Richard Hudson

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. I thank my colleague. At this time I would like to yield to my colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Chairman, as chair of the House Transportation Security Subcommittee, I want to raise my concern about a delay in finalizing a rule to improve the security of FAA-approved domestic and foreign repair stations. This rulemaking, mandated by Congress in 2003 and again in 2007, has languished for almost 10 years. By way of background, TSA signed off on the rule late last year, and DHS completed consideration early this year. The Office of Management and Budget is currently reviewing the rule. I hope that OMB will complete this rulemaking by June 14, 2013, which is the end of the 90- day clock for their consideration. At this time, I yield to my colleague from Texas (Mr. Carter).

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to support our amendment which strengthens the Federal Flight Deck Officer program, or FFDO. Our amendment increases funding for the FFDO by $12.5 million, bringing the total authorized for the program to $25 million, with the Congressional Budget Office reporting no budgetary impact. Since its creation in 2003, this program has provided training to pilots who are willing to step up and volunteer to protect their fellow citizens by defending the airliners that millions of Americans fly on every year. As part of TSA's risk-based approach to aviation security, which I've strongly advocated for on the Homeland Security Committee, the FFDO program plays an integral role in providing an additional layer of security against a hijacking or terrorist attack. Since its inception, the FFDOs have protected thousands of flights each day and over 100,000 flights a month, at a fraction of the cost to taxpayers compared to the Federal Air Marshal Service. As the first line of deterrence and the last line of defense, it only makes sense that we should continue to provide adequate funding to the FFDO program. While zeroed out in the President's budget, we believe the FFDO program provides a cost-effective solution in protecting passengers aboard our airliners. I applaud Chairman Rogers, Subcommittee Chairman Carter, and the Appropriations Committee for finding ways to prioritize spending so this program did not meet its demise. With that said, $12.5 million represents more than a 50 percent cut from last year's amount. At this level of funding, the FFDO program would be unable to recertify all the pilots currently in the program, maintain its current management structure, or train any additional officers. We have offered a responsible and fully offset amendment that moves $12.5 million to the FFDO program to ensure that we are using our resources wisely and in a manner that directly benefits America's safety. The House unanimously agreed to a similar amendment offered in the FY 2013 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, and I hope my colleagues will join me this year in providing the support that such a valuable program deserves. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Committee on Education and the Workforce heard testimony from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Despite a mountain of facts to the contrary, she told the committee that the concerns employers have with the health care law are mere speculation. I don't know who the Secretary is talking to in Washington, but the reality for employers out in the real world is there is no speculation when it comes to the job-crushing effects of ObamaCare. Where I live in North Carolina, ObamaCare is destroying jobs and forces full-time workers to accept part-time hours, and that's just the start. I recently hosted a field hearing in my district where I heard from a business owner who, prior to ObamaCare, was able to offer some of the best medical, dental, and vision care in the area at a cost of only 20 percent to his employees. Sadly, this same company is now subject to higher premiums, higher Medicare taxes, higher investment taxes, and greater administrative burdens. All of this will divert resources from new training, new equipment, and better wages. Mr. Speaker, what I see are the facts and not speculation. That's why I'm adamant that we need to repeal this terrible law.

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Madam Chair, I rise to bring attention to an issue of critical importance regarding our national security. Our cyber and information warfare doctrines do not pay enough attention to the likelihood that adversaries seeking to cripple United States critical infrastructure could quickly turn to an EMP, electromagnetic pulse, attack. This Nation's electrical grid is incredibly vulnerable and could be crippled by such an attack. The resulting blackout and EMP damage would quickly move beyond the electric grid. Other systems could collapse, leading to a failure of other critical infrastructures, such as communications, transportation, banking and finance, as well as the transportation of food and water. As I have traveled around my district, I have heard from several constituents and experts that see this threat as ever-present. While technology has made society more efficient, it has also made us more vulnerable by permeating nearly every aspect of our culture that sustains modern civilization and the lives of millions. The assessment that the U.S. is vulnerable to an EMP attack is based on the work of the Congressional EMP Commission that analyzed this threat for nearly a decade from 2001 to 2008. The Congressional Strategic Posture Commission and several other U.S. Government studies arrived at similar conclusions and collectively represent a scientific and strategic consensus that nuclear EMP attacks upon the United States are a very real threat. I applaud Chairman Rogers and the Appropriations Committee for finding ways to prioritize spending so that the National Protection and Programs Directorate, along with similar programs, are able to continue their necessary work. I hope they will continue to engage with academic institutions and private organizations to find better, more cost- effective solutions to protecting this Nation's critical infrastructure and our way of life. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 164, I was unavoidably detained off of the House floor at a doctor's appointment. Therefore, I was unable to cast my vote on H.R. 1412, the Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2013. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes''. Also on rollcall No. 165, I was unable to cast my vote on H.R. 1344, the Helping Heroes Fly Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' And on rollcall No. 166, I was unable to cast my vote on H.R. 3234, the bill to grant the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Special Service Force, in recognition of its superior service during World War II, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Now, I don't have much in common with the leadership in the Senate, but today I stand in agreement with Senator Max Baucus, who characterized the implementation of ObamaCare as a ``train wreck.'' Disasters occur when the government oversteps its bounds. We've seen it with ObamaCare, as it is the most egregious example. We've also seen this week what happens when Federal agencies target people for their political beliefs, and we've seen the same kind of overreach with violations of the First Amendment rights of reporters and journalists and in the failure to answer questions about the origins of the terrorist attack in Benghazi. Legislatively, ObamaCare is the most egregious example of government overreach we have ever seen, and a disaster, ladies and gentlemen, is ensuing. Hardworking Americans are losing their jobs, families are paying more in taxes, and seniors are losing much-needed Medicare coverage--and this bill hasn't even been fully implemented yet. Health care has always been and should always be a relationship between a patient and a doctor of one's choice, not a government mandate to be managed by faceless bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. The Federal Government has no authority to be the manager of the physical well-being of every American. I support its full repeal.

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately for this administration, the term ``sequestration'' has become synonymous with ``fear.'' I've been extremely disappointed that the FAA chose to close the contract control towers at 149 airports across this country, including my home town of Concord, North Carolina. This airport is the third busiest airport in North Carolina. It was named by the Government Accounting Office as an Airport of National Significance because it is a reliever airport for Charlotte-Douglas, which is the sixth busiest airport in the world. The decision to close these towers at a savings of $50 million is hard to understand when you consider the fact that the FAA requested $15.1 billion for fiscal year 2013 and through sequester it's actually receiving $15.9 billion--an actual increase over the amount of money the FAA said they needed to operate. So I can only conclude that their goal here is to try to make sequester cuts as painful as possible for the American people.

Mr. HUDSON. I thank the gentleman for the time. I will just conclude by saying I support this bill because it ends the political games by giving the Secretary the flexibility that he needs to keep these contract towers open. So I would encourage the Secretary to do that for the safety and for the economy of our local communities.

