Buddy Carter

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss what I believe will be one of the most consequential votes in the history of this body. A fundamental duty of the Federal Government--so much that it is enshrined in the preamble to our Constitution--is to provide for the common defense. We must ask ourselves: Will this deal enhance the safety and security of the American people? The answer is clearly no. On the contrary, it imperils the United States and our allies around the world. Look only to those who know Iran best, its neighbors, who universally oppose the deal. Why? Because it is built on trusting a regime that has cheated on international agreements time and again and because it will launch a nuclear arms race in the most unstable region in the world. So today we have a choice. To me, the choice is clear. We can support this deal and stand with a regime that spreads terror around the world, leads its people in chants of ``Death to America,'' and whose leaders refer to our country as the ``Great Satan,'' or we reject the deal and stand strong as a country, resolute in our pursuit of freedom and justice, stand with our allies, like Israel, and stand with the American people, who overwhelmingly opposed this deal. I know where I stand. I urge my colleagues to join me in rejecting this deal and sending a clear signal to the world that we will not accept a nuclear Iran.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, 37 years ago today, I received one of the highest honors of my life when I was married to the former Amy Coppage of Waycross, Georgia. We met as chemistry lab partners at Young Harris College in the north Georgia mountains. I didn't really like her much then--she was a lot smarter than me--but that quickly changed, and I grew very fond of her. We were married in Trinity United Methodist Church in Waycross, Georgia. We have been blessed with three wonderful sons, two daughters- in-law, two wonderful granddaughters, and we have a grandson on the way. Those fine young men are really the result of her efforts. I want to wish her a happy anniversary. We have been very blessed, and I am blessed today to have her with me. Happy anniversary.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Mary Nelson Adams and her many years of dedicated service as a USO volunteer. Ms. Adams, 79, of Isle of Hope, has been a familiar face to the troops working and serving at Hunter Army Airfield's Truscott Air Terminal. Ms. Adams has been present for every deployment for the last 11 years, and she has either seen off or welcomed back more than 300,000 troops. On July 31, 2015, Ms. Adams stood waving to the C-17 planes as they left carrying 22 soldiers bound for Iraq off from Hunter Army Airfield. However, this was the last time Ms. Adams would send off troops as a USO volunteer, as she has decided to step down after many years of service. On this day, a surprise ceremony was held in her honor. Col. Townley Hedrick, the commander at Fort Stewart, presented Ms. Adams with a pin and plaque declaring her a ``Marne Rock Star.'' Ms. Adams has been the recipient of additional honors throughout her years of service. In 2006, President George W. Bush gave her a pin to honor her service for soldiers. In 2008, the USO's World Headquarters named her ``Volunteer of the Year,'' which she was the first ever to receive that recognition. The president of the USO of Georgia said Ms Adams was ``the epitome'' of the organization's mission. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to honor and recognize Ms. Mary Nelson Adams for her patriotism and service to over 300,000 soldiers.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Leonora Teresa Browne Welch who passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 28, 2015. Mrs. Welch was born in Savannah, Georgia on June 23, 1928 and was the only child of Josephine Mollo and Palmer Carr Browne. She had many fond memories of her childhood with Italian family members on her mother's side, and growing up on her father's dairy farm, Kensington Dairy, which comprised the land known today as Kensington Park and Fairway Oaks. Mrs. Welch attended Cathedral Day School and St. Vincent's Academy where she was Valedictorian of her graduating class in 1946. She went on to study journalism at Armstrong College and worked at Citizens and Southern Bank. In 1952, Mrs. Welch married O.C. Welch, Jr., a Savannah native and engineer for the Seaboard Coastline Railroad, and by 1963 she was a busy mother to her eight children. She was affectionately called ``Noni'' by her husband and later by her many grandchildren. The Welches were married for 43 years until Mr. Welch's death in 1996. Mrs. Welch was a devout Catholic throughout her life, and the Welch family were communicants of St. James Catholic Church where their children attended school before going on to attend St. Vincent's Academy and Benedictine Military School. As her children began to leave the house, Mrs. Welch found more time to avail herself to volunteer for several community organizations including Goodwill, but was especially dedicated to her work in the Diocese of Savannah and St. James offices. She also enjoyed a close circle of friends known as The BOF's--or Best of Friends--who met monthly for luncheons around Savannah. She was also active in the Daughters of Ireland. Mrs. Welch was a shining example of God's unconditional love, and was a loving and proud mother and grandmother. She is survived by her daughters Celeste Welch Crago and Julie Welch Cirincioni; and her sons Michael Warren Welch (Aino), O.C. Welch III, Daniel Kevin Welch, Brian Christopher Welch (Tiffany), Douglas Gerald Welch (Marcy), and Joseph Thomas Welch (Charlotte); 20 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the 282nd Anniversary of Congregation Mickve Israel, the