Bill Flores

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2481, as amended, and I thank Chairman Miller for allowing me to express my support for this bill today. This bill contains the original text of the Veterans GI Bill Enrollment Clarification Act of 2013, which I introduced in June, as well as the collective work of the subcommittee that I am honored to chair, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. I want to thank the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Mr. Takano, as well as Chairman Miller and ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Michaud, for bringing this bill to the floor. Finally, I also thank the other members of the committee who authored the provisions that are included in this bill for their thoughtful legislation. Mr. Speaker, sections 4 and 5, originally authored by Chairman Miller, would authorize using existing VA resources for the creation of a fourth administration at VA, which will improve oversight over VA's education, vocational rehabilitation, and home loan programs, and the Center for Veterans Enterprise. Too often, these programs are overshadowed by VA's efforts to reduce the disability claims backlog, and I am hopeful that this new fourth administration will streamline oversight over these important VA programs that will help veterans reach economic success. Section 6 includes Mr. Cook's bill that would extend the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, which provides grant funding for job training services for homeless veterans. Section 7 includes a bill authored by our late colleague, Mr. Young of Florida. This section would modify the Fry Scholarship program to include the children of certain veterans who die within 31 days of discharge from a service-connected cause. This is an issue that I know Mr. Young was personally passionate about, and I am thankful that we are able to include it in this bill that is being considered today. Section 8 includes the original text of my bill, H.R. 2481, that would clarify the process to assist veterans in choosing the best GI Bill benefit to meet their unique education needs. I believe that, by making this one small change, we can reduce veterans' wait times and streamline their use of the benefits that they have earned. Section 9 reflects a bill introduced by Mr. Calvert and cosponsored by Mr. Takano to streamline the reporting of student data by college consortiums. Section 10 would extend several existing VA loan guarantee funding fees to provide CutGo funding offsets for the costs of the bill. Sections 11 and 12 contain the provisions of Mr. Cummings' bill to expand several mortgage foreclosure and refinancing-related protections and rights in the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to surviving spouses and Active Duty members. The section would also clarify refinancing options available for servicemembers, as well as penalties for violations of the SCRA law. I want to thank Mr. Cummings and his staff for working with us on this section over the past year. I believe these provisions would go a long way in protecting servicemembers and their families. The final section would amend SCRA to protect child custody agreements of servicemembers while they are deployed. This provision, sponsored by Mr. Turner, has passed the House multiple times in the last few Congresses, and it is designed to ensure that military service doesn't impact existing child custody agreements unless it is in the best interests of the child. Once again, I thank all of the Members for their thoughtful contributions to this bill, and I encourage its passage.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that addresses a burdensome executive order that will have vast impacts on both our ocean and inland economies. Executive Order 13547 was signed in 2010, and it requires that various bureaucracies essentially zone the ocean and the sources thereof. This means that a drop of rain that falls on your house could be subject to this overreaching policy because that precipitation will ultimately wind up in the ocean. The new policy guidelines under this executive order that were finalized in April of this year have the potential to change permitting criteria and regulatory requirements for a large number of economic sectors, including maritime shipping and inland river transportation. The Army Corps of Engineers is participating in at least one Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning regional team, requiring resources and staff time outside of their current statutory obligations and outside their current budgetary authority. Since the Corps has not specifically asked for funds for the purpose of implementing Executive Order 13547, then they are raiding existing accounts to fund these activities, thus adding to the current projects backlogs and misusing scarce taxpayer resources. Furthermore, the Senate WRDA bill includes a funding stream for regional planning bodies pursuant to the administration's National Ocean Policy, thereby creating a permanent slush fund to bankroll the implementation of their ocean-zoning initiative that has not even received congressional authorization. My amendment would prohibit the programs or actions authorized under WRRDA from being used to further implement ocean zoning under the executive order, and it further requires that the Secretary of the Army conduct and submit a study to Congress that details all of the activities engaged in and resources expended relating to the executive order and to the National Ocean Policy, as well as relevant FY 2014 budget requests. I want to thank the T&I Committee for its hard work on the WRRDA bill. I look forward to voting for the WRRDA bill, and I urge the approval of my amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FLORES. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, how much time does each side have remaining?

