Chuck Fleischmann

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this bill. This great Chamber has passed four bills, four bipartisan, bicameral bills that the House, the Senate, Republicans, Democrats, and the White House could agree on. This bill is not that. It is 3 trillion more dollars of unrestrained spending. When given the opportunity, the people's House does need to speak up and does need to lead, but we need to lead on economic common ground, not on partisan grounds that will never pass outside of this Chamber. I spoke with a young man yesterday who showed me a picture of his 6- year-old daughter. I spoke with a friend yesterday at Saint Mary's school in Oak Ridge, where they are having a graduation. This is not a giving; it is a taking. We are burdening the American people with over $30 trillion worth of national debt. Mr. Speaker, where does our debt go? It goes on the backs of future generations. And worse, who buys our debt? China, other countries. We are heading in the wrong direction. I plead with the majority to change this bill; come together, as we have done in the past. I urge a ``no'' vote on this. I urge us to stand up and do the work for the hardworking Americans who are justly scared, justly concerned. We owe that to them. We represent them, and that is our job, and that is our calling.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this, the fourth bill. At a time of adversity, I would like to reach out to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. The American people are concerned, but we are optimistic. The American people are worried, but we will come through this adversity. I think of the people I represent in Tennessee, but we are coming together as a Nation during this time like I have never seen us come together before. At a time of difficulty, we have an opportunity to actually seize this moment and move our great Nation forward. So, yes, am I concerned? Yes, I am concerned. Of course, I am. But we will see better days in this great Nation. Madam Speaker, let us never forget, we in this Chamber represent the people of the greatest Nation in the world. We shall prevail.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. To my colleagues in this great House, the people's House, we have been here in times of triumph and in times of tragedy. This is the latter. It is a time for civility; it is a time for unity; and it is a time for us to serve the American people and pass this bill. Let our resolve be to defeat this virus. No malady, no virus, no adversity will ever erode the great American Republic. God bless us all.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, my heart aches for our great Republic today. I implore my Democratic colleagues in this House: We are not Republicans or Democrats. We are Americans. This is not the right place. This is not the right procedure. Settle our political differences politically. We owe the American people a great duty to come together. Don't give the Senate the victory lap. Give the House the victory lap. Vote ``no'' to impeach. We owe it to the American people. They want so dearly for us to come together for our great Republic and thank our great President.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, Ranking Member, and Chairwoman Lowey, I rise today to lend my strong support to all of the appropriations bills that will be before us today, but specifically as the ranking member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, I am here to speak about the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, specifically. As we have heard today from speakers on both sides of the aisle, this is not an ideal bill, but I think it is a very good and strong bill. It is a good bill crafted in a difficult environment--probably one of the most difficult environments I have seen in my almost 10-year tenure. I tell you, Madam Speaker, it is worthy of our support, as are all the bills here today. I specifically, though, as the ranking member, the highest Republican on this subcommittee, want to thank Chairwoman Roybal-Allard. She is the head Democrat and we have worked well together. We don't view the world and we don't view this bill in total agreement, but we got it done, and that is very important, again, in these trying times. This Homeland Security bill before us provides nearly $1.4 billion for continued construction of border barriers in high-priority areas identified by Customs and Border Protection and provides funding for the same level of detention beds as we had in fiscal year 2019. It also maintains the same transfer and reprogramming authorities. The Department of Homeland Security is a vast agency and, looking at the bill beyond the investments in border and immigration enforcement, there are so many activities, programs, and initiatives that we all agree on across the aisle, across the Capitol, and really across the great United States of America. As I have said before, 90 percent of the funding in this bill we all can agree on. We have solid investments in our great United States Coast Guard, and let's remember, Madam Speaker, this is the one branch of the military that did not get paid during the government shutdown last year, but the men and women of the Coast Guard bravely continued their missions. For the Coast Guard--the military branch with so many domestic missions on top of its contributions to the Nation's defense--this bill provides desperately needed new air and marine assets as well as reinvesting in personnel. We have plus-ups for the Secret Service to continue leading law enforcement on national special security events and