K. Conaway

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn) for those overly kind words, and I certainly appreciate his sentiments for my service. And I, too, will miss our Armed Services Committee hearings and sitting beside him. He is a terrific God-fearing man, and I am better for having known him in that regard. Mr. Speaker, I was blessed to be raised in a God-fearing Christian family. Not everybody gets that blessing, but I did. I have never not known about the Bible or Christ or God throughout my entire life. My mother believed in being at church every single Sunday morning, regardless of the consequences or whatever else was going on. At the age of nine, I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior. And you can become a Christian with knowing a limited amount of the Bible, but I don't believe you can lead a good Christian life without studying the Bible, without understanding God's truths that are contained therein and the instruction that that gives us as to how to conduct our lives. Mr. Speaker, Second Timothy 3:16 has already been quoted, but I will quote it again. It says: All Scripture is breathed out by God, the Word of God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. Mr. Speaker, this Nation is at a crossroads, and we are a divided Nation across a lot of lines, the partisan divides we fight in this House day in and day out. There are other moral lines of which our Nation is divided across. The Bible is important because it is that one place where the truths never change. Customs come and go, ideologies come and go, but the truths of God don't. So if we are to heed the instructions of our Founding Fathers, that John Adams said, as was mentioned, that are a moral and religious people, then we need a guidebook. We need an understanding of what those morals are based upon. If the morals are based upon what I think are correct or you think are correct, then that is a pretty flimsy stance to take. We need a foundational truth that is there regardless of who is Speaker, regardless of who is President. God is always on that throne, and so, the Bible is obviously important for that regard. Mr. Speaker, there is a verse in Second Chronicles that I think contains both a promise for our Nation and a solution for our Nation. The backdrop on that was that the Nation of Israel, God's chosen people, if you read through the Old Testament, they had a running narrative of where their hearts would be good, right with God, things would be going well, and then within a generation or two they would fall off, their hearts would get wrong with God, they would be doing things that would offend God and their mighty ways, and God would use awful, horrible things to reset that narrative, reset the Nation of Israel's hearts, so that they could, in fact, be his chosen people. That tool is still in God's toolbox. I believe the United States is a Nation of God's chosen people. If you look at what our Nation has done over the last 100 years, I would argue that no Nation on Earth has ever done as much good as we have done for the rest of the world and asks so little in return as this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I believe that is God's divine mission for us as a people. But do we continue to be worthy of that mission? And I would argue that as God looks at this unblessable thing that is going on in our Nation that we may be rapidly becoming unworthy of that mission. And if we lay that mantle down, if it is taken away from us, Mr. Speaker, who will pick it up? Russia, China, radical Islam? I don't believe so. I believe it is important not only for America to continue to be that God-fearing Nation but also important for the rest of the world. That verse in Second Chronicles 7:14 says: If my people, who are called by my name love themselves, turn from their wicked ways, seek my face and pray, then I will hear them in Heaven. I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land. Our land needs healing. That is God's promise. It is written in stone. God doesn't change any of his promises. And that promise is available to us as a Nation. That is the promise. The solution, however, lies with us. We must be that people who will turn from our wicked ways, seek God's face, pray, and then he will hear us from Heaven, he will heal our land, and forgive our sins. Mr. Speaker, our land needs healing, probably more so than at any time since the Civil War. We are a divided Nation, and only God's guidance and God's divine intervention, I believe, can make that happen. We have to be, however, God's instruments to make that happen. The Bible is important to me. It is important to our Nation. It is important for the ongoing safety of this world. God bless each and every one of you. God bless Texas. And God bless the United States of America.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect and honor that I rise today to recognize Jimmy Dodson as he completes his term as the chair of the Farm Credit Council Board of Directors. Jimmy is a third-generation farmer, and he grows cotton, corn, wheat, milo, and operates a seed sales business near Robstown, Texas, where he and his wife, Barbara, live today. Jimmy is a great leader in the cotton industry, as the past chair of the National Cotton Council of America, the American Cotton Producers, and the Cotton Foundation. He is a founding member of Cotton LEADS, the cotton industry's sustainability program, and a member of the boards of Cotton Incorporated, the Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council, and the Gulf Coast Cooperative. He was one of the first farm leaders to visit China to work to expand U.S. ag exports into that country. He is also a great leader within the cooperative Farm Credit System, which he first joined in 1974. Jimmy was first elected by his fellow south Texas farmers to represent them on the board of the Coastal Bend Production Credit Association in February 1982. Jimmy went on to become a lifelong board member of the Farm Credit Bank of Texas, where he serves today as board chair and oversees efforts to support farmers in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. This year, Jimmy will complete his term as board chair of the Farm Credit Council, where he has led efforts to support farmers and farm families across the United States. Jimmy Dodson has devoted his life to agriculture, and our Nation's farm families have benefited tremendously from his efforts. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives and the House Agriculture Committee, I extend my deepest gratitude to Jimmy for his tireless efforts and his tireless support of American farmers and ranchers. I wish him the very best as he continues his lifelong service to Texas and U.S. agriculture.