H. Griffith

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Absolutely.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I just have to bring this up: I was meeting with some folks at Virginia Tech recently who are working on this very area. And as a part of the spinoff of the research and the technology they are doing to refine it and to try to get the other minerals out, they have also found a way of using that same technology to improve the steel industry. And they are now licensing some steel companies in India, which would lower their carbon footprint. So we have the research into coal that is now going to help the steel industry in an area that doesn't have anywhere near the regulations we have to lower their carbon footprint. This is the way we should be going in the United States: Use our entrepreneurial spirit; use our research; put some Federal money behind that research, but use our research to find ways to make the environment, worldwide, better instead of proclaiming broad edicts that we are not going to have cows in 10 years, or we are not going to do this in 10 years. Instead, let's let our research and our entrepreneurial spirit and our ingenuity solve these problems for us and the world.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Hear, hear, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that we are working on some technology right now that allows us to extract rare earth minerals out of some of our coal deposits to the United States and be able to take some of that business away from the Chinese and bring it back to the United States

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, I rise in memory of Lou Wacker, who died on February 15, 2019, at the age of 84. Mr. Wacker was the celebrated football coach for 23 seasons at my alma mater, Emory & Henry College, where he compiled an impressive record and shaped the lives of many young men. The Richmond Times-Dispatch quoted him as saying on his retirement, ``To say that Emory & Henry College and the football program have been a big part of my life for 23 years would be an understatement; it has been my life.'' Coach Wacker was a native of Richmond and excelled at football during his time at the University of Richmond. Before his tenure at Emory & Henry, he was a defensive coordinator at Hampden-Sydney College. His arrival at Emory & Henry in 1982 started an incredible run for the Wasps. By the time he retired in 2004, his teams had compiled a 164-76 record, including seventeen consecutive winning seasons, a 37-game winning streak from 1991 to 1998, and eleven Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships. After retiring, Coach Wacker stayed close to Emory. For his great success, he received many honors, including induction into the Emory & Henry College Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. The home grandstand at Emory & Henry's football stadium also bears his name. The many players and assistants he mentored over the years will remember him for his skill as a coach and for the impact he had on them. Coach Wacker's survivors include his children Bruce, Kristen, and Louis, and his grandchildren Anna Whitehead, Adele Kraus, and Robin Kraus. I offer my condolences to them on their loss.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, I rise In honor of Kevin Corbett of Bristol, Virginia, who passed away on February 15, 2019, at the age of 63. Kevin was filled with devotion to the people of the City of Bristol. In Kevin's younger years, he served his country by enlisting in the United States Army. As an Armor Crewman, he eventually rose to Staff Sergeant. He continued his service in Bristol by joining its Police Department in 1982. When he retired in 2006, he was a Detective Lieutenant in the Criminal Investigation Division. Outside of his career, he remained a beloved and active presence in the Bristol community. I knew him for his work on the Ninth District Republican Committee, where he was the Bristol Unit Chairman and represented the district on the State Central Committee. As a member of St. Anne Catholic Church, he was devoted to his God and his parish. Kevin will be long remembered by many for his kindnesses. Befitting a man who followed a career path of service, he was always willing to help others. His survivors include his two children, Allison and Shawn, five grandchildren, and his sister, Jackie Collins. I offer my condolences to them on the loss of this fine man.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, the Commonwealth of Virginia mourns the loss of Trooper Lucas B. Dowell of the Virginia State Police. Trooper Dowell was killed in the line of duty on February 4, 2019, at the age of 28. His life, although too short, showed a commitment to the rigorous calling of law enforcement. Trooper Dowell was a native of Chilhowie in Smyth County. He participated in athletics during his days at Chilhowie High School, playing football and baseball. After graduating in 2009, he pursued an interest in law enforcement. At Radford University, he earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He graduated from the Virginia State Police's 122nd Basic Session in November 2014 and subsequently served in its Appomattox Division. While executing a search warrant in Cumberland County as part of a Virginia State Police Tactical Team, a suspect opened fire and Trooper Dowell was hit. He later died at Southside Community Hospital in Farmville. Law enforcement can be a demanding vocation, requiring sacrifices that may include, as the example of Trooper Dowell shows, the ultimate sacrifice, one's life. This is a loss for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Smyth County, and the Town of Chilhowie. I mourn his loss, yet I am grateful that he and the other men and women of law enforcement step forward to protect us knowing full well the risks they face. Trooper Dowell's survivors include his parents, Mike and Rebecca, and his sister, Erica. His family is in my prayers.