Mark Green

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Brown for his distinguished service to this nation. Chief Brown served honorably in the United States Army for over three decades, demonstrating exceptional skill and unparalleled valor in crucial combat operations. Early in his career, he served five years in the 82nd Airborne Division, deploying with the 17th Cavalry to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He then joined the 101st Airborne Division before eventually being assigned to the nation's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in 1998. As a helicopter pilot with the Night Stalkers, Chief Brown deployed in the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, and subsequently completed over 34 deployments with our nation's tier one special operators in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. On one such mission, while under intense enemy fire, Chief Warrant Officer Brown successfully destroyed multiple enemy positions, enabling ground forces to organize defensive positions. For his gallantry, which saved many lives that day, he was awarded the Silver Star. Chief Brown was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for the successful destruction of numerous enemy combatants during a classified mission in 2005. Chief Warrant Officer Brown will forever be an example to countless soldiers and Army aviators. His service is historic. He exemplifies the virtues of courage and patriotism and it is fitting that we honor him as he concludes a long and faithful career. On behalf of the United States Congress, I wish to commend Chief Brown for his service, and I congratulate him on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Army.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember Officer Destin Legieza for his distinguished career in service of his beloved community of Brentwood, Tennessee. Officer Legieza honorably served with the Brentwood Police Department for five years, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and selflessness. In 2016, he was selected as Officer of the Year by the Brentwood Morning Rotary Club and in 2017, he received the Chiefs Sheep Dog Award for outstanding police work and cooperation among law enforcement agencies. His life defined service to others. In his free time, he was involved in Special Olympics and a community flag football team. Most recently, he was selected to serve on the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), an innovative first-responder model of police-based crisis intervention training for de-escalation. However, before starting his training for CIT, on June 18th, 2020, Officer Legieza was killed in the line of duty, being hit by a suspected drunk driver head-on. Only 30 years old, Officer Legieza was, in the words of Brentwood Mayor Rhea Little, ``the apex of those who serve.'' Officer Legieza came from a long line of police officers, with his father being a lieutenant in the Franklin Police Department and his grandfather serving in the CSX Railroad Police. Officer Legieza no longer patrols the streets of Brentwood, but his memory lives on in the family whom he loved and the community in which he served. Officer Legieza's life of selfless dedication to protect and serve our community is an inspiration to all Americans. On behalf of the United States Congress, I wish to honor Officer Legieza for his service and express our deepest sympathies to his friends and family

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Thomas Ely for his distinguished career in the medical profession and recent election as the 124th President of the American Osteopathic Association. Tennesseans across our great state are proud to join me in celebrating his accomplishments and election to the highest leadership role in the osteopathic profession. Dr. Ely's career has been marked by dedication and tireless leadership in the medical field. As a fellow Tennessean, he served his patients with care and represented our great state for over 30 years as a delegate to the AOA House of Delegates, as well as serving as the President of the Tennessee Osteopathic Medical Association (TOMA). His desire to help others led him to join the United States Army, where he served honorably for 20 years, and where he received many honors, including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. Even after retiring from service, he eagerly answered the call to support our troops during Operation Desert Storm. It is the sacrifices of brave men and women like Dr. Ely that has built our country, and we are forever indebted to his service. I am honored to have worked alongside Dr. Ely in the medical profession. On behalf of the United States Congress, I wish to commend Dr. Ely for his service, and I congratulate him as he continues his lifelong career of serving others, now as the President of the American Osteopathic Association.