Jason Chaffetz

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1691) to amend title 5, United States Code, to improve the security of the United States border and to provide for reforms and rates of pay for border patrol agents.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank Mr. O'Rourke for his passion on this issue. He is a fine gentleman to work with on these types of issues and others. I am happy to serve with him on both Homeland Security and in this body. I thank him for his good work. There has been good bipartisan work on both sides of the aisle and in both bodies to get to this point today. I also thank Eleanor Holmes Norton for her personal commitment to these issues, and Federal workers in general. This truly is a win-win situation. We make life better for Border Patrol agents and their families. We give more certainty to them and their families to help them with their mortgages. We also happen to save money for the American taxpayer. I appreciate the creativity and good work to get to this point. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 517) to promote consumer choice and wireless competition by permitting consumers to unlock mobile wireless devices, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Goodlatte for bringing this piece of legislation forward, and I appreciate the bipartisan manner in which it is done. The Internet is working. It is working. It is one of the great things about our economy. It is one of the great things that is happening in this country. It is creating jobs, and it is creating excitement with the younger generation. It is providing for innovation. We are leading the world in what we are doing. Access is not necessarily available to everybody. We have people from inner cities to Indian reservations to rural communities to those who are just seeking to try to be part of this community and have access and get information and be informed and be educated and allowed to engage in commerce. Since 1998, this has been the position of the United States of America, and if you look at the Internet, it truly is interstate commerce. We can be standing side by side, right next to each other, and you can send a tweet or a Facebook message or an email, whatever sort of electronic communication, and it literally can zoom around the country--hopefully through Utah--and then back to the person standing right next to you. But in order for all that to work, the magic of the Internet and all that to work, it needs to be unimpeded. It needs to keep those costs as low as possible to ensure the maximum amount of access so those in our communities who are still trying to get in there, from our seniors, the rural communities, again, to our inner cities. The wisdom that happened in 1998 has been reaffirmed multiple times. Only two people in the history of this piece of legislation have ever voted against this piece of legislation. The majority of the House of Representatives are cosponsors on this piece of legislation that is before us today. So, I urge its passage. There are some other pieces of legislation that I would like the body to look at. I think we do have to deal with the remote sales tax issues. I think there are transactions that happen remotely. I would like to see parity in that--another topic for another day, but something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. The issue before us today is are we going to allow the freedom for Internet access to happen at the lowest cost possible without the government coming in and thinking, oh, this is another bucket of funds that we can just tax on. The consequence is we would have less people involved and engaged. Companies are going to take care of this, but individuals who are trying to access the Internet, we need to keep those costs as low as possible. Think about your telephone bill. We don't want that to be lit up. You know how that is lit up with all these different taxes. We don't want the Internet to be lit up like a Christmas tree with all these different taxes. It is interstate commerce. It is the purview, I think, of the United States Congress. That is why this bill is so needed. That is why I proudly joined as a cosponsor and why I urge its passage today. And again, I thank Chairman Goodlatte and Members on both sides of this body for bringing this bill forward. I urge its passage.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I wish to speak about the Internet Tax Freedom Act. Interstate commerce has blossomed with the wires and connectivity that the Internet has provided us for these last couple of decades, and since 1998, the Internet Tax Freedom Act has prohibited your Internet access bill from lighting up like a Christmas tree as it has on your telephone bill. It has aided those who want to access the Internet by allowing those costs to stay down, without burdensome taxes being added on. If ever there were an invention that is truly interstate commerce, it is the Internet. We could be standing side by side and could send each other a tweet or a post on Facebook or even an email, and it could go through a whole host of States on its way, in order to get to the person who is standing right next to you. Only two people have ever voted against the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which was originally enacted in 1998, and every 4 years, we have had to renew that. Now, Chairman Bob Goodlatte is bringing this up again, so as to make this permanent, to add certainty and to keep costs low. I urge the passage of the Internet Tax Freedom Act as we address it later this week.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, it was April 2009 when President Obama said that he was going to form an integrated electronic health record project to take the records between the DOD and Veterans Administration and, together, he said that it ``would represent a huge step towards modernizing the way health care is delivered and benefits are administered for our Nation's veterans. It would cut through red tape and reduce the number of administrative mistakes.'' Fast forward to February of 2013. The Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration announced that they were going to halt this program. It was a $4 billion--not $4 million, not $40 million, not $400 million--a $4 billion project. Secretary Hagel, and I quote him: ``I didn't think we knew what the hell we were doing.'' So after all these years, $4 billion later, they totally halted and abandoned this project that was going to improve the quality of health care for our veterans. It wasn't for a lack of money, but there was a lack of leadership and management and dedication. Mr. Speaker, this cannot stand. We do need to do better for our veterans. This has got to be a national priority.