Rodney Davis

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I have got 11 people on this letter wondering why they haven't appointed a single person to the Science Advisory Board Committee that is supposed to deal with agricultural issues that was written in the farm bill that passed in 2014. I hate to do this amendment, but it is the only way we can send a message to the EPA and to the specific office that Congress means business in actually implementing our oversight responsibilities that the Constitution gives us that our Forefathers gave us. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 353, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Calhoun High School Lady Warriors on winning back- to-back Illinois class 1A State softball championships. The team, which finished the season with a 40-2 record, defeated Princeville by a score of 3-0 on June 4 to secure its second consecutive championship. In addition to their State title, the Lady Warriors set team and individual softball records for the entire State of Illinois. They were the first softball team since 2010 to win a State championship after earning 40 wins, and the first class 1A team to do so. During the team's championship run, junior pitcher Grace Baalman broke two Illinois High School Association softball records. She now holds the record for the most strikeouts in a game, with 39 strikeouts in the 17-inning semifinal game and most strikeouts in a season, with 589. The Lady Warriors are setting a standard for athletic excellence in Calhoun County. In addition to the consecutive State softball titles, Calhoun High School's girls basketball team also won a class 1A State championship this spring. Congratulations to this group of student athletes on another championship season, and I hope to have the opportunity to congratulate them on a softball championship three-peat next year.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Karen J. Lee, a Community Programs Specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Karen retired on June 30, 2016, after 33 years and 11 months of federal service. Karen started her federal career working for the Department of Defense from 1980 to 1992. In May of 1992, she began working as a Temporary Clerk Typist within the Rural Housing agency of USDA Rural Development. Later that year, she was converted to a permanent member of the Community and Business Programs staff. In December of 1993, she was promoted to State Loan Technician and in January 2002, further promoted to Community and Business Programs Specialist. During 2005, she was assigned to her current position as Community Programs Specialist. Throughout her career, Karen assisted Illinois in processing loans and grants to rural communities and nonprofit organizations to improve and construct infrastructure projects. The projects she assisted on ranged from water and wastewater systems, public safety, and health and community services. She received numerous awards for outreach, marketing, and processing, and served on various national task forces which ultimately benefited residents in rural Illinois. I am proud to honor Karen for her work on behalf of the people of Illinois, and I wish her the best in her retirement.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ivan Maras, a veteran, retired teacher, and Congressional Gold Medal recipient. When he was drafted by the Army during the Korean War, Ivan was permitted to finish his college degree before enlistment. In 1953, he left his hometown of Bulpitt and was shipped to South Korea, where he was assigned to serve in the 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers. Earlier this year, the entire regiment was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal for their valiant service and devotion to duty. When Ivan joined the 65th, it was a unit of predominantly Puerto Rican soldiers that had been recently integrated. He soon found himself in the heat of the action on the front lines at Inchon, where he described the explosions to be ``like the Fourth of July every night.'' Ivan learned that some men in the regiment were unable to read and write, so he and others set up tents to start teaching. He then spent the remainder of his enlistment using his college degree to teach at a makeshift school established by the military in Korea. After the war, Ivan returned to central Illinois where he worked as a teacher in Kincaid for nearly fifty years. I am proud to represent soldiers like Ivan who go above and beyond the call of duty every day. I am honored to serve the brave men and women who sacrificed so much for our country. Congratulations on this prestigious honor, Ivan.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Mr. LaHood, Chairman Smith, and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson. This is a piece of legislation that may not get a lot of publicity, but it is essential to our research capabilities and supercomputing capabilities for our future right here in this country. The United States of America needs to continue to lead in this arena. Who would have thought that while they were writing the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, it would have to be amended because of innovation that we have seen at many of our universities throughout this great country. I am obviously in support of H.R. 5312 because it is going to streamline Federal investment in high-end computing, benefiting local entities in Illinois that use advanced technologies, such as the University of Illinois in my district, Caterpillar, and Western Illinois University that is served so well by Congressman LaHood. This legislation ensures that the University