Jim Cooper

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and thank Mr. John Warden for his exceptional work on the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee as a detailee from the Institute for Defense Analysis during the second session of the 117th Congress. John was responsible for advising on the nuclear weapons portfolio, arguably the most technically challenging and consequential area on which the Subcommittee legislates. Due to John's technical acumen and deep subject matter expertise, the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act prioritizes recapitalization of the nuclear triad, increases oversight across the DoD and NNSA weapons and warhead programs, and rightly highlights the need to continue improving and protecting our Nuclear Command, Communications, and Control architecture. I would like to also commend John on the work he did in the House-passed version of the NDAA to address the fact that the current legal requirements for plutonium pit production are unachievable, despite the language not surviving in the final bill. Madam Speaker, as the chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I extend my appreciation to John for his lasting contributions to the Committee, and his work to ensure the United States maintains a safe, secure, reliable, and adequate deterrent given increased nuclear proliferation around the world.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Foster amendment. Why? To the average Member, this may sound complicated, but it is all about nuclear testing. We need to stop North Korea and other nations from doing nuclear testing, and if they do, then we need a trusted international source to monitor exactly what they are doing. It does not help us in America to be blind, and it does not help the House of Representatives to blindly follow what the Senate does, particularly Senate inaction, because the other body is notoriously unable to conduct its work. The important fact that Members need to know is: all of the heads of our national labs say that we do not need to test. The heads of Sandia, Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore, and Oak Ridge certify annually. We do not need to test, and we need to stop other nations who are trying to test. This amendment helps us stop those other nations. This amendment helps us stop North Korea. This amendment helps us stop other rogue nations and major powers like China and Russia from testing. Mr. Speaker, let's support the Foster amendment, and let's keep America strong. This is a very important principle for us to stand up for, and I thank Mr. Foster for offering this important amendment.

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7900, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Rogers have put together an outstanding piece of legislation. I also thank my ranking member, Mr. Lamborn, for his tremendous cooperation throughout the year and all the members of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces for their valuable contributions to the bill. This bill strengthens our national security at a time when our country is facing new and evolving threats in almost every theater. This bill takes care of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians, and it invests in the tools that we need to protect ourselves, our allies, and our partners, as well as to deter our strategic competitors. The Subcommittee on Strategic Forces has within its jurisdiction some of the most technical, complex, and consequential issues involved in our national security. At the top of that list are nuclear weapons. It is absolutely essential that American nuclear forces and their command and control infrastructure remain safe, secure, and reliable. This bill makes certain that the Departments of Defense and Energy are well positioned for the immense task of sustaining our legacy forces while also recapitalizing our nuclear enterprise for the next 70 years. This bill ensures that both Departments are pursuing balanced approaches, emphasizing deterrence but also nonproliferation and arms control. We must remain focused on the highest priority efforts and realistic in our plans for future programs. Plutonium pit production is a prime example of where greater realism is needed. Regarding space, the subcommittee this year focused on the ability of China and Russia to degrade and destroy our national security satellites. This bill presses the Department to publicly release a strategy on how they will defend our on-orbit assets. It also requires the new Space Force to continue tactically responsive space efforts, authorizes additional funds to do so, and encourages increased competition within phase 3. Please support H.R. 7900.