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rev. France Davis for a remarkable 40-year career building bridges, fighting racial discrimination and living the principles he teaches his flock at the historic Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. With his wife Willene by his side, Rev. Davis has both lived and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ, advocating for the impoverished, inspiring the young and invigorating the fight against racism. He has been a powerful mentor to young people, sponsoring scholarships as well as educational programs. His belief that everybody has worth and value, nobody is nobody and everybody is somebody has influenced a generation of youth. Born in 1946 in Gough, Georgia, Rev. Davis graduated from the segregated Waynesboro High and Industrial School. He went on to serve as an aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Air Force. He has earned five college degrees, including a B.A. in rhetoric from Berkeley, a B.S. in religion from Westminster College and an M.A. in mass communication from University of Utah. Rev. Davis came to Salt Lake City for a one- year teaching fellowship at the University of Utah, but became an integral part of the city's religious and cultural fabric over the next four decades. Rev. Davis was a pioneer in his own right before coming to Utah in 1972. He participated in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, meeting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in person and marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to promote voting rights. He has been a tireless advocate for minorities in Utah. His own experiences with racial discrimination only inspired him to fight harder for equality. An NAACP board member for many years, Rev. Davis was instrumental in making Martin Luther King, Jr. Day an official state-recognized holiday. It goes without saying that he has been an integral part of Utah's cultural evolution on civil rights. In addition to his ministry, Rev. Davis is the author of several books, has taught at the University of Utah and served as a member of the Utah Higher Education Board of Regents. He is also the benefactor of a scholarship for minority students. Professionally, he has served as the secretary of the Salt Lake Ministerial Association, a member of the South Africa Preaching Team for the National Baptist Convention's Foreign Mission and as an advisor, vice-president and assistant to the Dean of the Intermountain General Baptist Convention. Mr. Speaker, Utah is a better place because of the efforts of Rev. Davis. We honor his significant contributions, his willingness to be a voice for the voiceless, and his personal history of overcoming adversity. But most of all, we recognize his example as a teacher and follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the Lone Peak High School basketball team, who made history in Utah this month. For the first time ever, the state basketball championship has been won by the same team for 4 consecutive years. The Lone Peak Knights, led by a group of seniors with unprecedented success, completed their latest championship run with a decisive victory over the outstanding Pleasant Grove High School. Congratulations to the greatest team in Utah high school basketball on making history with their 4 consecutive seasons of excellence culminating in the 2014 5A State Championship. Coach Quincy Lewis deserves recognition for producing consistent results, including last year's award for best high school basketball team in the Nation according to website Max Preps. I recognize the contributions of each player to this historic achievement. In particular, I acknowledge the unprecedented success of the senior players who have contributed to each of the 4 state championship titles won during their career at Lone Peak High. Seniors T.J. Hawes, Zach Frampton, Jantzen Allphin, McKay Webster and Spencer Curtis have now played their last game as Knights, but they can be proud of their contributions to this team during their high school careers. Finishing their season with a 23-3 record, the Knights scored a blistering 14 3-point shots during the championship game. Spectacular performances by Hawes and Frampton made the victory a decisive one. Hawes scored a game high 29 points, including making 8 of 14 shots from three-point range. Frampton dominated the scoreboard in the early part of the game with 21 points before halftime and ultimately ending the night with a double double. The win must also be credited to the impressive execution of younger players who will continue to build on the success of this season. Mr. Speaker, high school basketball is a competitive sport that places great physical demands on players. These young people have worked hard to balance the rigorous demands of their sport with impressive academic achievements. They reflect the best today's youth have to offer. I honor their commitment, dedication and achievements and look forward to the contributions each one is sure to make in the future, both on and off the basketball court.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the gentleman from Virginia, Chairman Goodlatte, for his leadership on this issue. We woke up one day, Mr. Speaker, and the Library of Congress--the Library of Congress--decided that, if you unlocked your cell phone, that that would be a felony--a felony. You go and buy a mobile phone. It is your phone. You own it. The current law on the books today, if you go to unlock that phone, you have committed a felony in the United States of America. You have got to be kidding me. It is a felony to unlock your cell phone? This bill today is short, sweet, and is simple. It is not a big, broad review of the DMCA. We are just trying to do something simple. We have an opportunity to make sure that that good person at home who wants to unlock their phone doesn't commit a felony. It is that short. It is that sweet. It is that simple. I stand with Representatives Lofgren, Polis, and others who want to look at this bigger, broader reform. But for today, could we please just make sure that it is not a felony to unlock your own phone? My goodness. We can do that. We can do that. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill. I appreciate the chairman's leadership. Let's get this done. Vote ``yes.''