of Illinois, the home to nationally recognized scientists and the Blue Waters Supercomputer, can continue to be the leader that they are in the fields of networking and computing. The National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is funded by many Federal agencies and has an impressive history of providing integrated cyber infrastructure to scientists, engineers, and scholars across the country. Addressing complex problems in today's science and society requires expertise and engagement from multiple disciplines. NCSA is committed to continuing to serve as a central hub for transdisciplinary teams to unite in making technological advancements. These important research programs are critical for coordinating Federal research and fostering revolutionary breakthroughs in computing, networking, software, and cybersecurity. By streamlining the NITRD Program, we can ensure U.S. competitiveness in advanced technologies while improving collaboration between Federal agencies, national laboratories, private industry, and academia. Mr. Speaker, this bill is an effective use of taxpayer dollars.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize someone who has a lot of heart, who carries herself with class and humility, and who pushes her players to be better on and off the court. Coach Lori Blade's incredible success has produced 624 wins, dozens of conference titles, and two State championships. On April 30, Coach Blade was enshrined into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Her 22 seasons of accomplishments have vaulted both Edwardsville and Carrollton High Schools' programs to statewide dominance. Beyond the victories, Coach Blade has made a profound impact on countless lives, teaching players to take pride not just in the game, but in everything they do. Pushing her players never to be satisfied or content, Coach Blade has had a phenomenal career on the court and on the softball diamond, being the only coach in IHSA history to have over 600 wins in two sports. Congratulations, Coach Blade, on all of your accomplishments. Thank you for your commitment to our students, and I wish you all the best in your future seasons, unless you play my hometown Taylorville Tornadoes.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I really would like to thank Chairman Graves for his leadership on this issue. I think the debate this evening shows us what part of the problem is when we try and follow our Forefathers' constitutional appropriations process to spend money wisely that the taxpayers send to Washington, D.C., to spend it wisely on their behalf. It is tertiary issues that bog down the debate, instead of talking about doing what is right for the upwards of 5 million families that tour our Capitol Grounds each and every year. It becomes a political debate, rather than a debate on how to effectively use taxpayer dollars to ensure that one of the most popular destinations for families, hardworking families, to spend their money to vacation right here in the Capitol, to make sure we spend that wisely so that they have better facilities. That is exactly what this bill does, Mr. Chairman. I want to, again, thank all of those who served on this subcommittee from both sides of the aisle, because we have to get back to the vision that our Forefathers have put forth on how we should spend money in this House, and how we regain the power of the purse. As I said, upwards of 5 million families from across the Nation come see their government at work each year. I am pleased this bill contains report language that will make it easier for families with infants and small children to visit the Capitol, House and Senate office buildings by implementing additional changing stations and other family-friendly improvements throughout this Capitol Hill complex. Mr. Chairman, I say this as the father of twin boys. Trust me, changing stations when they were younger were very, very important. We should make it as easy as possible for families with young children to visit and explore Capitol Hill and our complexes. Minor improvements and changes along these lines can make a huge difference in improving the experience for visitors. I look forward to working with the Architect of the Capitol in my capacity as a member of the Committee on House Administration to complete these important changes. I will continue to look for ways to work in a bipartisan manner to make our Capitol family-friendly. Mr. Chairman, I urge passage of this bill.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a wonderful neighbor and friend, Jim O'Brien, who passed away over the weekend after a brave battle with cancer. For many years, Jim and his wife Barb lived in Taylorville, always bringing smiles to the faces in town. My daughter, Toryn, loved the pink house he and Barb lived in with their Yorkie, Maggie. What I will remember most about Jim is his kindness and generosity. Driven by faith, family, and community, Jim spent nearly all of his time serving others. He was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Taylorville, coached Little League, delivered Meals on Wheels, and served as an after-school mentor for children. When Taylorville opened its SHADOW home, a residential faith-based program for women and children, Jim dedicated much of his time making the home a comfortable place for those in need. In his free time, Jim served as the president of the park district board and frequently attended high school basketball and football games, cheering on the Tornadoes whenever he could. There is no doubt that Jim made Taylorville a wonderful place to call home. His love for the community and his service to others will always be remembered. He will be greatly missed by me, my family, and by all those who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Barb, and their family.