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas for yielding and for those very kind words. I thank Chairman Engel and Mr. McCaul, the ranking member, for bringing this resolution forward. I rise today in strong support of the passage of my resolution calling for the immediate release of Trevor Reed. For the past 475 days, Trevor Reed, an eighth-generation Texan, Eagle Scout, and, more importantly, a United States Marine veteran, has been held in a Russian prison camp for crimes he did not commit. The Putin regime is clearly using Trevor as a political pawn. If they do not release him, he will be forced to serve an additional 9 years in a Russian prison camp, making it almost 10 years, total, that Trevor and his family will endure this nightmare. Trevor was initially detained by Moscow's Police Service in August of 2019 for public intoxication, but after the Russian intelligence agency identified him as a U.S. Marine, they upped the charge, now accusing him with endangering the lives of two police officers. Their claims were undeniably disproved by Trevor's defense team. The accusation, and the lack of evidence to support it, was so absurd that even the Russian judge erupted in laughter during his trial. Yet the judge disregarded all evidence, witnesses, and government experts by choosing to sentence Trevor to the harshest punishment ever given for this alleged crime in this particular classification. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened our Nation and bullied our allies around the globe. His antagonism and animosity towards our country, our people, and our ideals holds no bounds. We are now seeing our own innocent citizens and their families caught in the middle of Putin's reprehensible political games. Mr. Speaker, an entire decade of this man's life is at stake. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution with a strong message to Vladimir Putin: the House of Representatives solidly stands against an American citizen being used as a political pawn. Free Trevor Reed. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his kind words again.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the remainder of my time. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I would like to make a couple of comments about my colleague from Minnesota. Collin Peterson has served this House and the constituents of Minnesota's Seventh District, but, more importantly, rural America and production agriculture for 30 years. My first memory of Chairman Peterson came in the 2008 farm bill reauthorization markup. That was my very first one. I was a rookie, and that was his 15th or 16th farm bill to chair. He was stunningly patient with me during that entire process and had a big influence on me. I don't think there has been anyone more dedicated and more steadfast as a supporter for rural America and production agriculture than Chairman Peterson. He has seen good times and bad times, unfortunately, probably more bad times during that 30 years than good times. He has been a champion for both rural America and production agriculture throughout that timeframe. Rural America and production agriculture are both better off for his long service to this House and to the constituents of Minnesota's Seventh District. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 4054, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. Johnson), who is my colleague and a fellow member on the Agriculture Committee.

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), our soon-to-be former colleague, soon-to-be junior Senator from Kansas.

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Hagedorn), my colleague and fellow Agriculture Committee member.

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of the United States Grain Standards Reauthorization Act of 2020, S. 4054. For over 100 years, this law has provided the foundation for the grain and oilseed marketplace to establish consistent value and price discovery, and it is relied upon, not only by domestic shippers and exporters, but by the entirety of the U.S. agriculture sector. This legislation contains several wins for agriculture stakeholders. It promotes marketplace stability by requiring delegated States to notify users of official inspection or weighing services of any intent to discontinue service, in addition to notifying the Secretary of Agriculture. It ensures that the user fees paid by the grain handlers are used solely for official services and not other government functions. And perhaps most important, this legislation ensures continuity in the official grain inspection and weighing services, providing much- needed stability to the grain and oilseed trade and all who rely upon them. I want to thank Chairman Pat Roberts for his work in the Senate to make sure that we renew the Grain Standards Act this year. I also want to thank the chairman of the Agriculture Committee and his team for getting this to the floor as expeditiously as possible after passage by the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I support passage of S. 4054. I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' as well, and I too reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, before I get to the heart of what I came here to talk about, I would encourage the two gentleman who just spoke to sign the discharge petition on the bill that would do much of what he just talked about, and that is reopen the PPP program to those small businesses that would be eligible to participate in that. So if they would take that small step, then that may be able to alleviate some of the issues we are dealing with. Madam Speaker, the first remarks that I gave in this Chamber were during the debate on a concurrent resolution to count the electoral college votes for President Bush and Vice President Cheney after the 2004 election. While I had been in the House Chamber before that January day in 2005, stepping up to the podium was an entirely different and nerve-racking experience. The Capitol is quite a bit more familiar to me now because it has been 16 years that I have been able to serve. The tunnels are no longer a mysterious labyrinth. I have grown accustomed to long days packed full of hearings and briefings and meetings. My walking speed is certainly quicker than it used to be. But it is with the same awe and wonderment that I felt on January 6, 2005, that I stand in this Chamber today to deliver my final floor speech as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. When Suzanne and I began this journey back in 2002, we had no idea that this is where it would wind up or how long it would last. All I knew was that I had a window of opportunity to serve my community, and I thought I could do a decent job. There is a verse in the Bible, Luke 12:48 which says, ``to whom much is given, much shall be required.'' That verse has guided much of my decisionmaking. God has blessed me with a little bit of talent and an awful lot of life experiences that I thought qualified me to do this job. There is often an easy path in life, but rarely is it the right path to walk. I have done my very best to use my Judeo-Christian principles to guide my life and my time in Congress. The work that I have been able to do has been extremely gratifying. This institution is important, Madam Speaker. It is enshrined in our Constitution. The job that you and I do is important. You and I, however, are not particularly important outside that job. We use the words ``thank you'' across a wide spectrum of emotions. We say thank you for opening the door, thank you for picking up something I dropped. The comments I am about to make are at the other end of that spectrum. I could not have done what I have been able to do, and I certainly could not have succeeded as well as I have, without the steadfast, loving support from my wife, Suzanne Conaway. Suzanne has stood by my side at more events than I can imagine. She has listened to more town hall meetings and stump speeches than anyone should ever have to listen to. She has handwritten some 8,500 thank you notes over the last 18 years. And she has, of course, put up with the hectic schedule you and I get to live under. Her faithful support means more than I can put into words. Thank you, Suzanne. The people of the 11th District of Texas are good and decent and kind, hardworking, honest Texans who have trusted me to do right by them for the past 16 years. Madam Speaker, when you and I ask for someone to vote for us or when anybody asks someone to represent someone, we are basically asking them to trust us. Trust us to go do something on their behalf day in and day out. You and I will make hundreds and thousands of decisions that will never get any input from the folks back home. They simply trust you and I to do it right. That trust is earned over a long period of time, and it will evaporate in a nanosecond if you or I screw up something in that regard. Trust is held in high regard in west Texas, and I have been honored to have that trust from the folks in District 11 for 16 years. No Member of Congress gets to do what I have been able to do by themselves. It simply doesn't happen. There are hundreds and hundreds of people across District 11 that have played a direct role in the successes I have had in Congress. I thank the folks in District 11. I have also been blessed with the best staff any Member could ever ask for. My staff in the district is responsible for helping countless constituents navigate the Federal Government through their superb casework. Madam Speaker, I can't tell you the number of times I have been confronted by a happy constituent, whose life is just a little less difficult based on something one of my constituents' service folks has done on their behalf. The great news is they think I did it. I didn't do it. My great team on the ground did it. They do all the hard work, and I get the credit. It is great being a Member of Congress. My professional staff in D.C. contributes mightily across the entire spectrum, providing counsel on every topic imaginable. All of my committee staff over the years, including the House Ethics Committee-- which is a thankless job--the terrific job that the House Intelligence Committee staffers do to help me navigate the Russia investigation, and most notably, the outstanding folks at the House Agriculture Committee, who have done incredible work for me and production agriculture and rural America over the last 6 years, including, Madam Speaker, passing a farm bill the same calendar year that it was introduced. Thank you to the best staff and the most loyal staff any Member ever had. To my fellow Members of Congress and the new representatives-elect who all will take that new oath of office next January, remember that your word is your bond. It is irreplaceable. Wisdom is not only knowing when you are not the smartest person in the room but bringing that person on to your team. That technique has worked extremely well for me. Be an honest broker, no matter who you are talking to. And, Members, protect this institution. It is worth fighting for. It is enshrined in our Constitution. And never, ever do anything to bring discredit to this House. Madam Speaker, our Nation faces some incredible challenges. We have heard a description of the pandemic and the wreck that it is causing across this country. We face a debt crisis, a looming, pending debt crisis that will soon swamp this Nation if we don't begin to address those hard comments. We face a great power competition with China and, to some extent, with Russia. But I personally don't believe those are the most threatening and immediate threats that our Nation faces. Our Nation faces a moral decline and the inability to self-govern. John Adams wrote that only a moral and religious people can, in fact, self-govern. This form of governance is unsuitable for anyone else. There are things going on in this country that God cannot bless. We use the words ``God bless you'' and ``God bless this country'' often. We sing it in songs. We use it particularly casually, almost like the thank-yous I talked about earlier. But each time you hear those three words, ``God bless you,'' think about what we are asking God to bless, whether what is going on in this Nation is, in fact, blessable. Since 1973, we have killed over 62 million young babies in this country. God can't bless a nation that long continues on that path. There are lots of other things that are going on in this Nation that God simply cannot bless. At some point in time, He is going to say enough is enough, and He will put this USA through the same crucible that he put the nation of Israel through throughout the Old Testament when they walked the path that we are walking. I fear that is coming upon us. There is a solution, though, to that issue. The solution lies in the promise that God has made us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, seek my face, and pray, I will hear them from Heaven. I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land. I will argue tonight that our Nation has never needed healing more than we do tonight except during the Civil War. That is the promise that God has made. That is also the solution that God provides us if we claim it, if we claim it as an individual, if we claim it as communities, if we claim it as a Nation. Let's be those people that will humble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, seek God's face, and pray. He will hear us from Heaven. He will forgive our sins. And, Madam Speaker, He will heal our land. My time in Congress has been the absolute highlight of my professional career. I will miss wandering these halls late at night. I will miss looking up from my desk and seeing the Dome. But most of all, I will miss the colleagues who have turned into friends and my staff, who has become family. Madam Speaker, God bless each one of you, God bless Texas, and may God continue to bless the United States of America. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend because I was hosting an official event at the House Agriculture Committee. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 188.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I was attending an event in my district with President Trump to discuss the importance of American energy independence. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 168, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 169, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 170, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 171, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 172.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend, Colonel Charles Powell, who passed away peacefully on July 2, 2020, in his home in San Angelo, Texas, at the age of 89. Charles was a true American hero who devoted his life to serving others, and his passing is a loss that will understandably reverberate throughout the community. His genuine love for God and others, dedication to his family, and service to his country and community set the gold standard of excellence that we should all strive for. Although he is leaving this Earth, his legacy will live on through countless lives he has impacted during his lifetime. Charlie was born in Nashville, Arkansas, on May 7, 1931, where he grew up and met his future wife, JoAnne. The two graduated together from Nashville High School in 1949. Charles went on to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and graduated, in 1954, with a bachelor's degree in general engineering. He was then commissioned into the United States Air Force and launched his 30-year career in military service. After graduating from pilot training, Charles took to the skies, supporting transatlantic and transpacific deployments of tactical forces; refueling missions supporting reconnaissance activities in the Cuban Missile Crisis; and, finally, volunteering to serve in Vietnam as a rescue crew commander and airborne mission commander. He also participated in the planning and execution of the Son Tay POW camp raid. Over the course of his career as a pilot, Colonel Powell logged over 67,000 flying hours, flew 168 combat missions, is credited with 14 combat saves, and was awarded a multitude of military honors. In addition to flying missions, Colonel Powell served in a variety of leadership capacities in the Air Force, from flight instructor of the Air Command and Staff College, chief of staff of Air University, and, finally, the wing commander of the technical training wing at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. At the center of Charlie's world was JoAnne, and their love story is one for the ages. From meeting in grade school to graduating high school together and raising their daughter, Terri, as Charles' missions took him around the globe, their commitment to each other never wavered. San Angelo was forever changed when these two spitfires flew into town in 1980. Charles was appointed as the wing commander at Goodfellow Air Force Base, which was slated for closure at the time. Charles and JoAnne immediately leapt into action, developing the relationship between Goodfellow and the community of San Angelo and completely transforming the mission of the base. After Charles' 4 years as wing commander, Goodfellow was removed from the closure list. Today, the connection between the base and San Angelo stands as the premier example of effective military-civilian partnership. Thankfully, after Charlie retired from the service, the Powells never left San Angelo. Instead, they immediately set to work planting deep roots in the community and making San Angelo a better place to live. These two have been some of the most dedicated public servants our community has ever seen. Through their innumerable service initiatives, they have been Goodfellow's most dedicated champions who served as the bridge between San Angelo and Goodfellow. Through it all, Charles and JoAnne stood together, side by side and hand in hand. They transformed countless lives, not the least of which was my own. I had the pleasure of meeting the Powells when I ran for Congress in 2004, and in 2005, I hired JoAnne on as the first member of my staff. At that point, I could never have imagined the depth of the impact that Charlie and JoAnne would have on me, my family, and every member of my team over the years to come. JoAnne is the most longstanding member of my staff, and she and Charlie have seen me through the ups and downs, all while tirelessly serving the constituents of the Concho Valley. Within my office, JoAnne took on the responsibility of shepherding young men and women through the congressional nomination process for applying to the United States military academies, while Charles chaired the board responsible for vetting and recommending them to me for nomination. Their teamwork resulted in many young men and women from my district receiving appointments to these prestigious institutions of higher learning, further extending the tradition of service to our country to future generations. I cannot put into words the immense honor that it has been to have Charles and JoAnne as a part my family. My wife, Suzanne, and I feel tremendously lucky to have the opportunity to learn from them and to count them among our closest friends. Colonel Powell will be greatly missed, and I take comfort knowing his legacy will continue through the people he loved and the community he was so proud to call home. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho). Public Apology to the Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my support for the CARES Act. It is the legislation that we need today to fight the extraordinary challenges we are facing. At few points in our nation's history have we been faced with a situation as dire as the one before us today. This threat is unusual and unfamiliar--a virus and the illness it causes--but it is as real as every other great crisis we've faced. This pandemic is upending the lives of each and every American. Some have died or lost loved ones. More have become ill and hospitalized. Many have lost their jobs or shuttered their businesses. All of us are agonizing over the uncertainty of a threat we do not fully understand and cannot yet defeat. The public health crisis has put Americans on edge and strained our medical facilities to the breaking point. It has also led to unexpected economic crises for tens of millions of Americans, as businesses are forced to close, paychecks are disappearing, and economic activity is reduced. The size and scope of this aid package is staggering, but it reflects the devastating costs in lives, jobs, businesses, and economic paralysis that this crisis has brought. It is essential that we continue to act quickly and forcefully, at all levels of government, to prevent the harm and disruption of this crisis from overwhelming our capacity to help one another. The CARES Act provides the foundation for that action. The CARES Act will help Americans meet these intertwined emergencies by providing funds to hospitals and frontline medical providers, expanding and accelerating assistance for Americans that have lost their jobs, and providing a lifeline to businesses trying to stay afloat and pay their employees while their customers are asked to remain at home. While we see the clear and overwhelming costs that this health crisis is imposing in places like Seattle, New York, and New Orleans, it is imposing heavy costs other parts of America, as well. Particularly in rural communities, where the challenges to providing health care are magnified by a lack of resources, technology, and specialists, and compounded by extended distances and an older population. Similarly, the economic crisis created by this pandemic is hitting farm country particularly hard, which was already suffering long before this virus emerged. Agricultural producers are particularly sensitive to disruptions in trade, supply chains, transportation, and reliable sources labor, each of which this pandemic is placing under increasing strain. This legislation includes essential resources which will provide the Secretary of Agriculture with the tools he needs to help our nation's farmers and ranchers survive, and to support our rural communities, hospitals, and businesses who are struggling just like their urban counterparts. I am grateful that we were able to include them, and that we did not ignore the unique challenges of rural America. As we all know, no legislation is perfect. Each member in this body has opinions on what tools and funding are needed to respond to this crisis which were not included in this package. On some priorities, members have fundamental, deep-seated differences of opinion; on others, we simply ran out of time to find agreement. For my part, I had hoped for more funds to help our agricultural producers and rural communities as they grapple with the crisis as it inevitably moves into less populated communities. On that issue--how we support rural communities during this crisis-- the differences between Republicans and progressive Democrats are profound. Last week, the Senate's proposal included $50 billion for the Department of Agriculture. These funds were to be available to the Department to address not only the coronavirus crisis, but also to continue the critical farm safety net programs in the farm bill. These programs help farmers weather the day-to-day uncertainties of farming and endure the hostile trade actions of foreign nations, challenges which the current crisis has moved out of the spotlight, but not off the stage. On Sunday, the Speaker and her allies introduced their proposal, which included a pricey wish list of progressive initiatives, but not one dollar for the Department of Agriculture to respond to this pandemic. One might have called it an oversight, but all this week she has fought for her position and today, we see the results of that effort: just $23.5 billion in funding set aside for agricultural producers, significantly less than what is needed. The Speaker and her allies claim they fought to put workers first, but their demands did not include those who work in agriculture. In the final analysis, their handiwork shortchanged middle America and has made it more difficult to provide our farmers and ranchers the help that they so desperately need. But we cannot delay this package any further over our differences. We must move forward with our many areas of agreement, including the support that was agreed to for our agricultural producers. As we develop any additional legislation, I will continue to fight to ensure that sufficient resources are available to the Department to meet all the challenges faced by rural America. Despite the circumstances we presently find ourselves in as a nation, I have unbounded hope for our future. In my own lifetime, I have seen our nation rise to meet challenges that seemed insurmountable at the time. Looking back further in history, we see burdens that our ancestors bore that seem unfathomable to us today. Overcoming adversity is in our DNA. Our capacity as Americans to care for one another is immeasurable. All across our country, families, neighbors, churches, businesses, civic clubs, and groups of Americans of all stripes are quietly coming together to figure out what they can do to help. Our farmers and ranchers, and everyone involved in producing, transporting, and selling food, fiber, and fuel, are no exception. These men and women are working overtime because they understand the way they can best serve their fellow Americans is to prevent disruptions to the food and goods that we all need to survive. But no group of Americans can tackle this crisis alone. While we should all do our part, this legislation will do the things that individuals are unable to do for one another. It will fund research and buy medical equipment, it will safeguard paychecks and families, and it will shelter small businesses and essential industries. Most importantly, it will provide a path out of this crisis. We are a country of survivors, and I have great confidence in our ability to re-emerge from this crisis stronger than ever before. I believe that the CARES Act will help us do that and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to provide for a motion to recommit on the Senate amendment to H.R. 550 so that minority voices can be heard on the critical issue of war.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, the IRS Free File program is an innovative public-private partnership between tax preparation software companies, the IRS, 22 States, and the District of Columbia offering free online tax preparation and e-filing services to low- and moderate- income taxpayers at no cost to the Federal Government. Since 2003, over 51 million American taxpayers have filed their taxes for free through Free File, collectively saving over $1.5 billion in tax preparation fees. A recent independent study of the Free File program highlighted the value of this critical public-private partnership and reaffirmed that the IRS would not be able to offer the Free File program without the financial support of the private sector. With over 100 million taxpayers eligible for Free File each year, I believe it is important to make sure more eligible taxpayers are aware of this Free File service, which is an outstanding complement to the other free tax preparation services offered to low- and mid-income families. Today, I am introducing a resolution formally recognizing the contributions Free File has made to our country and expressing the House's support for this vital program. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my cosponsor, Congressman Butterfield, for joining me in introducing this resolution and for his continued work as co-chair of the House Free File Caucus.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Texas for yielding. I am certainly glad this day has finally arrived and to stand with American farmers by passing the USMCA. For the last year, Democrats obsessed over a partisan impeachment process while President Trump remained focused on securing the wins that American farmers were counting on. For our farm families, passing USMCA means an annual increase of $2.2 billion in agriculture exports. It also means we gain about 176,000 quality jobs for Americans. The USMCA resets our trading relationships with Mexico and Canada, improves our farmers' market access to these two important trading partners, and strips away nontariff barriers that prevent free and fair trade. I commend President Trump, Ambassador Lighthizer, and Ambassador Doud for their tireless work on this agreement, in all its stages. Our farmers and ranchers were counting on them, and they delivered. The near-universal support in the agricultural community for USMCA speaks volumes about the importance of this trade deal. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting America's farmers and ranchers by voting to pass the USMCA.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, other than authorizing an act of war, impeachment is the gravest item that we as a Congress can consider. The decision to move forward with impeachment of a United States President is so consequential that it has only been done three times in our entire nation's history prior to this year, all based on legitimate evidence of criminal behavior. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues have diminished what should be a solemn and grave proceeding into an absolute political circus, simply because they don't like the man occupying the White House. Many Democrats have been intent on impeaching this President since the day he took office. Their actions are clearly motivated by pure hatred for President Trump. This impeachment vote today is simply the next step in their long-held plan to remove him from office. The partisan impeachment investigation run by the House Intelligence Committee was unnecessarily held behind closed doors, in a room designed to share classified information. Nothing classified was shared during these meetings, but the result of this decision was that most Members of Congress and all Americans were blocked from hearing the facts for themselves. It's also critical to remember that the House Intelligence Committee had no business conducting the impeachment inquiry to begin with--the House Judiciary Committee is the Committee tasked with all responsibilities surrounding impeachment in the House of Representatives. The Intelligence Committee had no business running this investigation at all, let alone running it in secret. As with past impeachment investigations, the investigation should have been led by a special prosecutor or independent counsel who then would turn over their findings to the Judiciary Committee--none of this happened here. Chairman Schiff repeatedly withheld crucial information from Republicans, including the ability for anyone but himself and his staff to speak with the whistle blower at the center of this investigation. He was even called out by liberal media outlets for spreading misinformation and falsehoods throughout the impeachment process. The public hearings were held with complete disregard for the House Rules and decades of precedent. Republicans were not allowed to call witnesses or make basic parliamentary motions. In fact, the only witnesses allowed to testify publicly were those who fit neatly within the Democrats' predetermined narrative. Most importantly, we have not been presented with any real evidence that proves the President is guilty of ``high crimes and misdemeanors,'' as required by the Constitution to remove a duly- elected president. If there were criminal activity, as many Democrats have claimed, then why are there no crimes listed in the articles of impeachment? As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have had a ringside seat for not only the impeachment proceedings, but for the years of investigations into President Trump that preceded this one. When I led the Intelligence Committee's Russia Investigation, the Democrat minority led by Rep. Schiff was given every opportunity to participate, and they did so. They were not treated as a minority party, where their objections and right to call witnesses were denied as the Democrats did to Republicans in this impeachment investigation. I treated them with fairness and dignity and did not cast aspersions on them by calling their loyalty to our country or motivations into question. The investigation into Russia meddling was thorough and took more than fifteen months, during which we interviewed over 70 witnesses and poured over more than 300,000 documents. This impeachment investigation, by contrast, was rushed through in less than two months, with just a handful of witnesses. The charade of a fair proceeding was further emphasized with the Democrats' refusal to let the defendant offer evidence and produce witnesses. The defendant--President Trump--has a right to defend himself, a right which was only ceremoniously and speciously offered once the investigation and report were completed. It is clear--the verdict in the House was predetermined. This has been a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars and of Congress' time. However, my greatest fear is that it's not over. When Democrats found no evidence of collusion during the Russia Investigation, they pivoted to the Mueller investigation. When Special Counsel Mueller's report did not include anything Democrat's found useful, they refocused their efforts once again to hone in on a supposed scandal with Ukraine. When this inevitably fails too, what will be the next casualty in their desperate attempt to destroy a president they dislike? We have forever weakened this body by turning impeachment into a political weapon and set a terrible precedent for all future Congresses. This impeachment scheme is nothing more than an attempt to overturn the 2016 election and to conduct taxpayer-funded opposition research and damage the President's electability heading into 2020. The American people see right through this charade, and are fed up. It's time to stop this madness and get back to the important work the American people sent us here to do.