Doug Collins

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, at this point, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2819) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 275 Front Street in Marietta, Ohio, as the ``Veterans Memorial Post Office Building''.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank and appreciate the gentleman from California. At a time in which our country goes like this, a story like this needs to be told over and over. I appreciate the chairman sharing that again so that we see true civil service and true giving back to the country, and I appreciate that very much. With that, I urge all Members to support passage of H.R. 4939, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), my distinguished colleague.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4939, introduced by Representative Buck McKeon of California, which would designate the postal facility located at 2551 Galena Avenue in Simi Valley, California, as the Neil Havens Post Office. Charles ``Neil'' Havens was the longest serving postmaster of Simi Valley, California, serving more than 30 years with the United States Postal Service until his retirement in 1988. In 1958, he continued the family tradition when he was appointed postmaster by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His grandfather had served as the first mail carrier in Simi, beginning in 1912, and multiple generations of the Havens family followed in his footsteps. Over the course of Neil's career, the mail service grew from a single route with a single carrier to over 60 routes covered by 170 employees under his direction. In addition to his service with the post office, he was dedicated to bettering his community and his country. He was a Rotary Club president, an active community volunteer, charitable and educational organization supporter, and a Navy reservist. Mr. Havens passed away in July of 2004 while resting at home with his wife, Pat. He left behind a strong legacy of service and excellence. I ask that my colleagues support H.R. 4939 to designate Neil Havens' beloved Simi Post Office in his honor. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Chief Master Sergeant Wendell L. Peacock of the 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base on the occasion of his retirement. Chief Peacock enlisted in the Air Force in 1981 and served eight years of active duty before joining the Air Force Reserve. He has held various assignments in the security forces career field. In 2007, he moved to Dobbins Air Reserve Base as a Security Forces Manager. Chief Peacock became the Command Chief Master Sergeant for the 94th Airlift Wing at Dobbins in May 2011. In this position, Chief Peacock has been the principal advisor to the commander and staff. He has been responsible for influencing mission readiness, utilization, morale, and quality of life for more than 1,600 enlisted Airmen. He has also coordinated with staff agencies and assists with the implementation of wing policies. I had the privilege of working alongside Chief Peacock as a chaplain in the 94th Air Wing and had a close relationship with him. He exemplifies the very best traits that can be found among the ranks of our Armed Forces. I stand with many Airmen at Dobbins who will miss the Chief and wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, as we come here today, one of the things that strikes me--and, of course, I support the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 4315, because it really strikes a balance and, as part of the working group that has been meeting under Chairman Hastings and others, including Mr. Bishop, dealing with this, as my friend from Utah said, it is an issue that has not been touched in many, many years. There is nothing that really, from our perspective of government, should not be looked at every once in awhile, and especially when you get things such as the Endangered Species Act, which has grown and multiplied and just really expanded to where not only does it affect Western States, but it affects States like Georgia. To come to the floor today to take issue with a bill that simply permits the concept--and my friend from Utah said we could have actually gone after a lot more than this. We could have taken on the Endangered Species than this. We could have taken on the Endangered Species Act and said: Let's make it better for the 21st century. Instead, we went to targeted reform, targeted aspects of it. We said: Let's look at transparency. Let's look at capping attorneys' fees. Instead of paying pockets of attorneys, it is okay to still sue. We are saying it is okay if you want to sue, but we are not going to pay unlimited amounts just so you can sue for maybe dubious data or devious wins. This is an issue of transparency. Wouldn't we want to put that money into protecting actual endangered species? Is that not what the Endangered Species Act is about? Is it actually protecting endangered species? The problem with the Endangered Species Act, however, is that it has expanded to where now the Endangered Species is jobs. It is people. It is the people who are affected by the Endangered Species Act, and all we are saying is let's shine a little light on it. That is a song from back when the ESA was first passed. Let's shine a light. ``This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.'' Well, let's shine a little bit of light on this as we go forward. A ``no'' vote on this legislation to me is simply