Rodney Davis

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon), who is a fighter for her whole territory.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, speaking of women leaders in this institution, it is bittersweet because she is not coming back after this year, but I stand here and yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), who is my good friend and my classmate from the 2012 and 2013 cycle.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the important and irreplaceable work done by our court reporters and the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) during national court reporting and captioning week from February 8-15. As guardians of the record, Court reporters have a large impact on capturing history for posterity. During our nearly 250 years of American history, court reporters have been the cornerstone of our American justice system. From George Washington's Farewell Address to Lincoln's divided house speech, these noble servants have transcribed some of the most important pieces of American history. Today, the NCRA provides a free course to introduce Realtime writing to all Americans. This course allows high schoolers, career changers, college redirects, and military veterans to see if a profession in Realtime writing is a good fit for them. I'm proud to be the co-lead of H.R. 5285, the Training for Realtime Writers Act, which will help continue providing grants for training court reporters and closed captioners while also encouraging individuals with disabilities to pursue a career in Realtime writing. I want to thank Realtime writers everywhere and the NCRA for all the hard work they do.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Frank and Cinda Edwards from Springfield, Illinois, who tragically died in a plane crash last week. Frank and Cinda were my good friends. I met Frank when he was the fire chief in Springfield, Illinois. Frank was a proud Illinois National Guardsman, a former alderman, and a former mayor. Everyone who knew Frank knew that he was not afraid to speak his mind, and we will miss that. Cinda worked as a nurse for 27 years before becoming the Sangamon County Coroner. She truly loved her job as coroner and took pride in making the office the best it could be. I was blessed to see Cinda days before the tragic crash. I can't believe they are gone. I still owe Frank a cheeseburger from Bill's Toasty for a wager he won with me last year. It will be a reminder when I eat that cheeseburger that life is too short. My thoughts and prayers are truly with their son, Alex, during this impossibly difficult time. Springfield won't be the same without you, Frank and Cinda. God bless.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member, who has fought hard on this legislation that I want to talk to you about today. It is very interesting to stand here and listen to my colleagues and me talk about refereeing and talking about regulations. Sometimes, refereeing doesn't get it right when it comes to sporting events, and it is disappointing today because I stand here as somebody who has worked with, supported, and been supported by many members of organized labor, my friends in the building trades and my friends the airline pilots and the air traffic controllers. I would use the rest of my time if I talked about all the men and women in organized labor whom we have worked with to try to come up with bipartisan solutions. Despite my strong record of supporting Davis-Bacon, PLAs, and ensuring workers have the means to unionize, I have to oppose this bill. The Democrat majority has brought to the floor another bill that has no chance of becoming law. It is a messaging bill, and it has a couple of provisions that I really have to highlight. Last year, the Democrat majority proposed in H.R. 1 that every single member of the Democratic majority who voted for that had public financing of their own congressional campaigns with corporate fines. The corporate fine provision in this bill could create a circumstance where a business commits an unfair labor practice and the civil penalties get directed to Members of Congress' campaigns, not to victims. This is irresponsible. The joint employer standard that is codified in this law is wrong. Mr. Chairman, reconsider this legislation. Let's work together to actually come up with solutions.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend, Mr. Meadows. We have been working on issues like this relating to the long-term solvency of our Postal Service for many years, and I look forward to standing on this floor with him in the near future when we come up with a good, comprehensive solution that addresses issues like this. I thank him for his leadership and his support of the Postal Service and the great postal workers who make up one of the greatest services that we have in our country. Unfortunately, the Postal Service today is forced to play by a different set of rules, and those are unfair. This bill corrects this by repealing the 2006 mandate that the Postal Service prefund future retiree health benefits. In 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act mandated that the Postal Service prefund retiree health benefits decades in advance, something no other public or private enterprise is forced to do. Over the years, this mandate has caused severe cuts and damaged the Postal Service's ability to invest in even new delivery vehicles. I have always been a steadfast supporter of the Postal Service and its workers. In fact, after speaking to many of the postal unions in my district, like the Letter Carriers and the Rural Letter Carriers', I proudly cosponsored this piece of legislation. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this issue and other important pieces of legislature that impact our postal unions, such as opposing the privatization of the Postal Service and protecting the 6- day delivery, door-to-door service, and our rural post offices. Mr. Speaker, we have to work together. We need to make sure that our Postal Service remains viable. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I look forward to working with everyone in this institution in the future.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Earl and Doris Sorrells, a remarkable couple who dedicated their lives to bettering their community. Earl passed away on January 2 and was preceded in death by his wife, Doris, last year, leaving a hole in the hearts of many. Since then, their beloved town of Raymond, Illinois, has shown a little less bright. Almost everyone in town knew Earl. He ran a radio show that aired at 5:30 every morning, dedicated to the latest in Illinois agriculture. Off the air, Earl and Doris and their entire family worked hard running their small business in Raymond. I knew Earl and Doris for over 25 years. They were some of the most generous people I have ever met, giving back in every way to their community, not only with their financial contributions, but with their time and talents as well. There is nothing that made them happier than their hometown of Raymond, Illinois--except, maybe, the St. Louis Cardinals. Earl and Doris were very well loved by me and by everyone in central Illinois. They are missed immensely.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend Brian Kelly, who passed away on Tuesday, January 21, at 1:21 a.m., after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer. I first met Brian when we were congressional staffers together in central Illinois. He was infectious to be around with his positive attitude and his perpetual optimism to always help others. We bonded over our mutual friends and experiences in his hometown of Vandalia, Illinois. Brian was the epitome of what a public servant should strive to be, putting everyone else above himself, even during his fight against this deadly disease. After diagnosis, when I would see him, the smile and accompanying laughs made us sometimes forget the pain that he and his wife, Megan, were experiencing when none of us were around. Madam Speaker, my friend Brian has no more need to fight, but knowing that does not make it any easier on his loved ones who lost him too soon. My heartfelt prayers go out to his lovely wife, Megan, and the entire Kelly family and all those who were lucky, like me, to know such a kind soul.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

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

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez- Colon), my good friend.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bipartisan amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I thank my good friend Mr. DeSaulnier from California for yielding. I also thank my good friend Ms. Foxx, the ranking member of the Education and Labor Committee and also Chairman Scott for your work on this. I rise in support of Mr. DeSaulnier's amendment of which I am a cosponsor. This amendment will require the GAO to report on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's ability to meet the demands of its workload in terms of the number of cases they receive. If this important bill is enacted, the EEOC will inevitably be required to review an increasing number of mixed-motive age discrimination claims, which are worthy of review. This amendment is important because to adequately address workplace discrimination that relates to age or any other factor, we must have the resources to address and correct the problem. Mr. Chairman, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

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

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of my bipartisan amendment to H.R. 1230, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. I would like to thank my friends on both sides of the aisle for their cosponsorship of my amendment, including Representatives Chellie Pingree, Elise Stefanik, Haley Stevens, Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon, Marcy Kaptur, Abigail Spanberger, Betty McCollum, Mark DeSaulnier, David Trone, Chris Smith, Pete Stauber, Will Hurd, and my colleague from the great State of Illinois, Mike Bost. I also thank Chairman Scott for his support for this amendment. I was proud to cosponsor this bill, which provides an important fix caused by the 2009 Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. Supreme Court decision. This bill will ensure that older workers can seek the justice they deserve when they face age discrimination in the workplace on a level playing field. My amendment highlights the discrimination that women face in the workplace based not only on gender but on age, as well. According to a 2018 report from the EEOC, women, especially older