Alcee Hastings

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), my friend who has worked tirelessly on behalf of his constituents, to discuss our proposal. I find it shameful that he has to once again come here and ask for what we could have done in the Committee on Rules last night by giving him the necessary waiver for his amendment to be put on the floor and at least voted on.

Mr. HASTINGS. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HASTINGS. Is the $220 million that the Senate passed 95-3 paid for?

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, I was happy to see the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure work in such a bipartisan way to address the water infrastructure needs of our Nation. I applaud the chairman and ranking member and all of the members on the committee for negotiating a measure that they were able to report favorably by voice vote. I am also especially happy to see so many important projects from my State included in the measure. However, leadership has once again proved that they are unable to free themselves from the chains of partisanship and have, therefore, scuttled a bipartisan bill that came out of committee on voice vote, and they did so at the last possible moment. The American people, many of them, are sickened by and tired of the games that we play here in the House of Representatives. All of the American people deserve better. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Byrne) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes for debate. I rise today in opposition to the rule. Let's not parse words. This bill is a Republican attempt to politicize the recent payment by the United States to the Government of Iran. The legislation equates the payment, which was made as part of a settlement of a 35-year-old dispute before the United States-Iran Claims Tribunal, as ransom. It prohibits any future payments. And I might add, Iran has 200 claims before the tribunal at this time, and all of the American claims have been settled before the same Algiers Accords tribunal. It prohibits any future payments to the Iranian Government and requires the President to submit to Congress a report listing and evaluating outstanding claims before the tribunal. Mr. Speaker, let's get something straight. The payment to Iran was not ransom, and anyone who suggests it was is just trying to score some political points in the limited time we have left in Washington. The payment was part of a legal settlement to a longstanding 35-year dispute. It was money owed to the Iranian Government by the American Government, and the transfer was simply our government meeting its obligations. As I indicated earlier, it may surprise those watching at home to learn that the tribunal has awarded roughly $2.5 billion to American citizens in the past. I understand that there are many in Congress concerned by the loosening of sanctions on Iran. I am one of them. As one of the few Democrats to publicly oppose the Iran deal, I know that Iran is, without question, not our friend, a state sponsor of terrorism, and I don't think you will find anyone in this body who denies this. But I am concerned by the trend we are seeing with individuals actively trying to undermine the deal rather than working to ensure it is made stronger and enact it with intended effect. It is similar to the actions--I forget the number, up in the sixties--that my Republican friends have attempted to do something about the Affordable Care Act. It has problems. The question is what are we going to do about it, because the American people need to have health care. What we would rather do is repeal what exists. Don't replace it with anything, but make political arguments that it needs to be replaced. We are doing something very similar here. Rather than making this Iran deal stronger, we are continuing to do what we can to undermine it. The bill we are discussing today is a stark example of this and is an attempt to undermine the deal rather than to strengthen it. The bill, if enacted, would hamstring us in the future as more than 1,000 Iranian claims before the tribunal have yet to be resolved. Prohibiting any type of future payment to the Iranian Government--and sort of as an aside, it is unfortunate, in this world that we live in, that we have to do business with bad people. I served on the Intelligence Committee when $2 billion walked off in Iraq, and we still haven't had accountability about that, but let's don't get too far off the track. The fact of the matter is, the bill does all of these things in order to prop up the false premise that the United States paid Iran ransom. This is just plain wrong, and it is a waste of our time. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned, as I have often been throughout this Congress, that partisan measures such as this one are distracting our attention from measures that we absolutely must pass, including today. There are just 7 legislative days left until we break for another 44- day recess, and that is after the Republicans shut down Congress for the longest summer recess in modern history. It gives the term ``do-nothing Congress'' a whole new meaning. Once we recess next week, unless we do something different, we will leave Washington until after the election. Yet, as of today, despite considerable bipartisan concern, we haven't gotten a clean Zika research funding bill, and we haven't gotten a bill on gun violence-- not a word on the subject except to threaten Democrats with punishment for protesting this body's unconscionable inaction on the subject. We haven't talked