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, America's navigation infrastructure is crumbling. Most of the locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System were built in the 1920s and 1930s, and have far outlived their life expectancy. Unfortunately, we have not kept up with the maintenance and upgrades necessary to ensure that they can transport 21st century cargo that fuels and feeds the world. Sixty percent of the grain exported from the United States goes through these locks and dams before hitting the global marketplace. But delays at navigation locks continue to get worse, lasting as long as 12 hours at a given time. And while a 2003 study by the Illinois Farm Bureau estimated these delays to cost midwestern farmers $500 an hour, one can only assume how much more these delays cost today. In the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Congress authorized the construction of seven new 1,200-foot locks along the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois Waterway System. This bill also authorized the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program, or NESP, an important dual-purposed program that allows the Corps of Engineers to address both navigation and ecosystem restoration in an integrated approach. It is supported widely by industry as well as conservation groups. In addition, the Governors of five States, from both political parties-- Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri--and more than 50 bipartisan Members of the House and Senate have expressed support advancing NESP. Unfortunately, the administration has taken few steps to implement NESP, and, once again, did not request any funding to continue pre- construction engineering and design activities for authorized lock projects on the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System. If these pre-construction efforts are delayed further, we risk further delays of these projects actually getting off the ground and moving forward at such time as the moneys for them are available. With this amendment, we tell the Corps that enough is enough. It is time to stop delaying the necessary work. We must ensure these construction projects are ready to go on day one. I also want to thank my colleague, Darin LaHood, who was going to come speak on this amendment, but I don't see him here. It started a little sooner, Mr. Chairman, than what we envisioned. But Mr. LaHood, I know, would like to reiterate some of the comments I made. And he represents two of these locks that are included in this study. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

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

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I am going to try and stall until my colleague gets here. I do want to say this amendment, this project, has wide bipartisan support. This is an opportunity for us to look at the global marketplace and the products that go up and down the Mississippi River and the Illinois Waterway System. This is how we feed the world. We have some of the most fertile and expensive farmland in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and so many of these products that use these systems are the ones that are exporting into the global marketplace and also to Third World countries to feed those who need food the most. As a matter of fact, just a few weeks ago, my colleague, Mr. LaHood, and I toured some outdated facilities.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Reclaiming my time, I would like to thank the gentlewoman, too. This is an opportunity to address both of those issues. Obviously, representing part of the Mississippi River, like I do, we have seen the Asian carp problem firsthand. As a matter of fact, a plant opened in my district not too long ago to process Asian carp to be able to get fish oil and fishmeal that is used for pet food and other commodities. Unfortunately, they didn't anticipate the smell. So you can't really build a fish processing plant around homes. And I think they figured that out. But we need ingenuous ideas and opportunities like that to be able to address that Asian carp problem, because it is an invasive species and we need to do everything we can in a bipartisan way to work together to put a stop to it entering the Great Lakes or any other waterway.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Reclaiming my time, I wouldn't say all the natural fish, but I know that the Asian carp infestation has grown substantially more than what was envisioned when they were brought in. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, Chairman Gibbs, for his effort in putting this commonsense legislation forward. Madam Speaker, we all come here to this House floor, and we work together in a bipartisan way to address many important issues that affect Americans. We have worked closely together with many of our colleagues on the other side of the floor today to help our veterans, to help rebuild our roads and our infrastructure, and I do believe we can work together to stop the spread of the Zika virus. This is a commonsense piece of legislation that isn't asking to get rid of EPA rules and regulations. It is asking to simply suspend them during this crisis period. I want to tell you why. My colleague, Mr. Gibbs, mentioned earlier that this is the result of a court case that, in 2006, actually created a duplicative and costly regulatory process that many of our small communities and small businesses are still trying to fight when they