to complete the small percentage that may take longer than three days. If at the end of the expedited review the background check is inconclusive, then the purchase may proceed. Restricting the Charleston Loophole doesn't prohibit law abiding citizens from purchasing a gun, but it does provide more time, if needed, for law enforcement to ensure weapons are not sold to those with criminal convictions or mental illness. This is an important first step our country should take to protect our citizens and their first amendment rights. In troubling times many of us find solace in the Serenity prayer-- God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.'' The Charleston Loophole is something all Members of Congress should have the courage to change and grant the American people the serenity they deserve in their schools, entertainment venues, neighborhood streets and--God forbid--their places of worship.

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, how much time is remaining?

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so much for yielding the time. Madam Speaker, let me just take this 1 minute to welcome to this Capitol Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Malana, and Ms. Eliana Pinckney, the widow and two surviving daughters of Reverend Clementa Pinckney. They hid under his desk in the basement of Emanuel AME Church while a demented gentleman who wanted to start a race war, was welcomed into their Bible study--at the end of that hour, Reverend Clementa asked all of the worshippers to bow their heads and close their eyes as he prayed for what had occurred that evening. While their heads were bowed and their eyes closed, Dylann Roof opened his, after having been welcomed into their midst, and he slaughtered Reverend Pinckney and his eight worshippers. Why? Because he was allowed to get this gun when he was not eligible to get one. They found out on the fifth day that he was ineligible but, by that point, it was too late. As a result, those poor souls lost their lives. Let's give the FBI, let's give the authorities, enough time to do their jobs. We will save lives and we will be better off for it.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dedicated public servant and long-time Congressional aide, Patrick J. Devlin, Sr. Patrick is retiring after 31 years of Congressional service this month, and I offer him a heartfelt thanks for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors. Patrick was born in Fairfax, Virginia and is the youngest of six children of the late-LTC John J. Devlin (U.S. Army) and Nancy L. Devlin of Fairfax. He credits his father, a hero of World War II and the Korean War, as his inspiration to pursue a career in public service. A talented athlete and fierce competitor, Patrick earned a football scholarship to Carroll College in Helena, Montana and graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science from Virginia Tech. He began his career as an intern and landed his first job on Capitol Hill straight out of college, working as a staff assistant on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee under the leadership of Chairman Les Aspin. He went on to spend three years working on defense policy as a legislative assistant to Texas Representative Jim Chapman, and then served as legislative director for Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro, a leader in the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid and school lunches. Patrick spent the next 11 years as Legislative Director for my good friend North Carolina Representative Bob Etheridge, working to strengthen public schools in America. In 2008, Patrick moved to the Senate side where he served two years as Communications Director for U.S Senator Jon Tester from Montana, the only dirt farmer in the United States Senate. Bob Etheridge brought him back to the House to serve as his Chief of Staff in 2010. Following Bob's departure from Congress, Patrick joined my staff in 2011 as Communications Director for the Assistant Democratic Leader office. Patrick has played various leadership roles working on Democratic Congressional staffs under a diverse group of members. As a member of my senior staff, he has been intimately involved in my work on the so- called Supercommittee to determine budget priorities, the conceptualization of the Background Check Completion Act to combat the proliferation of gun violence, and the promotion of the 10-20-30 formula to target federal resources into communities of need. He is a superior writer, strategist and institutionalist. His professionalism, expertise and loyalty have been the hallmarks of his service on Capitol Hill. He is married to Helen Devlin, and they have two teen-aged sons, Patrick, Jr. and Michael. Patrick Sr. has served as a guest lecturer at the Georgetown University Government Affairs Institute and as a Senate Press Secretaries Association board member. He currently serves on the board of the Fort Hunt Youth Athletic Association, where he has been a youth sports coach for many years. Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in expressing our sincere thanks for the service Patrick Devlin has rendered to the United States Congress. May his retirement be productive and fulfilling.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman who possessed an adventurous spirit and a big heart. Mrs. Mozelle Myers passed away on Thursday, January 31, 2019, but her legacy remains with us through the many lives she touched during her 82 years among us. Mozelle, the daughter of the late Reverend Willie Williams and Inez Williams Brown, was born on March 16, 1936. She was an honor graduate of Burke High School and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Claflin University in 1958. She married her college sweetheart and classmate, AME Presiding Elder Samuel L. Myers. Mrs. Myers had a passion for learning and service that led to a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. She continued her education at the University of Notre Dame, South Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina, and the College of Charleston. Mrs. Myers shared her deep appreciation for knowledge with future generations, devoting 30 years to teaching at Bonds Wilson and North Charleston High Schools. Her desire to learn extended beyond the classroom and inspired her to study the Bible and ancient history. As a First Lady of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Mrs. Myers supported her husband's mission in ministry while remaining a leader in the church and her community. As a leader in the Women's Missionary Society for over 50 years she supported scholarship and community building efforts. Her favorite words of inspiration were, ``Lord, when it's my time to leave, let me come home to you with a clean heart and a peaceful soul. I have fought a good fight; now let me rest in your loving arms.'' In addition to her husband of 61 years, she is survived by her loving daughters, Ms. Angela Myers and Ms. Sarita Myers; a special grandson, Brandon Jackson-Williams; siblings, Rev. Dr. Alfred Williams, Mrs. Luethel McNeil, Mrs. Mildred Williams, Mrs. Leila Daniels, Mrs. Rebecca Small, Mrs. Bessie Simmons, Mrs. Gloria Edwards, Mrs. Susie Williams Manning, Mr. Leon Williams, and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was predeceased by her devoted brother, Isaac Williams, who also served as an aide to me for many years. Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in offering our heartfelt condolences to Mozelle Myers' family and friends. Her extraordinary faith and dedication to serving others are the hallmarks of a life well lived.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my Republican colleagues, who continue to vote against reopening the government, how they respond to their constituents who are suffering during this inhumane shutdown. For example, my office was contacted by the wife of a Federal corrections officer from South Carolina's Third District. Her husband works at the Federal prison in Edgefield, and she just had bariatric surgery and is unable to work. She is unable to afford the vitamins her doctor prescribed because they are not covered by insurance. Without these vitamins, she may develop deficiencies that could cause death. To further add to their financial difficulties, her husband, as a correctional officer, was required to sign a document that he would not get another job. They sacrificed a lot to build the good credit score they have that this shutdown is impacting, and their family's finances will be affected well into the future. Again, I ask my colleagues across the aisle: How do you respond to your constituents who are suffering? They need leadership from the President, Leader McConnell, and House Republicans to end the shutdown now. Enough is enough.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Madam Speaker, I want to say to my colleague, Mr. Collins, that I wish to associate myself with the sentiments that he expressed here today. However, I also rise today to speak of how the tale of two Kings has brought us to this moment in history. If he had been allowed to live, today would have been the 90th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, this august body stands ready to vote to disapprove of Representative Steve King's recent comments and condemn the evil concepts of white nationalism and white supremacy. White supremacy and white nationalism are evils, they are insidious, and are clear and present dangers to our great Republic. Reported hate crimes rose 17 percent last year, which was the third consecutive year that we have seen an increase in this insidiousness. This is appalling and unacceptable. When elected representatives give cover and comfort to those who spread racial divisiveness, we embolden those on the fringes of our society, and we have seen some of the results: the massacre of nine parishioners in historic Charleston's Emanuel AME Church at the hands of a young man who believed he would be, in his words, ``rescued by white nationalists after they took over the government;'' the murder of 11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh by a gunman who believed the Jews were, in his words, ``waging a propaganda war against Western civilization.'' The other term used by Mr. King in his comments to the New York Times; and we saw in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the white nationalists' Unite the Right rally, where they chanted the Nazi phrase, ``blood and soil.'' Some have questioned the timing of this resolution. Why now? they ask. My guidance, Madam Speaker, comes from Dr. King, who wrote in his letter from the Birmingham jail: ``Time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel,'' continued Dr. King, ``that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will.'' Then he closed his thought with these words: ``We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.'' Now is the time to do right. We have reached a tipping point. Racial divisiveness is a fault line that is ripping our Nation apart. This body must speak out against this evil. The time has come to condemn those of ill will and say that no part in our great Nation can be had by them.

