Doug Collins

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Ranger Challenge team for placing third overall in the 2019 Sandhurst Military Skills Competition. The Sandhurst competition is the world's premier international military skills competition with over 50 teams traveling to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point each year to compete against the best military academies in the world. The competition is designed to test each team's mental, physical and leadership readiness that is necessary to foster group cohesiveness and achieve excellence. Established in 1873, the University of North Georgia is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States. The University established the ROTC program in 1916, and their Corps of Cadets currently encompasses over 700 members. These cadets compete and succeed on a national scale, winning the ROTC cup for the second year in a row and placing third overall out of 49 teams. UNG was the only team not from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to finish in the top five, and they finished ahead of 14 of West Point's 16 teams, in addition to teams from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Coast Guard. As an alumnus of the University of North Georgia, I know the level of commitment and courage it takes for the Corps of Cadets to compete on a world stage. With the team improving from their Fourth Place position in 2018, it is no surprise that they are already diligently working to achieve first place in the coming years. On behalf of the people of Northeast Georgia, I want to congratulate the University of North Georgia Ranger Challenge team for their success. They continue to produce hardworking and dedicated cadets that serve our country honorably in the United States and abroad.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jasmine Carol Watt on her nomination and selection as a Delegate to the 2019 Congress of Future Medical Leaders. She will represent the great State of Georgia and White County High School at the event in Boston, Massachusetts. Selection as a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders is an incredible honor. The goal of the Congress is to identify high- achieving high school students who aspire to become physicians or medical scientists and provide them with the guidance and mentorship needed to succeed. To become a Delegate, one must have a proven record of academic achievement. Jasmine greatly exceeded that requirement with her near- perfect GPA. While maintaining a stellar GPA, Jasmine also participates in the White County High School concert and marching bands as a percussionist. From an early age, Jasmine was always intrigued by the possibility of a career in the medical profession. Inspired by her mother, a law enforcement officer, she originally expressed interest in forensic sciences but later turned her attention to becoming a nurse in the operating room, where her aunt works. The Congress of Future Medical Leaders is an incredible opportunity for Jasmine to acquire the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to succeed in the medical profession. I am proud to congratulate her on this well-deserved honor, and I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate University of Georgia student Qendrim Haxhiu on his acceptance to, and completion of, the U.S. Department of State's Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program. Qendrim Haxhiu from Dahlonega, Georgia was one of only 572 students to be selected for the 2018 CLS program--an especially remarkable accomplishment, given this highly competitive program received over 5,500 applications in 2018. This prestigious merit-based scholarship allows U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad in intensive summer institutes in 14 critical languages. Scholars complete language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote Americans' mastery of languages that are critical to our national security and economic prosperity. The CLS program gave Qendrim the opportunity to study in Tainan, Taiwan. His time overseas was spent increasing his proficiency in Chinese while being fully immersed in Taiwanese culture. Fully grasping the culture of other countries is key to America's future success, and I commend Qendrim for his commitment to sharing American values and advancing American interests abroad. On behalf of the people of Northeast Georgia, I want to congratulate Qendrim Haxhiu on his incredible accomplishment of being awarded this scholarship and completing the CLS program. I look forward to his continued success as he utilizes his knowledge and skills to enrich and broaden America's global economic interests.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor four outstanding young men, Ryan Calhoun, James Hicks, James Hunt and Evan Welch of Troop 146 in Braselton, Georgia, for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. Eagle Scout is the highest honor a Boy Scout can attain, and only a small fraction of Boy Scouts ever reach the rank. This achievement requires years upon years of tireless work and dedication to develop the requisite leadership, service and outdoor skills. Each of these young men have earned their Eagle Scout rank by completing hundreds of hours of community service, earning merit badges and completing a final Eagle Scout project. For his final project, Ryan completed a bird sanctuary at his local church which featured an inspiring biblical theme. James Hicks built a bee habitat to educate his community about the importance of supporting declining bee populations. James Hunt repaired two picnic tables and an entire bridge in the Georgia State Arboretum to ensure the forest can continue meeting the safety needs of its visitors. Evan Welch completed the landscaping and construction of an entire picnic area which will surely provide guests enjoyment for years to come. On behalf of the people of Northeast Georgia, I want to congratulate these young men for becoming Eagle Scouts. I am incredibly proud of the many hours they have dedicated to making a difference in their communities, and I look forward to watching them continue to serve as exceptional leaders.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I have released several transcripts of interviews from the Judiciary Committee's investigation into the apparent wrongdoing at the FBI and Justice Department. Today, I am releasing another. The American people deserve transparency. They deserve to know what transpired in the highest levels of the FBI at the origin of the probe of President Trump's campaign. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the link, www.dougcollins.house.gov/jamesbaker, so the American people can review the transcript of day two of James Baker's interview. Out of an abundance of caution, this transcript has a limited number of narrowly tailored redactions, relating only to confidential sources and methods, non-public information about ongoing investigations, and non-material personal information. I will continue to work to release as many transcripts as possible. The American people deserve the truth

