Wm. Clay

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Let me thank my colleague from New York for yielding. I, too, rise today to support H.R. 1553, the Small Bank Exam Cycle Reform Act. I would also like to commend the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton) as well as Mr. Barr for their leadership on this important issue. The overwhelming majority of banks in this country are community banks with less than $1 billion in assets. As the regulatory landscape has evolved for the Nation's financial institutions since the financial crisis, I have worked with my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee to ensure that our community banks are not unduly burdened. H.R. 1553 is a part of that effort, as it will extend much-needed relief to Main Street banks by allowing well-managed, well-capitalized community banks an opportunity to take advantage of an extended 18-month examination cycle. While bank examinations are vital to the safety and soundness of the American banking system, the time and resources that banks put into preparing for and responding to examinations can be extremely time consuming, particularly for smaller banks with limited staff and resources that cannot afford to divert key personnel away from their core business in order to prepare for examinations. H.R. 1553 also allows banking regulators to better allocate their resources to financial institutions that warrant additional attention and away from community banks that have otherwise demonstrated that they are soundly managed and well capitalized. I have heard from community bankers in Missouri and from across the country that straightforward, bipartisan, commonsense regulatory relief proposals like H.R. 1553 can contribute significantly to community banks' ability to lend to Main Street businesses and reinvest in our communities.

Mr. CLAY. I look forward to working with Mr. Tipton and my other colleagues on the Financial Services Committee to find additional opportunities to enact targeted relief for our community banks, and I would urge my colleagues to adopt H.R. 1553.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable woman and long-time civic icon in St. Louis, Missouri, who has set a standard of excellence in academics, educational reform, social justice, community leadership and personal courage, Dr. Anita Lyons Bond. Anita Lyons Bond has been making history for decades. As the first African American student to graduate with Latin Honors from Saint Louis University in 1949, she has devoted her life to opening up the doors of equal educational opportunity to all, especially those students in urban areas who are still striving to overcome difficult circumstances and persistent academic disparities. In May of this year, as she presented an honorary doctorate to Mrs. Bond, Saint Louis University trustee Martha Uhlhorn recognized her ``extraordinary determination, her exemplary character, her exceptional commitment to education, her concerns for others, her fearless focus on social justice and her desire to provide equal access to education for all students.'' In 1965, Mrs. Bond challenged the Missouri Board of Education's elections. Her lawsuit, contending civil rights violations, went to the Missouri Supreme Court and ultimately resulted in changes in election procedures. Later that year, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis honored her with the Argus Distinguished Public Service Award for her service to the city as a leader in education and in the community. Mrs. Bond established the Citizens Education Task Force, an organization funded through the Danforth Foundation that functioned as an independent critical body of the Board of Education. In 1974, she became president of the St. Louis Board of Education. She served the board in various roles and was instrumental in the Board of Education and the Higher Educational Council establishing Harris- Stowe as a state college, rather than a secondary school. In 1981, U.S. District Judge James Meredith appointed her to serve on the committee that wrote the St. Louis public school desegregation plan. She also served on the boards of the YMCA, NAACP, Urban League, United Negro College Fund and others. The NAACP named her one of the ``Most Outstanding St. Louisans.'' Mrs. Bond has also served as a delegate to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and is a nationally recognized educational expert in special techniques of speech correction for the culturally disadvantaged. I have known Mrs. Bond, her late husband (the remarkable Dr. Leslie Bond), and her wonderful family since my earliest days growing up in St. Louis. Both she and her husband stood shoulder-to-shoulder with my father, former Congressman Bill Clay, as he led the historic Jefferson Bank protests which broke down the walls of segregation in our city. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members of Congress to join me in honoring this great American who has helped so many and continues to inspire us to have courage, to work towards transformative change, and to confront injustice and inequality wherever it exists.