Joseph Kennedy

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, this Black History Month, as we celebrate and honor those who shaped American history, we cannot afford to lose sight of the present and our future. It was only five decades ago that men and women in every corner of this country concluded their patient, persistent, and peaceful march to the voting booth, gaining an equal voice in this country. You don't have to leave this Chamber to see firsthand the scars that this march left behind. For so many, including some of our colleagues, the memories of being denied that sacred right to vote have never and will never fade. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, some of those similar memories are now forming again for a new generation of Americans. Respectfully, Mr. Speaker, I ask you to bring the Voting Rights Amendment Act to the floor immediately. Our Nation deserves a vote on this important legislation.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of a dear friend and mentor who passed away recently. Dr. Arthur Obermayer was a talented entrepreneur, generous philanthropist, and a passionate advocate. He committed his life to making his community, our country and the world a better place. Throughout his life, he showed how words like justice and opportunity were not just words, but principles to be pursued and, if necessary, fought for. He was a man of many accomplishments, among them, advocating for federal investment in small businesses and focusing on and fostering research and development. In 1982, due in large part to the efforts of Dr. Obermayer the US Small Business Innovation Research grant was created with the support of my late uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy. In a true testament to this remarkable accomplishment, the Obermayer family was inducted into the Small Business Innovation Research Hall of Fame for their pioneering efforts in a White House ceremony last June. Dr. Obermayer inspired many, and though our country has lost a champion his values and vision live on through all those he touched. My thoughts and prayers are with the Obermayer Family during this difficult time. May his memory be a blessing for us all.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, on December 18, 2015, I was unable to vote on Roll Call 705. If I had been present, I would have supported H.R. 2029, the fiscal year 2016 omnibus spending legislation. I would have voted in favor of this legislation because it includes necessary funding to keep the government operating. It provides needed clarifications to ensure the work of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation coordinates among existing manufacturing institutes and moves forward in the investment of new centers. Additionally it includes an increase, over 2015 enacted levels, of $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health and $132 million for the Food and Drug Administration. The legislation provides a $6.4 billion increase for veterans services and a one-time appropriation for international food aid. Finally, the AmeriCorps program will receive $368 million, which is a 15% increase over last year's funding levels. However no compromise bill is ever perfect, and I am disappointed that the bill fails to lift the ban prohibiting the Centers for Disease Control from researching the impact of gun violence.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, today, December 17, 2015, I was unable to vote on Roll Call 703. If I had been present, I would have supported H.R. 2029, the tax extenders portion of the fiscal year 2016 omnibus spending legislation. I would have voted in favor of this legislation because it includes the extension of critical tax provisions that would help millions of American workers, students, families, and businesses. Critically, the bill makes permanent three key refundable tax credits: the child tax credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Combined, these tax credits will help 24 million working families. Additionally, it includes an extension of the research and development tax credit, a vital component of Massachusetts's innovation economy. However this bill is far from perfect, and I am disappointed that Congress has shunned its obligation to ensure these cuts are offset. I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues in the months ahead to enact comprehensive reform that focuses on job creation and the growth of our middle class.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to echo the demands of my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, for a vote on the Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015. Passing this bill transcends politics. It is about ensuring the safety and security of families, communities, and the country we represent. In the past 2 years, 94 percent of individuals we suspect of planning terror attacks have been able to successfully pass background checks and purchase deadly weapons. We are sitting idly by as those planning to do harm to our citizens obtain the tools to do just that. That we would choose to do nothing to stop it is simply unfathomable to me. We have a chance today to close a loophole in our laws before it is exploited, before we find ourselves standing on this floor once again for another moment of silence. The families who have lost loved ones to gun violence and the victims themselves deserve more than a deafening silence emanating from this Chamber.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for yielding me the time and for the tremendous work that he has done on this issue over his career in elected office and, before that, as a staff member here on Capitol Hill. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in calling for this House to move a bipartisan piece of legislation because we have an opportunity to close a loophole that allows suspected terrorists to legally purchase firearms and explosives. I believe we have a responsibility to do so before this House takes another moment of silence, as we have done countless times already this session. Mr. Speaker, in the last 2 years alone, 94 percent of individuals suspected of planning terrorist attacks have been able to successfully pass background checks and purchase deadly weapons. If we don't trust somebody to board a plane, why on Earth would we trust them to buy a gun? That is why I led over 60 colleagues, along with my colleague from California, Mike Thompson, to write a letter to Speaker Ryan asking him to bring up our colleague Peter King's bill for a vote. Our response to gun violence, this body's response to gun violence, can no longer be moments of silence and thoughts and prayers by Members in this Chamber. We can do more than that. We are expected to do more than that. My hope today is that we will.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for yielding and for all of the work that he has put in on an important and necessary advancement in our education system. As he mentioned, the rule we are debating today also incorporates a rule for an energy bill that I wanted to address today because nowhere is the need for a comprehensive energy policy more critical than in my home State of Massachusetts and the entire region of New England. With recent announced closures of two plants in our region, one coal and one nuclear, we are facing the loss of over 2,000 megawatts of an already antiquated, already overtaxed electric grid. That loss of capacity is already causing the bills of our consumers to skyrocket through a quadrupling of our capacity rates, from $1 billion to over $4 billion. Those closures and subsequent rate increases underscore our need for a roadmap that puts us on a path toward renewable energy while balancing the reliability and affordability. The bill before us today does exactly the opposite. It reverses course and renews our investment in outdated energy resources while putting up roadblocks that will halt the innovation our energy infrastructure so desperately needs. In particular, I am very concerned with section 1110 of the bill, which would require regional grid operators to conduct a reliability analysis each time a rate change is filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Unfortunately, reliability comes at a cost, and the analysis required by section 1110 fails to even consider its impact on ratepayers. It ignores the concerns that I hear across my district every single day. Rate increases mean families can't save, businesses can't grow, local towns can't plan for the future. That is why I introduced an amendment which would simply add ``at the lowest possible cost'' to the reliability analysis in section 1110. Unfortunately, it was not made in order. It was a simple amendment that would have given much-needed direction and flexibility to each regional operator to determine what its reliability needs are and how much it is going to cost local ratepayers. The reliability analysis is a clear benefit to fuel types that can be stored and ignores the realities and benefits of other sources of energy, including renewables. The criteria required in this analysis fails to consider regional disparities, such as natural gas resources, local policies, and infrastructure. If the majority is going to insist on a reliability analysis, at the very least we should consider the impact the analysis would have on energy costs to our constituents. To say I am disappointed about what this bill has become would be a tremendous understatement. I hope today's vote will send a signal to the majority that this version does not have a viable pathway forward and that our Caucus remains committed to working with them on a bill that does.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, last year, when an energy capacity auction increased certain rates in my region from $1 billion to $3 billion, I asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take a close look at those prices and determine whether they were set fairly for consumers. During the review, FERC had only four sitting Commissioners and deadlocked at 2-2. That meant that rates went into effect ``by operation of law,'' and consumers were left with no avenue to appeal. To me, that is unacceptable; so I introduced the Fair RATES Act to ensure that ratepayers are guaranteed an opportunity to have their voices heard. Unfortunately, last week, Commissioner Philip Moeller stepped down-- again, leaving FERC with just four Commissioners. Without a confirmation or even a nomination for a fifth Commissioner in sight, we find ourselves in the same situation. FERC is, once again, reviewing rising rates in my region and, once again, is at risk of a deadlock that would leave consumers holding the bag. That is why we must pass Fair RATES today. Since last year's auction, our rates have jumped another billion dollars, and $3 billion is too steep an increase for my constituents to pay just because Congress will not act.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a friend, mentor and tremendous public servant, Don Carpenter. After 20 years as a district court judge and 42 years in the practice of law, Judge Carpenter retired from the bench on October 2, 2015. Mr. Carpenter began his legal career in 1973 as an associate at a Cape Cod law firm. Deeply dedicated to the local community, he became a public prosecutor shortly thereafter. And for the next 21 years, he faithfully served the people of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, working his way through the ranks to become the First Assistant District Attorney. He was known as a firm but fair prosecutor who embraced our responsibility to apply the law equally to all. He knew that, while the law could not heal all wounds or right every wrong, it is the strongest tool we have to deliver on the promises of a just society. His commitment to the Cape Cod community led to his nomination to the state bench. I cannot tell you how many cases Judge Carpenter heard over his two decades in that role. How many