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1957, the Taxpayer First Act. The Taxpayer First Act modernizes the IRS and ensures that the IRS cannot abuse its enforcement powers. To that end, in 2013, a fellow northeast Georgian, Andrew Clyde, experienced IRS abuse in the form of civil asset forfeiture firsthand. Andrew is a Navy veteran who has served multiple tours of duty, and he owns Clyde Armory in Athens, Georgia. The IRS seized $950,000 from his bank accounts despite no evidence of criminal activity. The IRS seized his accounts under what is called structuring laws. Under structuring laws, the IRS may seize money if an individual made regular deposits or withdrawals of less than $10,000. The law was originally intended to catch those trying to conceal a crime, but, too often, it has been used to target innocent individuals and small business owners. Andrew Clyde went to court to challenge the IRS abuse and was eventually forced to forfeit $50,000 to the IRS and spend over $100,000 in legal fees. Andrew Clyde's story is, sadly, a common one, with the IRS seizing more than $242 million in structuring cases from 2005 to 2012. That is why I introduced the RESPECT Act, to stop this practice and to protect hardworking Americans like Andrew Clyde from IRS overreach. I am glad to see that the RESPECT Act was introduced and has been included in the Taxpayer First Act. This legislation will rein in IRS overreach by requiring prosecutors to demonstrate probable cause that seized funds were illegally earned or structured to conceal illegal activity. It also enables property owners to challenge a seizure at a postseizure hearing rather than wait months or years to have their case heard. I would like to thank my friends and my dear friend from Georgia, Congressman Lewis, and also Mike Kelly for their work on this legislation and for supporting the modernization of the IRS and protecting innocent Americans from IRS abuse.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have released several transcripts of interviews from the Judiciary Committee's investigation into the apparent wrongdoing at the FBI and the Justice Department. Today, I am releasing another. The American people deserve transparency. They deserve to know what transpired at the highest levels of the FBI and at the origin of the probe into President Trump's campaign. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I request that the link www.dougcollins.house.gov/baker be placed in the Record so the American people can review the transcript of one of James Baker's interviews. Out of an abundance of caution, this transcript has a limited number of narrowly tailored redactions, relating only to confidential sources and methods, nonpublic information about ongoing investigations, and nonmaterial personal information. I will continue to work to release as many transcripts as possible, including the entirety of Mr. Baker's interviews with the Judiciary Committee. The American people deserve the truth.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Bill McGahan, founder of Georgia Works!, for the life changing impact he has made on countless men in the greater Atlanta area. Bill McGahan founded Georgia Works! in 2013 based off his fundamental belief that every life has value, and virtually every person can be given the tools and habits to make their lives better. With the ultimate goal of achieving self-sufficiency, Georgia Works! strives to end homelessness, criminal recidivism and dependency among chronically homeless men in Atlanta through programs that ensure personal development in good habits, work ethic and character. By helping participants gain stable employment and housing, Georgia Works! offers homeless men a second chance at life. Through personal support, case management, and workforce training, as well as AA/NA classes, GED classes, support in obtaining a driver's license, help setting up a bank account, and life skill preparation courses, the program works to set them up for long term success. Thanks to Bill McGahan's leadership, Georgia Works! has graduated more than 600 men. Even more impressive is the fact that the program has accomplished this major milestone without accepting a single dime of government funding. While Georgia Works! is among his most prominent accomplishments, Bill McGahan's love for and dedication to his community stretches far and wide. Bill has been involved in many organizations and non-profit boards including: The State of Georgia Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless Commission; Atlanta Area Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the Governor's Office of Transition, Support and Reentry; From Houses to Homes; Atlanta Academy; The Howard School, The Paces Civic Association; and The National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction. As we celebrate Second Chance Month, I'm incredibly proud to recognize Bill McGahan for his dedication to providing men with an opportunity for a second chance. On behalf of the people of Georgia, I commend him for his service and I thank him for his steadfast commitment to bettering our communities.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

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

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chair, again, I have been on this side, and I would love to see more cooperation, especially since this is one of the areas I do believe, Mr. Chair, we can actually have agreement on. The chairman and I have talked about this a great deal, and others, members of our Judiciary Committee. The FIRST STEP Act, criminal justice reform is something that I have been working on for many years. I think the issue of women incarceration is definitely something that needs to be looked at. Again, my concern with this program is the diversion of dollars that go through these programs to programs that already exist, and I am not sure how we are prioritizing these anymore. Even the numbers given were based over a number-of-years period, not a single-year period. When we were doing the FIRST STEP Act and doing some of the incarceration numbers, these numbers were a lot lower in the Federal prison of those actually pregnant at the time. So again, I don't, by any means, demean or try to talk badly about an amendment in the sense that it is not intended well. I think the problem is the underlying issues are already there. The underlying stuff is there. I appreciate her bringing that out. We just disagree that this would be the place to do this. There are other places we could work on this, and I think criminal justice reform is a great place to put this. I do commend the gentlewoman for bringing it. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I am not necessarily opposed to the goal of the amendment. In fact, I understand the amendment. I appreciate the gentlewoman bringing it. I have supported similar programs in the FIRST STEP Act. The thing here is that this amendment is not necessary because, in the underlying bill, it already provides for parenting classes and resources. I appreciate the gentlewoman bringing it. I don't necessarily have a problem with it, except it is already there. So, offering this amendment is fine, but I just, at this point, would just say it is already there. I have supported similar programs before. I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern in this, and we would agree on that. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, again, understanding the concerns, all this is already, frankly, covered. It is covered in the underlying bill, but it is also covered in other programs. In going through some of these--and I know we have got a couple more--in some of these amendments, anything that takes funding away that would go from regular programs would be of concern, but I am happy to work with my colleagues to address these issues in other areas. I just don't think VAWA, probably, is the best way, but I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, but I am not necessarily opposed.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I understand what the gentlewoman is talking about and wants to do here. The concern here is this amendment establishes an entirely new grant program with a national resource center. It is unclear how it would be necessary, but it is also unclear on what resources would be used to establish that new center. And if it means taking money out of the current VAWA bill for victims, for women and others, then I would definitely be opposed to this. Provisions in existing law and the underlying bill already address these and similar issues, including digital and cyber abuse. So just from that perspective, from a concern of where the funds are actually coming from and how to do this, but also the fact that it seems redundant, that is why I would oppose it. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.