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Mr. Ed Carter, an upstanding American and Tennessean. A native of Hawkins County in East Tennessee, Ed Carter graduated from the University of Tennessee and began his career with the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission (later renamed the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency) in 1972. Over the next four decades, he served in a number of law enforcement and public information positions with the Commission. He also served as the Chief of the TWRA Boating Division until March of 2009, when the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission appointed him as Executive Director of the TWRA. As Executive Director, Ed oversees all operations of the TWRA and its over seven hundred employees. The agency manages the State of Tennessee's wildlife and fisheries programs and governs all boating safety programs within the state. He has served as President of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and he also serves on the Federal/State Joint Task Force for federal aid. Ed has received many well-deserved honors for his faithful service and unparalleled efforts to conserve the natural beauty and abundant wildlife of Tennessee. The Tennessee General Assembly recognized Ed with a joint resolution for his meritorious service to the citizens of the State of Tennessee. In addition, the National Safe Boating Council inducted him into the National Boating Safety Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service honored him with the Conservation Partner Award. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Ed Carter on his retirement after five decades of public service. All who have had the opportunity to enjoy the scenic beauty of Tennessee's rolling hills and refreshing waters can thank Ed for his faithful stewardship over the years.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, over the past decade, more than 100 rural hospitals have been forced to close their doors, including 12 hospitals in Tennessee. These communities are now left without access to healthcare in general, let alone emergency care. Many rural hospitals across the Nation continue to face significant financial difficulties. As this crisis continues at a growing rate, current Federal regulations stand in the way, only allowing a free- standing emergency department within 35 miles of a hospital. My bill, the Rural ER Access Act, would repeal this ridiculous 35- mile rule to permit free-standing emergency departments to operate in the rural communities that need them the most. As an emergency medicine physician, I believe that we should and can make sure that rural Americans are not left without access to emergency care because of some unnecessary bureaucratic regulation.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chief Warrant Officer Douglas Englen for his distinguished career in service to this nation. Over the course of more than three decades in the United States Army, Chief Douglas Englen has demonstrated exceptional skill, unwavering bravery, and valor in defense of freedom. As a helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the elite unit tasked with helicopter support of special operations forces, Chief Englen has flown over 2,500 combat missions in every major U.S. conflict since Operation Desert Storm. Chief Englen's intrepid leadership played a crucial role in many key engagements and operations, most notably Operation Neptune Spear. Englen served first as one of four key planners for this daring nighttime raid to take out Osama bin Laden, America's most wanted terrorist. During the mission, he served as the flight lead for the strike force, for which he was awarded his second Silver Star--the U.S. military's third-highest combat decoration. Englen's adept piloting through mountainous terrain enabled the strike force to approach bin Laden's compound undetected and take out the man responsible for the deadliest terrorist attack in human history. Englen's exploits in defense of the country have resulted in his admittance into the Army Aviation Association of America Aviation Hall of Fame--an honor he shares with accomplished Army Aviators, including his fellow Night Stalker Michael Durant and numerous Medal of Honor recipients. Prior to retirement, Mr. Englen was noteworthy for being the most decorated Army Aviator on active duty. Doug Englen is a hero to heroes. It is altogether fitting that we honor Chief Englen as he concludes a remarkable career marked by his steadfast commitment to duty and country. He leaves the 160th SOAR with two Silver Stars, one Distinguished Service Medal, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Legions of Merit, two Bronze Stars, and eight Air Medals. On behalf of the United States Congress, I wish to commend Chief Englen for his faithful service to our nation, and I congratulate him on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Army.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, for almost half a century, we have watched our Nation dehumanize an entire group of people based on their age with the Roe decision allowing the killing of 60 million unborn children. This is the largest human rights violation of our time. As Martin Luther King, Jr., said: ``There is no graded scale of essential worth'' among people. This truth is something the evil organization Planned Parenthood deliberately chooses not to see, ending lives and selling baby parts for the sake of science. As America's largest abortion provider, it performs over 320,000 every single year, all in the name of freedom. But there is quite obviously absolutely no such thing as a right or freedom to end someone else's life. As Ronald Reagan said, isn't it interesting that all who support abortion have already been born? We must defend the equal right to life for everyone. If we can't do that, what are we even doing here?

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in complete opposition to this resolution. First, this is a nonbinding resolution. If you really wanted to exert some congressional decisionmaking, we would do a bill that goes before the President and gets signed or gets vetoed. This is purely theatrics. None of these Democrat leaders stood up when President Obama violated the airspace of Pakistan to take out Osama bin Laden. Now, I am glad he did that, but there was no congressional authorization to go into Pakistan. At least here there is a congressional authorization for our forces to be on the ground and using military power. The President has clear authority under Article II to act when our Nation and our military is at risk. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said: ``The trigger for the drone strike that killed Soleimani was `clear, unambiguous intelligence indicating a significant campaign of violence against the United States in the days, weeks, and months,' and that the administration would have been `culpably negligent' if it didn't act''--General Mark Milley. These people understand one thing, and it is strength. You will recall that when President Clinton pulled our forces out of Somalia after we got the black eye on Black Hawk Down, bin Laden cited that as proof that Americans run away, that they won't stand and fight. I have been to combat three times in this region of the world, twice in Iraq and once in Afghanistan. I have looked these individuals in the eye. It is strength that they understand. And, clearly, it has shown itself to be true again. This President stood up, and Iran's response was clear. They had two audiences in their response: At home, they wanted people to see strength. They shot 15 missiles. Back in their press, they are saying they killed Americans. They didn't, of course. The other audience, the United States and the rest of the world, they fired 16 missiles, all 16 missed. All 16 missiles missed. Remember when they hit Saudi Arabia? All those missiles hit. They know how to hit their target. They fired 16 missiles against us and not one hit. What is the message they are saying? Immediately after they fired them, they stood up and said: We are done. No more. That is the end of our response. They told the Shia militia groups to stand down. Muqtada al-Sadr said to his people today: Stand down. They respond to strength, and our President did the right thing. He was a strong response, a strong response to storming a sovereign U.S. territory of an embassy with 6,000 people, killing American contractors, and wounding American soldiers with a rocket attack. Mr. Speaker, this President made a strong response, and it has shown itself to work.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Malcolm Perry of Clarksville, Tennessee for his extraordinary performance as the quarterback for the Naval Academy in the 120th Army- Navy game. From the time he was a student at Kenwood High School, Malcolm knew he wanted to play college football and join the military. As the star quarterback at the Naval Academy, he has the rare opportunity to do both. The son of two career Army enlistees with over forty combined years of service, Malcolm enrolled at the U.S. Naval Academy, and he will commission as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps after graduation. As the senior quarterback and team captain for the Midshipmen, Malcolm capped off the regular season with a spectacular 31-7 win against Army, rushing for a career-high 304 yards--the most rushing yards by any player in the history of the Army-Navy game. With his outstanding performance in this game, he set the school records for rushing yards (1,804) and yards of total offense (2,831) in a season--quite a feat considering the many great teams that the Naval Academy has fielded in its long and proud history of athletic excellence. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating this young man on his outstanding leadership and accomplishments at the Naval Academy, and we wish Malcolm great success in the years to come.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Master Sergeant Douglas Wonacott of the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). MSG Wonacott enlisted in the United States Army in 2000 and he has served with great honor and distinction in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) throughout his entire career. As a special operations flight medic with the famed Night Stalkers, MSG Wonacott provided life-saving medical treatment for scores of U.S. soldiers who were wounded in combat operations. Time and again he demonstrated peerless courage under enemy fire as he sought to provide emergency care for the wounded--even when a helicopter he was providing medical care on was shot down by enemy fire in Iraq. MSG Wonacott served with distinction and valor in the War on Terror, with over a dozen deployments to Iraq in a decade of conflict, as well two deployments to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. In the course of his deployments, MSG Wonacott took part in Operation Red Dawn, a crucial mission which culminated in the capture of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. In 2013, MSG Wonacott was named the Regiment Operation Assessment Element flight medic, and in 2016 he was selected as the Regiment Senior Medic. As the senior medic of the 160th SOAR, he supervised the regiment's special operations flight medics, medical officers, and physicians' assistants, and he has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that the soldiers of the unit have access to the physical and mental care that they need. His merit and courage bring great credit to the United States Army, and I am honored to have served alongside him. Among his many awards and citations, MSG Wonacott has received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star Medal, a Purple Heart, a Meritorious Service Medal, and two Air Medals. On behalf of the United States Congress, I commend MSG Wonacott for his faithful and patriotic service to our nation, and I congratulate him on the occasion of his well-earned retirement from active duty.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I want to just say today that I live in the State of Tennessee, and in Tennessee, we are a fiscally responsible State. We have the lowest per capita debt in the Nation. We have no income tax at all. We have no investment income tax. When a State has superhigh taxes and you allow individuals to write that tax off, it is unfair to those well-managed States like Tennessee that don't tax our people as much. So, when you raise caps or you raise deductions, those States that are poorly managed, those States that are high-tax States to their individuals are subsidized by the people in Tennessee. We wind up paying more tax so that those States that are poorly managed can pay less. To say, oh, we have got to do this for the low-income individuals out there, well, how about those States just manage themselves better, tax their people less, and then there wouldn't be an issue? Why should the people of Tennessee have to subsidize States that can't manage themselves?

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of an upstanding American citizen, Dale Wilkerson. After serving twenty years in the U.S. Air Force, where he earned the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal, Mr. Wilkerson began working for the National Park Service in 1994 as a branch chief for contracting, property, and financial management at the Natchez Trace Parkway. In 2010, Mr. Wilkerson was temporarily assigned to the NPS Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta to serve as the acting regional comptroller. In that role he directed the annual fiscal year closing process for more than sixty park units in the region, with the execution of obligations totaling more than $245 million. From August 2012 through December 2013, he served as the Acting Superintendent of the Natchez Trace Parkway, Tupelo National Battlefield, Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, and the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, where he was responsible for leading and managing the eighth most visited NPS unit in the country. In 2015, Mr. Wilkerson was appointed as the Superintendent of the Shiloh National Military Park. Over the last four years, he has performed a remarkable job of managing and overseeing all aspects of the Shiloh National Military Park. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Mr. Wilkerson on his retirement from the National Park Service as Superintendent of Shiloh National Battlefield and his forty-six years of service in our nation's military and in the National Park Service.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, instead of this laser focus on impeachment, we should be doing the people's work and passing a bill to help many Americans across this country who live in rural areas. My bipartisan Rural Health Care Access Act, H.R. 2990, would do just that. Between January 1, 2010, and March 19, 2019, 102 rural hospitals closed in America. We are facing a crisis for rural America. These closures are increasing almost every year. While so many of our senior citizens must utilize Medicare, Medicare is not reimbursing all hospitals in rural areas at a sustainable rate. We need to designate all our rural hospitals as Critical Access Hospitals. Currently, this designation does not apply to those hospitals in rural areas that are slightly less than 35 miles from another hospital. My bill would get rid of this distance requirement, while maintaining all other requirements. It would help stave off the rapid decline of healthcare and protect vital jobs in rural communities. I urge the Speaker to give my bill a chance.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Judge Wayne C. Shelton of Clarksville, Tennessee on the occasion of his 74th birthday and 40 years of service as a judge. Judge Shelton was appointed as the judge for Montgomery County's General Sessions and Juvenile Court Div. II by Governor Lamar Alexander on July 1, 1979. At present, he is the longest-serving judge in the State of Tennessee. For the past 40 years, Judge Shelton has served with distinction and devotion. Fittingly, the Tennessee Juvenile Judges Association recently presented Judge Shelton with a lifetime achievement award to honor Judge Shelton's decades of faithful service to the people of Tennessee as a judge. As the father of a son with Down's Syndrome, Judge Shelton is a strong advocate for those with special needs. His family is establishing a scholarship in his honor at Austin Peay State University for students who intend to work with people like his son, William Isaac Shelton, to help them lead successful and fulfilling lives. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in commending Judge Shelton for his faithful service to the law and his contributions towards improving the lives of those in need.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, the Democrat leadership in this House, hell-bent on impeachment, is trampling on precedent, fairness, and our system of representative democracy. We are in the midst of a so-called impeachment inquiry despite no vote ever having been held on the House floor, as was the case for Nixon and Clinton. I guess the majority has no concern for what the people of Tennessee have to say. It is as if they are saying: Hey, you guys in Tennessee, we are going to proceed with something as grave as impeaching the President of the United States, and, oh, by the way, you don't get a say. This is an insult to democracy. This House--supposedly, the people's House--cannot pass a single law without a vote. We are a legislative body, and we speak after a vote is taken. Failing to do so allows unchecked factions to control the direction of the entire legislative branch. The Founders never intended it as such. In fact, this is the very definition of tyranny. The people of Tennessee deserve to be heard, and the people of America deserve to be heard on this issue. We need to stop this charade now and hold a vote.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mary Beatrice (Bea) Brewer, a resident of Signature Health Care in Erin, Tennessee. Mary Beatrice Hutchison was born on May 29, 1922 in Benton County, Tennessee. She grew up in Benton County, where she stood out as a high school basketball player. After she graduated, she moved to Detroit to work in a factory supplying the war effort in World War II. In 1945, Bea married Tom Brewer, a WWII Army Air Corps veteran who survived many months in a German prisoner of war camp. Together, they raised two daughters--Lisa and Kim--and two grandchildren--Jacob and Lauren. Bea and Tom lived in Houston County, where Tom worked as a teacher and Bea spent twenty years at the Stewart-Houston Times, the local newspaper where she wrote a column and served as editor. After retiring from the paper, she worked at the Houston County Soil Conservation for over twenty years. For the past year, she has been a resident at Signature Health Care. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Mary Beatrice Brewer on her induction into the Signature Health Care Hall of Fame.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of a great American hero, James ``Shimmie'' Coakley. Mr. Coakley was born on March 15, 1920 and raised in Houston County, Tennessee. He married Mildred Clark Coakley in 1940, and they remained together for the next 73 years and 9 months until her passing. Mr. Coakley was drafted in December of 1944, and he fought in France and Germany as part of the 143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Division under General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mr. Coakley was honorably discharged from the Army as corporal in 1946 with a combat wound from shrapnel. After surviving a ten day journey back across the Atlantic through a hurricane, Mr. Coakley began a longtime career back in Tennessee with the Meriwether Lewis Electric Company, where he served for 33 years. In retirement, he enjoys spending time with family and visiting the residents of Signature Healthcare of Erin, TN. Mr. Coakley currently holds the distinction of being the oldest living WWII veteran in Houston County. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Mr. James Coakley on his induction into the Signature Healthcare Hall of Fame.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of a great American hero, Larry Simmons. Mr. Simmons joined the United States Army in 1960 after finishing high school. After several assignments throughout the United States and in Berlin, Mr. Simmons received orders to deploy to Vietnam. Over the course of his two tours in Vietnam, he received two Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars for his heroic actions on the battlefield, including his rescue of two small children during a firefight. Following Mr. Simmons' retirement from the military in 1980, after 20 years of service, he spent 14 years as a correctional officer at San Quentin prison. After his retirement, Mr. Simmons and his wife, Karen, moved to Kentucky Lake to enjoy life as a grandfather and great grandfather. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Mr. Simmons on his induction into the Signature Healthcare Hall of Fame.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 64th Anniversary of the Clarksville, Tennessee chapter of the NAACP. This local chapter was chartered 64 years ago in 1955, just as the Civil Rights Movement was starting to gain momentum throughout the nation, culminating in 1963 with the March on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ``I Have A Dream'' speech. The leadership of Dr. King and the NAACP challenged the nation to live up to its own founding ideals of liberty and justice for all. The Clarksville NAACP has continued to serve the community since its founding, particularly in its engagement with the young people of Clarksville and its support for education. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Clarksville branch of the NAACP for its service to the community over the past 64 years.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor William Morgan of Nashville, Tennessee on the occasion of his 60th birthday. William Morgan was born on June 22, 1959 in Nashville. He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 1977 and from Vanderbilt University in 1981. William went on to earn his MBA from Vanderbilt, where he was the Founders Medalist. In 1986, he joined the Nashville-based industrial contracting firm John Bouchard & Sons Company, where he has served as president since 2001. In addition to his leadership of John Bouchard & Sons, Mr. Morgan works tirelessly to better his community and country. He has served as chairman of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, and he is a member of the Nashville Rotary Club. He has been a longtime supporter of many ministries both in Nashville and nationwide, including the Hope Clinic for Women, Need Link Nashville, and the TN Governmental Prayer Alliance. William is married to Lisa Morgan, and they are the proud parents of three children, Carver (Lauren), Sumner (Brian), and Wallace, and they are the proud grandparents of Clara. In every area of his life, he seeks to honor God and serve his community--and he has done so faithfully for these 60 years. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in congratulating this great American and thanking him for his service to our nation.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 150th Anniversary of the West Harpeth Primitive Baptist Church. The West Harpeth Primitive Baptist Church was founded circa 1869 under the leadership of Elder Peter Starnes. The first congregants were former slaves upon whose strong Christian faith the church was founded. The land was purchased in 1881 and the initial facility was constructed on the property. The land, located near Old West Harpeth Road, is the same site on which their building stands today. The facility was rebuilt in 1948 and around that time, a separate building was constructed, consisting of a dining room and two restrooms accessed from the outside. The church was remodeled in 1968 under the pastorate of Elder Walter E. Rodgers. Later in 1986, under the pastorate of Elder Hewitt C. Sawyers, the building was expanded to include a baptistry and indoor restrooms. In 1998, a major renovation was done which included the construction of a new sanctuary, offices, and classrooms. Throughout the church's 150 years, there have been only six pastors. The church is hosting the 150th Church Anniversary Celebration on October 27, 2019 at 3 p.m., where they will dedicate a historical marker. Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate West Harpeth Primitive Baptist Church and their congregants on the historic occasion of their 150th Anniversary, and I know there will be many more years in kingdom building for Christ and service to their community.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the fiftieth anniversary of the City of Brentwood, Tennessee. Brentwood was incorporated in Williamson County on April 15, 1969. Since then, spurred by the development of Maryland Farms into a business park in the 1970s and 1980s, Brentwood's population expanded from less than 4,000 residents to over 40,000 today. A prosperous suburb in the Nashville area, Brentwood has maintained its character as a low-density residential community even as it has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, with ninety percent of the city's acreage zoned for residential use. Its thriving business environment, high quality of life, top-rated schools, scenic beauty, and Tennessee way of life have given Brentwood a well-deserved reputation as one of the best places in the nation to live, work, and raise a family. Brentwood is home to many of Tennessee's finest citizens, and I am honored to represent them in the United States Congress. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the City of Brentwood on this momentous occasion.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko).

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3694, the Helping Families Fly Act, sponsored by my friend and colleague from Arizona, Representative Lesko. H.R. 3694 requires TSA to implement a number of reforms aimed at improving the travel experience for pregnant women and families with young children, including specific assistance by TSA officers at checkpoints and new training for officers. Representative Lesko's bill will ensure that TSA works closely with transportation stakeholders to make pregnant travelers and families aware of screening procedures and options for assistance. This good-government bill recognizes that TSA is oftentimes seen as the face of the Department of Homeland Security, screening more than 2 million passengers a day. As such, it is incumbent upon the agency to ensure its services are working for all travelers. H.R. 3694 will improve the passenger experience for pregnant women and families with young children. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee

Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reaffirm my support for the bill. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.