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, when the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville came to this country, he observed its greatness and set out to find the genius that made it so. He wrote in his book ``Democracy in America'' that: ``The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other Nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.'' White supremacy and white nationalism are faults that cannot be repaired but must be removed. White supremacy and white nationalism should be condemned by this body, and I call upon my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address what I call the tale of two Kings, one a Member of this body who wondered out loud to The New York Times why the terms ``white nationalism'' and ``white supremacy'' are offensive. I would say to my colleague that the terms are offensive because the concepts are evil. And we have been counseled by Edmund Burke that all that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. I have just introduced a resolution to express this august body's disapproval of Mr. King's comments and condemnation of white nationalism and white supremacy in all forms. Today, I denounce the words of Representative Steve King, and I do so invoking the words of another King, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who, if he had been allowed to live, would be celebrating his 90th birthday tomorrow. Dr. King counseled that: ``We are going to be made to repent, not just for the hateful words and deeds of bad people, but for the appalling silence of good people.'' Madam Speaker, I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in breaking the deafening silence and letting our resounding condemnation be heard.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Rev. Dr. Azalee C. Bishop, a faithful Christian servant and a trailblazing humanitarian. Dr. Bishop and I are of the same generation, and I am honored to extend best wishes on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Dr. Bishop is an honors graduate of Gallman High School, Class of 1956. She went on to pursue her undergraduate degree at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon graduation, she completed graduate studies at Cornell University, Caniusus College, State University of New York in Buffalo, and Pentecostal Overcoming Outreach School of Religion in Columbia, South Carolina. She spent years as a dedicated wife and mother, and then earned her doctorate degree at Spirit and Truth Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. Her legacy is Grace Christian Church in Columbia, South Carolina, which was established under the vision and leadership of Rev. Dr. Bishop and her husband, Bishop Robert L. Bishop. The initial worship service was held on May 12, 1982 with seventy-seven faithfuls in attendance. The Bishops grew the congregation from its original location in a small daycare facility and moved to a site at the Columbia Housing Authority's Latimore Manor Housing Complex in 1984. It continued to thrive, and seven years later moved to 627 Dixie Avenue in Columbia. Grace Christian Church established its current home on October 17, 1995 when it purchased property at 5010 Monticello Road. Under the vision of Dr. Azalee C. Bishop, the church expanded its mission and in 1998 launched the Grace Divinity College of Biblical Studies. This divinity school is accredited both by the Accrediting Commission International and International Biblical Association. She is also the founder and producer of Morning Break with Jesus, a daily devotional broadcast, that reached thousands of South Carolina listeners. Dr. Bishop has also sought to improve the quality of life in her community by establishing Grandma's House, an afterschool program for low-income, academically-challenged youth, and The Wisdom Center which is dedicated to embracing wisdom and changing lives. In addition to her work as a pastor and civic leader, Dr. Bishop spent 33-years as a Program Administrator with the Department of Social Services. Her many memberships and accomplishments include The Greater Columbia Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (Board Member), The Black Adoption Project (Board Member), Christian Social Relations Women's Missionary Society of South Carolina (Chairperson), Empire State Baptist Educational Center (Instructor), National Baptist Educational Association (Member), State PTA (Life Member) and the NAACP. Madam Speaker, I invite you and our colleagues to join me in celebration of the life and contributions of this extraordinary woman. Rev. Dr. Azalee C. Bishop is a true civic and spiritual leader. She has left a lasting legacy that stands as a testament to her tremendous life's work and an example for others to emulate.