Buddy Carter

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the First Congressional District of Georgia is home to many natural and historic treasures, including the Fort Frederica National Monument. Fort Frederica was built on St. Simons Island in 1736 by James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, to protect the new British colony from the Spanish. The fort's strategic location ensured a decisive victory for Oglethorpe in 1742 at the Battle of Bloody Marsh, which ended further Spanish attempts to claim Georgia as their own. Today, the Fort Frederica National Monument is a popular destination in Glynn County that features portions of the original fort, a museum, and extensive hiking trails. H.R. 3480 would authorize the National Park Service to obtain adjacent land that likely contains artifacts from prehistoric human settlements, adding more to the rich history of this site. I thank the chairman for his consideration of this bill as well as to thank the entire Georgia delegation for supporting and cosponsoring this legislation. I also thank the Natural Resources Committee staff for their work and dedication to this bill.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Gene Sauers of Savannah, Georgia, professional golfer, major champion, and survivor of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Mr. Sauers began golfing at 9 years old, turned pro 13 years later, and immediately won the Bank of Boston Classic on the PGA tour, beginning his professional career. However, he received devastating news in 2005, when he was diagnosed with a rare disease known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. His condition got worse. He stopped playing golf, and his chance of survival reduced to 25 percent. Miraculously, Mr. Sauers fought for survival and picked up his clubs 7 years later. Last month Gene Sauers won his first major championship by winning the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Ohio. I want to congratulate Mr. Sauers on his major championship victory. His story is one of faith, courage, and strength. We are so very proud of him in Savannah, Georgia.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Ben Slade and all of his accomplishments as Executive Director of the St. Simons Land Trust. Over the last 11 years, the St. Simons Land Trust has worked to preserve land on St. Simons Island, Georgia, which is home to 12,000 residents as well as many marshes, creeks, rivers, and fish. The Land Trust works with willing property owners to preserve the beautiful land of this region and its significance to Georgia's natural habitat. Mr. Slade has worked with the St. Simons Land Trust since its inception, leading the company from a small group to an organization that now includes 1,250 member households and 776 acres of land. During his time with the organization, Mr. Slade's numerous accomplishments have been critical to the environmental success of the island. One of his most important accomplishments was his leadership in the purchase of the 604 acre Cannon's Point area on St. Simons--the last intact maritime forest on the island. Later this year, Mr. Slade will retire as the Executive Director of the St. Simons Land Trust. I rise today to recognize his effort and accomplishments in bettering the island of St. Simon and wish him the best with his future endeavors.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Ware County High School Robotics Team for winning the world championship at the 2016 Vex World Robotics Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. The students of Ware County High submitted two robots into the tournament--2015C, known as C-Bot, and 2015A, known as A-Bot. Both robots performed extremely well in Louisville, in the qualifying rounds. C-Bot won 4th place in programming skills while A-Bot finished with a high ranking in technology skills. Each robot finished in the top 50 within their divisions. Because of its performance in the qualifying rounds, the C-Bot was chosen to be part of a small team to compete for the world title where it was allied with robots from Connecticut. This alliance won the final competition for the world championship. The world title is an impressive achievement as 500 teams from North and South America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East competed for the prestigious honor. I rise today to congratulate the Ware County High students on their hard work and achievement as they bring world-wide recognition to their school and the First Congressional District of Georgia.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Jim Sparks, a high school teacher in Georgia's First Congressional District for 26 years. In 1994, while in his late 30s, Mr. Sparks left a corporate position in the transportation industry to pursue a career in education. At first, when he was hired by the Camden County school system, little did he expect that he would spend 26 years teaching and change a countless number of students' lives. During his tenure, he has mainly taught high school U.S. history, but as Mr. Sparks says, his job was not to teach a particular class, it was to teach students. Since Mr. Sparks has been at Camden County High School it has more than quadrupled in the number of students. Mr. Sparks used his previous life experiences as a soldier in Vietnam and a corporate officer in the transportation industry to bring a unique dynamic to the classroom. This school year was his last, as Mr. Sparks is retired at the end of the year. His dedication to develop young minds is something that should inspire us all and I am thankful for his service to the youth of the First Congressional District of Georgia.