are dealing with spraying for mosquitoes. Now, mosquito abatement has changed a lot since I was younger. I can remember my parents and my friends' parents sending us out to ride our bikes behind the fogger. We wouldn't do that anymore now, would we, Madam Speaker? Because we now see more rules and regulations. FIFRA, the policies that have been enacted by the EPA have shown that maybe that is not the smart thing to do. We have processes in place. The very same agency that tells us what is safe and what is not when looking at spraying for mosquitoes that may or may not carry diseases like West Nile and Zika, how to safely use them, but the same agency has put together a process for Illinois, a 35-page document showing us how to get a permit to spray for mosquitoes if you are a small business, if you are a small community, and these 35 pages, these regulatory requirements, we are asking to suspend so we can deal with the Zika virus that we now know is mosquito borne. This 35-page permit had 6 entire pages dedicated to definitions and acronyms. Section 7, the recordkeeping portion alone includes three separate levels of recordkeeping, depending on the size of the annual treatment area, and it does it in there as some permittees are also subject to annual reporting requirements as well. Madam Speaker, the farmers in my district are spending too much time to try to abate this disease on their own to help so many in our communities, and I am afraid they may say: Enough. Let's figure out how someone else is going to do it. That doesn't help us solve the problem of eradicating the Zika virus. That is the reason why this bill that will suspend this process is so necessary right now. I would urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to take a look at this commonsense approach and do what Mr. Gibbs is doing. Let's work together. Let's ensure that we can stop a permit process like this to deal with something so important to so many families. Unfortunately, the longer we talk in this institution, Madam Speaker, the less is done to stop the spread of the Zika virus in this country, in our States, and in our districts. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Gibbs for this commonsense piece of legislation.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Lisa Nieves on earning the 2016 Illinois Mother of the Year award. Over eighty years ago, a group of powerful moms, including Eleanor Roosevelt and Mamie Eisenhower, started American Mothers to champion the importance of motherhood and recognize mothers for their leadership at home, at work, and in the world. Each year, American Mothers honors one outstanding mother in each state. This year, Lisa was chosen as the Illinois Mother of the Year. I am proud to represent Lisa and the many hard-working moms in my district. As a mother of five, Lisa spends the majority of her time shuttling her children to and from dance lessons, music lessons, and tumbling classes. While she has very little time to spare, she selflessly uses her free time to help empower young women by putting on local pageants to teach girls the importance of self-confidence. I am thankful for the many important contributions and sacrifices mothers like Lisa make every day. She is more than deserving of the Mother of the Year award and I wish her and her family many happy years to come.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today, during National Police Week, I rise to recognize the brave men and women who serve in law enforcement. Since 1962, this week has been reserved to commemorate the law enforcement officers who serve and protect our communities and honor those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Every day, our cities and towns are kept safe by these individuals who put the safety of others before their own. I want to take this time to recognize a few of the 13th District's finest: Officer Michael Bauer in Collinsville, Illinois, just recently pulled a man out of a burning building before firefighters were able to arrive. Officers Jonathan McCauley and Aaron Rowe in Normal, Illinois saved the life of a young man after a tragic swimming accident. Disregarding their own safety, these officers took swift action to save the life of a stranger. And Chief Deputy Bruce Engeling in my hometown of Taylorville was awarded Officer of the Year for his outstanding service and his commitment to the Christian County Sheriff's Department. While these are just a few examples of the outstanding officers in my district, police officers and their families throughout our nation make sacrifices on a daily basis. I am incredibly thankful to all of the men and women in blue who dedicate their lives to protecting others. I know our communities are in good hands thanks to the work they do each and every day.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sally Clark, who was part of the class of 1963 at East High School in Des Moines, Iowa. I never knew her as Sally Clark because I knew her as Sally Davis, my mother. I am very appreciative that the class of 1963 allowed my mom to be part of a reunion in July of 1993 because my mom never graduated with that class. Sally Clark dropped out of high school in 1962 and eventually finished her degree much later by getting her general equivalency diploma with the help of my sister, who was the reason she dropped out of high school in 1962. In looking at the program from that reunion in 1993, the fondest memories my mom had of East High School were the friends she left behind. In 1977, she left not only friends behind, but she left family behind and moved our family to Taylorville, Illinois, where I grew up and where she