Steve Cohen

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I was quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 and was unable to vote on March 27-29, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on the following bills: Roll Call No. 165--H. RES. 260; Roll Call No. 166--H. RES. 260; Roll Call 167--Boebert of Colorado Part B Amendment No. 2; Roll Call 168--Hern of Oklahoma Part B Amendment No. 5; Roll Call No. 169--Jackson of Texas Part B Amendment No. 7; Roll Call No. 170--Molinaro of New York Part B Amendment No. 9; Roll Call No. 171--Palmer of Alabama Part B Amendment No. 10; Roll Call No. 172--Perry of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 11; and Roll Call No. 173--Perry of Pennsylvania Part B Amendment No. 12. I would have voted Yea on the following bills: Roll Call No. 163--H.R. 1154; and Roll Call No. 164--H.R. 1107.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the courage, fortitude, and the sheer patriotism of E. Jean Carroll. Mr. Speaker, you may have heard something about her involvement in a recent court case which followed another court case in which Ms. Carroll received a very favorable judgment by a jury of her fellow citizens who heard and weighed all the evidence, free of political ads. Here we shall not name the defendant because we are talking about an American hero, an immovable force, and an inspiration for all Americans. We should be heartened that Ms. Carroll, at terrible personal cost, did not shrink from taking on the most powerful person in the world--it is not Taylor Swift but the other guy--to bring him to justice and hold him accountable for his terrible deeds. Ms. Carroll did not waiver even as the minions of her abuser attacked her in the most vile and despicable ways. E. Jean Carroll exudes a steady grace and determination. The juries saw her, and they saw her truth. As she summed it up, her case is a huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down. I hope all Americans will find a glimmer of hope that we may be the country we must be to survive and that no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for scheduling this Special Order. Mr. Speaker, I am almost without the ability to speak because of the horrors that have occurred on October 7 with the killing of people and the taking of 240 hostages, 110 believed to be alive and still in captivity by Hamas, is unthinkable. Unthinkable to normal human beings, but thinkable to Hamas whose purpose in their charter and statements that they have made as recently as a week ago from leaders is to erase Israel from the map and to kill all Jews. The war is horrific, and I have many people who I represent who have been supporters of mine for years who are upset that I have not called for a cease-fire. I share with them grief at looking at the rubble in Gaza and the people killed. The children that have been killed. The children that have lost their limbs. The children who will never recover from this trauma, but as Bret Stephens said so well in The New York Times this past week: Every single death is the result of Hamas because they broke the cease-fire on October 7. This is the fifth time they have gone to war on Israel and they continue to have the same purpose--to eradicate Israel and to kill all Jews. That is Israel's neighbor. Bob Dylan one time wrote a song called ``Neighborhood Bully,'' Israel, but Bob said you would be a bully too if those were your neighbors. That is what they have got right now. Mr. Speaker, Noa Argamani was put on a motorcycle and taken out of Israel. She reached up and said, ``Please, don't kill me.'' She is still there. Mr. Polin, who Representative Schneider talked about, lost his arm. Who knows what condition he is in now if he is alive? There are efforts to get the children, the elderly, and the women released with a 6-week or 2-month cease-fire that the United States has participated in, and President Biden is largely responsible for, working with Qatar and Egypt. Hopefully, they will be successful. They should also include the injured, and they should also include the people who have been killed so they can be reunited with their families and buried. These are horrific conditions, unfortunately, that are transpiring. I think it was President Trump who first started referring to the people who tried to take this Chamber, who came in here saying, ``Hang Mike Pence,'' ``Hang Nancy Pelosi,'' and take Members of this Congress as hostages or beat them. One of our Members in particular has also referred to those who have gone to prison, criminals, as hostages. It is a disgrace to these people whose pictures are behind me who are hostages. Those people aren't, and anybody who says it should be ashamed.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 34th anniversary of the ``Black January'' killings in Azerbaijan. January 20, 2024, marks the 34th anniversary of the military invasion and vicious massacre of civilians in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan by the forces of the Soviet Army on January 20, 1990. On the night of January 20, 1990, approximately 26,000 Soviet troops stormed Azerbaijan's capital city in tanks and armored vehicles. The Soviet military bulldozed and open fired on innocent Azerbaijanis and peaceful protestors, including women and children. The attack resulted in 147 people killed, around 800 injured, 841 arrested, and 5 missing. I offer my thoughts and prayers to the families of those who gave their lives for the independence of Azerbaijan. Despite these merciless acts, the Azerbaijani people continued to fight for their freedom and became independent in 1991. The United States was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence and fully established diplomatic relations on February 28, 1992. As the co-chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I recognize the sacrifices of the Azerbaijani people in their steps toward a free-market economy and encourage a recommitment to the democratic values for which many Azerbaijanis sacrificed their lives.