Buddy Carter

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a statement on behalf of Mr. Hunt Wasden. I am a Republican because I believe in the freedoms, both economic and social, that were given to us by the founding documents of this great nation. The Constitution begins with ``We the People,'' and later the First and Fourth Amendments solidify the sovereignty of the American Citizen. These documents may be old, but their relevance today is still resounding. The role of the government should be to protect the people from foreign and domestic threats, while also preserving the individual rights and freedoms of its people, not regulating or infringing upon those rights and freedoms. One of the main reasons I identify as a Republican is my strong belief that the work of private citizens, not the government, is the foundation of the American economy. Businesses made by the people for the people not only contribute positively to the nation's overall GDP but also supply Americans with jobs. The truth is, a government that is nineteen trillion dollars in debt should not be dictating how private citizens choose to run their businesses. Due to President Trump's aggressive deregulation and tax policies, our economy is growing at an impressive rate, with the labor department reporting in late March that the jobless rate in America has fallen to the lowest rate since 1973. In addition, the unemployment rate is now at 4.1 percent which is below the level the Federal Reserve considers ideal for a stable and growing economy. As a Republican I also believe in a tax system that supports businesses, and gives them the means to compete in a global market and also to reinvest not only in the company itself, but also in its employees. President Trump's tax reforms have enabled businesses, from the largest corporations to family-owned small businesses, to give significant bonuses to their employees at all levels, directly citing the new tax plan as the reason why. Republican policies are making an undeniable impact in the lives of the working class, as many people are now coming to the realization that a hand up is almost always more beneficial than a hand out. Republican policies are also making an impact abroad. President Trump and Secretary Mattis' strong opposition to ISIS has led to a 98 percent loss in territory held by the terrorist organization. The President also showed strength in garnering multinational support in his strong response to chemical attacks from the Assad regime in Syria. Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, wrote the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, an order to free all slaves. Later, in 1865, the Republican-controlled 38th Congress passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. The creation of the Fourteenth Amendment, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, passed soon after, despite opposition from Democrats. Ronald Reagan once described the difference between Republicans and Democrats as ``Two visions of the future, two fundamentally different ways of governing--their government of pessimism, fear, and limits, or ours of hope, confidence, and growth. Their government sees people only as members of groups. Ours serves all the people of America as individuals.'' The inspiring track record of the Republican Party follows suit with this philosophy, and this track record is another main reason why I am a Republican. While figures like Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan may come to mind when thinking about the Republican Party, powerful women in the party have changed the course of history as well. Republican Senator Aaron A. Sargent introduced the Nineteenth Amendment which was written by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton, who worked closely with Republicans to further women's rights in America. Republican Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman to serve in both the Senate and the House. In 1981 Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Also, George W. Bush selected Condoleezza Rice to be his Secretary of State. She was the first African American woman to hold this position. Republicans also had a great impact on the Civil Rights movement in our country. In 1954 Chief Justice Earl Warren, a former Republican governor, wrote the majority opinion of Brown vs. Board of Education. The Republican-controlled 68th Congress and President Calvin Coolidge granted citizenship to Native Americans. In 1957 Dwight Eisenhower desegregated Little Rock's government schools over the resistance of Arkansas' Democrat governor. Eisenhower also signed the 1960 Civil Rights Act after a filibuster by Democrats. Further, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed when Republican Everett Dirksen defeated yet another Democrat filibuster. The Republican Party has been the Party for all people since its creation. Both what the party has done in the past, and what it continues to do today inspires me, and makes me proud to be part of such an important movement. At the end of the day, the principles of economic and individual freedoms defended by the Republican Party have led so many people in America to truly live the American Dream, and will continue to do so for generations to come. AND THAT IS NOT FAKE NEWS.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Mr. James F. Fuller, Sr., the longtime mayor of Ludowici in the First Congressional District of Georgia. Mayor Fuller worked in every area possible to serve the people of Ludowici. He began working for Ludowici as a police officer, then police chief, then finally water superintendent. Forty-two years ago, Mayor Fuller was elected to his first term on city council. When he passed, he was completing his second term as the city's mayor. Not only did he lend his hand to Ludowici but also to our Nation as a whole, serving in the Navy during the Korean war. A true public servant, Mayor Fuller was fulfilling his pledge as the city's leading official up until the very last moments before his passing. Even in the hospital, he said he would never get tired of talking about Ludowici and doing what he can for the people there. Mayor Fuller passed away on April 27 at the age of 83. His family, friends, and the city of Ludowici are in my thoughts and prayers.