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank the chairman for his good work on this. Without Chairman Issa's leadership on this issue, we would not have this bill here today. I appreciate his work and dedication and passion on this issue. I appreciate Mr. Cummings. I also appreciate Mr. Connolly and the good work he does on this topic. Mr. Speaker, I hope what people see here is a bipartisan approach to something that is a very large problem. There is a great imperative that we deal with this and deal with it right away. The Federal Government spent more than $600 billion over the past decade on information technology, and we spend, roughly, $80 billion a year just on IT. It is a critical component to making sure that we do have an effective and responsive government. Now, of the $80 billion or so that is spent each year, about one- third is spent on new procurement projects, and about two-thirds is spent on the operation and maintenance of existing or obsolete systems. It takes so much more energy and personnel to go through obsolete systems than it does to quickly replace with software and hardware and personnel new information technology systems that will make our government more responsive and more effective. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to work with an operating system that is no longer supported by the company that even makes the operating system. We have heard horror stories of people working on DOS operating systems. They are still looking at green screens, for goodness sakes. This is an imperative, and we have to make sure it is prioritized. Some industry experts have estimated that as much as 70 percent of new IT acquisitions fail or require re-baselining. The Technology CEO Council, made up of top industry experts, estimates that $20 billion of the $80 billion we spend is wasted every year on mismanaged and duplicative IT programs. The GAO has estimated that the Departments of Treasury, Agriculture, Energy, and State spend well over 80 percent of their IT budgets on operations and maintenance of potentially obsolete systems. We can do better on this. We are united in a bipartisan way. I encourage my colleagues to pass this bill. Again, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Chairman Issa and his leadership on this issue, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated soldier and young patriot who survived his war injuries, but died tragically after a protracted battle with cancer. Army Staff Sergeant Landon Leo Henscheid of Alpine, Utah, was initially paralyzed from injuries he received while serving as a field medic in Afghanistan. Subsequent surgery for those injuries relieved his paralysis, but revealed cancer in his spine. For 18 months, the 24-year-old soldier fought valiantly, but ultimately lost his battle with cancer on Pearl Harbor Day. Staff Sgt. Henscheid loved serving as a field medic and caring for those with whom he served. He had a tremendous capacity to love other people. He developed strong bonds with the men and women in his unit-- bonds which lasted long after their deployments ended. Upon their return from deployment, friends knew they were welcome at the Henscheid home, where at one point a few of them lived in an RV in the driveway that Henscheid's father called, ``The Barracks.'' Always a fan of a good adrenalin rush, Staff Sgt. Henscheid did not fear danger. According to his mother, he loved driving fast--whether he was on his motorcycle, his 4-wheeler or a boat. He loved jumping out of airplanes. Just before deploying, he even bungee jumped from the Las Vegas Stratosphere. His plans for the future included serving in Special Operations. Staff Sgt. Henscheid is fortunate to come from a remarkable family whose sacrifices on his behalf--and on behalf of the United States of America--deserve our heartfelt gratitude. The Henscheid family cared for three Wounded Warrior sons--two of their own sons and a son-in-law. They also welcomed into their home other young men who served beside their own sons, providing both physical and emotional support as these brave young men acclimated to post-war life and dealt with their invisible injuries. All of Staff Sgt. Henscheid's immediate family went to great lengths to be with him during his battle with cancer. His mother relocated to Maryland from Utah to assist him. His oldest brother, Cody, a recipient of the Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star Medal w/V device and Purple Heart due to his 2006 injuries in Afghanistan, visited along with his wife Teera. They lived in North Dakota at the time. His sister Rheanna, whose husband Jacob Henry also sustained injuries while serving in Army Civil Affairs in Afghanistan, made the