Paul Cook

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exemplary career of Federal Correctional Complex Victorville FCI II Warden Cynthia Entzel. On January 18, 2018, Warden Entzel will retire after 22 years of service with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Warden Entzel's career with the Bureau of Prisons began in 1996 when she worked as a time and attendance clerk for FCC Florence. She was then promoted to a secretarial position at FCC Florence and was eventually made a case manager at FCI Englewood. In 2008 she transferred to FCC Victorville as a case manager coordinator before attaining the position of executive assistant at FCC Allenwood. In 2013, Warden Entzel was named associate warden of FCI Schuylkill before transferring to U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners Springfield. She returned to FCC Victorville in 2016 as the warden for FCI II. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to congratulate Warden Entzel for a distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Her dedication and commitment to the profession of law enforcement reflects great credit upon herself and the United States of America.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of retired United States Marine Corps Sergeant Major Ray V. Wilburn, who passed away on January 2, 2018 at the age of 98. Born in Wolf City, Texas in 1919, Sgt. Maj. Wilburn hitchhiked 75 miles to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1939. Following the outbreak of World War II, he was assigned to 3rd Artillery Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment in the Solomon Islands. His unit eventually saw combat on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Tulagi. At the beginning of the Korean War, Sgt. Maj. Wilburn was an artillery instructor at Camp Del Mar, California, but in 1951 he received orders to serve with the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment in Korea. His unit was assigned to Artillery Valley where they endured constant barrages of enemy fire from 122mm rounds. In 1967, Sgt. Maj. Wilburn was sent to Vietnam with the 1st Medical Battalion where he was lauded by his superiors for his leadership and mettle. Nightly Viet Cong mortar attacks forced he and his fellow Marines to perform their duties in flak vests and helmets. The Marine Corps granted Sgt. Maj. Wilburn's request to serve more than 30 years, however in 1971 he was forced to medically retire after 31 years of service. If given the opportunity, I have no doubt that Sgt. Maj. Wilburn would have served his beloved Marine Corps another 31 years. I would like to pass along my condolences to his family and friends, and I thank God everyday for men like Sgt. Maj. Wilburn. Semper Fi.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in strong support of Mr. DeSantis' resolution, H. Res. 259, and Mr. Engel's bill, H.R. 2658, which both speak to the ongoing political economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela under the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro. Once the richest country in South America, Venezuela now has a total unpaid bond debt of over $1 billion and is in default on multiple loans. The Maduro regime is responsible for widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, mass arbitrary detentions, and torture of the political opposition. They have detained five Citgo executives who are dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizens, as well as U.S. citizen and religious missionary Joshua Holt, who remains unjustly imprisoned. American adversaries are among the main supporters of Venezuela. More than a dozen high-ranking Cuban officers as well as thousands of Cuban intelligence agents are reportedly in Venezuela. Venezuela continues to receive financial support from Russia and China. Venezuela also possesses 5,000 Russian-made, man-portable surface-to-air missiles and is the largest operator of Russian arms and military hardware in Latin America. The humanitarian crisis is not limited to Venezuela alone. The crisis in Venezuela has led to mass immigration. Last year, the U.S. received 18,000 requests from Venezuelans seeking to escape the brutal regime. Waves of Venezuelan refugees have also fled to Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil, threatening to create a regionwide migration crisis. The regime refuses to accept humanitarian