Doug Collins

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on this Friday, I rise to help usher in new developments that will be added to the Gainesville community. As a proud, lifelong resident of this town, I have watched it grow over the years, and welcomed the new businesses and neighbors that have come with that growth. Earlier this year, the city of Gainesville moved forward with an ambitious plan to improve our historic square. The investments made to this project will add to the square and surrounding area, which represent a centerpiece of our vibrant downtown. As part of this project, I am pleased that Caroll Daniel Construction will break the ground for a wonderful new facility that will begin construction early next year. Residents of Gainesville will enjoy this building, which will be located along Jesse Jewel Parkway. The street's namesake, Mr. Jewel himself, was a leader in the poultry industry, and he brought jobs and increased investment in the area during the Great Depression. In line with his vision, this addition to the square will serve our community for years to come. I believe that my good friend, Brian Daniel, runs his company according to the values of our Hall County community. My family and I look forward to seeing the company's new facility next year as we drive by on Jesse Jewel Parkway.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my neighbors who were recently honored at the Banks County Agricultural Awards Banquet. For the past five years, this banquet has celebrated the agricultural success of my friends in Banks County. Each individual recognized at the banquet has promoted an industry that serves as a crucial part of Georgia's livelihood. Agriculture isn't a field for just anyone. It is an industry for the optimist. With the ebb and flow of good and bad seasons, farmers persevere, producing food for our dinner tables with hard work and hope. This year, I want to honor the following northeast Georgians: Daphne Crumley for Agribusiness of the Year, Ricky Martin for Farmer of the Year, Ralph Dalton for the Hall of Fame Award, and Pat Whitlock for receiving the Woman in Agriculture Award. I thank these four farmers for their selfless dedication to their work, and I wish them continued success.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my Madison County neighbors for their recent success in raising money for the local foodbank at the Madison County Local Harvest Banquet. Last year, the Madison County Extension Office launched this banquet to raise money for the local food bank, which assists families and friends in the area. What began as a simple idea eventually grew into a community-wide effort. At the banquet, local farmers donated food, students from the local culinary school prepared meals, and community leaders volunteered to serve food. In its inaugural year, participants raised over $3,000, and this year, their efforts increased by nearly half, putting the grand total at $4,375 raised for Madison County residents in need. As the holiday season approaches, let us all follow the example that my Madison County neighbors have put forth. Let us look to one another with compassion, opening our hearts in order to help meet the needs of our communities. I thank my friends in Madison County for their generosity, and I look forward to seeing the continued success of their charitable efforts.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I do appreciate my friend from Florida. We have many lively debates on the floor and many lively debates in the Rules Committee. But if you really want to see things going in really a tone and tenor misspeak on this floor, let's at least get back to saying there are ideas that we agree with and disagree with. There are ideas of actually just taking a constitutional right and being able to apply that in the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which is what we are talking about here, regardless of who might find that appealing, what groups or nongroups. That is a constitutional right that we are fighting for. But in this regard of saying that puppets--the moment that the group who enjoys killing babies says, ``You need to make sure that right is available,'' then my friends across the aisle are quick to jump to their strings to say, ``Yes, I want to do that.'' When they wanted to have more government-controlled healthcare, they also said: Oh, but our insurance companies, we need to have a position for them in which they are taken care of. I guess that was another puppet string, Mr. Speaker. I think the bottom line is, let's quit, knowing that many of us on both sides have our positions, and we have people who like our positions on both sides, whether they be Democrat or Republican. But one of the reasons that the American people are very frustrated with this body is because the tone and tenor is not on policy, which we can disagree on. It is who controls the other. If we wanted to lay out a laundry list of supporters of the Democratic Party and maybe supporters of the Republican Party and say, that is all that matters, then fine, Mr. Speaker. If we have degenerated to that, then so be it. But shame on us. Whether you want reciprocity or not, good. Argue it. Whether you want to have another thing in our tax reform and you believe tax reform can be done in a different way, argue it. But when we separate out who is a puppet and who is not, then we are also racing to the bottom. We are racing to the bottom of the civil discourse that the American people are tired of. Look at the last election. So when I look at this today, Mr. Speaker, I look at a bill--and we have also heard interesting things that have been said, like: Officers will be in trouble and possibly can be sued. Look at the language that is put into the bill, a Terry stop, that they could ask, and that they are protected from suit. What they are not protected from is unlawful arrest. Then they will be held liable. Or maybe, it has also been said that we are going to turn all of these concealed carry permit owners, like myself and my friend from Florida, loose on the country and terrible things are going to happen. May I remind us here on the floor that Florida, which has issued nearly 2 million permits, has only revoked 168 due to gun crimes committed by permit holders. That is 0.008 percent. The fight that concealed carry permit holders are generally more law-abiding citizens than the general public, we can disagree, Mr. Speaker, and that is part of this body. We can come to different conclusions. That is the reason we have a debate floor. But when we start to try and bring in other things, and who is controlled by whom, then I just simply, Mr. Speaker, ask that the other side cut their strings first.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), a fellow member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler). She has some language in this bill. I also would like to thank her for her support for this legislation.