Rodney Davis

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, my colleague from North Carolina is right. We had a good, healthy discussion on how rural voters could be adversely impacted by the original language that was in the bill that would have required polling places to be next to areas of mass transit. Well, as we both know, there are many areas we serve that don't have access to mass transit. My problem is not with what this amendment does. My problem, again, is with the process. My problem is how are we going to determine--and my biggest fear is that if Washington is determining where polling places should go, maybe we are not allowing the locals to determine best how to ensure that voters get easiest access to being able to cast their vote. I want to work with the gentleman from North Carolina to address many rural needs, especially when it comes to our oversight responsibility of elections. And I certainly hope--I do believe this amendment will pass--and I certainly hope, if it becomes a law, which I don't believe H.R. 1 will become law, but I would really encourage us to be able to work together after this is done and maybe work in a separate fashion to address rural voting communities' needs. And I look forward to working with the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, I know we have a lot of amendments, so I will go ahead and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Danny Russell, the morning show host on WMKR in Taylorville, Illinois, who is leaving the broadcasting industry after 40 years. Local media is so important to our communities and Danny's service is a prime example of this. Danny graduated from the radio-tv program at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey and spent 17 years as the weekend weathercaster for WICS-TV Channel 20 in Springfield. His career has included stints at several Springfield radio stations and in 2011, he joined the Miller Media Group to become the Morning Show host on WMKR Genuine Country 94.3. Additionally, Danny has been the Miller Media Group production director, host of the Saturday Retro Request Show and the ``Brown Bag Rewind'' show. He has also broadcast live from countless events thru- out central Illinois over his nearly 8 years with Miller Media Group. I congratulate Danny on 40 years of success in the broadcasting industry, and I wish him well on his next chapter.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the important and irreplaceable work done by our court reporters during National Court Reporting and Captioning Week, which is February 9 through 16. As guardians of the record, court reporters have had and do have a large impact on capturing history for posterity. During our nearly 250 years of American history, court reporters have been a cornerstone of our American justice system. From George Washington's farewell address to Lincoln's ``House Divided'' speech, these noble servants have transcribed some of the most important pieces of American history. Today, with the help of new technology like that utilized by CART captioners, reporters have been able to expand beyond the courtroom to provide accessibility for millions of Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing by providing captioning in real time for live sporting and theater events, church services, movie theaters, and many other venues. As I speak to you now, a stenographer, Julia, is seated next to me, quietly but promptly recording my every word. So, on behalf of myself and all Members of Congress, thank you for all the hard work you do in support of this House.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in opposition of H.R. 1, legislation that was introduced by the Democratic leadership that they claim is for the people. Let me be clear: There are some voting and election reforms where I believe Republicans and Democrats can find common ground; however, H.R. 1 abuses taxpayer dollars, criminalizes free speech, and encourages voting irregularities. I cannot support it in its current form. One of the most egregious provisions in H.R. 1 creates a 6-to-1 government match to small donor campaign contributions up to $200. This means for every $200 that a political candidate receives, the Federal Government, with your tax dollars, is giving $1,200 to a politician's campaign. Since when does the Federal Government become a congressional candidate's ATM? This is only one example of how H.R. 1 legislation is not designed to serve the people but to serve the Democratic majority. This House should work in a real bipartisan fashion to create election reform that the American people deserve, and I am willing and ready whenever my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are willing and ready to talk.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, in my short time here in this institution, I have found that, when you offer an amendment to a bill that has jurisdiction of a committee that you don't sit on, it is always good to have the chairman and ranking member be in support of your amendment. So I want to thank Chairman Takano and Ranking Member Roe for their help--and their team's help--in helping us craft this commonsense solution. And I really want to thank my good friend and colleague Jimmy Panetta, who is a main cosponsor of this amendment. Jimmy and I have worked together on a wide variety of issues, but not many more important than making sure that our families, our heroes, get access to the childcare and the services that they need. This Veterans' Access to Child Care Act, also, Mr. Chairman, builds upon a successful pilot program and is finally going to provide some certainty and better access to mental and intensive healthcare services for our heroes, our veterans, through increased access to childcare while our veterans attend the appointments that they need to attend to. The intention of this amendment, as you heard from the chairman and the ranking member, is to make sure that the VA does not determine that this bill is meant that there is only one primary caretaker in the family and then, arbitrarily, have a bureaucrat at the VA decide who that caretaker is. Without this change, some veterans this bill is intended to help would not be able to access childcare over a technicality. Our amendment, as you heard, clarifies this language to help eliminate barriers to mental health services for our veterans with families. When our veterans face a mental health crisis, I want to ensure that they are not alone, and that we are doing everything we can to properly support them and their families. While we have been successful in passing legislation that prevents many veterans from having to drive long distances to access care, it is possible that, in some cases, a veteran in my district could have to drive 4 hours to the nearest VA hospital, and ensured access to childcare will encourage them to get the services that they need. I don't want a technicality to get in the way of our heroes. I want to make sure they get access to the services they need. That is why I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment. I urge all Members to support our amendment to H.R. 840, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I obviously rise in support of our amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P. Roe), the ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, before I offer my comments.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. 15\1/2\ minutes. Awesome. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, look, we can't say much more about this bill. This is another true example of bipartisanship. This is what we do together in this institution to ensure that historical areas like Route 66 that span this great Nation are given the recognition that they deserve. This road, from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, that I have yet to take up--my colleague, Mrs. Napolitano, has offered to drive the entire distance on Route 66. Maybe we will have to do this during the 100-year anniversary that this bill allows us to plan for. Let's give Route 66 its due. Let's think of the small-town communities that rely upon the mother road to survive. Let's continue to work together, like we are today, to put good bills through the House to the Senate. And let's get the President to sign them into law. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I am honored to be here today. I recognize the chairperson of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee and thank her for her support, Ms. Holmes Norton. I appreciate her support on this issue. As her ranking member on the committee, I look forward to working with her in a very bipartisan way to make sure that we put infrastructure first when it comes to the United States of America, and I congratulate her on her chairmanship. I thank my colleague who has joined us on the floor, my partner in getting this bill passed in the last Congress, too, Grace Napolitano. We kind of sit on both sides of Route 66: I in central Illinois, and Mrs. Napolitano on the far west side with a lot more ocean air than in the middle of Illinois in her district near Santa Monica, California. As you know, Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 66. I thank the Speaker of the House for giving us this designation of H.R. 66 because it is very important for the historical context of this bill that creates the Route 66 Centennial Commission. I am proud to have Route 66 run right through the middle of my district. As you know, in 1926, Route 66 became our Nation's first all- paved highway under the U.S. highway system, connecting Chicago, Illinois, which is about 3 hours north of me. Right through the middle of the 13th District in Illinois runs this road. Early on, this road, of course, ended in Santa Monica, California, but it was used by hundreds of thousands of Americans, as Ms. Norton said, seeking escape from the Dust Bowl. It provided critical employment opportunities for road crews and infrastructure investment during our Great Depression. During World War II, our highway transported troops, equipment, supplies to military bases across our country, and it was used after the war by thousands of troops coming home to see their families. By the 1950s, Route 66 began to see a rise in tourism and became the true symbol of American freedom and independence that we know today. In April of 2017, my colleague from central Illinois, Darin LaHood, and I went on an extended tour along with numerous State legislators in Illinois, like my good friend Representative Tim Butler and my State representative, Avery Bourne, and we toured the stretches of Route 66 that we share. I had the opportunity to personally witness the economic impact of the Mother Road throughout my district and throughout Congressman LaHood's district. It supports many jobs and key economic activity in many of our smaller rural communities that we are blessed enough to represent. This keeps many of those communities alive, economically. Now travelers along Route 66 in my district can see a giant pink elephant. It is a big statue. You can't miss it even when you are traveling on Interstate 55. But what you also can see there on a Sunday afternoon, because of the tourists and tourism opportunities along Route 66, the parking lot at the Pink Elephant Antique Mall and the diner attached to it in the small town of Livingston, Illinois, is packed. I took my family there to eat lunch not too long ago, and you could barely find a parking spot on a Sunday afternoon. You can also stop in Edwardsville, Illinois, at the Wildey Theatre, and you can experience the same theater experience that many in the 1950s experienced right in Edwardsville, Illinois. That theater opened in 1909, and it has been redone. I got to stop by Jungle Jim's breakfast in Springfield, too. I got some good food, got some good pancakes; just don't eat too many of them. These are just a few of the thousands of local businesses along Route 66, which is why this bill is so important. This is a system of not just roadways and trail paths. I want to make sure that we give this route what it deserves in our Nation's history. That is what this bill will do. That is why I am so supportive. I am glad to be an original author of this bill. I thank, again, my colleague, Mrs. Napolitano, and I look forward to her remarks. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Graves, for the surprising yielding. This is a program, and this bill needs to be passed. My district in central and southwestern Illinois contains numerous scenic byways, and I am excited that this bill is such a bipartisan bill, too. This bipartisan bill needs to pass because the Department of Transportation has got to undertake a process to designate the scenic byways in my district, in Rhode Island, in Louisiana, and throughout this Nation, designate them under this program. This good fix is a message of bipartisanship that the President delivered last night on this floor, and I certainly hope this bill passes.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, I was absent from the House because at the time of votes I was attending to a family matter back in my home district. Due to my absence I did not record any votes for the day. I would like to reflect how I would have voted. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 64; and YEA on Roll Call No. 65.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend, Ken Leonard, head coach of the Sacred Heart- Griffin Cyclones, for being nominated by the Chicago Bears for the 2018 Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year Award. This year, he follows his son, Derek, who was nominated last year. Coach Leonard was nominated for this prestigious award because of his leadership, dedication to the community, and his commitment to the health and safety of his players and their on-field success. This past year, Coach Leonard became the all-time leader for victories in Illinois high school coaching history--ironically, beating his son's very good Rochester team to get that record. As the head coach since 1984, Coach Leonard has an outstanding 379 win and 74 career loss record, including five State championships in eight title game appearances. He has spent countless hours on the field, in classrooms, and in chapels teaching players about character and helping prepare them for a very successful future. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ken for his service to the Springfield community over the years and congratulate him, his family, and his team on this great honor.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to come to the table and urge Speaker Pelosi to come to the table to negotiate an end to this shutdown. This week, Democrats called us back to Washington to solve this problem, but they voted against paying Federal workers three times over the past week, while Republicans have been standing up for those who have now missed paychecks. It has been 15 days since the Speaker has sat down to negotiate with the President. Last week, I went to the White House for what was supposed to be a bipartisan meeting to discuss ending this shutdown and, unfortunately, none of my Democratic colleagues showed up. Before Democrats even heard President Trump's proposal offering a solution for DACA recipients and TPS individuals in return for border security, they rejected it. Speaker Pelosi gave the longest speech ever in this Chamber, on protecting DACA recipients, but now she is refusing to provide certainty for them. We have an opportunity to get real border security and protect DACA recipients. It is time to set politics aside and for the Speaker of the House to go to the table, end this shutdown, and negotiate a deal with the President.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Illinois State University's Mennonite College of Nursing on celebrating 100 years of excellence in nursing education. Founded on January 23, 1919, the Mennonite Sanitarium Training School had a vision of training the Nation's best nurses. In 1982, they grew to become the Mennonite College of Nursing, thereby offering undergraduate degrees for the very first time. In 1995, they added a graduate degree; and in 1999, the college became part of Illinois State University, where it has expanded to include even more academic offerings, including a doctorate degree. Today, the ISU Mennonite College of Nursing boasts a state-of-the-art simulation lab and a 10,000-square-foot facility to provide students with hands-on experience in real-life situations with patient simulators. As the husband of a nurse who is a former nurse educator, I am proud of the strong legacy of ISU's Mennonite College of Nursing and their commitment to educating future generations of nurses just like these students here. I commend them on their century of leadership and look forward to the many achievements to come.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the young people from my home diocese in Springfield, Illinois, who traveled to Washington, D.C., for the 46th annual March for Life tomorrow. Each year, nearly 200 students from throughout the Diocese of Springfield and the 13th District come to our Nation's Capital to show their support for choosing life. It is truly inspiring to see so many-- especially young people--marching for life, and I am proud to stand with them in their defense for life. Last year, I attended mass with these students to pray for all unborn children and for an end to abortion. Before mass, I learned that, when the students arrived in Washington, one of their classmates, Ayden O'Malley, from Nokomis, Illinois, suffered a serious medical episode. Ayden passed away 5 days later here in Washington. Although I never met her, I admire her convictions and willingness to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. This year, we remember Ayden as well as all unborn children whose lives were cut short.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend and hobby radio control industry legend, Joe Ambrose, who passed away unexpectedly on Friday. Joe was a lifelong resident of central Illinois and a graduate of the University of Illinois. He joined Horizon Hobby in Champaign in 2005 as vice president and in 2008 he became CEO, where he successfully grew the business over the next decade. This past year he led the largest acquisition in radio control industry history through the purchase of crosstown competitor Hobbico RC. Joe and his company were leading voices for establishing the micro UAS regulations, hosting myself and other stakeholders in June of 2016 for a roundtable on the topic. Horizon Hobby also participated in the FAA's UAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee. That group ultimately developed recommendations for performance-based regulations to allow certain unmanned aircraft to operate over people. Joe made things happen in this institution. His visionary leadership will be missed, and I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, Julie, their four children, and eight grandchildren.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend, Jeff Bell, who will be retiring after working for more than 30 years at the Illinois Department of Transportation. Throughout his tenure at IDOT, Jeff has served in a number of roles and has remained a valuable asset for the citizens of Illinois due to his dedication, hard work, and attention to detail. Most recently, as Bureau Chief for Federal Affairs, Jeff has been an excellent liaison between IDOT and the Illinois Congressional Delegation, helping our offices better serve our State's transportation infrastructure needs when federal policy is developed out here in Washington, D.C. I have had the privilege of working with Jeff as both a member of Congress and also while serving as an aide to Congressman John Shimkus, and Jeff has never been anything but an invaluable resource on transportation infrastructure legislation and projects. Jeff has staunchly advocated for federal initiatives that improve Illinois' infrastructure, and has helped maximize the federal resources our state has received. It is my honor to congratulate Jeff on his retirement and thank him for his friendship and service to the State of Illinois.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida for yielding. I know he is probably worried about what I might say in this final speech here on the floor tonight, but I have got to tell you about a friend that I met just shortly after going to a meeting across the street where I had the honor of becoming a mentor to a candidate who wanted to run for Congress. His name was Carlos Curbelo, and I knew we were going to get along well when I called him the first time on the phone and he said: ``Why are you my mentor?'' I said: ``Because you have Key West in the district you are winning in. I would like to come visit you.'' He took my first joke well, and we hit it off and became very close friends. And imagine my glee when, on election night, in 2014, my mentee became a newly elected Member of Congress. And to see him walk into this institution, to see him immediately become, not just a friend to me and to many others, but a legislator and one of the best legislators I have ever had the opportunity to serve with. It is bittersweet for me to stand here tonight and wish him the best in his next endeavors. I know he will have plenty of opportunities to spend a great deal of time with his wife Ceci and their two lovely young daughters in one of the most beautiful places in the world, in Miami-Dade. But I have got a feeling this isn't going to be the last for my friend, Mr. Curbelo. And this speech may be the last one he delivers as a Member of this institution, but whether it is he comes back here or whatever his next step is, he knows that it is not only me who is going to be standing there right behind him, but so many of his colleagues and friends that he has met along the way and has meant so much to. I thank him for being a great friend. I thank him for being a member of the wolf pack, and I will always know him as my good friend, Chuck Curbelo.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham).

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Conaway and my fellow conferees on reaching a conference agreement that benefits all of agriculture. This bill maintains programs critical for central Illinois farmers, strengthens agricultural research, and improves protection for organic products. First and foremost, this bill ensures crop insurance remains a vital risk management tool for farmers. It also ensures farmers have a choice between two different commodity protection programs, something I fought for in the 2014 farm bill, and I am glad we were successful again in this farm bill. Consumer demand for organic products continues to increase, and this bill makes positive changes to support organic products by placing higher scrutiny on organic imports, helping farmers who seek organic certification, and increasing funding for organic research. The bill also strengthens agricultural research by including my bill to ensure USDA's research focuses on agriculture's most-needed priorities and helps universities like the University of Illinois, Illinois State University, and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, in my district, continue important research. Additionally, ensuring rural communities have access to broadband is an important part of this bill. Not only do we invest in expanding broadband, we ensure rural communities have access to broadband that will now meet minimum standards and requirements for today's technological age. We have written a strong bill for our farmers but, Mr. Speaker, 80 percent of this farm bill is related to SNAP, and that cannot be ignored. We missed a golden opportunity to fill in the cracks of our existing workforce development programs to get millions of families the opportunity to get educational benefits to get them out of poverty with the jobs that we know are available in this community. I am disappointed we weren't successful, but I look forward to supporting this bill.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the grounds that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Monticello High School Sages and Coach Cully Welter on winning the State football championship last week. The Sages capped off an undefeated season with their 24-20 victory over Byron High School in the Class 3A championship game. This season's championship was the first in Monticello's history, and also the first time its football team has played in a championship game. Monticello's 2018 season was a record-breaking season, and it will be remembered for years to come. Before the championship game, none of Monticello's opponents had finished within three touchdowns of the Sages. I want to send a special message to the Sages' defense. As someone who watched this game comfortably from my home, I clearly saw that the Byron running back fumbled the ball at the goal line, and it was a very bad call. But you recovered, and you won the championship. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to follow the Sages' championship season, and I congratulate the team and the entire Monticello community on this well-deserved title.