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Miriam K. Center of Savannah, Georgia, for her 90th birthday on August 10th. At 90 years old, Ms. Center continues to be an impressive member and contributor to the coastal Georgia community. She graduated from Savannah High School in 1944 and promptly joined the Savannah volunteers to help American troops fighting in World War II. After the war, Miriam married Leo Center and helped him found a prominent, local Savannah business. Miriam and Leo had 3 sons together, Henry, Tony, and Scott. Since then, Miriam has been greatly involved in public service as she served as Chair of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Planning Commission, ran for election to the Georgia State Senate, and for Savannah Alderwoman. In 2000, she wrote a book entitled Scarlett O'Hara Can Go to Hell and produced the currently showing play, Johnny and Me, which chronicles her friendship with Savannah's Academy Award winning songwriter, Johnny Mercer. She is also a frequent guest writer to the Savannah Morning News. Miriam has traveled the world, visiting England, France, Spain, Greece, Israel, Russia, and much of North America. Ms. Center, I hope you have a happy 90th birthday.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the success of the Georgia Agribusiness Council as the organization celebrates their 50th anniversary this year. The Georgia Agribusiness Council was originally incorporated on January 17, 1966. The council was formed ``To Advance the Business of Agriculture through Economic Development, Environmental Stewardship and Education to Enhance the Quality of Life for All Georgians.'' Through the years, the Georgia Agribusiness Council has had immense success in giving the Georgia agriculture industry a forum to share views, develop understanding, and work on issues of common concern. The council's membership has recently exceeded 1000 businesses from every sector of agriculture and it has done an incredible job representing Georgia's 74 billion dollar industry. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today to congratulate the Georgia Agribusiness Council on their 50 year anniversary and I thank them for their tremendous service to our state and the agriculture industry.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5631 to hold Iran accountable for its state sponsorship of terrorism and for its human rights abuses. As a Member of Congress, I believe one of our most important duties is to ensure that Americans continue to remain secure from other countries that wish to harm us. Last year, President Obama entered into an agreement with Iran, which now allows Iran to advance their nuclear energy program. In turn, the President has allowed sanctions against Iran to be removed even though entities of the Iranian Government continue to conduct human rights violations. In addition, Iran continues to refine their ballistic missile program and support terrorism, which represents a serious threat to the United States and our allies. It should be the clear intent of this body that the continued use of economic sanctions against the country of Iran is necessary to ensure Iran does not have the resources necessary to harm or even eliminate our country or its allies. H.R. 5631 does this. It ensures that the policy of this country is to continue to take aggressive action against Iran to prevent the development of weapons that could harm our country or our allies. We must also continue to ensure that it is the policy of this country that efforts be taken to prevent human rights violations by any country. I would like to thank my colleague, Majority Leader McCarthy, for bringing this bill to the floor, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Savannah Global Solutions Company in Pembroke, Georgia, for being Georgia Institute of Technology's Faces of Manufacturing award recipient for June of 2016. This prestigious award presented by Georgia Tech and the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership program honors a company each month that embodies the face of manufacturing in Georgia. Savannah Global Solutions began as Savannah Forestry Equipment in 1987. After diving head first into the forestry market, the company grew as an example of the American success story. Now, the company operates on an international scale and maintains multiple patents. Furthermore, in 2014, the Small Business Association awarded Savannah Global Solutions with the Exporter of the Year award. I am honored to have Savannah Global Solutions in the First Congressional District of Georgia and thank them for the work they have done to grow America's economy. I wish them the best of luck in the future.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues Mr. Austin Scott, Mr. David Scott; Mr. Bishop; and Mr. Allen in the Georgia delegation to recognize, Mr. Don Koehler, Executive Director of the Georgia Peanut Commission. August 1st, 2016 will mark 30 years since Mr. Koehler originally became the Executive Director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, making him the longest serving Executive Director in the organization's 53 year history. His 30 year tenure is quite impressive, especially as Mr. Koehler's position carries with it a lot of responsibility. The Georgia Peanut Commission advocates for Georgia's peanut farmers who produce more than half of the peanuts in the entire country and results in a huge economic impact to Georgia. During his tenure as Executive Director, Mr. Koehler has been a critical player in the Georgia Peanut Commission's drive to educate people about the health benefits of eating peanuts. Additionally, he has been immersed in working for the successful passage in Congress of a new five year farm bill as well as drafting comments about the Trans- Pacific Partnership. Mr. Koehler has done an excellent job as Executive Director of the Commission and we want to thank him for his continued dedication to successfully growing Georgia's peanut industry and allowing the state to share its product with the rest of the nation.