aid from the international community, preferring instead to use its citizens as political pawns at the expense of their health and safety. I commend the efforts of the Trump administration to take a principled stand to support the Venezuelan people and sanction the most dangerous actors in the Venezuelan Government. Just yesterday, the regime threatened that elections in Venezuela would only take place if these sanctions were lifted. I wholeheartedly reject this threat and remain committed to the sanctions and to continuing to put pressure on the Maduro regime. I express my strong support for these two bills. The U.S. supports a free, democratic, and independent Venezuela that is accountable to the people. We stand ready to assist the Venezuelan people and provide humanitarian assistance, and we urge more action from our partners in the region and the international community to resolve the crisis in Venezuela.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1488) to retitle Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes National Park, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1488 would redesignate Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes National Park. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was established by Congress in 1966. The designation of the national lakeshore as a unit of the National Park Service was the culmination of decades of work by conservationists, area residents, and elected officials. The original law included 8,330 acres of land and water. The National Park Service conservation advocates continued to seek expansion of the boundaries, and five subsequent laws increased the size of the national lakeshore to more than 15,000 acres. In October 1916, shortly after the National Park Service was established, NPS Director Stephen Mather held hearings in Chicago to gauge public sentiment on a Sand Dunes National Park. In a Department of the Interior report published after the hearings, Director Mather stated: ``No national park or other Federal reservation offers this phenomenon for the pleasure and edification of the people, and no national park is as accessible. Furthermore, the dunes offer to the visitor extraordinary scenery, a large variety of plant life, magnificent bathing beaches, and splendid opportunities to camp and live in the wild close to nature.'' Despite Director Mather's support, the national park proposal was abandoned at the onset of World War I, and several years later, in 1925, Indiana Dunes State Park was established. Redesignation of the national lakeside as a national park would make Indiana Dunes the 60th national park in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1074) to repeal the Act entitled ``An Act to confer jurisdiction on the State of Iowa over offenses committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox Indian Reservation''.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1074. This bill would rescind criminal jurisdiction from the State of Iowa over crimes committed by or against members of the Sac and Fox Tribe on their lands. In doing so, the Tribe or the Federal Government would exercise exclusive jurisdiction under the Major Crimes Act. This is the most common legal situation for most tribes in America today. In 1948, Congress granted jurisdiction over all crimes committed by or against Indians on the Sac and Fox Reservation to the State of Iowa. In 1949, there was no mechanism in the Federal Government concerning criminal jurisdiction on the Tribe's land, and up until that point, the Tribe had largely policed themselves. Today, the Federal Government has criminal statutory authority on Indian lands, the Tribe is again ready to police itself, and the State of Iowa has agreed that its Federal grant of criminal jurisdiction can be repealed. Accordingly, under H.R. 1074, the Federal Government will have criminal jurisdiction over crimes, especially major crimes, by or against Indians on the Tribe's lands. The Tribe would have jurisdiction over Indian offenders for crimes over which it exercises jurisdiction, and the State of Iowa would retain exclusive jurisdiction over crimes where both offender and victim are non-Indians. I thank the sponsor of H.R. 1074, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Blum), for his work on this bill, and I urge adoption of the measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Blum).