about flood relief for Louisiana. We haven't gotten a bill on the water crisis in Flint, and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) will address that in a few minutes. We are still dealing with an opioid epidemic. Let me underscore that again. We are dealing with an opioid epidemic in this country that is killing our children all over this Nation, and we have not done anything about it. The appropriations process has come to a complete standstill. That is why we are out of here tonight. We are going to try to figure out what we are going to do to discharge our responsibilities that are scheduled for October 1; so we will be here next week. All of those out there in Congress who don't know it, we will be here. We will be fiddling around. We will be doing suspensions. We will be doing one-House measures until the thing comes together, and it will. We will be threatened with ``we will keep you here until Saturday, or we will keep you here until Christmas.'' It goes on and on, kicking the can down the road. House Republicans continue to ignore their responsibilities to the American people and waste time on partisan, go-nowhere bills--just like the one we have here today--while Americans are forced to face critical public health emergencies alone. In fact, in each public health crisis before America, House Republicans have chosen to obstruct the meaningful action and resources that are needed to save lives. On the subject of Zika, this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will run out of resources to fight the virus. More than 21,000 Americans have confirmed cases of Zika; yet Republican inaction has forced the CDC to divert research funding away from other diseases. They have had to take money out of the Ebola account, and Ebola has not gone away. They are taking money out of the flu account and out of the tuberculosis account, and those are not going away at any point in time. They are taking cancer research money in order to keep its Zika research program going, which is an immediate crisis. It is not just a Florida thing or a Central America or a South America thing. There are 22,000 Americans who have this virus, and the Aedes aegypti mosquito is not the only one that is carrying this virus. This has been researched since 2009. It didn't just start yesterday, and it is not going to end tomorrow, but something needs to be done today about this particular crisis. I quote CDC Director Tom Frieden. The Republican co-chair of the Florida delegation and I had a hearing of our Florida delegation, and Mr. Frieden came to testify before us. He said: ``We are out of money, and we need Congress to act.'' I am not sure how much more plainly it can be said. We need a clean bill that provides adequate funding. Let's stop playing games with the lives of women and infants and of the people in general who have contracted this virus. It has now shown that it can affect the mental stability of adults. Mr. Speaker, we have some serious issues to tackle; so I am dismayed to be on the floor today focusing on yet another messaging bill. There will be headlines tomorrow. Members will go back home to their districts and will talk about ``we stopped Obama and any future President from paying ransom money.'' It was not ransom in the first place--it was Iran's money. The prisoners who were released would have been released. Had we done it a month earlier, I wonder if they would have called it a ransom. Had we done it a month later, I wonder if they would have called it a ransom. Yet this messaging bill comes here. I hope that my colleagues across the aisle, in the final week before we leave Washington, will let us address just some of the things that I mentioned. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. If this had been ransom, there is a person whom Iran has held prisoner and about whom Iran has denied a lack of information to the family--Robert Levinson, who has been in Iran for 9 years. I just can't imagine that a ransom agreement or the meeting of a demand would not have included information about Robert Levinson. That would be, in my considered opinion, the height of ridiculousness; therefore, the obviousness of leaving Mr. Levinson out of what would be a proposed ransom strikes me as being strange. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I am going to offer an amendment to the rule to bring up comprehensive legislation that provides the resources that are needed to help the families of Flint, Michigan, recover from the lead drinking water crisis. Mr. Speaker, the children and families of Flint are facing lifelong damage as a result of lead exposure. It is long past time that this Congress acted. We have an opportunity right now to bring up legislation that would ensure the people of Flint will receive clean drinking water and to provide health and educational support for the children who are affected by the crisis. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, a champion, among the champions of people who are here in Congress, is Dan Kildee. I had the privilege of serving with his uncle for a substantial portion of my career. I had the privilege--and I have spoken with Dan about this--to visit with his uncle before this particular crisis of Flint's and to discuss the plight of the people in Flint and Pontiac and that general area. In this particular instance, I hope we don't hear from people that this isn't germane. This is the Democrats' motion to recommit, and Republicans who care about the lead exposure that these children and families have been exposed to in Flint can simply vote for the motion to recommit, and we will be able to address this subject. I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Flint, Michigan (Mr. Kildee) to discuss our proposal.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Earlier, I misspoke when I said that we could vote for the motion to recommit. I should have said--and I correct the Record now--the previous question was what I was speaking of. The simple fact of the matter is we can vote in support of the previous question, and then we would be able to address the Flint crisis. Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that this bill is nothing more than an attempt by the majority to make political hay of the recent payment to the Government of Iran, a payment that was a legal settlement. It seems to get ignored by my friends that the United States and Iran are participants in a claims tribunal that was established 35 years ago under the Algiers Accords because Iran had held our hostages, and we needed a methodology to be able to pay and have those hostages remunerated appropriately. That said, $2.5 billion has been paid to American claims rightly. This framework is being followed, and what this legislation that is going nowhere would do, if it went somewhere, would be to fly in the face of that framework that was established. By prohibiting any future payments to Iran, this bill could put us in the position of violating the Algiers Accords and owing even more money. It comes at the expense of addressing issues that really matter, like Flint, like Zika, like the opioid epidemic, like gun violence, like the Louisiana floods and the crumbling infrastructure of this Nation. The list goes on and on. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the underlying measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a House Concurrent Resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should continue to exercise its veto in the United Nations Security Council on resolutions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and to oppose anti-Israel measures considered by the United Nations General Assembly and other United Nations bodies. As we all know, Israel is routinely the subject of unfair attacks at the United Nations. Israel is one of our nation's great allies--a free and open democratic society in a region that is anything but--yet it is the only country in the world that has to defend its very right to existence on a daily basis. International bodies unfairly target Israel regularly, and it's shameful. For instance, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has voted to condemn Israel 62 times since its creation in 2006. Earlier this year, the UNHRC named Israel as the world's top human rights violator. Here's another example. Resolution 1, adopted during the 29th session of the Commission on the Status of Women last year singled out Israel as the only nation responsible for women's rights violations. You heard that right. Not Syria, where an entire ethnic group, the Yazidis, have seen their women and girls sold off as sex slaves; not Saudi Arabia, with its strict laws on modesty, where women can neither drive nor own property; and not Sudan, where young girls are married off at the age of 10 and where many of them are forced to undergo female genital mutilation. Earlier this year, the government of France convened a conference in Paris on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Notably, representatives from Israel and the Palestinian Territories were not invited. That is no way to negotiate. If the government of France takes the plan to the United Nations Security Council, it would effectively force a ``solution'' upon Israel at an arbitrary deadline, putting the entire country at risk. This is unacceptable. We have all seen the wave of terrorism that has swept through Israel in recent months. Israel must be allowed to maintain its security. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we, the United States of America, continue to stand up for Israel at the United Nations. We all want to see a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but we know that it can only happen if both sides come together, sit down, and negotiate. My friend, Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has offered to meet anywhere at any time, without any precondition, to continue negotiations. The Palestinian leadership, unfortunately, has refused or made excuses, and instead turned to international bodies. In doing so, they have turned from the peace process and focused instead on castigatory measures that will, in the long run, get them nowhere. And that is a shame. The United Nations can't force peace. A resolution to the conflict requires difficult conversations, and even painful concessions through mutual bilateral discussion. This is what needs to happen, and the United States must send this signal clearly and unequivocally. I urge this body to pass the resolution, which will do just that.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of Mrs. Brenda Faye Young Russell, who sadly passed away on Saturday, March 12, 2016. Brenda attended North Carolina A&T State University and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Business Administration in 1969. After receiving her degree, she embarked upon a career in business by securing a position as an economist at The Rouse Company in Columbia, Maryland. In 1975. Brenda married Mr. Daniel Russell, who was also employed by the Company. Later in her career, Mrs. Russell worked as a merchandising manager and developed several retail businesses through Maryland. Ultimately, she created Russell-Turcot and Company, a real estate development and consulting firm. Her talents and expertise surpassed the retail and consulting industries, and extended to community leadership. Mrs. Russell served her community by assuming the position of Acting President for the Washington Urban League. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to small business and society, Mrs. Russell was honored by the Metropolitan Democratic Women's Club and received the Mayor Marion Barry Award for ``Exemplary Business Achievement'' in the retail industry in 1983. Indeed, the Washington Post described Mrs. Brenda Russell as ``the walking embodiment of a successful retailer.'' Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay my respects to Brenda and her family. She is survived by her husband, Daniel Russell; her daughter, Doni Kristen; and many others who grew to love and cherish her. I offer my deepest condolences to Brenda's family. Her spirit, loving memory, and legacy will always live on.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Norman Brody, who is the cantor of Temple Beth El in West Palm Beach, Florida. He has served this congregation since 1986 and is one of Palm Beach County's most famous and popular cantors. Cantor Brody was educated at the B'Nai Zion and College of Jewish Studies in Chicago, Illinois. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Cantor Brody sang with the Chicago Lyric Opera and the New York Opera Company, appearing with another famous tenor, Placido Domingo. He was also the featured soloist and musical arranger for the Winged Victory Singers and, from 1965 to 1980, he appeared in top hotels and on concert stages, as well as on radio and television. Before coming to Temple Beth El, he was the cantor at Temple Emanuel in Andover, Massachusetts, Temple Emeth in Brookline, Massachusetts and at Beth Israel Mikra Kodesh in Baltimore, Maryland. Besides having an award winning voice, Norman Brody has received the City of Peace Award and the Community Achievement Award from American ORT. His annual concert is a highlight of every year, regularly drawing huge crowds to hear ``the man with the golden voice'' perform religious music, show tunes and popular standards. An accomplished pianist, he accompanies himself at Sabbath services to the delight of congregants, who have remarked that it's always a special occasion when they hear him sing. Cantor Brody also devotes time to conducting Temple Beth El's Youth and Adult Choirs and is a dedicated and committed member of our community. He is active in many organizations, including B'Nai B'rith, the Palm Beach County Clergy Cantor's Association and Ambassadors Society of Trustees of Israel Bonds. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor this fine man, who is not only a tremendous treasure for Temple Beth El, but an enormous credit to his community and our nation.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Norman Brody, who is the Cantor of Temple Beth El in West Palm Beach, Florida. He has served this congregation since 1986 and is one of Palm Beach County's most famous and popular cantors. Cantor Brody was educated at the B'Nai Zion and College of Jewish Studies in Chicago, Illinois. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Cantor Brody sang with the Chicago Lyric Opera and the New York Opera Company, appearing with another famous tenor, Placido Domingo. He was also the featured soloist and musical arranger for the Winged Victory Singers and, from 1965 to 1980, he appeared in top hotels and on concert stages, as well as on radio and television. Before coming to Temple Beth El, he was the cantor at Temple Emanuel in Andover, Massachusetts, Temple Emeth in Brookline, Massachusetts and at Beth Israel Mikra Kodesh in Baltimore, Maryland. Besides having an award winning voice, Norman Brody has received the City of Peace Award and the Community Achievement Award from American ORT. His annual concert is a highlight of every year, regularly drawing huge crowds to hear ``the man with the golden voice'' perform religious music, show tunes and popular standards. An accomplished pianist, he accompanies himself at Sabbath services to the delight of congregants, who have remarked that it's always a special occasion when they hear him sing. Cantor Brody also devotes time to conducting Temple Beth El's Youth and Adult Choirs and is a dedicated and committed member of our community. He is active in many organizations, including B'Nai B'rith, the Palm Beach County Clergy Cantor's Association and Ambassadors Society of Trustees of Israel Bonds. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor this fine man, who is not only a tremendous treasure for Temple Beth El, but an enormous credit to his community and our nation.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act and remove the exclusion of coverage for services in institutions of mental diseases (IMD) under Medicaid. This legislation will enable more Americans who suffer from severe substance use disorders (SUD) to gain equal access to the treatment necessary to their long-term recovery. Substance use disorder plagues the United States both socially and economically. The cost of substance abuse and drug addiction to our health care system totals $705 billion annually and the human costs of this disease are nothing short of devastating for many American families. Providing health care services and treatment resources to those who suffer from substance abuse is critical. However, millions of Americans who need treatment go without services each year. This shortfall is a symptom of outdated policy that limits the availability of substance use disorder services, particularly for those who require residential care to address their addictions. Under current law, Medicaid beneficiaries are barred access to community-based residential treatment for severe conditions due to the IMD exclusion that prohibits reimbursement care of patients at facilities with more than 16 beds. This nonsensical exclusion has effectively deterred facilities from serving those in dire need of care. Mr. Speaker, my legislation addresses this problem by eliminating the IMD exclusion and allowing those who suffer from severe addiction to have equal access to treatment and become productive members of society. It will also reduce the social and economic consequences associated with substance abuse. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and addressing a devastating problem affecting far too many communities across the nation.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, today this body voted on S.764, compromise legislation that provides a bipartisan solution to the state and local laws mandating different requirements for the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in foods. While I was not present to vote on this legislation, had I been, I would have voted in favor of the bill. It is a reality that many of our crops are genetically modified and it is important that food companies disclose ingredient information. S. 764 is a compromise and provides a common sense federal solution to a patchwork system that has the potential to disrupt the food supply chain by having certain labeling requirements in some states but not others, with the increased compliance costs ultimately being passed along to the consumer. The bill institutes a national mandatory labeling standard for foods that contain genetically engineered crops, with several options for how food manufacturers can label their products. Mr. Speaker, it is for this reason that I support the disclosure of ingredient information and would have voted in support of this bill. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that no consumer is left in the dark regarding the ingredients of their food.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give voice to the millions of Americans across this country who are tired of this body's leadership being held hostage by the Gun Lobby. The dilatory response by House Republicans, a response directly linked to the fact that they are so closely intertwined with the nefarious Gun Lobby, is as shameful as it is reckless. Over 33,000 people lose their lives every year to the gun violence epidemic. What does Republican Leadership do in the face of these deaths? Nothing. That is not negligence, it is gross negligence and those who stand firmly in the way of those of us trying desperately to make this country a safer place for our children and grandchildren are increasingly culpable in the deaths that most certainly and tragically lay ahead. Mr. Speaker, all Americans have a right to make their communities safe from the onslaught of gun violence this country witnesses year after year. They have a right to demand that felons and domestic abusers cannot buy a gun without any questions asked. They have a right to demand that dangerous loopholes allowing terrorists to buy weapons are closed. They have a right to demand that an end is put to the unbelievable number of military-style firearms flowing through their streets. And demanded they have, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, a majority of Americans support ensuring that a husband with a proven history of violent acts committed against his wife should not have access to a firearm. A majority of Americans think it is absolutely ridiculous that we do not stop felons from purchasing firearms. And a majority of Americans think it is beyond comprehensible that members of this body would stand in the way of us working to ensure that terrorists do not have access to weapons of mass murder. Mr. Speaker, the time has well since passed when we should have enacted these common sense reforms. The time has well since passed since we ought to have taken action to protect our communities--to make those communities safer for our children and grandchild. There is bipartisan legislation in this House that will address these pressing issues and it is time for the Republican Leadership to bring this legislation to the House Floor for a vote immediately. Any further delay is a shameful dereliction of duty on the part of House Republican Leadership.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Chair, this body will vote on amendments to H.R. 5485, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2017. Included in these amendments was Amendment Number 17, which would have struck language from the underlying legislation that delays the implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) recently proposed rule regulating payday loans. While I will not be present to vote on the adoption of this amendment, I will vote against this measure. It is an unfortunate reality that many people live paycheck-to- paycheck in this country. For these individuals, any unexpected bill, whether it is a car repair or a medical emergency, can wreak havoc. Short-term, small-dollar loans are essential resources for those who need just a little help overcoming these types of unexpected expenses. Likewise, just as these small-dollar, short-term loans are essential to many working-class American families, protecting consumers from unscrupulous actors is also imperative. However, I fear that in trying to protect consumers, the CFPB's proposed rule will cut off access to short-term credit without providing a necessary alternative. By some estimates, the current proposed rule will force nearly 80 percent of payday lenders to shutter their doors. Ironically, in trying to protect consumers, the CFPB's efforts to regulate payday lenders will end up hurting consumers and their ability to access much needed sources of credit. Mr. Chair, it is for this reason that I oppose the implementation of the CFPB's proposed rulemaking at this time and will vote against the amendment preventing the rule's delay. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that an appropriate balance is struck: ensure working-class Americans have unencumbered access to vital short-term, small-dollar credit, while protecting consumers from unscrupulous actors in the industry.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 90th birthday of Mrs. Everee Jimerson Clarke of Pleasant City, Florida. Everee was born on July 6, 1926, to Cynthia and Reverend William Jimerson in Pleasant City, Florida. While she moved to Jacksonville, Florida, as a child, she continued to maintain a strong connection with her hometown. She would regularly visit Pleasant City and attended Industrial High School. She attended college at the historically Black institution Lincoln University, before moving to New York to attend Julliard School of Music in the dance department. In 1960, she established the Everee School of Charm and Dance, while also becoming a political activist in Newark, New Jersey. Since she returned back to Pleasant City in 1965, she has been active in local politics and business development. In 1975 and 1976, Everee was recognized by ``Who's Who in Among Black Americans.'' In 1987, she was appointed by Governor Bob Martinez and the Florida Senate to serve on the Broward County Historic Preservation Board of Trustees. Pleasant City is the oldest African American Community in Palm Beach County. She has been committed to preserving its history and providing educational and cultural events, as well as opportunities for its descendants. Everee has received numerous awards for her service, including the Community Service Award from the Black Educators Caucus and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also awarded the Historic Preservation Award from the City of West Palm Beach, and the Fannie James Pioneer Achievement Award from the historical Society of Palm Beach County. Mr. Speaker, on this momentous occasion, please join me in honoring Mrs. Everee Jimerson Clarke for her life of service and commitment to cultural preservation. I wish her a very happy 90th birthday, and many more years success and happiness to come.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Julia Mae Primus, a dear friend of mine, who sadly passed away on June 18, 2016. Julia was born on June 25, 1924 in Leesburg, Florida, where she attended the Lake County Training School and graduated valedictorian of her class. Once she finished high school, she enrolled at Florida A&M University (FAMU), where she earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. She later took graduate courses at Northwestern University before obtaining her Master's Degree in Speech Therapy and Pathology from the University of South Florida. Julia paved the way for African American women as the first African American woman to be selected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for the Florida-Georgia District. She was also a strong presence in the Florida A&M University (FAMU) community having pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and having chartered the Broward County Alumnae Chapter, serving two terms as the 1st Chapter President. After college, she became the first African American speech therapist hired by the Broward County school system and served for forty years as a dedicated teacher and speech therapist. She devoted her life to educating future generations and to constantly serving as a role model to not only her pupils, but to all of us who were honored to have her in our lives. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter Juliette Wise, her son Theodore Primus, four grandchildren: Dawn Wise McGowan, Walter Wise, III (Marla), Theodore Primus, and Julian Primus; great grandsons: George McGowan, Ryan McGowan, Walter Wise, IV, Grant Wise, Gerald Wise; special friend Demetria Broadnax, and many other close and loving friends. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Julia Mae Primus, whose service to the people of Florida is a shining example for us all. Her spirit and memory will always live on.

Mr. HASTINGS

Mr. HASTINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th birthday of Shirley Weiss, born Sarah Hengber, in Brooklyn, New York, on September 1, 1916. Shirley is one of 6 children born to Yetta and Samuel Hengber, both Russian immigrants, who after meeting in Poland, came to the United States in the early 1900s, to raise their large family. Shirley married Harold Weiss on September 11, 1938, and raised two daughters in Bronx County, serving seventeen years at the Internal Revenue Service. Shirley retired in 1977 and with Harold, moved to bask in the Sunshine State. Over the last 40 years, she has enjoyed hosting visits with her family that includes 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grand daughters to whom she is a loving role model. Still a voracious reader, we honor Shirley's wonderful milestone of 100 years, and hereby acknowledge and commend her on this amazing achievement.