Vicky Hartzler

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to praise law enforcement across the Nation and the State of Missouri for their dedication, courage, and sacrifice in serving our communities. This week is National Police Week. We should thank police every week, but this time of year provides a special opportunity to give honor where honor is due. Law enforcement officers deserve our deep appreciation and respect. Police officers do an excellent job protecting the residents of my district, from Columbia to Waynesville, to Warrensburg and throughout Missouri. They stand ready to help wherever needed. That is why, today, I am introducing the Police Officers Protecting Children Act. This bill would allow schools that want to allow retired or off-duty law enforcement officers to be armed as a security measure to protect children in our schools. If a school wants to allow off-duty or retired police to protect their students, the Federal Government shouldn't stop them. The Police Officers Protecting Children Act is even more important for schools in our rural communities where law enforcement may take a significant amount of time to respond to an emergency. A well-placed retired or off-duty officer could save lives. Law enforcement in my district have shown their support for this bill because they know firsthand that police officers have the training and experience to protect our children when it counts. They have the trust of our communities and have years of experience carrying a weapon. I thank them for their service and their willingness to protect our children while they are at school. Law enforcement officers live out the honorable duo of bravery and service. They put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, often without the thanks they deserve. They work day in and day out patrolling our neighborhoods, getting drugs off the streets, and protecting us from criminals who seek to do us harm. In Missouri, we honor the brave men and women who carry the badge as police officers. This National Police Week, I am glad to recognize those officers and their bravery and service protecting the people of Missouri. So to the police around the Nation and in my home State of Missouri, I say to you: Thank you for your service. You make a difference every day, and we are so grateful for you.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reverend Alan Anzalone, born in Kansas City and raised in Deepwater, Missouri. Alan has dedicated 30 years of service to Brownington Baptist Church. From an early age, Alan committed himself to bettering his community, helping those in need and setting an example for his peers through excelling in academics, athletics and school spirit. At age 17, Alan answered his calling from God and became Pastor of his church. Not only has he led followers to the Faith but he has also guided the renovation of the Church over the years to better suit the community's needs. I am honored to share my gratitude and respect for Reverend Alan Anzalone, and his generosity and service are an inspiration to us all.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. I appreciate the gentlewoman championing this issue, and we have brought our kids here and know the challenges of juggling work and family--and we are not alone. As you said, many, many families in this country are facing these same challenges, and that is why I am so excited about your bill and so proud to sponsor it and stand with you tonight. The family is really the foundation of our country, and to have strong families, we need to be able to make ways to encourage them to be together, especially for those special, special events. I know there are many, many moms and dads out there working today who would love to be able to have the flexibility of the workplace where they can take off and spend some time with their kids at the soccer game, or when they get that phone call from the school that their child is sick, please come pick them up, to be able to have that flexibility to do that and to take them to the doctor or to stay home with them if they are sick. Then, as families age, many families need to be with their parent or need to go to the doctor with them. These are just commonsense things to allow that flexibility where you could work some overtime and choose, instead of having the extra money, you could choose to be able to use that to spend time with your family, those people that mean the most to you. That is just precious. It is priceless to be able to do that. And it is really sad now that, in our country, only half of the American workers have this option, and they are workers who work for the government. But yet, if you work for that small business in town or that manufacturer making a product and shipping it overseas, proud, made in U.S.A., sorry. Our government right now says, the Fair Labor Standards Act says, you don't get that option, but if you work for the Federal Government then you would, and that is just not fair. So I applaud you for drafting this bill so that every American family would have the option to be able to spend time with those people that mean the most to them. It is just common sense. The time has well passed for us to pass this. I just commend you for putting this forth again. I am very excited about this bill, proud to stand alongside you and look forward to what I believe should be--should be--a unanimous vote tomorrow because this is such a great bill. So thank you so much for allowing me to come down and to share my support, and the people of the Fourth District of Missouri would just love to have this. Keep up the great work. We will look forward to bringing this across the finish line.