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in support of this amendment offered by my colleague from Georgia. The Constitution grants the power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper to Congress, not the executive branch. Yet many executive branch agencies are using sue and settle techniques to circumvent the rulemaking process to enact overly broad and costly regulations, without any input or comment from the public. One of the worst offenders is the EPA, which has increasingly relied on outside special interest groups to bring lawsuits demanding expanded regulations. And the EPA is all too willing to settle immediately. My colleague's amendment would restrict the use of taxpayer dollars from paying the legal fees of these outside groups when suing the Federal Government under the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, or the Endangered Species Act. This amendment does not prohibit affected parties from bringing these lawsuits, but restricting agencies' ability to pay attorney fees will reduce the incentive of using lawsuits as a way to expand the power of the executive branch. Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Girl Scouts of the USA who have received their Gold Award for 2016, and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this prestigious award. In 1916, the Girl Scouts of the USA, which was founded in Savannah, Georgia, 5 years earlier, created the Gold Award as their highest achievement for a Girl Scout. Since its creation, there have been only 1 million Girl Scouts who have received this award. Young women who receive the Gold Award are true leaders and make a significant impact in their community and around the world. This award is extremely competitive, and recipients show a true commitment in making a difference. The women who receive this award have shown to be more engaged in leadership and community service positions and gain a stronger sense of self. For example, over half the women in the 114th Congress were Girl Scouts at one point. Today, I would like to recognize the positive impacts of the Girl Scouts' Gold Award and celebrate its 100th anniversary. I look forward to another 100 years of this leadership and making a difference.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 401, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this conference report to S. 524. This conference report is one of the proudest moments I have had as an elected Member of this body. I believe there are numerous challenges that our community healthcare providers face, and this bill helps them address those challenges. As a lifelong pharmacist, I believe the key first steps to address this opioid epidemic is education, improvement of treatment, and a reliance on State PDMP programs. This bill does all of that. Many of my colleagues have opposed this conference report and this bill because it does not authorize enough money or it doesn't provide every provision they want. There are things that I would have changed in this bill, but we have all had an opportunity to amend these provisions, and this has created a bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation. Overall, this should not be the end of this conversation, but this bill is a good bill and addresses many of the problems Americans face with opioid addiction. I would like to commend leadership from both Chambers on this bill, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the House on the passage of H.R. 5210, which it passed this week. This legislation provides relief to durable medical equipment providers in competitively bid areas until October 1, 2017. Competitive bidding was created by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. H.R. 5210 extends the current phase-in of competitively bid DME prices to noncompetitively bid areas. This is vital to ensure that Congress has enough time to monitor current phase-in of noncompetitively bid DME prices and their effect in rural areas. In January of 2016, the competitive bidding program began its nationwide rollout, and, as a result, many areas, including rural areas, saw a significant cut in prices, which is now jeopardizing access to durable medical equipment for many beneficiaries. The First Congressional District of Georgia has numerous durable medical device companies that provide services throughout all of southeast Georgia. With many parts of my district being rural communities, evidence suggests that the current structure of CMS' proposed pricing of DMEs would significantly harm these communities. That is why H.R. 5210 is so important. I commend my Georgia colleague, Representative Price, for offering this bill, and I commend my House colleagues for passing this measure. I encourage the Senate to begin consideration of this measure so rural beneficiaries in need of durable medical equipment are not unduly harmed by CMS' proposals.