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution to intervene against the egregious Texas v. United States lawsuit that seeks to end the Affordable Care Act, or, as I like to call it, the Civil Rights Act of the 21st Century. In a few days, we are going to be celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who once said: ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.'' Since the ACA was enacted, significant progress has been made to lessen the inequality in our healthcare delivery system. To dismantle those lifesaving protections now is unfounded and unjust. It is unjust to deny those with preexisting conditions access to healthcare. It is unjust to cut off insurance coverage to a child with cancer because she has reached her maximum lifetime benefits. It is unjust to charge women more than we charge men for healthcare simply because of their gender. It is unjust to increase the cost of seniors' medications by reopening the gap known as the donut hole in their Medicare prescription drug coverage. It is unjust to tell young people just starting out in life that they can no longer remain on their parents' insurance policies. It is unjust to reinstitute charges for preventative healthcare, costing more money in the long run when illnesses go undetected for too long. It is unjust to ask the working poor not eligible for Medicaid to purchase private insurance at the market rate when they are struggling to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. Access to quality healthcare ought not only be for those who can afford it; it ought to be for those who need it. It is unfortunate for us to deny healthcare to people just because they were born unhealthy. A vote against this resolution is a vote against providing the basic human right to fair and equitable access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7230, a bill I sponsored to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 226 West Main Street in Lake City, South Carolina, as the ``Postmaster Frazier B. Baker Post Office''. This bill pays a tribute to a true American hero. Frazier B. Baker was appointed Postmaster of Effingham, South Carolina in 1892 by President Benjamin Harrison, and in 1897, he was appointed Postmaster of Lake City, South Carolina by President William McKinley. After Baker was appointed Postmaster of Lake City, local citizens in the predominantly white community subjected his family to months of hostility. The post office mysteriously burned down, and multiple gunshots were fired at him. Residents filed numerous complaints regarding his performance as postmaster, but federal postal administrators determined the allegations were unsubstantiated. After relocating the post office to his family's home following the previous arson, a lynch mob set fire to it the morning of February 22, 1898. The mob aimed their guns at the home, killing Baker and his two- year-old daughter Julia and injuring his wife and three of his five surviving children. The attack sparked media attention, public uproar, and fundraising efforts on behalf of the Baker family. Although the state of South Carolina failed to prosecute the mob; federal prosecutors and postal administrators took on the murder investigation. Thirteen men were arrested and charged with twenty-four criminal counts including ``a conspiracy to injure and oppress Frazier B. Baker in the free exercise'' of his civil rights. The trial began on April 10, 1899 in Charleston, South Carolina with an all-white jury which acquitted three and deadlocked on the remaining accused. The judge declared a mistrial and federal prosecutors did not reopen the case. Justice was never served for Frazier B. Baker and his family. Designating the U.S. Post Office located at 226 West Main Street in Lake City, South Carolina in his honor is a fitting tribute to his memory. I thank my colleagues in the South Carolina delegation for their unanimous support of this bill. I urge its passage by the House to honor this outstanding South Carolinian and great American.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great American and native South Carolinian Dana R. Gordon upon his retirement after a long and distinguished service to this nation. Captain Gordon will retire this month after 29 years of service in the United States Navy. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Captain Gordon graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech University in 1989. He was commissioned in the United States Navy through the school's Naval Reserve Officer's Training Corps (NROTC) program. He received designation as a Naval Aviator in 1991. Captain Gordon later earned an MBA from Embry-Riddle University and has completed in-residence coursework at the Harvard Business School. Captain Gordon completed his flight training in the SH-60B Seahawk Helicopter and has accumulated over 3,500 flight hours, including numerous deployments onboard CRUDES ships while serving multiple tours with Helicopter Squadrons at HSL-40, 42, and 44 in Mayport, Florida. He has served as both Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the HSL-42 Proud Warriors, as well as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of the USS Iwo Jima. Under his leadership, both commands won multiple Battle Efficiency Awards, as well as the Secretary of the Navy Safety Award as the Navy's safest operational fleet Squadron and Big Deck Amphibious ship. Captain Gordon was most recently assigned to Navy Region Southeast where his Emergency Management team has been responsible for the evacuation, recovery and safe return of thousands of sailors and civilians after Hurricanes Matthew, Harvey, Irma and Maria. He has served as fleet pilot, flight instructor, weapons and tactics instructor and had shore duty in Millington, Tennessee, San Diego, California and on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. Captain Gordon was nominated by the Navy and was selected to Diversity Magazine's top 100 Diverse Executive Leaders. He is proudest of the many unit, campaign, and service awards that he shares with his fellow service members and civilian counterparts throughout his many tours of duty both at sea and ashore. He will be joined at the ceremony by his mother, Mrs. Delores M. Gordon, his wife the former Rolanda Ogletree; their daughters Danielle Lauren and Reese Catharine, his siblings; Jule McDuffie and Valerie Hearn; and several of his close friends, among them, his college mate and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity brother Walter A. Reed and his wife Dr. Jennifer C. Reed. Captain Gordon's late father, Mr. Bobby L. Gordon, played football in college and for several teams in the National Football League. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in thanking Captain Dana R. Gordon for his many years of exemplary service and congratulating him on his well-earned retirement.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a fellow South Carolinian and longtime friend, Fred D. Garrett, Sr. Born in Salley, South Carolina to the late Rev. John E. Garrett and First Lady Mattie Baston Garrett, Fred Garrett grew up in his father's churches. He carried throughout his life the values of servant leadership and community engagement he learned through his childhood experiences in the church. After graduating high school in 1943, Mr. Garrett enlisted in the United States Navy and served through the end of World War II in a segregated unit. Upon completing his military service, he returned home to South Carolina where he enrolled in South Carolina State College. He graduated in 1951 with a Bachelors in Agricultural Science with plans to modernize the state's agricultural industry. Mr. Garrett began his career in public service working for Florence County, South Carolina as an agent for Clemson University's Agricultural Extension Program. Shortly after marrying his wife of 66 years, Mamie Williams Garrett, he moved to Greenville, South Carolina and became Clemson's Agricultural Extension Agent there. In 1958 he was hired part-time as an employee of the then Watkins, Arnold and Sheppard Mortuary. He quickly became a part-owner/manager of the business, which changed its name to Watkins, Garrett & Woods Mortuary. Fred Garrett, Sr. became sole owner of the mortuary in 1993. Mr. Garrett has served his community in numerous positions including his role as a lifetime member of the NAACP, membership with the Greenville County Planning Commission, a member of the Rainbow PUSH Steering Committee, board member with the Greenville Urban League/Urban League Upstate, and board member of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Garrett was also a member of the Mu Pi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He received many awards for his service and business leadership, most recently a Business and Community Service Award from the Minority Economic Development Institute. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in honoring the life, leadership, and legacy of service of this outstanding South Carolinian.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church of Cottageville, South Carolina, on the occasion of its 150th anniversary celebration on the weekend of September 14th-16th, 2018. The journey that has brought St. John A.M.E. Church to this moment began in 1868 when the Church, originally named St. Matthew A.M.E., was established in the Burr Hill community under a bush arbor. Responding to the need for a more secure structure, the Reverend James Nesbitt and the officials of the Charleston District, with the assistance of the Church's founding fathers, organized the building of a church constructed of lightwood boards, heated by a potbelly stove, and illuminated by kerosene lamps. The Church served members from several different communities and was the site for a public school. In 1912, the Church was relocated to a parcel of land more central to the communities it served both in Burr Hill and Mack Village. The area is now known as Griffith Acres Drive in Cottageville, South Carolina. St. John A.M.E.'s present facility was erected in 1975 where the Church continued to flourish and where, with the help of a supportive membership, a Fellowship Hall was constructed to serve as a dining facility and hub for entertainment and educational activities. Since its inception, St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church and its congregation have acted as a beacon of light within the community. The programs and ministries initiated by the Church have served as models for A.M.E. churches in the area and for other denominations as well. St. John A.M.E. continues to positively impact the residents of Cottageville, a small town west of Charleston in Colleton County, through community-oriented programs, including: summer math and reading camps, church school, vacation bible school, revivals, bible study, and creative and performing arts. Always striving to serve God and the community in new and innovative ways, St. John has piloted a new program called ``The Iron Sharpeners'' to encourage young African-American men to pursue internship opportunities and has planted a new community garden which has produced a fresh harvest available to members, free of charge. Despite the uncertain and adverse climate in which St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church was planted, the strength of spirit and faith has allowed the Church to blossom and thrive through the years. St. John exemplifies what it means to be ``rooted in faith'' and is a place that people of various geographic locations and stations in life still refer to as ``home.'' It is my great honor to pay tribute to this fine congregation. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church on their 150th anniversary and wishing them continued strength and prosperity in the days ahead.