J. Hill

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, regarding the policies that are perhaps being considered in New York, the voices of the people of New York have been heard. They have spoken. We think about having government-controlled grocery stores, instead of relying on entrepreneurial immigrant families or Korean families with the beautiful bodegas and flower shops around the city. They are now somehow doing an inadequate job. The mayor proposes that the government step into those businesses or run those grocery stores, for example. Mr. Speaker, he proposes even more difficult rent controls that have already driven down the number of units available in the city of New York, which is already suffering from a huge housing shortage and a huge price disadvantage for the thousands of people who want to work in the city. This is contrary to economic choice, and that is another reason why we are here on this House floor. We are here to note that an open and democratic market capitalist system offers choice. The freedom to choose is of critical value. That is limited under socialism, in addition to the atrocities. One of my favorite economists, Nobel Prize Winner Friedrich Hayek, authored books I read as a young man such as, ``The Road to Serfdom'' and ``Constitution of Liberty.'' This is a man who lived under socialism. He lived through the Communist regimes of Stalin and Eastern Europe and of Nazi Germany. He talked about the road to serfdom. Mr. Speaker, we think of some of these policies potentially as the scenic route to socialism. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), who chairs the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement for House Judiciary. He is someone who understands market capitalism and a constitutional Republic like no other Member.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is a distinguished senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis), who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and who is firmly opposed to socialism.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford), the chair of the Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations and a distinguished member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Salazar), my friend from south Florida who is also a child of Cuban exiles from the Castro takeover of Cuba.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in the short time we have remaining this morning on this important resolution, let's cut to the chase. America stands as a beacon of freedom. America stands as a place of choice. America stands as a place of initiative and opportunity. What the gentlewoman from Florida brings to the House today is a resolution that says that we condemn the horrors of socialism not just the atrocities associated with mass murder in Ukraine or Cuba or Venezuela or imprisonment but the capture of the spirit that ends individual freedom and ends individual opportunity. Mr. Speaker, I will say that I have been shocked at some of the debate today that we hear from a daughter of Korea, two daughters from Cuba, who have seen firsthand the dangers, the fear, the atrocities, the restraint, the constraint, the end of freedom that they experienced and their families experienced personally. In my young life, I worked to bring freedom to Eastern Europe. I saw East Germany's empty shelves, empty eyes, empty spirits, no choice, and in West Germany, vibrancy. Yet, today, we would even have to debate that socialism has some value to the human spirit across the land, it is amazing to me. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this resolution whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, old, young, no matter what your political philosophy is, let's unite on this floor and reject the evils of socialism. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote because I was in a legislative meeting which ran over. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 298. Stated against:

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, in 1958, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Harold Macmillan, paraphrasing a remark from Winston Churchill 4 years earlier, left us with the great expression: jaw-jaw is better than war-war. It is because of our great power that our rivals seek to end the American way of life through direct or gray zone war attacks or by cyber or economic destruction, and we certainly should routinely jaw- jaw with those great powers about our possible shared objectives and deep concerns. However, in the instance of Czar Putin, he has never been interested in jaw-jaw. He is a creature of his KGB upbringing. There was no jaw- jaw with the Chechens in 1999, and there was no jaw-jaw with the Georgians, only tanks, in 2008. There was no jaw-jaw, only propaganda, corruption, and death in Putin's approach to Ukraine during President Obama's administration. Under President Obama, Putin conducted his overt and covert actions in Ukraine with some 10,000 Ukrainians killed in the fighting, including 2,000 civilians, yet Obama and his European allies simply looked down at their shoes. In 2014, Putin took Crimea without firing a shot. He is a disgrace to the rich, cultural history of the Russian people, and he has thoroughly corrupted a false and bordering-on-insane historic narrative regarding his threats and ambitions in Ukraine. America, as the instrumental force inside the transatlantic alliance, remains ready to stand shoulder to shoulder to back this European resolve. This is something that neither Obama nor Biden would do. They simply took the easy way out by agreeing to whatever the weakest European voice was at the time. This European attitude of: Here, let me hold your coat, has plagued and frustrated all American Presidents from Eisenhower to Trump. Jack Kennedy famously called out their unwillingness to pay for their own defense stating how wrong it was to let the Europeans live off the fat of the land in American economic and military security. Madam Speaker, here is what needs to happen now. The United States and our European allies must agree that we will not support the immoral importation of Russian oil and gas. Europe has affordable, effective alternatives. The United States and our European allies should work through sanctions and other forms of economic statecraft to communicate firmly and consistently to large non-European buyers of Russian oil and gas that the time to act is now. Congress should act by immediately passing Congressman Zach Nunn's bipartisan PEACE Act. This proposal would finally kneecap Russia's energy revenues, which still total some $200 billion per year. This would impose secondary sanctions on the country, including on Gazprom and Rosneft. It passed out of my committee, the Financial Services Committee, by a vote of 53-1. It would be the first intensive sanctioning of the Russian banking industry since the invasion. Under Congressman Nunn's PEACE Act, the U.S. would take Russian sovereign assets that have been immobilized and let the Ukrainians use them to purchase defensive weapons. Congress should also fully consider, debate, amend, and pass the sanction legislation offered by Senator Lindsey Graham, which has 84 cosponsors, and its companion bill in the House sponsored by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. The President should, as a part of a newfound backbone in the G7, fully implement the REPO Act, which I worked on diligently with former Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul and Senate Foreign Relations Chair Jim Risch. This measure, signed into law in 2024, puts direct and immediate heat on Russian sovereign assets held outside the country. Here again, we need the Europeans to step forward. In the spring of 2024, the Council of Europe actually fully supported this idea with a 100 percent vote. Congress should also authorize funding for the U.S. Geological Survey to fully review all Soviet-era geological surveys of Ukraine, both in the contested Donbas region, as well as free Ukraine, and provide Congress and the administration with an up-to-date assessment of the strategic minerals available for Ukraine's further economic development. The time for action is now. Apparently, Putin needs more unified pressure to convince him that, in fact, jaw-jaw is better than war-war. Let's not look back with regret that Congress did not act in the face of Putin's corrupt, catastrophic, and contemptuous regime that laughs in the face of his European neighbors and our American President.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Rogers for the opportunity to visit on this en bloc. I appreciate his leadership in once again guiding the NDAA successfully, on a bipartisan basis, through the House. While I will support this en bloc set of amendments, I would be remiss if I didn't bring to light an amendment that is included in this en bloc that I believe needs more deliberation. I appreciate the intentions of the sponsor, but I believe we need to carefully consider some of the details. This amendment nearly duplicates the vast powers of the Defense Production Act while the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee are in the midst of a thorough reauthorization, including happily and proactively consulting with our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee and our Members throughout both sides of the Hill. Note that I said the amendment narrowly duplicates the DPA because there are significant differences that should raise concerns about the text in this amendment. Over the course of 75 years, Congress has built in crucial safeguards to the Defense Production Act. The amendment does not include these safeguards. Here are just a few examples: Under the Defense Production Act, the Pentagon is limited in its use of financial assistance to domestic industry as well as certain entities located in our Five Eyes partner countries. Even in those countries, our closest, most reliable allies in the world, the DPA has strong oversight language to prevent offshoring to foreign companies. This amendment, if enacted into law, would allow the Pentagon to use subsidies and purchase commitments in 190 countries around the globe, including, Mr. Chairman, Venezuela and Cuba. We must carefully evaluate these policy choices at a time when we are working to bring jobs back to the United States and reverse decades of manufacturing decline. Under the previous administration, President Biden sought to use the DPA for things like making more baby formula and residential heat pumps. The amendment would only ensure such efforts in future administrations. This is just not a likelihood. It is a certainty that it could, in fact, be used outside the defense arena. These are only a handful of my concerns, and I think it would be better for this debate to happen more fulsomely between the committees in a conference process. Mr. Chairman, I invite Chairman Rogers to commit to addressing these concerns by working with our Financial Services Committee members through the NDAA process, and I thank him for yielding me some time today.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Chair, I was at a Legislative meeting, which ran longer than expected. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 244.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment No. 147 to H.R. 3838. My amendment to the NDAA supports the C-130H (and planned C-130J) Air National Guard Formal Training Unit in my district. C-130J aircraft are critical to the Arkansas National Guard. The planned C-130J Formal Training Unit (FTU) for the Air National Guard is the 189th Airlift Wing of the Arkansas National Guard. The unit will be responsible for training all future Air National Guard C-130J pilots and loadmasters. My amendment requires the Secretary of the Air Force, in consultation with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, to submit a report to Congress on the C-130J FTU. The 189th Airlift Wing is working to acquire more C-130Js as the Air National Guard reconfigures to C-130Js. The C-130J incorporates state-of-the-art technology, which reduces staffing requirements, lowers operating costs, and provides life-cycle savings over earlier C-130 models. I urge you to support my amendment.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment No. 148 to H.R. 3838. My amendment supports the accreditation of the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center (NGMTC) located at Robinson Maneuver Training Center, Arkansas. The NGMTC is the only unit in the United States that is dedicated to the National Guard's marksmanship school and competition programs. It offers world-class instruction in the proper use of various small weapons systems in the Small Arms Weapons Expert and Squad Designated Marksmanship programs. The Arkansas National Guard is actively working to gain U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) accreditation for the NGMTC. My amendment requires the Secretary of the Army to do the following: Designate the NGMTC as a TRADOC institution. Make the Small Arms Weapons Expert and Squad Designated Marksmanship programs National Guard-centric courses. Award the Master Marksmanship Training skill identifier to National Guardsmen who complete both programs. Integrate both programs into the Army Program Objective Memorandum and consider establishing a modified Table of Organization and Equipment requirement associated with the Master Marksmanship Training skill identifier. Keeps the NGMTC within the Arkansas National Guard. This amendment is extremely important to central Arkansas and the Arkansas National Guard. I urge you to support my amendment.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the remarkable achievements of seven exceptional students from Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District: Jack Koon, Ethan Chen, Fredrick Zawislak, Timothy Garrison, Yassin Bahgat, Jack Lowenthal, and Muhammad Younus. These students have demonstrated unparalleled dedication to their academic pursuits, earning them the prestigious U.S. Merit Scholarship. This $2,500 award recognizes their hard work, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to excellence. Each of these young scholars has proven themselves as leaders in their schools and communities, balancing rigorous coursework with extracurricular involvement and service. Their achievements serve as an inspiration to their peers and a testament to the bright future of our district. Please join me in congratulating these students on this well-deserved honor. We look forward to seeing all that they will accomplish in the years to come.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate and honor one of my constituents for her dedicated service to the pro- life movement across our State of Arkansas. For decades, Rose Mimms has been a steadfast figure and advocate for the unborn and in support of their moms. Earlier this year, Rose announced that she would be stepping down from her role as executive director of the Arkansas Right to Life, a position that she has held for over 30 years. This, however, is not the end of Rose's service. She is refocusing her efforts on fostering and uplifting regional chapters of the Arkansas Right to Life across the State. I thank Rose for her many years of dedication to the unborn and to the State of Arkansas. I wish her nothing but the best for the next chapter of her advocacy, and I look forward to continuing to watch her impact and perseverance in this important work. Recognizing Dr. David Peterson