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of Chairman Shimkus' bill, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018. This legislation is important not only because of what it means to the future of clean energy opportunities for this country, but also what this means for our communities. Nuclear energy has become a safe and effective way to generate energy, all while not producing greenhouse gas emissions. The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act would finally put in place a permanent repository for the waste generated by nuclear energy production that powers millions of homes and businesses across the country. We began this process nearly 30 years ago, and today we move it forward. My good friend's legislation authorizes the disposal of spent nuclear fuel in a safe, permanent place. Right now, spent fuel is sitting on nuclear energy sites around the country, leaving our communities open to larger vulnerabilities and possible attacks or accidents. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act, and I thank the gentleman for his leadership.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that, and I am thankful that the Georgia delegation was able to pay our respects to a great Georgian, to a great American, Zell B. Miller. Mr. Miller's knowledge and his broad experience in Georgia enabled him to be one of the most popular and successful leaders ever for this State. With the passing of Zell Miller, Georgia has truly lost one of its most important servants. Zell Miller was a personal mentor to me. Young Harris College changed my life, as I mentioned earlier. Zell Miller changed my life, as he changed the lives of so many Georgians, of so many Americans. I am so grateful for the wisdom that he shared with all of us. His family remains in my thoughts and prayers, but his policies, his ideals, and his legacy will live on in the State of Georgia for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for sharing with us his experiences and how special they were. Before I yield to our final speaker, I want to go over very quickly about the last part of the 46 years of political service that Zell Miller had that he served. In 1999, after he finished his last year as Governor, his second term--and he was term limited--he went back to Young Harris College, the University of Georgia, and Emory University as a teacher. The following year, then-Governor Roy Barnes appointed Zell to the United States Senate after Senator Paul Coverdell died. Four months later, he ran for that remaining 4 years on that 6-year term, and he was elected a Senator from the State of Georgia, and he served in that role. He pledged at that time to carry on the conservative tradition of the late Senator Coverdell, who was a Republican, of course, and he did that. He cosponsored then-U.S. President George W. Bush's 2001 tax cuts and was adamantly in support of President Bush on the issues of homeland security and the deployment of troops to Iraq at the start of the Iraqi war. You will remember, also, that he wrote another book, ``A National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat.'' It became a national best seller in the months before the Presidential election that year. And, of course, in 2004, Democratic Senator from Georgia Zell Miller did something that I am not sure anyone else has ever done. He spoke as a keynote speaker at the 2004 Republican National Convention. In January of 2005, he retired from the United States Senate and he returned to Georgia. He resumed his teaching career and continued to write. In fact, in 2005, he wrote, ``A Deficit of Decency.'' In 2008, Zell B. Miller Learning Center was established at the University of Georgia and dedicated in his honor. In 2017, Miller's family announced that he suffered from Parkinson's disease and he was retiring from public life. Mr. Speaker, I am going to pause now and yield to another member of the Georgia delegation, one of my good friends. He and I served together for 10 years in the Georgia General Assembly. He is truly one of my best friends here in Washington, and I value our friendship. I know that he has got a lot of experience with and a lot of stories about Zell Miller as well. I yield to my friend, Representative Barry Loudermilk.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for sharing his thoughts. Before I yield to our next speaker, I want to speak just for a second on a couple of things about the time that Zell spent as Governor of the State of Georgia. As you just heard Representative Johnson mention, and I think it is important to understand, when he left office, he had an 85 percent approval rating. Who in the world gets an 85 percent approval rating? He was the most popular Governor in the Nation when he left office. But I do want to share with you that that was not always the case. It was tough because, after all, we are talking about ``Give `Em Hell Zell.'' You have heard many of the speakers mention the HOPE Scholarship. And, again, we are talking about Georgia's education Governor here, the father of the HOPE Scholarship. But remember, the HOPE Scholarship came about as a result of the Georgia State Lottery, which there were a lot of people who were opposed to that. Remember I told you about being at Young Harris College? Young Harris College is a Methodist