Rodney Frelinghuysen

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I would like to thank Mrs. Lowey for our close working relationship of well over 24 years. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the ranking members who put this package together here, the remarkable men and women who make up our professional staff on the Appropriations Committee, and our personal staff who dedicated most of their August, part of July, and certainly this part of September to doing the work of the people. I am enormously grateful to all of them for their hard work and their dedication. Mr. Speaker, I salute my colleague, Mrs. Lowey, and all members and staff for their work. Particularly, I'd like to thank: Nancy Fox, Maureen Holohan, Shannon O'Keefe, Jason Gray, Marta Hernandez, Tammy Hughes, Rachel Kahler, Parker Van de Water, and Tom Doelp in the Front Office; Angie Giancarlo, Loraine Heckenberg, Perry Yates, and Amy Murphy on the Energy and Water Subcommittee; Sue Quantius; Sarah Young; and Kiya Batmanglidj from the MilCon/VA Subcommittee; Jenny Panone and Tim Monahan from the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), who is the chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), who is the chairman of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. General Leave

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present the conference report for H.R. 5895. This conference report includes the Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch Appropriations bills for fiscal year 2019. It is a product of months of negotiations between the House and the Senate. This conference report is a responsible compromise that addresses shared priorities: funding for programs that benefit all Americans, including national security, energy development programs and water resources infrastructure, care for veterans, and operations of the legislative branch. Critically, this conference report represents the next step toward fully funding the Federal Government for fiscal year 2019. This is the first time since fiscal year 2017 that Congress will have passed any Appropriations bill before the end of the year and the first time in over a decade--since fiscal year 2007--that Congress will be sending more than one Appropriations bill to the President's desk before September 30. We have done our best to repair a broken appropriations process. This is a welcome and long overdue return to regular order and fulfills our promise to the American people to deliver results. Passage of this legislation also provides certainty to the Federal Government--most importantly, for our troops and their families, who rely on military infrastructure to sustain their quality of life and accomplish their missions, and for our veterans, who deserve full access to their benefits and healthcare. It is my sincere hope that we will continue this progress with the consideration of additional conference reports. The Energy and Water portion of the report provides $44.6 billion for Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Defense's nuclear programs. Investments in national security programs help our Nation maintain its strongest possible nuclear deterrence posture, support our Navy's nuclear-powered fleet, and keep nuclear materials out of the hands of terrorists. And the bill also targets an array of energy programs that support our goal of energy independence and directs much-needed funds to water resources infrastructure across the country. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs portion of the report totals $98 billion in discretionary funding. This includes the largest dollar amount ever for the Department of Veterans Affairs, $86.5 billion, a substantial investment that will improve access to and quality of care for veterans. Importantly, this also includes additional funding for the VA MISSION Act and will support ongoing care for our veterans through community care centers, caregivers, and other medical services. This funding is provided within the existing discretionary spending caps. Also, the bill provides strong investments for our defense infrastructure and military installations. This will support the rebuilding of our Armed Forces, help counter threats and aggression abroad, and support our troops and military families. The third portion of this conference report includes the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill. This legislation continues the operations of Congress and its support agencies, ensuring that Members of Congress are best able to serve the American people. Within the total of $4.8 billion, provided for both the House and the Senate, funding is prioritized for security and safety within the Capitol complex, including increases for the Capitol Police. The legislation helps the legislative branch improve its functions. Of note, for the first time, we hav included dedicated funding for paid internships, which will allow more young Americans and students from all backgrounds to serve Congress. I want to express my deep gratitude to the chairs and ranking members of the three subcommittees who spearheaded this legislation--Energy and Water Chairman Simpson of Idaho and Ranking Member Kaptur of Ohio; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Chairman Carter of Texas and Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz of Florida; and Legislative Branch Chairman Fortenberry of Nebraska and Ranking Member Ryan of Ohio--along with all our conferees. I also want to especially thank Ranking Member Lowey for her service, support, and friendship throughout many years on the Appropriations Committee. Lastly, I would like to thank our committee's hardworking professional and associate staff. Over the past months, they have been working without a break to complete negotiations and get this conference report and other reports to the floor. They are a remarkable group of men and women, and I salute them. Support for this conference report today indicates that Congress is willing and able to get its work done on behalf of the American people on time, under regular order, and within our set budget limits. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this conference report, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1059, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 5895) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 85th Anniversary of Martin's Tavern located on Wisconsin Avenue and N Street, NW in Washington, D.C. In the late 1890s, William S. Martin traveled from Galway, Ireland to America. Forty years later in 1933, William S. Martin and his son, William G. Martin, opened Martin's Tavern on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and N Street NW in Georgetown. Since then, the warm atmosphere of Martin's Tavern has welcomed neighbors and world travelers looking for great food, service and years of history within its walls. In the late 19th century through the early 20th Century, Georgetown remained a blue collar laborers' port, transporting goods in and out of the Washington region. The Martin family was at the heart of the community, familiar with the many that resided, labored and traveled in Georgetown, setting the tone and spirit of their tavern. This Georgetown landmark has hosted countless political icons--most notably has been every president from Harry Truman (Booth Six) to George W. Bush (Table 12). Over the last eighty-five years, some of the most significant conversations and events would unfold over the tavern's Irish-American fare. In the 1930s, Benjamin Cohen and Thomas Corcoran, of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, met in an extension of the tavern's main room called, ``The Dugout.'' Roosevelt's brain trust would hammer out countless New Deal legislation including: the Tennessee Valley Authority, Securities Exchange Act, the Federal Housing Administration, Securities Exchange Commission, the Public Utilities Holding Company Act, Rural Electrification Act, and the Fair Employment Act among other New Deal legislation. During World War II, Martin's Tavern witnessed the creation of many plans to gain intelligence and eventually assist the allies in winning the war. The Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor of the modern Central Intelligence Agency, held planning meetings and agent briefings in The Dugout. While they were dating, Martin's Tavern was a favorite spot of then Senator John F. Kennedy and Miss Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. On Wednesday, June 24, 1953, Jackie returned from covering the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II for the Washington Times Herald. That night he popped the question to her in Booth Three and she accepted. One evening in 1954 in Booth Two, five Supreme Court Justices deliberated on the landmark case, Brown vs. the Board of Education. Shortly thereafter on May 17, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren read the unanimous decision of the Court. The Supreme Court Justices who ruled on Brown vs. the Board of Education were: Chief Justice Earl Warren, Hugo Black, Stanley Forman Reed, Felix Frankfurter, William O. Douglas, Robert H. Jackson, Harold Hitz Burton, Tom C. Clark, and Sherman Minton. These are just a few of the many moments Martin's Tavern has witnessed in our nation's history. While the regular patrons have changed, many Members of Congress from the House and Senate continue to visit, and great food and service remain a staple. Today, my friend and fourth generation owner, Billy Martin, Jr., continues the tradition of Washington's oldest family owned restaurant. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating Martin's Tavern, on the occasion of its 85th Anniversary.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Suburban Propane headquartered in the Township of Hanover, New Jersey on the occasion of its 90th Anniversary. Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. is a nationwide distributor of propane, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity, proudly celebrating 90 years of innovation, growth and quality service. Since the concept of using propane as a portable heating source was born in 1928 by its visionary founder in a small New Jersey town, Suburban Propane and its predecessor companies have been committed to delivering outstanding customer service to the communities served. In 1945, under the name Suburban Propane Gas Corporation, Suburban Propane became the first stock exchange listed public propane distributor in the United States. After several transformations, Suburban Propane again emerged as a publicly-traded Master Limited Partnership (``MLP'') listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1996, and today is one of the oldest existing MLPs. Throughout its now nine decades of serving customers nationwide, Suburban Propane has maintained its high standards for safety, integrity and customer satisfaction. From its roots as a small neighborhood business, Suburban Propane has grown into a nationwide distributor with a vast network of more than 650 locations in 41 states. Today, Suburban Propane is the third largest retail propane provider in the United States, serving the energy needs of approximately 1.0 million residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. The more than 3,200 employees of Suburban Propane are proud members of every community they serve. Suburban Propane's long-term commitment to giving back to its local communities led to the creation of an in- house initiative called SuburbanCaresTM, which encourages and supports Suburban Propane's employees in their efforts to serve their customers and communities. Since 2012, Suburban Propane has partnered with the American Red Cross as a national sponsor volunteering time, and donating blood and much needed supplies to support the American Red Cross and their lifesaving endeavors. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., on the occasion of its 90th Anniversary.