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Town of Proctorville, North Carolina, as it celebrated its centennial on Friday March 8th. While Congress was not in session on its centennial, I want to take this opportunity to pay homage to this small town in rural North Carolina today. Proctorville's history dates back to 1859. The fifty acres the town was founded on was originally owned by Calvin Graham. Mr. Graham gave the land the town was to be settled on to a slave by the name of Dennis Graham. On July 20th, 1899, Augustus Mellier purchased a portion of the original fifty acres for the construction of the Carolina and Northern railroad. Mellier developed the land surrounding the tracks into four blocks for development. This was the beginning of the new town of Proctorville, named after Edward Knox Proctor Jr., a Lumberton lawyer and promoter of the Carolina and Northern Railroad. Mr. Proctor purchased the town from Mellier and planned to develop it into an ideal town, but his plans were cut short due to illness. He contracted typhoid fever and died prematurely in December of 1907. This setback was overcome and the town charter was written by E.J. Britt of Lumberton, North Carolina and incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1913. At the time, George B. McLeod, brother-in-law of Edward K. Proctor, was serving in the Assembly and was a proponent of incorporation. Proctorville always produced the major regional crops of North Carolina: tobacco, cotton, and corn. Expectation in production grew as the railroad expanded through the state and the town eventually became a major trading hub for farmers and even outlasted the railroad. Proctorville has the honor of being the smallest town in the United States to have its own public library. It was established by W.R. Surles and continues to be used to this day. The Town's most recognized citizen is State Senator Michael Walters who has represented Proctorville and the surrounding community since 2009. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Town of Proctorville as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. Happy 100th, Proctorville! [From the Fayetteville Observer, Mar. 7, 2013] (By Ali Rockett) The tiny town in southeastern Robeson County is celebrating a big birthday today. But Mayor Allen Fowler said the real party begins on Saturday with the town first-ever parade--or at least the first in modern memory, Fowler said. The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Main Street from Spruce Street to the town's community center. Following the parade, the town will hold a ceremony in Proctorville Baptist Church with keynote speaker and Proctorville native N.C. Rep. Michael Walters. The .3-mile parade route nearly stretches the width of the entire town, which encompasses about 260 acres. Proctorville was established in the early 1900s as the crossroads of two major railroads--the Atlantic Coast Railroad running north and south, and the Raleigh-Charleston Railroad running east and west. While the town's incorporation is only 100 years old, it started much earlier than that, according to Fowler. In 1866, a plantation owner Calvin Graham deeded 200 acres to a slave, Dennis Graham, for $60. It had taken Dennis Graham nearly 20 years to make the $60. Then in the early 1900s, a railroad worker Augustus Miller bought part of Graham's land as right-of-way for the railroad. Miller named the area after Lumberton lawyer Edward Knox Proctor Jr, who worked to get the railroad laid through the county. Proctor later bought the land from Miller, but died before he could build up the town. Proctorville was relatively dormant through 1940 when the railroad tracks were taken up. The town's claim to fame is its library. In 2009, the W.R. Surles Memorial Library--rumored to have once been named the world's smallest in the ``Guinness Book of World Records''--was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. With about 2,800 books, the library's circulation is nearly 23 times that of the population it serves. About 117 people call Proctorville home. Fowler said it's a simple, quiet life in town. ``We're just a small, rural town,'' Fowler said. ``The average age is probably sixty. What I enjoy the most about it, we have very, very, very little crime.'' Walters said he remembers riding to church as a young boy, but always had to behave. ``Everyone in town was your mother or dad because we all knew each other,'' Walters said. ``If there has ever been a Mayberry in North Carolina, it could be Proctorville.''

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I ran for Congress to improve the lives of North Carolinians by advancing initiatives that reinvigorate our economy and put people back to work. To achieve this goal, we must curb Washington's spending addiction and balance our budget. For the sake of our country and the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must stop the reckless spending of our taxpayer dollars. It has weakened our liberty; it has diminished our prosperity; and it has mortgaged our future. I cannot, in good conscience, stand by and watch our Nation self-destruct because our leaders don't have the discipline to say enough is enough. Just yesterday, the White House said that the President is not looking to balance the budget. This comes on the heels of 4 long years of Senate inaction to even merely present a budget. Mr. Speaker, leadership on this issue is clearly long overdue. Fortunately, that leadership Americans thirst for can be found in the Chamber today as Chairman Paul Ryan presents a budget that balances in 10 years. I applaud his work and look forward to working against Washington's unbridled spending and for a path to economic prosperity.

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call to the attention of my colleagues an opinion editorial that was written by Marion P. Hammer, of Tallahassee, Florida. Marion has diligently served as a staunch advocate for Second Amendment Rights for nearly her entire life. She served as the first female President of the National Rifle Association (NRA) from 1995 through 1998, and remains on the NRA Board of Directors today. The opinion editorial explains in very plain language, just like our Second Amendment, the glaring problems our nation's one hundred million gun owners, sportsmen and women, and law abiding citizens have with the misguided proposals we are hearing from the President and his Democratic colleagues. ``Universal Background Checks''--Absolutely Not (By Marion P. Hammer) Imagine a grandfather who wants to give a family shotgun to his 12-year-old grandson having to do a background check on his grandson before giving him the shotgun. Or a friend having to do a background check on his lifetime best buddy before lending him a hunting rifle. Or, if your mother had a prowler at her home, having to do a background check on your own Mom before you could give her one of your guns for protection. That's what ``universal background checks'' do. They turn traditional innocent conduct into a criminal offense. They target you, law-abiding gun owners. Universal background checks are background checks on EVERY transfer, sale, purchase, trade, gift, rental, and loan of a firearm between any and all individuals. All background checks must be conducted through a federally licensed dealer. Universal background checks have nothing to do with gun shows--they are about you. It is ALREADY a federal felony to be engaged in the business of buying and selling firearms without having federal firearm dealer's license. It is ALREADY a crime for a federally licensed dealer to sell a gun without doing a background check--that's all dealers, everywhere, including at retail stores, gun shows, flea markets or anywhere else. Further, it is ALREADY a federal felony for any private person to sell, trade, give, lend, rent or transfer a gun to a person you know or should have known is not legally allowed to own, purchase or possess a firearm. The penalty for selling a gun to a person who is a criminal, mentally ill, mentally incompetent, alcohol abuser or drug abuser is a 10-year federal felony. That's now, today, with no changes to the law. It is even a federal felony to submit false information on a background check form for the purpose of purchasing a firearm. Even so, according to a 2012 report to the Department of Justice, more than 72,000 people were turned down on a gun purchase in 2010 because they didn't pass the background check. Yet, only 44 of those cases were prosecuted. Why, when criminals are caught in the act of lying on the form to illegally purchase a firearm are they not prosecuted? On Thursday, January 10, 2013, in the White House meeting of President Obama's Gun Agenda Task Force, Vice President Joe Biden answered that question, telling NRA's Director of Federal Affairs, James Baker, that the Obama administration didn't have time to prosecute people for lying on the federal background check form. In an article in The Daily Caller (1/18/2013) Biden said, ``And to your point, Mr. Baker, regarding the lack of prosecutions on lying on Form 4473s, we simply don't have the time or manpower to prosecute everybody who lies on a form, that checks a wrong box, that answers a question inaccurately.'' If the Obama Administration currently doesn't have the time or manpower to prosecute those who lie on background check forms, then why do they want more background checks, more paperwork and more forms? It's backdoor gun registration. Universal background check system legislation that we have previously seen, allows the government to keep a computerized government registry of gun owners. In addition to the absurdity of having to do background checks on people you know are not criminals, would you like to pay up to $100 or more just to give your grandson a shotgun or lend a hunting rifle to your best friend or give your Mom a gun for protection? Transfer fees alone could run from $50 up. Firearms dealers, like other businesses, charge as much as they can get away with. Background check fees for a federally mandated program can be any amount they decide. The Obama administration's gun ban agenda and universal background check system are unconstitutional regulatory schemes to gut the Second Amendment. These proposals which mandate the government collection of data on lawful gun buyers and sellers amount to universal gun registration and gun owner licensing. This agenda focuses on peaceable citizens, not violent criminals who obtain guns on the black-market to carry out unspeakable crimes already prohibited under federal and state laws. Instead of stopping crime and eliminating criminal conduct, they are creating more criminals--they are targeting you. That's why NRA Members and the nation's 100 million firearms owners will stand in solidarity and fight against these misguided and diabolical proposals that have nothing whatsoever to do with curbing criminal violence but everything to do with stripping us of our guaranteed civil rights and our freedom. Marion P. Hammer is past President of the National Rifle Association and is Executive Director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida

Mr. HUDSON

Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, Bill Monday of Locust, North Carolina, dedicated his life to the service of his country. His military career and civic service make admirers of all those fortunate enough to have known him. Bill Monday selflessly volunteered for service in June of 1940 and was sent to Ft. Bragg as part of the 4th Field Artillery Battalion in the United States Army Air Corps. Bill's long and distinguished career in the Corps began with his enlistment and ended with his promotion to Captain after his skill and commitment to duty qualified him for Officer Candidate School. He went on to qualify and earn his wings as a Field Artillery Liaison Pilot. During his military career, Bill was stationed throughout the South Pacific though the bulk of the action he saw was in the ferocious campaign for the Philippines in October of 1944. In this campaign Bill's intrepid flying ability allowed him to land on small dirt roads and school yards in order direct fire, provide reconnaissance, and drop supplies to cut off troops. All of this was done with nothing more than a thin layer of plywood to protect him from the rain of anti-aircraft and small arms fire. It was here, flying up to ten miles behind enemy lines in an unarmed aircraft, that Bill earned a Silver Star in December of 1944. This was followed up by the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters in June and September of 1945. His Silver Star citation reads: ``Flying from short, hazardous fields, he was not able to take an observer with him, but was nonetheless able to make accurate and skilled adjustments of artillery fire. By his outstanding courage and willingness to meet military necessities beyond the call of his normal duties, Lieutenant Monday conducted himself in a manner worthy of the highest traditions of the military service.'' After the war ended, Bill returned to Fort Bragg. After being discharged in August of 1949 he settled in Locust, NC with his wife, Virginia, where he lived a long prosperous life. Bill loved flying and said that even during wartime there was a peace to flying and that he never felt closer to God than when he was in the air alone. As he is laid to rest, let us hope that he finds that same peace. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call his extraordinary service and devotion to the United States to the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the Record.