third oldest Jewish Congregation in the United States of America, and the grand opening of their Lawrence and Nancy Gutstein Museum. Five months after General James Oglethorpe founded the Georgia colony in 1733, Jewish refugees from the Iberian Peninsula landed in Savannah. These refugees started the Congregation Mickve Israel which has met in various locations ever since. The congregation is still operating under the same charter which they received from Governor Edward Telfair in 1790. Using primary sources, the diaries of one of the first settlers and minute books from 1790-1851, a carefully constructed exhibit ties Mickve Israel and its members to events in Jewish history, in the life of the Savannah community, the country, and the world. The new museum tells the Congregation's story through the American Revolution, the Civil War and today. Some of the artifacts on display include the oldest Torah scrolls in the United States from the 15th century, a scale model of the ship, William and Sarah, which brought over the founding members of the Congregation, and copies of letters written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Others include contributions of its members with the early Girl Scout movement as well as leadership in the civic and cultural life of Savannah. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join the Savannah community in celebration of the opening of Congregation Mickve Israel's new museum and their 282nd Anniversary.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the life of retired Navy Captain Richard ``Dick'' Currier, the commanding officer who oversaw the construction of what was known then as Naval Submarine Support Base Kings Bay. Captain Currier spent most of his Navy career in the submarine service during the transition from diesel to nuclear-powered submarines. He joined the Navy in 1954 and served upon four surface ships before becoming a submariner. As his first sea duty, Captain Currier served aboard the diesel powered submarine USS Grampus. After that tour of duty, he was sent to nuclear power school and was assigned to the nuclear submarine USS Scorpion. Five more submarine assignments followed, three of which he served as the commanding officer. Captain Currier's last duty assignment started in 1983 as the commanding officer of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in St. Marys, Georgia. At the time of his arrival, only 100 people were assigned to the base. Kings Bay's pier was still under construction, a majority of roads were unpaved, and most buildings were still in the planning stages. Under Captain Currier's leadership Kings Bay developed into the Navy gem of Georgia's Golden Isles. Captain Currier retired after 34 years of service and continued to be active in the St. Marys community where he served on the board of directors for the St. Mary's Submarine Museum among other roles. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to recognize the service and life of Captain Richard ``Dick'' Currier, a pioneer of Kings Bay who will always be remembered.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the greatest threat to our national security is our national debt. It is the number one issue facing our country right now and one of the primary reasons I sought to serve in this body. I have often said that the only way that we are ever going to balance our budget, the only way that we are ever going to retire our national debt is by three things: first of all, we have got to cut spending; secondly, we have got to have entitlement reform; and, thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, we have got to grow our way out of this. The Ex-Im Bank helps us to do that. As a small-business man, having owned three independent retail pharmacies for the last 27 years, I understand the value in business of cutting costs and increasing revenues. It is important. You have to both cut costs and increase revenues, and you have to grow your business. The Ex-Im Bank helps us to increase revenues. It helps us to retire our national debt. First of all, the Ex-Im Bank has returned money to the Treasury in the form of revenues it generates from loan interest and fees. Last year alone, the Bank generated a surplus of $675 million. Secondly, and most importantly, the Ex-Im Bank encourages economic growth by supporting the purchase of American-made goods around the world. These purchases sustain thousands of American companies who rely on exports and put food on the table of hard-working men and women employed by them. In my district alone, there are 19 companies that in recent years have utilized the Ex-Im Bank to export goods overseas. These companies range from Gulfstream, a leading manufacturer of aircraft, to Strength of Nature, a company founded by immigrants who fled the Castro regime and started a company that now exports many of their goods to the Caribbean and to Africa. The Ex-Im Bank helps businesses, big and small, across America to compete with the competitors abroad by leveling the playing field. With over 60 government export credit agencies currently active around the world, including every modern industrialized economy, allowing the Bank to expire is tantamount to unilaterally disarming ourselves in the competition for big contracts around the globe. If a company cannot get financing to buy Gulfstream manufactured in Savannah, Georgia, they will go to Canada, which actively promotes Bombardier, or Brazil, which does the same for its Embraer jets. If they can't get a Caterpillar excavator made in Athens, Georgia, they will go to Japan to buy a Komatsu. If they can't get access to an AGCO tractor headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, they will go to India to buy Mahindra. Mr. Speaker, again, as a small-business owner myself, I know that American