Jimmy Duncan

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, the spending bill we will vote on later today will pass because there is something in it for almost everyone, but there is nothing fiscally conservative about it. It busts all the budget caps, adding $300 billion over the next 2 years, when spending was already going up anyway. There are no pay-fors or offsets for the disaster billions, as we have done in the past. I repeat, there is nothing fiscally conservative about this bill. Our deficit for the last fiscal year was an astounding $666 billion. This bill makes it certain that this fiscal year it will be even higher. This bill raises our national debt limit when our debt is already a mind-boggling, incomprehensible $20 trillion. This bill puts us on a path to a $30 trillion debt in a very few years. I say again, there is nothing fiscally conservative about this bill. The easiest thing in the world to do, Mr. Speaker, is spend other people's money, but this is getting ridiculous. There is an old saying about spending like a drunken sailor. Even drunk sailors never spent money this recklessly. I will say once again and close by saying, there is nothing conservative or fiscally conservative about this bill.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, in today's Washington Post, there is a major story on the front page of the Style Section about a young woman name Sarah Pool. One of the headlines says: ``Sarah Pool, 31, has a baby and a job, and loves them both, but she fears she will be paying off student loans till the day she dies.'' She got loans totaling $60,000 but now owes $69,000. She is quoted as saying: ``I keep paying, but it is like pouring into a bucket with no bottom.'' Mr. Speaker, for several years, I have been speaking out about how harmful the Federal student loan program has become for many, many hundreds of thousands of students and families around this country. In May of 2015, I wrote an article for the Washington Examiner newspaper with ideas about how to bring down the cost of college. In that article, I quoted hedge fund manager James Altucher, who wrote: ``We are graduating a generation of indentured students.'' An Ohio University economist, Richard Vedder, wrote a book several years ago entitled ``Going Broke By Degree.'' In the February issue of Chronicles magazine, which will be out in just a few days, I have another article; and in that article I say that student loan debt in the United States is now $1.48 trillion. That incredible sum is a heavy drag on the economy and a burden on young people, and Federal intervention in education is the cause. It wasn't always this way. In June of 1965, I began working as a salesman at the Sears store in Knoxville, receiving a 10-cents-an-hour raise over my job as a bag boy at the A&P. At Sears, my wage was $1.25 an hour. I was required to wear a suit and tie, and I was very proud of that job. I worked full time that summer and usually around 20 hours a week after I began my freshman year at the University of Tennessee in late September. After I had worked at Sears for 6 months--I didn't realize I had been there 6 months--I was called to the office for the first time. I was very concerned, to put it lightly. I met David Weaver, who was my same age, 18, at the escalator. I told him: I bet I was hit by one of those Hallmark shoppers--one of the mystery shoppers Sears had at the time. He told me he had just been called by a very angry woman to whom he had sold the wrong color of paint. David said that he was scared and that he had diabetes, and when he got too nervous, he would pass out. I can remember that conversation as if it happened yesterday. Much to our relief, we had been called to the office so management could give us good news: because we had been working at Sears for 6 months, they were giving us a nickel-an-hour raise. It shocks students at the University of Tennessee today when I tell them that tuition my freshman year was $90 per quarter, $270 for the academic year. By my senior year, it was $405. I remember hearing our minority leader, Mr. Hoyer, say that when he started at the University of Maryland, it was $87 a semester. Almost no one left college in those days with debt unless they had bought a car or made some other major purchase. Students certainly did not go into debt for tuition because they could all work part time, as I did, and pay all their school expenses. Now, over 44 million Americans carry student loan debt--some of those debts reaching into the six figures. Readers Digest recently published an article in the December/January issue entitled ``The Student Debt Racket.'' The authors quote one student who owes $90,000 as saying: ``My loans are a black cloud hanging over me. I am a student debt slave.'' Colleges and universities began heavily promoting student loans in the late sixties and early seventies. They were able to tamp down opposition to tuition and fee increases by telling students: Don't worry, we will just get you a loan. Then, because loans were available, many schools began raising tuition at two and three times the rate of inflation each year, and have continued to do so. I remember reading an article about 3 years ago in The Post which said that student tuition had gone up 4\1/2\ times the rate of inflation since 1985. Now the cost of higher education has soared to such great heights that universities are bragging if they hold the annual increases to 2 or 3 percent. They never consider reductions, not even miniscule ones. Thus we have another example of how Big Government liberalism helps the few at the top while harming the many down below. The Federal student loan program has made the owners of some loan servicing companies very wealthy and has been a boon to most college administrators and tenured professors; and all of this at great expense to students and their families. When the Knoxville News Sentinel lists the highest paid people in east Tennessee each year, they are almost all at TVA or UT. Yet the pattern continues to repeat: Liberals find a very small group of people who are having trouble paying for something, then insist that the only solution is to let the Federal Government ``help.'' But whenever the Federal Government subsidizes something, the costs simply explode because most of the incentives or pressures to hold costs down vanish. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would say this is why Mark Cuban, the Shark Tank star, has said: If you want to make college really expensive, make it free.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, almost every member of Congress says a need in their district is more good jobs. Good business people that provide good jobs are not recognized enough. That is why I rise today to recognize the 100th Anniversary of the Hydraulic Institute and pay tribute to the exceptional role that pump manufacturers have played in improving the delivery of water to American homes, American industry and American agriculture over the past century. Today, pump systems touch the lives of every American and the Hydraulic Institute has a central role in developing the policies and standards needed for safe, reliable and efficient pump operations. On April 18, 1917, the nation's leading pump manufacturers met in the La Salle Hotel in Chicago for the purpose of forming a trade association that would ``promote friendship and cooperation among manufacturers in improving overall pump performance.'' The Hydraulic Institute provides the technical expertise required to set pump standards that reflect the evolving priorities of society. In recent years, energy efficiency has emerged as a national priority and the Hydraulic Institute has worked closely with the United States Department of Energy to improve the efficiency of pumping systems. These systems now account for over 20 percent of domestic electrical energy use and the standards, laboratory testing and labelling advanced by the Hydraulic Institute will ultimately save consumers and businesses billions of dollars. Pumping systems protect our communities from flooding and fires, deliver drinking water to our homes, irrigate our farms and bring water and fuel to American manufacturers. As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Clean Water Caucus, I am keenly aware of the role that pump manufacturers play in providing safe, clean, affordable water to our citizens. It is my honor to stand today to acknowledge the 100th Anniversary of the Hydraulic Institute and to wish their continued success in advancing standards that improve the lives of every American.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, one of the finest men I have ever known, Jim Haslam, turns 87 today. Mr. Haslam is one of the greatest leaders Tennessee has ever had, and he is certainly our greatest philanthropist. He came to the University of Tennessee at the age of 17 to play football for the legendary football coach, General Robert Neyland. He played on some of the greatest teams in Tennessee history, teams that won almost every game, losing only four games in the 3 years that Jim Haslam played. In 1958, he bought a small gas station in Gate City, Virginia, on the Tennessee line. I believe I read at one point that he paid just $6,000 for that four-pump station. Through much hard work and long hard hours, he slowly built that one little gas station into the Pilot Flying J chain. He is still involved in the business today. We frequently tell people in the military: Thank you for your service. That is a good thing to do. However, we don't show nearly enough appreciation for people who start small businesses, turn them into bigger businesses, and provide good jobs for people and their families. The Pilot Flying J Company now has over 750 travel centers in 43 States and in Canada, and provides jobs for over 27,000 people. Very few people in this world can say that they are providing jobs for 27,000 people. Jim Haslam has now contributed over $100 million to the University of Tennessee. He and his family have contributed very large sums of money to almost every good cause in east Tennessee, in addition to the university. He and his wife, Natalie, do not just contribute money. They are very active in all sorts of civic and charitable groups in Knoxville. He is also a very patriotic man and has great love for this country. He served his country in our Nation's military. He is one of the biggest contributors to the Republican Party in this Nation and is personally involved in many campaigns. He has been a very good friend and supporter for both me and my late father, and I am very grateful to him. Most important of all, Jim Haslam has been a good family man. He and his late wife raised three children. Then, many years ago, he married Natalie, a longtime friend; and between them, they raised six outstanding children. One of his sons, Bill Haslam, is our great Governor in Tennessee and a chairman of the Republican Governors Association. His other son, Jimmy Haslam, now leads the Pilot Flying J Company and owns and operates the Cleveland Browns football team. Through hard work, honesty, dedication, and simple human kindness, Jim Haslam has lived the American Dream. He has touched thousands of lives in good and positive ways. This Nation is the greatest country in the history of this world because of people like Jim Haslam. This Nation is a better place today because of the life he has led. I salute him on his 87th birthday and give him best wishes for many, many more.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, In honor of Mrs. Johnnie Elizabeth Hammontree Myers, I would like to celebrate the amazing life she lived with my colleagues and others. Johnnie was a long time close, personal friend to both me, and my father, Congressman John J. Duncan, Sr. There couldn't have been a stronger supporter of the Republican cause. Born in 1919, in Greenback, Tennessee, Johnnie was brought up attending Pine Grove Presbyterian Church where she would become an elder, clerk, and life time member. She volunteered her time in the community as well. She was a past chair of the Loudon County March of Dimes, president of the Loudon County Republican Women, and was the first female vice-chairman of the Loudon County Republican Party. She was a staunch, dedicated Republican, but more importantly, she was a strong Christian and truly patriotic American. When she wasn't serving her church, or our community, she was enjoying life to the fullest. She cheered on the University of Tennessee men's basketball team as often as she could with the season tickets she held since 1962. She also loved to embark on trips to new places including Hawaii, Alaska, Israel, and Europe. Johnnie is an example to us all to live life each day with humility, compassion for others, and grateful hearts. She will be greatly missed by me, my family, and our community. Mr. Speaker, this Nation is a better place today because of the life that Johnnie Myers led, and I hope that many people will read this tribute honoring one really outstanding woman.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from New York started this debate with an amazing statistic when she said that over 1,500 small banks and financial institutions have been forced to merge or be acquired or go out of business altogether since the passage of the Dodd-Frank bill. Those of us who opposed the Dodd-Frank bill at that time said this would happen, and that is exactly what happened. The big have gotten bigger. I read recently that the five largest Wall Street banks had 22 percent of total deposits in this Nation before Dodd-Frank, but last year, when I read the update, they now have 44 percent of total deposits. There is a big government, big business duopoly that controls too much of the life of this country, and in every overregulated industry, it ends up being consolidated and controlled in the hands of a few big giants, and that is what has happened in this case. I remember when my wife and I bought our first house. We signed about two or three pages many years ago. Three and a half years ago, we bought a lake house, and we had to sign over 100 pages of documents that, being a lawyer and a judge, I knew that all it was was meaningless paperwork for bureaucrats and lawyers. This is important legislation. I have had many bankers across the State of Tennessee who have told me how harmful and how difficult it has been for the smaller institutions to comply with all the rules and regulations and red tape. Mr. Speaker, we need to pass this bill, and I urge its support.