Trey Gowdy

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation in recognition of Bobby J. Cox, United States Army, and to congratulate him on his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Whereas, Lieutenant Colonel Cox graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in 2002. As a senior he was tasked with the responsibility of leading the Corps of Cadets as the Regimental Commander and earned the distinction of a ``Distinguished Military Graduate''. Whereas, upon graduation, Lieutenant Colonel Cox commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army and would complete both Ranger and Airborne School. He served four combat tours in Iraq as a member of elite units; such as, the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Whereas, for his service in the Army, Lieutenant Colonel Cox was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. In addition, he was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge for successfully leading his unit into direct contact with enemy forces. Whereas, Bobby J. Cox continues to serve his country in the U.S. Army Reserve and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel on October 18, 2017. Be it Resolved, That I, Trey Gowdy, do congratulate Lieutenant Colonel Bobby J. Cox, his wife Joscelyn, their two children, Reagan and Seth for their unwavering commitment and continued service to our great nation and thank them for their unwavering loyalty, dedication, and contributions to the Fourth Congressional District of South Carolina.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 3731) to provide overtime pay for employees of the United States Secret Service, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on the questions of agreeing to motions to suspend the rules with regard to H.R. 4227, H.R. 4467, H.R. 5089, and H.R. 5131, may continue to be postponed through the legislative day of Thursday, March 22, 2018.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns on this legislative day, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation in honor of Mr. Wayne Crick: Whereas, 20 February 2018, the Boy Scouts of America will honor Mr. Wayne Crick with the Ralph Hendricks Award. The Ralph Hendricks Award seeks to recognize an admirable citizen who is committed to pursuing the ideals of community service and leadership. Whereas, it is my honor to acknowledge Mr. Wayne Crick's remarkable dedication to improving the city of Mauldin and upstate of South Carolina. His commitment to serving as a leader in his community includes a myriad of roles--from serving eight years as the Mayor of Mauldin, to the President of his Sunday school class at the United Methodist Church, and serving two years as a member of the Mauldin City Council. His life continues to enrich the people of South Carolina. Be it Resolved, That I, Trey Gowdy, do congratulate Mr. Wayne Crick on his achievement, and thank him for his unwavering commitment and devotion to serve our community and the Fourth Congressional District of South Carolina.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at noon tomorrow.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation to congratulate St. Joseph's Catholic School on twenty- five years of educating and preparing future leaders of South Carolina. Whereas, St. Joseph's opened its doors in a small rented home to thirteen students in August of 1993 with the belief that God would provide. Today, that belief has paid dividends as St. Joseph's enrolls nearly seven hundred students and has been nationally recognized by the Catholic High School Honor Roll as a ``School of Excellence.'' Whereas, St. Joseph's commitment to providing students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in life is clear from the contributions of their alumni to our community. St. Joseph's alumni are serving our community in all professions from education and business to medical research, and many donate their time and gifts to serve as leaders in churches across the Upstate. Be it Resolved, That I, Trey Gowdy, do congratulate the staff, students, and alumni of St. Joseph's Catholic School on this milestone and look forward to their continued contributions to our community and the Fourth Congressional District of South Carolina.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation in honor of a friend and an exceptional Special Agent-in- Charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. I want to recognize the career of Special Agent-in-Charge CJ Hyman, who retired in December after more than 30 years of distinguished service at the ATF. Whereas, Special Agent-in-Charge Hyman began his career with the ATF in 1987, as a Special Agent in Charlotte, North Carolina. There Special Agent Hyman played an integral role in the forming of the Charlotte Violent Crime Task Force, in which he investigated and prosecuted narcotics and firearms trafficking as well as robberies, kidnappings, and homicides. Special Agent Hyman would be selected to lead the task force for five years, during which time he supervised and led the investigation of Eric Rudolph after he bombed an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1998. Whereas, over the course of 30 plus years, Special Agent-in-Charge Hyman served in numerous other leadership positions including as the Resident Agent-in-Charge in the Greenville, South Carolina Field Office for ten years and as the Special Agent-in-Charge of the Charlotte Field Division, encompassing both North and South Carolina. In each position that Special Agent-in-Charge Hyman has held throughout his career, he has provided outstanding leadership and integrity in his service to the Carolinas. Whereas, 31 December 2017, Special Agent-in-Charge Hyman officially retired from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, having faithfully served this great nation for more than 30 years. Be it Resolved, That I, Trey Gowdy, do congratulate Special Agent-in- Charge CJ Hyman, his wife Leslie, their two children, Josh and Casey for their unwavering commitment and devotion to service of our great nation and thank them for their unwavering loyalty, dedication and contributions to the Carolinas and the Fourth Congressional District of South Carolina.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation in honor of an exceptional officer in the United States Marine Corps. Colonel Donald L. Revell, will retire in December after more than 30 years of distinguished service to the Marine Corps and the Nation. Whereas, in May 1986, Colonel Revell graduated from Francis Marion University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. Whereas, following in his father's Marine Corps footsteps, Colonel Revell was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through the Marine Officer Candidate School Program. A graduate from the Basic Communication Officer School and the Cryptologic Division Officer's School, Colonel Revell was designated a Signals Intelligence Electronic Warfare Officer. His illustrious career would begin with ``America's Radio Battalion'', the Second Radio Battalion, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Whereas, over the course of 30 plus years, serving in both active and reserve duty status and in a variety of command and staff assignments, Colonel Revell provided outstanding leadership with integrity and offered sound advice on numerous issues of importance to the Marine Corps and to our Nation. Whereas, 1 January 2018, Colonel Revell will officially retire from the United States Marine Corps faithfully serving this great nation for 31 years. Be it Resolved, That I, Trey Gowdy, do congratulate Colonel Donald L. Revell, his wife Beth Anne, their two sons, Griffin and Alexander for their unwavering commitment and devotion to service to our great Nation, and thank them for their unwavering loyalty, dedication and contributions to Spartanburg County and to the Fourth Congressional District of South Carolina.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I included in the Record the following Proclamation in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the 81st Regional Support Command located at Fort Jackson, South Carolina: Whereas, the 81st Division, National Army, was organized at Camp Jackson, South Carolina on August 25, 1917, comprised principally of drafted men from Tennessee and the Carolinas; and Whereas, the men of the 81st Division served with distinction in the Lorraine and Meuse-Argonne campaigns of World War, and demobilized in June 1919; and Whereas, the 81st Infantry Division reactivated in 1942 at Camp Rucker, Alabama for World War II service, with drafted men from every state in the United States, serving with distinction in the Palau and Philippine campaigns before inactivation in 1946; and Whereas, the 81st Infantry Division formed part of the Army Reserve from 1941 to 1965, part of the strategic reserve which deterred the aggression of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact; and. Whereas, from 1967 to 1995, the 81st Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) was command headquarters for 9,000 Army Reserve Soldiers in portions of six states, whose soldiers trained and served with merit in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Bosnia and Kosovo; and Whereas, from 1995 to 2008, the 81st Regional Readiness Command and Support Command was command headquarters for all Army Reserve units in the southeastern United States, successfully mobilizing more than 28,000 Soldiers in the Global War on Terror; and Whereas, in 2008 the 81st Regional Support Command returned to its birthplace of Fort Jackson, where it today provides facilities and services to Soldiers, Families and Civilians in the southeastern United States. Be it Resolved, That we hereby recognize by this resolution the 100th Anniversary of the 81st Regional Support Command of the United States Army Reserve, and the selfless service and sacrifices made by the citizen-soldiers within its ranks in the defense of our nation and our cherished freedoms and liberties, and pay homage to those citizen-soldiers upon this memorable occasion. Be it further Resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Major General Arlan M. DeBlieck, Commanding General of the 81st Regional Support Command, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Chair, the unique circumstances of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rulemaking warrant an expedited repeal of the rule. In November 2016, the Committee released a staff report titled ``Politicization of the Waters of the United States Rulemaking,'' detailing the findings of more than a year-long investigation in to the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rulemaking. The investigation revealed widespread procedural violations, excessive unilateral and politically driven decision-making, and persistent failures of consultation and consideration of public comments. The EPA's extraordinary efforts to push through this procedurally deficient and roundly disliked rulemaking created an insurmountable illegitimacy of the rulemaking that warrants immediate repeal. To facilitate this necessary action, Congress is exercising its authority to create exemptions to existing law in H.R. 3219, the Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018. Section 108 of the bill provides a single-use exemption from regulatory procedure and legal requirements to allow EPA and the Secretary of the Army to immediately withdraw the WOTUS rule. The immediate repeal of WOTUS will allow EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to start with a clean slate as they conduct a joint rulemaking, between equal partners, with full consideration of the comments and concerns raised by the American public. In future rulemakings, including any WOTUS replacement, Congress expects federal agencies to approach their mandate to consult with state, local, and tribal governments and give full consideration to public comments with a commitment to administrative procedure and effective rulemaking.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation in honor of Aiken Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, for their 100th Anniversary: Whereas, Aiken Chapel Missionary Baptist Church was formed in 1915 by a group of fourteen men and women who purchased land from Mrs. Ida Aiken to build a church; and Whereas, the church was named for Mrs. Aiken and became Aiken Chapel Church, pastored by the late Reverend R. L. Goodwin, a founding member; and Whereas, Aiken Chapel Missionary Baptist Church continues to be a leading church in Taylors, South Carolina, and under the leadership of Dr. W. O. Harrison Sr., pastor for more than thirty years, the congregation continues to be active and enthusiastic members of our community; and Whereas, Aiken Chapel Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year and this anniversary celebration will draw members from the Upstate community to participate in this momentous milestone in the history of their church; Now therefore, be it Resolved that I, Trey Gowdy, do congratulate the members of Aiken Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in recognition of their 100th Anniversary and thank them for their unwavering commitment, dedication, and contributions to Greenville County and to the Fourth Congressional District of South Carolina.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Thank you, Sheriff. I want to start by thanking you for your service as a law enforcement officer and in Congress. And I call you sheriff when I pass by you because I always believe in calling people by their highest title. And as much as it is wonderful, and I am sure the people in your family are proud of your service in the United States Congress, I am proudest of your willingness to sacrifice for the people of Washington as their sheriff. Kevin Carper was a uniform patrol officer with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office. He was not a detective. He was not in management. He was just a regular police officer like the ones we see every day in our towns and cities. Kevin responded to a domestic violence call. Those who are unfamiliar with law enforcement have a tendency sometimes to refer to those as routine calls. There is nothing routine about a domestic violence call, and everyone in law enforcement knows it. Off of Airport Road in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Kevin and his partner arrived to find William Seich on the front porch of his small home pointing a large caliber gun at his wife, Judy. Judy was crouched down in the front yard, trying to protect herself, trying to shield herself behind a tree, and William was pointing the gun at her and, alternatively, pointing the gun at law enforcement who had just arrived on the scene. You know, Sheriff Reichert and Mr. Speaker, it all seems so easy in hindsight. Do you shoot? Do you pull the trigger? Is the gun real? You have split seconds to make these decisions only to have them second- guessed for months, if not years afterward. Is the gun real? Is it loaded? William Seich finally turned the gun toward his wife and he shot her. As he was turning the gun towards law enforcement, no doubt to shoot them, they returned fire. They struck William Seich. As one officer ran toward his fallen wife, Judy, Kevin Carper ran to the front porch to make sure that William Seich didn't shoot anybody else. As he got on the front porch, Mr. Speaker, he heard the cries of children. Unbeknownst to Kevin and his partner, there were children inside that mobile home, and the bullets from one of the officer's guns had struck one of the children. William Seich survived and was charged with murder. Both of the little girls ultimately survived, although one was badly injured. I met Kevin when we were preparing for trial. He was an essential witness, so I needed to prepare him for what would come during this trial. He would be second-guessed. His every move would be scrutinized. In a very real sense, he would not only be blamed for Judy Seich's murder, he would be blamed for shooting one of the little girls inside that home, and then he would be blamed for not doing enough to protect Judy Seich, not making the right split-second decision. I tried to prepare Kevin for what would be a grueling cross- examination, and it was clear to me his mind and heart were somewhere else. So, finally, I said: Kevin, you didn't do anything wrong. You didn't have a choice. He said: I know, Solicitor Gowdy. He had tears streaming down his face in my office. He said: I know, Solicitor Gowdy, but I shot that little girl. Objectively, Kevin Carper did everything right that night. He responded to an incredibly tense domestic call. He was confronted with a man holding a gun. Was it a real gun? Was it loaded? All of these thoughts going through his mind; and as soon as William Seich shot and murdered his wife, he returned fire. Objectively, we know everything he did was right, but it didn't matter how many times I told Kevin: You did the right thing. Deputy Kevin Carper heard me. Father, husband, Kevin Carper had tears streaming down his face at the thought that he would have hurt a child. Well, we went through the trial, and he was, as you might imagine, an indispensable witness. Mr. Speaker, he could not have done a better job in that murder trial. Yeah, he was a tough police officer in a uniform, but when it came time to describe walking on the front porch and hearing the cries of children, he became a husband and a father again, and in front of a jury, Sheriff--and you know this is hard for police to do in front of a jury--this tough, brave man broke down in tears, and the jury had a chance to see the humanity of police officers. The jury had a chance to see that ``protect and serve and defend'' part of police officers. William Seich was convicted, in no small part, because of Kevin Carper's help. In South Carolina, the sentencing takes place immediately after the trial, so there was family to talk to and to prepare them for the sentencing hearing so they could allocute on what Judy Seich's life meant to them and what the proper punishment should be. Mr. Speaker and Sheriff Reichert, I wanted to tell Kevin what a great job he had done. I wanted to tell Kevin how impressed I was with his humanity. I wanted to tell Kevin--I intended to tell Kevin that he took a cynical old prosecutor and he made him believe again that there are women and men who go into this line of work for all the right reasons. That is what I intended to tell him. But in the hustle and bustle of sentencing, he slipped out the back of the courtroom and we went on with the sentencing hearing. But I knew that I would see him again and I would have a chance to tell him. I would have a chance to tell his boss: You need to watch that guy, make him a homicide detective. He is really good. I would have a chance to tell him he did great by those little girls. I knew I would see him again and I would have a chance to tell him again. And I did see him again, laying beside a roadside, shot to death during a routine traffic stop. He was shot by a man who had been arrested more than 30 times. If you have ever attended an officer's funeral, the finality of that death hits you the very hardest at the end where they do the radio call: Deputy Kevin Carper, do you read? Deputy Kevin Carper, can you hear us? And, of course, there is silence. And then at the end, it is: Deputy Kevin Carper, you are clear to go home. I never told Kevin what I should have told him. Deputy Kevin Carper, you were a credit to law enforcement. Husband, father, Kevin Carper, you are a credit to humanity and your family. I wish I had told you when I should have told you. I hope that all of my other friends in prosecution and in law enforcement now will not wait too long to tell the men and women of law enforcement how grateful they are for their service.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Sheriff Reichert for his service to the country and to the great State of Washington. I want to thank Judge Poe, Sheriff Nugent, and my friend and colleague from South Carolina, Joe Wilson, who is the father of a prosecutor. Mr. Speaker, Allen Jacobs was going to be a father again, but this time was going to be a little bit different. He was already the father of two precious little boys, but he was going to be the father of a little girl. His wife, Meghan, and he were expecting a child this July. Life had prepared Officer Jacobs very well to be a father. He was an outstanding student, an athlete in Greenville, South Carolina. He put that athleticism and intelligence to work for our country in the United States Army. He was deployed to Iraq, Mr. Speaker, for 15 months and even volunteered to live in the neighborhoods of Baghdad because he understood that all people want to live in a peaceful, secure environment. After Iraq, he was deployed to Haiti because he wanted to help the Haitian people in the aftermath of their tragic earthquake. Well, Mr. Speaker, the tug of fatherhood is strong. So Allen decided to return to the Upstate of South Carolina, but his desire to protect and serve others and to provide peace and security to others never dissipated. So he left the uniform of the United States Army and put on the uniform of the Greenville City Police Department. He pursued that calling with the same vigor and the same strength and the same professionalism that epitomized every other facet of his life, whether it was service on the SWAT team or the Cops on the Court, as a patrol officer for schools or a gang resistance team. Mr. Speaker, Allen Jacobs would stop his patrol car from time to time to shoot basketball with young men in the inner city of Greenville who did not have the father figure that he was to his boys and that he would be to his daughter. Now, Mr. Speaker, I learned all of this from Allen's mother in a telephone call we had 2 days before his funeral. This strong man who survived Iraq and Haiti and boot camp and police officer training couldn't survive an encounter with a teenage gang member who had just been released from jail. He never even had a chance to unholster his weapon, Mr. Speaker. He was just trying to protect, serve, enforce the law, and he was ambushed. His funeral gave all of us an opportunity to reflect not only on his life, but on the lives of all the other folks in the upstate of South Carolina who died in the line of duty, whether it be Russ Sorrow or Kevin Carper or Eric Nicholson or Marcus Whitfield or Greg Alia, who was killed in the line of duty, as my friend from Columbia made note of. His wife is here and his parents are here and his aunt is here. They have a little boy who is less than 1 year old. I want to say this in conclusion, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank all the women and men in uniform who are willing to do what most of us are not willing to do, and interact with people that most of us are not willing to interact with, and miss things in life that most of us are not willing to miss. But I especially want to send a message, Mr. Speaker, to Allen Jacobs' two sons and his daughter on the way and Greg Alia's son. Their fathers lived a life of service and sacrifice and significance, and they left the greatest legacy that you can ever leave children, which is a good name to be proud of.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, today I commend President Betsy Fleming of Converse College for her service to higher education and her remarkable impact on South Carolina. After growing up in Spartanburg, President Fleming left in 1984 to embark on her journey to become a renowned art-historian. Throughout her career, she held curatorial positions at several prominent museums across the United States as well as overseas in London. Prior to being named President of Converse College in 2005, Fleming served as the executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina. Under President Fleming's eleven years of leadership, Converse College experienced incredible transformation. During her tenure, Converse reduced its tuition by 43 percent and celebrated its largest undergraduate enrollment in over 25 years, becoming a national leader in affordability and value. Furthermore, Converse gained full NCAA Division II membership in eleven sports programs and raised more than $76 million in support. In addition to her impact on the Converse College community, President Fleming's service extends above and beyond her commitment in Spartanburg. An Aspen Institute Liberty Fellow, President Fleming serves on the Council of Presidents for the Association of Governing Boards (AGB), the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Steering Committee in the Future of Higher Education, and on the Board of Directors for both the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Charlotte Branch and Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina. President Fleming's impact on students, staff, and faculty will always be remembered, and her legacy will transform the future of Converse College. I thank President Fleming for her extraordinary service and congratulate her on her retirement. We look forward to the next chapter of her remarkable life as she continues to serve our community, state and country.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, they did not lift a finger. So with all of the ideas I hear my friends talking about, it just makes me wonder: Where were you when you had the House? Where were you when you had the Senate? Where were you when you had the White House? You had all three of them, and you didn't do any of the things you are talking about doing this morning. In conclusion, yes, you are right. It is Congress' job to pass the law. As soon as you show us that you are willing to enforce it, maybe we will be willing to pass some new ones; but asking us to trust an administration, Mr. Speaker, that is deciding, wholesale, certain categories not to enforce, we may not be smart, but we are smarter than that. In the final analysis, Mr. Speaker, this is an issue about the constitutional equilibrium. The House needs to speak up for itself, and I applaud Speaker Ryan for doing exactly that.

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, four really quick points. I would say to my friend from Colorado, through the Speaker, that one reason Congress may not enact new laws is that we have absolutely zero confidence they will actually be enforced. Maybe if this President enforced current law, we would be more willing to embark on new ones. Secondly, I think Judge Poe was right. I do think part of the opinion deals with the conferring of benefits, but I would invite people to read it for themselves. Thirdly, on this issue of prosecutorial discretion, Mr. Speaker, all law enforcement agencies have limited resources, but they don't hold press conferences ahead of time and announce ``you are not going to be prosecuted or investigated if you just steal 'this' amount of money. You are not going to be prosecuted or investigated if you just possess 'this' amount of controlled substances.'' This is not prosecutorial discretion. This is a political decision to not enforce the law. Lastly, I want to say--and she is my friend--I have great respect for Ms. Lofgren, and I am actually not including her in what I am getting ready to say because I will bet you, in 2008, she was ready, Mr. Speaker, to move on comprehensive immigration reform when nobody else was. From 2008 to 2010, when they had all the gears of government, they didn't lift a finger Mr. Speaker.

Mr. GOWDY. I will say this, Mr. Speaker. In conclusion, in the oath of citizenship that we require new citizens to take--and I am sure the Speaker already knows this, and perhaps some of my colleagues on the other side may know this as well--but in that oath, it references the law five separate times, five separate references to this thing we call the law--in the very oath that we want new citizens to take, five times in a single paragraph. Mr. Speaker, good luck explaining why new citizens should follow the law when those in power do not have to. Good luck explaining the difference between anarchy and the wholesale failure to enforce the law simply because you do not like it. Good luck stopping the next President from ignoring a law that he or she does not like. If the President can pick and choose which laws he likes, then so can the rest of us, and you have undermined the very thing that binds us together. So be careful what you do today. Tomorrow is coming.

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, the issue in this case actually implicates the very existence of the House. The law is the reason we exist. We do not exist to pass ideas or to pass suggestions. We make law with the corresponding expectation that that law will be enforced, respected, and executed. We do so because the law is the thread that holds the tapestry of this country together. It is the most unifying, equalizing force that we have. It makes the rich respect the poor, and it allows the powerless to challenge the powerful. Attempts to undermine the law, Mr. Speaker, regardless of the motivation, are detrimental to the social order. In 2014, President Obama declared unilaterally that almost 5 million unlawful immigrants would receive deferred action under some tortured definition of ``prosecutorial discretion.'' I can't help but note the word ``discretion'' means sometimes you say yes, and sometimes you say no. But, of course, the administration has never said no. The Court found not a single time has the administration said no. So that is not prosecutorial discretion, Mr. Speaker. That is lawlessness. You may like what the President did. I take it from some of the speakers that they do, and you may actually wish what the President did was actually law. You may wish--Mr. Speaker, you may wish that when Democrats controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House for 2 years that they had lifted a finger to do a single, solitary thing about what they are talking about this morning. You may wish that. You may wish that all these grandiose policies that we are talking about this morning on the other side, that they cared enough about them to actually make law when they had a chance, but they did not. They know now that one person doesn't make the law in a republic. You may want to live in a country where one person makes the law, but that would not be this country. You would have to look for another one. The President knows this because, more than 20 times, Mr. Speaker, he said he could not do the very thing that he eventually did. His power didn't change. The law didn't change. The politics is all that changed. We should have seen this coming, Mr. Speaker. He warned us. On this very floor, he warned us that he didn't need the people's House. He said he would do it with or without Congress. Many of you cheered when he said that. Many of you cheered because you benefit from the nonenforcement of the law today. But tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow is coming, and tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow you will cry out for the enforcement of the law. Tomorrow you will want others to follow the law. We are here, Mr. Speaker, because this administration violated one law in its haste to allow others to violate yet another law. The administration lost, and then they appealed. So here we are before the Supreme Court. For too long, Mr. Speaker, Congress has let the executive branch engage in constitutional adverse possession. Today it is immigration. Tomorrow it will be some other law. One day, I say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, one day your party may not control the gears of enforcement. One day a Republican President might decide that he or she doesn't like a law and is going to ignore it and fail to enforce it. For more than two centuries, Mr. Speaker, the law has been more important than any political issue. It has been more important than any election, and it has been more important, frankly, than any one of us. It binds us together, and it embodies the virtues that we cherish like fairness, equality, justice, and mercy. We symbolize our devotion to the law with this blindfolded woman holding a set of scales and a sword. That blindfold keeps her focus on the law. But I want you to understand this, Mr. Speaker: once that blindfold slips off, it is gone forever. You can want to put it back on, but it is gone forever, because once you weaken the law, good luck putting it back together. So once you decide that some laws are worth enforcing and some are not, once you decide that some laws are worth following and others are not, then you have weakened this thing we call the law, and you have weakened it forever. Let me just say this. I will say this, Mr. Speaker. It doesn't take any courage to follow a law you like. That doesn't take any courage, following a law you like? What takes courage, which makes us different, is we follow laws even that we don't like, and then we strive to change them--legally. That is the power and the fragility of the law. But once it is abandoned, it is weakened in the eyes of those we expect to follow it.

Mr. GOWDY

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, national security and public safety are the preeminent functions of government. National security and public safety are not simply factors to be considered in the administration of some broader policy objective. National security and public safety are the ultimate policy objectives. And the safety and security of our fellow citizens should be the driving force behind every decision that we make. This country, Mr. Speaker, has a long, proud, rich history of welcoming those fleeing persecution and liberating those suffering under oppression. We are the most welcoming, generous country in the world, having taken in over 3 million refugees since 1975. We are generous and compassionate, Mr. Speaker, because we are free. And we are free because we are a country rooted in the law and public safety and standards of decency protected by a fundamental commitment to national security. The world we currently find ourselves in, Mr. Speaker, is imperfect-- and becoming more imperfect. So, rather than address the underlying pathology that results in displaced people, this administration is focused on the symptoms. There are refugees from the Middle East and northern Africa because those regions are on fire and riddled with chaos. Our bright lines and policies of containment, smart power, or whatever we call it today, have failed. Mr. Speaker, terrorists took the lives of over 100 innocent people in France and injured many more because they could. They killed a hundred only because they could not kill a thousand. Their objective is evil for the sake of evil, murder for the sake of murder; wanton and willful violence and premeditated depravity calculated to take innocent lives. The terrorists have been very open about their present and future objectives. We should, therefore, be equally clear about our objectives. Administration officials responsible for national security and public safety, Mr. Speaker, have repeatedly warned us they cannot vet failed nation-states. They cannot do background investigations where there is no database. ISIS will use any means available to harm us. What this administration needs to tell the American people, Mr. Speaker, is how much risk is acceptable. Given the consequences of reconciling the risk wrongly, how much risk is this administration willing to take? When it comes to public safety, we have to be successful all of the time. And those who seek to do us harm have to be successful just once. So how much risk are you willing to take with your own safety? How much risk are you willing to take with the safety of those you swore an oath to represent? Have you done everything in your power to mitigate that risk? Have you done everything in your power to explore alternatives other than resettlement here? Mr. Speaker, every decision we make as elected officials should be with the safety and security of our fellow citizens as the preeminent objective. Unless and until those in charge of security and public safety can provide assurances, the aid we render to those in need should be rendered where they are. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, let me say this. The President is the Commander in Chief. He should help us make this, our home, safer. He should help us make the homeland of the refugees safer. He should restore order to the region. That would be the very best and most humane thing we could all do: provide a better, safer life for those who aspire for one where they are. Mr. Speaker, I oppose the motion to recommit and support the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOWDY. I rise in opposition to the motion.

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of a point of order.

Mr. GOWDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, it seems commonsensical that when it comes to national security and public safety, we should listen to and rely upon the women and men who are actually experts and have dedicated their lives to public safety and national security. Mr. Speaker, this is a fact: We don't have sufficient information to appropriately investigate and vet failed nation-states. This is a fact: ISIS has sworn to bring its war against innocents here. This is a fact: Administration officials noted ISIS may well use the refugee program to infiltrate our country. This is also a fact, Mr. Speaker: The margin for error is zero. It is zero. The presumption should always be in favor of national security and public safety because that is the preeminent role of government, and it is our constitutional duty, Mr. Speaker. So unless and until those we place in charge of our national security and public safety can provide the necessary assurances, we should seek to aid those who need aid where they are. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, the President says that we are scared of widows and orphans. That is what passes for debate in this day and age. With all due respect to the President, what we are really afraid of, Mr. Speaker, is a foreign policy that produces so many widows and orphans. He is the Commander in Chief, Mr. Speaker. His job is to make our homes safer. He could also make the homeland of the refugees safer. He could restore order to the region, and he can defeat that JV team that he once thought he had contained. That would be the very best thing we could do for those who aspire to a better, safer life. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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