school. There were a lot of people who supported Zell who were opposed to what some considered to be gambling. Zell pressed on. He knew how important it was. That was his tenacity. That was his ruggedness. He didn't let that get in the way, and thank goodness he didn't. In 1992, he was very important to Bill Clinton's campaign to secure the Democratic U.S. Presidential nomination. He played an important role in that. In fact, he also spoke at the Democratic National Convention. That is where they had the posters all throughout the convention that said, ``Give `Em Hell Zell.'' They were distributed among the delegates, as Miller gave a speech that was critical of U.S. President George H.W. Bush's administration. Later that year, he also actively campaigned for Clinton, and Clinton carried the State of Georgia. Representative Johnson also mentioned something that is very important to remember as well. Zell was not easily elected to his second term. That is because he took it upon himself to do the right thing and to try, although it was unsuccessful at that time, to change the State flag of Georgia and to take the Confederate emblem off of that State flag. Later it was done, many years later, and I can remember Zell saying: Well, we might not get it passed. It might not be attributed to me, but maybe I will get an asterisk. Well, I don't know if he ever got an asterisk, but I am going to give him an asterisk tonight. He deserves an asterisk for that effort. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to another great Georgian, another member of our delegation, Representative Sanford Bishop.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind words. Before I yield to our next speaker, I want to mention one of the things that Zell was famous for, and that was that he wrote a number of books. He was an author. In fact, the first book he ever wrote in 1976 chronicled, really, him growing up in the mountains. The name of the book was ``The Mountains Within Me.'' That book had a very special meaning to me, personally. You see, he talked about Young Harris College, and he equated Young Harris College to being like a shoe factory because things are coming out of there in pairs. That meant a lot to me, because that is where I met my wife. She was my chemistry lab partner. We came out as a pair and we have been a pair, and in September it will be 40 years. He also wrote a number of other books. I mentioned earlier that he wrote the book about his experience in the Marine Corps, ``Corps Values: Everything You Need to Know I Learned in the Marines.'' He wrote that in 1996. There are 12 chapters in that book, and each chapter is devoted to a particular trait that he developed during his years in the Marine Corps, for instance, courage, neatness, discipline, and pride. He also wrote another book, ``Great Georgians,'' that was published in 1983. Another one that he wrote was ``They Heard Georgia Singing,'' about all the famous singers who came from the State of Georgia--a great book. By the way, in that book he chronicles two musicians who came from Young Harris College, Ronnie Milsap and Trisha Yearwood, both Young Harris College alums. As you can tell, I am very proud of Young Harris College. It is my alma mater. It changed my life. Zell Miller changed my life. I will go on later, but before I do, I want to take this time to yield to another Georgian who is here with us to pay his respects, Representative Hank Johnson. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for sharing that. And I want to share one other thing before I call on the next speaker. I mentioned that Zell Miller was the baseball coach at Young Harris College when he was a professor up there and on the faculty there. Well, they discontinued the baseball program for a long time. And then, when Zell was Governor, they actually restarted the baseball program, and Zell had a big role in that. In fact, he--two stories I want to tell you real quickly. He invited us all to the Governor's mansion, those of us who were supporting the baseball program and trying to get it started up. And to kick it off, he had none other than Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle at the Governor's mansion as a benefit to getting the Young Harris College baseball program started again. Not only has that program started again, but it has been very, very successful, producing players such as Nick Markakis, who plays for the Atlanta Braves now, who played at Young Harris College; Charlie Blackmon, playing for the Colorado Rockies; just a few of the many players that went to Young Harris who are playing in the major leagues right now. I also want to share with you very quickly his love of baseball because, again, when he was Governor, Phil Niekro, the great knuckleball pitcher of the Atlanta Braves, was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame. Zell actually hosted a trip to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown during the time that he was being inducted, and my wife and I and my two oldest sons were honored and able to go on that trip. I can remember being at the Hall of Fame with Zell Miller, and I can remember the emotions, and how proud he was of a Georgian, of Phil Niekro, of an Atlanta Brave being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Just another one of the great memories that I have of Zell Miller. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), another member of our delegation, to share with us his remarks.