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman and a life-long friend to my family, the late Sarah Elizabeth Williams. Sarah Elizabeth Williams was born on September 3, 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the oldest of four children and the only daughter born to Rev. Charles E. Williams and Ethel Davis Williams. Her three brothers, Charles, Matthew, and James preceded her in death. When Sarah was very young, the family moved to historic La Mott, a suburb of Philadelphia, located in Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In 1885 the village was officially named for the famous abolitionist and suffragette, Lucretia Mott, who had moved to the area in 1850. Many longtime residents like Sarah as well as new ones were proud of their community's heritage which stood as an important landmark in black history. One of the first communities to encourage integrated living, the village represented a turning point in the social and racial development of residential communities in the post-Civil War era. ``Roadside'', the home of Lucretia Mott, was a stop for slaves traveling the Underground Railroad north to safety. After graduating from Cheltenham High School, Sarah moved to Norfolk, Virginia, attending Virginia Union Jr. College for two years. She took classes in English, Biology, and Zoology, before returning home to help look after her three brothers following her mother's illness and death. For many years, Sarah worked as a technician at the Fels Research Institute at Temple University in Philadelphia. Her marriages ended in divorce, but out of the union she had one child, Sandra. Always looking to explore new horizons, Sarah took the Federal Civil Service exam and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1950 to secure employment in the federal government. Sarah, affectionately known as ``Gramm'' by family and friends, worked for H.E.W. in Washington, D.C., and the Army Corps of Engineers in Gravely Point, Virginia. She transferred to the U.S. Department of Justice in 1963, and worked there in the Civil Rights Division. At the Department of Justice Sarah provided support to several attorneys, among them her heroes, Thurgood Marshall, and Assistant Attorney General, John Doar. In 1968 and 1969, Sarah traveled with legal teams to Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, and to Chicago, Illinois, to help prepare briefs for various trials. The duration of these trips ranged from three days to as many as three weeks for the trial in Birmingham. One important case in 1980 involved an appeal in a suit alleging brutality and other unlawful practices on the part of the Philadelphia Police Department. Sarah always said her work with the attorneys in the division to combat racial and various other forms of discrimination in housing, education, and employment, while enforcing civil and voting rights, gave her a sense of pride and purpose and she received many special achievement awards for her ``Superior Performance''. Sarah retired in 1983 but always stayed connected to her former colleagues, and in 2007, was the oldest former employee to attend the Commemoration of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division's 50th anniversary at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Prior to retirement, Sarah began living with her daughter and her husband, E. Lucien Cox, in Montgomery County, Maryland. She was a wonderful influence in the lives of her three grandchildren and family friends, providing them with much of her wisdom and experience. Sarah's example helped them to appreciate the value of hard work, commitment, and best of all, joie de vivre. After retiring Sarah was able to travel to interesting places throughout the world, become more active in her church, and dote on her seven great grandchildren, as well as volunteering with reading programs at local schools. She continued to be active until age 87, when her health began to fail. Sarah, to quote Maya Anjelou, was truly a ``phenomenal woman'', who always seemed to be ahead of the curve. Her interest in ecology and nature, and even encouraging the grandchildren to recycle, goes back 45 years. She also stayed relevant by listening to and engaging young people. They learned from her and she learned from them and respected their views. Sarah's sense of humor was legendary. Everyone who met her knew she never missed a beat. You never could predict what was coming next, but you just knew it would be memorable. There will never be another like ``Gramm''. When Sarah's family moved near her beloved Chesapeake Bay, to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2009, she accompanied them. She was a resident at the Berlin Maryland Nursing Center for five years and was cognitive and witty up until her passing on May 9, 2015. One of her greatest joys was living to see President Barack Obama elected twice, and to see Loretta Lynch confirmed as U.S. Attorney General. As she said, ``I never thought I would live to see all of this''. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members of Congress to join me in honoring the memory of Sarah Elizabeth Williams. Our wonderful memories of her will sustain us all.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of this amendment. FBI Director James Comey's February 12, 2015, speech, entitled, ``Hard Truths: Law Enforcement and Race,'' addressed what he characterized as a ``disconnect between police and minority communities.'' Director Comey challenged officers to ``acknowledge the widespread existence of unconscious bias.'' We appreciate his candor and acknowledgment of issues we have long felt. Experience in our communities indicates negative police interaction, and excessive force disproportionately affects communities of color, but there are other communities who would also benefit from better law enforcement relations. As FBI Director, Mr. Comey requires all new agents and analysts to study the agency's interaction with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., followed by a visit to the King Memorial. The FBI's required study serves as recognition that in order to truly see each other as people, we must recognize our shortcomings and create and identify opportunities to understand, respect, and be decent to one another. Police officer sensitivity training and annual retraining demonstrate a commitment to communities across this Nation. As Members of Congress, it is a practice we must encourage. In Ferguson, Staten Island, Cleveland, North Charleston and Baltimore, the need for reform is as clear as it is urgent. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable woman, a dedicated public servant who touched the lives of thousands of my constituents, and my life-long friend, the late Alyson Rose Singfield, who died on April 7, 2015 after a courageous battle with breast cancer at the much too young age of 57-years old. Alyson was the beloved mother of Hope Lynn Stevenson, Tommy Stevenson and Earl Johnson. She was a caring stepmother. She was the loving daughter of Rose and the late Waldorf Singfield. She was a proud grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend to many. Her death was a huge loss for me, my staff, and for the St. Louis community that Alyson loved and served so well for many years. As my Community Outreach Director, Alyson brought her immense talent, creativity and dedication to work every day. She helped create and coordinate outstanding programs like my Congressional Youth Cabinet, the Congressional Art Competition, my Congressional Internship Program and many others. She was also my personal representative on the Regional Health Commission. Alyson also served on the Board of Directors of the Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers, one of our nation's most outstanding Federally Qualified Health Centers. My thoughts and prayers are with Alyson's wonderful family and her many friends at this painful hour. Alyson's legacy of love, service, and her courageous spirit will always remain in our hearts. She will never be forgotten. May God bless her with perfect peace and eternal rest, and may he bless all who mourn her with strength, faith and renewed determination to continue the good works that she established. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members of Congress to join me in honoring the memory of Alyson Rose Singfield for her legacy of duty, honor, integrity, compassion, faith and dedicated service to the citizens of Missouri's 1st Congressional District, the U.S. House of Representatives and the United States of America.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable and historic order of Catholic women called to the service of all God's children and his creation, the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, who have been at the forefront of healing the sick, fighting discrimination, advocating for equal rights under the law, and protecting the wonders of the natural world. Arriving from Germany in the winter of 1872, Mother Mary Odelia Berger and four other religious sisters crossed the icy Mississippi River by ferry to land on the St. Louis riverfront near the site of today's Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, better known as the magnificent Gateway Arch. They came to St. Louis seeking religious freedom and as a response to a call to serve the sick and indigent. Beginning with only five dollars among them, and armed with their resolute faith, they quickly deployed to the streets of our growing city to provide care to thousands suffering from tuberculosis, cholera and other epidemics of the time. St. Mary of Victories Church, at 744 S. 3rd Street would become their first home where they treated the poor suffering from small pox, diphtheria, typhoid fever and scarlet fever. As their patient load increased so did their numbers and they eventually became known as the Sisters of Mary because of their connection to the church. On May 24, 1877, the sisters opened their first hospital in a renovated home on Papin Street. During its first year, St. Mary's Infirmary treated 82 patients. Eventually, a newer and much larger facility was built on the same site. Mother Mary Concordia Puppendahl, the superior general of the Sisters of St. Mary from 1921 until 1956 believed that all persons deserved the best possible medical care regardless of their race, ethnic background or country of origin. At a time when educational opportunities lagged for women, Mother Concordia organized the congregation's first school of nursing in 1907. In 1924, Mother Concordia signed an agreement with Saint Louis University designating three facilities operated by the sisters (St. Mary's Infirmary, St. Mary's Hospital, and Mount St. Rose Chest and Throat Hospital) as teaching hospitals. In later years, Mother Concordia helped reorganize the St. Mary's Infirmary School of Nursing into the Saint Louis University School of Nursing. In 1933, St. Mary's Infirmary became the first Catholic hospital dedicated to treating African Americans and training African American physicians and nurses. In the 1960s, the sisters became very active in the civil rights movement, most notably Sister Antona Ebo, who marched shoulder to shoulder in Selma, Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and our heroic colleague, Congressman John Lewis (D) Georgia, to demand the right to vote for African Americans in Alabama, and across this country. On Wednesday, March 10, 1965, she and several other sisters and clergymen boarded a rickety airplane in St. Louis bound for Selma with several other