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. David Peterson for his outstanding service and dedication to keeping the Natural State natural. Dr. Peterson was recently honored with the Neil Compton Award by the Ozark Society in recognition of his decades-long commitment to environmental stewardship. Dr. Peterson's dedication to high standards for land, water, and wildlife habitat conservation in Arkansas reflects a commitment that I deeply value and commend. Earlier this year, the Flatside Wilderness Act passed the House, enhancing this special corner of the Second Congressional District, creating new opportunities for Arkansans and visitors alike to enjoy the natural beauty of our State. Dr. Peterson's contributions are greatly appreciated throughout the effort to enhance Flatside Wilderness. Dr. Peterson's service and dedication to conservation are a reminder of the lasting impact that one individual can have on protecting our shared natural heritage, and I thank Dr. Peterson for his service. Recognizing Dr. Elizabeth Cleveland

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Elizabeth Cleveland, cofounder of Fusion Center Network, a telehealth diagnostic clinic that will serve Arkansans and eventually all Americans. Dr. Cleveland is a former professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Central Arkansas. Her focus is on fetal alcohol syndrome, which affects 1 in 20 babies, but less than 1 percent ever receive an accurate diagnosis. By improving the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders, Dr. Cleveland and the Fusion Center Network will be able to help people have longer, healthier, and happier lives. Madam Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Cleveland and her colleagues on their new venture. Recognizing RPM Group