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman mentioned something about the HOPE Scholarship. Zell Miller was known as Georgia's education Governor. He was the founder of the HOPE Scholarship, and as the gentleman noted, it resulted in a number of students who have been able to complete their college degrees and their college careers as a result of the Zell Miller Scholarship and the HOPE Scholarship. Before I recognize the next speaker, I want to continue on what I was sharing with you about Zell's early life and the fact that, after he got out of the Marine Corps, he went to Young Harris College and he was a professor of history and political science. But he was something else. He was also a baseball coach. He coached baseball at Young Harris College. I had the privilege of talking to some of his former players. In fact, we just had homecoming up at Young Harris a few weeks ago, and I had the opportunity to talk to Don Harp, a retired Methodist minister who has served for many years on the board of trustees at Young Harris College. He was one of the best baseball players to ever come through Young Harris. He was telling me a story about how he was a catcher on the baseball team. They had a lead in the game, and he was calling the signals. They were ahead by one run, with two outs, in the top of the ninth inning. They were about to wrap it up. He said he called for two sinkers in a row. Sure enough, he got two strikes on the batter and had an 0-2 count. He said then he decided he would call for a fastball. So he called for a fastball, and sure enough, the batter hit it right up the middle, two runs scored, and they got behind by one run. He said he went back to the bench after that inning. He said they were behind by one run, and he went back to the bench, and he said Zell Miller was coaching and he was sitting on the bench. He said he motioned to him. He said: Come over here. He said he came over there and he sat beside him, and he said Coach Miller looked at him and he said: If you ever make another call like that, you will be sitting here by me the rest of this game. He said he understood right then exactly what he was to do. I also remember talking to one of my colleagues that I served with in the Georgia State Legislature in the Georgia House, Mickey Channell, who played baseball for Zell at Young Harris College. Mickey was from Greensboro, Georgia. Mickey told me: I didn't get to play very much, but I remember this one time that my dad traveled up to see me and traveled up to see me play, and Zell knew he had come. He said: Zell let me start that game because he knew my dad was there. I could tell how much that meant to Mickey, and he had always remembered that. That is just a glimpse of what we are talking about when we are talking about this great man, this great Georgian, this great American. In his early political career, as I mentioned, he was a mayor. He was mayor of Young Harris. He held that position for 2 years, and then he was elected as a State senator. He represented the areas up in north Georgia--Towns County, Union County, Rabun County--as a State senator. A few years after that, he took a leave from his teaching responsibilities at Young Harris College, and he actually went and was executive secretary for then-Governor Lester Maddox during the time that Lester Maddox was Governor from 1968 to 1971. During the 1970s, Zell Miller was twice named as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, once in 1972, and again in 1976. In 1971, he was appointed as Executive Director of the Democratic Party in Georgia, and he served in that capacity until 1973, when he became a member of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. He served on that board until 1975. Then in 1975, Zell Miller became Lieutenant Governor of the State of Georgia, and he actually held that post longer than anyone has ever held that post. He held it for 16 years. In 1980, he ran for statewide office. He ran for the United States Senate, but he lost in the primary to then the incumbent, Senator Herman Talmadge. Over the next 10 years, as Lieutenant Governor, he really worked on his leadership skills. As Lieutenant Governor, he was the Presiding Officer in the State Senate. As I mentioned earlier, I had the honor and privilege of serving in the Georgia State Legislature for 10 years; and the stories that we heard, as Members, about Zell Miller as the Lieutenant Governor, and the famous Tom Murphy, who served for so many years as Speaker of the House of the State of Georgia, and the battles that those two would have, Zell as the leader of the Senate and Tom Murphy as the leader of the House. The stories are still told in the Georgia State Legislature and the Georgia State Capital about the battles between these two giants of Georgia politics. In 1990, Zell ran for Governor of the State of Georgia. He was in a tough race in the Democratic primary. He faced Andrew Young. He won that primary, and then he was elected. He was elected as Governor of the State of Georgia; actually defeated Johnny Isakson, who now serves as our Senator here, our senior Senator in the United States Senate. Mr. Speaker, before I go on and tell you about his Governorship, I will pause again and yield to another one of my colleagues from Georgia, Representative David Scott, and I will have a story to share about his brother-in-law in just a minute and Zell Miller. I look forward to hearing about him because I know he has got some great stories about ``Give 'em hell Zell.'' I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. David Scott).

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of a former mayor, of a former Georgia State senator, of a former Governor of Georgia, and of a former United States Senator representing the State of Georgia, Mr. Zell Miller. Zell Miller passed away on March 23 at the age of 86. He was born on February 24, 1932, in Young Harris, Georgia, in Towns County. He was born to Birdie Bryan and Stephen Grady Miller. When Zell was 17 days old, his father died. His widowed mother raised her son and daughter, Jane, alone in Young Harris. Located in the north Georgia mountains, Miller's mother built a home for herself and her children with rocks she had hauled from a nearby stream. Mr. Speaker, I had the honor and privilege of attending Young Harris College, and I am very familiar with this area and I was blessed to hear about these stories. I have always heard about the story of how Ms. Miller hauled these rocks up from the stream to build her home. It was that experience, that house, that became symbolic of Zell Miller's rugged independence. After he graduated from Young Harris College, Zell Miller continued his education at Emory University in Atlanta; but shortly after he arrived there, he found that he wasn't really focusing on his studies. In fact, in one of the many books that he wrote, ``Corps Values,'' he writes about waking up in jail in Young Harris drunk as a skunk. He tells that story in that book. I have read the book, and I remember that story. Well, shortly after that experience, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, in 1953. Later, he attributed much of his success to both the discipline he learned as a marine and the independence that he learned from his mother. He married Shirley Carver in 1954, and the couple had two sons. In 1956, he enrolled at the University of Georgia, where he earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in history. In 1959, he took a teaching position at Young Harris College and returned to his hometown as a professor of history and political science. Mr. Speaker, members of the Georgia delegation are here tonight, and I am going to yield to them. I am going to pause. I am going to continue on and tell you about the rest of this outstanding gentleman's life, but at this point I am going to pause and I am going to yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson), one of my fellow delegation members from Georgia.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. 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 topic of this Special Order.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the week of May 6 through May 12 as Goodwill Industries Week. This week is about the people of Georgia who value hard work and support the right of individuals to provide for themselves and their families. Some members in our communities require additional education, job preparation, skill training, and support services to reach the goal of self-sufficiency. Goodwill has a rich history of providing essential services for these people to be productive members of our community since 1902. Since 1965, in southeast Georgia, Goodwill has provided community-based services, including career counseling, GED preparation, financial education, resume preparation, and more. In this time of low unemployment, it is more important than ever for us to reach out to the unemployed and give our businesses the workforce they need to succeed. Thank you to the employees of Goodwill Southeast Georgia for everything you are doing to keep our national economy strong, and for maximizing individuals' contributions to self, family, and community.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Patricia ``Trish'' DePriest, who will be retiring this week as a casework manager after 34 years of working for the First Congressional District of Georgia. Ms. DePriest has been referred to as the dame of Savannah's political scene but is, frankly, so much more than that. She has worked for three consecutive Members of Congress from Georgia's First Congressional District. She started working in 1983 for Congressman Lindsey Thomas. After that, she worked for Congressman Jack Kingston. Now she works for me. One of the first questions that I got when I was elected to this office came from a lot of constituents who said, ``Are you going to keep Trish?'' And I would just think to myself, ``A better question is: Is Trish going to keep me?'' Well, fortunately, she did, and I am glad she did. Throughout the First Congressional District of Georgia, if you say Trish's name, nearly everyone you speak to will have either a story about how she helped them or at least know someone whom she had helped. She has pushed passport applications. She is a passport expert. No one knows the passport system better than Trish DePriest, I assure you. She has passed through passport applications with lightning speed. She has pulled veterans benefits out of the most unlikely situations and cleared up entanglements in Social Security checks in order to get constituents back on their feet, and oftentimes at a low point in their lives. Constituents who come to Ms. DePriest often have nowhere else to turn, yet she is the secret weapon that always seems to come through in the most desperate situations. One of her most famous cases includes helping a man who, quite literally, woke up next to a dumpster in Richmond Hill, Georgia, with no memory at all of any friends, of any family, or of his past life. Trish was tasked with helping build it back again from ground zero. To give you a sense of her blunt personality, she told the Savannah Morning News: ``It's like he appeared here from another planet.'' After 34 years of working for Congress, she has developed personal relationships with all the relevant staff members at each government agency, allowing her to perform her mighty tasks for constituents that other caseworkers may take years to develop. She has learned throughout her years to always ask constituents for the other side of the story, which she has become famous for drawing out, while using this to her advantage in performing casework. A countless number of constituents whom she has helped out over the years come in and out of the Savannah office each day just to chat with Trish, update her on their lives, and become her friend. Her bluntness and wit, her intelligence and sense of caring not only keep constituents