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 5485, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017. Not only does this bill provide necessary funding for many needed programs, it also helps stop the administration from pushing burdensome and harmful regulations on the American people. For example, the CFPB recently announced its intent to severely limit the availability of short-term loans, vehicle title loans, and similar financial products. H.R. 5485 contains language that would prevent CFPB from implementing this proposed regulation. While my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say that CFPB's new proposal is an important step for consumer protection, they are wrong to think that CFPB's actions will have a positive impact on the underserved. The CFPB's proposal would eliminate a vital source of emergency funding for those who are unable to obtain loans from traditional lending institutions. While I will be the first to promote increased access to financial services for the underserved, eliminating short-term lending products is not the answer. Madam Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1270, because Americans should have every opportunity to use how they see fit their health savings accounts or health flexible spending arrangements. When ObamaCare was passed into law, one of the many things it limited was what health savings accounts could be used for. Under ObamaCare, health savings accounts or flexible spending accounts can only be used for prescription medications and insulin. In other words, if you have a headache, you cannot use the money you have saved for medication services. You would need to either get a prescription for your headache or pay for an over-the-counter drug out of pocket. I believe one aspect to any successful marketplace is allowing consumers to use their income and resources as they see fit to manage their health. Limitations and control by the government on how Americans can interact with retail businesses is never good, especially in health care. That is why H.R. 1270 is so important. H.R. 1270 removes the ObamaCare limitation on medication payments for health savings accounts and health flexible spending arrangements so Americans can use their accounts for both over-the-counter medications as well as prescription medications. We must continue to remove the governmental barriers that limit consumer action and choice. We must work to ensure that every American has choices to make so the U.S. healthcare system remains consumer driven. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5471, the Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act, so we can improve efforts in fighting radical Islamic terrorism. Horrific lone-wolf terrorist attacks like the one that occurred in Orlando only a few days ago continue to threaten our Nation. H.R. 5471 is a package of three bills that will accomplish three goals in our fight against terrorism: it will increase our efforts to counter radicalization of terrorist recruitment; it will increase countermeasures to prevent ISIS from using social media to recruit and radicalize potential recruits in our communities; and it will ensure agencies like the Department of Homeland Security are effectively using intelligence, operations, and policy to fight terrorism. With the passage of this bill, we will give our law enforcement officers and our communities greater resources to fight against terrorism. I commend Chairman McCaul and the sponsors of each of the underlying bills for their leadership and hard work on this legislation. I would also like to offer my thoughts and prayers to the families and victims of the Orlando terrorist attack. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize another milestone that has been achieved by the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation with the G650ER airplane's most recent city-to-city record. This time, the aircraft and crew, which included pilots Todd Baker, Eric Kauber, Jon Wolfe, and flight attendant Elisa Dichiara, departed from the Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, at 7:11 a.m. local time and landed at Los Angeles International Airport at 1:51 a.m. local time. The flight only took 12 hours and 40 minutes, with an average cruise speed of Mach 0.86. The record was approved by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association, and it will most likely be approved as a world record by the International Federation in Switzerland. Together, the Gulfstream's airplanes G650ER and its sister plane, the G650, hold more than 55 total world records. I am very proud to represent Gulfstream's facility, located in Savannah, Georgia, which is a world leader in private planes, one of Georgia's First Congressional District's largest employers and a constant producer of truly amazing airplanes. I congratulate them on their success.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 5293, the fiscal year 2017 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, and to recognize the hard work that the House Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee has put into this bill. I would also like to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and all the members of the subcommittee and the Rules Committee for their work on this bill. This legislation represents an opportunity for Members on both sides of the aisle to work together to provide our Armed Forces the resources they need to keep our country and Americans safe. We ask the courageous men and women who volunteer in our Armed Forces to confront global terrorism, and we must give them the tools to do so. This year's Defense Appropriations bill, H.R. 5293, funds the programs that are not only essential to our national security, but critical to the welfare of our military personnel. The Ohio Replacement Program is set to become the most dominant leg of our nuclear triad and is vital to our nuclear deterrence. This bill progresses that project. Townsend Bombing Range is being expanded to accommodate the needs of the new fifth generation fighters coming online, and offers a unique training aspect for those planes located on the East Coast. This bill helps to clear up ongoing airspace concerns. The A-10s, the most lethal close air support aircraft in the Air Force's inventory, will continue to be funded, ensuring our warfighters get the close-in