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3279) to amend the Mineral Leasing Act to provide that extraction of helium from gas produced under a Federal mineral lease shall maintain the lease as if the helium were oil and gas.

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

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3279, the Helium Extraction Act of 2017. This straightforward piece of legislation will incentivize helium production on Federal lands, help ensure the future of America's helium supply, and provide a fair return to the taxpayer. Under existing law, the Mineral Leasing Act only permits helium extraction as a by-product of an existing oil or natural gas lease. As a result, if oil and gas production on a Federal site is not economically viable, the lease will expire, regardless of the revenue brought in by helium sales. The Helium Extraction Act of 2017 would correct this error and authorize helium production activities where economically viable. Helium is used for much more than balloons. It is a rare and unique element which has become an indispensable part of our medical, space, and defense industries, such as its use in MRI machines, semiconductors, and air-to-air missile guidance systems. Unfortunately, the future of our domestic helium supply is uncertain. The Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, which details a commonsense privatization process of the Federal helium reserve, also specifies that all helium in the Federal reserve must be auctioned off by September 30, 2021, and the facility closed. This crucial source of helium has been relied upon for almost half a century, but in a few short years, it will no longer be available. Our country needs another way to access this critical natural resource; otherwise, we will be relying on hostile interests such as Qatar, Algeria, and Russia. Each of these countries presents security and geopolitical challenges made even more apparent by recent unrest among Qatar and its regional neighbors. Unless something changes, foreign facilities are predicted to become our chief source of helium by the end of the decade. This is why H.R. 3279 is such a necessary piece of legislation. By authorizing the Bureau of Land Management to lease land for this valuable nonrenewable resource, this legislation will raise $9 million for the American taxpayer and help secure our supply of helium for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2600) to provide for the conveyance to the State of Iowa of the reversionary interest held by the United States in certain land in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 2600, sponsored by my colleague, Representative David Young of Iowa. H.R. 2600 directs the Department of the Interior to convey to the State of Iowa the reversionary interest held by the United States in certain land in Pottawattamie County. By the way, there is going to be a test afterwards on this pronunciation. In 1989, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to provide for the development of a trails interpretive center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Six years later, in 1995, the National Western Trails Center donated property to the Federal Government, and the National Park Service later constructed a trails center on the property to interpret the history of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, and the Oregon National Historic Trail. In 1998, the Federal Government donated the trails center and surrounding property to the State Historical Society of Iowa. Federal ownership was transferred to the State subject to a condition that if the trails center is not being used for the purposes specified in the 1989 Act, the land and the center would revert to the United States. Since 1998, the State has owned and operated the trails center. Presently, visitation at the center is very low, the hours of operation are limited, and maintenance is falling behind. The State of Iowa would like to remove the trails center from its responsibility and possibly transfer the property to the city of Council Bluffs. The National Park Service currently does not own or directly manage any of the land associated with the 1989 Act. Moreover, it is the Committee's understanding that the National Park Service does not have any interest in taking over operation of the trails center or ownership of the property. I commend Representative Young for his outstanding work on behalf of his constituents. I would also like to thank the minority for their help and cooperation moving this legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young).

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional career of General Chairman William Hannah of the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Union, a Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who retired on October1, 2017. Bill Hannah gave his heart and time to the Labor movement working on better working conditions for the membership for over 35 years and 46 years in the industry. He began with Southern Pacific Railroad in May of 1971, was promoted to Engineer in 1978, and was a member of Division 5 from 1979 to 1981. Bill became a charter member of Division 56 in 1981, and is still a proud member in good standing. For over 35 years he was a union leader for the Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Union as a Local Chairman of Division 56 from 1982 to 2001 and a General Chairman from 2001 to Oct. 1, 2017, covering 18 divisions and covering over 2000 members. For over 16 years, he was involved in On-property Negotiations, as well as arbitration involving discipline, claims, rules and wages on the Union Pacific and Pacific Harbor Lines. On Behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to congratulate and thank Bill Hannah for his 35 years of service to his committee. Bill is a true professional in every sense of the word, and I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new chapter in his life

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the exceptional law enforcement career of California Highway Patrol (CHP) Captain Oscar Medellin, who will retire on September 30, 2017. After serving honorably in the U.S. Air Force, Captain Medellin was hired by the CHP in 1988. Captain Medellin worked in a number of capacities during his CHP career, which include the Inland Division Critical Incident Team, Inland Division Investigative Services Unit, and, most recently, Area Commander for Victorville. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to congratulate and thank Captain Medellin for his 28 years of service to the citizens of California. His professionalism and dedication to the profession of law enforcement reflects great credit upon himself and the California Highway Patrol.

Mr. COOK

Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding law enforcement career of Timothy W. Tompkins, who will retire from his position as the Assistant Chief of Protective Services Division for the California Highway Patrol on September 30, 2017. Born and raised in Minnesota, Assistant Chief Tompkins graduated from the California Highway Patrol Academy in 1989. Assistant Chief Tompkins served in a variety of capacities during his career, including Field Training Officer, Drug Recognition Expert, Special Response Team Commander, and member of the Governor's Protective Detail. Most notable for me was the time he spent as the Area Commander for the Morongo Basin, a region that I call home. Assistant Chief Tompkins was an integral part of our community and represented the highest values of the California Highway Patrol. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Assistant Chief Tompkins for his 29 years of service to the citizens of California. His professionalism and dedication to the profession of law enforcement reflects great credit upon himself and the California Highway Patrol.