a ``no'' vote, whether it is the rule or the bill. It is a ``no'' vote for the status quo. If there is anything that this country is screaming, whether it is Republican or Democrat, they are tired of the status quo, and especially in something like this, because when they hear about it, they don't understand it. I am going to tell a little story that comes from Georgia, and it involves the Indiana bat. The Indiana bat is on the endangered species list. A few years ago--oh, oh, be quiet. A few years ago, a transmitter went off. It was a little beep. Oh, oh. You might hear it on your phone. It was a beep in southern Tennessee. It only went off one time from everything that we can gather, but that transponder hit said the Indiana bat is moving south. Well, we expanded the net and said nothing north of Atlanta. All of a sudden we have to start checking for the Indiana bat. We checked. We have looked. I have it on my phone here. I brought one to the floor today. I have a compass. I have a map. I asked this before and nobody stepped forward, but I will take my compass. I will take my map, and if you help me, come to northeast Georgia and find the Indiana bat, there is probably a prize. I will take you to the Waffle House and buy you whatever you want, because so far it hasn't been found. In fact, the last time the Indiana bat was actually seen in Georgia was in Athens in the 1940s. Now, Athens is home to a wonderful, fine, upstanding institution called the University of Georgia. Go Dawgs. But it was probably found or seen maybe after one of the celebrations of our great victories on Saturday on the gridiron when everyone is partying, and they may have seen the Indiana bat and said, ``There's the bat,'' but we haven't seen it since. So I am not sure what we are looking for, but I tell you what we are doing. We are paying almost $100,000 on every road project over and above the cost for hard-earned taxpayer dollars on the Federal and State level looking for a bat that may have existed in a fraternity party in Athens 45, 50, 60 years ago because nobody knows. But it came because, listen--those in the gallery, those watching on TV, listen-- the transponder may go off, and we may just block off all kinds of areas and say ``pay more'' because the transponder went off. Now, many times our friends across the aisle say we on our side, we just want business and we don't care about endangered species, we don't care about the environment. There is no other Republican, and when you come to the Ninth District of Georgia--and I know my friend from Colorado feels that his State is beautiful, and it is. It is great. But the Ninth District of Georgia is pretty nice, too. And I want clean water and I want good roads. I want the things that matter because the environment in north Georgia is great. But what I do not want is an overreaching regulation that is not addressed when we are simply asking for transparency. We are simply asking for transparency. When you are asking for transparency, my question not only is where is the bat, but where is the problem. Where is the bat? Where is the problem? The problem with this bill is nothing. The problem with this bill is it begins to shine light on the things that need shining light on. Disinfectant, I am not sure what we are doing here because right now there is no disinfectant. We need transparency to shine a light. ``This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.'' I am going to let it shine on something that protects taxpayer dollars, that protects transparency and does the things that it is supposed to do. And by the way, if you happen to be coming by, the problem with this is simply transparency. It protects taxpayer dollars and protects endangered species by using the latest in science and being open to the public. But let me ask all who may be watching: if you are driving through the great State of Georgia, if you are in north Georgia in the Ninth District, I have got a lot of places for you to come, but when you get there bring your binoculars, bring your compass, bring a map, and if you find the bat I will see you at the Waffle House.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee yielding me this time. You know, it is amazing when you even mention dealing with reforming the Endangered Species Act how people all of a sudden think--and it is just a matter of putting some controls or limiting it--that you are antispecies, you are terrible on the environment. Really what we are talking about here is just basically like all of the things in life that are updated from time to time, this is something that needs to be updated. I have been pleased to work in this working group, together with the chairman and others, to bring about some sensible reforms. The reason we do this, farmers, ranchers, folks back home, my Farm Bureau, have been hit by lawsuits. And I appreciate what the gentleman just said. It is lawsuits, not science, that seems to be pressuring some of this along. In fact, in 2011, the WildEarth Guardians and Center for Biological Diversity entered into an agreement with Fish and Wildlife that added 1,000 species. Now, the only problem with that is that no one in the ag community and others who were affected were allowed to participate. Now, I have another bill called Sue and Settle that would have taken care of that when we passed it out of this House. It was said earlier that, when you take the ESA, you don't take a meat cleaver approach. Well, I think the problem is not a meat cleaver approach here. It is the fact that many don't want to take an approach at all. They want to just leave it alone. They don't even want to take up having reasonable caps on attorneys' fees. Instead of putting money into lawyers' pockets at a cap of just $125 an hour, they would rather go on--which, by the way, in that same 2011 case, the attorneys' fees went over $300,000 in this situation. You see, the problem here is not wanting to deal with ESA. The problem is wanting to continue an ideological bent that says leave it alone even at the expense of jobs, even at the expense of saying that maybe we messed up, even at the expense of saying maybe we can find a different point of view, maybe we can have valid science, or maybe just addressing it. For those of us in northeast Georgia, we want good, clean water, clean air, and protection of our wildlife. But also, we understand that taxpayer dollars spent on this needs to happen. We need to do this reform. By the way, Mr. Chairman, I still have no takers on my bat.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Thank you as well for yours, and thanks for doing this tonight. Mr. Speaker, this is an easy one for me. I stand with the State of Israel as well as her right to defend herself. It is amazing to me at times that that is even called into question, because Israel has proven time and time again that it is very capable of defending herself, and it is amazing to me that the world doesn't want to acknowledge that. This commitment that I have to Israel is here now and will continue to be unwavering even in the midst of this conflict between Israel and Hamas that is taking place mainly in Gaza. I am in firm support of Israel's decision to launch a ground operation, and I hope this conflict will be resolved quickly and negotiations for a permanent cease-fire will occur soon for this area. Currently, Israel's strategic objective is to eradicate Hamas' ability to terrorize Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu gave the go-ahead to send ground troops into Gaza after a 10-day air operation failed to diminish Hamas' rocket barrage. Think if the U.S. were being targeted. Do you think we would wait a day to execute a ground incursion, let alone 10 days? Absolutely not. In fact, Israel and Egypt tried to negotiate a cease-fire with Hamas, but Hamas was unwilling to accept it. We see the true stripes of Hamas when they will not come to the table and when they, instead, want to basically put their own citizens up as human shields. I have received a lot of feedback from folks in the Ninth District who feel very strongly about the United States' support for Israel from the beginning, when the three young Israeli teens were kidnapped. Georgians empathized with the pain of the nation and with the hope that the three teenagers would be returned to Israel, unharmed. Unfortunately, their bodies were discovered in a Palestinian-controlled area. They had been brutally murdered at the hands of Hamas. I think my constituents would agree when I say a peaceful solution to end this conflict between Israel and the residents of the Gaza Strip is preferred. Hamas, on more than one occasion, however, has rejected the cease-fires that Israel was more than willing to agree to. We as Americans understand fighting terrorism is a constant fight, and this is yet another reason we must continue to work towards combating terrorism, not just on American soil, but by supporting our allies in their fights against terrorism. Our support is shown in many ways, but the biggest is in the Iron Dome defense system. Hundreds of Hamas' rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome, and it has protected those in Israel who are being terrorized by Hamas. Hamas is hiding behind Palestinians--their own people--to protect their rockets while Israel is protecting their people with the Iron Dome. These are the things that must be reported, and these are the things that must be looked after. A peaceful solution needs to be found soon. The administration needs to get its priorities correct. Israelis understand this, and that is why they need to continue to protect themselves. The resources going to Gaza should be used to build schools and hospitals and infrastructure instead of the things that the Palestinians are not getting. This is why the United States must continue to support Israel. We must continue to support their fight against terrorism, and we must continue to maximize our efforts towards a peace that will last in Israel in this area.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, because I support ensuring that Internet access remains free from predatory taxes imposed by State and local governments looking to fill their coffers at the expense of their residents. I think we just saw why this bill is needed because there are two different philosophies. Especially for those who support this legislation, this is an area where we want to continue to have the Internet free, especially as the gentlelady from California (Ms. Lofgren) said, that this goes to the user, and I think that is one thing that we need to understand here. This legislation ensures that no person is discouraged from accessing the Internet and experiencing its transformative power. The Internet is a tool for democracy and education. It is an outlet for free expression and the megaphone for those who were previously ignored. It connects individuals and is a means for creative entrepreneurship. The Internet allows for all boundaries to be transcended--cultural religious, geographical, and lingual. Our economy, the expressions of our freedom, and our role as a beacon of hope and democracy are all enhanced by free and open access to the Internet. I want to applaud the work of the chairman in ensuring this Congress is doing everything in its power to promote an open Internet that can be accessed without predatory taxes and fees. Again, this is about the people that we represent, moms and dads who have the dream of a better America where they are making it for their kids and not being imposed upon by government simply looking to fill their coffers at the expense of citizens.