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all who have been here today giving speeches. The government shutdown is now over, but the crisis continues on the border. About 10 days ago, I was down on the border, and I saw firsthand what was happening down there and talked to people who were down there. So, hopefully, during this time period, because the Democrats said repeatedly that if we reopen the government they would negotiate, hopefully we can negotiate and come to a bipartisan resolution that will help us to secure our southern border and continue to work on other ways that we can improve our immigration process.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, the reason that illegal immigrants or drug cartels would like it that way is that they can roll that back and, wearing their carpeted shoes which prevent tracking, they can then come in there, put it back, and that way the border agents who are working that area won't have any idea that somebody has actually come through there because they can't really tell. There is a well-worn track, but you won't know when somebody has come through. Mr. Speaker, I ask the gentleman if that is his impression as well.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, in fact, there, they had a road as well, which our border agents told us was very helpful. When you have a wall, you have a road next to it to help catch those folks who are trying to come through. But they had a device up, also, made of heavy metal and concrete to prevent the drug traffickers from using vehicles at that point and bringing their stuff in and just loading it onto a vehicle. Mr. Speaker, I ask the gentleman if that isn't correct.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, continuing in this colloquy with my friend from Arizona, I ask if he would agree that when we heard from the border agents that the wall--this bollard fencing, wall, however you want to describe it--is important, but things like having roads where you can get in are also important, because we heard numerous stories. I would like for the gentleman to maybe tell one, about how the agents may be able to see through electronic devices that somebody has crossed the border, but then it may take them hours to get there. I remember several specific stories, but I just wondered if Mr. Biggs remembered any stories like that.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I would say that we heard this repeatedly, and what we heard is that we need the wall to help channel this flow of illegal immigrants. We need the wall to make sure that we have some idea of what is going on. We need the electronic surveillance. So this is not a one-size-fits-all kind of situation, but we need the electronic surveillance to help when we are monitoring the wall. We need additional folks on horseback. We need additional canine units. We heard from one agent that we need, at the Customs department, density equipment so they can test to see if a tire is supposed to be a certain density. If it is twice as dense as it is supposed to be, they know that something is being hidden in that tire, some contraband, most likely drugs, and so this is important. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) for additional questions. I would like to continue our colloquy. I don't know if his colleague, also from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, would like to join in that colloquy as well. I would say to the gentleman, Mr. Biggs of Arizona, did he also find it interesting that almost everybody who we talked to, and certainly all of the border guards and all of the ranchers right on the border, specifically said a wall would be helpful; but there were other things that needed to be done as well?

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar). Would the gentleman tell me some of the stories related to fencing or additional equipment and how those fences will channel people; where it makes it easier to keep track of who is crossing that border? Did he have any stories that he might like to speak of?

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I will tell that story, because what happened is very interesting. The Border Patrol was there and an individual did cross the fence. Sometimes people say: Well, the people can climb over the fence. They can, but it slows them down and allows the border agents, using cameras and being there live on the scene, to intercept those people. And, sure enough, there we are, standing--I think we kind of acted as blockers. This fellow comes over the fence and drops down. The border agents are moving fast, and there we are standing where the natural escape route would be. While we didn't do anything heroic, and we had to watch the border security agents do their job very professionally, they got the gentleman into custody fairly quickly, it was because there was a wall, agents, and a whole team of equipment working together: the cameras, the wall, and the agents working together. If you don't have a wall there, they are never seeing that guy; they are never catching that guy, because he had to rise up and be seen in order to cross the border wall/fence. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Budd).