sisters and clergymen to protest the Bloody Sunday attack on peaceful marchers and to join Dr. King in his second attempt to cross the bridge on the way from Selma to the state capital in Montgomery. Once there, Sister Antona, the only African-American sister in the crowd, found herself thrust to the front of the march. Before the marchers reached the end of the block, they were stopped by rows of helmeted policemen standing shoulder to shoulder, three deep, batons in hand. In the midst of it all, a microphone was thrust in front of Sister Antona. She spoke simply and from her heart into a sea of Confederate flags: ``I am here because I am a Negro, a nun, a Catholic, and because I want to bear witness.'' She later recalled, ``We wore our full regalia of habits at that time. We got a lot of people shook up who thought we should be in church with our hands folded.'' Many years later, she added, ``Selma happened really because it was the time and place to take a risk. Taking a risk has its payoff, too.'' Their courageous actions led to passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. The legacy of healing and devotion to building communities of compassionate care by the sisters inspired the development of SSM Health, a system of 19 non-profit Catholic hospitals, more than 60 outpatient care sites, a pharmacy benefit company, an insurance company, two nursing homes, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a technology company, and two Accountable Care Organizations operating in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. And most recently, the sisters have added their moral force, spiritual guidance and integrity to the cause of environmental justice in North St. Louis County where neighborhood groups and civic activists are advocating for the removal of radiological waste left over from the Manhattan Project that was illegally dumped in an unlined landfill, near homes, schools, businesses and an underground fire. Mr. Speaker, I urge members of Congress to join me in honoring the Franciscan Sisters of Mary for their living example of faith in action to heal the sick, advocate for equality and preserve our environment for future generations.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Missouri's 1st district, I am proud to honor one of our most distinguished constituents and homegrown heroes, Major General Cassie Strom of the United States Air National Guard. In June of this year--2015, General Strom is retiring, after an incredible 31 plus years of dedicated service. General Strom received her commission by direct appointment and began her active duty career with the Air Force in February 1984. She has served at all levels--Department of Defense, Combatant Command, Headquarters United States Air Force, Major Command, wing and base legal offices. She previously served on active duty for six years at the base legal offices at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, Osan Air Base, Korea and Torrejon Air Base, Spain. General Strom is admitted to practice law in the State of Missouri and the State of Nebraska. General Strom transferred to the Air Force Reserve with an assignment as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. She then moved to the Missouri Air National Guard in 1990 as a traditional Guard member. She has deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina and augmented the Army Civil Affairs mission, worked a variety of international peacekeeping exercises, served in the Department of Defense Office of General Counsel in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, acted as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate, United States Transportation Command, and as a Supervising Senior Attorney at the United States Air Force Academy. Major General Cassie A. Strom concludes her achievement filled career as the Air National Guard Assistant to The Judge Advocate General. In this position, she is the principal adviser and liaison to The Judge Advocate General on Air National Guard legal matters. In addition, she serves as a senior representative on The Judge Advocate General's Air National Guard Council, providing leadership, strategic planning and management of the entire Air National Guard Judge Advocate program, encompassing over 440 judge advocates and paralegals at Air National Guard legal offices throughout the United States. Her service to our country does not stop with her time in military status--she runs the Veteran's Advocacy Project for the Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry, which is housed in Scott Hall, in our own St. Louis University School of Law! As further testament to her exceptional service, General Strom's military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster), National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Air Force Overseas Ribbon Short, Air Force Overseas Ribbon Long, Air Force Longevity Service (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with 1 Gold Hourglass) Air Force Training Ribbon, and NATO Medal! General Strom has set a truly inspiring example of dedication to the defense of freedom, service before self, and what it means to be an Officer. She has been a trailblazer--as one of the first JAGs to deploy into Bosnia to becoming the first female ANG Advisor to Air Force Special Operations Command's Staff Judge Advocate to becoming the first woman to become a Major General Air National Guard Judge Advocate! The people of the first district of Missouri--thank General Strom for her service and wish her well in her future endeavors!

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for allowing me time. I rise today to strongly oppose H.R. 50. I consider it a misguided bill that will cost American consumers at least $18 million over the next 10 years while making it easier for bad actors in certain industries to continue their abusive practices as they attempt to stonewall appropriate regulation. Make no mistake. H.R. 50 is a frontal assault on the Nation's health, safety, and environmental protections, and it would erect new barriers to give selected industries a built-in advantage to evade or eliminate vital rules that protect the American people. For instance, this bill would require agencies to consult with private sector entities ``as early as possible, before the issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking, continue through the final rule stage, and be integrated explicitly into the rulemaking process.'' Now, I agree that Federal agencies should consult with regulated industries regarding proposed rules, but they should not receive an insider, prewired advantage in the regulating and rulemaking process over other stakeholders. H.R. 50 would also expand judicial review under UMRA and would allow a court to review the inadequacy or failure of an agency to prepare a written statement under UMRA. UMRA currently prohibits courts from using the law to stay, invalidate, or otherwise affect an agency rule. H.R. 50 would eliminate this prohibition. I thought the majority strongly opposed judicial activism, but perhaps that only applies to protecting voting rights. We don't have to choose between protecting the health, welfare, and safety of Americans and promoting economic growth, job creation, and innovation. We can do both. H.R. 50 advances neither of these worthy goals, and that is why I urge my colleagues to reject this deeply flawed act that will stack the deck against the American consumer.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Nevada, as well as my colleagues from both sides of the aisle who offered their support during this tragic time in Ferguson. In particular, let me thank the Congressional Black Caucus for standing with me in our efforts to deliver justice--equal justice--under the law to all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Congressman from Missouri's First Congressional District, which includes Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb with over 23,000 people in St. Louis County. The pain that has enveloped that community since the tragic police shooting of Michael Brown on August the 9th has stirred the conscience of our Nation and has forced us to confront some very difficult truths. The hard reality that I observed with my own eyes is a deep sense of outrage and anger that is present, not just in Ferguson, but in many communities across this country. And that pain is most deeply felt by millions of Americans of color, both young and old, who know from decades of sad experience that far too often local law enforcement agencies and the justice system do not view them or treat them as equal citizens who deserve due process and equal protection under the law. That is certainly true in Ferguson, Missouri. According to the latest Census data, Ferguson, Missouri, is 67 percent African American. It has a police force of 58 officers. Only four of those officers are black, and many of the officers do not live in Ferguson. So, in essence, the Ferguson Police Department is an outside armed force which is not representative of the community that they are sworn to protect and does not live among the citizens who pay their salaries. And that is a prescription for tension, a complete lack of trust, and in the case of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old, unarmed black teenager, a tragic and completely unnecessary death. Two days after he was killed, I joined with CBC Chairwoman Fudge and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Conyers to send an urgent letter to the Attorney General seeking immediate assistance from the Justice Department. And I want to personally thank President Obama and Attorney General Holder for responding to our request with great speed and strength. In addition to the local criminal investigation into the Michael Brown shooting, which I have little confidence in, there are now two parallel Federal investigations that are being directed by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. The first investigation is examining all the circumstances, physical evidence, and multiple eyewitness accounts of the fatal police shooting on August the 9th. The second, which was announced by the Attorney General just last week, will examine the overall law enforcement practices of the Ferguson, Missouri, Police Department, including the already published extreme racial disparities in who is stopped, who is searched, who is arrested, and what happens to them if they go to jail. Mr. Speaker, I made a promise to Michael Brown's mother that we would focus every possible Federal resource on this case in an effort to bring justice for her son's death. I have confidence in that process. But the sad truth is that there are too many communities just like Ferguson across this country where decades of discrimination, abuse, and a lack of respect by local law enforcement has resulted in a gulf of suspicion and mistrust. And as we have seen, that tinderbox can lead to an explosion of anger and violence that is difficult to control. While I certainly condemn all lawbreaking and the destruction of property, I understand the anger that so many of my constituents feel because I feel it too. And I would urge all of you to read a compelling story published in The Washington Post on September 3 entitled, ``How Municipalities in St. Louis County Profit From Poverty''. This remarkable story, authored by Radley Balko, tells the tale of how people of color are often preyed upon at municipal ATM machines by the police and by the very justice system that is supposed to protect these people. Again, the title of the story: ``How Municipalities in St. Louis County Profit From Poverty,'' published on September 3 in The Washington Post. That same story happens every day in majority-minority communities across this country. So, Mr. Speaker, there are many hard lessons to be learned from Ferguson, and I fear that there may be more to come. But this much cannot be disputed: across America today, we have too many Michael Browns, we have too many unarmed young black men who interact with police and wind up dead. The resolution of that problem will only come through a painful, honest, national discussion about race and our inability to address these tragic disparities. My hope is that we will not only achieve justice for Michael Brown but that his tragic death will help us begin a long overdue national conversation that leads to truth, reconciliation, and equal justice under the law for all. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their support.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor from H.R. 4098.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Chair, I would like to commend the House Armed Services Committee and its Chairman, Honorable Buck McKeon, and Ranking Member, Honorable Adam Smith, on passage of the FY15 Defense Authorization Bill today that includes funding for additional Navy EA-18G ``Growler'' aircraft, as well as language to continue the EA-18G and F/A-18 E/F lines in my district in St. Louis, Missouri. The United States Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Greenert, has testified to Congress numerous times this year about the growing need to control the electromagnetic spectrum to support the war fighter. He and the Navy have requested 22 additional EA-18G ``Growler'' aircraft, as part of an unfunded requirement, to meet these expanding electronic attack requirements. I have a number of constituents that work on the EA-18G and F/A-18 production lines in St. Louis. Without additional aircraft from Congress this year, this production line will shut down, and we as a nation will lose a national asset--including thousands of dedicated and talented workers who make up this defense industrial base. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the coming weeks, especially on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, to help address this clear Navy requirement. We need to support our war fighter, and the EA-18G ``Growler'' is vital to operating and prevailing in the important and growing airborne electronic attack environment.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove myself from H.R. 3717.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. I thank my friend from Florida for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose this misguided, highly partisan select committee that seeks to exploit the tragedy of the attack on our consulate in Benghazi for purely political purposes. There have already been eight--eight--reviews of that terrible incident. There were legitimate oversight questions about Benghazi, and we explored them in exhaustive detail. More than 25,000 documents have been produced, and dozens of witnesses have been interviewed. Millions of tax dollars have already been spent responding to repetitive and partisan congressional requests. The majority has alleged multiple conspiracy theories, each of which has been dispelled by the facts. Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty are American heroes who gave their lives in brave service to our Nation. But instead of honoring their memory, even before it convenes, this sham select committee is already blatantly being used for political purposes. Evidence of that comes directly from the National Republican Congressional Committee, which created an online fundraising solicitation yesterday. And it reads, in part: You're now a Benghazi watchdog. Let's go after Obama & Hillary Clinton. Help us fight them now. So this is not about discovering new facts about Benghazi. This is about creating a partisan vehicle to exploit this tragedy to raise money and to provide the majority's echo chamber on cable TV and talk radio with red meat rhetoric to influence the 2014 midterms and the 2016 Presidential election. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 1228, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 300 Packerland Drive, Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the Corporal Justin D. Ross Post Office Building. The measure before us was introduced on March 15, 2013, by my colleague, Representative Reid Ribble of Wisconsin. In accordance to committee requirements, the bill before us is cosponsored by all members of the Wisconsin delegation. H.R. 1228 was reported out of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee by unanimous consent on March 12, 2014. At this time, Madam Speaker, I would like to just thank the Ross family for their son giving the ultimate sacrifice in serving this country. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I too am prepared to close. I want to urge the passage of H.R. 1228, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3060, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 232 Southwest Johnson Avenue, in Burleson, Texas, as the Sergeant William Moody Post Office Building. This measure before us was introduced on August 2, 2013, by my colleague, Representative Roger Williams of Texas. In accordance with committee requirements, the bill is cosponsored by all members of the Texas delegation. H.R. 3060 was reported out of the committee by unanimous consent on March 12, 2014. Let me say that Sergeant Moody lived a remarkable life, and he served his country in two capacities: first, as a U.S. marine and, second, as a sergeant in the Army. Madam Speaker, I ask that we pass this bill without reservation in order to recognize the service, valor, and life of Sergeant William Moody. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 3060. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, at this point, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from that beautiful district in upstate New York (Ms. Slaughter), our ranking member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I would just ask that we pass this bill without reservation in order to recognize the sacrifice that Nicholas J. Reid, his family, and loved ones have made for the United States. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I urge the passage of H.R. 1376, to commemorate the life of Judge Tolentino and all of her accomplishments and service to the Jersey City community. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Ohio for bringing this bill forward. I ask that we pass the underlying bill, without reservation, to honor Lance Corporal Deyarmin and his steadfast dedication to this country. I urge the passage of H.R. 1813, and I yield back the balance of my time.