Jody Hice

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to pay tribute to Lake Oconee Academy: a charter school based in Greensboro, Georgia, that was named one of the U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools in 2014 and was named one of the best 50 elementary schools in the United States. Today, I want to commend Lake Oconee Academy and its vision for educational excellence and community involvement. Mr. Speaker, as you know, the National Blue Ribbon Award is given to the schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. In my opinion, the Lake Oconee Academy is more than just a scholastic entity. It is a place of opportunity and hope. Far from being a stopping point where students survive until a better opportunity avails itself, the academy is a place where character and responsibility is held in high regard and taught daily. Students are taught the values they need to go on and succeed in life. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I congratulate Lake Oconee Academy on all of its many accolades and congratulate the students, and staff for all their fantastic endeavors.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 280, legislation authorizing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recoup bonuses and awards paid to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. I would like to commend Chairman Miller for his continued leadership on this issue. I also want to express my gratitude to the House Veterans Affairs Committee for their hard work on this bill, and for its work last year on the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. Last year, reports by the VA Office of Inspector General revealed widespread mismanagement, inadequate standards of care, and unnecessary delays for appointments in VA facilities across the country, including facilities in both Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia where veterans in my home district seek care. The appalling lack of responsible oversight at certain facilities led to the placement of veterans on secret waiting lists created to manipulate data in order to cover up long wait times. This was an inexcusable practice that prevented our nation's heroes from receiving the timely care that they deserve. Mr. Speaker, those responsible for overseeing those VA facilities were clearly failing at their jobs. Yet, in Fiscal Year 2013, VA issued over $380,000 in bonuses to employees at hospitals under investigation by the VA Inspector General for falsifying records. This is unacceptable. Under no circumstances should VA employees receive a `performance award' for purposefully fostering an environment of negligence. H.R. 280 provides the authority to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to order VA employees to pay back their bonuses so that no employee will remain rewarded for their misconduct. We owe our veterans a great debt of gratitude, and one small way of repaying that debt is to ensure that our veterans receive the best possible care. This commonsense legislation will bring much-needed accountability to the VA system and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 280.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, we are in this predicament and in this mess because of the unconstitutional and unilateral decisions from the President to ignore our Constitution, and the only thing standing in the way of that progressing is a stay from the courts. As thankful as I am for the courts, the reality is we must stand up and defend our Constitution. It is a constitutional issue, Mr. Speaker, and we have the responsibility to stand for that cause. This is not a time to watch this body be obstructed from multiple attempts to make it dysfunctional. It is a constitutional issue. This is a time to stand upon the Constitution, and I urge this body to do so. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to congratulate Mr. Logan Hughes on his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Mr. Hughes is an incredibly accomplished young man from Evans, Georgia. Logan is the son of Michael and Laura Hughes, and will graduate from Greenbrier High School. During his time there, Logan has exhibited dedication to leadership while serving as the High School NJRTOC Battalion Executive Officer. Among his many accolades, Logan also showcased academic prowess by his involvement with the National Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society. Mr. Speaker, Logan Hughes is also a young man who is dedicated to improving his community through service. Logan led service efforts at Wesley United Methodist Church as a service acolyte. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr. Hughes is no stranger to the rigorous work ethic required to be considered as a candidate for the United States Military Academy. With Mr. Hughes' grandfather as outstanding example of an Army Officer, I am confident that Logan will accomplish his ultimate goal of serving his nation as a United States soldier. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate Mr. Logan Hughes.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to congratulate Mr. Liam Fairbrass on his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Mr. Fairbrass is an incredibly accomplished young man from Milledgeville, Georgia. Liam is the son of Mark and Emily Fairbrass, and will graduate from the prestigious Georgia Military College Preparatory School. During his time there, Liam has exhibited dedication to leadership while serving as the High School JRTOC Battalion Rank Commander, the highest ranking possible at the institution. Among his many accolades, Liam also showcased academic prowess by his involvement with the National Honor Society, the Mu Alpha Theta Society, and served as a student government representative. Mr. Speaker, Liam Fairbrass is also a young man who is also dedicated to improving his community through service. Liam led fundraising efforts for the worthy cause of Wreaths Across America, an organization which works with the Georgia War Veterans Memorial in order to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr. Fairbrass is no stranger to the rigorous work ethic required to be considered as a candidate for the United States Military Academy. With several family members serving as mentors and graduates of the same institution, I am confident that Liam will accomplish his ultimate goal of serving his nation as a United States soldier. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate Mr. Liam Fairbrass.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to congratulate Mr. Sutton Norris on his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Mr. Norris is an incredibly accomplished young man from Athens, Georgia. Sutton is the son of Tab and Elizabeth Norris, and will graduate from the prestigious Prince Avenue Christian School. During his time there, Sutton has exhibited his dedication to leadership while attending the Summer Leadership Experience at USMA and was awarded the Outstanding Leader Award. Among his many accolades, Sutton also showcased academic prowess while serving as the president of the National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society. Mr. Speaker, Sutton Norris is also a young man who is also is dedicated to improving his community through service. Sutton organized Prince Avenue Christian School's initial participation in Relay for Life, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about cancer and funds to combat the disease. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr. Norris is no stranger to the rigorous work ethic required to be considered as a candidate for the United States Military Academy. With several family members serving in different branches of the armed services, I am confident that Sutton will accomplish his ultimate goal of serving his nation as a United States soldier. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate Mr. Sutton Norris.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to congratulate Mr. Logan Hughes on his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Mr. Hughes is an incredibly accomplished young man from Evans, Georgia. Logan is the son of Michael and Laura Hughes, and is a graduate of the Greenbriar High School. During his time there, Logan exhibited his dedication to leadership while serving as the High School NJRTOC Battalion Executive Officer. Among his many accolades, Logan also showcased academic prowess by his involvement with the National Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society. Mr. Speaker, Logan Hughes is also a young man who is also dedicated to improving his community through service. Logan led service efforts at Wesley United Methodist Church as a service acolyte. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr. Hughes is no stranger to the rigorous work ethic required to be considered as a candidate for the United States Military Academy. With Mr. Hughes' Grandfather as outstanding example of an Army Officer, I am confident that Logan will accomplish his ultimate goal of serving his nation as a United States soldier. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate Mr. Logan Hughes.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to congratulate Mr. Liam Fairbrass on his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Mr. Fairbrass is an incredibly accomplished young man from Milledgeville, Georgia. Liam is the son of Mark and Emily Fairbrass, and is a graduate of the prestigious Georgia Military College Preparatory School. During his time there, Liam exhibited his dedication to leadership while serving as the High School JRTOC Battalion Rank Commander, the highest ranking possible at the institution. Among his many accolades, Liam also showcased academic prowess by his involvement with the National Honor Society, the Mu Alpha Theta Society, and served as a student government representative. Mr. Speaker, Liam Fairbrass is also a young man who also is dedicated to improving his community through service. Liam led fundraising efforts for the worthy cause of Wreaths Across America, an organization which works with the Georgia War Veterans Memorial in order to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr. Fairbrass is no stranger to the rigorous work ethic required to be considered as a candidate for the United States Military Academy. With several family members serving as mentors and graduates of the same institution, I am confident that Liam will accomplish his ultimate goal of serving his nation as a United States soldier. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate Mr. Liam Fairbrass.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to congratulate Mr. Sutton Norris on his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Mr. Norris is an incredibly accomplished young man from Athens, Georgia. Sutton is the son of Tab and Elizabeth Norris, and is a graduate of the prestigious Prince Avenue Christian School. During his time there, Sutton exhibited his dedication to leadership while attending the Summer Leadership Experience at USMA and was awarded the Outstanding Leader Award. Among his many accolades, Sutton also showcased academic prowess while serving as the President of the National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society. Mr. Speaker, Sutton Norris is also a young man who is also is dedicated to improving his community through service. Sutton organized Prince Avenue Christian School's initial participation in Relay for Life, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about cancer and funds to combat the disease. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, I understand that Mr. Norris is no stranger to the rigorous work ethic required to be considered as a candidate for the United States Military Academy. With several family members serving in different branches of the armed services, I am confident that Sutton will accomplish his ultimate goal of serving his nation as a United States soldier. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to congratulate Mr. Sutton Norris.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding his time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act. The alarming growth of our Federal Government in the last several decades has come at an incredible cost. This is largely due to lax reporting requirements, and as a result, the American people have largely been left in the dark as to the true cost of this unprecedented growth. For example, we all know that, often, the Federal Government imposes mandates, be it upon the private sector or local or State governments, and, oftentimes, this is without any clearly disclosed cost or impact of those mandates. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 50 will make significant strides to address this looming problem by enacting more strict and clearly defined requirements about how and when agencies need to disclose the cost of these Federal mandates. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 596, the legislation that will repeal ObamaCare. Mr. Speaker, since its passage in 2010, ObamaCare has put us on the path toward a full government takeover of the health care industry. The American people were sold on this by false promises that ObamaCare would lower the costs and increase access to care. The first and most egregious false promise came when the President himself said: If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what. In reality, some 5 million Americans have lost their plans since that time and have suffered needlessly. Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, we were promised that premiums would go down; instead, premiums in the individual marketplace have increased by an average of 49 percent across the country. This is one of the main reasons that only 7 percent of Americans believe that ObamaCare will actually reduce the cost of care. ObamaCare has also been a drag on the economy. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this law will reduce the full-time workforce by some 2.5 million people. The American Action Forum reported that small business wages have already decreased by $22.6 billion a year. Mr. Speaker, with its $1 trillion in new taxes and $2 trillion in new entitlement spending, we must repeal ObamaCare, and H.R. 596 does exactly that. Additionally, we must replace this law with patient-centered, free market solutions to the problems that exist in our health care system. H.R. 596 takes the important step of directing the committees of jurisdiction to develop legislation that will do just that. I ask all of my colleagues to support H.R. 596.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 469, the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act. Human trafficking is an ongoing atrocity that preys on the youngest and most vulnerable of our society. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that twenty million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking. In my home state of Georgia, Mr. Speaker, Atlanta is now widely considered a hub in the complex web of illegal human trafficking in our nation. Hundreds of young women and children are ensnared in this criminal enterprise and are funneled through metro Atlanta on a daily basis. One of the most egregious aspects of human trafficking is that it takes place in the shadows, and we can only estimate the number of young women and children this affects. Congress must do all we can to combat and eliminate this terrible practice that threatens the foundation of our country. I am pleased that the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act is being debated on the floor today, Mr. Speaker. This legislation, along with other measures passed through the U.S. House of Representatives this week, will make a significant contribution in the fight to end human trafficking. Specifically, H.R. 469 creates and expands stringent reporting requirements for state child welfare institutions so that we can more easily track illicit activity. With this information, we will be more equipped to address the needs of children who are trafficking victims. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 469.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 351--the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act. H.R. 351 eliminates the ability for Washington bureaucrats to needlessly block the construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities. Once the Department of Energy receives an application and environmental reviews have been completed, this legislation will place a thirty day deadline on the DOE in order to expedite permitting. One month is plenty of time for a determination to be made once all studies have been completed. Mr. Speaker, for the past five years this process has been painfully slow. Since 2010, the DOE has only fully processed five of the 37 applications received for LNG export to countries where a Free Trade Agreement is not in place. These delays have inhibited our ability to reach our potential as a global energy producer, and the bill we have before us will remove some of the burdensome regulations that currently exist. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 351 will help put hardworking Americans back to work. A NERA Economic Consulting report informs us that making the needed investment to construct LNG export facilities will put 45,000 of our nation's unemployed back to work. Mr. Speaker, this legislation also has the ability to be used as a strong economic foreign policy tool. Less than a year ago, Vladimir Putin attempted to increase his power through force with the acquisition of Crimea and the prolonged stand-off in Eastern Ukraine. As a result, a number of our allies in Europe were placed in a tough spot because Russia is such a significant natural gas producer across the continent. Despite the current economic woes that plague the Russian Federation, in order for us to prevent future aggressive posturing by Putin, we must undercut his ability to hold the region hostage because of energy. H.R. 351 will allow us to build our domestic infrastructure, which will give our European allies a place to turn in the event of future Russian aggression. Mr. Speaker, for our own economic benefit, as well as the economic diplomacy that expanded LNG exports will provide, I ask all of my colleagues to support H.R. 351.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed Roll Call votes numbers 17, 18, and 19. Had I been present, I would have voted aye on Roll Call number 17 to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 203, the Clay Hunt SAV Act. I would have voted aye on Roll Call number 18 to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 33, the Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act. I would have voted no on Roll Call number 19 to agree to the Speaker's Approval of the Journal.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mr. Hugh Tarbutton. Hugh will be fondly remembered and sorely missed. During his life, Hugh was many things: a husband, a father, a philanthropist, and an entrepreneur. Mr. Tarbutton attended the Sandersville high school and went on to Emory Oxford College. Among his many accolades, Hugh received the Emory Medal, which is the highest medal given and honor granted to Emory alumni. In addition to advancing education, Mr. Tarbutton championed economic growth in Georgia while serving as president and CEO of the Sandersville Railroad Company. Mr. Tarbutton is survived by his wife of 53 years, Gena, and their four children--Hugh, Jr., Charles, Ben, and Loulie--and their eight grandchildren. Hugh will be remembered in many ways, but to those who knew him best, he will be remembered as a great friend. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and legacy of Hugh Tarbutton.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I rise in strong support of this rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 240, the fiscal year 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. Mr. Speaker, the primary responsibility of the President of the United States is to faithfully carry out the laws sent to him by Congress. Unfortunately, this President, over the past several years, has chosen time and time again to ignore our immigration laws in order to achieve his executive amnesty objectives. His actions continue to fundamentally threaten the separation of powers set forth by the Constitution that was read on this floor last Friday, and it needs to stop. This rule will provide the House with the opportunity to completely defund and end this executive amnesty. With the adoption of the amendments made in order under this rule, H.R. 240 will responsibly fund the Department of Homeland Security for the remainder of the fiscal year and ensure the protection of our borders, while, at the same time, restoring the boundaries between the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government. In addition to defunding this power grab by the President, we will also consider an amendment that will express the sense of Congress that we should stop putting the interests of illegal immigrants above legal immigrants, who are being punished for simply obeying the law. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. ``. . . or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no State, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.''