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentleman from Florida yielding. And really, I think this just goes back to a simple reflection of priorities. We are here tonight, and both sides are coming to the floor. They are offering amendments. They are talking about energy and water. And Chairman Simpson has done a fine job of bringing this to the floor, and I think we have some good stuff going here. But this is about priorities. Why should we be looking at funding priorities for other countries who have their own sufficient taxpayer money, their own sufficient growth? They may have trouble in growth, but why are we looking at it from a perspective that we should possibly say we are going to use our funds to do this on? This is not something we need to be a part of. It is not saying: just let China and India take care of themselves, we don't have a part. We have plenty of private industry that will go in at a fee and also do this. Why would we be putting government funds possibly towards this. I think this is another area where we deal with sustainable cities. This is a concern of many of my constituents. Some have actually called this looking at how we go across the world an agenda 21 wannabe. This is just simply something we shouldn't be doing. This is just something that we want to limit and simply say: we are going to be a leader, let's let the rest of the world lead, but let's let them pay with their own dollars. I appreciate the gentleman from Florida bringing this.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, Hall County lost a wonderful citizen and community leader when my friend Dennis Pitts passed in his family's home on May 24 at just the age of 58. A lifelong Georgian, Dennis was a 1973 graduate of Johnson High School. He worked in real estate for many years before becoming Hall County's first Republican commissioner. He served two terms in that position, starting in 1994. In business, he became president and chief financial officer of Minit Save Food Stores and Pitts Management Co. Most recently, Dennis served in the office of his close friend, Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle. Dennis was Cagle's North Georgia field representative and chief economic development officer. In addition to his civic and community involvement, Dennis was an avid outdoorsman who spent time hunting, fishing, running, swimming, and cycling--including a 55-mile ride on his 55th birthday. He was also a member of the First Baptist Church of Gainesville. Dennis will be remembered as a thoughtful, generous man who took great pride in serving Northeast Georgia. My prayers and thoughts are with Dennis' wife, Jane, as well as his parents and siblings during this difficult time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation with my friend from New York, Congressman Crowley, to extend section 181 of the tax code to continue to allow for the immediate tax write-off of the first $15 million (or $20 million where the production is made in a distressed community) of production expenditures for qualifying domestic film and television productions. In addition, our bill would extend section 181 treatment to live theatrical productions. We are joined on this bill today by our colleagues Mr. Boustany (LA), Mr. Neal (MA), Mr. Nunes (CA), and Ms. Sanchez (CA). Section 181 was first enacted in the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 and has been extended several times since. It was added to protect the U.S. television and film industry and to counteract the increasingly aggressive incentives offered by many foreign governments to attract production overseas. The Directors Guild of America noted, at the time that section 181 was passed, ``globalization, rising costs, foreign wage, tax and financing incentives, and technological advances, combined are causing a substantial transformation of what used to be a quintessentially American industry into an increasingly dispersed global industry.'' Thus, in enacting section 181, Congress recognized the important and unique contribution our television and film production industries make to providing high-paying jobs and economic benefits in communities across the country. These productions provide good jobs not just for actors, writers and directors, but also for the local carpenters and electricians, the drivers and equipment operators, the caterers and hotel-keepers who provide services to these productions. It is estimated that a major motion picture shooting on location contributes $225,000 every day to the local economy. For example, in 2011, the major studios alone paid over $530 million to nearly 4,000 vendors in Georgia. Section 181 of the Internal Revenue Code allows production companies to deduct the cost of qualified U.S. productions immediately rather