Jimmy Duncan

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, too many of our leaders today seem to want to be modern-day Winston Churchills and think of themselves as great war leaders. They are far too eager to go to war and far too willing to stay in a war after it has started. But the American people do not want permanent, forever wars, and especially do not need such wars. I salute President Trump's decision to bring our troops home from Syria. With a $21 trillion national debt, we simply cannot afford to be the policeman of the world. Our very unnecessary wars in the Middle East have now cost us several trillion dollars that we have had to borrow and have resulted in the deaths or horrible injuries to thousands of young Americans and many more thousands of innocent women and children. They have created more enemies for our country around the world. The Bible tells us in both the Old Testament and New to ``seek peace and pursue it.''

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, as I near the end of my 30 years in the Congress, it is only natural to reminisce just a bit. During my first term in the House, a roving photographer for Roll Call stopped me to ask a sort of humorous question. He asked: If there was a statue of you in the Capitol, where would it be and what would it say? I said: It would probably be in the basement, and it would say: Lucky to be here. I have always felt very lucky to have this job, and everyone on both sides of the aisle have been very kind to me. But I want to pay tribute this morning to the three people most responsible for me being here. A friend of mine in Knoxville told me a few years ago that I won the lottery with parents. I had never thought of it in that way, but it is true. My grandparents in Scott County, Tennessee, were wonderful people, but they had no money, 10 kids, an outhouse, subsistence farm-- pure Appalachia. My dad hitchhiked into Knoxville with $5 in his pocket to go to the University of Tennessee and worked his way through. Twenty years after coming to Knoxville, he was elected mayor and led the peaceful integration of our city. He got about 95 percent of the African American vote in three nonpartisan races for mayor. He then preceded me in Congress, serving 23\1/2\ years and becoming the ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee. A former Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania told me one time: Your dad was the only man I knew who never had an enemy in this town. I once described my father as the kindest, sweetest, toughest, hardest working man I ever knew, and I meant tough in a good way. I got a really nice handwritten letter from Peyton Manning about that article. He said he had flown out of Knoxville the day it was in the paper and that he could tell from that article that I had the same kind of relationship with my dad that he has with his. My mother was 2 years older than my father and, after college in Iowa, came to Knoxville to visit an older sister who had married an engineering graduate from the University of Iowa and who had gotten a job at TVA. Her sister talked her into staying, and she met my dad at a YWCA dance. Dad told one of his brothers that night that he had met the woman he was going to marry, and 3 months later, in Iowa City, Iowa, they were married, in May of 1942. The odds against a farm boy from Tennessee meeting and marrying a girl from Iowa City must have been billions to one, but theirs was truly a marriage made in heaven. No one ever loved me as much as my mother did, and several times I have told women from the Midwest that I have a very high opinion of women from that part of the country because I thought my mother was the sweetest woman in the world. My wife, Lynn, was a waitress in Knoxville's finest restaurant when I met her. She later said she married me even though I gave her the lowest tips of any of her regular customers. Lynn has been my strongest supporter and biggest critic, my number one adviser. I honestly believe, if she had been elected to Congress instead of me, she would have gone much further than I have. She is certainly the speaker of our house and the love of my life for more than 40 years. During my 30 years in Congress, I was in Washington a lot and gone a lot, even when I was home. She had to raise four children, and all four have made us both very proud. During much of that time, she worked at full- time jobs, worked in all of my campaigns, and took care of most things at home. It certainly was not easy. Once President Trump, when he was running, told her: Your husband sounds just like me. Lynn told him: Yes, I know--great for the country but hell to live with. I could not have had a better wife and certainly could not have stayed in Congress for 30 years if she had not done all she has done for me and our children. She gave me four children and nine grandchildren, all now living in Knoxville. What a blessing. Our daughter, Tara, has been for several years the head of the Knox County probation office. She has two children. Whitney has three daughters and is a leader in all the activities of the Christian Academy of Knoxville. Our son, John, was elected as trustee for Knox County, receiving the highest vote total of anyone on the ballot that year, including me. He did a great job, serving 3 years, and then took over running my campaigns in 2014 and 2016 and representing me all over the district. He also is a successful realtor. Our son, Zane, worked for several years as a railroad executive and now serves on the Tennessee Parole Board. The boys both have two children, and the nine grandchildren range in age from 3 to 15. I told my youngest granddaughter, Emma, who is 7 years old, at my younger son's wedding party: One of the happiest days of my life will be when I get to come to your wedding. She looked at me like I had said something really silly. She said: Oh, Papa, you couldn't do that. You would be dead. But I am not dead yet, and I am going home mainly to spend more time with those nine grandchildren. Lou Gehrig, the great baseball player, once said he was the luckiest man in the world, even though he knew he was dying with ALS. I am much luckier and very, very thankful.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, Ella Mae Wright passed away in Knoxville, Tennessee on September 27th, at the age of 101. She was a great wife, mother, business woman, and all-around good citizen of the type that has made this country great. Mrs. Wright and her husband J.B. were married for 67 years. They founded Wright's Cafeteria which still today is one of Knoxville's most popular eating establishments. It was once described in a Knoxville newspaper as my ``favorite restaurant.'' Mrs. Wright's pride and joy were her three children, David, Janice, and Calvin, and her seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. She could often be found in the Cafeteria, greeting customers, most of whom she considered as longtime friends. She was always smiling and offering encouraging words to everyone. During her 101 years, she lived her Christian faith every day and touched thousands of lives in good and positive ways. This Country is a better place today because of the life Ella Mae Wright led. I wanted my colleagues and others to know about this good woman and great American.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ran into my longtime friend Wayne Bell at Barnes Barber Shop in Knoxville recently and decided that I wanted my colleagues and others to learn of his great service to our City, State, and Nation. Sgt. Phillip Wayne Bell is a veteran of the United States Marine Corp. While the importance of his military service cannot be downplayed, he is especially known for his 53 1/2 years of service to the Knoxville Police Department. In fact, he is the longest serving officer in the City of Knoxville and the State of Tennessee. Wayne began as a patrol officer and moved to supervising the parking ticket division before moving to the court under the honorable Judge Rosson. He also supervised all of the crossing guards for the city of Knoxville for decades. The average person can go through life not knowing many police officers, but in Knoxville over the past several decades, the one police officer, who was probably the most known to the general public, other than maybe the Chief of Police, was Sgt. Wayne Bell in his role as the original ``Eye in the Sky.'' The Eye in the Sky program in which Sgt. Bell delivered traffic reports from a helicopter was an innovative joint effort between the Knoxville Police Department and radio stations WNOX and WIVK. This type of collaboration between a private business and government was a novelty when it started and remains a rarity today. Sgt. Bell earned numerous proclamations and awards for his traffic reports but he is also credited with unraveling traffic snarls, catching criminals and assisting in the betterment of our community. In one especially notable instance, he even landed the copter in the middle of the interstate to stop a chase and saved countless lives in the process. Knoxville is located at the junction of two of the longest Interstates in the Nation, I-75/I-40. Unfortunately, the original I-75/ I-40 interchange at one time was also the biggest traffic bottleneck in the region. It was Sgt. Wayne Bell in his traffic reports who bestowed the nickname ``Malfunction Junction'' on this interchange. The interchange and the traffic jams it created are so legendary that there was even a song called ``Malfunction Junction'' that frequently played on local radio in the 1980s. Even though this interchange has since been reconstructed and improved in recent decades, most people in the Knoxville area still refer to it as ``Malfunction Junction.'' Sgt. Bell entertained radio listeners for years and he was especially good at cutting up with then-WIVK morning OJ ``Claude the Cat'' and his cast of characters. Although the radio station eventually changed from a helicopter to a plane, Sgt. Bell continued for a total of over 20 years with the station. Sgt. Bell's service to the community extends well beyond his professional life. He is a life member and past master of Burlington Masonic Lodge. He is a member of the Eastern Star as well as a life member and past Monarch of Zelmar Grotto and the past president of Southeastern Grotto Association. He is a member of the York Rite and Scottish Rite. He is a life member of Shriners Hospitals for Children and Kerbela Shriners where he served as Treasurer, Recorder and Potentate. He is a member of the Order of the ``Q'' and past director of the Royal Order of Jesters. As a Shriner and a Mason for over 50 years, Sgt. Bell literally helped hundreds of children and families get the medical and burn assistance they needed through the Shriners Hospital and Burns Institutes. If he received a call in the middle of the night of a burned child three states away, by the time the phone was hung up that child was on a plane on the way to wherever they needed to be for their care. When he first began as a Mason and Shriner he entertained children for years as was ``Danny the Clown.'' While Potentate of Kerbela Temple during the annual Shrine Circus, Sgt. Bell entered the ring every show riding an elephant. Wayne is especially remembered for the patriotic programs that he has performed for over 60 years with his wife Mary. The two entertained and educated children and adults with a program to help understand and appreciate our Flag and Country. During the 1970's, Sgt. Bell performed this patriotic program during the dedication of the bells at the International Peace Garden on the border of North Dakota and Manitoba, with representatives from both Canada and the United States in attendance. I have personally worked with Sgt. Bell for over 20 years when he has represented KPD as an escort and chaperone for the annual AAA Safety Patrol trip to Washington, D.C. The Safety Patrol trip is a tradition that goes back over 60 years in which middle school students come to our Nation's Capital for a whirlwind weekend tour to learn about our history and government. At its highpoint, this annual trip consisted of over 40 busses of students, chaperones and guides. East Tennessee is one of the few regions in the Nation that still participates in this tradition. My own first personal visit to Washington, D.C. occurred on this trip when I was in sixth grade, long before my father was elected to Congress. The high point of the trip is a visit to the Capitol Building in which I give a tour and talk in the House Chamber and complete it with a group picture on the front steps. Most everyone in local law enforcement today in Knox County and Knoxville City including UT Police know Sgt. Bell because he was just a guy who reached out and helped anyone and everyone he could. He is the true definition of a humanitarian and community leader. Even when he was in charge of security for two major companies while a policeman, and as a Shriner, he included others by giving them the opportunity for extra work, community service. Whatever was needed to make Knoxville a better community, he did it. Wayne is the father of two boys, Mark and Dan. He also has three grandchildren, Kristopher, Jonathan and Brandon along with a deceased grandchild Peyton. His wife of 54 years, Mary, is retired from KUB and has put up with Wayne all this time despite him never ever slowing down. The Nation is a better place today because of the life Wayne Bell has led. He has touched thousands in good and positive ways, and I wanted to honor him by this recognition.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, at the height of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky and other sex scandals years ago, I was speaking to an assembly program at Fort Loudon Middle School telling the students about my job. During the question-answer session, in front of the approximately 1,000 students, one girl asked me if I had ever had an affair. I told them no, I had not and that I bet that almost none of their fathers had either. I have found over the years that the men who cannot be satisfied with and loyal to one woman are almost always repeat offenders with many women--such as President Clinton. I have become concerned during all the publicity and controversy about Judge Kavanaugh that some young women may think all men are sexual predators in the worst meaning of those two words. I really believe that the great majority--the overwhelming majority-- of men are good and kind people who have no desire to force themselves on anyone. I believe that most women are good and kind people who do not want to be in an adversarial relationship with most men. Men and women are different, and that does not imply that women should be held back in some way. My wife and I have two daughters and two sons and now five granddaughters and four grandsons. My biggest desire is for all of them to be wonderful at whatever they want to do. But we all need to get along. We certainly don't need to be enemies. In thinking about this relationhip between men and women, I include in the Record the following column by Suzanne Fields which was published in the September 27th edition of the Washington Times. The Disappearing `Man's Man Blues' By Suzanne Fields My father was not very tall. But no man ever stood taller in my eyes than this particular Big Daddy. He was warm and playful, a man of character and the model for the men I would admire as I grew up. Daddy wasn't formally educated, having dropped out of school in the sixth grade after his mother and father, Jewish immigrants from Pinsk, told him he had to wear his older sister's hand-me-down shoes because they didn't have the money to buy him a pair of his own. He took a certain pride later in having graduated from the ``school of hard knocks.'' He was a man of his times, describing himself as a ``man's man.'' He became a sportsman of his era, hanging out with the sportswriters of the considerable number of newspapers in the Washington of those days. He promoted a world heavyweight championship at Griffith Stadium in 1942 between Joe Louis and Buddy Baer. According to contemporary feminist thinking, he was a male chauvinist who believed that men should earn the bread and women should bake it. I wrote a book years ago about a father's influence on his daughter, titled ``Like Father, Like Daughter.'' He was the person of integrity I wanted to imitate as an adult, even if I didn't agree with all of his ideas. I further saw my parents in a loving marriage, reinforcing the idea that has lasted for many thousands of years, that men and women are different and that the difference, at its best, is what gives spice to life. The French famously celebrate it as ``Vive Ia difference.'' But now it's not fashionable to think of that difference as anything but a negative, to regard the male as an aggressor, and in the worst way. My father would be described as ``bad'' because he was not only a man, but a white man of privilege. I've been thinking about my father a lot, with the newspapers and television screens awash in breaking stories about the evil that men do. Accusations from universities and now from high schools, some true and some not, tell of men who have wronged women. There's so much hatred manufactured against specific ``bad'' men that it's become fashionable, if not mandatory, to think of all men as evil. The presumption of decency for men like my father and those of his times are lost in a chaos of angry assumptions about men who have resisted feminine pacification. Women from many different places in life, different experiences, are eager to show contempt for men as if they are guilty simply for having been born male. An unproven accusation of sexual aggression is considered ``credible'' merely for having been made, and men are told to stand up and shut up. Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii told men exactly that, that ``they have to shut up.'' (We still don't know what her male constituents think about that.) The editor of a gender studies journal asks in an op-ed in The Washington Post, ``in this land of legislatively legitimated toxic masculinity, is it really so illogical to hate men?'' After cataloguing global realities where women are treated badly, from low pay to gun violence, Suzanna Danuta Walters, a professor at Northeastern University, says American men can only be #WithUs if they follow a rigorous prescription for passivity. Men must not run for office, decline opportunities to be in charge of anything, step away from power, and vote feminist. If they don't, ``we have every right to hate you.'' Her stunted attitude obviously doesn't reflect the attitudes of all women--there's still a lot of fraternizing with the enemy in the war between the sexes--but reflects the thinking of a large swath of vocal feminism. The turnaround of cultural assumptions is poisoning the relationships of a generation of men and women. Fox News interviewer Martha MacCallum struck a poignant note when she asked Brett Kavanaugh's wife, Ashley, how their daughters were dealing with the dreadful noise raised against their father. ``It's very difficult,'' she replied. ``But they know Brett.'' Many women know their fathers, their brothers, their husbands, lovers and friends, who live beyond the malicious male stereotypes, but find it ever more intimidating to speak out in defense of men unjustly accused. Men are presumed guilty when accused by a woman. Even asking for due process and fair play for men is asking for trouble. I closed my book a generation ago with Loretta Lynn's country hymn to the fate of our fathers: ``They don't make 'em like my daddy anymore.'' But her message has been drowned by Helen Reddy's ``I am woman, hear me roar.'' When anger trumps love and hatred trumps reason, we all, female no less than male, pay for it. Suzanne Fields is a columnist for The Washington Times and is nationally syndicated.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, this past June marked the nine- year anniversary since Tanner Lee Jameson collapsed at a school basketball game. Tanner was in cardiac arrest and needed an automated external defibrillator or AED. But the school's defibrillator was inaccessible, and Tanner did not survive. Seconds count for those suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. Chance of survival decreases 7-10 percent for every minute without CPR and a defibrillator. A defibrillator is easy to operate and highly effective in restoring the heart's normal rhythm. Schools with AED programs have survival rates of over 70 percent, as compared to only 10 percent for children in schools without AEDs. Because of this, I am proud to have introduced House Resolution 35 to encourage public schools with AEDs to hold annual training in their schools on how to use their AEDs. My resolution has the support of the American Heart Association, American Ambulance Association, the American College of Cardiology, National Association of School Nurses, and many others. My constituent and Tanner's mother, Rhonda Harrill, has been a dedicated advocate for increased AED presence and awareness. Thanks to her efforts, Tennessee has passed two laws increasing the number of schools with AEDs, especially in readily-accessible locations. I am honored to represent constituents such as Rhonda, who has celebrated her son Tanner's life by advocating for the lives of others' children. Today, I am pleased to join my colleagues in participating in the AED Hunt on the Hill, an annual event hosted by the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation. Cardiomyopathy affects how the heart pumps blood through the body and is the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in the young. This condition does not have obvious symptoms, so it is often not detected until tragedy strikes. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to remember Tanner Jameson's life and participate in this year's AED Hunt on the Hill. We can all help save lives by increasing awareness about the importance of having accessible AEDs.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, sometimes people say one person can't make much of a difference. But many times, I've seen that this is not true. One prime example was a friend of mine, Tom Jensen, who was a businessman and community leader in my District. Tom was a distinguished member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. During his time in Nashville, he served as chair of the ethics and disclosure committee and was elected as the National Chairman of the State Legislators. In 1996, Tom came to me with the idea of creating the National Safe Skies Alliance to perform research on aviation safety and security. The alliance is still headquartered near the Knoxville airport. Tom and I went to the FAA for approval of the alliance and over the years the National Safe Skies Alliance has performed safety and security testing on over 120 national airports. This has brought untold millions into East Tennessee and has done great national significance. Not only was he a great leader, but an even better Christian. He and his wife, Carolyn, were always a strong presence with their faith community at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church, where they taught an adult singles class for 45 years. That class is now named the Jensen Sunday School Class. Once he graduated from the University of Tennessee, he went to work for his family business in Knoxville, where he learned the lessons of hard work and service. He took those lessons with him to many business ventures, and public service, that led him to his highly successful career. Having the privilege of knowing Tom has certainly proven to me that one man has the ability to make a big difference. He touched thousands in good and positive ways. Tom's presence in our Knoxville community will be missed. I am honored to have served him in Congress and even more proud to call him a friend. This Nation is a better place today because of the life he led.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, a constituent and good friend of mine, Paul Edward Dunn, was one of the most well respected lawyers across the entire state of Tennessee for over four decades. He was one of the kindest, most honest, fair-minded men I have ever had the privilege to know, and I was deeply saddened to learn he passed away on Saturday. When he wasn't serving our own community as a lawyer, as a member of various state bar associations, or as a special General Sessions judge, he was serving our Nation in the United States Marine Corps as a tank commander during the Korean War and later in the reserves. Paul would have been married to his sweet wife Martha for sixty years on August third this year. Their devotion and love for each other was known well by many. Paul and Martha had five wonderful children, but one in particular, Laura, holds a special place in my heart from years ago. The first time I ran for Congress in 1988, Laura, who was in eighth grade at the time, came to help us every day after she got out of school, and even on the weekends. I don't think many people worked for me as hard as she did. It seems like Laura's perseverance, work ethic, and soft heart were inspired by her dad, who possessed the same attributes. Paul and Martha suffered a painful loss when Laura left this world at the young age of 22 due to her battle with lymphoma cancer. Now, we have the hope, through faith in God, that they have been reunited in Heaven. Laura was such a wonderful, sweet, young woman full of enthusiasm for others. While I am saddened by the loss of Paul, and the loss he and Martha experienced with Laura's passing, I certainly appreciate the kindness they showed me through the years. While Tennessee mourns the loss of a great man, we remember the positive impact Paul made on our community, state, and our Nation.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, there is greater turnover in elective offices today than ever before. And in my 30 years in Congress, I have now served with almost 1,500 other Members. Almost all have been good, kind men and women. But one of the best, one of the kindest is my friend, Jim Jordan. Now, Congressman Jordan has been attacked with one of the dirtiest, most low-down political hit jobs that I have ever seen. He has been accused of knowing about, but failing to report, sexual abuse that occurred 25 to 30 years ago. This alleged abuse was done not by Mr. Jordan but by another man, a team doctor, who has been dead for 13 years. And this abuse was not done to little boys or girls. It was supposedly done to grown adult men, Ohio State wrestlers, none of whom reported it at the time. The timing is so suspicious coming out now when Mr. Jordan may be seeking a leadership post. He is supposed to have known about this because of locker-room banter. All the coaches and many of his players have defended Mr. Jordan, calling him one of the most honest men they know. Surely, Mr. Speaker, even though politics of hatred is prevalent today, surely we are not going to stoop to convicting people based on locker-room banter or gossip.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, last year CNN reported that the U.S. had interfered or attempted to influence presidential elections in other countries at least 81 times. This is probably a very conservative estimate. This report came from a study by Professor Dov H. Levin of Carnegie Mellon University and apparently was just the tip of the iceberg. His study covered just years up to 2000, and these activities may have increased since that time. Professor Levin defined an intervention as ``a costly act which is designed to determine the election results in favor of one of the two sides.'' He said these acts were carried out in secret two-thirds of the time and included ``funding the election campaigns of specific parties, disseminating misinformation or propaganda, training locals of only one side in various campaigning or public announcements on threats in favor of or against a candidate, and providing or withdrawing foreign aid.'' He reported that in 59 percent of these cases the side that received assistance came to power. In a December 21, 2016, article, the Los Angeles Times said: ``The U.S. has a long history of attempting to influence presidential elections in other countries.'' The newspaper reported, that ``the CIA has accused Russia of interfering in the 2016 Presidential election by hacking into Democratic and Republican computer networks and selectively releasing emails.'' But the Times added: ``But critics might point out that the U.S. has done similar things.'' I am not criticizing our government's activities in this regard. Some of it has been good, designed to fight communism and promote freedom around the world. However, some of it has probably been wasteful, and, at times, has increased hatred for the U.S. We are involved, in many ways, in almost every country around the world through our State Department, Agency for International Development, the CIA, the Defense Department, and just about every Federal department and agency. Most countries take an active interest and involvement in U.S. Presidential elections through their citizens and former citizens who now live in this country. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this article from the Los Angeles Times. [From the Los Angeles Times, Dec. 21, 2016] The U.S. Is No Stranger to Interfering in the Elections of Other Countries (By Nina Agrawal) Update: President Obama on Thursday slapped Russia with new penalties for meddling in the U.S. presidential election, kicking out dozens of suspected spies and imposing banking restrictions on five people and four organizations the administration says were involved. The CIA has accused Russia of interfering in the 2016 presidential election by hacking into Democratic and Republican computer networks and selectively releasing emails. But critics might point out the U.S. has done similar things. The U.S. has a long history of attempting to influence presidential elections in other countries--it's done so as many as 81 times between 1946 and 2000, according to a database amassed by political scientist Dov Levin of Carnegie Mellon University. That number doesn't include military coups and regime change efforts following the election of candidates the U.S. didn't like, notably those in Iran, Guatemala and Chile. Nor does it include general assistance with the electoral process, such as election monitoring. Levin defines intervention as ``a costly act which is designed to determine the election results [in favor of] one of the two sides.'' These acts, carried out in secret two- thirds of the time, include funding the election campaigns of specific parties, disseminating misinformation or propaganda, training locals of only one side in various campaigning or get-out-the-vote techniques, helping one side design their campaign materials, making public pronouncements or threats in favor of or against a candidate, and providing or withdrawing foreign aid. In 59 percent of these cases, the side that received assistance came to power, although Levin estimates the average effect of ``partisan electoral interventions'' to be only about a 3 percent increase in vote share. The U.S. hasn't been the only one trying to interfere in other countries' elections, according to Levin's data. Russia attempted to sway 36 foreign elections from the end of World War II to the turn of the century--meaning that, in total, at least one of the two great powers of the 20th century intervened in about 1 of every 9 competitive, national-level executive elections in that time period. Italy's 1948 general election is an early example of a race where U.S. actions probably influenced the outcome. ``We threw everything, including the kitchen sink'' at helping the Christian Democrats beat the Communists in Italy, said Levin, including covertly delivering ``bags of money'' to cover campaign expenses, sending experts to help run the campaign, subsidizing ``pork'' projects like land reclamation, and threatening publicly to end U.S. aid to Italy if the Communists were elected. Levin said that U.S. intervention probably played an important role in preventing a Communist Party victory, not just in 1948, but in seven subsequent Italian elections. Throughout the Cold War, U.S. involvement in foreign elections was mainly motivated by the goal of containing communism, said Thomas Carothers, a foreign policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ``The U.S. didn't want to see left-wing governments elected, and so it did engage fairly often in trying to influence elections in other countries,'' Carothers said. This approach carried over into the immediate post-Soviet period. In the 1990 Nicaragua elections, the CIA leaked damaging information on alleged corruption by the Marxist Sandinistas to German newspapers, according to Levin. The opposition used those reports against the Sandinista candidate, Daniel Ortega. He lost to opposition candidate Violeta Chamorro. In Czechoslovakia that same year, the U.S. provided training and campaign funding to Vaclav Havel's party and its Slovak affiliate as they planned for the country's first democratic election after its transition away from communism. ``The thinking was that we wanted to make sure communism was dead and buried,'' said Levin. Even after that, the U.S. continued trying to influence elections in its favor. In Haiti after the 1986 overthrow of dictator and U.S. ally Jean-Claude ``Baby Doc'' Duvalier, the CIA sought to support particular candidates and undermine Jean-Bertrande Aristide, a Roman Catholic priest and proponent of liberation theology. The New York Times reported in the 1990s that the CIA had on its payroll members of the military junta that would ultimately unseat Aristide after he was democratically elected in a landslide over Marc Bazin, a former World Bank official and finance minister favored by the U.S. The U.S. also attempted to sway Russian elections. In 1996, with the presidency of Boris Yeltsin and the Russian economy flailing, President Clinton endorsed a $10.2- billion loan from the International Monetary Fund linked to privatization, trade liberalization and other measures that would move Russia toward a capitalist economy. Yeltsin used the loan to bolster his popular support, telling voters that only he had the reformist credentials to secure such loans, according to media reports at the time. He used the money, in part, for social spending before the election, including payment of back wages and pensions. In the Middle East, the U.S. has aimed to bolster candidates who could further the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. In 1996, seeking to fulfill the legacy of assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the peace accords the U.S. brokered, Clinton openly supported Shimon Peres, convening a peace summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheik to boost his popular support and inviting him to a meeting at the White House a month before the election. ``We were persuaded that if [Likud candidate Benjamin] Netanyahu were elected, the peace process would be closed for the season,'' said Aaron David Miller, who worked at the State Department at the time. In 1999, in a more subtle effort to sway the election, top Clinton strategists, including James Carville, were sent to advise Labor candidate Ehud Barak in the election against Netanyahu. In Yugoslavia, the U.S. and NATO had long sought to cut off Serbian nationalist and Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic from the international system through economic sanctions and military action. In 2000, the U.S. spent millions of dollars in aid for political parties, campaign costs and independent media. Funding and broadcast equipment provided to the media arms of the opposition were a decisive factor in electing opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica as Yugoslav president, according to Levin. ``If it wouldn't have been for overt intervention . . . Milosevic would have been very likely to have won another term,'' he said. Supporting Congressman Jim Jordan

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I voted for the first Gulf war many years ago because our leaders at that time said Saddam Hussein was the greatest threat since Hitler and told us all about Hussein's powerful, elite troops. I then saw these same elite troops surrender to CNN camera crews and empty tanks. I realized then, and many times since, that the threats had been and continue to be greatly exaggerated. For this and many other reasons, I voted against the second Gulf war in 2002. Most of these threats are more about money and power than they are about real danger to the U.S. They also seem to be because many of our leaders seem to be a little too eager to go to war and want to be new Winston Churchills and prove how tough they are, how patriotic, and how they are great leaders. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly not patriotic at all to send young Americans to fight very unnecessary wars. With these thoughts as background, I would like to read part of conservative syndicated columnist Eric Margolis' most recent column. First, let me say that President Trump is correct in saying that NATO countries should not continue to expect the U.S. to pay for their defense needs. Mr. Margolis' column, in part, is as follows: Germany is reported to have less than 20 operational tanks. Canada's armed forces appear to be smaller than the New York City Police Department. But the Europeans ask, ``Defense against whom?'' The Soviet Union was a huge threat back in the Cold War when the mighty Red army had 55,000 tanks pointed west. Today, Russia's land and naval power has evaporated. Russia has perhaps 5,500 main battle tanks in active service and a similar number in storage, a far cry from its armored juggernaut of the Cold War. More important, Russia's military budget for 2018 was only $61 billion, actually down 17 percent from last year. Russia is facing hard economic times. Russia has slipped to fourth place in military spending after the U.S., China, and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. and its wealthy allies account for two-thirds of world military spending. In fact, the U.S.' total military budget, including for nuclear weapons and foreign wars, is about $1 trillion, 50 percent of total U.S. Government discretionary spending. In addition, Russia must defend a vast territory from the Baltic to the Pacific. The U.S. is fortunate in having Mexico and Canada as neighbors. Russia has North Korea, China, India, the Middle East, and NATO to watch. As with its naval forces, Russia's armies are too far apart to lend one another mutual support. Two vulnerable rail lines are Russia's main land link between European Russia and its Pacific Far East. Trump's extra supplemental military budget boost this year of $54 billion is almost as large as Russia's entire 2018 military budget. As for Trump's claim that Europe is not paying its fair share of NATO expenses, note that Britain and France combined together spend more on their military forces than Russia. In Europe, it is hard to find many people who still consider Russia a serious threat, except for some dipsy Danes, right-wing Swedes, and assorted Russophobic East Europeans. The main fear of Russia seems concentrated in the minds of American neoconservatives, media, and victims of the bizarre anti-Russian hysteria that has gripped the U.S. Mr. Speaker, that is from the Margolis column, and I hope that Members in this Congress will keep those words in mind.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I know that one of the easiest things in this world to do is to spend other people's money; and for at least 50 years or more, we have been reading and hearing about unbelievable waste by the Pentagon and excessive charges by defense contractors who hire so many retired admirals and generals. But in today's American Conservative magazine, there is an article about Air Force spending that really takes the cake. The article is entitled: ``Why Do Air Force Planes Need $10,000 Toilet Seat Covers?'' The story is by Dan Grazier, a former Marine captain. He wrote the following: ``. . . a Department of Defense contractor told the Air Force that each new toilet seat cover for the C-17 cargo plane will cost $10,000. Will Roper, the Air Force's Chief Acquisition official, rather than pooh-poohing the cost, defended it by claiming the company would have to switch production from other products to make a limited number of toilet covers, thus driving up the expense.'' It is unpatriotic, Mr. Speaker, for any Federal department, but especially the Defense Department, to spend taxpayers' money so recklessly. I wish someday--someday--we could get a fiscal conservative in charge at the Pentagon.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alabama for yielding me this time. He is one of the great leaders in this Congress, and it is an honor to serve with him. Mr. Speaker, I have always heard that many government agencies spend roughly 60 percent of their budgets within the first 11 months and then scramble around during the last month trying to spend the rest of their budget so they won't be cut for the next year. I think we should do what we can to incentivize more government employees to come up with cost-saving ideas. That is why I introduced, along with Mr. Polis from Colorado and Mr. Jones from North Carolina, an amendment to the NDAA which will do just that. It will give all military personnel even more reasons to be creative in how to save costs. I am pleased that my amendment, which has been made in order en bloc, directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the military's existing incentive programs for cost-saving ideas. This amendment will also include a report on how the Secretary plans to expand and streamline those existing programs to better reward military personnel who help the Department of Defense to be more efficient. We need to be good stewards of the taxpayers' money and should do everything we can to ensure that our military's funding is used wisely and used where it is needed most. I introduced a bill several times many years ago to give Federal employees bonuses for half of any money that their agency or their department can save. This amendment hopefully will move us in that direction. On a side note, I do want to say that I believe the American people are really sick and tired of our spending hundreds of billions on a very unnecessary, no-win war in Afghanistan now 17 years old. I am disappointed that this bill continues that funding instead of bringing our troops back home.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, a very special Vietnam Veteran in my district has continued his service to others decades after fighting in the war. Mr. Lou Volk of the Cedar Bluff community of Knoxville, Tennessee has been walking along a busy road, picking up trash and praying for his neighbors every day for the past 30 years in spite of his injuries from the war. He started this service when he was a teacher in Oak Ridge, and used it as an opportunity to teach his sons about doing for others without expecting anything in return. At 71 years old, Lou has made it a priority to make the 2 mile walk each day in hopes of making our community better both physically and spiritually. As he is cleaning up items that no one else might dare to touch such as used cigarettes, road kill, and food packages, he says prayers for cars that pass by. He has gotten to know the challenges, suffering, and needs of the residents on Bob Kirby Road by saying hello and growing relationships with people out in their yards. I want to recognize Lou for being such a dedicated caretaker of our community. I hope he inspires all of us to do a little more for others, without expecting anything in return. If more people were out in the community instead of playing video games, watching television, or spending hours on social media, they could experience the blessings of serving causes greater than themselves. I include in the Record the article that appeared in the Knoxville News Sentinel by Brittany Crocker on May 7th, 2018, entitled ``Every Day One Local Vietnam Veteran Picks up Trash and Prays for Everyone Who Passes Him'': Almost every day for more than 30 years, Vietnam veteran Lou Volk has donned his orange reflective vest and rubber gloves before leaving the house on a mission, armed with a trash grabber and a re-used Kroger bag. He's a fixture in Cedar Bluff, where he's been walking his mile-and-a-half route along Bob Kirby Road since he moved there about 12 years ago, cleaning up the litter that seems to reappear almost every day. You may have seen him in the mornings with his dog, Rosco. Rosco died in December though, so now Volk walks his route by himself, but not necessarily alone. Volk can list the neighbors who live in the homes he passes. He can tell you the names of the dogs barking as he passes, or that the woman in the house on the left just lost her husband, or that the person in the passing truck is struggling with cancer right now. Passersby wave or honk their horns at him, veering over the hilly road's median rumble strip to give him a little extra room. What they might not know is that Volk prays for every one of them as they pass. ``I say a quick, `Jesus, keep em' safe,' '' Volk said, ``so I know that each and every one of them has been prayed for that day.'' His daily walks are a service he calls ``Agape,'' a Greco- Christian term that has been interpreted to mean loving or serving while expecting nothing in return. Making a habit Volk started the habit when his children were young in Oak Ridge, where he taught middle-school math and science after he returned from the Vietnam War. Before the war, Volk had a bachelor's degree in business. He served as an infantryman from 1969 to 1971 in Vietnam, where he was exposed to agent orange. A rocket-propelled grenade explosion left him mostly deaf, and he lives with post-traumatic stress disorder. When he returned from the war, he started working in education. Peggy, Volk's wife of 41 years, said she thinks that taking care of children helped him adopt the unrelenting optimism he speaks with today. ``The kids were my little soldiers, and I had to take care of them,'' he said. One of his favorite things was taking sixth-graders to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. ``I always tried to talk to them about the environment and how important it was, and well, you should lead by example.'' So that's what he did. He started picking up trash around his neighborhood and at Cedar Hill Park, where he took his sons, Aaron and Max, to play on the weekends. He continued the habit in Oak Ridge after his sons grew up and left home until he had to retire. Volk said school shootings were becoming more common, kindling his post-traumatic stress, so he started thinking about retirement. He recalled a school fire drill the teachers weren't informed of about a week after two Arkansas students pulled a fire alarm and opened fire on evacuating students and teachers. Volk shut his students in their classroom and went outside to check the school's perimeter. ``What if that had been a copycat?'' Volk said. He stayed in teaching for four more years but ultimately retired in 2002 after the Veterans Administration gave him a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD. Four years later, he and Peggy moved to their Cedar Bluff condo to care for Peggy's mother. Response and ability Volk found a sense of continued service in his daily cleanup walks. ``It's my Father's world out there, and I've got to take care of it,'' he said. Tuesday was a ``one-bag'' day, but the weekends sometimes take two. ``Cigarette butts are by far the most numerous and the most annoying thing out here,'' Volk said, picking up a fluffed- out cigarette filter with his trash grabber. ``I'm told it takes three to five years for one of these things to break down.'' Food wrappers and plastic bottles are also pretty common sights for him. Plastic bottles filled with tobacco spit are the worst, he said, but he picks them up anyway. He'll even pick up roadkill if it's lying where children can see it. ``It bothered my kids when they were little to see a squirrel lying dead on the street,'' he said. ``And I'm not afraid of it; I grew up on a farm. So, I just pick it up.'' By now, he knows the areas of the street that have the most poison ivy, and where the thin borders of the road drop off into steep hills. He knows he'll usually find some broken glass bottles near people's mailboxes. He suspects people driving by at night make a game of trying to hit mailboxes with the bottles. Speeding drivers aren't an uncommon sight on the short stretch of road, but Volk said he usually feels pretty safe. He checks both directions twice before crossing and tries to make sure drivers coming around blind hills can see him. He almost got hit once, but he leaped into a ditch with his dog just in time. Volk's walks have clearly paid off for him physically. He looks at least a decade younger than his 71 years. He and his wife said they want to travel for as long as they are physically able to, and his walks help him keep fit. ``That's the selfish part,'' he admitted. ``The nature, the birds chirping, the vitamin D, and I get exercise.'' Volk said he wants to see other retirees in Knoxville take up the gauntlet and go outside to pick up trash. ``Retired people need to walk more, and most of us have the ability,'' he said. ``Just try picking up your neighborhood some day. It doesn't have to be far. My walk is about two miles, but I have the ability so I go.'' Volk said a fellow Vietnam veteran told him that ability is one half of the word responsibility. ``If you have the ability to do something, what is your response?'' he said. ``My response is that I can't do everything, but I when I see something, I can try to do something to make it better.''

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I will simply say this: neither of the cases cited by the opposition would be stopped under this amendment. In fact, this amendment would make it more likely that freight brokers would be required to hire safe, insured carriers for their shipments, so it would make the highways safer. Mr. Chair, I urge support for my amendment. It is an amendment about fairness and justice, because all lawyers--I was a plaintiff's lawyer before I came to Congress, and I have supported the trial lawyers in every way possible in my 30 years here, but I can tell you, no lawyers want people sued who have done nothing whatsoever wrong in a case. Mr. Chair, I urge passage of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the chairman of the committee.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, this is a very simple amendment to establish a national standard of care for hiring freight shippers. This is purely and simply about highway safety, and everything carried on planes, of course, goes to and from on our highways. Currently, there is no law that requires freight brokers or others to have any sort of standard when hiring a carrier for a shipment. Under this amendment, a broker or other entity would be deemed to have acted in a reasonable and prudent manner if they made sure the carrier met these three requirements: One, authorization to operate by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Two, the minimum insurance coverage required by Federal law; and Three, that the carrier had no current Federal unsatisfactory safety fitness determination. This amendment does not prohibit or limit in any way any type of lawsuit, and, in fact, a lawyer could show that a broker or a company had acted in an unreasonable manner if they did not comply with this hiring standard. This amendment would actually help trial lawyers by giving them stronger grounds to sue brokers who did not comply with this standard and tried to get cheaper rates by using unsafe or uninsured carriers. This amendment would also make it less likely that a person or a company that hired a safe, legal motor carrier would be held liable for an accident that happened through no fault of their own. This amendment also will help make it far less likely that unregistered, uninsured, unsafe freight carriers get any business in this country in the future. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, yesterday's New York Times carried a story headlined ``Scandals and Investigations, but Few Arrests, for Air Marshals Program.'' In fact, in the most recent 10-year period that was studied, 148 air marshals were arrested; and throughout the history of this program, there have been many more air marshals arrested than there have been arrests made by air marshals. Yet, over the last 10 years, the Congress has appropriated well over $8 billion for this needless, useless program. At least 250 air marshals have been terminated for misconduct and over 400 more have resigned or retired during conduct investigations. This has to be about the easiest job in the country today. All these marshals do is fly back and forth, back and forth, on airplanes, usually or often in first class. The New York Times' story said the program ``is in such disarray that it does little to deter terrorists, many of its employees say.'' The story also said alcohol abuse is so rampant that the TSA has had to monitor whether the armed guards show up for their shifts sober. Mr. Speaker, yet, we are going to give this needless, useless program another $800 million this year. Ridiculous.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, in the days leading up to the congressional vote on whether to go to war in Iraq years ago, Fortune magazine had an article headlined: ``We Win--What Then?'' The article said that a prolonged war in Iraq would make American soldiers ``sitting ducks for Islamic terrorists.'' Another national magazine at that time, U.S. News & World Report, had an article headlined: ``Why the Rush to War?'' Now that war has been frequently referred to as possibly the greatest foreign policy mistake in U.S. history. The night before the Iraq war vote, a television station in Knoxville ran a poll showing 74 percent in favor of the war, 9 percent against, and 17 percent undecided. I was one of six Republicans who voted against going to war. For 3 or 4 years, that was certainly the most unpopular vote I ever cast. But slowly, slowly, slowly it ended up being the most popular vote I ever cast. We were basically conned into that war by a group of neocons, so- called neoconservatives, whom George Will once described as being ``magnificently misnamed'' because they were really the ``most radical people'' in this city, meaning Washington. In addition to our disaster in Iraq, we have now been at war in Afghanistan for 17 years, seemingly permanent, forever wars that have cost us trillions of dollars and caused many thousands of Americans to be killed or maimed. What a waste. President Reagan once said that we should never go to war unless there were no other reasonable alternatives, and then only as a very last resort. We have had too many leaders who never went to war themselves, such as the new National Security Advisor, John Bolton, who seem far too eager for others to go to war so these chicken hawks can feel more important or think of themselves as modern-day Winston Churchills. Now we seem to be rushing into another war in Syria. I am thankful that conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Pat Buchanan are questioning this new rush to war. At some point, with a $21 trillion national debt, we have to realize there are limits to American power. Civil wars and really terrible things are happening all over the world--in Africa, in the Middle East, and in other places--all the time. As President Kennedy said at the University of Washington in one of his most famous speeches, with only 4 percent of the world's population, ``we cannot right every wrong or reverse each adversity-- and that therefore there cannot be an American solution to every world problem.'' Most of the time, a military solution is the worst solution. There are many other ways we can help people who have been harmed: through humanitarian, religious, or charitable organizations, or through the United Nations. Pat Buchanan wrote that President Trump is being ``goaded into war'' and that Congress should ``debate our objectives in this new war and how many new casualties and years will be required to defeat the coalition of Syria, Russia, Hezbollah, Iran, and the allied Shiite militias from the Near East.'' Tucker Carlson said that we need to ask some skeptical questions now, at least in part, because Secretary Mattis said in February that we have absolutely no proof that Assad used the chemical weapons he was accused of using last year. He added that there is no real proof Assad did chemical attacks this time because such an attack would really help only the rebels fighting Assad, and they also have chemical weapons, and they have been described as Islamic terrorists, although we are supporting them. Mr. Carlson pointed out that Assad had every reason or incentive not to use chemical weapons in a civil war his government basically had already won. President Trump was elected in large part because he promised to get us out of these very unnecessary wars in the Middle East. Almost everything we have done in the Middle East over the last many years has been wrong. There has been fighting going on there for several thousand years. Throughout history, other wars have been started over incidents or information that turned out to be false or greatly exaggerated. We do not need nor can we afford to get into another trillion-dollar war in the Middle East without first making absolutely certain that it is in America's interest to do so and that it will not make the Middle East even more messed up and chaotic than it already is.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, in February of 2016, I spoke on this floor in tribute to Dean Stone shortly after he retired from his full-time position as editor of The Daily Times newspaper in Maryville, Tennessee. Dean Stone worked for The Daily Times for an astounding 67 years, serving as sports editor; managing editor; and then starting in 1988, until 2016, as the top editor. He was always very proud that he gave our great Senator Lamar Alexander one of his first jobs when Senator Alexander was in high school in Maryville. Dean Stone was the standard of journalistic fairness and integrity in my district and a towering figure in east Tennessee. Unfortunately, he was unable to enjoy a long retirement, as he passed away several months later at the age of 92. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of a bill that I have introduced to name a very unique 800-foot-long bridge on the Foothills Parkway in his honor. This bill is a fitting tribute to Dean Stone because his story and that of the Foothills Parkway will be forever linked in history. First authorized by Congress in 1944, the Foothills Parkway was intended to be the Tennessee companion to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which was built to link the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the Shenandoah National Park. Construction on the Foothills Parkway did not begin, however, until 1960; and in the early decades, a few detached sections of the highway were completed. Despite this progress in the early years, construction of the 16-mile stretch between Walland and Wears Valley, Tennessee, became plagued with problems. A 1.5 mile section in the middle of this segment, which eventually became known as the ``Missing Link,'' featured rugged terrain that was extremely difficult to build upon. Construction was further complicated by the discovery of minerals in the soil that could cause damage to the environment. Despite these complications, my staff and I worked hard to keep the project alive. In my early years in Congress, we obtained a $3 million appropriation to resurface and maintain existing sections of this parkway. I was pleased that I was able to include $8.6 million in the Federal highway legislation, T-21, which was signed into law in 1998, and then the 2005 highway bill contained another $7.5 billion to continue this project. In 2016, the Department of Transportation awarded $10 million toward the completion of the parkway, and the State of Tennessee committed to providing an additional $15 million match to fund the final paving of this project. During these years, Dean Stone was a key ally in this process. It was then that the histories of the parkway and Dean Stone became permanently linked. Dean Stone didn't just write in support of the Foothills Parkway. As chairman of the Great Smoky Mountains Park Commission and as president of the Foothills Parkway Association, Dean worked hard to convince people of the need to complete the missing link. Within the next year, the missing link will be no more, and that section of the parkway will finally be open to the public. Dean Stone was probably the indispensable man in getting this section of the road completed. The Daily Times has stated that one main task remains. What is still needed, according to The Daily Times, is ``proper acknowledgment of the Blount Countian who persisted over the years in encouraging, insisting, cajoling, and convincing the powers that be the `missing link' could be, should be, and would be connected.'' My bill, H.R. 3469, would name the longest bridge in the missing link section of the Foothills Parkway as the Dean Stone Bridge. This particular bridge is an 800-foot engineering marvel similar to the famous Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway. New technological advances have allowed the construction of a bridge that floats around the edge of the mountain rather than tearing into it. There is no doubt that the elegant curves of this bridge will be the iconic feature of the Foothills Parkway. Naming it after Dean Stone is a fitting tribute for all that he did for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and for this region. In fact, it is fair to say that no one individual did more for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the years--through many, many years--in promoting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in many different ways. I have a beautiful photograph that Dean Stone took of the Cades Cove area of the Smoky Mountains in my office here in Washington even today. My only regret is that Dean Stone did not live long enough to see the completion of the missing link, but I take heart in knowing that soon millions of people will be able to benefit from the fruits of his labors as they drive over the Dean Stone Bridge and see the glories of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, in his column yesterday, Pat Buchanan wrote that, through most of its history, the Republican Party was the high tariff party, favoring tariffs rather than income taxes. He wrote that those tariffs helped the U.S. to become the strongest industrial power in the world. In the 1950s and 1960s, 53 percent of American jobs were industrial based, many of them white collar. Now only around 10 percent are in manufacturing, and many thousands of college graduates are working as waiters and waitresses or in other low-paying jobs and living with their parents. Fears of a trade war are being greatly exaggerated. We have been in a trade war for many years, and we have been losing. With only 4 percent of the world's population, we buy almost 23 percent of the world's goods. Every country wants into our markets, and we have tremendous leverage on trade that we haven't been using. President Trump's proposed tariffs apply only to two products. I commend him for his effort to try to protect American jobs.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, and the rule that brings this bill to the floor. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me this time. I want to also commend the gentlewoman from Missouri for introducing this very important legislation. According to the Department of Justice, more than half of sex trafficking victims are 17 years old or younger. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, there was an astounding 846 percent increase from 2010 to 2015 in reports of suspected child sex trafficking. They found this to be ``directly correlated to the increased use of the internet to sell children for sex.'' This is something I have been concerned about for a long time. Before I came to Congress, I was a criminal court judge for 7\1/2\ years trying felony criminal cases. Far too many of those cases involved sexual abuse of minors. I was told my first day as a judge that well over 90 percent of defendants in felony cases came from father-absent households. Certainly family breakdown has been a major factor--maybe the major factor--in almost all serious crimes we have had through the years. But certainly another problem is that we have addicted our children to the computers. Now, almost everyone is addicted to computers, iPads, iPods, and screens of all types. While some technology has been good, it has also in some ways been very harmful to many in our society. In an article entitled ``Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?,'' psychologist Jean M. Twenge wrote in the Atlantic magazine: ``If you were going to give advice for a happy adolescence based on this survey, it would be straightforward: Put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something--anything--that does not involve a screen.'' She wrote that too much time on the internet has caused teenagers to be more subject to mental problems of all types, even depression and suicide. While this advice pertains to teens, I think it really applies to everyone. Even most adults today would be healthier, both mentally and physically, if they spent less time staring at screens. Today, technology has made many things easier, but, unfortunately, this includes the crime of child sex trafficking. This is very important legislation, very necessary at this time, and I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, one of the kindest, sweetest women I have ever known passed away in Farragut, TN on February 5. My Aunt Lib, Lillian Elizabeth Duncan Keck, was 96. She led a long, full, active life and touched thousands in good and positive ways. She was born in Huntsville, TN to Flem B. and Cassie Duncan, the seventh of ten children who were raised to adulthood. Two others, twin sisters, died shortly after birth. Aunt Lib moved to Knoxville after graduating from Huntsville High School in 1940. She graduated from National Business College and worked for C.M. McClurg Co. in Knoxville Tennessee, Eastman in Oak Ridge, and U.S.O. Headquarters in the Empire State Building in New York City. After World War II, she taught special needs children in Knox County and retired as a speech and hearing technician in the Childrens' Special Services Division. Her most important role was as a loving wife for 60 years to my late Uncle Kenneth Keck who worked for 42 years for the phone company, and as mother to four children, Sandra, Kenny, Ricky, and Susan. She also had seven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild. I remember Aunt Lib best as one of the hardest campaigners my father ever had in his three races for Mayor of Knoxville and especially in his first (and closest) race for Congress in 1964. My Dad and Aunt Lib were the sixth and seventh of the ten children my grandparents raised, so they were especially close in age and in many other ways. They both enjoyed telling the story of the time the basketball manager at Huntsville high school forgot my dad's uniform on a visit to another school, so my father had to play wearing Aunt Lib's uniform. Aunt Lib was a lifelong Presbyterian and lived by the Golden Rule. She was kind to everyone. This Nation is a better place today because of the life she led and the examples she set for everyone who knew her.

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee

Mr. DUNCAN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I sent my first paycheck as a bag boy at the A&P--$19-and-some-odd cents--to the Barry Goldwater campaign. I was 16 years old. I have been involved in almost every major Republican campaign in my State and nationally since then. But the Republican Party I grew up in was the fiscally conservative party. I wish it still was. But we will pass a spending bill today that is everything but fiscally conservative. Our national debt is now over $20 trillion. This bill will speed us down the road to $30 trillion. Our deficit last year was $666 billion. This bill will make it even higher this year. There is nothing fiscally conservative about this bill. Spending was already going up. Now we are busting the budget caps and adding another $300 billion more. Anyone who supports this bill cannot accurately say that they are fiscally conservative. It is very sad to me that the Republican Party I love is now going along to get along and spending many, many billions that we simply do not have.