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my deep respects to Robert Bonner Norcross, a Memphis architect known for his designs of many Memphis landmarks, who died from complications of Early Onset Alzheimer's on December 27 at the age of 62. A native of Tyronza, Arkansas, and a graduate of Marked Tree High School and Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, Mr. Norcross became a principal in the architecture firm Looney Rick Kiss and led projects that transformed the city of Memphis and nearby communities for three decades. He was licensed in seven states and perhaps best known for his work on AutoZone Park, named the Minor League Ballpark of the Year in 2009 by Baseball America, and the FedEx Forum, home of the NBA Grizzlies and the University of Memphis Tigers. He had a hand in South City, the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital expansion, Soulsville Charter School and Multipurpose Building, Central Station, many homes in Harbor Town, the University of Memphis Men's Basketball Training Center, AutoZone's headquarters and the FedEx World Technology Center in Collierville. In 2020, he won the prestigious Francis Gassner Award from the American Institute of Architects-- Memphis Chapter. Active in his Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church and its Vestry St. Columba outreach ministry in West Tennessee, Mr. Norcross was also a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Memphis, Leadership Memphis, the Memphis Leadership Academy of Arkansas, Dean's Circle at Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and was a founding committee member of the Regional Memphis Design Center. I attended his service at Grace-St. Luke's on Saturday which was packed to the walls. I read the eulogy written by his children and will never look at butterflies again in the same way. I express my sincere condolences to his wife of 37 years, Jill, and their children Phoebe and Brandt, his colleagues and his many friends. He led a good life, but he left us too soon.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, and Rutgers-Camden Chancellor Antinio B. Tillis, for their commitment to creating opportunities for Memphis students in my district, which is Mr. Tillis' former hometown. Tillis, a 1983 graduate of Central High School, Vanderbilt University and later a Fulbright Scholar, has dedicated Rutgers-Camden to what he calls the Memphis Pipeline Project. The original Rutgers was founded in 1766 at New Brunswick, New Jersey, and is routinely considered one of the nation's premiere national universities. The ``pipeline'' has brought 13 Memphis high school students to Rutgers-Camden in the past year and Tillis is focused on bringing more from the city's Hamilton and Westwood High Schools. Just the existence of the pipeline opportunity has inspired students who might not have considered going to college at all, a side benefit of the project, I want to thank Chancellor Tillis, his dedicated staff, and the counselors at Memphis high schools inspired to realize the ambitions of their students, and wish them all every success.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend DHL Supply Side, a leader in logistics, which has had its warehouse facility in Memphis recognized as a Global Lighthouse by the Geneva, Switzerland based World Economic Forum. The Global Lighthouse Network is a prestigious community of 153 manufacturing facilities and value chains that are implementing Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to increase operational performance and environmental sustainability. Twenty-one facilities were given the designation this year, and DHL Supply Chain is the first ever contract logistics company to have a warehouse receive the award, and the only facility in the U.S. this year. The site has integrated robots, analytics and a flexible staffing solution to reduce overtime by 50 percent, and shipment cycle time by 57 percent, while increasing capacity by 290 percent, DHL Supply Chain has 54,000 employees in the United States, including more than 2,500 in Tennessee's 9th Congressional District. I commend the DHL Supply Chain operation in Memphis for this prestigious, international recognition by the World Economic Forum and appreciate its leadership in the logistics and delivery industry.