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jennifer ``Jenny'' Alpers, a dedicated public servant to the citizens of Missouri. Jenny tirelessly worked alongside me as a legislative aide during my time as a Missouri State Representative to serve the good people of the 124th District. My appreciation to her cannot be understated. She helped constituents navigate the state bureaucracy, greeted visitors who came into my office, and advised me on important legislation facing Missouri at that time. Her service as a one-woman office staff was no easy task, but she worked with poise and efficiency. Like many hardworking Missourians, Jenny and her late husband, Gary, worked on their family farm and raised two wonderful daughters, Jennifer and Ashley. Both daughters married great guys, Scott and Billy, and she has been blessed with three incredible grandchildren: Jordyn, Brady, and Wil. Continuing her love of serving others, she is active in her local church and community. Mr. Speaker, I cannot think of an individual more deserving of this special recognition than Jenny herself. She never sought the limelight but instead did what all good Missourians do by pulling up her sleeves and working to help her family, her friends, and even complete strangers. A retirement celebration for Jenny will be held on May 8, 2017 in the Missouri State Capitol, where many of her current and former colleagues and friends will be present to thank her for all she has done to better our great state. I ask all my colleagues to join me in applauding the years of service and commitment of Jenny. We are blessed to have such dedicated citizens like her serving us, and I wish her the best in the years to come. I thank Jenny, and God's blessings to her.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask all of my colleagues for their support of H.R. 1117, the FEMA Relief Improvement Act, which will require the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to refocus their efforts on the core of their mission, which is helping people recover from grave loss in the aftermath of a natural disaster. In August of 2013, as the chairman and the ranking member mentioned, the southern portion of my district experienced a major disaster involving heavy flooding which devastated infrastructure, and it caused significant hardship for many of my constituents. Unfortunately, the Federal recovery efforts to this devastated region added insult to injury. Local officials dealt with multiple uncoordinated teams conducting duplicative site visits due to lost paperwork, inconsistent messages between various survey and evaluation teams, and unnecessarily long delays in recovery and reimbursement. Such a response to any disaster is unacceptable, and change is necessary. As I work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I have learned that these issues are not unique to central Missouri. I have worked diligently with Chairman Barletta in crafting this bill to call attention to and to rectify FEMA's shortcomings. This legislation is designed to address the deficiencies of the FEMA response to the 2013 flooding in my district to ensure future disaster recoveries in Missouri and elsewhere are as painless and efficient as possible. Specifically, this bill requires FEMA to create an action plan to address inconsistent guidance, to establish appropriate recordkeeping procedures, and to improve overall assistance to local officials. Additionally, this simple bill directs FEMA to issue a forward- looking report to identify new technologies that could further aid the disaster workforce in partnering with private nonprofits as well as State and local governments in the wake of a disaster or an emergency. FEMA processes need to be streamlined and consistent in order to help those recovering from a disaster feel supported and assured relief will come in a timely, efficient manner. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to bring the certainty and the assurances of quick relief to all of our constituents because they deserve the best. I ask my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 1117, the FEMA Relief Improvement Act, which passed by voice vote out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in February. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairmen Shuster and Barletta and Ranking Members DeFazio and Johnson, as well as their staffs, for working with me in this bipartisan, commonsense effort to make the people get the help and assistance they so desperately need in times of crisis. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1117.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my unwavering support for the lives of the unborn, to stand in solidarity with the States, and to urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.J. Res. 43. This resolution does not cut a dime from family planning funding available to States. It simply enables States to direct the funding towards nonabortion ``whole women'' healthcare providers, such as rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers. It is important to remember that, for every Planned Parenthood clinic, there are 20 federally qualified health centers. Each year, these centers serve over 21 million American women. This is almost eight times the impact of Planned Parenthood clinics. We know that Federal law requires that federally qualified health centers provide mammograms, prenatal services, and emergency medical services, none of which are offered by Planned Parenthood clinics. The States were wise to prioritize such quality health care for women with title X funds. Prior to this new, heavy-handed, agenda-driven policy, the States maintained the flexibility to determine grant recipients. This last-minute Obama administration rule effectively nullifies the policy of 13 States that want to prioritize women's health over abortion. This Obama-era rule could also impair funding for another 10 States that have chosen comprehensive care over abortion-focused clinics like Planned Parenthood. But it gets worse. Of the 13 States impacted by this rule, five States--Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Ohio--could lose almost $16 million in title X funding for failing to abide by the rule. This regulation forces these States to forego their title X funding for all of the women in their State. Today's resolution resolves this encroachment on the States, rolls back this last-minute rule, and restores flexibility to the States so that women can receive the health care they deserve. I would like to thank Chairman Black for her work on this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.J. Res. 43.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you very much, Representative Rothfus. I appreciate so much your leadership on this issue, as well as Dr. Wenstrup, bringing this very, very necessary bill to the floor. Time is of the essence, and literally lives are at stake. Sometimes you hear that discussed here, well, this bill is going to impact life. This one truly does. This is a life-or-death matter with just a time limit. The way that this works is that the Constitution gives Congress authority over the District of Columbia. While they can have their own council and they can make laws, we have ultimate oversight as elected Representatives of this country over what happens here. When they pass a bill here allowing death to occur by physician-assisted suicide, we have the opportunity and we have the obligation to step in and to say no. As Representative Rothfus said, this is the people's town. This is representative of our entire country here, and this does not represent what we stand for, that if someone has an awful diagnosis that they are encouraged and enabled to be able to take their own life without any-- any--oversight in this. We have got to reject this. That is why we are here tonight. The statistics are staggering. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death across the spectrum of ages, and the death toll is, sadly, on the rise. Nearly 43,000 individuals took their own life in 2014. Now, that is a heart-wrenching number of people desperate and seemingly without hope and whose solution to traumatic life situations, clinical depression, or mental disorders was to take their own life. But another, more sinister layer to this suicide crisis in America arises when agents of healing become distributors of lethal dosages. Five States now and the District of Columbia have legalized physician- assisted suicide. The taking of human life is a criminal act in nearly every State and throughout the Federal Code; yet a few regions of the country, sadly, have embraced the tragic idea that it is better to prescribe death than to provide life-sustaining care, and they are tasking the medical profession, those sworn to provide and take care of people--they have tasked them with carrying out this ghastly deed. So you go to your doctor on one hand when you have an illness or your child is sick and you are asking and expecting the doctor to be looking out for your best interests and to prescribe medicine to help you get better, and then the next day you are tasking that same physician--you are supposed to go back and ask them to kill your relative and prescribe death medicine? This is wrong. But here is another sobering fact: legalizing physician-assisted suicide can lead to an increase in overall suicide rates. That was just what was shared by Representative Hice, what has exactly happened in Oregon, with an over 40 percent higher rate of suicide there than in other places. So if you are concerned about suicide prevention, you should be concerned about efforts to normalize doctors prescribing a bottle of pills intended to end a patient's life. Physician-assisted suicide preys on the sick, the elderly, and the disabled. The frail are the most vulnerable to rising healthcare costs, elder abuse, and physician-assisted suicide. There is no accountability should a family member, friend, or medical provider determine that a particular patient is too sick, too old, or too disabled to continue living. Any doctor can write a prescription, and no witness is required. Physician-assisted suicide shreds human dignity by legally and subjectively distinguishing between a life worth living and a life better off dead. The focus should be on improving healthcare options, palliative, and end-of-life care for terminally ill patients, not killing those suffering from sickness or disease. So I call on my fellow Members of Congress to pass the resolution of disapproval sponsored by Dr. Brad Wenstrup to reject D.C.'s dangerous policy and to ensure that all Americans, including those here in the District of Columbia, are granted the basic right to life.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, I am just heart sick today to hear some of my colleagues talking about how they were celebrating the 44th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. That is 60 million babies--little girls, little boys--who have been aborted and no longer have a chance to live. We could have had perhaps a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's. Who knows what the potential of those 60 million lives could have been. So it is hard to hear my colleagues talk about a celebration of that and using the terminology that this bill deals with abortion care. Abortion isn't care and abortion isn't services. It is taking a life. This bill does nothing to change Roe v. Wade, although I wish it could, but it simply says that taxpayers do not have to participate in it. The taxpayers all across this country who believe that every life is precious work hard and send in their money every April 15. They entrust it to us, their elected officials. We have national security issues, we have roads, we have education. They don't want to see it go to something like taking a life through abortion. So this is what we are doing today, simply making permanent a policy that we have had to put in as an amendment to appropriations every year and fight for. This is just making sure that, here in Washington, in America, the taxpayers invest in women's health care and are not investing in abortion. We should be about saving lives, not taking them. That is what this bill does. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an advocate for the United States military and the selfless men and women who fill its ranks. While I fully appreciate the points that my colleagues are making, this is an extraordinary time as we consider this legislation and an extraordinary man about whom we are talking. In just 1 week, our Nation will have its new President. Precedent tells us that we should also have the President's Secretary of Defense to step in and assume control of the Department of Defense that day, as well. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines must have their organization's leader in position. That clear and steady leadership is crucial when lives are on the line. The state of our military's readiness, under the current administration, also merits mentioning within this discussion. Troop OPTEMPO rates are dangerously high and retention rate is low. Our aircraft are unreliably old and many maintainers are inexperienced and new. Never before have there been such extraordinary challenges to the manning, training, and equipping of our forces with limited resources. We ask our troops to stand ready to and actively fight against a resurgent Russia, emergent China, unstable North Korea, unpredictable Iran, and widespread violent terrorism. Never before has there been such an extraordinary demand on our men and women in uniform. These are extraordinary times with extraordinary circumstances. General Mattis is the extraordinary man who will lead the Department of Defense in the direction it so desperately needs. For this reason, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this measure.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Commodity End-User Relief Act. I thank the chairman for the countless hours that he and members and staff of the Ag Committee have put into crafting this bill, which is designed to provide relief to the end users across the Nation that were never intended to be burdened by these rules and regulations. I have heard from many end users in my district about the need for commonsense reforms to our financial regulations that are encapsulated in this bill. These financial regulations affect entities and the people I represent and rely on every day, from the rural electric cooperatives that use these financial tools to keep energy prices as low and as stable as possible for rural Missourians, to the local grain elevators and farmers that manage their price risk using futures and options at a time when prices are low. And times are hard in farm country. Regulatory relief for Main Street is way past due on these regulations that were designed to regulate Wall Street. During this debate, I have heard some of my colleagues' concerns that this bill has not followed regular order. But we have spent countless hours in briefings, hearings, and markups on this very bill. Many of us even took a trip to Chicago to visit the CFTC office and to tour key industry facilities. In the 6 years that I have served on this committee, we have held 22 hearings on the future of the Commission and the state of the derivatives industry. We held two separate markups on previous versions of this reauthorization in the 113th and 114th Congresses, followed by passage of these bills on the House floor. In fact, the bill we are taking up today is almost identical to the bill passed on this floor last Congress. Every single amendment to this bill offered by a Member of the House will be voted on today, including my amendment to provide relief to farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and grain elevators from burdensome reporting requirements. The process of considering the bill has been fair and open. I thank the chairman for bringing up this much-needed bill to provide regulatory relief to my constituents through this fair and open process. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to bring certainty to farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and grain elevators across Missouri and the country that are having problems complying with burdensome reporting requirements at the CFTC. Dodd- Frank never intended to regulate end users like independent grain elevators who work on behalf of Missouri farmers to help manage their price risk. My amendment works to correct this oversight and provide a stable environment for all players in the industry. My amendment is simple. It would require the Commission to address three outstanding concerns to the Ownership and Control Reports rule, better known as the OCR rule, before the Commission can begin enforcement, which, by the way, the CFTC is not enforcing presently. This industry currently is operating under a no-action relief letter, meaning the OCR rule is not being enforced due to the inability of the industry to meet the stringent requirements of the CFTC regulations. That could change, and the problem needs to be addressed. Specifically, my amendment does three things. First, it increases the threshold from 50 to 300 contracts per day per commodity for those market participants that need to comply with this rule. This will exempt low-volume entities like grain elevators and small agricultural cooperatives from the reporting requirements for large trading firms and major players in these markets. Even with the new threshold established by my amendment, the CFTC will still gather ownership and control information on the major players and midsized traders. Second, my amendment removes a small but very burdensome portion of the long list of reporting requirements under the final OCR rule. My amendment removes the natural person controller requirements which require farmer cooperatives and grain elevators to report specifically personally identifiable information on individual employees. The CFTC has never required such granular information for many of my constituent businesses, and such requirements are making Futures Commission Merchants much less willing to work with small and medium-sized entities in the countryside. Even with the small changes made by my amendment, the CFTC will still be properly equipped to track ownership and account control data across the market. Finally, this amendment will require the CFTC to ensure that current regulations do not conflict with current foreign privacy laws. Having a large, open, liquid market is important to managing risk, and operating on an international basis is a valuable aspect of a commodity market. The CFTC should be responsible for dealing with other governments on privacy concerns. It is inappropriate to push that burden onto the firms and customers that it regulates. This amendment is supported by a wide range of industry and farmers groups, and I encourage my colleagues to support my amendment to provide relief from the regulatory burdens of this rule on small cooperatives, grain elevators, and farmers who are merely hedging their legitimate market risk and serving their customers' interests. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remainder of my time. Mr. Chairman, I would remind our colleagues that this rule is right now under a no-action relief letter because it isn't working, and that is what this amendment does is to fix this problem. So I believe this amendment is very important. It makes a few commonsense changes to the OCR rule that will provide regulatory relief to farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and grain elevators while allowing the CFTC to adequately regulate the futures industry. So, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge this administration to stop releasing terrorists from Guantanamo, where they can be returned to the Middle East and rejoin the fight. Approximately one in three former Guantanamo Bay detainees are confirmed to have reengaged or are suspected of reengaging in terrorist activities after transfer. The White House, despite clear understanding of congressional intent, recently gave four more individuals the opportunity to resume their fight against American ideals by releasing them to Saudi Arabia. This is irresponsible and dangerous. Even more disturbing are the President's plans to transfer more detainees, further threatening the safety of our troops and the security of the American people. It is appalling to me that the President would consider transferring the likes of Osama bin Laden's security guards and others trained by al Qaeda. I urge this administration, in its final 8 days, to bear in mind potential consequences of his decision and to halt any more transfers. The security of American families and military personnel are at stake.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Linda Christle, who is retiring as executive director of Economic Development Sedalia- Pettis County. She has faithfully served the community of Sedalia for the past 12 years. Throughout her tenure as executive director, Linda has achieved many accomplishments, including the creation of three enhanced enterprise zones, resulting in over 50 companies benefiting and growing their businesses in her community. Additionally, this past year, the community was able to complete its third strategic plan in 15 years. As a result, multiple task forces were established to enhance the community, which also led to the eventual creation of the entrepreneurial program called 1 Million Cups. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to congratulate and to thank Linda Christle for her years of distinguished service in Sedalia and Pettis County. I am blessed to represent her in Congress, and I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, which was honored among the 200 local chambers as the 2016 Missouri Small Chamber of Commerce of the Year. The title is much deserved as the El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, under Executive Director Jackson Tough, has been a leader in promoting economic development, community service, and tourism in the area. I am honored to represent this distinguished organization. With around 125 members, the chamber has created a number of initiatives to better its community, including the ``Clean-Up ElDo Mo'' project to keep the city pristine, a youth scholarship fund to make sure tomorrow's leaders have the opportunities they need today, and a social media initiative ``Be in the Know about ElDo Mo'' to raise awareness about this wonderful city and its residents. Communities like El Dorado Springs are the foundation of Missouri and our way of life. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of these chamber leaders, we continue to sustain and strengthen our communities. I applaud the chamber's work to grow and sustain its community, recognizing its specific assets and opportunities, and I congratulate the chamber on all its accomplishments.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership on this bill, as well as Ranking Member Smith, and the hardworking dedicated staff. This is a great bill. It is a win for our troops and it is a win for national defense, and I fully support it. I do want to also convey, though, my concern about and the importance of the Russell amendment, which passed this House but was not in the final bill. The attacks on this commonsense language have been dishonest and grossly inaccurate. The truth is that this language uses existing Federal civil rights laws to clarify hiring practices of religious organizations when they partner with the government through grants and contracts. Religious charities are selfless and crucial providers who often go where no one else will go to help the vulnerable. They resettle refugees, counsel victims of sex trafficking, pray for soldiers in war zones, and comfort veterans suffering from PTSD. The White House has lauded these partnerships with the government, and Senate Democrats included a nearly identical provision in ENDA in 2013, a bill which most of the Senators publicly opposing this provision voted for in the past. We need to protect these basic rights and preserve these vital partnerships, and I look forward to working with the chairman next Congress to address these most basic of interests.

Mrs. HARTZLER. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, the Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives investigation has uncovered many valid concerns and potential law violations that are disturbing, horrific, and unacceptable. In the course of our investigation, we discovered a hardness, a callousness, and a track record of deceptive tactics that some abortion clinics and fetal tissue procurers exercised toward vulnerable women. It is difficult to imagine a more vulnerable time in a woman's life than when she is considering an abortion. What if, during that time, the woman is lied to and told that, by having an abortion, she will facilitate research that will cure tragic diseases? This is exactly the type of concern that our panel addressed during our hearing on bioethics and fetal tissue. During that hearing, I shared a consent form widely used by abortion clinics to obtain a mother's consent to donate fetal tissue. And the form stated that research using the blood from pregnant women and tissue that has been aborted has been used to treat and find a cure for such diseases as diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and AIDS. This is clearly false. The witness, who is an ethics expert, agreed and he said that the idea of promise of cures found in the form was a ``very powerful motivator.'' He also expressed concern that the scientific community's standards for fetal tissue donation are absent in that consent form, saying, ``the thoroughness of the consent seems to be missing in this form.'' A researcher for the minority testified during the hearing. He also agreed, stating the form would not have made it past his institutional review board. Yet, this is what is being used in abortion clinics with vulnerable women. In other words, the testimony provided by both of the witnesses from the majority and the minority raised concerns that the principles embodied in ethics reports, and later incorporating the Federal regulations, are not being followed by abortion providers seeking consent for the donation of human fetal tissue. We must raise this awareness, make sure people know, and make sure that women are protected.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Army Corporal Donald Matney, a native of Seymour, Missouri, and a Korean war veteran. On July 20, 1950, Corporal Matney's unit attempted to delay enemy from capturing a town near Taejon, South Korea. Enemy infantry and armor units were able to force the division out of the town and block withdrawal routes. Matney was reported missing in action following the attacks. After 56 long years, Corporal Matney's remains were identified and he has made his final trip home. Corporal Matney fought in defense of America and the freedoms we cherish today. I am saddened thinking of the time lost, but also thankful the Matney family can have that long overdue closure. As a nation, we are indebted to the sacrifice he made, and we are grateful for the freedoms he fought to preserve. His memory will live forever as one of honor and courage. I am blessed to honor the life of Donald Matney today, and I thank him and all veterans for their noble service to our country. We must never forget that freedom is not free. Welcome home, Corporal. Thank you for giving your all for us. We owe you a debt of service we will never be able to repay.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the bicentennial birthday of Howard County, Missouri, a truly monumental milestone. Howard County was first established in January 23, 1816 as migrants from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia came west looking for room for their families to grow. Twenty-three more counties would be formed from this Missouri ``Mother of Counties'' which stretched all the way from St. Louis to what was then the edge of the Missouri Territory. After 200 years this thriving rural area, though quite a bit smaller in land mass, is home to more than 10,139 residents, 192 businesses, a plethora of family farms, and one of the loveliest courthouses in Missouri. I am honored to represent the good people of Howard County and I want to congratulate the leaders of this beautiful area for their efforts in making this county one of the priceless gems of central Missouri.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6094, the Regulatory Relief for Small Businesses, Schools, and Nonprofits Act, a bill I am proud to cosponsor. This important bill would provide a measure of relief not only for the thousands of small businesses and charitable institutions that would be negatively impacted by the Department of Labor's overtime rule, but also the countless workers who depend on entry- and mid-level employment opportunities. This rule hurt everyday Americans, raising the cost of living while reducing wages and incomes. Many of the individuals affected by this rule will be forced into part-time employment or be transitioned to jobs with lower hourly wages, no benefits, and no overtime at all. I have heard from a number of people in my district concerned about the impacts this onerous rule will have for them. A bank in my district will have to transition 13 of their salaried tellers on staff to hourly wage workers in order to assume the $129,000 in compliance costs they anticipate from this rule. Schools have expressed concerns that they will be forced to cut staff and limit the educational services of extracurricular activities they provide for our students. I have heard from faith-based and charitable institutions, too. These institutions often operate with fixed operating budgets and serve the most vulnerable in our society, yet this rule will impose similar financial and staffing burdens on them. A senior care group in my district, for example, has told me this rule will likely lead to a reduction in hiring, meaning fewer seniors will be able to get care. Mr. Speaker, for the countless families, small businesses, and communities that I serve, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill and delay this onerous rule.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the REVIEW Act. Since 2009, this administration has imposed almost 21,000 rules and regulations on U.S. families and job creators. Of those, over 200 are major regulations, costing $108 billion annually, $22 billion of that coming from 43 major rules just last year. These regulations suffocate opportunity and economic freedom. Whether it is EPA's rule that will double the electricity bills of hardworking families or EPA's waters of the U.S. Federal land grab rule that will force landowners to get permission from the Federal Government in order to make decisions on their land or face onerous fines, it is time to rein in the Federal control over our lives that is hurting people. In my district in western central Missouri, one of these rules, the Department of Labor's overtime rule, which is set to go into effect December 1, will hurt everyday Americans, raising the cost of living while reducing wages and incomes. A senior care group in my district has told me that this rule will likely lead to a reduction in hiring, meaning fewer seniors will be able to get care. Schools have expressed concerns that they will be forced to cut staff and limit the educational services and extracurricular activities they provide for our students. A bank in my district will have to transition 13 of their salaried tellers on staff to hourly wage workers in order to assume the $129,000 in anticipated compliance costs from this rule. Religious organizations have also told me that they will have to cut staff, reducing their ability to provide charitable services to those in need. Washington's top-down mandates are hurting our friends and our neighbors. We need this bill to stop these overbearing regulations which cripple industries and harm American livelihoods. Instead of stifling opportunity, we should remove barriers to job creation and economic prosperity. I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mrs. HARTZLER

Mrs. HARTZLER. So you can imagine my dismay and consternation when I learned that, in his rush to fulfill campaign promises to close GTMO, the administration released a terrorist by the name of Obaidullah in the last round of detainee transfers. Who was he? He was part of an al Qaeda-associated improvised explosive device cell that targeted coalition forces in Afghanistan. He was captured by U.S. security forces during a raid in his compound, where they found 23 landmines as well as a notebook containing electronic and detonator schematics involving explosives and mines similar to the one that killed Christopher. Releasing Obaidullah was wrong. He was targeted for prosecution and his status was changed. American soldiers like Christopher Stark lost their lives due to his activities. We need to ensure our American soldiers stay safe and also that justice is served. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this important piece of legislation.

Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank so much, first, my colleague Jackie Walorski for introducing this very important piece of legislation that I am proud to cosponsor, and secondly, Chairman Forbes. I thank the gentleman for his leadership on national defense, on faith, and so many other issues important to our country. This bill is crucial. It prevents the Obama administration from transferring any remaining detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in the last months of his Presidency. Now, this is important because the administration seems determined to clear the facility. In 2016, 46 detainees have been transferred. Last month alone, 15 terrorists were released. More are expected as Vice President Biden has stated that it is the President's intention to empty GTMO by the time he leaves office. This rush to close Guantanamo is dangerous, reckless, and shortsighted. Already we have learned that 30 percent of those who have been released have returned to the battlefield. American soldiers who fought so hard to take the enemy off the battlefield now have to face them again. But this release is beyond dangerous; it is an injustice. Let me share an example. In 2011, shortly after taking office, I received the gut-wrenching news that a young soldier from my district had lost his life in the war on terror in Afghanistan. Christopher Stark was a combat engineer serving one of the most dangerous missions of the war: clearing roads of IEDs so his unit could pass by safely. Day after day he saved others, but, ultimately, he wasn't able to save himself when an IED exploded. Christopher gave his life to save others. His country gained a hero; his mother lost a son. She has become my friend and is a hero in her own right as she bravely comes to terms with his sacrifice--relying on her faith to give her daily strength while accepting the burden and hallowed position of being a Gold Star mom.