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, it is with immense pride that I rise to recognize and celebrate a remarkable business milestone: 70 years of success, growth, and innovation at Rector Phillips Morse, the RPM Group. RPM is an Arkansas-based real estate company specializing in commercial and investment real estate, along with professional property management, creating hundreds of jobs in central Arkansas. Known for its client-focused approach, RPM works with businesses large and small to find the space they need, and it helps Arkansans find homes and apartments. Founded in 1955 by Arkansas Business Hall of Fame inductee Billy F. Rector and his partners, Byron Morse and Fe Phillips, they have gone from hard, humble beginnings in central Arkansas to the top in the real estate industry. Madam Speaker, 17 years ago, RPM partnered with Coldwell Banker to expand its residential business, combining national brand power with their local expertise to better serve communities in Arkansas. The theme of RPM's 70-year anniversary is ``Building Tomorrow,'' which demonstrates the leaders of central Arkansas' unwavering focus on future growth, innovation, and long-term community impact. I thank RPM for their continuous contributions for the betterment of Arkansans.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Chair, I first say thanks to the distinguished chair and thanks to Members on both sides of the aisle for bringing this important bill to the floor, H.R. 4553, our Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Mr. Chair, my amendment today includes funding to the operations and management account under title I of this bill, which is the funding for the Army Corps of Engineers. Specifically, I would like to highlight my application that the Little Rock Army Corps has submitted on behalf of a river in my district, the Little Red River, for the Sustainable Rivers Program. Mr. Chair, the Little Red River has become home to a sizable and attractive wild brown trout population. It is a regional mecca for trout fishing in the mid-South. For example, the Little Red River is home to the former world record 40-pound brown trout. Over 25 miles of fly-fishing water and over 1,000 fish per square mile brings anglers of all sizes, types, and ages to Arkansas. Mr. Chair, because of Arkansas' many rivers, lakes, and other natural beauties, recreational fishing that is done on the Little Red River now contributes $1.2 billion and 10,000 jobs to the Arkansas economy. However, despite this beloved place in Arkansas' heritage, this river's existing tail water trout fishery has been struggling for years. After careful conversations with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Little Rock Army Corps of Engineers, and groups representing recreational fishing, I want to voice my support for the Little Red River's application to the Sustainable Rivers Program. The Sustainable Rivers Program would allow the Little Rock Army Corps to plan effectively for the environmental stewardship that correctly assesses water trends and helps the Little Rock Corps decisionmakers make good, low-risk decisions for the benefit of this trout fishery. It also prevents the need for new and required equipment, environmental reviews, such as those required under the National Environmental Protection Act, and changes to the current water control plan.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Mr. Chair, additionally, this program would build upon the previous success that the Arkansas delegation achieved in the last Congress for the White River Basin Comprehensive Study. Mr. Chair, I thank the leadership of the committee, I thank the Rules Committee, and Chair Foxx for adding this amendment under consideration for the floor today and approved by the Rules Committee. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Well, a 40-pound trout is not anything like the deep freshwater fish of the Great Lakes, but if you had a 26-inch fish, that is a huge brown trout. I was fortunate enough to be out in Wyoming looking for rainbow trout, and if you found one that was 15 inches, you would be flabbergasted. I am proud that Arkansas held the record for the brown trout for about 25 years. This Sustainable Rivers Program is an important program through the Corps of Engineers for our freshwater fishery in Arkansas and across the country, and I thank the gentlewoman for the consideration.

Mr. HILL of Arkansas

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, today marks 80 years since the Empire of Japan unconditionally surrendered to General Douglas MacArthur and Allied forces aboard the USS Missouri. On this anniversary of V-J Day, it is fitting that we pause to remember not only the end of history's deadliest conflict but also the peace secured by the courage and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, a legacy that still shapes our world today. More than 16 million Americans served, including 195,000 from the State of Arkansas. We remain forever grateful to the Allied war effort leadership, to the men and women who served down range in the Pacific, Europe, North Africa, and beyond, and to those on the home front who taught our kids and fueled the arsenal of democracy. Our generation salutes the Greatest Generation for the defeat of fascism and the preservation of liberty and freedom. honoring floyd brantley

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, one of those Pacific vets is my friend Floyd Brantley of Conway, Arkansas, a proud American who answered his country's call not once but three different times. Floyd first enlisted in the Navy in 1943, serving as a hospital corpsman with the 1st Marine Division in the Russell Islands and New Guinea. After the war, he went on to Baylor University, joined the Air Force ROTC, and later served as a transport officer in Busan, South Korea, during the Korean conflict. Most men would have considered that a full measure of service, but two decades later, during the Vietnam era, Floyd once again put on the uniform, this time in the Air National Guard, giving another 10 years to his country. He retired as a colonel. As Floyd approaches a century of life, I have never met a more active, positive person. In all, Colonel Brantley devoted more than 23 years to the defense of our Nation. He is a shining example of service above self, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him today. honoring john mass

Mr. HILL of Arkansas. Madam Speaker, on this 80th commemoration of V- J Day, I recognize the remarkable service of Mr. John Mass, a proud veteran of World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Vietnam war. Like so many of his generation, John answered the call to serve, devoting over 26 years to the defense of our country. He began his service in 1943 with the U.S. Army Air Corps and concluded with his honorable retirement from the United States Air Force in 1969. Over that distinguished career, Mr. Mass served in posts worldwide, including the Philippines, Guam, Thailand, Greenland, Germany, and bases across the United States, where he contributed to the safety and effectiveness of airborne operations. Now, at 97 years old, Mr. Mass' record of service stands as an enduring testament to duty, sacrifice, and patriotism. I honor his extraordinary contributions to his country. honoring mary fine