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to note the passing of Antonio ``Tony'' Bologna, a distinguished and internationally known architect who transformed the City of Memphis with the sheer magnitude of his efforts. Mr. Bologna arrived in Memphis in 1964 after receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tulane in his native hometown, New Orleans. An early job was the design of the city's Memphis Light, Gas and Water Department headquarters on South Main. Soon realizing that his real calling was the renovation of historic, often abandoned buildings, through his Bologna and Associates company, he worked on the Cotton Exchange Building, the Shrine Building, 88 Union Center, the United American Bank building, historic Beale Street including Handy Park, the Paperworks Apartments, St. Peter Catholic Church, Brinkley Plaza, the elephant house at the Memphis Zoo, Elvis Presley Plaza, Memphis Businessmen's Club Building, Fogelman Downtown Y.M.C.A., Old Daisy Theater, Gaston Community Center, Christopher Columbus Park, New Daisy Theater, One South Main Street, 378-384 South Main Street, and Perkins Garden Apartments, among others. As chairman of the Memphis Development Foundation, he worked to ensure that the Orpheum Theater was not torn down and that it was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places. In 1986, he was the Technical Advisol to the Mayor & the Committee for the Lighting of the iconic Hernando Desoto Bridge, and was instrumental in getting the bridge lit. In 1988, he completed an eight-year term on the International Relations Committee of the American Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C. During this term, he represented the Institute as liaison to the Federation of Pan American Architects (FPAA). In addition, he served as the Deputy Council Member of the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA), whose headquarters are in Paris, France. He served two years as Managing Director of the ``Programme for Continuing Education'' of UIA. In these roles, he participated in international congresses and assemblies, including meetings in Egypt, England, Ireland, Brazil, the Netherlands, Russia, Estonia and Poland. He also represented UIA at a UNESCO Symposium in Paris on architectural education. After his retirement from his architectural practice in 1988, he joined the Henry Turley Company and worked on the planning, development and construction of two mixed-use planned communities--Harbor Town and the South Bluffs, both overlooking the Mississippi River, and both essential anchors for the establishment of a strong Downtown. In 1991, he completed a six-year term as Chairman of the Memphis and Shelby County Building Code Advisory Board and remained a current member of the Board until the past few years. During this period, he successfully managed the debate and adoption of the city and county's first seismic building code. From 2004 through 2006 he served again as Chairman of the Building Code Advisory Board. In 2001, he received a ``Downtown Pioneer'' Award from the Memphis Downtowner Magazine for his involvement in downtown's transformation. In 2004, he received the Memphis Center City Commission's Vision Award. In 2022, he received a duck footprint on the Duck Walk Hall of Fame outside the Peabody Hotel. In 2023, a bridge in Harbor Town was dedicated to him by the community. Tony's reach in Memphis was deep and impactful and he was as admired an individual as there has been in Memphis. He was a straight shooter and had a big heart and stellar mind. Accordingly, he was highly respected. He could have stayed in the Big Easy. Memphis is lucky he came up the river because Memphis is not easy. I wish to express my sincere condolences and appreciation to Mr. Bologna's wife of 64 years, Deanna Theresa Jambrone Bologna; their children Greg Bologna, Anthony Bologna, and Donna Bologna McCraw; their seven grandchildren; and his many friends, colleagues and partners through the years. Mr. Bologna lived a rich and consequential life and the City of Memphis itself reflects his legacy.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay profound respect to Elmore Nickleberry, one of the last two surviving 1968 Memphis Sanitation worker strikers, who passed on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at 92 years old. Mr. Nickleberry and 1,300 other sanitation workers led the wildcat strike after two of their colleagues were crushed in a garbage truck compactor and their nearly unbearable working conditions shocked the nation. Their story so inspired the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., then planning his Poor People's March on Washington, that he joined their cause and was ultimately assassinated on a Memphis motel balcony on April 4 of that year. The efforts of the strikers, with their iconic ``I AM A MAN'' placards, and of people of good will in Memphis, led to remarkable progress in race relations and labor equity, and forever changed my city for the better. The strike and its aftermath were a defining moment for Memphis and for the country. Mr. Nickleberry stayed on in the city's sanitation department until his retirement three years ago, attending a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the strike in 2018. He and the sanitation workers were inducted into the U.S. Department of Labor's Labor Hall of Fame in 2011. His remarkable legacy will be studied as an important milestone in our nation's history.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I did not vote on Monday, December 11, 2023 because I was invited to the White House Hanukkah Recognition event, which I felt was important to attend given the rise in antisemitism. Out of respect for the Jewish holiday and, particularly for Jewish Members of Congress, I believe that votes should have been postponed, just as they were for the White House Holiday Ball last week. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: NAY on Roll Call No. 708, H.R. 5378; YEA on Roll Call No. 707, H.R. 3224; and YEA on Roll Call No. 709, H.R. 6503. I also want to include in the Record the following letter to Speaker Johnson, which explains my decision in more detail: Dear Speaker Johnson: I write to urge you to postpone votes this evening given that President Biden and Dr. Biden are hosting a Hanukkah Reception at the White House at 6:00 p.m. On Monday, December 4, the White House hosted a Holiday Ball for Members of Congress at 6:00 p.m. I know several Members appreciated that December 4 votes were postponed as early as Friday, December 1, to allow Members the opportunity to attend the ball without missing votes. Given that the Hannukah Reception was planned within the same time parameters as the Holiday Ball and that there are votes planned today on December 11, I was hopeful that votes would also be postponed until December 12 to give Members an opportunity to celebrate Hannukah, especially given current events. While my office, in addition to several other Member offices, reached out to request that votes be postponed, I understand that your office plans to continue with votes tonight as scheduled. I find this incredibly disappointing. I would expect that the Jewish Members of our body be given the same consideration and deference as our other colleagues. With that in mind, I respectfully urge that votes be postponed. However, given the horrific October 7 massacre and our minds in the war continually in Gaza against Hamas is more important than any Hanukkah that we meet with our constituents and reassure them that we will stand with Israel as a priority, for its existence is in danger. I appreciate your prompt response to this urgent matter.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, it has been said that everything has been said, but not everybody has said it. Everything really has been said. I have heard such great oratory from such passionate, patriotic speakers. What is clear is we have a duty as the leader of democracy in the world to support our friends and to fight for democracy in Ukraine where they are defending democracy and keeping us from having to go in. If Putin wins and gets into a NATO country, saving our soldiers' blood and lives--and that will happen. In Israel, where a similar foe, Hamas like Russia, knows no limits, is threatening the existence of Israel. I know the Speaker believes that we should support Israel. When he was first elected, he went to the podium and said we will support Israel, but later he said we will only support Israel if we cut $15 billion from the IRS and the budget, which would lose us $85 billion overall. That is fiscally foolish and morally wrong. Israel should be supported unconditionally and so should Ukraine--two valiant countries whose existence has been threatened. These are existential fights for Israel and for Ukraine. What happened in Bucha right after the war started before the Ukrainians were able to repel the Russians was similar to what happened on October 7 in Israel-- murders, rapes, crime. If we allow Russia to win, which we will if we don't support Ukraine, there will be ten times the devastation of what happened on October 7 in Israel to happen to the women and the children of Ukraine because Russians have showed they have no respect for women, morality, or mankind. Madam Speaker, I urge Speaker Johnson to put these bills on the floor to support Ukraine, to support Israel, to support Taiwan, to support democracy, and to support human relief in Gaza for people who have been innocent victims. Please put these bills on the floor and let us do what America needs to do.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, according to a 2022 lifestyle survey of servicemembers and veterans, financial issues were the top lifestyle stressor, and unfortunately, bankruptcy sometimes is the best answer for those in financial distress. Under current law, National Guard members and reservists who serve on Active Duty are, like other active servicemembers, exempt from the Bankruptcy Code means test which determines whether a debtor's income is too high to have all of his or her debts erased in bankruptcy. This critical protection for National Guard members and reservists has to be extended every 4 years, and this is the time to do it. Unless otherwise exempted, these servicemembers and veterans must complete the required forms and submit the specified paperwork to satisfy the Bankruptcy Code's means test. This burdensome requirement would even apply to National Guard and reservists who have returned to the United States from active service and thus no longer receive combat pay. Under the means test, such servicemember must calculate his or her income based on the average monthly income that he or she received during the 6-month period preceding the filing date of the bankruptcy case, rather than the debtor's actual income, which may be less because of the debtor's noncombat status. Without this exemption, some servicemembers and veterans may be prevented from seeking the financial relief that they need and deserve. We should not deny the reservists and the National Guard these benefits. This extension is an immediate concern. The bill would extend for 4 years the temporary authorization exempting certain qualifying reserve component members of the Armed Services and National Guard members from this means test. I am proud to have led the effort to exempt the National Guard and reservists from the means test in 2008 and the extensions of this successful program in 2015 and 2019. If we do not act today, this critical protection for National Guard members and reservists will expire in a matter of weeks. I hope we can act on a bipartisan basis, as we have always done, to extend the authority. I thank my cosponsors Representatives Ben Cline, Madeleine Dean, Tim Burchett, and leaders of the companion effort in the Senate, Senators Durbin and Graham. This is truly