trip from Elko, Nevada. And his youngest brother Hayden and wife Lexi took multiple trips to Maryland from their home in North Dakota to help provide support and care. In addition, Staff Sgt. Henscheid enjoyed the love and support of the men who had lived with his family upon their return home from deployments and became like brothers. In particular, Benjamin Judd, who served in Iraq with Cody; Brian Jones, who also served in Iraq with Cody and again in Afghanistan with Landon; and Jacob Henry, who served on Landon Henscheid's first tour and eventually married his sister. We honor the tremendous personal sacrifice of Staff Sgt. Henscheid's family. He leaves behind his parents, Don and Janet Henscheid, two brothers and a sister. In addition, he leaves behind many of his military brothers who were like family to him. The contributions of this great American family reflect the tremendous spirit of service and sacrifice that have for so long preserved our freedom. I wish to honor the Henscheid family's example of selfless service and commitment to family. Today, I ask all Members of Congress to join me as we honor the life and legacy of Staff Sgt. Landon Henscheid, as well as the sacrifices of his and other families across this great nation. We can never repay them the debt we owe for their efforts to protect our freedom.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, one of the big questions that stands before the Nation is: Are we going to give up all of our liberties in the name of security? And I think not. Technology is great. It is supposed to make our lives better and simpler, more efficient, more effective. It is fun, it is innovative, and it is leading the world. But at the same time, we have got to make sure that these technologies are not overused, not only by our Federal Government officials in law enforcement, but also by others who would do us harm, who have surreptitiously maybe converted that technology to do something a little bit more pervasive and a little more perverse. It is for that reason that Senator Wyden, my colleague in the United States Senate, and I have introduced what is called H.R. 1312, the geolocation, or GPS Act, as we refer to it, to put some limits and curtail those that want to follow us without our own knowledge. We believe that you should have to have a probable cause warrant in order to track somebody's geolocation. I want that for my own kids. I want that for me. I want to make sure that that technology is safe and secure. So I encourage my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to look at H.R. 1312, the GPS Act, to deal with these new inventions and technology in a reasonable way.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Chair, we do this in a very bipartisan way. I appreciate Mr. Polis; Mr. Connolly; my colleague, Mr. Marino; and Chairman Goodlatte. This is simple. If you want to help the little guy, if you want to help protect the integrity of the system, you should be for transparency in the legal system. This amendment simply builds upon something that is already in the bill by mandating that claimants seeking to bring willful infringement claims identify the ultimate parent entity in the demand letters they send to their targets. It is about openness. It is about transparency. You should be able to face your accuser in the courts; and that is all that this does is make sure that we strengthen the openness and transparency of the system. We think that will improve the system. We do it in a very bipartisan way. That is going to help everybody in this process, especially the little guy.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Madam Chairwoman, I thank Chairman Goodlatte, and I thank Members on both sides of the aisle for working on this. In the 112th Congress, I worked closely with Congressman DeFazio on the SHIELD Act, but a much better bill is before us today. I want people to understand the gravity of the problem and who is also being attacked. I find this fascinating. Fifty-five percent of troll suits involve companies with annual revenues of $10 million or less. Yes, the Microsofts and the Oracles and the really big companies out there are going to be in constant flux and in points of litigation, but it is really these small companies that are getting bombarded. In fact, if you look since 2005, there are literally four times as many troll suits going through the patent system right now than there were in 2005. They are being extorted. This helps solve it. This is why I am so enthusiastic in supporting this bill. I appreciate the bipartisan support on this. It does solve a very real problem. The majority of the problem is for companies with annual revenues of less than $10 million.