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a constituent and long-time friend, Calvin Wright, who has dedicated his life to our nation through activism, civic endeavors and military service. Mr. Wright is being honored on September 20th for his more than 50 years of public service to Orangeburg County, South Carolina, and the nation. As a high school student, Mr. Wright was among the hundreds of protestors in the `` Orangeburg Movement'' who were arrested and jailed for civil disobedience. Mr. Wright continued his activism as Vice President of the State NAACP Youth Conference. His experiences with seasoned leaders of the Movement undergirded his activism and reinforced his commitment to social justice. Mr. Wright was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965, just after his graduation from Wilkinson High School. He earned the rank of Sergeant in less than 10 months and was deployed to Vietnam in 1968. Mr. Wright resolutely discharged his duties and was awarded a Certificate of Military Combat by the 18th Military Police Brigade, 93rd Military Police Company for outstanding service in Vietnam. Once back in Orangeburg, Mr. Wright challenged the lack of opportunity facing his fellow African Americans, veterans, the poor, and disenfranchised. He became a foot soldier in President Lyndon Johnson's ``War on Poverty.'' Mr. Wright served on the Board of Directors for the Orangeburg Area Committee for Economic Progress (Orangeburg-Calhoun-Allendale-Bamberg [OCAB] Community Action Agency, Inc.)--the local Community Action Program. Mr. Wright resigned his seat in 1977 to become Deputy Director of the Agency. He became the agency's Executive Director in 1983. Along with the block grant programs that are the core of OCAB, the agency has a long-running HIV Prevention Peer Education Project, a Non- Traditional Occupational Training for Women, and an employment opportunity program for mothers receiving public assistance. Mr. Wright created the OCAB Community Development Association which constructed the Ujima Village Apartments for low income elderly and disabled residents. He also directed the construction of new Head Start Centers in Allendale, Bamberg, and Orangeburg. Mr. Wright' s years of service have touched many lives. All his experiences as an advocate and soldier have enabled him to effectively serve his community. He has been a leader for civil rights, community service and humanitarianism and has received numerous honors and awards for these efforts. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in recognizing this barrier-breaking public servant, and to wish him Godspeed and continued success.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Tsongas for managing this bill, and I thank Mr. Gianforte for appearing here on the floor today. I also thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva for their support of this legislation in the Natural Resources Committee. I also thank Congressman Mark Sanford, who is a cosponsor of this bill, but remains in Charleston this evening for obvious reasons. I pray God's blessing upon him, his constituents, mine, and all others who find themselves in the path of this horrific hurricane. Mr. Speaker, throughout my tenure in this august body, I have worked to preserve and protect our Nation's most treasured historical sites and institutions. Reconstruction, a period which lasted a little more than 13 years, is a crucial period in American history. Although it ended March 17, 1877, we tend to apply the label ``Reconstruction era'' to the latter four decades of the 19th century. It was during those years that African Americans across the South began their freedom from slavery, gained citizenship, and enjoyed equal protection of the laws and the right to vote under the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. Some of the oldest and best preserved sites from the Reconstruction era are located in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Brick Baptist Church and Penn Center on St. Helena Island were the site of the original Penn School, founded in 1862 by Quaker missionaries to educate newly freed slaves, the first such school established in the South. Camp Saxton in Port Royal was a Union Army camp where, on January 1, 1863, Union General Rufus Saxton read President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation to thousands of slaves who had gathered to celebrate their new freedom. The camp was also the site where the First South Carolina Volunteers were assembled, the first official Black regiment of the United States Army. With overwhelming support from their communities and local elected leadership, these sites and a visitors center in downtown Beaufort were designated Reconstruction Era National Monument by President Obama in January of 2017. The bill under consideration today will do three things: First, redesignate the national monument as the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park; Second, provide for possible boundary expansions within the Beaufort National Historic Landmark District and on St. Helena Island; and Third, establish the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. As a national park is the highest level of protection and prestige our government can bestow, I believe passing this legislation will send a powerful message regarding the significance of these Reconstruction sites. Having served previously as the sponsor of the legislation redesignating the Congaree Swamp National Monument as the Congaree National Park, I can attest that the rebranding of the park resulted in an increase in annual visitors of almost 20 percent, a significant economic impact to rural