protection for all the Presidential candidates. We have plus-ups for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to help keep our government's IT system secure, as well as providing for technical assistance to States, Tribes, and localities. We have more than $17 billion for FEMA disaster relief to ensure that we are ready for whatever storms hit our homes plus increases of over $90 million for grants to State and local communities to prepare for and mitigate disasters. Further, as our loved ones travel over this holiday season, the bill provides an increase of over $210 million for the operations and equipment of TSA in fiscal year 2020. Madam Speaker, finally, I thank the staff who have worked so hard together. I thank, especially, the staff on both sides, majority and minority, Darek, Kris, Bob, Karyn, Mike, Elizabeth, Rachel, Victoria, Dena, and Kristin, plus Daniel from my own staff, for all of their hard work to put together this good bill.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, again, I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger, also Ranking Member Simpson. Today, I rise, again, in support of another one of our great appropriations bills, the Energy and Water and Related Agencies bill. As the Speaker knows, I spoke earlier in very fervent support of the Homeland Security bill. The Energy and Water bill is robust. It is well-funded. I just actually spoke with a member of the press outside, and the gentleman asked me, over the past few years, why the Energy and Water bill had been increased so much. The answer is clear: It is because Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate and the administrations, including this administration as well, understand that the Nation needs what the Department of Energy is doing. Now, obviously, I have a bit of a bias. I represent, I think, one of the greatest Department of Energy reservations at Oak Ridge. We have a national lab. We have the Y-12 plant. We are building the uranium processing facility. I thank the chairwoman for the robust funding for that great construction project. Also, legacy cleanup all across the United States of America--not only in Oak Ridge, but in Savannah River; in Hanford, Washington; in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Republicans and Democrats and communities are working together cleaning up legacy waste. There was a time in America when we were not as careful--during the Cold War and prior to and during World War II--when we manufactured these weapons and there was legacy waste out there. It is the obligation, I think, of the Federal Government to clean it up. It is high time that we do it, and we are doing it with our funding priorities. So whether it is our great national labs--there are 17 of them all across the United States: the NNSA, the Office of Science--it hearkens me, again, at a time when we see a divided nation, a divided Capitol, that we can come together in very strong, fervent, and robust agreement to support this funding bill for the Department of Energy and its related agencies. That means our locks will be funded with the Army Corps of Engineers and all of our key DOE functions will continue to be supported at the highest level. This keeps America at the forefront. We lead the world in supercomputing. We lead the world in materials research. We lead the world in advanced manufacturing. So I thank my colleagues for their robust support of this bill, and I urge its support with the other bills in this plan.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 453, and I thank both my Democratic and Republican colleagues for their great, strong words of encouragement and support on this long-overdue bill. Mr. Speaker, the great State of Tennessee gets its name from the historic Overhill Cherokee village site called Tanasi in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee, one of my 11 counties that I proudly represent in this, the people's House. Tanasi served as the capital of the Cherokee Nation from as early as 1721 until 1730. As a result of several misguided Federal policies, the Cherokee and other Tribes were forcibly removed from Tennessee and surrounding States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Virginia. This tragic period in American history led to the infamous Trail of Tears. My bill, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act, returns important historical land sites back to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. I want the Members of this House to understand that this was a promise that was made by the people of Tennessee and the TVA to the Cherokee decades ago. This is not something new. The promise was made, and the promise was not kept. Many of the Eastern Band remained in east Tennessee. In other words, when this forced removal came, they refused to go. They hid, and then they came back. Fortunately, today, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a proud Cherokee Nation in my district, and this 76.1 acres is their sacred homeland. This needs to be returned to them. My district also includes several areas where Sequoyah was, and still is, honored by the Cherokee. As we go to vote, we see her likeness, her image, her bust here in this Capitol, but that is something that the Cherokees still want to honor on this land in Tennessee. What is so important? This is so important that TVA, the United States of America, the great State of Tennessee, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have all come together to right a long-term wrong. We will honor and cherish Cherokee history and Cherokee traditions with this bill in Monroe County, Tennessee. At a time when this House, perhaps even this Nation, is divided on a lot of issues, I have received overwhelming bipartisan support in this House for this bill, from Republicans and Democrats and from up the hall in the United States Senate. Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Senator Thom Tillis, Representative Phil Roe, Representative Mark Meadows, and Representative Tom Cole have all helped us. Without further ado, Mr. Speaker, I urge prompt consideration and support of my bill.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the great people of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, as we all celebrate the 50th anniversary of this community. Mr. Speaker, I am so privileged and honored to represent 11 wonderful east Tennessee counties in this great people's House. My largest county is Hamilton County. Perhaps you have heard of a city there called Chattanooga. That is our largest city. But right up the road is a very special place: Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. Soddy-Daisy has a great history. It has been a city for 50 years. But long before that, it all started with the construction of Poe's Tavern in 1819, which Hasten Poe of Soddy-Daisy called home. In the years to follow, the tavern served as a hospital during the Civil War and was torn down later, but a replacement is there today. Depending on whom you ask, you may get one of several stories about how Soddy-Daisy got its name. Some say it was an adaptation of an Indian name meaning ``sipping place''; others will tell you it derived from the name of a trading post owned by William Sodder, nicknamed ``Soddy.'' As time went on after the Civil War, it was home to mostly Scots; then, later, Welshmen came, and they brought coal mining to the region. The industry grew and the Daisy Coal Company was founded by Thomas Parks, who named it after his daughter, Daisy. The coal company expanded, and the region became known as ``Daisy.'' Mr. Speaker, in 1969, America put a man on the Moon, and a little ball club I am very fond of in New York, the Mets, won the world series. I was 7 years old then, and I didn't know that somewhere in Hamilton County, Tennessee, the great people of Soddy and Daisy were coming together to put together a beautiful city. About a week or two ago, I celebrated their 50th anniversary as a city. And today, joining us in this great people's House are the men and women who serve on that commission. These are people who volunteer. They serve without pay. These are truly great American citizens. I want to talk about them right now. We have got Mayor Gene-o Shipley and his wife, DeDe; Vice Mayor Robert Cothran and his wife, Wanda; Commissioner Jim Adams and his wife, Shirley; Commissioner Max Lowe and his wife, Teresa; and Commissioner Rick Nunley and his wife, Katherine. I also want to recognize Soddy-Daisy City Manager Janice Cagle; and at that celebration, the very first mayor of Soddy-Daisy, Max Orr, was present, and he is still a prominent figure in that great community today. I know in Soddy-Daisy and in Sale Creek and communities in Hamilton County today, right now, Mr. Speaker, schoolchildren are watching us in the public schools. I want to tell them that their parents, grandparents, and the founders of this great community have been great Americans. Soddy-Daisy has a rich past. I have been with this wonderful community in times of triumph and in times of tragedy. I have been there when they had floods. Their community is a great community--good, good people, wonderful people. Now, as bright as the past has been, I want to tell the students who are watching today that the future is going to be even brighter for Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. This is a community that loves God, loves our country, and loves our veterans. It is a special place. Mr. Speaker, I wish Soddy-Daisy and the great citizens there a very happy birthday and Godspeed.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, October 10 is the national day of Taiwan. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the people of Taiwan a very Happy Double Ten Day. Despite its small size, Taiwan is the 11th largest trading partner for the United States overall. The United States is Taiwan's 2rd largest trading partner and a leading destination for Taiwan's overseas investors. These figures represent a strong foundation that has been built between the two industries. Our close ties are not just for trade and economy. Over the years, Taiwan has proven itself to be a model democracy in the Indo-Pacific. Its embrace of democracy shows a better path for it's people and their future. Washington and Taipei share the same values of democracy, freedom, and rule of laws. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) was enshrined in 1979, and later supplemented by the Six Assurances given by President Ronald Reagan in 1982. The TRA and the Six Assurances both formed the cornerstone of our relations with Taiwan. Together we have faced many challenges while displaying a steadfast commitment to one another's security and prosperity. I would like to express my strong and continuing support for these foundations to our partnership. I reaffirm it today, and again congratulate the people of Taiwan on this important occasion.