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the County College of Morris located in the Township of Randolph, New Jersey on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary. The County College of Morris (CCM) opened its doors to students in 1968 after Henderson Hall, the first building on campus, was completed. The first class consisted of 592 full-time and 703 part-time students. Enrollment grew quickly, and by the fall of 1969 five additional buildings were under way: the library, later named the Sherman H. Masten Learning Resource Center, after CCM's first president; Sheffield Hall, named after one of its first trustees; the Physical Education Building; the Student Community Center and a service building; all completed by 1970. In the fall of 1973, two additional academic buildings, Cohen and DeMare halls, along with a planetarium, were completed. Through the 1970s, enrollment continued to grow as CCM established itself as one of the premier community colleges in New Jersey. In 1982, the college reached its highest enrollment of 12,012 credit students, with thousands of additional individuals enrolled in certificate programs. After two decades of leadership, President Masten retired in 1986 and Dr. Edward J. Yaw became the second president of CCM. Under Yaw's leadership, the college continued to grow on its 222 acre campus. In 1989, Emeriti Hall was added and in May 1993 the college completed a 20,000 square-foot expansion of the library. The expansion contained television and audio production studios, additional library seating areas and a 45-seat conference room. Expansion of the campus continued in 1994 with the construction of two additions that joined the three academic buildings. The 20,417 square-foot expansion added classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, student lounges and an expanded cafeteria. In 1997, the college added a six-lane aquatic facility to the Health and Physical Education Building that is used by the college and local high schools. In 2004, the college broke ground for the renovation and expansion of the Student Community Center. By the 2005 Fall Semester, the building was open for students to enjoy. Following completion of that project, the college renovated Henderson Hall, CCM's oldest building. The renovation, completed in the spring of 2008, houses most of the administrative functions of the college, plus four general purpose classrooms and two corporate business training rooms. That same year, the college celebrated its 40th anniversary. In those 40 years, CCM had graduated more than 40,000 students who were employed in all sectors of the county, most notably half of the Morris County Sheriff's police force and half of the county's nurses. In 2012, the college purchased a one-story commercial building on Route 10 in Randolph as its first major expansion in nearly four decades. The 15,500 square-foot building located at 675 Route 10 East allowed the college to increase classroom space to meet growing academic needs and provided for a new access road to and from Route 10. In 2014, the college completed an extensive renovation to the Masten Learning Resource Center (LRC), which included consolidating the library on the second floor, a major expansion of the college's gallery and the addition of a cafe. Also in 2014, Rutgers entered into a partnership with the college to offer bachelor degree programs on campus. In 2015, the Media Center, located within the LRC, was renovated and renamed in honor of late Assemblyman Alex DeCroce. In early 2016, the college opened its Music Technology Center, a state-of-the-art facility that houses the digital media technology, drama, media technology, music and music recording academic programs. The facility includes an experimental theater laboratory, theater in- the-round, that serves as a large hands-on classroom with a recording studio. After serving as president for 30 years, Dr. Yaw retired in 2016 and Dr. Anthony J. Iacono became the college's third president. In 2018, as part of the college's 50th Anniversary celebrations, CCM launched a historic $2.1 million ``FORWARD'' capital campaign focused on funding programs and facility upgrades, including the Paragano Family Foundation Medical Simulation Center, a Cyber Security Suite, an enhanced Culinary Arts Training facility, a new Manufacturing and Engineering building, student scholarships and the Faculty Innovation Fund. Also in 2018, the college developed two new academic programs in animation and virtual reality to meet the demand for employees in these rapidly growing areas. Today, the college offers more than 45 associate degree programs, along with a full slate of certificate and workforce development programs. The college holds more than 200 transfer agreements and its graduates annually transfer to the state's and nation's best four-year institutions. CCM also provides multiple opportunities to be engaged in an active student life program. In particular, there are more than 50 student clubs and organizations, an award-winning student newspaper and literary magazine, and nine intercollegiate athletic sports programs for men and women. Included among its distinctions, CCM is the only community college in New Jersey to be named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. Along with a strong STEM foundation, the college is known for the quality of its liberal arts, performing arts, health science, and culinary and hospitality programs. CCM is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Its other accreditations include Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs, Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET, New Jersey Board of Nursing and Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Looking ahead, the college plans to construct an Engineering and Manufacturing facility, establish a virtual hospital for its health science departments and expand program offerings in those areas. In addition, it plans to build upon its technology and cyber security offerings to provide more students with the opportunity to take advantage of these high job growth areas. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating the County College of Morris, its administration, faculty, and Board of Trustees, on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call 375, I am not recorded. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on Roll Call No. 375.