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, other than authorizing an act of war, impeachment is the gravest item that we as a Congress can consider. The decision to move forward with impeachment of a United States President is so consequential that it has only been done three times previously in our Nation's history, all based on legitimate evidence of criminal behavior. Unfortunately, many of my colleagues have diminished what should be a solemn and grave proceeding into an absolute political circus simply because they don't like the man occupying the White House. Many Democrats have been intent on impeaching the President since the day he took office. Their actions are clearly motivated by hatred for President Trump. This impeachment vote today is the next step in their long-held plan to remove him from office. The partisan impeachment investigation run by the House Intelligence Committee was unnecessarily held behind closed doors in a room designed to share classified information. Nothing classified was shared during these meetings, but the result of this decision was that most Members of Congress and all Americans were blocked from hearing the facts for themselves. Chairman Schiff repeatedly withheld crucial information from the Republicans, including the ability for anyone but himself and his staff to speak with the whistleblower at the center of this investigation. He was even called out by liberal media for spreading misinformation and falsehoods throughout the impeachment process. The public hearings were held with complete disregard for the House rules and decades of precedent. Republicans were not allowed to call witnesses or to make basic parliamentary motions. In fact, the only witnesses allowed to testify publicly were those who fit neatly within the Democrats' predetermined narrative. Most importantly, we have not been presented with any real evidence that proves the President is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, as required by the Constitution to remove a duly-elected President. If there was criminal activity, as many of my Democrat colleagues claim, then why are there no crimes listed in the Articles of Impeachment? We have forever weakened this body by turning impeachment into a political weapon. This impeachment scheme is nothing more than an attempt to conduct taxpayer-funded opposition research and damage the President's electability heading into 2020. The American people see right through this charade and are fed up. It is time for this madness to stop and for us to get back to the important work the American people sent us here to do.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on Section 1011 in the NDAA conference report relating to contracting submissions about disciplinary proceedings involving audit personnel to be made to the Department of Defense will be afforded confidentiality and other protections otherwise due under existing law, including those that Congress has separately accorded such proceedings. As a result of Section 1011, Section 1006 from the FY 2019 NDAA submissions must be treated in a manner ``consistent with any protections or privileges established by any other provision of federal law.'' Section 1011 in this year's NDAA requires Section 1006 from the FY 2019 NDAA to henceforth require disclosure of the existence of a PCAOB proceeding against relevant personnel doing important DoD audit work, and in a manner that is compliant with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 671.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, our Nation's motto of ``In God We Trust'' is inscribed on the wall above our heads. The word ``trust'' is typically defined as to have confidence, faith, or hope in someone or something. In this case, it is obviously trust in God. To have confidence or faith or hope in God requires that we know something about God. This knowledge is gained by reading and studying the inspired word of God, which is, of course the Bible. God has revealed Himself to us in the pages of the Bible, and to trust in God means that we also trust His teachings as revealed in the Bible. Among those teachings is a prescription for the way we should lead our lives, the way we should treat each other, and how we should rely on God and His teachings to, in fact, trust in Him. John Adams wrote that only a moral and religious people can self- govern. In my opinion, the morals to which he is referring to are laid out in God's teachings in both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible. Almost every day we hear someone ask for God's blessings on our Nation. The next time you hear someone ask for God to bless our Nation, please ask yourself what is it about America and our Nation that we are asking God to bless? Just what is there about our Nation that is, in fact, blessable? Are we asking God to bless the killing of more than 61 million babies in the last 46 years? Are we asking God to bless the rancor and incivility that permeates much of our public discourse? These and other issues cause me to fear that we are on the verge of being an unblessable Nation. The Old Testament is replete with times when God's chosen people, the Nation of Israel, would stray so far from His teachings that He would subject them to awful events and terrible circumstances to cause them to turn their hearts back to Him. I believe that we are on that same destructive path. We must ask ourselves what should we do to turn our Nation's heart back to God? There is no legislative fix for this problem. The path to a blessable Nation must start in the heart of each one of us. To return to the moral high ground that has allowed our Nation to prosper under God's blessings, we must each have a moral code to live by. For me that moral code is the Judeo-Christian code found in God's Word. Jesus Christ is my personal savior, and I try to live his teachings every day. Some days I am better at it than others, but each of us must have a moral code that is based on truth, not on whims or feelings. This awakening must start now. It can start by claiming God's promise to the Nation of Israel that applies to our Nation, as well. It is found in II Chronicles 7:14, which says: ``If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,'' emphasis on wicked ways, ``then I will hear them from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and heal their land.'' Each of us individually and our Nation as a whole has never needed that promise more than we need it today. Mr. Speaker, we should renew in our hearts every day our Nation's motto, ``In God We Trust.''