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask support for H.R. 5271, my bill to name this Nashville Post Office for a great friend of mine and a great friend of all Tennesseans, the late State Senator Thelma Harper. Thelma was many things. She was a beloved public servant. She was the first African American to be elected to the Tennessee State senate, and she was the first female African American to be elected to the Tennessee Senate. She was the longest-serving female State senator in all of Tennessee history. Her nearly four decades of public service were marked by her tireless service on behalf of her constituents. She started in the city council, and she helped fight a toxic landfill in her community of Bordeaux. She then moved to the State senate, and she continued to fight for average people in Nashville, Tennessee. She served in the State senate until 2018, and she had a hand in many of Nashville's greatest projects: for example, bringing the Tennessee Titans to our city, the development of Nashville's Music City Center, the downtown public library, and for the National Museum of African American Music. Thelma Harper was a proud member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and she served as chair of the Tennessee Commemorative Women's Suffrage Commission. She is fondly remembered by many for her annual Kids' Are Special Too community Easter egg hunts, which kids delighted in, and which I personally participated in for many years. Those were held continuously and are continued by her family since Thelma passed away in May of 2021. Most importantly, Thelma was a dear friend who was kind enough to include me in her family. She was a member of many organizations in Nashville, a mentor, a teacher, and a friend. She taught me how to find common ground, even with some tough political adversaries. She saw the best in everyone. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5271.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker I rise today to honor The Tennessee Tribune, one of Tennessee's most influential publications, and Rosetta Miller-Perry, who is the paper's founder, publisher, and CEO. Thirty years ago, Rosetta took a business risk to launch The Tribune in order to raise awareness of, and address issues facing, Black families. The Tennessee Tribune has become the state's largest minority weekly newspaper, fearlessly speaking truth to power and highlighting stories too often ignored by other publishers. From joining the United States Navy to working alongside civil rights leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Z. Alexander Looby, Rosetta has always been an advocate for good on the right side of history. Before founding The Tennessee Tribune, she worked at the United States Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After arriving in Nashville, Rosetta founded the city's Black Chamber of Commerce, which is still the preeminent resource for African American businesses in the area. It's no surprise that Rosetta is known to many as the Queen of Jefferson Street, the historic center of Nashville's African American community. Rosetta's lifetime of accomplishments is documented in HistoryMakers, an oral history collection of prominent African Americans. In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Newspaper Publishers Association for her work with The Tribune. The Tennessee Tribune's work is multi-dimensional. It has two stores in the Nashville International Airport so that most visitors to our state will see the importance and power that diversity has made in shaping our growing region. This progress would not have been possible without Rosetta and The Tribune. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of The Tennessee Tribune and Rosetta's dedication to championing the cause of civil rights and leadership of African Americans. Rosetta always makes our city, state, and country better, and I am honored to call her a friend. I look forward to The Tribune's next thirty years and many more decades after that.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am pleased to support the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Thankfully, maintaining a tradition of bipartisanship to get the 60th, a record, National Defense Authorization Act through the House and then through conference with the Senate is no small feat, particularly during a global pandemic. I thank, in particular, our outstanding Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry for their leadership, as well as Ranking Member Mike Turner for his partnership in the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, and all of the conferees for getting to this point. In particular, I would like to thank Ranking Member Thornberry for his extraordinary leadership on the HASC over the last 6 years, and I am happy to congratulate my friend and colleague, Mike Rogers, as the next HASC ranking member. The Strategic Forces provisions in the bill would not have been in place without the outstanding staff work of Leonor Tomero, Maria Vastola, and Grant Schneider as the lead staffers. These provisions support our nuclear forces and nuclear nonproliferation. They also enhance oversight of the warhead acquisition and plutonium pit production programs, which continue to be major undertakings. The conference report supports regional missile defense efforts, restores funding to critical radar discrimination capabilities, and provides needed oversight on the next generation of interceptors in order to ensure fly-before-you-buy principles in this $10 billion program. The report acknowledges the increased focus on development and delivery of conventional hypersonic weapons, while also initiating efforts to address broad policy concerns regarding the risk of miscalculation as these new strategic-level weapons are fielded. With regard to the rapidly transforming space domain, the conference report supports innovative commercial capabilities, competition, and the emergence of small-launch providers to provide national security as well as the codification of the Space Development Agency's mission. Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong vote in favor of this conference report.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her terrific leadership in the Strength in Diversity Act. I am afraid the gentlewoman from North Carolina completely misunderstood my amendment. My amendment would allow the 30 school districts that were prevented from applying for the Opening Doors, Expanding Opportunities grant--it would just give them the first shot at reapplying. It does not guarantee acceptance for these 30 school districts but, rather, gives them a first shot at correcting the racial injustices in their districts. It is very sad that Secretary DeVos' first action in office was to cut this critical program, so this offers an opportunity to right that wrong. I want to commend, again, the gentlewoman from Ohio for her terrific leadership on this bill. I would like to thank Chairman Scott, Bobby Scott, the head of the whole committee. I would also like to thank Barbara Lee for her critical support of this amendment.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, it has come to my attention my full statement honoring my late friend and colleague John Lewis, was not included in the Record on July 22, 2020; only my brief remarks on the House floor were recorded. I am resubmitting below my full statement that I prepared for delivery so it may be properly reflected in the Record: No one loved Nashville as much as John Lewis. The self- described `boy from Troy' Alabama arrived in Nashville on a bus, with a ticket purchased by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King wanted John to study at American Baptist College, one of Nashville's four legendary HBCUs. For anyone wondering how to honor the legacy of John Lewis, think of his alma mater, American Baptist, or the other justly-famous Nashville HBCU he later attended, Fisk University. If you want more John Lewis's in our world, those were his beloved training grounds. John loved reminiscing about Nashville. Once, when John was trying to integrate the Krystal restaurant on West End, the manager panicked and locked John inside alone. The fire- suppression system was turned on, filling the building with gas. John could have suffocated but he somehow managed to escape unharmed. Yet he never hated the manager whose panic could have killed him. He understood the man's fear and tried to ease his fear. John loved learning non-violence from Dr. James Lawson who led seminars, including at the Highlander Folk School, about how to resist the overwhelming urge to fight back during protests despite the taunts, the insults, the cigarette burns, the physical blows, and even the broken bones. They practiced hurting each other so they knew they were battle- hardened. The young activists knew the danger. They made out their wills before joining the Freedom Rides. As congressman, John was always kind to meet with visitors, interns and staffers from Nashville, and even individual families, who wanted a moment with the great man, the historic figure, the living saint. After the meeting, they were starry-eyed, often crying from the intensity and purity of the encounter. John also accepted as many invitations as he could to speak in Nashville, once bringing the Faith & Politics pilgrimage to Nashville. John made history again with his anti-gun-violence protest on the floor of this House in 2016. We on the Democratic side were honored to follow his leadership, his empathy for victims, his impatience with injustice, and his moral courage. His friends across the aisle could not quite comprehend his motivation or his actions, but he forgave them anyway. Nashville's current District Attorney, Glenn Funk, contacted me a few months ago to ask John how he would like his Nashville arrest records handled: expungement, apology, or even, it sounded like, a ticker-tape parade. Much like when I personally witnessed Montgomery's police chief officially apologize to John for his treatment at the hands of local authorities, I was happy that John was finally being recognized by Nashville, the city he loved, for causing Good Trouble, only Good Trouble, just the way his mother preferred it, if he had to get in trouble at all. I believe that John was called by God to get in Good Trouble and I am thankful that he accepted that call, for the sake of us all.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise today to offer an amendment to provide $3 million for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment in order to continue the JASON scientific advisory group's major contributions to informing national security decisions. This funding will be the 61st year of JASON's activity. This funding is consistent with congressional intent and direction in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill to establish the JASON within the office of the Department of Defense. My amendment simply aligns funding for JASON and fiscal year 2021, following efforts by the former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Dr. Michael Griffin's attempt last year to abruptly cancel the longstanding JASON group contract. While the Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 moved the JASON contract to the Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, the funding, unfortunately, did not follow. So I am deeply grateful, Madam Chair of the Appropriations Committee, for allowing this very important amendment to be included in the package.