coming back for her friendship, but keep her own work colleagues with a high level of morale. But Ms. DePriest, Trish, is more than just an excellent caseworker and staple of government in the First Congressional District of Georgia. Trish was a loving spouse of 50 years to her husband, Joseph Roy DePriest, Jr., who passed away in 2012. She is a caring mother to Lisanne and Jamey. She is also a breast cancer survivor, a testament to her strong will. In fitting fashion, when Trish was told of her diagnosis of breast cancer, she says she was more mad than scared and decided to jump in feet first and attack the problem--and that she did. There will never be another Trish DePriest for the First Congressional District of Georgia, but I know she will be around, helping other people wherever she can, and I hope everyone learns from her abundance of knowledge and her outlook on life. Trish, we are going to miss you in the office. We are going to miss you a lot. We want you to have a happy and a well-deserved retirement. Thank you for your service to the people of the First Congressional District of Georgia. God bless you, Trish.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team, also known as CNT. In 2017, CNT and the DEA identified a drug distribution group operating throughout Chatham County, and learned that a large drug transaction was to take place. With this knowledge, CNT conducted drug operations at various hotels, covering several local jurisdictions. On March 25, 2018, CNT seized 25 kilograms, or 55 pounds of cocaine, and made six arrests, which is the largest single cocaine seizure in CNT's history. The confiscated cocaine had an estimated street value of $4 million. Cocaine is a highly addictive and mind-altering drug that poisons communities and tears families apart. I applaud CNT's groundbreaking work, which makes the entire Savannah community a better place to live.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a statement from former Representatives Jack Kingston, and Lindsay Thomas, and the son of the late Representative Bo Ginn: ``We thank Congressman Carter for the opportunity to submit something regarding our mutual and beloved employee, Trish DePriest. We must immediately point out that Trish never worked for any of us, rather she worked for the people of the First District of Georgia and kept us advised and well out of the way of her great progress. Trish is in a rare category of legendary public servants. While she yielded the headlines and public credit to us, she was the force behind the scenes to get the job done. Whether it was a veteran who needed help navigating the VA Bureau, a senior citizen experiencing a Social Security or Medicaid glitch, or a newlywed couple in desperate need for a last minute passport, Trish was there for thousands of people making a difference in their life. She knew how to get things done, knew the people of power, but most importantly she was consummate champion of the underdog. If you got spun off the track and your lawyers, doctors, and friends couldn't help, Trish DePriest was the person to call. It did not matter the task, the politics, or time of day, Trish has always been ready to step forward and solve the problem. We love you, Trish. We thank you for everything you've done for the people of Georgia, for all your hard work and making us look very good. We hope you enjoy your retirement and continue to never make left-hand turns.''

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 28. In the 30 years I served as a community pharmacist, I saw prescription drugs save lives. However, I have also seen these same drugs, coupled with addiction, ruin careers, ruin families, and ruin lives. Today, 89 people die in the United States every day from prescription painkiller overdose. Prescription drugs have become the target of theft and abuse, and it is critical that we do everything we can to combat the epidemic by safely disposing of unused medications. That is why I encourage you to go through your medicine cabinets, find any unused prescription medications, and bring them to your closest take-back location. The DEA website allows you to easily search the closest collection site. By disposing of your unused medications, you are saving lives in your community. Again, National Prescription Take Back Day is April 28.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Mr. Joe Bill Dickerson, who passed away on March 24 at the age of 88. Mr. Dickerson was raised in Homerville, Georgia, in Georgia's First Congressional District, and truly worked hard throughout his life to make this world a better place. After graduating from college with an agriculture degree, Mr. Dickerson enlisted in the Air Force, training in chemical, biological, and radiological warfare. He served in the Air Force until 1953, when he went on to pharmacy school at the University of Georgia. Mr. Dickerson served in many levels of pharmacy. He worked in pharmaceutical sales, at a hospital, a local pharmacy, and even became a pharmacy professor at the University of Georgia. Today, pharmacists like myself work throughout the State of Georgia who learned their craft under the watchful eye of an experienced Mr. Joe Bill Dickerson. His expertise, colorful personality, and dedication to the betterment of others will truly be missed.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Captain Mark K. Weber who died in a helicopter crash on March 15 while serving in our Armed Forces in Iraq. Captain Weber was a combat rescue officer assigned to the 38th Rescue Squadron based at Moody's Air Force Base in the First Congressional District of Georgia. He was one of seven in the helicopter crash who lost their lives serving our country that day. As a combat rescue officer, Captain Weber's role with his team was to fly into combat and rescue injured soldiers. I want to thank Captain Weber and his family for his service. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his friends. Mr. Speaker, I want all of our servicemen and -women to know that we are ever grateful for their service. They are in our thoughts and prayers, and I could not thank them enough for the work they are doing to spread democracy and freedom across the globe.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Nahunta mayor, Ronnie E. Jacobs, who passed away on Thursday, March 29, at the age of 64. Mayor Jacobs had been the mayor of Nahunta, Georgia, in Georgia's First Congressional District, for over 15 years and across four different decades. Mayor Jacobs lived in Nahunta for his entire life, taking great pride in his town, and truly caring about its residents and well-being. A testament to his hard work for the well-being of Nahunta, Mayor Jacobs founded Neighbors Helping Neighbors there in 2004, which is a nonprofit that helps citizens search for jobs, purchase homes, apply for nutrition assistance, and much more. Mayor Jacobs has also done an exceptional job guiding his residents through unique situations for Nahunta, including population changes, hurricanes, and wildfires. Mayor Jacobs will be remembered by many in Nahunta as one of the best leaders the city has ever had. His family and the city of Nahunta are in my thoughts and prayers.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the ability to recognize and effectively assist life-threatening bleeding in someone can save a life. On March 31, 2018, the country came together to recognize National Stop the Bleed Day. Stop the Bleed is a program that is offered by the American College of Surgeons to teach people how to become an immediate responder to victims suffering from uncontrolled bleeding by using direct pressure, gauze and bandages, and tourniquets. Each year, more than 180,000 people die from traumatic injuries sustained as a result of events including vehicle crashes, falls, industrial and farm accidents, shootings, and natural disasters. The most common preventable cause of these deaths is a victim losing too much blood in the mere minutes before trained responders arrive. Just like CPR training, being able to recognize and care for a traumatic injury can prevent victims from bleeding out. I was among the 126,000 that were trained last year on how to Stop the Bleed and I hope to inspire others to join me in supporting this program. I urge my colleagues to join me and rise in support of National Stop the Bleed day and help to end the loss of life from uncontrolled bleeding by getting trained to Stop the Bleed.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I also thank him for his leadership in this area and for putting this together tonight. This is an important message that all Americans should hear and that all Americans will share in. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the benefits already impacting the First Congressional District of Georgia since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law. A few weeks ago, I traveled the district and visited with businesses, with students, and with senior citizens to discuss how tax reform is helping them. Nine Line Apparel, a business in Savannah, told me that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allows them to give more to their employees, a small difference helping their employees to take vacations, buy Christmas presents for their children, and make it easier to provide for their families. Lee Container Company in Homerville, which I visited a couple of weeks ago, said the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will enable them to purchase more equipment and grow their business. I also had the opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to visit with students at Savannah State University. I shared my excitement that, for upcoming graduates, job creation from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will generate high demand for employees, increasing wages and making the job search easier than it has been in years past. Needless to say, they were excited to hear this good news. Mr. Speaker, the results from my trips around the district were encouraging, and I am proud we could pass tax reform benefiting all income levels, American businesses, and our whole economy. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will truly go down as some of the most significant tax reform this country has ever seen. It is certainly the most significant tax reform in the last 30 years. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will put money in people's pockets, will stimulate our economy, will create jobs. It is good for our economy and good for our country.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Girl Scouts of the USA on their 106th birthday and to commend the organization for helping girls become leaders in their communities and in our Nation. It is fitting that the Girl Scouts' birthday falls during Women's History Month. In 1912, Juliette Gordon Low founded the first Girl Scout troop, with 18 girls, in Savannah, Georgia. 106 years later, more than 50 million women are Girl Scout alums, and the program reaches nearly 2 million girls. Today, Girl Scout alums launch rockets into space, serve as CEOs of international companies, sit on academic boards, and more. As we celebrate the Girl Scouts' 106th birthday this week and Women's History Month, I applaud the Girl Scout councils that serve girls in my State for building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. I am proud that this program was founded in the First Congressional District of Georgia and in my hometown of Savannah, Georgia.