J. Hill

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Lieutenant General Jonathan Stubbs on becoming the new director of the Army National Guard. Lieutenant General Stubbs is the first Arkansan and National Guardsman to be elevated to the rank of the Lieutenant General and the first to be assigned as the director the Army National Guard. Governor Sanders had named General Stubbs as her adjunct general of the Arkansas National Guard. General Stubbs' quality, his character, his work ethic, and his leadership sharpened as our own TAG and are now fully recognized nationally with this great honor of leading the Army National Guard across our Nation. Throughout his 27 years spent serving the Arkansas National Guard, Lieutenant General Stubbs has demonstrated the extraordinary ability to inspire and lead those under his command. Whether it is at home or deployed in defense of America's Constitution and interests, Lieutenant General Stubbs has exemplified dedication, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to our country. Lieutenant General Stubbs knows what it takes to lead our brave men and women in uniform. Though we will miss him and his leadership at home in Arkansas, we look forward to the now impressive, positive impact that he will make in this crucial role in our national defense here in Washington. Commending George H. Dunklin, Jr.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the exceptional work of a friend and great Arkansan, George H. Dunklin, Jr. George has worked over the past four decades with conservation efforts to benefit Arkansas and the Natural State. George has worked with Ducks Unlimited as an area chairman, president, chairman of the board of Ducks Unlimited, and has left a lasting mark on quality habitat preservation efforts for decades to come. He also has devoted time to serving as chairman of our Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. George has led a life of service to the people of Arkansas and its wildlife and their habitat. All of us from the Natural State thank him for his lifetime of hard work and tremendous dedication to waterfowl. Arkansas' reputation as a world-class place for outdoor recreation and field sports stands taller thanks to the efforts of citizens like George. Congratulating Steve Finnegan

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Master Sergeant Michael Hester, a central Arkansan and member of the Arkansas National Guard. This past August, Master Sergeant Hester was part of a six-person, all-National Guard rifle team that won the Dogs of War Trophy, a national trophy for marksmanship excellence. Winning this revered trophy requires incredible skill and teamwork from all members of the team. Sergeant Hester served as a gunsmith and machinist for the team, playing a crucial role in the National Guard's first Dogs of War Trophy in almost four decades. I speak for all central Arkansans when I say how proud we are of Master Sergeant Hester and his teammates for this significant achievement. Recognizing Weston Wakefield

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Weston Wakefield, an Arkansas teen golfer representing central Arkansas at the 2024 PURE Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California. Weston started golfing when he was 8 years old and is a member of First Tee, a youth development organization that teaches life skills to kids and teens through golf. The PURE Insurance Championship is in its 21st year and brings teens from First Tee chapters all over the country out to world famous Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Golf Course for the PGA TOUR Champions Tournament later this month. Weston will be competing against 79 other teens from across the country for the pro-junior title. We wish him all the best luck in this tournament and will be sure to watch his continued success. Recognizing Curtis Ferguson