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, in closing, you have heard a lot of hyperbole about my amendment. My amendment is a simple amendment, and that is to stop an unconstitutional executive order that has been considered four times by Congress, including the 110th Congress and 111th Congress which were controlled by the other side. During none of those Congresses was the law that is now part of this executive order ever approved by those Congresses. This is the bureaucracy in this chart that has been created unconstitutionally by this executive order. Congress clearly doesn't intend to do that because it has studied this for four Congresses and elected not to. You also heard that there are shareholders that don't support what I propose to do in this amendment. Unfortunately, that is not true either. We have got everybody from farmers to energy to commercial fisheries to recreational fishing interests that support this amendment and are fully on the side of it. They have said that stakeholders came to Congress and said there were problems and that they wanted this executive order. That is not true, because we had a hearing in the 112th Congress and the stakeholders, I specifically asked them: Did any of you want the provisions that are included by this executive order? To an entity, they said, no, they didn't care for it. Also, I would like to say that this amendment has also passed four other times. In the 112th Congress, I added this amendment to the CJS appropriations bill for fiscal year 2013. It passed on a bipartisan basis, 246-174. I offered a similar amendment to the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act that passed by a bipartisan vote of 233-190. I also offered a related amendment to the FY 2014 Energy and Water appropriations bill that passed by a voice vote. This is a commonsense amendment. We are just saying, A, if Congress hasn't authorized this activity, and, B, if Congress hasn't appropriated any money for this activity, then this activity shouldn't take place. That is what the Constitution calls for. That is what this amendment does. With that, I would urge approval of the amendment and approval of the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Baylor University Professor David Guinn. Professor Guinn was recently named the 2013 Baylor Lawyer of the Year. Mr. Guinn serves as the Lyndon L. Olson and William A. Olson Professor of Local Government and Constitutional Law and Master Teacher at Baylor, where he has taught for nearly half-a- century. The Waco Campus refers to Professor Guinn as ``the Godfather,'' a tribute not only to his long tenure at the University, but also the wide influence he has had on state policy and generations of Baylor Lawyers. Professor Guinn attended Baylor University and majored in Political Science. He received his J.D. from Baylor School of Law in 1963. Following Law School, he worked for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for two years. He then attended the University of Michigan Law School where he received his LL.M. in International Law in 1966 and returned to his alma mater soon after. During his long tenure at Baylor Law, Professor Guinn has assisted in the drafting of the Texas Administrative Procedures Act and has served on numerous advisory bodies in the State Bar and on numerous committees at Baylor University. In addition to constitutional law, he teaches courses in the area of civil rights and local government. Professor Guinn has also been involved in the redistricting process at the state and local level. After the 2000 Census was released, he helped redistrict cities, counties, and school districts throughout Texas. Professor Guinn served as Faculty Representative to the Southwest and the Big XII athletic conferences from 1986-2001. He also served on the first Division I Management Council of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1997 and has continued to work with the athletic program since that time. Aside from his teaching and redistricting work, Professor Guinn spends time traveling, reading, and exercising. He estimates he has run 28,000 total miles, and currently averages 15 miles a week. Each year he travels to South Texas and Mexico with friends, colleagues, and former students to hunt pheasant and white-wing. Professor Guinn has two sons, David, Jr., and John, who graduated from Baylor Law School and a daughter, Catherine, who is a graduate of Baylor University.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1412. This bill extends many expiring authorities for needed veteran programs, and I am glad to see it on the floor today. I would like to specifically highlight two provisions that passed out of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, which I have the distinct honor of chairing. The first provision was originally proposed in Mr. Coffman's bill, H.R. 1402, which would extend the authority for VA to operate an adaptive sport program under an agreement with the U.S. Paralympic Committee. Mr. Speaker, under this agreement the U.S. Paralympic Committee provides grants to community based programs helping disabled veterans further their rehabilitation through adaptive sports. This is an important program for our wounded warriors. It not only helps with their rehabilitation, but more importantly, many would say it helps with their self-confidence and spirit. I am pleased to see that we are re-authorizing the program, and remain hopeful we can work with our Senate colleagues to pass a longer extension of this program in the near future. The second provision is a one year extension of the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program. This is a successful program that provides grant funding for job training to local veteran homeless providers. I was proud to be an original co-sponsor of Mr. Cook's original bill to reauthorize the program and I am pleased to see it is included in the bill before us today. I thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Michaud for their efforts to move this bill forward and I encourage all members to support the Senate amendment to H.R. 1412.