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank Chairman Terry for his good leadership and work on this, and certainly Chairman Goodlatte for bringing this bill; and knowing that you, Mr. Terry, are working on a bill that I am going to wholeheartedly support. Madam Chairman, we have received support for this approach from many business groups, including the National Retail Federation, the National Restaurant Association, the App Developers Alliance, the Direct Marketing Association, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Association of National Advertisers, the Food Marketing Institute, the Mobile Marketing Association, the National Association of Convenience Stores, the National Grocers Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, just to name a few. These represent hundreds of thousands of businesses and millions of employees across the country. It would be my hope that the House would expeditiously take up any demand letter legislation reported out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee under your leadership. I support it.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to thank both sides of the aisle. I want to thank Mr. McClintock, the chairman of this subcommittee, for allowing us to move this forward, and I appreciate the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), the ranking member of the committee, for allowing this to pass. This is truly a technical change. It strikes the term ``canal'' and replaces it with ``water conveyance facility historically known as the Provo Reservoir Canal.'' The final payment to the Federal Government of $700,000 will be completed once this bill becomes law. It scores positively. It is truly a technical change. I appreciate the indulgence of the Congress on both sides of the aisle for making this happen, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. I thank Chairman Ryan for putting this resolution together. I also want to take time to recognize and thank Chairman Lucas. In his tone and tenacity in putting together a farm bill, I think he has served as an example in this House of how to be a chairman and bring together divergent groups. I was very supportive of what we have done, but I am also very supportive of this resolution here today. Implementing a 15-percentage point reduction in crop insurance for producers with an adjusted gross income exceeding $750,000, or $1.5 million for joint filers, just like the Senate amendment, seems to be common sense, in my mind. However, this resolution calls for the elimination of delayed implementation in the Senate amendment. The Senate amendment delays this. We are simply getting rid of the delay of this implementation. This means test proposal would save roughly $1 billion over 10 years, something I think is very worthy for this body to consider. On average, taxpayers are covering about 62 percent of crop insurance premiums. This proposal would reduce that to be about 47 percent, roughly, for high-income producers. It is still a very generous deal for very profitable producers. We encourage profitability. We want them to be as prosperous as they possibly can be. That does not mean that we have an unlimited amount of money that we can continue, as taxpayers, to cover some of those risks. This reduction impacts roughly the top 1 percent of producers. There are other government assistance programs, such as Pell Grants and food stamps and earned income tax credits, that have some sort of means test to them. The least we can do is implement a modest means test for crop insurance subsidies for those making more than $750,000 or, again, $1.5 million for joint filers. To be clear, nobody is kicked out of this program. Nobody is eliminated from this program. Contrary to the opponents' claim, this will not harm the insurance poll by driving out low-risk producers. Even with a 15-percent point reduction, the subsidy would still be huge and would be a good deal for high-income producers, since about half of the premium would still be subsidized. I encourage passage.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated public servant and American hero who died tragically in the line of duty while protecting the city of Draper, Utah. In the early morning hours of September 1, 2013, 32-year-old police Sgt. Derek Johnson was ambushed while responding to a suspicious vehicle during the last few minutes of his graveyard shift. Never able to draw his own weapon or return fire, Sgt. Johnson died from multiple gunshot wounds shortly after the incident. We honor his lifelong commitment to the safety and security of his community. Remembered as one of the hardest working officers in the Draper Police Department, Sgt. Johnson is a decorated officer who earned many awards for his efforts. Not only was he the 2012 Community Policing Officer of the Year, he also earned the Life Saving Award and Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding service. According to his family, he grew up wanting to be a police officer. We honor the immeasurable personal sacrifice of Sgt. Johnson's family. He leaves behind his wife, Shante Sidwell Johnson and his six- year-old son Bensen Ray, who he called Little Buddy. His love for his family was obvious to all. We also recognize his mother, Laura, father, Randy, and four siblings: brothers Devin, Darin, and Dayson and his sister Desirae. The Johnson family has endured a terrible tragedy and made an extraordinary sacrifice to keep the community safe. We are forever thankful. The streets of the United States of America stay safe because of the honorable and dedicated service of officers like Sgt. Derek Johnson. His loss will be keenly felt by all who knew him. Today, I ask all Members of Congress to join me as we honor the life and legacy of Sgt. Derek Johnson, as well as each man and woman who risks life and limb to secure our communities. I also ask that we recognize the sacrifice and burdens their families endure in support of this great country. We owe them all our eternal gratitude.