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Curtis Ferguson of Benton, Arkansas.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, history has a way of ``upending'' best laid plans or the logical outcome; the wishful thinking; or even the old admonition that ``things work for the best''. It was a beautiful calm day . . . until it wasn't--at 4:30 a.m. in Charleston on April 12, 1861; 7:55 a.m. Honolulu time on December 7, 1941; at 8:46 a.m. on that spectacular early fall day of September 11, 2001; and, horrifically, at 5:07 a.m. on an overcast cold morning of February 22, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Wishful thinking is not a strategy. Across our Nation there is a growing movement of wishful thinking that somehow the United States is best when isolated from the world's woes of war, and authoritarian communism and radical religious fanatics who are ``committed to the death'' of America or Western Values. I witness it on the floor of the House of Representatives. I see and hear it in both mainstream and social media. And I am face to face with it in regular conversations at home in Arkansas. The consistent line goes something like this: We should give no money to other nations because we are running huge deficits. We should only spend national security money here on our borders and our defense, not the defense of some other nation's freedom or their sovereign borders. We should abandon the United Nations because our contributions there just fund those who hate us. We must end our support of Ukraine as Putin has no beef with us; Ukraine and Crimea are Russia's anyway; and Ukraine is a failed, corrupt state. Some even argue why bother to continue to support Taiwan--it belongs to China anyway. Of course, these type of arguments are not new. We have faced these movements as a part of our politics since our founding. In stark contrast, without allied financial support, no one denies that there would simply be no United States of America. Our beacon on liberty would have been still born. Yet thankfully the Continental Congress took the risk based on Benjamin Franklin's wise observation that ``we must all hang together, or most assuredly we will hang separately'' by dispatching Dr. Franklin and John Adams to French Court and the Dutch bankers, respectively, to achieve essential military and financial aid. In a modern context we have learned the age-old maxim that appeasement does not work--and, as successive U.S. Presidents in both political parties have urged: peace is, in fact, achieved through strength. Appeasement of Hitler was advocated by many in the 1930s, including famous Americans, flyer Charles Lindbergh and FDR's own ambassador to the United Kingdom, JFK's father, Joseph Kennedy. These partners in a Munich Mentality were in stunned silence after Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia and Poland. Appeasement coupled with weak, ineffective security capabilities-- demonstrated by history, and reality--result in failure, misery and subjugation. So, we must ask ourselves, what is the response to these arguments by these successors of Lindbergh? Yes, our federal spending levels are unsustainable. We all agree on this. And, yes, I will also agree that there could be tremendous improvements in the scope and effectiveness of U.S. defense spending. But, our support of our allies' freedom, strategic foreign aid in key regions, and our global military and economic leadership are not driving our deficits. Our deficits are driven by our unreformed mandatory spending programs and big government advocates that continue to initiate new massive, multitrillion dollar federal spending programs as well as enormous, often overdone and poorly structured federal intervention as in the 2008 financial crisis or the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Such intervention is always clouded by the fog of the ``unknown unknowns'' of the particular predicament. To those Americans that continue to resist NATO, the United Nations, and are cool on our allies in Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, my message to them is that these institutions and alliances are a key to peace through strength. America is a less prosperous place when we abdicate leadership. Global leadership without the United States is a ``Venn Diagram'' with no intersection. And, very importantly, to be successful, peace through strength is not achieved alone. And this is the lesson of the post-Cold War decades. Looking at the world through the lens of the post war period of 1945 to 1995 is a mistake. We now reside in a multipolar world with changing alliances and new risks. The binary choice of Soviet Union vs. United States is dead. In that post war period, the United States rode in as the cavalry in any conflict pitched as counter to our national interests or ``the heads we win, tails you lose'' cold conflict with the Soviets. Today, achieving open seas, improved trade market access, deterrence of warfare and invasion on land, under the sea, in space or via a computer network are all at the core of the U.S. led global order. But in a multipolar environment, accomplishing these agreed upon outcomes require more complex diplomacy and partnership. To be against the global order is to be for chaos and expanding threats and destruction. This will result in fewer sales and fewer jobs for the world's largest economy and her families--us, our home, our country, the United States. I believe that to be for America First, then one must support U.S. diplomacy crafting flexible alliances that while built on the foundations of the post war period, are in no way nostalgic. Standing against this global order of open seas, open markets, deterrence of invasion of sovereign nations, safe and secure use of cyber and space are the self-described ``axis of resistance''--China, Russia, Iran, North Korea. And, in my view, their very active proxies around the world: state actors like Cuba, Syria, and Belarus, and nonstate fundamentalist terror groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISIS; and the Houthis. Their coordinated malevolence has only grown since the 2002 now almost quaint description by President George W. Bush of this group of actors as the ``axis of evil.'' Unfortunately, through ``resets, unenforced red lines, and appeasement, the Obama Administration empowered this axis of resistance and any constraints imposed by Trump officials have, for the most part, been dismantled by the Obama 2.0 policies by the Biden-Harris administration. Iran sells 80 percent of its oil--free from sanctions by President Biden--to China. Iran takes this funding, and additional funds freed by President Biden in frozen accounts in South Korea and Iraq and uses it to build its weapons arsenal and spread its disorder: Sending drones and missiles to Russia to kill Ukrainians. Sending Shia militia to Iraq and Syria to protect the murderous Assad regime, and to kill Americans along with Syrian women and children. Sending missiles and targeting technology to the Houthi rebels in Yemen to kill Yemenis, attack cargo ships and U.S. and Allied vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Sending money and weapons to Hamas in the Gaza Strip to kill Israelis and start the now 11-month long war. Sending millions of dollars in weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon to attack and kill Israelis and, ensure that beautiful Lebanon is a bankrupt, failed state. China and North Korea are aiding Russia with material necessary for its continued economic advance as it bombs children's hospitals in Ukraine. North Korea and Iran continue to advance their offensive nuclear weapon capabilities. And, in the midst of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia, according to public reporting, is launching a nuclear weapon in space in violation of treaties and as a threat to the entire global civilization. The December 1950 Time magazine quoted one of Putin's role models, Lenin as saying--``the road to Paris lies through Peking'' signaling Russia will partner with China to advance global domination of communism. Never has it been more true. These new authoritarian axis powers have set out to achieve global domination by way of countering the United States and the rule of law and by poisoning the minds of millions with cyber warfare propaganda. To preserve our economic vitality and opportunity for our future, the United States and likeminded peoples, must echo Churchill in his commitment to repel the Nazis . . . We must commit to fight this toxic blend of communism and terror on the beaches, in the streets, on the seas, in the air--but also on the network and in orbit. Failure to do so will impoverish our economic future and our American spirit best voiced by President Kennedy in his inaugural address when he promised: ``Let every nation know, whether it wishes well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to ensure the survival and the success of liberty.'' Or maybe, as we are in a multipolar world you may find an old Chinese proverb (a favorite of Mao's) more compelling: ``you have to choose between killing the Tiger or being eaten by it.''