companies can compete when the playing field is level. In a perfect world, we wouldn't need an Ex-Im Bank, but we don't live in a perfect world. Instead of leveling the playing field for American businesses, those who would shutter the Bank are stacking the deck against them. Mr. Speaker, unilaterally closing the Bank would expose our economy to a devastating blow at a time when we can least afford it. It would also further erode our global competitiveness and America's influence around the globe. While we stand here debating the future of the Ex-Im Bank, our competitors are leveraging their own versions of their export-import banks to increase their market shares abroad. Every minute we wait, foreign countries and companies are expanding. If we don't fill the market need, countries like Russia and China will, and with it, the influence of their regimes is on the rise. They relish in every day that we wait. Like any Federal agency, the Ex-Im Bank can and should be reformed to make it more accountable, more efficient, more transparent. I support reforms that would bring interest rates more in line with those found in an open private market. I support reforms to ensure the Bank is a true lender of last resort for all companies by implementing measures to ensure the Bank's customers prove that they have exhausted all their options for financing by private lenders before seeking assistance from the Bank. One way to do that would be to require three letters of denial as part of an application. The Bank should also produce a report explaining why certain businesses receive assistance by the Bank in order to provide taxpayers with more information on exactly what the Bank is doing and why. Full transparency of the Bank's actions is the only way to hold it accountable, while demonstrating the valuable role the Bank plays in maintaining our competitiveness in global markets. I stand here today ready to work with my colleagues to implement these and other necessary reforms to the Ex-Im Bank, but allowing it to expire is a disservice to the constituents that we serve. The Ex-Im Bank not only supports America's manufacturers and the working American families they employ, it helps to promote America's national interests abroad. Most importantly, it helps address our national debt, both through economic expansion and by returning its surplus to the Treasury each year. I want to thank my colleagues--Dan Newhouse, Stephen Fincher, and Chris Collins--for helping to host this forum and all those working with us to restore the Ex-Im Bank to its important function.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1334, the Holding Company Registration Threshold Equalization Act of 2015. In 2012, Congress raised the threshold number of shareholders a bank can have before they must register with Securities and Exchange Commission from 500 to 2,000. At the same time, Congress raised the threshold for bank shareholders from 300 to 1,200 before a bank could deregister for the Securities and Exchange Commission and convert to a private bank. However, due to a drafting oversight, these raised thresholds currently do not apply to savings and loan institutions. These institutions are vital for the continued development and growth of our economy. For a large segment of American homeowners, savings and loan institutions are the primary source of financial assistance for purchasing a home. Some would say that the structure in which these companies are built is the same structure that our country was built. They are generally locally owned and privately managed; and communities use these businesses as a savings institution and use these funds to help other individuals in the community construct, purchase, repair, or refinance their home. With a locally owned, community driven foundation, it is wrong to subject these businesses to the same level of oversight and regulation as a large bank without affording them the same registration and deregistration thresholds. I support this bill because I believe Congress must use every effort to build up the American people on a local level. We are not going to grow our economy from Washington, D.C., but we can create an environment on a state and local level that empowers Americans to grow themselves. I would like to thank my colleague from Arkansas, Mr. Womack, for his hard work on this issue and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 406 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mrs. Blackburn

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

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

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1531, introduced by our colleague from Virginia (Mr. Connolly). The Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act allows certain temporary workers to compete for full-time positions when vacancies arise. Many of the Federal Government's firefighters work on a temporary basis and gain valuable experience as they return year after year to battle Western wildfires. Current law prevents these experienced employees from competing for full-time jobs under internal merit promotion procedures. This commonsense bill will allow Federal land agencies to fully consider the applications of experienced workers when they identify the need for a full-time employee. Covered agencies include the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Reclamation. The bill does not change the total number of Federal jobs available or the salaries paid to Federal employees; rather, it expands the pool of individuals eligible for Federal land management positions. Of course, the bill does impose a few conditions to be eligible to compete for a full-time position, including length of service and adherence to performance standards. I urge support for this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1531) to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide a pathway for temporary seasonal employees in Federal land management agencies to compete for vacant permanent positions under internal merit promotion procedures, and for other purposes.