Jody Hice

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for yielding. I also rise in support of H.R. 4747, to designate the U.S. post office in honor of Riverdale Police Major Gregory E. Barney. I also sincerely want to thank Congressman David Scott from Georgia's 13th District for his great leadership on this bill. As has been spoken already, Major Barney led a life of service both to his community and of devotion to his family. Starting his career as a firefighter and then later serving in an ambulance squad, Major Barney joined the Riverdale Police Department in 1990. There he served for the next 25 years, as has already been mentioned, serving, ultimately, as the first African American chief of police in Riverdale. Tragically, as we have heard tonight, his life ended in a shooting while trying to execute a no-knock warrant. On that tragic night of February 11, he gave his life trying to bring drug dealers to justice. Although I did not know him personally, from all accounts, Major Greg Barney died just as he lived: going above and beyond the call of duty to make his community a better place. It is fitting that the Riverdale Post Office that we are discussing is directly across the street from the Riverdale Police Department. It will serve as a daily reminder to all who enter those buildings of Major Barney's dedication to the community and of his valor in the line of duty. Also, as has been mentioned, I would like for us to remember his loving wife, Lisa, and twin teenage boys, Robert and Greg, in our thoughts and prayers while they continue to mourn his passing. I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 4747.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of our national defense. We have a constitutional responsibility to provide for and maintain our military forces. And this legislation, H.R. 4909, prevents the President from reducing our troops' pay raises and, most importantly, provides our military with the resources they need to restore our readiness levels. Today, as we all know, we are facing threats from all around the world, and many of our adversaries are using new technologies and methods that require our forces to be able to adapt and respond more quickly than ever before. Our U.S. Cyber Command being unified and fully funded is a critical aspect of the whole picture, including Fort Gordon's Cyber Center of Excellence. It will enable our military to be better prepared to respond to the threats we are facing today. Mr. Chairman, over the past several years, we have all been inundated with stories of the White House staffers who fall under the NSC umbrella, micromanaging both our foreign policy and our defense policy, even going so far as to circumvent or ignore senior officials altogether. I am strongly supportive of Chairman Thornberry's amendment to reduce the size of the National Security Council. He is absolutely right that 400 people is not the makeup of an advisory committee; that is the size of another executive agency. So I am in full support of H.R. 4909. I urge my colleagues to support that bill as well.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, my friends and colleagues from the Georgia delegation and I rise in honor of the lives of four bright young University of Georgia students who were killed in a tragic car accident outside of Athens on Wednesday evening. We pray for and grieve for the families of Christina, Halle, Kayla, and Brittany, and the entire University of Georgia community. We also pray for Agnes, who remains in critical condition, that she may be healed. The remarkable impact of these women upon UGA's campus is evidenced by the thousands of students, faculty, and staff who gathered yesterday in an outpouring of love, support, and remembrance. Mr. Speaker, this tragedy is every parent's worst nightmare, and our hearts ache for these families. I ask all my colleagues and all of those watching to pray for these families and to join the Georgia delegation in a moment of silence for Christina, Halle, Kayla, and Brittany, as well as for Agnes, and to know, in the words of Psalm 147:3: ``He heals the brokenhearted and binds their wounds.''