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Genrietta Churbanova, a Little Rock native. Genrietta was named Princeton's 2024 valedictorian, not solely for ranking the top of her class, but embodying the absolute best Princeton has to offer. Joao Biehl, Chairman of Princeton's anthropology department, agrees that she is the most exceptional student that has come through his department in the last two decades. Genrietta was also named as Schwarzman Scholar for 2024, which is awarded to those who want to deepen their understanding about China's political, business, and technological impact on the rest of the world. Genrietta stated that growing up in Arkansas kept her grounded and helped enable her to go far and achieve her goals. I am proud to call Genrietta an Arkansan. Her accomplishments and drive have made her more than deserving of this honor, and I am eager to watch her journey in the years to come.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Mehmet Ulupinar for being awarded the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award. Dr. Ulupinar received the award because of his service to Little Rock through his work as president of the board for the Arkansas Culture and Dialog Center, a nonprofit that aims to promote the understanding of diverse cultures. He worked tirelessly to foster relationships between the diverse communities and law enforcement in Arkansas by providing educational, social, and cultural services. Through his work, central Arkansas will be a safer, more connected community. I thank Dr. Ulupinar for his great work in central Arkansas and I congratulate him on his outstanding achievement.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank very much Chair Kim for yielding. Mr. Speaker, what a marvelous signal it sends to the world and to the United States to have Young Kim as our chair on the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the Indo-Pacific. She is a young woman born in South Korea, a proud American citizen, a proud American mom, and now Member of Congress and spectacular chair. Mr. Speaker, to my other friend from California, Mr. Sherman, I think he has made some outstanding arguments on behalf of our bill, and I thank him for being an original cosponsor of H.R. 554, the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act. I modeled this bill on the Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act included in our national security package, which the House passed and President Biden signed into law this spring. The idea is very straightforward: If we want to see the world's Communists and autocratic dictatorships change course, we must expose their wealth, corruption, and financial privilege of their elites to the citizens suffering daily under their rule. This approach certainly applies to China's Communist Party, as well. The CCP leaders sit atop an authoritarian state littered with cronyism, kickbacks, graft, bribery, and a colossal misuse of public funds. If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, H.R. 554 requires the Treasury Secretary to publish the illicit assets of Beijing's senior-most leaders, including the names of financial institutions that maintain the accounts. As Mr. Sherman noted, our 1979 recognition of the government in Peking, now Beijing, rests on the foundation that the future of Taiwan would be determined by peaceful means and that any other method, including boycotts or embargoes, is considered a threat to peace and security in the western Pacific. At a time when the Chinese youth face a 17 percent unemployment rate, Xi has failed to deliver a social safety net, and families are battered by sinking real estate debt. Let these corrupt officials explain to ordinary Chinese citizens how they acquired their riches on a government salary, even as they call on their public to support war across the Taiwan Strait. This bill goes beyond just naming and shaming. It will also cut off access to the United States financial system for those CCP officials and their immediate family. This point is worth highlighting in order to convey the costs that Beijing will bear if they impose an embargo, boycott, or launch military action. Blocking Chinese leaders' use of the dollar will certainly be mirrored by restrictions from other major economies, as well. Further, for Chinese officials whose families profit from their ill-gotten gains, they too will find the world becoming a much smaller place. In 2012, The Washington Post reported that most of China's politburo standing committee have children or grandchildren studying here in the United States, including CCP Chairman, Xi Jinping. Such privileges will be put in jeopardy if China decides to act against Taiwan. H.R. 554 guarantees it. Let me underline one other detail of this legislation, which is central to how it works. The bill triggers reporting on China's leadership, but it also contains exemptions for those who cooperate with the United States. If Chairman Xi engages in hostilities against Taiwan, the asset report required by this bill might leave out a number of his colleagues, but is this because the Treasury Secretary simply targeted other individuals or because the unnamed officials turned state's evidence, earning themselves an exemption from the U.S. sanctions? No one in the CCP will ever know for sure. By the same token, everyone covered by this bill has an incentive to turn against the politburo if they determine to take aggressive action in violation of their commitments against Taiwan before it is too late for them and they see their finances laid bare. The legislation treats the CCP like the kleptocratic centrally planned Communist state that it is. It is the same way we frequently have defeated organized crime, sowing distrust and paranoia. We must do the same in Beijing if China moves against Taiwan. Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Sherman noted, no one wishes to see conflict involving Taiwan, but we want to deter China from their worst instincts of potentially taking hostile actions. We must signal those consequences clearly and early. Earlier this summer, Taiwan recorded 66 Chinese military planes operating around the island setting a single-day record. Fifty-six of those aircraft entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone. Last month, Taiwan's defense ministry reported to lawmakers in Taipei how Beijing is developing new weapons and tactics to pressure the island. It is up to Congress and the executive branch to communicate that war across the Taiwan Strait would destroy the global economy, impoverish the Chinese people, and now, thanks to H.R. 554, impose significant personal costs for the Chinese elite and high-ranking CCP members, but the time to do this is before the outbreak of any threats or hostilities. Again, I thank Chairwoman Kim and my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee for endorsing this legislation during its markup. Mr. Speaker, I urge all our colleagues to support this bill with a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize multiple testaments to the character of President George H.W. Bush on what would have been his 100th birthday. Texas A&M Today's article entitled, ``Remembering the Character of George H.W. Bush'' induces remarks from the 41st President's former Chief of Staff, Jean Becket, and the author of his biography, Jon Meacham. The article said: ``Anniversaries are about more than just the person being commemorated--they tell us about how we see ourselves at that moment, Pulitzer-Prize winning author and presidential historian Jon Meacham said Wednesday on what would have been President George H.W. Bush's 100th birthday. ``Speaking to a crowd gathered at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center on the Texas A&M University campus, Meacham said there's not been a single moment in American history when the country has been more in need of what the 41st president represented than now. During Bush's remarks in 1990 commemorating the centennial of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he quoted a motto etched onto a plaque that sat on Eisenhower's desk. `Gently in manner, strong in deed.' `` `It's hard to imagine a better description of Bush,' Meacham said. ``Meacham spoke alongside Jean Becker, Bush's chief of staff for nearly 25 years, as part of a three-day centennial celebration hosted by the George & Barbara Bush Foundation. In addition to sharing some of their favorite memories about the president, the importance of character and the qualities that defined Bush were the focus of much of their discussion. ``Bush, known for his humility, likely `would not approve' of the amount of attention being paid to him this week, Becker said. The former president's reluctance toward discussing himself and his legacy was exemplified by an anecdote Becker shared about a visit Bush made to his presidential library and museum in College Station before it opened in 1997. ``Bush was invited to walk through the library one last time to point out any changes he wanted made before the opening `In the car on the drive back to Houston, he turned to me and said, `Jean, I have a big problem with the museum,' she said. And he said, `Jean, it's too much about me.' ``Meacham said Bush had a similar reaction after he read the former president a draft of his eulogy. `` `The eyes were very attentive. He was listening to every possible bit, let's be clear,' Meacham said I got to the end, and he said, `That's great--awful lot about me.' '' ``Meacham, who wrote the 2015 biography ``Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush,'' eulogized Bush at his funeral following his death in November 2018. ``Meacham said Bush's humility wasn't an affectation. But he also acknowledged the complications of a man who wanted to serve in a subtle and decent way, but `also wanted to bend the arc of history in the direction he thought it should go.' `` `If we overly canonize him, he loses the capacity to teach,'' Meacham said, adding that it's important to acknowledge that Bush was fallible. `` `Bush represented a man who was driven by ambition, but who ultimately put service above self,' Meacham said. He also warned against `overly romanticizing a past in a way that prevents us from rising to the occasion.' When putting together his new book, `The Call To Serve,' Meacham said he was thinking about what Bush's legacy means at this time. `` `The easy answer is the climate,' he said `Here's this decent, gentlemanly figure who represented a long-ago order. All true. But it was 20 minutes ago--it's not impossible to recover if we summon the same reserves of character. Because character, as the Greeks taught us, is destiny.' ``Becker, who is also promoting a new book, `Character Matters,' said she's often