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the positive impact international automakers' investments have made in the United States and, specifically, in my home State of Tennessee. Today, international automakers operate 30 manufacturing facilities across 12 States and build more than 60 different vehicle models in America. Volkswagen is a huge part of that presence in the Third District of Tennessee. Tennessee is also home to the Infiniti Decherd Powertrain Plant; the Nissan Decherd Powertrain Plant; the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant; the Nissan Smyrna Battery Plant; Toyota-Bodine Aluminum, Inc.; and the headquarters of both INFINITI Americas and Nissan North America. In January, Volkswagen announced an additional investment of $800 million for its Chattanooga facility to build two electric vehicles, with the groundbreaking taking place in November. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the important role of international automakers in the United States.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the United States Senate with 84 votes and could be sent to the President's desk for his immediate signature today.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), the ranking member. As the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, I know all too well the challenges we are facing on the border. I have the utmost respect for Chairwoman Roybal-Allard and her work to address these issues and work with all the members of the subcommittee. At the time we crafted the fiscal year 2019 regular appropriations bill, we could not have predicted the sheer mass of people pouring across the border this spring and summer. But this fiscal year, Customs and Border Patrol has already encountered almost 700,000 people. That is double the amount in all the previous fiscal years, and we still have 3 months to go. Further, we are not talking about separating children. We are talking about children coming to this country without parents who can care for them. We can't just let kids wander the streets. We need to ensure that HHS has the space and the capacity to find sponsors or suitable homes for these kids. DHS cannot wait another month for funds, and DHS definitely cannot wait on Health and Human Services to receive more funds. We need a complete border supplemental bill providing relief and resources for all agencies working at the border and within the country to work through the number of migrants coming across the southern border. That includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and that also includes the Department of Defense. Further, we need a supplemental bill that does not throw up roadblocks to implementing the aid we are trying to deliver. Madam Speaker, I urge the House to, instead, take up a more bipartisan bill that would also pass the Senate and get signed by the President on Friday. Time is of the essence. We need to work with the Senate and the President to get a bill enacted. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill. Let's take up a bill that could deliver the humanitarian aid by the end of this week.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome a very special guest to our Nation's Capitol, Father David Carter of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, and the Rist family. Father David Carter is a man of strong faith and principled leadership. In our east Tennessee community, he serves as the vice chancellor for the Diocese of Knoxville and was the chaplain at Knoxville Catholic High School until his tenure as the rector of the basilica began in 2013. Father Carter also enjoys the beauty that God has bestowed on the Volunteer State, leading treks in the Great Smoky Mountains. But even outside the House of God, he continues to show his faith, serving as chaplain to the parish's Trail Life troop. In my service to east Tennessee in this Chamber, I often seek guidance from the Lord's word, and I am thankful to have Father Carter as my priest. I pray that our Nation knows more Father Carters, those who seek to serve and find Christ as the source of truth. I hope that Father Carter and his guests enjoy their time in this beautiful city.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the passage of the 19th Amendment out of this very Chamber 100 years ago. As I join with my colleagues to celebrate this historic vote on May 21, I will wear a yellow rose on my lapel. This is reminiscent of a scene in the Tennessee State House. At that time, one more State was needed to ratify the 19th Amendment. All eyes were on Tennessee. State Representative Harry T. Burn of Tennessee's Third District donned a red rose signaling his opposition to the pro-suffrage movement. However, after reading a letter from his mother, Ms. Phoebe Ensminger Burn, Representative Burn cast the tie-breaking vote, joining with his colleagues in yellow roses to vote in support of women's suffrage. The resolution passed. Tennessee became the final State needed to ratify the 19th Amendment. I will wear a yellow rose in honor of women like Ms. Burn, who demanded to be heard, to honor Members of the 66th Congress who championed change and for the enfranchisement of all American women. Without their voices, our Nation would not be what it is today.