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. I am grateful to my colleague from Florida for yielding this time. Mr. Speaker, today the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments on what certainly has every potential of being one of the most important cases of our time. Of course, we are talking about a case involving an unprecedented and inexplicable expansion of powers by the President. We all remember in November 2014 when President Obama, fresh from, I might add, losing midterm elections, announced his executive decision to grant amnesty to some 5 million illegal immigrants. Immediately 26 States, my home State of Georgia being one of them, quickly moved to challenge this President's decision in the courts. Those States rightly and correctly argued that they were being forced by the Federal Government to bear the costly burden of this President's abuse of power. So after months of legal wrangling in the lower courts, now we watch United States v. Texas being considered in the High Court. We watched this being put on in the Supreme Court, and I am hopeful, as many of my colleagues, all of us here tonight, that the rulings from the lower courts will stand and that, ultimately, this President's executive amnesty will be ruled for what it is, a clear violation of the Constitution. That is what we are dealing with tonight, a violation of the Constitution, specifically article II, section 3, the faithful execution clause. Many ask: What is that? Basically, that clause requires the President to enforce the laws of the land. Is it too much to ask for the President to enforce the laws of the land as written by Congress and interpreted by the courts? This President has turned that upside down. He has turned our Constitution on its head with his own legislative policies from the executive office and the abuse of executive authority. Many of us here have voted multiple times to oppose many of the President's unconstitutional actions, and I have cosponsored many bills trying to deal specifically with his planned amnesty program. Going forward, now we have the Supreme Court case before us, and we all hope that they will see that what the President has done is a direct, gross violation of our Constitution. Again, I want to thank my friend from Florida, Congressman Yoho, for putting together this Special Order.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we all know this time of year is when the American people are held accountable to pay their taxes. Unfortunately, the IRS--and especially its head Commissioner John Koskinen--have proven over and over and over that they cannot be trusted to hold themselves to the same standard that they hold the rest of us. It is critical that we, as Congress, as we are trying to do here this evening, that we ensure that the IRS is held accountable for its actions the same way the American people and other Federal agencies are held accountable for their actions. House Republicans, my colleagues and I, many of us on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in particular are very familiar with Commissioner Koskinen. Under his leadership, the IRS has failed to respond to multiple subpoenas for evidence. There has been destruction of thousands of key documents, thereby really hindering the work of Oversight investigations, possibly obstructing justice. John Koskinen, as has already been mentioned here just moments ago, sat before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and lied under oath multiple times, providing false and misleading testimony, which, of course, as we all know, is outright perjury. John Koskinen's continued role as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service--which we all know is one of those powerful Federal agencies--despite his continued attempts to deceive Congress and the American people, is nothing but the living embodiment that the IRS indeed does not play by the same rules that they demand of other Americans. The American people are well aware that the IRS has placed itself above the law, above the rest of us. In fact, according to a recent Rasmussen poll, only about 30 percent of Americans actually trust the IRS to fairly enforce the law, which means that we have got nearly 70 percent of Americans who don't trust the IRS to abide by the law here in America. One of the most powerful agencies that we have cannot be trusted. And the American people don't trust them. This is a Federal agency that desperately needs to be set on the right track. Of course, the first step to that is eliminating the failed leadership. So I join my colleagues on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, many of whom are here this evening. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Res. 494 to impeach Commissioner John Koskinen. This is absolutely one of our most important roles in Congress: to hold our Federal agencies and heads of these agencies accountable. So with that mission, I appreciate the gentleman for the opportunity to speak a few moments, and I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 494 to impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. Again, I want to thank my good friend, Congressman DeSantis, for leading this Special Order.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the leadership and volunteer efforts of the GIVE Center on its 20th anniversary. Located in Milledgeville, Georgia, the GIVE Center connects Georgia College & State University students with volunteer opportunities to help make a difference on campus and throughout the local, state, national, and international communities. In two short decades through the GIVE Center, students have completed 650,000 volunteer hours, participated in 140,000 service projects, and contributed $15,000,000 of service to the community. With the help of 150 student organizations, 236 community partners, 245 volunteer programs, and countless helping hands, the GIVE Center has established itself as a pillar of humble service. The servant- leadership and community engagement that are displayed by the faculty, staff, students, and volunteers at the GIVE Center are inspirational, and I am honored to have a place of such excellence and achievement in the 10th District of Georgia.