pessimistically asked, `Where's the next George Bush?' This outlook is a mistake, she said. `` `The people who think there are no more George Bushes, yeah, there are,' Becker said `You just have to vote for them. You all control this. Quit voting for people who don't have character. . . . The people are out here, and they're willing to serve. We just have to follow his example of `do what's right for the country.' Not what's right for you, not what's right for the party, but what's right for the country.' ``Becker and Meacham's panel was attended by hundreds of members of the public, as well as members of the Bush family and alumni of his administration. Becker said the former president would have loved that the centennial celebration served as a reunion. `` `He loved all these people. The party part of it he would love, and seeing everybody, but he definitely would complain to me and Jon, `Quit talking about me, talk about other people,' Becker said. ``While Becker said Bush hated discussing `the L word'--his legacy--the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M `is his legacy, and it was really important to him.' `` `He would be so proud of the Bush School graduates, because they're doing exactly what he wanted them to do,' she said `They're everywhere--the State Department, particularly, the CIA, city managers. They're doing everything, and he would be very proud.' ``When it came time to choose a location for his presidential library after Bush left the White House, there was interest from several schools, including the University of Houston and his alma mater, Yale University, Becker said. But even though Bush did not attend Texas A&M, the university ``had his heart,'' she said. ``He loved service. That was his life motto, and he fell in love with A&M the first time he came and gave a speech here,'' Becker said. `It was sort of a slam dunk that it would be here, and he loved it up here.'' ``The ``41@100'' celebrations continue Thursday with the grand opening of the Marine One/4141 Locomotive Pavilion. The new 29,000-square-foot building at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum features the retired Marine One helicopter used frequently by Bush during his time in office, as well as the Union Pacific 4141 locomotive that led Bush's funeral train from Houston to his final resting place on the library grounds. The building will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.'' The Today Show's article entitled, ``Jenna Bush Hager shares letter to her late `Gampy' George H.W. Bush on his 100th birthday'' shared remarks that the former President's granddaughter had to say about her grandfather. The article said: `` `He was gentle,'' Jenna said. ``He led with kindness. He wanted to be the type of leader that listened.' ``Jenna Bush Hager is remembering her late grandfather, the United States' 41st president, George H.W. Bush, on what would have been his 100th birthday. ``On June 12, Jenna paid tribute to her late `Gampy' by reading to viewers a letter she wrote to him about his impact on her life. Dear Gampy, We miss you. We miss your letters and emails. We miss racing through the waves of the Atlantic on your boat fishing . . . laughing and debating around the dinner table. We miss your rules: Don't be afraid to shed a tear when your heart is broken or because a friend is hurting. Nobody likes an overbearing big shot. As you succeed, be kind to people. Thank those who help you along the way. We miss your quiet compassion, like when you shaved your head for the son of your secret service agent who had leukemia. We miss your belief that our country is greater when we work together, and your lifelong dedication to our country as one of the youngest navy pilots in World War II. On this day, many of your grandkids--inspired by you--will jump out of a plane. Your milestone birthday tradition that you so proudly did in honor of the nation's military. Gampy, you have been gone for eight years, but we feel you still as we look into the sky and see a thousand points of light . . . in simple acts of love . . . in the smiles of your great grandchildren. ``Jenna's tribute had TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb in tears. `` `The life lessons he taught that you summed up in that short piece were incredible,' Hoda said `And what struck me so, was the kindness. It's like, we're better when we're kinder.' `` `He was gentle,' Jenna said `He led with kindness. He wanted to be the type of leader that listened.' ``George H.W. Bush passed away at the age of 94 in 2018, less than 8 months after the death of his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush. ``Jenna and her twin sister, Barbara, were both greatly influenced by their Gampy. Barbara chose to marry right after getting engaged to Craig Coyne in 2018, so that her ailing grandfather could attend. ``George H.W. Bush, like Jenna, loved putting his feelings down on paper. `` `He wrote us the most beautiful letters when he was in his 70s, 80s, about being together, about how all he wanted was us to come home and that that was what brought him the most joy, was to be surrounded by his grandkids and his family,' Jenna shared on TODAY on June 5. George H.W. Bush and Barbara shared six children: Former President George W. Bush, 77, Jeb Bush, 71, Neil Bush, 69, Marvin Bush, 67, Dorothy Bush Koch, 64, and Pauline `Robin' Bush, who died at the age of 3 from leukemia.'' The Wall Street Journal's article entitled ``The George Bush Century'' by James A. Baker III, the former President's Secretary of State, said: ``At a time of political dysfunction, the 100th anniversary of President George H.W. Bush's birth provides an opportunity to examine his leadership traits, which could help America regain its national footing. Those qualities--which made him the best one-term president in U.S. history and one of the best ever--include these: ``Selflessness. Born into a family with a tradition of public service, Bush put his nation above himself. He did so as the 20-year-old son of an influential East Coast banker who risked his life as a Navy pilot and was shot down over the Pacific during World War II. As president he was domestically rebuked for refusing to thump his chest after the Berlin Wall fell. He reasoned that triumphalism might hinder tense relations with the faltering but still dangerous Soviet Union. ``Trustworthiness. What started as a wary relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union's last leader, developed into a strong, personal bond that Gorbachev credited with improving relations between the countries. The two worked together to reunite Germany, eject Iraq's troops from Kuwait and negotiate two nuclear arms-reduction treaties. ``Pragmatism. Bush recognized that savvy responses were often more effective than bold ones. Conservative in nature, he preferred stability and calm. His decision against marching to Baghdad in 1991 was driven by a pragmatic assessment of potential risks of occupation. The decision, much criticized at the time, proved wise. ``Respect for experience. Bush often advised aspiring young politicians to avoid being like a Dalmatian in a fire house, running every time the bell rings. Instead, he told them to get a job, start a family and do other things that would allow them to build a full life. By the time he became president, Bush had worked in the Texas oil patch, raised five children to adulthood, and served as a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, top diplomat in China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and vice president. No one knew the world as thoroughly and clearly. ``Leadership by example. Always a workhorse rather than a show horse, Bush let his actions speak for him. The ``kinder, gentler nation'' he envisioned wasn't merely a political bromide. He and Barbara Bush dedicated personal time to support and promote education and service-oriented programs. The Bushes didn't show class. They were class. ``Bipartisanship. He didn't mind butting heads with Democrats, or with fellow Republicans for that matter. But he refused to demonize opponents, and he always looked across the aisle for bipartisan solutions, such as the Clean Air Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. ``The political climate was far more temperate when Bush was in the White House than it is today. Debates could be rancorous, but they reached nothing like today's feverish and destructive pitch. As I watch the calamity that American politics has become, I yearn for the brand of wise, courageous and humble leadership that George H.W. Bush embodied. His virtues remind us of what we have lost--and can regain if we follow his example.'' Joe Strauss, former Speaker of the Texas House, had this to say about the former President in the San Antonio Express- News article ``Celebrating President George H.W. Bush, who governed with principle.'' ``This week marks what would have been the 100th birthday of President George H.W. Bush. It is a time to celebrate a man who distinguished himself by what he accomplished and how he led. ``Bush's presidency from 1989 to 1993 was highly consequential: The United States won the Cold War, helped broker the peaceful reunification of Germany and liberated Kuwait from Saddam Hussein. Bush signed the landmark American with Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act. Strength and diplomacy abroad, combined with kindness and compassion at home, defined his time in the White House'' . . . ``Sununu writes, ``President Bush's decades of integrity and credibility allowed him to move these powerful leaders in unison toward a common goal. They trusted his tactics and strategy, and most importantly they trusted that he would ensure that they shared the credit for the success of this world-changing effort'' . . . ``Bush, however, did not waver. He said of one critic, `He couldn't have been uglier and meaner. But that Just made me more determined to do what was right.' ``As president, he agreed to a deficit-reduction deal with congressional Democrats that reduced spending while also making modest increases in tax rates. Because he had famously promised not to raise taxes, Bush knew this decision could cost him reelection, and in large part, it did. But the deal also reversed growing deficits and paved the way for a balanced federal budget in the years after he left office. ``Throughout his life, Bush demonstrated the moral fiber that we should expect, if not demand, from great leaders. Even many Americans who disagreed with his policies understood that he put his service to others above any personal gain or glorification--a style that is growing less and less familiar in an age when we seem to measure elected officials by their visibility in the media rather than their effectiveness in office.''