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, few people have the gift to bring people together, but Kay Arthur is one of these special individuals. Her passion for people and deeply rooted faith is illuminated through her television, radio, and online programs in which she uses God's Word to reach over 75 million households in over 30 countries. Kay is a four-time ECPA Christian Book Award-winning author and the cofounder of Precept Ministries International, and she will soon be recognized once again as the recipient of the Scenic City Women's Network Lydia Impact Award. An institution in the Chattanooga community, the vision of the Scenic City Women's Network is to encourage, equip, and energize Christian women. As part of this vision, the Lydia Award is a special honor for a woman who emulates the attributes of Lydia in the Bible: a devout woman, a seeking woman, a hospitable woman, and one who is fervent in spirit and serves the Lord. Mr. Speaker, that woman is Kay Arthur. I would like to share a story that illustrates her servant heart: Being a high-profile Bible teacher and author has never kept Kay from striving to meet the needs of whoever crosses her path. From waiters to cab drivers, Kay Arthur seeks to truly meet people where they are, but never leave them without a pathway to hope. One chilly afternoon, Kay and her son David were driving back to the office after a lunch appointment. Kay noticed a lady in a wheelchair on the side of the road. David was instructed to promptly pull over. Kay sprang out of the car and approached the woman. After a quick conversation, Kay took off her full-length winter coat, wrapped it around this lady and shared that Jesus loves her, and the coat is a sign of His gracious love to her. Kay never meets a stranger, no matter if in Chattanooga or a country across the world. She loves people, and she loves her Lord Jesus. She consistently seeks to demonstrate her love with kind words and actions. She truly has the servant heart of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Mr. Speaker, as you have just heard, Kay, like Lydia, has committed her life to her faith and exemplifies what it is to be a woman of God. I would like to congratulate Kay Arthur on receiving the prestigious Lydia Impact Award and thank her for her blessing our Nation with her Christian heart and service.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an east Tennessee icon, Ed Westcott. Those who knew Ed would tell you that his ability to capture a story through images was evident at an early age. At just 20 years old, Ed became the 29th individual hired by the Clinton Engineer Works to begin to capture images at Oak Ridge. Ed was the sole photographer of the Manhattan Project--the Manhattan Project, now well known, then a secret. His images lifted the veil off the secret city and gave Americans a glimpse into the lives of those who helped our Nation win World War II. From the alpha racetrack at Y-12 to the images of daily life, we had Ed to thank for over 15,000 photographs. His work is proudly displayed in east Tennessee and in Washington at the National Archives. To honor his contributions, I joined with my colleagues in the Senate to nominate him for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On March 29, Ed Westcott passed away, but his legacy will live on through his images.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in support of this joint resolution. Earlier today, our colleagues in the United States Senate overwhelmingly passed this bill. I believe it was 83-16. At this point in time, I would like to begin by thanking my colleagues in the House: Mrs. Lowey, the chairman of the committee; Ms. Roybal-Allard, the distinguished subcommittee chairman; and Ms. Granger, the ranking member. And I have been privileged to serve, Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member, the highest Republican, on the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee. Where were we? From time to time, in our great Republic, we hit a blip; we have a problem; we run into a difficulty. We did that in this shutdown. This was a very odd situation. We had actually passed five appropriations bills, and seven were left remaining. Mr. Speaker, that put us in a very awkward situation where there was a partial government shutdown. I heard the rhetoric on both sides of the aisle, and I know it was sincere, but it hurt. It hurt our country, and it hurt workers. But we reopened the government. In the interim, Members of the House from both parties and Members of the Senate from both parties came together and convened. There was a wide, wide difference of opinion on that first day. I heard it. I was in that room. Everyone was acting in good faith, strong-held convictions. A lot of naysayers and skeptics and cynics said we weren't going to get there, but we owed it to the American people to get there. And, Mr. Speaker, we got there. We didn't get there with a bill that I would have drawn. My bill, candidly, would look more like the bill that President Trump would have wanted: more money for border security and more money for ICE. But we came up with an agreement that the vast majority of Americans could support and the vast majority of Members in both Houses could support. And that is what I think the American people need to look to: Where did we agree? We agreed in this great bill for increased funding for our beloved ally in the Middle East, Israel. Just in this Chamber the other day, Members of both parties condemned anti-Semitism, as we must. We backed that commitment up with our full support and unprecedented funding for our ally, Israel. We can all be proud of that. We, Mr. Speaker, came together with a compromise bill that will have some new border wall--not as much as I would have wanted. We will have more ICE beds--not as many as I would have wanted. But, Mr. Speaker, I have been in this Chamber for 8 years. I saw us come together and work together. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle, sometimes our differences are bipartisan, sometimes our differences are bicameral. Today, we are going to come together as Americans and pass this bill. It is not a great bill, but it is a good bill. It represents compromise, and it will, I believe, restore the faith of the American people, not only in our institutions, but in our great Republic. We can be proud that we came together when they said ``can't'' and we said ``can.'' So I will vow to continue, as we work forward, to work with Ms. Roybal-Allard, a very fine lady. We view the world sometimes differently; sometimes we view it in a very similar light. But as we go into 2020 and we fall under the draconian Budget Control Act, the dreaded sequester, we will have to address that. We will have a debt ceiling vote. The American people need to know our work will not be easier; it will be harder. But let our resolve be to do the work of the American people, as we have done today and we will do in the future. May God bless the United States of America.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in very strong opposition to the joint resolution. Before I do that, Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank our full ranking member, Ms. Granger from Texas, my dear friend and colleague, for allowing me to chair this important subcommittee and for allowing me to manage this time today. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to acknowledge my friend and colleague from the other side of the aisle, Ms. Roybal-Allard, who I look forward to working with over the next 2 years, she in her capacity of chair of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and me in my role as ranking member, the highest member of the Republican Party on that subcommittee. Mr. Speaker, I also see my friend, Mrs. Lowey from New York, the full chairman, as well. Mr. Speaker, how did we get here? The fiscal year that the government operates on started in September. It runs from September to September, so it started in the 115th Congress. The Appropriations Committee, of which I am very proud and thankful to be a member, is a very special committee. For those who are watching us now, I would offer, and I have said time and time again, the Appropriations Committee is something special. I am the only Member on the Appropriations Committee from my great State of Tennessee. And I admire every Member in this House and the positions and the committees they serve on, but the Appropriations Committee is a problem-solving committee. It is a committee that funds things, funds the government on the discretionary side, including Homeland Security. During the course of the debate during this long and arduous shutdown--and let me say this: To the men and women who are working all across this Nation without pay, thank you. I sympathize with you--not empathize, but sympathize. This is wrong. About 24 percent of the government is shut down, and that is never a good situation for us to be in as a nation; and that is why we must come up with a cure that will work, something that will pass the House, something that will pass the other Chamber. And I add, today, as we debate this bill and as I oppose this bill, in the other Chamber, the United States Senate is debating bills. I would submit that the solution could and should come from the United States House of Representatives, and that solution is plain and simple. The American people want and deserve border security. The American people want and desire a barrier. Call it a wall. Call it a fence. It is something that the American people want. It has been proven, whether in San Diego, El Paso, or other jurisdictions, that these walls do work. But regardless where we stand on that issue, I support the President's position. The President has made it very clear that he is not going to sign a bill that does not include border security with a wall, or an analogous vehicle to a wall. So if we keep coming back to the table, even with the best intentions, even with the best passions, even with the best hopes to help get the government open and running again and protect our borders--and I do believe Members on both sides of this aisle and in the other Chamber and, of course, in the White House want border security, want our country kept safe. The humanitarian crisis is outrageous. Women and children are being abused. Drugs are pouring in. But above all else, we need to secure our southern borders. We need to keep the American people safe. The cure lies in a compromise. The cure ought to come from this body and if our friends in the majority would see fit to put a sufficient number on the table as part of a compromise. Think of the boldness and courage of our President who stood up and basically said: I will come up with a cure for DACA, a solution on DACA. That is courage. That is leadership. That is boldness. And I think that is what the American people deserve. Let us, today, make a resolve that this great House, this great people's House, which I believe is closest to the people--we are elected every 2 years. Think about it. The fiscal year, Mr. Speaker, is going to end in September. We are going to be back replaying this same argument again, this same debate again in just a few weeks. Come up with a solution that we can all work with. That means a wall. That means other areas of border security. That means full funding of the government. Again, I close by saying to all of those who are working without pay, whether it is in our great Coast Guard, the TSA, the contractors who are hurting, I will continue to work hard to come to a compromise with my party, with my colleagues, to come to a conclusion to this national nightmare. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield as much time as she may wish to consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger), the ranking member on the full Appropriations Committee.