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today the High Court is considering the Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell, a most important case regarding religious liberty and the First Amendment. The Little Sisters of the Poor is a religious institution dedicated to assisting the elderly poor, but an unfair and unjust dilemma has been forced upon them. They must choose whether to violate their religious beliefs by complying with the HHS mandate or pay massive fines. The government cannot compel people to violate their conscience and their religious faith. But today we are watching the government force people to choose between their faith or a government decree. To place citizens of this country in this inescapable position is not only reprehensible, but also a direct violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. Mr. Speaker, I pray that the Court be granted the wisdom and discernment necessary to resolve this case in support of religious liberty and conscience rights. People must not be forced by the government to violate their faith.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colonel Frederick Earl Van Horn for more than 20 years of dedicated service at Georgia Military College, an outstanding educational institution in Milledgeville, Georgia. Prior to his tenure at GMC, Colonel Van Horn honorably served our Nation in the U.S. Army, where he completed three tours of duty in Germany, one in Italy, and a 2-year combat tour in Vietnam. His military achievements and medals include a Purple Heart. Colonel Van Horn wore many hats at GMC, including commander of cadets, dean of students, adjunct professor of ethics, director of character education, executive vice president, and interim president. But I commend him most for instilling the core values of honor, duty, and country into our students, and preparing the next generation for the challenges of the upcoming decades. He has distinguished himself as a servant-leader of the highest character and integrity. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Colonel Fred Van Horn on his retirement, and for his diligent, effective, and ardent leadership to GMC and our Nation. I am grateful to have him in the Tenth District of Georgia. I sincerely thank him for his service and unyielding commitment to our State, and I wish Fred and his family the best on his retirement.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 107, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of S. 1172, the Edward ``Ted'' Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015, introduced by Senator Thomas Carper of Delaware. By building on the Pre-Presidential Transaction Act of 2010, S. 1172 improves the process of Presidential transition by mandating several processes that have been effective in past Presidential transitions. The bill promotes early planning and supports communication by codifying the working groups put in place for the 2010 transition, which was one of the smoothest in our Nation's history. S. 1172 directs the White House to establish a transition council. It requires the General Services Administration to designate a Federal transition coordinator, and it ensures agencies designate staff to manage their internal transition activities needed to support the process of transitioning from one Presidential administration to another. The bill requires that the transition teams be in place no later than 6 months before election day, and it authorizes GSA to provide services for the incoming administration up to 6 months after inauguration. S. 1172 also requires a report to Congress on national security threats related to terrorism and border security during a transition. The bill further requires the Office of Personnel Management to provide quarterly reports to Congress detailing requests by agencies to appoint political appointees and former political appointees to nonpolitical civil service positions. Mr. Speaker, S. 1172 will help ensure the incoming President has the information necessary to oversee our complex government. Together, these commonsense steps will support future Presidents as they prepare to govern immediately after inauguration. Regardless of party, key management actions must be taken during transitions to support the smooth operation of government. Mr. Speaker, this bill was also referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and we deeply appreciate their cooperation in getting this bill to the floor. I also would like to thank Senators Johnson and Carper for their work to ensure the upcoming transition remains nonpartisan and supports the continuance of essential government operations. Mr. Speaker, as we prepare for an upcoming Presidential transition, I urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Washington, DC, December 11, 2015. Hon. Michael T. McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 9, 2015, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ordered reported with an amendment S. 1172, the Edward ``Ted'' Kaufman and Michael Leavitt Presidential Transitions Improvements Act of 2015, by unanimous consent. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, with an additional referral to the Committee on Homeland Security. I ask that you allow the Homeland Security Committee to be discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee on Homeland Security represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any response in the bill report filed by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as well as in the Congressional Record during floor consideration, to memorialize our understanding. Thank you for your consideration of my request. Sincerely, Jason Chaffetz, Chairman.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1172) to improve the process of presidential transition, as amended.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1580) to allow additional appointing authorities to select individuals from competitive service certificates, as amended.