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, to start this tribute to George Bush, what better person to call on than the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas, someone who also moved to Texas to find her career and find her success just like George H.W. Bush did, as well. Beth Van Duyne distinctly represents north Texas. She is a former mayor of Irving. She is a former official, the regional administrator for the Department of Housing and Urban Development for President Trump. She has been at the top of her game in the executive branch, in this legislative branch, the House of Representatives, and in local government as a city councilwoman and mayor. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne), my friend.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I stand tonight to spend a few minutes on this House floor paying tribute to a longtime friend. Before I do that, I yield to the gentleman from California, Mike Garcia, who has been an exceptional naval aviator, corporate executive, and now the distinguished gentleman from southern California. He is an essential member, Mr. Speaker, of our Appropriations Committee and our House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Captain Russell ``Gnat'' Maynard

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mary Beth Hatch for taking over as chief of education for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Most recently, Mary Beth has been serving as the coordinator of school innovation in the North Little Rock School District, leading students and teachers on trips to learn outdoor skills. In this position, she was working directly with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to bring innovative ideas to best teach our youth about nature and conservation. With over 18 years in public education, she decided it was time to educate more than just students in the classroom. In her new role, Mary Beth will be responsible for guiding the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's educational efforts in conservation and natural resources. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mary Beth in her new role, and I look forward to the improvements that she will make in the Natural State. Recognizing Dylan Silverman-Barnes