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, several times over my 29 years in Congress, I have wondered whether there are any fiscal conservatives at the Pentagon. It seems that the Defense Department is just like every other gigantic bureaucracy. When it comes to money, the refrain is always more, more, more. On November 14, the House passed what one Capitol Hill paper described as a $700 billion compromise Defense bill. It was $80 billion over the budget caps and many billions more than even President Trump had requested. I opposed almost all the major initiatives of the Obama administration, but it was false to say that the Defense Department had been depleted or eviscerated during those years or that now we must rebuild the military. In fact, public relations experts in future years should conduct studies about how the Defense Department has been able to convince the public it has been cut when it is now getting more money than ever. Defense Department appropriations have more than doubled since 2000. In addition, the Department has gotten extra billions in several supplemental or emergency appropriations bills. The military construction bill is a separate bill that has added another $109.5 billion over the last 10 years. It would be hard to find any U.S. military base anyplace in the world that has not had several new buildings constructed over the last few years. In fiscal year 2016, we spent over $177 billion on new equipment, tanks, guns, et cetera. We have spent similar amounts for many years. Most of this equipment does not wear out or have to be replaced after just 1 year. It is ironic that the only President in the last 60 or 70 years who has tried to rein in defense spending is the only President in that period who spent most of his career in the military. In Evan Thomas' book, ``Ike's Bluff,'' when told by his top staffer that he could not reduce defense spending, President Eisenhower said if he gave another star to every general who cut his budget, ``there would be such a rush to cut costs, you'll have to get out of the way.'' The book also quotes Eisenhower as saying: ``Heaven help us if we ever have a President who doesn't know as much about the military as I do.'' Therein lies an explanation for a big part of what has caused much excessive and/or wasteful defense spending and the willingness, even at times eagerness, to go to war and support permanent, never-ending wars. Only 18 percent of the current Congress has ever served in any branch of the military. Members are afraid that if they do not vote for an increase in defense spending or if they question waste by the military, some demagogue will accuse them of ``not supporting the troops.'' It would be a huge understatement to say that I usually do not agree with New York Times editorials, but the editorial board, on October 22, published an editorial entitled ``America's Forever Wars,'' pointing out that ``the United States has been at war continuously since the attacks of 9/11'' and now has ``troops in at least 172 countries. . . .'' The board wrote that so far, the American people have ``seemed to accept'' all this militarism, but ``it's a very real question whether, in addition to endorsing these commitments, which have cost trillions of dollars and many lives over 16 years, they will embrace new entanglements. . . .'' The New York Times added that ``Congress has spent little time considering such issues in a comprehensive way or debating why all these deployments are needed.'' Backing these words up was a cartoon in the October 25 issue of Politico, a Capitol Hill newspaper. The cartoon showed six Senators sitting at a hearing. The first Senator, reading a newspaper, says: Who knew we had troops in Niger? The second says: Heck, we don't even know how the military budget gets spent. Finally, the cartoon shows a Senator saying: War is hell. I say we just give the Pentagon an extra $80 billion and call it a day. Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen, himself a veteran, as am I, wrote on October 23: ``But there is something else at work here: the slavish veneration now accorded the military. You can see it every time someone in uniform testifies before Congress.'' Since now that less than 1 percent of the people serve in the military, it may be that many people who never served feel, perhaps even subconsciously, that they must bend over backwards to show their patriotism. However, it is not unpatriotic to oppose wasteful defense spending or very unnecessary permanent, forever wars. President Reagan once said: ``Our troops should be committed to combat abroad only as a last resort, when no other choice is available.'' We have far too many leaders today who seem to want to be new Winston Churchills and who are far too eager to send people to war. No true fiscal conservative could ever justify spending many billions more than even President Trump requested. Our national debt recently went over the $20 trillion level. A few days ago, it was reported that the deficit for fiscal year 2017 was $666 billion. This fiscal year, it may be even higher. Conservatives used to be against huge deficit spending. They also used to be against massive foreign aid. Much of what we have been doing in both Iraq and Afghanistan, training police and farmers, repairing electrical and water systems, even making small business loans, is pure foreign aid. Many of our foreign interventions have been done under the auspices or authority of the United Nations. Conservatives used to be the biggest critics of the U.N. and world government. Most of our so-called ``coalitions'' have been funded almost entirely by American taxpayers. Most interventionists at some point resort to a slur referring to their opponents as isolationists. This is so false. Traditional conservatives support trade and tourism and cultural and educational exchanges with other countries and they agree with helping during humanitarian crises. They just don't believe in dragging war out forever, primarily so defense contractors, think tanks, and military bureaucrats can get more money. One last point: We have far too many officers. In Scott Berg's biography on Woodrow Wilson, it says during World War I, we had one officer for every 30 enlisted men. Eisenhower once said we had too many officers when there were nine enlisted for every officer. Now we have one officer for only four and a half to five and a half enlisted (varies by branch). This is very expensive, both for active duty and retirement, but it also makes it much more likely that we will get involved in every little conflict around the world and/or continue basing troops in almost every country. We simply do not have enough money to pay for defense of so many countries other than our own nor the authority under our Constitution to try to run the whole world.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, it has been proven all over the world that the most wasteful, least economical, least efficient way to spend money is to turn it over to the Federal Government. If this was not true, then places like Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela would be heavens on Earth. Socialism simply does not work. Money left in the private sector does much more to create jobs and hold down prices than does any money turned over to government. A business that continually wastes money and operates inefficiently will eventually go out of business. A government agency that wastes money or operates inefficiently just uses that as an excuse to ask for higher appropriations. This is what the tax cut bill is all about: an effort to leave more money in the private sector, where it will create jobs and hold down prices. Wealthy elitists come out ahead, even under our socialist, Big Government systems. Lower income people come out better when more money is left in private hands to create jobs and hold prices down. College graduates often wonder why they can't find good jobs. In large part, it is because our Federal, State, and local corporate taxes are too high, and this has caused us to lose millions of good jobs to other countries. Mr. Speaker, we need lower taxes.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, my late father was the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee when the last tax reform was passed in 1986. I know personally how difficult it was then to bring all the competing interests together. Everything looks easy from a distance. Everyone in this Congress would write a slightly different tax bill if given the chance to do so, but we can't have 535 different tax bills. Even Chairman Brady would probably change some things if he had complete control over it. I would favor some slight differences, but this is a great bill, overall, for middle-income people. We need to do more in the future to cut spending along with it. Kevin Brady is the right man at the right time. I think he has done a masterful job in bringing this bill to the floor. No other bill will do more to help keep jobs in this country. No other bill we can pass in this Congress would do more to help more people than this one will. I urge the bill's passage.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the University of Tennessee College of Law's Legal Clinic on its 70th anniversary. The UT Legal Clinic is a national leader in clinical education. The clinic has been ranked one of the top 10 legal clinical programs among public universities and 19th among all U.S. law schools. The UT Legal Clinic was founded in 1947, by Professor Charles Miller, and is the longest, continually existing legal clinic in the country. The clinic provides law students many opportunities to learn by doing. This approach prepares students for both the practice of law and providing legal services to the underprivileged. The work at the clinic has further advanced the cause of justice by serving thousands of indigent clients who cannot afford legal representation. I want to honor and congratulate the UT College of Law's Legal Clinic on its 70th anniversary and thank it for its honorable service to the legal profession, the people of the State of Tennessee, and to the entire Nation. I wish only the best for the Legal Clinic in future years training and educating outstanding law students.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, a distinguished business owner and close friend of mine from my district, Larry G. Cox, will be honored by the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association at an event that benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tennessee Valley on November 14th 2017. Larry has one of the biggest hearts of all the people I have known in my lifetime. Larry has served the people of Knoxville for many years by giving his time and effort to the Emerald Youth Foundation, Kiwanis Club, and his church. He also helped make our city a better place through his tenure as a Knoxville city councilman for two decades. Father of Shane and Brooke, Grandfather of Brielle and Kingston, and Husband of Brenda, Larry Cox has created a legacy that few can match, and he has touched thousands of people's lives in good and positive ways. His passion for promoting a connected community focused on the success of our youth has helped many young people who are faced with challenging life situations with little hope in their lives. His dedication to fundraising for the Boys and Girls Clubs has helped to provide resources to make the lives of many young people better through their renewed sense of self, ability to participate in sports, and boost in self-confidence. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing the impact Larry Cox has made on so many lives through his selflessness and devotion to others. This Nation is a much better place because of the life he has led.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, there is a heartbreaking photo in today's Washington Post showing two small boys, toddler-size, in a hospital in Yemen being treated for cholera. The story says the International Red Cross is now being prohibited by the Government of Saudi Arabia from shipping chlorine tablets into Yemen to treat this disease that has now affected more than 900,000 people there. This is a humanitarian crisis of the first magnitude and it should not be tolerated. Many people are dying. Most of the victims of this disease are women, children, and senior citizens. In yesterday's American Conservative magazine, Daniel Larison wrote: ``The Saudi-led blockade of Yemen has been starving the population of essential goods for years, but the complete shutdown of all ports threatens to cause massive loss of life if it is not reversed immediately.'' The head of the U.N. World Food Programme is warning that hundreds of thousands of children in Yemen will be ``on the brink of starvation if the Saudi-led coalition's blockade of air, sea, and land access lasts for even 2 weeks.'' David Beasley, of the U.N., told the Associated Press, if access remains shut down, ``I can't imagine this will not be one of the most devastating humanitarian catastrophes we have seen in decades.'' Mr. Speaker, Saudi Arabia is supposed to be an ally of ours. Those of us in Congress should demand, urge, or at least plead with officials in Saudi Arabia to end this very cruel, inhumane blockade, and allow the Red Cross to get crucial food, medicine, and other supplies in to these people before many more die needlessly.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on October 11, a great Tennessean and very patriotic American, Van Michael, passed away at the age of 82. Van was a longtime friend and supporter of both me and my late father. He was a lawyer, successful businessman, and served as City Judge for Sweetwater, Tennessee. He also enjoyed his work in Washington as the lobbyist for the National Christmas Tree Growers Association. Van was the primary developer of a popular Tennessee tourist attraction called the Lost Sea, an amazing body of water in an underground cavern in Monroe County. I still remember riding in a boat with my dad at the Grand Opening of the Lost Sea. He also was a leader in bringing about Cherohala Skyway, one of the Nation's most beautiful scenic highways. Van was a very well-informed conservative with strong views on the great issues of the day. As Sweetwater Mayor Doyle Lowe said, ``Sweetwater and the County will miss him. He was a large part of the community.'' Van Michael touched thousands of lives in good and positive ways. This Country is a better place because of the life he led. I would like to include in the Record the following article about Van Michael from the Monroe County newspaper The Advocate & Democrat. [From the Advocate and Democrat, Oct. 15, 2017] Lost Sea Developer Van Michael Dies at 82 (By Michael Thomas) A man who helped bring The Lost Sea to prominence among many other life accomplishments died Oct. 11 at the age of 82. Van Reeves Michael was known for a lot of things throughout his long life, but it was his part in the development of the former Craighead Caverns into the Lost Sea that will mark his legacy. ``I can't think of anyone that knows more about The Lost Sea than him,'' said Lisa McClung, director of The Lost Sea. ``I used to get him to come out and talk to the new tour guides and share some of the history of it with them so they would know it firsthand. He was a wonderful person. He stopped by to see us frequently and tell us stories about The Lost Sea. I can't believe he's gone. We will definitely miss him.'' McClung said she did not know anyone who loved The Lost Sea more than Van Michael. ``He was passionate about it becoming an attraction and he worked relentlessly in the early 60s to get it open,'' she said. ``He kept on and on until he was able to see it become reality. He said he would stand on Main Street and count the car tags of people who were coming through going to Chattanooga or Knoxville and he knew if it were open to the public, they would stop and see it.'' In a story commemorating the 50th anniversary of The Lost Sea, Michael said, ``It was called the `Lake Room' until 1965. People had come and gone in the cavern before that, but only a few had actually seen the big room with the cave. Nobody in Sweetwater believed it existed.'' According to family members, Michael was also instrumental in helping bring the Cherohala Skyway into existence, something his father, W.E. Michael, helped start. Michael was also well known in the City of Sweetwater, where his law office was known as the ``Michael and Michael building.'' ``Everybody knew that building on Oak Street,'' Sweetwater Mayor Doyle Lowe said. ``I hated to hear that Van had died. He was quite a character. He always had a joke ready and a lot of times, he would make your day. We were friends for more than 40 years and he was always encouraging, always thinking of ways to make things better.'' ``Sweetwater, and the county, will miss him,'' Lowe added. ``He was a large part of the community.'' Michael was preceded in death by his parents, W.E. Michael and Claudia Francis Michael, and son Richard Michael. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Margaret (Peg) Bowland Michael, his daughter and son-in-law, Teresa Michael Glasgow and Steven Glasgow of Franklin, and his grandchildren, Carson and Campbell Glasgow. He was a 1952 graduate of Tennessee Military Institute. He went on to receive his bachelor and law degrees from Cumberland University and practiced law in Sweetwater for 57 years at Michael and Michael Attys.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, the new term of the U.S. Supreme Court begins this week. I was a judge for 7\1/2\ years before I came to Congress, so I have great interest in their proceedings. It seems to me that our courts have become far too political over the last many years. Up until the mid-1930s, most Federal courts seemed to try to stay out of politics and paid great deference to actions by Federal and State legislative bodies as being expressions of the will of the people. For many years now, though, some Federal judges believe they should have been elected to Congress or to State legislatures. One of many examples involves the drawing of congressional, legislative, and local government voting districts. The word ``gerrymandering'' came into use in 1812, but it really has only been in very recent years that the Federal courts have become heavily involved in drawing specific lines in so many States. If the court has a liberal judge, he or she will seemingly go to great lengths to throw out any lines that seem to benefit conservatives. I was at the U.S. Supreme Court recently to introduce some lawyers from Knoxville. That day, the Court was hearing a challenge to some lines drawn by the Virginia Legislature. This is something that the Federal courts should really stay out of and leave to the State legislatures. Also, opinions now are much longer than in the first 150 years or so, as some judges seem to believe they know almost everything. Madam Speaker, what we really need is more judges at all levels who have a little more humility. Many of the issues that the courts are dealing with involve freedom of religion. Our Founding Fathers came here to this country to get freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. I think it was very sad that a very intolerant group from Wisconsin went to great lengths to get a Bible verse removed from the Knoxville Police Department. It seems that people who proclaim their tolerance the loudest are some of the most intolerant people in this country today, and aimed primarily at conservative Christians. In Zorach v. Clauson, a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court case, Justice William O. Douglas wrote that the law should not prefer ``those who believe in no religion over those who do believe,'' and that there is ``no constitutional requirement which makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and to throw its weight against efforts to widen the effective scope of religious influence.'' Justice Douglas was one of the most liberal Justices who ever served on the U.S. Supreme Court. It surprises many when I tell them that we open every session of the House and Senate with prayer, that there is a prayer room in the center of the Capitol, and several Bible studies go on in the Capitol each week. Madam Speaker, on an unrelated topic, because we are dealing with the budget proposals this week, I think it is ironic that the only President in the last 70 or 80 years who has tried to rein in defense spending is the only one who spent his career in the military: President Eisenhower. I spoke out in every way and voted against most of the major initiatives of the Obama administration, but it was false to say that the military has been depleted. We spend well over $700 billion on defense and military construction each year. Last year, we spent $177.5 billion on new planes, tanks, weapons, and equipment, and similar amounts to that for many years. Most of this equipment does not wear out after just 1 year. In the book ``Ike's Bluff,'' when Eisenhower was told he could not cut defense spending, he replied that if he told every general who reduced his budget that he would get another star, you would have to get out of the way of the rush. He also said: ``Heaven help us if we ever have a President who doesn't know as much about the military as I do.'' Over 80 percent of those in Congress today have never served in our Armed Forces. I am proud to have been one who was privileged to serve. Most of the Members of Congress today are afraid to oppose or even question wasteful defense spending for fear of some demagogue calling them unpatriotic or saying they are not supporting the troops. But, Madam Speaker, we need to wake up and realize that there is waste even in the Defense Department.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague Trent Franks for his hard work on this important issue. I rise today in support of the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Children are gifts from God--before and after they are born. They are tiny humans with endless potential and complete innocence. This bill would stop the practice of ending these precious lives after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape or incest or necessity to save the mother's life. Similar laws have been passed in about 16 states, and this Chamber passed similar legislation in 2015. The United States is 1 of only 7 countries that does not ban abortions of these 20-week-year-old unborn babies. Science indicates that, at about this age, these children have the physical structures needed to feel pain. We do not want anyone to have an unwanted pregnancy, but we want mothers to know that abortion is not their only option. And we want these children protected from pain and harm. Mr. Speaker, it is time to protect our Nation's most innocent from inhumane suffering and premature death.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, my constituent, Tanner Lee Jameson, was just 13 when he died from cardiac arrest during a basketball game. His school had an automated external defibrillator, or AED, in a nearby office, but it was inaccessible when Tanner needed it most. Since Tanner's passing, his mother, and my constituent, Rhonda Harrill, who is in the gallery today with her husband, has been a passionate advocate for increased AED access. Early this year, I introduced the AEDs resolution, H. Res. 35, which would encourage schools to have AEDs and to provide annual AED training. In 1998, I introduced, and Congress passed, the Aviation Medical Assistance Act, the law that requires, among other things, passenger airplanes and airports to have AEDs and flight crews to receive additional first aid and AED training. Today, I am pleased to participate in this year's AED Hunt on the Hill, sponsored by my friend, Dr. Phil Roe, and hosted by the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to remember Tanner Jameson's life, and I urge my colleagues to cosponsor H. Res. 35 to hopefully help save lives in the future.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on September 4, 4 days ago, The New York Times International Edition carried a story, entitled, ``The Empire Stopper,'' which said foreign powers have tried to control Afghanistan since the 19th century. The story had a very interesting first paragraph: ``When the American author James A. Michener went to Afghanistan to research his work of historical fiction `Caravans,' it was 1955 and there were barely any roads in the country. Yet there were already Americans and Russians there jockeying for influence.'' Continuing the Times' quote: ``Later, the book's Afghan protagonist would tell an American diplomat that one day both America and Russia would invade Afghanistan and that both would come to regret it.'' Michener wrote that 62 years ago. Since then, Afghanistan has been described many times as the ``Graveyard of Empires.'' This 17-year war in Afghanistan has always been more about money than anything else, and it should have been ended long ago. Many people wonder why we keep sending so many soldiers and military contractors to Iraq and Afghanistan. Well, it has always been about money, increased appropriations for the Defense Department, and huge profits for the contractors who hire retired admirals and generals. There have been so many examples of waste, fraud, and abuse in these Middle East wars that it is sickening. One recent example was reported this way by Newsweek: ``U.S.-based security firm Sallyport Global has been accused by two former internal investigators of smuggling alcohol, stealing, keeping two different account ledgers, and even human trafficking of prostitutes while executing an almost $700 million contract to protect Balad Air Base in Iraq, The Associated Press reported Wednesday.'' Military bases should be protected by military personnel, not highly paid contractors, but most Members of Congress are afraid to criticize anything the Defense Department does for fear of someone saying they are not ``supporting the troops.'' We now have over 11,000 troops in Afghanistan and probably that many or more contractors in addition to no telling how many Federal civilian employees. Then we are also paying more than 330,000 Afghan military and police personnel. The international community is now providing 60 percent of the Afghan GDP, and almost all of these so-called peacekeeping--really, U.N. wars--the U.S. taxpayers are paying over 90 percent of the cost. When the so-called coalition bombs go astray killing civilians and women and children, they are really seen by the locals as being U.S. bombs, creating even more hatred and resentment for our country. We have now had almost 2,500 young American soldiers killed in Afghanistan and 20,000 wounded, many maimed for life. We have spent $1 trillion directly on this war and even more indirectly. Mr. Speaker, the American people don't want forever, permanent wars. This Afghanistan folly has lasted four times longer than World War II. We should have come home a long time ago.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, one of my constituents, Pastor Clarence Sexton, has provided years of exceptional service through his devotion to helping others grow in faith. I want to extend congratulations to Pastor Sexton for reaching the 50th anniversary of his Christian ministry. Since 1967, he has served others through his work as a pastor with several churches in Tennessee and even one in New Jersey. He and his wife Evelyn married the same year that he began preaching. They have two sons, Shannon and Matt, and six grandchildren. Pastor Sexton and his family have devoted the last 25 years of their lives to service at Temple Baptist Church, in my district, in Powell, Tennessee. When the Sextons arrived at Temple Baptist, the church was averaging fewer than 500 people in attendance. Now, thousands attend weekly. Using the principles and teachings of the Bible, Pastor Sexton also leads as the President and founder of Crown College, across from Temple Baptist. His sacrifice, leadership, and Godly ways have helped make our community, state, and Nation better places. Mr. Speaker, I hope you and my colleagues will join me in recognizing this milestone of service and dedication Pastor Sexton has reached.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, this is the fourth year I have had the privilege of chairing the Members and former Members golf tournament to benefit Warfighters Sports and Tee It Up for the Troops, two charities that work with the most severely wounded warriors. This year, we had our biggest turnout ever. We had well over 200 participants, including 35 severely wounded golfers. When I play golf, sometimes people ask me how I did. I tell them, ``Unbelievable.'' It could be either way. But the most unbelievable thing happened in this tournament. Finally, after many years of losses, we Republicans decided to let the Democrats win one year. The Democrats won by 4 points, and that is out of a several-thousand point system. So it was a very close match. I want to offer my congratulations to my co-chairman, Gene Green, and thank every Member and former Member who participated. We had a great turnout. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, 2 days ago The Washington Times published a chart from the Department of Health and Human Services showing that medical premiums went up 116 percent last year in Arizona, 69 percent in Oklahoma, 63 percent in my home State of Tennessee, 59 percent in Minnesota, 58 percent in Alaska, and on and on and on. President Obama promised, if we would pass his healthcare bill, that people could keep their plans, yet millions were forced onto ObamaCare because either their premiums went up too high or they lost their insurance altogether. He promised that the average family would save $2,500 a year. It has been almost impossible to find any family that has saved that $2,500. ObamaCare has been great: great in making healthcare unaffordable for almost every family in America.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I received this message from a very respected businessman in Knoxville, Randy Greaves. He wrote: I just received a letter from Humana stating that they are leaving the State of Tennessee next year. This leaves no one to write individual health policies in the State. Aetna only writes group policies, and they may withdraw, as well. Please let anyone with a vote know that families are being failed miserably, as you already know. The insurance that Humana wrote for my family, in 2017, required that we pay the first $37,000 between premiums and the deductible before insurance would contribute only 50 percent. It was basically worthless, and now they won't even make that lousy policy available because people on subsidies, mostly with no personal accountability for their own health, cost a fortune to the rest of us. ObamaCare may have helped 20 million people, but it has hurt 200 million people in the process. About a month ago, The Irish Times, the largest newspaper in Ireland, reported that they had over 660,000 people on waiting lists for healthcare. That is in a country of less than 5 million people. If you multiply that times 60 or 65, you have got the United States. Medicare, when it started, when it was first passed, there was a CBO prediction that it would cost $9 billion after 25 years. Instead, it cost 12 times that after the first 25 years, and now it costs six times more than that, or about 70 times more than the original estimates. California, as liberal and leftwing as that State is, a few days ago, I read that they tried to pass a healthcare, or medical care for everyone, bill. They had to withdraw the bill because they found out that it would cost $400 billion for the first year. If you multiply that times 10 or 11, you are talking about the whole United States. We are having trouble affording the Medicare that we have now for 14 percent of the population, so Medicare for everyone is not going to work in this country. We took what was a very minor problem, for very few people in the mid-sixties, and turned it into a major problem for everyone so that now only Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, and people like that, multibillionaires, can afford healthcare. And the reason is, is that anything the Federal Government subsidizes, the costs just explode because you remove the incentives and pressures to hold costs down. The American people don't want a Russian or Cuban type of medical system in this country. They don't want a totally federally run system, like they have in so many countries, with medical care that is not even a fraction of what we have. We are still under ObamaCare today, and it is not working. These insurance companies are pulling out all over the whole country, and The Washington Times reported yesterday, or the day before, that, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, premiums went up 63 percent in Tennessee in 2017 alone. Mr. Speaker, this system is not working. We need to move more in the direction of a free market medical system if we are ever going to hope to bring down healthcare costs for the American people with the kind of healthcare that everyone is demanding and wanting and that we want to give to them.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, heroes come into lives in different ways through the challenges people face during their lives. A very special hero from my district came up with a heartwarming way to share her choice to be an organ donor for her husband who has been suffering from kidney disease for 14 years. Heather Winfree took her husband's love for baseball and used it as a way to share the good news that she was a donor match. Because of his diagnosis as a teen, Steve Winfree was never able to achieve his dream of playing college baseball. Steve collects baseball cards on a regular basis, but the most rare card he has ever received is a custom Topps card that Heather designed for him. It included Steve's picture and text on the back that read ``Steve will be a rookie recipient at Vanderbilt Transplant Center where his wife, Heather, will be pitching a new kidney to him.'' Because of Heather's heroic efforts to save the life of her husband, he could receive the transplant as soon as the end of July this year. I am proud to see people from my district like Heather show us the true meaning of love while people like Steve show us what perseverance looks like. Please join me in wishing them the best as they both undergo surgery in the near future. I would like to include in the Record the following story about the Winfrees from CBS News. [From CBS News, July 11, 2017] Man Learns Wife Is Kidney Transplant Match From a Custom-made Baseball Card (By Jennifer Earl) Steve Winfree was excited to rip open up a brand new pack of Topps baseball cards. It has become a family tradition over the years. But this time, as he shuffled through the deck, he spotted something unusual--his very own playing card. As he read the stats on the back, Winfree, who has been suffering from kidney disease for the past 14 years, broke down in tears. ``What the heck?'' he asked, as his wife, Heather, sat beside him. ``What is it?'' Heather asked, grinning. Winfree began to read out loud: ``Steve has had a lot on his plate. With his health issues, he's been striking out a lot. He was not sure how he was going to wind up,'' the card's bio said. ``His wife, Heather, thinks he's a great catch so she's just dying to go to bat for him. Now Steve will be a rookie recipient.'' It was at that moment, Winfree realized his wife was giving him the best gift of all--a new kidney, and a whole new life. Heather Winfree surprised her husband, Steve, with his very own Topps playing card. Heather had been tested to see if she could be a match a week earlier. Before she even received the results, she came up with the creative way to share the good news. ``I had already started planning how I was going to tell him before I knew I was a match,'' Heather told CBS News. ``I never considered I wouldn't be a match. I guess I had to have faith I was going to be a match--that was keeping my hope alive.'' Steve Winfree was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease at the age of 18. He was getting ready to play college basketball when doctors discovered he had high blood pressure during a pre-season physical. After running more tests, Winfree was told he only had 50 percent kidney function. His dreams of playing college ball were over. ``He's been through a lot,'' Heather said. ``Kidney disease is really hard. It's been really hard.'' Since the couple met seven years ago, he's developed severe gout, arthritis, undergone several surgeries and had to have a toe amputated. He's been on dialysis for over a year. ``A year ago, they put a port in his chest and he ended up going into septic shock,'' Heather added. ``He spent seven days in the intensive care unit. I can't tell you what that grief felt like, feeling like I was going to lose my husband.'' Steve Winfree is told his wife is a perfect match for a kidney transplant, and he could have surgery as early as the end of July. So when doctors at Vanderbilt University Medical Center told Winfree he was eligible to get onto the transplant list in late June, Heather jumped at the opportunity to offer herself up as a living kidney donor. ``I said, `I want to expedite this. I want to help my husband get better,' '' she explained. Her wish came true when doctors confirmed the match. If everything goes well, Winfree could have surgery by the end of the month. ``Here I am, I have two kidneys and he needs one--why wouldn't I improve his quality of life?'' Heather said. ``For 14 years of his life he's been battling this disease and finally we have the relief of knowing the end is on the horizon. We've got hope.''

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to speak, and thank you, Congressman Collins, for your leadership and persistence on this critical issue. Community pharmacies are so important to our Districts. There is nothing like walking into your local pharmacy, and the pharmacist knows you by name. He knows your medical history. He knows what you need. He knows you. As one community pharmacist described, ``People call me all hours of the day and night. They know where I live, and they come to my house if they need me.'' These local pharmacies are in danger of disappearing across the Nation. Why? Because PBMs are running them out of business. Pharmacy Benefits Managers, or PBMs, claim to act as middlemen and help pharmacies and manufacturers find the best deals for their patients. It's a great idea. Despite these PBMs' promises, I have heard from more and more pharmacy owners in my District who say that many PBMs are in reality ripping them off with various unethical tricks of their trade. PBMs are often dictating the prices charged by manufacturers and pharmacists or insurance plans. PBMs are a key problem behind drug price inflation. One critical aspect of their strategy is gag orders that they impose on pharmacists and manufacturers in contracts, thereby silencing dissenters under threat of being excluded from networks or formularies . . . in other words, under threat of being blocked from buying and selling in the drug market altogether. Often, PBMs use what they call clawbacks. The outright cost of a drug might only be $40, but the patient might have to pay double or more than that price through their insurance. Too many times, pharmacists have to decide between two choices: either violate their consciences by watching often low-income patients pay exorbitant prices--or tell the patients to buy the drug outright, saving them money. But the second choice comes with a threat . . . because if a pharmacist informs her patients about how to save money, she is violating her contractual gag order imposed by PBMs. A pharmacy consultant recently interviewed by the LA Times accurately described PBMs like this--``The PBMs are sitting at the center of a big black box. They're the only ones who have knowledge of all the moving pieces.'' But awareness of PBMs' deceitful practices is increasing. More and more pharmacists and manufacturers are speaking up and exposing PBMs. One endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington recently said, ``It's becoming very, very common to see patients intentionally withholding their insulin.'' Doing so can be deadly, but patients are often facing $300 per vial and need two vials a week. There are three PBMs that control the market: ExpressScripts, OptumRx, and CVS Caremark. These three PBMs rake in over $200 billion a year and are responsible for 290 million Americans through their contracts with both private insurers and government programs like Medicare. CMS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is ``wising up'' to PBMs. In June, CMS proposed a new guideline for Medicare Part D PBMs. If finalized, this guidance will address PBMs' common practice of imposing retroactive fees. One of the pharmacists in my District told me these retroactive fees, known as DIR fees, can cost him tens of thousands of dollars months after the claims have been processed with no clarification, no explanation, no reasoning from the PBM. No business or even individual can plan a budget, if months later they may be forced to pay thousands of dollars more for something they thought they had already paid for. According to one expert and pharmacy owner in my District, he has seen three causes for recent increases in prescription drugs: (1) FDA involvement, including requiring ``modern clinical trials'' of old drugs that have worked for decades; (2) drug manufacturers' needlessly hiking the price of generic drugs; (3) PBMs charging ridiculous prices for drugs and pocketing the profits. According to my constituent, PBMs are the main culprit of the three. A number of lawsuits are being filed against PBMs, including one class action lawsuit. More and more people are realizing what one lawyer said recently: ``We describe this as basically a massive fraud.'' We need to address artificially high drug prices right away. A good place to start is PBMs and their ``massive fraud.'' As one small town pharmacist said, ``. . . The pharmacy benefit managers . . . set rates I cannot control. I can complain, but it does no good whatsoever. And in a town of 3,000, I cannot make it up on volume.'' PBMs must be more transparent in their operations, so they can be held to their promises and to the laws. PBMs must not be able to get away any longer with conducting business with their unethical, at best, methods. In short, PBMs must be held accountable for their roles in the Nation's drug price crisis.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe I have ever seen a bigger mountain made out of a tinier molehill in my 29 years in Congress than what is being made out of Donald Trump, Jr.'s, meeting with the Russian lawyer. It reminds me of the Wendy's ad several years ago that asked: ``Where's the beef?'' I know that hindsight is 20-20 and holier than thou, but this is ridiculous. Do you really believe that Chelsea Clinton would have refused to meet with a Russian lawyer who she was told had evidence that would incriminate Donald Trump? Donald Trump, Jr., met with this woman for a few minutes, saw she had nothing, and nothing came out of it. No action was taken. Even Director Comey testified he had seen no evidence that even one vote was altered by anything the Russians did. They have been investigating this for months, and this is the best they can come up with? It is time to stop crying over the election and do something about some real problems.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to announce that an educator from my district has been awarded the Gilder Lehrman Institute's Tennessee History Teacher of the Year Award. Ms. Andrea Guy was nominated by her own students from Hardin Valley Academy for this very prestigious award. Just one year ago, Andrea was selected to participate in the Supreme Court History Society's Summer Teacher Institute in Washington, D.C. The education of our young people can only be as good as our teachers, and Andrea has showcased what great education looks like through her hard work and dedication to her students and to the history of Our Nation. This is a very high honor that I am proud to recognize.