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank the great chair of the Appropriations Committee for including three words that Nashville, Tennessee, desperately needs in the pending legislation in order to better manage our Cumberland River. These three words are ``flood risk management.'' A decade ago, Nashville suffered a devastating flood, costing more than two dozen lives and billions of dollars in damages. To mitigate the chance of future flooding, we need to allow the two Army Corps of Engineers-operated dams that are directly upstream from Nashville, namely Old Hickory and Cordell Hull, to be used for flood risk management. Contrary to common sense, these dams today may not be used for flood control, even in emergencies, unless they have previously been congressionally authorized to do so. The congressional authorization for Old Hickory and Cordell Hull Dams was made way back in 1946, and believe it or not, it still governs, regardless of the massive growth of Nashville and numerous subsequent floods. The archaic authority that the Corps has been operating under only allows Old Hickory and Cordell Hull to be used for navigation, recreation, and hydropower, but not for flood risk management. The Corps needs this flexibility to protect everyone downstream, as well as to prevent possible overtopping of their dams. I have buy-in from my District Corps to make this happen, and I hope the National Corps of Army Engineers listens. Mr. Speaker, I thank, again, Chairwoman Lowey and the entire Appropriations Committee for including this in the en bloc.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. No one loved Nashville, Tennessee, more than our friend and colleague John Robert Lewis. As a young man, he arrived in Nashville on a bus with a ticket purchased by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King wanted young John to attend American Baptist College. For anyone wondering how to honor John Lewis and his legacy, think of his alma mater, American Baptist, and remember also the historically Black college and university that he later attended, Fisk University. If you want more John Lewises in the world, think of his beloved training grounds, American Baptist and Fisk.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to speak on behalf of the Strategic Forces portion of the Mac Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ranking Member Thornberry for his outstanding 25 years of service in this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to extend my thanks to Ranking Member Turner and all of our subcommittee members for their contributions to the bill. Our subcommittee has particularly heavy, often technical responsibilities. This bill does make America stronger and safer by improving the odds for peace and stability with regard to our nuclear forces, hypersonic weapons, and space and missile defense. Preventing a nuclear attack is the first responsibility of the U.S. Government. It is absolutely imperative to ensure our nuclear forces are safe, secure, and reliable and that we strengthen our nonproliferation efforts. This mark ensures that the Departments of Defense and Energy are wisely spending their budgets in a responsible and efficient manner. Regarding space, we continue our focus on protecting our space assets. The bill also focuses on near-term priorities for hypersonic weapons in a way that avoids increasing the risks of ambiguity and miscalculation. We continue oversight in missile defense, including supporting U.S.- Israeli cooperation. In addition, after the failure of the redesigned kill vehicle program, the bill strengthens oversight of the next- generation interceptor program. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I would like to thank our outstanding staff: Leonor Tomero, Jason Schmid, Maria Vastola, Grant Schneider, and Zach Taylor.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, very early this morning, my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, was terribly hard hit by a tornado. At least 19 lives have been lost. Buildings were destroyed. Many, many homes were destroyed, and countless lives have been disrupted. At least 34,000 people lost electricity. I have been in contact with our Governor, our mayor, our entire congressional delegation, including my good friend John Rose, to do all that we can to bring emergency relief to the area as fast as possible. This is a genuine tragedy, and we need to praise our neighbors, friends, residents, first responders, firefighters, police, and EMTs who worked all through the night, despite fierce rains, to provide first aid. Nashville is strong. We recovered so well after the terrible 2010 flood that many parts of America didn't even know we had been suffering. Now is the time to beat this disaster.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, we need to establish a Space Force, to keep GPS safe, to keep ATMs safe, and to keep Y-O-U safe. Space Force is not a Trump idea. True, he tried to hijack it long after the House Armed Services Committee had voted on a totally bipartisan and nearly unanimous basis to support a Space Corps. Trump's belated support for a Space Force does not make this a Republican idea. Focus on space has been bipartisan since the first Pentagon Space Command in 1985, an initiative that was terminated in 2002 when America got distracted by the war on terror. Our adversaries and potential adversaries were not distracted, however. Since 2002, they have relentlessly pursued anti-U.S. strategies against our defenseless satellites. They have made space a warfighting domain. On behalf of the free world, we must respond. What is the difference between a Space Corps and a Space Force? One word. The language in this year's NDAA is primarily the old Space Corps language, which passed the HASC this year unanimously. The Strategic Forces Subcommittee provisions of this bill support the core mission of our nuclear forces to provide a strong deterrent. They also support nuclear safety as we modernize and recapitalize our nuclear deterrent. We emphasize the importance of strategic stability. The conference agreement highlights the importance of New START and the Open Skies treaties for U.S. and international security. We maintain congressional oversight over these key arms control agreements, including requiring a 120-day notice provision before any withdrawal from these treaties. U.S. leadership, in cooperation with our allies, is essential to hold Russia accountable and to prevent an arms race. The NDAA continues to support effective missile defense while increasing oversight of critical programs, particularly as the Department of Defense considers new options for the next-generation interceptor. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Chair, the Strategic Forces Subcommittee probably has the heaviest responsibility of any in Congress, or possibly in the world, because authorizing nuclear weapons affects the fate of the Nation and of the planet. I thank all of our subcommittee members and our wonderful staff for their hard work on this bill. The most important duty of our government is to defend the Nation, and the number one priority of the Defense Department is to make sure that we have safe, secure, reliable, and effective nuclear weapons. This subcommittee has a long tradition of bipartisanship on these vital issues. This bill upholds our commitment to maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent force. We owe it to our constituents, to our allies, and to the planet to strengthen and preserve the remarkable peace and prosperity that the world has known for the last 75 years. As an example, this bill funds the National Nuclear Security Administration at 4.3 percent over last year's appropriation, which also means a $608 million increase to the NNSA Weapons Activities programs. We take steps to reduce the risk of nuclear miscalculation. This bill denies President Trump's request for a new low-yield nuclear weapon for use on our nuclear submarines, a request that would undermine our security. The last 60 years of nuclear deterrent strategy were based, in large part, on the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine force, that most survivable leg of our triad, never being used for tactical nuclear weapons. Deploying another low-yield nuclear weapon, of which we have countless ones and other delivery systems, is not only unnecessary but a dangerous policy. We prioritize a production level of 30 plutonium pits a year and making this happen as soon as possible by 2026. This goal alone will be extremely challenging. We must set up NNSA for success. On arms control treaties, we continue to be challenged by the administration, which continues to try to upend treaties. This bill supports the Open Skies Treaty. Mr. Chair, I look forward to our colleagues supporting this important legislation.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the vote to pass the 19th Amendment, I would like to recognize Tennessee's crucial role in the Amendment's ratification. State Representative Harry T. Burn was a slow learner. He was originally antisuffragist, but he ultimately changed his ``nay'' vote to ``yea'' just in time to heed his mother's advice to ``be a good boy'' and vote for ratification. His was the deciding vote in the Tennessee General Assembly, making Tennessee the 36th State, and final State, needed for ratification. Representative Burn explained his vote this way: ``I know that a mother's advice is always safest for her boy to follow, and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification.'' So thank you to Representative Burn and, above all, to his mother, Ms. Phoebe Burn, for her crucial role in aiding women's right to vote.