Ander Crenshaw

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, February 3, 2014, I was unavoidably detained due to weather and missed votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on House Vote No. 33, on passage of H.R. 357, the GI Tuition Fairness Act of 2013. For over 50 years, Congress has recognized that one of the greatest sacrifices by our service members is that their military service often prevents them from attending school and attaining higher levels of education. To address this sacrifice, our country has made educational benefits a cornerstone of military service. The GI Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 establishes in-state tuition rates for all veterans attending college on the Post 9/11 GI bill and would ensure that they are not punished for faithfully fulfilling their military service obligations away from their original state of residency. Due to the nature of military service, our veterans often have a hard time establishing residency for purposes of obtaining in- state tuition. This bill takes a stand to guarantee in-state tuition for student veterans regardless of residency status. These men and women should not be forced into more expensive college programs just because public universities do not offer the flexibility in their residency requirements. Our veterans have made incomparable sacrifices, and they deserve all the backlines of support we can give them. Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support the passage of H.R. 357, and would like to set the record straight that if I were able to cast my vote, it would have been a proud ``yea.''

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize John Wood, CEO of Sally Corp., who was recently honored for his life work in the creation of amusement rides by being inducted into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame. Sally Corp., based in Jacksonville, is a prime example of the American dream come true. Started in a garage in 1977, the Sally Corp. creates dark ride attractions, bringing to life interactive experiences that go beyond the imagination. Ron Gustafson, chairman of the Hall of Fame and Archives Committee, said that John ``revolutionized the attractions industry.'' He was able to take the staccato rides of old and create a story that leaves riders clamoring for more. Thanks to John's devotion, Sally Corp. has continued to grow and profit, and their reach has extended across the globe. Sally Corp. is currently working on an animated musical attraction called the ``White Tiger Show'' in China and they have completed projects in both India and Australia. It is truly an honor to have John Wood and Sally Corp. in the 4th Congressional District of Florida. Small business owners are the backbone of our nation and it gives me great pleasure to commend John for his outstanding achievements. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and Member's of the House of Representatives join me in this very special congressional salute to John Wood.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the fine men and women serving our nation at the Jacksonville Joint Reserve Intelligence Center (JRIC), located at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has selected the JRIC as the ``small'' JRIC of the Year. JRICs are designed to recognize the joint nature of the Defense Intelligence and at the same time to improve the Military Services' ability to meet emerging unit and tactical level intelligence requirements. This reachback capability has the added benefit of reducing travel and per diem costs associated with traditional annual training and minimizing forward deployed forces' footprint and sustainment; permitting the reservists to perform their mission at home station. Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, USA, lauds the Jacksonville JRIC when he wrote, ``the award is based on the following criteria: the ability to optimize JRIC management though effective space and systems utilization, while providing maximum flexible access based on mission requirements; the ability to facilitate joint access, joint training, innovation, and a collaborative work effort; and the ability to maximize reserve utilization in support of Defense Intelligence by fostering the integration of multiple intelligence disciplines.'' It is a pleasure and honor to represent the great men and women who serve at the Jacksonville JRIC and to see them recognized for their selfless service and dedication. The hard work of the men and women who serve in and around Jacksonville illustrate the importance of the First Coast to national defense, and reiterate that our community's efforts to be an anchor of national security.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Caldwell ``Hank'' Haynes. Born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1941, Hank was a friend to all he knew. A sports enthusiast, he was the manager of the football team at my own alma-mater, Lee High School, in Jacksonville. Hank attended college at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of fame after garnering 10 varsity letters, four in wrestling, two in baseball, and four as the manager of the football team. Following graduation, Hank served as an officer in the Navy for four years. He was on a destroyer stationed in San Diego when by chance he met his wife, Billie Haynes, also a Jacksonville native and Lee High School graduate. They were married for forty-six years where they resided in Jacksonville. Upon leaving the Navy, Hank went to work for his family's insurance firm, Peter and Bond Insurance, the oldest insurance firm in Florida. He became president of the company in 1981 when his father retired. In 2007 Hank merged the company with GHG Insurance and formed what is now known as Haynes, Peters and Bond Co. Dedicated to his work, Hank continued to work at the firm up until two weeks before his death. A role model to many, Hank was a well respected leader of our community in Jacksonville. His generosity of spirit and winning personality will make him long remembered. I send his family my heartfelt condolences and I know that Jacksonville will mourn his loss greatly. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and Members of the House to join me in this solemn goodbye to Hank Haynes.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and life of Rear Admiral Joseph Coleman, USN (Ret.), who was a voice of vision and action in our Jacksonville community for decades. Joe spent 32 years that spanned two wars defending our country as a member of the United States Navy. But, Joe's commitment to his country did not end with retirement. Joe reassigned his leadership skills to make the City of Jacksonville a better place to live not only for retired and active duty military but for all its citizens. Joe was a proud member of the Greatest Generation and always claimed the title of the ``Navy's best fighter pilot.'' That may be debated among fighter pilots, but his contribution to the Navy was considerable and his dedication to his country steadfast. He flew Hellcats against the Japanese in World War II, served aboard the USS Midway, had thousands of flight hours in various aircraft, made 550 carrier ship landings, and commanded the aircraft carrier USS Ranger during the Vietnam War. Joe's list of volunteer activities was both long and varied. Joe Coleman came to our town in the military, returned as a veteran, and became a great civic leader. Along the way Joe made a significant difference in many lives. His guiding hand led to a wonderful retirement community in Atlantic Beach called Fleet Landing. Today, hundreds of people live in this community near the sea. He was a leader in a plethora of military activities like the USO and the Navy League, but Joe also served on the board of Florida State Community College, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and numerous other organizations. There are those who join boards and there are those who work and make a difference; Joe is in the latter category. Perhaps it was his fighter pilot quick thinking or his finely attuned peripheral eyesight honed from hours of flying, but Joe Coleman is a man of vision who encouraged others to take courageous steps and to make difficult decisions. He is one of the leaders who changed Jacksonville from a sleepy Southern town into the robust metropolis it is today. We are considered the most military friendly town in America. Joe Coleman played a major role in making us that. Joe recently passed away at the age of 91. He embodied our World War II heroes as a member of the Greatest Generation. Joe Coleman was Admiral Joe to his grandchildren, a patriotic civilian leader in our community, and a gentle naval hero to our veterans. I was proud to call him friend.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Olympian and President of Shannon Miller Lifestyle, Mrs. Shannon Miller, on receiving the Excellence in Cancer Awareness Award from the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. Shannon is a two-time world all-around champion gymnast, winning seven Olympic medals and nine world championships. In late 2010, Shannon received the staggering news that she had a rare form of ovarian cancer. However, with the strength and determination that helped her to be so successful in her gymnastic career, Shannon defeated the disease in 2011. Finally, overcoming all odds this past June, she was blessed with a ``miracle baby''--a second child, Sterling Diane, who joins her 3 year old brother Rocco. Shannon has become an inspiration to all and publically shares her experience to encourage others to fight against cancer. She has been unwavering in her dedication to the health and wellness of women and children, using her visibility to advocate for early detection, cancer awareness, and give hope to those currently fighting this terrible disease. On November 19, 2013, Shannon was honored with the Excellence in Cancer Awareness award at the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program's annual luncheon. This bipartisan program aims to increase the public's understanding of cancer prevention and early detection. Families of Members of the House, Senate, Cabinet, and Supreme Court work within their respective constituencies--as well as nationwide--to raise awareness and help reduce risks of cancer. Congressional Families' initiatives include giving presentations to civic and community groups, making radio and television presentations, organizing health fairs and conferences, as well as writing opinion pieces for local papers. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and Members of the House to join me in this very special congressional salute to this leader and cancer advocate, Shannon Miller.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. I thank the chairman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this omnibus appropriations bill. I think it demonstrates that even though we have a divided government, when we get together, we can sit down, we can set priorities, we can reduce spending and we can meet our constitutional responsibility of funding the Federal Government. As chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee, I am proud of the work that--along with my ranking member, Mr. Serrano, and the other members of the subcommittee--we have accomplished. We produced a bill that in the end is a lean funding. We provide critical moneys for those high-performance agencies, and we rein in spending on some of the programs that aren't quite as efficient or are downright wasteful. I think we all remember the IRS scandal where the IRS was