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dylan Silverman- Barnes, a rising senior at the University of Central Arkansas. In April, for his honors capstone project, Dylan orchestrated the building of three new community gardens at Conway's Bethlehem House to provide fresh food to the homeless population in Conway, Arkansas. Bethlehem House provides temporary housing to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in Conway. They can provide housing and dinner to nearly 40 individuals, including kids, on any given night, and the house serves more than 100 people annually. Dylan, a dietetics major, was able to make this project a reality through a grant provided by Arkansas Interfaith Power & Light, a national organization that focuses on regenerative urban agriculture and environmentally conscious practices. Dylan's project was 1 of 20 projects approved out of 300 applications and the only one in Arkansas. I thank Dylan for his service to central Arkansas and his service to others. Thanking Dr. Larry and Carlene Davis for Investing in Nursing

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize Dr. Larry and Carlene Davis for the creation of their new nursing endowment scholarship at the University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton. This scholarship is in honor of their daughter, Sarah Woods, who has a master's of science in nursing and is currently a nurse in neighboring Oklahoma. Larry and Carlene Davis' scholarship will help change the lives of many prospective nurses. The Davis family presented the foundation with more than $25,000 to distribute among full-time students in the practical nursing and registered nursing programs based on financial need. The scholarship ensures that talented students will have the opportunity to hone their skills, regardless of financial background. I thank Dr. Larry and Carlene Davis for their generosity and their investment in future nurses for the State of Arkansas. Recognizing Brad and Tara Peacock's Dedication to Farming