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), a fine member whose strong support of this bill is appreciated.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 645 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 645, currently under consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring forward this rule on behalf of the Rules Committee. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The rule provides for 1 hour of debate, equally divided between the chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. The rule also provides for a motion to recommit. Yesterday, the Rules Committee had the opportunity to hear from my fellow Judiciary Committee members, Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Nadler, as well as Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and others. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee happens to be the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. Last month, the Judiciary Committee rigorously debated H.R. 38 and considered 22 amendments to this legislation. The committee also marked up and discussed H.R. 4477, the Fix NICS Act, which is incorporated into the Rules Committee print. I thank my friend, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson), for introducing this legislation, which takes a commonsense approach and reflects our constitutional right to bear arms. Mr. Speaker, all of us in this body took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, and, as we all understand, the Constitution enshrines our right to keep and bear arms in the Second Amendment. Over the years, this right has been challenged in the courts and, in some cases, by public opinion. However, lest there be any question about the constitutionality of our right to keep and bear arms, let me remind my colleagues that the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, recognized, in a 2008 opinion, that ``the Second Amendment conferred an individual right to keep and bear arms.'' As the son of a Georgia State trooper, I learned to respect firearms at an early age, and I have shared that respect with my boys and daughter. As a Member of Congress, I believe I have a duty to uphold American liberties for current and future generations. I am a cosponsor of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act because I believe constitutional rights extend past State lines. Mr. Speaker, the Bill of Rights isn't a philosophical exercise; it is a document that protects the practical expression of liberties that our forefathers recognized as essential elements of our democracy. I, myself, have a concealed carry permit; and, as a husband and father, I have prioritized being able to defend my family and my home should the unthinkable happen. I am also a sportsman, a hunter, and an ardent defender of the Second Amendment; but, like many others, the primary purpose of owning and keeping a concealed carry permit is self-defense. I don't think that right should be undermined simply because I travel to another State. This bill upholds and recognizes State laws, while ensuring that driving across State lines to run an errand, go to work, or visit a relative doesn't blot out an individual's rights. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you a very recent story about how firearms can play a critical role in self-defense and promote public safety. Just yesterday, in Dawson County, in a part of my district in northeast Georgia, a woman witnessed an individual attacking a sheriff's deputy at a local gas station. The woman was in possession of a firearm and fired at the suspect. While details are still unfolding at this point, it highlights the benefits of a citizenry that is reasonably and responsibly armed. Contrary to the claims of Second Amendment detractors, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act is not about expanding access to firearms or putting guns in the hands of criminals. On the contrary, the bill includes protections to uphold laws surrounding firearm possession and safeguards individuals' ability to protect themselves and their neighbors. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans, and, importantly, it offers a solution to the current patchwork of State laws affecting concealed carry permits. Currently, all 50 States issue concealed carry permits in some capacity, but these laws leave citizens traveling across State lines to decipher a variety of State laws or risk inadvertently breaking the law. It is also worth noting that, of the States that have adopted right- to-carry legislation, no State has repealed it. Moreover, Mr. Speaker, we simply have no evidence to indicate that concealed carry permit holders pose a risk to public safety. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act upholds States' rights to establish their own permitting requirements, but it takes the commonsense step of allowing individuals who meet the criteria for concealed carry in their home States to bear arms in other States as long as they follow the local concealed carry laws of the State they are in at any given time. This bill doesn't allow individuals who currently would be prohibited, under Federal law, from possessing firearms to obtain those weapons, and it doesn't tell States how to regulate the use of firearms. It does, however, ensure that law-abiding citizens can protect themselves and exercise their Second Amendment rights when crossing State lines. Thirty States, including Georgia, already have ``shall issue'' permits, which require States to issue permits to individuals who meet the legal requirements for a concealed carry permit; eight States have ``may issue'' laws, which allow for discretionary permit laws; and 12 States allow for the carrying of a concealed weapon without any permit or license at all. Many States have some type of reciprocity whereby they mutually recognize permits from other States or may honor permits or licenses issued by other jurisdictions. However, there are some States that neither recognize out-of-State concealed carry permits nor issue permits to nonresidents, resulting in a complete ban on the concealed carry rights of nonresidents who find themselves in those States. The legal landscape of these State laws and their terms for recognizing concealed carry permits is complex. Yet, Mr. Speaker, we must recognize and remember that, at a practical level, our Union functions by acknowledging the necessary reciprocity of certain State functions, this being one of them and should be. But the current patchwork of State laws means that these law-abiding individuals have to stop and think about their rights, where they are located at the time and whether they recognize their Second Amendment rights, or they risk breaking the law. Also, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 38 includes the text of the Fix NICS Act. The Fix NICS Act ensures individuals who are prohibited from receiving firearms are properly documented in the NICS system, and it would require Federal agencies to report relevant records in accordance with the law. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us upholds a constitutional right to keep and bear arms and recognizes the fact that the Bill of Rights isn't limited to certain jurisdictions. Our Founding Fathers carved certain foundational rights into our democracy, and today's bill simply upholds the spirit and letter of the Second Amendment. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Ms. Cheney).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on November 30, 2017, I was not present for votes because I was unavoidably detained due to a death in the family. Had I been present, I would have voted: Nay on Roll Call No. 642; Yea on Roll Call No. 643, passage of H.R. 3905, Minnesota's Economic Rights in Superior National Forest Act; Yea on Roll Call No. 644; Yea on Roll Call No. 645; Nay on Roll Call No. 646; Nay on Roll Call No. 647; Yea on Roll Call No. 648; and Yea on Roll Call No. 649.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky and the gentlewoman from New Jersey for being a part of this today. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3821, legislation to name the Clermont Post Office after Lance Corporal Zach T. Addington. I introduced this legislation to honor Zach, a fellow northeast Georgian, for giving his life in service to our Nation during the Vietnam war. Zach Addington was born to Addison S. and Lillie Addington on November 1, 1948, in Gainesville, Georgia. He and his family lived in Clermont, Georgia, where he attended Clermont Elementary School and my alma mater, which we share, North Hall High School. He graduated in 1967. Zach enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a private, in July of 1967, and became a rifleman in the 3rd Marine Division of the Fleet Marine Force. He was promoted to private first class on December 1, 1967, and he was deployed to Vietnam on December 19 of the same year. On April 1, 1968, Zach was promoted to lance corporal. His company was participating in Operation Scotland II when they engaged hostile forces in the vicinity of Hill 689, four kilometers west-southwest of Khe Sanh Airfield. On May 16, 1968, Zach Addington was killed in action. His captain, William McArdle, stated that he was ``one of the finest marines I have ever known. His exemplary conduct, leadership, and singular determination to do every job well were qualities that all of us respected.'' On June 6, 1968, Mr. Addington was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon in recognition of his service in Vietnam. His family hopes to display these awards in the Clermont Post Office after the naming. He is survived by his brother, Addison S. Addington; and sisters, Billie Quillin and Sandra Montgomery. The memory of Zach's courage and his service lives on in our corner of Georgia, and the naming of the Clermont Post Office in his honor will be a reminder to all of us of his sacrifice and the sacrifices of the armed services to us all. There is a time when we come to these post offices and we read accomplishments, Mr. Speaker. We read accomplishments of many folks, but each one has a story to tell. I think really, when you start to listen to the many whom we have talked about today, there is a certain theme of service that runs through each. There is a certain theme of something bigger than themselves, and especially those who gave their life. Zach Addington was one who went willingly. He knew that he may not return, in fact, even told people he may not, and he did not, but that service and that sacrifice gives us the ability to stand here today and to do what we do. By standing here today, I intend to honor him for the naming of this post office and would encourage my colleagues to vote in favor.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two veterans with ties to my home of Gainesville: Lt. Alexander Ramsey Nininger Jr., and Lt. Col. Rembert Gary Rollison. On November 4, these two veterans will be inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame, joining a distinguished group of 66 fellow Georgia veterans. In order to receive this honor, veterans must exhibit valor for heroic action in combat, demonstrate outstanding achievement while in service, or have made significant contributions to their community after leaving active duty. Lt. Nininger and Lt. Col. Rollison clearly met these criteria. Lt. Nininger graduated from West Point and was dispatched to the Philippines during World War II. When a military unit, separate from his own, faced superior firepower, he made the brave choice to assist his fellow soldiers and gave his life while giving them aid. Lt. Col. Rollison was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1966. He was eventually dispatched to Vietnam, where his courage inspired others during Operation Junction City. Other notable veterans in the Georgia Veterans Hall of Fame include former Governor Zell Miller and former Senator Sam Nunn. Soon, photos of Lt. Nininger and Lt. Col. Rollison will flank those of these public servants on the Heroes' Wall in the Floyd Veterans Memorial Building, honoring their legacy and commitment to our nation's security. With Veterans Day around the corner, let's fulfill the duty that we have to our veterans by showing them our admiration and gratitude. Heroes like Lt. Nininger and Lt. Col. Rollison have defended our nation and preserved our freedoms. We are indebted to them. I thank these two veterans, and many others, for their service.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Wayne Farms, a poultry company based in my home of Hall County. While attending this year's National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, Wayne Farms received 10 distinct awards for success in employee safety. More than a year ago, Wayne Farms began carrying out an initiative called ``Zero Accident Culture'' to further prioritize the safety of its 10,000 employees. Through organized efforts, the company was able to set and meet goals that paved the way for an even more secure atmosphere for its team members. Since its inception, the Zero Accident Culture initiative has brought down the number of injuries within the company, leaving employees with a safer environment to work in each day. Wayne Farms' leadership in workplace safety signifies the commitment that poultry producers have made not only to improving the quality of their food, but also to improving the work environment that they welcome their teams into each day. I congratulate Wayne Farms on the strides they've made in workplace safety. I wish them the best as they continue to contribute to our community in northeast Georgia