George Holding

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Georgia for the support of this bill. I thank the chairman, Mr. Roskam, of the subcommittee, for the support of this bill because, by streamlining the registration process for newly formed 501(c)(4)s with the IRS and providing them with the ability to seek judicial review similar to such review that other tax- exempt organizations have, we can have a process, Mr. Speaker, that is both simpler and fairer for the folks who want to get involved in their communities and across the Nation. Civic engagement should not require jumping over hurdles or a long, drawn-out review process by the IRS. If you play by the rules, the IRS should not be a hindrance to your activities. So, once again, I urge support of this bill.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Wynona Haydon, a beloved woman who recently passed away into the loving arms of our Lord. Wynona married Julian Woodrow Haydon after graduating from high school, and then she began her career as an assistant with the Department of Defense. Throughout her 36-year career, she held positions at the Pentagon and at Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in North Carolina. There, she met General James Doolittle, General Omar Bradley, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower. She helped usher in the postwar era, alongside many other military officers and personnel. Mr. Speaker, Wynona was proud to be an American, and she was equally proud of being a North Carolinian. Someone once said of Wynona that she was ``made of the stuff that makes life worth living.'' Though known only by those lucky enough to come within her orbit, Wynona lived a life of honesty and hard work, and instilled those traits in her son, her grandson, and her many nieces and nephews. She was a loving and successful mother and grandmother, a smiling joy and inspiration to her friends and those who came in contact with her. In short, Wynona Haydon lived a long and contributing life which brightened the lives of many others, including mine. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and the members of Temple Baptist Church, who are mourning the loss of a beloved woman.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Ted Fowler, who recently retired from a storied career at one of North Carolina's and, indeed, one of America's famous dining establishments, Golden Corral. An inspirational leader, Ted retired after nearly 40 years at the helm of Golden Corral. A humble yet enthusiastic man, Ted is a relentless competitor who achieved great success by demonstrating tireless commitment to his company, employees, and customers. Ted joined the Golden Corral family not long after its first restaurant opened in 1973. He oversaw the expansion of the franchise from a one-family steakhouse in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to over 500 restaurants nationwide. This includes operations in 41 States with over 9,000 employees and revenues upward of $195 million. Mr. Speaker, that is no small feat. Ted steered the company through its brand transition, which was a difficult undertaking in today's restaurant industry. He worked hard to ensure the upward mobility of his employees so that every employee had a chance to achieve a better life. For example, Mr. Speaker, he initiated a company program that helped entry-level employees become managers within a year; and within 5 years, they could run their own franchise. Mr. Fowler is more than just a respected leader in the restaurant industry. He truly cared about the people who worked and dined at Golden Corral. For instance, since 2001, Golden Corral has served more than 4 million free meals to active and retired military personnel on Veterans Day. He also oversaw Camp Corral, a free, one-of-a-kind summer camp for children of wounded and disabled or fallen military servicemembers. Since its founding, Camp Corral has grown to 20 camps in 16 States and has served over 4,000 children. It is because of big- hearted causes like these that I am proud to call Ted Fowler a friend. Encouragement and leadership exemplified through many of his company programs are some of the reasons why Mr. Fowler is a past recipient of the North Carolina Restaurateur of the Year Award, the Foodservice Operator of the Year, and the Gold Plate Award. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize and congratulate a proven job creator and an even better man. Ted Fowler embodies all the qualities of a noble, compassionate businessman. I wish him good health and happiness in his retirement.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, January 24, marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill. Over the past half century, he has passed from memory into history, yet stands unchallenged as one of the greatest figures of modern times. Born of an American mother and a British father, his life and career symbolized the fellowship of the English-speaking peoples. Just outside this very Chamber, Mr. Speaker, stands an enduring tribute to the ``British Bulldog'' in the Freedom Foyer. The placement of Churchill's bust inside the U.S. Capitol serves as a testament to our special relationship with the United Kingdom and to the values our two nations have fought so dearly to defend: democracy and freedom. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit into the Record a touching account of Mr. Churchill's passing written by Celia Sandys, his granddaughter, and the only surviving member of the Churchill family present at his death. My Grandfather's Final Days The Personal Account of Hon. Celia Sandys His birthdays were always a big family occasion. The first one that I can remember clearly was his eightieth birthday in 1954 when there was a huge event in Westminster Hall. The purpose was for both Houses of Parliament to mark the day with tributes and the presentation of the portrait by Graham Sutherland, which had been commissioned as a gift for him. The rumour was out that the image was less than flattering. I remember my parents discussing how he had disliked it when he had seen it two weeks earlier. He did, however, rise to the occasion and accepted it saying; ``It is a remarkable example of modern art.'' As usual he had chosen the perfect words. The portrait was never seen again! Ten years later we celebrated his ninetieth birthday at Hyde Park Gate. He had left his beloved Chartwell for the last time the month before. As we raised our glasses of Pol Roger to toast him, the unspoken thought in everyone's mind was that the final meeting could not be long delayed. Six weeks later, on 10 January 1965 he suffered a stroke, the effects of which worsened over the next few days. On the evening of the 15th, I received a call from his personal secretary, Anthony Montague Browne, to tell me that my aunt Sarah was on her way from Rome. He said she would be arriving at Heathrow in the early hours of the morning and had asked if she could stay with me. I remember driving like the wind to get to Heathrow in time and then having to run the gauntlet of a huge crowd of journalists before we could get out of the airport. The press had only heard of my grandfather's condition a few hours before and so were hungry for information. We went straight to Hyde Park Gate and found Grandpapa sleeping peacefully with his cat Jock curled up beside him. I don't know if Jock ever left the bed, but every time I was there the cat lay curled up by his master. It was clear that the inevitable was about to happen. We were all sad; for ourselves not for him. Anyone who had spent time with him during the last few years knew that he was ready to go. During the next nine days we had two urgent calls to go to Hyde Park Gate when it seemed the end was near, but each time he rallied. Otherwise during this period we visited once or twice a day, as much for my grandmother as for him. Initially we had to struggle to get through the crowds of press and concerned onlookers who filled the little cul-de- sac day and night. After a few days, in response to a request from my grandmother, the bystanders moved to the main road and our visits became much easier. Early on the morning of the 24th of January we received what was clearly the final call from my aunt Mary. Sarah and I raced to Hyde Park Gate. There we joined my grandmother, Mary, my uncle Randolph and my cousin Winston. Clementine sat holding Grandpapa's hand with his doctor, Lord Moran, sitting beside her; Randolph and Winston stood on the other side, while Sarah, Mary and I knelt at the foot of the bed. Also in the room were two nurses, whose work had finished, and Anthony Montague Browne. No one made a sound except Grandpapa who breathed heavily and sighed. Then there was silence. It seemed as though time stood still until Clementine asked Lord Moran, ``Has he gone?'' He nodded. Seventy years to the day and almost to the minute since his father, Lord Randolph, had died, Winston Churchill had slipped imperceptibly away to meet his Maker. We all sat down to a subdued breakfast and listened to the radio as the announcement of his death was broadcast to the world. Some years earlier the Queen had decided that her first Prime Minister was to have a Lying-in-State and a State Funeral. The was the first time such an honour had been granted to a commoner since the funeral of the Duke of Wellington more than a century before. Preparations for the ceremony had been given the code name ``Operation Hope Not'' and, in true British tradition, had been worked out to the last detail some years before. More than 300,000 people queued in the freezing cold along the Embankment, across Lambeth Bridge, back along the Thames and across Westminster Bridge to file past the catafalque in Westminster Hall, the oldest surviving part of the Palace of Westminster where, my grandfather had spent so much of his working life. The family were allowed to slip in by a side door and watch the extraordinary sight of so many who had come from near and far to bid farewell to the man for whom they felt love, respect and gratitude. On the day of the funeral we gathered in Westminster Hall for the journey to St Paul's Cathedral. The men of the family together with Anthony Montague Browne, who had served his master faithfully and lovingly to the end, walked behind the coffin, which was borne on a gun carriage. The women rode in the Queen's carriages. My grandmother, Sarah and Mary were in the first carriage. My sister Edwina and I rode in the second. We had rugs and hot water bottles to keep us warm on a very cold day. We were so close to the crowds lining the streets that we could have touched them. The emotion in their faces I will never forget. When we arrived at St Paul's, we all lined up for the procession up the aisle. The women of the family looked as though we were in uniform. Quite independently we were all wearing more or less identical black fox fur hats. As the bearers struggled to carry the coffin up the steps and into the cathedral, it seemed they might be going to drop it. Apparently they had rehearsed but not with a lead-lined coffin! They made it and we all followed up the long aisle where the Queen and her family were waiting. We were told that the Queen had said we should not curtsey to her so we filed into our seats opposite the Royal Family. After the service we processed out and watched anxiously as the bearers carried the coffin down the steps, probably an even more difficult task. As we got back into our carriages, the Queen and her family joined on the cathedral steps with monarchs, presidents, wartime colleagues and political allies to say goodbye to the man they had come to honour. The carriages took us to Tower Pier where, after Grandpapa had been piped aboard, there was a seventeen-gun salute. We boarded the Port of London Authority's survey vessel, MV Havengore, for the journey to Waterloo Station. As we sailed off we could hear the band playing Rule Britannia. The crane drivers on the quayside dipped the heads of their cranes in salute. This was the only unscripted part of the day and one of the most moving. The RAF flew over-head. At Waterloo the coffin was placed in the guard's van with a military escort of the 4th Hussars on constant watch. We sat down to have lunch and a glass of champagne, which we certainly needed, as the train moved off, pulled by the engine, which my then seven-year-old brother Julian had named ``Winston Churchill'' during the war. Along the entire route from Waterloo to Long Hanborough, the railway was lined with people of all ages, some waving, some crying, some saluting, all of them silently saying goodbye to the man they admired. Finally we reached the small churchyard at Bladon, the burial place of Winston's parents and his brother Jack and within sight of Blenheim Palace where he had been born ninety years before. The day immediately turned into a family affair, and we could say goodbye in private to the husband, father and grandfather who we all loved so much. After the service we stood by the graveside as the bearers lowered the coffin into the grave. The silence was broken by a metallic clatter. Lying on the coffin were the shiny medals that had fallen off the coat of one of the bearers. We were a sombre party on the train going back to London. When I got home I realized how strange the past weeks had been. It was as though I had been in a state of suspension but had now come down to earth. Aunt Sarah and I watched the rerun of the day on television and wondered at all the events in which we had played a part.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and of the underlying DHS bill and relevant amendments. Already, the United States admits 1 million legal permanent immigrants per year, so long as they follow our Nation's legal immigration process. Unfortunately, like those coming to the United States illegally, this administration wants to ignore our Nation's immigration laws and immigration process. The problem is twofold, Mr. Speaker. This not only undermines the rule of law in our country, but it also unfairly treats those who follow our legal immigration process, as complicated as it is. After this administration established DACA in 2012, unilaterally granting amnesty to illegal minors, the number of unaccompanied children at the border increased almost tenfold in just 3 years. The President's most recent amnesty actions send a resounding message to wishful immigrants that our Nation may have immigration laws, but that it is just not important that they are respected. Simply put, this is wrong, so I support this rule, and I support restoring the rule of law.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, we have already seen the disastrous effects of the President's health care law, from the increased premiums and deductibles to workers' hours being reduced. While the President refuses to make commonsense changes to this health care law that is destroying opportunities for work in this country, my colleagues and I in Congress have been committed to taking action. I am happy to be a cosponsor of the bill before us, and I look forward to restoring the ability for working students, single parents, single mothers, women, and other Americans desiring to log more hours to do just that, to work more hours. Mr. Speaker, hard work is a cherished value in North Carolina. Let's pass the Save American Workers Act today to protect workers' hours and their wages.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Will Crocker, long-time Johnston County clerk of superior court, who is retiring this month after decades of public service. For over 36 years, Will helped thousands of people, judges, and attorneys navigate the court system in Johnston County. He first began his job in 1959 as clerk of Selma recorder court, then later as assistant clerk of court in 1967. Will served with professionalism since winning his first election in 1978 and is the longest serving clerk in the State of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Will is truly the ``Will of the people.'' His knowledge of Johnston County history and politics is second to none, and when Will isn't eating at the Coffee Pot in Smithfield, he is enjoying his favorite pastime at night--watching C-SPAN. Mr. Speaker, Will is one of a kind and leaves a lasting legacy in the history of Johnston County. I wish him good health and happiness in his retirement.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time. Earlier today I had the privilege of meeting with Kenneth Kelty and his mother, Jacqueline. They are from my district, and this is a family who would benefit directly from the ABLE Act and who shared their support of this important bill with me just this afternoon. Kenneth recently graduated from the University Participant Program at Western Carolina University, a program that allows students with disabilities to study side-by-side with other students at the university. In Kenneth's words, it was ``a chance to do all the same things as everyone else with nothing holding us back.'' Kenneth joined a fraternity, had a good time, learned a lot, was able to come back, has a job. Mr. Speaker, just as the University Participant Program helps people with disabilities like Kenneth, so will this bipartisan ABLE Act. This bill will allow tax-free savings accounts for expenses such as housing, education, employment training. Similar to a 529 program college savings account, these accounts will help provide families with some peace of mind when trying to save for their children's long-term expenses. So, Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the ABLE Act.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, the issue is no longer whether Congress and the President can agree on immigration policy. The question is: Does a President have the power to alter our Nation's laws without passing new statutes? Throughout the history of this great country, since the time of our Founding Fathers, the answer to this question has been ``no.'' Yet President Obama struck a blow to the system of checks and balances that has been at the heart of our government and our Constitution for over 200 years. The constitutionality of the President's actions are in question as the President has said time and time again that he does not have the constitutional authority to change our Nation's immigration laws on his own. From 2008 up to this August, at least 22 times the President has said that he couldn't ignore the laws on the books or create his own immigration laws. In 2011, the President said: ``America is a nation of laws, which means I, as the President, am obligated to enforce the law. I don't have a choice about that. That's part of my job. ``We've got three branches of government. Congress passes the law. The executive branch's job is to enforce and implement those laws. And then the judiciary has to interpret the laws. There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system that for me to simply, through executive order, ignore those congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as President.'' Very well spoken, President Obama, the constitutional scholar that he is. Mr. Speaker, this is the framework of our Nation's system of checks and balances. The Constitution is clear. It is clear that it is Congress' duty to write the laws, and it is the President's responsibility to enforce them. While law enforcement agencies do have the inherent power to exercise prosecutorial discretion, the authority as to whether to enforce or not enforce the law against particular individuals, this power must be used judiciously and isn't an invitation to violate or ignore a law in its entirety. By granting amnesty to 5 million illegal immigrants, this administration has crossed the line from any justifiable use of its executive authority to a failure to faithfully execute the laws. Mr. Speaker, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, whether you agree or disagree with the President's policy on illegal immigrants and immigration, you cannot agree with the President's actions. No one is vested with the power to be both President and legislator.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 5441, the bill currently under consideration.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Veterans of Foreign Wars is one of our largest and most lauded veterans organizations. It has successfully fought for veterans' rights for over a century and its members provide millions of hours a year in community service. Among its goals are to ``assist worthy comrades'' and to ``perpetuate the memory and history of our dead and to assist their widows and orphans.'' Our veterans from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are in a better place because of activities of the VFW. Membership in the VFW is open to Korean war veterans and veterans who have ``served honorably as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States--in a foreign war, insurrection, or expedition in service that has been recognized as campaign-medal service; and is governed by the authorization of the award of a campaign badge by the United States Government or in an area which entitled the individual to receive special pay for duty subject to hostile fire or imminent danger.'' Membership does not require that a servicemember have engaged in actual combat, only that they served in a combat zone. Congress provided the VFW with a Federal charter in 1936. Robert Wallace, executive director of the VFW's Washington office, has sent a letter to the Judiciary Committee requesting that its charter be amended to be gender neutral. This is in recognition, Mr. Speaker, of the many female members of the VFW and their invaluable contributions to our military. Mr. Wallace stated that: Today, our military consists of both men and women who honorably put duty and service before themselves. Consistent with the growing number of military women who serve at all levels, women are taking leadership roles throughout our organization. The VFW strongly believes that combat service, not gender, determines VFW membership eligibility. That is why we opened our membership to women over 35 years ago. However, our congressional charter does not reflect this reality. As the Congressional Research Service reported last year, almost 300,000 ``female servicemembers have been deployed for contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.'' In approximately 12 years of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, over 800 women have been wounded and over 130 have died. Women have been recognized for their heroism, two earning Silver Star medals. H.R. 5441, introduced by Congressman Jeff Miller, makes the changes sought by the VFW and is strongly supported by the organization. I commend Representative Miller for introducing the bill. The VFW's current charter provides that the VFW is a ``national association of men who as soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen served this Nation in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign soil or in hostile waters.'' H.R. 5441 would replace ``men'' with ``veterans.'' The current charter provides that one of the purposes of the organization is ``to perpetuate the memory and history of our dead and to assist their widows and orphans.'' The bill would replace ``widows'' with ``surviving spouses.'' I urge my colleagues to support this meritorious bill that reflects the valor of women in our Armed Forces. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller), a champion for veterans' rights and chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 5441, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5441) to amend the Federal charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to reflect the service of women in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of American jobs and increased and efficient energy production. For too long, approval of the Keystone pipeline has been delayed, delaying thousands of new jobs--42,000 new jobs--and our struggling economy a much-needed boost. Mr. Speaker, the majority of Americans, both Democrat and Republican alike, support building the Keystone pipeline. Why? Because it is common sense. But for 6 years, it has been delayed. The Keystone pipeline will create jobs, grow our economy, and help our Nation provide a secure source of energy that does not have to come from halfway around the world. Mr. Speaker, I am focused on building a stronger economy for American families, and job creation is a top priority to accomplish that. Approving the Keystone pipeline advances all of these goals. I urge my colleagues in the strongest terms to support this rule and support the underlying bill.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak for a few minutes about some of the many remarkable qualities that my friend--the leader of the North Carolina delegation, Congressman Howard Coble--has exemplified throughout his nearly 30 years of service to the Sixth District of North Carolina and its people. To earn the continuous confidence of your constituents for three decades, Mr. Speaker, is a tremendous honor, and it is one that Howard Coble has unfailingly performed with remarkable humility, never taking it for granted that he would be reelected. To also earn the respect and devotion of your staff, Members of this House on both sides of the aisle--certainly as we have seen tonight-- and of the many stakeholders whom he has worked with on a daily basis throughout his career as a legislator is a testament to Howard's commitment to public service, and more importantly, Mr. Speaker, it is a testament to his personal character and charm. Many of the laws Howard Coble has authored have been in politically and technically complex areas--copyright, patent and trademark. These agreements can be very difficult to negotiate when it is vitally important to the public and the American economy that we get it right. Howard Coble has gotten it right. He has protected the rights of individual authors and inventors just as the drafters of the Constitution intended them to be. Howard's skills and his unblemished reputation for fair dealing among all parties have been critical to the congressional efforts over the many years to forge consensus in these difficult areas. Howard's commitment to public service, as we have heard tonight from the other speakers, began long before 1984 when he was elected to Congress. It is a commitment to public service that spans over 50 years. Throughout his life, he has performed these duties with a sense of grace, compassion, and respect--respect for people, respect for his colleagues, respect for the process, respect for the institutions of government--as have all been echoed here tonight. I have talked to a number of Congressman Coble's staff to hear reflections that they have had, and a number of them have recalled some poignant moments: One recalled the valuable lessons that Howard has taught him. One of the longest-serving staff members told me how impressed he was to learn why Howard went back to his district regularly to meet with constituents--constituents who were unlikely to support him. He didn't only meet with his supporters but with the folks who didn't support him. Howard explained that the congressional seat he was in didn't belong to him but that it was their seat and that all of his constituents needed to know that they have a Congressman who cares about them, who thinks about them, and who represents them in Washington--even if they decide never to vote for him that he will represent them; Another staff member echoed the sentiment, recalling how refreshing it was to work for a Member who was always able to stay true to his ideas, describing Howard as someone who appreciates real people; Another staff member remarked that she was so impressed at how other Members responded to him. She recalled that at the beginning of a Judiciary Committee markup right before Howard's father passed away that Chairman Hyde started off with a moment of silence and that, after that moment of silence, the first two Members to come up to Howard and express sorrow for his loss were Representative Watt and Representative Delahunt--two colleagues who crossed the aisle to console and share a moment with their friend who was mourning a loss. Witnessing that moment made this young staffer proud to work for Howard. It taught her a lot about the importance of treating people in a humane fashion. And, indeed, Howard treats everyone humanely, whether it is in a meeting with constituents, a meeting with high-level officials, a meeting with celebrities, or meeting with staff members after a long day, having them come over to his office where they share a laugh for a few moments, calling staff members after a long markup and telling them that he really appreciated the work they did today. In an interview, Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, Howard stated: ``I've been richly blessed with good friends up here and also back home. And I will continue to embrace those friends, even though I'm leaving.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, it is us who have been richly blessed by Howard. And we will continue to embrace our good friend Howard because he is a friend and a mentor to us all forever.

Mr. HOLDING

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5195) to provide additional visas for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5195, currently under consideration.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5195 makes available through the end of calendar year 2014 1,000 visas for the Special Immigrant Visa program created by the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009. The 1,000 visas are in addition to 3,000 that Congress already allocated for fiscal year 2014. The main eligibility requirement, Mr. Speaker, to receive a Special Immigrant Visa under this program is that the Afghan principal applicant must have worked for or on behalf of the U.S. Government for at least 1 year in Afghanistan. The State Department has indicated that it will issue all 3,000 of their originally allocated visas by the beginning of August, and the Department currently has around 300 approved applications simply waiting for additional visas to be allocated. That number will rise as State continues to process applications over the next few months. We must remember that simply because a visa cap is reached does not mean that Congress must automatically allocate additional visas. In fact, Congress rarely does so in immigration programs. I understand that proponents of this legislation claim that individuals waiting on a visa are in harm's way due to their work for the United States Government and the drawdown of U.S. forces in the region, but as with any immigration program, Mr. Speaker, we must also be cognizant of our duty to ensure the safety and security of the United States by making sure that anyone issued a visa is not a threat to our public safety or national security. So when there are calls for this program to be extended once again before the balance of fiscal year 2015, the Judiciary Committee will be conducting oversight over the program. Such oversight will allow us to make educated decisions on how many, if any, special immigrant visas should be allocated for fiscal year 15. I look forward to that oversight and urge my colleagues to support this bill that we have under consideration. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, July 29, 2014. Hon. Bob Goodlatte, Chairman, House Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your consultation with the Foreign Affairs Committee on H.R. 5195, a bill to provide additional visas for the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program, which involves the legislative jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs under House Rule X. As a result of those consultations, I agree that the Foreign Affairs Committee may be discharged from further consideration of that bill, so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. I am writing to confirm our mutual understanding that, by forgoing consideration of H.R. 5195, the Foreign Affairs Committee does not waive jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this, or any other, legislation. Our Committee also reserves the right to seek an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this bill, and would appreciate your support for any such request. I ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 5195. Sincerely, Edward R. Royce, Chairman.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, with pleasure I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger), a champion on this issue.

Mr. HOLDING. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kinzinger), and then I am prepared to close.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, this is an important piece of bipartisan legislation. The Afghans, who benefit by this legislation, put their lives on the line for the United States of America. We owe them a debt of gratitude. I look forward in the coming Congress to doing oversight to look at the further backlog of Afghans who may be eligible for visas, and look through oversight how this program is being administered and ensure that we are able to fulfill the promises that we have made to Afghans who have helped us in the field. I encourage my colleagues to vote for this important piece of legislation. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.