Michael Cloud

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2575, the AI in Government Act. Artificial intelligence, or AI, has the potential to improve our Federal workforce's productivity and to solve complex government challenges. By responsibly increasing the utilization of AI in the Federal Government, we can streamline burdensome administrative tasks and better allocate finite resources. AI can potentially save the Federal Government billions of dollars and countless man-hours. Artificial intelligence tools can also free Federal workers from mundane tasks, giving them time for more challenging work. In fact, a Deloitte report from 2017 estimated that the Federal Government could potentially save 1.2 billion employee labor-hours by automating certain tasks. That could potentially save the Federal Government up to $41 billion, annually. AI can also improve Federal policy decisions by presenting new insights and improving the quality of information available to decisionmakers. AI represents a force multiplier benefiting the American people in an era of soaring Federal deficits and increasing complexity of various Federal agency missions and programs. The taxpayers should especially benefit from a smarter, more effective government. The good news is that the government agencies are well on their way to realizing the benefits of artificial intelligence technology solutions. A 2018 survey by IBM found that nearly half of the responding Federal agencies already incorporated AI solutions. The Trump administration has already made advancement of AI a national priority. In February of 2019, President Trump issued the executive order on ``Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.'' The executive order promotes national research and development efforts, workforce training, and technology standards. However, it did not go as far as to establish the necessary accountability or governing policies for Federal agencies using AI tools. But the AI in Government Act does, because, along with the potential of AI, there are attending concerns and considerations regarding its ethical use which must be taken into account to maintain the trust and confidence of the American people. H.R. 2575 ensures proper oversight over the government's increasing use of AI. The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to issue a memorandum to agencies to inform the development of agency AI policy plans. These agency plans will provide greater insight into agency AI activities and will ensure public accountability over how Federal agencies incorporate AI tools into their mission delivery and decisionmaking. Mr. Speaker, we must tap into the benefits AI has to offer, and, with this bill, we can do it with proper oversight and accountability. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5317 which would name a post office in my home State of Texas after Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. Dhaliwal joined the Harris County Sheriff's Office out of a sense of duty and a desire to build a bridge between the department and the Houston area Sikh community. He was also one of the first observant Sikhs in Texas to receive a policy accommodation allowing him to wear the turban and beard associated with the Sikh religion during his service as a police officer. After being promoted to the rank of patrol deputy, he was assigned to northwest Harris County. In September of 2019, Dhaliwal was shot and killed from behind during a routine traffic stop leaving behind a wife and three daughters. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation honoring a local law enforcement hero, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4672 which would name a Cupertino, California, post office after Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Axelson, a Navy SEAL. Petty Officer Axelson was born and raised in Cupertino. After graduating from college, he joined the U.S. Navy, eventually earning a spot as an elite Navy SEAL serving on SEAL Team 10. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 and served as part of a four- man special reconnaissance element that participated in Operation Red Wings, a mission to counter fundamentalist forces in the Kunar province of Afghanistan. On June 28, 2005, Petty Officer Axelson's unit was assigned to kill or capture Ahmad Shah, a high-ranking Taliban leader in the Hindu Kush mountains. He and two other team members were killed in action as part of an ambush by enemy forces, but not until after the four-man group fought ferociously back against a significantly larger force. Axelson continued to fight alongside his teammates after being wounded in the head and chest, but he ultimately succumbed to his wounds. Axelson was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest military award for valor. The sole remaining survivor of the team wrote a book about the courageous actions of these men called ``Lone Survivor'' which was later turned into a movie of the same name. Mr. Speaker, Petty Officer Axelson's actions are a profile in courage. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5597, which would name a post office in Oklahoma after Clara Luper. Luper believed that Oklahoma and the United States should be a place where everyone is treated equally with respect. In 1958, she and 14 of her NAACP youth council students organized one of the first U.S. sit-ins at a Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma. They tried to order a hamburger and soda knowing that they would be refused solely because of the color of their skin. Though they were assaulted, they stayed with their cause. And within days, Katz Drug Stores integrated their lunch counters in Oklahoma and three other States. This sit-in helped inspire the 1961 sit-ins at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, which was a critical moment during the civil rights movement. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3847, which would designate a Virginia Postal Service facility as the ``Reverend Curtis West Harris Post Office Building''. Reverend Harris was a native Virginian who attended the Carter G. Woodson High School and Virginia Union University. After college, Reverend Harris began to work at the Allied Chemical Plant in Hopewell, Virginia. He successfully sued Allied Chemical after an executive order that prohibited discrimination at companies that received government contracts. This began Reverend Harris' lifelong fight for social justice. In 1960, he was sentenced to 60 days in jail for staging a sit-in at a segregated drugstore. He also protested the segregation of Hopewell's cemetery and swimming pool. He joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's national board and would eventually head up the Virginia chapter. During this time at SCLC, Reverend Harris became close to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and joined him on the 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. Reverend Harris was an influential and well-respected member of the community. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5062, which would name a Florida post office after Officer Robert German. Robert German, affectionately known as Robbie, moved to central Florida when he was 5 years old. After graduating with a business degree, he began working in airport operations, where he coordinated with security and police departments. These interactions inspired him to become a law enforcement agent. Officer German was shot and killed in the line of duty on March 22, 2014. Officer German's courage, dedication, and passion for his community are to be commended. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3870, which would name a New York City post office after Normandia Maldonado. Normandia Maldonado was born in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a love for the arts and a passion to serve her community. She took this love and passion to New York City in 1960, when she came to the U.S. to star in the Cuban film ``Busquen A Ese Hombre.'' She began to plant roots in the Washington Heights community and worked to promote Dominican culture in the area. She cofounded Club Civico y Cultural Juan Pablo Duarte, which is the second oldest Dominican cultural institution in New York. She also founded what is now known as the Dominican Day Parade. Her contributions have impacted countless Dominicans and New Yorkers. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4034, which would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 602 Pacific Avenue in Bremerton, Washington, as the John Henry Turpin Post Office Building. After a distinguished career serving in the Spanish-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War I, and being disallowed from reenlisting during World War II because of his age, Mr. Turpin instead volunteered to tour the Navy training facilities and defense plants to speak to African-American sailors. After his retirement from Active Duty in the Navy, Turpin worked as a master rigger in Bremerton, Washington. His service is to be commended, and because of that, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2969, which would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1401 1st Street North in Winter Haven, Florida, as the Althea Margaret Daily Mills Post Office Building. Althea Margaret Daily Mills had a crucial role in the desegregation of Florida. When asked about her motivation to challenge the Polk County Board of Public Instruction, Mills said: ``Our instructors were just as good, but some of my son's textbooks would go to page 3 and then skip to page 35. You can't learn like that.'' This lawsuit eventually led to the public integration of all Polk County public schools. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2246, which would name a Mississippi post office after three brave citizens who died in the line of duty. Donald William Durr was a deputy in the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department when he was killed in the line of duty. Just prior to his passing, he had completed training to become a DARE officer and educator. He was also a talented musician and ventriloquist who enjoyed spending time with his family. James White had only briefly been employed with the Brookhaven Police Department when he died in 2018. He had previously been employed with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, and before that, he was a soldier in the Army National Guard and served our country in Operation Iraqi Freedom, receiving a Purple Heart. Zach Moak was a patrolman with the Brookhaven Police Department. He had previously worked for Wesson and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department. In his free time, he loved to spend time with his family and help out in his community. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Guest).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4734, which would name an Indiana Post Office after Ernest T. Pyle. Ernie Pyle was born near Dana, Indiana. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve before attending Indiana University. At Indiana University he studied economics and journalism and wrote for the student newspaper. During World War II, Pyle served as a war correspondent. He reported from the front lines of both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war. His accounts from the front helped provide Americans with valuable unseen perspectives of war. His reporting helped lead to the creation of combat pay. Near the end of the war in April 1945, Pyle was reporting on the island of Iejima when he was killed by a lone Japanese machine gunner. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for journalism, as well as the Medal for Merit and the Purple Heart. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 3275, which would name the United States Postal Service facility located at 340 Wetmore Avenue in Grand River, Ohio, as the Lance Corporal Andy `Ace' Nowacki Post Office. Known as Andy or Ace to his loved ones, he graduated from Brush High School in 1998 and joined the Marine Corps Reserves shortly after. He attended the Cleveland Heights Police Academy and became a patrolman for Grand River in 2001. As a patrolman, he was a dedicated member of the ready response team, the honor guard, and the bike patrol. He was killed by a roadside bomb on his second tour in Iraq on February 26, 2005, as he served as a gunner on a Humvee that was protecting a convoy south of Baghdad. Andy was always looking to protect and serve his country and those around him. He served his country and his community bravely, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4785, which would name a post office in Castroville, Texas, after Lance Corporal Rhonald Dain Rairdan. Dain, as he was called by his loved ones, was raised in an Air Force family and lived all over the country. He considered Castroville to be his adopted home, and it is where his celebration of life would eventually be held. Dain grew up wanting to join the Marine Corps because he wanted to protect his country. Four months after joining the Marines, he was deployed to the Middle East to join the Marine-led offensive to take control of Fallujah. On January 26, 2005, Dain was onboard a helicopter near Rutbah, Iraq, when it crashed. Twenty-eight marines were killed alongside Dain. He died serving this Nation and protecting us, a most honorable calling. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd).

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5384 to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 Crosby Street in Mansfield, Louisiana, as the Dr. C.O. Simpkins, Sr., Post Office. Dr. Simpkins joined the U.S. Air Force after school, attaining the rank of captain before being honorably discharged. Following his military service, he returned to Shreveport and opened a dental practice. He became involved in the civil rights movement, serving with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unfortunately, his involvement drew the attention of racist organizations, such as the Ku Klux Klan, tragically resulting in his home and office being firebombed. Fearing for his safety, Dr. Simpkins moved to New York, where he continued to be an advocate for civil rights. After living in New York for 26 years, Dr. Simpkins returned to Shreveport, reopened his dental practice, and pursued a career in politics. He won a seat in the Louisiana State House of Representatives, where he served for one term before returning to his dental practice full time. He continued working at his dental practice until retiring in 2011. He passed away on December 4, 2019, at the age of 94. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4200, which would name a Colorado post office after Sergeant David Kinterknecht. Sergeant Kinterknecht was a law enforcement officer who was killed in 2009 while responding to a routine domestic violence call. This bill would repeal and replace a bill passed in Congress that named a mail processing facility after Sergeant Kinterknecht. This mail processing facility is not commonly used by those in Montrose. Instead, to ensure that Sergeant Kinterknecht is remembered as he deserves, Congressman Tipton wishes to name a more commonly used post office after the sergeant. This would allow Montrose residents, including Sergeant Kinterknecht's family and friends, to be able to see a post office named after him. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton).