Rodney Davis

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Thaddeus Hughes on winning the 4-H Youth in Action STEM Award. The 4-H Youth in Action Award honors 4-H'ers who have excelled in one of four areas: agriculture and animal sciences, citizenship, healthy living, and STEM. I'm very proud that, out of six million 4-H youth nationwide, Thaddeus was chosen as the Youth in Action STEM winner for his work to advance education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In the past year, he spent over 300 hours volunteering and mentoring. He currently serves as a mentor for the FIRST Lego League and the Illinois State Robotics Competition. He also created the curriculum for Spinning Robots, a 14-week after school organization focused on engaging students who lack the resources for involvement in the STEM fields. Last year, Thaddeus was selected among twenty individuals to be named one of Illinois' High School Innovators of 2015. Thaddeus is a wonderful example of the many talented students in my district. I look forward to celebrating many more of this bright young man's accomplishments in the future. Congratulations, Thaddeus. I wish you the best of luck as you continue your education studying Mechanical Engineering.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Tori McCoy on being selected as a member of the 2016 McDonald's All American Basketball Team. Since 1978, the McDonald's All American Basketball Games have helped raise more than $11 million for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Tori will join athletes like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O'Neal in this distinguished honor. She was selected from more than 750 nominees to represent some of the best high school basketball talent in the country. Born and raised in Champaign, Tori is a senior who currently plays as a forward for the St. Thomas More Sabers. She first earned the attention of many college recruiters two years ago when she helped the Sabers win a state title as a sophomore. Since then, she has been considered a top prospect for many basketball programs across the country, but will join the Ohio State Buckeyes after graduation. The first Girls Game for the McDonald's All American Basketball Games was held in 2002, and Tori is the first from my district to achieve such an honor. I am very proud of Tori's talent as a student athlete. I congratulate her on the outstanding accomplishment of being a member of the 2016 McDonald's All American Girls Game winning team, played at the United Center on March 30th.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4570, the 100 Years of Women in Congress Act. This legislation would honor a true pioneer of American politics by naming an important agricultural research program as the Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program. This competitive research grants program is designed to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I can think of no better person to identify with this important program than former Representative Rankin, who was the first woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives, an achievement made even more significant by the fact that Ms. Rankin was elected to Congress several years prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it has been 100 years since the first woman was elected to serve in this great institution, and now I am blessed to serve with so many great women on both sides of the aisle. This is a recognition that is long overdue. I urge all of my colleagues, along with those you have already heard today, to support this important piece of legislation to give Ms. Rankin the respect and the honor that she deserves when she walked here 100 years ago. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a brief moment to thank my colleague, Ms. DelBene, for her kind comments and for helping to ensure that this great bill is going to make it through with a very bipartisan majority. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Montana (Mr. Zinke), my colleague who is one of the most courageous Members of Congress, somebody who served our Nation in our U.S. military for many years and deserves our thanks.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4570) to amend the Department of Agriculture program for research and extension grants to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to redesignate the program as the ``Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program''.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 115, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the chairwoman for her willingness to put such a wonderful piece of legislation forward, something that truly should be unanimous in its bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in strong support of H.R. 1670, the National POW/MIA Remembrance Act. This bipartisan bill, as many of those who have spoken before me have said, authorizes the placement of a commemorative chair on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol that is going to be a reminder to all of us of the great sacrifice that our brave men and women in uniform have made to keep our country safe and promote our values around the globe. These commemorative chairs, which carry the POW/MIA insignia and are purchased with privately raised funds, remain perpetually unoccupied as a solemn reminder of the 91,000 brave servicemembers still waiting to be brought home. Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor for me to be able to serve with some in this institution who were POWs and made it home. They need to be commended for their service, like Congressman Sam Johnson from Texas, who spent way too many months--48, I believe, to be exact--as a guest at the Hanoi Hilton. He was able to make it home. But so many more--so many more--families experience tragic losses because they never know what happened to their family members. Mr. Speaker, ensuring that our veterans are properly cared for is one of my top priorities as a Member of this great institution. And while the Veterans Administration continues to require significant reforms, having a commemorative chair in the Capitol will remind all Members--all Members--of this great institution of the commitments we have made to those who have fought so hard and ensure that we hold the VA accountable for their actions, too. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1670 so that families of POW/MIA servicemembers know also that the United States will never forget the sacrifices their loved ones who served this country with such valor and honor made.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. FEMA's disaster declaration process is broken. You don't need to look any further than the State of Illinois to see how FEMA's aid formula is failing the hardworking families of this country because it simply doesn't put all communities on a level playing field. In 2012, Harrisburg, Illinois, was denied Federal assistance following tornadoes that swept across the Midwest, while Missouri and Kentucky received it. Recently, towns like Gifford and Washington in central Illinois were denied public assistance as well. FEMA currently takes into account several factors when determining the need for public and individual assistance. However, there currently is no standard to determine which factor is more important than another, which leads to highly subjective and uncertain processes that leave States and communities in limbo for weeks as their application is considered. By working with this committee and this subcommittee that Chairman Barletta chairs, we were able to include language that was based on a bill that I introduced with many of my colleagues that requires the administrator of FEMA, when making recommendations to the President regarding a major disaster declaration, to give greater weight and consideration to localized impact. Consideration of this important legislation is timely for my home State of Illinois. Just days ago, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner submitted a request to President Obama asking him to declare a major disaster for Illinois following the extensive holiday flooding that we saw right at about the new year. Much of this damage happened in my home county of Christian County, where four people tragically lost their lives after encountering flood waters. Sadly, two of the deceased, Brandon Mann and Devan Everett, were from my hometown of Taylorville. Certainly no amount of resources can compensate for the loss of human life when disaster strikes, and yet these communities still need to rebuild. Preliminary damage assessments determined that communities in Illinois experienced $15 million in damages. Unfortunately, that doesn't meet FEMA's $18.1 million threshold. Mr. Speaker, it is just not right that States like Illinois, where a significant portion of the population is concentrated in a single area, can be denied disaster relief because of an arbitrary formula developed by bureaucrats in concrete buildings right here in Washington, D.C. That is what makes this bill and my provision so important. It levels the playing field. It tells rural America that, when disaster strikes, we are going to look out for you, too. Mr. Speaker, I come from rural America. I know these people. These are not the type of people who expect help, who expect Washington to solve their problems; but we as Members of Congress and as Americans have an obligation to commit that we will be there for them when they need us and that we won't let arbitrary formulas prevent that help from being delivered. We need this bill. We need these reforms. It will make a difference. Thank you again to Chairman Barletta, Chairman Shuster, and the ranking members.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 113, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of June Jessee, the daughter of Matt and Genny Jessee who passed away earlier this month at the age of three. Soon after June was born, she was diagnosed with a catastrophic form of epilepsy found in babies, causing her to have dozens of seizures a day and severely stunting her cognitive development. After learning of a promising new treatment therapy, that uses cannabidiol derived from marijuana, Matt and Genny became hopeful. The treatment, however, was not legal in their home state of Missouri and the Jessee family moved to Colorado. In the meantime, Matt took their family's story to state lawmakers and last fall the state legalized cannabidiol for seizure patients and the family was able to move back home to Missouri. Currently, federal law prohibits the medical use of this treatment. I am supportive of federal legislation like the Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act, that would allow for cannabidiol therapy to become more accessible for children like June. June's story has brought to light the lack of treatment options for children who suffer from epileptic seizures, and she will be missed by many. I continue to keep the Jessee family in my thoughts and prayers and will continue to advocate for research into this important area.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, February 1, 2016, I was absent from the House because I was unavoidably detained. Due to my absence, I did not record my vote on the first vote of the day. I would like to reflect how I would have voted had I been present for legislative business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on Roll Call 46.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 46, I was meeting with constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 44, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' Personal Explanation