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Daniel Block, a proud native of Little Rock. Daniel is currently a student at Brandeis University and a member of Congregation B'nai Israel, Little Rock's Reform Jewish synagogue. Last month, Daniel was named a Truman Scholar, an award for those dedicated to being future leaders in the environment, Tribal public policy, and healthcare fields. His work at Zumwalt Acres, a farm in rural Illinois, not only leads the cause of carbon negativity but is also rooted in Jewish values of social justice. Daniel is well deserving of this achievement, and I wish him success in his commitment and steps toward a sustainable future. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her wonderful remarks about an extraordinary American, George H.W. Bush, our 41st President of the United States. I think about the first time I got to meet this gentleman. Upon graduating from college back in 1979, I moved to Dallas, Texas, home to then a booming economy with lots of jobs in finance which, as a brand- new college graduate, was my hopeful profession. That fall, I was invited by friends to join the committee of young people sponsoring an informal barbecue for a possible Presidential candidate. The candidate's name was George Bush from Houston, Texas. It was a terrific evening. I met Mr. Bush, and I made a lot of new friends in my adopted town of Dallas. Little did I know, just 10 years later I would be working for him in his administration as he became the 41st President of the United States. Three years after meeting, in 1982, I took the advice of a good friend of George Bush's, Elvis Mason, CEO of the Dallas-based banking corporation for whom I worked, and accepted an appointment to move to Washington, D.C., and handle the Banking Committee staff responsibilities for Senator John Tower of Texas. These were the exciting early days of the first term of President Ronald Reagan. While George Bush had not been elected President in 1980, he was selected to join President Reagan's winning ticket as Vice-President. It was during this time that I learned firsthand of the incredible warmth and generosity of George and Barbara Bush. It was their custom to invite young staffers from Texas to events at the Vice-President's residence in Washington. I will never forget one holiday season where I was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace with Barbara Bush, cross-legged, as she was telling stories to all of us assembled in the room. Martha and I both volunteered for the 1988 Bush for President campaign and were thrilled when he was elected that November. His election as President witnessed the most qualified person in the history of our country to be elected to the role of Chief Executive. Bush had been a standout athlete, a decorated U.S. Navy fighter pilot, as Congresswoman Van Duyne pointed out, and a pioneering successful business entrepreneur in the oil fields of Texas and in the cutting edge of the critically important niche of deepwater offshore oil and gas drilling. At age 40, and the father of five children, George Bush was called to public service. First, he was elected the Harris County, Texas, Republican chairman. At the time, Republicans were in an ascent with the amazing special election win in May 1961 by John Tower to replace the Senate vacancy left by Lyndon Johnson becoming President Kennedy's Vice-President. Bush's initial foray into the rough-and-tumble Texas elected politics was a flop. He was defeated in 1964 in a U.S. Senate race against the incumbent populist Democrat Ralph Yarborough. However, he dusted himself off and made a major rebound by announcing his candidacy for Texas' Seventh Congressional District in January 1966. This brought about one of my favorite stories about the Bushes. After he announced his candidacy on a Saturday, the following Monday morning, Barbara was driving then 6-year-old Doro to school in her carpool. One of the little girls in the car said to Doro: ``I saw your daddy on television last night.'' A third child in the car said: ``You did? What was he doing?'' Doro responded: ``Oh, you know, it was about that `erection' that he is going to have.'' Mrs. Bush's response was typical, as reported by biographer Jon Meacham: ``Needless to say, we have worked on the word `election'.'' Bush would go on to win that race for Congress and would be the first freshman to win a seat on the prestigious Ways and Means Committee since 1904. He served there with distinction in this House, but his itch and ambition were far higher. He once again took a risk like he did when he moved from the East to west Texas in the oil fields and in that first race for Congress that he lost. Bush decided to throw his hat in the ring for the 1970 race for the United States Senate against the former Democratic Congressman Lloyd Bentsen. Bush's continued ambitions for the Senate were enhanced by his April 1969 visit with former President Lyndon Johnson out at LBJ's ranch near Austin to test out his idea of another try at the Senate. The story went something like this: ``Mr. President, I have got a decision to make, and I would like your advice. My House seat is secure, no opposition like last time, and I have got a position on Ways and Means. I don't mind taking risks, but in a few more terms, I will have seniority on a very powerful committee. I am just not sure it is a gamble I should take, whether it is really worth it.'' Well, President Johnson made a very characteristic reply to Bush. He said: ``Son, I have served in the House, and I have been privileged to serve in the Senate, too, and they are both good places to serve. So I wouldn't begin to advise you what to do except to say this, that the difference between a Member of the Senate and a Member of the House is the difference between chicken salad and chicken'' fill-in-the-blank. For effect, Johnson paused, and he said: ``Son, do I make my point?'' He did make his point for sure, but that didn't help George Bush win that Senate race. Between his leaving the House and being elected Vice- President of the United States in 1980, the now-former Congressman was appointed by Presidents Nixon and Ford to a series of senior critical leadership positions in our government: U.N. Ambassador for 2 years; followed by a year-and-a-half as chairman of the Republican National Committee, including during the Nixon Watergate resignation crisis; then moving to Beijing as our top diplomat just 2 years after the famous Nixon opening. He followed that by a key job at the helm as the 11th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1976 to 1977. For George and Barbara Bush, this pattern of appointments made them wonder, is this a way to sidetrack him from his own goal, which was to be elected President of the United States. He viewed serving as the Republican National Committee chair at the height of Watergate a thankless task; and now to be called back from China to take over the CIA, which had been battered by a decade of hostile congressional investigations, exposes, and charges that ran from lawbreaking to simple incompetence. It seemed like truly, for him, a dead-end politically. Bush's dad, former U.S. Senator Prescott Bush, had always told him that if the President asks, you have a duty to say yes. The Bush family moved back to Washington, D.C., to face the hostile Senate confirmation for a job he wasn't even sure he wanted. However, with the Church Commission reforms being implemented by Congress crafting a new approach to intelligence community oversight, it ended up that he was, in fact, the right man at the right time. In this Congress, I am privileged to serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the companion to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, both creations of the aftermath of that Church Commission and the need for greater, more intensive congressional oversight of the intelligence community. Having now served on this committee, I recognize the exceptional role these two oversight committees play and what a fine job George Bush did in his 12 months sitting in the corner office on the seventh floor of the CIA headquarters building. It was an intensive 1 year. He testified before Congress over 50 times and made 21 public appearances. It was clear that he defended the important role of the intelligence community and rebuilt the morale that had been so destroyed internally by decades of bad decisionmaking and externally by the brutal battering ram of congressional investigation. He ended up loving the job and deeply respecting the work of the officers and analysts. As he left at the beginning of the Jimmy Carter administration, he said: ``This is the most interesting job I have ever had. That includes Congress, the United Nations, Peking, and the RNC,'' so it is fitting that the CIA headquarters building in Langley, Virginia, is named for President Bush. As George Bush entered the Vice-Presidency in January 1981, his extraordinary career was finally put fully to work. It was this 8 years of final exceptional preparation as VP that would be put to the ultimate test as the 41st President. Ten years from our first meeting at that barbecue as a young person, in 1989, it was such a privilege to join his administration, first at the Treasury, and later as a member of his White House staff. While he was only in office one term, he achieved so many foreign and domestic wins, like witnessing the fall of communism and the resulting unification of Germany, or ejecting Saddam Hussein for his illegal invasion of Kuwait to domestic successes, such as cleaning up the savings and loan financial debacle of the 1980s; the amendments to the Clean Air Act, or the initiation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and highlighting the success of just ordinary Americans helping their fellow citizens every day through his still prominent Points of Light initiative. Despite these exceptional legislative and policy successes, there were disappointments. For me, the first was the rejection by the United States Senate of John Tower, his friend, my old boss, to serve as Secretary of Defense. Tower would have been an outstanding Secretary, and the attacks on him were personal, not policy. The most disappointing and most controversial aspect of his Presidency, which contribute to the tough loss in 1992, was his decision in 1990 to include tax increases as a part of a major deficit reduction package. His 1988 campaign speech included his famous--made infamous--line: ``Read my lips, no new taxes.'' It blew up in his face. With a slowing economy, continued tough real estate markets following the savings and loan crisis, along with high gas prices resulting from Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. economy entered a brief recession. A combination of slowing economy and higher taxes was not a political winner. After the Presidency, the former President and a very, very proud father witnessed two of his fine sons being elected Governors of Florida and Texas, and his son George going on to be elected the 43rd President of the United States. What a powerful legacy of service. As I reflect on the life and legacy of George Bush, one always focuses on just what a good man he was, what a fine President he was. My wife, Martha, who also worked for President Bush during his time in office, always described the President as the perfect person to put on that form we have all filled out a million times: ``In case of emergency, please call.'' George Bush was that solid business partner, that caring neighbor, that great, intimate personal friend. George and Barbara dearly loved their five children, George, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Doro, and honored daily the memory of a sixth, Robin, who died in 1953 at age 3 from leukemia. Robin was such a tremendous inspiration in the Bushes' lives and in their lifelong dedication to philanthropic support for cancer research. Over their lives, George and Barbara Bush's efforts resulted in some $90 million being raised for research at Houston's MD Anderson. To know George Bush and Barbara Bush is to be grateful for their compassion, patriotism, and tremendous sense of humor. Even in the gloom of the 1992 loss, a few days after the election, all the White House staff officers got a message that the President has invited you to an important meeting in the East Room of the White House. We all assembled at the appointed time, and an offstage announcer said: ``Ladies and gentlemen, the President and Mrs. Bush.'' Then in walked Dana Carvey, impersonating Bush, holding Mrs. Bush's hand, waving his way into the East Room and up onto the dais. President Bush strolled in, laughing hysterically behind the pair. President Bush and Dana Carvey then outdid each other, imitating President Bush's quirky, funny mannerisms. It brightened the spirits of the loyal White House staffers in the face of a historic Presidential campaign loss. The President's typical upbeat, optimistic outlook on life endeared his legacy in the hearts of all those assembled. As we commemorate the centennial of the birth of this good man, devoted dad, and terrific President of the United States, we know that our country is better off because George H.W. Bush was born on June 12, 1924, and devoted his life to the betterment of our Nation. Congratulating Mary Beth Hatch