inspired so many. My mom passed away 17 years ago today. The reason I am here is because of the inspiration she was to me and to so many. I want to tell her what I couldn't tell her on Mother's Day: Your family is doing great. Your granddaughter, who you knew as a 2-year-old, just finished her freshman year of college. The grandsons you never met are doing fine as freshmen in high school. Mom, your whole family is doing well. As a matter of fact, you have a great-granddaughter now that shares your middle name. I am here on the House floor to fight to make sure that we work in a bipartisan way to end the scourge of the cancer that killed you and that has killed so many, young and old. We will never forget this fight and I will never forget that fight because of what you meant to me and to so many. Mom, I love you and I miss you every day. You are the reason that I get this privilege to be a Member of this great institution.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Mr. Guinta, Ms. Kuster, and the previous Special Order leader, Ms. Clark. This is tremendously a great turnout for such an important subject, and for you three to lead it. Especially my good friend, Mr. Guinta, I want to say thank you on behalf of the many families who have been affected by this epidemic in Central Illinois where I am blessed to serve. I think this shows how serious Congress is about addressing the issue of opioids and addiction in our country, and I am happy the House is going to consider important pieces of legislation this week. I want to read a quote from today's Bloomington, Illinois, Pantagraph. It says: ``The profile of a typical heroin user shooting up in an alley or backstage at a rock concert no longer holds true.'' According to the CDC, there were more than 1,700 drug overdose deaths in my home State of Illinois in 2014, and the eighth highest in the Nation. As of March of this year, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that 761 deaths in 2015 were attributed to heroin alone. And while the majority of these occur in the Chicagoland area, our State's rural communities, the communities that I serve, have seen a noticeable rise of heroin-related deaths in recent years. As a matter of fact, just yesterday in Bloomington, Illinois, the towns of Bloomington, Normal, McLean County, I was there. There have been seven deaths last year attributed in that one county to heroin use. I had the opportunity to join McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage and County Coroner Kathy Davis and talk about what they see firsthand. Mr. Speaker, I saw for the first time in my life what heroin looked like in the evidence locker at the McLean County Sheriff's Office just yesterday. I also had the opportunity to ride along with McLean County Sheriff's Deputy Jonathan Albee, a handler in the department's K-9 Unit, and his dog, Keej, who liked to bark at me a lot while I was in that car. We discussed the recent rise in heroin overdoses, as well as the 70 percent increase in arrests for controlled substance possession that the McLean County Sheriff's Office says they have seen in the last year. And during that ride-along, I got to experience a stop where drugs were found, but not heroin. This is the community where my daughter just finished her freshman year in college. I have seen how this epidemic cannot just touch larger communities, many urban communities like Bloomington, Normal, and McLean County, it touches my home county of Christian County, too. Mr. Speaker, just a few years ago our county health department director was arrested for heroin use and heroin possession. If it can happen to our own county health department director, it can happen to anyone, regardless of your socioeconomic status. Mr. Speaker, there are many factors that have made this epidemic widespread, from prescription practices, to the actions of cartels south of the border; and that is why we are addressing this important issue this week in the House of Representatives. I am proud to join with my colleague, Mr. Guinta. I want to thank him and the rest of the colleagues who have come here tonight to support this important issue. I can't wait to vote in a bipartisan way for every single bill we are going to take up this week to address this very important issue.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 173, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated and hardworking member of my office who is graduating and will be a leader in our Nation's Armed Forces. Over the course of two semesters, Matts Wilcoxen made a lasting impression in my district office with his work ethic, good attitude, and commitment to public service. Despite being a full-time student at the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville campus and a member of their ROTC program, he volunteered several days per week to assist constituents and communities throughout my congressional district. Matts has distinguished himself far beyond the walls of my district office. He will graduate from SIUE as a Distinguished Military Graduate signifying that he finished in the top 10 percent of all cadets that are commissioning this year. He additionally served as the battalion commander for the first semester of this academic year and was the deputy battalion commander during the second semester. Next month, Matts will not only graduate, but he will also be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Armor Branch of the U.S. Army. Matts is a motivated leader who will serve our Nation proudly in the Army. I am proud of Matts and his dedication to public service and our country and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.