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague, Mr. Lamborn. This is a very important issue. I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. Mooney, for sponsoring this piece of legislation that not only impacts his home State of West Virginia and the other coal-producing States in the Midwest, but also my home State of Illinois. Coal production in my home State is a significant driver in our State's economy, particularly the part of the State that I represent. I would not be here today, Mr. Chairman, without what coal has meant to my hometown of Taylorville in my home county of Christian County. I saw in the mid-nineties what a signature on a piece of paper right here in Washington, D.C., can do to destroy a local economy. In Illinois alone, today, coal jobs employ nearly 5,000 workers. Just a few short years ago, that was many more. The industry contributes $2 billion to our State's economy. Unfortunately, this proposed stream protection rule is another example of this Obama administration waging war on coal. By their own estimates, OSM claims this rule would kill 7,000 coal jobs. That is 2,000 more than exist in the State of Illinois today. Through independent analysis, it shows job losses may be even more in the tens of thousands. This rule is not only going to hurt coal miners, but also those in my district and others that work at coal-fired power plants. It is going to hurt consumers. It is going to hurt the poorest of the poor in this country, who are going to have to pay higher rates when base load generation facilities that burn coal go offline. These coal-fired power plants, Mr. Chairman, provide some of the best paying jobs in my district. Where are they going to go to find work when this administration's war on coal takes their jobs away? I have advocated for important language in working with my colleagues Mr. Mooney, Mr. Lamborn, Bill Johnson from Ohio, Jim Renacci, and others. We want to make sure that we have the States sign off on this OSM stream protection rule before the Federal Government can come in and take those coal mining jobs away. Mr. Chairman, it is clear that this administration's war on coal isn't going to stop today. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. This is a very important issue that is affecting central Illinois that I am blessed enough to represent right here in this great institution. As a Member of Congress, I have witnessed firsthand what heroin and opioids can do to communities like my hometown of Taylorville, Illinois. In my hometown of 12,000 people, I never would have thought, growing up in the 1980s, that a drug like heroin would cause such a scourge. As a matter of fact, it is interesting to hear many of my colleagues talk about what is happening in their communities. Not too long ago, in that hometown of 12,000 people, our local newspaper had a coroner's jury report that I believe I remember mentioned four deaths in one coroner's jury report related to heroin and opioid overdoses. This is something in my community I never thought I would witness, and it is also something in my community that demands action. I am so proud to sponsor the STOP ABUSE Act with my colleagues here tonight. What they are talking about and what everybody who has stood in front of this sign tonight has talked about is the importance of addressing opioid abuse. This bill is something that, because of small towns like my hometown, we are here to address. It has become a Federal issue. I want to end by talking about a friend of mine, a gentleman that I grew up with, his family. He actually used to run our county health department at the time he was arrested for heroin use. Who would have thought that in a town of 12,000 people the director of the county health department would be addicted to heroin? It doesn't matter what your socioeconomic status is, it doesn't matter what your job is, and it doesn't matter where you were born or who you were born to; you, too, can become addicted to heroin. That is why we have demanded action tonight. That is why I am thankful to be here. That is why I am thankful to be able to help each and every one of my colleagues in a bipartisan way to address this problem. Mr. Speaker, we are going to do something about this issue.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. The Interior and Environment section of this bill includes important report language that instructs the Office of Surface Mining to ``reengage State partners in a meaningful manner before finalizing the Stream Buffer Zone rule.'' As you know, this rule blurs the lines between the existing Stream Buffer Zone rule and the Clean Water Act and would have a devastating impact on coal mining across this country. In fact, we even have transcripts of audio recordings of OSM officials touting the fact that a major benefit of this rule would be no more coal mining. OSM's own analysis estimates that it will result in the loss of nearly 7,000, or 9 percent, of the more than 80,000 coal mining jobs in the United States. Mr. Chairman, my understanding is that this report language would mandate OSM to go back to the States and require their signoff on the rule before it is finalized. Can you please clarify the intent of this language?

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentleman for the clarification. I thank Mr. Johnson of Ohio for his leadership on this issue, also.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Rudy Escobar, an honored friend and veteran, who passed away on December 8 of this year at the age of 88. For over two decades, Mr. Escobar served as the commander of the Macon County Honor Guard in the service of central Illinois veterans. His dedication to his brothers and sisters in uniform was truly remarkable, and he will be missed by many in the Macon County community. Mr. Speaker, for most of his life, Mr. Escobar worked tirelessly on behalf of his fellow veterans. After his service in World War II as a China Marine, he returned home and cofounded the Macon County Honor Guard, which has since performed over 3,000 honor ceremonies at military funerals. Active in his community, it became customary for him to voluntarily transport fellow veterans to and from the VA medical center in Danville, Illinois. He was also a member of the American Legion and the VFW posts. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Escobar was a loving husband, father, and grandfather; and most of all, he was a devoted veteran. His commitment to the military community will always be remembered.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Mr. Ted Beattie for his dedication to education and to congratulate him on his retirement after twenty-one years with Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. For over two decades, Mr. Beattie has led Shedd Aquarium as its president and CEO, overseeing the aquarium's largest expansion project and launching Shedd to its position as one of the country's leading educational aquariums. Mr. Beattie began his career as a marketing and development director for the Cincinnati Zoo and eventually went on to lead zoos in both Tennessee and Texas before coming to Chicago in 1994. He is an active member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and formerly served as its president. As a respected leader in his field of marine science, Mr. Beattie was appointed by President Bush to serve on the sixteen-member U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, an initiative that has led to the creation of new ocean policies, such as pollution prevention efforts and the enhancement of marine science, commerce, and transportation. A commitment to education has been one of Mr. Beattie's top priorities in his years with Shedd Aquarium. The $45 million Wild Reef wing opened in 2003 and features one of the most diverse shark exhibits in the country. In 2009, during Mr. Beattie's tenure, the renovation of Shedd's Abbott Oceanarium marine mammal pavilion was completed-- restoring one of Shedd's favorite exhibits, beloved by teachers, students, and patrons of all ages. Under Mr. Beattie's leadership, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium has secured its reputation as a world-class aquarium, hosting millions of guests each year. Mr. Beattie's commitment to marine education has undoubtedly contributed to Shedd's excellence and I congratulate him on his many achievements and thank him for his work to make Shedd Aquarium one of Illinois' most treasured attractions.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants this body the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States as well as the power to establish post offices and post roads. Maintaining and improving our Nation's infrastructure is an important constitutional responsibility that we, as Members of this body, have, which is exactly why I told voters what I wanted to do when I came to Washington was to work together in a bipartisan fashion to address issues just like this transportation bill is going to address. What does this bill mean to the voters in central Illinois who sent me here? It means about 80 percent of all of the road projects that are funded in my State of Illinois are funded by Federal dollars. The vision that has been laid out in this bill--and we could argue about the pay-fors, whether they are not perfect. But we can also show the American people that we can work together to rebuild our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. I am confident that as soon as this bill passes overwhelmingly today, under the leadership of Chairman Shuster, he will begin debating how we move into the future in our next transportation bill. That is what is great about service on this committee. I want to commend Chairman Shuster, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member DeFazio, and all the hardworking members of this committee who put a great bill together. Everybody has stood up and said it is not perfect, but no bill that comes out of this institution is perfect. We don't always get everything we want, Mr. Speaker. But what we get is a long-term plan that is allowing our States to continue to plan and rebuild our roads and bridges. I also want to thank Chairman Shuster because he helped new leaders on our committee become leaders in transportation. I want to talk about Cresent Hardy, who just spoke a few minutes ago. He was able to show his constituents that he is able to lead on transportation issues and work together to get things done. John Katko, Garret Graves--these are new members of the committee that are able to go back to their constituents and show governing and bipartisan success. This is what we came here to address, Mr. Speaker.