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Right to Try Act because this legislation will improve access to potentially lifesaving treatments for patients with terminal diseases or conditions. Currently, patients can only receive drugs that are undergoing FDA review through clinical trials, through compassionate use, or expanding access. They access these unapproved treatments exclusively through the FDA but not through the drug sponsor. This critical legislation would establish informed consent for patients to access unapproved drugs that could save their lives. This bill still guards patients from manufacturers misbranding or mislabeling drugs and specifies that any unapproved drug used in the alternative pathway must have an active application and is not the subject of a clinical hold. I thank my good friend Chairman Burgess and the rest of my colleagues on the committee for moving this legislation forward and working with the administration and stakeholders on all sides of these issues. This is a great step forward towards ensuring our patients get to take advantage of the incredible pharmaceutical therapies that our manufacturers are known for. I applaud the Energy and Commerce Committee for their work in moving this legislation forward, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns Act of 2017. This bill is very simple, Mr. Speaker, as it simply aligns the timeline for compliance with judicial review of these rules and regulations. American businesses are finding themselves facing millions of dollars in compliance costs due to burdensome EPA regulations. It is estimated that the EPA's rules may cost the brick and ceramics industry millions annually, with the cost of compliance for the average facility at over $4 million. Industry won't be able to meet the requirement deadlines imposed by the rule, which is currently being reviewed in our court system. The EPA's first attempt at a rule was vacated, but not before the industry spent millions in compliance measures that were ultimately found to be invalid. Small brick and ceramics businesses have been the hardest hit by the first rule; and if something isn't done, many of these small businesses will be forced to close their doors for good. H.R. 1917 would provide much-needed regulatory relief to brick and ceramics businesses by simply stating that we need to let the judicial review process move ahead before we penalize hardworking people. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and to support businesses all across the country.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my good friend and chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment's legislation, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017. This legislation is important, not only because of what it means for the future of clean energy opportunities for this country, but also what this means for the safety of our communities. Nuclear energy has become a safe and effective way to generate large amounts of energy capability, while maintaining a source that doesn't produce greenhouse gas emissions. We have come a long ways from Three Mile Island and the safety standards in place to ensure our communities and our grid aren't negatively impacted by nuclear energy. The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act would finally put in place a permanent repository for the waste generated by energy production that powers millions of homes and businesses across the United States. As of December, there were 61 nuclear power plants in the United States with 99 operating nuclear reactors. Those nuclear plants provide nearly 20 percent of the country's energy production capability. This is significant because these plants have continued to provide reliable flows of energy for decades, giving Americans a carbon-free source of energy to fuel their consumption. But one thing hasn't been addressed: what to do with that spent fuel. We began a process in the 1980s to seek and construct a permanent repository for the Nation's spent fuel, eventually coming to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. This site was decided upon, due to its geological features, and extensively studied to ensure it could be done in a safe and effective manner. Millions of dollars were spent studying and doing initial project development of the site, but it was eventually halted, and that progress was stalled. While this was going on, ratepayers in 39 States continued to pay towards the cleanup fund for a total of nearly $40 billion. However, that money hasn't been able to be put towards a permanent repository due to resistance. In Georgia, at Plant Vogtle, we are currently undergoing the only nuclear energy construction project in the country, in large part because of issues that have deterred companies from wanting to expand. That means that people are losing out on energy production, and it actually creates clean energy. My good friend's legislation authorizes the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste to find a safe, permanent place in contrast to the temporary locations at each nuclear plant. It also authorizes a consolidated interim storage site to ensure there is an option available for the eventual transition. This is something that needs to get done, and soon. Right now, spent fuel is sitting on site in either dry casks or spent fuel pools without an alternative. Now is the time for us to pass this bipartisan legislation and recognize that we have carbon-neutral energy sources in place, and have for decades, but we need to get this across the finish line to support our communities and our country. I urge my colleagues to support the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act because it will give the United States the chance to, once again, be a global leader on our nuclear energy and to secure our communities. I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue.