Mike Kelly

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I stand before you today not as a Republican and not as a Member of this House, but as a fellow human being, and I wonder: How did we get to this point? How do we somehow compromise in our mind what it is that we are talking about today? I want you to disconnect from any organization or agency and concentrate on the act of what is taking place. This is not a blob of tissue. This is one of America's sons or daughters waiting to be born. They are taken from the safety of their mother's womb and they are taken out very carefully so they can harvest certain body parts: hearts, lungs, heads. You can sit here and try to make it something about an agency and turn a blind eye to the act that is taking place in a country that will go to any length to protect life, in a people that believes in the sanctity of life from its very conception to its natural death. And somehow harvesting the parts from these little baby boys and girls has become a political issue? This is an issue human being to human being. This is an issue of conscience and conviction. Please, do not make it a political battle. This is about our sons and daughters. This is about a horrific act that is repulsive and repugnant and has no place in America. America's taxpayers refuse to pay for that type of act. Wake up.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to observe National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and in doing so I wish to recognize Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a leading contributor to pediatric cancer research and the fight to permanently end childhood cancer. Hope on Wheels has one wish--and it is one that I share as both a father and a grandfather: to help kids fight and beat cancer so that each and every child can live a long, healthy, and joyous life. Each year, approximately 15,780 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer. Even with all of the advances in modern medicine, cancer is still the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. It does not discriminate among its victims; any child can become afflicted no matter how young or how small. It affects children from each gender and all nationalities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. In most tragic fact, a child is diagnosed with cancer every 36 minutes. No one and no family is immune from this devastating disease. But there is hope. Blessedly, modern medical research and treatments have greatly improved the survival rate for children with cancer. As of 2010, there were approximately 380,000 childhood cancer survivors living across our country. This dramatic improvement is a result of an increased quality of care, early detection, and advances in innovative research--along with a growing wellspring of financial support beneath it all. Hyundai Hope on Wheels is leading the way with its commitment to cancer research. In its 17th year of battling childhood cancer, Hope on Wheels will award $10.5 million in research grants to hospitals across the United States during this September, National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Hope on Wheels has been investing in pediatric cancer research since 1998, and this month they will surpass $100 million in lifetime funding to this critical cause. I express my most heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to everyone at Hyundai who has made this wonderful investment in our children a powerful reality. This year, one of Hyundai Hope on Wheels' grants will be awarded to Pennsylvania's own Dr. James Anthony Graves at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, where he is researching neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial pediatric tumor. This award and others will allow doctors like Dr. Graves to continue to work on life-saving cancer therapies and new treatments for children in Pennsylvania and across our country. Mr. Speaker, for working to improve the survival rate of our nation's children tragically diagnosed with cancer, I ask that my colleagues join with me today in recognizing the heroic work of Hyundai Hope on Wheels. Committed to winning the fight against pediatric cancer, this extraordinary organization is providing generations of American children with the hope of a healthy future.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the chairman. Mr. Speaker, this is a horrible deal. In any deal, you never get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate. Let me give you a contrast between what two Presidents say when they talk about deals. President Obama has told America that it is either this agreement or war. President Reagan said there is no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace, and you can have it in a second--surrender. Now I want you to let your mind drift back to 14 years ago, on a morning very eerily like today, when America awoke, and some Americans were going off to work in the World Trade Center, when some Americans were going off to work at the Pentagon, and when some Americans boarded flights for destinations that they thought they were going to get to. Three thousand Americans said good-bye that morning to their families and their loved ones, thinking that they would see them again, never knowing that they would never be able to say that again, would never be able to kiss them good-bye, would never be able again to celebrate a birthday or any other meaningful event in their lives because of an act of terrorism. Flight 93. By the way, it was United Flight 93. Thirty-seven passengers and seven crew members boarded the airplane destined for San Francisco. That is not where the plane landed. That plane is embedded in a smoldering crater in the peaceful countryside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, because of terrorists. The members of that flight crew and those passengers performed the greatest act of religious sacrifice that you can do. They gave up their lives for the lives of their fellow Americans. They walked away from futures filled with promise and decided it was more important at that moment to sacrifice themselves. How in the world can we sit in America's House--and I speak to you today not as a Republican but as an American. My friends, as we let our eyes fill with tears over the great loss that day and as our ears pick up on the message from our enemies in the East of ``death to Israel,'' ``death to the Great Satan,'' ``death to America,'' let us resound with long and lost strength and temerity and say: ``Listen. Never again. Never again. Never again.'' Let those words echo forever and ever, not only in your ears but in your hearts. Do not cave in. Do not sacrifice the safety, the security, and the stability of 330 million Americans for the legacy of one man. That is not who we are. That is not who we have ever been. That is not who we will ever be. My friends--and I mean, sincerely, my friends--and my fellow Americans, vote against the greatest betrayal we have ever seen in this country. This is not a deal that protects America. It is unenforceable. It is unverifiable. This is just a horrible deal.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today not to speak for Republicans, but to speak for America. When 80 percent of the American people say ``no'' to this deal, how can America's House, how can we who have been elected by the American people, come here and say, ``You are wrong, and we are right''? A vote for this deal is a vote against the American people. History tells us that in 1938, Chamberlain came home from meeting with Hitler and said, ``Peace in our time.'' Judas went to the Last Supper, pointed to the Lord, and they gave him 30 pieces of silver. We are not even getting 30 pieces of silver. President Obama says this is the best deal we could get. In my lifetime, anytime anybody comes back from a negotiation and says, ``This is the best we could do,'' it means they lost. They did not get what they wanted. They got the best they could. In this case, it is the losing hand. This deal endangers the safety, security, and stability of not only America, but the entire world. This deal comes with absolutely no accountability, no verification, and no enforceability. I ask you, how can you sit in America's House, when the President's number one responsibility is to protect the American people, and say, ``This is the best we could get.'' This gives the American people nothing. This gives Iran everything. Now, in just 24 hours, we are going to commemorate the 14th anniversary of a terrorist attack on the United States, and we are going to grant the biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world $150 billion to show how much we have turned a deaf ear to the cries of the dead and a blind eye to the destruction of America that day. To sit here and even begin to think that somehow this is good for America is false. To try and sell this to the American people is a lie. We are sacrificing the safety of 330 million Americans for the legacy of one man. That is not what America wants. That is not who America is. That is not who America should ever allow itself to be. And to sit here and listen to somehow we have not done our job; ladies and gentlemen, our main job is to protect the American people. It always was. It always is. This has morphed into something greater than that; I understand that. But at the base of the day, it is to protect the American people. And let me tell you, as tomorrow we have dawn and the sun comes up, all you have to do is turn your ears to the east and our enemies will be shouting, ``death to the Great Satan,'' ``death to America,'' ``death to Israel.'' And the Supreme Leader, himself, says that, within 25 years, there will be no Israel. The hypocrisy to stand before this House today, America's House, and sell the American people down the river because of one man's legacy is a travesty of who we are. And it is more than that. It flies in the face of the 1.4 million Americans in uniform who have given their life to give us this opportunity to defend this great Nation.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize one of my constituents from Western Pennsylvania, Dr. William DiCuccio. Dr. DiCuccio is a prestigious medical professional in Butler County, and his sincere desire to serve has had an international impact. Dr. DiCuccio received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Saint Vincent College and then went on to attend Medical School at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Shortly after graduation Dr. DiCuccio opened his own family practice, William A. DiCuccio M.D. & Associates, where he worked for the following 30 years. Throughout his career, Dr. DiCuccio has maintained an honorable reputation while serving in various prominent positions within the community. These positions include Vice President of Medical Affairs for Butler Health System, Medical Director for Butler County Prison, and his current position as Medical Director, at Sunnyview Nursing Home. Dr. DiCuccio humbly embraced each of these roles, taking full advantage of his ability to positively influence the lives of those around him. Due to his professionalism and expertise, Dr. DiCuccio's involvement has been an asset to various advisory boards, including Butler County Community College (Vice Chairman, Board of Directors), World Servants (Board Member), Community Health Clinic of Butler (Chairman/Board Member), St. Vincent College-Boyer School (Board Member), Gaiser Center (Board Member), and Mission Development Villa Hermosa-Dominican Republic (Director). In addition, Dr. DiCuccio has voluntarily participated in a number of civic organizations and professional societies, continuously giving back to the community. He is currently an active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the Butler County Medical Society. When he's not caring for patients, Dr. DiCuccio enjoys spending time with his family, participating within his church, traveling, and golfing. These very interests were the driving factors behind Dr. DiCuccio's first trip to the Dominican Republic, a trip which would forever change his life. While traveling abroad, Dr. DiCuccio and his wife, Marge, visited a small barrio called Villa Hermosa, a poverty- stricken town located about 70 miles from the Dominican Republic's capital city, Santo Domingo. Villa Hermosa, which means ``beautiful village'' in English, is home to 4,500 of the most genuine people, whose positive attitudes remain resilient despite their lack of basic necessities. Villa Hermosa consisted of miles of shacks, constructed from scrap metal. The community was without drinking water, sewage systems, and electricity; however, there was an abundance of joy. The children that ran through the streets did not have clothing on their backs or shoes on their feet, yet there were smiles on their faces. The time spent with these wonderful people was inspirational and life-changing for Dr. DiCuccio and within an hour of departure from Villa Hermosa, he realized God led him there for a very specific purpose. Dr. William and Marge DiCuccio started the ``Hope Project'' which has collaborated with World Servants, various churches, and individual sponsorships, all focused on the same objective of improving the quality of life for others. Since Dr. DiCuccio took the initiative, the transformations within Villa Hermosa have been immeasurable: The local church, which serves as the heart of the community, has been repaired and expanded, allowing them to accommodate for large crowds. A brand new grade school, where 400 students are educated, fed, immunized, clothed, and cared for in general, has been constructed and developed. In addition, this school brings countless benefits to the surrounding community, one of those being the fact that it employs a number of local residents, including seven teachers, a psychologist, a principal, a secretary, and cleaning staff. In order to produce clean drinking water, a well was drilled and a water purification plant was constructed. This plant produces 4,000 gallons of water per hour, sold to benefit the people of Villa Hermosa. Most recently, a medical clinic was constructed and is currently being run by Medical Missions International. This clinic is combating the leading cause of death in the Dominican Republic, namely the spread of communicable diseases. In serving God, his family, and all of those in need, Dr. DiCuccio is an absolute inspiration. His compassion and generosity has positively influenced the lives of so many, and will continue to do so for years to come. Therefore, on behalf of the Third Congressional District of Pennsylvania, along with Villa Hermosa, I would like to express sincere gratitude and appreciation to Dr. William DiCuccio, an admirable professional, a selfless individual, and a true Community Champion.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is about time. Time is running out. I think right now we look at what is happening in coal country and nothing could be more alarming than what is happening. This is one promise the President kept. When he ran as a candidate, he said: You can continue to generate electric power by burning coal. But if you decide to go that way, we will bankrupt you. That is one promise he has kept. Now, in Pennsylvania alone, coal is responsible for over 40,000 jobs and 40 percent of our electric power. The Associated Press calls it the workhorse of America's power system. But the extreme overreach by the EPA is threatening jobs and forcing energy costs for families and manufacturers to skyrocket, which hurts every single American. That is something I think the general public has to understand. While maybe they don't go down in those mines and while maybe they don't bring that precious product out from underneath the ground and while maybe they don't work in a coal-fired power plant, one thing they do know is, when they hit that switch to turn on the power, it is reliable because of coal. Coal has always been the standard. Coal has always driven the fact that we not only have coal that is abundant, we have coal that is accessible and we have coal that is very affordable. Why in the world would we go away from this workhorse of America's power system? That is one of the reasons we reintroduced the Coal Country Protection Act; that is H.R. 2637. It is just a commonsense bill that would stop any EPA regulations from affecting America's power plants until four outcomes are achieved: number one, no job losses; number two, no loss in GDP or economic growth; number three, no higher electric rates; and, number four, no interruption in the reliable delivery of electrical energy. These are pretty commonsense goals. Now, who would be able to verify that or who would certify? Well, the Secretary of Labor could do it; the Congressional Budget Office could do it; the Energy Information Administration could do it; the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could do it, and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation could do it. You said about time. It is about time, but it is time not just for the coal country people to stand up and fight for coal; it is time for the whole country to stand up and fight for coal. It is well past the midnight hour. As we continue to shut down mines and lose jobs and shut down communities and raise people's electric rates and then people at home sit back and wonder: What are they doing in Washington? Why do they continue to hurt us at every turn? The answer is the people making some of this policy have never done what you have done; they have never walked in your shoes; they have never had to do what we have done in coal country to protect electric power. Why in the world would we do this now at a time when the country is looking for jobs, at a time when the country is looking for less dependence on foreign nations for energy? Why now? Why, Mr. President? Why continue to push in the direction you have been pushing? The bottom line is this is just not about coal country; this is about our whole country. Mr. McKinley, I would like to thank you for fighting this fight. The 5 years we have been here together, this has been something we fought to go every day in every way and will continue to do. It is time now for the people in America to also be heard. Please do not sit in silence and suffer in silence when your voices need to be heard. We need to have everybody standing up for coal, standing up for the production of electricity that is affordable and reliable, and we just need to look at where we are going and say: My goodness, the people we sent to represent us, the people we sent to protect us, it is time for them to stand up and do exactly what they took a pledge to do. I thank you for all your efforts. I thank my colleagues for being here tonight. This is something we will never give up on, we will never walk away from. It has come to our shoulders. We can't ever walk away from it because it is not an option.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Kiwanis International. Founded on January 21, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan, Kiwanis International has become a global organization with dedicated, hard- working volunteers from 96 different countries who work tirelessly to improve our communities and better the lives of children. Guided by six permanent ``Objects of Kiwanis,'' Kiwanis Club members acquire personal and professional connections while having fun, making friends, and helping others. Kiwanis initiatives put an emphasis on children, including pediatric trauma, child safety, child care, early development, and infant and child health nutrition. Kiwanis has continued to support impressive service leadership programs such as K- Kids, the Aktion Club, the Key Club International, Circle K, and the Builders Club. In my home state of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania District of Kiwanis International consists of more than 200 Kiwanis Clubs and 400 members throughout the commonwealth who have developed a partnership with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission to foster early educational opportunities for our kids. For all of these reasons, I am incredibly pleased that the Keystone State has officially declared this August to be ``Kiwanis Month.'' I commend and thank all Kiwanis for their long participation in the honorable work of improving our communities. It is with tremendous pride and appreciation that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Kiwanis International for their 100th anniversary. God bless them for all that they do.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, in this House, we have a duty to legislate based on truth, not fiction. We cannot afford to be uneducated, uninformed, or untruthful when it comes to PTA. Maybe the problem is we labeled it wrong. Maybe we should have called it ``Congressional Trade Authority Oversight.'' Maybe that is what we should have called it. There is a great misunderstanding--and I hope it is a misunderstanding--about what this does for us. There is no way America can compete in the global economy without strong trade agreements. When Congress sets the parameters and very carefully constructs what the agreement has to contain, there is no mystery, there is no bogeyman, there is nobody hiding under the bed, there is nobody hiding in the closet. You don't have to have a secret decoder ring. You don't have to have some magical knock at the door to read all these different items. It is there for you to look at. For crying out loud, will you stop pushing a false narrative if it is about growing our economy? The only way we can grow is protecting what we have and then going into the global economy and increasing our market penetration. It is that simple. If you want America to grow, then you must allow America to grow. And you must allow America to lead, because when America leads, America wins. And when America wins, the rest of the world wins. It is just that simple. Why in the world fast track? It is not fast track. If you want to call it slow track, that is fine, because you are going to have 60 days to read it. That is pretty slow, at least around here. You want to call it smart track? That is what it is. It is smart track. It is safe track, and it is sure track. The other thing, it puts America back on the track to economic prosperity. Pass TPA today and put America back on the track to protect American jobs. Allow the economy to grow, and allow our workers not just to produce and distribute products at home, but around the world. That is how we win, and that is how the people who depend on us win. When America is strong, America leads. When we are not strong, we create a vacuum at the top of the world that is going to be filled with bad actors. Please stop using a false narrative. If you are not informed, get informed; if you are not educated, get educated, but for God's sake, don't be untruthful. I urge passage of the TPA.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, Thomas Jefferson once opined: The cornerstone of democracy rests on the foundation of an educated electorate. Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. Jefferson's vision for our democracy was premised on the notion that individuals are intelligent enough to determine the best choices for their lives, their families, and their communities, and not some monolithic, paternalistic government. A prerequisite to being well-informed, however, is to ensure that the American people have adequate information about how Federal policies and decisions made in Washington will or are impacting their lives. That is why transparency is so vital to our system of government: it provides the necessary information to educate or our on which our democracy depends. Laws and their impacts should not be shrouded in secrecy. Congress and the administration need to be fostering a culture of openness and transparency when legislating and making decisions here in Washington. That is what this legislation is all about: providing more transparency to the American people about their health care, specifically Medicare Advantage coverage. H.R. 2505, the Medicare Advantage Coverage Transparency Act, is a bill to do just that. With passage of H.R. 2505, CMS will be required to provide additional information on Medicare Advantage enrollment based on ZIP Code, congressional district, and State. This data will be available for both Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans as well as regular Medicare Advantage. Enrollment data under part A, part B, enrollment under an MA plan under part C, and enrollment under part D would also be covered. The purpose of this additional data is to provide greater information to the public, policymakers, and the healthcare community so that they have the benefit of more and better information when making decisions. CMS should provide a more transparent accounting of Medicare enrollment data to Congress, other government offices, and the American people so committees of jurisdiction can better understand how Medicare is serving the healthcare needs of the Nation as well as individual congressional districts. H.R. 2505 would require an annual report on Medicare enrollment data so that Members of Congress have more accurate information regarding the constituents' use of Medicare programs. Such transparency will allow Americans and Members of Congress to better know and understand the scope of Medicare enrollment on a local level as well as the specific population affected. In 2014, the majority of the 54 million people on Medicare are in the traditional Medicare program, with 30 percent enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. Since 2004, the number of beneficiaries enrolled in private plans has almost tripled--from 5.3 million to 15.7 million in 2014. In Pennsylvania, 18 percent of the total population in the Commonwealth is enrolled in some form of Medicare. Of the 18 percent, 39 percent of those Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. That means that 7 percent of Pennsylvanians are enrolled in the Medicare Advantage plan. This legislation will give me and my constituents more information about how changes to Medicare Advantage plans in Washington will impact my constituents at home in the Third Congressional District of Pennsylvania and every Member and their constituents around this great country. I want to thank Chairman Ryan for bringing up this bill. I also want to thank Leader McCarthy for bringing this bill to the floor.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to congratulate not one, but two Pennsylvania State champion baseball teams from the Third Congressional District. The Neshannock High Lancers and Knoch High Knights capped off historic seasons last week to take home the PIAA Class AA and AAA baseball championships. It was the Lancers' second baseball State title in school history and the first State title in any sport for the Knoch Knights. It takes a lot of special people and a lot of hard work to mold a champion, so I offer a sincere thank you to the players, to their families, and to Lancer Coach Mike Kirkwood and Knight Coach George Bradley for not bringing just a championship to your communities, but just as importantly, the pride that comes with it. Last week, your baseball teams earned a special place in the long and storied history of western Pennsylvania student athletics. Because of it, I am very proud to say: Go Lancers, and go Knights.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this. We have a duty here to legislate based on truth and not on fiction. Let's establish the facts. First of all, if you want really strong trade agreements, then you have to be in a position to negotiate those because, I will tell you, my friends, if we are not at the table, we are on the menu. As we talk about growing the economy and growing jobs and making sure that America is secure going into the future, and if you are worried about having an agreement that doesn't meet the demands that the American people are asking for, trade promotion authority is the only thing that gives us the ability to drive strong trade agreements to make sure that every single American is taken care of. Now, this TPA does not give President Obama any new power, none whatsoever. For those of us who don't trust the President's judgment, then TPA is absolutely necessary. It is not an option. We look at things and we talk about the people's House and what the responsibility of the people's House is and how would the people's House move forward. This puts us in the driver's seat. This allows this Congress, the people's House, to set the parameters of any future trade agreements. It does not negate them; it enforces them. So if you are worried about a strong trade agreement, then make sure that we give ourselves the power to actually set the parameters of the way a trade agreement should look. It is time to get rid of all this bogeyman talk about what is going on. I have got to tell you, if you want the United States of America to dominate a global economy and not just participate in a global economy, then you have to have trade promotion authority. My lifetime has been spent negotiating. When you sit down at the table to actually negotiate something, the question that always came up to me: Was there anybody else other than yourself that would be responsible for making the decision? Without that decision, without that clarity, we can't draw on strong trade agreements. TPA is the only thing that gives us that. If you want to strengthen our country, if you want to grow our economy, if you want to create new jobs for America, then we need strong trade agreements. Now, fast track, anything but fast track. Smart track, safe track, sure track, and something that gets America's economy back on track-- absolutely. Vote for TPA. Vote for American jobs. Vote for the United States of America to drive the global economy and continue to write the rules and not China. If you really are concerned about American jobs, and if you are really concerned about America's role in the world, then don't put us behind; put us in front. Let America, with the strongest economy, drive the trade agreements. TPA gives us that, gives us the ability to grow an American economy, grow American jobs, and make America more safe and secure. And it gives our partners around the world the certainty that America has not walked away from the table; America will continue to be your strongest partner and your strongest ally to build a stronger and more safe world.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize one of my constituents from Western Pennsylvania, Yvonne Clark. Yvonne, the Director of Walker's Neighborhood House in Lawrence County, has served both her family and community with excellence, leaving behind her a legacy of compassion and integrity that has impacted many. The seventh of sixteen children, Yvonne worked for both American Cleaners and First National Bank before putting her professional ambitions on hold in order to raise her family. She has been happily married to Robert Clark for forty-seven years, and together they have three children: Robert Jr., Adella, and Aaron. Yvonne and Robert are also blessed to be the grandparents of nine grandchildren. In 1979, Yvonne enrolled in the Pittsburgh Beauty Academy in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and graduated with honors shortly thereafter. Under the mentorship of a respected and accomplished local salon-owner, Yvonne learned the skills of the trade and eventually opened her own salon in 1984. When health issues demanded a change of course, Yvonne worked as a family service worker and then a job coach before returning to school at Midwestern Baptist School of Ministry. Again, she graduated with honors and received her Associate's Degree in Women's Ministry in 2006. Additionally, valuing her role as mother and grandmother, Yvonne became the primary caregiver for her three grandchildren when her daughter was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It was around this time that Walker's Neighborhood House, a division of the Gussie M. Walker Community Outreach Organization, was established. The mission of this after-school program is to empower youth and families to be the best they can be by obtaining a better education, while also learning that with God all things are possible. By providing both tutoring and structured recreational opportunities for local youth in an area where 85% of the population is considered low-income, Walker's Neighborhood House is breathing life back into the community and empowering our next generation of leaders. Under Yvonne's devoted and impassioned leadership, over 2,500 students have walked through its doors and left changed for the better. In serving her family and community, Yvonne has shown herself to be a leader in the truest sense of the word and a role model for the many who are privileged to know her. Furthermore, her dedication to directing the St John United Holy Church Choir for thirty-five years gives evidence to the core Christian values that inform her experiences. On behalf of the Third District of Pennsylvania, I would like to express sincere gratitude and appreciation to Mrs. Yvonne Clark, a true Community Champion.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, my amendment increases the authorized funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership by $5 million and it offsets it by decreasing the authorized funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by $5 million, for level funding. If our goal is to create and retain more American jobs, there is no better program to fund that than the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with centers in every single State, for every $1 of Federal investment, this public-private partnership generates nearly $21 in new sales. As a result, this translates into $2.5 billion annually. For every $2,001 of Federal investment, MEP creates or retains one American manufacturing job. The MEP programs provides our Nation's nearly 350,000 small manufacturers with services and access to resources that enhance growth, improve productivity, and expand capacity. This program is a win-win for our hard-working American taxpayers. Few, if any, other Federal programs can claim such a good return on our taxpayers' investment. Considering this amendment authorizes the program at $130 million that helps small American manufacturers directly and at a 50 percent cost share, this gives taxpayers more bang for their buck. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has a total budget of over $1 billion, so moving $5 million to this valuable program for small businesses is simply good economic policy. This program is not a government handout. Instead, it requires small manufacturers who partner with their local MEP to have skin in the game with a 50 percent cost share. That is good for our taxpayers; it is good for manufacturing sectors, and it is good for American jobs. Since 1988, MEP has worked with nearly 80,000 American manufacturers, leading to $88 billion in sales and 14 billion in cost savings. It has helped create more than 729,000 American jobs. Last year alone, MEP projects created or retained nearly 64,000 American jobs, generated more than $6.7 billion in new and retained sales, and provided cost savings of more than $1.1 billion to small American manufacturers. With the average small- and mid-size American manufacturing employee earning more than $77,000 a year in pay and benefits, these are exactly the types of jobs that policymakers need to be encouraging. And at a time when our economy is starting to recover, the MEP's work is crucial in helping America's small manufacturers be stronger long-term competitors, both domestically and internationally. In turn, this will allow them to create good-paying, high-skilled jobs for America's workers across the country. A growing manufacturing sector in America means more well-paying jobs for low- to moderate- income American families, reduced trade deficit and a robust economy, and a flourishing innovation sector which can drive future growth. By supporting this amendment, Congress will be sending a clear signal to our small American manufacturers and our job creators that they will continue to play a vital role in the reinvigoration of our economy. MEP is currently appropriated at $130 million, and this amendment would simply ensure that this popular, bipartisan program continues to be authorized at its current funding level. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I would just remark that if we are really trying to create jobs, if we are really trying to boost our economy, if we are really trying to do all these things, if we are really trying to help small manufacturers, I don't think that asking to transfer $15 million out of a $1 billion allotment is going to really have that much effect on that. This is not turning our back on some of the issues that you have, but this is looking forward to the future and saying we have got to help these people move forward. This is not a government handout. This is not a free amount of money. This is a 50 percent match. There are very few programs in our government that require that. This is something that just makes sense for America. It makes sense for all those folks that I represent and you represent back home. I have got to tell you something. Back in Western Pennsylvania, where I live, in Pennsylvania's Third District, every morning, moms and dads get up and they throw their feet out over their bed and they go to work so that they can put a roof over the head for their children, food on their table, clothes on their back, and a promise for the future. This is a small investment. All we are doing is keeping it at $130 million. And in a government that spends trillions of dollars every year, I don't know why we would quibble over $5 million because it is going to help job creation and job retention. It allows us to compete in a global market in a way that we actually win. We don't have to get political about this. What I want to do is, I want to think about all the people we represent and where those dollars go because every single dollar belongs to the American taxpayer.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith).

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the chairman. I rise in strong support of my amendment to renew a 1-year ban on the Obama administration from using any Department of Defense funds to implement the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty. This amendment updates and strengthens the language of my amendments that were entered into law in previous NDAAs. Why? Because this amendment--we must always uphold our fundamental individual right to keep and to bear arms, which is enshrined in our Constitution. We also must uphold the sovereignty of the United States over our arms export control system, which is the gold standard of the world. Now, how do we do this? First, the amendment explicitly forbids the use of DOD funds to facilitate domestic prosecutions of individual Americans. This is a real danger because the Obama administration has already engaged in domestic prosecutions of individuals using treaties. This is totally unacceptable. Second, my amendment specifically bans the use of DOD funds for an ATT secretariat, created for ``effectively implementing'' the ATT, according to the treaty's supporters. Appallingly and equally unacceptable, ATT backers seek to put the U.S. on the hook to fund the activities of a treaty to which it is not a party. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for including this amendment in the en bloc amendments. I urge my colleagues to stand with me in support of the Second Amendment, our Nation's sovereignty, and vote in support of this amendment to renew the annual ban on the funding of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentlewoman. Madam Speaker, this is a very commonsense bill, H.R. 36, which is being presented by my colleague Mr. Franks from Arizona. Why do we have to do this? I am going to tell you something. It is because scientific evidence now shows that unborn babies can feel pain by 20 weeks postfertilization and, likely, even earlier. It is because a late-term abortion is an excruciatingly painful and inhumane act against children who are waiting to be born and against their mothers. It is because women who terminate pregnancies at 20 weeks are 35 times more likely to die from abortion than they are in the first trimester, and they are 91 times more likely to die from abortion at 21 weeks or beyond. It is because, after 5 months into a pregnancy, the baby is undeniably a living, growing human, and the government's first duty is to protect innocent life. It is because, overwhelmingly, most Americans--and I am talking about men and women, young and old--support legislation to protect these innocent people. It is because the hideous case of Kermit Gosnell in Philadelphia is a brutal reminder of what can occur without this type of legislation in place. H.R. 36 would federally ban almost all abortions from being performed beyond the 20th week of pregnancy with exceptions for instances of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake. I want to tell my colleagues to just think of how little effort it would be today to take their voting cards out, to put them in the machine, and to press on the green button. By doing that, they are saying ``yes'' to protecting the most vulnerable people in our society from going through unbelievable amounts of pain. Isn't it amazing that, in America's House, we have to pass legislation to protect the most innocent life? This is incredible that we have to even come forward and debate this. My goodness. This is just so intuitive of who we are, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as human beings. We have to protect the unborn because they cannot protect themselves. Vote ``yes'' on this today. Let's make sure that our children are not subjected to this pain and that their mothers are not subjected to the same pain and to the resulting loss of life.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, last month, our world bid farewell to Ed Mead, a former president, copublisher, editor, columnist, and all-around legend of the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pennsylvania, a paper founded by his grandfather in 1888. Mr. Mead leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in the newspaper business and in the community of Erie, the city where he was born and spent so much of his life devoted to connecting with people. Mr. Mead was often referred to as ``the voice of Erie,'' leading a long and distinguished career that included more than 14,000 features for his ``Odds and Ends'' column, one that appealed to so many people throughout our region. Mr. Mead was so committed to serving his family's newspaper that, after graduating from Princeton University in 1949, he turned down a contract to play professional football in the National Football League's Detroit Lions club; instead, he decided to return to work in Erie for the next 63 years at the Erie Times. Although Mr. Mead's passing will long be felt at the Erie Times Publishing Company and in the entire city of Erie and in the entire community, we know he now rests in heaven. As is true of all legends, Ed Mead may be gone, but he will surely never be forgotten.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to sit and listen to the rhetoric. I think sometimes if you drink the purple Kool-Aid long enough, you start to believe it. That chart is a great chart that was just up there because what we are doing again is we are starting to separate America. We are saying that because it only applies to this very little sliver that we have to go after these people. I want you to think about something. The entire produce of a woman's or man's life after they have paid their local taxes, their State taxes, their Federal taxes, all the sales taxes over their life and the way they have contributed to build their communities, at the time of their death--now, I know we don't want to call it a death tax, but it is triggered at the time of their death. God forbid these hard-working American taxpayers are allowed to pass on to the next generation that which they were able to accumulate. Now, the chairman made a reference to my parents, and it is not just about my parents. My dad was a parts picker in a Chevrolet warehouse. He married the girl who ran the switchboard at that warehouse. That was my mother. He went off to World War II. He came back home, started with a little car dealership in Verona, Pennsylvania, one-car showroom, four service bays. He built it into something he was very proud of and was able to pass on to my brothers and me. Now we want to go after these folks not because they were successful, but because they died and because the government cannot live within its means. So when we go to the viewing, we go to the funeral home and we go to pay our respects, we are also telling them: Thanks for all your hard work. You did a great job. You contributed so much, and now the government wants to take some of that produce of your entire life because they can't live within their means. You lived within your means. You tightened your belt when you had to. You made more with less. But no, that is not good enough because we can't rein in spending, so we can't stop taxing. That is egregious in the United States of America to sit back and look at all those who have done so much and paid so many taxes in their lifetime, and yet to say upon their death they are not allowed to pass this on to the next generation. I love the chart because you really specify exactly what has been going on here for too long. You are separating the country. You are dividing the country, rich versus poor. This is America.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I agree with everything my colleagues have said. I think Americans need to look at what is going on in their House--America's House--today and to understand that we do understand the difference between right and wrong. We also understand that sometimes absolute power corrupts absolutely. We started years ago looking into this. We still don't have all the answers. I would just tell some of our fellow citizens that we are not done yet because we knew those things have happened. I think what the chairman has expressed and Mr. Roskam has expressed is the outrage we feel because it is not only our responsibility, it is our duty to protect every single one of America's citizens. To divulge the information that was divulged and to do it in such a way to use the law to break the law makes absolutely no sense to any of us. This isn't really about either side of the aisle. This is about all of us, together, doing what is right for the American people. This should reconfirm to the American people that we are here acting in their best interest and defending them every single day that we sit in session and that we sit in office.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1026, as has been described, this actually had come before Congress before. Dr. Boustany and Mr. Roskam have presented this. This is about taxpayer knowledge of IRS investigations. Now, this would make sense to almost everybody to understand what exactly has been going on. Under section 6103 in the Tax Code, it is a felony to disclose or to compromise people's tax information and give it to other groups to work with. We shouldn't have to pass laws like this; but unfortunately, laws are not made and governments are not run by angels but they are run by men, so we have to have oversight over what has happened. This piece of legislation gives the same rights to those people whose information has been violated, whose information has been compromised, as is given to IRS personnel. We found out 2 years ago, and Dr. John Eastman really made the point of it for the National Organization for Marriage, their tax information on their people, their members, was given out, and it went to Human Rights Campaign. Now, you would think by the name of that that it makes sense, Human Rights Campaign, those are probably good people, but you cannot divulge private tax information to anybody else. It is a felony to do that. But section 6103 also prevented those whose tax information was divulged, they couldn't get information on it. They weren't allowed to even inquire and were not allowed to be informed of what was taking place. Did it in fact take place? Well, we knew it took place because it was out in the public. Secondly, who was it who divulged it? We don't know. We can't talk to you about that because that is protected under the Tax Code. Well, is there an investigation? We can't tell you that either, because that is protected. We can't tell you who it was who divulged it, who they divulged it to, is there an investigation or is there not an investigation. And at the end of it, was there proof found that this was actually done? If so, what is the penalty for it? Those are basic tenets of what we are as Americans. So I submit to people, this is not a Republican or Democrat issue, as we know it--Mr. Lewis is a good friend of mine--it is American tenets. It is what we firmly believe as Americans. Nobody should be able to do that to us; and if they do that to us, we should be able to inquire about the status of that. This piece of legislation gives every single taxpayer the same rights as those doing the investigation, those doing the leaks and the findings. Now, if we are to restore the American people's confidence in our form of government, this is essential. We can't allow these things to happen and then say, well, we could have helped you except for one thing in the Tax Code, section 6103(e). What is going to happen, those people are going to look at us and say: I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. We say: Well, we can't really let you know what happened. So if it really is an American principle and if we really do need to have faith and trust and feel that we are all being treated the same way and in an honest way, and if that is the only way to restore the confidence that the people need to have and the trust they have in our form of government and those of us who they have sent to represent them, then this type of legislation has to take place. I am so proud of what our Committee on Ways and Means is doing today under Chairman Ryan and under Mr. Roskam. What are we doing? We are protecting taxpayers and taxpayers' rights. This is so fundamentally American. This shouldn't be anything you even have to stop and think about. So what we are proposing today under H.R. 1026 is that the taxpayers have the same information and the same knowledge of what is going on with their accounts, what has been divulged, who divulged it, is there an ongoing investigation, what were the findings of that investigation and who is being held responsible, and more important than that, who is being held accountable? These are felonies. Until we get to the point where the American people have faith and trust in us again and restore their confidence, we have nothing. In America's House, we as Members have got to make sure that every single day we safeguard the rights of every single American. Unfortunately, this has not taken place in the past, and we have to move forward with it. I do know that today being April 15 is a day that most people dread. Listen, tax revenues are necessary. We need to have an agency to collect them. But by the same token, when it turns out that those people in that agency--and not all of them, but we have some people in there that are violating individuals' rights, then we have to come forward and we have to champion legislation that protects the same people who voted us into office and sent us to defend them.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. We rise today. Really, this is not so much a doc fix as a senior fix. And while our lives are usually defined by wins and losses, I would think that really in our lives we remember the losses far more than we remember the wins. And the reason I say that is, I have been there for the birth of my four children, and I have celebrated the birth of our 10 grandchildren. Those are great moments. But I have also sat by the bedside of my mother, my sister, and my father as they lay dying and were transitioning. Those losses are things that you can never truly regain. Those are the times when, if you just had 1 minute left with those folks, wouldn't you love to have that? Wouldn't you love to be there with them to give them peace of mind? This bill gives them peace of mind, Mr. Speaker. That is what this bill does. This is a senior fix. I will tell you, when I have watched people as they have passed--both friends and family--what they have wanted at their bedsides at that time is to have their faith with them so that they know they are surrounded by their God, so that they know that where they are going is best, and so that they know that somehow their futures are going to be okay. They also want the comfort of knowing that their families are there with them, helping them to get through the toughest parts of their lives, when they are at their most vulnerable, whenever they need the most help. Lastly, they want their doctors. They want to know that that person who has guided them through the last several months and through their lives--the person they have always gone to for their health care--is going to be there and is not going to be taken away because of some government program that didn't work. I would say, as we sit in America's House, whether we are Republicans or Democrats--and our gallery is filled with people--we are people who are representing people and the best interests of people. This piece of legislation today is truly a senior fix, but it is a fix for the most vulnerable. I can think of nothing that we could do that is more important than giving peace of mind to those who have given so much to us as families, as States, and as a country. This is a brilliant piece of legislation. While it may not satisfy all, it serves the needs of so many.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the great life of Father Hesburgh. Today I looked up on Wikipedia some information about Father Hesburgh. It says: Born: Theodore Martin Hesburgh, May 25, 1917, Syracuse, New York, United States. Died: February 26, 2015 (age 97), Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Alma mater: The Catholic University of America. Profession: Priest. Religion: Roman Catholic. And then it shows his signature. Well, today, in South Bend, Indiana, and on the University of Indiana, flags are flown at halfstaff to honor the passing of a giant among men, a warrior for peace and a champion for civil rights, Father Theodore Hesburgh. I want you to just think for a minute and let your mind drift to what we will see in the future as a tombstone that is going to have Father Hesburgh's name, and it is going to say: Born May 25, 1917; died February 26, 2015. And I want you to forget about those two dates and, for a minute, think about the 97 years in between those dates--not just the day Father Hesburgh was born or the day Father Hesburgh died, but the 97 years that Father Hesburgh spent on Earth doing great work because, truly, a man is measured not so much by his years on Earth but what he accomplished while he was here. For those of us at Notre Dame, I think it is important to go back and think about just who Father Ted was. Father actually passed away last Thursday at 11:30 p.m. I want you to think about Father Hesburgh's last day. He rose in the morning. It was very important for him to celebrate Mass, which he did that day. Throughout the course of the day, he wasn't feeling quite right; but, again, he was 97 years old. That evening, as he was accustomed to do, he smoked a cigar, and then he went to bed. And for whatever reason, he was surrounded by some very good friends, but he was also surrounded by a nun. Father Hesburgh's last moments were the recitation of the rosary. Now, he was very fluent in five different languages. The language that he thought was the most beautiful was the French language, and the rosary was recited in French. Picture, if you can, a 97-year-old man lying in a bed, friends around him, knowing that something was going to happen, and Father Hesburgh closed his eyes and passed. But think about the glorious moment right after the closing of those eyes. Because in the next instant they were opened, not on Earth, not on the University of Notre Dame, not in a bed where he was a dying old man, but in Heaven, surrounded by all those folks who knew Father Ted, who loved Father Ted, and who have been patiently waiting for his arrival, because that is what we believe. We know that he is at home. Now, I told you Father Hesburgh was born in Syracuse, New York. He was educated at Notre Dame and at the Gregorian University in Rome, from which he received a bachelor of philosophy degree. He was ordained a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Sacred Heart Church, now the Basilica, on Notre Dame campus in June of 1943. Earlier today, Mr. Speaker, at 2 o'clock, the funeral mass for Father Hesburgh was held at this very same church, Sacred Heart Basilica on our beautiful and beloved campus. Now, as I stand here, the funeral mass for Father Ted is concluding, and the Notre Dame community will be following Father Ted on St. Mary's Road out to his final resting place at the Holy Cross Community Cemetery. It will be a sad march, but it will also be a rejoicing march because certainly we miss him, and we are going to miss him, but we rejoice in what he was able to accomplish. For generations of students at Notre Dame, Father Hesburgh was simply known as Father Ted. That is all--Father Ted. Now, I was one of those people that was fortunate enough to be there when Father Ted was there. And some of my colleagues, I think that Peter King was there, Peter Visclosky was there, Keith Rothfus was there, and my good friend Senator Joe Donnelly was there. Today Senators Donnelly and Coats and I wanted to pay tribute to this national treasure by introducing a bicameral resolution to honor the life of this truly amazing man. Father Ted faithfully served Notre Dame for decades. He served as Notre Dame's president from 1952 to 1987. Now, I want you to think about what Father Ted has done, because mostly when people talk about Notre Dame, they say, oh, yeah, heck of a football team, and at times we have been very good. But he was able to transition us from not just a team or a little school in the Midwest that was known for the way it played football--and we were originally called the Ramblers. We were not called the Fighting Irish. We were called the Ramblers because we had no home, and so we kind of had to go around the country to play different teams, so we kind of rambled around the country. We were the Ramblers. Then we adopted the name Fighting Irish, and it was for the very immigrants that came to the university. It was one of those universities that honored the fact that people were coming from all over the world. They were coming to the United States, and there were really not a lot of institutions of higher learning that they could get entrance to. Notre Dame was one of those institutions. So his leadership at Notre Dame just didn't stop in South Bend, and it certainly didn't stop at the university's gates. His commitment to education and social justice extended way beyond the boundaries of my alma mater and well beyond Indiana and, in fact, well beyond America's shores. His dedication is one of shared humanity that knew absolutely no bounds. His strong belief that what unites us is far greater than that which divides us made him a champion of civil discourse and social justice. One only needs to look at a photo that I brought with me today, and in the annals of America, it is hard to look at Dr. King and Father Ted and not look at these two lions for social justice, these two lions for civil rights, to understand that they were locked arm in arm on a mission that they knew had to take place and that they could no longer turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to. That is who Father Ted was. He believed to the very soul of who he was, the very fabric of who this man was, that this is what America needed. He not only preached it, he not only taught it, he lived it. So this week, Mr. Speaker--and, truly, I think it is almost providential--is the 50th anniversary of the march on Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge, commemorates the 50th anniversary. Again, this was called Bloody Sunday. This was in 1965. It is hard for us to imagine that that could have taken place, but it did. In fact, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of it this Saturday. That is what helped secure the passage of the Voting Rights Act so that every American citizen could equally participate in her democratic process. This was a milestone. This just wasn't something to be marked on a calendar. This was a great event in terms of how we advanced democracy in our country. Now, as we honor Selma's legacy this Saturday, I know that the spirits of these two great lions, these people that really stood up and took time to stand up when it wasn't really easy to stand up and it certainly took a lot of courage, they stood up to what they knew to be right, for what they knew to be true, and for what they knew to be truly American. Now, as I said earlier, I just can imagine right now that when Father closed his eyes last Thursday night and then suddenly opened them, again, who was around him? Who surrounded him? Whom he was able to share that moment with is incredible. I am sure Dr. King was there with him. Now, over the years, this man, Father Hesburgh, held 16 Presidential appointments that covered every type of major social concern and civil rights concern to Third World development that a person could possibly understand, and also campus unrest. He won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He won the Congressional Gold Medal. He won the Sylvanus Thayer Award, and he won the Public Welfare Medal. And though he counseled Popes and Presidents, Father Hesburgh was first and foremost a priest, a priest on the campus of Notre Dame. He had said: ``I never really wanted to be anything but a priest, which is in itself a great and unearned grace. I hope to live and die a priest, nothing more, but nothing less either.'' Now, for decades, he has been considered the most influential priest in America, and the world he looked at as his flock. He was truly a shepherd who lived with his flock. He demonstrated this by his tireless work and his historic service to our country, to our church, and to the world. Robert Whittington, a contemporary of Sir Thomas More, in 1520 wrote of Sir Thomas More: ``He is a man of angel's wit and singular learning. I know not his fellow. For where is the man of that gentleness, lowliness, and affability? And, as time requireth, a man of marvelous mirth and pastimes, and sometime of as sad gravity. A man for all seasons.'' At the end of the day, Father Hesburgh was truly America's Renaissance man. He was truly our ``man for all seasons.'' And much like Sir Thomas More was to his contemporaries over 500 years ago, Father Ted has left this world a better place because he took it upon himself the responsibility to inspire others here and abroad to pursue a life of justice and peace. Truly blessed are the peacemakers. Now, as Father Hesburgh was known to say, he, too, is ``resting in the loving hands of our Savior, bathed in the light of eternal life.'' These words were spoken by Father Hesburgh to Secretary Condoleezza Rice upon the passing of her father. He is now at peace with God. He is with the God he served so well during his lifetime on Earth. I will leave you with this one thought. A good friend of mine that I grew up with and graduated with, a guy named Larry Vuillemin, had gone to see Father. Keith Rothfus and I, by the way, a year ago, received his blessing when he was here. We were celebrating his birthday. We knelt down, and he gave us his blessing. Father said to Larry Vuillemin when they were having a talk about ethics, he said: Larry, ethics is fun to intellectualize, but ethics without the heart is missing something. So if we can just concentrate on those words, let those words soak in and seep in to who we are, then I think we can truly not only honor him, but honor him in a way that really means the most, and that is by emulating his life and trying to carry forward the same issues that Father had. I know he is now at peace with the God he has served so well during his life. May peace be with him. I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.