South Carolina. Congress has, in recent years, redesignated both the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument as national historical parks, two sites with similar historical significance but focus on much different aspects of American history. Of course, the sites currently included in the national monument are not the only significant Reconstruction sites worthy of preservation. This legislation would allow for expansion of the boundary near the existing monument. Several very significant Reconstruction sites in the area were considered for inclusion. This bill would allow for expansion with appropriate agreement between all owners and stakeholders. However, it is not feasible to incorporate all historic sites from Reconstruction into one national park. The Reconstruction Era National Historic Network would be a program operated by the National Park Service, but sites in the network will be managed by their current owners, whether Federal, State, local, or private. This concept has been utilized in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom and the recently enacted African American Civil Rights Network. When the national monument was under construction, I heard from many communities with sites they thought were worthy of inclusion. With the network in place, communities can make their case for Federal recognition and assistance for their significant Reconstruction era sites without the National Park Service having to take on the obligation of owning or managing the sites. Sites like Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, which was a self- governing African-American community established during the Civil War, are deserving of Federal recognition. Mitchelville is perfect for the network concept, where the local municipal leadership is moving forward to manage the site on their own, but would welcome the increased recognition and visibility that inclusion in the network would provide. I often invoke the adage that if we fail to learn the lessons of our history, we are bound to repeat it. Sadly, many of the gains made by African Americans during the Reconstruction era were lost in the Jim Crow era that followed. Reconstruction is a story of the triumph of freedom, but it is also a lesson that freedoms are not permanent and can be fleeting, if not protected. Passage of this legislation, helping our Nation preserve, protect, document, and promote the history of Reconstruction, is critical to avoiding past mistakes and guiding our pursuit of a more perfect Union.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable woman and outstanding South Carolinian, Betty Henderson, who exemplifies the epitome of dedicated community service. Born in Branchville, Ms. Henderson served the citizens of Orangeburg County for twenty-eight years as the first African American Tax Assessor in the State of South Carolina. She also served for twelve years on the Town Council in Branchville, South Carolina, the first African American to serve on the body since post reconstruction. For 10 of those years, Ms. Henderson served as Mayor Pro Tem of Branchville. Ms. Betty Henderson was one of the founders of the Orangeburg County Family Health Center. She has served on the Board of The Orangeburg Calhoun, Bamberg, Community Action Agency, the Trustee Board of the Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties, the Orangeburg County Department of Social Services, and as a member of the Adult Literacy Board. She served for over 20 years as Chairperson of the Orangeburg County Democratic Party and through her leadership many persons have been elected to public office. Her life includes membership in the White Rose Chapter I, Former Worthy Matron of White Rose Chapter I, former Queen of the National Order of the Eastern Star, LaCharm Club, founding member of the Concerned Citizens of District 94, and is a member and Chair of the Budget Committee of Canaan Baptist Church. Ms. Henderson has raised three fine children, Shelia, Ernest, and Kathy, who have blessed her with four wonderful grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I urge that you and my colleagues join me in honoring the selfless, service, outstanding leadership and remarkable achievements of this outstanding South Carolinian.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the Sewell amendment. This proposal would increase funding for grants from the Historic Preservation Fund to preserve the sites and tell the stories of the civil rights movement. I want to thank my colleague Terri Sewell for her leadership on this issue, and I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support of this program in the past. First funded in fiscal year 2016, this program has met a great need in rural communities across our Nation that are struggling to preserve and protect their legacies. Last year, the program funded a $500,000 grant to preserve Trinity United Methodist Church, which will help secure the church's legacy and preserve its history for future generations. I was a student at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, during this time, and I know well the role that Trinity played in our meetings and our rallies, many of them attended by luminaries like Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, Thurgood Marshall, and many others. This is but one example of several successful grants in South Carolina and throughout the Nation. There is much more work to be done to fully preserve this history. Madam Chair, I strongly support this amendment.

Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.