Chuck Fleischmann

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, Taiwan will celebrate its 107th National Day on October 10. I would like to congratulate my Taiwanese friends on this important occasion. Taiwan has long been a trusted ally of the United States in the increasingly important Indo-Pacific region. We share many common values including the rule of law, democracy, a market economy, and a commitment to human rights. We can be certain that Taiwan's democracy and resulting development are an example to the entire Indo-Pacific region. We can also be certain that the United States, Taiwan, and all of our other like-minded partners can work together to strengthen the rules-based fabric of this region. Lastly, we can be certain that the United States' commitment to the security and democracy of the Taiwanese people has never been stronger. Taiwan is currently the 11th largest trading partner of the United States and one of the largest export markets for the great state of Tennessee in Asia. The United States is Taiwan's second largest trading partner. Based on these figures and through our continuing hard work, I am confident that our ties will only grow stronger over time. I wish our Taiwanese friends a wonderful 107th National Day and a fruitful year ahead.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Construction of the Y-12 plant in 1943 was a vital step in winning World War II, and 75 years later, Y-12 and the NNSA still play an essential role in protecting our nation. Today, Y-12 not only helps to maintain the nation's nuclear deterrent, but provides fuel stock for the United States nuclear navy, retrieves and stores vulnerable nuclear material from around the world, and supports other essential government missions. The Y-12 National Security Complex is an integral part of the fabric of its community and of the greater East Tennessee region. It is a powerful economic driver, with more than 6,000 full-time contractors, subcontractors, and federal employees working at the site. In addition to being a key component of the region's economy, Y-12 gives back to the Oak Ridge community, providing more than $400,000 annually to area nonprofits and educational institutions. On Y-12's 75th anniversary, we reflect not only on its great history, but look to its bright future. The Uranium Processing Facility, a $6.5 billion dollar project, will transform the site by replacing outdated, legacy facilities, and during construction, create thousands of jobs and have a positive economic impact on the region. Through collaborations with labor organizations, colleges, universities, and schools, the Y-12's lead contractor, Consolidated Nuclear Security, encourages students to consider careers in trades and crafts, as well as engineering and other technical fields. Seventy five years ago, the men and women of the Y-12 plant worked tirelessly to protect our national interests and help us win World War II, and generations on they continue to serve their nation and their community. The 75th anniversary of the Y-12 National Security Complex is an occasion to reflect on this proud history and celebrate the people of the complex for their contributions.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 5895. But before I do that, I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for his tremendous hard work and efforts and also the ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for her hard work on this bill as well. Mr. Chair, this bill combines the appropriation bills for Energy and Water Development, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch. As the vice chairman of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, I am especially proud to support this bill, which reflects the hard work of the subcommittee members and staff under the leadership of Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur. This bill provides robust funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration to maintain the safety and readiness of our Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, addresses aging infrastructure in our weapons complex facilities, and supports current and future missions of our great nuclear Navy. Another issue that is near and dear to me is nuclear cleanup, as both Y-12 and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have significant ongoing cleanup missions. As the chairman of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, I know that addressing the legacy of the Cold War in communities around the Nation is a vital Federal commitment. This bill provides the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management with the funding it needs to continue to live up to this commitment. I am also pleased with the strong support in this bill for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. Notably, this bill supports continued investment in the area of supercomputing and supports the Department of Energy's goal to deploy a first-in-the-world exascale supercomputer. Much of that critical research will take place at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. There is also continued support for Oak Ridge National Laboratory's high-flux neutron sources, which enable novel scientific research into the fundamental nature of matter that can be formed nowhere else in the world. Funding in this bill provides critical infrastructure for our waterways, which is essential to our economy. Mr. Chair, I will close by reiterating my full, strong support for this bill and encouraging all of my colleagues to support this bill and support the incredibly important national priorities that it funds.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to the House FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. I wish to thank the distinguished chairman of the committee, Mr. Shuster, and the ranking member, Mr. DeFazio, for the opportunity to offer this amendment. My amendment supports our Nation's more than 5,000 general aviation airports by providing a commonsense solution to reduce the cost and construction time for critical pavement projects, while maintaining the highest level of safety and quality. Our general aviation airports provide critical access, vital emergency and medical services, economic activity, and many other important services, as vital lifelines, especially in rural areas. However, the cost of building and maintaining runways at general aviation airports has become unnecessarily burdensome and costly, due to outdated pavement specification requirements that the FAA recognizes can and should be updated. As such, in consultation with key industry groups and agencies, I have introduced this amendment to address this issue. Among many other things, this reform will better equip our dedicated network of State aviation officials, airports, and other good personnel, working on the front lines in maintaining and improving our Nation's airports. This amendment will allow them to undertake more projects efficiently and safely, with commonsense savings that frees up additional funding for other critical projects. More specifically, after extensive field testing that has provided concrete evidence that States can and have utilized alternative pavement mixes, procured more conveniently and cost-effectively from local businesses on critical runway projects to safely maintain our Nation's runway systems of general aviation airports. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully urge adoption of this amendment.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening on behalf of some of my greatest constituents, Oak Ridge High School, in the Third District of Tennessee. The Department of Energy created the National Science Bowl in 1991. This is one of the most prestigious competitions in math and science for our high school and middle school students. Oak Ridge High School is the only high school in the great State of Tennessee to participate in the finals this year that will take place this weekend. I would like to announce that Joseph Andress, Henry Shen, Steven Qu, Melody Guo, and Batu Odbadrakh are our outstanding students for Oak Ridge High School. Go Oak Ridge. Go National Science Bowl. Go America.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and the ranking member. I appreciate the great opportunity to address the House today. Mr. Speaker, I have spent a lot of time in this Chamber over the past 8 years, sometimes in sorrow when we have come together as a nation, sometimes in celebration, a lot of highs and lows, but tonight is a very special night as I offer the Eastern Band Cherokee Historic Lands Reacquisition Act. It is special for a lot of reasons, because in my district, I represent an east Tennessee district of 11 wonderful counties, outstanding people, but I received a contact years ago from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and they came to me, and they said: Congressman, will you please help us with a situation, with a problem, with a promise that was made and a promise that was unfulfilled to us? So I sat down with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. They are from North Carolina, a sister State to Tennessee. They told me the story. And, of course, we know the story of the Trail of Tears, where over 15,000 Cherokee were forcibly removed from their home in east Tennessee out West. Some avoided capture and stayed in this area, and they remain today. Some came back from the West and now are in a vibrant community in North Carolina. But the sadness of this broken promise, another broken promise to our Native Americans, was something that was staggering, because there is a place called Tanasi, T-A-N-A-S-I. Sound familiar? That is what the great State of Tennessee, that area I represent, was named after, but this was the Cherokee capital in Monroe County, the area I represent today. Well, they were promised, a long time ago and a short time ago, that they would have the return of these 76 key acres. It is amazing. Even today, as I have fought for our Native Americans in our great State of Tennessee, we had to overcome stereotypes. People said: Oh, gosh, they want to have a casino. We said: No. This is a return of their sacred homeland over their sacred capital. So in this legislation, there is a no-gaming provision. This should be something that Members on both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, embrace as a matter of civil liberties, as a matter of doing the right thing, as a matter of keeping our broken promises made for a change. What are we going to do with this land? We are going to honor Sequoia, as we do in this great capital, we are going to honor Cherokee culture. What is great about this bill is our surrounding counties in Monroe County, where this exists, in McMinn County, in Polk County, counties I represent, the local people want this. They want to bring the Cherokee back and honor the Cherokee. Can this undo the foils of history that happened to the Cherokee? No, it cannot. But this bill, in some meaningful way, can restore the Cherokee homeland to them, their capital to them. This is something I think all Americans can and should embrace. In this great people's House in which we all serve, this is something that we all can vote for and all embrace. Keep this broken promise that was long overdue, honor Cherokee tradition, and do something that is really right for all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what we have done, embrace this bill, embrace this opportunity, and honor a great tradition in America, the Cherokee Nation. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of this aisle, I thank my constituents at home for the privilege of representing the great State of Tennessee, and I thank my friends in the Cherokee Nation for asking that Tanasi be brought home where it belongs.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to be before the House of Representatives this evening, and I want to thank Chairman Shimkus. When I came to Congress in 2011, I didn't know many people, and one night I had the privilege of meeting John Shimkus from the great State of Illinois. I told him I was from Tennessee, and we started talking. And right away we talked about Yucca Mountain. We talked about nuclear waste, and I told him that I was going to be representing a very special place: Oak Ridge, Tennessee. So let me start by thanking Chairman John Shimkus. He has been the hero for the Yucca Mountain project. He has worked tirelessly. He has seen this through the courts. He has seen it through the House. He has worked so hard. I thank him for his efforts. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, it is a beautiful place. I represent the Third District of Tennessee: Oak Ridge, where we had the Manhattan Project, where we won World War II; Oak Ridge, where we won the Cold War; Oak Ridge, where we have worked tirelessly to build our Nation's nuclear arsenal, and today we are still advocating to do that, to keep America strong--great men and women. But Oak Ridge, like many other places around the Nation--Savannah River, Portsmouth, Hanford--years ago, ladies and gentlemen, when we manufactured our nuclear weapons, we were not as safe and secure as we are today. There was an immediacy. There was a need during World War II to get the bomb built, and we did it in Oak Ridge, and it ended World War II. But for years thereafter, we were not as safe at many of these venues. What does that mean? That means that legacy wastes were left in communities: sometimes in the soil, sometimes in the water, sometimes in facilities. And what that means is that the Federal Government has a duty to these communities to clean this waste up. And this waste has to go somewhere. Now, Chairman Shimkus, and we have heard from Chairman Walden--for those of you who are listening tonight, they are authorizers. They authorize the law. I sit on the Appropriations Committee. That is the committee in Congress that authorizes the spending for this. I am the chairman of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus. That is how passionate I am about cleaning up nuclear waste not only in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Savannah River; or Hanford, but all over these great United States, because we owe this to the American people. The Federal Government caused this problem; the Federal Government needs to clean this up. It is the ultimate, I think, in environmental advocacy. This is something that Republicans and Democrats, Members of the House and Members of the Senate, usually agree upon; and we have worked together in this very important caucus. Why is it important that we pass the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017? Because, first of all, we owe it to the American people. The Department of Energy does a good job in cleanup, but this will revise their programs. It will give what Congress should do, give direction to a Federal agency. So, as we advocate for dollars to clean up the nuclear waste, we need this key authorization bill to give it structure, to give it purpose. So, in the end, Yucca is critically important--critically important. And I know the people in these affected communities want Yucca Mountain. That is the interesting thing about it. They want it because they realize it is critically important that we store the waste there: it is important for America; it is important for our environment; it is important to these communities; and it is long overdue. So I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to please work to support H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017, and I thank Chairman Shimkus.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 95, and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their advocacy in this regard. We need a strong public-private partnership to address computer science education in this country. I want to talk about a school in my district, Howard High School. The great Reggie White went there. It is a school that I proudly adorned the hat when we played baseball. It is an inner city school. I went there this year, as I also did at Barger Elementary in Chattanooga-- inner city schools. The students have a great desire for computer science literacy. They actually taught me to code. I am basically computer science illiterate. I use pads and the like, and that is okay. But we know that the jobs of the future--no, the jobs of today--are not being filled due to a lack of skill. It is projected that, by 2020, we are going to have about 1 million unfilled jobs that require computer science education. We are filling about 10 percent--only 10 percent of them. What does that mean? I am a champion of workforce development, and I know my colleagues on both sides of the aisle champion workforce development. What does that mean? That means that we will have jobs to fill that we can't fill. For national defense, we will need computer science literacy. This is something that we have got tremendous bipartisan support for. I can say this: as a proud appropriator--to my friend from the other side of the aisle--as a proud appropriator and a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee on Appropriations, I am committed to that funding. We actually have language this year in that bill. So let us all come together, I would say in not only a bipartisan and nonpartisan way, to support computer science literacy. The private sector is there, the public sector will step up, and America's children in K-12 will be the beneficiaries. It will truly make America a greater and stronger place.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017. I wish to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia. Mr. Speaker, what we see today in my bill is what I think the American people want, Republicans and Democrats working together with good, commonsense legislation that makes sense and saves the American taxpayer's money. Let's face it: whether we are a family or a business, we have to manage our money in the private sector; and the Federal Government, for far too long, has been guilty of spending waste, fraud, and abuse. There have been so many problems, and the American people know it. When we go home and we talk with our constituents, they want us to be very good stewards of their money, and they deserve that. That is exactly what this bill does, and it does it in a way that does a lot of different things that I think is great. First of all, as my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have said, it incentivizes Federal employees to detect waste. We all know that government has a tendency, when they have a pool of money, to spend it, whether they need it or not. So if a Federal employee can go in there, find this problem out, tell the agency head, he or she now can get up to $20,000 of incentive pay. So we have incentivized fiscal responsibility in the Federal Government. That is great, and that is just good government. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, we look at the United States Constitution, and that is a document that our Founding Fathers gave us and is so important. Why is that so important with this bill? Because when that agency head goes to the President of the United States with this recommendation, the President of the United States has to come where? Back to the Congress, where he should have to come. When Congress looks at that recommendation from the President, Congress then can make the final determination. So we have fiscal responsibility, we have constitutional sanctity, and we have good government. Most of all, I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We have Republicans and Democrats working together, the way the American people want us to do, to be fiscally responsible. Mr. Speaker, I urge colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this good government bill.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish both the people of Taiwan and Americans celebrating Taiwan's National Day this October 10th a Happy Double Ten Day. In the decades preceding and following the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the United States and Taiwan have built a solid bond that cannot be broken--born out of our shared values and our cooperation with each other in times of crisis, and in times of advancement. During the years, this key ally in the Asia-Pacific has transformed itself into a multiparty democracy which is a significant contributor to the global economy and humanitarian assistance. This is chiefly due to the hard work of the 23.5 million people on Taiwan, who value education, science, and progress. Americans share these values, which is why we have also contributed to Taiwan's success not only through our support and friendship, but through the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, cornerstones of our relations with Taiwan. In 2016, Taiwan ranked as the United States' 10th largest trading partner and 7th largest export market for U.S. agricultural products. Moreover, Tennessee's exports to Taiwan reached $265.19 million in the same year. Taiwan is Tennessee's 7th largest export market in Asia. Tennessee companies have substantial opportunities to expand their business and cooperation with Taiwan. I will, together with Taiwan, work to find areas where we can partner to our mutual benefit. This is a day to celebrate, and to be optimistic. I ask my colleagues to join me in recommitting ourselves to the U.S.-Taiwan relationship, and in wishing Taiwan a Happy Double Ten Day.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Dr. Thom Mason, who has served as the director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 10 years. Thom joined ORNL in 1998 as a condensed matter physicist, and quickly demonstrated his talents as a visionary scientific leader. He led the completion of the one-of-a-kind Spallation Neutron Source, which has provided a decade of exceptional research. When promoted to lab director, Thom led ORNL to many other successes: the development of two supercomputers which at different times ranked as the most powerful in the world; and ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, which is revitalizing American manufacturing. Thom served our community as chairman of the Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, leading the multimillion-dollar expansion of Oak Ridge High School; and as chairman of Innovation Valley, a regional economic development partnership. Thank you, Dr. Thom Mason, for many years of dedicated service to the great State of Tennessee and our Nation.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because ObamaCare has failed the American people; and one of its biggest failures is that, instead of lowering costs, healthcare prices have increased. Americans are paying more for coverage, and families are hurting. In my State of Tennessee, premiums are rising by an average of 63 percent. Why pay so much for health insurance if you still can't afford to see a doctor? It puts us right back where we started. And no one--no one--thought the status quo before ObamaCare was good enough. I am glad to see the American Health Care Act was released, and I look forward to working on specific legislative details with my colleagues so that we can finally fix our broken healthcare system.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise to offer a moment of silence. On November 21, while many of us were preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, tragedy once again struck my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Woodmore Elementary School is a beautiful elementary school; young, vibrant children, all so precious. There was a tragic schoolbus crash that happened that day in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The crash took the lives of six young children: Keonte Wilson, Cor'Dayja Jones, Zyaira Mateen, D'Myunn Brown, Zoie Nash, and Zyanna Harris. In addition, several other children were severely injured. Many are still in critical condition. I know I can speak for all of us, including my dear friends who have joined me from the Tennessee delegation, when I say that we are absolutely heartbroken over this horrific tragedy. Nothing I can say tonight can diminish the gravity of the loss that our community has suffered. But I must thank the first responders, the Chattanooga Police Department, the local officials, and especially the staff, the doctors at Children's Hospital at Erlanger, for their immediate and compassionate response to this tragedy. My brothers and sisters in the House, I went with our Governor to see the care and treatment that these children were getting. One young lady about to go up to surgery gave me the thumbs up. At a time of such tragic loss, these precious lives were lost, and so many are forever hurt. Please join me now in a moment of silence for the victims, for their families, and for our Chattanooga community.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and work of Father Patrick Ryan. Father Ryan, the pastor of Saints Peter and Paul's parish in Chattanooga from 1872 to 1878, was a shepherd who gave his life in ministering to his flock. He died a martyr's death in the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 when he was only 33 years old. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment in the Chattanooga community was the opening of Notre Dame Academy, under the direction of the Dominican Sisters, which is the oldest private school in the city. The school had been in operation for little more than 2 years when it had to be converted into a hospital and orphanage because of the terrible yellow fever scourge in the city. Although many people left the city as the disease spread, Father Ryan and Jonathan W. Bachman, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, were among the 1,800 people remaining in the city. They were good friends, and when Father Ryan was stricken, he was visited by Dr. Bachman. Father Ryan is described by an eyewitness as ``going from house to house in the worst infected section of the city to find what he could do for the sick and needy.'' He continued ministering to his flock, after he himself had contracted the dreaded disease, to within 48 hours of his death. In 1901, when the Chattanooga Council of the Knights of Columbus was organized, it was named the Father Patrick Ryan Council in honor of the priest who, by his high ideals, his devotion to duty, his spirit of sacrifice for his congregation and his city, seemed to exemplify the aims and purposes of the new order. Several letters have been written in support of the cause of beatification and canonization of Father Patrick Ryan, including the Notarial Act of the Bishop of Knoxville, the Most Reverend Richard Stika; the letter naming Reverend J. David Carter as Episcopal Delegate and Promoter of Justice for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization; and a letter naming Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano as Vice Postulator for the Cause of Beatification and Canonization. I believe it is most appropriate to honor a man who sacrificed himself to provide comfort to the people in Chattanooga who were afflicted with yellow fever so long ago.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation that my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Price, has sponsored in this House. On that fateful day, July 16, 2015, five great American heroes lost their lives: Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan, Staff Sergeant David Wyatt, Sergeant Carson Holmquist, Petty Officer Second Class Randall Smith, and, yes, another great hero, Lance Corporal Skip Wells. I am honored to stand in the well of this House, as I was when I came here after those attacks, and I want all Americans to know and understand the love and support that not only Chattanooga and the great State of Tennessee--my State--showed, but the great support shown in the people's House for those five fallen heroes. Lance Corporal Skip Wells truly was and is an American hero. Think about that. He was a marine serving at the Naval and Marine Reserve Center. I had been there prior to these attacks. I have been there several times after these attacks. As a matter of fact, the Commandant of the great United States Marine Corps has visited there. General Miller has actually been to where we sustained this great loss of life. Those terrorist attacks that day on American soil in Chattanooga, Tennessee, took these five lives. Skip Wells stood proud as a marine and defended our great Nation that day. And yes, all five of these great service people were awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, as they should have been. But now, in some great way that we can, with Dr. Price's bill, we honor this great American marine and great American hero who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us so that we can serve in this House and so that we can remain the freest, greatest Nation that the world has ever seen. We will honor him and, hopefully, pass this bill on the naming of a post office. Yes, Dr. Price is right: this is just a small token of the debt that Chattanooga, Tennessee, and America, will always owe to Lance Corporal Squire ``Skip'' Wells.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the invaluable contributions of the towing and recovery industry in the United States, the Towing and Recovery Association of America, the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum, towing associations around the world, and the members of those towing associations, and to celebrate them. In 1916, Ernest Holmes built the first twin boom wrecker in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for use in his own garage and later agreed to build and sell the units to others; The first production wreckers were known as ``680's'' because they cost $680; In service to the United States, the Ernest Holmes Company supplied the W-45 military wrecker for use during World War II; In 1959, the Ernest Holmes Company patented its first tow sling and car dolly; In the early 1970's, Gerald Holmes built the first hydraulic towing equipment, an advancement in the industry; In 1995, the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum was established in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the birthplace of the tow truck; In 2003, the Museum, having outgrown its original home, moved to 3315 Broad Street in Chattanooga; In 2006, the Museum officially dedicated the Wall of the Fallen, the first monument in the industry to honor towing operators killed in the line of service; In the United States, there are more than 35,000 tow companies and hundreds of thousands of individuals employed in the towing industry, including tow truck operators, dispatchers, safety advisors, and owners; More than 1 tow truck operator is killed every 6 days assisting motorists on the roadways of the United States; Tow truck operators respond to nearly 15,000,000 accidents per year across the United States; Tow truck operators are an indispensable part of keeping the United States moving by keeping the highways of the United States clear and open for travel; Most highway crashes require assistance from tow truck operators; The people of the United States have a duty to drive safely and be courteous toward fellow motorists on the roadways as the people of the United States work together toward the common goal of reducing fatal accidents; The week of September 9 through September 16, 2016, would be an appropriate week to designate as ``National Towing Industry Awareness Week'' and recognize the 100th anniversary of the tow truck, and support the designation of ``National Towing Industry Awareness Week'', to be held in conjunction with the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum Induction Ceremony and the Wall of the Fallen Ceremony, each of which is held annually at the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and encourage the people of the United States to observe the move over and slow down laws in the United States.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment, and I thank the chairman for the opportunity to address that. Mr. Chair, I represent a wonderful area of east Tennessee. A lot of folks purchase manufactured homes. It is a great American industry. It is a booming industry. It is a good industry. But more important than that, that great industry is the great American Dream--that dream of home ownership. Manufactured homes offer an opportunity to men and women, many times, to purchase their first home. These are not the most affluent people in America. These are people who are pursuing the American Dream--or part of it--of home ownership. What this amendment seeks to do is unfortunate. That is why I oppose it. There is no more fervent opponent to the Dodd-Frank rule in this house than me, but it protects the Dodd-Frank provisions that were in the law. This does not violate Dodd-Frank. This is more of an indication of how a bad law spews more bad law. And what this does is it hurts those precious consumers, those poor Americans who are trying desperately to get credit. What it does, Mr. Chairman, is create a situation where, if someone is a loan originator or a salesman, it makes them subject to the constrictions of Dodd-Frank. This was never intended on its worst day--and there are many worst days of Dodd-Frank--to do this. I ask this House to reject the gentleman's amendment, uphold a great American industry--the manufactured home industry--but even more importantly, to uphold that special precious American Dream, that chance of home ownership.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the gentleman from Minnesota's amendment, and I thank the chairman for this time. Perhaps the only thing the gentleman from Minnesota and I agree on is that this amendment is akin to his first amendment which I vigorously opposed and I asked the House to oppose. Let me reiterate. The manufactured housing industry is a great American industry. The dream of owning a home is part of the American Dream. Manufactured housing offers an opportunity to those who are less affluent to get part of that American Dream, to buy a house. Now, what has happened--and again, Dodd-Frank itself, a law which, if I was in this House, I would have voted against. I wasn't here then, but I have vigorously opposed since then--Dodd-Frank actually allows what this gentleman is trying to oppose with his amendment. So as bad as this law is, and as bad as the law that has come from this very bad law is, and this amendment is indicative of that, I want to talk about what happens when we do this. This is a miscalculation in a formula by those proponents of the rules of Dodd-Frank, and what it does, it scares away lenders. It scares away those who want to give credit because it opens them up to liability. Therefore, what does it do? It squeezes the poor American consumer and deprives them of the opportunity to get credit; therefore, it deprives them of the opportunity to get a home; therefore, it deprives them of a part of the American Dream. If the gentleman would listen to me, I have seen this. Who will profit? Those who are vultures, who actually have capital, who have cash, who are liquid. When these mobile homes now will not sell, there will be a glut on the market, and what will happen? They will swoop in, and those people who want to see their precious home, their first home, appreciate in value, now it will depreciate in value, and they will be harmed. This is a perfect example of government overreach. Dodd-Frank is a bad law, and this is an attempt to try to construe Dodd-Frank with CFPB rules that are detrimental to the American consumer. So do not let it hurt the American Dream. Do not let it hurt this great American industry. I respectfully urge a ``no'' vote on this gentleman's amendment.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act. I want to thank the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Chairman McCaul; Mr. Katko; and Mr. Loudermilk for joining the legislation that I promoted and we passed in this House by a large bipartisan majority. Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago, a strong bipartisan group of Members passed my legislation, H.R. 4820, the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act. It is hard to believe that almost a year has passed since the horrific shootings at two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, my hometown and the town in which I proudly represent those great people in the United States House of Representatives. As many may remember, four marines and one sailor were killed in the attack while several others were wounded. Just this past December, following the FBI investigation, Director James Comey concluded that the shootings ``were motivated by foreign terrorist organization propaganda.'' We have seen this pattern repeat in the evil attack in Orlando as well as the attacks in San Bernardino, Paris, and Brussels. We need to use every tool in our toolbox to combat Islamic extremism. The Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act section of the bill implements one key recommendation made by the Homeland Security Committee's bipartisan task force specifically designed to counter terrorist and foreign fighter travel. While it doesn't forbid DHS from countering all forms of extremism, the bill does provide examples of how DHS can fulfill the requirement, such as counter-messaging foreign terrorist organizations that are actively recruiting in our country at an alarming rate. This bipartisan legislation requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to amplify testimonials of former extremists and defectors to fight the propaganda and recruitment of terrorist groups like ISIS. Foreign terrorists are using technology to radicalize Americans at a troubling pace that continues to increase. We must combat this. More than 250 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to fight with jihadists in Syria and Iraq, and the FBI states that there are open counterterrorism investigations in all 50 States, mostly ISIS- related. Many of these individuals were pulled in by terrorist propaganda. ISIS is luring Americans with false promises that do not reflect true reality on the ground in places like Syria and Iraq. The true reality centers on fear, suffering, and the murder of innocent people throughout the region and around the world. Several recent defectors from ISIS have admitted that joining the group was a terrible mistake. One young fighter said that he found it very hard to live in the region and no longer believes the group represents the religion. I must state that we must do all we can to amplify the messages from these disillusioned terrorists. We are doing this with the State Department. We need to pass this bundle of bills. We need to come together, Mr. Speaker, as Americans to fight radical Islamic terrorism now. The American people deserve no less.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor this year's inductees to the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. Tennessee has a long history in the radio broadcast industry, dating back to the early 1920s. It has since grown to nearly 450 stations which, collectively, reach almost 7 million people. Tennessee's radio outlets have served as a shining example, providing a consistent source of quality information, while never forgetting the core reason for their existence, which is to serve our growing communities. In light of that, I would like to take a moment to recognize this year's Radio Hall of Fame inductees--Harry Chapman; Warren Medley; Dave Overton; Aaron Robinson, Sr.; Charlie Scott; and Cal Young, Jr.--all of whom, collectively, made decades of significant broadcast contributions prior to their death. In addition, I would like to recognize Maxine Humphreys, Cathy Martindale, and Bart Walker. Also, I would like to highlight those from my district in Chattanooga--Chattanooga's very own Billy Joe Poindexter of WUSY, US 101; Keith Landecker of Power 94; Earl Freudenberg of WDYN AM 980; and station of the year, WUSY, US 101--all of whom continue to make significant contributions to the radio industry. On a personal note, when I was a lawyer in my district, I had a radio show. During that time, I had the privilege of working with Earl Freudenberg on the Dynamo of Dixie on AM 1310. I learned much from Earl during that time, and I am proud to call him a friend. Needless to say, I enjoyed my radio years in the Chattanooga community immensely. Again, I would like to congratulate this year's Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame inductees.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill, H.R. 4820, the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act. I wish to thank Chairman McCaul and the members of the Homeland Security Committee for all of their hard work on this bill. I will never forget the moment back in July--I was standing on this floor--when I was told about the shootings at two military installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the town in which I live and proudly represent. As many of you may remember, four marines and one sailor were killed in the attack while several others were wounded. Just this past December, following the FBI investigation, Director James Comey concluded that the shootings ``were motivated by foreign terrorist organization propaganda.'' Given the recent attacks in Chattanooga and San Bernardino, as well as in Paris and Brussels, we need to use every tool in the toolbox to combat this new brand of extremism. This bill implements one of the key recommendations made by the Homeland Security Committee's bipartisan task force, one that is specifically designed to counter terrorism and foreign fighter travel. This bill does not forbid DHS from countering all forms of extremism, but the bill does provide examples of how DHS can fulfill the requirement, such as counter-messaging foreign terrorist organizations, which are actively recruiting in our country at an alarming rate. This bipartisan legislation requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to amplify the testimonials of former extremists and defectors to fight the propaganda and the recruitment of terrorist groups like ISIS. Foreign terrorists are using technology to radicalize Americans at a troubling pace, which continues to increase. More than 250 Americans have traveled or have attempted to travel to fight with jihadists in Syria and Iraq, and the FBI says there are open counterterrorism investigations in all 50 States, mostly ISIS related. Many of these individuals were pulled in by terrorist propaganda. ISIS is luring Americans with empty and false promises that do not reflect the true reality on the ground in places like Syria and Iraq. The true reality centers on fear, suffering, and the murder of innocent people throughout the region and around the world. Several recent defectors from ISIS have admitted that joining the group was a terrible mistake. One young fighter said he found it very hard to live there and no longer believes the group represents their religion. We need to do all we can to amplify the messages from these disillusioned terrorists who have firsthand experience with the evil and hypocrisy of these extremist groups. The State Department and many of our key allies already utilize the testimony of those disaffected by the true reality of these terror groups, and the concept was also endorsed by the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Advisory Council last spring. Unfortunately, there may be partisan opposition to this bipartisan bill. The majority of the Homeland Security committee members, on both sides of the aisle, supported the bill in committee. I will say it again: this bill received a majority of votes from both sides of the aisle in committee. Let's not put partisanship ever ahead of our Nation's security. This is a commonsense measure to hinder those recruiting efforts of groups like ISIS with the testimony of those who have seen the evil of these groups firsthand. I urge the support of my colleagues.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, on April 10th, the United States and Taiwan celebrated the 37th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). This U.S. law, passed in 1979, codifies the enduring strength of the relationship between our two great peoples. Taiwan is one of America's oldest and most dependable partners in Asia. The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is based on our shared values and our common interest in stability and prosperity in East Asia. Taiwan is a young democracy, but its people have built a prosperous and free society with strong institutions, worthy of emulation and envy. I would also like to highlight that U.S.-Taiwan relations have been at its best since 1979, not only demonstrated at the government-to- government level, but also in grassroot and people-to-people connection. Just take our bilateral trade for example. Seven years ago this island of 23 million people was our 15th largest export partner. Now, Taiwan has grown to become our 9th largest overall trading partner and our 7th largest destination for agricultural exports. Also, Taiwan is the 5th largest export market for Asia in my home state of Tennessee. Moreover, Taiwan participated in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in 2012. As a result, travel for business and pleasure from Taiwan to the United States jumped 35 percent in 2013 alone. With these robust and strong connections, I am not surprised that in the past three years there were 40 state legislative chambers that passed resolutions in support of our close relationship with Taiwan. I am proud that Tennessee was one of them and has the sister-state relationship with Taiwan. As our focus on the Asia-Pacific increases, we will maintain our commitment to TRA and continue to support Taiwan's freedom, democracy, and economic prosperity.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to echo the remarks of Speaker Paul Ryan. We must protect the sanctity of the lives of the unborn. The Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell is a landmark case that rightfully challenges ObamaCare's unconstitutional contraceptive mandate. I wholeheartedly agree with the Little Sisters of the Poor and believe that life begins at conception. Mother Teresa once said: ``I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child--a direct killing of the innocent child--murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?'' The unborn are the most innocent and vulnerable members of our society. The Constitution already protects life, and I have sworn to uphold that Constitution. I will continue to serve all east Tennesseans by consistently voting for life.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. I thank my colleague, Mr. Collins from the great State of Georgia--our sister State right to the south of us. Mr. Speaker, I represent the great State of Tennessee, as the gentleman alluded to--the great city of Chattanooga and the ``Chattanooga Choo Choo,'' a great song.

Mr. FLEISCHMANN. I came to Congress, and some very creative people came to see me. We get a lot of visits up here in Congress. Folks from all over the country come to see us. I got a knock at the door one day, and there were some songwriters. They were very talented men and women. What do they do? They write and perform songs. I was just so impressed. These are creative entrepreneurs, and some of the stories are outstanding. One gentleman came to see me, and he said: One day years ago, a long time ago, I wrote a song and went in and saw the great Johnny Cash. He liked my song, and he played my song. It went well, and that was his claim to fame. Another gentleman came in, and he mentioned a song. He said: I wrote that and played it for a fellow by the name of Frank Sinatra. Now, I remember those two great performers, but these were the folks who wrote the songs. This songwriter actually got to go and hear that recorded. Sinatra invited him, and it became a classic. I was surprised to learn, as my colleague from Georgia alluded to, of the Songwriter Equity Act, but there is some fundamental unfairness involved in the process, and I wanted to talk about that. Before I came to this great House, I practiced law for about 24 years in the city of Chattanooga. I loved practicing law, but when I was not practicing law, every once in a while, the judge wanted to go fishing, and he would let me preside as special judge. I really liked presiding over cases. As a matter of fact, I probably presided over several hundred cases over my legal career. I still keep a law license. But, as a judge, what did I hear? I heard evidence many times, and I want to refer to something that is very important in this whole debate. Right now, the way that the rates are set--and I want everyone who is watching this to understand this--fundamentally, the evidence cannot be considered by the judge in setting the rates for these performers. What I mean by that specifically is that these judges are not allowed by Federal law to consider sound recording royalty rates as relevant benchmarks when setting performance royalty rates for songwriters and composers. It is analogous to a judge who is hearing a case and saying: Well, I am not going to let you decide this, and that is not a good thing. These men and women come up every year. They play their songs, and they work very hard, and they want their share of the American Dream. Nashville is a great city. It is our capital city in the great State of Tennessee, and I love all of our State. I represent the Third District in east Tennessee: Chattanooga and Oak Ridge. Yet, when I travel to Nashville and when I see these men and women coming there, and there are literally hundreds of thousands of songwriters, what do they want? They want that one special song, or hopefully more, to click, for somebody to perform that. And when they do, they ought to be rewarded. We ought to be incentivizing this because these are creative people, these are entrepreneurs. So it is my privilege to join the distinguished gentleman from Georgia who has this Songwriter Equity Act with, I believe, all of my colleagues from Tennessee. I want the American people to take a look at this. I urge Congress to take a look at this. This shouldn't be an issue about Republican or Democrat. This is an issue about giving these songwriters a fair shake.