singling out individuals and groups of individuals based on their political philosophy, harassing and bullying them. They were wasting money on lavish conferences and videos. Well, we said to the IRS, we are going to reduce your funding until you demonstrate to us that you can spend money in a wise and efficient way. And we said, no more can you spend money to harass individuals or groups of individuals based on their political philosophy. But we do carve out money to provide taxpayer services to provide for moneys to pursue people that cheat on their taxes. We adequately fund the Federal judiciary, we adequately fund--fully fund--the Small Business Administration loan program. We help small businesses, and we help entrepreneurs because we recognize that about 75 percent of all the new jobs in our country are created by these small businesses. Finally, we fund regulators like the SEC and the FCC at a lean, mean level. We ask them to do more with less. We ask them to provide adequate regulation and smart regulation, not job-killing and excessive regulation. At the end of the day, there has been a lot of hard work and a lot of negotiation but, most of all, a great deal of cooperation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the Honorable Ambassador of Nepal, Shankar Sharma, on behalf of the Congressional Nepal Caucus for his dedicated service both to his country and to the United States over the past four years. No doubt due in part to his tireless and committed work for Nepal, the past four years have brought many positive changes to the country and its relations with the United States. Not only has the Congressional Nepal Caucus been established, which will continue to educate Members of Congress on Capitol Hill about Nepal and the benefits of a strong relationship between our two countries, but the Peace Corps has resumed in Nepal after an 8 year hiatus due to a now- resolved conflict. In addition, the Millennium Challenge Corporation has declared Nepal ``threshold program eligible,'' strengthening the dialogue between the two countries and preparing Nepal for a future MCC Compact. And in April of 2011, a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement was signed, which established a framework for trade and resolved outstanding disputes between our nations. Each of these triumphs strengthens our relationship and will continue to help Nepal in their path to development and democracy. The Congressional Nepal Caucus would also like to acknowledge Ambassador Sharma on his many years of service to Nepal. As Deputy Chairman at the National Planning Commission in Nepal, Chief Advisor in Ministry of Finance, Alternate Governor of Nepal for the International Monetary Fund, and Senior Economist in Institute of South East Asian Studies, Ambassador Sharma has steered Nepal in a viable direction. I am grateful for the leadership and dedication of Ambassador Sharma; and I thank him for his contribution to strengthen our relationship between Nepal and the United States. He will be missed in Washington, and the Caucus wishes him best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to honor the congressional career of my chief of staff, John Ariale. I first met John Ariale 13 years ago, right after I was first elected to Congress; and after that first meeting when I saw his keen intellect, I saw his wry sense of humor, his love of Excel spreadsheets, his laser-like focus on policy, and his zany Italian zeal, I knew that was a combination that I needed to lead my legislative office. They say that the decision to have someone be your chief of staff is one of the most important decisions you will ever make as a Member of Congress because the chief of staff not only represents your political views, but also represents your personal values. If there is one decision that I have made that I think would be unanimously agreed upon by my constituents as well as my colleagues, it would be the choice to have John be my chief of staff. John has assembled an outstanding team of individuals. He has led that team of individuals through thick and thin. We have fought and won some very important legislative battles, one of which is a proposal of landmark legislation to forever change for the good the way our Nation deals with individuals with disabilities. It is called the ABLE Act. We haven't crossed the finish line yet, but I am sure we will; and when we do, it will be in large part because of the moral clarity and hard work and dedication of John Ariale. Winston Churchill once said: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Mr. Speaker, John Ariale has given me, he has given this institution, he has given all of the individuals who have had a chance to work with him his heart and his soul. He has given his expertise, his wisdom, and his patience. There is little we can do to repay him for all that other than express to him our extreme gratitude and to wish him well on his next opportunities, his next challenge. And so I would say to John Ariale, as he leaves as chief of my staff, thank you for a job well done. God bless and Godspeed.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, let me just simply say, as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, my subcommittee has oversight over the SEC and is charged with funding the SEC; and their budget has increased about 200 percent over the last 10 years. That is more than most agencies. That is a lot of money, and a lot of that is caused by all of the rules and regulations that they are asked to pass over and over again. Dodd-Frank is part of that problem. I think this bill seeks to alleviate that problem by saying, look, we can protect investors. We can have orderly and fair capital markets; but we don't need to go overboard on regulation. Certainly derivatives are complicated financial instruments. They need regulation. But that is what this bill provides. And I would say that the great overwhelming majority are not responsible for the financial crisis. If we pass this legislation, we can help save those people that use these instruments. We can also help the SEC not have to draft so many unnecessary rules and regulations, and that will save taxpayers as well.