Steny Hoyer

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I understand the majority leader's reticence to answer the question because he says he can't speak for the Rules Committee. I understand that. But the fact of the matter is this is an important issue. It ought to be considered by the House. It ought to have every Member's ability to speak to the issue of whether or not we ought to build that wall, not whether we ought to have security--we all agree that we should and must have security--but whether we do it with a wall, as I said, in which many members of the current administration do not believe it will work and have been quoted as saying so in the past, and there are many Members on our side who feel that. I would hope that the majority leader would at least make it known to the Rules Committee that we ought to have that as a freestanding amendment, not incorporate it in a rule that the vote for the rule or a vote against the rule is, of itself, a vote on the wall itself. Lastly, Mr. Leader, I want to say that you and I are both very concerned about the Russian sanctions and Iranian sanctions bill that is pending. We have been working very hard on that, very constructively on that, and I look forward, over the next 24 hours, more or less, to see whether or not we could get that resolved. We have introduced, as you know, the Senate bill as a House bill. We would be for that if it would be brought to the floor. But we want to make sure that we move a bill, as you do, as quickly as possible and get agreement with the Senate and move that bill to the President's desk. I thank you for your work on that, and I look forward to working with you over the next day or two to see if we can achieve that objective together. Madam Speaker, unless the gentleman wants further time, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I was tempted to stop at that podium. One of my Republican predecessors used to come over here a long time ago and speak to Democrats from this podium and then walk back and speak to his Republican colleagues. This is truly something that both podiums support. It is a bipartisan effort. I was privileged to work with Congresswoman Comstock's predecessor, Frank Wolf, and we worked arm in arm, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder for a decade with Republican administrations, both the Reagan administration and with the first Bush administration, and this truly is a bipartisan effort to enhance America's subway. I say ``America's subway'' because not only do our people use it that live in the region, but millions of Americans who come to Washington, D.C., to see their Capital use their Metro system. I am proud to be the sponsor of this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it. People throughout the National Capital region depend upon Metro to get to work, reach family and friends, and access shopping and entertainment, as so many of my colleagues have already said. It is the lifeblood of the area's economy. Nobody probably knows that better than Gerry Connolly, who was the head of one of the largest subdivisions in our region and knows how critically important Metro is to our region. Metro--I have referred to it as the ``ties that bind the Washington metropolitan area together''--is used by millions of visitors to our Nation's Capital who come from across the country. It is critical to the functioning of our Federal Government, with Federal employees making up nearly 40 percent of its ridership. They and many military personnel rely on Metro to get to their offices and duty stations on time so they can serve the American people. As anyone who spends time in this city knows, Metro has had its share of challenges in recent years, including, of course, safety issues that have prompted an ambitious overhaul of safety procedure and infrastructure, which was absolutely necessary and too long in coming. Safety must continue to be Metro's number one priority both for its passengers and for its employees. Our resolution, Mr. Speaker--when I refer to ``our,'' the entire metropolitan delegation--would provide congressional consent for the establishment of a Metrorail Safety Commission--Mrs. Comstock spoke of that; Mr. Raskin has spoken of that; I am sure others will as well--which will provide real enforcement teeth to our region's commitment to enhancing Metro safety. The safety commission is being launched jointly by Congress, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. I want to thank Ms. Norton, who, herself, has worked so long and so effectively on behalf of Washington's Metro system. Thank you very much, Congresswoman Norton. The Federal Transit Administration is currently withholding approximately $8.9 million, which Mrs. Comstock referred to. This step will be a significant step in making sure that that $8.9 million is released. Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. have all given their approval already, the Virginia Legislature, the Maryland Legislature, and the D.C. legislature. Now it is up to Congress. But today's resolution is not an end. It is an important step, but not an end. It must signal an ongoing commitment across the region to Metro and, yes, by the Congress itself. I believe that if Metro is to become safer and more reliable, it must have a dedicated funding source. That is not the issue in this resolution, but it is the issue before Metro and before our region and before our country. That is why I will continue to push for more Federal investment in Metro and for WMATA to have every resource it needs to keep its riders and employees safe, which is to say all of the American people who use it on their visits here as well as those of us who live here. I want to thank each of the Members of our delegation, our regional delegation, who work together on behalf of the region; and I want to thank, in particular, Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia, who sponsored this legislation on the Senate side. We have all been working hard to ensure this resolution comes to the floor and to make sure all stakeholders have been at the table. I thank my delegation, the regional delegation, and I thank Mr. Goodlatte for bringing this resolution to the floor in a timely fashion; and I thank certainly one of our newest Members but one of our most able Members, Mr. Raskin.