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the delicate yet much-needed balance between our national security and the constitutionally protected liberties of our citizens. In order to maintain those liberties, I call for the immediate terminations of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Attorney General Eric Holder. To that extent, I am sending a letter to President Obama asking that he immediately call for their terminations and/or resignations. Mr. Speaker, I do believe that our Nation's surveillance programs have helped thwart terrorist attacks because of the NSA and FBI personnel that work on these security activities every day and who are working hard to comply with the law to protect our constitutional liberties and to keep America safe. In contrast to the efforts of those hardworking, law-abiding personnel, Americans have serious reservations about Attorney General Holder and DNI Clapper, who are ultimately responsible for the management of these programs. We remain gravely concerned about their lack of commitment to follow the law, to be forthright with the American people and with Congress, and their commitment to protect our constitutionally guaranteed liberties. Continued congressional oversight coupled with the terminations of Clapper and Holder will help restore trust in these important programs to fight terrorism without compromising our liberties or creating gaps in our intelligence structure. In addition, their removal may start the healing process to restore American trust in our Federal Government.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, on July 30, our Nation lost Ronnie Jackson, a community treasure of Bryan, Texas. Mr. Jackson was a long-time public servant in the role of Neighborhood and Youth Services Director for our city. Mr. Jackson passed away at the age of 63 after fighting lung cancer for 17 months. Mr. Jackson spent his life as an educator and worked tirelessly for many organizations, including the MHMR Authority of Brazos Valley, the Boys and Girls Club of Brazos Valley, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Brazos Valley. He also spent time volunteering at programs for youth, seniors, and in neighborhoods throughout the community. Mr. Jackson was recognized for his service when he was a 2010 national finalist for the Jefferson Award, which is the Nobel Prize for community and public service. He was well known in Bryan and impacted the lives of many throughout the community. Ever selfless, even while battling cancer, Mr. Jackson still made time to work and serve in his community. He was described by many as hardworking, devoted, and a kind man. In fact, Bryan City Secretary Mary Lynne Stratta said in a newspaper interview earlier this summer that Mr. Jackson was the heartbeat of the programs that he led. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mr. Ronnie Jackson. He will forever be remembered as an outstanding husband and a community servant. Bryan, Texas, and all of the Brazos Valley are a better community because of him. God bless his family and our community as we mourn his passing. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I ask that all Americans continue to pray for our country during these difficult times and for our military and first responders who protect us abroad and at home. Mr. Speaker, on July 26, our Nation lost a great American, Mr. George P. Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell was a revolutionary energy pioneer, philanthropist, and Texas A&M graduate, class of 1940. He was 94 years old and passed away on July 26, 2013. Mr. Mitchell was a native of Texas, born in Galveston, and later attended Texas A&M University, where he worked his way through school, studied petroleum engineering and geology, and graduated top of his class. Throughout his life, Mr. Mitchell upheld the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service. After attending Texas A&M University, Mr. Mitchell served as a captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He later built his own company, Mitchell Energy & Development, which was responsible for over 550 significant oil and gas discoveries. Mr. Mitchell led the way in the energy business with his groundbreaking innovations which contributed to the expanded application of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. In addition, he is the catalyst behind many significant improvements to these technologies for over three decades. He is the man behind this energy revolution we have today that is putting us on the path to energy security in America. In addition to his pioneering influence in the energy sector, Mr. Mitchell provided leadership in community development and service. He developed the Woodlands, a 27,000-acre community north of Houston. He used $50 million of his personal money to renovate landmarks in Galveston and founded the Houston Advanced Research Center, which is a nonprofit scientific and research facility. He has also benefited higher education through his family's gifts of tens of millions of dollars to our alma mater, Texas A&M University. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mr. George Mitchell. He will forever be remembered as an outstanding husband, outstanding father, an outstanding Texas Aggie, a Texas businessman, an American energy leader, and a community servant.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment which addresses another misguided and restrictive Federal regulation. Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act prohibits Federal agencies from entering into contracts for the procurement of fuels unless their lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions are less than or equal to emissions from an equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources. My amendment is simple. It would stop the government from enforcing this ban on agencies funded by the Department of Defense appropriations bill. As my good friend, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry), said a few minutes ago, the initial purpose of section 526 was to stifle the Defense Department's plans to buy and develop coal-based or coal-to- liquids jet fuel. We must ensure that our military has adequate fuel resources and that it can rely on domestic and more stable sources of fuel. One of the unintended consequences of section 526 is that it essentially forces the American military to acquire fuel refined from unstable, Middle East crude resources. I offered this amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 Homeland Security Appropriations Act and the Fiscal Year 2014 Energy and Water Appropriations Act, and they both passed on the floor of the House with strong bipartisan support. My friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway), also added similar language to the latest defense authorization bill to exempt the Defense Department from this burdensome regulation. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, as we said earlier, this amendment is a simple fix, and that fix is to not restrict our fuel choices based on bad policies or misguided regulations like those in section 526. Stopping the impact of section 526 will help us to promote American energy, grow the American economy, create American jobs, and become more energy secure. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I have enjoyed the debate tonight and I appreciate the comments of the gentleman. I would say this. This amendment does not do any of those things that he said it would. It does not prevent and does not restrict the ability of the Federal Government or the Department of Defense to purchase any alternative fuels--it does not restrict those--including biodiesel, ethanol, or other fuels from renewable resources. So it does not do any of those things that would prevent the flexibility of the Department of Defense in acquiring fuels. As a matter of fact, it helps the Department of Defense have more flexibility. With that, I urge my colleagues to support this a amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 3-month anniversary of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. This catastrophic event injured hundreds, took 15 lives, and cost tens of millions of dollars in damage. Since that tragic day, the State of Texas and the entire community of West have been working tirelessly to rebuild and to recover. FEMA originally denied Texas Governor Rick Perry's request for a major disaster declaration. Since then, the Governor has filed an appeal for the President to reconsider this decision. I am pleased to be joined by a substantial bipartisan majority of the Texas congressional delegation as we urge the President to support this appeal on behalf of the citizens of West and McLennan County. It is our hope that the President honors the commitment he made on April 25--to help the citizens of West recover, rebuild, and reclaim their community. We must help ease the burdens this community continues to face through the recovery process. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Americans keep the community of West in their prayers. God bless America.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FLORES. Madam Chairman, last year, the House adopted my bipartisan amendment that would prevent agencies under the FY 2013 CJS appropriations bill from imposing ocean zoning related to the Obama administration's National Ocean Policy under Executive Order 13547. Executive Order 13547 was signed in 2010 and requires that various bureaucracies essentially zone the ocean and the sources thereof. This essentially means that a drop of rain that falls on your house could be subject to this overreaching policy because that precipitation will ultimately wind up in the ocean. The Department of Energy is a part of the National Ocean Council established under this executive order that has been tasked to zone the oceans. Concerns have been raised by many groups that the National Ocean Policy will restrict ocean and inland activities. It is also worrisome that the administration has not made any requests for funds for this effort, nor has Congress ever appropriated money for this purpose. We have had hearings on this in the Natural Resources Committee, and no agency has told us from what source they're getting the funding for this initiative. So where is the money coming from? Are they raiding existing accounts and diverting already scarce dollars from existing statutory responsibilities? On this chart you can see the executive order creates a huge new bureaucracy at a time when we're trying to make the government smaller, more efficient, more accountable, and less intrusive. The next chart lists the 63 agencies that are involved in this effort to try to zone the oceans. This looks like much more than a planning exercise at this point. Let me say you're going to hear from the other side from time to time something that says that planning is good. Yes, planning may be good. Planning with the intent to in effect backdoor nonstatutory rulemaking is not good. And here's what the executive order states on its face. It says: All executive departments, agencies, and offices that are members of the council and any other executive department, agency, or office whose actions affect the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes shall, to the full extent consistent with applicable law, comply