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Members on both sides of the aisle can clearly show that today has been a day of speeches, of passion, and of good faith beliefs on both sides of the aisle. I want the American people to know that the people making these arguments on both sides of the aisle have bona fide ideas about how to get the government open, how to keep us safe, and how to move forward from this very difficult position. I was an attorney for 24 years in my prior profession, and in my closing arguments, oftentimes I would point to the facts that were most beneficial to my case and to my client. But there was a vehicle that came up while I was practicing; it was called mediation. Mediation was a way that the parties could come to the table and all get something and all give something in return. We have heard the same broken cure come from the majority since they became the majority. That cure--albeit in their view, their version of how to move forward--will not work. The practical constraints will require an agreement that the House, the Senate, and the White House all can agree on. That is the practical reality. We agree that the hardworking men and women of the Coast Guard, TSA, and contractors are suffering, and we have got to stop that suffering. But when we know that the vote today--which I will oppose with my vote on behalf of my constituents. When we know that that will not work, then we have got to come back to the table with something that will work. To continue to press for something that will not reopen the government and will not get our task done--and, again, I stress the fact that we are going to end this fiscal year in September of this year. In a few short weeks, when we move past this crisis, we are going to, in our respective subcommittees--and there are 12 on the great Appropriations Committee, including this great Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Ms. Roybal-Allard and I will be debating this again. Mr. Speaker, I thank her for her hard work in these difficult times. This is fraying on me, this is fraying on our friends in the majority, and this is fraying on our staffs and the American people. But the solution is clear: Give us--give the American people--funds for a border wall as part of an overall compromise to get border security, to get the government open, and, yes, to look at other ways to keep our southern border and the American people safe. So my ``no'' vote today is not a ``no'' vote just to say no. My ``no'' vote today is a statement to say to our friends in the majority, as well-intentioned as they may be--and I can stress to my colleagues that we on the minority side are well intentioned. It is not about good faith or bad faith; it is about bona fide differences. The American people elect us to lead. Our great Republic is not an easy way to govern, but, Mr. Speaker, I would submit it is the best way to govern. I know that it is hard right now for some people not getting a paycheck to understand, but in our great Republic, it takes two Houses of Congress. It takes an executive, the President, and, yes, it takes the Supreme Court as well. So, Mr. Speaker, I will close in opposition. I will close with the best intentions, and I just implore and I plead with my friends in the majority: Put something on the table that will fund border security, that will give us a wall, that will give us a barrier where it works, and we will open the government and keep the American people safe. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.J. Res. 28. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Granger for allowing me to speak and acknowledge my friend and colleague, the full chairwoman, Mrs. Lowey, on the other side of the aisle. I feel compelled, though, at this point in time to respond to the rhetoric from the majority leader. The majority leader, the gentleman and my friend from Maryland, is very articulate and he pleads his case, but as he is pleading his case, the cure is right in front of us. I am not going to banter around this Chamber with terms such as ``good faith'' and ``bad faith.'' We are all elected in our 435 districts around this country. I come from the great State of Tennessee, where the people want the wall, the people want border security, the people want our borders safe and secure. I realize that there are others in this body who perhaps don't want that, but we must remember this as we go through our rhetoric: We owe it to the American people to be precise. Now, allow me to be precise. In December, in this Chamber, in the 115th Congress, we offered legislation which would have avoided this government shutdown. And let me be specific. This is a partial government shutdown. I do agree with the distinguished gentleman from Maryland that no government shutdown is good, but to be honest, 76 percent of the government is open. Perhaps in other times when we have had government shutdowns and more of the government was closed, it gave us more of a catalyst, more of an impetus to come together and open it. But the fact is that 26 percent of the government is closed. The fact is that over 800,000 hardworking men and women and Members of this Chamber on both sides of the aisle-- so that the American people know the truth--many of whom, like myself, have suspended our pay. But I would argue that the gentleman from Maryland is wrong in one big basic area: We know that the cure that they are offering on the other side will not work. It is analogous to going to a doctor; it is analogous to basically saying, ``I have got a problem,'' and the doctor says, ``This won't