Bob Goodlatte

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I believe nothing is more important to America's future than ensuring a high-quality education for our nation's children. In the 21st century, this includes encouraging student participation in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM. That's why I am proud to represent an excellent institution of learning like John C. Myers Elementary School in Broadway, Virginia, in the U.S. House of Representatives. John C. Myers is leading the country in promoting STEM education for young students with its STEM Lab known as Jake's Nest. In April 2018, John C. Myers was recognized at the International Technology and Engineering Educator Association's annual conference. The STEM program at John C. Myers was only one of 39 programs worldwide to earn the Program Excellence Award. This prestigious award is one of the highest honors given to technology and engineering education programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. I commend John C. Myers Elementary for inspiring children in the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia to take an interest in STEM. Together, the teachers, administrators, and staff have cultivated a unique place of learning for their students that engages them in innovative educational opportunities. As the need for students educated in STEM fields grows across both the Commonwealth of Virginia and the country, John C. Myers will continue to help prepare students to meet this demand. Congratulations to John C. Myers Elementary for this well- deserved honor. Go Jakes.

Mr. GOODLATTE

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

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 918, I call up the bill (H.R. 3249) to authorize the Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant Program, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 3249.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, gangs are a poison in America. They bring violence, drugs, and death. They paralyze our communities with flagrant acts of violence and flood our neighborhoods with drugs. Gangs tear apart families by prematurely taking the lives of sons, daughters, and parents. Unfortunately, today, some areas of our country have been overrun by gang violence. Homicide rates skyrocketed in St. Louis, Baltimore, and Chicago in 2016. Compared to the previous 5 years, 2016 represented a 15.8 percent increase in homicides in St. Louis, a 12.7 percent increase in Baltimore, and an 11.4 percent increase in Chicago. We must stand up to violent gangs and provide an antidote to their poison. H.R. 3249 is a vital part of the antidote. This legislation reforms and reauthorizes the Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program. This program operates under four key principles: partnerships, strategic planning, training, and outreach. First and foremost, the program brings all the important actors together. This legislation will foster and improve existing partnerships between Federal, State, and local agencies, community groups, and researchers. Strategic planning is the foundation of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Moreover, H.R. 3249 promotes the robust enforcement of existing criminal laws and the development of intervention and prevention programs, such as juvenile justice projects and activities, including street-level outreach, conflict mediation, and social services. Intervention and prevention programs provide extensive training and community outreach. Furthermore, in relying on localized and contemporaneous data, this bill strategically prioritizes a focus on individuals or organizations that are responsible for increasing violence in a particular geographic area. This legislation will ensure that 30 percent of Project Safe Neighborhoods funding is allocated to gang task forces in regions experiencing a significant or increased presence of violent crime, firearm offenses, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. As a result, critical resources, such as the deployment of law enforcement and funding, are put to their best use. Altogether, this legislation takes a balanced approach by combining enforcement with prevention to combat gang violence in our communities across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, the comprehensive, coordinated, and community-focused nature of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program will serve as a key part of the antidote to the poisonous effects gangs have on our country. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Virginia, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, for taking the lead on this important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock), the chief sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes. This legislation is intended to help our communities fight criminal gangs and the violence and mayhem they wreak, and the bill is not intended to target anyone because of their race or national origin.

Mr. GOODLATTE. If the gentlewoman will continue to yield, yes, I do. And I certainly support, at every level of government, making sure that we are doing what we can to intervene and get people headed in the right direction and avoiding some of those problems in the first place. And, certainly, some of that is contained within the programs that are funded by this legislation.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock).

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that I appreciate the bipartisan effort that has gone into passing this very important legislation which will now go to the President's desk for his signature, and will do a lot of good in fighting gang violence and helping young people steer toward a better future and a better life. Both of those things are the purpose of this legislation. I want to especially thank, again, the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Comstock) for her long-dedicated work to fighting gang violence and helping our young people have better opportunities for the future, not only in Virginia, but all across this country. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I was present on the floor during votes on May 23, 2018; however, I missed two votes in the series. I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 224 and NAY on Roll Call No. 225.

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, Woodrow ``Woody'' Pettus was a true Virginia gentleman. For 58 years, he worked at The Homestead, a historic resort nestled in the mountains of beautiful Bath County, Virginia. He was an institution there, known for his knack for remembering faces and names and always greeting guests and friends with a smile. Woody left this earthly life for his heavenly home on May 16, 2018, at the age of 77. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Ruby Alloway Pettus, as well as two children, Woodrow Houston Pettus and wife Helen, and Lisa Pettus Aguilar, and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and special family members. My prayers for peace and comfort are with them as they reflect on their loss and remember the memories they shared with Woody, affectionately known as ``Pa'' to some. Woody was born on March 28, 1941, to the late Walter Woodrow Pettus and Nellie Moats Pettus in Warm Springs, Virginia. He started caddying at The Homestead as a teenager, and instantly made an impression on guests and co-workers alike. While he loved the game of golf, he wanted something with more history and decided to move to the stables and work with his father who was one of the senior Livery Drivers. Woody eventually moved on to the Dining Room where he served in a variety of roles, including his most recent position of Maitre d'. In 2003, Golfstyles magazine recognized him as the Maitre d'Hotel of the Year. Last September, Historic Hotels of America honored him as Ambassador of the Year, which is presented to an individual who has dedicated his or her career to a historic hotel for at least 25 years and has shown exemplary hospitality and service to the hotel and its guests. Woody was one of five generations of Pettuses who have worked at The Homestead. He was also a member of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Warm Springs, where he was baptized as a youth. The Homestead is a special place for me and my family. Woody was a dear friend and always greeted my family warmly. He and I enjoyed catching up frequently over the years I know this is a sentiment widely shared as evidenced by the outpouring of support for him when his cancer diagnosis was announced and now in his passing. For many guests, the staff at The Homestead has become an extended family. The weekend of June 1st, his family, friends, and his beloved ``Homestead family'' will gather to celebrate his life and pay tribute to his long and vibrant legacy--rich with kindness and a dedication to serving others. It is only fitting that he be celebrated at the place that he loved so dearly by the people he built relationships with over the past six decades. Woody's presence will be dearly missed in the hallways and dining room of The Homestead, but certainly not forgotten. I know that I will long remember his kind smile and gentle demeanor, just like many others he met over the years. Woody was one in a million, and we are all better for having known him. He sums it up best himself. When asked what he loves most about what he does, Woody said, ``When I can look down the hall leading to the dining room and see some of my guests coming toward me, guests that I've known for years, coming back. That's when I know that my life has not been in vain.''

Mr. GOODLATTE

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chair, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 224 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 225. Amendment No. 19 Offered by Ms. Tenney

Mr. GOODLATTE

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

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5682) to provide for programs to help reduce the risk that prisoners will recidivate upon release from prison, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5682, the FIRST STEP Act. The bipartisan bill before us is a meaningful, historic criminal justice reform measure. The FIRST STEP Act places a new focus on rehabilitation. While we recognize criminal behavior needs to be punished and criminals need to be incarcerated, we must also acknowledge that our prison population needs to be rehabilitated to the greatest extent practicable. The bill establishes a risk and needs assessment as the basis of both an effective recidivism reduction program and an efficient and effective Federal prison system. The FIRST STEP Act will incentivize prisoners to participate in evidence-based recidivism reduction programs, productive activities, and jobs that will actually reduce their risk of recidivism. We know that over 90 percent of all prisoners within the Bureau of Prisons will be released someday. That is an indisputable fact. We also know that without programming and intervention, which can train prisoners to be better citizens, not better criminals, prisoners are more likely to recidivate. Mr. Speaker, rather than allowing the cycle of crime to continue, this legislation takes a practical, intelligent approach to rehabilitation. By using a focused approach for each prisoner, we can lower the risk of recidivism. That is what H.R. 5682 does. Fewer recidivists means fewer prisoners in the future. It means greater savings to the American taxpayer. More importantly, it means safer communities, fewer crimes, and, of course, fewer victims. It also means greater opportunities for people once they leave prison. This bill is important because when prisoners who have received intervention and rehabilitation are released, they are less likely to commit crimes. When that happens, our streets are safer and innocent civilians are less likely to be victimized. Rehabilitated prisoners are more likely to leave the life of crime behind, become productive members of society, and contribute to their communities. If that isn't meaningful, Mr. Speaker, I don't know what is. I know there are some in this body who are opposing this legislation because it does not include sentencing reform. I support sentencing reform and have worked with my colleagues to find common ground on that issue. However, we should not let this opportunity pass by. The vast majority of Members of this House agree that this legislation is needed. Let us not linger any longer. Let us move this important and meaningful bill today. Just look at the bipartisan support from outside interest groups that the FIRST STEP Act has received. Numerous organizations--almost too many to list in the allotted time we have--on both the left and the right have enthusiastically endorsed this bill. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chief sponsors of H.R. 5682, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries). They worked tirelessly to get this bill to the floor, and both should be applauded for their bipartisan approach to this issue. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the FIRST STEP Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5682, currently under consideration.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), the chief sponsor of the legislation and a member of the Judiciary Committee.

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

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

Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.