a bipartisan, bicameral effort. I thank Chairman Jordan, who moved this bill through the Judiciary Committee and advocated for its quick consideration on the floor, and I all urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, sometimes people think we don't work together, but in the military we do work together. I am proud to support this, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I urge a voice vote on this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5473. This bill, introduced by Representatives Edwards and Norcross, would provide FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with greater flexibility when incentivizing the use of hazard-resistant building codes in its predisaster mitigation programs. Current law directs FEMA to only consider the latest edition of building codes when implementing predisaster mitigation programs. This legislation will allow FEMA to consider the latest two editions of codes. The additional flexibility will help States and communities that are struggling to adapt to frequent changes in building codes. Thanks to an amendment offered by Ranking Member Titus and adopted at markup, this bill now includes a pilot program within FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program called BRIC--not to be confused with Brazil, Russia, India, and China--making it possible to fund individual home retrofits for the purpose of disaster resilience. The severity of disasters has skyrocketed in recent years, putting homeowners at serious risk. Implementing recommended mitigation measures could make the difference between a family losing their home and life savings or being able to stay safe and continue their daily routines post-disaster. This pilot program will ensure financial barriers do not stand in the way of making homes safer, so no family is left behind. Homeowners might leverage this pilot to make the roof less flammable and more resilient to wildfires and remove overhanging branches to reduce the risk of damage from severe storms or build a tornado-safe room. These measures may also come with the added benefit of reduced insurance premiums. Having a home is very important in America, so it is critical that we support ways to lower premiums and make homes more insurable as disaster risk and insurance costs are ballooning. The House passed the language in this bipartisan bill on suspension in the 117th Congress. I look forward to passing this measure today to improve implementation of predisaster mitigation programs and make homes more resilient to disaster. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) and me as we support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I am not going to ping-pong this back and forth. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I am standing in lieu of the ranking member Mr. Larsen, who can't be here, and he asked me to do this as I am the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Aviation, which this bill came out of. I was here earlier today on a veterans' bill, and I mentioned that people sometimes don't think we work together, but military and veterans' issues are a place where Democrats and Republicans come together. We also come together on transportation issues generally, and this time we most assuredly did. There was an overwhelmingly large majority passing this bill on the floor, and it was because of the work of Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves). This is a good bill. It protects the flying public. It takes care of consumers who have been left in the breach either on the tarmac or left for hours with the plane not leaving or getting in late, giving them the right to get refunds, compensation, water, all those other things they would like to have. It takes care of trying to see that our air traffic controllers have a larger group of people to choose from, opening it up to minorities who have not really been encouraged and/or permitted so much into the air traffic control system. We need more and more air traffic controllers, so this bill encourages more people to get involved in that because when we have a lack of air traffic controllers, we have got potential safety problems. We have had 9, 10, or 11--I don't know exactly how many--near- collisions because the air traffic controllers had too much work, some of them were doing other things, and they just don't have enough folks. For safety, we need to get this passed, as well as for consumers. There are many other improvements detailed in the bill, but I am not going to go through these eight wonderful pages that my staffer has drawn up for me to read. I will just say it is a good bill. The Senate should get their work done and join with us in improving the public's safety in the air and their rights as consumers. The bill includes improvements in airport construction and also gives people with disabilities many more opportunities, too. Mr. Speaker, I encourage everybody to vote ``aye'' and pass this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, in response to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), my friend, who wished us all merry Christmas, I wish him merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah. Today is the Hanukkah party at the White House, and the Speaker has yet to limit votes so that the Members who attend can attend and not miss votes. We had votes moved on Christmas, and they should be moved on Hanukkah, too. I know the Speaker is very concerned about the Bible, and in the Bible, Moses said, let my people go. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I will yield back the balance of my time and not ask Mr. Graves who won the Heisman Trophy because he knows well-- the LSU quarterback. New and persistent challenges facing the U.S. aviation system make clear that the status quo is unsustainable. We must extend the FAA's current authorization and recommit to passing a long-term, comprehensive reauthorization to avoid repeating this scenario. I support H.R. 6503 fully, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I don't do a lot of these, but when Congressman Bishop asked me to come to be recognized and talk about Rosalynn Carter, I had no choice but to say yes. She was a marvelous woman, a marvelous human being, and a great First Lady. She was the epitome of what a spouse should be, what a mother should be, and what a grandmother should be. She did live nearly a perfect life, from what we know. She was a giving person and a caring person. Rosalynn was very devoted to her religion, and there was not any hypocrisy about her. She lived her life and took actions as the Bible would have taught her to do. She cared about others, and she gave her life to others. The last time I saw Rosalynn was in Memphis when she was there with her husband, I guess about 4 or 5 years ago, maybe a little more. They were there for Habitat for Humanity, and they both got out in blue jeans with their hammers and nails, building houses. She was with Jimmy in all those things. She wanted to help people and give people a better opportunity. I have visited The Carter Center, and that is a great tribute to their years in the White House and what they did to try to make a better world, which we all should and they did. I had great regard for her. Last night, I was at the White House for the Christmas party, and it was a marvelous event. Dr. Biden has done a great job in decorating the White House in the way that it should be for people who see the beauty and the wonder of Christmas. One of the portraits I saw when I walked in was of Rosalynn Carter. It was in the hallway when you walk in, and I had to stop to look at it on the way going in and on the way coming out and made a point to go over and look at the name of the artist who painted the portrait. It looked exactly like this, but that is what Rosalynn Carter looked like. I thought she was just the perfect expression of love and simplicity, and she belonged there. She belonged there so much. I appreciate what she gave to our country and Jimmy Carter, too. I can mention Jimmy Carter. I did once have an opportunity on a flight from Atlanta to D.C.--a Delta flight, of course--to have Jimmy Carter on my flight. He got up and walked through. He shook hands with me, and I thought: ``Wow, that is pretty cool. The President is shaking hands with me.'' Then I turned around and noticed he shook hands with every single person on the airplane because he wanted everybody to have the opportunity to know they had shaken hands with a President of the United States. That is the way the Carters were. They wanted to share. They wanted to recognize individuals and give them what they had received in life, which are certain moments that they will never forget and will hold dear. I thank Rosalynn Carter for her life. I thank her for the service, which I watched just about all of, and the wonderful expressions by her children and grandchildren, and the rendition of ``Imagine'' by Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks, which I think she would have appreciated. I thank her for her life and for what she gave America. Mr. Speaker, I thank Sanford Bishop for inviting me to participate today.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, will be the beginning of the weekend of the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis is a city that has much to be proud of, but one of our most prideful things is we are home to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It cures cancers, tries to cure the ones that they haven't yet, and gives children with cancer opportunities to be treated free of charge. This week, there will be a St. Jude marathon through Memphis; a big race with thousands and thousands of runners who are there to raise money for St. Jude and to bring attention to what St. Jude does for the children of the world. I praise St. Jude, and I am appreciative that they are in Memphis. I encourage everybody to support them and to contribute. I am not supposed to say that but I did.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I just watched the 47-minute film provided by the Israeli Government for our Members to watch the horrors of Hamas and what they did on October 7. Everyone who saw that should never forget it and should give notice to the world of the barbarity and the horrific attack on the Israeli people. The House has much to do. We need to keep this government open. We need to support Israel in defending their citizens and in their efforts to protect their democracy and their nation. We need to protect Ukraine, as well. Ukraine and Israel are two democratic friends of ours. They have been savagely attacked. They need our help, and we need to help them with arms and weapons. Act now. Never forget.