cure you. This won't cure you. This won't cure you.'' They are coming back on the other side of the aisle, perhaps with passion, perhaps in good faith, but they are wrong. What I am asking for is both sides of the aisle, Mr. Speaker, as an appropriator--and there are appropriators sitting right over there, right over here. We are the committee that solves problems. But when we know that the problem will not be solved with the cure or the solution that is offered, you come back to the table and you come up with something that will work. The President of the United States is willing to talk. The President of the United States wants to see the government open, as do most American people, but the President of the United States and I want to make sure that our borders are safe and secure. Opioid addiction, drugs are pouring across our border. People are being abused. Children are being abused. We have got to stop this not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. We have got to come to the table with a new cure, a new solution, and, yes, a compromise, something that will work, that the House, the Senate, and the White House, two of our three respective branches of government, will support and get this government open. So I feel the pain of a partial government shutdown. It is wrong. The gentleman from Maryland is correct in that assertion. But I also know this: to offer a cure that will not work is wrong as well. The cure is to come to the table. The cure is to negotiate in good faith with something that will work. Mr. Speaker, I submit that we can get this government open; we can secure this border; and we all, as American Representatives, can serve the American people and keep our great American Republic safe. The poisonous rhetoric has got to stop; the partisan bickering has got to stop; and this great committee and this great House will get to work and start working on other issues to fund the government.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.J. Res. 27. I thank Ranking Member Granger for allowing me to speak on this very important issue, and I thank my distinguished colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Mrs. Lowey is a friend from New York. We have served together. Madam Speaker, this situation is frustrating. We have come to a place right now where I received a phone call last night from the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Schultz. We talked about the wonderful men and women who are serving so well and so hard and who are not going to get a paycheck because of this situation. We all want border security; I believe that. But I also believe that President Trump is right, that we need a wall, a barrier. I happen to represent the people of the Third District of Tennessee-- wonderful people, east Tennessee--and they tell me time and time again: Build a wall; have a border; keep us safe; but we also want the government open. And when I look at the polling data, when I look at the phone calls, it is high time that we get back to work, open the government, but keep us safe. In our districts, we all represent Republicans and Democrats and Independents. Hopefully, most of the people vote. But even people who pay their taxes who decide not to vote, they count on the American Representatives, our House, to work, and they count on the Senate. With all due respect, H.J. Res. 27 is dead on arrival in the United States Senate. We know that. The American people know that. The President knows that. We need a compromise on this wall issue right now that will satisfy security, that will keep the American people safe, and, yes, that will open the government. Compromise is not a dirty word in this scenario. It is what we need to do, and we need good faith. I am not alleging bad faith on anyone in this body. I am saying it is time to call a timeout and get back to work and do the people's business. They sent us here to govern. We need to govern. We need a wall. We need border security, and we need the government open. It is high time that we get there

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Salvation Army of Greater Chattanooga as they celebrate their 125th anniversary. This exceptional organization has been an integral part of the Hamilton County community, helping those in need with compassion and uplifting them during the most trying of times. The Salvation Army of Chattanooga opened its doors on March 16, 1893. Never pausing in their service to the community, the Salvation Army continued operations through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. For 125 years, members of the Salvation Army have worked to feed, clothe, and empower the great people of Tennessee's Third District. On a number of occasions, I can reflect on many fond memories with the Salvation Army. During the holiday season, I have had the honor of being kettle co-chairman with my wonderful wife of 32 years, Brenda-- today we are celebrating our 32nd wedding anniversary--to serve this outstanding organization and its wonderful people. As a matter of fact, my wonderful wife, Brenda, serves on the board of directors with several outstanding Chattanoogans. Regardless of the time of year, whenever I spend time at the Salvation Army on McCallie Avenue, I witness Tennesseans coming together to provide help, hope, and healing to one another. That is the embodiment of the great Volunteer spirit. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Salvation Army of Greater Chattanooga on 125 years of service. I am sure they will continue to do the most good for residents of Hamilton and surrounding counties for many years to come.