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege and honor of serving most of my career in Congress on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It is important work that goes on in secret, typically, and it is really important. Typically it involves the oversight of 17 agencies which we empower to protect this Nation from enemies abroad. That important work has been highjacked by this investigation, which is being led by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The Intelligence Committee works with sources and methods. Madam Speaker, there is nothing classified about anything that is going on downstairs in our SCIF. There are no sources or methods at risk here. This is a jurisdictional issue. This investigation, should it be happening at all, should be done by the Committee on the Judiciary. That is where Articles of Impeachment will have to come from, not the Intelligence Committee. Our good work that is important to this Nation is being highjacked by this process that should not even, in my view, be going on. But if it should be going on, Chairman Nadler should be the one leading this effort, not Chairman Schiff. I ask the Speaker to go the normal route, put the inquiry on the floor, have us vote on that, allow all of us to express our opinion, not just hers, but all of our opinions on this issue.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, both our previous speakers have described the last days that Mac and Rex spent on this Earth. I had the privilege of going to high school with Rex. He was a year older than I. Rex and I played on the football team together. Rex was a really good baseball player. I did not have the privilege of knowing Mac. He went to our across- town rival. He was also a wonderful young man. Mr. Speaker, I want to specifically thank all of those men and women in Odessa, Texas, who, for years now, have attempted and worked really hard at maintaining the memory of Mac and Rex in our communities. They have done great work, and, without their support and efforts, I don't know if we would have gotten this done as well. Odessa, Texas, at that point in time, in the late sixties, was a town of about 80,000 or so folks. Medal of Honor recipients are really rare, and to have two of them come from one west Texas town is a high honor. Both these men embody the west Texas values of selflessness, courage, and devotion to one's country, and their gallant sacrifices serve as a somber reminder to all of us of the price that some have paid to secure our freedoms. Mr. Speaker, on Memorial Day every year we honor all of our servicemen and -women who have given that ultimate sacrifice on the altar of freedom, as we should. When I give speeches and talk to folks back home during that time frame, I ask people to make it personal. We talk about them as a group, and it loses some of the punch, some of the impact, so I ask my folks back home to find somebody specifically who gave that sacrifice and made that sacrifice and to think about them on that day. For me, every year, it is Rex. The VA clinic there in Odessa, Texas, will now bear both their names, and all of those untold numbers of current vets and future vets who will walk through those doors and receive the care that they have earned from their service to our Nation will see those two names and will know that two of their own were honored appropriately by having that VA clinic named after them. I want to thank the hospital in Odessa, Texas, which actually owns the building, for allowing us to do that, and I thank the VA system itself for working so hard to get this done. I am looking forward to the ceremony that we will conduct. I also want to thank Senators Cruz and Cornyn in the Senate for introducing the companion legislation in the Senate so that we can get that done over there and then move to appropriately honor two of America's finest, two young men who woke up one morning, their last day on Earth, and then went out and did something stunningly heroic. I don't know that they necessarily knew that day they were going to do it, but they did it, and they have earned this medal and they have earned this recognition and our deep, lasting gratitude for their sacrifices.

Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I want to specifically thank Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Roe for bringing this bill to the floor and allowing this much-deserved recognition of two young heroes from Odessa, Texas. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the official citations from each of the awards of the Medal of Honor to Alfred ``Mac'' Wilson and Rex Young. Wilson, Alfred M. Rank: Private First Class Organization: U.S. Marine Corps Company: Company M, 3d Battalion Division: 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division Born: 13 January 1948, Olney, Ill. Departed: Yes Place/Date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 3 March 1969 Citation For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company M in action against hostile forces. While returning from a reconnaissance-in-force mission in the vicinity of Fire Support Base Cunningham, the 1st Platoon of Company M came under intense automatic weapons fire and a grenade attack from a well concealed enemy force. As the center of the column was pinned down, the leading squad moved to outflank the enemy. Pfc. Wilson, acting as squad leader of the rear squad, skillfully maneuvered his men to form a base of fire and act as a blocking force. In the ensuing fire fight, both his machine gunner and assistant machine gunner were seriously wounded and unable to operate their weapons. Realizing the urgent need to bring the weapon into operation again, Pfc. Wilson, followed by another marine and with complete disregard for his safety, fearlessly dashed across the fire-swept terrain to recover the weapon. As they reached the machinegun, an enemy soldier stepped from behind a tree and threw a grenade toward the 2 marines. Observing the grenade fall between himself and the other marine, Pfc. Wilson, fully realizing the inevitable result of his actions, shouted to his companion and unhesitating threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the full force of the explosion with his own body. His heroic actions inspired his platoon members to maximum effort as they aggressively attacked and defeated the enemy. Pfc. Wilson's indomitable courage, inspiring valor and selfless devotion to duty upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

Mr. CONAWAY

Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, I rise to welcome the 82nd Texas NAACP State Conference Convention to San Angelo, Texas, as they meet from October 3-6, 2019. Since its founding, the NAACP has worked to secure equal rights and eliminate race-based discrimination to ensure the health and well-being of all persons. I congratulate the San Angelo Chapter as they have the opportunity to host the state convention for the first time since their founding in 1946. Over the course of the conference, attendees will be exposed to San Angelo's meaningful history by touring the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark and Stables. The NAACP will also be serving the community through a Health Drive and annual NAACP Bike Ride. I look forward to a successful convention and thank all of those who have worked tirelessly to plan and execute this event. Welcome to San Angelo.