air operations they need. Cyber is, and will continue to be, a major issue for our military, and I commend the committee's focus on establishing cyber protection teams and partnerships with public universities. End-strength has been another recurring issue, and this bill provides the necessary funding to reduce the strain on the men and women who serve. Warfighters have also relied on the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar Systems, or JSTARS, for up-to-date information on enemy movements, and this bill ensures our legacy fleet can continue to fly until the Air Force completes this recapitalization program. Lastly, this bill also provides support to the Army's combat aviation brigades through additional AH-64 Apache helicopters, and the Air Force's airlift capacity is strengthened under the engine enhancement programs for C-130s. Chairman Frelinghuysen and the Defense Appropriations Committee have, again, done a tremendous job on making the difficult decisions to prioritize what is most needed for our Armed Forces. I commend the subcommittee on their work.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Leon Leggett and Herbert Rogers, two distinguished American veterans who served in the Korean war from 1950 to 1953. On June 25, the American Legion's Post 9 in the First Congressional District of Georgia will present both men with South Korea's Ambassador of Peace Medal. South Korea offers the Peace Medal to all U.S. servicemen and -women who served in the Korean war as an expression of gratitude for their service. During the Korean war, nearly 40,000 Americans sacrificed their lives and over 100,000 were wounded. This reward is certainly well deserved by Mr. Leggett and Mr. Rogers. Making the ceremony even more unique is that Mr. Rogers and Mr. Leggett will be only the third and fourth people from the American Legion Post 9 who have been awarded the Peace Medal. I am proud to recognize these two veterans from the First Congressional District of Georgia, and I thank them for their service to the United States.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the John S. James Company in Savannah, Georgia, for receiving an ``E'' award from the United States Department of Commerce. The ``E'' award is the highest honor the United States Government can give to an American exporter. The prestigious award was created by President Kennedy in 1961 as a way to distinguish companies who achieve excellence in exporting United States goods and products. This award was presented by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the John S. James Company on May 16, 2016, during World Trade Week. Founded in 1941, the John S. James Company has excelled in international freight forwarding, customs brokerage industries, transportation services, and cargo insurance. The company has expanded into six locations across the Southeastern United States and provides shipping services across the globe. The John S. James Company is a great example of American success in the international market. I am very proud of this company in the First Congressional District of Georgia, and I wish them all the best in their future.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a very special constituent of mine, Tech Sergeant Enos Garvin. On May 2, at a Chatham County Veterans Council meeting, Sergeant Garvin received a long overdue Humanitarian Service Medal for his service in Rwanda. In 1994, Reverend Garvin, turned tech sergeant, volunteered with the Georgia Air National Guard and worked on flying missions to help Rwandan refugees, called Operation Support Hope. In these missions, Reverend Garvin flew supplies and food to many refugees in Rwanda who were staying in makeshift tent villages during one of the worst conflicts in Africa's history. Sergeant Garvin's service to our Nation and for a better world do not end with his involvement in Rwanda. He is also a Purple Heart recipient because of his courageous service in Vietnam. He was shot three times in the leg while Viet Cong troops killed his guards in the middle of the night and launched a surprise attack on his unit. I want to thank Tech Sergeant Garvin for his service and the United States Department of Defense for recognizing the remarkable service of Sergeant Garvin and the 156th Airlift Wing.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his efforts on this very important legislation. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 4775, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016, so States will have the flexibility and tools to reasonably and effectively meet the new EPA ozone standards. Since the proposal of EPA's 2008 ozone standards, States have continually worked to implement air quality standards to comply with EPA's clean air requirements. However, EPA's implementation regulations for the 2008 standards were not published until March 6, 2015, and then the revised ozone standards were issued in October of 2015. States now face the prospect of simultaneously implementing two ozone standards at the same time. H.R. 4775 remedies this problem by creating a phase-in approach to the 2008 and 2015 ozone standards, extending the final designations under the 2015 standards to 2025. It would also make reforms to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards to provide flexibility and structure to actions taken to implementing and revising these standards. States should be given the flexibility to implement air quality standards in a way that is cost effective and efficient. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) for introducing this bill. I also encourage my colleagues to support this legislation to ensure States are able to implement EPA ozone standards without harming their overall economy.