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to inquire of the majority leader the schedule for the week to come, and I yield to my friend, Majority Leader McCarthy from California. (Mr. McCARTHY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for that information. Mr. Speaker, I might say that that may be the most expensive birthday present anybody ever has gotten, when you mentioned Mr. Thornberry. The chairman has done very well, and I congratulate him on his work and on his bipartisan working together with his committee members. The majority leader and I have talked about this briefly, but, obviously, we now have on the schedule 2 weeks left to go to do our business. There is some discussion in the Senate, as the gentleman knows, about them meeting into August. Obviously, one of the problems with that is for, particularly, younger Members. A lot of Members here have children who go back to school the third week in August, so the first 2 weeks are not available to them. Can we give them some direction on whether or not we expect to be here past the scheduled adjournment date of July 31? Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. Members ought to plan accordingly. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, the Appropriations Committee is marking up its bills, but we have not yet adopted a budget and, therefore, have no House-approved top line for discretionary spending. Can the majority leader give us any view as to whether or not the Budget Committee may be reporting, before we leave for the August break, a budget establishing an upper line for discretionary spending? Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for his observation. I might say, if I can, the first year I was majority leader, which was in 2007, we passed all appropriations bills before the August break to the Senate, but I am pleased that the Appropriations Committee is moving forward, and let's hope that we can honor regular order. Does the majority leader expect us to consider each of the bills that the gentleman refers to as having been passed through subcommittee, some through full committee? Do we expect to consider those discretely one at a time on the floor? Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader. Mr. Speaker, in addition, one of the things, obviously, that I think both sides are concerned about, and Secretary Mnuchin has urged, and others have urged us to deal with, is the debt limit. We are not exactly sure when it will be necessary and when the administration will run out of extraordinary measures to ensure that we pay our bills. I have told the majority leader privately and I have said publicly to the press that assuming we have a clean debt limit extension, it would be my intention to urge my Members to support such a clean debt limit extension. Does the gentleman have any thought as to when we might be considering that? Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, lastly, I would say that obviously I know the gentleman and I, and I think the overwhelming majority of Members of the House on both sides of the aisle, are very concerned that we ensure that sanctions on Iran's malevolent actions and Russia's actions, including involving itself in an American election, is an item of concern. I know the gentleman is working on it. Can the gentleman tell me what he thinks the schedule for that bill might be? Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I share that view that we want to get this done as soon as possible. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chair, this amendment is not about defense, this amendment is about politics, and I congratulate Chairman Thornberry for urging that this amendment not be added to the bill in committee. We ought to defeat this amendment. It has one purpose, and one purpose only: to politically denigrate some of our fellow citizens, to treat them less equally than we would want to be treated. Let us not do that. Let us not sink to that level. We are better than that. We are representative of all of the people. Reject this amendment. Get on with the defense of this country and its values. Mr. Chair, I rise in very strong opposition to this amendment. It is discriminatory. It is disparaging to our military--to all our men and women in uniform. And it hinders our armed forces from carrying out their mission of keeping our country safe. It is appalling that the Rules Committee would even make this amendment in order, the first ever to come to this floor that directly takes away the rights of transgender Americans. For those transgender Americans currently serving, it would deny them health care services open to other service-members. For those thinking of enlisting, it would be a powerful deterrent, keeping talented, driven, and dedicated men and women from serving. I hope my colleagues in both parties who are ashamed that this amendment has reached the floor will join me in voting to defeat it. Mr. SMITH OF Washington. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to congratulate the University of Maryland on its double victory last month in the NCAA Division I lacrosse national championships. Both the women's Terrapin and men's Terrapin teams brought the highest prize home to College Park in Maryland's Fifth District, representing the first time that both Maryland lacrosse teams won championships in the same year. Lacrosse has deep roots in Maryland, an older version having been played across eastern and central North America for centuries by Native American nations. That game inspired European settlers and their descendants in the United States and Canada to implement the modem game of lacrosse, which has become one of our country's most popular sports. Played in youth leagues, high schools, and colleges across America, lacrosse teaches teamwork, sportsmanship, athleticism, strategy, and leadership. The University of Maryland's lacrosse program has been competitive nationally even long before the NCAA's national championships first began for men in 1971 and for women in 1982. Since the 1930's, the Terrapin men's team won the Wingate Memorial Trophy several times as the victors of the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association national championship. For the modem tournament, the Terrapin men won championships in 1973 and 1975 before beginning a forty-two year drought that ended last month with their 9-6 victory over Ohio State in the 2017 championship game, led by Head Coach John Tillman. Coach Tillman took over the Maryland lacrosse program seven years ago and has brought the team to six NCAA Final Four tournaments and five national championships. This year's men's roster included eight All-Americans, who helped make 2017 a year to remember. For the Terrapin women, winning championships became a tradition, with thirteen national titles since 1982, including a streak of seven consecutive victories from 1995 to 2001. This year, they beat Boston College 16-13 in a closely contested game held in Massachusetts to secure their fourteenth national championship. Head Coach Cathy Reese, herself an alumna of the University of Maryland, has been leading the Terrapin women since 2007. As a former Terrapin lacrosse star, Coach Reese was a two-time All-American and was named the NCAA tournament's `Most Valuable Player' in 1998. This year, her Terrapins finished the season with an undefeated, 23-0 record, capped by this latest national title. This is their third championship victory in the last four years. Five of the team's athletes were named All-Americans for 2017. Both teams were led by standout stars, and for the first time in NCAA lacrosse history both recipients of the prestigious Tewaaraton Award, which honors the top men's and women's players each year, were won by Maryland athletes. For the women's team, midfielder and captain Zoe Stukenberg brought home the award, while for the men attackman Matt Rambo received the honor. Both of them have also been nominated for Espy awards, with the winners to be announced on July 12. I'm proud that the University of Maryland is a national powerhouse for both athletics and academics, leading the country both on the playing field and in classrooms and laboratories. I join in congratulating our victorious Terrapins and wishing them much success as they prepare for next season and to defend their historic double- victory.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to someone who has spent her career making a difference in the lives of children across Maryland and the National Capital region. I've known Cheryl DeAtley for many years and seen her passion and commitment to early childhood education up close. Cheryl started as a coordinator for Charles County's Judith P. Hoyer Early Child Care and Family Education Center, named in honor of my late wife, who dedicated her career to early childhood education and achievement as well. Since 2007, she has been at the Maryland State Department of Education, overseeing the entire network of Judy Centers, as they are known. In leading the Judy Centers, Cheryl has presided over a period of rapid expansion. Under her guidance, the number of Judy Centers has more than doubled, growing from twenty-four locations in 2007 to fifty- one today. They serve more than 18,000 children across our state, helping to close the achievement gap for those entering elementary school by ensuring they and their families have access to a range of beneficial services. These include early education, medical and dental screenings, family literacy courses, and early intervention for children with special needs. For parents, adult education takes place on-site as well. Judy Centers are a one-stop-shop for low-income families to prepare their children to enter school ready to learn and grow alongside their peers. Cheryl DeAtley has been critical to the program's success. Tirelessly, she's written grant proposals, overseen program finances, advocated before state and federal agencies, and publicized the merits of the Judy Centers in support of expanding the full-service, community school model around the country. Particularly, she's been instrumental in creating public-private partnerships, such as with the Baltimore Community Foundation, to sponsor new Judy Centers. Cheryl has made a point of visiting every single Judy Center annually. I've worked closely with her to ensure that Judy Centers and the Maryland children and families they serve have the resources they need. Sadly for the program, Cheryl will be leaving next month to become a Program Manager at the non-profit Center for Children for its Healthy Families Southern Maryland Program, serving Charles and St. Mary's counties. Thankfully, this means Maryland families will continue to benefit from Cheryl's talent and experience. Earlier in her career, before a stint in the private sector with a company operating after-school programs, Cheryl served for seven years with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). There, she oversaw the GSA's child care program for the entire National Capital Region, supervising a network of twenty-six child care centers serving federal employees. For her last two years at GSA, Cheryl held the position of Child Care Policy Advisor to the Associate Administrator for Child Care, bringing her depth and breadth of experience to the shaping of nation-wide federal child care policies. Cheryl holds a bachelor's degree in Management Studies from the University of Maryland University College and a master's degree in Early Childhood Human Development from the University of Maryland College Park. I want to thank Cheryl for her outstanding contributions to early childhood education and to furthering the full-service, community school model in Maryland. It's been a real pleasure working with her over the years to enhance the work of the Judy Centers, and I look forward to working with Cheryl in her new capacity to advance the cause of early childhood health and wellness in Maryland's Fifth District. I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Cheryl DeAtley on all she has achieved in service to Maryland and wish her well in her next endeavors.