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Brad Peacock of Bald Knob, Arkansas. Mr. Peacock and his wife, Tara, manage 1,500 acres of farmland known as Peacock Planting, where they focus on cultivating soybeans, corn, and rice. In February 2023, the Peacocks were named finalists in the National Outstanding Young Farmers award. This past March, Brad joined other honorees on a trip to Washington, D.C., during National Agriculture Week to interact with lawmakers and advocate for a strong reauthorization of the farm bill. The Peacocks' dedication to farming and passion for helping those around them truly make them outstanding farmers. I thank Brad and Tara Peacock for their important work to provide food for the Nation and the world. Congratulating Truman Scholar Daniel Block

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California for his service as an F/A-18 Hornet pilot, a TOPGUN aviator, and the salute to his comrade, Captain Maynard. All of us lament the day that we lose close friends, and it is a special tribute to hear from Mr. Garcia. Mr. Speaker, we come to this House floor tonight to pay our respects to a distinguished former Member of this body, a former Vice President, and a former President of the United States on the occasion of the centennial of his birth. Mr. Speaker, today, we pay tribute to the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush on what would have been the week of his 100th birthday on June 12. General Leave

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Chair, earlier today on Roll Call No. 239, I was recorded as voting AYE when I intended to vote NO. Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mr. Mast

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the Central Bank Anti- Surveillance State Act. The Constitution and the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 create the foundation of our money and our economic policy in this country. Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution states that only Congress has the authority to coin money and regulate the value of such money. Today, Congress is exercising its Article I authority to state clearly that the Federal Reserve does not have the authority to create a central bank digital currency. This shouldn't be controversial. It shouldn't be partisan. We know that is the case. We will see how the vote falls today, Madam Chair, but this legislation is necessary, as you have heard this morning, because we live in a world where government can abuse the tools that they have. As noted by the whip, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was freezing bank accounts of people protesting COVID-19 restrictions in his country. We read reports from the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government of how FinCEN, a bureau of the Treasury Department, pressured banks to screen private transactions of their customers for words like ``MAGA'' or ``Trump'' on behalf of Federal law enforcement. Is that really the country we want to live in? They even tracked people, according to that subcommittee, if you shopped at Bass Pro Shops. I shop at Bass Pro Shops all the time in my district. This kind of Big Brother-style surveillance of our financial lives by the government is alarming to Americans because it represents the political targeting of citizens in this country. We don't need a retail central bank digital currency. We have a payment system that can capitalize on the private sector. For example, private sector payment stablecoins are a terrific innovation that will become a ubiquitous way for people to transact and expand and enhance the dollar dominance of our currency around the world. Madam Chair, a vote for this bill is to vote to safeguard our freedom, protect our privacy, and preserve the integrity of our financial system. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. HILL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles) for yielding the time. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of Mr. Ogles' commonsense resolution. Yes, it doubles down on the views of Congress in this bill, no doubt. The underlying bill already prohibits the use of a central bank digital currency to implement monetary policy. However, this sense of Congress further clarifies our intent. As Chairman McHenry just noted, the Federal Reserve is not permitted to develop, create, or implement a CBDC or to use a CBDC to implement monetary policy without authorization of Congress. Part of the reason we are here is due to the Fed officials having been ambiguous or noncommittal as to public statements related to their legal authorities under the Federal Reserve Act as it relates to a CBDC. I agree with Mr. McHenry that certainly this Chairman, Jay Powell, has been quite clear to our committee that issuing a retail CBDC is not something he could do without an authorization of Congress. That is why I think reiterating it in this resolution is an important step. I commend the gentleman from Tennessee for bringing this amendment. I hope all our colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support it and the underlying bill.

Mr. HILL

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize these Scouters from the Natural State Council who have been awarded national recognition in 2024. The Silver Antelope, created in 1942, honors Scouters who have demonstrated exceptional character and provided distinguished service within one of Scouting America's 16 territories across the country. The Natural State Council is delighted to see the recognition of Ray Dillon of Little Rock and Anthony Sitz of Conway as the 2024 winners of the Silver Antelope Award. The Boy Scouts of America would not exist without the foundational help of their volunteers. They make scouting successful. The responsibility for ensuring that our youth receive mentorship and guidance that they need to develop as strong leaders rests with volunteers like Ray and Tony. I congratulate them both on this national recognition of their decades of service. National Guard Professional Education Center's 50th Anniversary

Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Guard Professional Education Center in North Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1974, then-Governor Dale Bumpers recognized the need for a place to train National Guardsmen and -women from across the country, and he knew Arkansas would make the perfect home for such a facility. Beginning with an inaugural class of 30 soldiers from 12 States, the PEC now serves over 20,000 National Guard members from around the country every year at their base in North Little Rock, Arkansas. For 50 years, the Professional Education Center has been committed to the important work of ensuring the readiness of our National Guardsman to respond to the challenges of today and the unknown challenges of tomorrow. The PEC at Camp Robinson is a credit to Arkansas and the Nation, and I thank them for their service and dedication. I know the next 50 years of our Professional Education Center on Camp Robinson will be absolutely just as productive and successful.