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio located in the Town of Lenox, Massachusetts, on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary. Estelle ``Suzy'' Frelinghuysen and George L.K. Morris were an extraordinary couple and prolific abstract artists, who were deeply involved with national and international art throughout their lifetimes. As collectors and artists themselves, Frelinghuysen and Morris created a Berkshire home that they designed after the Bauhaus and filled with their expansive collection of art. Today, they are being widely rediscovered and praised as important figures in the history of American art. Suzy Frelinghuysen, of Newark, New Jersey, was a trained opera singer who performed for the New York City Opera. She sang the leading roles of ``Tosca'' and ``Ariadne auf Naxos'' as a dramatic soprano. She married Morris in 1935 and by 1938 she became the first female artist to have a painting placed in the permanent collection of A.E. Gallatin's Museum of Living Art in New York City. Suzy was also a founding member of the American Abstract Artists. Her work can be viewed in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Carnegie Institute. George L.K. Morris of New York traveled to Paris in 1929 with his cousin, A.E. Gallatin, where he met Picasso, Braque, and Brancusi. He further studied in the studio of Fernand Leger and Amedee Ozenfant. Later, he became one of the founders of the American Abstract Artists. He was passionate about Cubism and abstract art, which led him to become an editor and art critic for the Partisan Review. His work can be viewed in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Carnegie Institute. Before her death in 1988, Suzy established the Morris Foundation and left instructions for their home, studio, and art collection intact and be used for educational purposes. Her nephew Kinney Frelinghuysen and his wife Linda have transformed their home into the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio. The 46 acre estate opened for visitation in 1998. Visitors can walk through their house with all of its original furnishings and see not only Suzy and George's own work, but also the work of their famous colleagues and contemporaries including Picasso, Braque, Leger, and Gris. As Kinney notes, ``The integration of living quarters with the immediacy of a concentration of works of art is a pleasurable and unexpected way to propel visitors into early 20th century art.'' Kinney and Linda have also completed several restoration projects over the past twenty years to preserve the iconic house. Kinney dreams that the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio will achieve National Historic Landmark status and believes that his Aunt Suzy would be pleased with their work to preserve her legacy. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in celebrating the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio's 20th Anniversary.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall 374, I am not recorded. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 374. personal explanation

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation before us contains two important Appropriations bills: the Interior and Environmental bill and the Financial Services bill. The first of these two bills, the Interior bill, funds important programs that protect and promote our Nation's resources. This includes vital funding to fight wildfires that threaten our communities across the Nation. The bill also invests in critical infrastructure that ensures American families have access to clean and safe drinking water; and, yes, this bill streamlines our Federal Government, returning the EPA to its core mission and cutting back regulatory red tape. The second bill, the Financial Services bill, helps make our Nation a safer place to live and helps our economy grow. The bill also targets resources to programs that will boost economic growth and opportunity, particularly for America's small business people, as well as protects consumers and investors. In addition, the Financial Services bill helps enforce our laws providing necessary funding to support the Federal Court system, stopping financial and cybercrime, and fighting the opioid epidemic. Funding these Federal programs is a responsibility given to Congress by our Founding Fathers as part of the Constitution. Mr. Speaker, our committee has exercised the power of the purse through robust debate over the past 2 days, and now it is time to move forward with this legislation. Passage of this legislation will put us one step closer to completing all of our Appropriations bills as we promised in a timely fashion. Mr. Speaker, these are solid bills. They are worthy of your support. I urge my colleagues to reject the motion, and vote ``yes'' on the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of my point of order.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order on the motion to recommit.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chair, before we can conclude our debate, I wanted to thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Betty McCollum of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee for their work; and also the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Chairman Tom Graves and Ranking Member Mike Quigley for the great job they did; and for the men and women behind them that make up the professional and personal staff of the Appropriations Committee. As of today, all 12 appropriations bills have been released. With the passage of this legislation, the full House will have halfway done all of our bills on the floor. Mr. Chairman, we continue our momentum by passing H.R. 6147. I guess that will be tomorrow, and I urge support of the bill. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Announcement by the Acting Chair

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Chair, I am pleased the House is taking the next step towards our Appropriations bills today. These bills maintain vital Federal responsibilities and reflect common American values. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Chair, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), who is the chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Chairwoman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, for the purpose of a colloquy.