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to thank Mr. Royce and Mr. Engel for their leadership. I also want to thank Mr. McCarthy, Speaker Ryan, and Leader Pelosi for their strong support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I went to Brussels over the Memorial Day break. We met in Brussels with the NATO leaders. The Deputy Secretary General was there, and we spoke about the confidence that our European allies had, and needed, for the continuing viability of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and our commitment to the mutual defense of the members of NATO. That has been for 70 years the critical--over 70 years, really--the critical stability that we have seen in the European Plain, and it needs to continue to be. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor this resolution, which reaffirms our Nation's commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's article 5 and the common defense among our NATO allies. For 70 years, as I said, NATO has kept the peace in Europe and around the world. Now, that does not mean that we have had peace everywhere in the world, but it does mean that we have not had world conflagration, as we saw in the last century. From the Cuban Missile Crisis to the fall of the Iron Curtain, NATO's unity in the face of common threats has helped prevent a direct Soviet attack against America and against our allies. Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has been adapting to meet threats new and old. Together, NATO members have served on the ground in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and enlargement has made the allegiance even stronger. Now, with Russia once again putting forward an aggressive posture to its neighbors and the world--in addition to visiting Bosnia, we also went to Lithuania and to Estonia, and I visited Denmark, as well--there is no doubt that the neighbors of Russia feel a pressure that has, over the last 15 years, not been as present. NATO's common defense commitment is as vital to global security and America's security as it has ever been. We know that Russia interfered with our elections and has used cyber attacks against our NATO allies to subvert their democratic institutions as well. Estonia, in particular, has developed, and is developing, defenses to cyber attacks. We, the United States, the leader of the free world, must make it clear, unequivocally so, both to Vladimir Putin and to our NATO allies, that the United States stands firmly by its commitment to the alliance and its collective defense. It has only been once that article 5 has been implicated, and that was after 9/11, when all of our European allies in NATO said that an attack on the United States was perceived as an attack on them, and they pledged their unity and alliance and action. An attack on one is an attack on all--an attack on democracy, on freedom, on the values that this country and our NATO allies stand for. It is in that context, Mr. Speaker, that I urge my colleagues to join us in giving this resolution--it says here on this text--a strong vote of passage. More than that, I hope this is a unanimous vote of passage. This is the oppression of the leader of the free world that we will not only lead, but we will act.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, when someone keeps something secret, it is often because it is embarrassing or negative or damaging or unsupportable. Mr. Speaker, over in the Senate, Leader McConnell and some of these Republican Senators are doing just that: crafting a healthcare repeal bill in secret because they know what it contains would deeply embarrass anyone who supports it openly. They know it is going to be a hard sell to convince even their own Republican colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to get behind a bill that even President Trump called mean. That was the House American Health Care Act to which he was referring. He called it mean for the harm it does to Americans. They know it is going to be difficult in the Senate to convince Senators to support a bill that raises healthcare costs for working families and kicks millions of Americans off their coverage, including those who are covered by their employers; a bill that makes millions of individuals with preexisting conditions uninsurable and reinstitutes annual and lifetime limits; a bill that imposes an age tax on those between ages 50 and 64, increasing premium costs by as much as 800 percent; a bill that forces States to cut benefits and kick millions of people off Medicaid, whether it is next year, in 3 years, or in 7 years, those times that are to try to get by elections so that perhaps people will not be held accountable for voting for such draconian legislation. Mr. Speaker, such a bill ought to be very embarrassing indeed, which is why Senator McConnell, I believe, and his allies don't want anyone to see it until they are asked to vote on it. We have a similar problem, of course, in the House. Whatever happened to transparency, to openness, to reading the bills, to posting it for all to see in advance? Where are all those people who wanted everybody to read the bills and see the bills? Where are they today in demanding that bills be fully and thoroughly vetted, read, heard, and voted on? It is no wonder even Republican Senators who haven't seen the bill are getting angry with their leader and those drafting it in secrecy. Republican Senator Ron Johnson said last week, Mr. Speaker: ``I want to know exactly what is going to be in the Senate bill. I don't know it yet.'' And then he concluded: ``It is not a good process.'' And Senator Marco Rubio said: ``The Senate is not a place where you can just cook up something behind closed doors and rush it for a vote.'' But, Mr. Speaker, what we hear is exactly what is happening, cooking it up in secret and rushing it for a vote. Now, Mr. Speaker, they are not the only ones who want to know what is in this bill. Millions of Americans are deeply worried about its contents. Last week, I sat down with two courageous Americans who shared their personal healthcare stories with me. I want to thank them for doing so, and I want to share their stories today. Their names are Ola Ojewumi and Megan Foley. Ola lives with a preexisting condition. As a young child, she received a heart and kidney transplant. She is also a cancer survivor. She is a young woman. She told me about how the Affordable Care Act saved her life. She was able to access affordable coverage because of the ban on denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions. Ola also told me how frightened she is that these protections could be taken away for her under the Senate's secret TrumpCare bill. If it is enacted, Ola and others with preexisting conditions may not be able to access the coverage needed to keep them alive and healthy, or they may simply not be able to afford it. When I spoke with Megan Foley, she shared her courageous story of struggling with mental illness and addiction. She told me how she overcame her addiction. Despite her recovery, before the Affordable Care Act came into effect, she was denied coverage again and again because her addiction was considered a preexisting condition. Those were difficult months, cutting back on expenses and accruing debt just to pay for her medication until the Affordable Care Act kicked in and allowed for Megan to obtain coverage. But she made it, and now, the law protects Megan and millions and millions of others like her struggling with addiction who were given a second chance. At a time when this country is plagued, Mr. Speaker, with an unprecedented opioid addiction crisis, the Republican repeal bill is an insult to courageous Americans for whom recovery is a lifelong process and access to care is essential. They, and so many Americans, are now living with uncertainty and fear for their future. Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my interviews with Ola and Megan on social media, and I encourage all Members of this House to sit down with their constituents and listen to their stories and hear about their concerns. Americans deserve to know what is in the Senate's secret TrumpCare bill and how it would impact them and their loved ones. Americans deserve to know. Senators who represent those Americans need to know, and they have not seen it yet, yet there is some discussion that they may have to consider the bill as early as next week. Senators and Members of this House deserve to know. End the secrecy. Pull back the curtain. Let us see what is in that bill that these Senators think is so embarrassing that it must be hidden from us all. I will remind Republicans, both in the House and in the Senate, and the Republican President in the White House, that their party's control of our government is complete, and they will be held responsible for whatever happens to our healthcare system on their watch. CBO tells us that 23 to 24 million people, as a result of the House bill, would lose their insurance; the preexisting conditions would be put at risk; and over $800 billion would be cut from Medicare and Medicaid. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of us to listen to Americans, to hear how beneficial the Affordable Care Act has been. I hope they will listen to Ola. I hope they will listen to Megan and all those who are concerned for the future and not huddle in a secret backroom making decisions that will negatively impact millions and millions and millions of our fellow citizens. Do the right thing. Do it for Ola. Do it for Megan. Do it for all of our citizens.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. I yield to the gentleman from Alaska.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Alaska (Mr. Young) for his leadership on this effort, a Representative on the most recent State. I didn't want to take all of his time.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career and contributions to Maryland's Fifth District of estuarine ecologist Dr. Walter R. Boynton of St. Leonard, Maryland, on the occasion of his retirement. A native of Massachusetts, Dr. Boynton first came to Maryland and encountered the majestic waters of the Chesapeake Bay, something which would become the focus of his scientific studies for the remainder of his career, in 1969 as a summer student at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) in Solomons, Maryland. Following the receipt of his Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Florida, Dr. Boynton returned to CBL in 1975 as a young professor. At that time his research focused on the decline of submerged aquatic vegetation. He recognized that these declines were related to increases in nutrients flowing into the Chesapeake that caused an over-abundance of single-celled algae, which reduced the clarity of the water and ultimately led to deeper portions of the Bay becoming devoid of oxygen. Dr. Boynton was part of a team of CBL researchers, including Chris D'Elia, Jim Sanderson, and Don Heinle, that redefined what we know about nutrient dynamics and how they bring about eutrophication--or the overabundance of plant life at the expense of animal life in bodies of water. A long-standing relationship, forged on the softball diamond, between CBL researchers and the local community led to a close working partnership and deep personal friendship between Dr. Boynton and then- State Senator Bernie Fowler, who remains a close friend of mine. It was Senator Fowler who led efforts in federal court to force regional jurisdictions to adhere to the Clean Water Act. Former Senator Fowler credits Dr. Boynton with deepening his own understanding of the ecology of the Bay and the Patuxent River, allowing him to become an effective advocate and well-respected citizen-scientist, bringing attention to the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. On June 11, I joined former Senator Fowler for his annual ``wade-in'' to check the clarity of the Patuxent River and learned of Dr. Boynton's upcoming retirement. In addition to an internationally respected research career, Dr. Boynton has been a highly effective educator, teaching generations of graduate students. CBL Director Thomas Miller credits Dr. Boynton's success to his contagious enthusiasm for his work. He called him ``a gifted, passionate, and supportive educator'' and ``an amazing teacher and advisor.'' Director Miller further noted that his ``largest and most long lasting impact will be the generation of young minds that he has touched and impacted over his career.'' Dr. Boynton is a two-time recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation. He received its Odum Award for lifetime achievement (with UMCES colleague W. M. Kemp), and served as its President. In 2015, Dr. Boynton was named an Admiral of the Chesapeake for his work toward greater understanding of the Chesapeake Bay and its restoration by then-Governor Martin O'Malley. In the following year, he received the Mathias Medal from the Maryland Sea Grant College, the Virginia Sea Grant, and the Chesapeake Research Consortium-the highest regional recognition in environmental sciences. This year Dr. Boynton was awarded the Ruth Patrick Award from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography. Dr. Boynton's legacy spans areas beyond academia. He has worked closely with the Maryland/DC Chapter of the Nature Conservancy and served as a member of the Calvert County Planning and Zoning Committee for many years. He and his wife Mary-Ellen also host a shelter for Calvert County's homeless each spring. I join Dr. Boynton's colleagues at CBL and with members of the community in Maryland's Fifth District to congratulate him on his impactful and distinguished career. I thank him for his service to our state, to our country, and all those who live by and rely on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, and I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy) for the purpose of asking the majority leader the schedule for the week to come, I want to just make a comment. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, this House and, indeed, the Nation was shaken by the horrific shooting in Alexandria. We just, unanimously, passed the majority leader's resolution. All of us are praying for the safe recovery of our friend and colleague Majority Whip Steve Scalise and others who were injured yesterday. Steve is the majority whip and I am the minority whip, and we are, therefore, in some respects, adversaries, but we are also friends. I am keeping him, his wife, Jennifer, and their children in my thoughts today. Mr. Speaker, as you probably know, Steve loves baseball. All of us have seen the broad smile on his face as he has taken to the field as a pinch runner in games past, wearing his University of Louisiana Ragin' Cajun jersey and scoring runs for his Republican team. I am saddened--and I know all of us are--that we won't be able to see him on the field today running, hitting, and scoring; but, Mr. Speaker, we know that Steve is a fighter, and I am sure we will be seeing him running the bases again in next year's Congressional Baseball Game. Mr. Speaker, tonight, I am going to wear a T-shirt that says ``Team Scalise.'' His staff gave it to me yesterday. We took some pizza by their office and talked to each one of them. We have had good relations between our two offices. We have worked together on a lot of things and, yes, we have opposed from time to time, but we are friends. I am also keeping in my thoughts the members of the Capitol Police, who keep us all safe. I am one of those who is blessed to have a detail because I am one of the leaders. Members of the Capitol Police are assigned specifically to try to make sure that I am safe--and, yes, those around me--as Steve's detail did yesterday, courageously and heroically. I know the majority leader shares my view that every day that a member of the Capitol Police gets out of bed, puts a badge in their wallet or on their chest, a gun on their hip, and leaves their home, they do so with a commitment to protect this institution, its Members, and, yes, the public who visit their House, their Senate, their Congress. We cannot say enough about our Capitol Police. They are extraordinarily well trained, but, also, they are extraordinarily courageous and committed to serving this institution, its Members, and our country. We are, of course, thankful for the courage and quick response of those officers who were at the ball field yesterday, and we pray for their full and speedy recovery. And we do the same for the staffer and the former staffer who were also injured in that attack. Now, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), my friend, with whom I also have worked in a constructive way on so many occasions for the country. (Mr. McCARTHY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his information. Mr. Speaker, it is a time for us to be together, to be united as Americans, not as Republicans or Democrats, Liberals or Conservatives, and I thank the majority leader for his leadership in that effort and in remembering Officers Griner and Bailey and Cabrera, and all of their colleagues in the Capitol Police, and with our prayers for Steve Scalise and the others who have been injured. I thank the majority leader, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my friend who has been such a great leader in dealing with those who have associations with our country but are not States. I join with his remarks. The Puerto Rican election that was held overwhelmingly voted for statehood as the option of governance they wanted to pursue. It is now, it seems to me, the responsibility of the United States Congress and the administration to recognize the overwhelming sentiment of the Puerto Rican people, expressed in a free and open election.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this legislation, which I know does not surprise the chairman. I have been here for some time. I was here in the 1990s. I was here in the 2000s. Frankly, we took the referee off the field in the 2000s, and we didn't put the referee as toughly on the field in the late 1990s as we should have. Brooksley Born warned us about that, and we kept our eyes shut, and keeping our eyes shut cost millions and millions and millions of people their jobs, their homes, and their security. Let us not return to the time of taking the referee off the field. This bill does that. It is a dangerous piece of legislation. The bill which my Republican colleagues have put forward would put the American people at risk once again of having to bail out institutions if they lose money on risky investments. Let me say to my Republican friends: I share their view that community banks should not be treated as too-big-to-fail banks. However, having said that, this bill takes the referee off the field one more time. It would effectively eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that is now the American people's watchdog. We have spent a lot of time this year in the last 5 months passing bills under the Congressional Review Act that have reduced consumer protections, civil rights protections, teacher protections, environmental protections. All we are doing is spending our time taking away protections for the American people and their futures. Have we learned nothing, Mr. Chairman? Those who fail to learn from history, it is often said, are doomed to repeat it. Let us not doom our citizens to repeat it. Let us not fail to learn the lessons of 2008. Let us not doom ourselves to repeating the mistakes of the past. The American people, average investors, and retirees, along with those who use our markets to save for college and purchase a home, deserve, and now have, commonsense protections. Nobody is seeking to punish or limit what financial firms do well, and that is create and raise capital, but we must ensure that there are referees on the field to protect investors and taxpayers and citizens and, yes, our families and our children. This bill does the opposite. I urge my colleagues to reject it.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Representative from the District of Columbia, Ms. Norton, for yielding. I want to thank Mr. Royce for his continuing principled and focused leadership on issues that relate to foreign policy, that relate to human rights, and that relate to international law. I appreciate very much his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that I was able to join with the majority leader, Mr. McCarthy, my friend, in sponsoring this resolution. It is an appropriate response to the terrible actions that were taken by security officers protecting Mr. Erdogan on his visit here. I rise in support of this resolution, which I am proud to have introduced along with the majority leader, Ranking Member Engel, and Chairman Royce. The assault on nonviolent demonstrators here in our Nation's Capital on May 16 by Turkish security personnel was an outrage. Our resolution makes it clear: the United States will not tolerate violence against peaceful protesters on our shores, and those responsible must face justice. Turkey remains a critical NATO ally, but I am, nevertheless, extremely concerned, Mr. Speaker, by the fact that this is the third such incident in recent years, marking a pattern of violence by Turkish security personnel in the United States--unacceptable. Senator John McCain--I won't quote him, but his response was very direct and very basic. He, too, said this was unacceptable behavior, and he even suggested that perhaps the Turkish Ambassador ought to leave. I do not suggest that, but I do suggest the conduct must change. It is unacceptable. Our resolution calls on the State Department to take appropriate actions to ensure that the Turkish Government understands that we will not allow this to happen again. There must be consequences to this unprovoked attack on peaceful American citizens in their own country, and those responsible should be charged and prosecuted by the United States. It should be clear to Turkey and to all nations that we will oppose any attempt to suppress dissent or the freedom of speech. That is why that is in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States because our Founding Fathers and, frankly, those who follow Western values--and, yes, some Eastern values--believe that free speech is absolutely the sine qua non--an absolute essential--for democracy to succeed and to flourish. I want to thank Mr. Royce again for his principled leadership. I want to thank Ms. Norton, and I want to thank the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee for their work on this resolution. I urge every Member of this House to join not only in passing it but sending this strong message not only to our Turkish allies but to all those who would come to these shores and understand that our citizens may well have something to say. They may say it with signs, they may say it with their voices, and they may say it by standing someplace in proximity; one of the facets of America is that they have the right to do that, and those who visit our shores must honor that right. Support this resolution.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding environmental conservationist and researcher in my home state of Maryland. Dr. Donald F. Boesch has served as the President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) since 1990, and he will be retiring from that position later this year. Throughout his tenure, UMCES has led the charge to study and conserve our state's natural environments, particularly the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. UMCES has its roots in a small research laboratory opened at the mouth of the Patuxent River in the Chesapeake Bay in 1925, and was relaunched under its current name and mission in 1997 to provide undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on learning and internships in marine biology, ecology, and environmental subjects. With five locations across the State of Maryland, from its original site in Solomons Island in Calvert County to laboratories in the Appalachians, Baltimore, College Park, and Cambridge on the Eastern Shore, UMCES forms a critical part of the University System of Maryland's commitment to research and to training the next generation of environmental scientists. Its hundred faculty members are conducting ground-breaking research and teaching UMCES's eighty-five graduate students. Alongside UMCES's academic mission, it also fulfills a public policy role with its faculty advising policymakers in Maryland and in the federal government. UMCES scientists have been instrumental in calling attention to the challenges facing the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed and in proposing ways to clean up this regional and national treasure. Under Dr. Boesch's leadership, UMCES has been especially active in raising awareness about the Chesapeake and its importance to regional ecosystems and supporting our regional economy. Dr. Boesch began his career by earning his undergraduate degree in biology from Tulane University in his native New Orleans. Later, he received his doctorate in oceanography from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. He spent time in Australia on a Fulbright scholarship before conducting research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. In 1980, Dr. Boesch returned to New Orleans to become the inaugural Executive Director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and to teach marine science at Louisiana State University. He came to Maryland in 1990 to lead UMCES and now caps a very successful tenure of twenty-seven years at the helm. During that time, Dr. Boesch advised Maryland governors from both parties, has been as a member of the Governor's Chesapeake Bay Cabinet, and has served on the Maryland Commission on Climate Change. In 2010, President Obama appointed him to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. He has served as Chair of the Ocean Studies Board for the National Academy of Sciences and is the author of two books and dozens of scholarly papers. The people of Maryland have been so fortunate to have Dr. Boesch leading UMCES these past twenty-seven years. We have been blessed to have his intellect, his dedication, and his wise leadership benefiting our students and our researchers. All those who treasure the Chesapeake owe Dr. Boesch much gratitude for his contributions to preserving the Bay and its watershed. I join in congratulating him on a very successful tenure and in wishing him well as he prepares to step down later this year.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, next month the College of Southern Maryland in my district will bid farewell to Dr. Bradley Gottfried, who will step down as its president. Dr. Gottfried has led the College for the past eleven years with great care and dedication to its mission of expanding higher educational opportunities to those living in Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties and throughout the region. The College of Southern Maryland began as a public community college serving Charles County residents in 1958 and has since grown into one of our state's most highly respected institutions of higher education serving commuter and remote learning students. Offering associates degrees in the arts, sciences, and teaching, the College served a total of more than 11,000 credit students at four campus locations last year and an additional 20,000 students online. It hosts six women's and six men's intercollegiate NCJAA Division III athletic teams and nurtures a strong school pride among its students and alumni. The College also trains many students who are serving in the military or who have been recently discharged as veterans. Many of its graduates transfer to four-year colleges to pursue bachelor degrees. During Dr. Gottfried's tenure as President, the College has expanded to launch its Regional Hughesville Campus and its Center for Trades and Energy Training, which provides direct access to specialized training in career fields that have substantial growth potential, such as HVAC, electrical, construction, and plumbing. The College has also partnered with Southern Maryland businesses to create college-to-career pipelines that help students learn in-demand skills in cybersecurity, robotics, and digital media, among others. He has been praised both for his sound management of the College's finances and for his long-term vision for the College and how it can best serve its students. I've been proud to work closely with Dr. Gottfried to secure funding for the College of Southern Maryland's STEM Workforce Initiative, to enable the College to add to its nursing and health care resources and technology, and to expand courses supporting those training for careers in construction and transportation in our region. Dr. Gottfried is someone who believes strongly in the importance of community colleges, as I do, to impact lives positively and add to the range of higher education options available for Maryland students. He came to the College of Southern Maryland with a long and experienced career as an academic and community college administrator. Having earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from Miami University, Dr. Gottfried taught for many years and then became President of Sussex County Community College in New Jersey in 2000. He has also become a noted and accomplished historian of the Civil War and has written extensively on the Battle of Gettysburg. The entire College of Southern Maryland community and its partners across the region have been very fortunate to have Dr. Gottfried leading the school these past eleven years, and he will be greatly missed. I join in congratulating Dr. Gottfried on his retirement and wishing him and his wife Linda all the best in the future. I also wish to congratulate incoming President Dr. Maureen Murphy, currently at Brookdale Community College in New Jersey, on her selection to take the reins from Dr. Gottfried and continue the work of making the College of Southern Maryland one of the premier community colleges in the country.