disputes he resolved. How many lives he impacted. How many addicts he helped get healthy. How many victims he helped find closure. But I can tell you that there is at least one young prosecutor he helped mentor. I will never forget knocking on his door after a trial, seeking insight into what I could have done differently or advice on which pitfalls to watch out for the next time. His door was always open, to prosecutors and defense attorneys alike. And, for me, his advice was simple and direct--do what you think is right. The law grants you the ability to request the loss of someone's liberty. Use it wisely. Don't take it lightly. Mr. Speaker, over the span of a 40-year career in our justice system, Judge Carpenter used the practice of law wisely, fairly and honestly. His retirement is a loss for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the residents of Cape Cod. We wish him and his family well in this new chapter in their lives.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, early detection of breast cancer can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost, but too often women are forced to forgo critical screenings because of lack of access to affordable preventative care. By opening their doors to so many medically underserved communities, Planned Parenthood is working to address those gaps. As this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we should be applauding the doctors and nurses who work tirelessly to detect breast cancer at its earliest stages. We should be thanking them for providing 500,000 breast exams every single year, helping to identify cancer and other serious illness in nearly 90,000 women. We should be replicating their efforts to educate women on the warning signs and symptoms of breast cancer. But, instead, my Republican colleagues are focused on creating a politically motivated select committee with the ultimate goal of defunding the organization. It is time to move past these partisan attacks and focus on working together to expand the access to preventative care that will help treat breast cancer.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. I thank my colleague from Florida for the recognition. Madam Speaker, it is important that we do get our facts straight. This year, over 2 million babies will be born to women on Medicaid. That is nearly half of all of the births in this country. At the same time, more than half of the Medicaid providers in our country are not accepting new patients. That leaves hundreds of thousands of expectant mothers without access to essential prenatal care and treatment, and that is where Planned Parenthood comes in. Beyond just prenatal care, they provide life-saving cancer screenings, STD tests, and compassionate counseling to millions of women, men, and families who often have nowhere else to turn for their basic health needs. Eighty percent of the patients that Planned Parenthood serves have incomes at or below 150 percent of the poverty line. Those patients are sitting inside waiting rooms at Planned Parenthood centers across the Nation at this very moment who are facing some of the most emotional decisions and challenging tests of their entire lives. The practitioners and nurses who will treat them won't just tend to their immediate medical needs. They will make sure that the patient knows that he or she is not alone. If we pass this bill, we are turning our backs on those patients. We are telling low-income families in every corner of this country that we count their health and happiness less. I urge my colleagues to consider those patients and the impact of this legislation.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, the right to vote is the bedrock principle of our democracy. It is something to be cherished and held sacred. Although it did not come without struggle or without sacrifice, the Voting Rights Act moved us step by step beyond the disenfranchisement that held entire segments of our population voiceless for far too long. But today, as we approach its 50th anniversary, the strides we have made through that historic legislation are at risk. Two years ago, when the Supreme Court overturned a critical safeguard enacted in the VRA, many of our most vulnerable citizens--some who were on the front lines of this fight for decades--were again pushed to the sidelines of our democracy. With each passing day of inaction in this Congress by House Republican leadership, we are not just standing passively by as the voices of voters go unheard; we are actively walking backwards along the march towards civil rights--step by step, day by day. It is time to pass the Voter Empowerment Act and make good on our promise, one that has made us a model for young democracies around the world--that every vote counts, that every voice matters, and that all of our citizens have a right to vote.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, today, my colleague Congressman David Cicilline, an unparalleled champion for LGBT rights, introduced the Equality Act. I rise today as a proud cosponsor in support of this bill. Recent gains, from public opinion to the Supreme Court, have undoubtedly accelerated our ongoing civil rights march, but real justice will be served in this country when the LGBT community is guaranteed--not just legal equality, but lived equality. The ability to experience everyday life without fear of discrimination is something most of us take for granted. Walking into a gas station without worrying about being denied service because of your gender identity, heading into a movie theater without fear of being turned away because of the hand you held when you walked in, that threat of judgment, rejection, and prejudice is injustice in its purest form. Today, through the Equality Act, we can help root out the dangerous intolerance that continues to define too many American lives. I urge all of my colleagues to join this fight, cosponsor this bill, and get it signed into law.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of a dear friend and mentor who passed away over the weekend. Professor David Grossman was a talented lawyer, a dedicated teacher, and a passionate advocate. He committed his life to the fair implementation of the law, believing that it applies to all of us and protects each of us. Throughout his career, he showed how words like ``justice'' and ``fairness'' were not just ideas for discussion, but principles that had to be fought for, protected, and defended. He made the law come alive. He gave it a face and a family. Serving at the helm of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau for nearly a decade, he trained, supervised, and worked with over 180 law students and served roughly 2,700 low-income individuals and their families. Through his service, he protected thousands of people in need and inspired hundreds of young lawyers. Our community has lost a champion, but his values and vision live on through all those he touched. My thoughts and prayers are with Stacy, Lev, and Shayna during this difficult time. May his memory be a blessing for us all.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spent part of my day with a number of families from Taunton, Massachusetts, a city in my district that has been tragically impacted by opiate abuse. Of the families that were there, one young man stood out. Cory was an honor student from Taunton High School. He was a starting pitcher for the baseball team when a pitching injury sidelined him and forced him into surgery. After 12 bouts in rehab, he ended up overdosing on heroin and today continues to suffer brain damage from that overdose. Mr. Speaker, these stories have become far too common, not just across Taunton and across our Commonwealth in Massachusetts, but around our country. This is why I rise today to recognize the tremendous work of my colleague, Congressman Whitfield, and his work in introducing with me the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act, as well as our colleague Congresswoman Susan Brooks, who has introduced the Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention, Education, and Enforcement Act. Mr. Speaker, there is no silver bullet to these challenges. Together, this body, piece by piece, can help craft the legislation that we need to get this epidemic under wraps.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the North Attleboro Police Department and Chief John Reilly on achieving accreditation and demonstrating the department goes above and beyond state and national standards. Under the strong leadership of Chief Reilly, the department has revamped their policies and practices to come in compliance with the requirements of the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. For two years, the entire department worked together to ensure that they met the highest possible standards in their service to the town of North Attleboro. This is no small feat, nor is it an easy task for a department facing budget cuts. Earning this recognition is about more than the preparation and readiness of the North Attleboro Police Department, it's about guaranteeing their officers are committed to the safety and protection of their community. With each traffic stop and every distress call, our police officers face a challenging, oftentimes evolving situation with courage and bravery. They never ask who is calling for their help or whether their service is necessary. Instead, they race to the scene and risk their safety for that of the community. Thank you Chief Reilly and your entire force for your work day and night to ensure that our citizens can walk around North Attleboro knowing you will always answer their call.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute today to Joseph C. Bell, a visionary attorney who recently received one of Poland's highest awards in recognition of his efforts to build a new economy from the rubble of communism. Mr. Bell received the Polish Commanders Cross in Warsaw on May 13, 2015, to honor his dedicated service, over a quarter century ago, ``in furthering Poland's systemic and economic transformation.'' Working with the Polish Ministry of Finance under Leszek Balcerowicz, Mr. Bell stepped forward to help build a new and robust free-market system in the wake of the 1989 elections that saw Solidarity leader Tadeusz Mazowiecki named prime minister. The goal under the first non-communist government in the post-World War II period was to accomplish what had never been done before--to build new capitalist institutions in record time to stir the Polish economy from decades of mismanagement and integrate the nation into the economies of Western Europe. As a partner at the Washington firm of Hogan & Hartson with over 20 years of regulatory and commercial experience, Mr. Bell ably served as pro-bono counsel to the Polish Ministry of Finance in the critical years of 1989 to 1990, when the government launched reforms through ``shock therapy'' changes to Poland's economic system. His experience in project finance and as a leading advocate of introducing competition into closed energy markets in the U.S. was invaluable in taking on the challenges of creating capital markets, a stock exchange, a convertible currency, orderly privatization and other features of a free-market system. The rapidity and scope of the changes were nothing less than a leap of faith into uncharted legal and economic waters. The challenges were immense: Poland was suffering acute hyperinflation, falling productivity, huge foreign debt and shortages of consumer goods. As part of an intrepid team of advisers that included economist Jeffrey Sachs, Mr. Bell's tireless work helped usher in breathtaking reforms that stemmed inflation, attracted foreign investment, relieved Poland of its debt burden, and increased productivity. The miracle turnaround of Poland's economy, coupled with the rise of democracy, paved the way for the nation to secure NATO membership and join the European Union. Mr. Bell returned full-time to his law practice in Washington, D.C., in 1990 but that didn't end his commitment to helping emerging nations. His expertise has taken him to Mongolia, Liberia, Sao Tome & Principe, among others, to help structure extraction systems that work for the benefit of the many rather than enriching the few. Currently serving Of Counsel to Hogan Lovells, Mr. Bell's work to shape mining and energy policy in Africa, Asia, and the Mideast-- including the management of extraction revenues and general issues of transparency and governance--will have a lasting impact. Mr. Bell's career milestones also include serving as general counsel to Citizens Energy Corporation, which my father founded to use successful energy ventures to generate revenues to help the poor, from its inception up to 1989; working as Assistant General Counsel in the Federal Energy Administration; serving on the Duke Law School faculty and as an attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Justice Department. Since 2001, the 1968 Yale Law School graduate has also been associated with the International Senior Lawyers Project, which provides volunteer legal services to promote the rule of law, economic development and human rights in developing countries. Between his legal expertise, dedication to public service, advocacy for human rights and social justice, and broad range of volunteer experience, Mr. Bell embodies the tradition of the ``Wise Men of Washington''--in the best sense of the term. Mr. Speaker, I once again want to congratulate Mr. Bell for the honors accorded to him by the Polish government and to thank him for a long career of service to our nation and the international community.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, according to a report I read recently, serious mental health problems are declining among our children, and that is very good news. But the same report found that over half of severely troubled youth get absolutely no help at all. That is a glaring gap in our system that must be addressed today. Far too often, the only thing standing in the way of treatment is the negative stigma associated with this disease. The stigma of treatment and medication, the stigma of anger and instability, the stigma of fear of the disease itself. At a time when there are 10 times more people with mental illness in jail than in State-funded psychiatric beds, we are not doing our job to help our loved ones wage this silent battle alone. Last month during Mental Health Awareness Month, we recognized and thanked organizations like the Massachusetts Association for Behavioral Health for their critical work to fill the gaps in our system and wipe away the stigmas that deter so many from pursuing treatment.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Chairman, I am grateful for the time of both my colleagues. I want to recognize the extraordinary commitment that my colleague, Mr. Pittenger, has made to counterterrorism and trying to protect the safety and security of the United States. I will say, though, Mr. Chairman, I did work as a legal aid attorney, a legal aid volunteer many years ago when I was a law student. We spent countless hours trying to keep a roof over the head of tenants who were being kicked out of their home through no fault of their own because a landlord wasn't paying a mortgage. Now, you had people who were going homeless because they did nothing wrong but couldn't avail themselves of an attorney. To try to find, now, ways to gut that funding when, with low interest rates--one of the key methods of funding for Legal Services across this country is from interest on lawyer's trust accounts. Because of low interest rates, that funding has been basically nonexistent. In Massachusetts, that went from about $34 million a year down to $4 million a year. We are gutting a very basic tenet of what this country is all about. We spend so much time in these Chambers, Mr. Chairman, talking about how these laws are shaped to touch people's lives and very little time speaking about the enforcement and protections that they provide. Mr. Chairman, this is that moment, and I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the amendment. MR. FATTAH. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Chairman, once again, I rise in support of the Legal Services Corporation. This is an organization that is the major source of funding for legal aid offices all across this country. The funding, as my colleague indicated, has not kept pace with need, inflation, or reality. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Chairman--and I have seen as a legal aid volunteer in the courtrooms and then again as a prosecutor the impact of adequate legal representation. I spent hours and hours, along with other volunteers, trying to ensure that citizens of this country who, through no fault of their own, are being victimized by large interests or by folks who did know how to navigate the legal system could have adequate representation in the courts. Mr. Chairman, inside these halls, we debate with great vigor and great detail the nuances to every single piece of legislation, yet spend far too little time discussing the impact of how that is going to be enforced after it becomes law. That is what the Legal Services Corporation does. The fact is, in many ways, another source of funding for Legal Services is through the interest on lawyers' trusts accounts, IOLTA funding. With low interest rates over the course of past several years, that funding has been devastated. In Massachusetts alone, that used to be about $34 million a year through a separate fund that has been reduced to $4 million. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Chairman, that Legal Services has already been decimated at a time when more and more people need to understand that they have access to a fair and just legal system. That is what this amendment seeks to do. That is why I am proud to support it, and I ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Brain Tumor Awareness Month. Every single year, nearly 70,000 people in our country will be diagnosed with a brain tumor. Tragically, over 4,000 of them will be children. By the end of this year, roughly 14,000 Americans will lose their lives due to a brain tumor. Like many others across this country, my family has also been touched by this painful disease, but for patients and their loved ones, hope persists, whether through increased funding for NIH research, which just passed the Energy and Commerce Committee this morning, or through the tireless efforts of nonprofit organizations like the National Brain Tumor Society. We should not and cannot accept the notion that a brain tumor is untreatable any longer. This month and every month, we must support the efforts of our scientists, doctors, and advocates as they search for new treatment options to develop new cures.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a long-term reauthorization of the highway trust fund. Just this week, Mayor Dumas from Attleboro, Massachusetts, came to Washington to tell me how another stopgap bill would negatively impact projects in his city. The bridges in my home State are some of the oldest in our country. Of the over 5,000 bridges in our Commonwealth, more than half are considered deficient. Every single day, cars, trucks, and schoolbuses cross our structurally compromised bridges nearly 10 million times. Those numbers underscore the urgency for our government to provide the critical, long-term investments in infrastructure that our constituents demand and deserve. Each time we approve a short-term patch of the highway trust fund, we are continuing the uncertainty and doubt that prevents States and municipalities from moving forward on projects that not only create jobs but keep all of us safe. Our refusal to even consider a lasting transportation plan is hindering our ability to maintain the infrastructure we already have, when we should be instead focused on new projects that increase our modern economy in communities across our country. It is time to fix this problem. It is time to invest in our country. It is time to pass this bill.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to be here today to watch my father-in-law, the Reverend Dr. Jim Birchfield, speak in the House this afternoon. Reverend Dr. Jim Birchfield is a man whom I have known over the past nearly decade that I have known my wife and her family. They are here with us in the gallery this afternoon. He is a man of utmost integrity who has devoted his life to, as he said, serving those among us that are most in need. Through his ministry at First Presbyterian Church and, prior to that, in Newport Beach, California, and the Greater Los Angeles area, he and his family have consistently dedicated themselves to spreading the Word of God and making sure that we, as a community and a country, remain focused on those who need our help most. He has spread that Word throughout the entire world, from Sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt, and Malawi, to recent trips to Israel, and literally the world over, as he continues to expand his ministry and touch those who are in need of additional services. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful today to be with my father-in-law, Reverend Dr. Birchfield, and to have this moment to share with him and his family this morning.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Colonel Henry L. Cyr III, United States Air Force, for his exceptional service to the United States of America. After twenty-six years of service, Colonel Cyr will soon retire from his position as the Commander of the 461st Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. Born in Hopedale, Massachusetts, Colonel Cyr was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Boston University in 1989, receiving his Second Lieutenant rank in historic Faneuil Hall. Throughout his career, Colonel Cyr has served with great distinction in prominent command and staff positions and operational flying units in the United States and around the world. His staff tours include two assignments to the Pentagon; first, in 2002, as Air Force staff responsible for overseeing two U.S. and NATO Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft acquisition programs, and again in 2009 as United States Strategic Command staff leading the Global Force Management Division, responsible for supporting the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance requirements of our Combatant Commanders around the globe. In 2011 Col. Cyr returned to Robins Air Force Base to serve as the Vice Commander of the 461st Air Control Wing. Colonel Cyr has been awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Air Medal, and multiple campaign medals. His aviation career includes more than 4,700 flying hours, including more than 900 in combat and combat support missions. He has flown operations in Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, Haiti, Kosovo and Iraq, as well as worldwide Sensitive Reconnaissance Operations missions. Currently, he is the commander of the Air Combat Command's 461st Air Control Wing responsible for leading nearly fifteen hundred Airmen in achieving the worldwide E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System and Deployable Air Traffic Control and Landing System missions. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to recognize Colonel Henry Cyr's successful and decorated career. I commend Colonel Cyr for his service, leadership, and example. I also wish to recognize the sacrifices and contributions made by Colonel Cyr's family including wife retired Lt. Col. Linda Bethke-Cyr, their children Alexandria and Marcus, and his parents Mrs. Geraldine Francis Cyr and retired Colonel Henry Leonard Cyr, Jr. We are a nation grateful for the military service of the men, women, and families whose sacrifices secure our freedom. I wish Colonel Cyr and his family the best in his retirement and next steps.

Mr. KENNEDY

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.