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Keith Cole, the executive director of the Wolf River Conservancy, who will be retiring December 15 after helping build fourteen miles of an eventual 26-mile corridor of trails protecting the once-foul Wolf River that runs through the heart of Memphis before emptying into the Mississippi River. Keith, who took on the director's role twelve years ago, brought a business perspective and organizational and fundraising abilities to a loose confederation of conservationists organized in 1985 to oppose a gravel mine near the river. During his time as executive director of the Wolf River Conservancy, he helped raise $62 million to preserve land that is the watershed that produces the region's drinking water aquifer while earning the accreditation of the Land Trust Alliance and doubling the conservancy's staff. An ambassador to the private donor community, he also lobbied state legislators and others in Nashville, securing a $10 million grant from the state of Tennessee. A native of Hayti, Missouri, Keith retired in 2009 after selling his business as a Blockbuster Video franchise owner in Knoxville, Little Rock and Jackson, Mississippi. He soon took up the challenge of righting the Conservancy, which was an organization mired in debt and uncertain of its mission. By the time he enters retirement for the second time, the Conservancy will have protected 20,000 acres of land in Shelby and Fayette counties in Tennessee and Benton and Marshall counties in Mississippi. As a practical matter, that means there is no development or sources of pollution that can flow into the Wolf River's 522,000-acre watershed. The improved water quality now attracts recreational boaters and sportsmen and has stimulated the tourist economy. In September, I was pleased to announce that the Department of Interior's Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant of $1,308,567 to the Conservancy to protect 1,536 acres of wetlands and adjacent uplands along the Wolf River and its tributaries. The grant is expected to be matched by $2,095,142 in funding from partners including the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the City of Memphis, Shelby County, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and private landowners. I congratulate Keith on a job well done and join all in our community in thanking him for the environmental victories he and the Conservancy have achieved, benefits to our city and region that will be felt for decades and decades, if not a century or more. Job well done.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, on October 29, 2023, the Republic of Turkiye celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding, and I congratulate the People of Turkiye and Turkish Americans on this 100th commemoration. As a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkiye Relations and Turkish Americans and the only Member of Congress of Turkish descent, I recognize the vast reforms that were undertaken by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his vision for a reformed, modernized, and democratic Turkish Republic. Today, Turkish Americans represent a vital thread of the American fabric, and with rich culture and history, they serve as the best ambassadors for strong relations between our two countries. I take pride in the contributions and cultural richness brought by Turkish-Americans to the United States. Our heritage is a tapestry woven into the diverse fabric of this nation, and we remain committed to fostering understanding and collaboration between Turkiye and the United States. I congratulate the Turkish people and Turkish Americans on this centennial milestone and look forward to strengthening U.S. Turkiye relations.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember one of my best friend and a trusted advisor, Saul Belz, a civic leader in Memphis and the Mid-South and a fine lawyer. He was a member of the firm Glankler Brown, for more than 22 years but was also a partner at Waring Cox, and a partner and associate at Burch, Porter and Johnson. Saul passed on Wednesday. Whenever I needed help, I knew I'd better call Saul. In his more than 40 years as a lawyer in Memphis, he had a reputation for handling complex litigation and was recognized one of the country's best. A highly respected attorney, he was low key and humble. He advocated for civil rights and economic opportunity for African Americans. He advised me on judicial recommendations for Western District of Tennessee and gave his highest recommendation for Andre Mathis' appointment to the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Saul was a sports fan of all Memphis teams and of Vanderbilt teams, and major fan of music, including all things related to Jim Dickinson. He served as a director of the Tennessee Justice Center, director of the Center for Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi, director of the Memphis Bar Association, chairman of the Memphis Area Legal Services Fundraising Campaign, on the Supreme Court of Tennessee's Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure, and as a director of the Memphis Zoological Society. He received the Pillars of Excellence Award from the University of Memphis Law Alumni Association and he was a Fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers. Saul graduated from the University of Texas in 1964 and received his law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1967. I extend my deepest condolences to his wife Betsy, and children Jennifer Belz, Heather Belz, Margaret Flanagan, and Hallie Flanagan, his extended family and his many friends. He lived a good life and will be missed.

Mr. COHEN

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment offered by Representative Kean, not as an individual from District 9 but as the ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee being given certain responsibilities for that position.