with Council-certified coastal and marine spatial plans. That sounds like rulemaking, to me, that has not been authorized by statute. It's important to note that ocean zoning was debated during the 108th, the 109th, the 110th, and the 111th Congresses, and each of those Congresses determined that this action was not necessary. This clearly indicates that Congress explicitly does not intend for the oceans to be zoned in the manner that the President is attempting to do. Thus, Executive Order 13547 has no specific statutory authority, and there have been no appropriations by Congress to pay for the cost of this new bureaucracy. My similar amendment earlier this year passed by a bipartisan vote of 233-190 to the offshore energy packaged we considered last month. This amendment was also adopted on a bipartisan basis as a part of the FY 2013 CJS appropriations bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FLORES. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FLORES. Madam Chair, I rise to offer an amendment which addresses another misguided and restrictive Federal regulation. Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act prohibits Federal agencies from entering into contracts for the procurement of fuels unless their lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions are less than or equal to emissions from an equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources. My simple amendment would stop the government from enforcing this ban on all Federal agencies funded by the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. The initial purpose of section 526 was to stifle the Defense Department's plans to buy and develop coal-based or coal-to-liquids jet fuel. This restriction was based on the opinion of some environmentalists that coal-based jet fuel might produce more greenhouse gas emissions than traditional petroleum. However, one of the unintended consequences of section 526 is that it essentially forces the American military to acquire fuel refined from unstable Middle East crude resources. Furthermore, section 526's ban on fuel choice now affects all Federal agencies, not just the Defense Department. This is why I'm offering this amendment again today to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The American military and our Federal agencies should not be burdened with wasting their time studying fuel restrictions when there's a simple fix. That fix is to not restrict Federal Government fuel choices based on unsound policies and misguided regulations like those in section 526. Section 526 also essentially makes our Nation more dependent on Middle East oil. Stopping the impact of section 526 will help us to promote American energy, grow the American economy, create American jobs, and become more energy secure. Madam Chair, it is also important to know what this amendment does not prevent and does not restrict. And it doesn't restrict or prevent the ability of the Federal Government from purchasing any alternative fuels, including biodiesel, ethanol, or other fuels from renewable resources. It places no restrictions whatsoever on those types of procurements. I offered this amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bills and several appropriations bills during the 112th Congress, and they all passed on the floor of the House with strong bipartisan support. My friend, Mr. Conaway, also added similar language to the latest defense authorization bill to exempt the Defense Department from this burdensome regulation. I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I claim time in opposition to the motion.

Mr. FLORES. I rise in strong opposition to this motion. This motion epitomizes what's wrong with Washington Democrats' energy and economic plan. Let's start with the obvious: the Great Lakes are not part of the Outer Continental Shelf. The second thing is current law already provides for offshore drilling to be done, using America's goods and service wherever practical. So their empty argument doesn't make any sense at all. But more importantly, Mr. Speaker, this week offers a true contrast between two visions for how to fuel our economy and to build manufacturing jobs. One vision was laid out by the President earlier this week. While we are currently in the midst of a transformation in the way we produce American energy cleanly, affordably, abundantly, and responsibly through the use of new and improving technology, how does the administration respond? By declaring a war on coal and picking winners and losers in energy production, both of which have been an assault on job creators, especially for American manufacturing. Even as we've been debating this bill, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have responded by attempting to drown offshore production with more regulations and declarations that make it more difficult to achieve energy independence by 2020, thus, killing tens of thousands of American jobs that could be created. But, Mr. Speaker, there is another vision of how we can energize America through the responsible production of our resources and create American jobs. That vision does not include ill-advised regulations that ignore the effects on the pocketbooks of hardworking American families. It does not include programs where political appointees and bureaucrats can decide who can and cannot produce energy at the expense of hardworking taxpayer dollars. And, most importantly, it does not include administrative attempts to implement a backdoor cap-and-trade regime to fulfill the President's original goal, where ``electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.'' This new vision, our vision, builds off what the private sector has done in revolutionizing how oil and can be produced. It takes stock of what laws this Congress has passed and the regulations this