than capitalizing the costs and deducting them slowly over time. The incentive accelerates the timing of the deduction but it does not change the amount of the deduction. In order to qualify, a film must be domestically-produced, that is, at least 75 percent of the total compensation paid for the production must be for services performed in the U.S. by actors, directors, producers and other production staff personnel. The deduction applies to the first $15 million ($20 million for productions in low income communities or distressed area or isolated area of distress) of a qualified film or television production. The cost of the production above the dollar limitation is capitalized and recovered under the taxpayer's normal method of accounting. I believe that section 181 remains an appropriately targeted provision, designed to encourage television and film producers to stay here in the United States and keep those jobs in our communities. For example, incentivized productions contributed over $800 million annually to Georgia's economic output from 2007 to 2010. In 2012 alone, the entertainment industry spent more than $870 million in Georgia, including new investments in infrastructure as several studios and other industry-related businesses have expanded or relocated in Georgia. This bill will help to ensure that those jobs stay here in the U.S. The bill I am introducing today also includes a new feature to extend section 181 benefits to live theatrical productions. As with films, theater not only provides cultural benefits but also provides economic benefits to local communities in the U.S. For example, according to the Broadway league, Broadway contributed $11 billion in 2012-13 to New York City's economy on top of ticket sales and supports 86,000 jobs. And the benefits are not limited to New York. Traveling Broadway shows contributed almost $3.4 billion to the U.S. economy, which helps sustain regional and local theatres allowing them to offer their cultural events. Live theatre audiences make numerous ancillary purchases, including restaurants, hotels, parking, taxis and souvenirs. Unfortunately, as with film, other countries are becoming more aggressive in attracting theatrical production overseas. This is important because future income associated with a production, such as licensing fees and royalties, return to the country of the production's origin. Thus, as more original productions move overseas, the U.S. will lose tax revenue associated with those productions. To help prevent this from occurring and to allow investors to recoup their risky investment more quickly, we believe it is important to extend section 181 to theatrical productions. Finally, it is important to note that, while both film and television production and theatre production are inherently risky capital- intensive businesses, neither industry qualifies for bonus depreciation that covered virtually every other American industry. Section 181 acts similarly to bonus depreciation to allow investors in these uniquely American industries to recoup their investments more rapidly. This can aid the decision to green-light a project or to produce it in the U.S. This will have ripple effects across the economy by generating revenue and jobs for a range of local businesses, such as caterers, hotels, equipment rentals, etc. This legislation works to protect these important industries and stem the flood of production to non-U.S. locations. Section 181, which expired at the end of 2013, should be extended and expanded as soon as possible in order to encourage domestic investment and keep television, film and theatrical production jobs in the United States.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the ranking member's opinion on that. As the son of a Georgia State trooper, I think the descriptions that you have just made are basically a little bit of hyperbole in the sense that when an officer or others go in an emergency and have this situation in which they would not act in the best interest of the situation which they are in. All we are simply saying is we are not going to give Federal funds to cities and localities and States who want to directly contradict immigration local law in the normal course of business. That is exactly what this amendment does, and will continue to do so. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the opportunity, and it looks like I am probably bringing up the boots. I think I am on a boat, as they say. I am the last one coming in. I just want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for the time. I have been watching all night, and I just want to thank you all for the work you have done on this bill, and I look forward to offering this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer this amendment to ensure that no funds appropriated under H.R. 4660 are used to assist States and localities whose laws and policies are in direct contradiction to Federal immigration law and enforcement efforts. State and local jurisdictions are implementing policies that directly contradict U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's statutorily- mandated mission to identify and ultimately remove illegal aliens who are currently incarcerated. Not only do these policies go against the spirit and the letter of the laws enacted by this body, but they ultimately do a disservice to the very communities that they are designed to protect. Local jurisdictions are increasingly implementing policies that