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Future Farmers of America Alternative Energy Sustainable Logistics Academy at Whites Creek High School in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2016 and 2017, Whites Creek High School Future Farmers of America Alternative Energy Sustainable Logistics Academy, led by the Academy instructor Dr. Garry Gibson, grew four acres of soybeans for their biodiesel program at the Whites Creek Community Garden. In 2016, the Academy applied for and won the first place prize nationally and $10,000 in the Ford Motor Challenge STEM Contest. The 2016 winnings were used to drive a biodiesel powered vehicle for a student lecture tour up-and-down the east coast ending at the University of Guelph, Canada's top agricultural university. In 2017, the Academy again placed first place nationally in the Ford Motor Challenge, winning $20,000. The 2017 winnings are being used by the Academy to create a student-led solar power station at Whites Creek High School, overseen by the Academy Principal, Mr. Jeremiah Davis; a local solar power adviser from Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Mr. Jason Carney; and Whites Creek High School seniors Rachel Rhea and Daniel Vanclief. The Academy has since created a solar power curriculum so Whites Creek students can continue these efforts. The solar power station will reduce the school's electrical costs by an estimated $5,000 each year. It will also keep an estimated 72,072 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the environment that would otherwise have been created from burning coal. I congratulate the Whites Creek High School Future Farmers of America Alternative Energy Sustainable Logistics Academy on their invaluable contributions to Middle Tennessee's future.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital is the largest faith based nonprofit hospital in Middle Tennessee, providing spiritually centered, holistic care that sustains and improves the Nashville community. With its 683 licensed acute care beds, more than 2,000 employees, 1053 physicians, and 425 allied health providers on staff, Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital delivers world class care and makes a tremendous impact on Nashville and the surrounding counties every day. Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital provides a wide variety of vital inpatient and outpatient services. The clinical programs and medical facilities are continuously updated to meet both the changing needs of the community and the challenges posed by new discoveries and innovations in technology. Saint Thomas Midtown began its healing ministry in Nashville as Protestant Hospital on March 20, 1919. The ownership of Protestant Hospital was transferred to the Tennessee Baptist Convention in 1948 and became Mid-State Baptist Hospital. The name was later changed to Baptist Hospital on December 17, 1964. In January 2002, Baptist Hospital joined Saint Thomas Health's regional health system and became a member of Ascension, a Catholic Health System that is the largest nonprofit, faith based health system in the United States. In 2013, the name was changed from Baptist Hospital to Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital. Despite its evolution and many name changes over the years, one thing has remained constant. Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital has always been dedicated to improving the health of our entire community, especially the poor and most vulnerable. We are fortunate to have a ministry like Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital providing compassionate care in the great state of Tennessee for the past 100 years. I hope that Nashville is lucky enough to have Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital caring for our citizens for 100 more years to come.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Charles Baldinger of Nashville, Tennessee. While attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Charlie was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma--a rare Stage 3 malignant brain tumor. He found the bad news after a near-fatal accident. As a cadet, Charlie fell 20 feet during a rope-free bouldering set. The fall resulted in a trip to the hospital where it was discovered that he had a brain tumor. Nevertheless, Charlie graduated from West Point, was commissioned as an Infantry Officer, but then was forced to medically retire. Yet he kept learning and kept excelling. Charlie earned his master's degree from Lipscomb University. Charlie began treatments while at Lipscomb and allowed its College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to use his body for research. He underwent test treatments that allowed data to be gathered for the purpose of better understanding how to treat cancer. Even during his illness, Charlie continued his service to others. Charlie passed away peacefully on January 6, 2019. He was a brother, son, grandson, husband, and friend, who will always be remembered by his loved ones.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, on November 16, 2018, during debate on H.R. 6784, the Manage our Wolves Act, I voted incorrectly on Roll Call Vote No. 420. My vote should have been cast as `NO.'