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, as the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, my Subcommittee directly oversees the Securities and Exchange Commission's budget. And since 2001 the SEC's budget has increased by over 200 percent . . . this is a larger increase than almost any other agency in our government. As the agency tasked with protecting investors and ensuring fair and orderly capital markets, you would think they would carefully coordinate with all agencies involved to ensure much needed certainty and to provide clear guidance to a trillion dollar industry. However, this again is not the case and we are here today to ensure that the SEC and the Department of Labor coordinate and work in a systematic manner to avoid investor confusion, regulatory conflict, and decrease costs for retail investors. This is why I rise today to put my support for H.R. 2374, the ``Retail Investor Protection Act.''--common sense legislation, requiring the SEC complete a rulemaking on standards of care governing broker dealers and investment advisers before the Department of Labor finalizes their rule redefining the definition of a person providing investment advice under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Plain and simple, ensuring collaboration between the two agencies that are trying to reach the same goal. In addition H.R. 2374 requires that before the SEC writes one new rules on expanding fiduciary standards, they need to identify whether investors are being harmed under current standards of care. We all need to remember what's at stake here. American families invest trillions of dollars in IRAs and through mutual funds, stocks, and bonds. The Retail Investor Protection Act will ensure that federal regulators will not lose focus on the impact these rules could have on retail investors and must consider all other options first, before moving forward with broad new regulatory mandates. The lack of regulatory coordination between these two financial regulators does not provide a cohesive landscape for investors and will be difficult for service providers to follow. These rules affect the lives of many and have profound and far reaching effects on our economy. The SEC itself has acknowledged that the costs of this action could ``ultimately be passed on to retail investors in the form of higher fees or lost access to services and products. We in Congress have an obligation to amend or fix provisions whose costs outweigh purported benefits. Therefore, as we move forward with the fiscal year 2014 budget in my Appropriations Subcommittee I plan to address with Chairwoman White whether a more thorough economic analysis of these rules are needed to ensure the SEC does not harm families who are investing to build up their retirement or to save for college--the very investors the SEC is supposed to protect. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 2374.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, before I introduce and call on a couple of my colleagues, I would like to say a brief word about my longtime friend and mentor, C.W. Bill Young. I first met Bill when he was in the Florida Senate. He was the Republican leader in the Florida Senate. He was the minority leader. I think my colleagues might be interested to know that he was the Republican leader, minority leader, not because he gathered all the votes of the other minority members, the Republicans; he was the Republican leader because he was the only Republican in the Florida Senate. You might say maybe that diminishes that leadership role, and I would say just the reverse is true because Bill Young was such a great leader, such a man of courage and conviction that he would stand up for whatever he believed, even if there was no one there to stand up with. I think it is because of that conviction, because of that commitment, that we are here tonight to honor his legacy. I found it interesting that about 25 years later I found myself in the Florida Senate, and I became the first Republican to be elected president of that body, and I got a note from Bill Young. He said, ``We've come a long way.'' Of course when I came to Congress, he was there to help me become a member of the Armed Services Committee because he knew that I cared about the military. He was there to help me become a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Defense Subcommittee which he loved so very much. He taught me and he taught all of us that everyone has value. Everyone has worth, whether it is a private first class or four star general, and he lived and died by the belief that if we are to be the land of the free, it is because we take care of our brave. So that is the way he lived his life, and we will hear tributes tonight--we heard tributes last Thursday in Largo at his funeral, but I believe that the lasting legacy that Bill Young leaves will be seen for generations to come in the greatness of our military, and in the compassion that we have for those who serve and those who are wounded. So, Madam Speaker, I simply want to say tonight that America lost a great leader, and I lost a great friend. Godspeed, Bill Young. Now I would like to yield to one of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, the chairman of the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee and a member of the Defense Subcommittee which Bill Young chaired, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger).

Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), another member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Mr. CRENSHAW. I now yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), another member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee that Bill Young chaired.

Mr. CRENSHAW. Thank you. I now yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), another member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Mr. CRENSHAW. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), another member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. CRENSHAW. I now yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey), one of Mr. Young's colleagues.

Mr. CRENSHAW. Thank you. Now I yield time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Nugent), another colleague and a member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. CRENSHAW. Thank you, Mr. Nugent. Our hour is just about over. We could go on for hours, but I think you have all heard tonight that Bill Young was a man that loved his Lord, he loved his wife, he loved his family, he loved his country. You might say it just seems like they don't make them like that any more, but the truth is that they never did. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CRENSHAW

Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 373, I call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 89) making appropriations for the salaries and related expenses of certain Federal employees during a lapse in funding authority for fiscal year 2014, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 89, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, the legislation that I bring before the House today is very simple. It's very straightforward. It's very clear, very understandable, and, quite frankly, I think it should be noncontroversial; because what this bill does is simply say that the Federal employees who have been working during this shutdown are going to be paid, and they are going to be paid on time. Now, a lot of people during this shutdown have been coming to work every day. They've worked for countless hours for the citizens of our Nation, and they deserve to be paid. As I said, it's very simple. If you work, you get paid. For instance, the Capitol Police, they're on the job. They're working every day. You might remember last week, they rushed into harm's way in the line of duty. Now, those Federal employees deserve to take home a paycheck because they're on the job. There are other Federal workers that are working every day during this shutdown. Some of them are working to make sure that our safety and well-being is in place. Some are working to make sure that the critical needs of our citizens are met. Some are working to make sure that businesses aren't unduly harmed during this shutdown, and some are working to make sure that the Federal Government extends a helping hand to those people that are the most vulnerable and are truly in need. So what this bill does is simply say, as long as this shutdown is going on, until it ends, the people that come to work every day deserve to be paid. They deserve to be paid on time. Remember, the people who come to work every day, they're just like everybody else. They've got bills to pay. They've got mortgage payments they've got to make. They've got to pay their rent. They've got to make car payments. They've got to pay their utility bills. They've got mouths to feed back home. There is no reason that they should be punished because the Democrats and the Republicans and the White House can't agree how to move forward on funding the Federal Government. Now, it's the goal of this Congress, as always, to make sure that Federal employees are paid and they're paid on time, and we usually do that by passing appropriations bills, and we do that. We fund the programs, and the salaries are paid on a continuing basis. We usually do that by the end of the fiscal year. It didn't happen this year, and I hope we don't find ourselves in this position ever again. But right now, it's time to come together. This is a logical, commonsense step to take--to make sure the people that go to work every day get paid on time. We came together on Saturday, this weekend, on a unanimous vote, and said that those Federal employees who have been furloughed would be paid on a retroactive basis. It's my hope that we can come together today on a unanimous vote and say the people that go to work are going to get paid on time. So I urge my colleagues to adopt this resolution; and with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the distinguished chairman of the full Appropriations Committee.

Mr. CRENSHAW. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston), an outstanding member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. CRENSHAW. I yield the gentleman another minute.