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your attention to this issue and for your service in shepherding this important legislation through the legislative process.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I want to thank you and the Appropriations Committee for its hard work on bringing this important legislation to the floor. As you know, we have been working with your staff on an issue of great importance to the Port of Savannah, which services 40 percent of American consumers. Since 1940, the National Park Service has leased a small parcel of land on Cockspur Island within the Fort Pulaski National Monument to the Savannah Bar Pilots. The bar pilots help navigate large ships through the Savannah River channel to the port and have done so from Cockspur Island since as far as back as the 1730s. In 2011, at the request of the Park Service, Congress passed legislation to change the relationship between the bar pilots and the Park Service. With enactment of the Fort Pulaski National Monument Lease Authorization Act, Public Law 112-69, the relationship between the bar pilots and Park Service was shifted from a series of special use permits to a noncompete lease of up to 10 years. At the time of consideration of the legislation, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the annual lease fee for the bar pilots would be $25,000, a slight increase from their existing rate based on a 2008 appraisal conducted by the Park Service. It has come to my attention that the Park Service is attempting to use passage of the legislation to increase the lease fee by as much as tenfold. This is extremely problematic because such an increase could threaten to force the bar pilots off Cockspur Island. Simply given their history on the island, the idea of forcing the bar pilots to relocate is inappropriate, in and of itself. However, this is more troubling when you realize that pilotage services are required by law, so vessels are required to use their services to move in and out of the Port of Savannah, and there is no other known location from which pilots could operate more efficiently. Moving the facility could lead to longer transit times for vessels, increased safety risk in foul weather, delays in ship movement, and greater fuel usage for pilots and vessels waiting to call on the Port of Savannah. The resulting environmental and economic harm would significantly increase costs and could threaten growth at the Port of Savannah just as the Federal Government embarks on the construction phase of the $706 million Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. The legislation passed in 2011 was intended to create a long-term fix to the permitting issue, not to create an outlet by which the National Park Service could continuously raise fees to exorbitant levels. Mr. Chairman, I would request your support of our efforts to find an equitable and timely resolution to this matter that reflects Congress' intent and establishes a process for ensuring that the pilots are charged only fair market value in line with previous National Park Service appraisals and that they are able to continue operating from their current location on Cockspur Island.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Jim Tudor for his many years of contributions to the convenience store industry. Mr. Tudor has worked at the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores since January of 1987, and currently serves as President. Before that, Mr. Tudor also spent nine years at 7-Eleven. Over the years, Mr. Tudor has received various Pigeon Awards from The Pigeon Committee. He was honored as the 2012 Annual Golden Pigeon. He also received the Liberty Award from Brown & Williamson in 2000, and was recognized by James Magazine as one of the Top Ten Lobbyist or trade organizations for three straight years 2012-2014. Mr. Tudor is very active in the Covington Rotary and previously the South DeKalb Rotary. He has been extremely active with Georgia Youth Assembly, the YMCA, and various other youth groups as a mentor and leader. Mr. Tudor has served numerous roles at his church and is a devout Christian man with impeccable morals and values. Mr. Tudor graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1972, and spent two years in the U.S. Army. Mr. Tudor and his wife, Sandra, have four children--James, Kelly, Bobby and Bill--and five grandchildren. Upon retirement, Jim and Sandra plan to roam the countryside in their retro-style 2015 Mellow Yellow Winnebago. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join Mr. Tudor's colleagues, family and friends in celebrating his many years of hard work and dedication to the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores and his community.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the 50th Anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War. The treatment so many of our veterans faced when they returned home from tours of duty was and is unacceptable. It is a dark chapter in our nation's history that we must never allow to be repeated. It is a testament to our veterans' unyielding call to duty that so many of them remain involved in veteran's service organizations and continue taking care of our troops as they return home from the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Georgia has a rich military heritage and her involvement in the Vietnam War is no different. Out of the 228,000 sons and daughters of our state that served in the military during the war, 1,584 were killed, 8,534 were wounded, 21 were held as prisoners of war and 35 are missing in action. Today, it is our honor to be the home state of an estimated 254,000 Vietnam veterans. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the First District of Georgia, it is my honor to extend to our veterans this long overdue welcome home with the thanks of a grateful nation.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1615) to direct the Chief FOIA Officer of the Department of Homeland Security to make certain improvements in the implementation of section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act), and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1615. In November of 2014, it was reported that DHS had received and processed the most FOIA requests out of any Federal department. It holds the largest backlog of unprocessed FOIA requests of any Federal agency. In fact, since 2010, DHS FOIA requests have increased by over 65 percent, and DHS currently holds almost half of all Federal FOIA requests of any government agency--about 50,000 of 95,000 requests. In addition, 3 weeks ago, I was informed that the increase in DHS FOIA requests was partly due to requests for immigration records for people requesting information for their future deferred action cases. My bill, H.R. 1615, the DHS FOIA Efficiency Act of 2015, streamlines the process to address the tremendous workload and backlog and bring transparency to the cost of FOIA requests to the Department. In the recent past, DHS has received poor evaluations regarding its efficiency in handling FOIA requests. For these reasons, my bill directs the chief FOIA officer of DHS to work with other officers within the Department to update their capabilities in handling the large amount of FOIA requests and identify the total annual costs associated with processing these requests. By updating their capabilities and reporting to Congress on how the Department is addressing their poor performance, my bill will direct the Department to address its backlog and inefficiencies in an appropriate and quick manner. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, once again, I urge my colleagues to support this strong, bipartisan piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1633. From 2011 to 2013, over 200 DHS employees were placed on paid administrative leave. While administrative leave may be necessary on a case-by-case basis, more frequently, we hear of Federal employees who are under investigation for conduct-related actions. These investigations can last for several months, which can result in a substantial cost to taxpayers. For example, in 2013, a DHS employee was placed on paid administrative leave for running a Web site that predicted and advocated a race war. Such action should not involve paid leave. It clearly should involve termination of employment. Another example involves former Acting and Deputy DHS Inspector General Charles Edwards. Mr. Edwards was placed on paid leave in May of 2014. As of October 2014, he was still on paid administrative leave. This bill protects precious taxpayer dollars by requiring DHS to track and report on employees placed on administrative leave for personnel matters. By keeping track of who is on paid administrative leave, we can better ensure we are not using the taxpayers' dime to pay for DHS employee misconduct. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, one of the things I always strive for in my personal and professional life is always trying to do things better. As I tell my staff, there is no such thing as standing still. If you are not moving forward, then you are moving backward. We can all continue to get better at what we do. That is the goal of H.R. 2507, the Increasing Regulatory Fairness Act of 2015. As part of an annual rulemaking process, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services update payments to the Medicare Advantage program. With the current structure of this annual process, health insurers are given little time to submit comments to the new payment rates or even determine whether the payment adjustment is beneficial to Medicare Advantage enrollees. With H.R. 2507, health insurers will have additional time to analyze whether the payment adjustments for Medicare Advantage plans are justified and overall beneficial. I believe we must always try to get better every day. This includes our work as civil servants. H.R. 2507 will provide a better environment for CMS and health insurers to create the best payment rate agreement regarding Medicare Advantage plans. By providing more time for comments and the finalizing of rates, Medicare Advantage enrollees will receive a better calculated benefit for their plans. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. CARTER of Georgia

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this year's fiscal 2016 Defense Appropriations bill. As we rapidly approach the final vote on this year's bill, I want to recognize the outstanding work that the Appropriations Committee has done in crafting this year's bill. I am proud to represent the First Congressional District of Georgia, which is the proud home of Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, Hunter Army Airfield, Moody Air Force Base, and Fort Stewart. These installations are the foundation of many critical missions that continue to support our troops abroad and our American citizens at home. I am pleased and grateful that this year's appropriations bill supports the First District's important missions, and I commend the committee for its accomplishments, all while operating under budget. Through this bill, the Georgia First's military installations and their personnel will continue receiving funding for critical missions that will ensure future success for our servicemen and -women. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.