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1580, the Competitive Service Act of 2015, introduced by Senator Jon Tester of Montana. This bill will allow Federal agencies to share their lists of best qualified candidates with other agencies needing to hire for similar positions. Mr. Speaker, many applicants are reluctant to apply for jobs with the Federal Government due to the length of time it takes for some agencies to fill job announcements. This bill will expedite the Federal hiring process by allowing agencies to share their assessments of job applicants for competitive service positions. S. 1580 allows an agency to hire from another agency's certified list of eligible candidates as long as the original job announcement provided notice that the list of eligible candidates may be used by another agency, that the position is in the same occupational category, and that the position is at a similar grade level. However, before an agency can hire from another agency's certified list of eligible candidates, that agency must provide notice of the available position to its internal employees, give up to 10 business days for its employees to submit applications, and then consider those applications. S. 1580 provides that as long as all of these requirements are met, an agency does not need to make any additional postings and may hire from the list of certified eligible candidates. In an April 2014 report, titled, ``A New Civil Service Framework,'' the Partnership for Public Service discussed allowing agencies to share those best qualified candidates with other agencies. PPS notes that creating cross-agency best qualified applicant pools is ``another commonsense opportunity to create enterprisewide efficiencies for the Federal Government.'' With the Federal Government looking to fill critical vacancies, this bill will assist agencies with recruiting and hiring much-needed talent in areas such as cybersecurity and information technology. Mr. Speaker, the committee received letters of support for this legislation from the Professional Managers Association and the Partnership for Public Service. The Federal Managers Association also supports this bill, calling it commonsense legislation. I want to thank Senator Tester for this legislation. The House has a similar bill that was introduced by Representatives Connolly and Wittman, and I want to thank them also for bringing this matter to the attention of the committee as well. Mr. Speaker, as we move forward with legislation to make the Federal Government more effective and efficient, I urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman). He has been a major player in this legislation.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I urge adoption of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) for bringing attention to this incredibly important issue and the absolute carnage that is occurring in the Middle East against Christians, Yazidis, and people of other religious faiths and minorities. You know, the right to practice a chosen religion is a right that I-- and I believe all of us--believe should be universal. Yet, the religious persecution, especially by such violent means that is occurring now, is absolutely deplorable. ISIS has shown its true nature in the treatment of these religious minorities. We have all witnessed in recent months the violent expansion of ISIS in the Middle East as they have single-mindedly persecuted those who adhere to different faiths. In fact, those who refuse to convert have been driven from their homes, brutally tortured, crucified, raped, murdered, enslaved, and not by just few in number. We are talking thousands that fall under this horrific scenario. The systematic violence of ISIS toward communities of Yazidis, Christians, Kurds, Turkmen, whatever it may be, as you have well mentioned, goes far beyond war crimes. We are talking absolute genocide. In looking at all this, it was interesting to me that, when the world came together after the atrocities of the Second World War in an effort to define genocide, they actually defined it as an actor committing certain acts against a designated group with an intent to destroy the group in whole or in part. ISIS has. They absolutely have the intent to destroy, in whole, Christians, Yazidis, and all religious groups throughout the Middle East. In fact, their entire propaganda even brags about the abhorrent crimes that they are committing, and they show absolutely no signs of willingness to stop these atrocities. It is clear to me that we have an obligation--not only a moral one, but a legal obligation--to prevent these atrocities from occurring. In fact, 3 weeks from now this administration must fulfill its own legal obligation to make a determination on whether it will name ISIS' crimes as acts of genocide or not. The time has come. In fact, the time is long past for our Nation and our world to officially recognize these crimes by ISIS for what they truly are and to commit fully to defeating ISIS. We simply cannot ignore this any longer, and we must bring H. Con. Res. 75 to the House floor as soon as possible. Again, I thank you for yielding this time and thank you for your leadership in this regard.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 55, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and I rise in support of the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act. The Freedom of Information Act enables individual citizens to request records and information from federal agencies, and is therefore one of the greatest tools available to the public to ensure accountability and transparency. President Obama promised the American people that his administration would have an unprecedented level of openness. Unfortunately, the President has failed to deliver on his promise. Mr. Speaker, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a report today that found a dysfunctional and ambiguous FOIA system. To quote from the report, ``The FOIA process is broken. Unnecessary complications, misapplication of the law, and extensive delays are common occurrences.'' H.R. 653 will make great strides in correcting, protecting, and ultimately strengthening FOIA by providing greater disclosure of records and encouraging greater federal agency compliance. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 653.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and I rise in support of the Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act. H.R. 598 is a bipartisan, common-sense, piece of legislation that makes a critical step towards increased government transparency and accountability. This bill will give the American public a complete picture of how their taxpayer dollars are being spent by requiring each federal agency to provide an annual report detailing the costs of every program. Hardworking taxpayers have a fundamental right to know where and how their money is being spent. By passing H.R. 598, these reports will be made available online, and Americans will be able to see first-hand which federal programs are working well, and which are wasteful and duplicative. Americans deserve an efficient and effective federal government, and I firmly believe this legislation will make strides toward that end. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to support this legislation in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and I am proud to do so again. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 598.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my friend Vincent ``Zippy'' Duvall on his election yesterday as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Zippy is a third-generation farmer from Greene County, Georgia, and has been a Farm Bureau member since 1977. For the past 9 years, he has served as president of the Georgia Farm Bureau, while producing poultry, cattle, and hay on his family farm. I am so proud to have Zippy and his wife, Bonnie, as constituents of the Tenth District of Georgia. He has done an extraordinary job serving as the voice of agriculture in Georgia, and I can think of no better leader than Zippy Duvall to serve as the new president of the American Farm Bureau.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. I want to thank my friend and colleague for his great leadership in this cause of life. Mr. Speaker, I join with my others here with deep concern as we are now at 43 years since the Supreme Court determined, unimaginably, that there exists in our country some broad right for the abortion of a child in the womb. That decision literally came after 21 States had already enacted laws limiting abortion for over 100 years. In fact, the first of these laws was adopted in Connecticut in 1847, 21 years before the ratification of the 14th Amendment, which is the very amendment on which Roe v. Wade is based. In his dissent, Justice Rehnquist noted that, due to this history, the High Court was forced to create a right that was unknown to the Framers of the 14th Amendment. Mr. Speaker, it is time that we correct this wrong-headed decision made by the court 43 years ago. It is for this reason that I personally introduced the Sanctity of Human Life bill, H.R. 426, which defines life beginning at conception. I would certainly ask my colleagues to join in cosponsoring this bill so that 43 years from now we are celebrating the right to life rather than another 57 million unborn Americans lost to abortion. I thank the gentleman for his stance on this.

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia

Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. I thank my colleague and good friend from Indiana for organizing this Special Order, and I am very pleased to be here this evening to help defend our Second Amendment, which is the amendment giving teeth to all our other amendments and rights. The Second Amendment is one of the most fundamental principles of our Republic. And yet the Obama administration and the Democratic Party as a whole have now been engaged for years in an attempt to undermine the rights of law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms. President Obama, as has already been discussed this evening, has come before the American people just yesterday announcing his attempt to yet again infringe upon the rights of law-abiding American citizens by unilaterally instituting new restrictions on firearm sales. The President's blatant disregard for the constitutional role of Congress to write the laws of the land is absolutely astounding to me. This latest move is just yet a larger part of executive abuse that has been going on for quite some time and an overreach. In 2013, Congress rejected legislation that would have expanded background checks. I fully believe that that would have the same result today. And yet because it was not in accord with the wishes of the President, he now claims that Congress has relinquished its responsibility. Therefore, he somehow has the right to create laws as he sees fit. Well, he is wrong. As well as being unconstitutional, this moral imperative that the President claims to have regarding gun controls is not even statistically or logically on sound ground. In fact, the President has pointed directly to a string of domestic terror attacks as the reason for his executive action. And yet we all know that his unconstitutional executive order would not have prevented any of these terror attacks. So the real issue here is that this gun grab by the President is a smokescreen to hide from his own failed policies and his refusal to deal with terrorism and to eliminate it. And it is time for the truth to be told and for us to stand in opposition against this continued assault on the Second Amendment. Personally, my defense of the Second Amendment is firm and unwavering. I will never support any measure that infringes upon the rights of law-abiding American citizens to purchase, use, and keep firearms and ammunition. I believe that any law that restricts these rights is unconstitutional and should be steadfastly opposed. So, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time to share this tonight. And I am just reminded of Thomas Jefferson's statement: ``No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms.'' This is an issue upon which our liberties rest.