Kay Granger

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I was not present to vote on H. Res. 1099. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on Roll Call No. 415.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to support the FY19 Defense and Labor-HHS Appropriations conference agreement. Congress' number one responsibility is to provide for the defense of this Nation. This agreement enables us to fulfill that most fundamental constitutional duty. Since becoming chair, it has been my goal to ensure that this bill reflects the needs of our defense and intelligence experts so that they have the resources needed to combat the threats of today and in the future. I want to thank Members for their participation throughout this process. Their input on how we can best address the needs of our military has been invaluable. This agreement includes many of their ideas and priorities by taking into account the over 6,600 requests submitted by Members. With this agreement, we will be able to do something that has not been done in a decade: provide our military with the funding they need on time so we can rebuild our Armed Forces. This is an agreement we can all be very proud of. It provides Secretary of Defense Mattis with the resources he needs to implement the new National Defense Strategy and restore our military. This conference agreement includes major investments in air superiority, shipbuilding, and the ground forces, including strong support for the National Guard. This bill provides 18 C-130 aircraft, including 8 for the Air National Guard; 24 F-18 Super Hornets; 58 Black Hawk helicopters; 66 Apache helicopters; 93 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters; 13 V-22 aircraft; 13 Navy ships, including 2 Virginia-Class submarines, and 3 Littoral Combat Ships; upgrades for 135 Abrams tanks, and $1.3 billion for additional National Guard and Reserve equipment. This agreement also invests in the research and development needed to maintain our technological superiority, including critical investments in space, hypersonics, nuclear forces, and missile defense, including the Israeli cooperative programs. Finally, this agreement strongly supports our servicemembers and their families by funding the largest pay raise for our troops in 9 years; Growing the force by fully funding the authorized increase in end strength; and, Investing in the defense health program, including critical medical research. I would like to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen. This is his last defense bill, and we are thankful for his leadership on our national security. I would like to thank Ranking Member Visclosky for being a great partner on this bill. I would also like to thank the members of the Defense Subcommittee, as well as the staff, for their many hours of work on this bill. On our majority staff: Jennifer Miller, Walter Hearne, Brooke Boyer, BG Wright, Allison Deters, Collin Lee, Matt Bower, Jackie Ripke, Hayden Milberg, Bill Adkins, Sherry Young, and Barry Walker. On our minority staff: Becky Leggieri, Jennifer Chartrand, and Chris Bigelow. On my personal staff: Johnnie Kaberle and Spencer Freebairn; and on Mr. Visclosky's staff, Joe DeVooght. In closing, I, again, urge my colleagues to support this agreement and fund our national security. It is vital that we pass this agreement this week and have it signed into law. The men and women of our Armed Forces deserve no less.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the dedication of the Dee J. Kelly Law Learning Center at George Washington University Law School. Dee J. Kelly, Sr. was a dear friend of mine. His dedication and public service to Fort Worth pioneered the growth and development that we see in the community today. The dedication of the Dee J. Kelly Law Learning Center is well-deserved, and I was honored to be invited to the very special event. I include in the Record the remarks of those who spoke at the ceremony last Friday, August 31, 2018. Remarks by Blake Morant, Dean of the George Washington University Law School It is indeed a great privilege for me to lead this dedication ceremony--my first since arriving at GW Law four years ago. Dee J. Kelly was an extraordinarily distinguished and cherished alumnus of our law school whose contributions to GW Law and the legal profession were myriad. I will be honored to say a few words about Mr. Kelly's illustrious life and career in a moment, but first I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Cindy, Craig, Dee Jr. and the rest of the Kelly family for your immense generosity. Many thanks, as well, to the dedicated faculty and staff of the GW Law community for their invaluable contributions through the years. And finally, a special thank you to Dean Scott Pagel and Karen Whal for your many hours of work with the Kelly family to archive and display the fascinating collection of Dee J. Kelly's memorabilia. The late Dee J. Kelly, who graduated from our law school in 1954, was a giant of the legal profession, whose myriad accomplishments brought us great pride. Mr. Kelly, who founded Kelly Hart & Hallman, was one of the most prominent lawyers in Texas with offices in Fort Worth, Austin, New Orleans and Midland. He was also a force in state politics as a fundraiser and power broker on the local level in Fort Worth and as the friend of numerous governors, state officials and U.S. presidents. In addition to his myriad professional achievements, he is remembered as a philanthropist and served on a number of nonprofit boards including the Van Cliburn Foundation, Sam Rayburn Foundation, and UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Center. Finally, he was a great supporter of education as evidenced by his support of his undergraduate alma mater, Texas Christian University (TCU), his law school GW Law, and other Texas institutions including Texas A&M University School of Law. His name will live on in perpetuity here at GW Law, where we will forever be proud to call him an alumnus of our law school. Remarks by Thomas J. LeBlanc, President of George Washington University Thank you, Dean Morant. I am delighted to join all of you to honor the legacy of Dee Kelly, Sr., and to celebrate the dedication of the Dee J. Kelly Law Learning Center. I am so pleased that the Kelly family could be here today for this special occasion. I especially want to thank Cindy, Craig and Dee, whose collective philanthropy in memory of their father has made today's dedication possible. I would also like to thank the current and former public officials here for joining us. We are here today to celebrate the dedication and loyalty of Dee Kelly to his alma mater. From what I have learned about the life of the late Dee J. Kelly, Sr., his legacy of service through law and philanthropy embodies what it means to be a GW Law alumnus, and we are pleased to continue his legacy for generations of GW Law students to come. I know that our students will be inspired and motivated by Dee's incredible life and career, which were distinguished by hard work, diligence and a commitment to all that he did-- and, as such, the resulting success and respect he earned and deserved from so many, including each of us here today. With this generous gift and through the naming of the Dee J. Kelly Law Learning Center, we hope to honor Dee's memory by continuing to foster a dynamic, student-focused community stimulated by cultural and intellectual diversity. I think the studying, legal research and moot court competitions our students hold here will help to do just that. Remarks by Dee J. Kelly, Jr. Thank you Dean Morant and President LeBlanc. I should mention that LeBlanc is a very important name in our family. It is not only my mother's maiden name--and she will be very excited to see the pictures from today--but also my brother's middle name. I want to introduce my brother Craig, his wife, Robyn, and their two boys, Patrick and Ryan. And I could never forget the President of the Dee Kelly Foundation, my wonderful sister, Cindy. She's a tough steward of the Foundation's dollars but a soft touch when it comes to honoring our father. Cindy is joined by one of her two sons, Kelly, and his wife Paige. Her oldest son, Ben, just moved to California and his new employer has him hard at work but he's represented today by his beautiful wife, Shelby. And of course my group is here as well. I want to recognize my wife, Dana, and two of my three girls, Lynn and Cate. Number three, Camille, just started classes and is allegedly studying hard. Yes, that's a look of skepticism on my face. A couple more thank you's. Two active members of Congress took the time to be with us today. I know they both have many other important duties to attend to but they still made time to be here. Back home, we know them as just Kay and Roger, but in Washington they are known as two of our finest members of the House of Representatives. Thank you Congresswoman Granger and Congressman Williams. Your presence means a great deal to my family. And you know my father loved you both. Last but not least are two former pols who were dear friends of my father. Pete Geren and Ben Barnes. Thank you both for being here. Today's event would have meant a lot to my father . . . and not just because his name is splashed across the building over there. GW was the school that launched Dee Kelly's career and set him off on a course that lead to great success and, lucky for all of us today, financial reward. I doubt Dad would have ever dreamt when he was working for Speaker Rayburn and going to night school at GW, that he'd have a building on campus dedicated in his honor. I think what he'd say today, if he was alive, is that this building is about honoring those who gave him a chance in life and helped set him off on a course for success. Our father clawed and scratched, and yes sometimes fought, his way to the top of the legal profession, and I know that he credited GW for giving him the legs to stand on to build his career So thank you again, President LeBlanc and Dean Morant. By honoring my father, you honor all students who are hoping education gives them a chance in life. I know that--because my father was one of those lucky few

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to a dear friend, a fine Texan and a great American, Dwight Albert Sharpe. Known as ``D.A.'' Sharpe to his friends, he graduated to heaven on July 12, 2018. D.A. was one of my first and most ardent supporters and his inspiring and encouraging messages encouraged me and others on a regular basis. My friend D.A. was born June 24, 1939, in Ballinger, Texas. He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas and held a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin. D.A. married his wife, Suzanne Margaret Boggess, in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1962, where their three children were later born. The family resided in St. Louis County, Missouri between 1972 to 1982 in Dallas between 1982 to 1999, and for the last 19 years, in Aurora, Wise County. D.A. served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Wise County from 2000 and 2008. Even in retirement, D.A. remained active as a national and state GOP delegate. In addition to his political service, D.A.'s professional pursuits were in the fields of technology, as well as in administrative management for non-profit Christian entities. In 2004, he retired as the Executive Administrator for the Senior Pastor at Highland Park Presbyterian Church . D.A. studied genealogy extensively, tracing his ancestry back more than 1,300 years. He also found genealogical relationships to 20 of the 45 U.S. Presidents. Above all else, D.A. was privileged to call himself a fifth-generation Texan. His great, great grandfather, Judge Felix Benedict Dixon, immigrated from Ohio to Texas in 1841, when it was still the Republic of Texas. D.A.'s lineage also has roots going back in America as a sixth-generation United States citizen, being a descendant of American Revolutionary soldier, Lt. George P. Sharp, of New York. D.A. is survived by his wife, Suzanne Margaret Boggess Sharpe and their three children: Taylor Marcus Sharpe; Tiffany Lenn Sharpe Westmoreland and her husband, Steven O. Westmoreland; and Todd Wittman Sharpe, and his wife, Carrie Ann Maxwell Sharpe. There are seven grandchildren: Katherine Michelle, John David (Jack), Lily Taylor, Sarah Todd and Samuel Lee (Sam) Westmoreland; and Luke Maxwell and Brooke Eden Sharpe. Though D.A. is no longer with us, his memory will not be forgotten by those of us who were privileged enough to know him. I ask Members to please pray for my dear friend D.A. Sharpe and his family during this difficult time.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I apologize for missing this vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 363. Stated against:

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the service of Colonel Mark Bennett who is coming to the end of his assignment as the Chief of the Congressional Budget Liaison for the Secretary of the Army. Mark is a native of Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting from John Carroll University, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Syracuse University, and a Master of Science degree in National Security and Resource Strategy from the National Defense University. Over the last year, Mark has made meaningful, significant and enduring contributions while liaising with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to provide critical resources for Army Warfighters. Mark and his liaison team worked closely with Members and Staff from every appropriation office in Congress; ensuring accountability to Congress and our Nation's taxpayers. Through 26 years of active duty, Mark has served in a variety of tactical, operational, and strategic assignments. In 1990, Colonel Bennett was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate and commissioned into the Army as a Field Artillery Officer. He began his operational assignments with the 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery in Korea and also served as the Task Force Finance Officer for 4th Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, for a Multi-national Force and Observers rotation to Sinai, Egypt. He had two company command experiences with the 82nd Finance Battalion at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the 177th Finance Battalion in Korea. Following completion of graduate school at Syracuse University, he served as the Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Resource Management, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia. Shortly after arriving to the Pentagon, he supported the Army and Nation's response to the 9-11 attacks before attending Command and General Staff College. Colonel Bennett returned to the 82nd Airborne Division as the Division Finance Support Operations Officer at Fort Bragg and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He then served as the Executive Officer to the Director of Army Budget, as a Program Examiner at the Office of Management and Budget, and as a Congressional Budget Liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Financial Management and Comptroller. He commanded the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York for 31 months including a deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Mark returned to the Headquarters Department of the Army as the Executive Officer to the Military Deputy for Budget and Chief of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution System Integration for the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Financial Management and Comptroller. Colonel Bennett also served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G8, for two years at Headquarters, I Corps, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington before deploying again to Afghanistan with the Combined Security Transition Command--Afghanistan (CSTC-A). Mr. Speaker, as Colonel Mark Bennett moves on to a new Army assignment in Texas, he leaves behind a legacy of professionalism, service, and friendship. I extend my thanks for his service and wish him and his family great success in all future endeavors.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6157 is a critically important bill. It may be one of the most important, most consequential bills that Congress will consider this year. The bill before you reflects the guidance and advice we received through hearings, briefings, and meetings with the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the leaders of the military services, and all other national security experts. This legislation provides funding to maintain our military readiness, protect our Nation from those who would seek to do us harm, and ensure our defense superiority. After years of decline, the rebuilding of our military began with the fiscal year 2018 omnibus. This bill continues that progress and makes more critical investments in our Department of Defense: more troops, more battle training, more equipment, more munitions. The security situation around the world is rapidly changing. We are regularly reminded that we are still a Nation at war and new, unforeseen threats arise daily. A strong national defense is of the highest priority. It is imperative that we provide ongoing stability and support for our military. This is what our military leaders have asked for, and we can provide that today, with this bill. Not only is this legislation critical to our national security, but to the men and women in uniform, all volunteers who selflessly serve. We must show our troops and their families that they have the full support of this Congress. This includes providing them with their largest pay raise in nearly a decade. The bill fulfills the Congress' most important constitutional responsibility: providing for the common defense. And it does this responsibly, by funding those military needs that must be addressed now, planning for those of the future, and respecting the taxpayer by making commonsense budgeting decisions. This bill puts our Nation's security strategy on a stronger course, protecting the American people, and keeping the peace in an increasingly dangerous and unstable world. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this motion to recommit, and vote ``yes'' on the fiscal year 2019 Defense Appropriations bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion.

Ms. GRANGER

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, in closing, as I have stated, these sorts of commonsense adjustments to the President's budget request must be made to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars and accommodate higher priorities, including Member priorities. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, this amendment seeks to reverse a justified reduction made by the committee to the request for the AMRAAM missile program. Both the Navy and the Air Force, historically, overestimate the cost of the missile in their budget request. In the last 5 years, this overestimation has been 12 percent, on average. The fiscal year 2019 request assumes a unit cost that is 16 percent more than the most recent contract. For several years in a row, Congress has adjusted the budget request for this program to account for these overestimates and other facts of life, such as production delays. In fact, the delivery schedule for this program has been revised 25 times since 2011, and the production of new guidance system components is 21 months behind schedule. The Department, itself, has frequently sought to take savings from the AMRAAM program for other priorities. For example, the Air Force has, 5 years straight on, sought approval to reprogram a total of $57 million of this program to other needs. This is in addition to the reductions that have been taken by Congress. It, therefore, defies the facts to claim that this program is being underfunded. Because of the long time it takes the Department of Defense to put together its budget request, these requests do not always reflect the most current information. The committee takes commonsense reductions when they will do no harm to national security. I must add that this is precisely the sort of commonsense reduction to the President's budget that enables us to accommodate the priorities of Members of this body. This year we received approximately 6,600 such requests. The committee will continue to engage with the Navy and Air Force on this program and make adjustments as needed. This amendment, however, would restrict our ability to ensure that the priorities of this body are reflected in the final bill. Mr. Chair, I, therefore, oppose the amendment and urge its rejection, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, the military and society at large must do more to change the stigma of sexual assault so victims are not afraid of retaliation when coming forward and reporting the crime. This bill provides $318 million for sexual assault prevention and response programs at the service level and at the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program. This is $35 million above the President's request. I understand this amendment funds a report required by the 2019 House-passed National Defense Authorization Act, to which we do not object. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, but I am not opposed to the amendment.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly) for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I appreciate the gentleman's commitment to this matter. We respect the dedication and accomplishments of all National Background Investigations Bureau workers, including the hard work of the staff in Butler County, Pennsylvania. There is currently a backlog of more than 700,000 pending security clearance cases. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told my subcommittee that the Air Force has 79,000 people still waiting for security clearances, and that number has almost doubled in the last 18 months. We want to work with your office to make sure we address that as much as possible, and I look forward to your continuing partnership in this matter. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Amendment No. 2 Offered by Ms. Frankel of Florida

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition, but I don't oppose the amendment.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, women have a larger presence in our military today than ever before, with more than 200,000 women serving in Active-Duty military. Women serve as leaders in all jobs and in all branches of the military. Women have served in every conflict from the American Revolution to the current war on terror. From their early days as cooks and nurses to the combat roles they fulfill today, the roles of women have evolved with the military. So I am pleased to support this amendment, which will continue to further the growth of our 21st century women warfighters. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Bishop) for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentleman's interest in this critical weapons system, and I want to assure him that the committee supports the continued production of Tomahawk missiles.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chair, the gentleman is correct. The committee increased funding for Tomahawk production 2 years in a row. Using this funding for other purposes is contrary to congressional direction, and this is the second year in a row that the Navy has blatantly disregarded our instructions. The action by the Navy led the committee to recommend a rescission of prior year funding for Tomahawks. Despite this rescission, the committee remains supportive of additional Tomahawk production and is awaiting a revised plan from the Navy on how they will spend the previously appropriated funding for missile production. I assure the gentleman from Utah that the committee will revisit this issue in conference, when the Navy indicates affirmatively they will use additional funding solely for missile production.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Heck) for the purpose of engaging in a colloquy.