bar State and local officials, including law enforcement officials, from asking people about their immigration statuses, from reporting them to Federal immigration authorities, or otherwise cooperating with or assisting Federal immigration authorities. Some jurisdictions are even going farther to defy Federal law by implementing antidetainer policies that restrict local and State police from cooperating with Federal authorities that are seeking to remove aliens who have been arrested and charged with other crimes, and when local sheriffs choose to follow the Federal law and honor ICE detainers, some have been slapped with a lawsuit for cooperating with these detainers. In response to a number of local jurisdictions for their refusing to honor ICE detainers in all or in many cases, former ICE Director John Morton warned of what would occur. He said that: The approach of one particular county is ultimately going to lead to additional crimes that would have been prevented had we been able to enforce the law as the law is presently written. I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this amendment and send a clear message that, if localities and jurisdictions refuse to honor ICE detainers and implement policies in contradiction to Federal immigration law, they should not be eligible to receive funds under this act, specifically Federal reimbursement grants under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. With that, Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Congresswoman Meng's legislation. Including language that protects cemeteries is consequential as every culture and faith hold final resting places as sacred ground. Just two months ago in March vandals broke into a Jewish cemetery in Hungary. The vandals spray-painted swastikas and anti-Semitic messages on the Jewish tombstones to show their hatred. This is a stark reminder of the travesties against personal freedoms abroad. These incidents are not isolated and often coincide with other violations against religious freedom. Desecrating the cemetery of another religious or ethnic group is a very defiant way to express hatred and inflict pain. The religious or ethnic groups that care for the cemeteries are having their religious rights trampled on. These prejudice acts are especially devastating when tolerated or encouraged by the local or national government. The final resting place for the deceased deserve the respect of all regardless of personal beliefs or religion and deserve to be added to the list of violations to the International Religious Freedom Act. I want to thank Congresswoman Meng for authoring this legislation and bringing this issue to Congress' attention.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I strongly commend Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall for bringing conference report for the Water Resources and Reform Development Act to the floor. It represents a great bipartisan effort on one of Congress' true article one responsibilities, providing for America's infrastructure. In northeast Georgia, the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) means jobs. Georgia's 9th Congressional District shipped more than 10,780 tons of goods through Georgia ports in 2013 alone. As a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, I fought for Georgia's investment in SHEP to get the project moving, and now as a member of the United States House of Representatives, I'm proud to vote in favor of the federal government living up to its promise of matching funds. Deepening this harbor from 42 to 47 feet will allow new supertankers to use the port to transport Georgia products all over the world. There are a number of good reforms in this bill that will increase efficiency and reduce the cost of upcoming projects. A provision of the bill will limit the length and cost of Army Corps of Engineers feasibility studies, so that projects can be completed on schedule and on budget. This bill deauthorizes over $18 billion of old, inactive projects, more than offsetting the authorizations in this bill. WRRDA also sunsets the authorization of any project authorized by the bill after 7 years if construction has not begun. Any piece of legislation aimed at reform has room for improvement. Language included in the underlying bill regarding the Apalachicola- Chattahoochee-Flint River (ACF) and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River (ACT) Systems was far from perfect. No language in this bill implies any Congressional intent to interfere with states' work on this important issue. This dispute has been ongoing for a number of years, and Congress interjecting will not bring about a more favorable outcome to any of the parties involved. Water supply disputes are best handled at the state level, and I trust that the governors of the affected states will come together and resolve the issue without Congressional intervention. Overall, I am very supportive of this bill and urge its adoption.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 220 on H.R. 3080--``To provide for improvements to the rivers and harbors of the United States, to provide for the conservation and development of water and related resources, and for other purposes,'' I am not recorded because I was absent due to a district issue. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 221 on H.R. 3530--``Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act,'' I am not recorded because I was absent due to a district issue. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 222 on H.R. 4225--``Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation (SAVE) Act of 2014,'' I am not recorded because I was absent due to a district issue. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my colleague from Texas (Mr. Poe) and also as a proud cosponsor of the Justice for Victims Trafficking Act, which this House has passed. I join the ever-growing number of Americans who are standing up to the abhorrent practice of human trafficking. Worldwide awareness concerning the trade in persons has increased significantly in recent years, but awareness is not enough. With an estimated 27 million persons in slavery around the world and hundreds of thousands within our own Nation, now is the time for action. By doing so, we join those who have already taken action against modern-day slavery, folks like my constituent Vicki Moore. Ten years ago, Vicki was alarmed to read about the commercial sex trade in India. But she wasn't just alarmed; she decided to do something about it. She founded a nonprofit called Rahab's Rope. Her organization gives hope and opportunity to women and girls who are at risk or have been forced into the commercial sex trade in India. Women helped by Rahab's Rope in India have the opportunity to produce items that are then sold at the organization's store in Gainesville. Proceeds from those sales go to help even more women and girls in India. The Rahab's Rope store also serves an important function of raising awareness of the sex trade in India and worldwide. In addition to its work overseas, Rahab's Rope works with local organizations in Georgia to help women break out of the cycle of poverty through education, skills and training, job coaching, and more. As a longtime supporter of Rahab's Rope, I commend Vicki and others who have been on the front lines of the battle, and I hope that everyone in this body will continue to not only raise awareness of sex trafficking, but will do something about it.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this important legislation and want to thank my Judiciary Committee colleague, Mr. Poe, for all his work on this bill and this issue. As a cosponsor of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, I join the ever-growing number of Americans who are standing up to the abhorrent practice of human trafficking. Worldwide awareness concerning the trade in persons has increased significantly in recent years, but awareness isn't enough. With an estimated 27 million persons in slavery around the world and hundreds of thousands within our own nation, now is the time for action. This legislation will help combat human trafficking by--boosting support and protection for domestic human trafficking victims, increasing and streamlining law enforcement resources, enhancing victims' services, and strengthening our laws to ensure that both buyers and sellers engaged in sex trafficking are held accountable for their crimes. I hope this body will join the anti-trafficking movement by adopting this legislation with strong bipartisan support. By doing so, we join those who have already taken action against modern-day slavery--folks like my constituent, Vicki Moore. Ten years ago, Vicki was alarmed to read about the commercial sex trade in India. But she wasn't just alarmed. She decided to do something about it. Vicki founded a non-profit called Rahab's Rope. Her organization gives hope and opportunity to women and girls who are at risk or have been forced into the commercial sex trade in India. Women helped by Rahab's Rope in India have the opportunity to produce items that are then sold at the organization's store in Gainesville. Proceeds from those sales go to help even more women and girls in India. The Rahab's Rope store also serves the important function of raising awareness of the sex trade in India and worldwide. In addition to its work overseas, Rahab's Rope works with local organizations in Georgia to help women break out of the cycle of poverty through education, skills and training, job coaching, and more. As a long time supporter of Rahab's Rope, I commend Vicki and others who have been on the front lines of this battle. And hope this body will do everything in its power to support their vital work of combating human trafficking.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the exemplary actions of the Camp Merrill chow staff during the winter storms that hit Georgia in January and February. L & S Services employees serve the 5th Ranger Training Battalion in the Camp Merrill Chow Hall. When winter weather crippled parts of Georgia earlier this year, members of this team volunteered their personal time and even risked personal safety to ensure that Army operations would continue without degradation. Thanks to the sacrifice of L & S Services personnel, more than 300 students were able to successfully complete the mountain phase of Ranger school. In addition, this experience led to the development of a procedure for folks to stay at Camp Merrill to support operations during severe weather--a plan that was followed just a few weeks later, when a dangerous ice storm struck the area. Even in the face of significant challenges this winter, L & S Services employees provided consistent and outstanding service to Camp Merrill. I commend these individuals for going above and beyond the call of duty to support our men and women in uniform, and ultimately, our national security.