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. The gentleman from Utah is very correct, this is very different and not nearly as controversial, I assure you. H.R. 253, the Y Mountain Access Enhancement Act, directs the Department of Agriculture to sell 80 acres of U.S. Forest Service land to Brigham Young University often referred to as BYU. This parcel of land includes the block Y on Y Mountain, a major landmark in the Provo area. H.R. 253 requires BYU to pay fair market value for the land and requires BYU to cover administrative and appraisal costs associated with the sale. Proceeds of the land sale would be used to reduce the deficit. H.R. 253 guarantees public access to the block Y and the Y Mountain trail after the sale. BYU has managed this parcel of land for 50 years and has always allowed public access. BYU actually owned the entire trail at one point many years ago. H.R. 253 would restore ownership to Brigham Young University, but BYU would have to pay fair market value for the land. Currently, one part of the trail is owned by BYU and the other is owned by the U.S. Forest Service. Split ownership of the trail complicates trail maintenance and long-term planning, which ultimately puts public access at risk. Restoring this land to BYU would provide long-term certainty by removing any questions as to who owns the land and who is responsible for maintaining the trail. Hiking up the Y is a popular pastime in the Provo area, and H.R. 253 ensures that the trail will be maintained for future hikers. This bill was introduced in the 112th Congress as H.R. 4484 and passed the House on voice vote. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this particular piece of legislation, and I appreciate the bipartisan support and work on this piece.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member here for their consideration. This is a good, commonsense bill. It passed out of the Congress last time, and I appreciate the bipartisan nature, particularly the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), for his positive words in the passage of this piece of legislation. H.R. 251, the South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act, transfers title on certain portions of the electric distribution system operated by the South Utah Valley Electric Service District, SESD, from the Bureau of Reclamation to SESD. Local users repaid all applicable construction costs to the Federal Government decades ago. This bill, H.R. 251, is needed because in order to become more efficient and more effective, ownership needs to be transferred. The system is part of the larger Strawberry Valley Project, which began in 1906. This title transfer benefits the Federal taxpayers and the local communities that use the system. The transfer of title will divest the Bureau of Reclamation of Federal liability while providing SESD greater autonomy and flexibility to manage facilities in a manner that best meets its needs. H.R. 251 is consistent with existing Federal policy, and since 1996, as the chairman mentioned, there have been roughly 27 Bureau of Reclamation projects to local entities that have gone through this transfer type of process. An identical bill, H.R. 461, passed in the House in the 112th Congress by voice vote, passed this September 23 of 2011. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' I appreciate, again, the good work on both sides of the aisle to help pass this, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I stand to honor Private First Class Cody Towse, whose life was lost in Afghanistan. America lost one of its best and Utah lost one of our best. This is a young soldier who had dedicated his life to helping save others. At the age of 18, he went to become an EMT and then a firefighter, and later joined the Army. He had recently won the Army Combat Medic Ribbon for saving another life under fire. As a bomb went off near Kandahar, he went to rush to the person who was injured, when a second bomb went off that took his life. Today, I stand to honor him and all the men and women who serve and sacrifice for this country, for the United States of America. May God bless them, and may God bless the United States of America.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated soldier and American hero who died tragically while aiding a fellow soldier in Afghanistan. While responding to an injury from a roadside bomb, Army medic PFC Cody Towse was killed when a second roadside bomb detonated. Three other brave soldiers also lost their lives during the incident. Only 21 years old, PFC Towse had recently earned an Army Combat Medic Ribbon for saving another life under fire. His family was not surprised to learn he died in an act of service, treating the injuries of another. We honor his service and sacrifice to our safety and security. Known as the ``Candy Doctor'' by Afghan children in the Kandahar region, PFC Towse had earned a reputation for spreading joy in the form of candy. When he turned 21 on May 8, he asked his family to send over more candy for him to share. A Class of 2010 graduate of Utah's Salem High School, Towse loved to help people, choosing to become an EMT the day he turned 18. He later became a firefighter, but ultimately joined the military, where he felt he could use his training and skills to save lives. He did save lives, even at the cost of losing his own. He dreamed of one day becoming a LifeFlight medic. Towse carried on a proud and honorable tradition as he comes from a military family dating back to World War II. We honor the tremendous personal sacrifice of PFC Towse's family. He leaves behind his parents, Jim and Jamie Towse, two brothers, 20-year- old Will and 14-year-old Christian, and a sister Callan who is 17. The Towse family has endured a terrible tragedy and made an extraordinary sacrifice on behalf of all Americans and we are forever thankful. Today, I ask all Members of Congress to join me as we honor the life and legacy of Army PFC Andy Towse, as well as each man and woman in our Armed Services. They put themselves in harm's way and toil daily to hold back the forces of terrorism. I also ask that we recognize the sacrifice and burdens these families bear on behalf of each of us. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the many men and women who have given their lives to preserve our freedom.

Mr. CHAFFETZ

Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, our hearts and prayers go out to those in Boston and Massachusetts and all the States where people came from to participate in the marathon. I, in particular, Mr. Speaker, wanted to stand and thank those first responders. They're firemen and they're police officers and they're paramedics and they're doctors and nurses, and sometimes they're just somebody who never expected to be in that situation at that time. And yet, our fellow countrymen respond; they're there. And right now we have people responding in the Senate. They've put themselves out there. They've run to the challenges. It is the American spirit. They touch the heart of all of us. And, Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to say God bless them, and God bless the United States of America.