women, but also those at middle age, were subjected to more age discrimination than most older men. In fact, some research suggests that ageism at work begins at age 40 for women, 5 years earlier than men. This is unacceptable, and we must find ways to correct the problem. This amendment would require the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to conduct a comprehensive study on these age discrimination cases. DOL and the EEOC would then be required to make recommendations for best practices to combat age discrimination of women in the workplace. The challenges that women face are not partisan issues, and together we can and should, Mr. Chairman, make every effort to address them. Employers should make, and have the right tools to make, conscious efforts to ensure that women have equal rights and opportunities in the workplace regardless of their age. I encourage my colleagues to support my amendment to protect older adults from age discrimination. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Zena Cardman, a recent graduate of NASA's Astronaut Candidate Class XXII, and a native of Urbana, Illinois. Zena was selected in 2017 from a pool of more than 18,000 applicants as some of the brightest and most skilled minds in the country. The past 2 years of training and her graduation from candidate school earned her the title of astronaut, and she is now eligible for spaceflight. As a new grad, Zena will support NASA's current missions, such as the work aboard the International Space Station, the Commercial Crew Program, and the Artemis Program, which has set a goal of sending humans back to the Moon by 2024. I am proud to recognize Zena today as one of the best minds in space exploration. I know she will be an invaluable asset to NASA. I extend a well-deserved congratulations to Zena and congratulate her on her graduation. I thank her for all she has done. Remembering Frank Mitchell

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Frank Mitchell, a native of Springfield, Illinois, and the first African American House of Representatives page since Reconstruction. As a student at Feitshans High School, Frank was asked to interview for a position as a page for then-Congressman Paul Findley. When the school principal, my good friend, Irv Smith, called to say they had selected Frank, according to articles just recently, Frank said he went out and he bought some suits, got a haircut, and headed for Washington. After his year-long stint as a House page, Frank graduated from Feitshans in 1967 and went on to work as a newspaper and TV reporter before accepting positions with the Illinois Attorney General's Office and eventually Cook County's Stroger Hospital. He is well-known across the State for his work with the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative. Congressman Paul Findley's son, Craig, who now chairs the Illinois Prison Review Board, said Frank's appointment to the House as a page was one of his father's proudest accomplishments. Frank brought credit to the page system, Craig said, and I admired him for his service and his friendship for decades. Almost everyone that knew Frank felt that way. They admired him for his service and his friendship. Frank was a well-loved part of the Springfield community for years. I had the opportunity to meet many of his family members and also those who helped Frank, and who Frank helped through his career in public service when I went to his services in Springfield just a few weeks ago. For so many, Frank was a role model, he was a mentor, and he is part of the history in this institution that so many of us have had the opportunity to serve in this great Nation in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives is a better place because of Frank Mitchell and Washington, D.C., is a better place because of Frank Mitchell. Everybody that knew Frank Mitchell knows that their life has been blessed. Mr. Speaker, I thank Frank for his service, and he will be missed.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, I rise today to recognize the officers of the United States Capitol Police force for their heroic actions to save lives as part of their highly trained and committed service to this congressional community throughout 2019. When they heard the radio call about an unresponsive individual in a car, two officers responded and ultimately saved the life of a man who had suffered a heart attack. Officers administered tactical combat casualty care to the victim of a shooting and helped get that person to a hospital. Three officers saved the life of a man who, shockingly, had a heart attack during his visit to this Capitol Building. These are only a few occasions in an impressive list of heroic actions. We owe our gratitude to all of the officers of the United States Capitol Police force for the hard work they do here. I thank all of the police force for going the extra mile; not only protecting and defending us here in the congressional community, but for all they do in all of our communities.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the Democratic leadership to answer the question from my constituents as to why the Articles of Impeachment were not yet transmitted to the Senate. It was urgent enough to have the first-ever partisan articles pass this institution almost 3 weeks ago but not urgent enough to follow our Constitution by walking them from this House, out that door, through Statuary Hall, under the Capitol dome, and to the Senate floor. It will take only a matter of minutes to get them there, and it will codify the first-ever partisan impeachment process in our Nation's history. History will not judge this process and this impeachment favorably. If you don't like who gets elected, work to elect someone else. Instead, Democrats will ask themselves years from now, ``Why did we allow partisanship and hatred of this President to change history and precedent?'' when this institution is paralyzed by future partisan impeachments of duly elected Presidents of both parties.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 673.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Brad Dalton and the St. Teresa volleyball team on their first IHSA volleyball championship. Last month, the Bulldogs played the Breese Mater Dei Knights for the Class 2A title and won the championship in two sets. Although it was St. Teresa's fourth time competing in the State tournament, this was their best finish ever. The Bulldogs earned the school's first ever State championship title in volleyball--and first in Macon County history. Offensively, the Bulldogs pulled off 21 kills and 3 aces in the first set, with an equally intimidating defense that racked up 32 digs, total. In the second set, the teams tied 11 times, but an ace by senior Abby Robinson followed by a remarkable dig finished the match 26-24. Coach Dalton said: ``We fought and we fought. This is a big win for everybody in our program.'' A historic win to cap off a whirlwind of a season. Congratulations to Coach Dalton and the entire Bulldog team.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4 is the fourth partisan attempt by this majority to federalize our elections. One thing all four of these partisan bills have in common is they all have good titles. In October, the majority jammed through H.R. 4617, the SHIELD Act, an attempt to federally hijack campaign finance law in this country. In June, the majority jammed through H.R. 2722, the SAFE Act, an attempt to federally hijack election infrastructure in this country. And in February, the majority jammed through H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a piece of legislation that, as introduced, would fund all of our campaigns with tax dollars from hardworking Americans. Catchy titles can't hide the facts, and the facts are that these four bills are bad partisan policy that would negatively affect the American people. When the Democrats proposed public financing of campaigns in H.R. 1, I could hardly believe it. The 6-to-1 small-dollar campaign match program would create a mandatory donation from the American taxpayer to a political candidate. For every $200 donated by hardworking Americans to any political campaign of all of us in this institution, the Federal Government, on the backs of the taxpayers, would give $1,200 to that same politician's campaign. This program would do nothing but fill the swamp, and any Member who voted for it was voting to fill their own pockets and the pockets of political operatives nationwide. At Rules Committee, though, this was changed. The shell game now includes a fund which is supposedly financed through fines and settlements. But we have now seen the CBO score, and this fund does not support itself. So what happens when it fails? I will tell you. It will ultimately fall to the taxpayers in this country to support this Democratic policy. But fines and settlements take us back to the legislation we hope to recommit to the committee today. There are Members who would have you believe that there are currently no existing laws protecting the right for every American to vote or that the Voting Rights Act is no longer in place. However, the Voting Rights Act is in effect today and protecting every American's right to vote, and it includes many important provisions: Title I of the Voting Rights Act, 52 United States Code 10501(a) says: No citizen shall be denied, because of his failure to comply with any test or device, the right to vote in any election. That is still in effect today, without H.R. 4, and it comes with a $5,000 fine if you don't follow that. Section 307(a): No person shall prevent another who is entitled to vote, from voting. Still in effect, $5,000 fine. Section 308(b): No person shall destroy, deface, or alter official voting ballots. Still in effect, $5,000 fine. 307(c): No person shall provide false information in registering to vote, or in voting. Still in effect, $10,000 fine. 307(e): No person shall vote more than once. Still in effect, $10,000 fine. 307(d): No person shall falsify or conceal material facts. Still in effect, $10,000 fine. 307(b): No person shall intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for voting or attempting to vote. Still in effect. Do not let anyone tell you the Voting Rights Act is not alive and well in this country. What we have debated today is not a reauthorization of this important, historically bipartisan legislation that has prevented discrimination at the ballot box, because it does not need reauthorization. Sections 2 and 3 of the VRA that are currently in effect are continuing to help safeguard the public from discrimination at the ballot box. Every eligible American who wants to vote in our country's elections should be able to cast their vote. This bill is only about preclearance and the Democrat majority giving the Department of Justice and the Federal Government control over all election activity. Jurisdictions under preclearance cannot move a polling location, expand vote-by-mail efforts, nor properly maintain their voting rolls without a partisan Department of Justice clearing everything they do. This is about control and taking power away from State and local election officials who they don't like and putting it in the hands of the Federal Government. This bill does not reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. What does it do? It opens the doors for fines and settlements in this country, including under this act, to be hijacked once again by my colleagues for their own political campaigns if they get their way. My motion to recommit is simple: Make it clear to your constituents that fines and settlements under the VRA will not be going to your own campaign coffers. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. I am in its current form.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Collins, for yielding today. Today, I rise in opposition of H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019. I fully support the bipartisan Voting Rights Act, which is still in place today. However, the bill we are debating today, H.R. 4, is not a reauthorization of the important, historically bipartisan Voting Rights Act that has helped to prevent discrimination at the ballot box since 1965. It has only been since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder that Democrats have decided to politicize the Voting Rights Act. This landmark decision left the vast majority of the Voting Rights Act in place today. The only thing that was struck down from the VRA was the formula that was using 40-year-old data to determine which States were placed under the control of the Department of Justice, this process known as preclearance. The Supreme Court deemed this data and formula was no longer accurate nor relevant for our country's current climate. Chief Justice Roberts said: ``The Voting Rights Act of 1965 employed extraordinary measures to address an extraordinary problem.'' He went on to say that: ``Regardless of how to look at the record, no one can fairly say that it shows anything approaching the `pervasive,' `flagrant,' `widespread,' and `rampant' discrimination that faced'' this ``Congress,'' this institution, ``in 1965, and that clearly distinguished the covered jurisdictions from the rest of the Nation.'' So what does H.R. 4 do? It doubles down on federalizing elections and would attempt to put every State and jurisdiction in this country under preclearance. The majority has been unable to determine the number of States or jurisdictions that would be covered by this preclearance if H.R. 4 were to become law. Apparently, we have to pass this bill before the American people would know if they would or would not be subjected to it. The majority knows H.R. 4 is bad policy that will cripple thousands of local election officials across the country if it were ever to become law. Let me be clear: H.R. 4 is not a Voting Rights Act reauthorization bill. H.R. 4 is about two things: placing the unnecessary preclearance requirements on to States, and the Democrats giving the Department of Justice control over all election activity. My committee, the Committee on House Administration, has jurisdiction over Federal election policy, but it does not have jurisdiction over the Voting Rights Act. That goes to the Judiciary Committee. Despite that lack of jurisdiction, our Subcommittee on Elections held seven field hearings and one listening session across this great country on the Voting Rights Act, encompassing eight different States and over 13,000 miles of air travel. Even with this gargantuan effort to gather evidence to reinstate the struck-down formula from the VRA that we are discussing today, the Democrats were still unable to produce a single voter who wanted to vote and was unable to cast a ballot. This isn't a bad thing. It is a fantastic thing. It ought to be celebrated. We should be celebrating that Americans who wanted to vote were able to do that, and credit should be given to the Voting Rights Act for helping to achieve that. The 2018 midterm election produced the highest voting turnout in four decades--and that is according to data from our Census Bureau-- especially among minority voters. The sections of the Voting Rights Act that are currently in effect are continuing to help safeguard the public from discrimination at the ballot box. Every eligible American who wants to vote in this country's elections should be able to cast a ballot. That is why we have the Voting Rights Act, a great example, until today, of a bipartisan solution that is still working today to help Americans and protect from voter discrimination. I have now seen four election-related bills from the majority come to this floor, and all of them have the same common theme: catchy titles and federalizing elections, a responsibility the Constitution gives to our States. H.R. 4 is simply more of the same. It is a solution in search of a problem. That is why I cannot support this legislation. I ask my colleagues to join me in making sure States maintain control of their elections.