administration has promulgated, and then we ask ourselves? What can we do to make America truly energy independent? What can we do to make it easier for the job creators to actually create jobs that grow healthy American families? This House is working to achieve this vision now, offering solutions to take advantage of the innovative, job-creating, and cost-reducing energy resurgence that is going on across America to fuel the next generation of American manufacturing. We have passed hydropower bills out of this house. We passed the popular Keystone XL pipeline bill. Today, we will pass a bill for responsible offshore energy production. And this is just the beginning. This House, through the leadership of my good friend from Washington, Chairman Doc Hastings, will continue to bring bills through committee and to the House floor that will embrace American resources and that will get the government out of the way of producing them. By producing American energy, we are just starting. We must harness these same technological advances to achieve even greater economic opportunity and job creation through the distribution of this energy and, most importantly, creating an environment where we can start making things in America again. We know that the cost of energy is one of the most important factors that determine where plants are built and if jobs are created. So we know that cheaper energy means higher-paying American jobs. I often see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle on this floor with a big sign that says, ``Make It in America.'' We agree. So instead of standing next to a slogan or getting behind the same rhetoric as the President, I urge my colleagues to work toward a vision, a vision of jobs and energy security and a greater standard of living that all Americans are desperately seeking. This is how we really take action for our kids, as compared to the empty rhetoric of the White House. The American people want us to create results-oriented solutions of what America can do, not the tired liberal rhetoric of what America can't do. We will not sit idly by as the President lays down his vision of new regulations, producing uncertainty for American energy workers and American families that could stamp back our Nation's energy and economic revolution. Remember the results of the President's last energy plan: Number one, greatly reduced access to offshore areas and public lands; Number two, programs like Solyndra, where he ``invested'' $26 billion of money from hardworking taxpayers to produce only 2,300 jobs, at a cost of $11.5 million per job; Number three, the shutdown of 20 percent of our coal-fired electricity generation and the loss of paychecks for thousands of American families. His latest energy plan is more of the same types of action that he wants to do to destroy the futures of our kids and grandkids. Mr. Speaker, we will work toward energy security, and I urge a ``no'' vote on the motion to recommit and a ``yes'' vote on the underlying legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. I thank Mr. Gohmert for yielding to me for a very special few minutes. Mr. Speaker, on June 8, America lost Army Lieutenant Colonel Todd Clark in the war on terror. Lieutenant Colonel Clark was killed in action during an attack at an Army base in Afghanistan. Lieutenant Colonel Todd Clark was a native of New York, and he attended college in Texas. His father, Jack, was also an Army colonel. Todd was in Junior ROTC while in high school, and, upon graduation, he attended Texas A&M University, where he joined Company B-2 of the Corps of Cadets. At the time of his tragic death, he was a brigade level advisor for the 10th Mountain Division. During his Army career, he would serve on five separate deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During his 17 years of service to our country, Lieutenant Colonel Clark earned many awards and decorations, including the following: Three Bronze Star Medals; the Purple Heart; two Meritorious Service Medals; the Army Commendation with combat distinguishing device ``V''; four Army Commendation Medals; three Army Achievement Medals; the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal; the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; the Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star; two Afghanistan Campaign Medals with Bronze Service Star; four Iraq Campaign Medals with Bronze Service Star; the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; the Korea Defense Service Medal; the Army Service Ribbon; three Overseas Service Ribbons; the NATO Medal--Kosovo; the NATO Medal--Combat Action Badge; and the Basic Parachutist Badge. At the conclusion of his current tour, Lieutenant Colonel Clark's next assignment was to come back to Texas. He was thrilled to be chosen to be the executive officer, or essentially the second-in-command, of the Corps of Cadets' ROTC program at his alma mater, Texas A&M University. On Friday, June 21, Lieutenant Colonel Todd Clark was laid to rest at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Lieutenant Colonel Clark. He will forever be remembered as an outstanding soldier, husband, and father. We thank him and his family for their service and sacrifice for our country. His sacrifice reflects the words of Jesus in John 15:13, where Jesus said: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man will lay down his life for his friends. I ask that everyone remember to pray often for our country during these difficult times. Please pray for our military men and women who protect us from threats abroad, and please pray for our first responders who protect us from threats here at home. God bless our military men and women and God bless America. And I thank my good friend from Texas (Mr. Gohmert).

Mr. FLORES

Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.