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) for the conclusion on this great trip.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, in fact, was it not accurate that you could actually roll back part of the barbed wire fence once you took the rope off and you could have multiple people coming through at any given moment?

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs) for a question. Mr. Speaker, in listening to the gentleman's remarks, of course I was there and saw this rope as well, but I think the folks back home need to be aware of this rope. We are not talking about some massive rope. We are talking about--what?--an inch, half-inch, quarter-inch rope?

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor tonight to discuss a trip that was recently made to our southern border in Arizona with the sovereign state of Mexico. Mr. Biggs headed that party up, and at this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Biggs).

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Article IV, Section 1: ``Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.'' Section 2: ``The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. ``A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime. ``No Person held to Service or Labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labor, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labor may be due.'' Section 3: ``New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.''

Mr. GRIFFITH. Article III, Section 1: ``The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.'' Section 2: ``The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;--between a State and Citizens of another State,-- between Citizens of different States,--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.''

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Madam Speaker, I offer these remarks in honor of Glen Wood, a founder of the legendary Wood Brothers NASCAR racing team, who died on January 18, 2019 at the age of 93. Glen Wood was a giant of auto racing, an owner and driver on the longest- running team in NASCAR history. Stock car racing has a long and storied heritage in Southwest and Southside Virginia, and Glen Wood, a native of Stuart in Patrick County, made notable contributions of his own to the sport. A trip to Daytona Beach in 1947 fired Mr. Wood's passion for racing, but he earned his place in racing history three years later when he founded Wood Brothers Racing with his brother Leonard. As he recalled to the Associated Press, ``We started racing in 1950 with a car we bought for $50. We put No. 50 on the side of the car because it just seemed like the right thing to do.'' Wood Brothers Racing eventually changed the number to 21, and they became a powerhouse, winning 99 victories in over 1,500 starts in NASCAR's top division. Glen Wood earned four of them himself as a driver. Many of the others were won by some of the sport's greatest competitors, including Cale Yarborough, Curtis Turner, A.J. Foyt, and David Pearson, driving for the Wood Brothers team. The Wood Brothers also brought innovation to the pit stop, drastically reducing its average length. These accomplishments garnered Glen Wood many accolades, including a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and recognition as one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers. Glen Wood was known for his success on the race track and for his gentlemanly demeanor off it. In his later years, he could be found at the Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Stuart greeting fans with his wife Bernece. Wood Brothers Racing remains a family business to this day, with Glen's oldest son Eddie now its president. Glen Wood was a towering figure in auto racing, and his legacy still endures. I offer my condolences to Mr. Wood's family on their loss.

Mr. GRIFFITH

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, shocking. I mean, you know, it was shocking. And then the trail, if I remember correctly, and Mr. Gohmert can correct me if I am wrong, but the trail then goes on up into the hills.

Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, she had no idea who we were until she walked over and said that and then was invited to address us: Well, you have some Members of the United States Congress here. Why don't you tell them what you think we need to do? There wasn't any question. These folks who live right down there on the border, they believe that the wall, fence, whatever you want to call that structure there in your picture, they believe that that helps, that it is not the whole equation, but that it is a big help and that we have to do it. They were very encouraging to us, to a person, to continue to work hard to try to secure that border, to stop this humanitarian crisis, to stop our security crisis, to stop the environmental crisis. That one person was adamant that this is devastating. He was an environmentalist person who really was very, very concerned about what had happened to the ecology in his area and to the environment. He attributes that directly to the flood of not a handful of people, but tens of thousands coming across. One of the ranchers that we talked to, their ranch is looking at 10,000 or more people coming across there every year. We are not talking about a trickle. We are talking about a flood. We are talking about a crisis.