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Stratford High School and the Nashville community on the 55th anniversary of the school's desegregation. On that remarkable day, four twelve-year-old girls courageously walked into Stratford High School prepared to change history and open the doors of opportunity for all. The lessons of Nashville's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement are still teaching us how to build a more perfect union. In a 1960 speech in Nashville, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ``I came to Nashville not to bring inspiration, but to gain inspiration from the great movement that has taken place in this community.'' Equal access to quality education, like that provided at Stratford, is vital to growing leaders who will inspire generations to come. In 1963, just a few days after Dr. King spoke of a dream from the Lincoln Memorial, Bernadine Price [Rabathaly], Beverly Page [Ward], Brenda Harris [Haywood], and Pamela Franklin walked into school and trusted the content of their character. With the help, encouragement, and protection of the school's Assistant Principal, Ronald Webb, the students overcame obstacles that no students should face and helped change our nation forever. As we reflect on the past, let us remember and thank these heroic individuals for their relentless efforts in making our community a stronger place, and realize we still have a lot of work to do.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Goodlettsville Church as it celebrates more than 175 years of service to the community in Tennessee. Goodlettsville Church's deep community roots began in the 1800s on the banks of Mansker Creek. From 42 members in the early days to more than 200 today, Goodlettsville Church has touched countless lives with its rich community of faith. Through the strong pastoral leadership, Service Ministry Team, Cumberland Presbyterian Women and the family worship each week, Goodlettsville Church shares the love of Christ at home and in mission trips abroad. With its mission to show others the ``Love of Christ Inside and Out,'' Goodlettsville Church will continue to be a beacon of hope in the community for many more years to come.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Country Music Association for its 60 years of providing unity, purpose, and leadership within the country music industry. The Country Music Association was the first trade association formed to promote a genre of music. Since its founding in 1958, it has grown from its original 160 members and today represents more than 7,400 industry professionals. The Country Music Association preserves the industry's rich heritage and time-honored traditions. This organization's tireless advocacy has brought the appreciation for and the excellence of country music to new heights. Country Music is the story of America, and the Country Music Association shares this story around the world. The Country Music Association celebrates life by connecting those near and far and making global connections through the gift of music. Country music creates a place for everyone by evoking celebration and pain, joy and sorrow, love and loss. The country music industry is as charitable as it is talented. The Country Music Association Foundation, the organization's charitable group, has invested more than $21 million in improving and sustaining music education programs across the nation. Thanks to these efforts, students from everywhere are gaining skills and knowledge to help them succeed in all facets of their lives. The power of country music is boundless, and the Country Music Association ensures that its genius is reaching every corner of this world and will continue to do so for generations to come. I am honored to represent the home of the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee, and am proud to recognize its 60th anniversary.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Stratford High School and the Nashville community on the55th anniversary of the school's desegregation. On that remarkable day, four twelve-year-old girls courageously walked into Stratford High School prepared to change history and open the doors of opportunity for all. The lessons of Nashville's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement are still teaching us how to build a more perfect union. In a 1960 speech in Nashville, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ``I came to Nashville not to bring inspiration, but to gain inspiration from the great movement that has taken place in this community.'' Equal access to quality education, like that provided at Stratford, is vital to growing leaders who will inspire generations to come. In 1963, just a few days after Dr. King was murdered, Bernadine Price Rabathaly, Beverly Page Ward, Brenda Harris Haywood, and Pamela Franklin walked into school and were greeted with hate. With the help, encouragement, and protection of the school's Assistant Principal, Ronald Webb, the students overcame obstacles that no students should face and helped change our nation forever. As we reflect on the past, let us remember and thank these heroic individuals for their relentless efforts in making our community a stronger place, and realize we still have a lot of work to do.

Mr. COOPER

Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all members of the conference committee for their record-breaking work on this National Defense Authorization Act. This bill supports the national security, so I am pleased to support it. I would particularly like to thank my good friend, Chairman Rogers, for his bipartisan leadership of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee. In addition to authorizing core missions of our nuclear forces to provide a strong deterrent, this defense authorization bill mandates an independent study on increasing the decision time before the President can use nuclear weapons; allows negotiations for extending the New START treaty to maintain binding limits on the number of strategic weapons that Russia can deploy; drops a provision that would have all but separated the Nuclear Security Administration from the Department of Energy, in direct contradiction of expert recommendations; and allows the Department of Energy to continue terminating the failed and unaffordable MOX boondoggle. The bill supports effective missile defense efforts, including pressing for near-term solutions such as boost-phase missile defense using kinetic interceptors, increases accountability of the acquisition of expensive interceptors, and, of course, supports U.S.-Israeli missile defense. Finally, I strongly commend Chairman Rogers' leadership in strengthening our ability to defend our assets in space against increasing threats. The bill creates a sub-unified command for space and continues oversight of warfighting readiness, presses for a more rapid and agile acquisition process, and mandates a plan for improving our space capabilities. I look forward to continuing to work with Chairman Rogers and others toward establishment of a true space corps or space force. I urge support for this bill.